Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 14) President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to submit on Monday his latest report on the governments effort to combat COVID-19 in the country, as Metro Manila awaits his decision on the status of its quarantine restrictions. The Bayanihan to Heal as One Act gives the president the power to reallocate funds from the 2020 national budget as he deems necessary in the countrys fight against COVID-19, although some lawmakers hold the view that the law itself has already expired. One of the provisions is the granting of a 5,000 to 8,000 monthly subsidy to 18 million poor families for two months, as well as compensation for healthcare workers who have succumbed or had gotten ill because of the virus. In his previous report, Duterte said about 17.64 million families, or 98% of the beneficiaries, have already received cash assistance under the first tranche of the Social Amelioration Program. He said an investigation is still being conducted regarding issues related to the distribution of the cash aid. The Department of Social Welfare said the distribution of the second tranche has already started, while the cash aid for the first and second tranches of the five million waitlisted families under SAP will start this week. Duterte said authorities are also looking into the alleged refusal of 43 hospitals to admit patients, the alleged overpricing of some COVID-19 testing machines, and the death of police doctor Casey Gutierrez at a disinfection facility. The government also released 95.6 million for the Department of Healths procurement of additional testing equipment. The most awaited part of Dutertes report on Monday is on whether Metro Manila and other areas under general community quarantine would ease into a more relaxed modified GCQ status after June 15. Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano said it may be best to keep the current setup in the National Capital Region after June 15 to prevent a sudden spike in COVID-19 infections. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque previously said that the latest COVID-19 numbers in Metro Manila do not inspire relaxation of current protocols. Metro Manila was placed under general community quarantine last June 1 to allow more businesses to resume operations, but restrictions remain in place. A woman in Odishas Naupara has claimed that she had to pull her over 100-year-old mother to the bank on a cot to get the latters pension money after the manager demanded physical verification of the account holder. However, the district collector has refuted the claim, saying the woman brought her mother to the bank before the manager could visit their home for verification. The incident came to light after a video was widely shared on social media showing 60-year-old Punjimati Dei of Bargaon village in Naupara district dragging a cot with her mother lying on it. In March, the Centre had announced Rs 500 monthly assistance for women Jan Dhan bank account holders from April to June to help the poor tide over the Covid-19 crisis under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package. According to the villagers, on June 9, Dei went to the local branch of the Utkal Grameen Bank to withdraw Rs 1500 from the account of her bed-ridden mother, Labhe Baghel who is over 100-years-old. However, the bank manager Ajit Pradhan reportedly told her that she had to bring her mother - the account holder to bank for him to release the money. Dei claimed that since her mother is bed-ridden, she had no option but to drag her charpoy to the bank on the villages kutcha road the next day. She added that the manager released the money after the duo went to the bank. Reacting to the incident after the video went viral, Nauparas district collector Madhusmita Sahoo, said that the woman took her mother to the bank despite the manager offering to visit their house the next day for verification. As the bank is managed by a single person, it was difficult for the manager to go to the womans house the same day. However, the manager had assured her that he would visit the womans house the next day. Before he would visit, the woman had dragged her mother on a charpoy to the bank, Sahoo said. The Reserve Bank of India has time and again advised banks to provide separate basic banking facilities such as delivery of cash against withdrawal from the account, pick up of cash and instruments against receipt, delivery of demand drafts, submission of KYC documents and life certificates for senior citizens and individuals with disabilities at the residence of such customers. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Hello everyone, my name is Mordecai. As I said in Part 1 you can call me M. If you havent read Part 1 of my story check it out here. Now where was I? That's right, God was about to save me from dying. I did not bow to Haman when he passed by and in anger he ordered a tall stake to be built so that he could impale me upon it in the morning. What was really cool and totally God ordained was that that same night, the King couldnt sleep. So what do you do when you're the King and you cannot sleep? You get a servant to read the Royal Chronicles. This is a scroll that has the recorded history of a King in it. Rewarded One of the stories that was read to him was the story of how I saved his life. Apparently the King had completely forgotten about that. Probably because he was so drunk all the time. The next morning when Haman went to see the King to have me impaled, the King told Haman to honour me by leading me around the city on a royal horse telling everyone to praise me. By the way, this was all Hamans idea. See, the King asked Haman how he should honour someone in his kingdom. Haman thought the king was talking about him so Haman suggested the whole horse, city parade deal. Haman punished So the next day was the dinner for the King and Haman. A lot happened in a couple of days. Remember, Esther is the Queen of Persia. This is because the King is madly in love with her. She uses this power to save her people. At the dinner she tells the King that she is Jewish and that Haman has inacted a decree to murder her and to murder me who saved his life and to murder all the Jewish people. The King had a lot to drink again, so when he heard this he went into a drunken rage and he ordered that Haman be impaled on the stake he had had made to murder me! Thw problem solved We still had a problem though. The King could not revoke a decree that he had already made. So on the appointed day that the Jews were to be killed, they were ordered by the King to defend themselves and kill anyone that plotted to kill them. A PG version of the story goes that the Jewish people triumph over their enemies. Esther and I then established by decree an annual two day party to remember their deliverance from destruction. The King then elevated me to a seat beside him and elevated me to second in command of the kingdom. Reflection Mordecai didnt have any control over being in a country that wasnt his own. We, like Mordecai, can be put into a situation that is outside of our control. What is one act of love you can do today towards your family, neighbour, a stranger when out shopping, a colleague at work or just by going about your day? Police make 35 arrests in illegal assemblies in Hong Kong People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 10:34, June 13, 2020 HONG KONG, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Police arrested 35 people involved in illegal assemblies and violent acts at various places in Hong Kong on Friday night. The suspects, 24 men and 11 women, were arrested for offenses including wounding, unlawful assembly, participating in an unauthorized assembly, disorder in public places and possession of offensive weapon, the police said in a statement. Crowds gathered in the vicinity of Causeway Bay, Yuen Long, Mong Kok and Kwun Tong and some people even threw hard objects from height targeting police officers. The police stressed that no illegal violent acts will be condoned and resolute law enforcement actions will be taken against illegal activities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 02:58:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Flights to Turkey will likely be resumed on June 20 after nearly three months of suspension over the COVID-19 pandemic, an Iranian aviation official was quoted as saying by Press TV on Sunday. "We have received some unofficial reports that the air border of this neighboring country will reopen next Saturday so that passenger flights could be resumed," Maqsoud Asadi Samani, secretary of the Association of Iranian Airlines, was quoted as saying. Samani said that resuming the flights to Turkey would be highly possible given recent negotiations between the senior officials of the two countries. Iran is in talks with other countries to finalize the reopening of flight routes as the pandemic rise is slowing down, he said. Enditem OTTAWA - The Canadian Armed Forces is deploying military trainers back to Ukraine as it looks to restart some of the many missions and exercises temporarily suspended or scaled back because of COVID-19. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 14/6/2020 (586 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A Canadian flag patch sits is shown on the shoulder of a member of the Canadian Armed Forces in Trenton, Ont., on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014. The Canadian Armed Forces is deploying military trainers back to Ukraine as it looks to restart some of the many missions and exercises temporarily suspended or scaled back because of COVID-19. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg OTTAWA - The Canadian Armed Forces is deploying military trainers back to Ukraine as it looks to restart some of the many missions and exercises temporarily suspended or scaled back because of COVID-19. Canada first deployed around 200 troops to Ukraine to train local forces in the basics of soldiering in 2015, but that mission and several others were suspended in early April as COVID-19 forced countries around the world into lockdown. While a skeleton force of about 60 service members has been holding the fort for the past two months, Forces spokeswoman Capt. Leah Campbell said another 90 soldiers will soon join them with an eye to resuming the mission. "Following a reassessment of the situation, including an analysis of force health protection measures and the risk posed by COVID-19, the decision was made to deploy another 90 of these members," Campbell said in an email on Sunday. "These personnel will deploy in June 2020, and observe a 14-day isolation period on arrival in Ukraine. On completion of this isolation period, they will be prepared to resume their mission of supporting the Security Forces of Ukraine." Another 50 troops will remain in Canada for now, she added, "and will deploy to engage in training as soon as conditions permit." The decision to restart the Ukraine mission represents the latest move by the Armed Forces to resume some of the many activities that were suspended because of the pandemic. Chief of defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance has previously suggested that some training will recommence while promotions and summer postings are moving ahead in a limited fashion after months of the military being in lockdown. 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. There was no immediate word, however, on some of the other missions affected by COVID-19. Those include the planned deployment of a warship and aircraft to help enforce sanctions against North Korea, the provision of a transport plane to United Nations' peacekeeping operations in Africa and the Canadian military mission in Iraq. The military previously had several hundreds soldiers in Iraq, with half assigned to a NATO training mission in the south and the rest comprised of special forces helping Iraqi counterparts hunt down Islamic State militants in the north of the country. Yet following a missile attack by Iran in January and then COVID-19, nearly all operations have been suspended and the number of troops in Iraq has been dramatically reduced. Canada currently has fewer than 100 soldiers in the country. Discussions over the future of the international community's presence in Iraq are underway between Baghdad and Washington while there are reports of an uptick in the number of attacks perpetrated by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2020. Bansy Kalappa And Preeja prasad By Express News Service BENGALURU: As the Karnataka Government has banned online classes for students up to fifth standard, there have been voices supporting and opposing the move. Primary and Secondary Education Minister Suresh Kumar clears the air in this exclusive, exhaustive interview with The New Sunday Express. Online sessions for primary classes (first to fifth standard) have started in Bengaluru. Many parents have subscribed to internet connections and have bought laptops and other devices for these sessions. But online classes are banned now... Parents ask whether this order would not put students from the state at a disadvantage. Schools too say that they have invested on training teachers and building platforms, but all that is going waste now... The decision was taken after a public outcry against online classes for small children. Even NIMHANS has given an opinion against it. The decision was taken considering the overall wellbeing of our children and society. Governments intentions are bona fide and we are exploring all scenarios where our students are best informed. We need to understand the divide between India and Bharat, rural and urban areas, and haves and have-nots while taking policy decisions. You had taken an initiative in collaboration with the health department to hold PU and SSLC exams. Can you not use similar measures to hold regular classes for students? Regular classes are not the priority now, though there is no alternative to it. At present, our focus is on holding incident-free SSLC exams. Measures for fair and effective education for our children of all classes will unfold in the future. We are seeking the opinion of parents on opening of schools and steps needed to be taken. What happened to the initiative of tying up with Doordarshan to offer regular classes for students? Our experiment to have one-month revision classes for SSLC students through Chandana channel (state-run) is a great success. We have submitted a proposal to the Central Government for dedicated Doordarshan channels. The recording sessions by our expert teachers have already started in our studios. We are setting up state-of-the-art studios in select districts. We have requested Union ministers Pralhad Joshi and Sadananda Gowda to help us in getting the proposal passed at the central government level. Many private schools have started online sessions and are continuing despite the government statement. This will be stopped. I have instructed officers to keep an eye on such sessions. Private schools should understand that the governments concerns are in the best interest of our children. Parents have requested you on social media not to stop online classes because children will waste time otherwise. One parent has requested you not to jeopardise the future of children by cancelling education services. There are different opinions. But majority say that online classes for young children is a concern. We have constituted a committee to look into these issues comprehensively. Finally, a decision in the best interest of students will be taken. Have you had sufficient interactions with parents, schools and experts before taking the decision? People from all quarters were consulted. The committee formed to create a roadmap has people from all sections. Their voices will be represented in the policy to be framed soon. Some parents have spoken of home schooling because of the pandemic. Is that an option? This dire situation has taught us to think about the possibilities which we never thought of earlier. Policies have to be framed afresh as there has been no precedent. Option of home schooling is more an urban-centric concept, which will also be viewed holistically. When Telangana and Tamil Nadu cancelled board exams for the tenth standard, the same was expected in Karnataka. The scenario in Telangana and Tamil Nadu is quite different from Karnataka. Our High Court has clearly ruled in favour of conducting the examination and we have taken the decision in the interest of our students Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Moch. Fiqih Prawira Adjie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, June 14, 2020 10:19 587 fc6853813033f564188675f8bde80936 1 World COVID-19,coronavirus,virus-corona,virus-korona-indonesia,United-Nations,funding,international-cooperation Free The United Nations is set to contribute US$2 million to support Indonesias COVID-19 response under its COVID-19 Multi-Partner Trust Fund (COVID-19 MPTF). The funds would be disbursed through the Protecting People project, which aims to protect the most vulnerable people, particularly women and children of marginalized groups, from the social and economic blows of the pandemic. "The Indonesian fund allocation aims to ensure that, in these times of socioeconomic crisis, no one, particularly children and women, is left behind. It is our priority to support the government in protecting progress made to date in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)." UN interim resident coordinator for Indonesia Niels Scott said in a statement on Thursday. He added that the UN thanked the governments of several countries the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland and Denmark for providing first contributions to launch the fund. [It] will help support Indonesias response to the pandemic and its impacts on human lives and livelihoods, Scott went on to say. According to the bodys estimation, around 150 million Indonesians have fallen into poverty because of the economic impact of the pandemic. Moreover, more face income loss, food insecurity and malnutrition. Read also: Indonesia to receive 100 ventilators from US in early July The funding package would support the vulnerable groups through social and economic protection mechanisms by scaling up cash transfers, broadening social safety nets and providing educational support and food security for children. Additionally, the funds would support digital innovation that could boost employment and strengthen social services and healthcare provision. The support would be provided for the government and key partners civil societies, the private sector and faith-based groups in three categories: the inclusivity of social protection system, the governance of social protection response to COVID-19 and innovation for more efficient and effective social protection. The UN said it would implement the program through its agencies in Indonesia, such as the UN Development Programme (UNDP), which would work with ministries to provide policy recommendations, as well as UNICEF, which would ensure child-responsive aspects of social protection services. The UNs Response and Recovery Trust Funds also support 45 other developing countries with a total approved budget of $41.3 million as of Saturday, with Indonesia and India receiving the largest portion of the budget with $2 million each. The body would also readjust $17.8 billion in funds for sustainable development programs across its agencies in response to COVID-19 response needs. New Delhi, June 14 : Days after a leaking gas well in Assam's Tinsukia district caught a massive fire, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan visited the well site of Oil India Ltd (OIL) on Sunday. Taking to Twitter, he said that along with Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, he met the affected families at the relief camps and assured them of "all possible" assistance in restoring their livelihoods. "Met families affected by the Baghjan gas well fire at the relief camps set up by @OilIndiaLimited. I along with CM @sarbanandsonwal reiterated our commitment to their safety and well-being and also assured them of all possible assistance in restoring their livelihoods," he said. In another tweet, the Petroleum Minister said that during the visit to the blowout site, he along with the Assam CM also took stock of the ongoing operation to control the fire and cap the well. He also met the representatives of a local organisation and assured them of all possible assistance. "Met representatives of Baghjan Gaon Milonjyoti Yuba Sangha along with CM Assam @sarbanandsonwal. Heard their suggestions for thewelfare of the affected people in Baghjan. Also, assured them of all possible assistance," Pradhan tweeted. A gas leak at the oil well at Baghjan in Tinsukia district, which started on May 27 caught fire last Tuesday, June 9, causing the death of two fire fighters of Oil India along with enormous damage to the region's wildlife, wetlands and biodiversity apart from property. Photo by Jonathan Francisca on Unsplash The Swiss watch industry would, like all of us, want to expunge 2020 from memory. Forlorn factories and travel bans have led to steep drops in exports as much as 81 percent in April, says the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry. But as watchmakers brace for what could be the largest decline in sales in 50 years, most of them are not letting up on new launches. Like with everything else these days, they have moved online along with watch fairs. Here, we take a look at three interesting new releases that are among many to take inspiration from the past. Hamilton PSR Who made the worlds first LED digital watch? If you think it is a Japanese company, you are off by over 6,000 kilometres. The worlds first digital wristwatch, the Pulsar, was made by Pennsylvania-based Hamilton, which is now owned by the Swatch Group. When it was launched in 1970, the Pulsar, named after the then recently discovered neutron stars, offered a glance at the future it had no moving parts, no ticking sound and was incredibly accurate. For its looks, Hamilton drew inspiration from the set of watches it had created for director Stanley Kubrick in the 1968 classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. The first Pulsar, in 18 carat yellow gold, cost about $2,000 and early adopters of the wristwatch included Elvis Presley. Later, stainless steel models of the wrist computer found favour with the likes of guitarist Keith Richards, boxer Joe Frazier and the stylish Italian industrialist Giovanni Agnelli, whose family owned Fiat. The new Hamilton PSR takes after the original in shape and form and is available in stainless steel as well as PVD yellow gold. But, it features a hybrid display that uses reflective LCD and OLED technology. The neo-vintage timepiece is water-resistant to 100 metres and prices start at $745. Audemars Piguet Based in Le Brassus, Switzerland, Audemars Piguet is, along with Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe, part of the holy trinity of watch making and it is very aware of it. Back in the early 2000s, the fiercely independent watchmaker declined an offer from American media company MGM Studios to be part of the James Bond franchise. In an interview to QP Magazine, APs CEO, Francois-Henry Bennahmias, said: To be in a movie sure. To do something special yes. But to run a campaign to say it is James Bonds watch no. Not us. In 2020, after refreshing its signature Royal Oak line-up, Audemars launched the (Re)Master 01, inspired by one of its early chronographs. Its blue tachymetric scale and yellow-toned gold dial evoke the 1940s, the decade in which the chronograph was first made, but unlike its predecessor, the watch, at 40mm, features a much larger case. It is also an integrated automatic flyback chronograph as opposed to the 1940s manual wind, and is water-resistant up to 20 metres. Cartier Pasha Cartier has always been a favourite of kings (erstwhile) and tycoons. In her book, The Cartiers: The Untold Story of the Family, Francesca Cartier Brickell writes about how the then family-owned firm would not have survived the Great Depression if it were not for commissions from a variety of Indian maharajas. Around the same time, Louis Cartier, it is said, created a watch for Thami El Glaoui, the French-backed king of Morocco. The eccentric El Glaoui was a man of extravagant tastes and wanted a watch that he could wear both at court and while swimming in his, presumably, royal pool. Louis Cartiers solution was the Pasha, a waterproof gold wristwatch. The Pasha was revived in the 1980s by the famous watch designer Gerald Genta and quickly became the timepiece du jour in that flashy decade. The Pasha might be missing the diving bezel in 2020. But, with its square in a circle design, it still looks immensely distinctive. The unisex model, which is powered by a self-winding caliber, comes in two sizes 35mm and 41mm and on steel, leather, and gold straps that can be interchanged quickly, thanks to Cartiers single-push, QuickSwitch system. Murali K Menon works on content strategy at HaymarketSAC. Views expressed here are personal. Video shows the moment a woman in California attacks her neighbor's car with two hammers and yells at witnesses to 'get the f**k out of this neighborhood' and 'go back to Mexico'. In the footage which has gone viral on social media, the woman is seen attacking a vehicle parked in a residential area of Chatsworth, in LA County's San Fernando Valley. She is later seen tipping over trash cans and in a physical altercation with another neighbor. The owner of the damaged car shared video of the incident on social media this week. Woman in Chatsworth, California was filmed damaging a parked car on Saturday. Multiple dents are seen Edy Perez said he was in Miami, Florida at the time but received the clip of woman making multiple dents in his car. 'Bruh I hate racist ppl so much .. Im all the way in Miami while this dumbassbihh in LA f**king my car up .. all cuz she racist and dont like us.' The heritage of the woman is unclear. Perez told TMZ has been harassing him and his roommates since they moved in early last year. In the clip, two witnesses are heard warning the woman that they are contacting police about her damaging property, to which the woman responds: 'Get the f**k out of this neighborhood you f**king s**ts. Call the police!' 'I'm calling don't worry,' the person filming the video says. The clip posted Saturday had been viewed approximately 5.2 million times on Twitter alone. She tells her neighbors to 'get the f**k out of this neighborhood'. The woman later pushes over trash can and yells 'go back to Mexico' It's unclear what happened in between the two videos being filmed but the woman involved in a physical altercation tells her: 'You got a problem b****? Is there a problem mother f***er?' She later falls into a bush In a follow-up clip, viewed over 3 million times, another woman is seen gripping the woman's hair and yelling at her to turn off a hose. It's unclear what happened in between the two videos being filmed but the woman involved in a physical altercation tells her: 'You got a problem b***h? Is there a problem mother f**ker? 'You put your mother***ing s** on me again b***h? Tell me? Tell me to go the f*** back somewhere b***h? Tell me. Tell me b****. Tell me. 'Now turn that motherf***ing hose off b**** before I shove it up your f**king a**. You understand me b****? I'm not a motherf***er to be played with. Do you understand me b***h?' 'Oh, you f**ked up their car, b***h? You think that s**t is cute, b***h? You racist f**king b***h, I'm sick of you b***hes.' The antagonist is silent throughout then falls into a nearby bush and the video ends. The woman was arrested on June 10 but released on June 11 due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19. The car isn't fully covered by insurance. However, the owner received over $11,000 from a GoFundMe to help cover costs to fix it. On May 25, a military court in Uzbekistan sentenced the former director of the presidential Institute for Strategic and Interregional Research, Rafik Saifulin, to 12 years in prison after he was convicted of violating Article 157 of Uzbekistan's Criminal Code -- treason -- for allegedly spying for Russia. Eleven others were convicted along with Saifulin. Saifulin, 61, had been in government service going way back the to the early years of first Uzbek President Islam Karimov's government. Saifulin is not the only person to be convicted in Uzbekistan of spying. There are other recent cases. But there are doubts about the validity of the treason charges against some of these people. Their trials are clouded in secrecy, their relatives prevented from visiting them for months at a time, and allegations of mistreatment and threats hang over their incarcerations and confessions. On the latest Majlis Podcast, RFE/RL's media-relations manager for South and Central Asia, Muhammad Tahir, moderates a discussion that looks at the use of Article 157 in Uzbekistan and some of the people who have been imprisoned for allegedly violating it. This week's guests are, speaking from the United States, Elena Kuborskaya, the daughter of 69-year-old Vladimir Kaloshin, a former Defense Ministry journalist who was convicted of spying in March this year and sentenced to 12 years in prison; and speaking from Britain, Babur Yusupov, the son of 67-year-old Kadyr Yusupov, a former Uzbek diplomat who was sentenced in January this year to 5 1/2 years in prison; from California, Steve Swerdlow, a human rights lawyer with long experience in Central Asia; from Prague, Alisher Sidik, the director of RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, known locally as Ozodlik; and Bruce Pannier, the author of the Qishloq Ovozi blog. Listen to the podcast above or subscribe to the Majlis on iTunes or on Google Podcasts. Competing Petitions Call for University to Remove or Keep Former Texas Gov. Statue on Campus Two competing petitions over the fate of a statue on the Texas A&M University campus are running head-to-head, as cities and towns across the United States continue to remove monuments over connections to racial issues in the nations history. At the center of the controversy is a statue of Lawrence Sullivan Sully Ross, who served as one of the youngest generals in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War before he was elected two terms the Governor of Texas. In 1891, He became the president of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, which is now Texas A&M, and saved the school from the brink of shutting down. A statue of Ross was erected in 1918 in the heart of the Taxes A&M campus to commemorate his contribution, according to the universitys website. Commonly known as Sully, it is now the oldest sculpture on campus. Earlier this week, the statue was covered with a tarp after being defaced. The base of the statue was painted with the word racist and the acronyms BLM and ACAB in red spray. There was also a male genital drawn in red paint on the body of the statue along with a rainbow-colored wig. While Sully made strong contributions to Texas A&M, he served as a Confederate General, saw Blacks as inferior, did not support integration, and was against womans suffrage. Its long overdue for the statue to be removed, read an online petition to remove the Ross statue from the campus, which has gained over 22,000 signatures in the past 2 weeks. Ross symbolizes a period of time at Texas A&M when Black students would not be allowed to walk on our campus, the petition argued. Meanwhile, a counter petition titled Keep the statue of Governor Lawrence Sullivan Ross in front of the Academic building was created shortly after and has generated about 24,000 supporting signatures. Recently, an online petition has been circulating regarding the removal of the statue of Lawrence Sullivan Ross, reads the counter petition. Texas A&M prides itself in its esteemed traditions and history, and Sully represents both. The school we know and love today wouldnt exist without the noble and selfless service given by Lawrence Sullivan Ross, stated one of the petition creators, who updated the petition to include a list of Ross contribution to both the university and the state of Texas. The attempt to remove Sully is not new to Texas A&M campus community. In 2017, after the neighboring University of Texas at Austin removed a Confederate statue on its campus, the universitys president, Michael Young, promised that the statue would never be removed. Without Sul Ross, Texas A&M University nor Prairie View A&M University would likely exist today, Young said in a statement at the time. He saved our school and Prairie View through his consistent advocacy in the face of those who persistently wanted to close us down. Maharashtra on Sunday recorded 3,390 new coronavirus cases taking the states tally of Covid-19 infections to 1,07,958 including 3,950 casualties, of these, 120 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours, as per the medical bulletin released by the state health department. Cases in Mumbai rose by 1,395 cases on Sunday to reach 58,226. Total number of deaths registered in the metropolis has gone up to 2,182 with 69 more deaths registered in the last 24 hours. 50,978 people in the state have been discharged so far which is close to 50% of all coronavirus cases. The state has 53,017 active cases at the moment. In terms of testing samples, the state has conducted over 6,57,739 tests. Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state in the country with 53,017 active cases while 50,978 patients have been cured and discharged in the state so far. The state has also reported over a third of the total deaths reported from the country with 3,950 patients succumbing to the disease. For Coronavirus Live Updates Given the rising number of cases, the Maharashtra government has sanctioned Rs 15 crore to set up a 1000-bed Covid-19 hospital in Mira Bhayander municipal limits, Pratap Sarnaik, who is a Shiv Sena MLA from Owala-Majiwada area, was quoted as saying by PTI. He said that the work on the hospital will start from Monday and 376 beds will be available in the first phase of development. The hospital will be housed in two halls. In other containment efforts, administration is making efforts to safeguard elderly inmates of Harsul Central Jail in Maharashtras Aurangabad after 29 prisoners in the facility were reported to have tested positive for coronavirus disease. Officials quoted by PTI said that a health examination drive was being conducted in the prison in which over 500 inmates have been tested so far. Two employees of a civic crematorium in Thane city were also reported to have tested positive for the disease, an official said on Sunday. Their family members have been quarantined and they infected individuals have been admitted to different hospitals in the city, said S K Mahavarkar, in-charge of the Thane municipal corporations crematoria, as per PTI. Also Read: Maharashtra: Over 100 hospital employees booked for being absent amid Covid-19 outbreak In another related incident, over 100 employees of a hospital in Solapur in Maharashtra, including doctors, have been booked for remaining absent from work during the coronavirus pandemic in violation of orders from the district administration, officials said on Sunday. As the sun rose early Monday morning, a peculiar sight had formed at the doors of many of Dublin's most popular shops. For the first time since mid-March, queues of people stretched outside many of the city's stores, with the capital's consumers taking advantage of the latest loosening of Covid-19 restrictions - the reopening of retail. Videos shared on social media of the queue outside Ikea, the Swedish-owned home furniture store in Ballymun, appeared to be almost never-ending. It wasn't just the sight of lockdown-weary consumers returning to the streets that brought hope to the hearts of many Irish economic commentators. A slew of economic data released over the past fortnight has revealed cautious signs that a slow recovery could be on the horizon. Last week, the Department of Finance released a report covering emerging economic developments. It found most indicators, such as payment data, demonstrated a low-point was experienced in the economy during April, with the data further suggesting that activity is now above this low-point - albeit still well below the pre-Covid level. According to a note from stockbroker Davy, Irish GDP expanded by 1.2pc over the first quarter, up 4.6pc on the year. The note said the result indicated the multinational and defensive export sectors provided some protection to the economy. At the same time, domestic-facing firms, in hospitality and tourism in particular, had experienced more severe disruption. The Central Bank of Ireland's (CBI) latest monthly Business Cycle Indicator, which takes monthly economic and financial data for Ireland to calculate a measure of underlying economic activity, held some interesting insights. It revealed that the fall in economic activity in Ireland had been twice as deep as the financial crisis. However, its preliminary estimates for May pointed to some signs of stabilisation in economic conditions, despite activity remaining substantially below the pre-Covid-19 outbreak. So, with the latest data in mind, are there green shoots of recovery for the country or is this a false dawn? Looking at five crucial areas of the economy, including the labour market, business activity, construction, property transactions and spending, the Sunday Independent has found the economy is slowly starting to show signs of life following the startling decline. Despite signs of health, there is still much work to be done to shake off those lingering symptoms of Covid-19. Labour market Only a couple of months ago, some economic commentators thought the economy was close to hitting "full employment" - where just about everyone who wants a job has one. In February, the unemployment rate was 4.8pc, close to the 4pc threshold some economists claim represents full employment. In May, unemployment, adjusted to account for those on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, was 26.1pc. On Monday, thousands of businesses and shops reopened as restrictions were eased under phase two of the reopening. Many furloughed employees were now back to work stocking shelves for the much-anticipated return of the consumer. Last week, the Government announced more than 82,000 people had returned to work since the country began to reopen from Covid-19 restrictions. Of that figure, 36,000 returned in the past week. The Department of An Taoiseach said the number of people receiving the 350 pandemic payment was now 515,000, a fall of over 27,000 from the previous week. Despite the fall, the Government said the number of people who had been supported by the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme had hit more than 527,300, a sign businesses have relied on support to retain their staff. Despite some positivity surrounding signs of people returning to work, Jack Kennedy, an economist at the global job site Indeed, said the level of job postings on the recruitment website was 56pc lower than last year's trend. He said industries such as food, hospitality and tourism had been hit hardest, while tech roles had "smaller than average declines". "Although the outlook appears bleak there is at least a hint of positive news on the horizon," he said. "Now that specific sectors of the economy have started reopening, we may have seen a bottoming out in the labour market. "Coupled with Government data suggesting that claims for emergency unemployment payments may have peaked, there are early signs of stabilisation in the labour market," he added. "However, there remains a long and challenging road ahead before job postings return to anywhere near the level we saw before the outbreak of Covid-19." Spending With Taoiseach Leo Varadkar asking people to stay at home throughout the lockdown, household spending sank like a stone. Evidence of this became plain late last month, when the Central Statistics Office (CSO) showed retail sales had fallen 43.3pc in April compared to the previous year, with the CBI revealing that household's had saved a record 3bn in April. But how has spending fared since the gradual reopening? The report from the Department of Finance on emerging economic trends found, using data from online bank Revolut, that from the peak of spending to the trough in early April expenditure fell more than 40pc, while the number of transactions dropped by over 60pc. From that early April low-point, both measures have recovered by approximately 30pc. Data from the Bank of Ireland covering debit card transactions between March 28 and June 8 found non-grocery retail purchases were down 3.64pc, while sales in the grocery area were up 40.4pc. With the shutters down across most of the country's retailers until this week, e-commerce was found to have surged in popularity. According to the Department of Finance, the pandemic has led to an increase in the proportion of expenditure carried out online, accounting for 30pc of total expenditure in early February to close to 50pc in late April. This trend has slightly reversed in recent weeks to just over 40pc as restrictions have lifted. Drilling into specific retailers, Bank of Ireland found online transactions with Woodie's had grown by a massive 591pc, O'Brien's off-licences by 247pc, Littlewoods Ireland 91pc and Amazon 78pc. Interestingly, the data showed that despite those long queues outside Ikea, customer spend on debit cards at the Ballymun store was down 23pc compared to the baseline average for a Monday before the Covid-19 restrictions. Looking to the months ahead, consumer sentiment indices could point to how the public is feeling towards splashing the cash throughout the reopening. With any score above 50 indicating an improvement, the KBC and Bank of Ireland consumer sentiment index jumped to 52.3 in May, a 9.7-point monthly increase. Consumer thinking on the country's economic prospects did remain "extremely weak", however, with the bounce mostly reflecting the scale of the deterioration in the economic situation in April. When it came to making major purchases of high-value items, the index hit 76.3 in May, up from 63.7 the previous month. Could consumers be ready to open their wallets following the downturn? Simon Barry, chief economist at Ulster Bank, said there had been some encouraging signs spending would recover from the latest CBI figures on debit and credit card spending. They showed that total gross spend on all cards had recovered by 50pc in the week to June 8 from the mid-April low-point. He said that back in early March, when the figures were first compiled, average spend calculated over seven days was 210m a day. This dropped to 125m during the low-point in April, before recovering to 190m in the figures released on Friday. "This shows an encouraging pattern," said Barry. "You could say the result is better than expected, though there are still concerns over the medium-term scarring to certain sectors." Business Activity In the second of the CSO's new Covid-19 business surveys, conducted in the week beginning May 3, 76pc of companies which responded said they were continuing to trade. There is an expectation this number would have grown during the latest round of the reopening, with thousands of retailers throwing open their doors. Similarly to the first set of results, nearly one in four enterprises had ceased trading either temporarily or permanently. Almost a quarter (23pc) closed temporarily while 0.9pc permanently closed. Looking at how businesses think activity will recover in the months ahead, the Bank of Ireland Business Pulse, which captures the mood of Ireland's companies, found that expectations regarding near-term activity across the four sectoral pulses - Industry, Services, Retail, and Construction - had improved in May, though only slightly. Loretta O'Sullivan, group chief economist for Bank of Ireland, said the actions to suppress the virus had unsurprisingly affected business confidence in recent months. "Firms are clearly worried about the here and now and remain gloomy about near-term prospects for business activity and hiring, but with the Government's roadmap giving a broad sense of direction, they were somewhat less pessimistic about the outlook in May," she said. "So while it looks like the Business Pulse has troughed, the rebound in sentiment still has some way to go, especially for more domestic-focused services sectors." Construction One of the first sectors to return to action, construction is a vital cog in the domestic economic machinery and should play a pivotal role as the country recovers from Covid-19. The pandemic was a hammer blow to the sector as sites were forced to close. According to the CSO, two of every three (66.7pc) construction businesses had ceased trading either temporarily or permanently. With many sites now open across the country, some indicators are showing that site managers are becoming more hopeful for the future. Ulster Bank's construction purchasing managers' index, which tracks changes in total construction activity, posted a reading of 19.9 in May, up from the previous month's record low of 4.5. A figure above 50 signals an increase in activity on the previous month, while a figure below 50 indicates a decrease. This meant construction activity continued to fall sharply, but at a softer pace than in April. May marked the third month in a row where the index had remained below the 50 figure. Despite the trend, Ulster Bank's Barry said there was cause for cautious optimism regarding the figures. The Future Activity Index, included in the results, hit a three-month high as more than 37pc of respondents anticipated an increase in activity over the coming year, compared to 29.6pc in April and 16.6pc in March. He added that respondents to the survey who answered later in May were more optimistic regarding activity, adding there is a strong pipeline of work from before the pandemic hit. "It's going to be pretty straight forward for activity to resume," he said. "I'm sure we can all see it in our immediate local areas; sites have resumed, and people are picking up on that strong pipeline. "What we did see, informally, was a discernibly different pattern from the responses we received before May 18 [when sites reopened] and then after. We did an informal sense check to see if there was a difference in the pattern of the responses, and the answer was yes. Even within our survey, there was clear evidence of an improvement of momentum throughout the month. I'd be surprised if we don't see clearer signs of recovery in the June figures." Property Transactions Like construction, the property transaction market also took a pounding due to Covid-19. With estate agents unable to show potential buyers around their potential dream homes, sales inevitably slumped. According to Angela Keegan, managing director of property website MyHome.ie, only 3,500 transactions were recorded on the property price register in April and May this year, compared to 9,500 purchases in those two months last year. Nationally, a total of 18,761 properties were advertised for sale on June 1, the lowest since October 2006. The total of 3,768 in Dublin was 26pc lower than a year ago. Marian Finnegan, managing director of residential and advisory at estate agent Sherry Fitzgerald described the statistics as "incredibly low". Despite this, Finnegan said there were good volumes of interest for June, with around 900 viewings booked last Tuesday, one day after Sherry Fitzgerald reopened. Finnegan added she wasn't as pessimistic over the sector as others. For the year, she believes the property market will be down around 25pc in volume terms. Hugo Mahony, a co-founder of online property platform Realli, said he believed that over the next few months there would be a healthy property market with a lot of transactions. According to a recent survey on Realli's website, 75pc of people who were intending to buy a property this year still planned on doing so. Mahony's concern is regarding the medium term. He believes that if the economy doesn't bounce back quickly, then the next cohort of buyers could find it challenging to get mortgage approval, especially if wages take a hit. Mahony said the property platform had also recently experienced a steady increase in browsing activity - a positive sign that interest in properties was growing again. The outlook Most economists have been hard pushed to nail their colours to the mast regarding how the economy will recover. As the unprecedented damage to business and consumer confidence becomes clear cold water has been poured on the notion of a V-shaped recovery, where the economy hits a low point fast and then recovers at an equal pace. With the recovery in mind, Andrew Webb, chief economist at Grant Thornton Ireland, described the initial effect of Covid-19 as a "mind-boggling economic catastrophe". "We have a long climb back to some form of normality, longer than that rapid shutdown; the climb back won't be as rapid," he said. Despite this, Webb said he was confident the economy would eventually recover, provided consumers buck early predictions and go back out and spend. "So much of the recovery will be determined by consumer behaviour and confidence," he said. "Seeing things like the long queues for Ikea, I think that is curious to some - but it is encouraging to see how the economy will emerge from this. There seems to be an appetite out there from people to get back out there and engage with the economy, which is crucial to business confidence. "I think there are green shoots," he added. "But, we are in for a recovery of probably 12-18 months. Without a second lockdown, we may be back to the previous trends by that point." Recruitment Rise With the labour market in Ireland struggling due to Covid-19, there are signs from across Europe that it will recover. LinkedIn, the social media site with its EU headquarters in Dublin, has shared with the Sunday Independent some data from its two million-plus members in Ireland showing that, as the lockdown measures were implemented on March 13, hiring through the platform sharply declined. Mariano Mamertino, a senior economist for EMEA at LinkedIn, said the share of members starting new jobs what the company calls the LinkedIn hiring rate in Ireland fell in the following month. It was down 47pc on the previous year by Easter. Despite some fluctuations, since mid-April, hiring in Ireland has been trending at levels that are about 40pc below, on average, compared to last year, he said. Mamertino said that while LinkedIns data shows the hiring rate is still down by -45pc year-on-year in June, other markets such as France and Italy have started to see a recovery, even though they registered sharper declines in hiring at the height of the pandemic. The hiring rate in France fell almost -70pc by mid-April, but it has since recovered to a fall of approximately -11pc compared to the same time last year, he said. Similarly, Italys largest year-on-year decline also occurred around mid-April with a -64pc year-on-year fall, but that has also tapered to around -35pc year-on-year in June. New Delhi: A crucial meeting of Cabinet ministersA chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the wake of terror attacks in Uri that left 18 Indian Army jawans martyred and 19 other soldiers injured is currently underway. The meeting is attended by top ministers including Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. The meeting may discuss possible options on how India can respond to Uri attacks. Here are the live updates: Delhi: Union Cabinet meeting ends. HM Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, MoS PMO Jitendra Singh leave PMO. pic.twitter.com/LEj2PBqpou a ANI (@ANI_news) September 21, 2016 #Delhi: Union Cabinet meeting at the PMO ends #Cabinet Committee on Security meeting underway, HM Rajnath Singh, FM Arun Jaitley, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar arrive for meet Delhi: Cabinet Committee on Security meeting underway, HM Rajnath Singh, FM Arun Jaitley, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar arrive for meet pic.twitter.com/Ve53ZWoAki a ANI (@ANI_news) September 21, 2016 India had reacted strongly to the deadliest attack on the Army in Jammu and Kashmir in a quarter-century-old insurgency that sparked an outrage with the Prime Minister strongly condemning it. aWe strongly condemn the cowardly terror attack in Uri. I assure the nation that those behind this despicable attack will not go unpunished,a Modi had said. The assertion by PM Modi has triggered speculation about the options that India could exercise in the current situation.A The options that are being speculated include a swift, surgical strike on terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). However, experts caution it could have consequences. One of the speculated options also include targeting artillery and heavy-mortar fire on Pakistan army posts and bunkers. Home Minister Rajnath had pointed a finger directly at Pakistan, saying it is a aterrorist statea and should be isolated. while BJP leader Ram Madhav said days of strategic restraint are over and suggested that afor one tooth, the complete jawa should be the policy after the attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Monday chaired a high-level meeting attended by top ministers and other officials over the deadly terror attack in Uri. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag besides other senior officials attended the meeting. Heavily armed militants suspected to be from Pakistan-based JeM on Sunday stormed an army base in Uri in Kashmir, killing 17 jawans. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Shankari Sundararaman By India and Australia held their first-ever virtual summit on 4 June 2020. The restrictions placed on travel due to the pandemic pushed the two countries to consider meeting virtually to advance their bilateral ties, even as meetings scheduled to take place earlier were cancelled. The first major outcome of the summit was the enhancement of India-Australia relations to the level of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). The advancement to CSP in the bilateral ties comes a decade after their ties were elevated to a Strategic Partnership. This shift is not merely semantic but needs to be understood within the overall context of shifts shaping the Indo-Pacific, which necessitate these countries coming closer together. The summit saw the signing of nine agreements between India and Australia that expand to cover areas of trade, technology and security. According to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the two-way bilateral trade in goods and services between the two countries stood at AU$30.3 billion for 2018-19. Two-way bilateral investments between the countries stood at the level of AU$30.7 billion for 2018. There is, however, a trade imbalance because of Indias reliance on coal from Australia. The summit discussed furthering the negotiations on the India-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, discussions for which began in May 2011 and are yet to be concluded. Australia also highlighted the importance of India reconsidering its membership into the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which New Delhi withdrew from. Indias concerns relating to the finalisation of the service sector agreements and opening of markets to Chinese goods were critical in its decision to exit the RCEP negotiations. On the technological level, an agreement on cyber and cyber-enabled critical technology cooperation was finalised. The agreement aims at improving cyber resilience of several countries in the region through a joint fund creation that will enable and enhance R&D in the areas of cyber technology used in business partnerships. Another core agreement was on mining and processing of critical and strategic minerals. This agreement needs to be assessed in two waysfirst, with the impact of the pandemic on global supply chains, the undisrupted supply of non-fuel minerals is critical for Indias manufacturing sector. Second, Australia produces 55% of the global output of lithium. The Indian governments efforts to push ahead with the Make in India programme, particularly in the auto industry and electric car production, can be enhanced through this agreement. A crucial agreement at the security level remains the key focus of this summitthe Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) is the first of its kind with Australia. This clearly reflects the growing areas of security convergence between the two countries, having gone from the lowest ebb during Indias nuclear tests to the current levels, endorsing issues of regional stability in the Indo-Pacific. Enhancing military interoperability and providing logistics support for each other in their respective military bases is the core component of the agreement. A key focus for both these countries is to engage more robustly on security-related matters, particularly focused on the maritime domain, which has been reflected in the Joint Declaration on Shared Vision for Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. Interestingly, Prime Minister Morrisons statement following the summit highlighted that the two countries had built their ties on the basis of mutual understanding, trust and common interests, directly indicating the levels of convergence on shared values of democracy and the rule of law. This has been a core focus for both India and Australia in the maritime domain, because structural shifts in the Indo-Pacific are impacting the normative behaviour of states over maritime territorial claims. As India and Australia have recently faced tensions in their bilateral ties with China, they reassert the importance of the existing normative frameworks, with a particular emphasis on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS), addressing their mutual adherence to a rules-based international order. The Shared Vision reiterates the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative proposed by Prime Minister Modi during the 2019 East Asia Summit (EAS). The focus of this initiative was to enhance avenues for a collaborative security framework for the Indo-Pacific region. The Shared Vision clearly endorses that the regional security architecture for the Indo-Pacific will be dependent on multiple types of frameworksranging from bilateral to minilateral and multilateral options. This approach to calibrating the regional security architecture clearly addresses several distinct layers that are critical. While building on their bilateral relations, Australia and India are also focused on promoting minilateralism through frameworks such as the Australia-India-Japan trilateral; the IORA trilateral dialogue on the Indian Ocean (TDIO) with Australia-India-Indonesia. The TDIO has also been suggested as a possible framework to advance the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative where these three countries act as the security pillar within the EAS to address issues in the maritime domain. Other quadrilateral and multilateral processes reiterate the security convergences between the two countries. As the regional security challenges continue to shift, both India and Australia need to critically build on the existing frameworks to promote regional stability in the Indo-Pacific. Shankari Sundararaman Professor at School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi (shankari@mail.jnu.ac.in) With Ramp Gate trending on Twitter, President Donald Trump took to the social platform late Saturday night to admonish the media and critics over his careful walk down a ramp following his commencement speech at the U.S. Military Academy. Video showed the president cautiously stepping down the ramp after his remarks at West Point, prompting some to question his health. Trump descended a ramp extremely carefully at the end of his West Point speech today pic.twitter.com/uMG3KyB1V1 Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 13, 2020 Trump dismissed such concerns in a tweet just before 11 p.m. Saturday, noting the ramp was very long and steep, had no handrail, and, most importantly, was very slippery. The last thing I was going to do is fall for the Fake News to have fun with, he added. Final ten feet I ran down to level ground. Momentum! The ramp that I descended after my West Point Commencement speech was very long & steep, had no handrail and, most importantly, was very slippery. The last thing I was going to do is fall for the Fake News to have fun with. Final ten feet I ran down to level ground. Momentum! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 14, 2020 Trump, in his address Saturday, urged graduating cadets to never forget the legacy of soldiers before them who fought to extinguish the evil of slavery. His remarks came at a time when former military leaders have critiqued the administrations response to unrest over racial injustice and the death of George Floyd, and as Trump pushes back against calls to remove Confederate names and symbols from U.S. military institutions. What has historically made America unique is the durability of its institutions against the passions and prejudices of the moment, Trump told more than 1,100 graduates sitting further apart than usual because of the coronavirus pandemic. When times are turbulent, when the road is rough, what matters most is that which is permanent, timeless, enduring and eternal. Related Content: New Delhi: Renowned sand artist Manas Kumar Sahoo from Puri, Odisha extended his condolences to Sushant Singh Rajput's family in his own heartfelt way. The actor's untimely and sudden death on June 14, 2020, shocked one and sundry alike. While the investigation is still underway to find out the cause of his demise, several celebrity friends, fans and political leaders including PM Narendra Modi mourned his death on social media. Manas Sahoo paid a heartwarming tribute to Sushant Singh Rajput through his sand art creation. Take a look here: The Bhubaneswar-based internationally acclaimed sand artist created a picture Sushant Singh Rajput, who debuted in 'Kai Po Che!' back in 2013 and emerged as a rising star. His tribute for Dhoni actor reads, 'You Will Always Live With Us'. May his soul rest in peace! Press Release June 13, 2020 Bong Go: Agri sector crucial in helping Filipinos recover from COVID-19 crisis; urges DA to ensure sufficient agri production, further assist agri-related MSEs, and strengthen agripreneurial skills trainings Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go appealed to the Department of Agriculture to assist more agri- and fishery-based micro and small enterprises to bolster food security as part of the efforts to help Filipinos recover from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis. "Sa crisis ngayon na dulot ng COVID-19, maraming industriya ang naapektuhan ngunit ang supply ng pagkain ay hindi dapat matigil. Umaapela po ako sa Department of Agriculture na tulungan ang mga magsasaka at mangingisda para masigurado na may sapat na pagkain para sa bawat pamilyang Pilipino," Go said. According to the DA through its Agricultural Credit Policy Council, the agency continues to enhance the provision of concessionary loans to marginal small farmers and fishers, including agri-based micro and small entrepreneurs through the Expanded SURE Aid and Recovery Project. Go said that the DA should further promote their initiatives to meet their target beneficiaries most especially that the government is preparing to implement the Balik Probinsya, Balik Pag-asa program (BP2) after the health crisis. Go also commended the DA for acting on his previous appeal to encourage local government units to buy agri-produce from local farmers and farmer-cooperatives that can be included in their relief operations for their constituents. "Ilang mga LGUs rin ang nagpamigay ng gulay, prutas at isda sa kanilang relief operations. Dagdag tulong ito sa mga magsasaka at mangingisda para kumita, naging masustansya pa ang relief goods na naipamahagi sa mga Pilipinong nangangailangan," Go said. Since then, the DA has been coordinating and urging LGUs to purchase relief goods directly from farmers and farmers' cooperatives. As of June 1, 425 LGUs purchased fresh produce from farmers for distribution as relief goods. On the other hand, in order to provide proper education and technical or vocational skills training in agriculture, the Agricultural Training Institute is collaborating with different state universities and colleges and the Department of Education to produce modules and classes focusing on sustainable agriculture. "Lalo na sa panahon ngayon na apektado ng krisis ang ating ekonomiya, 'back to basics' po tayo. Nakita natin ngayon kung gaano kahalaga ang agrikultura sa ating bansa at sa ating kabuhayan," Go said. "Mabilis pong maibabalik ang sigla ng ating ekonomiya kung palalakasin natin ang sektor ng agrikultura sa ating mga probinsya," he added. ATI is also partnering with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to develop training regulations for grains production, organic agriculture and artificial insemination. Aside from the abovementioned, Go is also urging the ATI to further collaborate with more state colleges and organizations to look into urban farming and how to cope up with the growing demand of food both in big cities and in provinces. "We have seen how the pandemic broke the global supply chains of the food sector. Now is the time to ensure that we are self-sustaining and reduce our dependence on global trade when it comes to food. Now, more than ever, we need to promote and support food security and agriculture in the country," he emphasized. DA is implementing various programs to ensure increased food productivity, including the provision of various inputs, such as machinery, tools, and equipment to agricultural workers; and the provision of low- or zero-interest credit and establishment of credit facilities, such as Sikat Saka Program for rice and corn farmers, Survival and Recovery Loan for victims of calamities, and Production Loan Easy Access for crops, livestock, fisheries projects. The DA also provides free training and seminars on rice production, modern rice farming techniques, seed production and farm mechanization to farmers; and implements the Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita Marketing Program which establishes a direct link between the farmers/fisherfolk and the consuming public, ensuring that farmers get the best prices for their goods, while providing affordable, safe, and nutritious produce to Filipino consumers. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Sen. Charles Schumer is calling on the U.S. Senate to immediately reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) after a recent report found a 33% rise in domestic violence in New York during the coronavirus pandemic. According to a news release from Schumers office, the senator is demanding Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, take VAWA off the shelf and pass it in the Senate. The act was passed with bipartisan support in April 2019 by the U.S. House of Representatives. The data from New Yorks report mirrors similar statistics across other parts of the country that are also seeing a rise in domestic violence amid the coronavirus pandemic," said Schumer in a news release. Its up to all of us to heed the warning in these numbers and not allow a pandemic to fuel an epidemic of domestic violence so many have devoted their lives to preventing. Schumer said since he first helped write the act in 1994, countless individuals have been saved. The funds provided were for local shelters, counseling and other critical efforts. ...The law has given so many a second chance and we cannot rest until the Senate acts, the law is fully reauthorized and the help New York and other states need is on the way, Schumer said in the release. According to the states domestic violence task force and date reported by law enforcement and domestic violence service providers, there was an increase in domestic violence in the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The New York State Domestic & Sexual Violence Hotline recorded a 33% increase in calls in April 2020 compared to last April. Shelter occupancy rates upstate rose to 78% in April 2020, up from 59% in April last year. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK ***https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/DVTF-Report-FINAL.pdf Schumer said the coronavirus pandemic cant be allowed to fuel an epidemic of domestic violence. Passing the VAWA package will unlock the full federal funding to meet the states immediate needs to help stop violence, Schumer said. Immediate needs include local programming for survivors safety, including the use of new technology and mobile platforms; housing stability and navigation services and transportation. According to the recent domestic violence report, funding should be flexibile to meet a range of needs, like housing costs, safety measures and allocations for essential needs that could present barriers to safety and housing stability. Support should have more flexible parameters, meet survivors needs, and be available until survivors feel safe. Right now, because of the uncertainty around the Violence Against Women Acts future reauthorization we have states preparing to turn over the couch cushions for this life-saving funding, and that cannot sustain, Schumer said. Philanthropy is certainly one way to fill in the gaps. but existing federal funding cannot be allowed to simply fall short. Thats why we need the Senate to act here, because government has a job to do and lives to save. The House-passed VAWA reauthorization includes a number of new provisions. That includes: -- Establishing a survey among District and State Attorney Offices that receive funding from VAWA grant programs to track the rates of rape cases. -- Increasing funding for the Services, Training Officers and Prosecutors (STOP) grant program, which promotes a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach to enhancing advocacy and improving the criminal justice systems response to violent crimes against women. -- Enhancing the Grants to Reduce Violent Crimes Against Women on Campus Program by supporting educational institutions seeking to develop and distribute educational materials to students related to prevention. -- Boosting housing protections for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Additionally, a provision in the reauthorization bill ensures that in the event of separation from a spouse, survivors retain access to housing. The bill also increases opportunities under transitional housing grant programs for organizations that operate in underserved and low-income communities. -- Promoting the economic security and stability of victims of domestic and sexual violence. One of the ways the VAWA reauthorization bill would do this would be by authorizing funding for a Government Accountability Office study on the economic implications of domestic violence and the best possible solution to these implications for victims. FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. AMSTERDAM, June 13 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca is in talks with Japan, Russia, Brazil and China about supply deals for its potential COVID-19 vaccine, its chief said on Saturday, as the British drugmaker prepares to publish the results of the first phase of tests. The British drugs regulator has approved the start of Phase III of its tests on the vaccine after studies showed sufficient efficacy and safety, Chief Executive Pascal Soriot said on a call with reporters. (Reporting by Anthony Deutsch; Writing by Josephine Mason; Editing by Louise Heavens) Europe's Covid Vaccine Race: France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands Sign AstraZeneca Contract Sputnik News 15:54 GMT 13.06.2020 Earlier this month France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands joined forces to form the "Inclusive Vaccine Alliance", in order to have a stronger negotiating position in the race for a coronavirus vaccine. The contract agreement with AstraZeneca is the alliance's first result in securing a potential coronavirus vaccine for European countries. The Vaccine Alliance formed by France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands has signed a contract with British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to supply a coronavirus vaccine for Europe, Italy's Health Minister said on Saturday. The contract is for 400 million doses of the vaccine which was developed at the University of Oxford. The researchers at AstraZeneca have started a large-scale clinical trial in which the vaccine will be tested on 10,000 people. An additional trial with 30,000 participants will take place later this month. AstraZeneca has also secured a deal with two US government agencies and Vanderbilt University to create antibodies to be used to treat and prevent Covid-19, according to Bloomberg. In a Facebook post Health Minister Roberto Speranza wrote that the trial is "already advanced" and expected to end in Autumn. He added that the first batch would be available by the end of 2020. However, according to the Guardian, AstraZeneca's CEO, Pascal Soriot, could not guarantee the vaccine would work and said several would be required, though he expressed confidence. Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge wrote in a letter that all EU member states will have the opportunity to sign up to the deal, under the same conditions as the alliance members. If and when the vaccine becomes available, doses will be distributed based on the population in each country. "This is an important step that we're taking today," Mr de Jonge said. "A vaccine is crucial in combating the virus. Until we have a vaccine, it will flare up time and again. That's why everyone's working so hard to develop one. We believe in the power of cooperation, and we're also hedging our bets because you never know which horse is going to win the race." He added that the Alliance is also holding discussions with other pharmaceutical companies as it is still uncertain if AstraZeneca's vaccine will go into production. The European Commission received an office order from EU governments on Friday regarding advance purchases of possible coronavirus vaccines, the EU's top health official said. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The leaders of Fianna Fail, the Green Party and Fine Gael have expressed confidence that they will on Sunday sign off on the draft agreement of a programme for government. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said that if the programme for government is signed off later, it will represent a new departure for Irish society. The leaders of the three parties are at Government buildings to formally agree a draft programme for government and to discuss outstanding issues. Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar went into Government buildings without a word for the press. Thankfully the rain has started to ease off. pic.twitter.com/XRFS696Wf9 Aine McMahon (@AineMcMahon) June 14, 2020 Speaking on his way into Government buildings, Mr Martin said that although there are outstanding issues to be resolved, he is hopeful a deal can be signed off on Sunday. He said: I think we can move this forward and it can represent a new departure for Irish society. It will bring transformative change to how we do things and prepare the country well for the next decade and prepare us for the economic situation that Covid-19 has created that will take centre stage. Asked if the deal would be signed off on Sunday evening, he said: That would be our intention, yes. If a programme for government is finally agreed, it will go to our parliamentary party first and then there will be a vote by the membership. Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar did not speak to the press on his way into the meeting. Deputy Fine Gael leader Simon Coveney said the draft coalition government deal is good for the country. Expand Close Media direct questions to Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, upon his arrival at Government Buildings to discuss outstanding issues, as leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party are set to formally agree a draft programme for government between their parties later. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Media direct questions to Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, upon his arrival at Government Buildings to discuss outstanding issues, as leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party are set to formally agree a draft programme for government between their parties later. Speaking on the way into the talks, Mr Coveney, leader of the Fine Gael negotiating team, described the text as good for the country. We did a lot of good work last night and we effectively have a text for a government with a need for the leaders to finalise a very small number of issues, he said. Negotiating teams have done their job. I think the text that will be going to the leaders today is good for the country and I hope and I am confident that the three leaders will be able to sell it within their parties and to the public. Negotiators from the parties met until the early hours of the morning. The three negotiating teams agreed most of a programme for government this morning. A small number of issues have been left to the party leaders to decide later today. A lot of good stuff in there! Ossian Smyth TD (@smytho) June 14, 2020 Green Party TD Ossian Smyth, who is part of his partys negotiating team, tweeted at 4.30am on Sunday: The three negotiating teams agreed most of a programme for government this morning. A small number of issues have been left to the party leaders to decide later today. A lot of good stuff in there! Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said a coalition government deal needs to be done today He said: It does have to be done today because we are on a tight timeline. All of our parties have rules involving our members. With the pandemic, we have to send out postal ballots so our members can vote and that takes time. Expand Close Media direct questions to Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, upon his arrival at Government Buildings to discuss outstanding issues, as leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party are set to formally agree a draft programme for government between their parties later. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Media direct questions to Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, upon his arrival at Government Buildings to discuss outstanding issues, as leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party are set to formally agree a draft programme for government between their parties later. We are conscious that laws around the Special Criminal Court have to be looked at at the end of June. There is also an economic imperative to try and get the recovery going with a government that has a mandate to do that. Health Minister and Fine Gael TD Simon Harris said the public are eager for a government to be in place soon and he is hoping for a breakthrough. I think there is a clear expectation that this agreement can be brought to finality. It has been a long few, intense weeks of negotiations 127 days since the general election, he told RTEs Week In Politics Programme. I think it is reaching a point where we need to get on with it and the public need a government. Expand Close Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (Photocall Ireland/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (Photocall Ireland/PA) The programme for government could run to more than 100 pages and the details will be worked out by party leaders on Sunday. It will then have to be put to the membership of each of the three parties for consideration. Mr Varadkar said on Friday that he thinks a government could be in place by the end of June or early July if members accept the deal. Issues remaining include those around the pension age, Occupied Territories Bill, pensions, a ban on fracked gas imports, income tax cuts and carbon tax proposals. A Green Party source said a ban on fracked gas imports would likely see deputy leader Catherine Martin backing the deal, which could help to persuade two-thirds of its party members to approve the agreement. The Green Party has the highest bar as their rules say two-thirds of their 2,700 members must support the deal. Beijing, June 14 : At least 19 people were killed and 172 others injured in a tanker blast in China's Zhejiang province, local authorities said on Sunday. The tanker loaded with liquified petroleum gas exploded near the Liangshan village in the city of Wenling on a section of the Shenyang-Haikou Expressway on Saturday evening, Xinhua news agency. A second blast took place when the blown-up truck fell onto a workshop near the expressway. The explosions caused the residential houses and factory workshops to collapse. So far, more than 2,660 rescue personnel, 151 vehicles and over 30 large machinery and equipment have been sent to the accident site, said Zhu Minglian, vice mayor of Wenling, at the press conference. More than 630 medical workers were also mobilized for the treatment of the injured, said Zhu. Local environmental protection authorities carried out real-time monitoring of the air and water around the accident site. No obvious pollution was found so far, said Zhu. Rescue and search efforts are underway. The cause of the accident is under further investigation. Heidi Marston, who heads the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, speaks to reporters in 2019. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) As protests roiled Los Angeles, the head of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority was spurred to speak out after seeing a gruesome image of a homeless man bleeding from his eye an injury allegedly caused by a round fired by police. Police violence is unacceptable against all and especially against vulnerable people experiencing homelessness who have nowhere else to go, Heidi Marston wrote on Twitter on June 6. We are calling for immediate and lasting reforms. That same morning, a LAHSA supervisor was chastised for sending all her coworkers a petition with a much broader demand: To immediately end their partnerships with police agencies. In an impassioned email to her coworkers, Kristy Lovich had argued that working with police defied their core values and undermined their work, especially since Black people make up a disproportionate share of people who are homeless. The episode is the latest eruption of a longstanding debate within the agency, which handles homeless outreach and services across Los Angeles County, over how or whether to work with law enforcement. As protests over police brutality and racism sweep Los Angeles and the country, that debate has exploded into public view. Lovich, who is white, wrote in her petition about talking to a Black woman suffering serious illness while living on the streets. The woman shared experiences of police harassment and abuse and asked Lovich, "I am still a viable person, right?" "I would not have been able to make this kind of connection with police officers at my side," Lovich wrote. Some coworkers chimed in to support Lovich and her petition, which soon spread beyond the agency, garnering thousands of signatures. But her supervisor told her the email was inappropriate and had caused pain to many of LAHSA's Black staff. Others at the agency felt their experiences were erased by your implication that meaningful connections and relationships cannot be achieved by our teams who work with law enforcement, Victor Hinderliter wrote, asking to meet with Lovich. Story continues Soon after, Lovich decided to take sick leave. In an interview, she said she feared her job was in jeopardy and felt her work environment had become hostile. LAHSA declined to comment on her claims, saying it was a personnel matter. The petition comes amid a broader push to pare back the budgets and scope of police agencies, which critics argue are poorly equipped to handle a host of problems that could be better addressed by reinvesting in other services. Marston said the agency does not fund or contract with law enforcement, but its employees do sometimes work alongside police or deputies. As long as people are living outside, Marston said, they are bound to interact with law enforcement. "So to the extent that that is unavoidable," Marston said, "we want our partnerships with those entities to be positive and to be able to reflect the values that LAHSA upholds in how we treat individuals who are unsheltered." Marston added that "we have consistently said we want to see law enforcement as a last resort." Under guidelines issued last year, the agency has cautioned cities that "standard law enforcement activities such as requests for identification can be perceived as threatening, harassing, or intimidating and therefore disruptive to successful service connections." Sarah Dusseault, chairperson of the LAHSA Commission, said she hoped to use this "very unique moment ... to prioritize access to services and break away from systems that criminalize homelessness," but it is too soon to say what might change at the agency. Dusseault added that although there have been concerns about working with law enforcement, LAHSA has also had positive interactions with "rock star folks" such as LAPD Officer Deon Joseph, who has patrolled skid row. LAHSA employees, who declined to be identified because they are not authorized to speak to the media, expressed a wide range of views on police involvement. One said he was hurt by the petition; another enthusiastically endorsed it. A third said many of her coworkers saw the roles of LAHSA and police as inherently overlapping. Some want police to play "a very distant role when homeless encampments are being cleaned up so that police presence doesnt result in elevated tensions with the unhoused population," SEIU 721 president Bob Schoonover, whose union represents LAHSA workers, said in a written statement, "while other LAHSA members have expressed the need to have police nearby to help them deal with those specific situations where weapons may pose a danger." Long before the wave of recent protests, LAHSA was drawn into a tug-of-war over how the city should clean up around homeless encampments, including the degree of involvement of law enforcement. The CARE system was supposed to be more sensitive to the needs of homeless people, but within months of its rollout, the program was adjusted. After complaints about teams being slower to crack down on what people keep on the streets, CARE program supervisors were told that sanitation workers had the final say on what should be tossed. In January, L.A. said police would go out automatically with cleanup teams wherever sanitation workers had safety concerns. "It just reverted back to how it was, said Jane Nguyen of the homeless outreach and advocacy group KTown for All. The changes frustrated some LAHSA workers, who felt that being part of the cleanups but not in control of them had hurt their ability to do outreach. Homeless advocates who work with other groups echoed that sentiment: Jo Dominguez, who does outreach in northeast Los Angeles for a Department of Health Services contractor, said he has had to tell clients living on the street, "No, we're not LAHSA." That reputation comes in part, Dominguez said, from when "you come in with the police. People fear they're going to get arrested or get their items taken or put in jail." Lovich eventually informed her supervisor that she would not oversee cleanup teams, and the work was reshuffled to other supervisors. By February, there was talk of walkouts over concerns with how CARE was being implemented. In an email obtained by The Times, one union steward encouraged LAHSA workers to call her about speaking out about the program, but cautioned that there should be no walkouts your jobs are not protected unless you are doing it with the union. Some employees felt they had reason to worry: After outreach worker Ashley Bennett was terminated from her job earlier this year, she publicly asserted that she had been dismissed as the direct result of complaints from Councilman Mitch O'Farrell and other city officials about her advocating against clearing an encampment at Echo Park Lake. LAHSA declined to comment; an O'Farrell spokesman said neither he nor his staff had complained about Bennett demonstrating at Echo Park Lake. Marston said LAHSA had worked with the city to ensure police were not "immediately visible" during cleanups. In addition, she said outreach workers started meeting with homeless people ahead of cleanups, instead of during them. An LAPD homeless coordinator did not respond to messages seeking comment on the petition. As of Friday, more than 6,000 people had signed the petition. Other Angelenos balked at the idea. Rick Swinger, a Venice resident who has raised concerns about pollution from encampments, complained that LAHSA "really doesn't have the authority needed to clean the streets" without police to assist. After Lovich sent out her petition, Marston replied and said she appreciated the passion, but wanted to clarify the appropriate communication channels for these discussions." Marston said in a later interview that she wants staff to feel they have a voice, but it needs to happen in a way that is "safe for everybody who's involved." Lovich said that despite worries about speaking up, she decided to share the petition after hearing a LAHSA commissioner declare last week that it was time to take action. "We're in a critical moral moment," Lovich said, "and I do not feel compelled to wait for this organization to come up with the so-called 'appropriate' way to do this." Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 06:40:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BUENOS AIRES, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez on Sunday said he was "concerned" by the rapid spread of COVID-19. Fernandez called for a return to stricter social distancing measures in public transit and recreational activities in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area (AMBA), the epicenter of the country's outbreak. "It seems to me that something is not working and people don't understand that the biggest problem is in AMBA," said the president. "The pressure to open up and open up (the economy), which I understand, inexorably translates into transmission and deaths," he added. In the greater Buenos Aires area, the size of the outbreak has alarmed authorities, even if most of the cases have been mild, Fernandez told radio stations "10" and "Rivadavia." "We must review some of the things we have done recently. There is a kind of relaxation because people think the danger has passed," said Fernandez. "We have to take steps now... I would opt to restrict public transit and jogging more, and impose more controls, which I don't think we have enough of," he added. Lockdown measures launched on March 20 and in place through June 28 are "the only solution," he noted, as no vaccine or cure exists yet. Argentina on Saturday reported a daily increase of 1,531 cases, the biggest single-day rise in infections since the first case was detected here on March 3. So far, a total of 30,295 people have tested positive for the virus and 815 people have died from the disease in the country. Enditem Parents for Safe Schools submits record number signatures to repeal Wash. state's sex-ed law Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Voters in Washington will get to decide whether to repeal a new law to implement controversial sex-ed programs in public schools statewide after residents gathered the requisite number of signatures to get the referendum on the November ballot. Members of a group called Parents for Safe Schools delivered more than 266,000 signatures to the Washington secretary of state's office on Wednesday, two times the minimum number of signatures required, according to The Spokesman-Review. For a referendum to appear on the November ballot, 129,811 signatures had to be submitted by June 10. After the state's elections office verifies the authenticity of signatures on the petition, Referendum 90 will be added to the ballot. Opponents of the sex-ed curriculum say that the materials and lessons feature sexually explicit content that's not age-appropriate. Among the titles listed under the approved fourth-grade sex-ed resources is the book, It's Perfectly Normal, which features cartoon pictures of masturbation and sexual alongside explicit descriptions. Lynn Meagher, a parent who's campaigning against the sex-ed programs, said in an email to The Christian Post that she was encouraged by the success of their petition drive. While many aspects of the contested sex-ed curriculum are already in use in Seattle area schools, she said, what the referendum is contesting is the bill's statewide mandate. She and other local activists are pushing for a subsequent move to change policy even further. "It's only the mandate that will be stopped if we win in November. This is why we need the initiative, which is now going to follow the referendum. The initiative will make school boards accountable to parents for this education, and make sex ed an opt-in program, rather than the empty promises that parents can opt-out, which for practical purposes is almost impossible," she said. "These [sex-ed] bills are being passed all over the country. As far as we know, this is the only state where parents have successfully fought back to stop the mandate. We are so grateful to God and to the people of this state." Meagher added that it was moving to see a signature from a woman who was 100 years old. "We could never have done this, aside from the grace of God and the hard work of the people of Washington," she reiterated. The signature drive took place through a highly coordinated grassroots push during the state's strict lockdown orders during the coronavirus pandemic. "This is a watershed moment," said Mindie Wirth, director of the signature drive, as the signatures were being delivered. "So many churches and so many organizations got behind this." The Washington Catholic Conference, which backed the effort, permitted petitions to be dropped off in parking lots provided that signature gatherers followed public health guidelines, such as wearing masks and gloves and sanitizing items such as pens. In March, Informed Parents of Washington a parents' organization formed to resist the sex-ed bill shared explicit content found on the Scarleteen website that was approved by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction for 10th-grade students. A post from the website features a question from a self-described "deviant" who said he wants his sex partners to experiment with extreme violence beyond choking and asks for advice on how to convince people to participate. Despite the controversies surrounding the sex-ed programs, Democrat legislators have defended it, saying it's necessary to teach children about safe sex and safety measures. "It's about teaching kids to recognize and avoid things instead of being victimized," said Sen. Claire Wilson, D-Auburn, the bill's sponsor, during the floor debate. The bill mandating the new sex-ed programs statewide passed by a party-line vote in both chambers and was signed by Democrat Gov. Jay Inslee. After the bill passed in March, state House Republican leader J.T. Wilcox and Senate Republican leader Mark Schoesler announced that they were forming a committee called Parents for Safe Schools to rally parents to overturn it through a referendum at the ballot box. After the bill was passed, Wilcox said: "I am a father and a grandfather. These are young children. The youngest are still learning to tie their shoes. The state is going to take away parental rights and force a curriculum that is not age-appropriate. That is outrageous. Nothing we do in Olympia is more important than protecting our kids. We will fight this with every tool at our disposal." Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 05:30:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RAMALLAH, June 14 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese medical team on Sunday visited facilities for testing, isolation and treatment of the COVID-19 pandemic in the West Bank district of Ramallah. The team visited the Central Public Health Lab and was briefed on the latest testing technology of the coronavirus. The Chinese experts also joined technical discussions with Palestinian clinicians at the premises of the Palestinian Health Ministry. Head of Palestinian Health Ministry's Preventive Medicine Department Ali Abedrabbo told Xinhua that the technical discussions related to the pandemic have been very helpful to the Palestinian side. The Chinese medical team also met with the medical staff of the Palestine Medical Complex and visited Hugo Chavez Hospital. The government-run Palestine Medical Complex was assigned to treat pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19 and Hugo Chavez Hospital is a treatment and isolation center for COVID-19 suspected cases and patients in Turmosayya town. Ahmad Bitawi, chief of the Palestine Medical Complex, said that the visit would largely contribute to the Palestinian experience in dealing with COVID-19. "We thank the Chinese leadership and people for this visit, which enriched the scientific dialogue and discussions," he said. "The visit has helped us gain significant experience." "According to the briefing from the staff of the hospital, I think that they have done a wonderful job in confronting COVID-19," said Zhang Ronggui, professor of medicine at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. The team, which arrived in Palestine on June 10, was put together by China's National Health Commission with the members selected by the Chongqing Municipal Health Commission. They are scheduled to hold a series of meetings with Palestinian counterparts until June 17. Prior to this visit, China had sent medical supplies to Palestine and organized several meetings between Palestinian and Chinese medical experts via video conferences. So far, 676 coronavirus cases were confirmed in Palestine, including five deaths. Palestine has registered a recovery rate of nearly 88 percent. Enditem Uttarakhand scholars on Sunday cited scriptures and books written before Independence that showed Kalapani as the source of Kali river, a key factor in Indian claim to areas that Nepal has now incorporated in its own map. The lower house of Nepalese parliament on Saturday approved the controversial map, triggering a strong protest from India. The new Nepal map lays claim over Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura which India maintains are on its side of the border. Kali is recognised as the border by both sides, but Nepal has contested that its source is the Kalapani area. Nepalese commentators have argued that the real source of Kali river also called Mahakali is the Kuti-Yangti rivulet which originates in Limpiyadhura, a claim that allows Nepal extra territory in the region. V D S Negi, a professor of history at the SS Jeena campus of the Kumaon University in Almora, cited Manas Khanda of the Skanda Purana, which has a reference to Kali river, known as Shyama in ancient times. "Shloka number 2 of chapter 117 of Manas Khanda of Skanda Purana clearly says that the origin of 'Shyama' or Kali river is from 'Lipi Parvat' or Lipulekh hill, Negi said. Manas Khanda of Skanda Purana was compiled in the latter half of the 12th century, centuries before the treaty of Sagauli was signed, he said, referring to the 1816 border agreement between Nepal and British India. British travellers to Tibet before India's independence and Indian scholars writing on Kailash-Mansarovar have also cited Kalapani the origin of river Kali, Negi said. He said Charles A Sheering, a British traveller and administrator who visited Tibet in 1905, also wrote in his book Western Tibet and the British Borderland that Kalapani is considered the original source of Kali river. Quoting the book, Negi said over half a dozen small springs combine to form the source of Kali. He also referred to Swami Pranavananda, an explorer-saint whose 1949 book on Kailash-Mansarovar described Kalapani as the traditional source of river Kali. According to the author, the source was earlier known as Kalipani and later began to be called Kalapani by the locals. Ajay Rawat, former head of department of history at Kumaon University, said the tribals of Vyas valley have been trading with Tibet through Lipulekh pass since the 6th century. But there is no evidence to show the Nepalese doing trade through the pass, he argued. The Kailash-Mansarovar yatra by Indian pilgrims has been going on through the same pass for centuries without any objection from the rulers of Nepal, Rawat said. Rawat also cited an application moved by the landlords in Vyas valley, in the present Dharchula sub-division of Pithoragarh, in the court of the then commissioner of Kumaon soon after the Sagauli treaty was signed. The document said only two villages of Tinkar and Changru had gone to Nepal while six others remained with India after the treaty, according to Rawat. Isolation facility not mandatory for flyers testing positive on arrival from at-risk countries: Check guidelin Development trajectory: PM to interact with DMs of various districts today Grim scenario: India took 64 days to cross 1 lakh-mark from 100 COVID-19 cases India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, June 14: Ten days after recording two lakh COVID-19 cases, India surpassed the three lakh-mark on Saturday with the worst daily spike of 11,458 infections, while the death toll too climbed to 8,884 with 386 new fatalities, the Union Health Ministry said. India took 64 days to cross the 1 lakh-mark from 100 cases, then in another fortnight it reached the grim milestone of two lakh cases. It has now become the fourth worst-hit nation by the pandemic with a caseload of 3,08,993, according to coronavirus statistics website Worldometer. However, the Health Ministry said on Friday the doubling time of coronavirus cases has improved to 17.4 days from 15.4 days. And its data updated at 8 am on Saturday showed active cases at 1,45,779 and those who have recovered at 1,54,329; one patient has migrated. "Thus, around 49.9 per cent patients have recovered so far," a ministry official said. The total number of confirmed cases include foreigners. Of the 386 new deaths, Delhi accounted for the highest 129 fatalities followed by Maharashtra 127. The virus is moving rapidly in Delhi, which for the first time reported over 2,000 cases on Friday, and Maharashtra, where the number of cases has crossed one lakh. Gujarat reported 30 deaths, Uttar Pradesh 20, Tamil Nadu 18, West Bengal, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh 9 each, Karnataka and Rajasthan 7 each, Haryana and Uttarakhand 6 each, Punjab 4, Assam 2, Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir and Odisha 1 each. Of the total 8,884 deaths, Maharashtra tops the tally with 3,717 fatalities followed by Gujarat with 1,415, Delhi with 1,214, West Bengal with 451, Madhya Pradesh with 440, Tamil Nadu with 367, Uttar Pradesh with 365, Rajasthan with 272 and Telangana with 174 deaths. The death toll reached 80 in Andhra Pradesh, 79 in Karnataka, 70 in Haryana and 63 in Punjab. Jammu and Kashmir has reported 53 COVID-19 fatalities, Bihar 36 and Uttarakhand 21, Kerala 19, Odisha 10 and Jharkhand and Assam 8 each. Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh have registered 6 deaths each, Chandigarh 5, Puducherry 2, while Meghalaya, Tripura and Ladakh 1 each, according to the health ministry. More than 70 per cent deaths have happened due to comorbidities, the ministry said. Maharashtra has reported the maximum number of cases at 1,01,141 followed by Tamil Nadu (40,698), Delhi (36,824), Gujarat (22,527), Uttar Pradesh (12,616), Rajasthan (12,068) and Madhya Pradesh (10,443). The number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 10,244 in West Bengal, 6,516 in Karnataka, 6,334 in Haryana and 6,103 in Bihar. It has risen to 5,680 in Andhra Pradesh, 4,730 in Jammu and Kashmir, 4,484 in Telangana and 3,498 in Odisha and Assam each. Punjab has reported 2,986 cases while Kerala has 2,322 cases. A total of 1,724 people have been infected by the virus in Uttarakhand, 1,617 in Jharkhand, 1,424 in Chhattisgarh, 961 in Tripura, 486 in Himachal Pradesh, 463 in Goa, 385 from Manipur and 334 in Chandigarh. Ladakh has registered 239 COVID-19 cases, Puducherry 157, Nagaland 156, Mizoram 104, Arunachal Pradesh 67, Sikkim 63, Meghalaya 44 while Andaman and Nicobar Islands has registered 38 cases. Dadar and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu together have reported 30 cases. The ministry said 7,984 cases are being reassigned to states and "our figures are being reconciled with the ICMR". State-wise distribution is subject to further verification and reconciliation, it added. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, June 14, 2020, 8:41 [IST] A married couple waiting to have children didn't realise they needed to have sex in order to conceive, a nurse has revealed. Rachael Hearson, 59, has been an NHS nurse, midwife and health visitor for more than 40 years. In her new book, Handle With Care: Confessions of an NHS Health Visitor, she shares heart-warming, bizarre and hilarious tales from her time visiting families and teaching health care. Speaking to the Mirror about the new book and couple in question she said: 'They had been married for some years but children "hadn't come along". The GP deduced they didn't know how to make babies, and it was my job to ensure they did!' Rachael Hearson, 59, has been an NHS nurse, midwife and health visitor for more than 40 years 'They genuinely thought babies arrived as a result of simply "being married" and had no clue. Teaching someone about sex is quite a responsibility. But within a couple of visits, the pair couldn't keep their hands off each other.' While Rachael was able to laugh about her experience, sex has been an 'all-prevailing' them in her career. She added to the Mirror she's faced a lot of 'bizarre and absurd' scenarios, including having to witness a father in his twenties masturbating on a sofa while she discussed a sex offenders' course he was taking with his girlfriend. Rachael explained that she was visiting a new baby, and the boyfriend of the new mother was a offender. She added she was speaking to the new mum when she noticed a movement in the corner of her eye, which was an 'unmistakable rhythmic wrist action'. The nurse explained that he didn't acknowledge the situation and just carried on as if they weren't there. In her new book, Handle With Care: Confessions of an NHS Health Visitor, Rachael shares heart-warming, bizarre and hilarious tales from her time visiting families and teaching health care. During another visit, Rachael unwittingly visited a brothel. While on a routine assessment of an 18-month-old child and his mother, she quickly released the home was being used illicitly. 'I was ushered through to the kitchen, where I passed by the parlour room on the left, generally used as a dining room in the other terraced houses on the street. This one, however, was clearly "the boudoir" occupied by a double bed and a couple 'at it'.' Despite 'clutching a copy of a gentleman's magazine' in his 'snotty hands' the child seemed 'healthy and well developed', Rachael revealed. She added she would view things differently in today's climate, but the child appeared 'loved and happy' and that she's seen 'much worse'. Fox News on Friday removed manipulated images that had appeared on its website as part of the conservative outlet's coverage of protests over the killing of George Floyd, which have occasioned peaceful assemblies in cities across the country and, in Seattle, given rise to an unusual experiment in self-government. The misleading material ran alongside stories about a small expanse of city blocks in Seattle that activists have claimed as the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. The police-free environment has become an object of scorn for right-wing activists and Donald Trump. As protesters occupied a six-block area surrounding an abandoned police precinct and as Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan vowed to protect their First Amendment rights - Mr Trump this week labelled them "domestic terrorists" and vowed to "take back" the city. The occupation has been peaceful, with activists from around the city visiting the car-free streets for political speeches, concerts and free food. But Fox's coverage contributed to the appearance of armed unrest. The misleading material spliced a 10 June photograph of an armed man at the Seattle protests with different photographs - one also from 10 June, of a sign reading: "You Are Now Entering Free Cap Hill," and others from images captured 30 May of a shattered storefront and other unrest downtown. The conservative news site, in coverage that labelled Seattle "CRAZY TOWN" and called the city "helpless", also displayed an image of a city block set ablaze that was actually taken in St Paul, Minnesota. Fox removed the edited images in response to an article in the Seattle Times, telling the outlet in a statement: "We have replaced our photo illustration with the clearly delineated images of a gunman and a shattered storefront, both of which were taken this week in Seattle's autonomous zone." The image of the shattered storefront, however, was not captured this week in the autonomous zone. In response to an inquiry from The Washington Post on Saturday, a Fox spokesperson, Jessica Ketner, pointed to an editor's note appended to three online articles and declined to comment further. The editor's note reads: "A FoxNews.com home page photo collage which originally accompanied this story included multiple scenes from Seattle's 'Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone' and of wreckage following recent riots. The collage did not clearly delineate between these images, and has since been replaced. In addition, a recent slideshow depicting scenes from Seattle mistakenly included a picture from St. Paul, Minnesota. Fox News regrets these errors." Protesters have occupied streets by Seattle police station to form Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (AP) The use of the deceptive material marked a new chapter in an ongoing debate over synthetic media, which includes both sophisticated, computer-generated "deepfakes", as well as more rudimentary mash-ups that still may mislead the public. "These are shallow fakes, really basic manipulation," said Emerson Brooking, a resident fellow at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab. "What I fear is that many people seeing them, especially people already primed to believe the worst about the protests, will take that to be reality and think there are heavily armed, Antifa super-soldiers patrolling the streets." The episode unfolded as Mr Trump and his political allies escalated their attacks on Antifa, a loose collection of anti-fascist protesters who have played no organised role in the unrest, according to a review of charges filed so far in connection with the protests, which have at times tipped into turmoil. False online warnings about Antifa's planned invasion of cities large and small -- incubated on fake Twitter accounts and in private Facebook groups have brought armed residents to the streets and forced local law enforcement to mobilise in response. In San Antonio, a 43-year-old man was recently arrested on charges of terrorist threats and public fear for promising on Twitter to "personally kill" any "Antifa soldiers" preparing to join a local protest. Antifa never mobilised. Seattle has become a particular fixation for the president, who vowed to crack down on the city following a concerted attempt this week by some of the internet's most prominent right-wing personalities to blame Antifa for the upheaval there. Their claims were contradicted by local police. "We have no evidence that Antifa are in any way involved in the ongoing protests," said Patrick Michaud, a Seattle police spokesperson. The Washington Post Brad Pitt is following in his movie-star ex-wife's footsteps and matched her seven-figure donation to the racial justice organization Color of Change. Earlier this week, it was reported that Jennifer Aniston donated $1m to the organization after being 'deeply affected' by the death of George Floyd in police custody. The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood actor, 56, also donated $1m to the group as The Mirror reported on Saturday 'Brad is really involved with the charity because of Jen and said he would match her donation.' Big donation: Brad Pitt gave $1m to the racial justice organization Color of Change, matching Jennifer Aniston's donation (pictured in February 2020) The outlet said that Brad, who divorced Jen, 51, in 2005 after five years of marriage, attended the ensuing Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Los Angeles and was moved to get involved. 'He went to the protests this week and was at her home the day after,' a source said. 'They are both very passionate and want to help as much as they can.' Color of Change is an organization that works to get equal justice for black people in America. The website says 'Color of Change leads campaigns that build real power for Black communities. We challenge injustice, hold corporate and political leaders accountable, commission game-changing research on systems of inequality, and advance solutions for racial justice that can transform our world.' Leading change: Jennifer Aniston donated $1m to the organization after being 'deeply affected' by the death of George Floyd in police custody and protests erupted around the nation (pictured in 2019) Jen made her donation 'to the charity she felt resonated with her the most' after being 'deeply affected' by the death of Floyd late last month. The Friends actress, 51, gave $1 million to Color Of Change , a nonprofit civil rights advocacy group and 'the nations largest online racial justice organization,' according to The Mirror As a source explained to The Mirror, 'Like most people, Jen has been deeply affected by what is going on in America and the terrible injustice that people of color experience every day.' Exes: Brad and Jen divorced in 2005, after five years of marriage, but have remained friends and met at Jen's house recently after Brad attended a Black Lives Matter protests (pictured together in 2004) 'Deeply affected': As a source explained to The Mirror , 'Like most people, Jen has been deeply affected by what is going on in America and the terrible injustice that people of color experience every day' As a source explained to The Mirror , 'Like most people, Jen has been deeply affected by what is going on in America and the terrible injustice that people of color experience every day' 'Deeply affected': 'She wanted to show her support, and has donated a big sum to the charity she felt resonated with her the most. The link is on her Instagram page so her fans can also donate.' The Morning Show actress's charitable action comes as celebrities all over the country have mobilized and donated generously to racial and social justice organizations. To name a few: Angelina Jolie gave $200K to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, while The Weeknd donated $500K to various causes and Drake forked over $100K to a national bail fund to help Black Live Matter protesters who get arrested. Leading cause for justice: The Friends actress gave $1 million to Color Of Change, a nonprofit civil rights advocacy group and 'the nations largest online racial justice organization' Jen herself was quoted as saying, 'This week has been heartbreaking for so many reasons. We need to acknowledge that the racism and brutality in this country has been going on for a long time and its NEVER been okay. 'As allies, who want equality and peace,' she continued. 'Its our responsibility to make noise, to demand justice, to educate ourselves on these issues, and more than anything, to spread love.' Color Of Change's website can be found in the actress's bio on Instagram. Aniston's charitable activity comes after her previous generous gesture from last weekend, for another pressing cause. The Cake star joined with longtime friend and photographer Mark Seliger to auction off a stunning nude photo of the actress to benefit COVID-19 relief. Aniston's charitable activity comes after previous generous gesture from last weekend: The Cake star auctioned off a stunning nude photo of herself to benefit COVID-19 relief Jen herself was quoted as saying: 'This week has been heartbreaking for so many reasons. We need to acknowledge that the racism and brutality in this country has been going on for a long time and its NEVER been okay'; a slide from her current Instagram Story The 1995 black and white portrait is one of Aniston's most iconic images, complete with Rachel hairdo, in which she shows her beauty in the buff but poses elegantly so as to hide any of her intimate parts. Talking about the fundraising effort in her caption on Instagram last Saturday, the Along Came Polly actress said: 'My dear friend @markseliger teamed up with @radvocacy and @christiesinc to auction 25 of his portraits - including mine - for COVID-19 relief... '100% of sales proceeds of this portrait will go to @NAFClinics, an organization which provides free coronavirus testing and care nationwide to the medically underserved. 'Thank you again to Mark for allowing me to be part of this,' she added before finishing with the tag '#radart4aid.' The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said it is "high time" to break relations with South Korean authorities, adding the next action against the "enemy" will come from the army. It's better to take a series of retaliatory measures rather than release statements condemning South Korea's behavior, and which could be misinterpreted or dismissed, Kim Yo Jong said via the official Korean Central News Agency on Saturday. "Rubbish must be thrown into dustbin," she said. "By exercising my power authorized by the Supreme Leader, our party and the state, I gave an instruction to the arms of the department in charge of the affairs with enemy to decisively carry out the next action." Kim Yo Jong's comments came on the 20th anniversary of the first meeting between top leaders of the divided Koreas. The summit beginning on June 13, 2000, was the biggest moment of then-President Kim Dae-jung's reconciliation effort that led to stepped up trade and joint projects and helped earn the South Korean leader the Nobel Peace Prize. While that "Sunshine Policy" helped cool tensions, it was also criticized for providing North Korean leaders with cash needed to build up its nuclear weapons program. The latest dust-up was triggered by South Korean activists who sent anti-Pyongyang messages in balloons across the border. North Korea this week cut off communication links set up two years ago with South Korea, which it accused of allowing hostile acts by failing to stop the activists. North Korea didn't answer South Korea's calls made on the military line Tuesday for the first time since the inter-Korean communication link was restored in 2018. South Korea said last week it would look to ban anti-North Korea leaflets after a rebuke from Kim Yo Jong. Millions of leaflets have flown across the border for more than a decade bearing messages critical of North Korean leaders, with the latest coming as Kim Jong Un made fewer public appearances over the past several weeks than normal, leading to global speculation about his health. Recent statements by Kim Yo Jong were designed to solidify Kim Jong Un's authority to run the country, according to Boo Seung-chan, a former adviser to South Korea's defense minister. "North Korea is currently facing a tough political and economic challenge," said Boo, now an adjunct professor at the Yonsei Institute for North Korean Studies in Seoul. "And this undermines Kim Jong Un's legitimacy to rule." North Korean officials are also lashing out at South Korea for lacking a fresh solution to revive nuclear talks, and said the country will continue to strengthen its force to deal with what it called U.S. threats. "If they want to deal with us, they will have to approach us after racking their brains and finding a different method," Foreign Ministry official Kwon Jong Gun said in a separate statement released on Saturday via KCNA. "We will continue to build up our force in order to overpower the persistent threats from the U.S., and such efforts of ours are in fact continuing at this point of time." The U.S. and North Korea have remained far apart on ways to achieve denuclearization. As tensions between the two sides rise, South Korea has offered help to restore dialogue while pledging to improve its own relations with North Korea. North Korea says its nuclear arms serve as a deterrent against the U.S. and that Washington must ease its sanctions before denuclearization can take place. The U.S. demands North Korea abandon its arms ambitions before restrictions can ease. Marking the second anniversary of the 2018 meeting between Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Son Gwon said the U.S. had broken its word and dashed hopes for denuclearization. "Nothing is more hypocritical than an empty promise," Ri was quoted as saying in a KCNA report Friday, adding the U.S. has shown it's aiming for the "isolation and suffocation" of North Korea. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Beijing: A tanker truck has exploded on a highway in southeastern China, killing 18 people and injuring at least 189 others, authorities say. The explosion on Saturday evening caused extensive damage to nearby buildings. One photo showed firefighters hosing down a row of buildings with blown-out facades well into the night. In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, firefighters work at the site of buildings damaged after a tanker truck exploded on a highway in Wenling, in eastern China's Zhejiang Province. Credit:AP The truck carrying liquefied gas exploded around 4.45pm the Shenyang-Haikou Expressway south of Shanghai in Zhejiang province, the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing local authorities. A second explosion followed when the truck fell onto a factory workshop, Xinhua said. The Wenling city government information office said on its social media account that houses and workshops collapsed and 189 people were treated at six hospitals. A worker at a nearby restaurant told Xinhua that the blast shattered the windows of her home, but that her mother and brother were unharmed. Firefighters look for victims in the aftermath of the explosion. Credit:AP Videos of the accident, near the city of Wenling, showed a large explosion that appeared to send the chassis of the truck careening into nearby buildings. Other footage picked up by Chinese state news outlets showed charred facades of nearby buildings with windows blown out by the shock wave, and flaming wreckage sending up thick black plumes into the sky. Chinese state news outlets said rescue workers were searching for people trapped in the residential and factory buildings, some of which had collapsed. The truck was carrying gas between two cities on China's east coast, Ningbo and Wenzhou, and was exiting a highway when the accident occurred, according to the state-run Zhejiang News. The accident shut down traffic on the highway going both ways. Other videos showed cars nearby on fire. Nice people are not racist, right? And most of us think were nice people. So why all this ruckus? Because however nice individuals may be, large groups of people who want to make money and protect their interests tend to make policy like declaring that neighborhoods that are not all white are not good value, like not hiring people whose names are different from theirs because theyre hard to say and therefore somehow dubious, like limiting the number of non-white students admitted to a university each year, and so on. Im finally beginning to realize that reparations are in order perhaps not primarily for slavery, which was longer ago, but for the many ways our primarily white and ostensibly Christian society has actively stood in the way of non-white progress and then blamed it on those very non-whites. We have basically held them down and brutalized them. Oh, not you, and not I all of us, all parties, because of the system we have supported for so long. So not being racist is not enough. It is too passive to make a difference. Change requires that we be anti-racist that we talk and read and learn whats been going on for so long and finally commit to doing something about it, to using our own lives and resources to show that we do, in fact, believe that all human beings are created equal. Thats what our country is supposed to be about. Anti-racism: look it up. Mary Fahnestock-Thomas, Hamilton Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 5 Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that New Delhi and Beijing want to resolve the boundary standoff in Ladakh via military and diplomatic level talks. Addressing a virtual rally here in Jammu on the completion of first year of the BJP governments second straight term in office, Singh said, Presently India and China are engaged in a dispute in Ladakh. Many people including the Opposition have raised questions. From time to time, information is being given to the people but I would like to inform that military level talks are on to resolve the dispute. Even as the two sides are reported to be engaged in a phased de-escalation from more than a month long military standoff, Singh asserted that India wouldnt compromise with national pride as it was no longer a weak nation. China also wants resolution via talks and India also wants to resolve this tussle through diplomatic and military talks. I would like to tell the Opposition that we dont want to keep anyone in the dark. We would divulge everything at an appropriate time. For now, I can say with confidence and conviction that we can never make any compromise with our national pride. India is not a weak nation anymore. Our power has increased manifold, he said. The defence minister said that India was strengthening its forces to secure the country and not to scare anyone. In this contest he also referred to the US presidents invite to India at the G7 summit to substantiate his claims of Indias growing popularity and power at the international forum. Our India is in secure hands. The BJP government appointed the chief of defence staff without wasting any time. The issue of national security was hanging afire the past 15 to 20 years. We did it in a single stroke, he said. Rafale will be delivered to us in July and they will increase our power. We dont want to scare anyone but they will strengthen our defence forces, he added. Also Read: Wont keep anyone in dark: Rajnath Singhs swipe at Opposition over LAC tension In next 5 years J&K will undergo a sea-change, even PoJK will clamour to live with India: Rajnath Singh On the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, the defence minister said that in the next five years, the Modi government will bring a sea-change in the regions image vis-a-vis progress and development. In the next five years, J&Ks image will undergo a sea change and the people of PoJK will be envious of it. And, wait for some time, PoJK will demand to be with India and not with Pakistan. The day it happens, our unanimous resolution of the Parliament will also be fulfilled, he said. He further said, The weather has changed. Our channels are now showing temperatures (weather forecast) of Muzaffarabad and Gilgit, And, Islamabad is feeling the heat. Therefore, there is now more mischief (on the borders and in Kashmir) but our security forces and agencies are giving them a befitting reply. Terrorists are being killed in large numbers in the Valley these days. Rajnath added that its not just the 2 lakh crore package for Jammu and Kashmir, the Modi government has been according top priority to the UT, which was evident from the construction of bunkers all along the Indo-Pak borders to shield the villages, reservation benefits to the residents living along the international border on the lines of LoC villagers and strengthening of PRIs. He also informed that the work on Delhi-Amritsar-Katra express corridor has also been started. Article 370 an old stain, done away with at the blink of an eye: Rajnath Rajnath Singh took potshots at BJPs arch-rival Congress for its silence on Article 370 and 35-A and said, We revoked it within 100 days in office, at the blink of an eyelid, but I would like to ask why Congress, which had a full majority but had supported Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, remained silent on it. When we revoked it in August last year, Congress called it an attack on secularism. But may I ask Congress why the word secularism remained absent from the preamble of the J&K Constitution? Article 370 was an old stain and the moment we got full majority, it was done away with at the blink of an eye, he added. He recalled how the discriminatory temporary provision was incorporated via an ordinance and not via an act of the Parliament. Had Article 370 been so integral, then why Congress didnt make it a permanent provision and why it was kept as a temporary provision, he asked. Singh said that during the so-called Azadi movement in Kashmir, Pakitani and ISIS flags were hoisted with impunity but now Tricolors could be seen across the valley. The defence minister said that with an end to Article 370, the oppressed people like refugees from PoJK, West Pak refugees and Valmiki community got equal rights after more than 70 years of Independence. Today I recall our visionary leader AB Vajpayee, who believed in Kashmiriyat, Jamhurityat and Insaniyat. BJP stands committed to it and for us Kashmiriyat is Hazratbal shrine and Amarnath Baba, he said. Rajnath heaped praise on PM Modi vis-a-vis Covid 19 pandemic. Also Read: For Coronavirus Live Updates Many developed countries like the US, Brazil and Spain were badly hit by the Covid 19 but our PM Modi announced a nationwide lockdown on March 25. Entire India abided by it. Had it not been declared, the magnitude of the damage would have been enormous and difficult to tackle. Even WHO appreciated India for its efforts in tackling this dreaded virus. We strengthened our health infrastructure and started manufacturing PPE kits , which are now being exported to other countries. Here I would like to congratulate J&K for its testing rate, which is second best after Goa. A white couple called the police on a man of color after he stenciled black lives matter on a retaining wall outside his home in San Francisco, California, on June 9. James Juanillo was approached by the couple and filmed some of the encounter. The footage shows a woman and a man stand on the sidewalk as they ask Juanillo if he lives in the building he is in front of, and what his name is. Juanillo, who had just finished writing black lives matter on his wall, refuses to answer any of their questions and encourages them to call police if they feel unsafe, which they eventually do. The police came and recognized me immediately as a resident of the house and left without getting out of their patrol car. I didnt even show them my ID, Juanillo told Storyful. Credit: James Juanillo via Storyful Two Korean War orphans pose with a Hungarian boy in this 1953 file photo. / Courtesy of Kim Deog-young 'Kim Il-sung's Children' to hit local theaters on June 25, the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War By Kang Hyun-kyung Director Kim Deog-young's "Kim Il-sung's Children" is a tale of the doomed fate of thousands of Korean War orphans who found homes in Europe and lived there for several years only to have their "fond" childhood abruptly ended with their forced repatriation to North Korea in 1959. Since their separation, these North Koreans and their European friends missed one another, longing in vain to see each other again. Their hopes, however, never came to pass. The then North Korean leader Kim Il-sung turned a deaf ear to the Europeans' repeated pleas to allow reunions. This sad but informative movie shows how individuals' lives were shattered by the turbulence of Korea's modern history caused by the clash of democracy and communism. In 1952 winter, hundreds of Korean children arrived at a railway station in Bulgaria on board a train. The children from the war-torn country received a warm welcome from the Bulgarian crowds who gathered near the station. The children were the first batch of war orphans who were sent to Bulgaria, one of five European countries which fed, taught and provided shelter to Korean War orphans. The four other countries were Poland, the then Czechoslovakia, Romania and Hungary. Six decades after their separation, Lilka Anatasova, a Bulgarian who befriended the Korean children, sends a tearful message to two friends_ Jun Nak-won and Park In-sook. Calling them by their names, Anatosova says she has missed them since they suddenly left Bulgaria for North Korea. "I hope you are well and have lived happy lives since you left Bulgaria," Anatosova, now a grandmother, expressed to her estranged Korean friends. She recalls the Korean children were pure and innocent. "They were sweet, too," she says in a scene of the movie. "Kim Il-sung's Children" will hit local theaters on June 25, the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War (1950-53), amid a flood of blockbuster commercial films gearing up to attract audiences. The budget film is a historically valuable piece. It tells several "exclusive stories" about Korea's modern history. Director Kim found Kim Il-sung's motives behind his order to have all the children returned to North Korea immediately in 1959. Based on his thorough and extensive research and interviews with European experts and old documents, Kim concludes the North Korean leader feared that his leadership base could be undermined as a result of the Hungarian revolt. In October, 1956, thousands of Hungarians took to the street calling for political freedom and a democratic political system. Back then, Hungary was under the control of the Soviet Union. The Hungarian uprising was brutally suppressed by Hungarian and Soviet forces the next month, leaving it a failed democracy movement. For the North Korean leader Kim, the worst-case scenario was that the children who were teenagers at that time would be inspired by the pro-democracy movement and become rebels to threaten his dictatorial rule. Kim's fact-based analysis distinguishes his film from Choo Sang-mi's 2018 documentary "The Children Gone to Poland" which traces the lives of Korean War orphans. Regarding the repatriation of the children, director Choo speculates that back then North Korea had a labor shortage in its post-war reconstruction and the children were brought back to North Korea to fill this need. "Kim Il-sung's Children" gives the full picture of the then North Korean leader's intentions with a more convincing explanation. For director Kim, it's a life-changing movie the documentary is his directorial debut and it has been invited to more than 10 international film festivals. Such a feat, however, didn't happen overnight. "Kim Il-sung's Children" is the result of his tenacious 15-year pursuit of the Korean War orphans, their whereabouts since he was first informed of their presence in Europe through a Romanian lady who married a North Korean teacher who took the children to Romania. Director Kim invested all his money to make the film which required him to embark on fact-finding trips to the five European countries. U.S. Ambassador Harry Harris praised Kim for his dedication and perseverance to make the "remarkable accomplishment." "Your efforts have shed light on, and given voices to, the hidden histories of thousands of orphaned children from the Korean War, for audiences around the world," he wrote in a letter to the filmmaker June 5. "As we remember the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, I believe that these stories will prove very special to those still suffering from the tragedies of the war and very educational to future generations. I hope your film will provide audiences all over the world with an opportunity to reflect upon both the past and the future of the Korean peninsula." The artistry of the film helps director Kim pull off this masterpiece. The film begins in the scenic Bohemian Forest in which trees were covered with snow, near the Polish-German border. The film's soundtrack "In My Hometown" composed by Hong Nan-pa (1897-1941) played by the traditional musical instrument, haegum, strikes a chord with Koreans. The children's song speaks of homesickness. Along with the decades-old black and white footage he found in local film archives, Kim uses the appealing soundtrack as a device to effectively deliver his message the Korean children had two homes, one in their birthplace in Korea and the other in Europe. They missed their second home so much during their lives but couldn't return. Their letters sent to their European teachers and friends revealed their rocky lives in North Korea through restless hard labor and starvation. The film implies their tough lives intensified their missing of their second home in Europe, a place they were never allowed to visit again. Kim's tracing of the war orphans and their whereabouts ends in 1961 when their posted mail from North Korea abruptly ended. "Kim Il-sung's Children" talks about the Korean War and its fallout on these children seven decades ago. But it still relates to many Koreans today. Some of the war orphans would be alive in North Korea. Their happiest moments in their lives were cut short but they would have treasured those memories all their lives and this could have helped them endure their harsh existence in North Korea. Saul Loeb/Getty The Michael Flynn case is playing out like a film noir: We know the crime and that the criminal will get away from the start, and were watching to find out how things ended up there. If Bill Barrs Justice Department cant convince a panel of judges to force Flynns trial judge, Emmet Sullivan, to let Flynn withdraw the guilty plea hed already submitted, and that Sullivan has accepted, Trump will just pardon his former National Security Adviser. One way or the other, Flynn is getting off the hook. The question is whether or not Barrs crew will have to explain why theyre letting an admittedly guilty man walk. William Barrs Bogus Case for Jamming Up Hillary Clinton and Springing Michael Flynn, No Questions Asked Friday, Justice Department attorneys argued before a federal appellate court that they shouldnt have to explain themselves at all, after former federal judge John Gleeson appointed by Sullivan to argue for the position that the Justice Department abandoned when they walked away from a conviction obtained by Robery Muellercalled the Trump administrations reversal a gross abuse of prosecutorial power and an unconvincing effort to disguise as legitimate a decision to dismiss that is based solely on the fact that Flynn is a political ally of President Trump. The guilt of Trumps former national security advisor to the crime of making materially false statements to the FBI regarding his communications with the Russian ambassador in the wake of the 2016 election has only become clearer. Flynn long ago admitted to his culpability under oath; indeed he did so twice. But the government only recently and belatedly released transcripts of the conversations at issue, confirming that Flynn signaled that the incoming Trump administration planned to go easy on the Putin regime, despite the by then publicly disclosed Russian interference in the presidential race on Trumps behalf. Yet, long after the court accepted Flynns guilty plea, the DOJ filed a motion to dismiss the case in its entirety. In support, the government submitted an extraordinarily disingenuous brief, asserting, based on claims at odds with arguments and allegations the government had advanced for years, that Flynn was innocent. The government also more than suggested, based on the flimsiest of evidence, that Flynn had been the victim of misconduct at the hands of the FBI, and possibly Muellers team. Story continues Under the plain terms of the governing rule, the DOJs dismissal motion has to be approved by the trial court. To that end, Sullivan appointed Gleeson to provide the court with the benefit of available arguments against the motion (since no party was doing so) and indicated his intention to hold a hearing on the motion. The DOJ, however, would have none of that; instead, Barrs team supported Flynns petition for the issuance of a writ of mandamus by the DC Court of Appeals directing Sullivan to grant DOJs dismissal motion without any review or consideration whatsoever, and indeed without even asking how and why Barr came to repudiate the work of his own departments prosecutors. During Fridays argument, Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson cut to the heart of the matter by asking deputy solicitor general Jeffrey Wall just what sort of prejudice or harm Flynn (who remains out on bail) or the government stand to suffer from allowing Sullivan to rule on the DOJs motion. This question is critical, because a writ of mandamus is proper only if the petitioner lacks a proper remedy in the trial court. Here, where Sullivan has yet to even rule on the motion, isnt the proper remedy simply to follow regular order and allow Judge Sullivan do so, Henderson asked. In response, Wall acknowledged what is really at stake for Barr, and, most importantly, Trump: The risk of public embarrassment. According to Wall, a hearing on the DOJs motion would be a spectacle and could threaten the integrity of the Executive, meaning Trumps presidency. That may be true, but for reasons that should lead the appellate court to deny Flynns petition. As Gleeson demonstrates in his brief, the public record raises serious questions of misconduct, not by the FBI agents and prosecutors who brought the case against Flynn, but rather by Trumps consigliere, Barr. Gleeson dismantles the governments motion to dismiss, demonstrating that it is based on pretextual legal and factual arguments, and is infected with open and notorious evidence of prosecutorial abuse. The evidence includes Trumps repeated declaration of his intent to manipulate the justice system in favor of his friend, whom the president describes as the first victim of the vast Obamagate scam. After an embarrassing effort by Barr to force line prosecutors to lower the sentencing recommendation for Stone, in what appeared to be response to a Trump tweet, Barr himself acknowledged that Trumps public statements and tweets about pending cases make it impossible to do my job and to assure the courts and the prosecutors in the department that were doing our work with integrity. Fridays hearing made it crystal clear that the DOJs motion to dismiss has almost nothing to do with the fate of Flynn, whom the president could easily save from jail by issuing a pardon; indeed, there is a very substantial question whether Sullivan ultimately has the discretion to deny the motion in any event. Rather, the extraordinary motion is about Barrs effort to use the court system as a theater in which to advance Trumps deep state conspiracy theory during the months leading up to the election and to do so without any pesky interference by a judge seeking to cast light on the governments motive and purpose. During Fridays appellate argument, Judge Robert Wilkins posed a hypothetical that was particularly apt. What, Wilkins asked, if the DOJ decided to drop a civil rights case against a white police officer charged with beating an African American because it was convinced an all-white jury would not convict him but failed to disclose the actual reasons for the dismissal request to the court. Would it be improper for the trial court to probe, and ultimately uncover, the actual reasons for the governments actions? Furthermore, regardless of whether the court ultimately granted the motion, wouldnt the public interest be served by public disclosure of the governments motive and purpose? Wall said the answer to each of those questions was no, a response that did not appear to satisfy the judge, for obvious reasons. The same questions apply, with equal force, to the Flynn case. If the DOJ has become the house counsel for a corrupt president and is dropping the charges against a twice admitted felon, not because the case was defective, but because hes Trumps guy, the nation should learn that, and before the election, regardless of whether Flynn ends up walking free. The end of this movie, after all, will really be in November. 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. NEW MILFORD On the fourth day of search efforts for the second missing swimmer on the Housatonic River, the body of the 24-year-old New York man was recovered Saturday, according to police. Crews have been scouring the river for days, searching for two men in their 20s who were last seen by friends and family going underwater near Bulls Bridge near the Kent line. There were recovery efforts today, New Milford Police Lt. Earl Wheeler confirmed Saturday night. The second victim was located. It was unclear at what time the recovery took place, or how long Saturdays search lasted. On Friday, the body of the 21-year-old victim was recovered by dive teams. Although police have said both victims were from the Bronx, N.Y., their names have not yet been released. The two men were with friends and family off the east bank of the Housatonic River when they were seen going underwater around 4:50 p.m. Wednesday. Units searched the river for the men until about 10:45 p.m. Wednesday. The search picked up again around 8 a.m. Thursday, but stopped around 3 p.m. because of heavy rain and the possibility of lightning. During Thursdays search, loved ones of the missing men gathered outside the Gaylordsville firehouse. One of them was New Jersey resident Jonathan Diaz, who said his cousin was one of the missing men. Diaz went to the river Thursday to try and get a sense of what happened the day before. He said his cousin was a good swimmer. New Milford Mayor Pete Bass said the current in that area of the river is really dangerous, even for the most proficient swimmer. Various agencies were involved with search efforts, including personnel from Sherman, Kent, Danbury, Connecticut State Police, Newtown Underwater Search and Rescue and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Vineet Upadhyay and Mayank Singh By DEHRADUN: In the first public statement after Indian and Chinese troops clashed in eastern Ladakh last month following which the Chinese army has occupied areas near the Pangong lake, Army Chief General M M Naravane said on Saturday that the situation was under control and both the sides were disengaging in a phased manner. Both sides are disengaging in a phased manner. We have started from the north, the area of the Galwan River. A lot of disengagement has happened. We have had a fruitful dialogue with the Chinese, it will continue and by and by the situation will improve, Gen Naravane said after reviewing the passing out parade at the Indian Military Academy. It started with corps commander level talks on the sixth of this month which has been followed up by a number of meetings at the local level between commanders of equivalent ranks and as a result of this lot disengagement has taken place, the Army chief said.He expressed the hope that all differences would get resolved. We are hopeful that through this continued dialogue, all perceived differences that we have will be set to rest.His comments underline the fact that a complete resolution of the Ladakh situation will be long drawn and that only some progress has been made so far. While there have been reports of minor disengagement of troops from the Galwan Valley and Hot Spring areas, there has been no change in the standoff at Finger 4 of the Pangong lake. Indian and Chinese soldiers are in a standoff position since May 5-6 night when the soldiers clashed between Finger 4 and Finger 5 on the northern flank of the lake. SOUTH COVENTRY After less than two years in the post, Owen J. Roberts High School Principal Kenneth Napaver has resigned. In a brief phone call, he confirmed social media posts that said he was given a choice by Superintendent Susan Lloyd of resigning or taking a demotion. It was very unexpected, Napaver told MediaNews Group. He said Lloyd told him the choice of resignation or demotion was the result of a lack of leadership at the high school. Napaver said this puzzled him because he had led the school through a traumatic student suicide, and the COVID-19 shutdown of the school, as well as overseeing a virtual graduation for seniors. Napaver, who came to Owen J. Roberts after serving as principal of Saucon Valley Middle School, said he took a community-based approach to running the school. It was always about the kids and the community, he said. Lloyd responded to an e-mail request for comment by writing, I/we do not comment on personnel matters. In a letter signed by Napaver and posted on the school district website, he makes no mention of facing a choice to resign or be demoted. I made this decision to spend more time with my family and re-establish my health, he wrote. I will always remember how the high school staff came together to deliver caps and gowns to our seniors homes. The smiles on the faces of families during the virtual graduation walk across stage will forever be captured in my mind, Napaver wrote. Some in the community have started an online petition asking for answers regarding Napavers departure. We know that he has accomplished much for the departing class of 2020 and they are grateful, reads the preamble to the petition. Napavers resignation has sent another shock wave through a school community already shaken by the June 10 resignation of School Board President Karel Minor over a racially insensitive Facebook post and the May 7 arrest of high school teacher Stephen Raught on charges of sexually abusing a student. It is unclear whether Napavers resignation is at all related to the charges against Raught, and he declined to discuss that subject. However, given that a letter signed by dozens of alumni, and comments made at the May 18 school board meeting, suggest similar problems at the school have stretched back years, it would be impossible for Napaver, who has been principal for less than two years, to be connected to all of it. Napavers resignation is on the agenda for the June 15 school board meeting, along with the matter of filling Minors seat on the school board; the approval of the health and safety plan for re-opening schools, and the approval of the proposed $113 million budget for the coming school year. The proposed budget calls for a 2.6 percent tax increase, the maximum allowed by the states Act 1 budget index. The meeting will be held online and the link to attend the meeting will be posted on the district website https://www.ojrsd.com/ a half hour before the meetings 7 p.m. start time, according to board vice president Leslie Proffitt. The petition regarding Napavers resignation did not appear on the meeting agenda as of 2:30 p.m. Saturday. The petition to the school board appears to deal with several issues beyond Napavers departure. The students (past & present) along with the community in the OJR SD want to understand the reasons behind decisions that have been made both recently and in the past, it reads. This petition has multiple statements in order to encompass more than one item at a time. You may agree or disagree to any of the following, reads the petition before listing seven measures being sought. They include: Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Olga Nedbaeva (Agence France-Presse) Paris, France Sun, June 14, 2020 09:05 587 fc6853813033f564188675f8bde7d2b2 2 Food coronavirus,COVID-19,France,pandemic,chef,restaurant,Alain-Ducasse Free French superchef Alain Ducasse is using a ventilation system similar to those in hospital operating theaters to reopen one of his Paris restaurants. Ducasse, whose restaurants have 17 Michelin stars -- the most of any chef in the world -- is installing the sophisticated system in his historic Allard bistro in the chic Saint Germain des Pres district of the French capital so it can open later this month. French restaurants have been allowed to serve on their terraces for 10 days but strict social distancing rules mean the interiors remain off limits. Diners in Paris bistros and cafes traditionally sit almost elbow to elbow on small tables -- a nightmare for restaurateurs who have been told by that tables must now be at least one meter a part. "No restaurant can survive with only half of its customers," Ducasse told AFP as he unveiled his air filtration system at the Allard, whose tables will also be screened off with sail cloth blinds. Large white air "socks" decorated with drawings of the gods and goddesses of the wind hang over every table from the overhead ventilation pipes, gently pushing stale air away. And customers will also be offered round transparent "separators" to be placed on their table for additional safety when French restaurants are due to fully reopen on June 22. Ducasse said his prototype will "give extra safety to customers in confined spaces" and was a possible solution for tightly packed bistros which could lose half their tables if distancing rules are rigidly applied. Designer Patrick Jouin, whose work is displayed at MOMA in New York as well as the Paris Pompidou Centre, said he talked to scientists and virologists before coming up with the air system. Read also: World's best chef starts again with takeaway soup 'Appropriate modernity' He said its efficiency was comparable to those used in hospital operating theaters and intensive care units. Jouin said he contacted Ducasse in April to try and square the circle of social distancing, which he knew could be disastrous for restaurants in the long term. The designer said that his extraction and filtration system means the safe distance between people can be reduced from a meter to 32 centimeters. Ducasse insisted the system does not spoil the atmosphere of the 1930s institution, with its red velvet banquettes and period wallpaper. "We have preserved the spirit of the place," he told AFP. "I love the idea of the just and appropriate modernity we have put into the DNA of this 1930s restaurant. "Even if COVID-19 disappears, I will keep this design," Ducasse vowed. The chef said he wanted to "show that it was possible to do things differently and not just to passively accept (the constraints imposed by the virus), but to actively work with them." Jouin said normal restaurant air conditioning systems work very fast, which ironically can actually help concentrate the viral charge. So he had to come up with a way of reducing the speed while "changing more of the air". "We take the air from the outside and pass it through a filter which makes it absolutely clean. Into that we inject slightly cooled pure air above each table at a very low speed." Jouin refused to say how much the system cost but insisted it was not expensive. "Restaurants will be able to afford it," he said. As the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise in the national capital, nearly 30 COVID19 dedicated hospitals in Delhi have no empty ventilators in it. Maximum ventilators at the private hospitals are getting occupied rapidly and currently, only 217 ventilators are left empty in Delhi's hospitals for corona patients. Ventilators at all major hospitals like AIIMS, Max Saktet and Gangaram Hospital have no ventilators left empty to admit patients. The Delhi government now is also working on making more arrangements of beds in the hospital and has planned to arrange 20,000 beds for COVID19 hospital till next week. Currently, 4383 corona beds are empty in Delhi's COVID dedicated hospitals. By Delhi government's own assessment till July 31 to treat coronavirus patients as many as 80,000 hospital beds will be required whereas only 9,000 hospital beds are available at present. The Delhi government has also estimated that by July 31, there will be 5.5 lakh cases of corona infection in Delhi. Coronavirus patients currently have a mortality rate of 3% in Delhi. According to this, the death toll in Delhi after July 31 and after could rise upto between 15 to 20 thousand. ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish warplanes struck Kurdish militant targets in various regions of northern Iraq on Sunday night in response to an increase in militant attacks on Turkish army bases, the Defence Ministry said. "The Claw-Eagle Operation has started. Our planes are bringing the caves down on the terrorists' heads," the Turkish Defence Ministry said on Twitter. Turkey regularly targets Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants, both in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast and in northern Iraq, where the group is based. A security source told Reuters the warplanes took off from various air bases in Turkey, notably in the southeastern cities of Diyarbakir and Malatya. The defence ministry subsequently said the air operation targeted the PKK in the region of its stronghold at Qandil, near the Iranian border, as well as the areas of Sinjar, Zap, Avasin-Basyan and Hakurk. "The PKK and other terrorist elements are threatening the security of our people and borders with attacks increasing every day on the areas of our outposts and bases," it said. The PKK, designated as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and European Union, took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict, focused in southeast Turkey. While Turkish warplanes frequently target PKK targets in northern Iraq, Turkey has also warned in recent years of a potential ground offensive targeting the PKK bases in the Qandil mountains. (Reporting by Daren Butler; Editing by Daniel Wallis) Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 00:01:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan Sunday urged resolute measures to stem the spread of cluster cases of COVID-19 in Beijing. Sun made the remarks at a meeting of the State Council joint prevention and control mechanism against COVID-19. Noting that the new cluster cases in Beijing were all related to Xinfadi, a wholesale farm produce market where a large number of people gather and visit, Sun warned of the high risk of virus spreading and asked for resolute response measures. Sun called for the "strictest epidemiological investigations" at and around the market and "thorough source tracing" to identify and control the source of infection. She stressed boosting nucleic acid testing capacity in Beijing to cover all key areas and key population groups and expanding the scope of testing to promptly discover infections and asymptomatic cases. Sun called on communities to strictly carry out epidemic prevention and control measures, screen for confirmed cases, suspected cases, febrile patients who might be carriers, and close contacts, and put them under quarantine at designated facilities. More efforts should be made to establish and renovate fever clinics at all medical institutions, she said, adding that disinfection and sterilization will be carried out in farm produce markets, restaurants and distribution places across the country. Noting that the task of regular prevention and control is still arduous, Sun called for unremitting efforts to guard against imported cases from abroad and prevent a resurgence of the outbreak at home. Enditem Augustoberfest to return in 2022, but in a new location This year marks the 25th anniversary of Augustoberfest, usually held in downtown Hagerstown. But this year's festival is moving out of Hagerstown. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Ohio Department of Health reported Sunday that 41,148 Ohioans have been infected by the novel coronavirus, and 2,557 have died. The department reported 2,554 deaths and 40,848 infections on Saturday. The state will provide the next set of information in response to COVID-19 this week. Several weeks ago, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine began scaling back his daily coronavirus briefings, though his spokesman has said the governor is committed to holding at least two briefings per week. On Saturday night, the city of Cleveland released its latest coronavirus data, saying seven more cases have been confirmed, though no new deaths were reported. That brings Clevelands total to 1,810 confirmed cases and 71 deaths. The city of Cleveland is expected to release more data Sunday evening. More than 7.8 million people worldwide have been infected with COVID-19, and more than 430,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers. In the U.S., there are more than 2 million confirmed cases of coronavirus and more than 115,000 COVID-19 deaths. More coronavirus coverage: Cleveland Housing Court to resume eviction hearings for first time since coronavirus led to recession Amy Acton saved lives during the coronavirus pandemic. All Ohioans are in her debt Faces of disturbing trend: Minority-owned businesses at greater risk of going under during coronavirus pandemic People hold a rally at Wendy's on University Avenue in Atlanta on Sunday. Rayshard Brooks died after a confrontation with police officers at the fast food restaurant in Atlanta on Friday. Read more Atlanta police on Sunday quickly released body-camera and other footage that captured the shooting death of a black man by a white officer who was swiftly fired moves that policing experts said could help defuse anti-racism protests that were reignited by the shooting. Atlanta police announced that an officer, Garrett Rolfe, had been fired after he fatally shot Rayshard Brooks, 27, on Friday night, and another officer, Devin Brosnan, had been placed on administrative duty. On Saturday, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms had called for the immediate firing of the officer who opened fire on Brooks and announced that she had accepted the resignation of Police Chief Erika Shields. I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force, Bottoms said. Roughly 150 protesters marched Saturday night around the Wendy's restaurant outside where Brooks was shot, reigniting demonstrations that had largely simmered in the Georgia capital nearly three weeks after George Floyd, another black man, died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee to his neck. Both Rolfe and Brosnan are white. The firing of Rolfe and the quick release of the video to the public could go a long way toward easing tensions in the city, said Andy Harvey, a veteran law enforcement officer who is now a police chief in Ennis, Texas, and the author of books and training curriculum on community policing. Transparency today is a whole different ball game. It's what the community expects," Harvey said. We have to always be open about the good, the bad and the ugly. Not just the good. I think it actually builds trust and confidence when we're open about the ugly as well." The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said that Brooks, who was seen on body camera video sleeping in a car blocking the Wendys drive thru, failed a sobriety test and was shot in a struggle over a police Taser. Cedric Alexander, the former public safety director of Dekalb County, Georgia, who now works as a police consultant, said the shooting will undoubtedly lead to questions about how officers might have defused the situation. Heres a man who took it upon himself to pull off the road to take a nap," Alexander said. Could they have given him a ride home, could they have called him an Uber, and let him sleep it off later, as opposed to arresting him? Now that does not in any kind of way excuse Mr. Brooks for resisting arrest. But the question is: Are there other protocols that police could have taken? And people will ask the question, had he been white and pulled onto the side of the road to take a nap and sleep it off, would they have given him a ride home? The Wendy's was set aflame at one point Saturday night, although the fire was out before midnight. Atlanta police said Sunday that 36 people had been arrested in connection with the protests, but gave no further details. A makeshift memorial had been erected outside the restaurant Sunday morning. In Washington, D.C., meanwhile, a group of interfaith leaders held a prayer vigil Sunday outside St. Johns Church near the White House, where President Donald Trump held a June 1 appearance that sparked criticism after protesters were forcibly cleared from the area. The faith leaders, representing multiple Christian denominations as well as Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh faiths, addressed a crowd of several dozen at the edge of the recently named Black Lives Matter Plaza with a message of racial justice. The rapidly unfolding movement to take down Confederate statues and other polarizing monuments in the U.S. also grew over the weekend. Protesters in New Orleans tore down a bust of a slave owner Saturday who left part of his fortune to New Orleans schools and then took the remains to the Mississippi River and rolled it down the banks into the water. And in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nations principal chief watched as two Confederate monuments were removed that were placed in its tribal headquarters nearly a century ago by the Daughters of the Confederacy. In Philadelphia, a group of about 100 people, some carrying guns and baseball bats, gathered around a statue of Christopher Columbus in Philadelphia on Saturday, saying they intended to protect it from vandals amid recent protests. It would be over my dead body before they got to this statue, Anthony Ruggiero, 41, told The Philadelphia Inquirer. This is a part of history. READ MORE: For second day, group stands guard at Christopher Columbus statue in South Philadelphia; Mayor Jim Kenney denounces 'vigilantism Mayor Jim Kenney condemned the groups of armed individuals protecting the statue in a Twitter post on Sunday. Meanwhile, three people were charged in the vandalism of a Christopher Columbus statue in Providence, Rhode Island. European protesters also sought to show solidarity with their American counterparts and to confront bias in their own countries on Sunday. The demonstrations also posed a challenge to policies intended to limit crowds to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. In Milan, Italy, protesters scrawled rapist and racist in Italian on the statue of a late Italian journalist who had acknowledged having had a 12-year-old Eritrean bride while stationed in the Italian colony on the horn of Africa in the 1930s. The statue of Indro Montanelli, inside a Milan park that bears his name, has been a flashpoint in Italys Black Lives Matter protests. In Germany, protesters in Berlin on Sunday formed 5 -mile (9-kilometer) chain in a message against racism, among a range of other causes. Demonstrators were linked by colored ribbons, forming what organizers called a ribbon of solidarity that stretched southeast from the Brandenburg Gate to the Neukoelln neighborhood. Turning Adam Driver into a sex symbol is one of the worst things Lena Dunham has ever done. And thats saying A LOT Reply Thread Link This. He looks so fucking disgraceful lol. Yet, on the other hand, he gives me hopes that maybe i can be a star too. lol. Reply Parent Thread Link Did it happen bc of Girls or was it bc of Star Wars? I feel like it was the latter because SW gave him a whole new fanbase beyond Girls. People who watch Girls are either bougie fans who watch the show because ~it's so real and I really relate to them~ or those who hate watch, and I don't see those two personality types being the ones who would thirst after him. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link It was the tail end of Cumberbatchmania where tumblr girls figured if they idolized ugly men they'd have a better shot at marrying them. Reply Parent Thread Link So ugly. Reply Parent Thread Link right? he is so offensive looking. I judge so much someone saying THIS is a hot guy. In a just society he wouldn't be able to reproduce and take these genes along Reply Parent Thread Link I could never get into girls because of how obsessed it seem her character was with him and I was like "but he's hideous??" Reply Parent Thread Link this Reply Parent Thread Link IDK who Jacob is but everyone else in this post... omg this is cursed Reply Thread Link Although I do appreciate Ansel's chaotic energy and Affleck gives us memes I guess Reply Thread Link The pictures of Tom in that tweet are...a choice. Reply Thread Link he literally looks like someone's 48 year old uncle who has only been with his ex-wife (since high school) and only did missionary, but is now suddenly back on the dating scene and thinks he is a prize to be won. sad. Edited at 2020-06-14 06:53 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Yoooooo Reply Parent Thread Link This is painfully accurate Reply Parent Thread Link I love how specific this is. Reply Parent Thread Link Nnnnnn lmao this is sending me Reply Parent Thread Link I agree OP, Driver IS offensively hideous. He doesnt even seem to be one of those uglies that have an amazing personality. He has the face of one of those suspects on Dateline that doesnt get convicted but you just KNOW he had something to do with the disappearance/murder. Reply Thread Link Adam is NOT cute but his voice does it for me Reply Thread Link lol I feel that way about Tom Hiddleston. he and Benedict Cumbersome have... faces, but they do have that deep British narrator voice Reply Parent Thread Link lol that's how I also feel about Dan Stevens. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Tom has a nice body. He was almost naked in one of those weird movies he likes to do and I thought that he should just be naked in all of the films he makes. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i want to like it but i know too many over talking, loud, poorly flossing men who have the same, exact voice Reply Parent Thread Link Eugh I know. He's someone I would hook up with but be too embarrassed to introduce him to my friends. Reply Parent Thread Link When Lee Sun Kyun exists?!? Reply Parent Thread Link blue eyed demon Reply Parent Thread Link I was waiting for a punchline. This is it? This is the video? Reply Parent Thread Link it's a pov video. they're weirdly popular on tiktok. this one is tame in comparison to some of them. Reply Parent Thread Link You should definitely see some of the tiktoks people have made with this one. That one girl dressed up as a cockroach is hilarious! Reply Parent Thread Link i've seen so many lazy tik toks where they just type out the words or emotions they're saying like it's the goddamn silent movie era. at least then they had a live ass piano Reply Parent Thread Link my friends told me to get on tiktok....and for waht? for this? it doesnt even make sense, what is the context who is this for who is the target audience?????!?!? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i've been debating doing an original on tiktok povs but idek where i'd start lmfao Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I just don't understand Reply Parent Thread Link Tall and feos. Todos. Reply Thread Link Low key my fan cast for live action Hercules. Idk if he can sing but neither could Hermione \_()_/ Yasss my avian king of caterpillar eyebrowsLow key my fan cast for live action Hercules. Idk if he can sing but neither could Hermione \_()_/ Reply Thread Link Oh see, I thought he was alright until I saw these gifs. Even Ben was cuter than this at that age lmao Reply Parent Thread Link He has certain angles the range from stud to goober lmao Reply Parent Thread Link literally. never heard of him before, thought the pics in the post were decent but then these gifs and especially that second one happened. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I want him to be gay Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I think he's objectively good looking but only really fancied him in that scene in Euphoria where he had makeup on Reply Parent Thread Link When it was rumored Zendaya was going out with him I was like 'YASS, DO THAT' LOL Reply Parent Thread Link mmmhhhmmmm Reply Parent Thread Link gurl don't do Hercules that ugly. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link it's definitely the height, but he can still be hercules. they're about the same level Reply Parent Thread Link I was about to say, does Hercules even sing in the movie, but somehow I forgot about Go The Distance lmao Reply Parent Thread Link the thing about Ben Affleck, in his heyday, was he was very charismatic. Reply Thread Link exactly. i'll admit i had a crush on ben like 20 years ago but now... yikes. good luck with that, ana with no taste Reply Parent Thread Link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ahtp0sjA5U This is a bit of the dvd commentary for the movie. So funny. Edited at 2020-06-14 05:53 am (UTC) He was. His dvd commentary for armageddon cracks me the fuck up. I had such a crush on him in the movie but ONLY that movie.This is a bit of the dvd commentary for the movie. So funny. Reply Parent Thread Link lmfao. i would listen to his podcast ngl Reply Parent Thread Link I think that's a good point. I don't know anything about his personality, but some time ago I watched Shakespeare in Love and Dogma and I thought he was both good-looking and a charismatic, engaging actor. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link it seems insane now lol but he and damon were legit a breath of fresh air once upon a time. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Truth. Armageddon Affleck did things to me. I have a legit memory of walking past a Sam Goody or a Spencers or some mall shop that like and they had his Armageddon poster up and I legit stopped in my tracks to stare. I never did shit like that. Its why I still remember it, lol. But yeah, before the internet allowed us access into more celebrity personalities; back when he was younger, he was hot. Reply Parent Thread Link Yes...and his truly fantastic chin Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah he was a smart, smug jock and it was kind of hot. Now he's a divorced gym teacher. Reply Parent Thread Link I had a crush on him during Pearl Harbor. He turned out to be a major asshole. Reply Parent Thread Link tom looked good in the night manager, but that's it. Reply Thread Link lmao i love him in only lovers left alive and find him legit hot in it. i pretend it's someone else. Reply Parent Thread Link it's the wig Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Lmao I was about to say the same thing. Reply Parent Thread Link same tbh... that aesthetic is a Look Reply Parent Thread Link I just watched that for the first time this weekend and he was so much hotter than I expected in it. That wig should've looked stupid as fuck, but you know what? He found the Hot in that look. Reply Parent Thread Link I only watched The Night Manager recently and I kind of got the attraction in that too. But no other roles and his irl personality is a huge clash with mine. Reply Parent Thread Link He did things for me as Hal/Henry V, but then that trilogy is my favorite Shakespeare arc, so that was probably a bigger factor. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I saw the video version of when he did Coriolanus and that did things for me Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I honestly disagree but I hate the way he looks in movies with a continuous shitty black wigs. Reply Parent Thread Link Ansel is so cute to me I DO NOT CARE. Reply Thread Link Its called taste and you got it baby Reply Parent Thread Link I always see him around NYC and each time I initially mistake him for an European tourist. He is basic looking, but not ugly, I would say he is cute in person. Reply Parent Thread Link Do you think you live in the same neighborhood or something? Do you think you live in the same neighborhood or something? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Offensive to European tourists Reply Parent Thread Link Stream La vita nuova by Christine and The Queens Reply Parent Thread Link How? He looks like someone left a jar of mayonnaise in the sun too long. Reply Parent Thread Link Potatos are the world's 4th biggest staple food, so I guess you're not alone Reply Parent Thread Expand Link No disrespect but Adam Driver looks like someone put a wig on a big toe. Reply Thread Link I'm just on the first page of this post and it's killing me. Thank you for this comment. Reply Parent Thread Link Shookus yet again. Reply Thread Link I refuse to believe Ben Affleck is 64 Reply Thread Link I believe it because he's taller than Henry Cavill and I remember thinking it was ridiculous that Batman was taller than Superman lol Reply Parent Thread Link This is news to me and I hate it. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah he looks like hes just 60-61. Reply Parent Thread Link same. that's a little man, inside. Reply Parent Thread Link Screaming lmao Reply Parent Thread Link I was surprised too. I thought he was only 6 or 6'1 Reply Parent Thread Link it is odd especially because his little brother Casey is like 5'7" Reply Parent Thread Expand Link same, my brain can't read him or Ansel as tall Reply Parent Thread Link That jumped out to me as well because I never would have guessed. Reply Parent Thread Link yeah he has strong 5'10" energy Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah, he seems shorter and Adam seems taller. Reply Parent Thread Link BAZ BAMIGBOYE: Despite Covid winter turmoil, the West End got a shot in the arm today with news that one of the biggest shows of the year will go ahead... two years after it was due to open. GSEB HSC Arts and Commerce Result 2020 Date Announced | The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSEB) announced the results of Arts and Commerce of Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations on its website early this morning (Monday, 15 June). GSEB HSC Arts and Commerce Result 2020 Date Announced | The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSEB) announced the results of Arts and Commerce of Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations on its website early this morning (Monday, 15 June). Students who appeared for these exams can check their scores on the official site of GSEB at gseb.org. More details are expected at 8 am. How to check result via SMS Students can also send an SMS in the format HSC SEAT NUMBER to 56263 to get their results on their phones. Here is how you can check your GSEB HSC result online: Step 1: Visit the official website of Gujarat board www.gseb.org Step 2: On the homepage, click on the link that says 'GSEB Results 2020 for Arts and Commerce' Step 3: Fill seat number at the result page Step 4: Hit 'submit' button Step 5: Your GSEB Results 2020 for Arts and Commerce 2020 will appear online Step 6: Download the results and take a print out for future references Alternatively, if the official website is slow or not responsive, students can get their score on their mobile phone via SMS and through websites such as examresults.net, results.nic.in and indiaresults.com. The Class 12 Arts and Commerce streams examinations were held between 5 to 21 March 2020. But the result was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. A candidate must obtain a minimum of grade D to be eligible for higher Secondary Certificate in all subjects. Those candidates who have obtained grade E1 or E2 in the subjects of External Examination can clear the HSC exam after subsequent attempts and qualify. Earlier, several media reports had said the results would be declared in the first week of June. The Ontario government has announced the gradual resumption of visits to long-term care homes as of Thursday. Fairhaven has made arrangements for these visits, with restrictions in place to ensure the health and safety of residents, staff and visitors. We are planning to be able to allow family members to make appointments for 30 minutes visits, starting on Wednesday, by calling reception at 705-743-0881, reported Jennifer Baro, executive assistant. Long-term care homes will allow outdoor visits with the following requirements, Baro said. One visit per resident each week, with one visitor for each visit. All visitors must have tested negative after a COVID-19 test within the past two weeks prior to each visit. All visitors will be screened before visits, which will involve being asked a series of questions and having your temperature taken temporally. Visits will be supervised, and you will be asked to use hand sanitizer. Visitors must always bring their own mask and wear it during the visit. No food or drink can be consumed or given to Residents during the visits. Gift items will continue to be taken between our front doors for quarantine. Minimize the jewelry and accessories that you wear to lower the risk of virus transmission. Ensure long hair is tied back and avoid touching your face during your visit. Physical distancing will be required for all visits. Unfortunately, this will mean that typical greetings of hugs, kisses and touching will not be possible, Baro said. This approach will ensure the health and safety of residents, staff and visitors. Additionally, long-term care homes must meet the following conditions before they welcome visitors, Baro said. Homes must not be in outbreak. Homes must have an established process for communicating visitor protocol and the associated safety procedures. Homes must maintain the highest infection prevention and control standards. Caring staff The staff at Fairhaven have been working throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown at the home, to keep the residents there safe and happy. Sometimes that means going the extra mile and that is just what the staff is doing for the residents. We have staff members that are using their talents in many ways, said Jen Baro, Executive Assistant. Some staff have amazing voices and sing to the residents, some like to dance and will dance with the residents, while other paint their nails. During lockdown outside visitors have not been allowed at Fairhaven, and that includes the homes hairdresser. Our regular hairdresser is not able to provide the service to our residents and like everyone else during this pandemic our hair has become quite long. We have a number of staff members that have stepped up and provided haircuts, Baro said. It really lifts the residents spirits. We all know when we walk out of the hairdresser and barber shops how it makes us feel. A Book for Dad Trent Valley Archives has a new publication available, Whiskey and Wickedness, by Larry Cotton, and it would make a great Fathers Day gift. By 1870, Peterborough was the lumber capital of Ontario. In the spring, hundreds of thirsty river drivers might pass through town daily. With a choice of 31 taverns and 10 saloons, fighting, gambling and prostitution were rampant, states a release for the book, that is packed with stories of crimes and misdemeanours from Peterborough and Haliburton Counties between 1825-1890. The cost of the book is $25 and it is available for pickup at the Archives, located at 567 Carnegie Ave., just a short distance past the fire station. Shipping or delivery is also available. For further information call 705-745-4404 (messages are checked daily) or email Heather at admin@trentvalleyarchives.com. At least two opposition leaders in Rajasthan have accused the government of phone tapping ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections next week . Hitting out at the state government, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) leader Hanuman Beniwal on Sunday alleged that phones are being tapped and statements of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot related to horse trading are baseless. Addressing the newspersons after meeting the Leader of Opposition Gulabchand Kataria, Beniwal also alleged that statements of Gehlot related to horse trading are baseless and the entire screenplay was staged by him, in an attempt to show state party chief Sachin Pilot in poor light. Many independents and ruling party MLAs are in contact with us and I appeal to them to vote in favor of BJP candidates on conscience, he said. Congress spokesperson Archana Sharma said the CMs statements were based on facts and a probe which is on which will expose those involved. The RLP leader is in habitat to politicizing all the issues, she said. On Saturday, deputy leader of Opposition in Rajasthan assembly Rajendra Rathore had also alleged that the state government is tapping the phone calls of opposition members under the garb of a probe into the alleged poaching of MLAs. In Nagaur, our telephones are tapped. The state government is doing such activities, which are not good for democracy, he alleged. Rathore also announced that the three MLAs of the RLP will support BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls to be held on June 19. Rajasthans Director General of Police, Bhupendra Singh denied that phones of lawmakers were being tapped. No phones of elected representatives are being monitored anywhere in the state. In any case SPs are not authorized. The ruling Congress which had accused the BJP of attempting horse-trading ahead of the June 19 election, has shepherded its MLA and other lawmakers supporting the party-led government in the state in a hotel. Egypt will gradually resume regular international flights at all its airports starting from July 1, but foreign tourists will only be allowed into three coastal governorates, the civil aviation minister said on Sunday. Flights will be resumed with countries that have reopened their airports, minister Mohamed Manar told a televised briefing, adding that the ministry has upgraded airports nationwide during the period of flight suspension. Egypt halted all international flights on 19 March in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus. It has since only allowed its airports to open to domestic, freight and special repatriation flights. The areas that will open for foreign tourists in the first stage are South Sinai, where the popular seaside resort of Sharm El-Sheikh is located, the Red Sea govenorate, home to the city of Hurghada, and Marsa Matrouh on the Mediterranean. The government said last week it would reopen the country's major coastal resorts for international flights and foreign tourists starting the beginning of July. Manar said that authorities have adopted a series of preventative measures to stem the spread of the virus during the reopening stages. He said that travellers must sign an acknowledgement at departure airports that they are free of the virus prior to boarding their planes and before receiving the boarding pass. Travellers coming to Egypt from countries with high rates of coronavirus infections, based on evaluation by the World Health Organization (WHO), will be required to submit PCR test results before travelling to prove they are coronavirus-free. Speaking about Egyptian airlines, the minister said passengers would be required to keep a safe distance from one another in queues and during boarding and embarking from the plane. Passengers and aircrew will also be obligated to wear masks on board planes. Planes will be sanitised after each trip, he noted, adding that only dry meals and canned drinks are to be provided, while paper publications like magazines and newspapers will not be allowed onboard. Disinfectants, gloves and masks will be available on board in a special bag for each traveller, the minister also said. Special seats will be designated for people with chronic diseases who cannot wear masks for a long time. Two rows at the end of each plane would be allocated for isolating any passengers who may show symptoms, in addition to allocating a private restroom, and one of the flight personnel to serve them. Speaking about airports, the minister said authorities have put in place measures to ensure physical distancing. Travellers' temperatures will be measured at the sterilisation gates and all baggage will be sanitised before being placed on the luggage belt. Tourism and Antiquities Minister Khaled El-Enany, who also spoke during the joint news conference, said tourist sites across the country will be allowed to gradually reopen starting July 1, with a 20% discount on tickets offered to travellers of Egyptian airlines. Officials said Egypts seaside resorts have been least affected by the coronavirus, unlike Greater Cairo which has racked up the lions share of the infections. Other areas across the country will gradually open up for foreign tourists later based on the development of the pandemic, the tourism minister said. The government has so far allowed dozens of hotels to operate at a reduced occupancy rate after adhering to safety protocols. The move is meant to revive its key tourism sector, which has been hit hard by the virus restrictions. The permitted occupancy was initially set at 25 percent of the usual capacity, but was increased to 50 percent earlier this month. Al-Anani announced a set of precautions to be adopted before resuming tourist trips, including obligating tourism firms to provide their clients with protective face masks. He said that parties and shisha smokers will not be allowed inside hotels, adding that spaces between dining tables at hotels' restaurants will be wider. Each room at operational hotels will not be allowed to house more than two guests. Each tourist group should consist of no more than 25 people until further notice. The number of visitors of major museums, such as Cairo's Egyptian Museum, will not exceed 200 visitors per hour, while other museums will not receive more than 100 per hour. Search Keywords: Short link: By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput had forged a special relationship with Kerala during the devastating flood of 2018. The 34-year-old had donated Rs1 crore to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund on behalf of a fan and then shared a screenshot of his donation in the fan's name with the hashtag 'My Kerala'. ALSO READ | Bollywood in shock over Sushant Singh Rajput's death During the deluge, a user had tagged him in a comment on his Instagram post saying, " I don't have the money, but I want to donate some food. How can I donate? Please tell me." The actor, who spotted the comment, replied, "I will donate Rs1 crore in your name, make sure that it directly reaches our friends out there, and post it on Instagram thanking you for making me do this. Thank you so much for wanting to." Sushant kept his word and later shared a screenshot of his donation, tagging the fan. He wrote, "As promised (to you) my friend, what you wanted to do has been done. You made me do this. So be extremely proud of yourself. You delivered exactly when it was needed. Lots and lots of love. My Kerala." In a tribute to Sushant Rajput on social media, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan recalled the help and support from the actor during the flood. "We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. His early demise is a great loss to the Indian film industry. Our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends & supporters.We take a moment to remember his support during the time of the Kerala flood," the CM said. We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. His early demise is a great loss to the Indian Film industry. Our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends & supporters. We take a moment to remember his support during the time of Kerala floods. pic.twitter.com/OKampA9w05 Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) June 14, 2020 Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Bandra residence on Sunday. Mumbai Police DCP Pranay Ashok said, "Sushant Singh Rajput has committed suicide and investigations are on." Sushant started his acting career on the small screen and after nearly five years on television he got his big break in Bollywood in 2013 with 'Kai Po Che!'. Since then he has been a part of many successful films in a career that include 'Shuddh Desi Romance', 'Kedarnath', 'Chhichhore' among others. Sushant hit the peak of his career in 2016 when he played the lead in former Indian captain MS Dhoni's biopic M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story'. You can't really reform a department that is rotten to the root, she said. What you can do is rebuild. And so this is our opportunity, you know, as a city, to come together, have the conversation of what public safety looks like, who enforces the most dangerous crimes that place in our community. ... What we are saying is, the current infrastructure that exists as policing in our city should not exist anymore." They both soared to fame when the attempted to find love in the Love Island villa. And Georgia Steel appeared in good spirits as she stepped out with fellow islander Elma Pazar in matching skintight co-ords in Brentwood. The reality star, 22, chatted on the phone as she joined Elma for a shopping trip to pick up supplies amid lockdown. Twinning: Georgia Steel appeared in good spirits as she stepped out with fellow islander Elma Pazar in matching skintight co-ords in Brentwood Ensuring they turned heads while out and about, the girls slipped their curves into long-sleeved crop tops and matching form-fitting leggings. Georgia opted for a beige coloured number, with the clingy ensemble highlighting her slender figure. She paired her eye-catching outfit with a pair of black trainers and slung a fluffy white designer bumbag across her body. Finishing off her look, Georgia styled her brunette tresses into boxer braids while she added a subtle palette of make-up to her face. Chit chat: The reality star, 22, chatted on the phone as she joined Elma for a shopping trip to pick up supplies amid lockdown Meanwhile, Elma, 27, caught the eye in a pale pink number, with the ensemble drawing attention to her sensational curves. The Essex native added a pair of grey trainers to her look while she carried her essentials in a simple cream crossbody bag. She wore her brunette locks loose save for a white hair grip, while she upped the glam with a generous layer of make-up. Both ladies appeared on fine form as they chatted and giggled away after picking up their fix of iced coffees. Eye-catching: Ensuring they turned heads while out and about, the girls slipped their curves into long-sleeved crop tops and matching form-fitting leggings Fun times: The girls were in their element as they sipped on their iced coffees while making their way through Brentwood Georgia's outing comes after she broke her silence on the breakdown of her relationship with Callum Izzard. In a recent interview on FUBAR Radio, she revealed she's in no rush to jump into a new relationship. She said: 'Im a good believer in everything happens for a reason and Im just rolling with it to be fair.' Callum and Georgia's whirlwind romance began in August 2019 when they met during the filming of Ex on the Beach: Peak Of Love, with the couple becoming engaged just a month later. But despite her fast-paced courtship, Georgia admitted she's in no hurry to dive headfirst into a new romance. What a look: Georgia opted for a beige coloured number, with the clingy ensemble highlighting her slender figure Style: She paired her eye-catching outfit with a pair of black trainers and slung a fluffy white designer bumbag across her body When asked if she's had many guys sliding into her DMs, the beauty explained: 'I just want some time now to just focus on myself and Im not really wanting to rush into anything. Im just wanting to take every day as it comes!' Speaking of moving on from Callum, she went on to add: 'Obviously I want to get over that whole thing firstly.' Georgia was recently living with her ex-fiance in Essex, but it appears lockdown got the better, leading to their split. A source told The Sun Online: 'Callum has moved out of their Essex apartment during lockdown. 'They were recently flat hunting in Manchester together, but it's been called off. Georgia is now planning to move up to Manchester alone.' Stepping out: Meanwhile, Elma, 27, caught the eye in a pale pink number, with the ensemble drawing attention to her sensational curves The past week witnessed several killings in various violent attacks across Nigeria. A PREMIUM TIMES analysis revealed that over 140 people were killed in separate attacks by armed men, with many others injured. Many houses and other properties were also torched in the attacks. The data for this report were gathered from newspaper publications where cases were confirmed by police, defence headquarters, government officials or families of the victims. Sunday: PREMIUM TIMES reported that gunmen attacked three communities in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State. The attack was confirmed by the states police spokesperson, Catherine Anene, who could not establish the number of casualties in the onslaught. One of the locals, who simply gave his name as Jonah, named the villages as Torkula, Kponko and Kaseyo, all in Mbadwem council ward. He said that the invaders stormed the villages and started shooting in all directions, thereby killing people and injuring others in the process. It was also reported that Nigerian troops in a clearance operation against cattle rustlers and criminals killed three bandits and captured four others in a cordon and search operation at Yauyau and Zandam villages in Zamfara state. According to a statement by the Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, John Enenche, items recovered from the bandits include: seven dane guns, three cell phones and two motorcycles. In Rivers State, an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) was killed by unknown gunmen. The security agencys spokesperson, Ekunola Gbenga, on Sunday, said Godwin Mbula, a chief corps assistant, was lynched by men suspected to be oil bunkerers (thieves). He said they went to the manifold known as Gio to siphon oil, but were resisted by the NSCDC men guiding the manifold. Tuesday Residents of Yantumaki community in Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina, on Tuesday, went on the streets to protest against insecurity after the district head of the community, Atiku Abubakar, was shot dead by gunmen at his residence. A health personnel, identified as Mansir Yusuf, and his daughter were also kidnapped in the community. The protesters, mostly youth and underage children, blocked highways, castigating the government over security negligence. Gunmen killed our district head, and came back again. This means that they will be coming, since they are not facing any challenge anytime they carry attacks. The government needs to do the needful before the situation went out of control, a senior community leader said. The worst of last weeks bloody incident was recorded in Borno on Tuesday afternoon after terrorists attacked Gubio and killed no fewer than 81 people. Also, seven persons, including a village head, were abducted by the insurgents with 13 others injured. READ ALSO: In a separate attack, armed men killed no fewer than 20 people in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State. The police spokesperson in Katsina, Gambo Isah, told PREMIUM TIMES that the attack occurred in Kadisau community when the bandits arrived on over 200 motorcycles. The bandits attempted to loot food items. However, the residents resisted their attempt. As a result, the gunmen opened fire and killed 14 residents on the spot. 26 were also injured. Among the injured victims, six died on Wednesday morning. We recorded 20 deaths, and 20 injuries during the unfortunate incident, Mr Isah said. Wednesday The police in Adamawa State on Wednesday announced the arrest of 32 suspects involved in a communal clash in the state. It erupted over a land dispute between Lunguda and Waja communities in Guyuk and Lafiya Lamurde local government areas of the state The police spokesman in the state, Suleiman Nguroje, who confirmed the arrest over the latest round of violence, said many houses and valuables were destroyed, forcing residents to flee the affected communities. Gunmen on Wednesday morning killed two people and abducted several others along the Lokoja Abuja expressway. It occurred at about 7:00 a.m. between Acheni and Gegu villages in Kogi State. The governor, Yahaya Bello, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mohammed Onogwu, confirmed the incident. Friday A breakaway faction of Boko Haram released a video showing the execution of a soldier and a police officer. In the 49 seconds video, the two security personnel who were abducted the previous week while travelling between Maiduguri and Monguno introduced themselves after which they were summarily shot dead. According to the slain security personnel, they were on a trip from Maiduguri to Monguno when they were ambushed and abducted by the insurgents whom they described as Tilafa army. One of the slain personnel who spoke in Hausa said, my name is Yohanah Kilus, I am a policeman, my rank is Inspector, I was abducted between Maiduguri and Monguno; I am presently in the custody of Tilafa soldiers. Advertisements The second abducted personnel said: I am 13NA/70/8374, Lance Corporal Emmanuel Oscar, I was captured by Tilafas along Maiduguri to Monguno. Shortly after that, the video showed two armed men pointing AK47 rifles at the two personnel kneeling with their faces blindfolded. Shots were simultaneously fired and the two security personnel were killed. Saturday Early Saturday morning, bandits murdered the village head of Mazoji in Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State, Dikko Usman. The Special Adviser to Governor Aminu Masari on security, Ibrahim Katsina, confirmed the incident. Witnesses said the bandits stormed Mazoji village in large numbers on motorcycles, armed with weapons late Friday night, and operated till early Saturday morning when the village head was killed. Also, one person was confirmed dead and many others injured after Nigerian soldiers attacked officials of the COVID-19 Committee in Borno State. The soldiers, disregarding the ongoing interstate travel ban, forced their way through the entrance gate to Borno and allowed hundreds of illegal travelers into the town. The armed personnel, who arrived in three gun trucks, allegedly threatened to open fire on the COVID-19 committee members led by the state attorney general and a commissioner of health. While breaking through the barricade, the soldiers rammed through a patrol truck of the State Rapid Response Squad which forced the vehicle somersaulting in the bush. All local security personnel in the vehicle sustained injuries. The driver of the RRS truck died hours later at the Borno Specialist Hospital. The soldiers also knocked down some commercial tricycles (Keke Napep). Three women, including a pregnant woman and a baby, sustained fractures. Members of ISWAP, a breakaway faction of Boko Haram, on Saturday staged another deadly attack on a village in Gubio local government killing at least 31 residents and injuring many others, security sources told PREMIUM TIMES Sunday. This occurred less than four days after a similar attack in Gubio caused 81 deaths. They went there at about the time Monguno was being attacked and opened fire on the residents killing about 31 persons. We are not sure if the number would be more than that because we learned that some people fled into the bushes and the insurgents went shooting after them, Malam Buni, a local vigilante official, said. Also on Saturday, a student identified as Grace Oshiagwu was reportedly raped and killed in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the third in the state in two weeks. The deceased, 21, was a National Diploma student of The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki. The incident was confirmed by residents of the area and the police who only confirmed her murder. The attack on Ms Oshiagwu happened on Saturday at Idi-ori Area, off Shasha Expressway, Akinyele Local Government Area in Ibadan. Disturbed Nigerians Many Nigerians have taken to social media to express their displeasure over the security challenges the country is facing. For Shehu Sani, a former Kaduna senator, that most of the killings occurred in Northern Nigeria should be of concern to leaders from that part of the country. Mr Sani suggested that Northern leaders were reluctant to criticise President Muhammadu Buhari like they did his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, when the security situation deteriorated. Mass killings in Borno and the North West and the North is quiet. No Northern youths to condemn the FG; No Northern Islamic Clerics to allege genocide. No Northern Christian Clerics to allege conspiracy. No Northern Governors forum to fault security chiefs and the Federal Government. No Arewa forum to call for resignation of those with the responsibility to protect. No Emirs and Chiefs to urge on the Government to wake up. No legislators to call a spade a spade. The Lions who roared in the defence of the North under the fisherman from the creeks have lost their voices under the Horseman from the Sahel, he wrote. Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview on Saturday, an activist, Ayo Aribisala, said President Muhammadu Buhari refused to live up to expectations. Five years after taking charge, Buharis administration refused to take responsibility. He once called Boko Haram cowards before he was elected in 2015. It is so glaring to Nigerians that the insurgents are not cowards but Buhari himself. Enough of English like insecurity is tactically or technically defeated. Nigerians will know themselves without plenty English when the country is secured. Worried UN Not pleased with the recent attacks especially that of Tuesday that claimed the lives of 81 civilians in Borno, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, said on Thursday that he was gravely concerned. He described the attack as deadliest recorded in north-central Borno State since July 2019. Mr Kallon said the incident has sent shockwaves across the humanitarian community working to provide life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable in Borno State. I am also troubled by the widespread practice by non-state armed groups of setting up illegal checkpoints along main supply routes, which heighten risks for civilians to be abducted, killed or injured. Aid workers are directly impacted and the humanitarian community is disturbed by the news of possible abductions, including that of a camp manager from the Borno State Emergency Management Agency working in the northern Borno State town of Monguno, where tens of thousands of civilians are desperately in need of humanitarian assistance, he said. Concerned lawmakers The leadership of the National Assembly on Thursday met with heads of security agencies in the country over the spate of insecurity in the country. After the meeting, Senate President Ahmad Lawan said any of the service chiefs who is found to have performed less than expectations, despite adequate provisions, should be sacked. He said the lawmakers resolved to schedule a meeting between the leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly and President Muhammadu Buhari. Insurgence, banditry downgraded Despite the attacks, in his Democracy Day speech on Friday, Mr Buhari said his administration has been able to stem insecurity and its attendant threat to food security in Northeast Nigeria. He also said most of the local government areas that were, prior to his administration, under the control of outlawed armed groups like Boko Haram, have been reclaimed and displaced residents have returned to their homes. Mr Buhari said his government, in the area of security in the past five years, remain(s) unshaken in its resolve to protect our national infrastructure including on-shore and off-shore oil installations, secure our territorial waters and end piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. The broadcast came hours after ISWAP circulated the video footage showing the execution of the abducted soldier and police officer. New Delhi: Himalayan regions of Ladakh, Sikkim, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand have reported a sudden spike in Covid-19 cases over the past week amid the easing of curbs after two-month national lockdown to contain the spread of the pandemic. The unrestricted interstate movement was allowed from June 1 as part of the Centres first of a three-phase plan--Unlock 1.0--to lift stringent restrictions. Officials in Ladakh said the region had reported 131 cases over three months until Friday, which involved mostly pilgrims, who had returned from Iran. The region reported 198 cases on Saturday and 112 on Sunday and prompted authorities to ban public transport and adopt an odd-even system for the private vehicles other than those involved in essential services. Jammu & Kashmir reported close to 5,000 Covid-19 cases (NEED EXACT NUMBER) and 60 deaths until Sunday. Most of the cases--3,800--have been reported from the Kashmir Valley. Officials said the number of cases has increased over the last week because of the return of Kashmiris from other parts of the country. There is no reason for panic. Most of the cases are in institutional quarantine or hospitals. There is no community spread...., said financial commissioner (health) Atal Dulloo. He added most of the lockdown conditions were continuing in the worst-hit areas. Sikkim, which was Covid-19 free until May 22, had only 12 cases as of Thursday. The cases increased to 68 by Sunday. On Friday, 50 people, most of whom had returned from Mumbai, tested positive for the disease in the state. The spike in the cases has prompted the state to postpone reopening of schools from July 1 to August 1 and impose restrictions on vehicular transport. All precautions are being taken. No person will be allowed to enter Sikkim now, said chief minister Prem Singh Tamang. He said the cases will reduce now as most of the returnees have been tested. Sikkim has made it mandatory for returnees to undergo 28-day institutional and home quarantine. Pempa Bhutia, the state health secretary, said no health worker has so far tested positive and the state healthcare infrastructure is adequate enough to deal with the situation. Officials in Uttarakhand said about 30% of the states 1,816 cases until Sunday have been reported over the last five days and involved mostly migrants, whose return has picked up pace due to the easing of lockdown norms. The cases may have increased but the situation is under control and we have created enough health infrastructure to deal with the increase, said Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat. Officials said one-fourth of Himachals 512 cases as of Sunday have been reported over the last week. The dark past of Australia's race relations is hidden in a haunting historical photo and a street name still in use today. Two streets in Brisbane's West End and Spring Hill - either side of the city's CBD - are called Boundary Street. But the little-known story behind the name of the bustling inner-city roads is one of the strict racial segregation governing Indigenous communities in Brisbane in the mid-1800s. The streets marked a perimeter line Aboriginal locals had to stay outside of after 4pm between Monday and Saturday and all day on Sundays. The grey post circled in red in this historical photo of Brisbane is a subtle reference to the racist segregation practices that existed in the then-colonial city in the mid-1800s White Brisbanites also used boundary posts to demarcate the town's exclusion zones, with one shown in an eerie photograph of a South Brisbane home. A solitary grey post stood beside the gates to a property now used as the grounds for a private girls school - telling both police and Aboriginal Australians where the prescribed 'boundary' line sat. Police troopers lining the street would drive out the unwanted Indigenous workers after a day's work using cracking stock-whips, according to the State Library of Queensland. One historical study of the period, Brisbane: The Aboriginal presence 1824-1860, noted the enforced segregation represented a win-win situation for the city's colonised population. 'For whites in Queensland's colonial towns the problem remained of keeping Aborigines at a sufficient distance to contain them as a perceived social and moral liability, whilst maintaining them near enough, as a cheap expendable labour force,' the book read. 'In solving this problem the metropolitan police became a vital ingredient allowing Aborigines into the township for desultory and dirty labour by day, then driving them out at "curfew" times each evening.' Two streets in Brisbane on either side of the city's CBD are called Boundary Street, and reference a time when Indigenous workers were barred from staying within the city after 4pm on a weekday A 2016 change.org petition calling for the street to be renamed to 'Boundless Street' reached more than 1,000 signatures. Pictured is a digital edit of the sign changing it to the proposed new name Calls have grown in recent years for Boundary Street to be renamed to something more inclusive. Pictured is the Aboriginal flag painted onto the road in Brisbane's West End Early Brisbane's racist past has prompted in recent years calls for Boundary Street to be renamed to something more inclusive. A 2016 change.org petition calling for the street to be renamed to 'Boundless Street' reached more than 1,000 signatures. 'The persistence of these outdated street names hold the entire city of Brisbane [Meanjin] back from meaningful progression as a city and peoples committed to truthful and respectful harmony,' the petition read. Indigenous elder Sam Watson though said the Boundary Street in the West End - which has a strong Aboriginal community - should remain in place to serve as a reminder of how life used to be for his ancestors. 'You shouldnt sanitise history or conceal history as it should be there for people to know about,' he told ABC News. The Class of 2020 has found itself in uncharted territory. The seniors at Trenton Central High School, however, have risen to the occasion and made their final months as high scholars memorable despite being forced into remote learning and social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Class of 2020 has shown so much leadership, Trenton Principal Hope Grant said. This is a group of young people that during this pandemic have tried to keep their classmates connected and encouraged. They worked in collaboration with the administration to make sure that kids remember that they are still a graduating class. They understand that there are still things to be excited about and to celebrate. Social media has been a key tool that Trentons seniors have used to stay together. Its Senior Council used Instagram to hold baby pictures, senior quotes and advice to underclassmen challenges. It also took to Tik Tok for a Dont Rush graduation challenge. The seniors not only adjusted to learning virtually but figured out how to organize virtually as well. From the start of the pandemic through now, the Senior Council has held meetings via Google Classroom to all of the members of Trentons senior class. The group allowed senior advisors and council members to post important messages, updates, and weekly senior challenges and competitions. Along with the classroom is a forum where students can post questions, concerns and comments about any senior topic from college, to financial aid and scholarships, to graduation requirements, ordering graduation gowns, and canceling prom tickets. The council has also found a way to honor the Class of 2020 on its own terms. The seniors created an inspirational video to offer reflection and hope to their fellow classmates and posted another video on National Acceptance Day to honor all of its members post-high school plans. Its seniors have also created an Adopt-a-Senior Facebook group, where students can be adopted by donors to implement financial relief and accommodations to students. The group has been a huge success with alumni and community figures around the city joining in. Some students even got a blast from the past. If you go on the "Adopt-a-Senior page, youll see that a lot of the kids are putting their elementary school and middle schools down, Grant said. Their middle school and elementary school teachers are seeing that, remember them, and adopt them. The Trenton High School staff, alumni association, and the City of Trenton have gotten behind the seniors as well. At the end of May, 416 signs, each with a photo of a Trenton graduating seniors, were set up on the high school grounds. The signs were made possibly by Trenton Highs alumni association, which donated close to 400 signs. Trenton just finished up its Senior Goodbye Spirit Week with a Black Out for Black Lives Matter last Friday. Each day had a different hashtag based on its theme. Every time the hashtag was used, a $1 was donated to a designated Black Lives Matter charity. Trenton plans to host its graduation in person on Friday, July 17 at Trenton Thunder Stadium at Arm and Hammer Park and will hold a virtual awards night, Thursday, July 18. Although this year has been anything but normal, Grant is proud of the way her staff and the Trenton community rallied around the Class of 2020, whom she is expecting big things from. Our staff and community are the hidden gems in all of this, Grant said. We want to thank the whole City of Trenton, especially the alumni, for their willingness and desire to reach out and embrace this class. We want the Class of 2020 to remember that they are a group of survivors and are going to be the leaders of tomorrow. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Richard Greco covers Mercer County news for NJ.com and may be reached at rgreco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Richard_V_Greco. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (Dafza) said its Halal Trade and Marketing Centre has signed an agreement with Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (CCAB) under which CCAB will become a key contributor to HTMCs support services pillar. HTMC is a global business development centre focused on opportunities within the halal economy for manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors of halal products and services. Cofounded by Dafza and the Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre (DIEDC), it is substantially supported by the key services partners across the halal economy ecosystem. Following the new partnership, CCAB will become a key contributor to the HTMCs support services pillar. The MoU was signed during a recent webinar hosted by CCAB to discuss the halal market opportunities for Brazilian companies. Amna Lootah, Dafza's Assistant Director-General, and Rubens Hannun, CCAB president, took part in the webinar in addition to officials from both sides. The virtual event showcased the latest trends, prospects and challenges in the halal economy. Brazil is the largest exporter of F&B products to the Mena region. It is estimated that Brazilian companies exported food and beverages to the region were worth $9.1 billion in 2018. During the ceremony, Lootah emphasised Dafzas ecosystem and its contribution to Dubai's foreign trade in recent years. She spoke at length on Dafzas Islamic economy strategy and some of its key initiatives, which include the Halal Guidebook, the second version of which will be translated into Portuguese, in association with CCAB. As well as the role of HTMC in expanding opportunities for bilateral trade with the Brazilian market. Lootah said: "The economies of Brazil and the UAE are highly complementary and show potential for significant cooperation in several trade and investment sectors, which are still unexplored or only partially developed." "The UAE is the third-largest Arab trade partner and the second one in the Middle East for Brazil and there is a collaborative will to increase trade and investment between the two countries," she added. According to her, the alliance between CCAB and HTMC will strengthen and increase the trade and investment flows between Dubai and Brazil. "It will also generate opportunities and economic prosperity for companies in both regions. We are delighted to partner with CCAB as a service partner of HTMC and look forward to a bright future for halal trade between Brazil, Dubai and the wider region," remarked Lootah. Hannun said: "Our relationship with Dafza has strengthened over the years and is now consolidated with the signing of this important MoU. Dafzas work through the HTMC and CCAB contributes to the growth and development of manufacturers, suppliers and distributors in the halal economy." "Our partnership will offer agility, reliable knowledge of the markets and a greater understanding of economic demands and trends, that allow us to maximise opportunities," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Prabhu Chawla By I dentity of birth deepens desperate divisions in humanity. Blacks vs. Whites, Christian vs. non-believers, Hindus vs. Muslims and anti-Semitism are the current proteins of power and hate. America is reeling under the twin attacks of COVID-19 and racial riots following the brutal death of George Floyd, an out-of-work black man, at the hands of police. Power during the 2020 US Presidential election will not flow from the ballot boxes alone. Knee bendingwhether it is on Times Square or Minneapoliswill influence the verdict. While bigotry has been the monopoly of fundamentalists, the fake liberal elite survive and thrive on the principle of Divide and Rule. For the past decade, left liberals have been losing political space to right wing nationalists. From New York to New Delhi, neo internationalists are losing the battle for votes and the war of words to aggressive neo-nationalists. It began with the explosive entry of Narendra Modi as the most powerful mascot of nationalism and Hindutva. He mauled the might of the Global Liberal Army. Two years later, Donald Trump bulldozed the entire Left wing political establishment that ruled America. Both Trump and Modi have been under constant fire from the losers. However, Trump is both their prime target and symbol of racial supremacy, immature diplomacy and crass politics. The fault lies with him alone. A man who was voted to power to Make America Great Again has become the destroyer of everything that the most powerful democracy on earth stands for. Trumps victory changed the way the rest of the world perceived economics, politics and religion. But he spoke too much and too out of turn, parking his foot permanently in his mouth. America will choose its next President in November. By painting Trump as a bigoted, anti-democratic, corrupt, cowardly and weak leader in speeches and campaign videos, liberals are determined to assert and rediscover their lost power base. For the past couple of weeks, the US, the fount of Liberalism and Liberty, is on fire. Arsonists have unleashed terror and violence in major cities on the pretext of protest against Floyds killing. Never before has a murder been turned into an opportunity to celebrate. Rarely has such a heinous crime been used to purvey and promote ideology. President Trump was the obvious target. He has been behaving less like a President and more like a street pugilist looking for an opportunity to kayo critics as anti-American. Floyd became the boilerplate black American victim of blood thirsty cops and gun-toting white supremacists. His death is now the pivotal point of the Democrat-Republican standoff. Though numerous prominent white leaders did condemn the killing and Trumps behaviour, they refrained from painting it in binary colours. Democrats, backed by the liberals, are treating blacks as their vote bank and not as citizens deprived of basic rights and better standards of living even under their own regimes. They use Black Lives Matter to polarise the Presidential elections. The new crop of Democratic leaders lacks a sense of history. In April 1968, the worst riots raged throughout America after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The arson and violence was more destructive than now. But neither party politicised the tragedy. Robert F. Kennedy made an emotional speech to defuse the situation saying For those of you who are black and are tempted to be filled with hatred and distrust at the injustice of such an act, against all white people, I can only say that I feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling. I had a member of my family killed, but he was killed by a white man. He withdrew from the presidential contest as a courtesy to his conscience. Two months later, a Palestinian assassinated him. However, many pro-white leaders in the US have been talking the language of revenge against the blacks. For example, George Wallace, a former Democratic Governor of Alabama, during his campaign in 1967 quoted the then Miami Police Chief Walter Headley, When the looting starts, the shooting starts. On May 20, Trump tweeted the quote, and came under fire. Democrats backed by wealthy and well-connected Washington visionaries have joined hands to dictate the electoral narrative. American liberals, including many Indians, have concluded that only divisive politics based on community and religion can yield rich dividends. They see Floyd as a black man and not an American who was denied his right to live with dignity. White extremists in America have butchered many black Floyds. But no one mourns his or her death. However, for Floyd, leaders like Canadian Prime Minister and top politicians in various capitals have bent their knee. It seems theyve picked up a few leaves from the book of Indian liberals. For decades, Indian illiberals have been dividing people along caste, community and religion. They hate to call everyone an Indian. The unnatural death of any human being is handled according to his name. Ali gets a different treatment than Ram, Singh or David. Many past elections have been fought on division of votes rather than unity of purpose and mission. The Divisiveness pandemic has travelled to many democracies that have lost their original demographic contours. Europe, America and the United Kingdom are no more dominated by Caucasians. Immigrants from African and Asian countries in various parts of the world have acquired decisive say in the outcome of elections. For the past few decades, liberals have taken up the cause of Muslims in Europe and influenced policies. When terrors calamitous colour turned green, nationalists rode to power. In England and Canada, every political party has to accommodate the interests of non-white minorities. In a world dominated by markets and money, the ballot bazaar is consolidating around Minority vs. Majority instead of a competitive battle between better and the best. In prejudices political petri dish, biology influences history with the genealogy of irascible ideologies. Islamic militants killed at least 20 soldiers and more than 40 civilians and injured hundreds in twin attacks in northeast Nigeria's Borno state on Saturday, residents and a civilian task force fighter said. The attacks, in the Monguno and Nganzai local government areas, came just days after militants killed at least 69 people in a raid on a village in a third area, Gubio. Two humanitarian workers and three residents told Reuters that militants armed with heavy weaponry including rocket launchers arrived in Monguno, a hub for international non-governmental organizations, at roughly 11 a.m. local time. They overran government forces, taking some casualties but killing at least 20 soldiers and roaming the area for three hours. The sources said hundreds of civilians were injured in the crossfire, overwhelming the local hospital and forcing some of the injured to lay outside the facility awaiting help. The militants also burned down the United Nations' humanitarian hub in the area and set on fire the local police station. Fighters distributed letters to residents, in the local Hausa language, warning them not to work with the military or international aid groups. Militants also entered Nganzai at about the same time on Saturday, according to two residents and one Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) fighter. They arrived on motorcycles and in pickup trucks and killed more than 40 residents, the sources said. A military spokesman did not answer calls for comment on the attacks. U.N. officials could not immediately be reached for comment. Boko Haram and its offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have killed thousands and displaced millions in northeastern Nigeria. ISWAP claimed the two Saturday attacks, and the Gubio attack. Loading On June 1, as protests gripped American cities several inauthentic accounts shared posts with the hashtag #dcblackout, making false claims that Washington DC had an internet and mobile phone network blackout. A second wave of apparently bot-like activity asserted the first wave was "misinformation". A spokeswoman for Twitter said: "Were proactively taking action on any coordinated attempts to disrupt the public conversation. "We are also actively investigating hashtags and have already suspended hundreds of spam accounts," she added. Jensen cautioned that foreign interference was still possible around the BLM topic, especially efforts to shift terms of debate to identity politics and away from interest politics, as interests are negotiable in a way identities are not. While not commenting on Jensens findings, QUT Digital Media Research Centre professor Axel Bruns says it was quite likely there would be bot activity around racial tension in the US, whether driven by political or commercial motives. "With almost any major event on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, it will attract some level of bot activity, whether by people looking to directly influence the event itself or by others looking to spam and push other information into the info space," Bruns says. However, he adds, the mood was so tense in the US, little effort would be needed to stoke conflict. There are a few different ways to automate messages on social media, including writing up computer code to go to the right places on a Twitter website to create an account, Bruns says. There are also services that sell bot activities and click-farms, in which companies set up walls of mobile phones which can be remote-controlled to create a mass of online activity. The tactics "depend on how much criminal energy you have and how far you want to go down that track", Bruns says. Platforms have made life harder on bot operators. To give a sense of scale, in the last available data from a year ago, Twitter issued 15.3 million challenges to accounts for spam-like behaviour. But bot users continue to innovate. Twitter now requires a phone-linked number and email address for accounts, so bot operators buy up and employ single-use SIM cards to try to get around the requirement. "Its an arms race," says Bruns. Protesters rally on June 3 in Phoenix, Arizona, demanding the city council defund the city's police department. Credit:AP While the term "bot" conjures empty "egg" accounts with no picture and a computer-generated handle, the real issue for Twitter is "platform manipulation" which includes "the malicious use of automation". This week, Twitter announced the removal of three state-sponsored networks from the Peoples Republic of China, Turkey and Russia. Reports in the US of militant anti-fascist group Antifa coming to small towns in America have flared across social media, including on Facebook, and through text messages. Antifa, which in actuality exists in incredibly small numbers, serves as a catch-all term used by the US right to describe opposition to President Donald Trump. Controlling the framing of a debate on social media gives an upper hand in shaping evolving events, Bruns and Jensen say. The Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab found a "surge" of antifa-related content flowing from May 25 to June 7 on social media, receiving 27 million shares, with three-quarters of those from right-leaning media outlets. "Many of these stories are alarmist in nature, misrepresenting or fabricating violent incidents in order to maximise their digital traction," the group said. Since the George Floyd protests began, an effort has also been underway to promote the remedy of "defunding the police". As the #defundthepolice hashtag suggests, the action could have dramatic consequences for cities that liquidate their police department. In Minneapolis, where the protests began, the a majority of city council members have signalled their intention to disband the police force as it currently exists, a move opposed by the mayor that would create considerable political uncertainty. While not automated, the hashtag #defundthepolice dates back to at least 2014. One of the biggest risks from bots, cadres of trolls and other forms of coordinated activity is to help shape the agenda of legitimate news gathering. In a time of fast-moving events, its too easy for reporters and editors to read signals from "trending terms" on social media which can be manipulated. Even if they are not manipulated, there is no barrier for a topic with no basis in reality to trend. Loading A protester watches as a Wendys burns following a rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta, Ga., on June 13, 2020. (Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters) Protesters Torch Wendys in Atlanta After Black Man Fatally Shot by Police Protesters shut down a major highway in Atlanta on Saturday and burned down a Wendys restaurant where a black man was shot dead by police as he tried to escape arrest, failed a sobriety test, and allegedly shot a Taser gun at police. The restaurant was in flames for more than 45 minutes before fire crews arrived to extinguish the blaze, protected by a line of police officers, local television showed. By that time the building was reduced to charred rubble next to a gas station. People watch as a Wendys burns following a rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta, Ga., on June 13, 2020. (Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters) Other demonstrators marched onto Interstate-75, stopping traffic, before police used a line of squad cars to hold them back. The citys police chief, Erika Shields, resigned earlier on Saturday over the shooting on Friday night of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks, which was captured on video. The police department has fired the officer who allegedly shot and killed Brooks, police spokesman Carlos Campos said late on Saturday. Another officer involved in the incident was put on administrative leave. Brookss death followed weeks of demonstrations in major cities across the United States sparked by the death of George Floyd, an African American who died on May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes while detaining him. The Atlanta officer fired after Fridays incident was identified by the police department as Garrett Rolfe, who joined the department in October 2013. The officer placed on administrative duty is Devin Brosnan, who was hired in September 2018. Officer Garrett Rolfe in a file photo. (Atlanta Police Department via AP) Officer Devin Brosnan in a file photo. (Atlanta Police Department via AP) Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said she had accepted the prompt resignation of police chief Shields. I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer, Bottoms said at an afternoon news conference. Near the scene of the shooting, street protests began on Saturday, with more than 100 people calling for the officers to be charged criminally in the case. Protesters block a freeway during a rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 13, 2020. (Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters) Parking Lot Fridays shooting came after police were called to the Wendys over reports that Brooks had fallen asleep in the drive-thru line. Officers attempted to take him into custody after he failed a field sobriety test, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. A bystanders video showed Brooks struggling with two officers on the ground outside the Wendys. He can be seen stealing a TASER from the holster of one of the officers before punching him, breaking free, and running across the parking lot with the TASER in his hand. A second videotape from the restaurants cameras shows Brooks turning as he runs and possibly aiming the TASER at the pursuing officers before one of them fires his gun and Brooks falls to the ground. According to body camera footage of one of the officers, the officer can be heard saying, He definitely did shoot it at me at least once. Brooks ran the length of about six cars when he turned back toward an officer and pointed what he had in his hand at the policeman, Vic Reynolds, director of the GBI, told a press conference. At that point, the Atlanta officer reaches down and retrieves his weapon from his holster, discharges it, strikes Mr. Brooks there on the parking lot and he goes down, Reynolds said. Lawyers representing the family of Brooks told reporters that Atlanta police had no right to use deadly force even if he had fired the TASER, a non-lethal weapon, in their direction. You cant shoot somebody unless they are pointing a gun at you, attorney Chris Stewart said. Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, Jr., said in an emailed statement that his office has already launched an intense, independent investigation of the incident while it awaits the findings of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Bottoms said Shields was appointed police chief in December 2016 and will be replaced by deputy chief Rodney Bryant, a black man who will serve as interim chief. By Brad Brooks and Dan Whitcomb Epoch Times staff contributed to this report. 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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Drug major Lupin plans to approach the US health regulator for re-inspection of its manufacturing plants in Goa, Pithampur (Madhya Pradesh) and Somerset (US) in the next few months. The company's Unit 2 manufacturing plant in Pithampur, along with its Goa site, is under the US Food and Drug Administration's (USFDA) warning letter since November 2017 for violation of current goods manufacturing practices. The US drug regulator, after inspecting the two sites, had expressed concerns over quality-control procedures that include handling of out-of-specification results and conducting hold-time studies. The Somerset (New Jersey) plant, on the other hand, is currently under the official action indicated (OAI) status, which means the USFDA may withhold approvals of pending applications or supplements from the facility. "As far as Goa (plant) is concerned, we completed our final update about 3-4 months ago. As we had shared earlier, in March/April, we were going to go back to FDA for a reinspection. There are some additional enhancements that we've been implementing at the site. In the next couple of months, we plan to go back to FDA and be ready for a re-inspection," Lupin Ltd Managing Director Nilesh Gupta said in an analyst call. Pithampur re-inspection will follow shortly after that, he added. Gupta said the company undertook a detailed implementation programme at the facility to come up with required changes. "I think in the next couple of months, Goa, and very shortly after that, Pithampur would be ready for reinspection. Probably even before Goa, Somerset would be ready for reinspection," he noted. Gupta said the company wanted to complete further enhancement of systems before approaching the FDA for a re-inspection. The regulatory action by the USFDA has impacted several new approvals, thus affecting the company's business in various regions including the US that remains the single-largest pharmaceutical market globally. Lupin's Goa plant manufactures oral dosage forms with a capacity of more than nine billion units per annum. It supplies more than 100 products to various regulated markets like the US and the EU. Pithampur Unit-2, on the other hand, produces oral formulations and sterile ophthalmics. The Somerset plant came under the control of Mumbai-based drug firm as part of its acquisition of Gavis Pharmaceuticals in 2015. Also Read: Coronavirus update: Loss of smell and taste added as likely symptoms for COVID-19 Also Read: Jio Platforms to raise Rs 4,547 crore from TPG; ninth investment in past seven weeks A 21-year-old youth was injured after being shot at multiple times at Palsora village in Sector 56 late on Sunday night. Victim Vinod Kumar, who lives in the same area, was rushed to Government Multi Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, after the incident around 11pm. Police said he had a miraculous escape as a bullet just grazed his head. At the time of filing of this report, police couldnt confirm how many men were involved in the crime or that how many shots were fired. A case has been registered under the Arms Act and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Sector 39 police station. The incident comes close on the heels of two shooting incidents in the city. Five men had opened fire outside the Sector 33 bungalow of a businessman Rakesh Singla on May 31, in what turned out to be part of an extortion racket being run by gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Later, on June 2, two men opened fire outside a liquor shop in the posh Sector 9 locality, leaving two men injured. Several arrests have been made in both cases. More than 90 demonstrators were arrested Sunday in clashes between police and protesters outside the headquarters of Armenias national security service. The protest in the capital, Yerevan, took place after security service officers conducted a search at the residence of the leader of the countrys principal opposition party. A criminal investigation of the Prosperous Armenia partys leader, tycoon Gagik Tsarukyan, says he is suspected of conducting unlicensed gambling activities that have deprived the government of revenue. Tsarukyan claims the allegations are political. His party holds 25 of the Armenian parliaments 132 seats. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON New Delhi: India on Wednesday gave Pakistan evidence of involvement of Pakistan-based terrorists in the Uri attack and demanded that it refrain from supporting and sponsoring terrorism directed against this country. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit and told him that latest terrorist attack in Uri only underlines that the infrastructure of terrorism in Pakistan remains active. Jaishankar provided Basit with the content of GPS recovered from the bodies of terrorists with coordinates that indicate the point and time of infiltration across the LoC and the subsequent route to the terror attack site and grenades with Pakistani markings as evidence of Pakistans role in Uri attack in which 18 jawans were killed. If the Government of Pakistan wishes to investigate these cross-border attacks, India is ready to provide fingerprints and DNA samples of terrorists killed in the Uri and Poonch incidents, he told the Pakistan envoy. (Read Also: Something may have gone wrong, admits Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Uri attack ) Asserting that the latest terrorist attack in Uri only underlines that the infrastructure of terrorism in Pakistan remains active, Jaishankar demanded that Pakistan lives up to its public commitment to refrain from supporting and sponsoring terrorism against India. He also reminded Basit that the Pakistan government had made a solemn commitment in January 2004 to not allow its soil or territory under its control to be used for terrorism against India. The persistent and growing violation of this undertaking is a matter of very serious concern, he told Basit. WATCH: MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup speaks on Pakistan Envoy Abdul Basit summoned by Foreign Secy S Jaishankar pic.twitter.com/LmPkuX6Xwe ANI (@ANI_news) September 21, 2016 In a release, External Affairs Ministry said this year, beginning with the Pathankot airbase attack, there have been continuous attempts by armed terrorists to cross the LoC and International Boundary in order to carry out attacks in India. (Read More: Terrorists who stormed army base in Uri belonged to LeT: Probe) Seventeen such attempts have been interdicted at or around the LoC, resulting in the elimination of thirty one terrorists and preventing their intended acts of terrorism. Foreign Secretary also reminded him that even as he spoke two engagements at the LoC were ongoing, it said. Apart from GPS content, India has recovered a number of items that included communication matrix sheets and equipment, other made in Pakistan stuff like food, medicines and clothes, which were shown to Basit. We now expect a response from the Government of Pakistan, Jaishankar told him. Basits summoning came a day after Jaishankar headed a high-level meeting, attended by senior Home Ministry officials and Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), during which the evidence recovered by Indian Army from the terrorists was shared with the MEA. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. WARNING - GRAPHIC CONTENT: The Atlanta police officer who shot dead a black man outside a Wendy's has been fired as protesters set fire to the fast-food restaurant. The unrest broke out after dark in Atlanta on Saturday (local time), where earlier in the day Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said she had accepted the resignation of police chief Erika Shields over the death on Friday night of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks at the Wendy's. The police department later terminated the officer who allegedly shot and killed Mr Brooks, police spokesman Carlos Campos confirmed late on Saturday. Another officer involved in the incident was put on administrative leave. The death of Rayshard Brooks in a Wendy's carpark has prompted more protests in Atlanta. Source: AP Images on local television showed the restaurant in flames for more than 45 minutes before fire crews arrived to extinguish the blaze, protected by a line of police officers. By that time the building was reduced to charred rubble next to a gas station. Other demonstrators marched onto a major highway, stopping traffic, before police used a line of squad cars to hold them back. "I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer," Bottoms said at an afternoon news conference. Mr Brooks was the father of a young daughter who was celebrating her birthday on Saturday, his lawyers said. His death from a police bullet came after more than two weeks of demonstrations in major cities across the United States in the name of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who died on May 25 under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer. Street protests broke out in Atlanta on Saturday near the scene of the shooting, with more than 100 people calling for the officers to be charged criminally in the case. Clearer version of the video of the APD shooting on Pryor and University. #AtlantaProtests #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/9YuqzuGfWE Gerald A. Griggs (@AttorneyGriggs) June 13, 2020 Video captures fatal shooting Story continues Police were called to the Wendy's over reports that Mr Brooks had fallen asleep in the drive-thru line. Officers attempted to take him into custody after he failed a field sobriety test, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Video shot by a bystander captures Mr Brooks struggling with two officers on the ground outside the Wendy's before breaking free and running across the parking lot with what appears to be a police Taser in his hand. A second videotape from the restaurant's cameras shows Mr Brooks turning as he runs and possibly aiming the Taser at the pursuing officers before one of them fires his gun and Mr Brooks falls to the ground. Mr Brooks ran the length of about six cars when he turned back toward an officer and pointed what he had in his hand at the policeman, said Vic Reynolds, director of the GBI at a separate press conference. "At that point, the Atlanta officer reaches down and retrieves his weapon from his holster, discharges it, strikes Mr Brooks there on the parking lot and he goes down," Reynolds said. After demonstrators got onto I75 and shut down the interstate, police line up in riot gear in Atlanta on Saturday, June 13, 2020. Demonstrators were protesting the death of Rayshard Brooks. Source: AP Cant have it both ways, lawyer says Lawyers representing the family of Mr Brooks told reporters that Atlanta police had no right to use deadly force even if he had fired the Taser in their direction. You cant have it both ways in law enforcement, L. Chris Stewart, an attorney for Mr Brooks family said. You cant say a Taser is a nonlethal weapon ... but when an African American grabs it and runs with it, now its some kind of deadly, lethal weapon that calls for you to unload on somebody. Mr Stewart has called for the officer who shot him should be charged for an unjustified use of deadly force, which equals murder. Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, Jr., said in an emailed statement that his office "has already launched an intense, independent investigation of the incident" while it awaits the findings of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Pictured on the left is Garrett Rolfe, who has been fired from the Atlanta Police Department. Right is Devin Bronsan, who has been placed on on administrative duty. Source: EPA Officers are identified The officers involved in the shooting have since been identified. APD Officer Garrett Rolfe has been terminated for his involvement in the shooting of Mr Brooks. Devin Bronsan is on administrative leave. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms had previously called for the officer who fired at Mr Brooks to be immediately laid off. Officer Bronsan has been placed on administrative duty and Officer Rolfe has been terminated, the Atlanta Police Department said in a press release according to CNN. It has not been explicitly said which officer shot at Mr Brooks approximately three times. With Associated Press and 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. Its hardly a newsflash to say that good whisky can be found from distilleries all over the globe. Japanese, American, South African, and of course Scotch Here in Australia were blessed with access to a huge variety of quality drams, including many made right here at home. Israel might not be the first country you think of when you think whisky, but the latest drop to arrive on our shores might give you pause for thought. M&H (Milk and Honey) Distillery, Israels first and Tel Avivs only whisky distillery, has just announced theyre releasing their Classic Single Malt Whisky in Australia this month. Its not hard to find a good drink in Tel Aviv, long regarded as one of the worlds best party cities. Its summery climate doesnt just suit partying, however: The Big Orange has a uniquely hot and humid climate which allows whisky to mature and extract barrel flavour faster than in traditional, colder whisky countries. This helps give M&Hs spirit the flavour characteristics of an older whisky, they argue. [Our] three-year-old Classic Single Malt Whisky was matured in the finest ex-bourbon and special red-wine STR casks, giving it a light and balanced character, with notes of vanilla, light oak, alongside a light black pepper spiciness. M&H, founded in 2012, is an intriguing distillery thats quickly gained a reputation for their experimental drive, all while staying within traditional Scottish whisky guidelines. Taking advantage of Israels myriad climate zones, M&H have experimented aging whisky in the Dead Sea the worlds lowest point as well as in the unforgiving Negev Desert. The enterprising distillerys been awarded with the highest accolades in the industry. Its Young Single Malt The Last One won the Golden Medal at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in 2019, and their Levantine Gin was a Gold Medalist at the Frankfurt International Trophy in 2019 as well. Funnily enough, because its Classic Single Malt is aged in wine barrels, its technically not kosher. But dont let that stop you from enjoying a nip. Read Next By Aislinn Laing SANTIAGO, June 13 (Reuters) - Chile Finance Minister Ignacio Briones announced a fresh, two-year, $12 billion citizen support and economic stimulus package to overcome the effects of the coronavirus outbreak after reaching a cross-party agreement in the early hours of Sunday. Briones said Chile was experiencing a "unique moment" in its history as it faces the toughest weeks of fighting the pandemic, and that the only way out of it was through working together to offer its citizens "a sign of hope." The announcement comes after weeks of political infighting and criticism of the government's handling of the crisis by medical experts, as confirmed coronavirus cases per 100,000 citizens reached global levels only surpassed by small nations like Qatar. On Saturday, Chile President Sebastian Pinera removed the health minister, Jaime Manalich, who had been criticized for failing to implement lockdowns sooner, and for changes to case and death reporting methodology. Medical unions and members of the citizen advisory group convened by government said they hoped for a more "consensual style" and a change of strategy from the new minister, Enrique Paris. The economic plan, funded by a mix of budget reallocations, sovereign funds and debt issuance, includes bolstered emergency benefits for Chile's most vulnerable families from payments of 65,000 Chilean pesos to 100,000 ($126) per person. It will increase funding for local governments, civil society organizations and health services, and offers unemployment protection for parents and those who care for young children, Briones said. The minister added in a statement on Twitter that behind the plan was "a permanent source of employment and income for millions of families, ventures, projects and dreams." The plan is the latest in a series announced by government adding up to around 5% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) that also offered loans and tax breathers to small and medium-sized businesses. Opposition groups have said the plans do not go far enough or reach enough of the people in direst need. Chile's far-left Democratic Revolution party, founded by leaders of the 2011 student protests, refused to agree to the latest plan. (Reporting by Aislinn Laing Editing by Bill Berkrot) Union defence minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday addressed the Jammu Jan Samvad virtual rally and talked about a range of issues. Jammu and Kashmir and the abrogation of Article 370 dominated Singhs address while he also talked about the Covid-19 crisis, Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Indias defence preparedness and the situation with China. Singh said that by abrogating Article 370, the Bharatiya Janata Party fulfilled its decade-old promise and is committed to the development and growth Jammu and Kashmir. Just wait, soon people of PoK will demand that they want to be with India and not under the rule of Pakistan, and the day this happens, a goal of our Parliament will also be accomplished, he said. Also read: Fate of J&K will change: In Rajnath Singhs address, a hint on PoK Here are the highlights from Singhs address: Earlier in Kashmir, protests demanding Kashmir azaadi were held and flags of Pakistan and ISIS were seen, but now only Indian flag is seen there. Our promise as a party back in the days of Jan Sangha was fulfilled right after we formed the government with a thumping majority last year. Article 370 and 35A were removed within 100 days of forming the government at the Centre. In the six years of Modi government, nearly 2 lakh crore rupees have been spent on the development of Jammu and Kashmir. If Congress had such affinity with Article 370, why was it still a temporary provision for all these years? Our country, in the year 2013, was at ninth spot with respect to the size of its economy, and now it stands at the fifth spot. Earlier, at international platforms, most countries used to side with Pakistan over the matter of Kashmir and Article 370, that isnt the case now. Talks underway with China at diplomatic and military level. China too expressed wish to resolve this issue via talks. Id like to inform Opposition that our government wont keep anyone in the dark. I assure you that we wont compromise with national pride in any situation. Rafale with reach India in July. It will bolster out Air Force. We dont want to scare anyone, we want to strengthen our defence system for our security and protection. Our Government has decided that the import of goods from abroad should be stopped. Our country should not be known as an importing country in the world, but India should be known as an exporting country. Coronavirus has reached almost every corner of the earth. With nearly 8 million people affected by COVID-19 worldwide, and more than 3 lakh confirmed cases in India alone, the search for a vaccine and cure to put an end to this menace has never been greater. During this time, several "cures" were passed around social media that claimed to fight the disease. None of which worked. Also Read: Cow Urine Kills Coronavirus? These Indian Scientists Are Fighting Fake News in the Time of Pandemic Medical experts have urged citizens to maintain social distancing, wash hands, maintain proper hygiene, and wear facemasks among other preventive measures, as the search for the definite cure for COVID-19 remains on. On Saturday, however, Yoga guru Ramdev-run Patanjali Ayurved made a tall claim that it had discovered a substantial cure for coronavirus with 80 per cent success rate. Patanjali CEO Acharya Balkrishna said the company would share the results of clinical trial soon, and that the patients treated by the said medicine have had tested negative. In a news program aired on India TV on Sunday, Ramdev, further claimed that the consumption of Patanjali medicine "Coronil" saw 100% recovery in patients. The yoga guru said that "coronil", made out of Ayurvedic elements such as Ashwagandha, Giloy, and Tulsi, could cure coronavirus positive patients within a few days with daily morning and evening dosages. The news that COVID-19 could finally be "defeated" made Indians turn to Google to search more on Patanjali's claim. Residents of Delhi topped the searches while Haryana, UP, Maharashtra ranked 2,3 and 4 respectively. The searches also included terms such as "Ashwagandha", "Giloy", "basil" -- among other keywords. Source: Google Trends Not just India, USA also saw considerable interest in coronavirus medicine, making Patanjali the top search in the States. Source: Google Trends A quick 'Patanjali' search also indicated that Nepal was the second highest country after India that showed a huge interest in finding out more on Ramdev's apparent cure. Source: Google Trends There is, however, a flip side to overnight interest in Patanjali coronavirus medicine. CEO Acharya Balkrishna, born in Nepal to Sumitra Devi and Jay Vallabh, was amidst a social media storm as #BoycottPatanjali became the top trending hashtag on Twitter. Also Read: Not Tenable, Says India as Nepal Escalates Boundary Row With Approval for Revised Map Now, amid escalating tensions between India and Nepal after a civilian was killed and two injured on Friday after Nepal border police troops fired at them "deep inside Nepalese territory" adjoining Bihar's Sitamarhi district, netizens wanted to boycott Baba Ramdev's company because of the CEO's roots. Nepal's Parliament has unanimously voted to amend the Constitution to update the country's new political map, laying claim over the strategically key areas of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura along the border with India. Nepal kills our citizens, So #BoycottPatanjali products it is run by a nepali #AcharyaBalkrishna pic.twitter.com/I1owskkHmP () (@voiceofmurtuza) June 13, 2020 Nepal fired on India Boycott Patanjali and drive away Acharya Balakrishna from India #boycottpatanjali pic.twitter.com/G2OdivCHcE Choudhury Amin.SM (@ChoudhuryAmin2) June 13, 2020 Jessika Power is certainly not one to shy away from flaunting her famous curves. And on Sunday, the 28-year-old proved she still looks spectacular while covering up in comfortable sweats. The blonde bombshell was spotted looking casual in a stylish multi-coloured Jaggad jumper and white sweat pants at Brisbane's domestic airport. Low-key! Jessika Power, 28, (pictured) covered-up her famous physique in JAGGAD sweats while jetting out of Brisbane on Sunday, in order to spend time with boyfriend James Brown Jess wore a small black backpack, and slung a handbag over her shoulder as she made her way through the terminal in a pair of black flip flops. The reality TV star wore a full face of makeup, which included bronzer and a deep rouge lipstick. The blonde also wore her cropped tresses out in a wavy style, allowing them to sit just above her shoulders. Casual: The blonde bombshell was spotted looking low-key dressed down in a stylish JAGGAD jumper along with white sweat pants Jess is reportedly headed to the Western Australian capital of Perth, but she did not appear to be travelling with her new boyfriend, landscaper James Brown. The controversial blonde and James got together in March. Jessika has already said she and the father-of-one, 35, want to have children together in the near future. Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia recently, Jess said: 'Jamie and I have actually had the conversation, we're trying for kids soon.' Dressed and tressed! For the outing she wore a full face of makeup which included bronzer along with a deep rouge lipstick. She carried a large suitcase for the trip Jessika also referred to herself as the 'stepmother' of James' young son, showing that their relationship was getting serious. 'I'm definitely his stepmum, we're full time now and I look after him a lot,' she said The former reality star recently revealed to her followers that she had enrolled herself into a beauty school. Getting serious? Jessika also referred to herself as the 'stepmother' of James' young son, showing that their relationship was getting serious 'I just enrolled for my beauty diploma,' she excitedly said in an Instagram video.'I will be learning everything skin, makeup, beauty.' The blonde beauty revealed that she will begin full-time classes on July 6 and that she was 'so happy' to start the one year course. 'I will hopefully start my own business after,' Jessika added. It was perhaps the best-kept secret in Toronto police history. With little fanfare and not a hint of what was coming, Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders announced his resignation at a midday press conference this week, surprise news landing after two weeks of growing calls for police reform in Toronto and across North America. Saunders, 57, gave little explanation for his departure except to say he wanted more time to be a father and husband. Family is the most important thing to me right now, Saunders told reporters about his departure, eight months before his extended contract was set to expire. And sorry if anybody is shocked in a bad way. Saunderss rise to top cop is well documented. After an unofficial campaign for the support of the Toronto police board, Saunders a longtime front-line cop whod led the homicide squad and had the backing of outgoing chief Bill Blair and the powerful Toronto Police Association bested a polished and progressive front-runner in Peter Sloly (now chief of police in Ottawa, where he said he intends to stay). Back in April 2015, the hope was that Saunders, Torontos first Black police chief, could be a change agent capable of making cost-cutting and trust-building reforms precisely because he was a cops cop with the backing of the front line. More than five years later, did he succeed? The goal: Cutting costs and modernizing the police service A ballooning budget. An outdated policing model. Low levels of trust. Saunderss first year in the job was spent developing a plan to address big problems he inherited as chief. His modernization action plan was aimed at overhauling police service delivery, decreasing costs and improving declining public trust. The goals and recommendations were drawn up by a task force made up equally of police and community members including former Toronto budget chief David Soknacki and community advocate Idil Burale. To Saunderss credit, Burale told the Star this week, he chose to include me on the (task force) even though I was publicly critical of him and an avid Sloly-for-chief supporter. The task force made 33 recommendations, including changes to training and hiring, greater partnerships with the community, investments in technology and giving more work to non-uniform staff. The overarching aim was to redefine policing and bring about comprehensive and long-lasting change. Saunders this week cited the task force as a highlight of his term, saying it gave the community equal ownership of what the Toronto Police Service should look like. But results have been mixed. And amid calls for reform and an upcoming motion to city council to cut the police budget, Saunders and the board have been criticized for a lack of significant change. The police budget exceeded $1 billion in 2019 and 2020; last week, Soknacki said, there is a sense that a lot of changes that could have been made more quickly and deeper have not been made. Some big gains have been made. A freeze on hiring and promotions in part saved about $100 million between 2016 and 2018. And, after decades of failed negotiations with the union, the service rolled out far more efficient shift schedules. Thats going to have huge benefits down the road, putting the right number of people at the right places at the right time, said Toronto Police Services Board chair Jim Hart, who stepped into the role last fall. Andy Pringle, who was chair of the Toronto police board from 2015 until last fall, praised Saunders for having the courage to go ahead with the changes. Some of these things we put in place, he was going to get criticized internally for trying to move too far, too quickly, he said. Shelley Carroll, the Toronto city councillor who sat on the police board when Saunders was hired, said Saunders laid the foundation for change even if getting it fully implemented has met with frustration. Both Hart and Mayor John Tory cited cost savings from civilianizing work previously done by officers, resulting in more cost savings. Saunders has definitely created a more efficient organization, Hart said, noting that between 2015 and 2019, the number of calls for service per deployed officer went up by nearly 20 per cent. Tory also noted the services investments in technology, including the connected officer program a godsend for freeing officers of paperwork and constant trips back to the police division. One swift action taken as a result of the task force was ending the controversial Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy (TAVIS) unit. The unit had become notorious for its high rate of carding, the practice of stopping and documenting people not suspected of committing a crime, which disproportionately impacted Black and brown men. Tory acknowledged that when it comes to modernization, we are nowhere near where we have to be. But he said Saunders and the board get a bad rap when critics dont recognize how big a challenge it is to change the course of a ship thats been steaming ahead in one direction for a long time. Its about the art of the possible, and how fast you can bring these changes in a big, complex organization, Tory said. To Burale, real meaningful change has not been achieved: I know theres been some symbolic efforts to convey change but at the end of the day, from an outsider perspective, (the Toronto Police Service) has not changed towards the spirit of the (task force) report, she said. The result: Some gains, both big and bureaucratic, but overall? Not enough. The goal: Fighting gun violence Undoubtedly, Torontos rising gun violence was the biggest crime-fighting challenge of Saunderss tenure. The number of people injured or killed by gun violence each year has steadily increased. The year 2018 saw the most homicides in the citys history, including 51 gun deaths. Last year saw a record 490 shootings. At his news conference, Saunders said he wants to keep working to reduce violence by addressing the root causes of crime I see a lot of young Black boys being killed by Black boys, he said. Waves of crime bring inevitable calls from the police union, and some commentators, that more officers are needed. Saunders resisted coming to council cap in hand, except as staffing fell over a wave of natural retirements, Pringle said. I think Mark has been thoughtful and courageous in how he has approached it. He has tried to approach it fairly and proactively targeting it through intelligence; hes also tried to address it through the court system and making sure things change so the really bad people dont get right back on the street, Pringle said. Some of Saunderss law-and-order attempts to combat the violence were harshly criticized and did not prove successful. Last summer, Toronto police launched the $4.5-million Project Community Space to give officers increased visibility in high-risk areas. The initiative led to higher solve rates for gun cases, but did not reduce the shootings; Toronto saw the most people killed or injured by guns in 15 years. Despite Saunderss talk about the root causes of crime, initiatives like Project Community Space undermine that approach, said Sam Tecle, a community leader with the youth organization Success Beyond Limits, based in the Jane and Finch neighbourhood. Its a flawed concept, throwing more policing at these kinds of complex, community-based issues, he said. Under Saunders, police have become further entrenched in communities, said Tecle, who has decried the forces recent move to install more CCTV cameras in the Jane and Finch community. Tecle said he thinks a lot of increased and intensified policing presence was enabled under Saunders reign because he is a Black chief (a Toronto police spokesperson declined to respond to this). Both Tory and Saunders have said public feedback shows residents want security cameras to reduce crime. Asked about Saunderss record on crime, Hart, the current board chair, said Toronto is one of the safest cities in North America despite its rapid growth. Hart added that Saunders is very interested in targeting the root causes of crime. I think hes done the best job he can possibly do on the policing side. I think he would like to do more on the community side. Burale said Saunders was very much a cops cop who saw and understood everything first and foremost from a police operations lens. That meant something like carding could be useful for public safety because it helped solve crime even though it further alienated people. I appreciate that he made progress in evolving his thinking on these topics in the last five years, she said. Sadly, to some this coming to terms might have been too slow and late. Louis March, founder of Torontos Zero Gun Violence Movement, said Saunders put in a good effort, but the reality is gun violence went up during his tenure. Theres only so much that can be achieved when investments are not going to the community but rather to policing, March said. We cant arrest ourselves out of this, he said, noting Saunders was but one of the players on the bench. The result: Despite aims to address root causes, too many boots on the ground to little effect. The goal: Increase public trust and improve race relations When Saunders stepped into the role of chief, police already had a fractured relationship with Torontos Black community. Just days into his tenure, Saunders expressed support for carding and drew blowback when he referred to the innocent people stopped by police as being collateral damage. He admitted later it was a poor choice of words, saying the better way to put it was social cost in which members of the community do not feel that they are being treated with dignity and respect. Nonetheless, Saunderss five years at the helm did little to improve relations with the Black community, former board chair Alok Mukherjee said in a recent interview its a spotty legacy. Saunders did not seize opportunities to connect with the Black community during flashpoint moments, said writer and educator Neil Price, who was previously hired by the police board to study the impact of carding. Key moments included the beating of Black teen Dafonte Miller off-duty Toronto police officer Michael Theriault is charged with aggravated assault, alongside his brother and the reaction to the fatal shooting of Andrew Loku. In the days after Lokus death, members of Black Lives Matter Toronto camped outside Toronto police headquarters, but Saunders never came down to speak with them I dont think he ever recovered from that, Price said. Saunders has also faced criticism for the forces handling of allegations of sexual harassment on the job; during his time, several female officers have filed complaints to Ontarios Human Rights Tribunal alleging discrimination based on sex, saying the workplace was toxic for women. Public trust also took a hit following the investigation into Bruce McArthur, the serial killer who preyed on eight men from the citys Gay Village. Saunders drew criticism for suggesting in an interview with the Globe and Mail that community members failed to come forward to police to help catch the killer. Saunderss defenders point to initiatives spearheaded or supported by the chief including the services recent move to begin the collection of race-based statistics. Following Lokus death, Saunders and the board established an anti-racism advisory panel; the committee is examining disparities in police service to racialized people and the intersection of race and mental health. Tory has previously pointed to the committee as aiming to restore and rebuild trust. Thats also the aim of the neighbourhood officer program, rejuvenated under Saunderss watch. Although some community members have expressed concerns about more officer presence, early research out of Humber Colleges criminal justice degree program has shown many others feel safer and more connected to police. Ive seen with my own eyes, the kind of relationship they are building up as part of building trust back up in the police, Tory said. Overall, Tory said, trust is not lost overnight and its not restored with a new chief or a single policy change. It takes a long time to earn it back and I think were on that track. Hart also pointed to Saunderss renewed commitment to outfitting front-line officers with body cameras, calling it a huge piece to build public trust and accountability. Overall, though, Price said it wasnt enough. Saunders was affable, decent and well intentioned, but it was a disappointing tenure He was not the right guy for the times. The result: Some gains, many losses and a spotty legacy. Saunderss last day is July 31. With files from Jim Rankin and Star staff Wendy Gillis is a Toronto-based reporter covering crime and policing for the Star. Reach her by email at wgillis@thestar.ca or follow her on Twitter: @wendygillis Read more about: Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 14/6/2020 (586 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Incident 1011 When: Feb. 14, 2020 Where: 1100 block of Gateway Road The male pictured here drove a stolen car to a gas bar on Gateway Road, filled up and left without paying for the fuel. Incident 1011 Incident 1012 When: Jan. 29, 2020 Where: 1000 block of Empress Street The male pictured here was seen shoplifting at a store of Empress Street. When confronted by security, he pulled a knife and attacked the guard, causing a minor injury. The suspect fled the store on foot. There is no need to drive a Batmobile or wear a Superman cloak to save lives. It is enough to visit the nearest blood donation point and become a donor, thus giving hope for life to three people at once Blood Donor Day Open source Blood Donor Day is an important and, accordingly, a recognized worldwide holiday. It was established to honor people who voluntarily donate blood to save someone's life. It was established relatively recently - on May 23, 2005. On that day, doctors from all over the world gathered at the 58th session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva (Switzerland) and, analyzing the statistics for the past year, concluded that the promotion of blood donations has a positive effect, and therefore it has to last. The date of the holiday was chosen because Nobel Prize winner Karl Landsteiner was born on this day. Without his knowledge, a blood transfusion would not be possible nowadays. He is a scientist who discovered human blood types and thus introduced blood transfusions as a common medical practice. In current conditions of quarantine and the Covid-19 pandemic, the problem of blood donation has become even more acute. Donor Day in Ukraine Last year, the country organized a week of charitable blood donation, during which a record number of Ukrainians became donors - more than 6,500 people. During the week, about 3,000 liters of blood were collected at donation points, which were expected to save almost 20,000 lives. This year, the Center for Public Health of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine announced an all-Ukrainian flash mob among donors. To take part in it, you need to become a blood donor from June 10 to 19, take a photo showing that you are donating blood, and post it on your Facebook page with a hashtag. For the duration of the contest, the page must be made open to all Facebook users. On Friday, June 19, five participants will receive one of the gift sets. Note. The risk of Covid-19 transmission during a blood transfusion is theoretical and probably minimal. Original image by Second Lt. Lauren E. Karbler via The New York Times When President Donald Trump takes the stage Saturday to deliver the commencement speech at West Point, one of the new Army officers he will be addressing will be an Indian American woman breaking a barrier as old as the 218-year-old military academy. The woman, Anmol Narang, 23, a newly minted second lieutenant, will become the first observant Sikh to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy, a milestone that comes as racism appears to be on the rise within the militarys ranks and as Sikhs still face discrimination in some of its branches. With the exception of the Army and the Air Force, the military largely prohibits its members from serving with turbans, unshorn hair or unshorn beards all of which are articles of faith for Sikhs. Narang, who grew up in Roswell, Georgia, said military service was always in her blood. My grandfather was in the Indian army, she said in an interview. It was always a big part of my life and something I was always interested in. She recalled mailing her application to West Point from a hotel in Hawaii during her junior year in high school. She had just visited the Pearl Harbor National Memorial and felt inspired to serve. While Narang is the first observant Sikh to graduate from the academy, she is not the first Sikh cadet to do so. During his time as a West Point cadet, Simratpal Singh cut his hair short and kept his beard shorn. Having to do so caused him significant shame, according to a lawsuit he filed against the Defense Department in 2016, after he had become an Army captain. He was seeking an accommodation so he could practice his religion and serve in the military. Singh was ultimately granted permission to serve while wearing a turban and a beard, a victory that paved the way for future Sikh service members to be granted religious exemptions. West Point has worked to enroll more minority recruits last years graduating class was its most diverse ever and included the highest number of black women in the academys history but remains predominantly white and male. Diversity must never be an afterthought, Katie Felder, a West Point spokeswoman, said in a statement. It must be a thoughtful and purposeful approach to ensure that we get the right talent and the right mix of talent that will represent the nation we are sworn to defend. On Saturday, about 1,100 cadets are expected to receive their diplomas. Narang is one of nearly 230 women in the 2020 graduating class, which is 12% African American, 9% Asian, 9% Hispanic and less than 1% Native American. Despite being a minority within a minority on campus, Narang said she did not feel isolated as a student there. In some ways, she said, it was easier to fit in as a female Sikh cadet than if she had been a man. Two male practicing Sikh cadets are behind Narang, and they received religious accommodations from the academy to grow facial hair and wear turbans. The Army standard for womens hair says that a bun must be no larger than 3.5 inches in diameter. For Narang, whose hair hangs to her knees, it took some practice to pin a bun tight enough to meet the requirement, but she did not need a religious accommodation. Breaking an ethnic barrier on campus showed itself in unexpected moments, she said. On the second day of basic training, the chaplain approached me as he was going around looking at religious preferences and said, You have unidentified for a religious preference, Narang said. He asked me, Do you not have a religious affiliation? I said, Thats because Sikhism wasnt on the list for me to include it. Like the rest of her graduating class, Narang was required to return to campus two weeks before the ceremony to quarantine before Trumps speech. When asked about her thoughts on the commencement speaker, she said that she would prefer to not talk about that. After West Point, Narang plans to attend a basic officer leadership course. In early January, she is expected to assume her first post at the Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. A HOSEPIPE ban was slapped on the whole country this week but Fedamore is into its sixth month of a boil water notice. Local resident, Hugh McDermott says Fedamore is the forgotten village. The boil water notice was issued by Irish Water back in November 21, 2019. It affects 500 people. The national water utility said it is due to an increase in turbidity - or cloudiness - at the underground borehole source which supplies the area. Mr McDermott says his dogs wont even drink it. I don't know what smell they are getting off it but they won't drink it. I have to give them bottled water, said Mr McDermott, who read on the Leader that Irish Water has begun works to upgrade the sewer network in Limerick city centre. I think its a disgrace that they are pumping money into that and we have no water here. The elderly people are my main concern. I am OK, I can afford it but there has to have been people really struggling while cocooning. There's no shop in Fedamore, the closest one is the garage in Ballyneety and that's a drive. Its shocking really, said Mr McDermott, who has spent hundreds of euros on water. He said he has rung Irish Water. They put me on to the council and the council put me back on to Irish Water, said Mr McDermott, who is aware of some locals resuming drinking the water without boiling it. There isnt exactly a lot of communication from Irish Water. I guess they thought 'we are three months in and we havent heard anything' so they thought it would be OK to drink, he concluded. A spokesperson for Irish Water said they and Limerick City and County Council fully acknowledge the impact and inconvenience caused by this restriction for homes and businesses in the area. We wish to thank the community for their ongoing patience and assure them that we are working to resolve the issue as soon as it is safe to do so. Since this issue arose we have carried out a number of works in an attempt to address it, including upgrading the filters at the treatment plant and carrying out renovation works on the borehole. While these works have resulted in some reduction in turbidity, unfortunately the levels remain above acceptable limits and therefore we are not yet in a position to remove the boil water notice. We are now investigating the feasibility of sinking a new borehole to replace the existing source, subject to environmental, planning and funding considerations, said the spokesperson. Papua New Guinea parliament repeals death penalty law TikTok starts testing paid subscriptions Israeli fighter jets, refueling planes hold massive drills aimed at Tehran France announces gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions Fountains in Athens' central square illuminated with Armenian tricolor Austria approves Europe's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate World War II aircraft crashed in India found after 77 years Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker meets EU delegation Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament meets Russian Ambassador to Armenia Germany won't pay compensation if Nord Stream 2 doesn't comply with German, EU laws NEWS.am digest: EU special rep. is in Armenia, Roma's Mkhitaryan turns 33 today Child injured in Artsakh car accident taken to Yerevan by Russian peacekeepers' helicopter Taiwanese woman faces death penalty for setting island's deadliest fire Turkey passes law to exempt converted lira deposits from corporate tax Blinken says he discussed Iran nuclear deal with Lavrov Erdogan says Turkey has peaceful relations with Russia like never before New German government wants to attract 400,000 skilled workers from abroad every year Israeli Attorney General orders to investigate police allegations of spyware Blinken: Any Russian invasion of Ukraine will be met with swift response Candidate: Ombudsmans institution is one of few established institutions in Armenia Lavrov summarizes the results of talks with Blinken UN agrees on definition of Holocaust denial Lavrov and Blinken talks kick off in Geneva Australian FM says issue of sending direct military aid to Ukraine is not considered Armenia PM receives EU delegation, need for full operation of Karabakh peace process is stressed Armenia National Assembly debating on new ombudspersons candidacy Katherine Tai: The world can't go back to the 2019 trading system Dollar gains value in Armenia Armenia legislature told hold secret ballot to elect TV and radio commission new members NATO intends to hold largest military exercises beyond Arctic Circle in early March 7 new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh 'Zangezur corridor' will unite Turkic world, says Azerbaijan presidential office official Armenia FM highlights need for full resumption of Karabakh peace talks Armenia ex-defense minister: In our time it was shame to immediately turn to CSTO in case of Azerbaijan provocations UN General Assembly head calls for peace during Beijing Olympics Armenia Tourism Committee has new chairperson Russian MFA: Priority today is to start Azerbaijan-Armenia border delimitation, demarcation process Parliament passes, in first reading, bill restricting gambling advertising in Armenia UK considering sending hundreds of additional troops to Ukraine's neighbors Warships of Russia, Iran and China work out counteraction to maritime piracy Armenia first deputy minister of justice dismissed Israeli defense minister tests positive for COVID-19 Karabakh conflict resumption likelihood is moderate, its impact on US interests is low, report says Antonio Guterres thinks Russia will not invade Ukraine Azerbaijan ambassador to Russia hastens to sweeten the sediment of statement by US embassy in Baku IS fighters attack army barracks in mountainous area north of Baghdad, killing 11 soldiers Thomas de Waal: Will Armenia and Turkey be able to normalize relations after 3rd attempt? Armenia Security Council secretary, visiting EU delegation discuss situation on border with Azerbaijan Foreign ministers of Israel and Turkey have talk for 1st time in 13 years Fly Arna shareholders appoint companys Board of Directors 628 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia CSTO chief: Necessary to work on Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation, demarcation FBI search congressman's home in connection with Azerbaijan probe Newspaper: Armenia PM again goes way of black and white Newspaper: Scenario devised after war to be implemented in Artsakh EU Special Representative for South Caucasus arrives in Armenia Quake hits Armenia: 28 km northwest of Jermuk Crete island lighthouse illuminated with colors of Armenian tricolor Aurora Humanitarian Initiative to allocate $500,000 to projects in Artsakh Sajid Javid: Britain must learn to live with COVID-19, it could be with us forever Erdogan suggests Putin and Zelensky meet face to face EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus meets Aliyev US imposes sanctions on Ukrainians related to 'Russian harmful foreign activities' Sabah: Ankara refuses to hold next Armenian-Turkish meeting in a third country US general discusses regional security and bilateral cooperation in Armenia Secret graves of alleged protesters discovered in Almaty Armenian side members to Armenian-American Intergovernmental Commission confirmed WHO advises countries to lift or ease international travel restrictions US sanctions against Vladimir Putin, Ruben Vardanian and members of the Russian government Armenian Foreign Ministry discusses Mirzoyan's participation in Turkey forum Thailand to resume non-quarantine travel scheme from February 1 Instagram introduces paid subscription feature NEWS.am daily digest: 20.01.22 Europe considers new strategy to combat COVID-19 Norwegian prosecutors refuse release Anders Breivik, 2011 mass murderer Erdogan urges Turks to sell foreign currency for liras Azerbaijan not yet returned about 300 sheep of Armenia villager Media: Israeli President thinks about visiting Turkey Dollar quite stable in Armenia Trade turnover between Ukraine and Armenia increases by 24% Armenia legislature speaker meets with of International Republican Institute president, and director for Eurasia Kremlin does not exclude new call between Putin and Biden EU Special Representative for South Caucasus to soon visit Armenia, Azerbaijan State Duma discusses work of biolaboratories near Russia's borders US lawmakers to parliament speaker: Armenian POWs must be returned to their homeland immediately Security Council chief: Armenia expects OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to visit region Armenia government does not approve plan to considerably raise minimum wage Turkish FM: Armenian representatives invited to diplomatic forum in Antalya Twitter suspends Mexican billionaire's account over offensive behavior Armenian PM says Omicron strain is slowly spreading Azerbaijan says it supports launching border delimitation process with Armenia with no conditions Zakharova speaks on Aliyev's visit to Kyiv Zakharova does not comment on Azerbaijan president's threats against France presidential candidate for her Artsakh visit Cavusoglu: Steps to increase mutual trust will be discussed at next meeting with Armenia US gives go-ahead to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to send missiles and other American-made weapons to Ukraine Zakharova: Russia, as OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair, supports continuation of work in this format Cyber attack on Red Cross: data of over 515,000 people compromised Pashinyan: UK has been strong partner of newly independent Armenia Israel hopes UN will unanimously condemn Holocaust denial Armenia, Ukraine depositories sign memorandum of cooperation On Saturday, Nepal's Parliament unanimously voted to amend the Constitution to update the country's new political map, laying claim over the strategically key areas of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura along the border with India. Earlier, on June 9, the Parliament had unanimously endorsed the proposal to consider the Constitution amendment bill to pave way for endorsing the new political map amid skirmishes with India along the border. Amid all the developments, the nationalism spirit ran high among the people of Nepal, even as India said that "artificial enlargement of claims is untenable." People took to video sharing app Tiktok to celebrate their nationalism and their new map with altered borders. Here are some of the videos that people of Nepal posted on TikTok. original sound - kabisha_77 1....2....3....Middle - simanshresthaa Nepali_national_anthem - ashok630 The latest friction occurred after India inaugurated the 80-km-long link road on the Kailash Mansarovar route in Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand. Nepal objected to it, saying it falls in their territory, a claim India instantly refuted saying the entire stretch is well within India territory. Army chief General Naravane had indicated that Nepal's move comes at the behest of China. On June 11, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava had sidestepped questions over the voting and had cited "civilisational, cultural and friendly relations with Nepal. New Delhi, June 14 : Ahead of the all party meeting called by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) situation in the national capital, Delhi Congress urged the people to share their suggestions. Shah has called an all-party meeting on Monday to evaluate the pandemic situation in Delhi. Speaking to the media, Delhi Congress chief Chaudhary Anil Kumar said, "I have got the request to attend all party meetings with Shah. We have been demanding an all party meeting for a long time but thankfully they woke up now." He said, the Congress has been sharing the suggestions with the Union government. "We have shared our suggestions even with Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal during the all party meeting on Sunday. And one of our suggestions to display the availability of beds in hospitals on big LED screens has been heeded by the LG," he said. Targeting Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Kumar said, "If the Home Minister is taking steps and the LG is also working, then why didn't Kejriwal take any step till date. It raises a big question." The Congress leader also urged the people to share their suggestions with him on social media platforms. "I shall give the suggestions received from the people to the Home Minister," he added. His remarks came after Kejriwal along with his deputy Sisodia and Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain attended the meeting with Shah and Union Heath Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan to discuss the Covid-19 situation. Earlier in the day, Kumar questioned the absence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia from the all party meeting called by Baijal. Slamming the AAP government, Kumar said, "Even today's meeting with Shah, a question arises, where were the CM and the Deputy CM during the all party meeting with the Lt Governor. They should have attended the meeting." "They should have sat in the meeting and discussed the ways to control the situation," he said. He also accused the AAP of doing politics over the issue and said, "once again this has been proved that they don't want to attend the meeting with the Lt Governor. They want to have meeting with the Home Minister," he said. The Covid-19 cases in Delhi have seen a spike in last few days. The total number of Covid-19 cases in the national capital stands at 38,958 with 1,271 fatalities. Prince Andrew will refuse to deal further with the US Department of Justice over its request to question him about paedophile Jeffrey Epstein until he is offered an olive branch. A war of words broke out last week after the US authorities wrote to the Home Office to ask formally to interview the Duke of York about his relationship with the disgraced American financier. The Duke said he had already offered his help as a witness and accused US prosecutors of breaking confidentially rules and issuing complete lies. Prince Andrew (pictured) will refuse to deal further with the US Department of Justice over its request to question him about paedophile Jeffrey Epstein until he is offered an olive branch. But Geoffrey Berman (pictured), the US attorney leading the investigation, claimed that Andrew had sought to falsely portray himself as eager and willing to co-operate But Geoffrey Berman, the US attorney leading the investigation, claimed that Andrew had sought to falsely portray himself as eager and willing to co-operate. Last night, in a new furious salvo, a source close to the Duke of York told The Mail on Sunday: Until theres an olive branch from the Department of Justice [DoJ] and an attempt to establish trust, we cant deal with them. The DoJ has been painting an entirely inaccurate picture and this third time was enough. Three strikes and youre out. There have been three provable breaches in the DoJs own rules [in talking about cases] while the Duke has played a straight bat out of respect for the rules and the process. There is no way the Dukes lawyers can recommend an engagement with the DoJ when theyre breaking the rules. They need to do something to start rebuilding trust. The stalemate between the Prince and the US authorities leaves the Government with a headache. The US request was received by the Home Office in April and a response is normally made in 30 days. If it is granted, Andrew could potentially be summonsed to appear at Westminster magistrates court to be interviewed. Commentators believe the Dukes performance in last years disastrous Newsnight interview has made him cautious about giving a face-to-face interview. US attorney Renato Mariotti, who was a state prosecutor for ten years, said: What the federal prosecutors would expect is that they would be able to question Prince Andrew themselves, without giving any questions in advance and have the opportunity for follow-up. A written statement, which is what Prince Andrew seems to be offering, would not be sufficient. He wants to be able to say publicly he is co-operating without giving the federal authorities what they want. The DoJ have called Prince Andrew a liar and that is very unusual. The language was very pointed and blunt, which again is unusual. I think they want to pressure him to either work out a deal or go into court and plead the Fifth [Amendment]. This is fraught with huge diplomatic issues and it goes beyond Prince Andrew. One would think the UK and US governments would discuss this and work out a solution. Epstein (pictured) was found dead last year in a New York prison cell, where he was being held on charges of sex-trafficking girls as young as 14. Andrew had known the billionaire since 1999 and stayed at several of his homes Epstein was found dead last year in a New York prison cell, where he was being held on charges of sex-trafficking girls as young as 14. Andrew had known the billionaire since 1999 and stayed at several of his homes. Andrew, 60, has been accused of having sex three times with Virginia Roberts, a young woman provided by Epstein. He categorically denies the claims and any suggestion of wrongdoing. The Duke has assembled a working group of advisers including extradition expert Clare Montgomery QC; specialist defence barrister Stephen Ferguson; Gary Bloxsome, a criminal defence solicitor who has defended British troops against war crime allegations; and PR supremo Mark Gallagher, a former director of corporate affairs and chief of staff at ITV. The Queen is understood to be picking up the bill, which is thought to run to tens of thousands every month. Ms Montgomery is said to charge up to 1,000 an hour. Last night, Mr Berman declined to comment. Aristocrat wifes 32 flights on the Lolita Express By Jake Ryan and Chris White Clare Hazell (pictured) took 32 flights on the Boeing 727 between 1998 and 2000, including trips to the paedophiles luxury homes in New York, Florida, the Caribbean and New Mexico between 1998 and 2000 The wife of an aristocrat whose family are worth 900 million flew more than 30 times on Jeffrey Epstein Lolita Express private jet, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Clare Hazell, left, took 32 flights on the Boeing 727 between 1998 and 2000, including trips to the paedophiles luxury homes in New York, Florida, the Caribbean and New Mexico between 1998 and 2000. She became the Countess of Iveagh in 2001 when she married Edward Guinness, 4th Earl of Iveagh and a member of the famous brewing dynasty. Her contact details were listed in Epsteins infamous little black book under her married name, Clare Hazell-Iveagh. According to flight logs, Epstein accompanied her on all but one of the trips. Ghislaine Maxwell, the socialite friend of the shamed US financier, was also a passenger on some of the flights. While there is no suggestion that the Countess was involved in, or had any knowledge of, any criminal activity or wrongdoing, lawyers for some of Epsteins victims are understood to have approached her as a possible witness. Epstein used his jet to ferry a host of famous people including former US President Bill Clinton, actor Kevin Spacey and Prince Andrew around the globe. Pictured: Bill Clinton and Ghislaine Maxwell posing together for the camera as the pair prepare to board Jeffrey Epstein's notorious private jet In an interview, Maria Farmer, 50, who was employed and then abused by Epstein, recalled meeting the future countess, saying: She liked having nice drinks, piles of cash and nice outfits. Epstein used his jet to ferry a host of famous people including former US President Bill Clinton, actor Kevin Spacey and Prince Andrew around the globe. The Countess did not respond to requests for comment. Police have launched an appeal after a woman was hit by a car and killed on the M20 in the early hours of Sunday morning. Emergency services were called at 3.10am to reports of a female pedestrian lying in the carriageway at junction 10a (Ashford) on the coastbound carriageway. The woman, in her early 20s, was fatally injured. Police have launched an investigation after a female pedestrian in her 20s was killed in a fatal collision close to junction 10A on the M20 in the early hours of Sunday morning Photographs taken at the scene show a white sheet positioned between the fast lane and middle carriageway. Kent Police Serious Collision Investigation Unit is appealing for information and would like to hear from anyone who may have been driving in the area at the time or who witnessed a collision, has dashcam footage of the incident or who believes they may have been involved in a collision at the time. Officers remained at the scene for several hours and the coastbound carriageway of the motorway was closed while the investigation into the incident got underway. Earlier on Sunday morning, Highways England issued an alert that the M20 was closed btween J10A (Ashford ) and J11 (Westenhanger), but all lanes in both directions have now been reopened. Police are appealing for witnesses to the collision, which occured before 3.10am on Sunday Any witnesses are being urged to call 01622 798539 or email sciu.td@kent.pnn.police.uk, quoting reference MM/JW/51/20. Alternatively contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or by using the anonymous online form at crimestoppers-uk.org One experienced surgeon faced years in dispute with hospital bureaucrats after a complaint about how he demonstrated the application of a tourniquet. The surgeon lay on a hospital gurney and had a student put it on his bare leg above the knee in front of his class. He was penalised for "unacceptable behaviour" for "stripping to his underwear" and ordered to take a course called Teaching on the Run, despite having instructed students in the same way about 75 times over 15 years. In response, 64 nurses signed a letter to hospital administrators protesting his treatment and dozens of other doctors provided letters of support. He has been told his contract will not be renewed when it expires in 2021. The nurses said he could be firm, but that was because he "role models his expectation that we are to care for and to provide for our patients as if they were ... our own family members". According to a WA Health document, many of the allegations boil down to senior consultants using "outdated methods of teaching including humiliation and demeaning tones". But one specialist, who resigned instead of fighting accusations he shouted at junior doctors, said stamping out bullying was their "big thing", but in the process administration had become bullies themselves. 'Outright lies' "The worst allegations are the ones where they just outright lie," he said. "I don't scream and yell at people, it's just not what I do. But they say 'you're guilty' because they have to protect the people who are bullied. "You think, 'hang on a minute I worked for you tossers for 35 years, you've probably got to treat me with a bit of respect'." He said specialists still working at the hospital were afraid to speak up. "That's Soviet era stuff; the fear of persecution by an authority, that's not meant to happen in a Western democracy," he said. "The administrators couldn't give a shit." Another specialist with 40 years' experience at the hospital was ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation. This involved interviews with his colleagues where they were asked to assess his personality. He was barred from seeing patients while on full salary after a series of complaints, including one in which he was accused of being "undefendably seditious and argumentative". He said he felt he was targeted as a cost-savings measure. "The system I encountered was appalling and it seemed to be targeted at consultants who maybe had been there a long period of time, and they felt that the time was right economically to get rid of them by means that were not procedurally fair and really damaging to the people who received that treatment," he said. He said there was "absolutely" an assumption he was guilty when he was accused of being disagreeable with colleagues. "I just couldn't prove or disprove my innocence," he said. "There was no procedural fairness in that whatsoever, despite my asking and sending emails to my colleagues, and asking whether any of them had issues, and they all denied that." Nonetheless, he was barred from treating patients and ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation before he could return to work. AMA president Andrew Miller said a bad culture had arisen within the health department because of the inadequate complaints processes. Credit:Marta Pascual Juanola System broken as generations clash AMA (WA) president Andrew Miller said there was a clash of cultures between two generations of doctors which had not been well managed. "There's a problem, which is there's a generational difference in expectations where we see a clash of an old-style culture which was very much a resilience culture with a new culture which is very much a collaborative based, empathetic culture," he said. "The younger practitioners are very good at admitting their vulnerabilities and knowledge gaps and having that treated sensitively, whereas the older practitioners came up in a system where you got the good stuff beaten into you. "It's been left to evolve on its own and then in comes a bureaucracy and nothing good ever happens once the bureaucracy gets involved and they impose a process which is very heavy handed and doesn't recognise what the underlying problem is." In 2017 the Australian Medical Association wrote to the chairman of the East Metropolitan Health Service board, which runs Royal Perth Hospital, claiming the hospital administrators had denied doctors natural justice and procedural fairness. It's like Kafka's Castle. It's exactly like that. You can't get any straight answer out of anyone and you realise their intention is to get rid of you slowly, by attrition, grinding you down. Former RPH specialist "The lack of procedural fairness and denial of natural justice blatantly disregard WA Health's Discipline Policy and Code of Conduct and ignore industrial principles established by case law over many years," the letter from then executive director Paul Boyatzis said. He set out seven cases relating to doctors to illustrate his concerns and warned they were not a "comprehensive list of all matters raised with the AMA by our members". Sacked to save money? WAtoday understands the doctors, who are all concerned about how administrators handle complaints, have banded together to raise the alarm, with some calling for an investigation into how the hospital has treated senior physicians. "There should be a parliamentary inquiry into what has actually happened to the senior consultants in different hospitals and how they've been treated," one doctor said. "If it was an economic decision [to get rid of doctors], then they can be treated in a much more kindly manner and if they are reaching retirement age they can be offered whatever is appropriate. "But to target them, to torment them, to harass them, to bully them is not the appropriate procedure." The doctors all spoke of the personal and professional costs of dealing with the complaints against them. "It's psychological torture for a lot of people," a specialist said. The doctors all spoke of the personal and professional costs of dealing with the complaints against them. Credit:File "It's like Kafka's Castle. It's exactly like that. "You can't get any straight answer out of anyone and you realise their intention is to get rid of you slowly, by attrition, grinding you down." Dr Miller said a bad culture had arisen within the health department because of the inadequate complaints processes and a policy of keeping doctors on five-year contracts rather than making them employees. This made it easier to tell doctors they wouldn't be renewed rather than dealing with complaints appropriately or performance managing them. It also meant senior doctors were reluctant to raise issues with administrators. "What this is feeding into is a reduction in quality, because if people say working in my field, if you're working in anaesthesia and you identify a problem, and you take it to admin and say, 'we really should be doing this', it's not worth the risk now," he said. "They can just smile at you and say, 'yeah you know what, we don't want to do that and by the way, when's your contract up?'." But Dr Miller stopped short of supporting the doctors' call for an inquiry and said the process needed to be immediately fixed so it was fairer and led to timely resolutions. "The cupboards are full of inquiries into this sort of thing so what we want to see is some actual permanent change on the ground," he said. "I don't want to see an inquiry as such, I think if there are individual instances they need to be managed in a fair way to both parties. "Some of these issues have been hanging over people's heads for years on end and then they never come to a satisfactory conclusion. "I don't want an inquiry, but I want them to tidy up those issues, institute a proper process and give people permanent jobs so that they can speak up without fear or favour." Department says 'zero tolerance' is fair and equitable Health Minister Roger Cook said there had to be a "strong policy of zero tolerance to bullying and inappropriate behaviour". He said the complaints system was clear and the government had implemented a survey to identify workplace issues. In a comprehensive statement, the Department of Health and East Metropolitan Health Service said the discipline and complaints system was "transparent and equitable" while being part of an "organisational culture where bullying and misconduct is not tolerated". "All staff members, including junior doctors, are encouraged to report inappropriate behaviour to ensure it can be appropriately investigated, with disciplinary action taken as required," the spokeswoman said. "Each health service provider has integrity and misconduct processes in place to ensure staff feel supported and empowered to discuss any concerns." The spokeswoman said the department's discipline policy must "ensure appropriate, reasonable, procedurally fair and timely management of suspected breaches of discipline." "All senior medical practitioners on five-year contracts are WA health system employees and the provision of a contract should in no way be used to deviate from management obligations and responsibilities," she said. The East Metropolitan Health Service said staff were encouraged to "call out poor behaviour, and in the majority of instances, these complaints are handled informally by discussion or mediation processes". "Where allegations are of a more serious nature or repeated behaviour has occurred, these are managed in accordance with the Public Sector Commissions Public Sector Standards in Human Resource Management, and the Department of Health Employment Policy Framework," a spokeswoman said. "These processes are consistent across the WA Health system and seek to ensure a fair and reasonable approach to the management of matters that may concern a breach of discipline. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called for the withdrawal of newly approved legislative amendments in Tajikistan under which false or inaccurate COVID-19 coverage would be subject to heavy fines. The Paris-based media watchdog warned that the amendments could lead to censorship and other violations of press freedom. "This new, vaguely defined legislation could be exploited to violate the right to information, Jeanne Cavelier, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk, said in a statement published on June 12. "Under international law, nothing ever justifies giving a public authority the power to decide what is true or false, or -- without reference to a judge -- to restrict the right of a person or media to freedom of expression on the grounds that what they say might be false or inaccurate," Cavalier added. "We call for the withdrawal of these amendments, which violate freedom of the press and expression," she said. Tajikistan's authoritarian government initially claimed there were no coronavirus cases in the country and President Emomali Rahmon flouted warnings by international experts to order social-distancing restrictions or other measures to try to curtail the spread of the disease. According to official numbers, 4,690 people have contracted the virus in Tajikistan and 48 have died. Cara Romeros The Last Indian Market is part parody, myth and homage, an assemblage of 12 disciples framing a Buffalo Man as its magnetic centerpiece. The Santa Fe-based Chemehuevi photographer directed this playful take on both the Santa Fe Indian Market and Leonardo Da Vinci at the Coyote Cafe in 2015. The figural lineup incorporates a dozen whos who of Native artists. Theres famed film director Chris Eyre, Romeros husband; the celebrated Cochiti Pueblo potter Diego Romero, self-cast as Judas; and bead and performance artist Marcus Amerman in the central role of a furry Christ figure. Indian Market groupies can also spot jeweler Kenneth Johnson; painter Darrell Vigil Gray; Jemez Pueblo potter Kathleen Wall; printmaker/painter Linda Lomahafetewa; designer Pilar Agoyo; and painter America Meredith. Romero stitched the print together from five photographs. It was a parody, she acknowledged. I really wanted to portray the people of our time. It was an artistic statement that we understand pop culture. A Santa Fe Indian Market artist since 2009, Romero has won multiple awards and has exhibited at the National Museum of the American Indian; the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture; and in Britains American Museum. Her great break came when the Smithsonian Institution bought her 30-by-30-inch mounted archival pigment photograph Water Memory at the 2015 Santa Fe Indian Market. Shot in the swimming pool at Santa Fes El Rey Motel, its turquoise water surges around two figures dressed in Santa Clara Pueblo corn dance finery. The viewer is left to interpret its meaning. Is the liquid abode a womb-like reference? Or are the figures drowning as they float to the floor? Are they immersed, yet still breathing, thanks to some oceanic deity? The photo straddles twin histories: the flooding of tribal lands to build U.S. dams and the pumping of resources from Native soils by extractive industry. In 1940, the Army Corps of Engineers removed the Chemehuevi people from their homes to create Lake Havasu. Romero says to this day the lake feels haunted. She grew up on the Chemehuevi Valley Indian Reservation in California. It was a pivotal piece, she acknowledged. It was a way to express our catastrophic idea of climate change. It became about life cycles and the protection of Mother Earth. She shot the piece underwater next to a scuba diving instructor, taking thousands of images across two days. I worked with friends and families who had been similarly affected by flooding, she said. In a sense, Romeros photography is rooted in a kind of cultural archaeology. She pursued a degree in cultural anthropology at the University of Houston before shifting her focus when she realized photographs could express more than words. I think I was just made for the medium, she said. I was delving into a lot of Native studies. I was very disheartened that it was all taught in historical context. Born into poverty, she could only afford a disposable camera. But a single black-and-white college photography class cemented her future. I realized early on I had an eye for content, she said. Others may have been greater technically, but I had a lot to say. I had no shortage of ideas. I took all the classes that I could. At 22, she ran off to art school in Santa Fe, landing at the Institute of American Indian Arts. I think at the beginning, the (Edward) Curtis print defined what Native photography was, Romero said. Even in IAIA, we were really checking that style. I realized I needed to tell my own story. Coyote Tales No. 1 poses the trickster as the devil between two young women as they linger before Espanolas Saints and Sinners bar. We learn vicariously through his mistakes, Romero said. Its definitely about painting the town red and being young in New Mexico. She still sketches out her ideas on paper before picking up her camera, a storyteller sans words. Naomi sprang from her desire to create her own Native American Girl dolls representing various tribes. We have very little accurate representation, she said. Romero earns about half her income from her website cararomerophotography.com; the other half comes from the now-shuttered Indian Market. I think it was a little bit of a shock she said of its coronavirus closure. But I really dont have a problem with it. Our elders are way more important than our economy. Well use our resilience and resourcefulness to endure. Since Romero is self-isolating because of the pandemic, she cant ask her friends to pose for her theatrical compositions. She says her three children are her current models. I can use my Team Quarantine. Online To view Cara Romeros body of work, visit cararomerophotography.com President Vladimir Putin, on June 14, announced in a state televised address that Russia would soon be in a position to counter hypersonic nuclear-capable missiles deployed by other nations in a step ahead in the arms race from the US that had set the target of fielding hypersonic capabilities for the early or mid-2020s. While the two superpowers have been expanding their defense armament systems having exited the landmark Cold War-era arms control treaty, Putin revealed that Moscow was ahead of the United States in developing this type of advanced weaponry. Last year, Russia had deployed its first hypersonic nuclear-capable missiles, however, the Russian President now emphasized that the means to combat these hypersonic glide vehicles which can steer an unpredictable course and maneuver sharply as they approach impact will be with Russia soon, according to reports. Much flatter and with a lower trajectory than ballistic missiles, the hypersonic missiles can deliver both nuclear and conventional payloads. Read: EU: Russia Should Not Yet Be Allowed To Rejoin G7 Read: Putin Orders Quick Repairs For Russian Economy The strategic system can evade US-built missile shield Russia, in March 2018 unveiled The Avangard as its one of the six Russian strategic weapons capable of carrying 2-megaton nuclear weapons at 27 times the speed of sound. President Putin described the missile launch as the landmark since 1957 Soviet launch of the first satellite as the weaponry could hit almost any point in the world and evade a US-built missile shield. Unlike the regular missile warhead, these missiles are harder to intercept due to its sharp maneuvers that rendered ordinary missile defense useless, as per the strategic missile forces chief, Gen Sergei Karakaevs statement. The Avangard was put on duty with a unit at the Dombarovskiy missile base in the Orenburg region in the southern Ural Mountains, as per local reports. Speaking to the press, Russian President Putin was quoted saying that it was very unlikely that any nation will have means to combat hypersonic weapons. Additionally, he said, by the time the world's leading countries have such weapons, Russia would be well ahead in the advanced arms development. Read: Russia Rejects US Drive For Permanent Iran Arms Embargo Read: US, Russia To Start Nuclear Arms Control Talks This Month Read: Patients Critical Of Russia Virus Tracking App (Image Credit: AP) Accusing Congress of indulging "petty politics" during COVID-19 crisis, BJP President JP Nadda on Sunday asked it to take 'tuition' from his party on how to conduct as an opposition during such situations. Addressing the Karnataka Jana Samvada virtual rally through video conference, he also hit out at its leader Rahul Gandhi over his comments during a conversation with former US diplomat Nicholas Burns and said Congress should worry about its "changing DNA". Nadda said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been leading the country from the front in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic and the world had acknowledged it. "Modi has fought from the front... world has recognised the way Modi has led the country during COVID with bold and timely decisions," he said. He lauded the six year-NDA rule under Modi, stating that the 'gap' of six decades had been 'bridged' in six years and the first year of his term was full of achievements. "A gap of six decades has been bridged in six years under the dynamic leadership of Narendra Modi...ahead of Modi's takeover, the country was going through policy paralysis, crumbled administration and was synonymous with corruption, in six years, he has restored India's pride," Nadda said. Hitting out at the opposition, Nadda termed as "irresponsible" their conduct during the COVID crisis. "I'm saying this with pain that when the whole country is fighting against COVID, opposition has been framing a strategy to weaken the nation though its video conferencing," he said. Maintaining that BJP during its long opposition stint had always stood by the nation during crisis situations without indulging in petty politics, he said, it was unfortunate that for Congress it had always been "politics, politics and politics", not the nation. "If you don't know how to conduct as an opposition take a bit of tuition form us, we will teach you," he added. For the BJP, the country was bigger than the party, he said adding for them (Congress) party was bigger than the nation. Even during crisis they were involved in doing politics. "I feel sorry about it, such an irresponsible action of opposition is condemnable," he told the virtual rally attended among others by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, Union Ministers Nirmala Sitaraman, DV Sadananda Gowda, Pralhad Joshi and also party state chief Nalin Kumar Katel. Questioning Congress' leaders' comments against imposition of lockdown, he said their party ruled states Rajasthan and Punjab were the first to implement it. Even when it was, relaxed they had problem with it. Hitting back Rahul Gandhi for his comments that DNA of openness and tolerance that India was known for has "disappeared", Nadda asked, "are you forgetting, who is becoming intolerant, do you remember emergency?" "Don't worry about country's DNA, worry about Congress' changing DNA, if you keep this in mind it will be good for your health and country's political health," he added. Immigrants and their advocates fear the threat of "inadvertently winding up in immigration custody" if they continue to support Black Lives Matter in active street protests, NBC Los Angeles reported recently. All over the United States, immigrants have expressed unity with the movement that has been active since George Floyd's killing in Minneapolis. The same groups advocating for migrant rights are showing their support to BLM, and feel the necessity of marching, frequently saying, "They relate to the hardship black people" are experiencing with racial discrimination and punitive policing. However, with the federal immigration officers' deployment to demonstrations across the nation, not to mention the existing relationships a lot of local jails have with them, even peaceful marches in some cases can overturn a person's life as it's known in the US. Immigration Authorities Mum about their Activities in Protests The immigration authorities deployed to recent protests of BLM which include the Customs, and Border Protection have been silent about their activities and where there are going. They are mum about it because, they said, if they do so, they "could jeopardize operational security." News reports said, democratic legislators, have been critical and necessitated they give more details. However, authorities have claimed they are not at demonstrations and marches to impose immigration laws. The agency added the deployment has something to do with backing the initiatives of the national, state and local partners, and not about carrying out the immigration enactment mission of CBP. This, it added, is about "preserving life and safety." At present, according to CBP, they presently have resources assigned in several states that undertake different "operational support roles" at their fellow "law enforcement agencies' request." Growing Concern about Protests A supervising lawyer with the Immigration Defense Practice for Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, Scott Foletta said, his organization has been giving people advice, specifically of being vigilant of their surroundings. In addition, the organization has distributed online flyers recommending that people write the phone number of their lawyer on their arm and turn off their finger and facial ID on their mobile device. The said supervising lawyer added that there is a growing concern in the community if the members go out and join the protests. Define American founder, said he Jose Antonio Vargas, he feels safe at the demonstrations he has joined in Berkeley California. Also a recognized immigration activist, Vargas added, he would not be so certain about going to protests in places like Phoenix, where the local prison there is in partnership with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement or ICE. In connection to the issue, Vargas shared, he has been receiving so many private messages from immigrants who are undocumented or under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA program, asking him if it is safe for them to protest. Vargas, in turn, replies to them saying, he is glad they want to take part in such activities. However, he also said they should know about the risks. Reports also indicated that the issue of police brutality against people of color resounds with immigrants as they are frequently subject to, or afraid of violent schemes by immigration authorities. Check these out! ATLANTA A man reported to police for sleeping in a car blocking the drive-thru lane of a fast food restaurant was shot and killed in a late night struggle with Atlanta officers after he failed a field sobriety test and resisted arrest, Georgia authorities said Saturday. UPDATE: Atlantas police chief resigned Saturday afternoon in the wake of this story. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said it was asked by the Atlanta Police Department to investigate the shooting of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks, which happened at a Wendys restaurant late Friday. The shooting came at a time of heightened tension over police brutality and calls for reforms across the U.S. following the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Atlanta was among U.S. cities where large crowds of protesters took to the streets. A crowd of demonstrators gathered Saturday outside the Atlanta restaurant where Brooks, who was African American, was shot. Gerald Griggs, an attorney and a vice president of Atlantas NAACP chapter, estimated there were 150 people protesting at the scene as he walked with them Saturday afternoon. "The people are upset," Griggs said. "They want to know why their dear brother Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed when he was merely asleep on the passenger side and not doing anything." Even though Brooks struggled with officers, Griggs said, "they could have used nonlethal force to take him down." The GBI said its agents were reviewing video taken by witnesses. The agency also posted to Twitter a plea for witnesses to come forward, saying some at the scene chose not to be interviewed by GBI agents. Later, Saturday the agency released Wendys surveillance video that shows the fatal moment. Warning: Video shows shooting The GBI is releasing surveillance video showing the exchange between Atlanta Police Officers and Rayshard Brooks from Wendys restaurant - Atlanta OIS 6.12.20 https://t.co/dNlBDpXsRp GA Bureau of Investigation (@GBI_GA) June 13, 2020 Officers were responding to a complaint of a man in a vehicle parked in the drive-thru who was asleep, causing customers to drive around the vehicle. After Brooks failed a field sobriety test, the officers attempted to place him into custody, according to the GBI. But he resisted and a struggle ensued, leading the officer to deploy a Taser. "Ultimately, when the officer used a Taser, it was ineffective for the suspect," Atlanta Deputy Police Chief Timothy Peek told reporters at the scene Friday night. "It did not stop the aggression of the fight. And so the suspect was able to take the officer's Taser from him." Peek said a second officer also attempted to use a Taser on the struggling man, "but it didn't work against the suspect as well." The GBI said in statement it was investigating reports "that the male subject was shot by an officer in the struggle over the Taser." Brooks was transported to a local hospital where he died after surgery, the statement said. One officer was treated for an injury and discharged from the hospital. Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said Saturday his office had already gotten involved without waiting for the GBI to finish its investigation. "My office has already launched an intense, independent investigation of the incident," Howard said in a statement, saying members of his staff "were on scene shortly after the shooting, and we have been in investigative sessions ever since to identify all of the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident." Stacey Abrams, the Georgia Democrat who gained national prominence running for governor in 2018, tweeted Saturday of the shooting that "sleeping in a drive-thru must not end in death." "The killing of #RayshardBrooks in Atlanta last night demands we severely restrict the use of deadly force," Abrams' tweet said. "Yes, investigations must be called for but so too should accountability." The officers involved in the shooting was not identified. Once its investigation is complete, the case will be turned over to the Fulton County District Attorneys Office for review. Scientists are warning that the federal governments key environment laws are failing to protect wildlife and ecosystems from climate change. Climate change is a threat multiplier, said Professor Lesley Hughes. As the temperature continues to rise and we get more heatwaves, droughts and bushfires, threatened species will be in an even worse place than they are now. Scientists are warning the federal government's environment laws don't account for the impacts of climate change. Credit:Janie Barrett In 1999, the Howard government created the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act to protect Australias unique flora and fauna, but it has failed to reverse the rate of biodiversity losses. The legislation doesnt mention climate change, or compel the federal environment minister to account for it. In the past 20 years, the number of threatened species and ecosystems has grown by more than one-third from 1483 to 1974 and mammal losses continue at the same rate of between one and two a decade. One hundred species have become extinct since 1788. Kathmandu, June 14 Nepal Student Union (NSU), the student wing of the main opposition party Nepali Congress, has appealed to the government to not take the grade 11 examinations this year. On Sunday, an NSU delegation met Education Minister Giriraj Mani Pokharel and submitted a memorandum requesting the grade 11 examinations be concluded with internal evaluation like the Secondary Education Examinations. Meanwhile, for the grade 12 examinations, the NSU has requested the government to hold the examinations in the students own schools with monitoring from the nearest school after the risk of coronavirus infection gets low. The team also demanded the grade 12 exams get a national examination standard, informs NSU General Secretary Deepak Bhattarai. Furthermore, the NSU has demanded the new academic session be started with transmission of lessons via radio, television, newspapers and online mediums, during this pandemic. The Mayor of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, K.K. Sam died of the novel Coronavirus. This was confirmed by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Sunday, June 14, 2020. Permit me to pay brief tribute to the memory of an old and valiant colleague in the struggle of the New Patriotic Party and in the work of the Akufo-Addo government, the Mayor of Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, the Chief Executive of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, Hon. K.K Sam, Egya Sam to me and many, whose efforts in enforcing social distancing protocols at the Sekondi and Takoradi markets were, recently, highly commended by me, and who sadly passed away on Friday, as a result of a COVID-related death. May his soul rest in perfect peace in the bosom of the Almighty until the Last Day of the Resurrection, when we shall all meet again, Akufo-Addo said during his 11th address to the state on measures adopted in the fight against COVID-19 on Sunday. The MCE died on Friday, June 12, 2020, while receiving treatment at the University of Ghana Medical Centre where he was rushed to after falling sick. Hon Sam was admitted at Effia-Nkwantan Regional Hospital on Saturday, June 6, 2020 where he received medical treatment and subsequently referred to UG Medical Centre on Sunday, July 7, 2020 for further attention, a statement from the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly noted. The Assembly said it will announce burial preparations. In the meantime, we urge the good people of Sekondi-Takoradi and Ghana as a whole to remember the family of our departed Mayor in prayers as they go through this difficult moment, the statement added. Mr Sam, who was sworn into office in April 2017, having been confirmed by the General Assembly on March 24, 2017, was a renowned educationist and an administrator. citinewsroom By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA: BJP national secretary and co-incharge of Andhra Pradesh state unit Sunil Deodhar has said that his party welcomes the arrest of TDP MLA and former minister K Atchannaidu by the ACB. He, however, added that the YSRC government can't use the arrests to cover up its own corruption and demanded that action be taken against the ruling party leaders as well. "We welcome the arrest of TDP MLA and former labour minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu in ESI scam. The BJP has been demanding stringent action against the corruption during the TDP regime. However, YSRCP government can't use these arrests to cover up corruption allegations against it. The YSRCP came to power by accusing TDP of corruption, but the situation is unchanged. The BJP raised many corruption issues including that in sand. Now, the CM should act against all those in his government who are facing serious corruption allegations. BJPs fight against corruption will continue (sic)," Deodhar tweeted on Saturday. BJP state chief Kanna Lakshminarayana also released a statement echoing the same. He noted that his party had brought to the CMs notice several issues in the last one year including the alleged irregularities in housing scheme, sand mining, Amaravati lands and others. "We welcome action against the corrupt. But, we also demand that those in the ruling party also be investigated in the issues we raised," he said. One suspended, two get notices for airing different views The BJP state disciplinary committee has suspended one member and issued notices to two others for expressing views that are deviant from the partys stand on the arrest of Atchannaidu. The party suspended KV Lakshmipathi Raja for "intentional and deliberate disobedience" by participating in TV debates despite being barred from doing so. "Your conduct has amounted to wilful and deliberate disrespect," the notice said. Explanation was sought from two others Kilaru Dileep and Cheruvu Ramakotiah for questioning the arrest of the TDP MLA by the ACB. Any stand, taken by any member of the party, that is deviant from the state leadership, would affect the image, discipline and decorum of the party. You are hereby required to explain the reasons for taking a defiant stand within a week, the notices said. By PTI AHMEDABAD: Stating that water of India's share from three of six rivers in "Akhand Bharat" is flowing into Pakistan, Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said the Central government is trying to stop this outflow. He said Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh will get this water. Addressing virtual 'Jan Samvad' rally of Gujarat BJP from Nagpur in Maharashtra, he also said India believed in peace and non-violence and do not want to be strong by becoming an expansionist. "There were six rivers in Akhand Bharat (passing through both India and Pakistan. As per division, waters of three rivers was reserved for Pakistan, while water of other three rivers was to be used by India. Water of our share was also flowing into Pakistan," Gadkari said. He said states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh were not coming together on this issue earlier. "For the first time since 1970, I asked our (former J&K governor Satya Pal Malik and Punjab Congress CM (Amarinder Singh) to sign a treaty. We are working to stop the water from flowing into Pakistan. Now Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Himachal will get this water. Our government shows the courage to take this decision, otherwise nothing has happened since 1970," he said. He said, "Seven out of nine projects (related to division of water of rivers) where consensus had eluded states earlier have been cleared after CMs of these states were brought together to resolve the matter". Nelson Mandela once stated, No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite. We recognize the need to do more. Increasing graduation rates, acceptance to colleges, trade schools, the military, and the world of work will continue to be our highest academic goal. However, we want our communities to know that we are committed to taking on the role as front-line workers in the fight for equity by educating our students that respect, kindness, and love are the ways to a better society for all. Our children deserve this, and our world needs all of us to participate! Peggy Buffington, School City of Hobart; Larry Veracco, Lake Central School Corporation; Steve Disney, River Forest Community School Corporation; Tom Cripliver, Lake Station Community Schools; Mary Tracy-MacAulay, Hanover Community School Corporation; Amanda Alanis, Portage Township Schools; Scott Miller, School City of Hammond; Stacey Schmidt, Porter Township School Corporation; Cindy Scroggins, School City of Whiting; Aaron Case, East Porter Community; Tony Lux, Crown Point Community School Corporation; Nick Brown, Merrillville Community School Corporation; Rod Gardin, Tri Creek School Corporation; Sharon Johnson Shirley, Lake Ridge New Tech Schools; Nate Kleefisch, MSD of Boone Township; Chip Pettit, Duneland School Corporation; Jeff Hendrix, School Town of Munster; and Mark Francesconi, LaPorte Community School Corporation, are all Northwest Indiana school superintendents. The opinions are the writers'. Love 15 Funny 2 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 5 This is the first time in two months that Iran has recorded a death toll in the triple digits. 100 new deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari appealed to citizens to respect health and safety measures, warning of the "unpredictable" and "wild" nature of the virus that could "surprise us at any time". Iran was one of the countries that suffered greatly at the beginning of the pandemic, and while numbers were reduced, they are now once more on the climb. The authorities maintain this is partly due to increased testing. Washington: The Sikh-American who helped police capture the man wanted for the weekend bombings in New York and New Jersey, said he feared he might have been mistaken as the perpetrator because of the misconceptions about his faith. Harinder Singh Bains, 51, said he does not like being called a hero for accurately identifying 28-year-old Ahmad Khan Rahami, the Afghan-born American man behind the bombings. Asserting that he is "what America looks like," Bains said he did what any other American would have done. "When I heard about the attacks and realised the suspect was sleeping in a doorway across the street, I did what any American would do. I called the police. I'm not a hero. The police are heroes; the EMTs are heroes; everyone who is working to bring New York and New Jersey together today is a hero," Bains, who?owns a bar in Linden, told reporters. He said as a Sikh-American, he understand that "I could have been mistaken for the perpetrator. My faith teaches me justice and tolerance for all and I know that I'm lucky to live in a community that shares this view." Bains, who had emigrated from Chandigarh in 1996, stressed that after any attack, Americans should target people based on evidence of their role in the crime and not because of their faith or their country of origin or their accent. "I came to this country from India 20 years ago to create a better life for my family. I am a father of four and a proud American citizen. I am also what America looks like," he said. Bains said America is strongest when all Americans stand together in the face of violence "intended to divide us." On the morning of September 19, Bains unlocked the door of his deli when he noticed Rahami sleeping in a vestibule next to a tavern across the street. He later recognised Rahami's face from television reports following the failed attacks and contacted police. When police arrived, Rahami allegedly shot an officer in the abdomen and began a shoot-out with police that led to his arrest. Bains had earlier said he thought Rahami "looked very familiar" and "exactly" like the "guy" whose picture is being shown on TV channels. "I kept wondering is he the same guy," Bains has said adding he then asked a friend of his who visited him that Rahami looked exactly like the person whose pictures were being circulated by law enforcement agencies in connection with the bombing. Bains then called the police but didn't not immediately tell them that Rahami was in front of his store. He initially told the police that there is a "guy in front of his bar who looks a little suspicious and does not look good to me" and that the police should come and check. The police then came within five minutes and all the while Bains kept an eye on Rahami as he had a strong feeling he is the same person wanted for the bombings. "I'm just a regular citizen doing what every citizen should do. Cops are the real heroes, law enforcement are the real heroes," Bains has said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The presidential campaign is slowly shifting out of virtual mode amid nationwide protests and easing lockdown restrictions despite the continuing coronavirus pandemic. The decidedly untraditional 2020 campaign continues, and President Trump and Joe Biden have taken diverging paths with their advertising strategies. The Trump campaign has spent nearly $20 million on television ads since mid-March when the pandemic began to shut down the United States, according to tracking by Kantar/Campaign Media Analysis Group. That spending includes more than $4.6 million on television in Florida, nearly $2.5 million in Pennsylvania, nearly $2 million in North Carolina, and more than $1 million apiece in both Michigan and Wisconsin. The president's ads are also getting airtime in states like Arizona, Ohio and Iowa. "The great American comeback has begun," said the narrator in one of the president's ads first aired Sunday in Pennsylvania. It goes on to tout the economy pre-pandemic. "Together we'll make America great again," it ends. By comparison, the last time Biden's campaign spent money on television ads, according to Kantar/CMAG, was on March 10 while he was still battling Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary. At the time, his campaign had spent nearly $6 million on ads in Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Arizona and Georgia. He's spent nothing on television ads since. This comes as a series of recent national polls have Mr. Trump lagging behind the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, a CNN poll that had Mr. Trump trailing by as much as 14 points and a Monmouth poll where he trailed by 11 points, while other polls suggest a smaller gap closer to 7 points. Biden is also currently leading in polls in other battleground states, including Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Arizona. "You can tell by the pattern of ad buying by the Trump campaign that they are on the defensive," said Republican political consultant Rob Stutzman. "Instead of expanding the electoral map to states like Minnesota which they had a year ago talked about wanting to do, they're now trying to prevent Biden from expanding the map." Meanwhile, even as he struggled through the earliest Democratic primary states, Biden was able to endure, though he was outspent on television by opponents in multiple early contests. Story continues Where Biden has not been spending on television ads, a growing number of pro-Democrat and anti-Trump super PACs have been filling the void recently. Priorities USA, the largest super PAC affiliated with the Democratic Party, has already spent millions on a series of ads in battleground states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Arizona focused on the president's handling of the coronavirus, as well as more recently his response to nationwide protests. It plans to spend $200 million overall by the election. Another Democratic super PAC, American Bridge PAC, has also spent millions focused on the president's response to the coronavirus pandemic. This week, it announced a $20 million investment in battleground states focused on swing voters highlighting why they'll be voting for Biden. "Our ad campaign is really going after the Obama- Trump voters," said American Bridge president Bradley Beychok. "We're cognizant that a lot of our Democratic base is very fired up and for good reason. But even with Trump, we're seeing that people that supported him in 2016, that are the true sort of persuadable voters are moving away from him." Analysts note it's not unusual for campaigns to leave TV spending the PACs in the early summer before the election. During the 2016 election cycle, then-candidate Trump was not on air with television ads from early May through mid-August. In 2012, the Obama and Romney campaigns both hit pause. But Biden's campaign has been off air a while, and as Stutzman notes, there is a caveat. "The critical thing the Biden campaign has to be careful not to wait too long on is to be definitional," he said. "That includes biography, that includes exposing voters to the fact relentlessly that he can be empathetic, that he's decent. You know all these personal traits that give him an advantage over Trump." While Biden camp has not been investing in television, it's moving full speed ahead with digital advertising. According to ad tracking on Facebook, since mid-March, Biden has spent $16 million on Facebook ads, while Mr. Trump spent over $10 million. Since June 1, Biden's investment of over $7 million outstrips the president's nearly $2 million. The Biden ads range from some asking viewers to condemn Mr. Trump or to commit to voting for Biden thus gathering their contact information to other ads seeking contributions. And as his campaign saves cash on TV, the former vice president is also hurtling full force ahead with fundraising amid a scramble to overcome the disadvantage of running against an incumbent president's massive war chest. The campaign has clocked multiple virtual fundraisers a week, sometimes holding more than one a day, even during the pandemic. Multiple Biden donors tell CBS News they believe the former vice president has emerged with the right "empathy and leadership" for this moment in time. But many indicate they believe the attention should remain on the president's action or inaction for now. "One has to remember that the re-election of the president is always a referendum on the incumbent. The reelection is always a referendum on his job performance," said one longtime bundler. While some donors missed the in-person gatherings, more than a handful of bundlers CBS News spoke with indicated they're happy with how the campaign is running the virtual events, acknowledging it allows the former vice president to reach more contributors nationwide and save on gathering costs. As Biden slowly ends his campaign from home and reenters the public sphere with small appearances remarks in Philadelphia, a meeting with community leaders in Wilmington many bundlers also indicated they're satisfied with where the money is going right now. Their evidence? The polls that have been trending in Biden's direction. DJ Henry death: Cell phone video shows scene after fatal 2010 shooting DJ Henry death: Cell phone video captures chaos after fatal police shooting Cuomo says bars and restaurants violating social distancing will lose liquor licenses Iran Reacts Angrily To UN Report On Origin Of Arms Used In Saudi Attacks Radio Farda June 13, 2020 Tehran has dismissed a United Nations report presented by the secretary general about the Iranian origin of missiles used in strikes against Saudi Aramco oil processing plants in May 2019. A Reuters report said on June 12 that that the agency has access to a report by UN Chief Antonio Guterres that stresses the missiles used in the strike on the crude processing plant in Afif in eastern Saudi Arabia last year had "Iranian origin." This was part of a routine report the UN secretary general presents to the Security Council once in every six months about the implementation of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, also called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The report lends support to U.S. allegations about Tehran being behind the attacks that temporarily halved Saudi Arabia's oil output at the time and affected the international oil markets. Tehran's reaction could have been expected as the UN report weakens the diplomatic position of the Islamic Republic and its allies, Russia and China to oppose the U.S. demand of prolonging a UN arms embargo against Iran. By dismissing a report endorsed by the secretary general and calling the UN inept in analyzing weapons, Iran could be further isolating itself. Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Majid Takht Ravanchi wrote in a tweet that "Iran rejects allegations in a UN Secretariat report," and stressed that "the Iranian origin of arms is a fallacy." Taklht Ravanchi charged that "UN Secretariat lacks capacity, expertise and knowledge to conduct investigations," and concluded that it "Seems the USwith its history of Iran-bashingsits in the driver's seat to shape UN assessments". Meanwhile a press release issued by the Iranian delegation at the United Nations claimed that "some of the alleged seized arms which have been examined were found not to conform to the ones manufactured by Iran." The statement added: "The report has based its findings on the alleged seizure of arms by the United States, as well as the attacks on Saudi Arabia , reproducing the exact claims made by the United States." The Iranian delegation's statement also charged that: In an extremely unprofessional conduct, only some images such as media pictures of military exhibitions have been used to verify and conclude about the alleged similarities of some items," adding that the methodology seriously undermined the credibility of the report. "In the absence of solid and reliable technical information, one cannot but consider the allegation against Iran as politically motivated," said the statement by the Islamic Republic of Iran's UN mission. This comes while the report by Reuters says cruise missiles or parts thereof as well as some of the parts used in the drones that deployed in the strikes bear marks in Persian and are similar to products manufactured by an Iranian commercial firm. Meanwhile, an AP report on February 1 quoted UN experts as saying that the technical specifications of some of the weapons and drone parts used by the Yemeni Houthis are similar to Iranian-made products. In another development, the Iranian Foreign Ministry in Tehran also reacted angrily to the UN Chief's report and accused the UN chief of "Levelling accusations against other states using self-created processes and arbitrary procedures is a dangerous heresy," adding that such accusations are "unacceptable." The Iranian Foreign Ministry also said that such accusations "will cause severe damage to the credibility and undermine the integrity of the United Nations," and warned the "UN Secretariat not move in the pre-planned US scenario to prevent the lifting of Iran's arms restrictions and not assist a violating State in this dangerous process by circulating such unlawful reports. The United States itself is the gravest violator of Security Council Resolution 2231, and no one can clear the name of that State from systematic violations of international rules." The Iranian Foreign Ministry was referring to the United States withdrawal from the JCPOA and its declared position against putting an end to the arms embargo against Iran in October as part of the nuclear deal. The United States representative for Iran, Brian Hook said last week that Iran is on the frontline of funding terrorism and ending the arms embargo against Tehran will give it another opportunity to destabilize the region. The United States has prepared a draft resolution and handed it to Russia and Western countries. China and Russia are against renewing the arms embargo and say the United States has pulled out of the JCOA, so it cannot have a say on matters relating to the agreement. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, however, says the JCPOA and UN Security Council Resolution 2231 are two different matters, stressing that the resolution still recognizes the United States as a "participating" state. Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iran-reacts -to-un-report-on-origin-of-arms -used-in-attacks-/30669069.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 S alisbury was a Wiltshire city marked by its cathedral spire and rich medieval history, but little else. But on March 4, 2018, and for months afterwards it was the epicentre of a national emergency and an international crisis. Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were found unconscious on a park bench - and trails of a nerve agent were littered across the city. We take a look back at the key events that have unfolded since. The scandal caused international shockwavs in relations between Russia and the West / Getty Images March 2018 March 4: Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, are found unconscious on a park bench in Salisbury. March 7: Police say a nerve agent was used to poison the pair and the case is being treated as attempted murder. March 8: Then home secretary Amber Rudd says a Wiltshire Police officer, Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, is seriously ill in hospital. March 12: Prime Minister Mrs May tells the House of Commons the nerve agent is of Russian origin and the Government has concluded it is highly likely Russia is responsible for the poisoning. March 14: Mrs May tells MPs the UK will expel 23 Russian diplomats, calling the incident an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the UK. Russian spy 'poisoning': Sergei and Yulia Skripal were left fighting for life in hospital / PA Military personnel wearing protective suits after the Novichok poisoning of Sergei Skripal / Getty Images March 15: Leaders of Britain, the US, Germany and France issue a joint statement blaming Russia for the attack. March 17: Russia announces the expulsion of 23 UK diplomats and says it will shut down the British Council and British Consulate in St Petersburg. Many other countries followed suit, with the US expelling 60 diplomats. March 22: DS Bailey is discharged from hospital but says life will probably never be the same. March 26: Britains allies announce more than 100 Russian agents are being sent home from 22 countries, in what Mrs May calls the largest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officers in history. March 28: Scotland Yard reveals Mr Skripal and his daughter first came into contact with the nerve agent at his home. April and May 2018 April 3: The head of the Porton Down military research facility says his scientists have not verified that the nerve agent used in Salisbury came from Russia. A week later, Salisbury District Hospital announces that Ms Skripal has been discharged. Military teams carrying out decontamination work in Salisbury on behalf of Defra / PA April 17: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs reveals the Novichok used to attack the Skripals was delivered in a liquid form. May 18: it was announced that Mr Skripal had been discharged from hospital after more than two months of treatment. Eight days later - after nearly three months shut - businesses in the Maltings area of Salisbury reopen following the attack. June, July and August 2018 June 30: Dawn Sturgess and Charlie Rowley fell ill at a flat in Muggleton Road in Amesbury, eight miles from Salisbury, and were taken to hospital. Wiltshire Police warned of the dangers of contaminated drugs on July 2 after the couple fell ill. Detectives believed they may have taken heroin or crack cocaine. The pair were in a serious condition at Salisbury District Hospital. July 4: Police declared a major incident after revealing Ms Sturgess and Mr Rowley had been exposed to an unknown substance, later confirmed to be Novichok. The following day, the new home secretary Sajid Javid accused the Russian state of using Britain as a dumping ground for poison and demanded an explanation from the Kremlin for the two episodes. Forensic investigators in hazardous material suits and gas masks began searching the building where Ms Sturgess lives. Russian Ambassador to the UK Alexander Yakovenko shakes hands with Charlie Rowley / AP July 8: Ms Sturgess died in hospital after being exposed to Novichok. Scotland Yard launched a murder investigation over her death. Mr Rowley regained consciousness and told reporters he was lucky to be alive. Police revealed the Novichok that poisoned them was from a small bottle found in Mr Rowleys home. In August, Russia denounced the imposition of draconian new US sanctions after the administration concluded Moscow was responsible for the Salisbury attack. September 2018 September 4: The Independent investigator the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons confirms the toxic chemical which killed Ms Sturgess was the same nerve agent as that which poisoned the Skripals. September 5: Scotland Yard and the Crown Prosecution Service said there is sufficient evidence to charge two Russians, Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, with offences including conspiracy to murder over the attack. Mrs May reveals that the UK believes they are agents from the GRU military intelligence service. Russian nationals Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov seen at Salisbury train station on March 3 / PA Wire/PA Images Russian President Vladimir Putin says there is nothing criminal about Petrov and Boshirov. Downing Street insists they are GRU officers who used a devastatingly toxic illegal chemical weapon on the streets of our country. Scotland Yard and the Crown Prosecution Service say there is sufficient evidence to charge two Russians, Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, with offences including conspiracy to murder over the attack. Mrs May reveals that the UK believes they are agents from the GRU military intelligence service. Russian President Vladimir Putin said there is nothing criminal about Petrov and Boshirov. Downing Street insists they are GRU officers who used a devastatingly toxic illegal chemical weapon on the streets of our country Dawn Sturgess died in July after being exposed to Novichok near Salisbury / PA January 2019 The European Union imposed sanctions including travel bans and asset freezes on Russians blamed for the attack. March 2019 The Ministry of Defence announces Salisbury is to be declared decontaminated of Novichok after an almost year-long military clean-up of 12 sites. A year on from the attack, it emerged that intelligence services investigated increased and unusual activity at the Russian embassy in London in the days before and after the Novichok poisoning. Theresa May condemned the attack (pictured in Salisbury on the first anniversary) / PA June 2019 In a frosty meeting at the G20 summit in Osaka on June 28, Theresa May condemned Vladimir Putins irresponsible actions as the Salisbury attack dominated the conversation. The Prime Minister was stony faced as she shook hands with the Russian president before talks in which she told him the use of the Novichok nerve agent in the Wiltshire city was a truly despicable act. June 2020 The flat where Novichok victim Dawn Sturgess fell ill is set to be demolished after lying in a 'semi-derelict' state since her death two years ago. The BBC prepares to air a three-part drama on the scandal named The Salisbury Poisonings, which will be shown over three consecutive nights from June 14-16. London, June 14 : UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson along with other political leaders have marked the third anniversary of the 2017 Grenfell Tower tragedy in London with video messages as part of a virtual service. Seventy-two people died on this day three years ago as a small kitchen fire in the west London tower block turned into the most deadly domestic blaze since World War Two, the BBC reported. In his message, Johnson said: "We can all remember where we were three years ago today when we saw this tragedy unfolding on our screens and across the London skyline. "As a nation, we are still dealing with the consequences of what happened and working to make sure it never happens again. "While those affected by Grenfell are not able to gather in person, all of us in this country are with you in spirit." Opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer pledged to do "everything" to make sure that a similar incident did not take place again. "In the midst of their suffering, the Grenfell community came together to campaign for justice, safe homes and change. Because no one should ever go through the loss and pain they experienced," he said. "But three years on and, unbelievably, tonight people will go to bed in unsafe homes. "Three years on and there has been little justice or accountability. Three years on their campaign continues. "I support Grenfell United. We can all learn from their strength and determination," the BBC quoted Starmer as saying in his message. The messages will be relayed to a virtual service hosted by the Bishop of Kensington later as the commemoration moves online due to the coronavirus pandemic. In tribute to each person who died, bells of London churches will toll 72 times and green lights will glow from tower block windows. Faith leaders will conduct sermons and reflections online throughout Sunday and from 11.30 p.m., people in homes across the UK have been asked to shine a bright green light from their screens to show solidarity with the bereaved and survivors. The public inquiry into the disaster was paused in March because of the pandemic and is due to restart on July 6. Following the Grenfell Tower fire, the government identified 176 private high-rise residential buildings with aluminium composite material cladding - the same type used on Grenfell Tower. President Donald Trump on Saturday addressed the new graduating class of the West Point military academy, praising the "righteous glory of the American warrior" but largely side-stepping recent controversies over racial unrest and the military's role in putting it down. "America is the greatest country in human history," Trump told the 1,107 newly minted second lieutenants as they sat, well-spaced, under a bright sun on the parade ground of the US Military Academy. But he made no direct mention of the recent racial turmoil and only glancingly referred to recent dissent from top military figures over his threat to employ active duty troops to put down protests. Trump's closest mention came when he said, "I also want to thank the men and women of our National Guard" for responding to "challenges from hurricanes and natural disasters to ensuring peace, safety and the constitutional rule of law on our streets." The president, who was introduced by the academy's first black superintendent, Lieutenant General Darryl Williams, also referred only passingly to the nation's racial challenges. "The army was at the forefront of ending the terrible injustice of segregation," he said, and it was West Point graduates who led the fight in the Civil War to "end the evil of slavery." Trump did not mention that one West Point barracks still bears the name of General Robert E. Lee, who led the break-away Confederate forces during that war, which brought an end to slavery. Trump has rejected recent demands to rename US military bases bearing the names of Confederate officers. - Rising tensions - Tensions between Trump and the military had soared since he threatened to call out active duty troops to put down sometimes violent protests when racial turmoil broke out recently. Defense Secretary Mark Esper took the exceptional step of publicly denouncing such use of the troops. And Esper's predecessor, James Mattis, accused Trump of deliberately dividing the country and making "a mockery" of the US constitution. On Thursday, General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said he regretted his presence at Trump's side on June 1, when National Guard troops fired smoke bombs and pepper balls to clear peaceful protestors from outside the White House so the president could walk across and pose for pictures at a nearby church. "I should not have been there," said Milley, adding that his presence "created a perception of military involvement in domestic politics." Trump later derided Mattis, a respected retired marine corps leader, as "our country's most overrated general." - Battling for reelection - The fracture in civil-military relations hung over Trump's address to the cadets at the picturesque West Point campus, situated in green hills north of New York City. The president clearly wants to be seen as a tough leader as he battles for reelection in November against Democrat Joe Biden, whom Trump labels "weak." The academy had been shut and students sent home because of the coronavirus pandemic. But Trump abruptly announced in April that he would address the graduates in person. So cadets were recalled and put through weeks of COVID-19 quarantine and testing. They wore masks as they marched onto the field; Trump, as usual, did not. Asked in a Fox News interview that aired Friday about Esper and Milley, Trump replied, "If that's the way they feel, I think that's fine." "I have good relationships with the military," he said. But Trump's strains with the Pentagon have long roots. - Deeper strains - He controversially overrode top Pentagon generals in 2019 to protect a Navy Seal, Eddie Gallagher, accused of war crimes. He also forced the Pentagon to divert billions of dollars from other projects to build a wall along the border with Mexico. And his precipitous efforts to withdraw US troops from abroad -- including a reported plan to slash troop levels in Afghanistan and an abrupt decision to pull thousands of troops from Germany -- have upended Pentagon plans. As the United States continued to mourn the death of George Floyd and protest against racism in law enforcement agencies, it found itself confronting the urgency of the issue as public anger erupted Saturday in Atlanta, Georgia over the killing of another African American man by a white police officer. Protestors blocked a major interstate highway and set fire to popular fast-food chain restaurant as outrage grew untempered by the swift resignation of the Atlanta police chief and the firing of the police officer who had fatally shot Rayshard Brooks, the black man, on Friday night. The police had found Brooks, a 27-year-old father of three, sleeping in his car in the drive-through of Wendys, a fast food chain. He failed a sobriety test and in an ensuing struggle with two officers snatched a Taser and was shot trying to flee, according to Georgia state investigators. Police chief Erika Shields announced a resignation within hours and Garett Wolfe, the officer who is alleged to have to shot Brooks, has been fired. While there may be debate whether this was an appropriate use of deadly force, I firmly believe there is a clear distinction between what you can do and what you should do, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said at a news conference at which she also announced Shields resignation. I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer. The Atalanta shooting came three weeks after George Floyd, a 46-year African American father of five children, died under the knee of a white police officer in Minneapolis, triggering countrywide protests and an intense debate on the need for urgent police reforms to root out racism. Several demonstrators turned up outside West Point, the elite academy in New York for future US military leaders where President Donald Trump gave the commencement address at an in-person event in the middle of escalating differences with US military leaders. They carried signs and chanted slogans. Trump did not mention Brooks in his speech, but alluded to the context of the protests following the death of Floyd. It was this school that gave us the men who fought and won a bloody war to extinguish the evil of slavery within one lifetime of our founding, the president said. Trump recently shut down a move by the Pentagon to rename Army bases named after generals of the confederacy of states that had seceded from the United States and fought its army, and lost, from 1861 to 1865 to protect slavery and continue white supremacy. There are 10 such bases. But statutes of confederate figures and others, going back to Christopher Columbus continue to be toppled around the country. Protestors pulled down a statue Saturday of John McDonogh, a wealthy 19th century slaveowner in Louisiana, loaded the torn down part on two two trucks and dumped them in the Mississippi River. Newsrooms across the country have felt the impact of the continuing and growing protests on the streets. Several top editors and executives have faced scrutiny and punishment. There is no word yet about those responsible at Fox News, an unabashed conservative news channel and supporter of President Trump, for using a digitally altered picture of Seattle protests, which has since been taken down. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Police, community members and others meet near the Columbia Heights Metro Station to discuss recent shootings and other crime in the area on Jan. 20. (Matt McClain/The Post) Residents, who on Thursday toured the area with D.C. police and city leaders, say shootings have made them feel unsafe in their neighborhood. Elizabeth Jones | Journal-Courier Authorities were investigating a report of shots being fired Friday in Winchester. Police were called about 3 p.m. to a High School Street location. Winchester police and Scott County sheriffs deputies blocked off several streets during the investigation. An Illinois State Police crime scene investigator was called to assist. Few other details were available, but state police notified area law enforcement agencies to watch for a car that might have been involved in the incident. Americas Racial Reckoning: What you need to know Full coverage: Race & Reckoning Demographic changes: How the racial makeup of where you live has changed since 1990 Newsletter: Subscribe to About US to read the latest on race and identity George Floyds America: Examining systemic racism through the lens of his life Resources: Understanding racism and inequality in America A lot of people denigrate the value of talking about race and racism in technological spaces, said Ijeoma Oluo, author of So You Want to Talk About Race, which has surged to the top of the New York Times best sellers list in paperback nonfiction, two and a half years after its initial January 2018 publication. ...I don't think there's a more important space to be talking about it. Oluo and I were talking this January, just before the global pandemic struck, at One Cup Coffee: a no-frills, more than profit coffee shop that shares a storefront with a church, and is just down the road from a methadone clinic. The cafe is not far from Oluos home in Shoreline, Washington, a city just north of Seattle. I've seen the absolute best and the absolute worst in race and racism in America on the web, Oluo continued, in ways that have had true-life consequences for me and for people I love. [The internet] is a space that is just as real as face-to-face space. And we absolutely have to be looking at it politically and socially, as to how it's contributing to the way in which we look and deal with each other and how we address issues of inequality and injustice. To drive to Shoreline from the posh Seattle neighborhood in which Id been researching Amazons growing campus which exceeds anything at Harvard and MIT, the two campuses at which I work as a chaplain, in terms of glittering architectural swank Id had to pass directly by probably the largest homeless encampments Ive ever seen in my life. And Ive led interfaith groups of students to study and volunteer in large homeless encampments. Speaking of religion and faith, Oluo and I began our 90-minute conversation (edited highlights below) by bonding a bit over our shared interest in humanism, a semi-organized movement of atheists, agnostics, and allies who try to do good and live meaningfully without belief in a God. I work as the Humanist Chaplain at Harvard and MIT, and write about humanist philosophy as a kind of secular alternative to religion. Story continues For her part, Oluo accepted an award for feminist humanism from the American Humanist Association in 2018. She delivered her acceptance speech to a mostly white liberal crowd who tended to think of themselves as enlightened and broad-minded and thus took it in stride when she opened by telling them to buckle up, as they ate chicken breasts on white plates and black table cloths, busily passing rolls and butter and accidentally clinking their water glasses. But when Oluo told them, I need for you to not always be looking for the harm others are doing, but look for the harm you are doing, as my friend Ryan Bell tweeted at the time, you could hear a pin drop in here. Back to this past January, however: as we sipped simple cups of coffee and tea, I told Oluo about the thesis Ive developed over the course of my year-plus here as TechCrunchs Ethicist in Residence: that the world we call "technology" has grown bigger than any industry, and more impactful than a single culture. Technology has become a secular religion: quite possibly the largest, most influential religion human beings have ever created. As youll see below, Oluo kindly tolerated, maybe even enjoyed the idea, riffing on several possible tech/religion comparisons. Like this one: One thing tech fundamentally has in common with many religions, at least in America is that it is a white man's version of Utopia. And tech especially has this cult-like adherence to a white man's vision of a Utopia that fundamentally disempowers and endangers women and people of color. I consider myself an agnostic (not necessarily an atheist) toward this new religion of technology, because I want to view tech the way Ive always tried to view traditional faith: as a mixed bag, something that can do both good and harm, depending on the circumstance. But as multi-billionaire entrepreneurs like Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos accumulate power; as social media misinformation sways the fate of democracies while artificial intelligence intrudes on justice systems; and as the current pandemic drives more of our life online, I sometimes wonder if Ill be forced to re-evaluate my own would-be prophesy. If we're not careful, tech could become the most dangerous cult of all time. Just a bit more context before the interview below, which Oluo and I agreed to call So You Want to Talk About Race in Tech, after her bookwhich was already a major success, but has now reached iconic status nationwide in the wake of George Floyds murder. This article is the last installment of the roughly year-long series Ive done for TechCrunch, offering in-depth analysis of people and issues in the ethics of technology. So let me just mention that up to now my editors and I have produced 38 articles, with over 150,000 words about mostly women and people of color who happen to be leading efforts to reform and re-envision the ethics of our new technological world. The series included interviewed Anand Giridharadas on "Silicon Valley's inequality machine"; Taylor Lorenz on "the ethics of internet culture"; and James Williams on "the adversarial persuasion machine" of efforts by his former employer Google among others to distract us to death. It featured CEOs and venture capitalists disclosing childhood traumas before debating the moral merits of their creations; employees and gig workers speaking painful truth to their powerful employers; as well as deep dives into perspectives on tech feminism, intersectionality, and socialism, alongside heroic efforts to combat cultures of abuse and violent immigration policing within the industry. Now, to introduce the interview with Oluo: which was, again, completed weeks before the current crisis, but is even more relevant today. To paraphrase the self-described zillionaire venture capitalist Nick Hanauer, another Seattle resident with whom I met the same week as I met Oluo, the pitchforks have finally come for American plutocrats. Weve come to the point, across this country, where my fellow white people and I are not talking about race and racism because were woke, or because we want to do everything we can to make the world a better place, but because we fucking have to. As Kim Latrice Jones says in her viral video that has become emblematic of this period, were lucky what black people are looking for is equality, and not revenge. This is perhaps doubly so in the tech world, where perhaps not all our neighborhoods and offices are literally burning at this moment, but where there is the most to lose because they could be. Tech is immune neither to COVID-19 nor to pitchforks. If Black people arent able to achieve more sustainable forms of equality in the tech world in the coming years, revenge could become the next goalpost. And it could be justified. But I trust no one wants to go there. As Malcolm X once said on a visit to Coretta Scott King while Martin Luther King, Jr. was in a Birmingham jail: Mrs. King, will you tell Dr. King . . . I didnt come to make his job more difficult. I thought that if the white people understood what the alternative was that they would be willing to listen to Dr. King. MLK has become an almost literal civil rights deity over recent generations, deservedly so. But we may one day, hopefully a long and peaceful time from now, look back on the life and work of Ijeoma Oluo (along with several of her peers, many of them Black women) as having achieved a level of influence and inspiration that at least approaches Kings. And while some readers might need to buckle up in order to take in what she has to say, they should remember that her vision is the more optimistic alternative for how things could go in the coming years. So you want to talk about race in tech? Lets talk. Editor's note: This interview has been edited for clarity. Greg Epstein: To what extent has the work you've been doing, particularly since your book So You Want to Talk About Race came out, intersected with the tech world? Ijeoma Oluo: I wrote the book as a black woman who grew up in Seattle, which is such a tech-centric city, and who worked in tech for over 10 years before I moved over to writing. So it's very much shaped by these environments environments that think they've transcended race and racism and clearly have not, and also a place where people of color are extreme minorities, especially women of color. So the tech industry was very present in the book even when I wasn't talking about tech. Because a lot of people in tech recognized themselves and their peers in the examples used in the book. Probably one of the most watched videos of a talk I'd given is the one I gave at Google. And a lot of the tech industry, especially here in Seattle, immediately adopted the book, like, "Oh, she lives here. Let's read this, this will be the thing we do for the year, as far as race and racism." But when I walk into a tech space, I think about it the way I think about just about any other white-majority, liberal-leaning space. Which is that there's a very limited amount I can do in the time I'm there; the most I can do is reinforce what the extreme minority of people of color in that room are feeling and experiencing. Because I've lived it to an extent many other speakers cannot. [The idea of the book as relevant to tech] also applies because as a black woman, and as a writer, I wouldn't be [where] I am today if it weren't for social media, the access that it granted me. But the cost that [social media has] had, and the way in which it's giving, via tech, the exact same if not larger platforms to hate, division, and abuse, especially of people of color and women of color, and LGBTQ community, is something that needs to be discussed. There's this argument in tech that anyone can prosper in this space. They've removed all the boundaries to prosperity. But the truth is, they've moved their own personal boundaries, and left all the boundaries to people of color and women in place because they just don't exist in these origin stories, as anything other than props. A lot of people denigrate the value of talking about race and racism in technological spaces; I don't think there's a more important space to be talking about it. I've seen the absolute best and the absolute worst in race and racism in America on the web, in ways that have had true-life consequences for me and for people I love. It is a space that is just as real as the face-to-face space. And we absolutely have to be looking at it politically and socially as to how it's contributing to the way in which we look and deal with each other and politically how we address issues of inequality and injustice. Epstein: Great summary: [tech as] the best and the worst. I mean, Ive learned so much from Black Twitter, which is extraordinarily empowering. Then there's White Supremacist Twitter. And then there's just the sort of White Supremacist Lite Twitter, that is, sort of...Twitter. Oluo: It's interesting [that you talk about] looking at [tech] like a religion. I think one thing tech fundamentally has in common with many religions, at least in America, is that it is a white man's version of Utopia. And tech especially has this cult-like adherence to a white man's vision of a Utopia that fundamentally disempowers and endangers women and people of color. Epstein: I love that image; Id love for you to brainstorm with me: what are the characteristics of this white man's vision of Utopia that we see in tech culture? Oluo: It starts with the mythologizing of white-male struggle that's at the core of tech culture. The idea that these men were outcasts who built things up from nothing the shunned ones. And they're going to fix the problems standing in their way. This is their success story, their ascension. So what stands in their way, are people of color, the women that aren't sleeping with them, the popularity and the wealth they aren't automatically getting, old-class structures that are keeping them away from the new class structure [based on] who has these skills that they, as white men, have? And the mythology built around it feels very cult-like, very religious-like. There's this whole origin story that's not true. If we look at the founding of our biggest technological advances, we're going to see a lot of extreme privilege, and this idea that there are rules, merits that are purely good, [things] you can do to ascend in these spaces that are going to revolutionize things. And in the tech space it's really these guys saying [the criteria for inclusion are] going to be: How good are you at coding? Can you debate better than this person? What it starts with is a fundamental centering of white maleness. And the goal is the ascension of white maleness. People of color can aid it, they can mimic it, or they're in the way, to be overcome. There's this argument in tech that anyone can prosper in this space. They've removed all the boundaries to prosperity. But the truth is, they've moved their own personal boundaries, and left all the boundaries to people of color and women in place because they just don't exist in these origin stories, as anything other than props. If you can't get your shit together first and foremost for the people in the office, you're never going to get it together for the products you serve. What cracks me up is, for a dogma that likes to talk about change and adaptation as much as tech does, how completely closed they are to actual change, especially for any sort of ideological change, and how terrified they are of looking around a room and not seeing people who look just like them, of taking things down to bare bones and asking, did we do this right? There is nothing revolutionary about what many in tech are calling revolutionary right now. And many complaints people have about organized religion "Wait, we're still sticking to these rules from 2000 years ago? We're still threatened by change and progress?" are things you can see in tech already. And its worrying, considering how recent this industry is, that [we already see tech leaders] saying, "No, no, no, this is the way it's always been done." Well, where does the change come in then? Are we locking in at these prototype stages and saying, this is the way it's always been done? For what, the last 20, 30 years? It's ridiculous. But the fervor with which I've seen white men defend [that status quo of the last 20 to 30 years] and the ways in which they talk about threats to it, also have that kind of religious fervor the same fervor that launched the internet even for people who are beyond religion. Wrter Ijeoma Oluo Epstein: To what extent have you talked or written publicly about your work in the tech industry? Oluo: I don't write a lot about [my experiences in tech]. In my book there's a couple of anecdotes about work; any time I write about work, chances are it was in the tech industry, but it's not specific. The one thing I will definitely say is, I have never been more sexually harassed in my life than [while] working in tech. I have never faced more blatant accusations about my race, and whether it helps or hinders my career, than I have in tech. I've literally been asked to my face, "Do you think you got that promotion because you're black?" I have never felt more of an outsider than in tech, and it's an incredibly gaslighting environment because it likes to pretend it has that all figured out. Do you believe there is a profitable future in racial justice? Do you believe you can build products and goals around racial justice? Do you believe people of color are your customers? Ive worked in places that suck on race and gender. And they very clearly suck in a way that you know [what youre getting into]. I worked in the auto industry: I knew what I was getting into there. But in tech they're like, "Oh, no. That doesn't matter here. That's not a problem here." And it most certainly is a problem. A lot of people think everyone joins tech because they love tech, and that's going to be the thing that gets them all together, right? This great passion that's going to help you realize that gender doesn't matter, sexuality doesn't matter, race doesn't matter. That's absolutely not true, because the pitfall that tech falls into is the same one that every other corporation, or actually any other group in America falls into. Which is the idea that true diversity and racial justice is going to be painless for white people and there will be no adjustment. And that people of color want the exact same things you want, and value the same things you value. And somehow at the end of that, they're going to still see you as superior in some way. None of that is true in real diversity, and in real racial justice and gender justice. And we need to talk about it, because its not just a work environment. I've talked to some of the biggest tech or tech-adjacent companies in the world: not only [are] real human beings going into an office every day and facing the realities of a space that does not want to acknowledge issues of racism and sexism, but [that same company] creates products that shape how we interact with each other in the world, in a way that replicates those same issues. If you can't get your shit together first and foremost for the people in the office, you're never going to get it together for the products you serve. You can't have an all white male environment, or a majority white male environment, and think the product you have isn't going to replicate bias and harm. And you can't create a product that you think eradicates bias and harm, while you have a work environment [in which] the people are creating it are suffering under extreme duress, and exclusion, and harm. It has to both be tackled at once. And a lot of times I find that environments try to do one or the other, and not well, and it's impossible. And the ramifications of not attacking it in tech hurt more than just the people sitting in cubicles doing the work. It really hurts everyone. Epstein: When you say it really hurts everyone, youre talking about the lack of commitment to actual justice? Oluo: Yes. And the lack of valuing marginalized people. Even when we're looking not just from a, do you like your neighbor?, but even from a profit-level standpoint. Do you believe there is a profitable future in racial justice? Do you believe you can build products and goals around racial justice? Do you believe people of color are your customers? Do you believe that your product should adapt to them instead of them adapting to your products? Do you want their children using your products, and their grandchildren using your products? Do you want them feeling welcome and well-served by you? If we're looking at capitalism and this is a capitalist enterprise, we can't [act] like it's divorced from it it matters. And even these platforms that don't think they're related to capitalism, think they don't sell a thing: it's bullshit. It's all part of the capitalist world. And it's about what you value. Do you think the voices of people of color matter? Because if they do, then the way you tackle issues around harassment and abuse looks starkly different than if you just value the voices of white men. Epstein: A final question Ive asked of everyone Ive interviewed for this TechCrunch series on ethics: how optimistic are you about our shared human future? Oluo: I'm not more or less optimistic than I ever was. I worry. I worry about how easy it is for people in Western utilization of tech to feel like technology means they don't actually have to see anyone face to face, and they don't have to form deep connections with people, or try to build real alliances, or tie their futures and their sense of safety and community and belonging to other people. The one thing I would definitely say, that [there] is an incredibly Western-centric view of tech. I'm Nigerian American. The way in which tech is utilized in Nigeria is completely different than the way it's utilized here. In Nigeria it's about utility first and foremost. And about bringing people together face to face, to make African businesses run more smoothly, to help undo legacies of colonialism that have taken away physical infrastructure. To build that infrastructure online so that it can exist somewhere. When we look at even the ways in which Nigerians use the internet to reach across diaspora, it's so fundamentally different to the Western view of what the internet's for and how it should be used, and I feel like there's so much to be learned there. If you want to look at where real pioneering is being done, look at the ways in which tech and internet [are] being used in Central America, South America, African nations, and many Asian nations. Look at what it looks like when communities of color say, "I'm going to build technology that solves the problems that we have, within these limitations of white supremacist structure." Look at what it looks like when you're creating the internet in a society that values the group over the individual. What does the internet look like then? Because it's not the dream of extreme independence in Nigeria, that's not what the internet's built for, that's not a goal, that's not what you want for your kids or your family, that's not what you set out for. So then, what does the internet look like when you have a different social structure? When you think that maybe it isn't the idea that we're all here pulling ourselves by our bootstraps, maybe we're pulling our communities up, what does it look like then when you're creating platforms? Whole platforms created for that? That's where if you want to feel hopeful about what tech can do that's where you need to be. Epstein: What a beautiful answer to that question. Thank you. That's in many ways the best answer I've received to that question, and I've asked it of a lot of smart people. Oluo: Oh, thank you. Epstein: Thank you so much for taking the time, on behalf of myself and TechCrunch. Boris Johnson Reportedly 'Scrapped' Health Security Threats Committee Shortly Before Pandemic Sputnik News 12:10 GMT 13.06.2020 According to a new report, in late 2018, Theresa May wound down a sub-committee of the National Security Council tasked with protecting the UK from influenza pandemics, in order to devote more resources to Brexit. The committee was later abolished by her successor. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson "scrapped" a team of senior ministers who were charged with protecting the country from security hazards, including the threat of a pandemic, just six months before the outbreak of coronavirus, the Daily Mail's investigation revealed. According to report, the group called the Threats, Hazards, Resilience and Contingency Committee (THRCC) was a sub-committee of the National Security Council (NSC). It included such prominent ministers as Health Secretary Matt Hancock, now Minister for the Cabinet Office Michael Gove and former Secretary of State for Defence Gavin Williamson and was chaired by David Lidington, Theresa May's deputy prime minister. However, in 2018, the sub-committee was suspended by ex-PM Theresa May following advice from the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Mark Sedwill, as the country was potentially heading to a "No Deal" scenario. "We were having to spend more time on EU exit strategy and less on everything else", a former Cabinet minister who also sat in THRCC told the Daily Mail. "It was felt that if we were going to get our ducks in a row to prepare for the risk of a no-deal scenario we had to slow down on things including THRCC". The committee was completely abolished by Boris Johnson when he assumed office in July 2019, with no virus control plans being put forward, according to the report. The former THRCC member, who remained anonymous, says that the committee could have helped improve the government's response to coronavirus, if it had remained in place. "Once the pandemic took hold in Italy... alarm bells would have been ringing", the ex-minister said. "We would have stress-tested the Government's contingency plans for dealing with a pandemic". In July 2018, then-Minister of State for Security Ben Wallace was behind a Home Office report which highlighted the importance of THRCC as a safeguard against infectious diseases. It was Wallace's "biological security strategy" that especially pointed out that "one of the most significant civil emergency risks" the UK was facing came from an influenza pandemic. "Such an outbreak could have the potential to cause hundreds of thousands of fatalities and cost the UK tens of billions of pounds", the report was quoted as saying. "Significant outbreaks of disease are among the highest impact risks faced by any society, threatening lives and causing disruption to public services and the economy". The chair of the National Security Council Committee, Dame Margaret Beckett, has reportedly pledged to investigate the dissolution of THRCC at a cross-party inquiry into the UK government's response to the coronavirus crisis. According to John Hopkins University data on 13 June, the United Kingdom has registered more than 294,400 cases of coronavirus, with 41,566 deaths. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has said that Governor Godwin Obaseki is yet registered as a member to contest the partys governorship primary. The partys state chairman, Tony Azegbemin, said this on Saturday, adding that the clarification became necessary following media reports that the governor has joined the opposition party. Obaseki was disqualified by the All Progressives Party (APC) screening committee from contesting the primary election slated for June 22 a party on whose platform he rode to power in 2016. Governor Godwin Obaseki has not indicated interest to run on the partys platform. Advertisement Read Also: APC Primaries: Well Not Appeal Outcome Of Unjust Screening Exercise Obaseki The rumour that the governor picked his PDP membership card yesterday at Ward 4 of Oredo Local Government Area chapter is false and unfounded. We will welcome him to the PDP with open arms, but as we speak, he has not registered as a member of the PDP, he said. According to Azegbemin, he was not surprised at happenings in Edo state APC, while stating that the PDP would take advantage of it. Saudi Arabia-based Amlak International for Real Estate Finance has announced its intention to proceed with an Initial Public Offering (IPO) representing 30% of the companys share capital on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul). The offering will comprise 27,180,000 ordinary shares and the net proceeds of the offering will be paid to the selling shareholders on a pro-rata basis. The Capital Market Authority (CMA) issued its resolution on December 25, 2019, approving the application for the offering. The company has appointed NCB Capital Company as Sole Financial Advisor, Sole Bookrunner, Sole Underwriter and Lead Manager in relation to the offer shares. Highlights of the offering: Among the most efficient in its sector with Earnings Before Tax (EBT) margin of 34.4% in 2019 and 44% in Q1 2020 Strong and stable payout record with 42% of capital paid back in cash dividends since 2013 State-of-the-art Temenos T24 technology platform enables efficient scalability of operations Resilient and predictable revenues from diverse corporate and individuals real estate financing portfolio Robust capital base and low debt/equity ratio of 1.88x with headroom for growth, SR 1.37 billion ($365 million) in unutilized bank facilities as at Q1 2020 Amlaks objective is to be the kingdoms leading provider of Sharia-compliant real estate finance services, and to achieve balanced and steadily increasing revenues, thereby cementing its leadership position within the Saudi real estate finance industry, a company statement said. The company benefits from a highly-experienced management team, responsible for implementation of strategy, achieving positive and stable performance along with high levels of operational efficiency, it added. Abdullah Al Howaish, Chairman of Amlak International, said: The announcement of our intention to list on Tadawul is a historic moment for the Company, with the forthcoming IPO a testament to our commitment to future growth. Amlak International plays a leading role in Saudi Arabias burgeoning non-bank real estate financing industry, and has positioned itself to take full advantage of the opportunities that todays market presents. Our listing on Tadawul marks a new chapter in the story of the Company, and the Board has every expectation that management and staff will fulfil the trust that the market places in us. We look forward to delivering on the strategic roadmap we have set out for the years ahead, he added. Abdullah Al Sudairy, Chief Executive Officer at Amlak International, said: We are ready to capture a growing number of opportunities, in particular those provided by the positive market dynamics created by the kingdoms Vision 2030 reform programme. Among our most important competitive advantages is our diverse lending portfolio, which covers the full corporate and individuals spectrum. This will enable Amlak to build on its strong position in the corporate real estate financing segment, while supporting Saudi nationals in their ambitions to buy and build homes. Demand for real estate financing is accelerating, and our substantial funding base and first-class technology platform put us in a position to increase momentum, he explained. TradeArabia News Service As COVID-19 continues to have a public health impact in our communities, we must think about proactive health changes that can protect Michiganders as we adapt to our new normal. Colleges and universities will be making adjustments as students return to campus and one area where they can better protect their students is by making immunizations mandatory. Lives can be saved by making sure that young adults are up to date on their vaccinations before returning to campus This issue hits close to home for me as I lost my daughter to a vaccine-preventable disease, Meningitis B, several years ago. My daughter Emily was a 19-year-old college sophomore when she died just 36 hours after her first symptoms. While she had received all of the vaccines available at the time, she was still not protected. Today, there is a vaccine to protect young people from Meningitis B, but its not currently mandatory for students to have it to attend colleges. I have made it my mission to educate the public on vaccine-preventable diseases because I dont want any other parents to have to experience the loss of their child from a preventable disease. As we adjust to life in a post-COVID-19 world and look for ways to protect ourselves, its clear that vaccinations can be the difference between life or death. As colleges and universities in Michigan prepare for fall campus returns, I urge them to revise their vaccine requirements to protect our students and the public health by keeping these diseases and viruses at bay. To better protect students, Michigan colleges and universities should: * Require students to be up to date on all vaccinations to attend the institution (including MMR, meningitis ACWY and meningitis B, influenza, hepatitis B and COVID-19 once it is available). * Require all students to have a comprehensive, completed immunization record. * Create or update campus emergency action plans in the event of an outbreak. The American Academy of Pediatrics have recently estimated that immunization rates among children have fallen by 60-80% during the COVID-19 pandemic. This spike occurred due to the reduction in doctor visits during the pandemic, not vaccine hesitancy. These numbers are alarming and colleges and universities, as well as parents sending their students back, should be concerned. Lack of immunizations leave students and campuses vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases that threaten the public health. As colleges and universities prepare for the new normal and keep the public health more top of mind than ever, its time for vaccinations to be mandatory for attendance. Ensuring that students have their vaccinations helps doctors better identify health problems that may occur, as often symptoms of meningitis, cold, flu and COVID-19 can be similar. Requiring select vaccines on campus can help take some of the guesswork out of the equation and help identify the problem quicker, which is critical since time is of the essence in many of these cases. If weve learned anything during the COVID-19 pandemic, its that we cant take anything for granted, especially when it comes to health. Comprehensive immunizations policies must be an integral part of how students can safely return to campus after COVID-19. Its time to make immunizations for vaccine-preventable diseases mandatory to ensure the health and wellness of college students. Lives depend on it. Alicia Stillman is the executive director of the Emily Stillman Foundation. Editor: It is a shame that a citizen who aspires to public office at the state and federal level must have a significant amount of money to run for political office. Additionally, the aspiring politician has to overcome the entrenched swamp creatures who permeate life in D.C. and to a certain extent, state government. Our founding fathers never imagined a scenario where someone would occupy public office as lifelong career. The problematic nepotism in Washington D.C. unfortunately reaches us here in Wyoming. Congressional seats can be simply bought by those who have personal wealth and little evidence of successful real world experience. I will be supporting Robert Short in the Wyoming U.S. Senate race for the retiring Mike Enzis seat. Robert is a new face in Wyoming politics, he grew up in Wyoming, has worked around the world and here in Wyoming for 40 years. As a successful small business owner, he has proven experience in the private world, and this is the kind of person that I want to represent me and the great state of Wyoming in Washington D.C. PAC money, traditionally, goes to entrenched politicians. Do we really want to continue this way? If someone has been in politics or public office all of their adult and professional life, how then can we expect them to understand what is going on in the private sector? Robert Short has been a Converse County Commissioner for 6 years, while being the Chairman for the last two years. Limit the amount of money that can be used in political campaigns, this would level the playing field so that any citizen could run for office and represent their constituents instead of special interest. Term limits are sorely needed and way overdue. Cynthia Lummis, the leading opponent, has been in public office for 41 years, she has had her shot at governing the state of Wyoming and our country. Lummis has endorsements from both Wyoming Senators, John Barrasso and Mike Enzi. Additionally, Lummiss war chest is fueled by her family wealth estimated to be as high as 65 million dollars. It's time for change! ALLEN JENNINGS, Glenrock Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Telus Inc. (TSX:T)(NYSE:TU) stock is down 3.5% so far in June. Last week was a particularly difficult week for Telus. And while it was difficult all around, Telus performance was worse than that of the S&P/TSX Composite Index. Despite this, I am here to tell you that buying Telus stock is one great way to prepare for the next market crash. The extent of the economic hit that caused by COVID-19 is becoming increasingly clear and painful. Upcoming earnings will underscore the fact that hard times are here to stay at least for a little while. And a stock market that is attempting to brush off this crisis may be in for a wake-up call. In this case, it is essential for us to buy stocks that will be more immune to this economic and stock market crash. Telus stock protects your investment from a stock market crash with a generous yield Telus is currently yielding a very generous 5.06%. This is not only a generous yield, but it is also well covered. Telus payout ratio of 83.9% is in line with its industry peers average and backed up by healthy free cash flows and strong liquidity. In its latest quarter, Telus reported free cash flow of $425 million. Buying Telus stock today would give you an annualized return of 5%. If you can hold the stock through the crisis, you wont really care what the short-term movements are. In the event of a stock market crash, you still pocket a 5% return in the form of dividend income. Telus has staying power The telecommunications industry is a defensive one. And Telus is a top performer, with strong free cash flow growth and, up until recently, strong dividend growth. Its revenues are sticky. Today, with isolation and social distancing policies in effect, telecommunication companies are seemingly more important than ever. All of this should drive demand for Telus stock. Exposure to healthy growth On top of being one of Canadas telecommunications giants, Telus is also an innovator. The company is involved in two areas that have strong growth trajectories ahead. These growth areas are a sign of the times. They couldnt have an environment more conducive to their growth and success. Story continues Telus Health is a healthcare app by Telus and a great example of how technology can make our healthcare system easier and better. It is even more evident now as it transforms the Canadian healthcare system at unprecedented speed. Babylon by Telus Health is a healthcare mobile app that allows patients to check symptoms and have doctor consultations. Sounds useful in todays times, right? The Telus Health Electronic Medical Record (EMR) solution has invested $ 2 billion in the Canadian healthcare system in the last five years and has a dedicated team to manage all tech and data needs. Telus International, which helps companies with their digital transformation, is another beneficiary. Telus International provides customer service outsourcing and digital IT services to global clients. It is at the forefront in the digitization of society. We can therefore expect to see demand improve dramatically in the coming months. The rise in remote workers has been dramatic, with a 170% increase. Telus 5G network will increasingly allow work from anywhere. This is expected to drive a boost in productivity, while ensuring business continuity. Foolish bottom line Telus stock provides investors with a safe haven of sorts, sheltered from market volatility. Telus provides a guaranteed 5% return via the dividend and good potential for healthy growth of the business. Telus stock is therefore a good buy to help us prepare for another stock market crash. The post Another Stock Market Crash Is Coming: Buy Telus (TSX:T) Stock to Get Ready appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. More reading Fool contributor Karen Thomas 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 New York, June 14 : At a ceremony with President Donald Trump, Anmol Narang has become the first "observant" Sikh to graduate from the US Military Academy. Narang was among about 1,100 cadets who graduated on Saturday at the premier institution's campus in West Point in New York with the rank of 2nd lieutenant. "I am showing other Sikh Americans that any career path is possible for anyone willing to rise to the challenge," Narang said in a statement released through the coalition. Although Sikh men have graduated from West Point, the Sikh Coalition described her in a press release as "the first observant Sikh" to graduate from the institution. This was because she was not required to compromise her faith as past Sikh graduates had been required to under the regulations since discarded. She did not have to cut her hair as women are exempt from the personal grooming regulations which forced her Sikh predecessors to violate the religious rules against cutting their hair and beard. "While 2nd Lt Narang required no accommodation for her articles of faith, her exemplary service to date underscores how diversity and pluralism remain core strengths of the US military and the country as a whole," the coalition said. Sikh men have now received an exemption and there are currently at least two men studying at the academy who are allowed to keep their beard and hair uncut under new regulations. US Army Captain Simratpal Singh, a 2010 West Point graduate who had been required to cut his hair under the regulations at that time, said: "I am immensely proud of 2nd Lt Narang for seeing her goal through and, in doing so, breaking a barrier for any Sikh American who wishes to serve. "The broader acceptance of Sikh service members among all of the service branches, as well as in top tier leadership spaces like West Point, will continue to benefit not just the rights of religious minority individuals, but the strength and diversity of the US Military." Singh won a court case challenging the Army ban on Sikhs keeping their hair and beard uncut leading to the change in rules. Currently only the Army and the Air Force have given across the board exemptions to Sikhs, while other services have not. Several women of Indian descent have graduated from West Point, with at least one passing in the past three years and becoming Army officers. Smran Patil, who was born in Bengaluru, graduated last year, Neha Valluri in 2018 and Sneha Singh in 2017. The academy began admitting women in 1976. Narang's maternal grandfather's career in the Indian Army gave her an interest in military service and she began her application process for West Point after her family visited Pearl Harbor National Memorial in Hawaii, the coalition said. Admissions to the military academy are extremely tough. Besides fulfilling educational and physical requirements, a candidate will have to be nominated by a member of Congress, the vice president or the president to be admitted to West Point. Delivering his commencement address -- the formal speech at the graduation ceremony -- Trump reiterated his vision for the US military that moves away from involvement in internal issues of other countries to prioritising Washington's interests. "We are ending the era of endless wars. In its place is a renewed, clear-eyed focus on defending America's vital interests. It is not the duty of US troops to solve ancient conflicts in faraway lands that many people have never even heard of. We are not the policemen of the world. "We are restoring the fundamental principles that the job of the American soldier is not to rebuild foreign nations, but defend - and defend strongly - our nation from foreign enemies," he added. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis) I did not authorize any of those individuals to be charged with rioting. I think thats a very gray area, a very dangerous area that bleeds into protesting, and what is First Amendment [protected] and what is not, Sherwin said in a June 5 statement to The Washington Post. But what we did charge and will continue to charge is any and all acts of violence, physical aggression and property damage such conduct will never be condoned or accepted in the District. The UK, Canada to Open Doors to Hongkongers Honest News Straight to Your Home. Try the Epoch Times yourself, and get a free gift. Following the British prime ministers announcement to open the countrys doors to 3 million Hong Kong citizens, Canadas deputy prime minister also expressed that 300,000 Canadian citizens living in Hong Kong are welcome to come home. On June 3rd, Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said at the press conference: There are roughly 300,000 Canadians currently living in Hong Kong. All of those people are Canadian, and of course, dear Canadians living in Hong Kong, you are very, very welcome to come home anytime. Chrystia Freeland also mentioned: Canada continues to be a country that welcomes immigrants and asylum seekers from around the world. Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship, Marco Mendicino also expressed that Canadians in Hong Kong are welcome to come home. Researcher on China Issues, Xue Chi said: Hong Kong is a cosmopolitan city, and Hong Kong is linked to the interests of all major countries in the world. The CCPs current push of the National Security Law has put itself on the opposite side of the world, which is why the international landscape is rapidly evolving. On the same day, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the CCPs push for the Hong Kong National Security Law, which severely undermined Hong Kongs political and civil liberties. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson: I do think that what is happening now is potentially going to be an infringement of the Sino-UK, China-British agreement which protects political and civic freedoms in Hong Kong. That looks as though it could be very, very badly eroded by what is being proposed. Xue Chi: These all show that the UK, Canada, and a number of other countries around the world are now siding with the US to strike back strongly against China. So the development in this international landscape will be more and more clear in the future. One of their most important driving forces is the CCPs rash moves, the CCPs global ambitions. The CCP is now very irrational, and its policies are contradictory. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also published an article in The Times, saying that if China insists on implementing the Hong Kong National Security Law, the UK will revise its immigration policy to provide a route to citizenship for 350,000 British National Overseas Passport holders and 2.5 million Hong Kong residents who are eligible to apply for British passports. Xue Chi: What Britain is doing at the moment, opening its doors to three million people in Hong Kong, is just the beginning, as we will see further down the line, that the UK and the US will take some more substantial measures. This change in the UKs decision-making is very meaningful, and its impact on international society is huge. On the same day, the UKs Foreign Secretary (Dominic Raab) said in an interview with Sky News, that the UKs reason for relaxing its immigration policy is because Britain wont turn its back on the people of Hong Kong. He stressed that Britain is willing to sacrifice trade deals with China in order to fulfill its obligations to Hong Kongs people on principle matters involving morality and its international stature. Former Reporter of the CCPs Peoples Liberation Army Daily, Jiang Lin: Of course the UK has intricate ties with Hong Kong, so it should be said that its feelings towards Hong Kong have historical roots. This matter on one hand reflected both their shared values, and on the other hand, reflected Hong Kong residents high civil status. Both from the economy and from their protests against the extradition bill over the past year, Hong Kong residents have shown very good manners, and the manners they have shown has been seen and admired by the world. Former Reporter of the CCPs Peoples Liberation Army Daily, Jiang Lin expressed, that while some Hong Kong people might emigrate, others have expressed their desire to fight against the CCPs totalitarian regime till the end. Jiang Lin: For example, Apple Dailys founder Jimmy Lai, said that he is resolute, that he would never leave, that he would remain in Hong Kong and stand with the Hong Kong people, to fight a resolute fight against the CCPs totalitarian regime. There are some people like that, and they are also quite admirable. Jiang Lin also criticized that the CCPs push for the Hong Kong National Security Law undermined the One Country, Two Systems policy in Hong Kong. Jiang Lin: The legislative process of this law itself has violated Hong Kongs Basic Law. It was decided by the Central Government alone and not by the people of Hong Kong, which has undermined HKs One Country, Two Systems principle, and HKs principle of a high degree of autonomy. If it (the CCP) is bent on going down this route, the opposition from HK people will not be resolved at all, it will only get worse. UKs Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab expressed that the UK is currently in discussion with members of the Five Eyes Alliance, including the US and Australia. The UK will negotiate further countermeasures with its allies if the CCP insists on promulgating the Hong Kong National Security Law. Win McNamee/Getty President Donald Trumps decision to deploy the National Guard to quell Black Lives Matter protests in the nations capital has cost U.S. taxpayers about $21 million as of this past Friday, a spokesperson for the guard told The Daily Beast. That projected cost includes the deployment of the guard to the District from 12 different states, the spokesperson said. The official mission, the spokesperson said, was to support the D.C. civil unrest operations. About $18.2 million of the total cost of the operation was dedicated to pay and allowance for the guard and about $2.9 million went to operations and management, which included transportation and lodging. The total estimated tally does not include costs for aircraft that were used to transport guard personnel from supporting states to D.C. It also doesnt account for the other various law enforcement units that were dispatched to the capital to deal with the protests that erupted after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. According to Attorney General Bill Barr, all the major law-enforcement components of the Department of Justice were involved in operations in D.C., including the FBI, ATF, DEA, Bureau of Prisons, and U.S. Marshals Service. Reuters previously reported that it cost up to $2.6 million per day for 5,000 National Guard troops to assist in the federal response to the protests in D.C. According to an ongoing Daily Beast analysis, the $21 million cost for D.C. represents one of the highest price points out of all the states that chose to deploy National Guard troops during the protests. Other states deployed their guardsman within their borders to deal with their own protests. California spent an estimated $25 million. Minnesota, which was the epicenter of the early protests, spent about $12.7 million in total to deploy guard troops. Trump has come under intense criticism for his decision to deploy overwhelming force in the capital as a means of counteracting protestors. The president has defended his actions on the grounds that he was trying to stop looting and vandalism. But his decision to militarize the operation and his use of law enforcement personnel to effectively stage a photo op outside the White House has been chastised among Democrats and Republicans alike. Story continues 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. Isolation facility not mandatory for flyers testing positive on arrival from at-risk countries: Check guidelin Development trajectory: PM to interact with DMs of various districts today COVID-19 spreads to rural areas in MP, tally at 951 India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Bhopal, June 14: At least 951 persons from 462 villages in Madhya Pradesh have tested positive for novel coronavirus, a latest report from the state government has said. According to the report, the disease has spread its tentacles in 50 districts of the state, infecting 951 people from the rural areas, of which 32 have died. The revelation has come at a time when the state government claims that the impact of the outbreak has weakened in Madhya Pradesh. Earlier this week, state Health Minister Narottam Mishra had said that Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan had directed officials to focus on capital city Bhopal, as the situation in other parts of the state was under control. Among the 951 COVID-19 patients in rural areas, 479 were labourers, including migrants who returned to the state following the lockdown, the latest panchayat and rural department's report stated. As per the data, 336 people were infected in rural Madhya Pradesh on May 21 and of them, 130 were labourers and 206 were other villagers. Swab samples of 29,881 people have been collected for testing from rural areas of the state so far, it stated. The infection, which was detected in 186 villages on May 21, has spread to 462 villages in just 22 days, the report revealed. Incidentally, none of the villages in Hoshangabad and Niwari districts have reported a single case of COVID-19 so far, the report said. According to the data, villages in Indore district have recorded the highest number of rural COVID-19 cases with 90 persons testing positive for the infection, followed by 51 in the villages of Khargone, 50 in Bhind, 43 in Neemuch, 42 in Gwalior and 41 in Burhanpur. At least 14 people have succumbed to the infection in eight villages of Indore, with six deaths reported from Baank village alone. Meanwhile, additional chief secretary of the Panchayat and Rural Development department Manoj Shrivastava said the state government was working hard to contain the viral spread in rural areas. Over 14.82 lakh migrant labourers had returned to their homes from other states so far, he said. Presently, 12,04,315 migrant labourers and villagers were home quarantined or put in isolation centres, the official said. The state government was also working towards providing jobs, food and healthcare facilities to migrant labourers. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, June 14, 2020, 8:46 [IST] According to a statement on the arrest sent out by the Police Department, his arrest came soon after he was observed throwing a brick through the stations windowpane. 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 George Floyd told the four Minneapolis police officers, "I'm about to die." "You are talking fine," an officer responded. In the final 20 minutes of Floyds life, one officer pulled a gun on him as he pleaded with officers not to put him in the back seat because he was claustrophobic, according to charging documents filed Wednesday by state prosecutors. Following reports that a man had used a counterfeit $20 bill, the officers had pulled Floyd out of his car. Later, another officer expressed concern, asking whether they should roll Floyd on his side. Officer Derek Chauvin, who was recorded on video kneeling on Floyd's neck as he begged for air before he died, replied, "No, staying put where we got him." Now, the three other Minneapolis police officers at the scene of Floyd's death will face charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder, the Minnesota attorney general announced Wednesday. State Atty. Gen. Keith Ellison also elevated charges against Chauvin to second-degree murder. Ellison said during a news conference Wednesday that he does not believe "one successful prosecution can rectify" the pain felt by the community. "He should be here," Ellison said of Floyd. "But he's not." All four officers were fired shortly after Floyd's death. Arrest warrants were issued for the three other officers, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane. Aiding and abetting second-degree murder is a felony under Minnesota state law. Chauvin, who is being held at a state prison, was initially charged last week with third-degree murder and manslaughter before Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz asked Ellison to take over the prosecution. Charges filed by the state and released Wednesday provide more detail into the incident and Floyd's final moments. Lane and Kueng arrived at the scene first, following the counterfeit bill reports. Lane walked to the driver's side of Floyd's car, where Floyd sat, and Kueng remained on the passenger's side. A woman was in the passenger seat and another man sat in the back seat, the state's charges say. Story continues Lane pulled out his gun and pointed it at Floyd through an open window and told Floyd to show his hands. Floyd put them on the steering wheel. Lane pulled Floyd out of his car and handcuffed him. Following instructions from Lane, Floyd sat down. Floyd then calmly said, "Thank you man." Kueng arrested Floyd on suspicion of passing counterfeit currency and tried to walk him into the police car. Floyd stiffened and fell to the ground, making clear he was not resisting but saying he didn't want to get in the back seat because of his claustrophobia. Chauvin and Thao soon arrived, and all four officers made "several attempts to get Floyd in the back seat of their squad car by pushing him." Chauvin pulled Floyd out of the squad car and Floyd went to the ground face-down, still handcuffed. Kueng held Floyd's back while Lane held his hands. Chauvin's knee pinned Floyd's neck to the ground. Floyd told them he could not breathe. At one point, Lane told Chauvin, "I am worried about excited delirium or whatever." But Lane made no move to reduce the force being used against Floyd, the complaint noted. Nearly five minutes later, Kueng checked Floyd's right hand for a pulse. "I couldn't find one," Kueng said. After eight minutes and 46 seconds, Chauvin removed his knee from Floyd's neck. During the last two minutes and 56 seconds, Floyd was unresponsive. The Hennepin County medical examiner's autopsy concluded that Floyd died of "cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression. The autopsy ruled his death a homicide and noted that the presence of fentanyl contributed to Floyd's death. On Wednesday, the county released a fuller autopsy report noting that Floyd had also tested positive for COVID-19 but was most likely asymptomatic at the time of his death. A separate autopsy commissioned by Floyd's family found he died of asphyxiation due to neck and back compression. All four officers face potentially decades in prison: The second-degree murder charge carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, and charges of aiding and abetting carry the same maximum penalties as the underlying crime. Ellison was frank about the case's chances of success. "Winning a conviction will be hard," he said. "In fact, County Atty. [Michael] Freeman is the only prosecutor in the state of Minnesota that has successfully convicted a police officer for murder." Just before the charges were announced, Floyd's son, Quincy Mason Floyd, visited the site where his father died, kneeling among the flowers and posters. As Floyd's family began arriving in the city for his memorial Thursday, they called for action against the other officers to be taken before the event. "We want justice," said Floyd's son, 27, who lives in Texas, standing before a large painted angel now marking the spot. "No man or woman should be without their fathers." The family's attorney, Benjamin Crump, standing next to Quincy, said they expected the officers to be "charged as accomplices for the killing." The Minneapolis police chief said that they were "complicit" and that audio and video from body cameras showed "they are also accomplices by their failure to act, when they knew he didn't have a pulse," according to Crump. "We expected all of the police officers to be arrested before we have the memorial here in Minneapolis, Minnesota, tomorrow," he said. "Because we cannot have two justice systems in America: one for black America, and one for white America." On Tuesday, Walz announced that the states Department of Human Rights will investigate the Minneapolis Police Department and had filed a civil rights charge related to the death of George Floyd. The Police Department that same day released personnel records for Chauvin. The former officer, who had worked with the department since October 2001, had been disciplined for only one incident during his tenure, despite being the subject of at least 17 internal affairs investigations. In that August 2017 incident in Longfellow, a neighborhood just south of downtown Minneapolis, Chauvin was accused of pulling a woman out of her car after stopping her for going 10 mph over the speed limit. The woman filed the complaint the next day. According to internal records, Thao has been investigated at least six times by the department. None of those investigations resulted in discipline, records show. One case is pending. The Minneapolis Police Department declined to confirm or comment on the additional charges against the fired officers. Before being asked to lead the prosecution, Ellison, a former U.S. congressman for Minnesota, said of Floyds death: George Floyd mattered. "Whenever someone dies at the hand of law enforcement or state power," he continued in the statement, "we owe it to everyone affected to investigate thoroughly." On Wednesday, now charged with that investigation, Elliot said reform efforts should start immediately. "We don't need to wait for the resolution of this case to start that work," he said. "We need citizens to begin rewriting the rules for a just society now. We need new policy and legislation and ways of thinking at the state and federal levels." Earlier at the memorial marking the spot where Floyd died, Suzie Hewitt, who grew up in the Twin Cities, kneeled as she and others in the crowd put their arms around her mother, who sobbed on the curb. "All of those complaints against the officer," Hewitt said, referring to Chauvin, "those were us, for years and years, and nothing got done." "All of this frustration, sadness, anger this is what black trauma looks like," said Hewitt, whose family is Eritrean. "I love Minnesota it is my home but now people are coming together to address this issue; it is no longer just 'theirs.'" Two peacekeepers with United Nations (UN) forces in Mali were killed on Saturday in an attack on their convoy in the north of the west African nation, the U.N. mission in Mali said on Sunday. The logistics convoy was on a halt on the Tessalit - Gao road when unidentified armed individuals attacked it, and killed two peacekeepers, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, U.N. mission chief in Mali, said in a statement. Search Keywords: Short link: Santa Fe has seen at least a couple of large protests since George Floyd was killed when a Minneapolis policeman knelt on his neck for nearly 9 minutes on May 25. In the wake of the latest death of an African American during an encounter with police, there have been protests around the country, and many cities are discussing major changes in police department policies and structures. Theres talk of disbanding some police departments and rebuilding them from scratch. In Santa Fe, Mayor Alan Webber says he wants his city to become a model of 21st-century policing. Hes reviewing use-of-force policies, and says he wants to build a sense of trust between the police and the community. Webber was speaking after a non-fatal police shooting of a man with a knife or machete who had wounded two employees at the Big R store. The SFPD has a good long-term record on use of force, at least in comparison to many other law enforcement agencies. There have been regular reports over the years of the department calling off high-speed chases in the interest of safety and officers standing down or waiting out crisis situations instead of going in with guns blasting. Webber last week cited a 2018 incident where a convenience store clerk called the cops to say she wanted a black student visiting Santa Fe out of the store because hes arrogant, because hes black. The mayor says the responding officer told the student that the Constitution rules in Santa Fe and he wouldnt be arrested. But, in recent years, there have been troubling cases that, if they happened now, post-George Floyd, might have had much more impact on the public perception of the Santa Fe police. Most seriously, in 2017, two officers killed a schizophrenic young man who had broken into his former apartment, stabbed a caseworker sent to check on him and then threw what police called homemade explosives that didnt explode (apparently things a small child might come up with) at officers during a SWAT standoff. The devices werent taken seriously enough to order an evacuation of the area or keep officers from approaching the apartment. Within a few seconds of an officer ripping the window out of the wall of the mans ground-floor unit, the man was shot dead in a hail of at least 17 bullets fired by two officers. Police said the man was approaching the window hole with a big knife. The officer who fired all but one of the shots said he thought the man had a gun, adding he believed he was seeing the same silver revolver he had used while training a cadet earlier in the day. This officers lapel camera, which might have provided a view of what he could see before the fatal shooting, wasnt on. A team of New Mexico district attorneys who reviewed the case recommended against prosecution of the officers. The city settled a civil lawsuit with a maximum $400,000 payment. Did the officers follow policy or were they ever disciplined? The public has never been told. New Mexico courts have ruled that disciplinary actions are mere matters of opinion that can remain confidential under the states Open Records Act. Santa Fe extends the secrecy to all records having to do with internal police investigations. But the Albuquerque Police Department somehow, some way and without facing legal Armageddon releases internal affairs reports and disciplinary records, at least if reporters are persistent. The Legislature could fix this problem by clarifying the appropriate statute; the judicial system could, too, via a case filed by the Santa Fe Reporter. But the total lack of transparency about what happens when complaints are made against officers is a major stumbling block for building that trust between police agencies and the public that Webber says he wants. Another black eye for the SFPD, relevant anew now that Black Lives Matter protests have exploded after Floyds death in Minnesota, came in 2017 when an officer not just any officer, but the head of the Santa Fe police union posted a series of offensive memes on Facebook. One of the posts featured a car running over stick figures with the text All Lives Splatter. Nobody cares about your protest. Moral of the story stay off the road!! Another one showed a Confederate flag with the words Now lets eliminate the N.A.A.C.P. which in name alone is racist as is its purpose! There is no room in this country for a separate race to have a membership where holding an office requires that you be black. This was fake news; white people hold leadership positions in the NAACP, which was born out of horror over the lynchings of black Americans. There was an internal investigation of Sgt. Troy Baker and he resigned after he was placed on desk duty. But was he ever disciplined for the memes? What were the findings of the investigation? Answering those questions would help build trust about attitudes within the police department. There was a case years ago when the city did provide information on an internal affairs investigation. In 2011, Baker and another officer were fired for allegedly falsifying reports on the rough takedown of a suspect in a Walmart parking lot. Details of the accusations were made public as the case played out. Eventually, an arbitrator overturned the firings an outcome relevant to the current debate over how difficult it can be to fire bad-acting officers under the agreements between local governments and police unions. There are a lot of difficult issues about policies, procedures, culture and race as Santa Fe and other cities try to move forward on how to improve policing amid the current national uproar. But transparency should be the easy part. For the first eight months of 2020, the federal government recorded a budget deficit of $1.88 trillion. This is larger than any annual budget deficits in the history of the United States. Will there be another stimulus check? The deficits increased as government spending spiked in order to deal with the pandemic and the tax revenue decreased when millions of Americans lost their jobs in just a span of three months. From October 2019 to May 2020, the total deficit doubled than the deficit recorded in early 2019. This is according to the data released by the Treasury Department on June 10. According to the Congressional Budget Office, there is a possibility that the total deficit in 2020 will hit $3.7 trillion. The US government dealt with the financial crisis in 2009, which pushed the country into one of its biggest recession since the Great Depression in the 1930s. The United States is now in another recession because of the pandemic and it is estimated to be worse than the 2007 to 2009 downturn. Due to the pandemic, the lawmakers approved a $1,200 stimulus check for individuals and $2,400 for married couples. Paycheck Protection Program was also approved to provide forgivable loans to small businesses that are still paying their workers during this time. It has been months since the first stimulus check has been rolled out, and the pandemic cases show no signs of dropping since as of June 2020, the total number of Americans who are infected with COVID-19 reached 2 million. The public is now asking if they will receive another round of stimulus checks. The good news is, there is proposed $3 trillion Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions, or HEROES Act that would authorize sending another round of stimulus checks for eligible American households. Also Read: America's Stimulus Checks: When Will It Arrive and Who Are Eligible? The bill was passed by the Democrat-controlled House in May, and now the bill is just waiting for it to be signed by the Republican Senate. The bad news is, there may be a delay because according to the Wall Street Journal, the White House is working on its own plan. President Donald Trump said that his administration will be asking for additional stimulus money while Kevin Hassett, Trump's economic adviser, told the Wall Street Journal that the odds of another round of stimulus checks are very high. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that the Trump administration is considering a second round of stimulus checks. It is not clear whether the HEROES Act will pass the Republican-controlled Senate or what the final contents of the bill might be. How much will American's get if it is approved? The HEROES Act offers a larger stimulus payment than the previous one given by the Trump Administration. Each member of a household, including their children, will get $1,200. Single individuals who earn $75,000 or less every year are eligible, as well as couples who earn $150,000 or less every year. The total payments per family would be $6,000 under HEROES Act, under the previous act, the total payments that each eligible family was only $3.400 since the previous Act only gave $500 for each child under 17 years of age. Related Article: What To Do If You Still Haven't Received Your Stimulus Check @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Greens Councillor Jonathan Sri has been charged after allegedly failing to abide by police directions at a protest on Saturday. Hundreds of activists defied health advice to protest the indefinite detention of asylum seekers being held at Kangaroo Point hotel. Streets have been blocked since Thursday night after reports the federal government transferred some of the men, who had been outspoken about their detention, to a more secure centre. Cr Sri, who represents the Gabba ward, was arrested and taken to the Brisbane City Watch House on Saturday evening. Dorothy Griffin, of Atlanta, poses for a portrait in Atlanta. Blind voters like Griffin fear a loss of control over their ability to cast a ballot as election officials across the U.S. plan a major expansion of voting by mail amid the coronavirus pandemic. Read more ATLANTA Not that long ago, Ann Byington had to squeeze into a voting booth with a Republican poll watcher on one side and a Democrat on the other reading her voting choices out loud so her ballot could be marked for her and the selections verified. Blind since birth, Byington welcomed the rise in recent years of electronic voting machines equipped with technology that empowered her and others with disabilities to cast their ballots privately and independently. But now, as election officials plan a major vote-by-mail expansion amid fears of voting in person during the coronavirus pandemic, Byington worries she is being left out. When the presidential primary in Kansas was held entirely by mail last month, the 72-year-old Topeka resident had to tell her husband how she wanted to vote so he could fill out the ballot for her. Im back to where we started, Byington said. Ive lost all my freedom to be independent, to make sure its marked how I want it to be marked. In recent weeks, advocates for the blind have filed legal actions in Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania seeking access to systems already in place to deliver ballots electronically to military and overseas voters. Blind voters could then use their own computers and assistive technology to read and complete their ballots themselves. This is about equality, said Chris Danielsen with the National Federation of the Blind, one of the groups suing. If a secret ballot is important to you, it's important to a blind person, as well." Because of these efforts, all three states agreed to make electronic ballots available during the primaries to voters with disabilities, and more actions are likely before November. Voting technology experts have raised security concerns about such Internet-based voting systems. They also warn about implementing a new process so close to an election, risking the same sort of problems that derailed this years Iowa caucuses when a hastily developed mobile app failed. I really dont have a good solution to offer. We seem to have bad and worse, said Douglas W. Jones, a University of Iowa computer science professor. The bad is accepting someone helping to mark your ballot. And the worse is rushing to put in totally untested technology that I dont have any reason to trust at all. Disability advocates said they have been calling on election officials for years to provide secure electronic absentee ballots. But only a small number of states have done so. An estimated 7 million adults in the U.S. have a visual disability, and advocates worry that some might choose to skip voting altogether this year rather than risk catching the virus or having their ballot privacy compromised. In Atlanta, Dorothy Griffin typically relies on ride-share to get to her polling place. A diabetic, she worries about catching the coronavirus while waiting in a crowded polling place. Griffin requested an absentee ballot for Georgias primary Tuesday, but she gave up waiting for it and decided to cast a ballot in person on the last day of early voting to avoid crowds on Election Day. As president of the Georgia affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind, Griffin asked the state to provide electronic ballot delivery, but it wasnt available. I definitely did not want to go, but I felt like it was my only choice because I didnt receive my paper ballot, Griffin said. I was happy I was able to vote independently. But I was angry that I did not get my absentee ballot ahead of time even though I sent my request months ago. Much of the concern surrounding electronic ballots centers on how they are returned. In some cases, these ballots must be printed by the voter and returned by mail or in person to a local election office. But elsewhere these ballots can be returned by email or fax and, in a small number of cases, via an online web portal to an election office for printing and counting. In a memo to election officials, four federal agencies, including the FBI, assessed the risk of sending ballots electronically to be low but found allowing such ballots to be returned electronically was a high risk. When Tracy Carcione heard her local election in Teaneck, New Jersey, on May 12 would be conducted entirely by mail, she thought to herself: How the heck am I going to do that? Then Carcione, a 59-year-old computer programmer, learned her county was offering blind voters the option to receive ballots electronically under a pilot program. After receiving an email with a link and PIN number, Carcione went to a website where she signed an affidavit stating she was blind and gained access to an electronic ballot. She used a computer program for reading news stories and filling out forms to put a mark next to each candidate she supported. After emailing her completed ballot, her local elections office printed it out for tallying on election day. It was all very clear and easy, Carcione said. And, if I had the option, I would do it again. But the option wont be available for the July 7 statewide primary. New Jersey election officials said they determined the system wasnt needed because some in-person voting would be available. Carcione is not sure whether she will brave a polling place or not. She is leery of taking a taxi if the polling place is across town and of waiting in a long line. Its not a great choice, Carcione said. I might take my chances and hope that my neighbor is the decent person I think she is. For its pilot program, New Jersey worked with Democracy Live, a Seattle-based technology firm that works with election offices in several states, including California, Texas, Ohio and Florida to provide electronic ballots to military and overseas voters. In Delaware, voters with disabilities were able to receive electronic ballots in recent elections through an in-house system that has since been retired in favor of the Democracy Live platform. It will be used during a pilot program in the states July 7 presidential primary. Delaware elections Commissioner Anthony Albence said officials are monitoring it closely to ensure security. Bryan Finney, president of Democracy Live, said the company has worked with outside firms to conduct security reviews and wants to engage researchers on improving its platform. This is America; we can do this, Finney said. The alternative is to continue disenfranchising millions of voters both domestically and abroad because we haven't focused on actually solving the problem. Earlier this year in West Virginia, lawmakers expanded electronic ballot delivery to voters with a physical disability. Secretary of State Mac Warner advocated for the law, saying it was important to ensure no voter is disenfranchised. There are security concerns, but the likelihood of that happening is rather remote," he said. "And it gets to a risk-reward benefit. The reward is getting people who wouldnt otherwise be able to vote. ___ Associated Press writer Randall Chase in Dover, Delaware, contributed to this report. Atlanta's police chief resigned Saturday hours after a black man was fatally shot by an officer in a struggle following a field sobriety test. Authorities said the slain man had grabbed an officer's Taser, but was running away when he was shot. Atlanta: Atlanta's police chief resigned Saturday hours after a black man was fatally shot by an officer in a struggle following a field sobriety test. Authorities said the slain man had grabbed an officer's Taser, but was running away when he was shot. Police chief Erika Shields stepped down as the killing of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks sparked a new wave of protests in Atlanta after turbulent demonstrations that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis had simmered down. Protesters on Saturday night set fire to the Wendys restaurant where Brooks was fatally shot the night before and blocked traffic on a nearby highway. Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced the police chief's resignation at a Saturday afternoon news conference. The mayor also called for the immediate firing of the unidentified officer who opened fire at Brooks. I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer," Bottoms said. She said it was Shields' own decision to step aside as police chief and that she would remain with the city in an undetermined role. Interim Corrections Chief Rodney Bryant would serve as interim police chief until a permanent replacement is found. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the shooting, said the deadly confrontation started with officers responding to a complaint that a man was sleeping in a car blocking the restaurant's drive-thru lane. The GBI said Brooks failed a field sobriety test and then resisted officers' attempts to arrest him. The GBI released security camera video of the shooting Saturday. The footage shows a man running from two white police officers as he raises a hand, which is holding some type of object, toward an officer a few steps behind him. The officer draws his gun and fires as the man keeps running, then falls to the ground in the parking lot. GBI director Vic Reynolds said Brooks had grabbed a Taser from one of the officers and appeared to point it at the officer as he fled, prompting the officer to reach for his gun and fire an estimated three shots. The security camera video recorded Brooks running or fleeing from Atlanta police officers, Reynolds said. It appears that he has in his hand a Taser. The footage does not show Brooks' initial struggle with police. L Chris Stewart, an attorney for Brooks' family, said the officer who shot him should be charged for an unjustified use of deadly force, which equals murder. You cant have it both ways in law enforcement," Stewart said. You cant say a Taser is a nonlethal weapon... but when an African American grabs it and runs with it, now its some kind of deadly, lethal weapon that calls for you to unload on somebody. He said Brooks was a father of four and had celebrated a daughter's eighth birthday Friday before he was killed. The shooting came at a time of heightened tension over police brutality and calls for reforms across the US following the 25 May death of Floyd in Minneapolis. Atlanta was among US cities where large crowds of protesters took to the streets. Demonstrators, including members of Brooks' family, gathered Saturday outside the restaurant where he was shot. Among those protesting was Crystal Brooks, who said she is Rayshard Brooks' sister-in-law. "He wasnt causing anyone any harm, she said. The police went up to the car and even though the car was parked they pulled him out of the car and started tussling with him. She added: "He did grab the Taser, but he just grabbed the Taser and ran. Shields, Atlanta's police chief for less than four years, was initially praised in the days following Floyds death last month. She said the Minnesota officers involved should go to prison and walked into crowds of protesters in downtown Atlanta, telling demonstrators she understood their frustrations and fears. She appeared at Bottoms side as the mayor made an impassioned plea for protesters to go home when things turned violent with smashed storefronts and police cruisers set ablaze. Days later, Shields fired two officers and benched three others caught on video 30 May in a hostile confrontation with two college students whose car was stuck in traffic caused by the protests. The officers fired Tasers at the pair and dragged them from the vehicle. When prosecutors later charged six of the officers involved, however, Shields openly questioned the charges. The shooting of Brooks two weeks later raised further questions about the Atlanta department. In a statement, Shields said she chose to resign out of a deep and abiding love for this city and this department. "It is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, Shields said. Reynolds said his agents will turn over results of their investigation to Fulton County district attorney Paul Howard, whose office will decide whether criminal charges are warranted against either of the unidentified officers. Howard said Saturday his office "has already launched an intense, independent investigation of the incident without waiting for the GBI's results. Brooks died after being taken to an Atlanta hospital. One of the officers was treated and released for unspecified injuries MIRAMICHI, N.B. - A former provincial ombudsman says the recent police shootings of two Indigenous people in New Brunswick have left him feeling distraught over the lack of police training on dealing with mental health issues, like those presented by the two victims. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 14/6/2020 (586 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A house is surrounded by police tape where a man was shot on Friday night, near Miramichi, N.B. on Saturday, June 13, 2020. A section of route 425 was blocked to through traffic. The man fatally shot by New Brunswick RCMP Friday night has been identified by social media posts as Rodney Levi, 48, of the Metepenagiag First Nation. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ron Ward MIRAMICHI, N.B. - A former provincial ombudsman says the recent police shootings of two Indigenous people in New Brunswick have left him feeling distraught over the lack of police training on dealing with mental health issues, like those presented by the two victims. "I've long felt that police are not really well equipped to deal with these kind of cases," Bernard Richard said in an interview Sunday. "In most provinces (including New Brunswick), there are crisis intervention units that are available around the clock to respond to these types of situations." However, there has been no indication whether police sought the help of mental health experts before the deadly shootings in Edmundston and near Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq Nation, west of Miramichi. "That would be one of the first questions I would have to ask," said Richard, who served as the province's ombudsman from 2004 to 2011 and now advises six Mi'kmaq First Nations in New Brunswick on child protection issues. "I was a bit stunned that, in both these cases, the primary response was police, and they felt it necessary to use lethal force." And in both cases, police were called to deal with people who appeared to be suffering from mental health challenges, Richard said. On Friday night, the RCMP say they received a complaint about an "unwanted person" at a home near Metepenagiag in eastern New Brunswick. When officers arrived, they were confronted by a man carrying knives, and there were several failed bids to subdue him with a stun gun, police said. That's when 48-year-old Rodney Levi was fatally shot by an officer. He was declared dead in hospital around 9 p.m. local time. On Saturday, the chief of the Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq Nation said Levi was attending a barbecue, where he had planned to seek guidance from a church minister. Bill Ward described Levi as a troubled man who was seeking help with his mental health, but the chief insisted he was not violent. "He had his demons but he was always very friendly," Ward said Saturday. "He never tried to harm anybody ... He wasn't some monster that they're going to try to paint him to be." On Sunday, Ward issued a statement asking members of his community to refrain from speaking to the media about the Levi case, saying an independent investigation was underway. Ward said he was responding to a request from Levi's family. Later in the day, the minister who invited Levi to the barbecue, Rev. Brodie MacLeod of the Boom Road Pentecostal Church, issued a statement saying Levi was a "welcomed guest" who shared a meal with his family. A spokesman for the New Brunswick RCMP said Sunday no one was available to comment on the case. On June 4, 26-year-old Chantel Moore was shot by an officer with the Edmundston Police Department. The municipal police department later said an officer performing a wellness check allegedly encountered a woman with a knife. Moore, from a First Nation in British Columbia, had moved to the community in northwestern New Brunswick to be closer to her mother and young daughter. The Quebec Bureau of Independent Investigations, an independent police watchdog agency, has been called in to investigate both cases in New Brunswick. The Quebec agency is investigating because no such unit exists in New Brunswick. The bureau issued a statement saying it does not comment on the events it is responsible for investigating. Richard, who also served as the child and youth advocate in New Brunswick and British Columbia, said he took part in a "healing walk" Sunday in Moncton, N.B., that paid tribute to Moore and also raised questions about the Quebec agency's impartiality. "I heard yesterday, loud and clear, folks don't trust the so-called independent review process," Richard said. "There's really not much expectation that the investigation, in each case, will actually meet the expectations of the community." Any reviews of the cases should involve Indigenous expertise, he said. As well, he said he has investigated cases involving police in the past, and he has recommended that police departments should hire plain-clothes social workers to help officers sort our domestic disputes and mental wellness assessments. He's also called for the use of police body cameras. In Ottawa, the office of federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair issued a statement Sunday saying a "timely, transparent and independent investigation" into Levi's death was essential. "This tragic loss comes at a time when people across the country and around the world are having difficult but necessary conversations about systemic racism in our institutions, including policing," Blair's office said in a statement. "We know that change will not happen overnight, but that these conversations need to be met with concrete actions." Blair has already spoken in favour of the use of police body cameras and legislation that recognizes First Nations Policing as an essential service. There have been calls for a broader inquiry to examine systemic racism in the province's policing and criminal justice systems. New Brunswick's minister of Aboriginal affairs, Jake Stewart, has said he supports the call, saying the province has a problem with systemic racism. By Michael MacDonald in Halifax This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2020. Billionaire Mukesh Ambanis Jio Platforms Ltd has emerged as Indias biggest private equity (PE) magnet, at a time when much of the world is in a lockdown and businesses are facing an uncertain future due to the covid-19 pandemic. The digital services subsidiary of Ambani-promoted Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) sold 22.38% stake worth 1.04 trillion ($13,7 billion) to 10 global investors in a span of eight weeksthe largest continuous fundraise by any company in the world. Of this, at least 60,753.36 crore came in the form of PE investments from eight marquee global investors. This is by far the largest known PE investment in a single company in India so far. California-based TPG Capital and Greenwich-headquartered L. Catterton on Saturday said the two PE firms will invest 4,546.80 crore and 1,894.50 crore respectively in Jio Platforms at an equity value of 4.91 trillion and an enterprise value of 5.16 trillion. The investments will translate into a 0.93% stake for TPG and a 0.39% stake for L. Catterton in Jio Platforms. Jim Coulter, co-CEO TPG, said, Jio is a disruptive industry leader that is empowering small businesses and consumers across India by providing them with critical, high-quality digital services. The company is bringing unmatched potential and execution capabilities to the market, setting the tone for all technology companies to come." TPG is an alternative assets investor with at least $119 billion worth of assets under management. Michael Chu, global co-CEO of L. Catterton, said, Were strong supporters of fostering growth through product development, enhanced digital capabilities and strategic alliances." With about $20 billion of equity capital across seven fund strategies in 17 offices globally, L. Catterton is the worlds largest consumer-focused PE firm. 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 Berlin: Europe is taking a big step towards normality, with countries starting to reopen borders after three months of coronavirus lockdowns, but visitors from outside the continent will have to wait for now. The European Union has told member nations they should open to each other as soon as possible, with France and Germany among those heeding the advice and opening on Monday. Border guards open the border crossing in Thonex, near Geneva in Switzerland, on Sunday. Credit:AP Europe's reopening won't be a repeat of the chaotic free-for-all in March when panicked, uncoordinated border closures caused traffic jams that stretched for kilometres. Still, it's a complicated patchwork of rules, and although tourist regions are desperately counting on them, a lot of Europeans may decide to stay closer to home this summer. That's something tourism-dependent Mediterranean countries such as Greece are keen to avoid. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis acknowledged on Saturday that "a lot will depend on whether people feel comfortable to travel and whether we can project Greece as a safe destination." The matriarch of Ballymaloe House, Myrtle Allen, left more than 1m in her will. The hotelier, who died on June 13, 2018, is credited with turning a Co Cork tillage farm into an internationally renowned brand and, in the process, created a sprawling high-quality family food empire, fronted by celebrity chefs Rachel Allen and her mother-in-law Darina Allen. Three generations of the family became involved in food production, restaurants, farming, a cookery school and media activities, mostly based around Ballymaloe House and the family's 350-acre farm near Midleton, Co Cork. Yeats Room, the company that runs Ballymaloe House, is valued at 2.25m and has 52 employees. But it is now only one outpost of the food empire Myrtle Allen founded through dedication to good food and a keen eye for publicity. According to her will, Gladys Myrtle Allen, described as a hotelier, of Ballymaloe, Shanagarry, Co Cork, left an estate valued at 1,037,372. The executors of her will are her son Tim, a chef, and daughter Wendy Whelan, who runs the retail arm of Ballymaloe House. It all started back in the 1960s when Myrtle Hill married Ivan Allen, who ran a large farm in the lush countryside at Shanagarry. A trained chef and a food columnist with the Farmers Journal since the early 1960s, she opened the Yeats Room restaurant in Ballymaloe House in 1969 and soon gained an international reputation as a foodie destination for diners who wanted fresh and seasonal locally sourced ingredients combined with gourmet cooking. However, it was the success of her daughter-in-law, Darina Allen, as one of Ireland's first celebrity chefs and a string of Simply Delicious cookery books and television programmes that brought the enterprise to a national audience. In turn, Darina Allen's daughter-in-law, Rachel Allen, has continued the tradition as a food writer and television presenter here and abroad. Myrtle Allen was also a great publicist for the Ballymaloe brand and quality Irish products in general. She was one of the prime movers behind the Taste of Ireland festival in Brussels and other venues in the 1980s. "Women have always been central to the success of Ballymaloe," said one international journal in a review of the enterprise. Another appraisal added: "While there are many interesting aspects to the Ballymaloe story, perhaps one of the most notable has been the influence the women who married into the Allen family have had on the business. Myrtle, Darina and Rachel are largely responsible for the success of the Ballymaloe brand and the growing influence of the Allen family." In her will, Myrtle Allen bequeathed 5,000 to each of her grandchildren. She left royalties from her books and her shares in Ballymaloe Crafts Ltd to her daughter Wendy Whelan. She left her shares in Ballymaloe Foods Ltd to her daughter Yasmin Hyde. She left her shares in Yeats Room Ltd and a non-trading company Rouska Ltd equally between her six children, Wendy Whelan, Natasha Harty, Timothy Allen, Rory Allen, Yasmin Hyde and Fern Allen. The dynasty's only major setback happened in January 2003 when chef Tim Allen, joint executor of his mother's will, pleaded guilty at a local court to the possession of indecent images of children. There was a public outcry after Judge Michael Pattwell replaced his initial suspended nine-month jail sentence with a 240-hour community service order and a 40,000 donation by Mr Allen to a charity for street children in India. Netflixs hit fantasy show The Witcher will be easier to follow in its second season, according to showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich. While the series starring Henry Cavill attracted a huge fanbase upon its release, a number of those fans complained that the multiple timelines were confusing. Speaking to The Wrap, Hissrich said: Obviously, it was one of the most controversial parts of season one and I didnt expect it to be as controversial as it was. But its something I still stand behind, in terms of storytelling Whats great though is [the characters] have intersected now. So what well see in season two is that all of our characters are existing on the same timeline. What that allows us to do story-wise though is to play with time in slightly different ways. We get to do flashbacks, we get to do flash-forwards, we get to actually integrate time in a completely different way that we werent able to do in season one. During the interview, Hissrich also teased the introduction of new Witchers, including Geralds (Cavill) mentor, Vesemir. Danish actor Kim Bodnia of The Bridge and Killing Eve fame has been cast in the role. Probably my favourite additions for season two are the new Witchers, she said. Really, in season one, we got to know Geralt and hes our prime example of a Witcher. And then there is one other witcher, Remus, who we meet in Episode 103, who quickly dies. So it was, for us really, about getting Geralt back to his roots and sort of learning where he came from and what his story is and what his sense of family is. Production on season two of The Witcher was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it was recently reported that the show has been given the green light to continue. Season one is available to watch now on Netflix. New Delhi: India has strongly raised the killing of its national at the diplomatic level with Nepal. The matter was raised with the Nepali mission in Delhi and by the Indian mission in Kathmandu with the Nepali Home Ministry. Vinesh Kumar, a 22-year-old Indian farmer from Bihar's Sitamarhi was killed and two others were injured in indiscriminate firing by the Nepal police at the India-Nepal border on June 12. The incident happened when Nepalese Armed Police Force (NAPF) opened fire during an altercation killing one Bikesh Kumar Rai and injuring 3 others Indian nationals. One Indian was also taken into custody by the Nepali forces. Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) that patrols India-Nepal border said that firing by Nepali forces started over "instantly generated local issue" on the Nepali side. SSB DG Kumar Rajesh Chandra said, "This is a completely local issue that emerged from a local altercation" The incident happened after locals and Nepal Armed Police had an altercation. Locals and the Nepali forces had an altercation when the former was asked to go back as the lockdown was in force in the country. During the ensuing issue, the Nepal APF said that they first fired in the air to disperse the crowd and fearing snatching of their weapons, they later initiated aimed firing in which three people got hit. According to local eye-witness, the Nepal APF had fired at least 10-15 rounds of bullets. The incident comes amidst heightened tension between India and Nepal after Nepali PM KP Sharma Oli-led government issued a new map showing parts of Indian territories as its own. The Indian side has rejected the new Nepal map saying it has no historical evidence. India, on the other hand, termed the territorial claims by Nepal as artificial enlargement. The ties between the two countries came under strain after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated an 80-km-long strategically crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand on May 8. Nepal protested the inauguration of the road claiming that it passed through its territory. Days later, Nepal came out with the new map showing Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as its territories. After Nepal released the map, India reacted sharply, calling it an 'unilateral act' and cautioning Kathmandu that such 'artificial enlargement' of territorial claims will not be acceptable to it. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Vijayawada: After a late-night drama in ESI hospital, Telugu Desam Legislature Party deputy leader K. Atchannaidu was produced before the ACB court online, primarily shifted to sub-jail, given prisoner number 1573 and later shifted to GGH in Guntur for treatment. The judge remanded Atchannaidu to 14 days and directed treatment for his illness. Medical tests were conducted at ESI hospital at Gunadala in Vijayawada till late past Friday midnight on Atchannaidu and five other accused in the ESI scam. Meanwhile, TD MLC Nara Lokesh tried to meet Atchannaidu but the police did not allow him. Heated arguments took place between TD lawyers and police and Lokesh returned without meeting Atchannaidu. Efforts of TD lawyers to meet ACB judge also went in vain. The ACB judge heard the arguments for two hours before ordering 14 days of judicial remand to Atchannaidu and medical treatment in GGH. The police immediately shifted Atchannaidu to sub-jail at Vijayawada. Atchannaidu's lawyer P. Venkateswarlu said that they had informed the court about the surgery and hence the court directed him to GGH. Those who do not wear masks in public places and who violate COVID-19 quarantine rules in Uttarakhand will face six months in jail and fined Rs 5,000 Dehradun: Those who do not wear masks in public places and who violate COVID-19 quarantine rules in Uttarakhand will face six months in jail and fined Rs 5,000, the state government announced on Saturday. Amendments have been made in Section 2 and 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 to make face masks mandatory in the state. Uttarakhand is the third state after Kerala and Odisha to make changes to the act. Uttarakhand Governor Baby Rani Maurya approved the ordinance making the amendments in the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897. The amendments also made quarantine rules stricter in the state. Recently, while President Trump was talking "law and order," first lady Melania Trump was tweeting about "healing & peace." And back in April, when Mr. Trump declined to wear a face mask ("It's voluntary, you don't have to do it. ... I don't think I'm going to be doing it"), his wife put one on, and urged others to do the same ("to keep us all safe"). It's not exactly a palace coup, and some might say not nearly enough to keep her husband's more controversial actions in check. But either way, according to a new book, Melania Trump has more influence than you might think. melania-trump-with-donald-trump-a-620.jpg In "The Art of Her Deal," Washington Post correspondent Mary Jordan explores the life of the first lady and her surprising role as one of the most influential voices in the Trump White House. CBS News Correspondent Tracy Smith said, "This is very different than the narrative that some people have painted that she is trapped." "Oh, ho! Makes her crazy to say she's 'Poor Melania Trump'; she's not," said Pulitzer Prize-winner Mary Jordan. "She is smart, independent. She will decide what she wants to do and what she doesn't wanna do." Jordan is the author of "The Art of Her Deal," published by Simon & Schuster (a ViacomCBS company). the-art-of-her-deal-cover-simon-schuster-620.jpg Simon & Schuster Jordan, a Washington Post correspondent, asked to interview her for this book. The response? "Basically, no reply. The Trumps, both of them, make people who are around them sign non-disclosure agreements. They also, I quickly learned, told people that knew Melania when she was young, when she was a model, to not talk." The White House dismisses the book as "fiction." But Jordan said that, after several years and more than a hundred interviews, a clearer picture emerged or a woman who grew up dreaming of a life far away from her native Sevnica, Slovenia. Story continues "She's a girl who grew up in a really small town and couldn't wait to get out," Jordan said. "She told everyone that. I mean, everyone I talked to in Slovenia said, 'She couldn't wait to get out of this town. She wanted to be where the action is.'" At first, young Melania wanted to study architecture, but she was persuaded that modeling was a better option, and she found success doing mostly print work in Europe and, later, in New York City. melanija-knavs-early-modeling-shots-620.jpg Some of Melania Knauss' early modeling shots. CBS News She met Donald Trump in 2005; became a U.S. citizen in 2006; and eventually sponsored her mother and father, Amalija and Victor, to be U.S. citizens as well. In fact, just days after their son-in-law made a speech blasting so-called "chain migration," Melania's parents took the oath and in effect became "chain migrants" themselves. Politics aside, both are said to dote on their 14-year-old grandson, Barron, who's learned to speak their language. Jordan said, "So, Barron Trump speaks Slovenian, is very close to the father. Both her parents spend huge amount of times in the White House, living there. There's a unit within the family unit, and it's Melania, her mother, her father and Barron. And they all speak Slovenian. And it's kind of interesting: the Secret Service has no idea what they're saying." "And Donald Trump doesn't have a good idea of what they're saying a lot of the time when they're speaking Slovenian?" said Smith. "No. And he has said it annoys him sometimes, 'cause he has no idea what they're saying." But Jordan also says Melania has no problem making herself understood. "She's quite influential," she said. "And I think people underestimated her, big time. "For instance, when Donald Trump was trying to figure out who to pick as his vice presidential candidate, he brought Chris Christie, Newt Gingrich and Mike Pence and had her vet them. She spent two days with the Pences. And her advice to [Donald] was, 'You know, pick Pence, because he'll be content to be number two. The other ones won't. They'll be angling for the number one job.'" But while Melania has toed the Trump Company line in the past, like the false "birther" claims about President Obama, it's tough to tell what she thinks about her husband's most recent decisions, like advocating the use of force against people protesting the killing by police of George Floyd. Smith asked, "So, if people don't like what's going on with this administration, how much can they blame her?" "This is a really tricky question," Jordan replied. "But I think most people that I've talked to about that interesting question say, 'You know, you're not really to blame for what your husband does.' But I do think there's a special responsibility when you're in the White House. "You know, it's not just a regular spouse. You have a platform. Now I know that she's using it in ways that we don't know, because I keep hearing about all the influence and advice she's given him. She doesn't do it publicly. But you know, maybe it would even be worse. For those who don't like Trump, who knows what else he would be doing if she weren't whispering in his ear?" Katherine Jellison, who teaches history at Ohio University, said, "I still think that most Americans don't think they know the real Melania Trump." Smith asked, "So, is it kind of important to know where the first lady stands? Because she does have the president's ear."Jellison replied, "I think pretty consistently, in the modern era, first ladies have been sounding boards for their husbands, and occasionally have weighed in on policy matters. Certainly Mrs. Clinton did. Mrs. Carter did. So, I think the American people want to know something about the family life of a president, or a would-be president at the time of a presidential campaign." A defining moment in the 2016 campaign was the infamous "Access Hollywood" incident. "I think that was the moment that she had the most power," Jordan said. "You know, Trump is all about leverage and power. And that was the moment that Melania really came into her own." The tape, recorded during a 2005 "Access Hollywood" shoot, surfaced a month before Election Day. It captured Mr. Trump talking about women in the most vulgar, offensive ways. "He was saying that because he's a star he can grab any woman, and was using pretty lewd language," said Jordan. "And you know, if Melania didn't back him up, if she walked away right then, he was toast." At around the same time, Jordan writes, Melania was starting to renegotiate her prenuptial agreement. "Because she had wanted to do that during the campaign no dummy! And she picked the right moment to try to get a better deal out of him." And when she delayed her move to the White House, that, Jordan said, gave her even more leverage. Smith asked, "What did she get in the new prenup?" "I don't know the exact details, but what I'm hearing from multiple sources is, 'She moved in at the right time and got what she wanted,'" Jordan said. At 15 years, President Trump's marriage to the first lady has outlasted both of his previous unions. He may call himself a great negotiator, but in Melania, it seems he's met his match. Smith asked, "Is it a loving marriage, or is it a business deal?" "What I'm told is that there is more there than people realize," Jordan said. "Yes, they live, I think, what many people think is bizarrely separate lives. Separate bedrooms, you know, they have separate routines. But she's fascinating because we've never had somebody who only arrived in America at the age of 26, and 20 years later she's in the White House. It's quite a story." READ AN EXCERPT: "The Art of Her Deal" For more info: "The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump" by Mary Jordan (Simon & Schuster), in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formats, available via AmazonMary Jordan, The Washington PostFollow Mary Jordan on Twitter Katherine Jellison, chair, Department of History, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio Story produced by John D'Amelio. Editor: Remington Korper. DJ Henry death: Cell phone video shows scene after fatal 2010 shooting DJ Henry death: Cell phone video captures chaos after fatal police shooting Finding buried treasure Operations from India to US to be curtailed/revised from Jan 19 due to 5G roll-out: Air India 42-year-old man dies onboard Lagos-Mumbai flight due to natural causes: Air India India pti-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Jun 14: A 42-year old man suddenly collapsed and died due to natural causes onboard Air India's Lagos-Mumbai flight on Sunday, the national carrier said. The flight was part of Vande Bharat Mission, under which the Central government is operating special repatriation flights to bring back stranded Indians from abroad amid the coronavirus pandemic. Air India's flight AI 1906 departed from Lagos in Nigeria at 7 pm Indian Standard Time on Saturday and landed in Mumbai at 3.45 am on Sunday. "A passenger aboard AI 1906 of June 13 from Lagos to Mumbai passed away due to natural causes today. "A doctor onboard along with our crew, trained to handle such medical emergencies, made a valiant attempt to revive the passenger, aged 42, who had suddenly collapsed, through resuscitation etc but all their efforts went in vain," the airline's spokesperson said. He was declared dead onboard by the attending doctor. Mumbai International Airport Limited doctors attended to the passenger after the flight landed at 3.45 am and after all the procedures were complete, the body was sent to a hospital as per protocol, the spokesperson noted. Relatives of the deceased were informed and aircraft was taken for full fumigation as per the norms, the spokesperson said. If you think the Tiananmen Square massacre should be remembered, Im with you. Its certainly not an event on which the Chinese government would welcome, or tolerate, its citizens having a frank and open debate. Quelle horreur! I hear the elites exclaim. Theyre uncommonly correct to do so. HBO has temporarily removed Gone with the Wind. Somehow I suspect they dont care that Little Britain, a somewhat tasteless but often hilariously funny British comedy is now much harder to play on your TV screen . Ditto Im told the Fawlty Towers episode featuring Basils famous line Dont mention the war". For good measure, the classic film Gone with the Wind has come off HBO Maxs streaming list. What next? Will someone in the bowels of an organisation decide that David Walliams, one of the writers and stars of Little Britain needs to be banned or re-educated ? Seriously, were not far from that kind of stupidity. The show wasnt to my taste but it was brilliant satire. If you dont like Walliams' humour, dont watch it, hard as that might now be. Odd that we might criticise the Chinese for covering up something so bad but not blink when faceless bureaucrats and regulators in statutory authorities, like the BBC, or in companies, decide to not let us see things far less grotesque. This is much worse than telling you what to think. Its saying you cant possibly think for yourself. Poland has admitted to briefly invading the Czech Republic by accident after Polish soldiers crossed over the border at Moravia. While implementing coronavirus border restrictions, the soldiers mistakenly took up positions by a chapel on the Czech side of the border and reportedly remained there for several days. The Polish Defence Ministry has described the incident last month, which triggered an intervention from the Czech Republic, as a 'misunderstanding'. Poland has admitted to briefly invading the Czech Republic by accident after Polish soldiers crossed over the border at Moravia. Above, a Polish solder at the Czech border The troops had been guarding parts of the closed Polish-Czech border during the Covid-19 pandemic and had even started turning away Czech citizens who were attempting to visit a church in their own country in error. The incident led the Czech embassy in Warsaw to notify its Polish counterpart. The troops accidentally crossed over the border in north-eastern Moravia, part of which extends into the Czech Republic, near a chapel in Pielgrzymow, a small border village in southern Poland. The chapel is located 30 metres inside Czech territory and the border is formed by a small stream. According to regional newspaper Denik, a construction engineer overseeing repairs at the chapel had wanted to take photographs of the plaster but was turned away by Polish soldiers wielding machine guns. The soldiers had initially taken up positions on the Polish bank of the stream, but for unknown reasons made a brief incursion into Czech territory, Denik reported. The troops accidentally crossed over the border in north-eastern Moravia, part of which extends into the Czech Republic, near a chapel in Pielgrzymow, a small border village in southern Poland A Czech Foreign Ministry spokesperson told CNN: 'Our Polish counterparts unofficially assured us that this incident was merely a misunderstanding caused by the Polish military with no hostile intention, however, we are still expecting a formal statement.' 'The Polish soldiers are no longer present and our citizens can again visit the site freely.' 'The placement of the border post was a result of misunderstanding, not a deliberate act. It was corrected immediately and the case was resolved - also by the Czech side,' the Polish Ministry of Defence told CNN. Borders between European Union countries are often not clearly marked as the bloc enjoys freedom of movement. However this has been hampered during the coronavirus pandemic as countries have been forced to close their borders and ban entry to foreigners. Muslim groups gathered at Newark City Hall on Saturday to denounce police brutality in the wake of George Floyds death and reflected on racism and religion. The New Jersey branch of the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) Council for Social Justice, one of the organizers of the rally, called for police reforms such as annual racism sensitivity training for all officers. All of us - in our Muslim community leaders and community at large - all of us are gathered here to express our full solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the African American community and we are condemning the death of George Floyd in Minessota, said ICNA CSJ-NJ Director Atif Nazir. Police brutality is a long-standing issue in this country and Mr. Floyd was a victim of this atrocity. Saturday, June 13, 2020 - Newark Mayor Ras Baracka addresses a Black Lives Matter rally of The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations joins the New Jersey branch of the INCA Council for Social Justice, the Council of Imams in New Jersey and the Muslim American Society in New Jersey in front of Newark City Hall.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes and three other cops looked on. ICNA Council for Social Justice created an online petition demanding murder charges for all four officers involved in Floyds arrest, although only Chauvin faces a second-degree murder and manslaughter charge among the four cops arrested. Imam Wahy-ud Deen Shareef, who is the president of the Council of Imams in New Jersey, reflected on how religion and race have intersected. He said racism was introduced in religion since Jesus is most often depicted as white. The very fact that our minds exist in this environment is enough to make that image and those messages go into our subconscious and cripple the Black peoples ability to lift themselves out of their sense of inferiority, Shareef said. It also keeps Caucasian peoples minds in a false world by making them unable to see their real worth and value as human beings apart from their physical skin color. The problem: we are not to see God in racial images," he added. Saturday, June 13, 2020 - Asiyah Muhammad, of Northside, holds a sign at a Black Lives Matter rally byThe New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations joins the New Jersey branch of the INCA Council for Social Justice, the Council of Imams in New Jersey and the Muslim American Society in New Jersey held in front of Newark City Hall.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Newark Board of Education Vice President Dawn Haynes said Floyds death sparked a conversation in her community about how they can become stronger and work together. There is, she said, a conversation to be had within her umma, an Arabic word meaning community, about race as well. The racism that were suffering in America, we feel that same racism when were at some of these summits of our Islamic environment, Haynes said to cheers. And thats sad. Saturday, June 13, 2020 - Imam Rauf Zaman, Muslim Center of Middlesex County, addresses a Black Lives Matter rally of The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations joins the New Jersey branch of the INCA Council for Social Justice, the Council of Imams in New Jersey and the Muslim American Society in New Jersey in front of Newark City Hall.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com The group was joined by local council people, mayors and leaders from other religions like the Lutheran Church. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who has been championing a civilian complaint review board, called on those at the rally to join the police force as another way to have more community control of the police department. Montgomery Mayor Sadaf Jaffer, who organizers said was the first woman Muslim mayor in New Jersey, credited the activism of Black Americans for the freedoms she experiences today. She identified as an Asian American to the crowd. Though equality is essential to my understanding of Islam, racial equality has not been the practice in far too many Muslim contexts, historically and today," Jaffer said. "We must take a look at our own communities and ensure that we are centering Black voices. Saturday, June 13, 2020 - Layla Berdejo, of Roselle, wears a mask at a Black Lives Matter rally held by The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations joins the New Jersey branch of the INCA Council for Social Justice, the Council of Imams in New Jersey and the Muslim American Society in New Jersey in front of Newark City Hall.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com The Council on American-Islamic Relations of New Jersey and the Muslim American Society - New Jersey also helped organize the rally. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Rebecca Panico may be reached at rpanico@njadvancemedia.com. The idea of South Asia was never too clear, except what the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) stood for. It was hardly anything more than a few nation-states randomly put together, for strategic and trade interests. A perpetual bone of contention was Pakistan in this comity of nations. Dramatically, COVID-19 cuts in to reveal the erroneous formulation of South Asia. Indias much-congratulated policy of Neighbourhood First becomes yet another diplomatic gimmick in the face of two significant unfoldings during lockdown. Nepal stirs the issue of the disputed landmass in Kalapani in the Himalayas against Indias representation of it as part of the sovereign. There could be a genuine concern about the dispute. But the way it unfolds is a telling tale. The dispute distracts us from one of the worst human crises, the woeful plight of the migrant workers due to bad governance and absence of a caring state. It reveals that the nation-states in South Asia are more interested in borders and boundaries than in the people who belong to the place. Moreover, India called for a multi-lateral conversation, a SAARC meeting on COVID-19, in the absence of Pakistan. The nearly-failed meeting became another show of the failure of the nation-state based approach to South Asia. Merely counting a nation in or out does not make for the region that has innumerable issues of common concern. The common crisis of migrant workers across South Asia was a golden opportunity to humanise our approach. But the strategic interest and flawed policy of Neighbourhood First drowned human sigh, anguish and anxiety. The superiority complex of India comes in the way to set right the dehumanisation of South Asia. Ideally, the nations from the region would have joined hands, learned from one another, and devised efficient ways of handling the social calamity appended to the pandemic. A sense of cross-border compassion was much needed. Instead, they decided to stick to the old rhetoric. The claim to have understood the teeming mass of the workers in formal or informal sectors of the economy in South Asia turned erroneous. Inscrutable policy jargons cannot hide chinks in the armour and we can see the cracks in the states across the region. One can congratulate Bangladeshi premier Sheikh Hasina to prevent panic during the lockdown. This was not so in India, where, after every announcement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there was a mad rush to hoard essential items. In a similar vein, the panicked masses of workers began to throng railway and bus stations exploring the possibility to rush back home to small towns and villages. Better planning Seemingly, Bangladesh had better planning about ensuring basics for the most underprivileged and the workers in the cities. Sheikh Hasina appeared more frequently on television and pacified the people without using the dreadful word, lockdown. There is an intuitive thesis doing rounds that the states governed by the female political heads did better pandemic management across the world. This, however, is not the point. The point to note is that India did not look at neighbours to learn and emulate a plan. When it comes to migrant workers, most of South Asia seems to have failed. Bangladesh did not arrange sufficiently to take care of the utterly disarrayed garment industry, a huge contributor to the employment market there. Many workers walked to and fro, between Dhaka and their respective hometowns and villages hoping to join work. Seemingly, the issue of migrants is an Achilles heel for state across the region. The migrant workers have been variously deemed as the spine of a substantial part of the economy. The engine of growth runs with them as key cogs in the machinery. And yet, unfortunately, they have been perceived only as cogs in the machinery rather than humans with emotion, imperatives and sensibility. This is commonly visible across the region. Moreover, the workers who were once contributors to the remittance economy became migrants without a nation. Even if they returned, it was only to an ungrateful nation. Nepali workers returning back to their country from India had to endure arduous walk for miles for hours without any care on the way. Bangladesh also failed to plan in advance for the returning workers from afar, like in India and Nepal. In India, there were arrangements along class lines - there were flights arranged for out-migrants returning from foreign locations. In contrast, there was no time given with any facility of return, for the in-migrants. In Pakistan, though heavily under-reported, it is a not very commendable situation for the workers either. The real problem is that state leadership across South Asia never perceived workers in relation with society, sentiments and sociability. The workers, be they in the formal or informal sector, were the only embodiment of saleable labour-power. They were not understood as humans with due sentiments, mythology, folklore, culture and everyday life. This was possibly a golden opportunity for yet another kind of South Asia to emerge. In sentiments, we are supposed to inch closer to one another, be equal and able to empathise, and thus be compassionate in our approaches. (The writer is founding faculty, Department of Sociology, South Asian University) The Central Region has recorded a total of three thousand one hundred and ninety eight (3,198) teen pregnancies from January to May this year. According to the Ghana Health Service (GHS), drivers, farmers and teachers continued to be the group of men who were impregnating the teens. Madam Lydia Acquah, a Nutrition Officer at the Ekumfi District Health Directorate who revealed this described the situation as very pathetic and called for pragmatic measures to be put in place to tackle it. She was addressing some youth groups in Ekumfi at a days step down engagement between youth groups and policy makers on policy development and implementation on youth participation in decision making at Ekumfi. The event was organised by the National Youth Authority (NYA) in collaboration with the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) with funding from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Speaking on adolescent sexual reproductive health and its related issues, Madam Acquah revealed that the spread of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) was common among adolescents. She said accessing health services was a problem for teen expectant mothers and adolescents with STIs due to the stigma attached to them. She said the Ghana Health Service (GHS) established adolescent friendly clinics to specifically educate and respond to the reproductive health needs of the adolescent and to ensure they received adequate access to health services. But surprisingly, she bemoaned, the adolescents were not patronising them. This, she said could partly be the reason for the high teenage pregnancies in the Region. Additionally, she indicated, sexual exploitation by some unscrupulous men, irresponsible parenting, misconceptions about family planning and lack of sex education and family planning had compounded the problem. In the Ajumako Eyan Esiam District, where more than 237 teen pregnancies had been recorded, Mrs Esther Amankwah, Acting District Health Director underscored the need to assist and guide adolescents as they transitioned into adulthood. She said adolescents were faced with several reproductive health challenges and that their inability to make the right choices could adversely destroy their future. Mrs Amankwah cautioned the youth against drug abuse and said such risky behaviours could have lifelong consequences on their health, education and social lives. ASP Doris Amewude, Deputy Central Regional DOVVSU Coordinator spoke about the role of the youth and other stakeholders in ending Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) and stressed that rape and defilement cases must not be settled at home. She admonished the youth, especially the males to be mindful of the consequences of their actions and inactions and endeavour to control their sexual drive in order not to come into conflict with the law. ASP Awewude encouraged the youth to help create awareness, be ambassadors and preach against SGBV in their respective communities. 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 This year, as the COVID-19 crisis swelled, the federal government unleashed massive rollbacks of environmental regulations and states started pausing policies to address waste and pollution. The coronavirus pandemic has underlined exactly why policies that protect the environment and public health are so critical. The impacts of the crisis have been made worse by environmental pollution. As one example, a study from Harvard found significantly higher death rates among COVID-19 patients who had been exposed to high levels of air pollution. Under the current federal administration's direction, such conditions will only grow worse as regulatory rollbacks open the door for more air and water pollution and federal stimulus aid lines polluters' pockets. For example, most recently, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized a rule that usurps states' power to protect local water and halt polluting oil and gas pipelines. Now that the Legislature has begun meeting again, they have the chance to counter the federal government and do right by the environment and public health. But while the federal government is planning regulatory rollbacks and massive giveaways to the polluting fossil fuel and plastics industries, the state's fiscal difficulties have forced the governor to consider deep budget cuts to essential services like education, public transit, health care and more. The Legislature must use its power to advocate for the most vulnerable and beat back threats of budget cuts to critical programs and services. Thankfully, New York made some strides to combat climate change in the budget passed in April, among them the $3 billion Restore Mother Nature Bond Act, an environmental bond act that should go to voters in November and is intended to both fund initiatives to fight the climate crisis and protect New York from its consequences. The bond act is needed and worthy of support. But it is critical for the state to step up where the federal government has dropped off the map holding polluters financially responsible for the damage they've caused. New York has the opportunity to make polluters cover the costs of the Restore Mother Nature Bond Act, rather than taxpayers entirely footing the bill. Since the 1970s, the fossil fuel industry has known the environmental risks associated with burning fossil fuels and accurately predicted the timetable in which those changes would occur. Avoiding responsibility, the industry used its considerable clout to withhold the evidence from the public, undermine climate science, and hire consultants and lobbyists to derail health and environmental reforms. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. New York has a strong history of holding polluters accountable for the pollution they created, namely through the 1986 Environmental Bond Act, which, combined with the state's Superfund program, helped put polluters on the hook for the costs of toxic waste cleanups. This formulation was so successful that the 1986 Bond Act was overwhelmingly approved by voters. The same principle should apply to a 2020 Bond Act. There is broad support amongst the public for the "polluter pays" principle. Recent national polling conducted by the Center for Climate Integrity found that 70 percent of Americans support the concept of holding climate polluters financially responsible for efforts to fight climate change, with the number jumping to 82 percent after respondents were informed of the decades of deception perpetuated by the fossil fuel industry. There are a number of ways the fossil fuel industry could be held accountable to pay back the Restore Mother Nature Bond Act, including ending fossil fuel subsidies. Proposed legislation to examine the effects of the state's fossil fuel-related tax expenditures, and put a three-year sunset date on them, estimates they cost New York over $1.5 billion a year (S.2649-B/A.257-B). As New York faces a major fiscal cliff due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is crucial now more than ever that the very industry that spent billions deceiving the public is held to task to pay up for their mess. The governor and Legislature should work together now to do just that. Bengaluru: Karnataka Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar on Sunday said there was no question of reimposition of the lockdown amid speculation that it would be done. "The question of lockdown is not in front of us. There is such speculation as the Prime Minister is holding a video conference with all Chief Ministers on June 16 and 17. On June 17 our state will be taking part in it at around 3 pm," Sudhakar said in response to a question. Speaking to reporters at Kalaburagi, he said the current situation would be discussed in that meeting. Sudhakar said the Prime Minister has repeatedly been holding such video conferencing exercises to take stock of the situation and plan for the future. "There will not be a lockdown anymore according to me," he added. There has been speculation that there would be another shutdown from this month owing to a rapid rise in the number of cases. Sudhakar had on Friday said experts have indicated a surge in COVID-19 cases in the state in August and that the government was taking all precautionary measures in that direction. As of June 13 evening, cumulatively 6,824 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 81 deaths and 3,648 discharges. Twitter The police shooting of a black man plunged Atlanta into turmoil on Saturday, with the police chief resigning and protesters shutting down two highways and setting fire to the Wendys restaurant where it happened. It was the latest paroxysm of unrest in Atlanta, where there have been demonstrations for weeksfirst over the killing of Ahmaud Arbery by white men in southeast Georgia and then over the death of George Floyd at the hands of a white cop in Minneapolis. Like the Arbery and Floyd slayings, the shooting of Rayshard Brooks on Friday night was captured on cellphone video. Within hours, demonstrators had gathered and by afternoon, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced the resignation of Chief Erika Shields and condemned the officers actions. The police officer who fired the fatal shots was fired hours later, and the other officer was placed on administrative duty. I firmly believe that there is a clear distinction between what you can do and what you should do. I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer, Bottoms told reporters. The confrontation with Brooks that sparked the protests unfolded Friday night, when police said that at about 10:30 p.m. they found Brooks passed out in a car in the drive-through lane. After administering a field sobriety test, the officers attempted to arrest him for DUI, but he resisted and grabbed a Taser from one of them, the Atlanta Police Department said. GBI Director Vic Reynolds said the officer fired at Brooks only after he aimed at him with the Taser, but its unclear why that would warrant the use of lethal force. In body cam footage released by police late Saturday, Brooks is seen trying to run away when an officer starts to put handcuffs on him, but much of the ensuing struggle then takes place out of view after the body cam was apparently dropped. A police officer can be heard shouting Stop fighting and Hands off the Taser before saying, Hes got my fucking Taser. Three shots then ring out. Story continues Even the mayor's swift action did little to ease the public outrage by Saturday night. After nightfall, protesters set several fires outside the Wendys, which had been spray-painted with messages like R.I.P. Rayshard and Fuck 12, and later flames could be seen in the dining area. Protesters roamed around the blaze until an armored police SWAT truck pulled up outside the restaurant and cops lobbed tear gas into the parking lot, apparently to keep the crowd from getting too close to the fire. Protesters eventually started throwing water bottles at police, and one protester hurled a hard hat at a SWAT team member, prompting police to fire tear gas in retaliation. Meanwhile, other demonstrators streamed into I-85 and I-75, shutting down 14 lanes of traffic in both directions until officers in riot gear began making arrests. Police confirmed that the Zone 3 precinct had also been surrounded by a separate crowd of protesters, but they said authorities there still had the situation under control. Even before Brooks death, thousands had called for Shields to resign as police chief. Our first demand has been met, one protester, Antonio Lewis, told The Daily Beast as the news of the resignation filtered through a crowd gathered outside the fast-food restaurant on Saturday evening. Bottoms named an interim police chief to succeed Shields. In a statement, Shields said she had offered to resign out of a deep and abiding love for this city and this department. I have faith in the Mayor, and it is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, she said. The mayor said the city would begin a search for a new leader for its force and implement reforms within 45 days. To the family of Mr. Brooks, there are no words I can offer that can change your loss. I do hope you will find some comfort in the swift actions taken today and the reforms our city will implement, Bottoms said. As hundreds of demonstrators held vigil for more than 12 hours at the Wendys earlier Saturday, Atlanta City Council member Andre Dickens said there was no reason Brooks should have died. Police must de-escalate situations like these before they turn deadly, he said in a statement. Once the suspect fled unarmed and intoxicated through a parking lot of bystanders, this could have become an investigation rather than a shooting. Brooks cousin Kedaro Jackson, who also lives in Atlanta, described his younger relative as another young black man who was trying to get himself together. Brooks had moved back to the city from Ohio less than three months ago for a job in construction. He often came to Jackson for advice, and the two were close. Brooks left behind a large family, including five siblingstwo brothers and three sisters. He had a baby this year, his fourth with his wife, according to Jackson. Jackson, who welcomed a new baby himself on Friday, was the first in the family to learn of Brooks death, though video of it had already begun circulating online. Im confused. Its a lot to process right now. Everything has a time, he told The Daily Beast. The last thing I told him was to stay focused and continue doing the right thing. Jackson saw the video of the scuffle between Brooks and the officers differently than GBI did. If you look at the video, he didnt grab the Taser until the officer was already trying to tase him. He tried to grab it so the man could stop tasing him. He was pushing the officers off him and running and saying, Dont shoot me! Dont shoot me! When the police shot the three shots, they said I got him, I got him! he said. Deputies Claim They Killed a Black Man in His Home When He Tried to Grab a Gun. His Family Says Otherwise. Seanny Georgie, a local musician who has been marching for law enforcement accountability since May 30, the day after Atlantas latest spate of Black Lives Matter protests kicked off, caught wind of the officer-involved shooting around midnight. He immediately began to round up fellow protesters to head to the Wendy's. There were like 50 protesters and four cops behind us with their guns ready, just looking at us really weird, trying to scare us off, Georgie said of the scene when he arrived. The early-morning situation intensified as demonstrators chanted that the police were pigs and murderers. Atlanta rapper Clifford T.I. Harris made a brief appearance at the rally, urging protesters to vote with their wallets, as well as at the ballot box. Corporations spend money on politicians campaigns, so when you find out that theres a corporation thats supporting a certain politician that doesnt support your concerns, stop spending your money there, he said. Asked about rumors that protesters planned to destroy the Wendys where Brooks was shot, Harris said, I honestly dont think Wendys is our community. But I dont think that destroying personal property is an answer. Why burn this building down if the people who did it aint in the building? Atlanta City Council member Antonio Brown said he was nearly asleep when he found out about the incident. By 1:30 a.m., he was on the phone with Shields, assuring her hed serve as a buffer between law enforcement and the growing crowd. I told Chief Shields I would help try to deescalate the crowd and keep them in order and peaceful, he said. Brown said he planned to pitch legislation to the City Council on Monday that would bar the citys police force from using rubber bullets and tear gas against protesters. In response to the unrest Atlanta witnessed during the early days of the protests, Bottoms launched a task force to evaluate the governments use-of-force policies. And though the deadline for officials to make recommendations for potential reform is set for June 18, Brown said, We cannot wait. By then, he said, another person could lose their life. A Black Man Was Found Hanging From a TreeResidents Dont Buy That It Was a Suicide 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. More than 200 volunteers directed cars, handed out ballots and reviewed voter information. Few people volunteering to hand out ballots were wearing masks or gloves. Cars weaved through the spacious parking lot. While some people waited 10 to 15 minutes to vote, others waited more than an hour. Convention organizers set up blocks of time for people to vote based on what locality they lived in, but the line for people voting outside of their assigned time block had bottlenecks throughout the day. Three men carpooled together, but one of them lived in a different locality than the other two. So they had to drive through twice so the one person could vote in the line for the locality where he resides. Riggleman had favored using a primary, which would have given him an advantage as an incumbent with a larger war chest than Good. This is the most perverse way to choose a candidate, Riggleman said Saturday. Good supporters favored the convention because it gave them a better chance at unseating Riggleman, whose libertarian positions have irked them. It especially bothered social conservatives last summer when Riggleman officiated at the same-sex marriage. GREENWICH About 200 people took to the streets of central Greenwich on Saturday afternoon to protest police brutality and the mistreatment of black people, part of a series of grassroots marches and demonstrations that have sprung up around the community and the nation since the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneaspolis. The march began and finished at Town Hall, with a number of speeches delivered in front of police headquarters by a diverse group of demonstrators. Most of the participants in the march were white. Organizer Chelsea Rose of Greenwich addressed the marchers at noon in front of Town Hall, calling racism an unaddressed problem in her hometown. There is a race issue here that nobody wants to address, said Rose, who is black. She recalled the distance between the races at Greenwich High School, and she cited an incident when she was an adolescent playing a game in a town park. She was questioned by police officers and her white friends were not, Rose said. The racial bias here is real, she said. Her brother, Chauncey Rose, said he often felt ignored because of his race, or that he had to behave in certain ways to gain approval from white society. While he said he was heartened by the large gatherings of protestors around the country since Floyds death on Memorial Day, Rose said he was unsure whether the movement would gain results or not. I thought this dream cant be real all these people marching made me think that our people can be viewed as equals, this dream can be a reality, he said. Rose later carried a sign saying, Im a human, not a stereotype. The marchers went up to West Putnam Avenue and down Greenwich Avenue, with police blocking and redirecting traffic to allow the march to proceed. The marchers got a few friendly waves on the Avenue and a few fist pumps. One jogger on the Avenue yelled out all lives matter as he ran by the demonstrators. Most people expressed a neutral expression as the march passed by. At police headquarters, the megaphone was turned over to anyone who wanted to address the crowd. Elijah Manning, an activist from Norwalk, spoke of housing discrimination, large-scale incarceration of black men and what he said was the long-term legacy of racism in U.S. society. You still dont see us for what we are, Manning said, addressing the white majority. Until that changes, you will never see progress. Chip Skowron, a white resident of Greenwich, said, I have been part of the problem, because I was ignorant and uninvolved. I want to encourage people like me to wake up. A 2011 Greenwich High School graduate now living in Stamford, Fitzgerald Francois recalled how little mixing there was between students of different races at lunch when he was at school. Take the time to get to know someone who doesnt look like you, he told the crowd. It will go a long way. A number of speakers cited what they said was a long-term pattern of hostility toward African-Americans by the police. The marchers also chanted the names of people killed by police in recent times, including Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice and Eric Garner. The marchers carried signs saying Black Lives Matter, Its Everyone vs. Racism, And Justice For All, and End the Police State. A small group of Hispanic activists carried signs in English and Spanish denouncing racism. The march was followed and observed by police officers from a distance wearing regular uniforms and standard gear. There were no incidents with the officers, and the march was peaceful from start to finish. The Greenwich rally concluded at Town Hall, where marchers kneeled for over eight minutes, referencing the choking death of Floyd under a police officers knee. Another large march last Saturday drew about 600 people, and there have been ongoing demonstrations in the community by individuals. A white Greenwich resident, Pamela Green, said she was moved to join the march Saturday by the latest death involving a black man. Things need to change, she said, No more. And I want to be part of that change. Another Greenwich demonstration is scheduled for June 27. rmarchant@greenwichtime.com The acceleration of digitisation combined with the lower life expectancy of populations in developing countries are two factors that will fend off an emerging markets crisis, according to the chief executive of private equity manager LeapFrog Investments. Leading economists, including the Centre for New American Security's senior analyst Rachel Ziemba, have claimed the health and economic crisis of the COVID-pandemic has created a maelstrom for emerging markets where investors that have turned to developing countries for buying opportunities could be due for a rude shock. Andrew Kuper, the founder of Leapfrog Investments says two key factors will help some emerging markets whether the coronavirus pandemic. Credit:Nine "Were seeing emerging markets are under a lot of pressure in the wake of interlinked crisis," Ms Ziemba said. "We will see a number of more frontier markets facing debt, distress, debt restructuring." Private equity firms will find it harder to sell under-performing assets in these markets as unemployment mounts and chronic debt means governments are unable to stimulate economies, Ms Ziemba said. "When public markets are under pressure, its even harder to exit private markets," she said. A woman has been arrested for allegedly impersonating Anamika Shukla and working as a teacher at Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya in Uttar Pradesh's Ambedkarnagar district using forged documents, police said on Sunday. Anita Devi, a resident of Laxmanpur village in Bewar area of Mainpuri district, was arrested on Friday, a senior official said on Sunday. Mainpuri District Magistrate Mahendra Bahadur Singh said, "Police arrested her (Anita Devi) from her village on Friday and sent her to jail in Ambedkarnagar". She was teaching in Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, Ram Nagar, in Ambedkarnagar district for the last one year impersonating Shukla using fake educational qualification documents prepared by one Pushpendra Singh from the real Anamika Shukla's documents, the DM said. After her arrest, she told police that following the death of her husband three years ago in an accident, her financial condition deteriorated. She has a young differently abled son to look after. "Under such circumstances she came in contact of Pushpendra, a friend of her husband, who prepared forged documents and managed a job for her. She told that Pushpendra used to collect her salary of around Rs 22,000 per month, and pay her Rs 10,000 per month," the district magistrate said. He said Pushpendra is absconding and his possible hideouts are being raided. Singh also informed that the Basic Shiksha Adhikari is scrutinizing documents of all the suspected teachers to detect forged appointments (if any). Meanwhile, in a bid to solve the curious case of Anamika Shukla, the UP Special Task Force has been handed over the case to uncover the mystery and use of dishonest means to bag jobs in various Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, a senior official of the UP STF said on Sunday. The case involves the use of fake documents in the name of "Anamika Shukla" used for securing teaching jobs by the impersonators in several schools in Uttar Pradesh and drawing salaries from all of them for 13 months. Inspector General of UP STF Amitabh Yash on Sunday said, "STF probe ordered in Anamika Shukla case almost three days ago. Investigations are going on in the districts where cases have been registered. The STF is probing the larger conspiracy. The work is of the junior-level departmental staff. Trying to identify the culprits and arrests are likely very soon." STF officials added that probe is underway in districts of Prayagraj, Aligarh, Rae Bareli, Saharanpur, Kasganj and Ambedkarnagar. Representative image The hotel industry is betting heavily on local stays and weekend getaways with young travellers searching for trips to nearby destinations after being locked down in their houses for over two months. The sector, which came to a screeching halt amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, has started to open up in a phased manner since June 8 under the government's Unlock 1.0 plan. From investing heavily in workstation setups to ensuring zero-contact check-ins, hotels are ticking every box in order to cash in on the early wave of opportunity. With work from home becoming the new norm, many youngsters are looking at making beaches or hills as their next destination to work from. "Youngsters are looking to book accommodations for long stays as they want a change from the work from home module. Offices also don't mind if employees are coming online from a beach in Goa or from home. So work and leisure is likely to get mixed here," said Rahul Chauhan, founder of corporate hotel booking portal, RoomsXpert. 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 Hostel accommodation service provider Zostel has already started investing in new workstations and robust internet connections across all its properties. "We are experiencing a surge in the queries for long term staycations. Gen Z is getting increasingly comfortable with working in a gig economy and are likely to opt for staycations more, while remote working has given corporates the flexibility to travel and work on the go with virtual collaboration," said Dharamveer Singh Chouhan, co-founder and chief executive officer of Zostel. Hotels are planning to offer just 50 percent of the total occupancy in order to adhere to the governments social distancing norms. Amsterdam-based travel booking platform Booking.com has been promoting 'close to home' travel. "Start by exploring destinations close to home and enjoy a refreshing weekend in a cosy cottage or a villa surrounded by nature," says one of its recent ad-mailers. "With countries at different stages of the pandemic, exactly where and when travel will fully return is difficult to predict, but we expect to see people opting to stay closer to home at first, with local travel returning to begin with," Ritu Mehrotra, country manager - India, Sri Lanka and Maldives at Booking.com told Moneycontrol in an email response. The company had recently launched a wish list travel campaign which reveals that the top domestic destinations for Indians are Mumbai, Goa, New Delhi, Lonavala and Bengaluru, suggesting that people have been looking forward to sunshine and beaches after weeks of confinement in big cities. While hotels account for 42 percent of all properties wish-listed by Indian in terms of the types of accommodation, resorts account for 18 percent. Destinations where travellers can reach within three-four hours will be preferred as people would be able to drive to these places easily. "People won't be comfortable for a while (to use public transport). They would not bother to sit with someone because there social distancing cannot happen. But people will travel and it will start with destinations closer to home where you can drive together as a family," said Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, Vice-President of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI). On hospitality firm Oyos platform, a significant demand is driven by young travellers followed by those from corporates and small business owners. "With most people opting for personal means of transport, bookings trends so far show guests preference towards same-city travel," Oyos Spokesperson said. The company is offering sanitised stays with minimal contact-based check-ins. The Centre had allowed reopening of hotels in non-containment zones from June 8 as the country emerges from the over two-month long nationwide lockdown, meant to curb the novel coronavirus pandemic. PYONGYANG, June 13 (Xinhua) -- It is high time to break with the South Korean authorities and retaliate with possible military force against the South, a senior official of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said on Saturday. In a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, Kim Yo Jong, first vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and younger sister of DPRK leader Kim Jong Un, said she had given instructions for decisive action to be taken. The DPRK has repeatedly lashed out at South Korea since last week in protest against anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets sent by defectors and activists across the border. Pyongyang has also closed its joint liaison office and cut off all communication lines with the South. "If I drop a hint of our next plan the South Korean authorities are anxious about, the right to taking the next action against the enemy will be entrusted to the General Staff of our army," she said, adding that the army "will determine something for cooling down our people's resentment and surely carry out it." Kim also said she fully supported the statement issued Friday by Jang Kum Chol, director of the United Front Department of the Central Committee of the WPK, who said Pyongyang has lost all confidence in the South Korean government and warned of "regretful and painful" times ahead. Kim pointed out that "the judgment that we should force the betrayers and human scum to pay the dearest price for their crimes and the retaliatory action plans we have made on this basis have become a firm public opinion at home." AstraZeneca agrees to supply Europe with 400 mln doses of COVID-19 vaccine Saudi Press Agency Saturday 1441/10/21 - 2020/06/13 ROME, June 13, 2020, SPA -- AstraZeneca Plc has signed a contract with European governments to supply the region with its potential vaccine against the coronavirus, the British drug maker's latest deal to pledge its drug to help combat the pandemic, according to Reuters. The contract is for up to 400 million doses of the vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford, the company said on Saturday, adding that it was looking to expand manufacturing of the vaccine, which it said it would provide for no profit during the pandemic. Deliveries will start by the end of 2020. The deal is the first contract signed by Europe's Inclusive Vaccines Alliance (IVA), a group formed by France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands to secure vaccine doses for all member states as soon as possible. The British Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved the start of Phase III trials of the vaccine after studies showed sufficient efficacy and safety, Soriot said. At a meeting of EU Health Ministers on Friday, IVA agreed to merge its activities with those of the EU Commission, Germany's Health Ministry said. --SPA 21:00 LOCAL TIME 18:00 GMT 0011 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Estonian English According to the decision of the Finnish Government, the passenger movement restrictions in Finnish ports will be abolished as of 15.06.2020 at 00:00 and passengers arriving from Estonia to Finland will no longer have to remain in quarantine for 14 days. From 15 June, anyone will be able to travel (including for tourism purposes) between Finland and the Baltic States (including Estonia), Denmark, Norway and Iceland without the need to remain in quarantine after the trip. Estonia opened its borders to arrivals from most European countries (incl. Finland) without the requirement to remain in quarantine already on 28.05.2020. The opening of the Estonian-Finnish border will help to restart passenger transport on the Tallinn-Helsinki and Muuga-Vuosaari shipping lines. In the summer months of 2019, 3 million people traveled by ship between Estonia and Finland, 53% of them Finns and 24% Estonians. Tallinna Sadam is one of the largest cargo- and passenger port complexes in the Baltic Sea region, which in 2019 serviced 10.64 million passengers and 19.9 million tons of cargo. In addition to passenger and freight services, Tallinna Sadam group also operates in shipping business via its subsidiaries OU TS Laevad provides ferry services between the Estonian mainland and the largest islands, and OU TS Shipping charters its multifunctional vessel m/v Botnica for icebreaking and construction services in Estonia and offshore projects abroad. Tallinna Sadam group is also a shareholder in an associate AS Green Marine, which provides waste management services. Tallinna Sadam group's sales in 2019 totaled EUR 130.5 million, adjusted EBITDA EUR 74.3 million and net profit EUR 44.4 million. Additional information: A couple with no business experience has made $70,000 from their genius idea to make two-in-one water bottles that double as fitness foam rollers. Named the Balance Bottle, the $59 one litre bottle works to keep fitness fanatics hydrated during a workout while also promoting recovery by reminding people to roll out their tight muscles. Speaking to FEMAIL, founders Georgia, 27, and Cory, 28, from Queensland said they started the business on December 13, 2018 and knew the product would sell due to the innovative design. But with no prior experience in business, Georgia admitted the duo were unprepared for the high customer demands, despite being grateful for their quick success. A month after the launch date, the brand sold out of stock and within four months the duo had made $35,000. Scroll down for video A couple with no business experience has made $70,000 from their genius idea to make two-in-one water bottles that double as fitness foam rollers Each Balance Bottle is made from stainless steel and is insulated in order to keep water cold for up to 12 hours, while the roller material is made from EVA foam - similarly to other rollers. The product is sold in four colours black, bloom pink, splash blue and combat green - and can hold up to 130 kilograms of weight when rolling. There are a number of benefits of using foam rollers after working out, including easing muscle pain, increasing blood flow, lowering the risk of injury and decreasing recovery time. 'We both love fitness and always carry a foam roller and drink bottle to the gym,' Georgia said. 'One day we put a water bottle inside the roller to easily carry both, which ultimately sparked a conversation that lead to the product idea.' Speaking to FEMAIL, founders Georgia, 27, and Cory, 28, from Queensland started the business on December 13, 2018 and knew the product would sell due to its innovative design THE BENEFITS OF USING A FOAM ROLLER AFTER EXERCISING Ease muscle pain Increase range and motion movements Increase blood flow to certain areas Decrease risk of injury Temporarily reduce appearance of cellulite Relieve pain Helps you to relax Decreases recovery time Source: Heathline Advertisement After brainstorming and researching, the couple quickly realised there was no similar product being sold within Australia at the time, and so they began designing their own. While the product's premise was clear, Georgia said the design and manufacturing process took six months to complete with few adjustments made each time. When designing Balance Bottle they had to ensure the thickness of the foam was correct while also allowing the bottle to function well without being too bulky. Georgia is now working full time for the business while Cory works as a carpenter. Each Balance Bottle is made from stainless steel and is insulated in order to keep water cooler for up to 12 hours while the roller material is made from EVA foam The product is sold in four colours black, bloom pink, splash blue and combat green - and can hold up to 130 kilograms of weight when rolling Despite the brand's popularity and success during the first year of business, the coronavirus pandemic has effected the production of the bottles and caused a decrease in sales. Since the start of 2020 the brand has been out of stock of two colour options and have ceased manufacturing the bottles for the time being as the stock can't be shipped from China. Georgia said as a result, they're aiming to produce the product within Australia to avoid any further dilemmas and ensure customers can receive their purchase without further delay. Despite the brand's popularity and success during the first year of business, the coronavirus pandemic has effected the production of the bottles and impacted sales She said being unable to receive any further shipments from China over the past few months while in quarantine has been stressful, which has led to them reducing social media advertisements. 'We've really had to pull back on online ads because people aren't buying as much as they were before the coronavirus hit,' she said. And due to the social distancing regulations, the brand has also been unable to produce any further content through photoshoots. But both Georgia and Cory are excited and motivated to get the product back on its feet as soon as possible. As restrictions ease and gyms start to open across the country, sales will most likely increase once again. 'Since the start we have always believed in the product and knew it would do well; we can't wait to get things up and running again,' Georgia said. When asked what the next big step is for Balance Bottle, Georgia said their hoping to expand the product range with different colours, bottle sizes and types of foam rollers When asked what the next big step is for Balance Bottle, Georgia said they're planning to expand the product range with different colours, bottle sizes and types of foam rollers. 'We would love to create different foam rollers to suit different people, as some people prefer a soft roller whereas others prefer harder,' she said. In total the business has sold more than 1200 bottles since the launch. Australians can currently purchase the product in bloom pink or splash blue from the Balance Bottle website. When a student a couple of years ago walked into teacher Jalen McKee-Rodriguezs math class at Madison High School, the student saw photos of McKee-Rodriguez with his husband. Moments later, the student came out to McKee-Rodriguez as transgender. They walked into the room, they saw my rainbow flag, they saw a picture of my husband and they felt empowered to walk back outside and reintroduce themselves by their name, by their pronouns, McKee-Rodriguez said. Sometimes its easy to feel ostracized and so put out of every community that when were able to say, You matter, all the different parts of you matter, you belong here, thats important. McKee-Rodriguez, who is black, told the story as hundreds gathered outside the Bexar County Courthouse on Saturday as part of a queer Black Lives Matter rally. The demonstration came on the third weekend of protests against racial and social injustice in San Antonio after the Memorial Day death of George Floyd in police custody. More for you Protestors demand justice at the Bexar County Courthouse Black transgender and queer protesters spoke of their experience feeling shunned even within the black community. It definitely can be hard. Ive experienced discrimination within my own culture, not wanting to be accepting of me. But just because my culture feels that its not OK to be trans, or its not OK to be feminine, to do things others would see as strange to me, its not strange, said Amari Decor, a black trans woman. I feel that its important to be able to educate ourselves and understand those who we may not normally hang out with, those we might not normally get to know. Suicide rates among transgender youths far outpace the rates among all high school students across the country. The 2017 Youth Risk Behaviors study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 7.4 percent of all high school students nationwide had attempted suicide sometime in the 12 months prior to the survey. But in 2019, 29 percent of transgender and nonbinary youths attempted suicide, according to a survey of 34,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youths. The study was done by the Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on preventing suicide among young LGBTQ people. My femininity should not challenge anyones masculinity, and it should not offend or make anyone feel uncomfortable, Decor said. I just have to be me. And I have to love me and I have to accept me and move throughout life holding my head high, even when people want me to hide under a rock. Protesters also discussed details of the killings of three black men in police custody: Charles Roundtree, Marquise Jones and Antronie Scott. Organizers called on Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales to reopen the cases. Gonzalez, however, said earlier this month that he had no plans to re-examine the cases. Hundreds of protesters, many wearing masks, peacefully marched over a mile from the downtown courthouse and ended the rally at Crockett Park, where music and dancing broke out in the early evening. People say that black lives matter, but we need to talk about how all black lives matter, said Kimiya Factory, an activist and organizer who is queer. San Antonio is a beautiful, beautiful place for the (LGBTQ) community. diego.mendoza-moyers@express-news.net The 34-year-old actor, who starred in films such as Kai Po Che! and PK, was found hanging at his residence in Mumbai. Popular Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead inside his Mumbai home on Sunday, with local media, quoting police, saying the 34-year-old actor committed suicide. Initial reports citing police said the actor, who starred in films such as Kai Po Che!, PK, and MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, was found hanging in his apartment in suburban Bandra. Mumbai police spokesperson Pranaya Ashok confirmed the death and said details were being investigated. Rajput, who started as a TV actor, made his Bollywood debut in 2013 with director Abhishek Kapoor in Kai Po Che! (I have cut), based on a novel by Chetan Bhagat. Social media was flooded with condolences for the actor, with many reacting to the news with disbelief. Sushant Singh Rajput a bright young actor gone too soon, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted. He excelled on TV and in films. His rise in the world of entertainment inspired many and he leaves behind several memorable performances. Shocked by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and fans. Om Shanti. Bollywood star Akshay Kumar wrote on Twitter, Honestly this news has left me shocked and speechless. I cant believe this at all its shocking a beautiful actor and a good friend its disheartening, actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui tweeted. Rajput played former Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the 2016 film MS Dhoni: The Untold Story. Among his other movies are Kedarnath, Sonchiriya (Golden Bird) and Raabta (Connection). He was last seen in the 2019 Netflix film, Drive. So much to say. But to sum it up you inspired so many of us brother. You paved the path. But why would you do this. Shocked and no I cannot believe. Rest in peace wherever you are. #SushantSingh GURMEET CHOUDHARY (@gurruchoudhary) June 14, 2020 Wtf .. this is not true .. https://t.co/RzYSkegt4i Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) June 14, 2020 Shocked and sad to hear about the loss of Sushant Singh Rajput. Such a young and talented actor. My condolences to his family and friends. May his soul RIP. pic.twitter.com/B5zzfE71u9 Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) June 14, 2020 Honestly this news has left me shocked and speechlessI remember watching #SushantSinghRajput in Chhichhore and telling my friend Sajid, its producer how much Id enjoyed the film and wish Id been a part of it. Such a talented actormay God give strength to his family Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) June 14, 2020 Earlier, Manoj Sharma, Additional Commissioner of Police, Western Region, told local PTI news agency that the actor committed suicide at his residence in Bandra. No suicide note was found, media reports said. Mumbai, Indias financial hub and home to Bollywood, has been grappling with the coronavirus pandemic, which has brought the business of entertainment to a complete halt in the country. Rajput hailed from Patna, Bihar, and had enrolled at a New Delhi University to study engineering, before dropping out to pursue a career in acting, according to local media outlet NDTV. Volkswagens first locally assembled car in Ghana is ready. Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyeremanten, has inspected the car. The first phase of local assembling of cars by global automobile giant, Volkswagen, started in Accra between March and April, 2020. The auto manufacturing company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of Ghana in 2018 to begin the process of establishing an assembling plant in the country to serve the West African sub-regional market. The assembling plant in Accra is expected to produce about 5,000 units of vehicles every year with plans to increase production depending on the market demand. 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 Education First Federal Credit Union presented $1,000 scholarships to students from 36 high schools in a six-county area. In lieu of in-person presentations EFFCU has posted a video honoring this years scholarship recipients at its website, EducationFirstFCU.org. Since 1999, the credit union has given $551,000 in scholarships. Golden Pass LNG has awarded eight full-ride scholarships to Southeast Texas high school graduates starting an associate degree in process technology. The students will be attending Lamar Institute of Technology or Lamar State College Port Arthur in the fall. The following students are scholarships recipients: Cathleen Zuleidy Baena, Memorial High School; Franciso Carrillo, Woodrow Wilson Early College High School; RahQuavlan Glover, Woodrow Wilson Early College High School; Miriam Gomez, Memorial High School; DeJanique Monae Jones, Woodrow Wilson Early College High School; Trone Oliver, Memorial High School; Abraham Rios, Memorial High School; Eddie Smith, Memorial High School. As part of the scholarship, Golden Pass is sponsoring career counseling and mentoring services to help guide students throughout their career journey and ensure their success. Upon completion of the training programs, each student will have the opportunity to interview for a permanent position as an operator with the Golden Pass LNG export terminal. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Saturday that the government needs to infuse cash into the economy as soon as possible or else "the poor will be decimated, the middle class will be the new poor and crony capitalists will own the country." Gandhi quoted a new report about the adverse condition of retrenched workers of a private company, who now have a long battle against economic conditions ahead of them. Gandhi has asked the Centre to give Rs 10,000 to every poor family immediately and provide them with Rs 7,500 on a month based manner for the next six months if the government wants them to survive the aftermath of the coronavirus lockdown. He has also called for a fiscal stimulus package for the small and medium industries. "If the Government of India doesn't inject cash to start the economy now: the poor will be decimated. The middle class will become the new poor. Crony capitalists will own the entire country," Gandhi said on Twitter on Saturday. The Congress leader has been asking the government to provide cash in the hands of the people and to the small industries, to enable them to restart the economy, which has suffered a setback due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown. The government has also held back the release of complete data of index of industrial production (IIP) for April, saying it is not appropriate to compare the IIP data with earlier months due to COVID-19 lockdown. (With inputs from PTI) Also Read: Coronavirus update: Loss of smell and taste added as likely symptoms for COVID-19 Also Read: Jio Platforms to raise Rs 4,547 crore from TPG; ninth investment in past seven weeks Protesters on Saturday toppled two long-standing pioneer statues on the University of Oregon. The statues have a history tied to the celebration of white conquest, and some students had renewed calls for their removal against a backdrop of international protests against racism and police brutality. The Register-Guard reports a small group of protesters knocked the statues off their pedestals. One was dragged to the steps of Johnson Hall, the university administration building. In a statement, the university said the statues future should be determined through an inclusive and deliberative process, not a unilateral act of destruction. These are obviously turbulent times. While we support peaceful protest and vigorous expression of ideas, we do not condone acts of vandalism," the school said. Our country, state and campus are coming to terms with historic and pervasive racism that we must address, but it is unfortunate that someone chose to deface and tear down these statues. The university also said a campus committee had been asked to look into whether the statues and other monuments should be removed, adding the statues will be placed in storage during the process. The Pioneer was the first statue on the University of Oregon campus, according to the university website. During the 1919 ceremony in which it was dedicated, the president of the Oregon Historical Society gave a speech lauding the Anglo-Saxon race, according to a Hidden History article on the universitys library website. The Pioneer Mother, erected in 1932, was the other statue removed by protesters. Researcher Brenda Frink told The Register-Guard in 2012 that similar pioneer mother statues celebrated the expansion of American territory and the expansion of white occupation of that land. Frink noted the statue at the UO campus may not have the same intended meaning as other pioneer mother statues. The pioneer mother was also used by womens rights activists of the early 20th century to reference equal strength to men, and used by conservatives to show a preferable alternative to suffragists, flappers and New Women," Frink said in the interview. Both of the statues have faced a resurgence in calls for removal in the wake of a national movement addressing racism, white supremacy and police brutality following the police killing of George Floyd last month. The removal of the statues was part of a list of demands from the Black Student Collective on a petition with more than 2,600 signatures, as reported by the Daily Emerald. Also on the list was a renaming of Deady Hall, named after Matthew Deady, the racist judge who founded the University of Oregon law school. Deady was a noted proponent of slavery and said only pure white men should be allowed to vote, according to a report commissioned by university President Michael Schill in 2016. Schill has since recommended that the schools board of trustees remove Deadys name from the oldest building on UOs campus. Other statues commemorating imperialist and racist figures have seen removal in recent weeks across the United States, including multiple statues of Jefferson Davis and Christopher Columbus. University of Oregon police did not respond to requests for comment. -- K. Rambo krambo@oregonian.com @k_rambo_ Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. The National Identification Authority (NIA), has finally spoken out against accusations leveled against it by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) claiming the (NIA) is trying to disenfranchise staunch supporters of the party through their registration exercise. According to the Head of Corporate Affairs of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Mr Francis Palmdeti, some of its best work occurred in NDC strongholds and that the authority would not do anything as alleged by the NDC. He noted that the NIA has put in place rigorous measures which ensured that the Ghana Card registration exercise was done according to law. Speaking in an interview Mr Palmdeti said, We will be shooting ourselves in the foot if the board and officials of the NIA decide not to do our work well. We will not work to skew our activities towards one party. He noted that there was no way officials of the NIA would allow heads of the authority to disenfranchise Ghanaians. We make sure we send officials who are natives of the various regions to lead the registration process. He explained that with this system in place, no one can decide to register more or less citizens to the advantage of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). Mr Palmdeti said that the process in the Volta Region, which has been an NDC stronghold was one of best experiences ever. The turnout in the region was high, coupled with good network, we were able to register more people in the region. Debunking claims that the authority took more equipment and registered more people in the Ashanti Region, an NPP stronghold, he said; We as an authority are required to follow the law and we would not do anything based on political expediency. We used the same machines in the Ashanti and Eastern Regions. Members of the opposition, NDC have accused the NIA of putting in much efforts to register more people at NPP strongholds whilst intentionally slowing down the registration process and registering less people in NDC strongholds. The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has insisted that, the Ghanaian passport, Ghana Card and identification by registered voters should be the legal requirement for registering citizens unto the new voters register, whilst rendering the use of the existing voters ID invalid. However, the NDC has dragged the EC and Attorney-General to the Supreme Court insisting that the existing voters cards should be a form of identification to obtain a new ID card. The court had slated June 23, 2020 for judgement on the matter. Source: The Ghanaian Times Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former cop, Derek Chauvin, could still receive more than $1 million in taxpayer funds for his pension during his retirement even if he is found guilty of killing George Floyd, reports said. According to a report by CNN, the ex-cop-who has been the subject of national fury since the incident last month, would still benefit from a pension partially funded by taxpayers. State laws dictate that the government is allowed to forfeit benefits for employees who are convicted of felony crimes. However, Minnesota does not uphold this law. The Minnesota Public employees Retirement Association confirmed the ex-police officer would be eligible to file for his pension, but they refused to provide specific details, including the amount he would receive. The officials also said employees who have been terminated voluntarily could receive their benefits, but the felons could decide to forfeit it. Doing so would allow them to refund all their contributions during their years of employment instead. An analysis conducted by CNN claims Chauvin would receive $50,000 a year if he filed for his pension at age 55. The benefits could reach $1.5 million or more over a period of three decades. The former police officer previously attended the initial hearing for the murder of an African-American victim, George Floyd. While reports claim he did not object to the bail request, new information claims the ex-officer tried to reach a plea deal before his arrest. In an article by Fox 9, it was revealed Chauvin tried to negotiate a possible plea deal with federal and state prosecutors. A source familiar with the talks claimed the plea deal would have covered state murder charges and federal civil rights complaints filed against the former officer. The intense negotiations between both parties delayed a May 28 press conference by two hours. However, the plea deal ultimately fell through, but officials did not reveal the reason why. Details about the offer were also withheld. The scuttled negotiations led to Chauvin's arrest a day later where he was charged with third-degree murder. By June 3, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison was charged with second-degree murder. Members of the Minneapolis Police Department addressed the crime in an open letter where they spoke out against former colleague, Chauvin. In the letter, fourteen MPD officers said they were ready to embrace change, including reforming policing. Many who signed the letter held ranks of lieutenant or sergeant. "There were many more willing to sign, but the group opted to showcase people from across the PD as well as male/female, black/white, straight/gay, leader/frontline, etc. Internally, this is sending a message" said Paul Omodt, a spokesperson for the officers involved in drafting the open letter. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike. We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve. 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 The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, has said that many civilians were killed during the Saturday attack on Monguno by members of ISWAP, a breakaway faction of Boko Haram. Mr Kallon also said 37 others were injured while properties at a major UN facility were destroyed by the insurgents during the attack. In a statement Sunday, the UN official said a four years old girl was among the slain victims. I am deeply saddened by the news that many civilians, including an innocent child, lost their lives in these horrific attacks, Mr Kallon said. Expressing his condolences and sympathies with the families of the victims and injured survivors, Mr Kallon said he was appalled by the continued violent attacks launched by non-state armed groups in civilian areas in Borno State. PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday reported the Monguno attack. In his statement Sunday, Mr Kallon provided more details of the attack. On 13 June, non-state armed group operatives aboard light trucks mounted with heavy artillery raided Goni Usmanti community in Nganzai LGA before penetrating the town of Monguno around 11.45 a.m. from two different entry points, resulting in clashes with the military which lasted for about two hours, he said. The armed assailants reached the humanitarian hub, where over 50 aid workers were present at the time of the attack, he added. He said though the facility only sustained light damage, initial reports indicate it was directly targeted and an unexploded projectile was found at the gate. Mr Kallon said vehicles of the UN and other international organisations were set ablaze, same as humanitarian offices and accommodation. He said protective security measures deployed at the hub prevented any harm to the staff inside. I am relieved all staff is safe and secure, but I am shocked by the intensity of this attack, he said. It is the latest of too many clashes affecting civilians, humanitarian actors, and the assistance we provide. Civilians and aid workers, their facilities and assets should never be a target and must be protected and respected at all times. I continue to call on all parties to respect and protect civilians and humanitarian personnel in accordance with international humanitarian law. History of attacks on UN facilities Mr Kallon in his statement recalled past attacks by the Boko Haram on UN facilities across Borno State. On 18 January, another humanitarian hub in the town of Ngala, near the border to Cameroon, was the target of a complex assault by non-state armed groups. An entire section of the facility was burned down as well as one of the few vehicles UN agencies rely on for the delivery of aid. Humanitarian hubs, managed by IOM for the humanitarian community, are critical to reaching the most vulnerable in insecure areas in Borno State. They enable aid workers to deliver assistance and carry out life-saving activities in remote locations amid challenging operational environments. Such incidents impede the ability for aid workers to stay and deliver assistance to the people most in need in these remote areas. Twenty-five aid organizations are providing assistance to more than 150,000 internally displaced persons in the town of Monguno, in the north-eastern part of Borno State. The United Nations and NGO partners in Nigeria are working to bring urgent aid and curtail the spread of COVID-19 in the north-eastern states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe where 10.6 million people are in need of assistance, he said. Earlier, the defence headquarters said troops successfully repelled the Monguno attack, destroying four gun trucks used by the insurgents. The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, also commended the troops for their efforts. New Delhi, June 14 : The Union Health Ministry on Sunday asked the Delhi government to hand over the dead bodies of corona suspects to their family members without waiting for the test report. Director General of Health Services, Dr Rajeev Garg told the Delhi Chief Secretary that the bodies should be immediately handed over to the family members without any delay. Garg, in the letter, said that it has come to light that dead bodies of Covid suspects are not handed over to their family members who are kept waiting for the final test reports. "I want to clarify that the bodies of such suspects should be immediately handed over to the family members. It is not necessary to wait for the results of corona test," he said. He also said that the cremation of the dead bodies should be carried out with utmost care and as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry. Garg said if the report of the deceased comes out positive, then appropriate action should be taken by tracing out their contacts and then isolating them. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: As tragic as officer-involved shootings of anyone is, not all of them are worth burning down a Wendy's for. For radical activists and their enablers, this act is getting old fast. The latest incident, in Atlanta, wrought a huge amount of turmoil: Atlanta police units initially responded to a 911 call reporting a suspicious person at Wendy's around 10:30 p.m. Friday. Officers found a man asleep in his car, parked in the drive-thru lane and blocking customers, according to GBI. They reportedly conducted a sobriety test, but when they attempted to arrest the man, identified as 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks, a struggle ensued. Deputy Chief Timothy Peek, with the Atlanta Police Department, described officers' numerous attempts to deploy Tasers. "Ultimately, when the officer used the Taser, it was ineffective for the suspect," Peek said. "It did not stop the aggression of the fight." Peek added preliminary information shows Brooks was able to take an officer's Taser from him and use it against the officers. So in contrast to the George Floyd case, where the victim died pleading to breathe on video with a bad cop's knee on his neck for 8 minutes, we now have someone who was driving while intoxicated (hello, MADD), sleeping on the grounds of a fast food joint, grabbing an officer's taser while under arrest, and using the taser against police. And Wendy's is the bad guy? Police are the bad guys? This looks like the sort of nonsense that goes on at every fast food joint in inner cities every week. Transients and drug users are often found at these establishments because of the low-cost food and availability of public restrooms. Just read the Yelp! reviews of any inner-city McDonald's or In-N-Out burger, there will always be mentions of homeless as part of the user experience. The Wendy's got burned to the ground by protestors - in this case a pudgy white woman with an accelerant apparently, as well as people who broke into the establishment and loaded up the dining room with flammable outdoor umbrellas. Presumably it was for being the site where the incident took place, and possibly the call to police which would have been done the name of defending their employees and customers from an intoxicated trespasser who wasn't there to do business. BREAKING: The Wendy's in Atlanta on University Avenue is engulfed in flames. THIS IS NOT GOOD. Burning shit down is not the answer. pic.twitter.com/twdSbpzELH BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) June 14, 2020 Which is based on conditions on the ground. Back at corporate, all statements of wokedom did little to prevent such an event from happening: Your wokeness didnt save you did it wendys? https://t.co/MDZwxBOSf5 Crypto & The Revolution (@PURPLE_DIGIT99) June 14, 2020 Wendy's's next move, should there be one, will be to move the place away, laying off black workers. And should they choose to rebuild, if it's in a riot-prone area, will see it go up with ugly metal fireproof umbrellas, the better to prevent Antifa or whoever these arsonists were, from using them as tinder again for the next incident that involves an intoxicated person resisting arrest and an officer being forced to pull his gun. I know some people cant wait to blame Black Thugs for burning down the Wendys in Atlanta where #RayshardBrooks was killed for resisting arrest. However, this agent provocateur was Pink... #Atlanta pic.twitter.com/oMTScxjx6s Angela Stanton King (@theangiestanton) June 14, 2020 But that's just one group of bad guys, another was the city government officials. Item one, they bowed to the mobs and fired the two police officers, who looked a heckuva lot less guilty of malfeasance than the cops in Minneapolis. After that, they forced the police chief to resign, either through pressure or else because she didn't want to deal with the demonization of cops. Were the cops really to blame? Rest assured there will be plenty of cops in Atlanta putting in for their pensions or quitting and going elsewhere given the lack of city government support for their keeping the city safe. They all know when someone doesn't have their back in their dirty and dangerous profession, and it's the poor of the inner cities, who will be now be dealing with can't-be-bothered cops taking no chances when they call in a crime. Crime rates will spike. And everyone knows this because it's alredy happened - in New York, Los Angeles, and Baltimore, to take just a few examples. The one person they didn't blame was Rayshard Brooks, the victim, who apparently has never been responsible for his actions. And that's prompting a lot of questioning on Twitter and beyond as to what, if any, role the public plays, in being good citizens. Did this guy end up in a police encounter because he was black, or was it because of something he was doing? For leftists, it was solely because he was black. And in claiming this, they infantilize him, dismissing the reality that his choices had a role in what eventually happened to him. Which is rather racist in the soft racism of low expectations. Most reasonable people can see that unless there is to be no policing at all, it also appears to have been a pretty predictable outcome. Which is just the point. The left's screams of 'racism' no matter what the circumstances is rapidly getting old. Can a city afford to lose a few buildings every time there's a police incident with two sides of the story. Can it afford to lose its police force to Going Galt? Given the consequences of the rush to judgment, the kowtowing to baying mobs, the woke statements and the demonization of police and any policing, the moral ground is starting to crumble. We've been through this hijacking of peaceful protests into orgies of destruction and looting with the George Floyd case already and can see that a lot of inner cities are going to now take decades to recover. Now we see it repeated with this far-muddier Atlanta incident. And we are likely to see it repeated on incidents of less and less moral merit - bank robbers, killers, rapists - the left will always blame the cops as the bad guy and the establishments will always be looted and burned. The moral case is going downhill with this Atlanta incident. Yet they're going to that well again -- and again. And the public is rapidly getting tired of this - the signs are already out there. Most people are favorable to reforming some police practices and getting rid of bad cops early, as the Minneapolis case seemed to have called for. But stopping the police from any reasonable policing to keep the public safe, as seemed to have happened in Atlanta, is going to be another matter. Image credit: Twitter screen shot Warner Bros has decided to call off the screening of Gone With the Wind at the Paris' Rex Theater on June 23. The decision comes days after WarnerMedia-operated streaming service, HBO Max, removed the film in the wake of the mass protests against systemic racism and police brutaility, following the death of African-American man George Floyd in police custody. The 1939 film, considered to be a classic, focuses on the love story of Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler during the American Civil War. In past decades, the film has been criticised by many for its portrayal of slavery and African Americans. The Paris screening of Gone With the Wind was scheduled to celebrate the reopening of theatres in France after a three-month shutdown due to coronavirus pandemic. Rex Theater announced the cancellation of the film's screening on its official Twitter page. Warner Bros. is letting us know that they wish to cancel the screening of Gone With the Wind.' Thank you for your understanding, the post read. Earlier this week, in a Los Angeles Times op-ed John Ridley had asked HBO to remove Victor Fleming's Gone With The Wind from its platform as it romanticises the horrors of slavery . In response to Warner Bros' decision to remove the film from HBOMax and cancel the Paris screening, Ridley told Deadline that now was the time to understand what was wrong with the Acadmey Award-winning movie. I can say this as somebody who's been fortunate enough to get one, but receiving an Oscar doesn't make your work great. What makes your work great is if it can stand up to comparisons, if it can stand up to the test of time, if it can stand up to context. No, I don't believe that no one should ever be allowed to see Gone With the Wind' again. Let it exist, but with even a slight bumper up front that might make for deeper conversations. Let us study it. Let us understand what was wrong about it, what did work in it, he said. Our Divisions Copyright 2021-22 DB Corp ltd., All Rights Reserved This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics. 46 people test positive for coronavirus: Beijing authorities Global Times By Xu Keyue Source:Global Times Published: 2020/6/13 13:55:18 Forty-six people in Beijing have tested positive for the coronavirus over the last few days. All of them were connected to local markets but none have symptoms and are under close medical observation, Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the municipal center for disease prevention and control, said at a press conference on Saturday. Of the 517 samples taken at the Xinfadi wholesale market in Beijing's Fengtai district, 45 people's throat swabs tested positive for the virus. Another person connected to a market in Beijing's Haidian district also tested positive. Forty environmental samples collected at the Xinfadi market also tested positive. Testing of some 10,000 people who have connections to the market began after six confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported on Friday, following a single new confirmed case on Thursday. The city had been virus free for 55 days, according to data from Beijing authorities. The seven people with COVID-19 had all been to the Xinfadi wholesale market. Except the one case of COVID19 that was reported earlier on Friday, the other six cases that have been confirmed on Thursday and Friday in Beijing had not left Beijing over the last two weeks and had no contacts with foreigners or people from Hubei Province. In response to the emergency, Fengtai has been put on a wartime footing and implemented closed management of 11 residential areas around Xinfadi market, with 24-hour personnel on duty. Three schools and six kindergartens near the Xinfadi market were told to stop classes. Beijing's Xicheng district also raised the risk level of its Yuetan community to medium from low after a new local confirmed COVID-19 case was reported on Thursday. Officials at the press conference said they could not rule out the possibility of additional cases in Beijing. Beijing plans to carry out widespread nucleic acid tests of people who have had close contacts with the Xinfadi market since May 30. Beijing officials said the new confirmed cases also mean the prevention and control of the epidemic should not be relaxed. Beijing residents should strictly follow prevention and control measures. Cross-province tour groups, sporting events have been requested to suspend activities. The reopening of elementary schools, which was scheduled for Monday, has been postponed. Currently, Beijing's 98 nucleic acid testing institutions can process 90,000 tests a day, which has met the needs for testing in the capital, city health commission spokesperson Gao Xiaojun said at the press conference. In attempt to calm public concern, Mei Xinyu, a research fellow at Ministry of Commerce's Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Saturday that the new cases are not likely to cause widespread infections in the city. The immediate decision to fully test close contacts within the Xindadi market reflect China's national strength and emergency response efficiency, Mei noted. Mei said the large-scale testing plan shows Beijing's strong capacity for production of testing supplies and its ability to carry out testing. He said the catering industry need not worry about a complete shutdown but warned them to strictly follow epidemic prevention guidelines. "This is the first time Beijing has conducted such a large-scale test, and I believe the results will be as reassuring as the comprehensive test in Wuhan were," said Mei. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A new study analyses how racism has affected the job prospects of ethnic minorities. (Getty) Job prospects for ethnic minorities continue to lag behind those for their white counterparts because of persistent racism at a societal level, according to a new study. The study, due to be published by the British Sociological Association, compared the latest census data to equivalent figures from 1971 and found that most ethnic minorities still experience indisputable socio-economic disadvantage in employment opportunities. Researchers analysed employment data for more than 70,000 people in England and Wales, comparing results from seven ethnic minority groups including Bangladeshi, black African, black Caribbean, Chinese, Indian, Irish and Pakistani, to their white counterparts. Comparing the data from 1971 to Office for National Statistics data from the latest census in 2011, the study found that most ethnic minority groups were still more likely either to be in manual work, unemployed or off sick. The research comes amid an ongoing debate on racism in the UK following the death of George Floyd in the United States and subsequent Black Lives Matter protests. Study researcher Dr Saffron Karlsen, from Bristol University, said: The evidence for the socio-economic disadvantage experienced by most, although not all, people with ethnic minority backgrounds in England and Wales compared with the ethnic majority is indisputable. According to the study, which is due to be published in the journal Sociology, the most disadvantaged groups were Bangladeshi and Pakistani men and women, who in 2011 were 50% and 30% more likely to be in manual work than their white counterparts. Women of Bangladeshi, black Caribbean, black African and Pakistani ethnicity were between 1.6 and more than five times more likely to be unemployed or off sick than white women, the study found. Read more: Statue of former PM boarded up over fears it will be confused with slave trade advocate Dr Karlsen added: These findings would appear in keeping with work exposing the ethnic penalty which continues to affect the access of minority groups to employment... and the ways in which persistent racism limits access to positive socioeconomic outcomes including social mobility. Story continues There is sufficient consistency to suggest that this is a problem produced and perpetuated at the societal level. Addressing these inequalities will not be resolved by a focus on particular individuals or cultures and their perceived limitations, rather the focus should be racism, discrimination and their consequences. Most ethnic minority groups are still more likely either to be in manual work, unemployed or off sick than their white counterparts, the study found. (Getty) But the study did register some improvements in the gap between job prospects. In 1971, men in six of the seven ethnic minority groups were more likely to be in a manual job than white men - a figure that fell to four groups in the 2011. For women six of the seven ethnic minority groups were more likely to be in a manual job than white women almost half a century ago, a figure that fell to four groups in the 2011. However, when it came to rates of unemployment or sickness, there was a rise in the number of ethnic minority groups for whom men had a rate of unemployment or sickness higher than that of their white counterparts. Houston Police/Twitter The Houston Police Department says one of its employees has been relieved of duty after the officer posted a "social media post with racial overtones." An internal affairs investigation is now underway, according to a tweet posted on the department's Twitter account on Friday. RTHK: UK PM slams 'racist thuggery' after London clashes British Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned "racist thuggery" after far-right protesters clashed in London on Saturday with anti-racist demonstrators and police trying to keep the two sides apart. Fights broke out between groups outside Waterloo station, with fireworks thrown before police cordoned off areas. On a nearby bridge, stones were lobbed at police. Sporadic skirmishes continued in parts of the city centre. "Racist thuggery has no place on our streets," Johnson said on Twitter. "Anyone attacking our police will be met with the full force of the law." Earlier in the day, small bands of protesters jostled and tossed bottles and cans in Trafalgar Square. Far-right groups shouted racial slurs at the anti-racism protesters, and some tried to use metal crash barriers to break through police lines. The Metropolitan Police said they arrested more than 100 people for offences including violent disorder and assault on police, and that six officers had suffered minor injuries. The ambulance service said it had treated 15 people. "It is clear that far-right groups are causing violence and disorder in central London, I urge people to stay away," Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Twitter. In a brief respite to the animosity after the clashes near Waterloo, pictures showed a man identified by the crowd as a far-right protester being carried to safety by a Black Lives Matter protester. The police, who had already imposed a restriction calling for all demonstrations to end by 5pm, urged people to disperse. Police also said they would investigate after images on social media appeared to show a man urinating on PC Keith Palmer's memorial. Palmer, a police officer, was stabbed to death in an attack outside Parliament in 2017. In London the demonstrators numbered fewer on Saturday than in recent days, after announcements by far-right groups that they would converge on the city centre prompted anti-racism activists to cancel a planned march and instead call for scattered protests. (Reuters) ______________________________ Last updated: 2020-06-14 HKT 12:21 This story has been published on: 2020-06-14. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. MBABANE How much is government spending on the 21 Cuban doctors who were engaged by the Ministry of Health to assist in the countrys healthcare system? This is a question many economy watchers have asked following that many countries, including the Kingdom of Eswatini, have engaged foreign healthcare specialists to either assist in improving that countrys healthcare system or in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus. Government, this week, admitted that the countrys healthcare system was too weak hence COVID-19 crisis has exposed health response to infectious diseases. payment of salaries Times SUNDAY has found that government pays the Cuban medical experts each a stipend of amounting to E15 000 monthly. This effectively means for the 21 Cuban Medical Brigadiers, government spends roughly E315 000 monthly for their services. It has been established that these doctors will spend three years in the country. Their engagement, according government, was as a result of bilateral agreement between the government of Cuba and Eswatini. If you multiply the 36 months the doctors will stay by the E315 000 spent by government as their monthly stipend, it transpires that government would spend roughly E11.2 million. This publication has further gathered that apart from the stipend, the Cuban Government has requested that should Eswatini decide to seek support for the fight COVID-19, the doctors should be paid an extra monthly allowances of at least US$800 (about E13 600) each. Just last week in South Africa it has been reported that the SA Government would spend more than R239 million in the payment of salaries and accommodation cost for the 187 members of the Cuban medical brigadiers, who, according to Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize, are specialists in areas in which South Africa has shortages. Meanwhile, the Government of Eswatini has explained that the 21 Cuban health brigadiers in the country do not receive a salary but rather they term it as a stipend. money paid regularly A stipend, according to the Macmillan English Dictionary, is money paid regularly to someone as an allowance or salary for offering his/her service. According to the 2016/2017 Establishment Register, locally, a doctor is paid a basic salary of E32 509 under grade E4. This translates to E309 108 per annum. However, this amount excludes the on-call allowances which they receive yearly. Last year, about 100 doctors and 251 health practitioners shared E55.3 million in respect of on-call and standby allowances. Currently, medical workers including doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians and pharmacists are attending to cases related to the coronavirus and other ailments. In fact, government, according to the Ministry of Health, has hired 600 additional health workers to cover the gap in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed the lives of three emaSwati. Over 470 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the country. Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr Simon Zwane, said government has not yet approached any country for assistance on the provision of health specialists for COVID-19. He said, however, if the need arises, government would not hesitate to rope in more specialists. provision of health Zwane explained that the Cuban doctors that are in the country were not brought in as a measure or move to fight COVID-19. He said their arrival was part of an ongoing programme wherein government wanted to boost its health system because of the expertise these doctors have. The PS confirmed that government was indeed paying a stipend to these doctors. He said the money has risen from what they were paid when they arrived in the country. They dont receive a salary but a stipend, the PS insisted. He continued: Let me emphasise that there is no health worker who is being paid for working on COVID-19 related illness. The Cuban doctors were brought in to boost the health system due to the shortage of health specialists in the country. It is a fact that even before the coronavirus crisis began, the health workforce was too weak, As a country we did not have enough experts in all the cadres in our healthcare system. However, government has done a significant move in terms of addressing the shortages. This is the reason government has hired 600 more health workers to fill the gap in the fight against coronavirus, he said. He said what should be noted is that generally there were low figures of health practitioners who had knowledge on handling issues of critical healthcare. He said but lately government has been training healthcare workers on how infectious diseases are handled. The PS explained that the response is positive and the intern health workers that were all along engaged by government are learning from healthcare specialists. healthcare specialists Meanwhile, Bheki Mamba, President of the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU), said government should consider engaging more students that can be trained in specialised fields under healthcare. He said following the shortage of healthcare specialists in the country government priority should be to fund courses and program that can capacitate school leavers to be trained as doctors. We have no problem with the move by government to engage foreign doctors to assist in the healthcare. In fact, these health practitioners have been roped in because they have special skills yet as a country we have generalists. It is high time we train more radiographic medical practitioners, he said. The Taiwanese Government has sent four medical experts whose salaries are catered for by the Taiwanese Government. The top legislator emphasised that under the Partys leadership and late President Ho Chi Minhs guidance, the revolutionary press of Vietnam has been developing continuously, showing patriotism, firm political mettle, skillfulness, and proactiveness in accessing and mastering modern technologies in journalism. Press agencies have performed their functions well as the organs of the Party, the State and social organisations, as well as peoples forums, she said. She applauded the press's contributions to the COVID-19 fight via creative reporting methods and profound articles which have comprehensively and transparently provided information about the pandemic and popularise relevant knowledge among the public, thus helping with Vietnams great success in the combat. She also appreciated press outlets role as a bridge linking the NA with the people and asked them to continue covering activities of the parliament and its agencies in a timely manner while objectively and precisely reflecting social issues as well as experts' and the publics opinions so that the NA can issue feasible laws and policies meeting the peoples aspirations. At the meeting in Hanoi, NA Chairwoman Ngan said for the time to come, press agencies need to pay more attention to the 13th National Party Congress and elections of deputies to the 15th-tenure NA and all-level Peoples Councils for 2021-2026. They also have to further consolidate journalists political mettle and occupational ethics, actively make innovation, apply new media technologies, improve professional skills, and bring into play journalists wisdom, talent, enthusiasm and creativity, thereby further contributing to the revolutionary press of Vietnam for the sake of the country and people, she added. A gathering is going to be organised on June 13 to honour the 187 exemplary journalists. Shimla, June 14 : In the fight between the Himachal Pradesh government and farmers, it's the marauding monkeys who are benefitting, literally! The government wants the farmers to fire the bullet to kill the crop invaders. The farmers say this is no monkey business and want the government to do its bit to save them from damages. The reason behind the reluctance of the farmers and the government is not hard to comprehend. The monkey is considered holy in India and has a special place in the hearts of the people with temples in the state dedicated to the monkey god Hanuman. With the mass surgical sterilisation of monkeys or rhesus macaque has been undergoing since 2007, the state believes their select killing on the demand of the farmer lobbies will somehow help pacifying their anger over the vast crop depredation. Now again a notification for the killing of monkeys in the private areas, fourth in a series since 2017, has been issued by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. The one-year permission, granted on the request of the state government, is applicable in 91 tehsils without facing penalties. It is not applicable in government and forest areas. The monkeys, which are protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, are allowed to be hunted after declaring it as a 'vermin' for a specific period if it poses a danger to humans or property. Vermin refers to pests or nuisance animals which destroy crops. State wildlife officials told IANS on Sunday that in the past three years, there is hardly any instance of rampant killing of monkeys in the state. "There are reports of sporadic killing in some pockets of Sirmaur, Mandi and Solan districts. Till date no farmer in the state has claimed a compensation of Rs 500 from the government by producing a carcass of the monkey shot dead by the bullet," an official, who wish not be quoted, said. "We have reports of killing of a few monkeys in those areas that are dominated by the Rajputs. Our area is dominated by Brahmins and we don't encourage killing of any species," vegetable grower Naresh Sharma in Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur district said. "We know they are pests and destroying the crops massively. But we try to shoo their troops by bursting crackers," he added. However, the issue of notification every time is inviting ire of wildlife conservationists. Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) member Girish J. Shah, in a missive to the Union environment minister, raised objections against their mass killing without considering environmental, ethical, ecological and sentimental or emotional issues. "Killing of any animal is not a solution. Once it will be encouraged, it will raise serious ecological and environmental issues," he said. Seeking withdrawal of the notification, Shah said trans-locating monkeys and establishment of sanctuaries would be useful and easy to manage their population instead of killing them. Wildlife officials in the state favour monkey sterilisation the best viable option to keep their population under control. Chief Wildlife Warden Savita told IANS that 1.62 lakh monkeys have been sterilised in Himachal Pradesh since 2007, preventing the birth of over four lakh rhesus macaques. She said the current population of the monkeys in the state is 136,443 -- a fall by 33.5 per cent since the last census five years ago. Barring Lahaul-Spiti district and some pockets in Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh is in the grip of monkey menace as they have caused crop losses worth hundreds of crores of rupees in recent years. As the religious sentiments prevent the people from killing the monkeys, their population is multiplying and their menace has increased manifold in cities and villages. Marauding monkeys, prowling in gangs on streets of Shimla, Kasauli, Chail, Manali and other tourist resorts create panic among residents and tourists. They have been causing havoc by biting passersby and snatching food. Activists working for the cause of farmers have been demanding the monkeys should either be eliminated professionally by hiring hunters or lifting the ban on the export of monkeys for bio-medical research to check their rising numbers. The central government had banned the export of wild animals in 1978. In the latest written reply, Forest Minister Govind Thakur informed the Assembly that apart from monkey sterilization, a habitat enrichment plantation scheme is being implemented under which fruit bearing trees of different species are being planted in 10 adversely affected forests for providing natural food resource for the monkeys and other wild animals so that they may not come over to agricultural fields. Himachal Pradesh has declared nine species of wild animals as crop damaging animals. Besides the monkey, they are the wild boar, blue bull, porcupine, jackal, chittal, sambar, hare and the parrot. All of them are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. (Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in) Hundreds of thousands of workers have been grateful for the financial support during Covid-19 offered through Government schemes, the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme. Without them, there would have been considerable hardship throughout the country. But a tax timebomb is ticking. Exchequer figures show that those most reliant on the PUP scheme are lower-paid workers, predominantly in the retail and hospitality sectors. What was not immediately apparent to recipients of the payment was the tax implications which will follow. There has since been some media coverage and publicity around the tax responsibility which falls to these workers and how much they owe will only become apparent in the months to come (see My Money, page 6, for details of tax implications). Most of the recipients of the 350 a week payment will be in the 20pc tax bracket and how much they owe will be depend on personal circumstances. They are not liable for USC or PRSI on these payments and will be able to use tax credits to reduce their bill. According to figures from the Department of Social Protection, expenditure on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment up to June 9 is just over 2bn. Using a conservative estimate on the tax liability to date, recipients will already owe Revenue at least 200m in tax. That is just based on payments so far and is based on the fairly low assumption of a tax liability of 10pc across all recipients, although it could end up at closer to 15pc. According to Brian Keegan of Chartered Accountants Ireland, there is no doubt that the department will hand over details of recipients to the Revenue Commissions. "There is a very close tie-up between the Department of Social Protection and Revenue. "So if Social Protection are paying out money, you can be sure Revenue will be told about it. And there is form for Revenue going after untaxed social welfare payments." Putting aside 10pc of the payment or 35 a week to cover PUP tax liabilities might not sound like a lot of money to some, but many recipients will have struggled to do so and will absolutely struggle to find hundreds of euro to pay a tax bill if they have not been prudent. Revenue told me that individuals will be liable for tax on the PUP amount received at the end of the year "when Revenue automatically reviews their tax position". "Where a PAYE taxpayer owes tax, it is normal Revenue practice to collect any tax owing in manageable amounts by reducing tax credits for a future year or years in order to minimise any hardship," added the spokeswoman. It sounds like a pragmatic approach, but the money will have to be paid. Many PUP recipients could find it difficult to secure employment in the coming months, given that retail and hospitality will probably have the most long-term casualties post-lockdown. What an unfortunate time for some of the hardest hit by the Covid-19 fallout to carry an additional financial burden into the future. Airline refunds would help summer season take off An awful lot of people are still waiting for their refunds for cancelled flights either in terms of vouchers or hard cash. A quick search on social media reveals dozens of unhappy customers of Aer Lingus and Ryanair who have been waiting for their refunds since flight cancellations began in March. It is a cashflow conundrum for airlines which are under tremendous pressure. But the EU has not looked favourably on airline efforts to reverse a requirement to refund passengers of cancelled flights. Some better-off flyers might not be in a rush to get their money back. But the average family will have spent around 1,000 for a flight to Spain, Italy or Portugal, often a lot more. They may now have to opt for a holiday at home for their annual getaway. A quick look at four-star hotels in Ireland will show you that just four nights for a family would easily come to 1,000. Many families will be less flush and less confident about spending big on a holiday now than when they booked their annual sun trip. But a refund from either Ryanair or Aer Lingus could go a long way to funding a staycation be it camping, a home rental or fancy hotel. Surely the airlines could speed up their refunds to give Irish people a bit more cash for a break at home? This in turn might give our tourism sector a fighting chance of getting through this extraordinary summer. Hyderabad, June 14 : At a time when Andhra Pradesh, like many other states, is in the grip of coronavirus, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government's move to go after opposition TDP leaders for their alleged involvement in scams during the previous government's term is heating up the state politics. The manner in which two Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders were arrested in two days and the warnings issued by ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leaders while defending the arrests has kicked up a row. The main opposition is accusing the ruling party of indulging in "political vendetta". The arrest of former minister and TDP deputy leader in Assembly K. Atchannaidu by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) from his house in Srikakulam district early Friday raised many questions. His family alleged that 200 to 300 policemen scaled the house's compound wall to barge in and arrest him. No prior notice was given to the TDP leader about his arrest for alleged irregularities in the purchase of medicines and equipment for Employees' State Insurance (ESI) hospitals during the TDP rule, when he was the minister for labour and employment. Only two days before the arrest, Atchannaidu had undergone a surgery. Since he was made to travel by road for 12 hours to Vijayawada and only after 24 hours did he get some medical aid, his surgical wound is said to have opened. Political observers say while no one can have any objection to Atchannaidu's arrest in the ESI scam, the manner in which he was picked up and brought to Vijayawada raises suspicion. The very next day, former TDP MLA J.C. Prabhakar Reddy and his son Asmith Reddy were arrested in Hyderabad by Andhra Pradesh Police for allegedly forging documents to register and sell vehicles purchased as scrap from a leading automobile company. They were shifted to Anantapur district and presented in a court. Atchannaidu is the first key TDP leader to be arrested since YSRCP came to power in May last year. After becoming the Chief Minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy decided to not only have a re-look at all major decisions taken by the previous Chandrababu Naidu government but also order a probe wherever irregularities were found. In February the Vigilance and Enforcement Department claimed to have unearthed a major scam in the procurement of medicines and other items totalling over Rs 975 crore in ESI hospitals by the Insurance Medical Services (IMS) directorate in the last five years. Atchannaidu had allegedly directed then IMS director to issue work orders to a company without inviting open tenders. The arrests came a day after the state Cabinet gave its nod for the probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into irregularities in various schemes during TDP rule. The timing of the arrests also raised many doubts. Opposition leaders believe that it was done to divert public attention from the state's problems due to the spread of Covid-19 and a series of setbacks the government faced in the courts. The latest and biggest setback was the High Court setting aside an ordinance brought in to remove N. Ramesh Kumar as the State Election Commissioner. The government faced more embarrassment as the Supreme Court refused to stay the High Court order. Political analysts say while the state government was trying to justify every action citing the huge public mandate it got, the courts in various cases found fault with the government's decisions and kept reminding it of its duties. The Jagan Mohan Reddy government was also under fire from various quarters for its alleged intolerance towards its critics. Those who were criticizing the government on the social media were booked, including a 60-year-old woman. The YSRCP government, which completed one year on May 30, also saw TDP President and former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu intensifying his attacks and trying to galvanise the main opposition party. Now, the Leader of the Opposition is even trying to politically cash in on the arrests. He described Atchannaidu's arrest and the 'ill-treatment' meted out to him as an attack on backward classes. "As ACB is dealing with the case, an arrest without notice or on the eve of the Assembly session is not the point. Let law take its own course without favour or vengeance. After challenging for the inquiry, the TDP can't now invoke the BC card or allege witch-hunt in this case," said analyst Telakapalli Ravi. The arrests led to a no-holds-barred war of words between YSRCP and the TDP. While the TDP slammed the government for being vindictive, YSRCP leaders defended the arrests with the remark that it's just the beginning and that they have a long list of names, including that of Chandrababu Naidu. The YSRCP leaders said the arrests have made Naidu jittery as he knows that the law will catch up with him. YSRCP MP Vijayasai Reddy launched a bitter attack on Naidu, accusing him and his son Nara Lokesh of corruption. "The father-son duo believed that Hyderabad would be the safest shelter during the lockdown. Now they are looking for a new bolthole to keep themselves from being questioned by investigating agencies," said Jagan's aide. "Just heard that Chandrababu Naidu has contacted one of his best friends, who is a fugitive industrialist, now hiding in London, to find out the best ways to escape from India," the MP tweeted. YSRCP leader G Srikanth Reddy said that Chandrababu Naidu is frightened of getting exposed on his alleged role in the scams and hence raising a hue and cry over the arrests of his wingmen. All in all, politics in Andhra Pradesh is beginning to heat up barely a year after Jagan Mohan Reddy came to power on the back of an overwhelming poll victory. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 09:35:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Total deposits of China's housing provident fund reached 2.37 trillion yuan (about 334.4 billion U.S. dollars) in 2019, official data showed. A total of 56.49 million people withdrew their provident fund last year, an amount of 1.63 trillion yuan, according to a report released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Finance and the People's Bank of China. Among those who contributed to the fund, the proportion of employees in the non-public sector, including private businesses and foreign-invested enterprises, accounted for 49.04 percent, an increase of 1.93 percentage points over the previous year, said the report. The housing provident fund is a long-term housing savings plan made up of compulsory monthly deposits by both employers and employees. It can only be used by employees for house-related expenses. In the meantime, 2.86 million individual housing loans were issued in 2019, totaling 1.21 trillion yuan, the report said. The housing provident fund mainly supports employees' basic housing demand and reduces the interest burden of housing loans for employees. Enditem An Indian Army soldier was killed, the third personnel to die in the region this month, after Pakistan violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch district, police and defence officials said on Sunday. Two other soldiers were also injured late on Saturday after the heavy shelling by Pakistan in Poonch district Shahpur-Kirni sector, they said. Ramesh Kumar Angral, the senior superintendent of police (SSP) of Poonch, said 29-year-old Sepoy Lungambui Abonmei died in the shelling and sepoys Lienkhothien Senghon and Tangsoik Kwianiungar were injured, Angral said. The injured soldiers have been airlifted to the Command Hospital in Udhampur for further treatment, he added. All the three soldiers belong to the 10th Battalion of Assam Regiment. Before this, Havaldar P Mathiazhagan fell to Pakistani firing in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district on June 4 and Naik Gurcharan Singh lost his life in a similar incident on June 10 in Tarkundi sector that runs along the Rajouri and Poonch districts. Lt Col Devender Anand, the defence spokesperson, said the Pakistan army resorted to an unprovoked ceasefire violation on LoC in Poonch sector on Saturday. Own troops responded strongly to the enemy fire. In the incident, Sepoy Lungambui Abonmei was critically injured and later succumbed to his injuries, Anand said. Sepoy Lungambui Abonmei was a brave, highly motivated and sincere soldier. The nation will always remain indebted to him for his supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty, he added. Pakistan also violated the ceasefire in Rampur sector of Baramulla district on Sunday morning. A befitting response is being given, the Indian Army said. Indian and Pakistani troops have been exchanging gunfire and mortar shelling along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir almost every day now. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON India on Saturday (June 13) said that Nepali government has politicised the boundary issue in the backdrop of the lower house of Nepali parliament passing the Constitutional Amendment Bill. The new map issued by the Nepali government shows Indian territories of Lipulekh, Kalapani, Limpiyadhura as its own. Sources in the Indian government said that the actions by the Nepali govt "do not reflect any seriousness" on part of Kathmandu to resolve the issue through dialogue but are "myopic and self-serving to further a limited political agenda." While reiterating that New Delhi has always stressed on the "resolution of the boundary issue through diplomatic dialogue" sources pointed India responded positively to the Nepalese side and conveyed its willingness to hold the talks in a "conducive environment and at a mutually convenient date" and reaffirmed commitment for the talk when "Nepal objected to the inauguration of Kailash Mansarovar road by government of India." Highlighting the haste in the passage of the constitutional amendment that now goes to the upper house of the Nepali Parliament, government sources said Nepal has no historical facts or evidence to back its claim. The MEA was quick to react on the developments in Nepali parliament saying, "This artificial enlargement of claims is not based on historical fact or evidence and is not tenable. It is also violative of our current understanding to hold talks on outstanding boundary issues." Referring to the 1815 treaty of Sugauli between the British Raj and the then Royal govt in Nepal that, sources said Nepal renounced all claims to territories lying west of the Kali river under Article V of the treaty. Treaty of Sugauli defined the current borders of Nepal and according to it Nepal's border with India in the east runs according to the flow of river Kali. While in 1817, Nepal made claim to the area and demanded the return of Tinkar, Chhangru, Nabhi and Kuthi villages, the first 2 were returned since they were east of Kali river. As for Nabhi and Kuthi, the then Governor-General of India had rejected Nepal's claim on it. Nepal has been claiming its right on Indian territories on the basis of Kuthi Yankti and Lipugadh streams which flow into river Kali. Indian sources said it is incompatible with the Treaty of Sugauli and the 1817 decision of Governor-General of India, elaborating that when it comes to the source of the Kali river, which is one of the causes of the current dispute was also settled during that judgement by the Governor-General. Sources explained that current claims of the Nepali government is contrary to its own boundary treaty and protocols signed with China. India, Nepal boundary issue was discussed at Joint Working Group level in 1997 and 1998 and in 2014, Foreign Secretaries for both the countries were mandated to work on the issues of Kalapani and Narsahi-Sustaand with technical inputs from Boundary Working Group as and when required. The map row broke after India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a road till Lipulekh which Nepal claims is its own territory. It was followed by Nepal Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali meeting Indian envoy to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra and Nepali Foreign Ministery and ruling party Nepal Communist Party issued a strongly worded release protesting the new road built by India that will reduce the time for Indian pilgrims to go for Mansarovar Yatra in Tibet, China. It was followed by a strong protest by India who reminded Kathmandu that it is Indian territory. THE headteacher of Watlington Primary School says she is not surprised the Governments plan for all primary school years to go back to school before the end of term has been scrapped. Yvonne Hammerton-Jackson said she would love to have the children back in school before the summer break but realised the difficulties. She hopes to provide at least a weeks worth of school for each year group before the Love Lane school breaks up on July 17 as long as it is safe and practical. Watlington welcomed back 35 children from reception, year 1 and year 6 last week and another six when its nursery re-opened this week. It also has vulnerable pupils or children of key workers in school, bringing the total to almost 50 attending each day. At the moment each class is split in half so one group can attend school on Mondays and Tuesdays and the other on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The Government wanted all primary pupils to spend four weeks in school before the summer break but now accepts that is not practical. Mrs Hammerton-Jackson said: Reading between the lines, they will still urge us to get as many in as possible but they recognise it will be decisions made by headteachers and governing bodies to get these children in where possible and safe. At the moment we have just added more vulnerable children into the provision thats already there for key workers and we have had this bubble added for nursery. The children love being back. In early years the youngsters find it difficult in terms of social distancing. Nursery children find it almost impossible but they just enjoy the interaction. Its not full proof and Ive been really honest with parents. At Benson Primary School children in reception, years 1 and 6 have returned. The school says it is committed to doing the best job it can and looking after the children while they are in school. Staff have been encouraging the children to wash their hands regularly and to follow social distancing guidelines. There is optional PPE available for the staff and if parents choose to send their child to school with a mask they should have enough to change it frequently throughout the day. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The only entity welcoming Dr. Amy Actons surprise resignation Thursday should be the coronavirus, not Republicans in Ohios general assembly who tried to make her job even tougher. Giving Dr. Actons resignation a hi-five is a low-five. The Buckeye states Republican Governor Mike DeWine had bucked the states Republican leaders in regretting Dr. Actons resignation as the states Health Director and heaping hi praise on her work in the fight against the coronavirus. Its true not all heroes wear capes. Some of them do, in fact, wear a white coat, and this particular heros white coat is embossed with the name Dr. Amy Acton. That white coat was also weathered by a grueling work routine and smears from attacks by Ohio Republican officials, protests in front of her home and lawsuits against Ohio Covid restrictions ordered by Dr. Acton and Governor DeWine. Those attacks were noted in international news headlines on Dr. Actons resignation. Dr Amy Acton resigns amid backlash against Ohios lockdown after leading coronavirus fight. topped the report in Scotlands The Guardian Amy Acton, Ohios embattled health director, resigns amid COVID-19 crisis headlined the ABC News story. Republican lawmakers attempts to restrict Dr Actons authority with new legislation failed and were not in sync with public opinion on Dr Actons job performance. Polls found that 84% of Ohio voters trusted the information she provided. In the press briefing announcing her resignation Dr Acton did not state any specific reason for her decision. She noted the grueling work routine and that Ohio had moved into a new reopening phase that would allow her to transition into a role as Governor DeWines chief medical adviser. But Dr Action mainly focused on praising the work of Governor DeWine and all those working with both of them to battle back the coronavirus. Dr Acton also deserves high praise for helping preventing Ohio from becoming like New York, Washington and so many states now experiencing a coronavirus surge. A bobble head had been modeled in Dr. Amy Actons likeness, but it turns out those who fought against her were the true bobble heads. New Orleans City Councilman Jared Brossett was booked Sunday morning with counts of driving while intoxicated and reckless driving after he apparently jumped the neutral ground in his city-owned SUV and hit an oncoming car near the Lowe's home improvement store on Elysian Fields Avenue. Police took Brossett to University Medical Center after the crash in the 2400 block of Elysian Fields, near the Interstate 10 off-ramp, a source familiar with the case said. Brossett, 37, was treated there for minor injuries but refused a breath-alcohol test. He performed poorly on a field sobriety test and appeared intoxicated, the source said. Update: Jared Brossett says he will seek treatment after DWI arrest: 'I want to sincerely apologize' Officers booked him just before 6:05 a.m. Sunday. He no longer appeared to be in custody by 8:30 a.m. A neighbor who witnessed the crash said he was sitting on his porch facing the I-10 west on-ramp when he saw a black SUV outfitted with police lights cross the neutral ground and hit another car. The resident, who did not want to be identified but provided a video of the aftermath, crossed the street and found Brossett whom he did not immediately recognize and the unidentified man he hit, who was lying on the ground after exiting the car. The condition of that man was unclear Sunday. The man's car appears badly damaged. Were trying to resolve the issue, Brossett tells the neighbor in the video, stumbling over his words. The neighbor attempted to check on the passenger in the other car and told Brossett they needed a light to direct other traffic around the wreck. Brossett is seen on his phone and at one point tells the resident, Im working with you, and Its all gravy. I love you. In a second video shot by the same neighbor, authorities question Brossett, asking whether he was driving the truck, what year it is and how many quarters make a dollar. The councilmans responses cannot be heard in the video. The neighbor said Brossett refused to answer. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Emergency medical technicians arrived about 30 minutes after the crash and police force responded about an hour later, the resident estimated. Brossett didn't immediately answer a telephone call seeking comment after his release from jail Sunday morning, though a spokesman called back soon afterward to say a statement would be forthcoming. The spokesman, Cleveland Spears, later said Brossett had decided not to comment on his arrest, or the video, which the newspaper shared with him. On Sunday afternoon, Brossett was among four council members listed as signatories on a statement criticizing the removal of a bust of John McDonogh from Duncan Plaza a day earlier. Brossett has been in elected office for more than a decade. He was elected to the state House of Representatives in 2009, and then to the District D seat on the council in 2014. He was reelected in 2017. Before running for office, he served as a legislative aide to City Councilwoman Cynthia Hedge-Morrell, who held the District D seat for nearly a decade. The district includes Gentilly, part of the lakefront, a sliver of New Orleans East, and sections of the 7th Ward and Mid-City. Brossett ran for clerk of Civil District Court in 2018, when the position was vacated, but he lost to Chelsey Napoleon Richard. His current term expires in early 2022, and he is barred by term limits from seeking reelection. Brossett's arrest came roughly 24 hours after New Orleans bars reopened in a limited fashion, as the city entered Phase 2 of coming back from the coronavirus lockdown. Many watering holes opened for the first time in months Saturday and drew relatively large crowds. A public-records database shows Brossett was booked with DWI in 2006 in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The outcome of that count could not be determined Sunday. Systems at Australian beverages company Lion were infected with a ransomware that disrupted to manufacturing processes and customer service. Systems at Australian beverages company Lion were infected with a ransomware, the security breach caused the disruption of manufacturing processes and customer service. Lion is a beverage and food company that operates in Australia and New Zealand, and a subsidiary of Japanese beverage giant Kirin. It produces and markets a range of beer, wine, cider, RTDs and spirits, as well as dairy and other beverages The infection took place on June 9, and a few days later the company confirmed that the incident was caused by ransomware. The cyberattack will cause a delay in the production of beer, the company announced. In response to the attack, the Australian company shut down some manufacturing sites, and some of them have yet to be resumed. The company also started informing customers about the incident and warned of possible temporary shortages. Our investigations to date have shown that a system outage has been caused by ransomware. The ransomware targeted our computer systems. In response, we immediately shut down key systems as a precaution. reads a post published by the company on its website. Our teams are working as hard as they can to service customers and suppliers, implementing new manual processes and investigating all alternative options. We recognise this is imperfect and is causing disruption to our valued partners. We also recognise this is happening at an unfortunate time as we emerge from COVID-19 restrictions, Lion immediately launched an investigation into the ransomware attack, it confirmed that financial or personal information has not been exposed as a result of the attack. We had been hoping to have full access restored by now, but unfortunately this process is taking longer than we hoped, continues the post.There is no evidence that any of the information contained in our system (including financial or personal information) has been affected but this is something that we will review closely as we continue to investigate the incident. Recently other Australian companies were hit by a cyber attack, the shipping giant Toll suffered two ransomware attacks in a few months. In May, the Australian flat product steel producer BlueScope Steel Limited was also hit by a cyberattack that caused disruptions to some of its operations. Ransomware attacks are threatening production plants worldwide, recently Japanese carmaker Honda announced it has been hit by a cyberattack that disrupted its business in several countries. Pierluigi Paganini (SecurityAffairs Lion, ransomware) Pictures of unrelieved despair everywhere on TV and, that too, in the course of an extended house arrest (lockdown), does leave one, to use Faiz's words, with "pain where the heart once was". Heaven knows there were problems then too, but in these days of stress, I reflect on the period of the Cold War with an almost irreparable sense of loss. The period spanned my childhood, between my village and Lucknow, school, college, employment at The Statesman, The Indian Express, with papers in London, Boston and Salem, Massachusetts. All of this experience was without religion ever being an obstacle in the three continents where I worked. During my spell at Salem, my wife and I lived in nearby Marblehead where we were much pampered members of the prestigious North Shore Jewish Community Centre, something unthinkable in the post 9/11 Islamophobia. I find it difficult to believe at this distance in time, the warmth with which the gorgeous Bathsheba Hermon, donning a large straw hat, Public Relations officer for the Jerusalem municipality, received me at Ben Gurion airport. The year was 1969: an Australian lunatic had set fire to the Al Aqsa mosque. Israel in those days was a series of cooperatives called Kibbutz, collectively owned by the inhabitants, an almost dreamy kind of socialism. Total partiality to the Palestinian issue on my part did not obstruct a benign contemplation of the Kibbutz system. This response must be attributed to two factors -- attractions of soft socialism and Bathsheba Hermon as the tour guide. Hard to believe in the days of the Ayatullahs that one route from Ben Gurion to New Delhi was via Tehran. North Tehran those days was Paris to the power of infinity. The elite were totally unaware of the diligence of the clergy in the mosques and the Tudeh (Communists) who had latched assiduously onto the national mood after Socialist Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq's ouster by the Anglo-American combine in 1953. Compared to Beirut, Tehran was, well, tinsel. European cosmopolitanism with an Arab soul best defined Beirut. Casino du Liban and the Crazy Horse Casino (which came from Paris for seasonal spells) and pubs, restaurants, cafA sparkled with conversations. I was a junior journalist, insistent on ambitious itineraries, my ears always cocked for scraps of conversation to be picked up, say, where Edward Said, Faiz Ahmad Faiz and Eqbal Ahmad were in attendance. Beirut was the world's most charming city, the only one where sport enthusiasts could, within the space of two hours, ski and swim in sea. The metropolis never could rediscover its Alan after Israeli Defence Minister, Ariel Sharon's brutal invasion of Lebanon in 1982. Cairo's early Arab socialism had its attractions but intellectual life centered largely around Nasser's moves, revealed in Hassanein Heikal's columns in the Al Ahram which were debated and scrutinized for the entire week. Whatever the limitations of the system, editorials did matter because they were the bridge between public opinion and the state. They provided insights into what policy makers were thinking. Post-Cold War Murdochization of the media afflicted all continents; it proceeded hand in hand with globalization whose central grid was to be in Washington. The collapse of that project and global establishments obstinately stonewalling any change in direction is at the heart of our current misery. Even though Australian multicultural experience could never measure upto Canada's, the period between the Cold War and its end, was exactly when Australia was at its most relaxed, particularly after Prime Minister Malcolm Frazer (1975-83) buried for good Australia's "White only" policy. Slowly, multiculturalism picked up, the odd Pauline Hanson, Australia's Marine Le Pen, notwithstanding. I interviewed a Chinese Mayor of Sydney in the late 80s, early 90s. The project was hit for a six when Prime Minister, John Howard, Britain's Tony Blair hitched their wagons to President George W Bush's Islamophobia -- all post Cold War, remember. For peace on earth, it was a terrible trio. Indian multiculturalism was weak in its foundation from the very beginning in 1947. How could there not have been incipient communalism when a Muslim state is created next door but the larger part which falls to the Hindu's lot, must, per force, be called a secular state. Initially communalism was the "Hindu rate of growth", an expression made famous by economist K.N. Raj for describing the crawl of the Indian economy. Even so, it did impact lives. In the golden period I have described at the outset, the prejudice I faced was in finding a house until Kuldip Nayar and Bikram Singh, intervened. That intervention is totally missing today. Congress-BJP competition for the Hindu vote, Prime Minister V.P. Singh stirring the caste cauldron accelerated communalism beyond the "Hindu rate of growth", but the neo-liberal economic policies added fuel to the fire by creating unspeakably wide inequalities worldwide. Popular discontent was crying for policies that would redistribute wealth, strengthen the welfare net, provide universal healthcare, education, universal basic income. It suited establishments to duck economic demands. Instead, popular discontent was channelized into the gutters of identity politics. In India, identity politics translates quite simply into communalism which already had lethal inputs from "1,200 years of foreign subjugation" (Modi's phrase) and caste. And yet we have the same, tired list of economists paraded on our TV screens, sunk in the deepest layers of thought, proposing ways to "place the economy on track" the unmistakable assumption being that the "tracks" have been laid to perfection. With coronavirus on a gallop, the economy in free fall, I wonder if millions who have walked will be satisfied with dollops of identity politics alone. Some bread may be required. Meanwhile, all the cheerful places mentioned in the snippets from my diary from the 60s to the 90s have today been transformed into desolations by the authors of the post Cold War world. And, for want of space, I have not even mentioned the wilful destruction of Tripoli, Damascus and Baghdad. (Saeed Naqvi is a senior commentator on political and diplomatic issues. The views expressed are personal. He can be reached on saeednaqvi@hotmail.com) Latest updates on Howdy Modi Houston Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. The Country Director of Standing Together against Child Abuse and Neglect (STANCAN), Mrs Georgina Boateng, has advocated a concerted effort by stakeholders to promote the welfare of children with special needs in the country. She said such collaboration would ensure protection and wellbeing of such persons in the society. Mrs Boateng made the call when she presented assorted items on behalf of STANCAN, United Kingdom (UK) non-governmental organisation (NGO), founded by Ms Elsie Owusu-Kumi, to the Dzorwulu Special School, in Accra, last Saturday. The items included sanitary pads, soft drinks, bottled water, toilet rolls bags of rice, sachets of water, gallons of soap and detergents and boxes of tin of tomatoes. Mrs Boateng said STANCAN, which consist of a group of Ghanaian social workers, living in the UK, sought to empower the less privileged by creating awareness of what constituted child abuse and neglect. She said the NGO was equipping parents and professionals on child marriages, Female Genital Mutilation, children branded witches, child abuse and rape among others. Mrs Boateng stressed the need to cater for the less privileged, to enable them contribute their quota to national development. She said the NGO would liaise with policy formulators and decision makers, at both local and international levels, to promote the welfare of children, especially those with special needs. Mrs Boateng commended the staff of the school for their dedication in ensuring that the less vulnerable in the society were catered for. The Headmaster of the Dzorwulu Special School, Mr Fredrick Tetteh, who received the items on behalf of the school, commended the NGO for its gesture. He assured that the items would be used for its intended purpose, and called on other organisation to emulate the NGO, to ensure that the less privileged in the country were protected. Source: The Ghanaian Times Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ukrainian law enforcement officials announced on Saturday that they were offered $5 million in bribes to end a probe into Mykola Zlochevsky, the founder of energy company Burisma, Reuters reports. Why it matters: Nazar Kholodnytsky, the head of Ukraines national anti-corruption bureau, stressed that the bribe had no connection to former Burisma board member Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice President Joe Biden. Lets put an end to this once and for all. Biden Jr. and Biden Sr. do not appear in this particular proceeding, Kholodnytsky said, according to Reuters. Details: The case related to Zlochevsky involved allegations of bank fraud. Three people have been detained over the alleged bribe, including one current and former tax official. About $5 million was allegedly offered to anti-corruption officials, while another $1 million was intended for an official acting as a middleman. Officials displayed plastic bags filled with the cash during Saturday's press conference. It was the largest cash bribe ever seized in Ukraine. Burisma said in a statement that it had nothing to do with the bribe. The big picture: Burisma gained worldwide notoriety during the 2019 impeachment inquiry into President Trump over allegations he attempted to pressure the Ukrainian government into opening an investigation into Hunter Biden to damage Joe Biden before the November presidential election. Ruscha does not propose an ironic twist, much less the longueurs of a lesson in semiotics. He doesnt care if you project onto it all your old nostalgia for movies, or Hollywood, or Los Angeles. Nor does he care whether his painting triggers in you (although by all means, let it) a lament for the end of cinema or even as feels tempting today the end of the American experiment. Pope Francis has today urged Christians to fill their 'hearts with hope' and to focus on acts of 'respect and generosity' during this time as 'evil seems to reign supreme'. In a message delivered today for the 4th World Day of the Poor, which will be celebrated November 15, the pope said: 'Bad news fills the pages of newspapers, websites and television screens, to the point that evil seems to reign supreme. 'But that is not the case. To be sure, malice and violence, abuse and corruption abound, but life is interwoven too with acts of respect and generosity that not only compensate for evil, but inspire us to take an extra step and fill our hearts with hope. Pope Francis has urged Christians to fill their 'hearts with hope'. Pictured: Pope Francis holding a Holy Mass at St. Peter's Basilica in The Vatican, as the city-state eases its lockdown He added that the restrictions placed upon the population during the pandemic have made people 'feel poorer and less self-sufficient because we have come to sense our limitations and the restriction of our freedom.' Pope Francis then turned the spotlight onto those experiencing long term poverty, he said: 'This pandemic arrived suddenly and caught us unprepared, sparking a powerful sense of bewilderment and helplessness. 'Yet hands never stopped reaching out to the poor. This has made us all the more aware of the presence of the poor in our midst and their need for help. 'Structures of charity, works of mercy, cannot be improvised. Constant organization and training is needed, based on the realization of our own need for an outstretched hand.' Pope Francis holding a Holy Mass on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ at St. Peter's Basilica in The Vatican Pope Francis leads a traditional Corpus Christi (Body of Christ) feast Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, June 14, 2020 Pope Francis waves from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, after delivering the Angelus prayer, Sunday, June 14, 2020 Nuns wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pray as Pope Francis as delivers his blessing, Sunday, June 14, 2020 He said the loss of jobs along with the chance to spend more time with loved ones 'suddenly opened our eyes to horizons that we have long since taken for granted,' and that the period of lockdown allowed many to rediscover 'the importance of simplicity, and of keeping our eyes fixed on the essentials.' Pope Francis drew links between social responsibility and the current crises we are facing. Protests paying tribute to George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died during an arrest on May 25, have been seen across the world this weekend including in Paris, Tokyo, Auckland, Prague, Czech Republic, Lausanne, Switzerland and Breda, the Netherlands. He concluded: 'In a word, until we revive our sense of responsibility for our neighbour and for every person, grave economic, financial and political crises will continue. ' Today the Pope led a traditional Corpus Christi (Body of Christ) feast Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, with a limited, socially distanced congregation. TDT | Manama Prime Minister HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifas initiative Promoting the Culture of Peace with Love and Conscience has garnered a new international recognition. UNESCOs Executive Councils Preparatory Committee on Friday recognised celebrating the International Day of Conscience as a way to systematically mobilise the efforts of the international community to promote peace, inclusion, solidarity and understanding to build a sustainable world. The agency said that they will observe the Day of Conscience at UNESCO Headquarters and regional offices annually on April 5 with the participation of all member states and partners. The decision will get UNESCOs final approval during the ninth session of its Executive Board meeting to be held in Paris from June 29 July 10, 2020. UNESCO recognition of Prime Ministers initiative follows the United Nations unanimously designating 5th April as International Day of Conscience during its 31st July 2019 meeting, calling upon every human being to participate in celebrating diversity and inclusiveness. In Fridays meeting, UNESCO officials said the initiative reminds the world of the need to establish conditions of stability, prosperity, peaceful and friendly relations based on respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion. Representing Bahrain at the preparatory meeting was a representative of the Court of His Royal Highness, the Prime Minister, and Sheikha Wafa bint Abdullah Al Khalifa, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Bahrain at UNESCO. Sheikha Wafa said the initiative appreciated and respected by all the participating countries enhances Bahrains position as a supportive state of peace, security and stability in the world. Seminars, expo planned The meeting also passed its recommendation to the Secretary-General of the United Nations to notify all its member states, organisations of the United Nations system, commercial and academic institutions, and international community organisations, to properly celebrate the day. Besides, the meeting reached a consensus to organise activities including seminars, exhibitions, and awareness campaigns to discuss issues of youth on the day. The Assistant Director-General of UNESCO, Stefania Giannini praised the efforts of Bahrain in this regard during a UN video conferencing seminar organised on April 7th 2020. International acclaim The initiative also received wide international acclaim, citing its importance, especially in light of the difficult circumstances the world is going through due to the outbreak of the Corona Pandemic. They praised the Prime Minister for his role in promoting humanitarian, peace and sustainable development issues, and enriching international action with pioneering initiatives and steps that the world needs to build a better future. Shura Council president Ali bin Saleh Al-Saleh, Human Rights Committee member MP Khaled Buang and Bahrain Society for Tolerance and Interfaith Coexistence chairman, Youssef Buzabun also extended their congratulations to the Prime Minister on the UNESCO honour. This global achievement is the fruit of HRH the Premiers endeavour to promote tolerance, cultivate the culture of peace, love and coexistence between peoples, said Buzabun. The latest: Atlanta's police chief resigned Saturday hours after a black man was fatally shot by officers in a struggle following a field sobriety test. Authorities said the slain man had grabbed an officer's Taser, but was running away when he was shot. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced the resignation of Police Chief Erika Shields at a Saturday news conference as roughly 150 protesters marched outside the Wendy's restaurant where 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks was fatally shot late Friday. The mayor also said she called for the immediate firing of the officer who opened fire at Brooks. I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer," Bottoms said. She said it was Shields' own decision to step aside as police chief and that she would remain with the city in an undetermined role. Protesters gathered at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta and other parts of the city to demonstrate against police brutality following the fatal shooting. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the shooting, said the deadly confrontation started with officers responding to a complaint that a man was sleeping in a car blocking the restaurant's drive-thru lane. The GBI said Brooks failed a field sobriety test and then resisted officers' attempts to arrest him. The GBI released security camera video of the shooting Saturday. The footage shows a man running from two white police officers as he raises a hand, which is holding some type of object, toward an officer a few steps behind him. The officer draws his gun and fires as the man keeps running, then falls to the ground in the parking lot. GBI Director Vic Reynolds said Brooks had grabbed a Taser from one of the officers and appeared to point it at the officer as he fled, prompting the officer to reach for his gun. The security camera video does not show Brooks' initial struggle with police. New Orleans agitators pull down bust, throw it in river Agitators Saturday tore down a bust of a slave owner and then took the remains to the Mississippi River and rolled it down the banks into the water. The destruction is part of a nationwide effort to remove monuments to the Confederacy or with links to slavery as the country grapples with widespread protests against police brutality toward African Americans. Police said in a statement Saturday that agitators at Duncan Plaza, which is directly across the street from City Hall, dragged the bust into the streets, loaded it onto trucks and took it to the Mississippi River where they threw it in. Two people who were driving the trucks transporting the bust were apprehended by police and taken to police headquarters, authorities said. Their names were not given in the statement. Video on social media showed dozens of people surrounding the bust which sat on a pedestal while some people pulled on a rope tied to the bust and another hit it. As the bust tilts and then crashes to the ground the crowd cheers. Another video posted on social media shows a crowd watching as the bust is rolled down the rocky banks of the Mississippi River and into the water. New Orleans took down four Confederate-era monuments in 2017 after a months-long process of contentious public meetings and demonstrations. But other controversial symbols remain. Floyd cousin speaks at Lee monument in Virginia Thousands of people gathered in Virginia's capital on Saturday for a demonstration against racism known as the 5,000 Man March. The protest in Richmond included a speech by a cousin of George Floyd, the black man whose death at the hands of police has prompted weeks of protests around the world. The demonstrators gathered at the citys famed monument of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee before making a loop around the downtown. They returned to the monument about two hours later to hear speakers. Tavares Floyd, George Floyds cousin, stepped onto the Lee monument and was welcomed by applause from the surrounding crowd of demonstrators in the former capital of the Confederacy. WRIC-TV reports that Floyd spoke about many different racial inequalities that the black community faces in Virginia and throughout the nation. The Lee statue, erected in 1890, has become a focal point of protests in Richmond since Floyds death. After years of calls by activists to remove Confederate statues in Virginia, Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam has pledged to take down the Lee statue, while Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, also a Democrat, has vowed to remove other Confederate statues on the same street. George Floyd's family intends to file a civil lawsuit against Derek Chauvin, lawyer says Benjamin Crump, the lawyer for the family of George Floyd, told CNN they will also file a civil lawsuit against the officer who had his knee on Floyd's neck. He said the family "intends on holding Derek Chauvin fully accountable in every aspect, criminal and civil." Chauvin is currently facing second-degree murder charges, but CNN reported he could still receive more than $1 million in pension benefits during his retirement years even if convicted. While a number of state laws allow for the forfeiture of pensions for those employees convicted of felony crimes related to their work, this is not the case in Minnesota. Crump said the culture of police departments is what needs to change. "It wasn't just the knee of Derek Chauvin that killed George Floyd in Minneapolis, it was the knee of the entire police department. Because when you have that kind of culture and behavior of a police department, it is foreseeable that something like this is going to happen," he said. Crump said changing this culture starts with having transparency not only in how officers are trained, but also how they are fired. "We have to terminate people when they use these bad policies, despite what the police unions say, because if we don't terminate them, it is absolutely predictable that you'll have somebody do a choke hold or neck restraint for 8 minutes and 46 seconds because they know there's no accountability," he said. "There's no discipline when they do this to black people in America," Crump added. Minneapolis police officers pen open letter condemning former officer Derek Chauvin Members of the Minneapolis Police Department spoke out on Friday out against former police officer Derek Chauvin in an open letter addressed to "everyone but especially Minneapolis citizens." "Derek Chauvin failed as a human and stripped George Floyd of his dignity and life. This is not who we are," said the letter, signed by fourteen MPD officers. "We're not the union or the administration." "We stand ready to listen and embrace the calls for change, reform and rebuilding," says the letter, which comes as powerful police unions across the country are digging in, preparing for a once-in-a-generation showdown over policing and new polls that indicate that most Americans now acknowledge that African Americans are more likely to be mistreated or even killed by police. "There were many more willing to sign, but the group opted to showcase people from across the PD as well as male/female, black/white, straight/gay, leader/frontline, etc. Internally, this is sending a message" said Paul Omodt, a spokesperson for the officers who penned the open letter. Most of the officers hold ranks of lieutenant or sergeant, according to Omodt. Derek Chauvin, who pressed his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes, was charged with second-degree murder, and the three other officers on scene Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder. Chauvin's bail was set at $1.25 million earlier this week. Minneapolis City Council members took a first step Friday toward changing the City Charter to allow for abolishing the police department and replacing it with something else. Five of the 12 council members said Friday that theyll formally introduce a proposal later this month to remove the charters requirement that the city maintain a police department and fund a minimum number of officers. Voters would have to approve the change if the proposal makes it onto the November ballot. The Star Tribune reports the announcement came as council members face increased pressure to further define what they meant when a majority of them pledged to eliminate the Minneapolis Police Department following George Floyds death. Council Member Jeremiah Ellison said he still expects to spend a year seeking feedback from the community about how to change the department, but he fears that if they dont remove that charter provision, it will hamper those efforts. He said removing the language alone wont eliminate the department. Some business groups and Mayor Jacob Frey have said they prefer changing the department over eliminating it completely. The Associated Press contributed to this report. New Delhi: Pakistan seems to have been cornered by the international fraternity after the recent terror attack on an army base at Uri, South Kashmir that killed 18 soldiers of the Indian army and left many criticially injured. The US has severely condemned Pakistan over its role of sponsoring terrorism in the Kashmir Valley. A bipartisan group of two powerful American lawmakers has introduced an act in the US House of Representatives to designate Pakistan a State Sponsor of terrorism. "It is time we stopped paying Pakistan for its betrayal and designate it for what it is: a state sponsor of terrorism," said Congressman Ted Poe, who is Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism. The 'Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act' (HR 6069) has been introduced by Republican Poe along with Congressman Dana Rohrabacher of the Democratic Party, who is Ranking member of this influential Congressional Committee on terrorism. "Not only is Pakistan an untrustworthy ally, Islamabad has also aided and abetted enemies of the US for years," Poe said. "From harboring Osama bin Laden to its cozy relationship with the Haqqani network, there is more than enough evidence to determine whose side Pakistan is on in the War on Terror. And it's not America's," he alleged. Poe said the bill will require the Obama Administration to formally answer this question. The President must issue a report within 90 days of passage detailing whether or not Pakistan has provided support for international terrorism, he said. "Thirty days after that, the Secretary of State must issue a follow-up report containing either a determination that Pakistan is a State Sponsor of terrorism or a detailed justification as to why Pakistan does not meet the legal criteria for designation," Poe said. In a separate statement, Congressman Pete Olson supported every effort to bring to justice the perpetrators of the Uri terrorist attack. "I strongly condemn this terrorist attack on an Indian army base in Kashmir that resulted in the death of 18 Indian soldiers. India is a strong partner and ally in peace," he said. "I support every effort to find out who committed this heinous act, so that the perpetrators are brought to justice. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims," Olson said. Senator John Cornyn, Co-Chair of the Senate India Caucus tweeted a story which said the Indian Army had suffered its biggest stack in a decade. Indian-Americans continued to call for designating Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism. "Pakistan has been pursuing for almost 30 years the state sponsored terrorism as its strategic policy to further its sinister designs across its borders. In the process, Pakistan became a cradle and epicenter of global terrorism. At present it is totally isolated in the global community and turning into a rogue state," said Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP)-USA. "OFBJP-USA believes that the attack at Indian Army in Uri by Pakistanis should not be termed as another incident of terrorism by infiltrators, but it should be considered as an act of war by Pakistan against India. And India must respond to teach a befitting lesson to Pakistan," it said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. [Warning: This article contains major spoilers for season 1 of Beecham House] PBS is kicking off the summer season with a lavish new period drama set in India in the period before the British Raj. Beecham House, whose stars include Tom Bateman, Lesley Nicol, Pallavi Sharda, Viveik Kalra, and Dakota Blue Richards, premieres Sunday, June 14. But the show from director Gurinder Chadha is already stirring up controversy among viewers who are disappointed by the ending. What is Beecham House about? Beecham House | Courtesy of ITV/FREMANTLE RELATED: PBS Unveils Grantchester Season 5 Trailer Ahead of June 14 Premiere Beecham House focuses on John Beecham (Bateman), a disillusioned former British soldier. Since quitting the military, hes become a successful merchant and has recently purchased a lavish estate in Delhi. Its 1795, and the Mogul Empire is gradually losing its power over the Indian subcontinent. France and Great Britain are fighting for control of the lucrative trade in the region. Beechams trading has made him wealthy, and now hes come to Delhi with the goal of further expanding his business. But the staff at his new home are surprised when he arrives with a mixed-race baby boy and the childs nurse Chanchal (Shriya Pilgaonkar). Eventually, we learn that the child is Beechams, though the story of how the two came to be living at Beecham House, as well as the mystery of what happened to the babys mother, is more complicated than it seems. Beecham House ends on a major cliffhanger Shriya Pilgaonkar as Chanchal and Leo Suter as Daniel Beecham in Beecham House | Courtesy of MASTERPIECE In addition to Beecham, viewers also meet his domineering mother Henrietta (Nicol), who is recently arrived from England; his attractive neighbor Margaret Osborne (Richards); and his shady army buddy Samuel Parker (Marc Warren). Theres also the imposing Chandrika (Sharda), whose sudden arrival at Beecham House throws the entire household off-balance; powerful Emperor Shah Alam (Roshan Seth); and Beechams louche brother Daniel (Leo Suter). The shows six episodes feature a mix of love triangles, meddlesome relatives, tricky political maneuvers, a very valuable stolen diamond, and treachery. Eventually, Beecham manages to thwart a plot against him orchestrated by Parker and also finds love with Margaret. All the loose ends appear to be resolved in Beecham Houses final episode. That is, until a last-minute twist that sees Beechams home invaded by attackers, his loyal servant Ram Lal (Amer Chadha-Patel) gravely wounded, and his son kidnapped. Beecham House isnt getting a season 2 Cliffhanger endings might annoy some viewers. However, you can usually count on things being resolved when the show returns next season. But Beecham House viewers wont get that closure. After the show aired in the U.K. in fall 2019, ITV announced it wasnt renewing the program. Now, some people are warning PBS viewers to prepare themselves for an unsatisfying ending. Not only was the show already broadcast across the pond, but its been available to stream on PBS Passport since March. Many have already watched Beecham House and been disappointed. Be forewarned- this ends with a cliffhanger and ITV canceled it after season 1, one person commented on a recent Instagram post promoting the series. This was a fantastic series, another wrote. Sadly without a season 2, unfulfilling is the most tactful way I can put it. PBS viewers are already upset about another cliffhanger ending Rose Williams as Charlotte Heywood and Theo James as Sidney Parker in Sanditon | Courtesy of Red Planet Pictures / ITV 2019 RELATED: Is Sanditon Canceled? Why the Show Isnt Getting a Season 2 in the U.K. The dramatic yet unresolved ending to Beecham House echoes the situation with another Masterpiece drama that aired earlier this year. Sanditon ended with the heroine getting dumped by the man she loves so he can marry a wealthy heiress. It was hardly the finale viewers wanted. While a happy ending might have been in the cards in season 2, original broadcaster ITV decided to cancel the show. Several have compared the unsatisfying ending of Beecham House to the Sanditon finale. Some angry fans have even said theyll boycott the new show rather than be disappointed again. Beecham House premieres Sunday, June 14 at 10/9c on PBS. Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci (R) listens as US President Donald Trump speaks - AFP British holidaymakers can expect to be banned from travelling to the United States for months under coronavirus restrictions, according to America's most prominent public health official. In an interview with The Telegraph, Dr Anthony Fauci, a leading member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said the ban could last until a vaccine is developed, although it may be before that. He said lifting it would be "more likely months than weeks." Around 3.8 million Britons visit the United States in a normal year, to holiday destinations including New York, Los Angeles, Florida and Las Vegas. The travel ban was ordered by Donald Trump In March. There are some exceptions, including green card holders, those with American spouses, and UK government officials, but the vast majority of British citizens are effectively barred. Bans are also in place for the European Union, China, and Brazil. Dr Fauci, Americas top infectious disease expert, said: "It's going to be really wait and see. I don't think there's going to be an immediate pull back for those kinds of restrictions. My feeling, looking at what's going on with the infection rate, I think it's more likely measured in months rather than weeks." Related Video: Coronavirus Cases Rise in 19 States US waves of infection will come back and forth' amid fears of second peak During the pandemic Dr Fauci, 79, has become America's most trusted official. Appearing alongside Donald Trump at White House briefings, the bespectacled immunologist emerged as the nation's best source of information in a bewildering time With infection rates now surging across a host of US states, and protests sweeping the globe, Dr Fauci expressed concern, and said the crisis was far from over. "We were successful in suppressing the virus in cities where there were major outbreaks - New York, Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans," he told The Telegraph. "But we're seeing several states, as they try to reopen and get back to normal, starting to see early indications [that] infections are higher than previously. Story continues "The question is will they have the capability to do the appropriate and effective isolation, and contact tracing, to prevent this increase from becoming a full blown outbreak? I'm concerned it's happening. I hope the individual states can blunt that. It [the virus] could go on for a couple of cycles, coming back and forth. I would hope to get to some degree of real normality within a year or so. But I don't think it's this winter or fall, we'll be seeing it for a bit more." He added: It is not inevitable that you will have a so-called 'second wave' in the fall, or even a massive increase, if you approach it in the proper way." The US has just passed two million cases, and 113,000 deaths. Nearly 1,000 people are still dying every day. As all 50 states now move toward reopening weekly infection totals are rising in 21 of them. More than a dozen, including Texas and Florida, have just reporting record daily totals. Oregon announced a one-week pause in reopening. Arizona's intensive care beds are 78 per cent occupied. Wall Street has plummeted amid the virus spikes. In many states protesters have taken to the streets calling for racial justice in the wake of the death of George Floyd, and that is fueling Dr Fauci's concerns, although he empathised with the need to protest. "The bottom line is there is a risk [in protesting], and of course it's concerning. We know from the experience of all of us, in the UK and here, that it [wearing masks] works," he said. "We also know that when you congregate in crowds that's a set up for the spread of infection. I would say in a perfect world people shouldn't congregate in a crowd and demonstrate. But I know, even though you say that, they are going to go do it. So, if youre going to do it, dont take the mask off when you're chanting, and screaming, and yelling, and doing whatever at a demonstration." Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - Getty Images North America As in the UK there has been much debate in the US about whether reopening schools could contribute to a second wave. In the US schools will not be returning until September. Dr Fauci said decisions relating to schools should not be "uni-dimensional," but instead based on local conditions. He said: "In the US we're a very big country geographically - multiple, multiple times bigger than the UK - and we have a great deal of heterogeneity. The New York City metropolitan area is strikingly different from Casper, Wyoming. What we say is to look at the dynamics of the outbreak, what is the level of infection? What direction is it going in any given state, town or county? "There are some places in the US where there is very little infection activity. Under those circumstances you can be much more liberal in deciding to go back to school. It isn't one size fits all, it depends on where you are. Now, I don't know if there's that much heterogeneity in the UK. If there is, then I think that would be applicable also to the UK." For Dr Fauci the Holy Grail is a vaccine, and he said there was "good news". Moderna's vaccine will start a phase 3 trial in the first two weeks of July, he said. That is the final stage before potentially being approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. "We have potential vaccines making significant progress. We have maybe four or five," he said. "You can never guarantee success with a vaccine, that's foolish to do so, there's so many possibilities of things going wrong. [But] everything we have seen from early results, it's conceivable we get two or three vaccines that are successful." Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, listens to President Donald Trump speak to reporters - Getty Images North America Those vaccines could be ready for the end of the year, or early in 2021, and provide billions of doses, he said. He hopes there won't be "reluctance" to take them due to the anti-vaccination movement in the US. Coronavirus Task Force meetings are no longer daily and Dr Fauci spends less time at the White House these days. Democrats have accused Mr Trump of sidelining the task force as he focuses on reopening the economy. The white House has denied the accusation. Dr Fauci himself is focused on beating the virus, which he calls his "worst nightmare". He never thought he would see such a devastating disease in his lifetime. "Covid-19 is an explosive outbreak that in a couple of months spread through so many cities, and the world," he said. "It puts everybody at risk, it doesn't care if you're rich or poor, it's everyone." But he added: "This will end. As stressful and devastating as it is, it will end. We are all in it together as a global community, and I do see the light at then end of the tunnel." 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. A tanker truck exploded on a highway in southeastern China on Saturday, killing 18 people and injuring at least 189 others Beijing: A tanker truck exploded on a highway in southeastern China on Saturday, killing 18 people and injuring at least 189 others, authorities said. The explosion caused extensive damage to nearby buildings. One photo showed firefighters hosing down a row of buildings with blown-out facades well into the night. The truck carrying liquefied gas exploded around 4.45 pm on the Shenyang-Haikou Expressway south of Shanghai in Zhejiang province, the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing local authorities. A second explosion followed when the truck fell onto a factory workshop, Xinhua said. The Wenling city government information office said on its social media account that houses and workshops collapsed and 189 people were treated at six hospitals. A worker at a nearby restaurant told Xinhua that the blast shattered the windows of her home, but that her mother and brother were unharmed. Dressed in white coats and scrubs, black healthcare professionals are finding themselves on the frontlines of multiple battles: a global pandemic, police brutality and systemic racism in the healthcare system. Beads of sweat dripped from Fredrick Richardsons face on Friday as he led an event called the Unity Assembly at Huntsvilles Big Spring Park. A registered nurse at Huntsville Hospitals emergency department, he has seen the racial disparities amplified by COVID-19. Black people account for 26 percent of Alabamas population, but make up 45 percent of the states 746 coronavirus deaths as of Friday. As a black man, Richardson grieved when George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on George Floyds neck and when white men chased Ahmaud Arbery before fatally shooting him in Georgia. Richardson organized the event to show how unity, faith and action can create a place where his skin color isnt seen as a threat. I want to live in a world where if I am stopped for passing a stop sign, I dont feel like Im not going to make it home, Richardson told Al.com. I want to live in a world where if I have an issue and I need help from a police officer, I wont feel like my life is going to be lost in the process. I want to live in a world where I am just as proud as I am right now of being black because I dont ever envy being anything but black because thats the way God made me and I love the way I am, he continued. But it is very difficult to function in a place that not only doesnt love you the way you are but doesnt respect you for who you are. Medical workers across the nation are showing their solidarity with the black community using the hashtag #whitecoatsforblacklives. Over the past few weeks, facilities operating under UAB Medicine and University of South Alabama Health in Mobile held events where medical students, physicians, nurses, faculty and staff kneeled during a moment of silence lasting 8 minutes and 46 second - the amount of time the Minneapolis officer kneeled on Floyds neck. Dr. Errol Crook has mentored some of the medical students who organized demonstrations in front of USAs Childrens and Womens Hospital and University Hospital on Wednesday. He said he witnessed black students explain to white students how they live life by a different set of rules in order to stay safe. The black students reiterated lessons taught in their households, such as dont stand with your hands in your pockets while at a store to avoid being accused of shoplifting. Black men talked about how they were told to interact with police. Crook appreciated the catharsis. Crook attended an Ivy-league medical school and has served as chair of USAs department of internal medicine for 15 years. But his credentials dont shield him and other black men from racial discrimination and bias. Its a concern voiced by the 100 Black Men Chapter of Greater Mobile, in which Crook is a member. No matter how accomplished I am as a black man, no matter how many degrees I have, I could have been George Floyd, Crook said. Racism is a pandemic White coats for black lives is more than a hashtag or a slogan. Its also the name of a national organization dedicated to fighting the systemic racism in healthcare today. During USAs event, medical professionals held signs diagnosing racism as a public health emergency and a pandemic. Physicians across the country have attributed the coronavirus toll on the black community to chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular, lung and liver disease, due to lack of access to adequate care. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that African Americans are twice as likely to die from diabetes and 20 percent more likely to die from heart disease than white Americans. History holds many examples of why black patients dont trust medical professionals, Richardson said. Black men with syphilis were intentionally left untreated when penicillin became the recommended method of treatment of the infamous Tuskegee experiment from the 1930s to the early 1970s. Based on what he has seen, Richardson says African Americans will wait longer to seek medical care than white people due to that mistrust. He sees the same storyline play out with the coronavirus pandemic. If someone has COVID-19 symptoms and they think, I just have the flu, or I just have a really bad cough, but really they have COVID-19, the possibility of COVID-19 being fatal for the African American community is very high, Richardson said. Thats the sad part. For me as a nurse, Im like, We need the care. Our community needs the care. But how do I get them through the doors? Richardson says history has also created a distrust in the police department. His unity rally didnt experience the same anecdotes of previous protests, where Huntsville Police deployed clouds of tear gas and rubber bullets on peaceful protesters. A lineup of local clergy, city leaders, health professionals and local artists spoke, prayed and sang in front of a group of about 50 citizens and police officers before they all marched briefly near the park. Richardson hoped protesters would join the march. But because Huntsville police hasnt apologized for its reaction to the protest, about 50 people who counter-protested the rally walked away from the march chanting, No apology. No unity. Richardson said the protesters decision not to join the march should be respected. Unity leads to action when voices are heard, Richardson said during the rally. Unity leads to action when those who were at the protests are not forgotten. Unity leads to action when what happened to George Floyd doesnt happen again. But it did. How discrimination deteriorates black health Just hours after Richardsons event on Friday, Rayshard Brooks, was shot and killed by police in Atlanta at a Wendys, intensifying protests that were already ongoing due to Floyds death. The officer who fatally shot Brooks was terminated, a second officer who was at the scene was placed on administrative leave and Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields stepped down from her position. Researchers at the University of Michigan reported how racial discrimination can cause a weathering effect on a black persons physical health. In a 2019 study, scientists at University of Southern California and University of California Los Angeles cite exposure to racism as the cause of inflammation-promoting genes being expressed more in black people than in white individuals. Due to the loss of black life and the pandemic, Alexis Dawkins Mahaffey is learning how to navigate two unknown terrains as a registered nurse at UAB Hospitals emergency department. Mahaffey said her department was perplexed when the virus first arrived at the hospital. A workforce that relies on protocols found themselves in a position where they didnt know how to protect patients, employees or their families at home. This intensified an already stressful environment, Mahaffey said. When someone comes through our doors and they have stroke, we have a protocol for that. But with COVID-19, there werent any standards at first, Mahaffey said. Being short on supplies, masks, PPE those were the things that threw everyone off guard and just added more stress. While the 7-day-average of coronavirus cases has increased in Alabama, Mahaffey said her department is more prepared to fight the pandemic. But after watching videos documenting Floyd and Arberys deaths, she faced a new unknown: how do you express your personal feelings while remaining professional? There was kind of a weight on my shoulders going into work not knowing, Well, is it ok if I talk about this. Will people say something when I walk away? She asked. When she heard UAB Hospital was going to support the black lives matter movement, Mahaffey felt relief. She and her coworkers black and white knelled outside the hospital. Their signs featured Floyds face. Mahaffey took the demonstration as a sign that her non-black coworkers would work to fight generational racism both within healthcare and their own homes. For the people of every color that are speaking up, especially for their black coworkers, you are appreciated more than you know. We appreciate knowing that your kids will be taught how to treat my kids, she wrote in a Facebook status. Thank you, for making it okay for us to breathe... and to be able to be heard.... and to come to our stance even when it means you ruffle feathers of others for being too vocal. It could be your boss or your favorite coworker that is on the news and the victim of a hate crime if we dont all take a stance. #whitecoatsforblacklives I must admit this made my day to hear Uab make an announcement and call for white coats to take... Posted by Alexis Dawkins Mahaffey on Friday, June 5, 2020 Racial disparities involving black women were more glaring. While the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states African Americans adults overall are 40 percent more likely to have high blood pressure than white people, that number increases by 20 percent for black women. The maternal death rate for black women is 37.1 per 100,000 live births, which is more than twice the rate of white and Hispanic women. Ryanne Spivey, a black pharmacist at St. Vincents Hospital in Birmingham, thinks the disparities in black women exists because black women are not believed by medical professionals. She witnessed the racial bias herself while attending at Samford Universitys McWhorter School of Pharmacy. While doing a clinical rotation, she overheard nurses criticizing a young black woman who was suffering from Sickle Cell Anemia. The genetic disease, which is common in African Americans, causes chronic pain when sickle-shaped blood cells clog blood flow. The nurses were saying, Shes always in a crisis. She just wants to get pain meds, Spivey said. It hurt my heart because sickle cell is a real thing for the black community. Spivey stressed the importance of mandatory, rigorous diversity training both in medical school and in the workforce. She said racists comments on social media were so bad at her pharmacy school that they had to attend a two-day race relations training. Spivey called the training counterproductive as her classmates asked anonymous questions like, Why cant I use the n-word? or Why cant I hang the Confederate flag? Minorities in Medicine Increasing the ranks of black people in the healthcare field can close racial disparities, Spivey said. She remembers being one of 10 black students in her class of about 104. Only three of the about 30 pharmacists she works with are black, she said. In order to encourage black students to join the medical field, she highlights black health professionals on her Instagram account called Minorities in Medicine. Spivey believes her social media campaign is needed because she has also witnessed how black students can face racial discrimination as soon as they apply for college. An adviser told her she would never get into pharmacy school. Spivey is about to be a year into her role at St. Vincents, where she also encouraged a black student to become her intern. You can preach to people all day long about black people, but until you get into these systems and actively cause change its not going to happen because we are preaching to the oppressor, Spivey said. We have to save ourselves. We have to be our own advocate. Which is sad, but its true. Crook hasnt seen much of a budge in the number of black people in medicine during his 31 years in the field, which has been a trend he has been observing for decades. Roughly six percent of the nations physicians and surgeons are black. In 1991, Association of American Medical Colleges made a commitment to increase the enrollment of underrepresented minority students in the countrys medical schools to 3,000 by the year 2000. We are just nowhere near that, Crook said. There are no more young black men in medical school now in fact, there may be fewer - than there were in the early 70s when there were fewer medical schools to attend and the medical schools that existed had smaller classes. So were talking of almost 50 years of stagnation. Things are getting better in small increments, Crooks said. Those in admissions at medical colleges are changing the thinking that one person is more deserving of an education than another based on their grade point averages or test scores. Those more deserving people based on that are not going to be the people who are going to go out and take care of the people who need the care most, Crooks said. Its pretty clear that an individual who is more at risk of health disparities in rural communities, those people are much more likely to go work in those communities when they get out of medical school. After Richardson graduated from University of Alabama in Huntsville in fall 2017, he said he became the first black male to work the day shift at Madison Hospitals emergency department. The accomplishment can prompt praise for some, he said. To me its not because Im thinking to myself, We need a lot more diversity within healthcare. Richardson is trying to accomplish that as vice president of the board of the Alabama State Nurse Association. Hes currently getting a masters at UAB. His next goal is to complete a PhD so he can pursue an administrative role in medicine. Hes tired and has lost weight since the deaths of Floyd, Arbery, Breonna Taylor and others, but Richardson says he will continue moving onward. Because his skin color is not a trend. It is his life. My biggest fear is when the months go by and the subject starts to fade away, will we forget George Floyd? Will we forget the call to action? Will we forget there are things that we must do? he asked. Will we forget that black lives matter? Mysuru: Mysuru district which had almost come close to turning a corona-free district in Karnataka was in for a shock after new cases emerged. Denizens had celebrated after all 90 cases got cured and discharged. The govt had removed 43 containment zones in the city hardly a month ago and now out of the blue, Musuru is witnessing a sudden spurt in virus cases. Covid 19 cases are swelling yet again in Mysuru with 15 cases reported in three days and hotel Cafe Mysuru at Indiranagar (Ittigegoodu) here was sealed off after a couple who came from Tamil Nadu who had dinner from there tested positive for Covid 19. And as of now there are 20 active cases in Mysuru and five new containment zones including three in Mysuru rural. The couple who returned from Tamil Nadu had picked up their dinner from Cafe Mysuru between 7pm and 10pm on June 6. Besides sanitising the hotel, testing and quarantining few hotel staff, Mysuru district administration has asked people who had visited the hotel on 6 June evening to go into self-quarantine for 14 days and to report to the district surveillance unit. Also after the couple tested positive for Covid 19, a portion of Ittigegoodu has been declared as containment zone and sealed. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Mysuru hotel owners association head Mr C Narayangowda said that while 70 percent of the hotels including his own Vishnubhavan hotel were not opened on 8 of this month, now 10 percent of them have been closed with no proper response as they are finding it difficult to meet even maintenance expenses. Seal down of Cafe Mysuru hotel for three days for sanitisation has further scared the hoteliers and people coming to hotels, he said. Also Nanjangud which was worst hit due to Jubilant pharma cluster (with 59 cases and 28 containment zones) and was resuming to normalcy, has yet another containment zone at Neelankantanagar there after a 22 year old student who had come from Delhi tested positive for Covid 19. The student is said to have travelled after the institutional quarantine. Also, after a pregnant woman from KR Nagar of Mysuru district who had visited KR Pet in Mandya district (where 254 cases are reported) tested positive for Covid 19, ward number 19 in KR Nagar has been declared as containment zone and sealed off. Pregnant women returning from Mumbai have become cause of concern as they are not quarantined in institutions but sent sent into home quarantine. After a 8 months pregnant woman who had returned from Mumbai tested positive for covid 19, Hosapenjalli village in Hunsur taluk of Mysuru district, 12 km away from Nagarahole forest has been sealed off. Also, after 50 year old mother and her 27 year old six months pregnant daughter who had come from Mumbai tested positive for Covid 19, portion of Ramakrishna nagar G block in Mysuru has been declared a containment zone. In Mysuru so far 120 Covid19 positive have been reported including two from Tamil Nadu, one from Delhi, one from Ireland, 22 from Mumbai, 74 related to cluster case of Jubilant generics pharma company, 10 religious gurus from Tablighi Jamaat who had come from Delhi in January end, one person who returned from Dubai, one Keralite who returned from Dubai, one primary contact of a Keralite, two cases of Severe acute respiratory infection who were tested positive for Covid 19, one primary contact of SARI case. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Teens who organized the latest in a series of Grand Rapids protests over racism and police brutality hope they can spur change. A group called Minorities Movement 2020 sponsored a Saturday, June 13 rally in downtown Grand Rapids that attracted about 300 people. Alicia Bechtold, 18, was one of several co-organizers who led a march through downtown streets for the Solidarity for Black Lives Matter Protest. It was the latest of at least six organized protests and marches in Grand Rapids in the last two weeks. The first, on May 30, was peaceful during a daytime rally and march, but turned violent after dark and ended with rioting, smashed windows and fires. Recurring protests have happened around the nation since the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd, a black man, died after a white Minneapolis police officer continued to kneel on his neck for nearly nine minutes while he pleaded that he could not breathe. Saturdays protest remained peaceful throughout and participants left Rosa Parks Circle near the time the event was scheduled to end. Bechtold said the purpose of the event was to be heard and seen peacefully in a different light and to have other people understand why were here. She talked about white privilege in a speech to the crowd. "You see my skin color? I look white. I understand white privilege is a thing. I have it and Im not even white, Im Hispanic. "If you have white skin you automatically have privileges. Im not saying use it to your advantage, Im just saying you have it. You need to realize that and educate people around you. You can use your privilege for good, Bechtold said. Minorities Movement 2020, on the groups Facebook page, is described as an adolescent led movement to bring to light all issues regarding racism, were a movement of minorities of all races and ages. Bechtold shes not worried about her young age and whether people might think shes inexperienced. A lot of people already know me. I speak what I want and were the next generation. If people dont think Im credible, thats a personal issue because I know what Im doing and I know what Im doing is right, she said. More on MLive: Breonna Taylor: Protesters march in Grand Rapids calling on people to say her name Michigan Republican Party announces national committee leaders and at-large convention delegates Motorcyclist found dead in Holland from overnight crash Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 01:46:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, June 13 (Xinhua) -- President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that Iranian government will restore the strict restrictions relating to the novel coronavirus if it is forced to do so for the sake of the people's safety. Speaking at a meeting of the National Headquarters for Managing and Fighting the Coronavirus in Tehran on Saturday, Rouhani expressed satisfaction that many Iranian provinces have successfully fought the pandemic and are experiencing a decline in the number of infections after the peak of disease was left behind in the past months, according to the state TV. In those regions, the situation is no longer in an emergency state, he said, adding that however, concerns have recently raised over people's dishonor of health protocols in a few provinces. In April and May, "people cooperated better in implementing health guidelines and we witnessed a proper situation," but since the earlier days of June the "observance level decreased from about 80 to 20 percent. It could be worrisome," Rouhani noted. Iran reported its first COVID-19 infection cases on February 19 and afterwards it introduced lockdown restrictions and social distancing measures to rein in the pandemic. Over the past month, with the slowdown in the pace of infection and mortality rates, Iran started to gradually ease certain restrictions and reopened businesses and public places. "All these re-openings are conditional ... If we are forced, we will restore the restrictions," Rouhani was quoted as saying. "If a peak returns to a province, we have to restore the restrictions. If the heath of the people in a city or a province is endangered, we have no option but to restore the restrictions. If we want the restrictions to reduce, we must observe all principles," Rouhani stressed. Some of the Iranian health officials as well as the officials have also attributed the recent rise in the number of COVID-19 infections to an increase in the number of laboratory tests and tracing factors. On Saturday, Iran reported 2,410 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number in the country to 184,955, official IRNA news agency reported. Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman for Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said during his daily update that 71 more died overnight, taking the death toll from coronavirus to 8,730. So far, 146,748 have recovered and 2,755 remain in critical condition, added Lari. A total of 1,219,400 lab tests for COVID-19 have been carried out in Iran as of Saturday, according to the spokeswoman. Iran and China have offered mutual help in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. In mid-February, at the early stage of the coronavirus outbreak in China, Iran lit up the Tehran Azadi (Liberty) Tower to show its solidarity with China, and donated 3 million masks. In return, China has delivered several shipments of medical supplies to Iran. On Feb. 29, a five-member Chinese medical team visited Iran on a month-long mission to help it fight the pandemic. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 05:50:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis speaks during a press conference to international media on Santorini Island, Greece, on June 13, 2020. Greece is ready to welcome visitors again with health safety as the top priority in the new COVID-19 era, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Saturday during a visit to the Santorini Island. (Photo by Lefteris Partsalis/Xinhua) SANTORINI, Greece, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Greece is ready to welcome visitors again with health safety as the top priority in the new COVID-19 era, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Saturday during a visit to the Santorini Island. This year's summer tourism season opens on June 15 with the resumption of international flights for tourists to Athens and Thessaloniki airports, later than previous years due to the epidemic. Mitsotakis gave a press conference to international media on Saturday on the picturesque Aegean Sea island to convey the message across the globe that Greece has taken all necessary measures for the reopening of tourism after this spring's lockdown. "We are opening up to visitors, but we are doing it with your safety as our utmost priority. We have worked very hard to ensure our guests will be safe and stay healthy," Mitsotakis said. "If at any stage we are faced with a localized outbreak, we have the medical and civil protection infrastructure in place to tackle it swiftly and effectively," he stressed. The country was in full lockdown from March 23 until May 4 and in recent weeks is gradually entering the new normalcy, after managing to flatten the curve. Tourism, one of the key motors for the Greek economy for decades, was one of the last sectors to restart. As of June 15, travelers from 29 countries with positive epidemiological data, including China, will be subject to sample testing only upon arrival. All other visitors from countries on the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) list of affected areas with a high risk of transmission of COVID-19 will, until June 30, have to be tested upon arrival and spend at least one night at a designated hotel at the expenses of the Greek state. As of July 1, Greece will fully open all its airports to flights from abroad and to all sailings from other countries. Seven overland border points will also reopen. Tourists will be subject only to random sampling. Due to the pandemic, Greece expects this year only a fraction of the 33 million arrivals registered last year, Mitsotakis said, stressing that the country is seizing the opportunity to review its tourism model in the coming years to focus on sustainability as well. Greece also aims to extend its tourism season, building more on its rich cultural heritage for travelers all year round and for those who have more interest in archaeological sites, like Chinese tourists, said the prime minister, when responding to a question by Xinhua. "We hope there is not going to be a second pandemic wave so our plan is certainly to be able to extend our season...The more we can extend our season towards October or even November in terms of our summer product the better it will be," Mitsotakis added. The fusion between culture and tourism is for us a great opportunity to extend our season, he told Xinhua. Before the press conference, Mitsotakis visited the archaeological site of Akrotiri, a prehistoric settlement that was destroyed by the eruption of Santorini's volcano. During a visit to the island's general hospital, he was briefed on the readiness of the local healthcare system to cope with any potential cases. According to the latest update from the Greek authorities on Saturday, a total of 3,112 confirmed infections of COVID-19, including 183 deaths, have been registered in Greece since Feb. 26, when the first case was diagnosed. Four new infections and no deaths were reported within the past 24 hours. Enditem This week is filled with commemorative days regarding U.S. history, a utility facing sentencing for California's most deadly and destructive wildfire, and more. Here's what you need to know. Flag Day is Sunday The annual day commemorates the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the U.S. The Continental Congress approved that flag design in 1777. PG&E sentencing is Tuesday Sentencing will take place for Pacific Gas and Electric Co. involving Californias most deadly and destructive wildfire. The utility has agreed to plead guilty to 84 involuntary manslaughter counts and one count of unlawfully causing a fire. The hearing was postponed from May 26 due to the pandemic. Juneteenth is Friday In 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War was over, and that all remaining slaves in Texas were free an event celebrated to this day as "Juneteenth." Belmont Stakes is Saturday Belmont Stakes in New York, which was postponed, will take place without spectators due to the coronavirus. Usually its the last leg of the Triple Crown, but this year, its the first of the three horse races. Summer solstice is Saturday The summer solstice occurs this weekend. Its when the sun reaches its most northerly point, directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer (23 degrees 27 minutes north latitude). The summer solstice is the longest day of the year and marks the beginning of summer. CNN and The Associated Press contributed to this report. (Newser) China on Sunday reported its biggest one-day jump in coronavirus cases in two months after closing the biggest wholesale food market in Beijing and locking down nearby communities. The 57 new confirmed infections included 36 in Beijing. The Xinfadi market on Beijings southeastern side was closed Saturday and neighboring residential compounds locked down after more than 50 people in the capital tested positive for the coronavirus. They were the first confirmed cases in 50 days in the city of 20 million people. China, where the pandemic began in December, had relaxed most of its anti-virus controls after the ruling Communist Party declared victory over the disease in March. Authorities locked down 11 residential communities near the Xinfadi market. Police installed white fencing to seal off a road leading to a cluster of apartment buildings. Other developments in the region, via the AP: story continues below Bangladesh: Bangladesh reported 3,141 new cases and 32 more deaths from the coronavirus on Sunday, raising its total to 87,520, including 1,171 fatalities. Nasima Sultana, additional director general of the Health Directorate, said a junior minister from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas Cabinet and a former health minister and close aide to Hasina both died of the virus on Saturday. Bangladesh's main state-run hospitals are overwhelmed, with many critical COVID-19 patients being deprived of intensive care beds and ventilators. Bangladesh reported 3,141 new cases and 32 more deaths from the coronavirus on Sunday, raising its total to 87,520, including 1,171 fatalities. Nasima Sultana, additional director general of the Health Directorate, said a junior minister from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas Cabinet and a former health minister and close aide to Hasina both died of the virus on Saturday. Bangladesh's main state-run hospitals are overwhelmed, with many critical COVID-19 patients being deprived of intensive care beds and ventilators. South Korea: South Korea confirmed 34 new cases, mostly in densely populated Seoul. South Korea has confirmed 12,085 cases, including 277 deaths. The new cases have been linked to nightlife establishments, church services, a large-scale e-commerce warehouse, and door-to-door salespeople. (Read more coronavirus stories.) The foundation wants to bring back tours and programs by spring 2021 and there are plans to expand its research capabilities, improve the technology and provide a unique space for public and private events. Much of the funding will be used to restore the 60,000-square-foot building and its three main domes, each with its own telescope. Its in great shape for being 123 years old, said Ed Struble, who has been the director of building and grounds at Yerkes for nearly 30 years and is continuing that role with the foundation. Theres a lot of work were going to do to it, but I look at it as being in great shape. Im really impressed with the attitude of the people taking over because were just going to tighten up everything. Members of the foundation bring years of experience in business, finance, fundraising and conservation efforts. Only its not just a local effort. The foundations plan is getting worldwide attention, which could help bolster funding for the restoration project, operational costs, the establishment of an endowment and the hiring of staff, including the current search for an executive director. WASHINGTON - Since demonstrations against racial inequality and police brutality erupted two weeks ago in the District of Columbia, more than 400 people have been arrested, most for curfew violations or looting, and city law enforcement officials said they have seen no evidence so far that organized groups came to carry out violence. The most common charge was for violating a curfew that was in place for four days, and all but a handful of those cases have been dismissed. Many other cases involve minor assault or destruction of property. President Donald Trump has blamed the far-left antifa movement for infiltrating demonstrations across the country, and Attorney General William Barr has blamed looting and rioting on "outside radicals and agitators" intent on pursuing an "extremist agenda." But the cases in the nation's capital, at least so far, do not show any organized effort to disrupt the largely peaceful demonstrations, Karl Racine, the District's attorney general, said in an interview. "Having received a number of the police complaints and reviewing files, we have not seen any indication that any individual who was arrested, or served with a citation, was a member of an extremist left-wing group like antifa," Racine said. "We have no evidence to support the statements of Attorney General Barr." Officials have said investigations are continuing and additional arrests are possible. Between May 30 and Friday morning, D.C. police arrested 430 people for various crimes during the daily demonstrations, according to the most recent D.C. police data. Two dozen people in that group were 17 or younger. Federal prosecutors weighed evidence in 105 cases where the allegations could result in a criminal case in D.C. Superior Court or federal court, according to a Justice Department official. They ultimately charged 80 people with crimes in D.C. Superior Court and six people with federal crimes in U.S. District Court, the official said. Some other cases were dropped. The remaining 325 curfew violation cases were transferred to the District's Office of the Attorney General. That office said it was dismissing cases against all but four people who D.C. prosecutors believe were involved in other crimes. Forty-five percent of those arrested live in Washington, according to police data. Maryland residents made up 31 percent of the arrestees and Virginia residents made up 13 percent. About 3 percent live in other states, and the addresses of the rest were not known. Considering thousands of people converged on Washington for nearly two weeks, law enforcement officials said the demonstrators were largely peaceful. "The number of arrests are relatively slight compared to the number of people who regularly gathered in large numbers during those days," Racine said. According to police data, 63 percent of charges filed were for violating the curfew Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, implemented over four days to curb nighttime crime. Felony rioting charges made up the second-biggest group with 11 percent of the charges. Burglary rounded out the top with 10 percent of the overall charges. During the first week of arrests when the majority of charges were filed, Michael Sherwin, acting U.S. attorney for the District, said his office ultimately chose to not pursue rioting charges and instead focused on counts involving assault, property damage or burglary, where prosecutors felt the evidence was clear. "I did not authorize any of those individuals to be charged with rioting. I think that's a very gray area, a very dangerous area that bleeds into protesting, and what is First Amendment (protected) and what is not," Sherwin said in a June 5 statement to The Washington Post. "But what we did charge and will continue to charge is any and all acts of violence, physical aggression and property damage - such conduct will never be condoned or accepted in the District." Sherwin's office on Friday declined to say whether it had uncovered any evidence that extremist groups sought to sow unrest at the demonstrations. On June 3, a Justice Department official said prosecutors were investigating such reports in the District but had not found evidence of such affiliations. The nationwide civil unrest was sparked by the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old, unarmed black man who died in Minneapolis after a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes while restraining him. Three other police officers stood nearby, and the incident was captured on multiple cellphone cameras by traumatized onlookers. All four officers have since been charged with murder in Floyd's death. On May 31, after two days of protests outside the White House and before Chauvin was charged, Trump in a tweet blamed the antifa movement for infiltrating the demonstrations to provoke violence. Barr later elaborated in his own statement that the looting and rioting across the nation were due to "outside radicals and agitators ... exploiting the situation to pursue their own separate, violent, and extremist agenda." Between May 27 and Friday, law enforcement in 48 U.S. cities had arrested more than 14,000 people during protest-related arrests, according to a Washington Post tally of data provided by police departments and media reports. In several cities that released the addresses of those arrested, the vast majority of them lived in or around the areas where the protests were held. There is no national database of the total number of arrests or the types of charges that protesters are facing. But a review of police records and media reports reveals that thousands of protesters were arrested for curfew violations and other minor charges, such as obstructing a roadway or carrying an open container. Nearly 90 of 117 people arrested in Cleveland through June 6 were cited with failing to comply with a police order. In San Francisco, 153 people were arrested for violating curfew since protests began until the most recent arrest on June 7. Another 110 people were arrested for looting or burglary. As in D.C., lead prosecutors in other areas across the country have announced plans to drop some minor charges against protesters in cities including Pittsburgh, New York and Houston. At the forefront of the minds of prosecutors and police in the District was avoiding a repeat of the mass arrests made during rioting the day of Trump's 2017 inauguration. During court proceedings in the inauguration cases, prosecutors alleged that a group called Disrupt J20 helped plan the protests that pulled in participants from across the country. They said some rioters used "black bloc" tactics - wearing all black and hiding their faces with masks so it would be harder to identify them. Defendants and their attorneys argued that law-abiding demonstrators were wrongly swept up by police. More than 200 people were arrested and the case ended with only 21 convictions. Amid the recent protests, defense attorneys said they worried that law enforcement would believe the covid-19 masks that demonstrators wore would be seen as a repeat of the black bloc, face-hiding tactic. But such concerns so far have not materialized as charging documents for those demonstrators charged never mentioned the masks. - - - The Washington Post's Jenn Abelson, Nicole Dungca, Austin R. Ramsey, Jacob Wallace, Veronica Del Valle and Christopher Casey contributed to this report. A mother-of-five has revealed how her partner left her when they discovered their daughter had Down's syndrome, and said she was devastated by cruel comments from family and friends. Corina Gander, 41, from Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, was a busy mother to Rhianna, then 16, Lilly-Rose, 9, Angel, 6, and Ophelia, 3, when she fell pregnant for the fifth time. But she said her 'world turned upside-down' when her partner left her shortly after the baby was diagnosed with Down syndrome. Meanwhile she said she was 'stung' by the cruel comments from friends about her unborn daughter, including 'You have four normal children, why have this one?' and I seriously doubt your ability to cope with a disabled child.' Corina Gander, 41, from Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, has revealed how she was 'stung' by hurtful comments after she fell pregnant with daughter Daisy, who has Down's syndrome Corina revealed how friends told her they didn't think she could cope with having a child who had disabilites (pictured, Daisy in hospital at the start of her life) Meanwhile, Corina revealed how her life also turned 'upside-down' when Daisy's father left her shortly after they learned she would be born with Down's syndrome Corina was over the moon when she unexpectedly fell pregnant for a fifth time three years ago. Calling the pregnancy a 'happy surprise', she said she left her 12 week scan with 'excitement bubbling inside.' But days later, one of the screening nurses phoned her, and explained how her daughter had a 1 in 5 chance of having Down's syndrome. Corina said: 'Im not sure how she thought Id react.' Corina, who was a mother-of-four with an ex-partner, was horrified when friends told her: 'You have four normal children, why have this one? The nurse went on to ask her 'what she wanted to do', with Corina explaining: 'I knew what she meant. Did I want to abort? 'My mind fast-forwarded to when I was old and unable to care for a child with a disability.' The nurse went on to ask if she wanted to take a task to determine the diagnosis for definite, with Corina explaining: 'It carried risks to the pregnancy but I wanted to know. The following day, I went for the test alone.' But before the procedure, they did another scan where Corina saw her daughter and she revealed: 'As I looked at the grainy image on the screen, emotion swept over me. There was my baby doing somersaults in my belly. What is Down's Syndrome Down's syndrome is a genetic condition that typically causes some degree of learning disability and certain physical characteristics. Symptoms include: Floppiness at birth Eyes that slant down and out A small mouth A flat back of head Screening tests can uncover Down's syndrome during pregnancy but are not completely accurate. It is caused by an extra chromosome in a baby's cell due to a genetic change in the sperm or egg. The chance of this increases according to the age of the mother. A 20-year-old woman has around a one in 1,500 chance of having a baby with Down's syndrome. Women in their 40s have a one in 100 chance. There is no evidence women can reduce their chances of having a child with Down's syndrome. Down's syndrome does not have a cure. Treatment focuses on supporting the patient's development. People with Down's syndrome have more chance of health complications such as heart disorders, hearing problems, thyroid issues and recurrent infections. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement 'In that moment I knew the result would be irrelevant.' Corina came away from the appointment knowing that 'no matter what' she would keep her baby. Days later the results came back, and the mother-of-four learned it was a girl and she had Downs syndrome. But when the nurse told her she was 'so sorry', Corina said she was fine. Corina revealed how the first time she saw her daughter, she completely fell in love with her and was overwhelmed with joy She went on to tell her partner, parents and a handful of friends, who came over with flowers and questions if she was going to be okay. Corina said she told them: 'Im going to love her and be the best mum I can be.' She held off telling her daughters, only discussing the pregnancy with her eldest Rhianna, who Corrine said 'was amazing' and assured her the family 'will be fine.' But her world turned upside down when she and her partner split up, and, as news spread of the pregnancy, she was horrified by the negative comments she would receive. Corina said friends negative comments made her want Daisy 'even more' and 'prove to the world she deserved her place' She said she was 'stung' by comments from friends like 'You have 4 normal children, why have this one?' and I seriously doubt your ability to cope with a disabled child.' But Corina said she was determined, revealing: 'The love I had for the little girl I was yet to meet was so strong. They made me want to have her more and prove to the world she deserved her place as much as anyone.' When she told her youngest daughters she was expecting another little girl, they were 'so excited'. WHAT IS EPILEPSY? Epilepsy is a condition that affects the brain and leaves patients at risk of seizures. Around one in 100 people in the UK have epilepsy, Epilepsy Society statistics reveal. And in the US, 1.2 per cent of the population have the condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Anyone can have a seizure, which does not automatically mean they have epilepsy. Usually more than one episode is required before a diagnosis. Seizures occur when there is a sudden burst of electrical activity in the brain, which causes a disruption to the way it works. Some seizures cause people to remain alert and aware of their surroundings, while others make people lose consciousness. Some also make patients experience unusual sensations, feelings or movement, or go stiff and fall to the floor where they jerk. Epilepsy can be brought on at any age by a stroke, brain infection, head injury or problems at birth that lead to lack of oxygen. But in more than half of cases, a cause is never found. Anti-epileptic drugs do not cure the condition but help to stop or reduce seizures. If these do not work, brain surgery can be effective. Source: Epilepsy Action Advertisement When Daisy arrived at 37 weeks, weighing 7lbs, Corria called her 'beautiful.' Her mother June and older sister Michelle brought the girls up to see her straightaway, with all wanting cuddles her at once. But five hours later Daisys breathing became rapid and doctors whisked her off for an emergency heart scan. Afterwards one explained that she had a small hole in her heart, but they assured Corina it wasn't uncommon. The doctor said it should right itself and also that her breathing would become more regular. After three days, Daisy was brought her home where her sisters made a big fuss over her. The family grew concerned over how much she slept, and her stomach working really hard as she struggled to breathe. But one morning, when Daisy was three months old, she was working harder than usual to breathe and Corina became so worried that she phoned an ambulance. The family were rushed to their local hospital where Daisy was intubated and put on life support, before she was then transferred to St Marys Hospital in London, with doctors saying she was 'seriously ill with bronchitis.' Corina didn't leave her side, with Daisy growing worse until, on Christmas Day, she went into cardiac arrest. But the doctors at St Marys managed to restart her heart, and went on to discover she also had 'chronic lung disease.' She was so gravely ill, and at one point she needed a blood transfusion. Corina revealed: 'All the time I kept thinking Im going to lose her, as I split my time between the hospital and trying to keep things normal at home for the girls. 'I dont know what Id have done without Mum and Rhianna. The girls dad helped out too.' Meanwhile Corina's other children were all taken with their new little sister, who they wanted to cuddle for hours Sadly, Daisy suffered multiple health issues in hospital after birth and became 'dangerously ill', suffering from bronchitis and epilepsy After three-and-a-half months Daisy was transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital, where she continued to struggle to breathe on her own and picked up infections. Corina explained: 'Remarkably though shed still smile and look at me knowing who I was. Shed wrap her little finger around mine. 'Other times if her eyes were closed and she heard my voice shed raise her little hand.' But sadly, after Corina noticed her daughter having a seizure, doctors also found out she had epilepsy. Corina revealed how her daughter began smiling when she returned home to spend time with her sisters Doctors said she needed to be put on strong medication, with the idea to shut her brain down to reboot it, but it had terrible downsides. They warned Corina that she was 'unlikely shell ever feel emotions, smile or feel pain.' She said: 'The room span as tears filled my eyes. How much more would my little girl have to go through? 'I wondered how much more I could take too.' Corina revealed how her daughter's health miraculously recovered as she spent more time with the family at home It wasn't long until Daisy's behaviour changed because of the medication, with Corina saying: 'When I spoke to her she gave me nothing. In a room on her own she just lay there, day after day. 'My heart breaking, I felt like Id lost her. I couldnt let her go on like this.' Devastated, Corinna took her eight-month-old daughter home, reliant on oxygen, medication and her feeding tube. For the first few days she remained the same, but shortly after she returned home the family were amazed when Daisy started smiling again. Corina revealed how Daisy's sisters 'literally brought her back to life' as they 'played and cuddled' with her Corina said: 'Slowly but surely over the coming weeks she came back through being with her sisters. 'They literally brought her back to life, as they played with her, cuddled her. It was a miracle.' Daisy came on in leaps and bounds, astounding everyone, including the doctors and, now aged two-and-a half, she talks, and doesnt require 24 hour ventilation - just minimal oxygen at night because of her sleep apnoea. Corina revealed: 'She loves playing schools with her sisters and every day she astounds us all. Her smile would certainly melt the hardest of hearts.' Corina credits the family with helping her youngest daughter to recover, and believes Daisy's sister's 'brought her back' Not long after she was discharged Corina visited the screening team and saw the nurse who first gave her the diagnosis. She wanted to show her Daisy for the wonderful little girl she was and the nurse suggested Corina do something positive for other mothers. She has gone on to launch Daisy's 21 Wishes, which include support to be offered to new parents receiving a pregnancy diagnosis of Downs syndrome Corina revealed: 'Over time more wishes will evolve. I just want to help in any way I can, and give something back. 'Having a child with Downs syndrome is the most wonderful gift but not easy, but hey what child is? She added: 'Daisy has brought a whole new world to us - a truly wonderful one.' Is it safer to fly or drive during the pandemic? few Congress ministers feel that they are not taken into confidence like the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in many decisions by the CM There is a growing discontent in the Maharashtra Congress as its leaders feel that their opinions are not given due respect in Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. The issue was discussed in a meeting of Congress leaders. Senior leaders Balasaheb Thorat and Ashok Chavan are likely to meet Uddhav Thackeray this weekend. The sources said that few Congress ministers feel that they are not taken into confidence like the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in many decisions by the chief minister. Besides, the Congress wants that the chief secretary Ajoy Mehta should not be given extension after June 30. Mr Mehta, whose second extension is ending on June 30, is not paying heed to the Congress ministers, including Nitin Raut and Balasaheb Thorat. However, the Sena is in favour of giving him an important post in the chief ministers office. According to sources, During the formation of the MVA government, the Congress was given Cabinet portfolios considering its strength in the State Assembly. It was also decided that the Legislative Council seats and corporations would be given in equal share in the three parties of the MVA government. However, things are not going as per the discussions. The state Congress leadership is expected to apprise their legislators and ministers concerned about the issues faced by the party in the meeting with Mr Thackeray. Besides this, recommendation on 12 seats of Legislative Council to governor would also be discussed. Out of 12, six years' terms of ten members have ended on June 6, and the remaining two members terms would end on June 15. The Congress and NCP reportedly wanted that the names for the Legislative Council should have been sent before the ending of the terms of these members. As per the provisions under Article 171 of the Constitution of India, the state recommends names to the Governor for nominations to the Council. The Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP are expected to get four seats each for the Council. But the Congress is now insisting for one additional seat as it had got one seat in May, while the Sena and NCP contested on two seats in the recently concluded election. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have led to a record crash in emissions. But it will be emission levels during the recovery -- in the months and years after the pandemic recedes -- that matter most for how global warming plays out, according to a new Nature commentary from researchers at the University of California San Diego. While the skies have been noticeably cleaner, countries like the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, South Africa and others have recently relaxed laws controlling pollution and vehicle energy efficiency standards. "This trend is worrisome because policy decisions being made now about how to save economies will determine how much CO2 enters the atmosphere over the coming decade," said Ryan Hanna, lead author of the Nature piece and assistant research scientist at UC San Diego. Some economies are already ticking upward, and so too emissions. Coal consumption in China, for example, has already returned to pre-pandemic levels. History shows that recoveries can spur green or dirty industrial turning points Key in determining post-pandemic emissions is how governments choose to spend stimulus monies -- whether they use it to prop up fossil fuel incumbents or bolster clean energy transitions already underway, according to Hanna and co-authors David Victor, professor of international relations at UC San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy, and Yangyang Xu, assistant professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University. advertisement Economic shocks, the authors note, can be critical industrial turning points. Past shocks have led to both increases and decreases in the growth of CO2 emissions. After the 1998 Asian financial crisis, emissions doubled largely due to growth of China's heavy manufacturing and exports, all fueled by coal. By contrast, after the global financial crash of 2008, emissions growth halved over the next decade, aided by stimulus for green technologies -- up to $530 billion in 2020 USD, or 15 percent of the total global stimulus. That's promising as it shows that structural change and lower emissions are possible if governments provide support. Whether the coming recovery is green or dirty will have an outsized effect on climate. According to the authors' analysis, this year's crash in emissions, by itself, would lead to levels of atmospheric CO2 in 2050 about 10 PPM lower than the trajectory the world was on before the pandemic. By comparison, whether the recovery is green or dirty amounts to a difference of 19 PPM in the atmosphere by 2050 -- nearly double the impact on the climate. Ensuring a green recovery will require government action. Yet, government responses have so far been mixed. The European Union and South Korea remain largely committed to their respective "Green New Deals," while other governments are falling short. The Trump Administration in March rolled back U.S. auto fuel economy rules, committing the nation to higher transport emissions -- now the largest source of warming gases in the U.S. In the same month, China authorized more coal power plants than it did in all of 2019. Indeed, many governments have signaled a narrow focus on immediate concerns of the pandemic, such as securing health, jobs and the economy, rather than protecting the planet. advertisement That's bad news for planetary warming. As the authors note, meeting the goals of the Paris agreement -- limiting warming to well below 2C above pre-industrial levels -- would require cutting emissions by an amount similar to that delivered by the current economic catastrophe every year for the next decade. Charting a course that protects both jobs and the climate How do you align the public's urgent needs with the need to also limit warming? "Political leaders -- and climate activists who want to help them succeed -- should filter policy actions for the climate by what's politically viable," said Hanna. "In short, that means coming up with projects that deliver jobs and revenues quickly." Investing in sectors like renewables, energy efficiency and preserving the existing feat of zero emission nuclear plants can set the economy on track and deepen cuts to future emissions. Bolstering these sectors can deliver and save hundreds of thousands of jobs. At the start of this year, more than 250,000 people worked in solar energy in the U.S. The pandemic has since wiped out five years of job growth in that sector -- jobs that could return quickly if credible investment incentives were in place. Investing in energy efficiency and infrastructure construction, such as erecting power lines and conducting energy retrofits for buildings and public transportation, is another large potential employer. "The trillions devoted to stimulus, so far, have been about stabilizing economies and workers," said Victor. "With a fresh focus that looks further into the future, the next waves of spending must also help to protect the climate." The EU Green Deal as a model for stimulus Hanna, Victor and Xu write, "The European Green Deal is a good model for stimulus packages. It is a massive, 1-trillion (U.S. $1.1-trillion) decade-long investment plan that combines industrial growth with deep decarbonization and efficiency and has maintained political support throughout the pandemic." Existing firms will need to be involved in a green recovery because they are ready to restart, the authors recommend. And a savvy political strategy would isolate only those companies whose actions egregiously undermine climate goals, such as conventional coal, and would ensure their workers are treated justly and retrained in new areas of employment. The authors also recommend a sector by sector approach to decarbonizing the economy, as the policies needed to rein in the largest emitters in each sector differ. "On our current path, emissions are likely to tick upwards, as they have after each recession since the first oil shock of the early 1970s," said Victor. "The historic drop in recent months was too hard won to be so easily lost." Parks and Recreation was one of televisions most popular sitcoms from 2009 to 2015 and arguably still is. Cast members Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, and Chris Pratt, among others, brought a light-hearted sense of humor to the small screen. The cast also reunited last year for a 10-year reunion, and did the same this year to help raise money for coronavirus but were they actually all friends in real life? The Parks and Rec cast at their 100th episode celebration | Michael Tran/FilmMagic RELATED: Parks and Recreation: How Nick Offerman Got Into Character for Ron Swanson The Parks and Rec. characters were close on the show Parks and Recreation followed the life of Leslie Knope, a member of Pawnee, Indianas Parks and Rec. department who had a yearning for changing the world, despite that she had to start in her small hometown in Indiana. Leslies ups and downs were highlighted over seven seasons, but it wouldnt have been complete without the hilarious addition of her co-workers. Leslie and Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones) became friends in the first episode, and Anns boyfriend at the time, Andy Dwyer (Chris Pratt), ended up getting a job at town hall as a shoe shiner. Thats where he met April Ludgate, an intern with whom he ends up falling in love. Meanwhile, Ron Swanson, Tom Haverford, Donna Meagle, and others essentially make the Parks and Rec. department one giant friend group. Cast members Rashida Jones and Amy Poehler became real-life best friends Off-screen, some lifelong friendships were developed on the show. Amy Poehler and Rashida Jones, who quickly became BFFs on camera, ended up staying extremely close outside of filming, too. Jones character exited the show in season 6, after Jones decided she wanted to pursue production and the writers felt it was time for her and Rob Lowe to be written out of the script. Emotions were high as Poehler and Jones filmed their last episode together, and they have remained close friends ever since. RELATED: Parks and Recreation Had a Different Title Once Upon a Time Several actors developed super-close relationships during filming Leslie and Ben Wyatt end up getting married on the show, among other characters, and though they werent in love in real life, they definitely had a strong connection, which theyve discussed. The two revealed in the shows 10-year-reunion panel in 2019 that there were actual butterflies in the scene where Ben proposed to Leslie. The Parks and Recreation cast at a panel discussion in 2015. | Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images Retta, who played Donna Meagle on the show, once explained to Vulture how she became such close friends with the other actors. She joked that her first conversation with Rashida Jones was a mini argument about the word irregardless, and how Jones, who went to Harvard, knew it was in the dictionary while Retta, who went to Duke, did not. Retta also explained the love she had for all the other cast members outside of just their characters on the show. The cast recently reunited once more for a special quarantine edition episode of Parks and Rec., and its clear theyve all kept their close bond since filming ended five years ago. Its sweet to know that, besides their characters getting along on the show, the cast members developed strong real-life connections as well. Ukrainian officials were allegedly offered $6 million in bribes to end a probe into the founder of Burisma - the energy company which once had Hunter Biden on its board. Artem Sytnyk, head of Ukraine's national anti-corruption bureau (NABU), said three people had been detained, including one current and former tax official, over the bribe offer. All are linked to former ecology minister Mykola Zlochevsky, who founded Burisma and has been living in exile amid a state probe of an embezzlement plot. Officials said the bribery case has no connection to former board member Hunter Biden, the son of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. The money was the largest cash bribe ever seized in Ukraine, NABU said. Huge see-through plastic bags containing thousands of $100 bills were put on display during a press briefing in Kiev on Saturday. Burisma said in a statement it had nothing to do with the matter. The company's founder Mykola Zlochevsky, a former ecology minister is now living abroad in exile Ukrainian officials were offered $6 million in bribes to end a probe into energy company Burisma's founder, but said there was no connection to former board member Hunter Biden (left) whose father Joe Biden (right) is running for the US presidency Authorities put on display the seized cash at a press conference in Kiev, Ukraine, Saturday The bribe was allegedly related to a case of embezzling state money given to a bank, officials said. Some $5 million was offered to anti-corruption officials and a further $1 million was intended for an official acting as a middleman, Sytnyk said. The suspects were in a hurry to pay the bribe because they wanted to end the case against Zlochevsky in time for his birthday on Sunday, 'to close the criminal proceedings and ensure the return of Mr. Zlochevsky to Ukraine,' he said. Police officers are seen holding stacks of $100 bills inside clear plastic bags during briefing Artem Sytnyk, head of Ukraine's national anti-corruption bureau (NABU), said three people had been detained, including one current and former tax official, over the bribe offer. The seizure is the largest in Ukraine's history Burisma said in a statement it had nothing to do with the matter. It did not respond to a request for comment from Zlochevsky. 'Let's put an end to this once and for all. Biden Jr. and Biden Sr. do not appear in this particular proceeding,' Nazar Kholodnytsky, head of anti-corruption investigations at the prosecution service, told Saturday's briefing. Burisma was thrust into the global spotlight last year in the impeachment inquiry into whether President Donald Trump improperly pressured Kiev into opening a case against his rival for the November election race. Trump wants an investigation into the Democrats' 2020 candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden, and his son. Ukraine's former prosecutor general told Reuters in June that an audit he commissioned while in office of thousands of old case files had found no evidence of wrongdoing by Hunter Biden while he worked for Burisma. Burisma was thrust into the spotlight last year in the impeachment inquiry into whether President Donald Trump pressured Kiev into opening a case against his rival for the November election race. Trump is pictured at the commencement ceremony at West Point Saturday Biden joined Burisma in 2014, one of several high-profile names to join what the private company said was an attempt to strengthen corporate governance. His role has been attacked as corrupt without evidence by Trump and congressional Republicans in Washington. The Bidens deny any wrongdoing and Democrats said Trump was trying to help his re-election prospects. A 21-year-old woman has died after a neighbour allegedly shot at her and her boyfriend while they were walking their dog. Isabella Thallas and Darian Simon were strolling through downtown Denver, in the US state of Colorado, on June 10 when Michael Close allegedly became angry about their dog relieving itself, according to KUSA-TV. The shooting occurred after a man started to yell at Simon for commanding the dog to poop, police said. Close was arrested and taken into custody in Park County. Ms Thallas died the scene and Mr Simon is currently recovering in the hospital after being shot in the leg and butt, authorities said. Isabella Thallas was shot and killed while walking her dog with her partner. Source: GoFundMe A GoFundMe has been set up for the Thallas family because her mother, Ana Thallas, has been on furlough and not able to work. The family needs our help with funeral and living expenses, the GoFundMe, set up by a friend of the family, says. A mother should never have to bury her child and especially for such a violent reason. She was such a beautiful, innocent soul, her mother Ana Thallas said according to the Associated Press. Her father, Josh Thallas, said his heart was broken. Ive never gone to sleep crying and woke up crying in my life. Ive been through a lot, Mr Thallas said. I cant replace what was taken today. Ms Thallas had turned 21 just days before her death. Darian Simon, the co-owner and co-founder of "Be a Good Person" brand, is recovering in hospital. Source: GoFundMe A GoFundMe has also been set up to support Mr Simon, who is also the co-founder and co-owner of Be A Good Person, a brand developed based on a passion for positivity and a brighter future that we foresee within our society. The 26-year-olds femur is completely shattered, according to the website. On June 12, Be A Good Person announced on Facebook the store would be temporarily closed, while the brand also thanked the Denver community for its support. We are overwhelmed in the face of tragedy. But we see you rallying in support, we hear you sending love, and we thank you, the post said. Our deepest condolences go out to the Thallas family. A beautiful soul was lost too soon. We are hurting with you. Story continues The Thallas family has said they are seeking to convert the spot where Isabella Thallas died into a dog park. More than 100 people showed up for a vigil to remember Ms Thallas, while Mr Simon watched the vigil from his hospital bed through Facetime, according to ABC7. According to ABC7, police allegedly found an AR-15 and a handgun Closes vehicle. He is facing first-degree murder and attempted murder charges. with AP 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. Although the city witnessed partly cloudy conditions through the day, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday declared the onset of the southwest monsoon over Mumbai and remaining parts of Maharashtra. The monsoon arrived three days late in Mumbai from its normal onset date of June 11. Last year, the southwest monsoon arrived on June 25 the most delayed onset in the past 45 years. In 2018, the monsoon arrived on June 9 and on June 12 in 2017. IMD said the northern limit of the monsoon passes from Surat Gujarat, Nandurbar in north Maharashtra, Betul and Seoni in Madhya Pradesh, and further covering parts of Bihar. The onset has been declared over Mumbai and remaining parts of Maharashtra on Sunday. Since the onset was within the range of three days of June 11, it will be classified as normal onset for Mumbai and entire Maharashtra, said Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director-general, IMD. Monsoon entered the state on June 11 covering parts of south Konkan, south central Maharashtra and parts of Marathwada. On June 12 and 13, it further progressed covering more areas of central Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha, and by Sunday, it enveloped the entire state. The onset was declared based on the progression of the monsoon system and factors such as rainfall criteria and monsoon (westerly) winds at middle-troposphere level, said Mohaptra. While the criteria is not as stringent as it is for Kerala, basic conditions were met for north Konkan district on Sunday. However, we must realise that onset is declared based on monsoon progression. For example, if Gujarat is witnessing more rain than Maharashtra, we cannot declare monsoon onset for Gujarat before Maharashtra, he said. Independent meteorologists had conflicting views on whether conditions were favourable. The wind pattern and the rainfall criteria have been met, which allowed IMD to declare onset. This time, it was a very soft onset. Usually, people think that onset should be declared only after heavy rain. Thats not the case. Onset criteria could very well be met with light to moderate rains as well, said Sridhar Balasubramanian, associate professor, IDP Climate Studies, Indian Institute of Technology - Bombay. Between 8.30am on Saturday and 8.30am on Sunday, the suburbs and south Mumbai recorded 19.7mm and 11.2mm rain, respectively. IMD classifies moderate rain in the range of 7.6mm to 35.5mm. However, moderate to heavy showers were recorded in parts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region such as Thane, Bhiwandi, Dombivli, Badlapur and Panvel over 24 hours. Independent meteorologist and PhD researcher at the University of Reading, UK, Akshay Deoras said current conditions were not favourable for declaring the monsoons arrival in Mumbai, north Konkan and most of Maharashtra. These areas continue to witness pre-monsoon thunderstorms. For the state, there needs to be near-surface monsoon winds from the west for declaring monsoons arrival. Such wind patterns are currently being observed over south Konkan districts only. Monsoon arrival in north Konkan, including Mumbai, is expected during June 15-16, when all factors are expected to be in place, Deoras said. Private weather forecasting agency Skymet had earlier this month set June 13 as the onset date, but later revised it to June 14. Mahesh Palawat, vice-president (meteorology and climate change), Skymet, said, All conditions for onset were met on Sunday. Now, moderate to heavy rain is expected to pick up from Tuesday onwards till the next weekend. IMD had issued a yellow alert for Mumbai, Thane and Palghar for Sunday, but these regions witnessed negligible rain till 8.30pm. An orange alert for heavy to very heavy rain has been predicted for Monday and Tuesday by the weather bureau for Mumbai and surrounding areas. The first two weeks of June saw the city cover 42% of the monthly rain comprising pre monsoon showers. From June 1 to June 14, Mumbai recorded 208.5mm rain. The average rainfall for the month of June is 493.1 mm. FIRST HEAVY MONSOON SPELL EXPECTED FROM JUNE 16-18: EXPERT Sridhar Balasubramanian from Indian Institute of Technology - Bombay said conditions were favourable for heavy rain in the Mumbai region between June 16 and 18. With the progression of monsoon over whole of Maharashtra, conditions in Arabian Sea are becoming favorable for heavy rain for Mumbai, Thane and Palghar. An existing upper air circulation in the Arabian Sea will strengthen in the coming week between June 16 and June 19. Aided by strong westerlies, we are likely to witness some heavy rain during this period, he said. The rain will gradually start increasing from June 15 evening or late night, with heavy rain slated to occur between June 16 evening and June 18 with some spillover rain on June 19. Overall, we could expect around 200-220 mm of rain in a span of 2-3 days. Heavy rain is likely to occur between June 16 evening to June 18 morning, where an offshore vortex is likely to form near Mumbai. There could be some water logging in low-lying areas during this period, said Balasubramanian. MONSOON ONSET DATES FOR MUMBAI OVER THE PAST DECADE According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), monsoon usually arrives in the city by June 10 2020 - June 14 2019 - June 25 2018 June 9 2017 June 12 2016 June 20 2015 June 12 2014 June 15 2013 June 9 2012 June 17 2011 June 5 2010 June 11 2009 - June 27 (Source: India Meteorological Department) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 13:24:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Demonstrators take part in a protest in London, Britain, on June 12, 2020. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua) "These marches and protests have been subverted by violence and breach current guidelines. Racism has no part in the UK and we must work together to make that a reality," Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote on Twitter. LONDON, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Over 100 people were arrested during Saturday's far-right protests in central London, which turned violent later and left six police officers with minor injuries, Scotland Yard said. A crowd of people, mainly white men, converged on Parliament Square, before moving to Trafalgar Square and other areas in central London on Saturday to "guard" statues as part of counter-protests against anti-racism demonstrations. Around 200 protesters later broke the police curfew by remaining in the area past 17:00 p.m. local time (1600 GMT), most of whom congregated around the statue of Winston Churchill. Among those gathered was Paul Golding, leader of the far-right group Britain First, who had called on supporters to descend on the British capital while claiming authorities had "allowed vandalism against national monuments." The protests then turned violent, with demonstrators pelting bottles and at least one smoke bomb at police officers on foot and on horseback. Chants of "England" rang out around the Whitehall road as many of those present were drinking. Demonstrators hold up their hands in front of a police line on Whitehall during a Black Lives Matter protest in London, Britain on June 6, 2020. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua) Six police officers and at least 13 other members of the public were injured during the protests, and six of them were taken to hospital, the ambulance service said. As of 21:00 p.m. local time, at least 100 were arrested for offenses including violent disorder, assaulting police officers, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of class A drugs, being drunk and disorderly and breach of the peace, Scotland Yard said. "Millions of Londoners will have been disgusted by the shameful scenes of violence, desecration and racism displayed by the right-wing extremists who gathered in our city today," London Mayor Sadiq Khan wrote on Twitter following the protests. "In the face of attacks and abuse, our police did a fantastic job to control the situation. Thank you," he wrote. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also condemned the violence on Twitter, posting, "Racist thuggery has no place on our streets. Anyone attacking the police will be met with full force of the law." "These marches and protests have been subverted by violence and breach current guidelines. Racism has no part in the UK and we must work together to make that a reality," he wrote. "Any perpetrators of violence or vandalism should expect to face the full force of the law," Home Secretary Priti Patel wrote on Twitter, calling the violence "unacceptable thuggery." "Violence towards our police officers will not be tolerated. Coronavirus remains a threat to us all. Go home to stop the spread of this virus & save lives," she wrote. Meanwhile, Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds joined the condemnation, saying the protesters seemed "intent on causing violence and division." People take part in a protest over the death of George Floyd at Trafalgar Square in London, Britain, on May 31, 2020. (Xinhua) The latest far-right protests took place after a series of anti-racism demonstrations across the country, sparked by the death of African American man George Floyd on May 25 in the U.S. city of Minneapolis. Floyd, 46, died after a white U.S. police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes until he stopped breathing. In a video footage, Floyd was heard saying "I can't breathe" while three other police officers stood by. Last weekend, anti-racism protesters in London defaced the statue of Churchill in Parliament Square in central London, and toppled a statue of 17th-century slave trader Edward Colston in the southern British city of Bristol. They had also arranged further protests this weekend, prompting statues to be boxed up. Police officers stand guard next to a protective box installed around the statue of Winston Churchill during a protest in London, Britain, on June 12, 2020. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua) In response, Mayor Khan said Friday that key statues and monuments in London, including the Cenotaph in Whitehall, statues of Churchill and Nelson Mandela, are to be covered and protected. Anthony Glees, former director of the University of Buckingham's Center for Security and Intelligence Studies, told Xinhua in a recent interview that he was not surprised the anger over Floyd's killing spread across the Atlantic to Britain. "My sense is black people in Britain share the anxieties and resentments felt by American black people, and associate with them very strongly," Glees said. "The murder of George Floyd has visibly awakened many people," Brussels Times newspaper quoted Ange Kazi, spokesperson of the Belgian Network for Black Lives Matter, which called for the protest, as saying. "Many people are fed up with police violence, which systematically affects Blacks," she said. In what could only be described as opportunism, Nepals Parliament approved a bill that unilaterally sought to annex three disputed regions in Uttarakhand. Nepal Prime Minister K P Oli redid cartography to seize three disputed territoriesKalapani, Lipu Lekh and Limpiyadhurato divert attention from the power struggle within his Nepal Communist Party, as former PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known as Prachanda, is pulling out all the stops to stage an internal coup. Prachanda has the party under his thumb while Oli runs the government. But the complete mismanagement of both the economy and the coronavirus outbreak has made the government unpopular despite having a clear mandate. Also, the spiralling youth protests and Olis poor health gave Prachanda enough opportunity to rock the boat. With bigger brother China playing peacemaker, Oli parried the attack, whipping up ultra-nationalistic sentiments to contain the national rage. And Defence Minister Rajnath Singh opening a new road to Mansarovar via Lipu Lekh gave the Nepal PM the fig leaf he was waiting for. His map-making exercise is widely seen as a China-led poke, which itself is locked in a stand-off with India on the Ladakh border. But such theatrics do not always ensure political stability. Prachanda is already complaining that his idea of creating an all-party panel to fight Covid-19 has not been not taken seriously. That said, India has added another adversary on its border, raising questions over its foreign policys efficacy. The transnational oil pipeline it built for Nepal and its humanitarian assistance during Covid apparently counted for nothing when it sought to encash its IOUs. The foreign office bristled, saying such artificial expansion of territory was not sustainable. But within the BJP, there has been some loud thinking on how it went wrong. Its outspoken MP Subramanian Swamy tweeted, How can Nepal think of asking for Indian territory? What has hurt their sentiments so much that they want to break with India? Is it not our failure? Need RESET in foreign policy too. As for Oli, he is punching way above his weight. He ought to remember that poking the elephant in the eye can lead to a stampede with unforeseen consequences. Boris Johnson has today vowed to ensure that the Grenfell Tower fire will 'never be repeated'. The message came as he marked the third anniversary of the tragedy that killed 72 people with a virtual service. Today marks three years since the small kitchen fire in the west London high-rise turned into the most deadly domestic blaze since the Second World War. Boris Johnson has today vowed to ensure that the Grenfell Tower fire will 'never be repeated'. Pictured: people at the Grenfell Memorial Community Mosaic at the base of the tower block today Speaking in a video message (pictured) the Prime Minister said: 'We've introduced stricter laws on fire safety, launched a billion-pound fund to remove dangerous cladding and created a new watchdog to protect the residents of tall buildings' A woman prays beside a wall where messages of support have been written, surrounding Grenfell tower in west London Speaking in a video message the Prime Minister said: 'We've introduced stricter laws on fire safety, launched a billion-pound fund to remove dangerous cladding and created a new watchdog to protect the residents of tall buildings.' 'We're working to implement every recommendation made by the first phase of the public inquiry. And the second phase, while it's been delayed by coronavirus, is slowly but surely getting to the definitive truth of how this disaster was allowed to happen. 'I know this anniversary is particularly hard, coming at a time when so many survivors and bereaved can't even come together to share a hug. The Grenfell Tower fire (pictured) in 2017 claimed 72 lives and more than 70 other people were injured Many headed to the Grenfell Memorial Community Mosaic at the base of the tower block today to leave flowers and messages of support Adele attended a YouTube memorial service to honour the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire on the three-year anniversary of the tragedy on Sunday The singer, 32, commemorated the 72 people who lost their lives after a blaze tore through the residential block in west London in 2017 'While those affected by Grenfell are not able to gather in person, I want you to know that all of us in this country are with you in spirit. You will not be forgotten. We stand with you, we weep with you and we are with you, today and always.' Sir Keir said there had been 'little justice or accountability' for what had happened The messages were relayed during a virtual service as the commemoration moved online due to coronavirus. It was hosted by the Bishop of Kensington. The Grenfell Humanity Choir also sang during the commemorative tribute. In tribute to each victim who died in the fire, the bells of London churches will toll 72 times and green lights will glow from tower block windows to show solidarity with survivors and the bereaved. Singer Adele and rapper Stormzy also honoured victims of the disaster in a virtual memorial on YouTube organised by support group Grenfell United. Many headed to the Grenfell Memorial Community Mosaic at the base of the tower block today to leave flowers and messages of support. And the boarded up tower, along with the mosaic, was lit up in green on Sunday night to mark the three-year anniversary of the tragic incident. Meanwhile, Labour estimates there are still 56,000 people living in homes wrapped in the same flammable cladding as Grenfell. Sir Keir said there had been 'little justice or accountability' for what had happened. 'In the midst of their suffering, the Grenfell community came together to campaign for justice, safe homes and change. Because no one should ever go through the loss and pain they experienced,' he said. The Grenfell Memorial Community Mosaic (front) as well as the Tower (back) were lit up in green on Sunday night to mark the three-year anniversary of the tragic incident Stormzy also paid tribute as he 'spoke from his heart to stand in solidarity' with the survivors and bereaved from the fire In tribute to each victim who died in the fire, the bells of London churches will toll 72 times and green lights will glow from tower block windows to show solidarity with survivors and the bereaved. Pictured are tributes today Tributes are tied to the railings outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower in London 'But three years on and, unbelievably, tonight people will go to bed in unsafe homes. 'Three years on and there has been little justice or accountability. Three years on their campaign continues. 'I support Grenfell United. We can all learn from their strength and determination.' In a written statement, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: 'The Tower fire was a national tragedy in which 72 innocent Londoners lost their lives. Three years on, my thoughts and prayers are with the families and community as they grieve and remember their loved ones. The Right Revd Dr Graham Tomlin, Bishop of Kensington speaks during the Grenfell anniversary commemorative tribute held in variuos locations in Britain People stand and pay their respects in front of Grenfell tower, covered in a safety tarpaulin in west London today 'We owe it to the people who died, their loved ones and those who survived to ensure that nothing like it ever happens again. 'We are marking this anniversary in very different circumstances to last year, and although we are apart, I know we are united in our call for justice for Grenfell. 'I know the bereaved, survivors, residents and wider community are understandably frustrated at the lack of meaningful change and they are fearful that a similar tragedy could happen again. I too share their concerns. 'While struggling with their own personal grief and recovery, they have continued to campaign for building safety and are demanding change to keep others safe in their homes. 'I will continue to be relentless in holding those responsible to account and doing everything within my power to ensure the Grenfell community gets the justice they deserve, and all Londoners can feel safe again in their homes.' Faith leaders will conduct sermons and reflections online throughout Sunday and from 10.30pm, people in homes across the UK have been asked to shine a bright green light from their screens to show solidarity with the bereaved and survivors. The public inquiry into the disaster was paused in March because of the pandemic and is due to restart on 6 July. Australia's 20-year-old flagship environmental protection laws are failing badly and in urgent need of an overhaul, the crossbench senator who helped the Howard government install the landmark legislation says. "Clearly it's not working well," former Democrats senator Andrew Bartlett said ahead of an imminent review of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. "The most obvious failure is despite the fact conditions can be attached to project approvals, there are just so many cases where conditions aren't adhered to. There are no efforts to check and no penalties." The critically endangered Leadbeater's possum was recently at the centre of court action triggered by federal environmental protection laws. Credit:Justin McManus Mr Bartlett stared down bitter opposition from some powerful players in the conservation movement and sided with the Howard government against Labor and the Greens to vote for legislation in 1999. The act was an attempt by the Howard government to modernise environmental protection laws and was controversial because it significantly increased the environment minister's powers, such as allowing them to intervene in project approvals to protect threatened species. LYNCHBURG Rep. Denver Riggleman, a first-term Republican from Nelson County, whose libertarian views and decision to officiate a same-sex marriage set in motion an intra-party challenge, lost his bid for renomination on Saturday. Bob Good, a former Campbell County supervisor and Liberty University employee, defeated Riggleman, whom President Donald Trump had endorsed, with 58% of the vote. Good has described himself as a bright red Biblical and constitutional conservative. Good said he looks forward to making the district bright red again. The two faced off at an unusual drive-thru convention at Tree of Life Ministries in Campbell County. After more than 10 hours of voting, 2,437 delegates cast ballots. Originally the convention was intended to take place indoors, but the coronavirus pandemic forced convention organizers to convert it to an outdoors contest. People drove from all over the 5th Congressional District, which spans from Fauquier County to the North Carolina border and includes Franklin County and part of Bedford County, to participate in the convention at the church. Cars weaved through the spacious parking lot so delegates could submit their ballots without getting out. More than 200 volunteers directed cars, handed out ballots and reviewed voter information. Few people volunteering to hand out ballots were wearing masks or gloves. While some people waited 10 to 15 minutes to vote, others waited more than an hour. Convention organizers set up blocks of time for people to vote based on what locality they lived in, but the line for people voting outside of their assigned time block had bottlenecks throughout the day. A waste of time, one man said as he got to the end of a voting line. Did you get to vote? a poll worker asked. No, he said as he drove off. It was unclear why he was unable to vote. Three men carpooled together, but one of them lived in a different locality than the other two. So they had to drive through twice so the one person could vote in the line for the locality where he resides. Some people working campaigns reported people getting out of line and leaving because the wait became too long. Have you ever seen anything so absurd? said John Whitbeck, the former chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, who had been helping the Riggleman campaign. Whitbeck credited the Republican committee that organized the convention for doing a good job planning it, but he said elections like this were never meant to happen. Despite some issues, Melvin Adams, the chairman of the 5th Congressional District Republican Committee which organized the convention said he felt the convention went smoothly. I've been real pleased, Adams said. There were a lot of unknowns. Some people who didn't have to wait long said they didn't mind the drive-thru convention, saying it was better than sitting in an auditorium for several hours listening to speeches and participating in the drawn-out voting process. It went easier than I thought, said Jim Miller, a former U.S. Senate candidate from Rappahannock County. I thought it was marvelously well-run. Riggleman had favored using a primary, which would have given him an advantage as an incumbent with a larger war chest than Good. This is the most perverse way to choose a candidate, Riggleman said Saturday before the results came in. Good supporters favored the convention because it offered them a better chance at unseating Riggleman, whose libertarian positions have irked them. Riggleman officiating a same-sex marriage last summer inflamed social conservatives. Jim Ardle said he's known Riggleman since the congressman was 19 years old. They both served in the military together. He drove from the Moneta area of Smith Mountain Lake and waited more than hour in line, but he said it was worth it to vote for his friend. He says what he believes, Ardle said. Ardle didn't like how activists attacked Riggleman for officiating a same-sex marriage. He said people should let others live and let live. They're tearing the Republican Party apart, Ardle said of the people who organized a challenge against Riggleman. The results werent announced until 1:20 a.m., more than six hours after polls closed. The Riggleman team had been challenging ballots cast in Campbell County, Goods home county. Riggleman alleged voting irregularities and ballot stuffing, and he said he would be evaluating all our options. Thats what losers say, Good said. Good will face the winner of the June 23 Democratic primary. The candidates are Roger Dean Huffstetler, a Charlottesville entrepreneur who lost the Democratic nomination for the same seat two years ago; John Lesinski, a former Rappahannock County supervisor; Claire Russo, a Marine veteran; and Cameron Webb, director of health policy and equity at the University of Virginia. House Democrats are targeting the seat. Riggleman supporters have said they're concerned that Good is too conservative and his candidacy could risk the seat flipping blue. Riggleman defeated the Democratic candidate last cycle with 53% of the vote. On Saturday, Kyle Kondik, managing editor for Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia's Center of Politics, said Good's win moves the district from likely Republican to leans Republican. Following his win, Good needs to resolve a problem with his failure to file his candidate qualification paperwork to the Virginia Department of Elections before the June 9 deadline. He filed it on Friday. There has been concern about whether this could result in his name being left off the November ballot, triggering nightmares of how Del. Nick Freitas, R-Culpeper, made that mistake last year and had to run a write-in campaign. Good's team has been reassuring people they are confident the Board of Elections will grant him an extension. The Republican Party of Virginia has requested the deadline be extended, arguing that the deadline is usually the day the state-run primary is held. Gov. Ralph Northam delayed the primary until June 23 to provide election officials more time to prepare, but other deadlines weren't postponed along with it. The Board of Elections meets July 7. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Egypt said Saturday that tripartite talks with Ethiopia and Sudan over a controversial mega-dam on the River Nile were deadlocked because of Addis Ababa's "intransigence". The Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam (GERD) has been a source of tension in the Nile River basin ever since Ethiopia broke ground on it nearly a decade ago. Ethiopia sees the dam as essential for its electrification and development, while Sudan and Egypt view it as a threat to essential water supplies. Mohamed al-Sebaie, spokesperson for Egypt's Water Resources and Irrigation Ministry, said he "is not optimistic about the prospects of achieving a breakthrough during the ongoing negotiations" on the dam in a press release posted to the ministry's Facebook page. This was due to "Ethiopia's intransigence which, once again, became abundantly clear during the ongoing meetings of the ministers of water resources of Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan", he added. The strongly-worded statement follows days of negotiations over the project amid heightened urgency to reach a deal ahead of Addis Ababa's plans to start filling the dam in July. "Ethiopia's positon is that Egypt and Sudan should either sign a text that would make them hostages to Ethiopia's will and whim or accept Ethiopia's decision to unilaterally fill the GERD," Sebaie's statement said. Talks between the irrigation and water ministers from the three Nile basin countries resumed Tuesday after a four-month hiatus along with three observers from the United States, European Union and South Africa. After several rounds of failed negotiations, the United States and the World Bank sponsored talks from November 2019 geared towards reaching a comprehensive agreement, after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi put in a request to his ally US President Donald Trump. But the process ran aground after the Treasury Department urged Ethiopia to sign a deal that Egypt backed as "fair and balanced". Ethiopia denied a deal had been reached and accused Washington of being "undiplomatic" and playing favourites. Ethiopia's water ministry criticised Egypt on Thursday for detailing its grievances over the dam in a May letter to the UN Security Council. The 6,600-kilometre-long (3,900-mile) Nile is a lifeline supplying water and powering electricity in the 10 countries it traverses. Its main tributaries, the White and Blue Niles, converge in the Sudanese capital Khartoum before flowing north through Egypt to drain into the Mediterranean Sea. Face coverings do protect people from catching the coronavirus and may even work better than social distancing, a study on-board a US warship found. Scientists closely monitored what happened on the USS Theodore Roosevelt when coronavirus broke out among military personnel on it in March. More than 1,000 of the ship's nearly 4,900 crew members tested positive for Covid-19 during the self-contained outbreak. And results from a study which was done at the time showed that only 55.8 per cent of people who regularly wore a face covering caught the disease, compared to 80.8 per cent of those who didn't - a 25 per cent reduction. Masks actually appeared to be more effective at stopping the spread of the disease than social distancing, which cut the infection rate from 70 per cent to 54.4 per cent (15.6 per cent drop). Social distancing has been one of the most strictly adhered-to rules in the UK's lockdown, as well as others around the world, while the effectiveness of masks has been fiercely debated. But scientists have shown that face coverings are effective at stopping people spreading the virus when they are ill themselves. They catch droplets which are expelled from someone's nose and mouth when they breathe, talk, cough or sneeze, and which carry the coronavirus inside them. If these droplets cannot escape the mask and circulate in the air, they cannot be breathed in by other people or settle on surfaces where others might touch them. Britain's Government is coming round to the idea of people wearing masks and, from today, they are mandatory on all public transport and recommended for people who are indoors with other people, such as shops. Researchers found a 25 per cent difference in the number of people infected between those who did and didn't wear a mask. Pictured: Service members Jacob Torgerson, right, Donnie Bun, center, and Ryan McIntyre, left, on the ship, May 15 Face masks are the most protective against Covid-19 over handwashing or social distancing, study of coronavirus riddled US warship Theodore Roosevelt suggests (pictured) Wearing a protective facial covering was also found to be more effective than increased hand-washing. Pictured, navy seaman Steven Eckert wearing a mask, May 21 The Roosevelt pulled into Guam, an island in the Pacific Ocean, on March 27 with a rapidly escalating number of sailors testing positive for the virus. It is not clear how the virus initially entered the ship - one sailor from the ship died from the coronavirus and several others were hospitalised. THE TRUTH ABOUT FACE MASKS: WHAT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN Research on how well various types of masks and face coverings varies but, recently, and in light of the pandemic of COVID-19, experts are increasingly leaning toward the notion that something is better than nothing. A University of Oxford study published on March 30 concluded that surgical masks are just as effective at preventing respiratory infections as N95 masks for doctors, nurses and other health care workers. It's too early for their to be reliable data on how well they prevent infection with COVID-19, but the study found the thinner, cheaper masks do work in flu outbreaks. The difference between surgical or face masks and N95 masks lies in the size of particles that can - and more importantly, can't - get though the materials. N95 respirators are made of thick, tightly woven and molded material that fits tightly over the face and can stop 95 percent of all airborne particles, while surgical masks are thinner, fit more loosely, and more porous. This makes surgical masks much more comfortable to breathe and work in, but less effective at stopping small particles from entering your mouth and nose. Droplets of saliva and mucous from coughs and sneezes are very small, and viral particles themselves are particularly tiny - in fact, they're about 20-times smaller than bacteria. For this reason, a JAMA study published this month still contended that people without symptoms should not wear surgical masks, because there is not proof the gear will protect them from infection - although they may keep people who are coughing and sneezing from infecting others. But the Oxford analysis of past studies- which has not yet been peer reviewed - found that surgical masks were worth wearing and didn't provide statistically less protection than N95 for health care workers around flu patients. However, any face mask is only as good as other health and hygiene practices. Experts universally agree that there's simply no replacement for thorough, frequent hand-washing for preventing disease transmission. Some think the masks may also help to 'train' people not to touch their faces, while others argue that the unfamiliar garment will just make people do it more, actually raising infection risks. So what about cloth coverings? Although good quality evidence is lacking, some data suggest that cloth masks may be only marginally (15 per cent) less effective than surgical masks in blocking emission of particles, said Babak Javid, principal investigator at Cambridge University Hospitals wrote in the BMJ on April 9. He pointed to a study led by Public Health England in 2013 which found wearing some kind of material over the face was fivefold more effective than not wearing masks for preventing a flu pandemic. The study suggested that a homemade mask 'should only be considered as a last resort to prevent droplet transmission from infected individuals, but it would be better than no protection'. Advertisement In April, the US Navy and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigated the outbreak involving a sample of 382 service members (27 per cent) on board who were mostly young, healthy adults. The CDC has also been conducting research on the USS Kidd ship - the second US warship to have a coronavirus outbreak. The study found the outbreak occurred due to widespread transmission between members, who had either mild symptoms or none at all. 'Those who reported taking preventive measures had a lower infection rate than did those who did not report taking these measures', the study found. The greatest protection was found among those who wore masks. Only 55.8 per cent of those who did wear a mask became infected compared to 80.8 per cent of those who did not - a difference of 25 per cent. Physical distancing reduced the infection by 15.6 per cent, with 54.4 per cent of those practising it becoming infected compared to 70 per cent of those who did not. Wearing a protective facial covering was also found to be more effective than increased hand-washing. Around 62 per cent of those who reported regularly washing their hands becoming infected compared to around 65 per cent of those who didn't regularly wash their hands - a difference of three per cent. The authors of the study stated: 'This report improves the understanding of COVID-19 in the U.S. military and among young adults in congregate settings and reinforces the importance of preventive measures to lower risk for infection in similar environments.' It comes after months of fierce debate over whether to recommend the public to wear face masks amid a shortage of surgical face masks for health workers. In May, the Government said people in the UK should 'wear a face covering [home made, with cloth or material] in enclosed spaces where social distancing is not always possible'. The guidance had already been issued to Americans by the CDC in mid-April. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says widespread use is not necessary - only medics and those who are high-risk or who have symptoms should wear them. It has also raised concerns there could be a shortage of masks for medical workers if they are bought by the general public. Scientific papers submitted to the Government's SAGE committee early in the pandemic revealed British scientists didn't have much argument for face masks. The papers up until mid-April said that there was little or mixed evidence in favour of wearing face masks, and much of the research was not relevant to British society. But now, it is mandatory to wear a face mask on public transport in Britain. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, who made the announcement on June 4, said: 'With more people using transport the evidence suggests wearing face coverings offers some - albeit limited - protection against the spread for the virus.' The UK Government is not convinced they are helpful in other scenarios and believe they may do more harm than good by giving people the false confidence to take unnecessary risks. However, a study last week found the widespread use of face masks in Britain could keep the reproduction rate below one and stop a second wave of coronavirus. Lead author Dr Richard Stutt, from Cambridge University, said: 'Our analyses support the immediate and universal adoption of face masks by the public.' Professor John Colvin, co-author from the University of Greenwich, said: 'There is a common perception that wearing a face mask means you consider others a danger. HOW WELL DID DIFFERENT ACTIONS PROTECT PEOPLE ON-BOARD THE USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT? (Note: The researchers adjusted the numbers for their final report - as a result, the raw data in the table is lower than in the summary) Action Positive test No positive test % difference Hand washing 62.1% 37.9% -39% Hand sanitiser 61.5% 38.5% -37% Avoiding common areas 53.8% 23.0% -57% Face covering 55.8% 44.2% -21% Workspace cleaning 63.5% 36.5% -43% Bedroom cleaning 61.9% 38.1% -38% Social distancing 54.7% 45.3% -17% 'In fact, by wearing a mask you are primarily protecting others from yourself. Cultural and even political issues may stop people wearing face masks, so the message needs to be clear, "My mask protects you, your mask protects me". WEARING FACE MASKS CAN REDUCE THE R RATE, STUDY FINDS The widespread use of face masks in Britain could keep the reproduction rate below one and stop a second wave of coronavirus, a study suggests. Modelling by the universities of Cambridge and Greenwich found if half of Brits wore masks it would prevent the crisis from spiralling back out of control. The researchers said mask-wearing by everyone was twice as effective at reducing R compared to only asking symptomatic people to use them. But they warned current social distancing and lockdown measures were not suffice to stifle the spread of Covid-19. The researchers estimated the transmission rate based on levels of compliance from the public. If 50 per cent or more of the population wore them then the R will remain below one as long as social distancing stayed in place and lockdown was eased very gradually. If every single Briton wore masks in public then the scientists estimate it could keep R stable without any draconian curbs. But the researchers admit it would be highly unlikely that everyone would adhere to the rules. Lead author Dr Richard Stutt, from Cambridge University, said: 'Our analyses support the immediate and universal adoption of face masks by the public.' The UK's R rate is thought to be between 0.7 and 0.9 but some experts estimate it has crept above 1 in the North West and South West of England. The R represents the average number of people an infected patient passes the virus to and keeping it below 1 is crucial to prevent a second surge of the virus. Advertisement 'In the UK, the approach to face masks should go further than just public transport. The most effective way to restart daily life is to encourage everyone to wear some kind of mask whenever they are in public.' As well as looking at the strength of protection measures, the CDC study on the Roosevelt also found nearly two thirds had positive antibody test results, which indicates they had fought the virus. Previously all 4,800 sailors on the Roosevelt aircraft carrier were tested for the coronavirus previously, and about a quarter tested positive. But the serology testing - to look for the presence of specific antibodies in the blood - suggests far more were infected that had gone unnoticed. Similar tests in Italy and elsewhere have indicated the presence of antibodies in people who did not test positive previously, giving a more accurate sense of the spread of the virus. However, the serology test could also show that people who tested positive for coronavirus do not carry antibodies later, potentially raising questions about their immunity to the virus. While the results could indicate a far higher presence of the coronavirus, one of the Navy officials said that may not be the case because of the way the study was carried out. 'The outbreak investigation did not encompass the entire crew, and the results of this study cannot be generalized to the entire crew,' the official said. The spread of the virus on the ship put into motion a series of events that led to the firing of the ship's captain, Brett Crozier. Mr Crozier felt compelled to write to several other commanders pleading for more urgent Navy action to protect his crew of nearly 5,000. Mr Crozier was then relieved of command for what the Navy's top civilian official at the time, Thomas Modly, called poor judgment. Mr Modly resigned several days later, and the Navy is now seeking higher-level approval to reverse his move and restore Mr Crozier to command. Officials last week released a Blue Peter-style guide on how to make one from an old T-shirt Days after a South Jersey protest against police brutality made national headlines for counter-protestors reenacting the killing of George Floyd, demonstrators were back in the streets. More than 500 people gathered in a library parking lot in the Franklinville section of Franklin Township before marching nearly two miles down Route 47 known in the town as Delsea Drive to the towns police department. The route took the marchers directly past the site of the incident on Monday when the all white counter-protestors reenacted the killing in which a police officer kneeled on Floyds neck, while surrounded by Trump flags and signs that read All Lives Matter. One of the participants in the reenactment was identified as state corrections officer Joseph Demarco, who works at Bayside State Prison. Demarco, who is seen leaning on a pole in a video of the incident, has been suspended while an investigation continues. Demarcos family owns the property on Delsea Drive where the small group assembled to antagonize protestors. On Tuesday, a small fire was set to stacks of wood on the Demarco property. The fire, which results in no injuries and caused little damage, is under criminal investigation. The incident drew outrage and condemnation from local and statewide officials. Saturdays protest was inspired by a march in Vineland the week before, organizer Beverly Merritt previously told NJ Advance Media, and was organized before the events on Monday unfolded. I was afraid to speak, Merritt told protestors on Saturday. But George [Floyd] gave me a voice and I refuse to be silent. Merritt put Saturdays demonstration together with her friend, Marissa Rivera Peterson. The pair of organizers were joined by multiple clergy members from around the region, and the Bridgeton-based youth activist group Black Leaders Advancing Change in our Culture (BLACC). The organizers expressed disappointment that local officials did not join the march. Dont tell me you love me if you cant show me, Merritt said of the missing officials while speaking to the protestors. At the start of Saturdays march, protesters were urged to stay peaceful, particularly when walking past the property where the reenactment took place. Were coming in peace and were coming in love, Merritt said before leading the march. After brief remarks by organizers and clergy in the library parking lot, the protestors set off for the police station. Along the way, the demonstration was met mostly with supportive people watching on the side of the road. A few onlookers held All Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter signs. There were no confrontations. The reenactment property was empty on Saturday, aside from BLM standing for Black Lives Matter spray-painted on a concrete driveway leading into the lot. Daryan Fennal, who organized Mondays march, told the protestors that she had spoken to Gov. Phil Murphy, and that he told her he stood in solidarity with the Franklinville protestors. A long line of speakers at the rally included Pamela White the mother of Phillip White, a 32-year-old Vineland man who died in the custody of Vineland police in 2015. They beat him like he wasnt a father. A brother. A son, Pamela White said. The two Vineland police officers involved in Phillip Whites death, Louis Platania and Rich Janasiak, were cleared by a grand jury in 2016. A lawsuit Whites family filed against the town in 2016 is still pending. We need a change, Pamela White told Saturdays crowd. " There is no justice for us. There is just us." Pastor Karen Johnson from the Christian Love Church in Vineland, stressed to the protestors that they were not taking part just in a moment, they were part of a movement. The violence, its the same everywhere," Johnson said. "If we dont speak out, were going to all have to deal with it. Reverend Beth Caulfield, who is the pastor of the Franklinville United Methodist Church and the Newfield United Methodist Church, read to the crowd from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Letter from a Birmingham Jail while urging white moderates to take a stand and help push for change. I think that what has been done here is going to be a precedent for many, I hope, for people watching but also for the church itself, Caulfield said. "Because the church has got to step up. Weve got to be here. The Franklinville march was one of multiple demonstrations around New Jersey on Saturday. Hundreds of protests have been held around the world in recent weeks, following the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, by four police officers in Minnesota in May. Floyd was being arrested alleged forgery of a $20 bill. In the video of his death, Floyd does not appear to resist arrest. All four of the officers have been fired from the Minneapolis Police Department and face murder charges. Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on Floyds neck for nearly nine minutes, faces the most severe charges. Floyds death, as well as the deaths of Breonna Taylor in Louisville in March and Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia in February, thrust police brutality and systemic racism in America into the national spotlight. Discussion and debate of the issues have dominated conversation in major cities and small towns across the United States, and New Jersey is no exception. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Michael Sol Warren may be reached at mwarren@njadvancemedia.com. Nearly two dozen bicyclists set off on a 60-mile journey from Galveston Sunday morning, retracing the footsteps of newly freed slaves who moved to Houston in the years following the Civil War. In January, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn authored a bill asking for a federal study of the Emancipation Trail, a 51-mile path from Galveston to Houston undertaken by black families to announce that federal officials had ordered enslaved people in Texas to be free. It would be just the second National Historic Trail honoring African American history in the U.S., after the Selma-to-Montgomery National Historic Trail. That trail may become the path for an annual bike ride to learn about black history in Houston and Galveston, organizers said, marked by stops in freedmens towns and historical landmarks. The Emancipation Trail Ride began at Reedy African Methodist Episcopal Church in Galveston, the first AME church in Texas. Shortly after sunrise in Galveston, genealogist Sharon Gillins met the group embarking on the Emancipation Trail Ride at the church, where a Union general announced news of emancipation on June 19, 1865 later to become Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the end of slavery. Visiting the church is an opportunity for people regardless of race to learn about the states black history, Gillins said, and all residents should learn about a wide variety of holidays from southeast Texas diverse population. HISTORY IN THE MAKING: The urgency of the woman behind the Emancipation Trail If the greater community does not recognize or know their contributions as a race, or anything about their history in the community, theyre much more likely to believe these peoples lives dont matter, she said. As the heat kicked in, the group cycled from Galveston to the landmarks including the 1867 Settlement in Texas City and Butler Longhorn Museum in League City before cruising to Brays Bayou in Houston, following the waterway as it carved a path from Mason Park to the University of Houston, through Texas Southern University and then taking the streets to Emancipation Park. Historians and community leaders met the bikers at each stop, sharing stories about the history of black Americans from the slave trade, Reconstruction and civil rights in southeast Texas. Samuel Collins III, an adviser to the National Trust for Historic Preservation who tailed the bikers as they cycled to Houston, said actively learning about Texas black history is vital to building equal opportunities for black Americans. There are not enough stories about everyone who contributes to our society, Collins said. Two weeks ago, he and his 22-year-old daughter drove from their home in Hitchcock, a 48-mile drive on Interstate 45, to join tens of thousands of protesters who flooded downtown Houston to rally after the death of George Floyd, the longtime Houston resident killed when a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. The plan to ride had been in place long before protests following Floyds death. But as the date of the trail ride grew closer, it became more crucial than ever to know local black history, organizers said. Jackson Lee and historian Naomi Mitchell Carrier, who organized the event, met the group at the end as they gulped water and loaded bikes onto their vehicles in front of the Emancipation Park Cultural Center. Several pieces of legislation on police accountability, reparations for African Americans and Juneteenth are in the works, the congresswoman said. And thats only the beginning, Mitchell Carrier said, as she clutched a Bible to her chest and addressed the group about the Black Lives Matter movement and racism in the country. America has become too comfortable with the deaths of black people, Mitchell Carrier said. gwendolyn.wu@chron.com twitter.com/gwendolynawu BELLEVUE, Wash., June 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nintex, the global standard for process management and automation, announced that in response to customer demand for cloud-based workflows its flagship process automation platform Nintex Workflow Cloud is available to organizations in Australia and New Zealand through a Microsoft Azure data center in Victoria. The availability of Nintex Workflow Cloud via an Australia data center allows customers on both sides of the Tasman to adopt the company's market-leading automation capabilities with complete confidence that data privacy, sovereignty, and regional residency concerns and requirements are met. Nintex Workflow Cloud availability joins Nintex for Office 365 which is also hosted and leveraged by enterprise organizations. "Digital transformation is at the core of most businesses in the region and spurred on further by the rapid change brought about by COVID-19. As a result, organizations are looking to place their everyday business applications in the cloud and are standardizing on Nintex to support business continuity, improve processes, and quickly automate work," said Christian Lucarelli, Vice President, Sales APAC, Nintex. "The new Australian data centre for Nintex Workflow Cloud will enable regional customers to take advantage of our automation capabilities in the cloud with full support for their Australian and New Zealand data residency requirements, while also benefitting from high availability and resiliency." Nintex Workflow Cloud is a cloud-first solution and core to the Nintex Process Platform which provides the most easy-to-use, powerful, and complete set of automation capabilities including process mapping, automatic creation of workflows, robotic process automation (RPA), digital forms, mobile apps, document automation, and process analytics. Customers benefit from rapid provisioning, low capital expenditure, and easy scalability of Nintex cloud solutions. In 2019, Nintex received an exception-free SOC 2 audit report from an independent auditing firm that validated the effectiveness of the security controls in Nintex Workflow Cloud and reflects Nintex's ongoing commitment to ensuring the protection of customer, partner, and end-user data. The Victoria data centre is also under SOC 2 Type 1 and 2 accreditations and controls and incorporates industry standard, stringent encryption and fault-tolerance redundancy. New capabilities within Nintex Workflow Cloud include the ability for customers to create workflows that include RPA bots with speed and ease. This new feature within Nintex Workflow Cloud, called Nintex Gateway, provides two-way, drag-and-drop interaction between workflows and bots. Additionally, existing Nintex Workflow enterprise customers benefit from having full access to attended and unattended RPA bots within their current workflow subscriptions. To see Nintex Workflow Cloud in action, visit https://www.nintex.com/request-demo/ to request a personalized demo. Media Contact Kristin Treat Nintex [email protected] cell: +1-215-317-9091 About Nintex Nintex is the global standard for process management and automation. Today more than 8,000 public and private sector clients across 90 countries turn to the Nintex Platform to accelerate their digital transformation journeys by enabling them to quickly and easily manage, automate and optimize business processes. Learn more by visiting www.nintex.com and experience how Nintex and its global partner network are shaping the future of Intelligent Process Automation (IPA). Product or service names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. SOURCE Nintex Related Links http://www.nintex.com S Senthil Kumar And Jayakumar Madala By Express News Service COIMBATORE/TIRUCHY: A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths are just statistics. This quote attributed to Joseph Stalin encapsulates the essence of our times. Were it not for the heart-wrenching image of a pregnant elephant standing in water to ward flies off its wounds before dying, the collective outrage would have easily found another vent. She was not the first animal to die after biting an explosive-laced bait, and she may not be the last. She just became the representative figure of humanitys ingenuity to devise newer ways to murder. Biting the bait Chief Advocacy Officer of PETA India, Khushboo Gupta, says bait bombs are not new to the Indian milieu. People plant crackers in fruits and leave them in man-animal conflict zones. The casualty can range from elephants to boars, she says. Bait-bomb deaths are painful. In January 2017, an elephant calf bit on one such bait at Seeliyur under Coimbatore district. His oral cavity was severely injured, and his tongue got severed. He could neither eat nor drink and died after two days of struggle. Here too, the bait was set for wild boars, classified as vermin by governments. And, this is a grouse that riles up the general secretary of Farmers Association, P Kandhasamy. Emotive subject, deadly result Man-animal conflict is an emotive topic, especially when the man in question is a farmer. A few years ago, the State issued a government order, sanctioning the killing of vermin. To date, not a single wild boar has been culled. Its in this backdrop that Kandhasamy demands that the Wildlife Protection Act be tweaked to grant the farmers the right to punish the wild animals intruding into farmers patta land. Kandhasamys solution is opposed tooth and nail by Gupta, who maintains ecological balance cannot be reached at the point of a gun. Gupta finds support in the words of wildlife activist P Paul Raj, who says: Governments have earmarked sufficient buffer area between reserve forests and agricultural lands. However, farmers encroach upon these lands, and often pay heavily for it. However, with spate in reports on animal deaths, its difficult to say whos paying heavily. Corridor of uncertainty Kandhasamy goes on to blame the official apparatus for this state of affairs. He has been demanding a stakeholders meeting to find concrete solutions to the elephant incursion into the farms of Chinna Thadagam and Narasipuram in Coimbatore. We have been demanding the collector to convene a meeting of farmers, NGOs, agriculture department, TNPCB, panchayats, and the owners of educational institutions, who have established buildings on the elephant corridor, he says. When the traditional migratory route (corridor) of elephants is blocked, their detour often brings them in conflict with farmers. Cutting cost at what expense! Farmers employ cost-cutting measures when it comes to mitigating the conflict, says District Forest Officer of Tiruchy D Sujatha. Electric fencing is one such measure. The available alternatives are often neglected by the farmers, as they think them to be too expensive, she says. Eminent elephant expert and professor at the Centre for Ecological Sciences at Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Raman Sugumar points out other facets of the conflict: Biology and better conservation. Usually, bull elephants part ways with their families by the time they reach 20-25 years of age. They start roaming in search of food. Attracted by the banana plantations, coconut, and the maize crops, they start raiding the farms. Till about two decades ago, the number of bull elephants was lesser in comparison to cow elephants as they were heavily poached for their tusks. Things have improved now due to sustained efforts, and their numbers have increased, Sugumar says. Preying on predators Elephants are not the sole victims of human activity in the forest periphery. Even apex predators like tigers have not been left unscathed. In April last, a tiger and a tigress were poisoned in the Pollachi range of Anamalai Tiger Reserve. The felines were baited using poison-laced meat after a spate in cattle deaths. Wildlife Nature Conservation Trust (WNCT) founder N Sadiq Ali says: Villagers kill big cats to protect their cattle. Often sick and old tigers find easy prey in the domestic cattle, he points out. Bushmeat and black magic What worries Tiruchys District Forest Officer is that some of these incidents are not entirely related to crop protection. The thriving and lucrative exotic bush meat and black magic industries could be the driving force behind the poaching of animals, she feels. When a jackal was poached using explosive-laced meat in Tiruchy last week, the gang of 12 that devised the explosive had grand plans for its meat and teeth. Wild animals are often prescribed as remedies for various ailments, personal problems, and also as an aphrodisiac. Our informers are too afraid as they fear identification and the subsequent retribution, Sujatha says. A senior forest official in Tiruchy said that people steal roadkill carcasses and trade in it. Poachers are a slippery lot too. Miscreants sell the meat to one party and the feathers to another within hours of the killing, the official adds. Mitigation starts where? So, where does the mitigation begin? Gupta believes that adding teeth to the Wildlife Protection Act and its stricter implementation could act as a deterrent. Paul Raj advocates for tighter regulations on accessibility to arms. Farmers do not want to kill animals. However, they have to save their crops too. The best way out is to ensure explosives do not reach the farmers. Officials can also keep a stricter vigil to ensure farmers do not encroach on forest land, he says. WWF consultant and member of the Asian Elephants Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Ajay Desai bats for merging empirical wisdom with modern science. We should implement better strategies to prevent elephants from coming out of the forest. Elephant Proof Trenches (EPT) without leaving any rocks in it and setting up solar fencing are the steps in the right direction, Desai says. Translocating elephants that are in conflict with humans is an idea Raman Sugumar finds favour with. Sugumar says that forest area in south India has not shrunk. However, vast swathes have an overgrowth of Lantana camara, reducing the fodder availability for jumbos. We can try fixing hanging fences. Unlike solar fences and Elephant Proof Trenches, the hanging fences cannot be broken by elephants. This method was successfully employed in Sri Lanka, Sugumar says. Statistics and tragedy In a country where sloth bears are pelted with stones, peacocks and tigers are fed poison, and jackals jaws are blown off, an elephant had to die to shake people out of their slumber. One death had to be branded as a tragedy to keep it from becoming mere statistics. Peacocks: Things of beauty no more Despite all its glory and beauty, peacocks do not inspire the same marvel among farmers. On June 9, an angry Tirupur farmer poisoned 11 national birds for turning crop raiders. Such incidents are neither new nor unheard of. Farmers across the western belt kill peacocks as conflict with the law seems a better deal than coping with loss. The State reportedly releases a compensation that is not commensurate with the loss, farmers claim. 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. Andrea Johnson holds virtual fourth grade class from her home in Los Angeles. Johnson, a teacher at Westminster Elementary School, is retiring after after 16 years of teaching. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) I finished fourth grade on Friday. I hadnt meant to attend elementary school. I mean, I already graduated from fourth grade about a billion years ago, when I was a kid in Northridge. But for the past three months, like a lot of other parents and guardians across America, I've been sharing my workspace with a student. That has meant that when her 90-minute Zoom class began every weekday at 8:30 a.m., like it or not, I've been back in school. The fourth-grade class taught by Andrea Johnson at Westminster Elementary School in Venice has 21 students, and every day during the Zoom era, at least 15 of them would show up for class. Mine attended every day via her laptop, although sometimes I would look up and see her surreptitiously holding the iPad in her lap, watching TikTok videos. I am not going to name any of the children here because I was technically eavesdropping. But it was such a privilege to be a fly on the wall of a Los Angeles public school fourth-grade classroom with an excellent teacher, even during a moment of maximum disruption and stress. At this age, kids are on the cusp of adolescence but not so self-conscious that they cant be themselves. I was getting a glimpse of a delightful, frustrating and strange new world. It all seemed daunting at first. Days after schools closed in mid-March, Ms. Johnson had to master a new technology. The children had to get used to seeing her only onscreen, and to turning in their work by photographing it and posting it on Class Dojo, the app she used to communicate with students and parents. Parents had to find a way not to lose their minds. Almost every morning began as a herding exercise: Ms. Johnson: Please stop that! Please stop that! This is a classroom. You cant just get up and walk away. When I call on you, you need to be there. Unmute yourself! Do not leave the class. Do. Not. Leave. The. Class. Student: Ms. Johnson, I can barely hear you because someone in the background is unmuted and their parents are talking! Story continues Most kids soon realized they could change their screen names. One called himself Midas the Gucci Touch. My child was Wolf Queen. Who is Chicken McNuggets? Ms. Johnson asked one day. The class wise guy changed his name to Connecting Oh my God, said Ms. Johnson one day in exasperation, am I losing my mind? :: I learned a lot of things eavesdropping on the fourth grade this spring. Ms. Johnson, did you know theres a jellyfish thats immortal? asked one very science-minded boy. Seriously. (Yes, there really is. Or at least pretty close to it.) I learned that a Lincoln penny weighs 2.5 grams and that a kilogram is about six apples. We studied the Gold Rush, the history of African-Americans in the United States, and shoguns and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. One Friday morning, kids dressed as Gold Rush characters. One was a miner called Billy Bob. Mine was Aunt Arabella, a character in By the Great Horn Spoon, a novel theyd been reading. Ms. Johnson, in a stovepipe hat, was Sam Brannan, Californias first gold rush millionaire (and scoundrel). She had enlisted her colleagues as special guests. One teacher, Chris Heltai, who is also an actor, played Pitch Pine Billy, a miner crossed by Brannan, who sold him defective picks and shovels: You aint nothing but a smooth-talkin cur, taking advantage of poor folk. Youre a crook, nothing but! They finished the morning with a chorus of Oh, My Darling Clementine. Another morning, the class watched a video of a Japanese-American man who had been interned at Manzanar with his parents when he was 9. He was interviewed by a 9-year-old Japanese-American boy. It dawns on the child that the internment was an example of racism when the older man says that no German-Americans were interned, even though the country was at war with Germany too. (In fact, some German nationals and German-Americans were detained during the war and some were interned. But it was a small number compared to the large scale of the Japanese-American internment.) My parents were very angry, the man said. We lost our business, our home, the car. Did they ever apologize? asked the boy. They did. President Reagan signed a bill. They gave everyone $20,000. Could it happen again? Yes, the man replied. Have you heard about whats happening with Muslims? Im speechless, said the boy. :: One morning in early May, just before class began, a boy asked, Ms. Johnson, did you see that guy that died when the cop had his leg on his neck? What if that was me? It was awful, she replied. The whole thing was awful. Did you know he was handcuffed? I would have grabbed that gun and gone pop, pop, pop, pop, said the boy. Pop, pop, pop. Ms. Johnson shared a story about her grandfather, Wade Jones, the principal of a Black high school in Navasota, Texas. He was a community leader who urged his fellow Black citizens to vote. The white people told him, Jones, youre not going to vote. They told him they were going to come and get him. He had to sit on his porch with his rifle and wait for them. Then a white guy came and sat on the porch with him. Things like that were normal. The three-month distance learning experiment had mixed results. "It wasn't perfect, frankly, but I think it was more successful than I thought it would be," Ms. Johnson said. Though she was only asked to teach an hour a day, she decided to increase the class time to 90 minutes. "I would have gone longer," she said, "but I was losing them. I only have so much control." Some kids virtually dropped out, and some did better than she expected, said Ms. Johnson, because they were intrinsically motivated and/or their parents really pushed them. She reached out continually to some parents, pleading with them to encourage their kids to come to class. I could tell she was anguished about the missing kids; she even asked students to contact peers who weren't showing up. Its odd, ending this way, said Ms. Johnson, 64, who holds an MBA and is retiring after 16 years of teaching. I will really miss the kids. I would have wished for closure. On Friday, for an end-of-year treat, the kids got to watch Hayao Miyazakis great animated film Spirited Away. My 10-year-old took her headphones off at the end, and I listened as the children signed off for whatever warped version of summer awaits them. It was just like the end of Charlottes Web, when all the baby spiders float away on a warm spring wind. Goodbye! the children called in their little kid voices. Goodbye! Goodbye! Fifth grade awaits. @AbcarianLAT The Supreme Court on Sunday sought the response of the Himachal Pradesh and central governments in a plea by journalist Vinod Dua seeking quashing of the first information report (FIR) registered against him in the state in connection with a video uploaded by him on YouTube criticising the Centres implementation of the Covid-19 lockdown. A three-judge bench headed by justice UU Lalit, which held a special sitting to hear Duas plea, granted him protection from arrest till July 6the next date of hearing in the case. However, the bench which also comprised justice M Shantanagoudar and justice Vineet Saran, allowed the Himachal Pradesh police to continue with the probe turning down Duas plea for a stay on FIR. The top court ordered Dua to cooperate with the investigation and said that the police will have the liberty to interrogate him at his residence in Delhi after giving a 24-hour notice. Vikas Singh, Duas counsel, vehemently pressed for a stay on the FIR stating that allowing the probe to continue in a flimsy case like this one will send wrong signals. Dua has been charged with grave offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including sedition (section 124A), public nuisance (section 268), printing defamatory matter (section 501) and intent to cause public mischief based (section 505) on a complaint filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ajay Shyam. The March 30 video, Dua submitted, critically analyses the failure of the government of India regarding the declaration of nationwide lockdown and the manner in which the same was implemented. If this kind of content can attract sedition, then half the country will be committing sedition. If what he has said is sedition, then only two (news) channels will work in this country, Singh said. The court, however, refused to stay the probe but sought a status report from the police regarding the probe. A team of police from Himachal Pradesh had landed at Duas house on June 12 for serving a notice requiring his presence at Kumarsain Police Station in the state at 10am on June 13 for an investigation into FIR registered against him on May 6 for the contentious video. Dua had approached the Supreme Court on Saturday submitting that he was shocked to see the police of Himachal Pradesh at his doorstep. The petitioner (Dua) suspects that all efforts are being made to somehow arrest him. Any arrest at this point of time, (on the) basis such frivolous FIRs would not only be a blatant infringement on the rights of the Petitioner but will also endanger his life due to the high risk to the health of people from the COVID-19 virus, his petition said. The Delhi Police had also registered an FIR against Dua on June 4 for his March 30 video. That FIR was, however, stayed by Delhi High Court on June 10. The petitioner also made a reference (in the video) to the politicization of the armys attack in response to the Pulwama Attack and usage of the same in the last elections. There was nothing in the video which could be remotely termed to be criminal, his lawyer had argued. Of the 38 locally transmitted cases, 36 were in Beijing, where the authorities are conducting mass testing at a vast seafood and produce market with 10,000 workers, which appears to be the main source of a new outbreak. Beijing had gone eight weeks without a single locally transmitted case until a total of seven were detected on Thursday and Friday. In the United States, which has the worlds largest caseload, the daily number of new cases is climbing in 22 states, shifting from what had been downward trajectories in many of those places. A New York Times tally of cases shows rising trends in some 70 countries as economies reopen and more people around the globe venture back into public life. Here are our latest updates and maps on the outbreak. The Times is providing free access to much of our coronavirus coverage, and our Coronavirus Briefing newsletter like all of our newsletters is free. Please consider supporting our journalism with a subscription. The top black US congressman has signalled in clear terms he does not support calls to "defund the police," despite a wave of activism calling for such measures in the wake of the death of George Floyd and other black people during incidents involving police. Nobody is going to defund the police. We can restructure the police forces restructure, reimagine policing. That is what we are going to do, House Minority Whip James E Clyburn, the third-ranking Democrat in the chamber, said in an interview with CNN on Sunday. The fact of the matter is the police have a role to play. What we've got to do is make sure that their role is one that meets the times. One that responds to these communities that they operate in," Mr Clyburn said. Mr Clyburn, a longtime ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is one of 213 co-sponsors for House Democrats' so-called Justice in Policing Act that, while enacting significant changes for US law enforcement, would not abolish police departments outright. Such steps must be taken at the state and local level. And while federal lawmakers have less of a hand in how to govern local policing, most Democrats in Washington, similar to Mr Clyburn, have said they do not support defunding police. Congressional Democrats' bill would reform qualified immunity" laws to make it easier to prosecute and sue police and other government agencies for misconduct, and also ban choke holds and no-knock warrants in drug cases at the federal level while incentivising local departments to adopt similar measures by withholding funding for those that dont. The Democrats' bill would also provide funding for training to reduce racial bias; create a national misconduct registry for officers to ensure officers with lengthy and questionable records cannot simply change departments to avoid accountability; and require state and local law enforcement agencies to report use-of-force incidents to the Justice Department. The House is scheduled to return on Thursday, 25 June, for a vote on the bill. It is not likely to pass in the Republican-controlled Senate without major changes. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is leading the Senate GOP's efforts to put together a policing reform package, has said reforming qualified immunity to make it easier to sue police officers would be a "poison pill" for his party. "The president has sent a signal that qualified immunity is off the table. [Republicans] see that as a poison pill on our side," Mr Scott said in an interview with CBS News on Sunday. Lawmakers from both parties have expressed optimism negotiators can reach a bipartisan compromise deal. But Democrats have indicated they will not settle for changes around the edges. They want wholesale reform. The fact of the matter is, this is the structure that has been developed that we've got to deconstruct," Mr Clyburn said. "I wouldn't say defund deconstruct our policing, he said. A Vietnamese carrier has confirmed its resumption of Bangkok-Phuket services following Thailands announcement about the reopening of domestic flights at the airport in the beach destination. Thai Vietjet is the first and only carrier to have restarted flights between Bangkok and Phuket since Saturday, its parent company, Vietnams Vietjet, said in a statement the same day. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand had reopened Phuket International Airport for domestic flight operations on that day. Thailands largest island, Phuket is among the world's finest beach destinations. The airline said it would strictly comply with current safety and health protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic, including temperature checks and social distancing at the airport and on board flights. Passengers will be required to wear face masks throughout their journey. Thai Vietjet is operating stable flights covering Thailands domestic network, including services between Bangkok and Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai/Phuket/Krabi/Udon Thani. Upon arrival, passengers are recommended to check the regulations and procedures of each destination city and airport for smooth entry. The airline also continuously increases flight operations and extends its network in response to rising demand. Thai Vietjet has offered one-year complimentary travel to frontline medical staff, including all members of the Thai COVID-19 Prevention and Control Committee and all doctors and nurses of 160 hospitals assigned to treat coronavirus patients in Thailand, as a way to honor their work. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Mammootty's Post Mammootty, the megastar of Malayalam cinema expressed his deep grief with an emotional post. The senior actor posted a picture of Sushant Singh Rajput in his official social media pages, along with an emotional caption. 'It is so saddening', wrote Mammootty. Mohanlal's Post Mohanlal, the complete actor mourned Sushant's untimely demise with a post on his official social media pages. He posted a picture of the Kedarnath actor and captioned it 'May you rest in peace'. Prithviraj Sukumaran's Post Prithviraj Sukumaran took to his social media pages to post a picture of Sushant Singh Rajput, along with a condolences note. 'Rest in peace Sushant. ', wrote the actor-filmmaker. Priyadarshan's Post Priyadarshan, the senior filmmaker who had a met Sushant Singh Rajput once, remembered the young actor through a touching Facebook post. 'Met him once, such a pleasant boy... I feel so sad. Let his soul rest in peace.', wrote the filmmaker in his post. Dulquer Salmaan's Post Dulquer Salmaan expressed his shock and grief on Sushant Singh Rajput's demise with an emotional note posted on his official pages. 'Absolutely heartbroken by this news. Not someone I met or knew personally but this really hits you in the gut. So talented and so young. RIP #SushantSinghRajput', wrote the actor. Nivin Pauly's Post Nivin Pauly expressed his deep grief over Sushant's demise, with a social media post. 'Sad and shocked to hear this! You left us so soon Sushant! We will miss you!', wrote the actor in his post. Beijing ups response over 3 new local cases People's Daily Online (China Daily) 10:11, June 13, 2020 Latest Response: Starting from 3 am Saturday, Beijing closed one of the city's major farm produce markets, Xinfadi, in response to the emergence of six new local cases of COVID-19 within two days. With Hubei province once the region hardest hit by the novel coronavirus in China having decided to further lower its emergency response level, the city of Beijing reported three new domestic cases in the past two days after seeing no new cases for nearly two months. The latest development has caused the capital to tighten prevention and control measures, including a major campaign examining catering services and food markets, and delaying school reopening for some lower-grade students. Two new locally transmitted cases were registered in the city's Fengtai district on Friday. They were coworkers at a meat products research institute, and one surnamed Liu said he had traveled to Qingdao in Shandong province in the past two weeks. Both patients had displayed symptoms such as sore or itchy throats and coughing, Beijing city officials said. As of 3 pm on Friday, 43 close contacts had been found and placed in centralized quarantine. The institution they worked for and affected residential blocks are all in closed-off management. On Thursday, the capital's Xicheng district reported a new case a 52-year-old man surnamed Tang, the city's first domestic case in 56 days. He visited a local hospital on Wednesday for recurring fever and said he had not traveled outside Beijing in the past two weeks. Xicheng district's health commission said on Friday that it had identified 38 close contacts of the man as of 5 pm. Test results were available for 21 of them, and all had come back negative. The commission is also screening and testing classmates and teachers of the patient's child, who had already restarted classes at school, as well as residents living in the same block. Epidemiological investigation found both Liu and Tang had been to Xinfadi, a major farm products wholesale market in Fengtai district. Tang went there on June 3 and Liu went there on June 5. The Qingdao health commission said disease control experts in Qingdao had ruled out the possibility that Liu, who was on a business trip to Qingdao from May 29 to June 2, picked up the infection there. The beef and lamb trading hall at the Xinfadi market was shut down as of Friday, the Beijing News reported. Beijing's administration for market supervision said on Friday afternoon that it will step up supervision over markets that mainly sell fresh produce, frozen meat and seafood, as well as warehouses, supermarkets and restaurants that use large amounts of meat or seafood. It will also intensify oversight of catering businesses' purchases of seafood and meat to stem the use of products with unknown sources. Enhanced checks over proof of quality documents or inspection certificates will also be rolled out, officials added. "The overall food safety situation in Beijing is good and the public does not need to worry," Chen Yankai, deputy director of the administration, said at a news conference. Also on Friday, the Beijing municipal education commission announced that students of the first, second and third grades who were scheduled to restart school on Monday will not return to campus, given the latest development. After-school training institutions were asked to halt offline classes and events, and reopened schools to adjust their schedules based on the latest situation. The Beijing anti-virus leading group said during a meeting on Thursday that the sudden emergence of new cases sounded an alarm on the perennial and omnipresent risk of the virus and underscores that regular epidemic and control measures must not be relaxed. The meeting also stressed launching epidemiological surveys in a rigorous and rapid manner to ensure the tracing period is long enough to determine the full scope of close contacts. Samples should be taken from areas where confirmed cases have shown up. Hubei lowers level While Beijing is now on high alert, Hubei decided to lower its emergency response level to the second-lowest tier since last Saturday because there have been no new infections there in 24 days. Hubei has reported a total of 68,135 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 4,512 related deaths, and 63,623 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals by Thursday. In order to help discharged patients re-enter society as soon as possible, China plans to improve database information on all COVID-19 patients in Hubei and reevaluate their conditions to refine rehabilitation plans, said Tong Zhaohui, vice-president of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital. "The majority of them will only receive follow-up visits once a year for 10 years. An estimated 10 percent may need professional rehabilitation guidance in addition to regular follow-up visits, and their conditions will help us deepen understanding of the virus' pathogenesis," he told China Central Television on Thursday. He added that rehabilitation treatments will be offered free of charge to those in need in Hubei, and China's experience in helping patients fully recuperate will be shared with the world. On the Chinese mainland, the overall confirmed infections had reached 83,064 as of Thursday, including 65 patients who were still being treated, with no one in severe condition, the National Health Commission said. As part of efforts to improve China's regular epidemic controls, the State Council's Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism released a notice on Thursday that requires all people who visit fever clinics to present their health codes attesting to their health status and take nucleic acid tests. Fever clinics are not allowed to reject patients with fever, and medical workers are required to register their information in detail. Primary health institutions and emergency medical centers will also strictly implement registration and reporting procedures, and all patients with fever must be sent to fever clinics for further diagnosis, the document said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Antsy city dwellers seeking to escape their COVID-19 refuges are road-tripping to nearby vacation rentals in surprisingly strong numbers, showing the first signs of life for an industry that essentially ground to a halt in March. "People, after having been stuck in their homes for a few months, do want to get out of their houses; that's really, really clear," Airbnb Inc. Chief Executive Officer Brian Chesky said in an interview. "But they don't necessarily want to get on an airplane and are not yet comfortable leaving their countries." Airbnb saw more nights booked for U.S. listings between May 17 and June 3 than the same period in 2019, and a similar boost in domestic travel globally. The San Francisco-based home-share company is seeing an increase in demand for domestic bookings in countries from Germany to Portugal, South Korea, New Zealand and more. Other companies, including Expedia Group Inc.'s Vrbo and Booking Holdings Inc. are also seeing a jump in domestic vacation-rental reservations. International sojourns usually planned months in advance are being replaced with impulsive road trips booked a day before and weekend getaways are turning into weekslong respites, Chesky said. Previously, a New Yorker might have headed to Paris for a week in June. Now they are going to the Catskills for a month. "Work from home is becoming working from any home," he said. Still, any rebound is coming from a very low base. The travel sector was gutted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Online travel agencies struggled to withstand unprecedented cancellations and air travel passenger traffic that fell 95%. Airbnb and Tripadvisor Inc. cut a quarter of their workforces and Chesky said last month that he expects revenue this year to be half of 2019's level. Booking was forced to apply for government aid. In an annual shareholder report last week, Booking CEO Glenn Fogel said the pandemic would impact global travel more than the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the SARS epidemic and the 2008 financial crisis combined. But months of pent-up demand is leading to a rush of summer reservations. Airbnb has more listings today than it did before the crisis, according to Chesky. The top destinations in the U.S. on Airbnb are almost exclusively traditional vacation rental markets such as Big Bear Lake in Southern California, the Smoky Mountains, along the Tennessee-North Carolina border, and Port Aransas in Texas, according to the company. The unexpected speed of the comeback has kept Airbnb's plans for a 2020 public market debut afloat. Chesky had originally planned to file paperwork for an offering March 31, but was waylaid by the pandemic-related market turmoil that led to speculation the listing would be shelved until next year. However, Chesky says it's still an option. "We're not ruling out going public this year and we're not committing to it," he said. Airbnb was valued at $31 billion in its most recent private fundraising round, though recent debt issuance to shore up its finances have significantly reduced that valuation. Since the pandemic began, the percentage of bookings on Airbnb within 200 miles (322 kilometers) - a round trip travelers can typically complete on one tank of gas - has grown from a third in February to more than 50% in May. Travel in a post-COVID world is shifting "from airplane to car, big city to small location, hotel to home," Chesky said. Vrbo is seeing similar trends as popular tourist states such as Florida and Maine reopen. There's an "immediate pop" as soon as a destination opens, said Jeff Hurst, president of Vrbo, which accounts for about 20% of Expedia's total revenue. "If you draw a 250-mile circle around any major metro - every place where you see water in there or mountains or national parks, the homes around it are what's starting to get booked up," Hurst said. Hotels aren't as prevalent in more rural locations. And even where they are, travelers are preferring to stay in vacation homes so they can cook in their own kitchens, control who comes and goes and avoid crowded common areas such as lobbies, Hurst said. To help salvage the summer season, Airbnb and Vrbo have enforced confidence-boosting policies that include flexible cancellations and new standards for cleaning. "We have seen a faster recovery within alternative accommodations than in hotels," Morgan Stanley analyst Brain Nowak wrote in a note last week. Shares in hotel companies such as Marriott International Inc., Hyatt Hotels Corp. and Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. have dropped by more than 20% this year, compared with Expedia and Booking, which have fallen as much as 14%. People are eager for open spaces such as beach towns or mountain villages, which is sparking the vacation rental rebound, said Naved Khan, an analyst at Suntrust Robinson Humphrey Inc. "Little by little we are seeing it unfold before us as people are feeling bold enough to venture out and stay at another place for a couple of nights and most of the time these places are homes and villas." Searches for vacation rentals on Google are about at the same level as last year, while hotel searches are down, said Booking Holdings Chief Marketing Officer Arjan Dijk. Consumer appetite has completely changed from a year ago, he said. Significantly more users are signing on to the company's wish list function and indicating interest in domestic homes over international ones. In fact, the company has seen its business shift to more than 70% domestic travel from 45% the same period last year, he said. Demand for air travel is also showing some early signs of life after all but collapsing. Daily passenger numbers in the U.S. climbed to 391,882 on June 4, the highest since March 22, according to the Transportation Security Administration. American Airlines Group Inc. said it would boost July flights 74% compared with this month, though the number of flights in July will be about 40% of capacity a year earlier, compared with 30% in June, the airline said Thursday. "It's going to be awhile before people start crossing borders, getting into planes or traveling for business," Chesky said. The big question on his mind now, as he weighs taking his startup public, is whether the spike in recent bookings turns into a sustainable trend. "The long-term question is what does it look like in a year or five years and that's really anyone's guess," he said. Chesky won't be celebrating until the market stabilizes. "I had a rule that even in our darkest of hours I wouldn't get too low because that's just a moment in time," he said. "And if I can't get too low, then I can't get too up." Visit Bloomberg News at www.bloomberg.com 14.06.2020 LISTEN A traditional religious organisation, Afrikania Mission, has joined the growing number of calls asking the Electoral Commission (EC) to reconsider its decision to compile a new register for the December 2020 election. The group argues that the time to the election is too short to guarantee the peaceful and accurate process of new registration. It also indicated that so many Ghanaians will be disenfranchised, given that they did not get the chance to register for the NIA card due to the rushing way the registration was done. It, therefore, appealed to the government to exercise its authority by stopping the Electoral Commission from compiling a new voter register. Anything that will disturb the peace that we are all enjoying in Ghana, will also affect Afrikana Mission as well since we all in Ghana. Experience has thought us that there is a type of action that create tensions and even civil wars in so many parts of the world, the group added. Two civil society groups; the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) and IMANI Africa have also petitioned the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to call on the EC to rescind its decision to compile a new electoral roll for the 2020 general elections. The Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, also unsuccessfully moved for the rejection of the EC's move to change forms of identification in Parliament. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is currently battling the EC on the exclusion of the old voters' ID. The EC presented the Public Election (Amendment) Regulation, 2020 (C.I. 126) to Parliament to amend C.I. 91 in order to change the current identification requirements. On June 9, Parliament subsequently voted to allow the EC to use the Ghana Card and Passports as the only forms of identification for persons registering to vote after relevant Constitutional Instrument had matured. The party has argued that this amendment will lead to many Ghanaians being disenfranchised. The opposition party's case will be settled on June 23 ahead of the compilation of the register on June 30. ---citinewsroom MIRAMICHI, N.B. - A former provincial ombudsman says the recent police shootings of two Indigenous people in New Brunswick have left him feeling distraught over the lack of police training on dealing with mental health issues, like those presented by the two victims. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 14/6/2020 (586 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A house is surrounded by police tape where a man was shot on Friday night, near Miramichi, N.B. on Saturday, June 13, 2020. A section of route 425 was blocked to through traffic. The man fatally shot by New Brunswick RCMP Friday night has been identified by social media posts as Rodney Levi, 48, of the Metepenagiag First Nation. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ron Ward MIRAMICHI, N.B. - A former provincial ombudsman says the recent police shootings of two Indigenous people in New Brunswick have left him feeling distraught over the lack of police training on dealing with mental health issues, like those presented by the two victims. "I've long felt that police are not really well equipped to deal with these kind of cases," Bernard Richard said in an interview Sunday. "In most provinces (including New Brunswick), there are crisis intervention units that are available around the clock to respond to these types of situations." However, there has been no indication whether police sought the help of mental health experts before the deadly shootings in Edmundston and near Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq Nation, west of Miramichi. "That would be one of the first questions I would have to ask," said Richard, who served as the province's ombudsman from 2004 to 2011 and now advises six Mi'kmaq First Nations in New Brunswick on child protection issues. "I was a bit stunned that, in both these cases, the primary response was police, and they felt it necessary to use lethal force." And in both cases, police were called to deal with people who appeared to be suffering from mental health challenges, Richard said. On Friday night, the RCMP say they received a complaint about an "unwanted person" at a home near Metepenagiag in eastern New Brunswick. When officers arrived, they were confronted by a man carrying knives, and there were several failed bids to subdue him with a stun gun, police said. That's when 48-year-old Rodney Levi was fatally shot by an officer. He was declared dead in hospital around 9 p.m. local time. On Saturday, the chief of the Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq Nation said Levi was attending a barbecue, where he had planned to seek guidance from a church minister. Bill Ward described Levi as a troubled man who was seeking help with his mental health, but the chief insisted he was not violent. "He had his demons but he was always very friendly," Ward said Saturday. "He never tried to harm anybody ... He wasn't some monster that they're going to try to paint him to be." On Sunday, Ward issued a statement asking members of his community to refrain from speaking to the media about the Levi case, saying an independent investigation was underway. Ward said he was responding to a request from Levi's family. Later in the day, the minister who invited Levi to the barbecue, Rev. Brodie MacLeod of the Boom Road Pentecostal Church, issued a statement saying Levi was a "welcomed guest" who shared a meal with his family. A spokesman for the New Brunswick RCMP said Sunday no one was available to comment on the case. On June 4, 26-year-old Chantel Moore was shot by an officer with the Edmundston Police Department. The municipal police department later said an officer performing a wellness check allegedly encountered a woman with a knife. Moore, from a First Nation in British Columbia, had moved to the community in northwestern New Brunswick to be closer to her mother and young daughter. The Quebec Bureau of Independent Investigations, an independent police watchdog agency, has been called in to investigate both cases in New Brunswick. The Quebec agency is investigating because no such unit exists in New Brunswick. The bureau issued a statement saying it does not comment on the events it is responsible for investigating. Richard, who also served as the child and youth advocate in New Brunswick and British Columbia, said he took part in a "healing walk" Sunday in Moncton, N.B., that paid tribute to Moore and also raised questions about the Quebec agency's impartiality. "I heard yesterday, loud and clear, folks don't trust the so-called independent review process," Richard said. "There's really not much expectation that the investigation, in each case, will actually meet the expectations of the community." Any reviews of the cases should involve Indigenous expertise, he said. As well, he said he has investigated cases involving police in the past, and he has recommended that police departments should hire plain-clothes social workers to help officers sort our domestic disputes and mental wellness assessments. He's also called for the use of police body cameras. 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 Ottawa, the office of federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair issued a statement Sunday saying a "timely, transparent and independent investigation" into Levi's death was essential. "This tragic loss comes at a time when people across the country and around the world are having difficult but necessary conversations about systemic racism in our institutions, including policing," Blair's office said in a statement. "We know that change will not happen overnight, but that these conversations need to be met with concrete actions." Blair has already spoken in favour of the use of police body cameras and legislation that recognizes First Nations Policing as an essential service. There have been calls for a broader inquiry to examine systemic racism in the province's policing and criminal justice systems. New Brunswick's minister of Aboriginal affairs, Jake Stewart, has said he supports the call, saying the province has a problem with systemic racism. By Michael MacDonald in Halifax This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2020. Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese says he expects swift action against Victorian government minister Adem Somyurek, in the wake of revelations of industrial-scale branch-stacking in the ALP. The Age and 60 Minutes on Sunday night revealed Mr Somyurek handed over thousands of dollars in secret cash drop-offs and used political advisers to stack branches with fake members in a bid to amass significant political power inside the Australian Labor Party. Victorian cabinet minister Adem Somyurek leaves his home in Lynbrook on Monday morning. Credit:Eddie Jim He also used an army of fake ALP members to wield enormous power over the Andrews government. Mr Albanese said he had spoken to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Sunday night. E ver since Big Brothers all-seeing eye officially stopped watching in 2018, the reality shows fans have been hoping the worlds most spied-upon house would return. Now, their prayers are answered well, sort of. More than 10 years after Big Brother decided to move its famous house over to Channel 5, its original home of Channel 4 have are airing Big Brother: Best Shows Ever, which sees the shows hosts reflect on the series biggest talking points. But in a way, we are all in our personal version of Big Brother right now, with the entire nation forced into their homes as part of the nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Its something Craig Phillips acknowledges to me when we speak on the phone. As the first ever winner of Big Brother in 2000, Phillips, then 28, experienced 64 days locked in, without any Netflix, books or contact with his family. I was saying to my wife, this is better than when I was in Big Brother, he says, slightly distracted as he wrestles out a paddling pool for his kids. Now, we have social media, we can do video calls, we can send texts and read the news. Craig Phillips won the first Big Brother / PA In the house, we had nothing, so we were fully on lockdown in there. I was with 10 people I didn't know and it didn't really choose to be with. Phillips, now 48, very nearly didnt end up in the house himself. The builder decided to take part in the social experiment to try to raise money for family friend Joanne Harris' heart and lung transplant but was put off by the rigorous and strangely invasive application process. It was about 60 or 70 pages long, he recalls. It took days and days to get through, and asked really personal stuff. I found it all a bit insulting. One of the questions asked how often did I masturbate and I was like, 'Is this necessary?' Do you need to know this much personal information about me?' From the very first moment, the inaugural series of Big Brother is barely recognisable when compared to the reality TV Goliath we now know it to be, as the housemates entered the infamous bungalow without a live audience. While no-one knew what to expect, the show very quickly became a hit in its early run, with the first series best remembered for Nasty Nick Batemans rule-breaking. It was a very intense, pressurised bubble, Phillips said of the incident. Because you have everything stripped away from you, you cant just walk away and blow off steam. You would find the tiniest things bothering you. Nicks cheating, shall we say, and how he was trying to work us all against one another when we were all hoping to be friends on the outside, I just felt very let down and betrayed. He was trying to manipulate people with the voting. We were all getting really wound up. I said lets sleep on it and have an adult conversation in the morning. It was a morbid, morbid day. 'Nasty Nick' and Craig buried the hatchet outside the house / PA I had a real reason for being in there I wanted to help a young girl who needed a heart transplant, so I took [the cheating] very personally. I dont know if this was ever broadcast, but I went to Big Brother and said: Im here to play fair. If Nick doesnt leave, or if you dont ask him to leave, Ill quit. While Bateman was ejected (and famously spotted wearing a t-shirt saying Its Only a Game Show), it was Phillips calm, level-headed manner in which he dealt with the situation that made him a national hero and saw him take the 70,000 prize after winning. Craig had a whole nation of fans after Big Brother / PA I was looked after very well, when I won, Phillips says. I was given great after-care and security. I had good management. I was liked, which was great. Nasty Nick wasnt. He had security with him because people wanted to hit him he had a really hard, tough time. But for me, it was a shocking situation. It was quite scary as I felt quite alone with this, being on the front page of every paper and magazine. Life just moved so fast. Morning, noon and night after the show, I was doing wonderful things, going to parties and events. I couldnt take it all in. I stayed in a new hotel every night for 97 days because I was photoshoots and parties and awards with celebrities. 17 underrated series on Netflix and Now TV 1 /22 17 underrated series on Netflix and Now TV Girlboss Girlboss Photo by Karen Ballard Veep Veep Anne With An 'E' Anne With An 'E' Dark Dark Abstract: The Art of Design Abstract: The Art of Design Good Girls Good Girls Bloodline Bloodline Jeff Daly/Netflix Save Me Save Me Next In Fashion Next In Fashion Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Sally4Ever Sally4Ever Tuca & Bertie Tuca & Bertie The World's Most Extraordinary Homes The World's Most Extraordinary Homes She's Gotta Have It She's Gotta Have It David Lee/Netflix Girls Incarcerated Girls Incarcerated Schitt's Creek Schitt's Creek Quicksand Quicksand Netflix Indeed, even early noughties A-List that were just as fascinated with Big Brother as the rest of us, with Phillips suddenly finding himself rubbing shoulders with showbiz legends. Richard Branson gave me 10,000 towards Joanne Harris appeal, Chris Evans gave me 50,000 live on Virgin Radio, Phillips remembers. I was at a TV awards ceremony to present an award, and I was sat getting my make-up done, talking to Cliff Richard, Barbara Windsor and Lulu. At another bash, I saw the Beckhams, and Victoria said to me: If I wasnt married to David, I would have proposed to you on the last night of Big Brother! and that was quite flattering. Getty Images So many famous people wanted to be my friend, and so many people wanted to help out with Joannes appeal. I had a wonderful time. Phillips acknowledges not everyone was bathed in glory after leaving the Big Brother house, saying he recognised that other housemates, such as Jade Goody, struggled with the negative press they received. He also adds that he believes Big Brother series did get more difficult when it became less about the social experiment and more about achieving quick fame fast. Theres good and bad sides to it, Phillips says. The show got bigger when it got better. But some of the contestants already having agents and magazine deals took the shine of it a bit. I didnt enjoy watching the fights in later series, that wasnt my cup of tea. And Big Brother did get meaner to the housemates. They had to, its the nature of the beast to get more press attention and start more conversations around it. Craig admitted other celebrities, such as Jade Goody, struggled with the press / BBHPICTURES.COM courtesy of Channel 4 When you go into that house, youre giving [producers] permission to cut it, shoot it, edit it whatever way they want to make an interesting and entertaining. Sometimes I think they think of the millions watching the show, rather than the individuals actually in the house. And despite the way Big Brother did change Phillips life, giving him more opportunities on screen, he admits he wouldnt like to do Big Brother would it have launched in 2020. It was Barbara Windsor that gave Craig the best advice / PA Id probably say no, if I was asked to do it today, he says. So many people used to come up to me in the street and tell me theyve applied for Big Brother. Wed have a chat and Id always tell them at the end of it dont do it. Theyd always say that Ive done it, but I remind them it was a totally different world back in 2000. Now its a totally different beast. I remember Barbara Windsor once saying to me: Craig, television is a fantastic industry to be in when you dont need it. But the moment you need it and rely on it, it becomes a beast. It can be not a nice industry. Ive often thought of that. Whenever I do appearances or TV work or interviews, I just look at it and say, its a bonus. Those who go into reality TV now looking to be mega rich and famous are just preparing themselves to be disappointed. Big Brother came my way, I made the most of it and I worked hard at the fame it brought me. But I never went looking for it. Big Brother: Best Shows Ever airs Sunday June, 14 at 9pm on E4 Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 20:01:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A woman wearing a face mask walks in Dakar, Senegal on June 13, 2020. Senegalese Ministry of Health and Social Action reported on Sunday 94 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in Senegal to 5,090 cases. (Photo by Eddy Peters/Xinhua) DAKAR, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Senegalese Ministry of Health and Social Action reported on Sunday 94 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections in Senegal to 5,090 cases. During the daily briefing of the situation of COVID-19, health ministry's spokesperson Dr. Alyose Waly Diouf said that a total of 1,232 testing were carried out during the last 24 hours, among which 94 returned positive, including 79 followed contact cases and 14 cases due to community transmission. After a daily record of 27 imported cases of COVID-19 on Saturday at Blaise Diagne International Airport, only one imported case was recorded this Sunday. The number of patients discharged from hospitals increased by 116 to 3,344, while the number of patients in intensive care units remains at 22. The death toll related to COVID-19 remained at 60 since the outbreak of the pandemic in Senegal on March 2. On Saturday evening, Senegalese president Macky Sall called for the relaunch of national economy. On his twitter account, Sall praised "the spirit of national resilience" and called for mobilization of the population to relaunch Senegalese economy. During the Cabinet meeting this week, Sall also decided to put in place measures to accelerate the operationalization of the formal and informal private sectors, which involve tax rebates, reducing domestic debts and setting up a financing mechanism with 200 billion CFA francs (about 344 million U.S. dollars). Senegalese government has eased some restrictive measures imposed to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, but the country is still on state of emergency, and all scheduled international air travels are suspended until June 30 to and out of Senegal. Chinas insects and other invertebrates are spoilt for choice with the countrys array of deserts, rainforests, mountains and tropical coastlines. The winning photographs of the Wild China Biodiversity Photography Contest hosted by Wild China Film present the countrys sweeping lands and rare plants from unexpected perspectives. Here is a pick of the crop Jan 21, 2022 06:20 PM A school in Melbourne's south-east has been shut after two students tested positive to COVID-19. All staff and students at Pakenham Springs primary school, which is just 500m for an aged care home, have been ordered to stay home. An urgent message was sent to parents on Sunday, confirming the two students were from the same family. The school will initially be closed for 24 hours while health officials undertake contact tracing and the grounds are deep cleaned. 'Close contacts of the two students will be notified over the next 24 hours and supported to ensure they understand what actions to take,' the message read. Health workers are seen preparing to give out coronavirus tests at the Keilor Community Hub in Melbourne (pictured) on May 31 Pakenham Springs Primary School (pictured) has been shut after two students tested positive to coronavirus 'Students and staff who have attended the school are required to remain at home while contact tracing occurs.' On Sunday, Victoria recorded nine new coronavirus cases, bringing the states total to 1,720. Thanks to Australia's relatively low coronavirus infection rates, its schools have reopened far faster than in most other countries. But there have been several similar scares after students tested positive, forcing schools to shut. None of these incidents have resulted in a widespread outbreak, with classes usually resuming within a day or two. On June 12, a primary school in Sydney was also shut down after a 'probable' case of coronavirus was detected. A health worker is seen preparing to give out coronavirus tests in West Footscray, Melbourne, on May 5 (pictured) Rose Bay Public School (pictured on Friday) was closed last week after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 Rose Bay Public School was closed on Friday while health officials waited for test results to come back. Later, it was confirmed the staff member did have the deadly respiratory infection. Students have been asked to undertake learning from home. A spokesman for NSW Health explained it wasn't yet known how the person had contracted the virus. 'As a precaution all close contacts of this case are being identified and advised of the need to isolate and monitor for symptoms,' he said. Acting principal Renee Cotterell said: 'Students and staff who have attended the school are required to remain at home while contact tracing occurs.' Pakenham Springs is 60km southeast of Melbourne. Renowned internet hacking group Anonymous managed to bring down the Atlanta Police Department website early on Sunday morning in the wake of the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks. The group tweeted at 8:30am: 'Anonymous has taken action against Atlanta PD for the execution of #RayshardBrooks. We call for the arrest of the two murderers. No more impunity. #BlackLivesMatter #AtlantaShooting #AtlantaProtests' The APD's website was offline for most of Sunday morning and didn't appear to be back up until around 11:30am. The Atlanta Police Department site temporarily went offline on Sunday morning. The hacking group, Anonymous, claimed responsibility on Twitter The group stated that the hacking attack was in response to the killing of Rayshard Brooks who was fatally shot by police on Friday night, pictured above Brooks was shot dead by Officer Garrett Rolfe in an Atlanta Wendy's parking lot late Friday night. Investigators say Brooks, 27, fought with Rolfe and another officer, Devin Brosnan, before taking one of their Tasers, fleeing, and pointing the stun gun at Rolfe as he ran away. Rolfe was dismissed from the force Saturday after firing the fatal shots that killed Brooks. Brosnan, who didn't fire, has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. Officer Garrett Rolfe (left) was fired from the force after firing the shots that killed Brooks on Friday night, while Officer Devin Bronsan (right), who was also present but did not fire, has been placed on administrative leave Brooks' death occurred amid nationwide protests against police brutality, sparked by the Memorial Day death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The two fatal incidents have drawn comparisons and outrage in equal measure. The City of Atlanta's computer systems have come under attack in the past. In 2018 a ransomware attack cost the city an estimated $2.7 million according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Chinese vaccine-maker Sinovac Biotech has announced "positive preliminary" results of phase I and II clinical trials for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, CoronaVac, saying it can induce a positive immune response. The phase I/II clinical trials was designed as randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled studies. In total, 743 healthy volunteers, aged from 18 to 59 years old, enrolled in the trials. Of those, 143 volunteers are in phase I and 600 volunteers are in phase II, the Beijing-based company said in a statement. The vaccine induced neutralising antibodies in "above 90 per cent" of people who were tested 14 days after receiving two injections, two weeks apart. There were no severe side effects reported, the company said in a statement. The company expects to submit a phase II clinical study report and a phase III clinical study protocol to China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) soon and commence application of phase III clinical trials outside of China. Sinovac is collaborating with Instituto Butantan in Brazil to prepare and conduct a phase III clinical study. The company expects to share the full data on our clinical trials with the public through academic publications. Weidong Yin, Chairman, President and CEO of Sinovac, said, "Our phase I/II study shows CoronaVac is safe and can induce an immune response." "Concluding our phase I/II clinical studies with these encouraging results is another significant milestone we have achieved in the fight against COVID-19," Weidong said. "We have started to invest in building a manufacturing facility so that we can maximize the number of doses available to protect people from COVID-19. Like with our other vaccines, we are committed to developing CoronaVac for global use as part of our mission of supplying vaccines to eliminate human diseases," he said. Sinovac's development of a vaccine against COVID-19 began in January 2020 in partnership with leading academic research institutes in China. Story continues The company received approval from China's NMPA on April 13 to conduct phase I/II trials on its inactivated vaccine candidate against COVID-19 in China. There are currently more than two dozen research efforts underway to develop protective vaccines against the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. In May, Moderna, a Cambridge, Mass.-based biotech firm, announced early and encouraging immune-response results for its experimental COVID-19 vaccine. Guwahati, June 14 : Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday was diagnosed with kidney stone, health officials said. Doctors at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) detected the kidney stone after Sarma had complained of extreme pain in stomach. Sarma, who has been very closely supervising the COVID-19 health management in Assam, tweeted : "After an episode of extreme pain in the stomach, doctors in GMCH have detected a kidney stone measuring 3.76 mm through Ultrasonography. Taking saline and injections to overcome the pain. Will take rest for the day." Cairo: The United Nations chief expressed horror at the discovery of at least eight mass graves in Libya in recent days and called for a prompt and transparent investigation into possible war crimes. The graves were uncovered after fighters loyal to Khalifa Hifter, whose 14-month campaign to capture Tripoli, Libya, collapsed in recent weeks, retreated from Tarhuna, Libya, 64 kilometres south-east of the capital. Libyan General Khalifa Hifter, pictured in January. Credit:AP The mass graves were a grim reminder of the atrocities on all sides of Libya's chaotic war, a conflict fed by foreign powers seeking strategic advantage or a share of the country's vast energy reserves, but which is led by lawless Libyan militias that behave with impunity. Since he launched himself into the war in 2014, Hifter, who is backed by Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, has sought to present himself as the leader of a disciplined, national military force. But his troops have faced accusations of serious crimes. As the number of COVID-19 cases in Delhi continue to rise alarmingly, government hospitals are running out of beds and are struggling to admit more patients. If the lack of beds wasn't bad enough, private hospitals are allegedly charging exorbitant amounts from patients, making COVID-19 treatment out of reach for the majority, including those with health insurance coverage. AP Amid this, the Delhi government has asked all hospitals treating COVID-19 patients to provide details of their treatment charge. Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain on Saturday said the government has sought fee details from all hospitals and will decide on "what to do" after overall observation. AFP "All the hospitals have been asked to share the rates that they are charging for COVID treatments. We will decide on what to do after observing every hospital, Jain said. This comes a day after a picture mentioning details of charges of COVID-19 treatment at Max Hospital went viral on social media with many users saying that the charges were too high for a common man. The rate card showed that the facility was charging Rs 72,000 for an ICU with ventilator. AFP On its part, Max Healthcare, which runs the facility, said the viral rate card did not carry "all the facts such as inclusions of routine tests, routine medicines, doctor and nurse charges". After its rate card went viral, Max Healthcare tweeted, "A picture related to the pricing of COVID treatment at Max Patparganj (stated in some tweets as Max Gurgaon) is being circulated on social media. However, it did not carry all the facts such as inclusions of routine tests, routine medicines, doctor and nurse charges, etc." AFP Max Healthcare also issued a statement saying that its Saket branch, which is a COVID only facility, has incurred a loss of Rs 6.5 crore. With the highest single-day spike of 2134 on Saturday Delhi has so far recorded 38,958 COVID-19 cases. Delhi has a total of 9,647 dedicated COVID-19 beds in state-run, central and private hospitals, of these, 5,402 are occupied. According to the Delhi government's estimates, COVID-19 cases in the national capital are likely to breach the five lakh-mark by the end of July. Around one lakh beds will be needed for patients. BCCL With this in mind, the Arvind Kejriwal government is planning a 10,000-bed makeshift hospital for COVID-19 patients under a sprawling tent in south Delhi. The government has also declared small and medium multi-specialty nursing homes in the city having 10 to 49 beds as "COVID nursing homes" to increase the bed capacity for coronavirus patients, according to an official order. Only standalone exclusive eye centres, ENT centres, dialysis centres, maternity homes and IVF centres are presently exempted, the order issued on Saturday said. Neymar may have to spend two weeks in quarantine upon Paris return Ligue 1 Option considered by French government Neymar is set to return to Paris after spending the coronavirus pandemic in his native Brazil. France is reopening its borders on Saturday and the forward is aiming to link up with the Paris Saint-Germain squad in order to prepare for their upcoming Champions League commitments. According to L'Equipe, upon his return to Paris, Neymar could have to complete a mandatory 15-day quarantine period at his home before joining his colleagues in training. The option is being considered by the French government for those arriving from countries with a high rate of coronavirus infections, which Brazil currently is. Neymar had planned to return on June 21 and resume training on the following day but, given the current situation and the potential quarantine order, the player has brought his return forward. The Ligue 1 season was terminated early, with PSG declared as title winners, but are in the quarter finals of the Champions League. The transfer window will also open shortly, and speculation around the future of Neymar is likely to resume. Sorry! This content is not available in your region President Trump holds a Bible as he stands outside St. John's Church near the White House, after tear gas was used to clear peaceful protesters from nearby Lafayette Square. (Patrick Semansky / Associated Press ) Donald Trumps reelection chances are quite dim without the robust support of his white evangelical base. His electoral college win in 2016 was fueled by white evangelical turnout and the overwhelming number of white evangelicals 81% who pulled the lever for him. He cannot afford for the religious right, made up of white evangelicals along with conservative white mainline Protestants and Catholics, to let up on the rapt support they have shown throughout his presidency. That helps explain why, in the midst of an unprecedented global pandemic and a historic uprising against racism, the president and his allied power brokers on the religious right are focused not on addressing either crisis, but rather on stagecraft that will reinforce the bases belief that Trump is a divinely anointed president who is saving white Christian America from ruin. Trumps photo op last week in front of the historic St. Johns Church, which looked farcical, sacrilegious and even fascistic to many Americans, was spun and received as tough and heroic to his defenders. In the pro-Trump media bubble, America is under siege by leftist terrorists, and Trump is the valorous protector of a Christian nation. That the president and his attorney general, William Barr, had protesters tear gassed so Trump could walk to the church was a vibrant symbol of his willingness to fight for the soul of the nation. It was strong and powerful for the president to go there and say, we will not be cowed, Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican, told Fox News. And Robert Jeffress, a mega-church pastor who is one of Trumps closest evangelical advisors, told the network the purpose of the presidents visit was demonstrating his intent to protect churches from those who would try to destroy them. Never mind that the leaders of the liberal Episcopal church itself from the churchs rector to the bishop of the Washington diocese to the presiding bishop of the entire denomination condemned Trump for hijacking their church for a partisan political ploy. Story continues Once his evangelical supporters had tweeted and broadcast their praises, Trump boasted to his former press secretary Sean Spicer in an interview: Religious leaders loved it. Religious leaders thought it was great. They loved it. When Spicer asked him if, during his presidency, he had grown in his faith, Trump had no thoughts to offer on his spirituality. Instead, he said, maybe I have from the standpoint that Ive seen so much that I can do. Ive done so much for religion. The Johnson Amendment, getting rid of it. Mexico City. Nobody thought any of this stuff would happen. Two Supreme Court justices. If that jumble of words comes off as unbridled narcissism to the average listener, it is crucial to understand how these buzzwords resonate with Trumps base. The Johnson Amendment is a provision in the U.S. tax code that conditions a house of worships tax-exempt status on refraining from endorsing political candidates from the pulpit. Trump did not get rid of it, but he did order the Internal Revenue Service to stop enforcing the provision in the process clearing the way for his clerical supporters to promote his reelection in their sermons. Mexico City refers to the global gag rule, imposed by Republican presidents since Ronald Reagan, that bars U.S. nonprofits working overseas from receiving federal funding if they provide abortions, counsel or refer patients for abortions, or advocate for liberalization of abortion laws. These actions by Trump have enthralled Trumps evangelical loyalists, many of whom believe he is a divinely anointed president, hand-picked by God to rescue America. But Trump saved the key four words for the end: Two Supreme Court justices. The words reminded the religious right that his nomination of Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the nations high court helped them toward their long-held goal of reshaping American jurisprudence. With those four words, he reminded them that he, with the help of the Republican majority in the Senate, potentially installed the votes to overturn Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 decision legalizing abortion, and to expand both statutory and constitutional protections of the religious freedom of conservative Christians. Trump is reportedly angry that his polling numbers have dipped amid the public health and economic disasters caused by his botched response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thats one reason Trump insisted that restrictions on large gatherings, intended to stem the spread of the coronavirus, infringed on religious freedom. It all helps assure evangelicals that Trump, far from being an incompetent leader whose policies helped fuel the deaths of more than 100,000 Americans, is a hero standing up for religious freedom. In the alternative reality of Trumps religious right defenders, Trump is a victim of a media that lies about him, and of Democrats who mock prayer and are anti-God. Now, with the protests triggered by centuries of American racism and, more immediately, by the police killing of George Floyd, Trump is seizing the opportunity to play on decades-old tropes about civil rights protesters being un-American outsiders. But for his base, Trumps vicious reaction to the protesters is further evidence of his strength standing against Americas supposed enemies and, more crucially, his loyalty to his white Christian supporters. Sarah Posner is a reporting fellow at Type Investigations. Her new book is "Unholy: Why White Evangelicals Worship at the Altar of Donald Trump." Storyful An observatory in Hawaii captured atmospheric pressure waves created by the eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haapai volcano on January 15.The Gemini Observatory in Hawaii was 5,000 kilometers (3,000 miles) away from the eruption when it captured the atmospheric pressure waves on three different cameras. They are the faintly red waves seen in the footage, NOIRLab explained.The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haapai volcano erupted on January 15, triggering a tsunami on the South Pacific nation of Tonga with waves up to 15 meters, according to information released by the Tongan government. At least three people were killed and dozens of properties were damaged across the islands. Credit: NOIRLab via Storyful Much has been said about the death of George Floyd and the protests that have followed. I believe for many Americans and for citizens of Stamford this is a conscious awakening moment. I attended the demonstrations in our city over the past week calling for justice and reminding our community of the inequities that exist in our society. It is obvious we need change in our country and there is a movement of people anxious to see that change. For decades many across our country have been calling for change with the NAACP, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and ministers of faith leading the way. But what I have seen is that many new voices have joined and embraced this message. These voices are a coalition of multicultural and multiracial young people who are demanding meaningful reform of police policies. Not half-measures, but truly impactful changes that live up to our nations hopeful vision that all are created equal. With COVID-19, and now with the deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and too many more, the need to address racial inequalities in our society has become unavoidable and it is the youngest among us who are now pointing it out. Our teenagers and young adults have stepped forward. They are insisting that the America they will inherit must be one that not only recognizes the racial and economic inequities that have been spotlighted by the pandemic, but an America that will also resolve the injustices that exist today. The message from these protests has been very clear: we must acknowledge the implicit bias and racism that has led us to this point and work to eliminate it. I have heard the message loud and clear meaningful change must be made in Stamford and across the nation. Over the past few years we have already made changes in Stamford to address these issues. Our police and fire commissions have women and representatives of color, we have been hiring a diverse group of new officers, and we have implemented police body cameras. Stamford already has the lowest serious crime rate of any city in New England, and very few cases of excessive force by the police. But as I said at the protest marches on Wednesday and Sunday: I hear you we need to do more. I am directing the Police Commission to take a more active role in reviewing police disciplinary cases particularly those that involve allegations of police misconduct or excessive force. I am directing Police Chief Timothy Shaw, as part of our shared goal of achieving state accreditation for our police department, to bring in an outside consultant to review our police policies. This review will as necessary update or add to our policies to explicitly: Ban chokeholds and all neck restraints, Require de-escalation, Exhaust all nonlethal alternatives before shooting, Require a warning before shooting, Implement a duty for officers to intervene when they observe excessive force, Ban shooting at moving vehicles, and; Provide more accessible data on officers use of excessive force. We will also be improving our police training protocols: Stamfords Police Department will use funds provided by a federal grant to double the number of officers who receive crisis intervention training focusing on de-escalation. We are expanding our implicit bias training to include classes instructed by minority officers in our department about community policing in largely minority communities. We will bring in a national advocate for police reform to instruct our police force on implicit bias training. And finally, we will conduct hidden bias training and awareness for city managers in other departments, including my cabinet and me. Stamford is the most diverse city in Connecticut. We have an obligation to make this great city a safe place for all residents regardless of your skin color, sexual orientation, country of origin, residency status, or language you speak. Stamford is home for all of us. I believe these changes we are making will provide better safety for our residents and more transparency for our community. My staff and I have already been in contact with community leaders and activist organizations such as the NAACP to continue this dialogue. These conversations will inform what further actions we can make to ensure everyone in our diverse city can feel safe and call Stamford home. I pledge to our community I will stand with you and do my part to help achieve the dream of a just life for all. David Martin is mayor of the City of Stamford. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 20:11:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close YANGON, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar authorities seized 22 kilograms of heroin in Shan state, according to a release from the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Sunday. Acting on a tip-off, a joint anti-narcotic police team searched a vehicle in Hsenwi township on Saturday. Heroin worth 660 million kyats (471,428 U.S. dollars) was confiscated from the vehicle and one suspect arrested. The township police filed a case against the suspect and further investigation is underway under the country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, the release said. According to a latest release issued by the President's Office, a total of 1,169 drug-related cases were registered across Myanmar while 1,811 people were charged in connection with the cases as of June 6 this year, since the formation of the Drug Activity Special Complaint Department on June 26, 2018. Enditem Shan A S By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Central government has approved the transfer of a Keralite serving life imprisonment in Maldives to the Poojappura central prison. The transfer, on the request of Harikumar Sadasivan who has served nine years out of a 25-year prison term, was sanctioned after the Union home ministry sought the response of the state government. The state government replied that they can house the 33-year-old in the Poojappura prison. Harikumar had applied for transfer under the Indo-Maldives agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Persons which allows convicts to complete the remainder of their prison terms in their country of birth. Hailing from Thiruvananthapuram, he was arrested in 2010 for allegedly smuggling banned drugs to the island nation. He was found guilty by the Criminal Court in 2011. Since he has completed nine years in the Maafushi prison in Maldives, he will have to serve the remaining 16 years in the Kerala jail. As per the law, the commutation of a prison term is impossible in the case of transferred convicts. However, for Harikumar, there is a glimmer of hope for a reduced jail term. The state can release him after he has served the maximum prison term prescribed for the crime in the transferred country. In India, the maximum prison term under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act is 20 years rigorous imprisonment. So he could walk out of jail 11 years from now, provided the state government consents. Whether to release him once he completes 20 years is purely the discretion of the government, a top source said. Harikumar is set to be brought back once flight services between the two countries resume. The Ministry of Home Affairs had asked us to depute two police officers to escort him back, the official said. Insurance fraud seems like it might be an easy thing to do. Insurance companies are often so huge, one wonders how they might not even notic... Demonstrators filled Portland-area parks and streets for the 17th straight day Saturday in ongoing protests against police violence. The calls for systemic criminal justice reforms have grown louder since last months killing of George Floyd, a black man from Minneapolis who died after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly 9 minutes. In Portland, thousands of people have come together nightly to march from Southeast Stark Street and 12th Avenue to other parts of the city. Saturdays march went to Cleveland Community Field in Southeast Portland. Also Saturday, there were marches, protests and rallies throughout the metro area, including marches through Hillsboro, Northeast and Southeast Portland. And in Salem, several hundred people attended an afternoon rally at the Oregon State Capitol. In Eugene, protesters toppled two pioneer statues at University of Oregon, following a rally to rename Deady Hall. A few hundred people gathered at Saturday evenings Portland rally, which started with light rainfall. Among them was Amani Jackson, 14, who attended with her mom, Angelica. I want to help encourage her to be a role model, Angelica Jackson said, noting that she doesnt like that people dont talk about race. Amani said she wanted her generation to be a force for change: I want everybody to be happy. Theres a lot of crazy stuff going on. Rally organizers from Rose City Justice handed out ear plugs, masks and hand sanitizer, along with donated slices of pizza, coffee and fruit. One of volunteers, Teal Dunbar, 38, got laid off from her job as a hotel caterer when the coronavirus pandemic started. She also did her own event planning, but everything got canceled because of the coronavirus. She said she was happy to help hand out food: This is like catering for 100 people. As the rally began, participants held a moment of silence with fists clenched in the air. Then they chanted the names of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, a Louisville, Kentucky, woman who was fatally shot by police in March during what her family said was a botched raid at her home. Before the marchers left for Cleveland Community Field, they were energized by Marceau Michel, 36, who led them in a sing-along of Black Lives Are Magic. Jacob Papp, 33, handed out copies of a list of African Americans killed by Portland Police since 1992, as well as a list of African Americans who survived police shootings here. I wanted to do something more personal, more local, Papp said. By the time the march left for Cleveland Field just before 7 p.m., at least a thousand people had gathered. The march progressed through Southeast Portland, including a long stretch of Southeast Division Street. At the intersection of 26th and Division, supporters doled out snacks and water. They included Stephanie Alarcon, 28, who handed out snacks despite fear of catching coronavirus because she wanted to help in some way. When marchers arrived at the intersection, Alarcon offered water, tangerines, chips and goldfish crackers, along with squirts of hand sanitizer. Go ahead, take whatever you guys want, she said. The Clinton Street Theaters marquee, which looms over the intersection, captured the moment, reading Thats not a chip on my shoulder. Thats your foot on my neck, a quote from Malcolm X. The theaters ticket booth featured portraits of George Floyd and others killed by police, along with a display of origami swans and jars of flowers. Marchers reached Cleveland Field around 9 p.m. Most protestors sat on the field, eating snacks and chatting, while a group of four people danced on the otherwise empty and roped-off bleachers. Gerald Leonard, 35, of Portland, is a medical researcher. He was standing by himself near the back of the field, wearing a black T-shirt that read homeland security fighting terrorism since 1492, with a photo of Geronimo and three other fighters. Leonard held a black pole from which hung what looked like a Ku Klux Klan hood, with its base drenched in blood, and red strings hanging down symbolizing capillaries and blood. He made it from sheets, string and acrylic paint he bought. He said he was first shocked into racial awareness when he was called a racial epithet on a playground as a child. It immediately strikes you, and you freeze, and you choke up, he said. Regarding not being white in America: Every day when you wake up, you have to pump yourself up to go out into the world ... because you cant pick a fight over everything. Leonard said he was protesting for the years of oppression in Oregon, and the local history of hate groups like the KKK, skinheads and Neo-Nazis. He likens current protests to those of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. He comes from a multi-racial family -- his father is Afro-Cuban and his mother is white. His mother protested the Vietnam war in the 60s. Im out here living my summer of 67, Leonard said. Its exhilarating. This is exactly what this country needs. But, he said, theres a long road ahead: This isnt even a blip that were in right now. Meanwhile, protestors gathered in downtown Portlands Chapman Square Saturday evening, across the street from the Justice Center, which has become a focal point of late-night protests, which in recent days have turned violent after midnight. Chris Wise, 30, was crouching down and cutting two small pieces of red duct tape with a pair of donated medics shears to make a medics cross on his left shoulder. He is a former EMT. He says he worked in rural Oregon and quit because of the racism he felt directed towards himself. Wise says he used those shears last week when a woman, 19, was shot with a rubber bullet. She was wearing trainer pants and when he tried to lift them up, blood came out. So he cut the pant leg right above the shot and bandaged her up. As he was doing this, he and the woman had to keep moving up to avoid the police. He says he was also shot with a rubber bullet, and is says the wound is currently infected and he is taking antibiotics for it. As a police loudspeaker says please do not tamper with the fence, Wise looks at two people climbing the fence and laughs: If I can keep those jerks from getting seriously injured then Im good. In a fanny pack he has gauze, also has lots of gloves, Neosporin, two flashlights, a small bottle of 70% alcohol, surgical pads and compresses. Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Who likes to go these days in Portugal, baden, to consult to the desire of the authorities of the Smartphone: An App that helps you to find beaches where there is space. In the first days after the Opening of the beaches just over a week ago, it looked not so, as this measure was necessary. The beaches in the Algarve, in the South of the country were empty of people. Almost no one was on the sun, which were positioned with an appropriate distance. Leonie Feuerbach an editor for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Magazin. F. A. Z. Hans-Christian Roler Political correspondent for the Iberian Peninsula and the Maghreb, with its headquarters in Madrid. F. A. Z. The people who make a living from tourism, are saddened. "Corona is a big Problem for us", says on the day of the beach opening, the operator of the Lazulibar on the beach of Praia da Luz, in the district of Faro. "The borders are not closed, the airports are still functioning properly again, the place is empty," said the frustrated Cafe operator, the mouth-nose-wearing protection. "There are no tourists, but the Locals stay home because you are afraid." it had hoped for in Portugal, with the opening of the bathing season on tourists from abroad. More than 27 million visited the country in the past year. Tourism is important for the economy, whose performance in the spring to 25 percent collapsed. The tour operator TUI received from Portugal, and already the Signal that one is ready to receive foreign guests. The first flight with German tourists will start next Wednesday, according to Faro. Already have to now, who's flying these days in Portugal, not in quarantine. In the air, passengers receive an information leaflet of the government, the question is asked, in the presence of symptoms such as cough, fever and shortness of breath calling a Hotline. Fever is not measured at the port of entry contrary to announcements. Some people fear, therefore, that Portugal could compromise their own success in the fight against the Coronavirus by a to tabs dealing with travelers. Updated Date: 14 June 2020, 17:19 Fresh facts have emerged why there was shooting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday evening. Vanguard reliably gathered that attempt by the Presidential Assistant, Sabiu Tunde Yusuf to find his way out of the Aso Rock premises led to shooting as he struggled to zoom off. A Villa staff who claimed to have witnessed the incident told Vanguard that Police officers attached to the office of the First Lady, Dr. Aisha Buhari and Sabiu came out through the artillery gate to the park opposite former Officers Mess. The source said, At about 6pm, I saw about four Police officers following Sabiu, he was wearing blue caftan and barefooted. We were wondering whether anything had happened to the President as Sabiu is a personal aide to the President and very influential in the government. They (Police) went to his house inside here (House Eight) and scaled through the fence to arrest him. Likely he had an already stationed vehicle waiting for him there before he scaled through the fence. Meanwhile, the police had their own people waiting for him there also. All exit points in the villa were blocked because of him. There was a waiting one door vehicle with a driver and one other person. Immediately Sabiu managed to enter inside the vehicle, the police officers started struggling with the driver even as the car was on motion and it nearly hit other vehicles at the park. The driver managed to control the steering even as the Police Officers from the First Lady office made attempts to stop without success. The Police then ordered that the barricade that leads to the entrance get should be closed as they were shouting close the gate. Unfortunately, the security personnel at the gate had closed for the day and the barricade was up. As the Sabiu vehicle crossed the gate, there were gunshots about three times but the vehicle managed to escape and sped off. There was confusion everywhere that made the security personnel majorly made up of operatives of Department of State Services, DSS, who were on duty at the Pilot gate to rush to the scene. However, there were conflicting reports on the gunshots at the State House which was unusual and only witnessed during the military coup. While one account has it that the shots were targeted at the tires of the vehicle to deflate them so that Sabiu could be rounded up, another account has it that the gunshots were fired on the air to frighten and stop the vehicle from escaping. Besides, there were also conflicting reports on what led to the confusion. An account initially alleged that Sabiu had travelled out to London on a business trip with a well-known oil magnet from Lagos State, another one said that he went to visit his family in Lagos as the wife was said to have delivered a baby recently. Sabiu who is popularly known as Tunde, a name he took after Tunde Idiagbon, the second in command to then Major General Muhammadu Buhari during the military regime is said to be very close to the President and highly respected at the Villa. A Villa source told Vanguard, Tunde is very powerful here. He is a nephew to the President and very close to the late Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari. Governors, ministers and all the who is who respect him so much. It was reported that on Thursday night, the First Lady accompanied by her children Zahra, Halima and Yusuf, took a team of policemen led by her Aide-De-Camp to forcefully confront Tunde following an earlier heated disagreement over his refusal to self-isolate after his trip to Lagos to see his wife, who had just given birth to a boy. It was alleged that when members of the first family got to House Eight Guest Chalet of the President, where Tunde resides with his family, there was an altercation between him and Dr. Buhari, her children and her security aides. Tunde, as a report has it flee on foot to the park opposite the non-functional Officers Mess where there was a waiting vehicle. His security aide according to an eye witness was also at the park and offered him a nose mask as he managed to enter inside the waiting vehicle. It was alleged that he drove straight to the residence of Mamman Daura where he took shelter for the night. A Presidential source said that Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu after receiving complaints on the incident arrived the Presidential Villa Friday morning and ordered that the Police Officers attached to the office of the First Lady including her ADC should be arrested and detained. It was gathered that Tunde was told to isolate himself for 14 days as a precaution to protect the first family from the ravaging Coronavirus pandemic. Recall that Dr. Aisha Buhari had ordered her daughter that returned from the United Kingdom at the early stage of the Corvid-19 outbreak in the country to quarantine herself for 14 days. She also shut her office after hearing that one of her aides came back from a country identified as high risk country to protect other staff from being infected from the virus. A source had said, On Thursday, when the First Lady heard that he was still coming to work, she asked him to self-isolate but he told her that the President said he didnt have to. Her insistence led to a heated verbal exchange between them and the President was later informed about this. The President, however, took sides with Tunde and didnt see any reason why he should self-isolate at all. He said Zahra and Halima (Buharis daughters) left the villa to visit their in-laws when Halimas husbands uncle died recently and they didnt self-isolate on their return. He also pointed to the fact that when his new Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, went to Lagos too, he didnt self-isolate on his return, so he didnt see any reason why Tunde should. So, he overruled her. But infuriated by the arrest and detention of her aides, Dr. Aisha Buhari has urged the Inspector General of Police, to free her Aide-De-Camp and other police aides taken into custody on the orders of the police chief. The First Lady in her verified twitter handle @aishambuhari, wrote: That Covid-19 is real and still very much around in our nation is not in doubt. Consequently, I call on all relevant Government Agencies to enforce the Quarantine Act signed by Mr. President and ensure no one is found violating this law and the NCDC guidelines especially on interstate travel without the necessary exemptions for movement of essentials. Anyone who does that should at the very least be made to undergo 14 days mandatory isolation no matter who the person is, no one should be above the law and the Police command will do well to remember that. Finally, I call on the IGP to release my assigned Staff who are still in the custody of the Police in order to avoid putting their lives in danger or exposure to Covid-19 while in their custody. As at the time of filing this report, a source at the Villa said, I guess, Tunde has obeyed the First Ladys instruction. *** Source: Vanguard Anmol Narang has made history by becoming the first observant Sikh to graduate from the prestigious United States Military Academy at West Point, and the Second Lieutenant is hopeful that her efforts to represent her religion and community will encourage Americans to learn more about Sikhism. US President Donald Trump on Saturday addressed the 1,107 graduates, including 23-year-old Narang, who gathered for the academy's annual commencement. "It's an incredible feeling. It's a humbling experience, I have never worked harder for anything in my life. Being a Sikh woman is a very important part of my identity and if my experience can play a small role in being an inspiration for others, regardless of career field, that will be wonderful," Narang told CNN. A second-generation immigrant born and raised in Roswell, Georgia, Narang had an early appreciation for military service due to her maternal grandfather's career in the Indian Army. After she developed an interest in military service during high school, she began the process to apply for the West Point after her family visited Pearl Harbor National Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii. At the Saturday's ceremony, the graduates socially distanced 6 feet from one another across the Plain Parade Field to accommodate COVID-19 public health requirements instead of congregating at Michie Stadium, the ceremony's traditional location. Family and friends were not allowed to attend the ceremony but could watch it online, the report said. "This premier military academy produces only the best of the best -- the strongest of the strong -- and the bravest of the brave. West Point is a universal symbol of American gallantry, loyalty, devotion, discipline, and skill," Trump said in his address. "To the 1,107 who today become the newest officers in the most exceptional Army ever to take the field of battle, I am here to offer America's salute. Thank you for answering your nation's call," he said. While other Sikhs have graduated from the academy, that Narang is the first observant Sikh to have graduated from West Point. She hopes that her efforts to represent her religion and community will encourage Americans to learn more about the Sikh faith, the fifth largest religion in the world, the report said. In 1987, the US Congress passed a law that prohibited Sikhs and several other religious communities from maintaining their articles of faith while in the military, despite a history of diverse service and simple accommodations. The Sikh Coalition said that for 30 years, the visible Sikh articles of faith--including unshorn facial hair and turbans--were banned, despite being core tenets of the faith. In response, for more than 10 years, the Sikh Coalition has led a campaign, in partnership with other Sikh and civil rights organisations, litigation partners, and like-minded advocates, to ensure equality of opportunity for Sikhs Americans in the US Armed Forces. "I am immensely proud of (Second Lieutenant) Narang for seeing her goal through and, in doing so, breaking a barrier for any Sikh American who wishes to serve," said Simratpal Singh, US Army Captain and a family friend of Narang. "The broader acceptance of Sikh service members among all of the service branches, as well as in top tier leadership spaces like West Point, will continue to benefit not just the rights of religious minority individuals, but the strength and diversity of the US military," Singh said in a statement. Singh's 2016 suit over his own right to maintain his articles of faith in uniform spurred a critical change in the Army's accommodations policy in 2017, which streamlined the accommodations process for Sikh soldiers and ensured that accommodations would stay with them throughout their career. In 2020, after granting a series of individual accommodations to Sikh airmen throughout the year prior, the US Air Force implemented a similarly updated policy. Since the Army and the Air Force changed their policies, there are at least 60 observant Sikhs serving in those two branches of the military. The work continues to ensure equality of opportunity for Sikhs in the US Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, a media release said on Saturday. There are an estimated 500,000 Sikh-Americans in the US. There have been several attacks on Sikhs in America. Two Sikh Americans were killed in two separate incidents in one week in California in July 2017. In March 2017, a 39-year-old Sikh man was shot in the arm outside his home in Kent, Washington, by a partially-masked gunman who shouted "go back to your own country". In 2015, an elderly Sikh-American man was brutally assaulted and left with severe facial injuries by an assailant who yelled racial slurs like "terrorist" and "Bin Laden", in an apparent hate crime just before the US commemorated the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. According to a 2009 Sikh Coalition report, 41 per cent of Sikhs surveyed in New York City had been called derogatory names, such as "Osama bin Laden" or "terrorist". A cost-effective strategy for health care systems to offset N95 mask shortages due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is to switch to reusable elastomeric respirator masks, according to new study results. These long-lasting masks, often used in industry and construction, cost at least 10 times less per month than disinfecting and reusing N95 masks meant to be for single use, say authors of the study, published as an "article in press" on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons website in advance of print. The study is one of the first to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of using elastomeric masks in a health care setting during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Sricharan Chalikonda, MD, MHA, FACS, lead study author and chief medical operations officer for Pittsburgh-based Allegheny Health Network (AHN), where the study took place. Disposable N95 masks are the standard face covering when health care providers require high-level respiratory protection, but during the pandemic, providers experienced widespread supply chain shortages and price increases, Dr. Chalikonda said. He said hospitals need a long-term solution. We don't know if there will be a shortage of N95s again. We don't know how long the pandemic will last and how often there will be virus surges. We believe now is the time to invest in an elastomeric mask program." Sricharan Chalikonda, MD, MHA, FACS, lead study author and chief medical operations officer for Pittsburgh-based Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Dr. Chalikonda said an immediate supply of elastomeric masks in a health care system's stockpile of personal protective equipment is "game changing" given the advantages. Benefits of elastomeric masks Elastomeric masks are made of a tight-fitting, flexible, rubber-like material that can adjust to nearly all individuals' faces and can withstand multiple cleanings, Dr. Chalikonda said. These devices, which resemble gas masks, use a replaceable filter. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), elastomeric masks offer health care workers equal or better protection from airborne infectious substances compared with N95 masks. Like many hospitals during the COVID-19 crisis, AHN was disinfecting and reusing N95 masks for a limited number of uses. However, Dr. Chalikonda said, "Many caregivers felt the N95 masks didn't fit quite as well after disinfection." At the end of March, AHN began a one-month trial of a half-facepiece elastomeric mask covering the nose and mouth. The mask holds a P100-rated cartridge filter, meaning it filters out almost 100 percent of airborne particles. Until AHN could procure more elastomeric masks, the system began its program for P100 elastomeric mask "super-users": those providers who have the most frequent contact with COVID-19 patients. At each of AHN's nine hospitals in Pennsylvania and Western New York, the first providers to receive the new masks were respiratory therapists, anesthesia providers, and emergency department and intensive care unit (ICU) doctors and nurses. Initially, providers shared the reusable masks with workers on other shifts, and the masks underwent decontamination between shifts using vaporized hydrogen peroxide similar to the technique used to sterilize disposable N95 masks. As more masks became available, workers kept their own mask and disinfected it themselves according to the manufacturer's guidelines. Gradually AHN provided more staff with the new masks. Among nearly 2,000 health care providers receiving fit testing for an elastomeric mask (as required for any mask to make sure no unfiltered air penetrates it), 94 percent could wear one, the investigators reported. The small number of workers without a proper fit received an alternate type of respirator mask. After a month of use, no one wearing an elastomeric mask chose to return to an N95 mask, according to the authors. Regarding the elastomeric masks, Dr. Chalikonda said, "Our clinicians were very comfortable with the fit, knowing it was an equivalent if not superior amount of protection, and that these masks were intended to be reused." Furthermore, patients were receptive to their care providers wearing this type of respirator, he noted. Cost savings To determine if the elastomeric masks were cost-effective, the researchers performed a cost-benefit analysis over one month of mask disinfection and reuse comparing the new masks, with the filter replaced monthly, versus N95 masks at one hospital's 18-bed intensive care unit (ICU). Although the elastomeric mask costs about $20 and the filter costs $10 compared with only $3 at that time for an N95 mask, the research team found the elastomeric masks were "conservatively" 10 times less expensive. The cost savings, Dr. Chalikonda said, increases the longer they use the elastomeric masks, which often can last for years, and these masks can remain in storage for long periods, thus improving the planning and management of the medical supply stockpile for future outbreaks. He explained the monthly cost is lower because they can disinfect elastomeric masks much more often, multiple caregivers can share the same mask, and, unlike N95s masks, they do not need to waste the mask after a failed fit test. Another advantage of an elastomeric respirator program, according to Dr. Chalikonda, is it does not require any additional hospital resources to implement if the hospital already has an N95 mask reuse and resterilization program. The AHN elastomeric mask program presented fewer operational challenges than disinfecting N95 masks, he stated. (Natural News) China likes to talk about what a great superpower they are, but they just keep making themselves look desperate and dishonest as they make misstep after misstep in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. When coronavirus was peaking in France in recent weeks, China could have offered support as the death toll and economic losses mounted especially considering the role they played in unleashing this deadly virus on the planet. Instead, however, they decided it was the right moment to launch an attack on the country. Hurt by comments French officials made about their mishandling of the viruss outbreak, the Chinese embassy posted a message on its website implying France abandoned residents of nursing homes and left them to die from the disease and starvation. In response, Paris summoned the Chinese ambassador and made their disapproval clear. Undeterred, Beijing then warned France that they would be damaging ties between their countries if they didnt cancel a contract that would supply new equipment for French-made Lafayette frigates that were sold to Taiwan nearly three decades ago. France responded to this by saying they were merely fulfilling contractual obligations and that everyones current focus should be on fighting the global coronavirus pandemic. And just in case the message wasnt clear, the Senior Adviser for Europe for the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Francois Heisbourg, who has worked for the French defense and foreign ministries said: The French went out of their way, sent a public communique saying, Yes, we are sending this stuff to Taiwan in the framework of our contract with that country. To make sure that the Chinese were getting our meaning, we actually went out of our way to piss them off. Missed opportunities China had a chance to share its expertise and equipment with the world given the head start they got in dealing with the pandemic, and they could have done wonders for their public image had they acted in a respectable way. China has a very high opinion of itself, and the huge part it plays in supply chains around the world has indeed given them power. But even when they did try to save some face in this situation, like when they pledged to send some medical equipment to places like Italy, Greece, Spain and France, some of the equipment ended up being subpar if not downright faulty. Many people in the U.S. and other countries have expressed a desire to see their nations reduce their reliance on Chinese goods. Nanjing University Institute of International Relations Dean Zhu Reng said that Chinas coronavirus diplomacy hasnt done too well, and this is due in no small part to a political system there where different branches would rather curry favor with top leaders than report factual situations. Zhu feels that a modest approach would do far better than their you should thank China attitude and capitalizing on the situation to expand their global influence. China didnt do much to help its reputation when it colluded with the World Health Organization to keep the coronavirus outbreak under wraps in the early days. According to a report from the German newspaper Der Spiegel, Chinese President Xi Jinping asked WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom to delay the global warning about the COVID-19 threat in January. The report cites sources from Germans intelligence services who say that the Chinese leader wanted information about human-to-human transmission held back. The agency estimates that this move lost four to six weeks to fight the virus worldwide. China had a chance to improve its image at least to some degree at several points despite the role they played in the start of this pandemic, but instead they chose to act with arrogance and deception. Sources for this article include: ?Bloomberg.com France24.com DailyMail.co.uk A Greens staffer is among two women accused of defacing a statue of Captain Cook in Sydney's Hyde Park. Xiaoran Shi, 28, and her friend Charmaine Morrison-Mills, 27, allegedly sprayed graffiti on the statue at about 4am on Sunday. The pair were arrested near the park on College Street with a bag allegedly containing multiple spray cans. They were charged with destroying or damaging property. Shi runs the 'Sniff Off' campaign - which calls for an end to police sniffer dogs - in collaboration with New South Wales Greens MP David Shoebridge. Scroll down for video Xiaoran Shi (right with Greens MP David Shoebridge), 28, has been charged with defacing the Captain Cook statue in Sydney's Hyde Park She also works in his office on a part-time basis. The 28-year-old has previously been the editor of the University of Sydney's student newspaper Honi Soit, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. Mr Shoebridge said Shi was not working for him at the time of the alleged vandalism and declined to comment further as the matter was before the courts. 'I understand that one of the two people charged regarding the incident involved the statue in Hyde Park has part-time employment with my office,' he said. 'They were not engaged in employment at the time of the incident which occurred well outside of work hours. Both women were refused bail to appear at Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday. The statue depicts the British explorer whose voyage to Australia in 1770 mapped the country's east coast ahead of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788. Shi's friend Charmaine Morrison-Mills, 27, (pictured) has also been charged with vandalising the statue about 4am on Sunday Police were alerted to the alleged vandalism at the statue and arrested the pair nearby on College Street in the CBD The busts of Australian prime ministers in Ballarat were sprayed with red paint on Saturday morning - sparking a police investigation It comes as Victorian police investigate the defacing of statues in Ballarat. The statues of former Australian prime ministers Tony Abbott and John Howard were sprayed with red paint on Saturday morning. They have since been covered and fenced off and a conservator will assess the damage on Monday. A Captain James Stirling statue in Perth, Western Australia was on Friday also defaced and a 30-year-old man charged with criminal damage or destruction of property. The two women were taken to Day Street police station, where they were charged with destroy or damage property and possession of graffiti implement (New South Wales police stand guard around a statue of Captain Cook in Hyde Park on June 12) The statue's neck and hands were painted red and an Aboriginal flag was painted over the inscription at the base. Historical monuments across the world have been toppled over the past two weeks as Black Lives Matter protesters march through the streets to call out racism following the death of African American man George Floyd in Minneapolis last month. In Australia, people have defied public health warnings amid the COVID-19 pandemic and turned out to protest indigenous deaths in custody and to rally in support of the BLM movement in Sydney, Perth, Darwin, Adelaide and Melbourne. India, along with 12 other countries, has led an initiative in United Nations aimed at spreading fact-based content to counter misinformation on the coronavirus, with over 130 nations endorsing the global call to fight the "infodemic" relating to the Covid-19 pandemic. On the initiative by Australia, Chile, France, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Latvia, Lebanon, Mauritius, Mexico, Norway, Senegal and South Africa, a total of 132 member states endorsed a cross-regional statement on "infodemic" or manipulated information. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said that apart from fighting the deadly Covid-19 pandemic, the world is also seeing a "dangerous outbreak" of misinformation about harmful health advice, hate speech and wild conspiracy theories and antidote to this pandemic of misinformation is fact-based news and analysis. India's Permanent Mission to the UN said that it supported the UN Communications Response initiative '#VERIFIED' and "calls for global action to fight infodemic in times of Covid-19." Last month, the United Nations launched 'Verified', an initiative to combat the growing scourge of Covid-19 misinformation by increasing the volume and reach of trusted, accurate information. The 13 nations co-authored the cross-regional statement, which said that in times of the Covid-19 health crisis, "the spread of the 'infodemic' can be as dangerous to human health and security as the pandemic itself. Among other negative consequences, Covid-19 has created conditions that enable the spread of disinformation, fake news and doctored videos to foment violence and divide communities." "It is critical that states counter misinformation as a toxic driver of secondary impacts of the pandemic that can heighten the risk of conflict, violence, human rights violations and mass atrocities," the cross-regional statement said. The 13 nations called on everybody to immediately cease spreading misinformation and to observe UN recommendations to tackle this issue. "The Covid-19 crisis has demonstrated the crucial need for access to free, reliable, trustworthy, factual, multilingual, targeted, accurate, clear and science-based information, as well as for ensuring dialogue and participation of all stakeholders and affected communities during the preparedness, readiness and response," they said. The nations said that they along with other many countries and international institutions, such as the WHO and UNESCO, have worked towards increasing societal resilience against disinformation, which has improved overall preparedness to deal with and better comprehend both the "infodemic" and the Covid-19 pandemic. "We are also concerned about the damage caused by the deliberate creation and circulation of false or manipulated information relating to the pandemic," the statement said. "We call on countries to take steps to counter the spread of such disinformation, in an objective manner and with due respect for citizens' freedom of expression, as well as public order and safety. We reaffirm the importance of ensuring that people are accurately informed from trustworthy sources and are not misled by disinformation about Covid-19," it said. The statement called for action by all Member States and stakeholders to fight the "infodemic" to build what the Secretary General has described a "healthier, more equitable, just and resilient world". "We cannot cede our virtual spaces to those who traffic in lies, fear and hate," Guterres had said announcing the initiative. "Misinformation spreads online, in messaging apps and person to person. Its creators use savvy production and distribution methods. To counter it, scientists and institutions like the United Nations need to reach people with accurate information they can trust," he said. 'Verified', led by the UN Department for Global Communications (DGC), will provide information around three themes: science - to save lives; solidarity - to promote local and global cooperation; and solutions - to advocate for support to impacted populations. It will also promote recovery packages that tackle the climate crisis and address the root causes of poverty, inequality and hunger. The initiative is calling on people around the world to sign up to become "information volunteers" to share trusted content to keep their families and communities safe and connected. Described as digital first responders, the volunteers will receive a daily feed of verified content optimised for social sharing with simple, compelling messaging that either directly counters misinformation or fills an information void. "In many countries the misinformation surging across digital channels is impeding the public health response and stirring unrest. There are disturbing efforts to exploit the crisis to advance nativism or to target minority groups, which could worsen as the strain on societies grows and the economic and social fallout kicks in," UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming said. "The Verified initiative will also work to address this trend with hopeful content that celebrates local acts of humanity, the contributions of refugees and migrants, and makes the case for global cooperation," Fleming said. The initiative is a collaboration with Purpose, one of the world's leading social mobilisation organisations. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 00:44:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia's confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 3,166 after 268 new COVID-19 positive cases were confirmed on Saturday, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health said. This is so far the highest daily increase in the Horn of Africa country. The Ethiopian Ministry of Health, in a statement issued on Saturday, revealed that from the total of 5,644 medical tests that were conducted within the last 24-hours period, some 268 of them have been tested positive for COVID-19, eventually bringing the total number of cases in the country to 3,166 as of the stated period. The Ethiopian Ministry of Health further indicated that while 267 of the latest confirmed cases are Ethiopian nationals, one other confirmed case of COVID-19 is a foreign national. The Ethiopian Ministry of Health also said that 495 patients who were tested positive for COVID-19 have so far recovered from the virus, in which 44 of the patients recovered during the past 24-hours period. The ministry also disclosed that eight COVID-19 patients, ranging from 34 years old to 90 years old, succumbed to the disease on Saturday, eventually bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the East African country to 55. Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation with about 107 million people, confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on March 13. The Ethiopian government has instituted a wide range of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. In April, the Ethiopian House of People's Representatives announced a five-month state of emergency to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country. Enditem Lengyel, who was also in attendance and would spend the afternoon pressing state Guard units to send 5,000 troops to further bolster security in D.C., said he remembers a discussion about a larger, expansive zone that would be set up at some point. But he said there was no indication during the discussion that police would forcefully set such a perimeter. There was no talk that were going to go in and push it out, he said. I did not hear that discussion. At a time when the world is troubled by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the Islamic terrorist groups have rather seen it is a blessing in disguise to expand their reign of terror and consolidate their strength. The Islamic terror groups such as Boko Haram and ISIS have used the coronavirus pandemic opportunity to increase their control over areas and also to inflict more terror, reports Forbes. Boko Haram expands its control Boko Harem is a Salafi-jihadist Muslim terror organisation founded in 2002 in Nigeria. On Saturday, terrorists associated with Boko Haram and its offshoot Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) killed at least 20 soldiers and 40 civilians in Nigerias Brono state. The attack came just days after terrorists killed at least 69 people in a raid on a village in a third area, Gubio. Boko Harem is notoriously known for inflicting terror in West African countries with great magnitude. Boko Haram is based in north-east Nigeria but is also active in neighbouring countries. Forbes cites a report by Open Doors, an organization working on the topic of religious persecution, and mentions that the terrorist organisations, such as Boko Haram, have significantly expanded their territory. In its report, Open Doors stated that Boko Haram is now looking for expansion and eyeing targets of Sub-Saharan Africa. On March 23, 2020, the Boko Haram has unleashed terror in north-central African country Chad, leaving at least 98 soldiers dead. Open Doors has suggested that the coronavirus lockdown may provide an opportunity for terror groups such as Boko Haram to further expand its territory. The terrorist outfit, which is affiliated to Islamic State has a history of unleashing terror against individuals, groups that opposes Boko Harams ideologies or support western values. Boko Haram specifically targets Christians as they consider them non-believers. Boko Haram targets women and girls, who are then subjected to physical and mental abuse, rape and sexual violence, forced labour and much more. Boko Haram and its affiliates including the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) are carrying out attacks on civilians and religious minorities throughout Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria. Islamic State regains its strength Similarly, Islamic State also known as Daesh, a terror group which unleashed mass atrocities in Syria and Iraq in 2014, seems to have gained strength yet again. The ISIS had taken over control of many parts of Syria and Iraq and carried out atrocities especially against religious minorities. Even after some military success against ISIS, news reports suggest that the fight is not yet over. On May 3, 2020, Nobel peace prize laureate and advocate for victims of sexual violence, Nadia Murad, warned international community that ISIS continues to remain a significant threat to Iraqis and the global community. However, the radical Islamic terror groups have found enough time and resources to consolidate and grow during the pandemic when the worlds attention is diverted on coronavirus. These Islamic terrorist organizations depend heavily on ideology to expand reach. Recently, Nigerian Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau had declared that coronavirus pandemic was brought about by evil, claiming that his version of Islam was an anti-virus. The IS also pushed propaganda calling on its members to attack the west and exploit its weakness amidst the coronavirus pandemic. These continuing propaganda campaigns promoting extreme ideologies and to expand its control may prove extremely dangerous in the long run. UN cautions against terror attacks during the pandemic In April, the Secretary-General of United Nations (UN) Antonio Guterres had also cautioned the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that the coronavirus pandemic will be threatening international peace and security as terrorists might use this opportunity to launch a bio-terror attack. Terrorist outfits, he said, may see a window of opportunity to strike while the attention of most governments was turned towards the current coronavirus pandemic. The weaknesses and lack of preparedness exposed by this pandemic, the UN chief said, adding, Provide a window onto how a bio-terrorist attack might unfold and may increase its risks. Non-state groups, he cautioned could gain access to virulent strains that could pose similar devastation to societies around the globe. TSB has become the first bank to withdraw mortgage deals for customers with a 15 per cent deposit amid fears of a plunge in house prices. High street banks have largely deserted customers with a deposit of 10 per cent, but last week TSB became the first to remove all home purchase, remortgage and share ownership products with a loan-to-value ratio of 85 per cent. HSBC is now the only major bank offering mortgages with a loan-to-value ratio above 90 per cent with only a limited number available each day. Brokers have reported selling out of the product before 8.30am. A sign of change: High Street banks have largely deserted customers with a deposit of 10 per cent Coventry Building Society is also offering a limited number of low-deposit mortgages on a 'first come, first served' basis as part of a limited deal ending tomorrow night. One banking source said there was 'a worry about house prices' in the market. Banks fear they will lose money on mortgages if prices drop rapidly and repossessions cannot recoup the money loaned. Banks have also struggled to keep up with demand while so many staff work from home. Robert Sinclair, chief executive of the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries, said it was hard for employees to deal with the usual number of sales when employees are working remotely. 'Homeworking reduces productivity because they don't always have as many screens,' he said. 'That can really reduce productivity.' Best mortgage rates and how to find them with This is Money's help This is Money has partnered with L&C Mortgages, a firm of independent mortgage brokers who specialise in finding the best mortgage rates and the right deal for you. To check for the best mortgage deal and speak to an adviser, click here. Or you can fill in your details online to find out the best mortgage rates for you. A TSB spokesman said: 'We are working to support our customers as best we can.' If theres some confusion over the last word, there isnt over the first. The squark Answer Man just coined that is named after the Marquis de Lafayette. The Frenchman just happened to be visiting the United States in 1824, right around the time when what had been called Presidents Park the land north and south of the White House was reduced in size. Civil Engineer, Abdulai Mahama doubts if the governments current approach to ending flooding in Accra will yield positive results. The engineer said, although desilting drains in Accra is necessary, the extension of drain lines on a quarterly basis should be prioritized to tackle the problem. We can punish offenders for putting refuse [into drains] but Odaw is about 90 percent filled with filth, not polythene bags. So if we do the desilting and we do not go upstream to extend the line drains year by year or quarterly by quarterly basis, whatever we are doing in Accra is just a gimmick and the next year [flooding] will visit us again. In the immediate future, when we are done with the desilting of the Odaw, what government ought to do is to extend the line drains from Abofu and beyond. If we identify that there are other sources of the receptacle as to where we get silt to enter the Odaw directly, we need to make sure those areas are curtailed, the engineer said on Citi TV/FMs The Big Issue. He pointed out that the effort to dredge the Odaw River did not see the light of day due to the governments knee jerk approach towards the solution. Engineer Mahama said the dredging of the Odaw will require a huge investment of money and time. If we want to do serious dredging of Odaw, it is like donating half of the infrastructure fund of all the drainage in the Accra to do the desilting. I did the calculation two days ago, and I stated that in the current state we see at Odaw, we need about 281 days [to desilt it]. We need over 60 trucks to be working day and night so that maybe half a year we can desilt the Odaw and immediately we are done with the desilting of the Odaw, we have to go to the next area, to start tackling the Abofu stretch towards Dome, Kwabenya roundabout, towards the Berekusu roundabout otherwise, we will do all the hard desilting with day and night approach yet in the next September or October, the same area will be desilted again. That area is a difficult area. Accra is usually flooded after a few hours of rain as a result of poor planning and a weak drainage system. Although the government has not spelt out a detailed plan to address the problem, the Minister of Works and Housing, Atta Kyea believes the prosecution of persons who dump garbage into drains and the relocation of residents in parts of the country might lead to a solution. citinewsroom Many Windows users have complained about facing issues with the printer functionality after installing the latest update. If youre facing issues with your printer after installing the latest Windows update, youre not alone. The main culprits for the new bug are the KB4560960 and KB4557957 updates which were rolled out just last week. A quick look at user posts on Reddit and other forums reveal printers from all major brands such as HP, Canon, and Ricoh have been affected by the bug. Fortunately, Microsoft has acknowledged the issue and said it is working on a fix. So, whats the bug? After installing the above-mentioned Windows 10 updates, many users complained that their printer drivers were malfunctioning and unable to print. Some users also complained about facing issues with printing files as PDFs. Microsoft on its docs page explained that after downloading the KB4557957 update, some printer drivers may not be able to print. They may also see errors with print spooler or an unexpected shut down when trying to print anything. You might also encounter issues with the apps you are attempting to print from. You might receive an error from the app or the app may close unexpectedly. Note This issue might also affect software-based printers, for example printing to PDF, Microsoft further explained. Workaround Right now, there seems to be no credible workaround, but some users have suggested uninstalling the recent updates. Another printer bug? The latest reports come shortly after Microsoft confirmed issues in PCs with a printer connected via a USB port. Essentially, when a user connects a USB printer to Windows 10 version 1903 or later and shuts down the PC or disconnect the printer, and restarts the PC, the USB printer port vanishes from the list of printer ports. Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section. We are working to fix the issue in a future version of the operating system, the company said on its website. Despite the COVID-19 restrictions, thousands assembled at Parliament Square in London demonstrating against the racial injustice and police brutality that led to the arrest of at least 100 after a violent clash broke out between the cops and the protesters. Metropolitan Police Service said that the demonstrators spewed "violence directed towards officers" that led to the policing operation. Agitators hurled punches, bottles and smoke bombs at police officers as scuffle started between the rival demonstrators in the crowd that worsened the situation into a violent disorder, as per the television footages that were aired by UK broadcasters. As of 21:00hrs more than 100 people have been arrested during today's protest for offences including breach of the peace, violent disorder, assault on officers, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of class A drugs, and drunk and disorder. MPS Events (@MetPoliceEvents) June 13, 2020 As many as six officers were injured in the June 13 anti-racism demonstrations that commenced across the UK on May 25, after the death of an unarmed African-American in the US city of Minneapolis US due to the polices chokehold sparked nationwide fury. Marchers, accused of possession of offensive weapons, took to the streets to condemn racism as they made a way through Brighton with Black Lives Matter demonstration. Adhering to the social distancing at the early stages of the protests, demonstrators yelled slogans as streets echoed with chants of Say his name! George Floyd and No justice. No peace. Protesters were also seen gathered alongside a veteran military presence to guard the Cenotaph war memorial in the footages emerged online as they chanted England, England," "Winston Churchill, he's one of our own," while hovering near the statue. Police commander, Bas Javid, was quoted saying to a UK media outlet that the mob got violent as they refused to disperse by 1600 GMT. Further, he added, the protesters directed attacks at the police officers which was unacceptable. Read: Ukraine: $6M Bribe Attempt To Close Case Against Gas Head Read: Brazil Surpasses UK To Report Most Coronavirus Deaths After US Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Racist thuggery has no place on our streets and that anybody attacking the police would be met with the full force of the law". On Twitter, PM Johnson wrote, Racism has no part in the UK and we must work together to make that a reality. Earlier, on June 12, Prime Minister Johnson warned that the UKs anti-racism protests had been hijacked by extremists. Further, he said, while addressing the state press that the national monuments in the country were being destroyed in an effort to censor our past. Recent detentions, made by the police officers, were sparked as over 200 protesters breached the 5 pm curfew and gathered around the statue of wartime leader Winston Churchill in Parliament Square shouting anti-racist slogans and launching the Black Lives Matter movement, as per the reports. Protests 'appalling and shameful' While London's mayor, Sadiq Khan praised the police force for doing a fantastic job to control the situation, Home Secretary Priti Patel condemned the violence caused by the crowd of demonstrations, which she termed, appalling and shameful in a series of tweets. Patel condemned the desecration of a memorial to murdered Keith Palmer during the far-right protest in Westminster, adding, that a small minority behaved with extreme thuggery and lost the cause. Absolute shame on this man. Of all the images to emerge over these few testing days I find this one of most abhorrent. Please help identify him. pic.twitter.com/8ydcNmTWrN Tobias Ellwood MP (@Tobias_Ellwood) June 13, 2020 Throughly unacceptable thuggery. Any perpetrators of violence or vandalism should expect to face the full force of the law. Violence towards our police officers will not be tolerated. Coronavirus remains a threat to us all. Go home to stop the spread of this virus & save lives. https://t.co/HsOx9cgrqD Priti Patel (@pritipatel) June 13, 2020 Read: UK Quarantine For Int'l Arrivals To Be Reviewed June 29 Read: North Korea Tells South To Stop 'nonsensical' Denuke Talk (Images credit: AP) "First and foremost, I would like to extend an apology on behalf of the District and the Board of School Directors to the student who was involved and to his family. They did not ask for this incident to occur, nor do they deserve the negative attention that it has brought." - school board President Tina Stoll A Massachusetts man accused of killing a hiker with a machete on the Appalachian Trail and attacking another person has been declared competent to stand trial. James Jordan, 31, of West Yarmouth was initially deemed incompetent to stand trial after he was initially arrested in May 2019. Federal court records in Virginia, where Jordan faces charges, show Judge Pamela Sargent reviewed findings by mental health evaluators last week and determined the criminal case against Jordan can go forward. Jordan is facing federal charges of murder and assault with intent to commit murder. The psychiatric report on file in the case was sealed. Jordan will return to federal court for a preliminary examination and detention hearing on June 25. He remains in custody. Jordan was arrested in May 2019 after two hikers were attacked near the Wythe and Smyth county line in Virginia. Authorities said Jordan killed 43-year-old Ronald Sanchez Jr., of Oklahoma, and attacked a woman. A federal affidavit filed in the case said Jordan threatened a group of hikers before the fatal attack. FBI Agent Micah Childers wrote Jordan approached four hikers on the trail in Smyth County, Virginia. Authorities said Jordan was already known as someone who threatened people on the trail, noting an incident in Tennessee a month early. Jordan was disturbed and unstable and was playing his guitar and singing when he approached the four hikers, authorities said. The hikers then set up camp in the Wythe County, Virginia section of the trail. Jordan began randomly approaching the hikers tents, making noises and threatening the hikers, Childers said. Jordan spoke to the hikers through their tents and threatened to pour gasoline on their tents and burn them to death. The four hikers decided to leave. Jordan is accused of running after two of them with a machete. Authorities said he returned to the campsite and began stabbing a man. A woman, who watched as the attack unfolded, ran away. Childers said Jordan chased down the woman and stabbed her several times. The woman played dead and was able to escape. Two hikers helped the woman as they hiked another six miles and called 911. A Wythe County Sheriffs Office tactical team converged on the campsite where the attack took place and arrested Jordan. Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has disclosed that many neighbouring countries asked Nigeria for food during the coronavirus lockdown. Speaking during an Instagram Live with City People Magazine on Saturday, June 13, 2020, the Minister, said President Buhari, however, told the countries asking for food to wait because Nigerians must be well-fed first. He said the countries made the requests because of the success of the agriculture programme of the federal government. This is not in the public space but President Buharis priority was, tell them to wait, we must feed our people first before we send out food, we dont know when this is going to end, he said. As poor countries around the world struggle to beat back the coronavirus, they are unintentionally contributing to fresh explosions of illness and death from other diseases ones that are readily prevented by vaccines. This spring, after the World Health Organization and UNICEF warned that the pandemic could spread swiftly when children gathered for shots, many countries suspended their inoculation programs. Even in countries that tried to keep them going, cargo flights with vaccine supplies were halted by the pandemic and health workers diverted to fight it. Now, diphtheria is appearing in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. Cholera is in South Sudan, Cameroon, Mozambique, Yemen and Bangladesh. A mutated strain of poliovirus has been reported in more than 30 countries. And measles is flaring around the globe, including in Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Nigeria and Uzbekistan. COVID-19 has created an unprecedented global health crisis. But with more than 50,000 travel restrictions in more than 200 countries, an equally unprecedented mobility crisis is emerging. The global system of mobility and travel has been returned to its factory settings. A privilege that so many of us take for granted, and others struggle to access, has been temporarily withdrawn. How and when we decide to reboot it will be critical to the future health of our populations, but also the future economic and social health of our countries. The United Nations secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, recently highlighted that people on the move find themselves particularly vulnerable to the effects of the crisis. While the organisation I lead, International Organization for Migration (IOM), is focused on the immediate needs of those migrants and communities most affected by the pandemic, we are also reflecting on the long-term implications of this dramatic suspension of movement. The current political, social and economic reaction to the virus is volatile. At the onset of the outbreak, governments shut borders in near unanimity. But beyond this, their reactions have diverged massively and haphazardly. In some countries, public services have been extended to undocumented migrants on the understanding that, just as viruses do not discriminate, neither can governments. In other parts of the world, rapid returns and expulsions of migrants are overwhelming countries of origin which are unprepared to support sudden, sometimes large-scale, arrivals. The broadening scope of possible responses both positive and negative makes it difficult to identify where the new political equilibrium will settle when the fog of the pandemic itself lifts. But some interesting convergence is emerging. Much of the public debate in recent years in Europe, as elsewhere has centred on the value of skilled migrants. The unfortunate corollary of this has been an often-public rejection of unskilled migration. The current crisis, however, has driven home the essential nature of migrant labour, regardless of skill. We have seen how vital those who deliver food, clean public spaces, and provide domestic care have been in holding our societies together. Indeed, a number of countries have prolonged visas and work permits, exempted seasonal workers from travel restrictions, and extended the right to work to asylum seekers in order to fill critical gaps in the workforce, a welcome antidote to the negative discourse around migration in Europe and elsewhere over the past several years. Looking further ahead, this appreciation for the role of mobility will be important to retain. Researchers in Australia, for example, are pointing to a projected shortfall in immigration numbers as a result of the travel shutdown, which they warn could cripple Australias economic rebound. The predicted economic recession will not only deeply affect migrants but also the global and regional patterns of mobility to which we have become accustomed. Geographic proximity and trust will be more important than ever for states with an emphasis on local travel and there is a risk that future mobility becomes two-tracked or two-speed based on national health concerns, placing those countries and individuals perceived to be at highest risk at a disadvantage. For example, if the health infrastructure of one country is seen by another as subpar, or COVID-19 testing fees at an airport are too steep, many will be excluded from travel or entry. If we are unable to relaunch migration and mobility safely and universally the worlds ability to recover from economic recession will be limited. This is the paradox facing governments today. Health concerns have driven restrictions in movement, but there will be no sustainable recovery without trade and mobility, without reopening borders in a smart and safe way. Threats such as terrorism have affected travel before. But states are now facing an invisible enemy, albeit carried with benign and unwitting intent. States and regions will now need to find a new balance between health concerns and the need for mobility. This means health-proofing border management systems without jeopardising the social and economic potential that migration holds or marginalising specific groups. We can take cues from previous crises. The 9/11 attacks taught governments how to assess and incorporate new risks flexibly, and without shutting down entirely. The recent Ebola crises have reinforced the value of preventive infrastructure at borders, and the importance of contact tracing, but also the need to balance the opportunities and risks of surveillance and avoid social polarisation. The 2008 economic recession brought home the need to build community cohesion and identity, including for migrants, or risk deep and paralysing political rifts. The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the dangers of persistent inequality in our societies, particularly for migrants and those citizens who struggle at the margins. While we go about the consuming work of mitigating the pandemics large-scale impacts and reestablishing human mobility, we should seize the opportunities ahead of us to address critical protection gaps, from social protection safety nets to public health access. Just as we have realised that migration is a critical part of our economies and societies, it is important to recognise that inclusive migration is not just good for migrants, but a public good which will benefit all of us. Our recovery can leave no one behind as we get moving again. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. (Natural News) A new study suggests that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) is seasonal, spreading much faster in specific weather and climate conditions and dying out when it gets warmer or colder. Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) found that the cities heavily affected by the virus during the start of the pandemic were situated on a similar band of northern latitude. These cities also experienced cold temperatures and relatively low humidity from January through March. According to the researchers, this implies that the coronavirus behaves similarly to seasonal viruses such as the flu and spreads more rapidly in the winter and early spring months. Cities within a certain latitude were hit harder For their study, published in JAMA Network Open, the researchers collected climate data from 50 cities around the world from between January and March of this year. The team identified eight cities with substantial spread of the virus: Daegu, South Korea; Madrid, Spain; Milan, Italy; Paris, France; Qom, Iran; Seattle, USA; Tokyo, Japan; and Wuhan, China. Substantial, in this case, was defined by the researchers as a country having reported at least 10 deaths from the coronavirus by March 10. These climate data from these cities was compared with that of 42 cities that were less affected by the virus. To do this, the team used climate data, such as temperature and humidity, from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts ERA-5 reanalysis. From November 2019 to March 2020, the eight cities in question were on a narrow band of latitudes between 30 N and 50 N. In comparison, cities north and south of this band did not see as rapid a spread of the coronavirus. With this data, the researchers then looked at the 2-m temperature that of the surface where most human activity takes place of the eight cities. They found that the average temperature in these cities between January 2020 and February 2020, as recorded by airport weather stations, was between 39 F and 48 F. Meanwhile, the average temperatures 20 to 30 days before their first community deaths in these cities were reported were roughly the same, ranging from 37 F to 48 F. At the same time, the cities also had similarly low amounts of specific humidity. All the temperatures for the eight locations being in such a close range was a little surprising, co-author Dr. Mohammad Sajadi, an associate professor at the Institute of Human Virology at UM SOM, told the Daily Mail. I was not expecting the temperatures to be so close and the humidity ranges to be so close, he added. According to Sajadi and his team, this means that the coronavirus behaves like a seasonal respiratory virus such as influenza, peaking in cold weather and dying out when it gets warmer. New study runs counter to what previous studies have said While the UM SOM team proposed that the coronavirus is seasonal, other studies have stated otherwise. In April, a study of the viruss spread in Chinese cities by researchers from Fudan University found no correlation between its spread and the temperature and amount of UV radiation in those cities. A similar study conducted by researchers at the Harvard Medical School, this time looking at data from U.S. cities, also came to the same conclusion. The reason why the UM SOM study came to a different conclusion, however, could come down to the cities they looked at. This latest study looked at a range of cities not limited to a single country the temperature and climate differences between the cities sampled in the earlier studies may not have been enough to affect the virus. Should the studys results be verified, Sajadi believes that climate and weather data can be used in future models to help predict the spread of the pandemic. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk JAMANetwork.com A 28-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly urinating on the memorial to PC Keith Palmer, who was stabbed to death in the Westminster terror attack in 2017. A photograph of the 'appalling and shameful' act was widely shared on social media yesterday as violent clashes between far-right protesters and police took place in central London. Scotland Yard said a man was arrested on suspicion of outraging public decency and is currently in custody in Essex after presenting himself at a police station. Speaking in response to the image, Metropolitan Police Commander Bas Javid said: 'We are aware of a disgusting and abhorrent image circulating on social media of a man appearing to urinate on a memorial to PC Palmer. 'I feel for PC Palmer's family, friends and colleagues. We have immediately launched an investigation and will gather all the evidence available to us and take appropriate action.' A man was seen urinating next to a plaque honouring PC Keith Palmer who was stabbed to death during a terrorist attack in Westminster in 2017 MP Tobias Ellwood, who rushed to help give first aid to PC Palmer after the incident, shared his disgust at the shocking image during the violent clashes in the capital on Saturday Several politicians last night expressed their disgust at the act and the Met Police Federation called for the man to be jailed after he was snapped during violent clashes between far-right protesters and police in central London yesterday. Home Secretary Priti Patel branded the incident as 'absolutely appalling and shameful', criticising those involved for the 'shameful scenes' in Westminster Square. PC Keith Palmer was stabbed to death while guarding the main vehicle entrance Carriage Gates by terrorist Khalid Masood on March 22, 2017. He was awarded a posthumous George Medal for his bravery in confronting the killer. Among those shaming the man is MP Tobias Ellwood, who gave first aid to the police officer as he lay dying outside Westminster. He took to Twitter to share his disgust at the shocking photograph, describing his actions as 'abhorrent'. Speaking to BBC News, he said: 'I'm really saddened to see this, in fact disgusted, it's one of the most disturbing images I've seen. 'We are going through a very difficult period of self-reflection here, quite rightly for us to look back and have a long overdue debate of our complex past and perhaps be more aware and critical of our own history.' MP Tobias Ellwood took to Twitter to express his disgust regarding the image and told the BBC he did not believe the man did not see the memorial Hundreds of far-right thugs and hooligans rushed up to the police blockade outside the Cenotaph yesterday Police armed with shields and riot gear reinforce the blockade on Whitehall as louts rush up the police line A man (pictured) believed to be a Tommy Robinson supporter, was one of two men chased by angry crowds on Saturday He continued: 'But the minority far-right groups wanting to come to London on the pretext of defending monuments, and yet we see monuments such as this being treated in this way, shows how far this generation still has to go.' When asked whether he thought the urinating man may not have noticed the memorial, Mr Ellwood said: 'I don't agree with that at all. 'This is the gates of Westminster, the most iconic symbol of democracy in the world next to a monument for PC Keith Palmer. He was fully aware of what he was doing, he should step forward and apologise. 'These images are seen across the world, they will damage Britain's reputation. It will make us look like we are not in control.' He agreed with the Home Secretary's comments of using the full force of the law against the unruly protesters, adding: 'We must absolutely be firm on these people who choose to come to London and defend these statues but actually come here on the pretext of attacking the police and pursuing other agendas.' Home Secretary Priti Patel condemned the 'desecration' of the memorial: 'We are in an unprecedented public health emergency and I have said every single day, as have the police around the country and in London, that these protests, these gatherings, are illegal and we have been discouraging them. 'Secondly, we have seen a small minority behave in extreme thuggery and violent behaviour today. Police fight to maintain control in Trafalgar Square amid both Black Lives Matter and pro-statue protests in London on Saturday Police are confronted by protesters in Whitehall near Parliament Square, London, during a protest by the Democratic Football Lads Alliance against a Black Lives Matter protest 'That is simply unacceptable and the individuals that are basically putting the safety of our police officers and the safety of the public at risk will expect to face the full force of the law. 'We have seen some shameful scenes today, including the desecration of PC Keith Palmer's memorial in Parliament, in Westminster square, - a man that gave his life to protect people - and quite frankly that is shameful, that is absolutely appalling and shameful. 'And I think, you know, my final remark very much is that we live in a tolerant country but racism, any form of intolerance and violence is simply not acceptable.' The Father of the House of Commons, Sir Peter Bottomley, added the protester should be 'ashamed'. Ken Marsh condemned the 'disorder and unruliness' witnessed at the far-right protests in London on Saturday. He said: 'It's horrendous. The man urinating next to Keith Palmer's memorial is disgusting. 'How can a human being behave like that? I don't get it, it's beyond belief. 'A faction of people today only had one intention - to be violent and unlawful, they didn't come here to protect the statues, it's just disorder and unruliness. People wearing face masks held banners at Hyde Park in London during a Black Lives Matter protest on Wednesday 'I suggest serious custodial sentences in relation to assaults on police and others, criminal damage and urinating next to the memorial of heroes.' Hundreds of far-right and pro-statue protesters gathered in the capital on Saturday morning in anticipation of a Black Lives Matter demonstration later in the day. Several hundred demonstrators, mostly white men, attended the protest organised by far-right groups, including Britain First, which claimed they wanted to protect statues such as Winston Churchill from vandalism. But fights erupted in areas near the Houses of Parliament and Trafalgar Square as demonstrators repeatedly hounded police officers with foul-mouthed chants and missiles, smoke grenades and flares. Shards of glass were strewn along the streets close to the Cenotaph on Whitehall after bottles were thrown at police officers clad in riot gear. The violent scenes are in contrast with peaceful demonstrations that took place at Hyde Park and Marble Arch by anti-racism protesters in support of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. A spokesman for Metropolitan Police said today: 'A 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of outraging public decency after a man was photographed apparently urinating on the memorial dedicated to PC Keith Palmer. 'The incident is believed to have taken place in the afternoon of Saturday, June 13. The man is currently in custody in Essex after presenting himself at a police station.' She recently announced she was quitting social media following the death of her Pomeranian puppy. But Molly-Mae Hague returned to Instagram on Sunday to give fans a glimpse of her lavish new home. The former Love Islander, 21, showcased her luxurious living room as boyfriend Tommy Fury stretched out on their suede corner sofa, telling fans that she didn't want 'to dwell' in the past couple of weeks. Return: Molly-Mae Hague, 21, has given fans a glimpse of her lavish new house as she returned to social media following the death of her Pomeranian puppy (pictured last month) She added a lengthy caption that read: 'I don't want to dwell on the last couple of weeks but what I do want to say is thank you. 'Thank you to every single person that sent me such thoughtful messages asking me how I am and making sure I'm okay, it has meant the world to me. 'I've enjoyed a much needed break from my phone but I'm back now and ready to get stuck into some really exciting things I have coming up.' Fresh start: The former Love Islander showcased her luxurious living room as boyfriend Tommy Fury stretched out on their suede corner sofa Insight: Molly-Mae then proudly flaunted her spacious marble bathroom before posing in front of the mirror in an over-sized purple T-shirt Molly-Mae then proudly flaunted her spacious marble bathroom before posing in front of the mirror in nothing but an over-sized purple T-shirt. She wrote: 'Also had a much needed change of location. Didn't realise how much I needed a fresh start.' The TV personality finished with a snapshot of a messy room piled high with boxes of clothes and Louis Vuitton bags, saying 'although this is the reality now'. It comes after YouTube star Molly has taken a temporary break from her social media channels after facing a barrage of criticism surrounding her puppy's death. 'He didn't have a single white blood cell in his body': Molly-Mae recently addressed the backlash from importing Mr Chai from another country The reality TV star was gifted the pooch by Tommy as part of her lavish birthday celebrations - but the pair were left devastated by his sudden death just days later. A source recently told The Sun: 'Molly-Mae is taking a break to have time to herself for a few days.' MailOnline have contacted a representative of Molly-Mae for comment at the time of publication. In the wake of the puppy's passing, both fans and celebrities spoke out about the importance of researching when buying a dog. Heartbroken: The reality star announced Mr Chai had died in a heartbreaking statement posted just six days after welcoming the pup into her home Former Made In Chelsea star Ashley James, 33, wrote: 'Please please do your research before getting a pet. 'Do not import dogs from other countries unless they are rescues from charities. Please look into #lucyslaw and if you do go to a breeder then always make sure you see a fit and healthy mum!' Love Island's Olivia Buckland, meanwhile, shared a lengthy statement to her account, urging her followers not to support 'third-party breeders' or buy dogs from other countries. Stipulating that her discussion was 'in no way towards my lovely Molly' as she was 'devastated' for the reality star, Olivia explained that she was speaking out 'to make sure this doesn't happen again and to raise awareness.' Shock: Molly-Mae's new puppy was not from a registered breeder, The Kennel Club confirmed On Wednesday, Molly-Mae discussed the tragic death of her dog and addressed the backlash from importing Mr Chai from another country. She stated: 'Whilst we completely understand everyone's opinions about being shipped over from Russia, what you need to understand is that is not what made him die. 'He was going to die regardless. The autopsy results showed his skull wasn't fully developed and part of his brain was exposed. He didn't have a single white blood cell in his body'. 'If we had the time again we would have got a dog from the UK or got a rescue dog from the UK.' Tommy bought the dog through Cheshire-based business Tiffany Chihuahuas & Pomeranians, which is licensed by Cheshire Council but not a Kennel Club assured breeder. Breeder Elena Katerova has denied breaking the rules, insisting that clients see the mother with their puppy via videos. She said: 'I'm truly devastated to learn about the death of Mr Chai. He was a beautiful young dog with a loving, playful temperament. I'd watched him grow up, having regular video calls with his birth family. 'My heart goes out to Molly-Mae and Tommy. Mr Chai was a healthy dog, I only work with trusted people and have a small network of reputable breeders who care for their dogs to the very highest standards and and see animals as part of their family.' Molly-Mae told her viewers: 'Neither of us wanted to film a video or talking about this but after everything we've seen today and reading everyone's opinions, I think it's really important that we actually do sit down and talk about it and explain how we are feeling and what we now know after receiving the autopsy results.' Tough times: Mr Chai's death prompted several stars to speak up about the importance of researching when buying a dog (they set up an Instagram account for him last month) After describing how Mr Chai was energetic in his first few days with them 'as a puppy should be', they soon noticed he started showing symptoms, with the sportsman explaining: 'His poo was runny, he was vomiting, he wasn't running.' They took him to the vet and Molly recalled that while waiting outside, she could 'tell something was wrong', adding Mr Chai was 'wriggling' and said dogs 'almost know when they are about to die'. Molly-Mae said 30 minutes later, the vet rang and informed them Mr Chai had had a seizure and died. 'We were both utterly shocked', she explained. 'Tommy literally just threw up everywhere'. 'You do not need a puppy from that far away!' Love Island's Olivia Buckland urged her followers not to support 'third-party breeders' or buy dogs from other countries A representative of Molly-Mae and Tommy confirmed Mr Chai had died of 'a seizure and neurological issues.' A statement read: 'Chai died of a seizure and neurological issues. This probably relating to the puppies skull not being fully formed (see note on anterior fontanelle below). 'Chai passed away with a number of health issues outlined below and the puppy clearly was not at full health and potentially had been carrying an infection and fighting it for some time before reaching Molly and Tommy.' It then listed a number of ailments the dog suffered from, including: 'no white blood cells present in blood, anterior fontanelle not completely ossified, body condition 3/5, liver congested, spleen enlarged congested, adrenal glands enlarged, kidneys congested, colon congested, lungs congested and Heart right ventricle dilated.' Lucknow, June 14 : The case of drawing of salaries totalling over Rs 1 crore in the name of Anamika Shukla in Uttar Pradesh is taking interesting turns with each passing day, with the police identifying two more accused women and arresting one of them. In a positive twist to the whole scam, the 'real' Anamika Shukla, who has been jobless so far, has got a job offer from a private school in Gonda district after its management came to know about her. During investigations in the case, authorities had identified two more women in the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) as masquerading Anamika Shukla and drawing salaries in her name. While one was arrested by Ambedkar Nagar police from her hometown in Bewar area in Mainpuri district, the other woman hailing from Kanpur Dehat is being traced. Arrested woman Anita Singh, a widow from Lakhanpur Jaatmai village in Bewar police jurisdiction, told local reporters that an "area resident Pushpendra Singh Jatav had arranged the job for her without charging any money and that she was getting Rs 10,000 every month from him out of her salary of Rs 22,000". She said: "I did not have money to even manage food for my child and my family at that time and hence accepted Pushpendra's offer." She said she was a postgraduate from Etawah and had returned to her hometown after relaxations in the lockdown. Police is now looking for Pushpendra. Ambedkar Nagar Superintendent of Police Alok Priyadarshi said that Anita was arrested in connection with an FIR lodged by the Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA). He said according to the FIR, 'Anamika Shukla' was appointed ad-hoc science teacher at the Kasturba Gandhi residential girls' school in Alapur on March 2, 2019. Meanwhile, another 'Anamika Shukla' identified by Aligarh police was found working in the Kasturba Vidyalaya in Atrauli from October 21, 2019. She had withdrawn a salary of Rs 95,350 till date. Aligarh BSA Laxmikant Pandey said that accountant Harish Chandra's contract had been cancelled after approval from the District Magistrate as he was involved in releasing salary to her without verifying her credentials. The officer said he had also written to the State Project Director for action against District Coordinator Gajendra Singh Yadav, who works here on deputation and is responsible for checking documents of the newly appointed candidates. Pandey said that the accused woman had resigned on WhatsApp on May 25 when the department summoned her for verifying her documents. She had also sent her resignation through registered post. "The salary recovery process will be initiated soon," the BSA said. Aligarh SSP Muniraj G said that a team has been constituted to trace the second woman and she will be arrested soon. As many as 25 'Anamika Shuklas' were fraudulently withdrawing salaries from KGVB on the basis of documents of the real Anamika Shukla who hails from Gonda and who did not get the job even after applying at various places. On June 6, police had arrested a woman for working as a teacher in the name of Anamika Shukla in 25 schools for months and withdrawing over Rs one crore in salaries for more than a year till February last. Though this woman had sent her resignation letter to the Kasganj Basic Education Officer through a friend who was detained at the office, she was caught and handed over to Soro police for questioning. She was a native of Mainpuri and working as a full-time science teacher at Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya in Faridpur in Kasganj and also simultaneously at many schools in Ambedkar Nagar, Baghpat, Aligarh, Saharanpur and Prayagraj districts etc, authorities had claimed. On Tuesday last, the 'real' Anamika Shukla had met Gonda Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) Indrajeet Prajapati and explained that her documents were misused by proxy candidates to land up with jobs and draw salaries totalling over Rs 1 crore for more than a year. She told the official that she had applied for a teacher's job in the government-run Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya chain but did not join for personal reasons. Meanwhile, the real Anamika's husband Durgesh Shukla said: "Anamika has been offered a job of primary schoolteacher by a private school, Chandrabhan Dutt Smarak Vidyalaya, after its management read the news that she was jobless." "Both of us are jobless. We cannot refuse the offer made by the school. However, the final decision rests with my wife. It was nice of the school management to offer her a job after reading her story," Durgesh said. Four private buses ferrying over 250 persons to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were seized by Noida Police from Noida-Greater Noida Expressway on Saturday for violating transport regulations. According to police officers, the buses had come from Delhi and were carrying passengers more than their capacities. The buses had stopped near Mahamaya flyover to pick up more passengers. One bus was bound to Bihar, and the rest were going to various districts in Uttar Pradesh. It was illegal of these buses to get more travellers as they only had single-destination permits and they cannot pick up passengers from places they cross on the way, said additional deputy commissioner of police (ACP), zone 1, Kumar Ranvijay Singh. The buses were also ferrying goods without permission violating regulations, he added. Police officers said after travel restrictions were revoked recently, commercial vehicles are required to get permits from respective administrations when passing through different states. These buses had single-destination permits and should have not got passengers to gather at the expressway. It was not only illegal but also an accident hazard. Some private transporters share information online and on social media platforms to get more passengers on their way. We have been monitoring such activities before the lockdown as well, said deputy commissioner of police (DCP), zone 1, Sankalp Sharma. The police seized all four buses and said action under the National Disaster management act will be initiated against the permit holders. The police said the passengers headed to Bihar were asked to go back to Delhi and make alternate arrangements. For those going to different places in UP, Noida police said it coordinated with Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) to make arrangements for taking the passengers home and they were provided buses on Sunday. The police said that no action was taken against the travellers. Warning: Carolyn Fairbairn fears banning Huawei could damage the economy The boss of Britain's biggest business group has waded into the row over Huawei's role in the nation's 5G network, warning moves to restrict the Chinese firm's involvement could 'damage' economic recovery. CBI director general Carolyn Fairbairn said the nation's future economic revival is already being labelled a 'digital first' recovery, with many employees working from home and firms seeking innovative ways to adapt and boost productivity. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has come under huge pressure to reduce Huawei's part in the rollout of 5G mobile internet as anti-Chinese sentiment among Tories escalates in the wake of the pandemic. Huawei is supplying the equipment used to build the UK's 5G network, but last month it emerged that Johnson had drawn up plans to end the firm's involvement altogether by 2023. Fairbairn said: 'Huawei has been an important contributor getting 5G rolled out and that's going to be an important part of our economic recovery. 'It's going to be part of [Johnson's pledge of] 'levelling up' the entire country. Be very careful about taking a decision that really damages our ability to recover. 'The digital transformation is going to be central to the recovery in the UK and you have all sorts of reasons why you want to continue at full speed. We need to make sure we take decisions that really are the right ones for the country and we're not forced into a binary choice that harms us.' In an interview with The Mail on Sunday, Fairbairn said Britain is entering a crucial stage in its economic future with decisions on key sectors such as hospitality yet to be given clarity on reopening, confusion over 14-day quarantine measures for arrivals at airports, and schools still partially closed. 'We're in a race against time,' she said. 'The end of October is going to be such a difficult moment when the furlough scheme unwinds. We need our political decisions to line up with that and it doesn't feel as though we are at the moment. 'We need to get ahead of that and do everything we can to get businesses to open successfully and safely. 'I hope over the course of July we start to see the ticking off of those decisions and the clarity that business needs to open really safely and protect as many jobs as we can.' She added: 'We need to avoid seeing the economy and health as a trade-off. There will be dramatic health implications from a serious and deep depression and unemployment has a well-documented impact on health. 'The thing we should be most worried about is unemployment and redundancies.' The CBI has sent a recipe for recovery to the Government ahead of July's mini-Budget. It concentrates on calling for job creation and the protection of existing jobs. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 04:26:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RAMALLAH, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Sunday declared it will bring back the first batch of Palestinians stranded in Egypt due to the COVID-19 pandemic through Jordan by end of June. Ibrahim Milhem, Palestinian government spokesperson, told reporters in Ramallah that 1,500 Palestinians in Egypt will be flown in nearly 10 groups to Jordan, one group per day starting from June 21. Name lists of the Palestinians stranded abroad have been handed over to the Jordanian government, which will ensure their access from the airport to the Karama (Allenby) crossing into the West Bank, he noted. Moreover, Milhem noted that agreements and logistics for the Palestinian nationals in Egypt have been facilitated through the governments of Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey. According to Milhem, the Palestinian government has coordinated with Jordan and other neighboring countries to allow the return of some 6,500 Palestinians who have been stranded in other countries as a result of the pandemic. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has requested its embassies to identify Palestinians who have not been allowed to return to their homes due to the lockdown and the global pandemic, in order to facilitate their return in coordination with other governments. Enditem The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 336 new coronavirus cases Sunday, raising the statewide total to 78,798. The health department said 6,215 people in Pennsylvania have died due to COVID-19, including four newly reported deaths. The department released new data Sunday, June 14; the numbers reflect cases and deaths reported as of midnight. Cases have been dropping since peaking in early April. Its been a month since the state has had more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day. With more than half of the state now in the green phase of the process to reopen, it is essential that we continue to take precautions to protect against COVID-19, Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. The commonwealths careful, measured approach to reopening is working as we see case counts continue to decline even as many other states see increases. But the virus has not gone away. Pennsylvania is easing out of coronavirus-related shutdowns in a three-phase plan: red, yellow and green. All of the state is out of the red phase, meaning stay-at-home orders are lifted and many businesses are reopened, with limitations in place. Two-thirds of the state is in green, the rest in yellow. In central Pennsylvania, Cumberland and York counties moved into the least-restrictive green phase this week. Eight including Dauphin County are moving on Friday from yellow (which bans things like barbershops and indoor dining) to green. 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. READ MORE On the solemnity of Corpus Domini, Pope Francis celebrated Mass at the Altar of the Chair with some dozens of worshippers wearing masks and keeping at the correct social distance. The Eucharist, said the pontiff, heals us from "orphaned memory", "negative memory", "sadness", and "closed memory". It " reminds us that we are not only mouths to be fed, but also his hands, to be used to help feed others." Francis also stressed the value of the Mass and adoration. Vatican City (AsiaNews) Pope Francis celebrated Mass on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. In view of the ongoing pandemic, the celebration took place at the Altar of the Chair, in St Peters basilica. However, this time, together with the celebrants and the choir, there were dozens of worshippers scattered along the benches wearing masks. In his homily, the pontiff stressed how that Eucharist is the Memorial that heals our memory, affected by forgetfulness, lack of love, and negativity. It ignites our desire to serve and create chains of solidarity with those who are hungry, jobless or poor. The Holy Father stressed first of all the value of memory. Without [it] we become strangers to ourselves, passers-by of existence. Without memory, we uproot ourselves from the soil that nourishes us and allow ourselves to be carried away like leaves in the wind. Memory is not something private; it is the path that unites us to God and to others. [. . .] God knows how difficult it is, he knows how weak our memory is, and he has done something remarkable: he left us a memorial. He did not just leave us words, for it is easy to forget what we hear. He did not just leave us the Scriptures, for it is easy to forget what we read. He did not just leave us signs, for we can forget even what we see. He gave us Food, for it is not easy to forget something we have actually tasted. He left us Bread in which he is truly present, alive and true, with all the flavour of his love. The Pope listed the forms of healing the Eucharist can bring about. The Eucharist heals orphaned memory. So many people have memories marked by a lack of affection and bitter disappointments caused by those who should have given them love and instead orphaned their hearts. We would like to go back and change the past, but we cannot. God, however, can heal these wounds by placing within our memory a greater love: his own love. The Eucharist brings us the Fathers faithful love, which heals our sense of being orphans. Through the Eucharist, the Lord also heals our negative memory, [. . .], which drags to the surface things that have gone wrong and leaves us with the sorry notion that we are useless, that we only make mistakes, that we are ourselves a mistake. Jesus comes to tell us that this is not so. He wants to be close to us. Every time we receive him, he reminds us that we are precious, that we are guests he has invited to his banquet, friends with whom he wants to dine. With Jesus, we can become immune to sadness. We will always remember our failures, troubles, problems at home and at work, our unrealized dreams. But their weight will not crush us because Jesus is present even more deeply, encouraging us with his love. This is the strength of the Eucharist, which transforms us into bringers of God, bringers of joy, not negativity. Finally, the Eucharist heals our closed memory. The wounds we keep inside create problems not only for us, but also for others. They make us fearful and suspicious. We start with being closed, and end up cynical and indifferent. Our wounds can lead us to react to others with detachment and arrogance, in the illusion that in this way we can control situations. Yet that is indeed an illusion, for only love can heal fear at its root and free us from the self-centredness that imprisons us. The Lord, offering himself to us in the simplicity of bread, also invites us not to waste our lives in chasing the myriad illusions that we think we cannot do without, yet that leave us empty within. The Eucharist satisfies our hunger for material things and kindles our desire to serve. It raises us from our comfortable and lazy lifestyle and reminds us that we are not only mouths to be fed, but also his hands, to be used to help feed others. It is especially urgent now to take care of those who hunger for food and for dignity, of those without work and those who struggle to carry on. And this we must do in a real way, as real as the Bread that Jesus gives us. Genuine closeness is needed, as are true bonds of solidarity. In the Eucharist, Jesus draws close to us: let us not turn away from those around us! This emphasis on concreteness reflects his Message for the World Day of the Poor, which was released yesterday. In it, Francis calls for an effective and personal show of solidarity towards people who find themselves in situations of neglect and extreme poverty because of the pandemic. Dear brothers and sisters, let us continue our celebration of Holy Mass: the Memorial that heals our memory. Let us never forget: the Mass is the Memorial that heals memory, the memory of the heart. The Mass is the treasure that should be foremost both in the Church and in our lives. And let us also rediscover Eucharistic adoration, which continues the work of the Mass within us. This will do us much good, for it heals us within. Especially now, when our need is so great. The Mass was followed by a brief Eucharistic adoration, accompanied by the Adoro Te devote. Francis ended the service blessing the assembly with the ostensorium. The day after his big brother George was laid to rest in Houston in an emotional homegoing, Philonise Floyd went to Capitol Hill and implored members of Congress: Im tired of the pain Im feeling now and Im tired of the pain I feel every time another black person is killed for no reason, he said Wednesday in a voice ragged with anguish. Im here today to ask you to make it stop. Stop the pain. Stop us from being tired. His words were directed at the House Judiciary Committee considering police reform bills. They also serve as a call to action for white and other non-black Americans. A call to continue the momentum of the past two weeks, when a rainbow coalition turned out by the thousands at vigils, marches and demonstrations in every state across the country to demand justice. A call for non-black allies to go beyond kneeling and posting Black Lives Matter hashtags, and start taking serious, sustained steps to stamp out the racism embedded in our institutions, laws, culture, beliefs and lodged deeply in our very subconscious. We must not let that clarion call for change so loud and impassioned right now in the wake of George Floyds death in Minneapolis police custody fade without real progress, as it has so many times in the past. Were tired of words. Were tired of pleasantries and platitudes, Tony N. Brown, a Rice University sociology professor and director of the Racism and Racial Experiences (RARE) work group, told the editorial board. We want an action plan that makes us feel like our lives matter. Systemic racism wont be wiped out overnight, but if you see yourself as an ally, someone committed to working alongside the black community to end racism and repair the legacy of Americas original sin, there are meaningful things you can do. Here are a few suggestions: Stop asking what you can do and just do it. Educate yourself on this countrys racial history and how racism infiltrates every part of society, rather than asking black friends and acquaintances to fill in the blanks for you. Its heartening to see that nine of the top 10 books on The New York Times nonfiction best seller list, including So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo and White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, tackle the issue of race. Read those selections and others from the rich canon of black authors. A quick Google search turns up essays, suggested reading, antiracist allyship resources and action steps. Examine your own biases. In his book How to be an Antiracist, Ibram X. Kendi notes racist ideas have defined our society since its beginning and can feel so natural and obvious as to be banal. Recognize the privileges and benefits afforded by light skin and the cost paid by black people. Identify the times you may have bought into a stereotype or racist thinking. Listen and accept feedback, without becoming defensive or dismissive, when a black person calls you on your prejudice. Accept responsibility for the impact of your words and actions, rather than arguing about your intent. Stop minimizing anti-blackness. This moment is centered on police violence against black people and the insidiousness of anti-black racism. Allies must be careful not to make it about other causes such as womens rights or workers rights. People in the black community have been saying it's really tough to be black for so long and no one was listening, Brown said. Now everybody wants to listen, but when they listen, they want to make it about themselves. And that is a level of symbolic and emotional violence that's hard to live with. Be an active ally. Staying silent in the face of inequity or accepting racist policies because they dont directly harm you gives racism and bigotry the space to flourish. There is power in joining together to speak out in our daily lives as well as marches. At work, if top management is dominated by white people, ask why. Back up black colleagues when they confront discrimination and bias. At your childs school, ask to make black history and black literature an integral part of the curriculum and include black historical sites and museums on field trips. Use white privilege to find a way to safely intercede when you see a police officer using excessive force on a black person or believe someone is needlessly calling 911 on a black person because of the color of their skin. Move beyond symbolic gestures and work for long-term change. Take a minute to assess your resources, skills, influence, connections and time. Make a commitment to allocate some of your financial and social capital toward advocating for real reform for black Americans. Pick an area of focus: police departments, the legal system, equal access to voting and registration. You can urge elected officials to improve school equity, close health care gaps, repeal felon disenfranchisement laws that disproportionately impact the black community. Lobby Congress to fund historically black colleges and universities or call for reparations. Brown puts it this way:What could you do right now or start doing right now that will still be active and important and meaningful and make people feel like their lives matter a year from now? Whatever you choose to do, do it for the right reasons not to play savior or win favor. Black Americans have reason to question motives and true commitment after years of disinterest and support that proved ephemeral from well-meaning whites. While the anti-racism movement could use your help, its not about you. Stand behind black Americans in this struggle, and follow their lead. The black community has too long borne the burden of dismantling a system of racism they did not create, from the struggle for freedom by enslaved people to the beatings and abasement endured by black demonstrators on the front lines of the Civil Rights movement, to the tireless activism of a young generation that had the audacity to declare: Black Lives Matter. Its time for others to step up and become part of the fight to make those words a reality in America. I like quirky places. So when I heard that a ragtag group of left-wingers, anarchists, and street people had taken over a six-block-by-six block section of downtown Seattle, I was intrigued. Secession is considered treason by mobs hauling down Confederate statues in other cities, but its the very basis of CHAZ, Seattles separate autonomous zone. Signs at the barricades read Property of the People and Leaving USA. But from a video tour of the new country, it doesnt look promising so far. Solomon Simone, a 30-year-old dreadlocked artist whose nom de guerre is Raz, is the self-styled leader of the 300 or 400 CHAZians. Critics call him a warlord. But its been discovered that he sent out ugly homophobic tweets several years ago, so he could be deposed. Raz claims someone is creating fake tweets from my page somehow. Many sympathizers make excuses for CHAZ. In a New York Times news story it was described as a homeland for racial justice. Liberal blogger Steve Leslie says of CHAZ: As far as internal governance goes, there is none of course. . . . Its probably most similar to Freetown Christiania which is an intentional commune in the borough of Christianshavn in the city of Copenhagen, Denmark. Christiania was formed in 1971, when hippie squatters took over a vacant 19-acre military base in Copenhagen and declared independence. While its seen changes, Christiania still exists and will mark its 50th anniversary next year. It was and is an interesting experiment. But lets hit the pause button before anyone thinks CHAZ is going to adopt what Christianias advocates call its tenets of individual responsibility and communal harmony. I have been to Christiania and gotten the full tour from one of its leading citizens. Here are the major differences I see: One. Christianias squatters occupied vacant land that the Danish military should have sold off years before. No businesses were cut off from the rest of the city or extorted into making donations to the squatters. Story continues CHAZ was created after a ten-day standoff between police and angry protesters ended with the police abandoning their precinct house and seeing it taken over by the mob. This is an exercise in trust and deescalation was how Seattle police chief Carmen Best explained the situation. John Carlson, a talk-show host on Seattles KVI radio, says that CHAZ is only the latest capitulation by city leaders: Theyve allowed homeless encampments and petty crime to overrun the city. The people taking over CHAZ knew no one would push back no matter what they did. Indeed, a report by a former official in the Seattle mayors office found that a mere 100 prolific offenders among the homeless were responsible for more than 3,500 criminal cases. Often they were released from jail the same day they were taken in. Two. The Christiania squatters had relatively reasonable demands, including affordable housing, a large meditation and yoga center, and opportunity for people to buy marijuana without fear of the cops. The occupiers of CHAZ have a list of 30 demands that they insist apply to all of Seattle. Among them are: The Seattle Police Department and attached court system are beyond reform. We do not request reform, we demand abolition. We demand a retrial of all People in Color currently serving a prison sentence for violent crime. Only black doctors and nurses should be employed specifically to care for black patients. In other words, the return of segregation. Three. Christiania was all about tolerance. Over time, it proved to be too tolerant, and there were some hard-drug sales (later banned). In 2016, a 25-year-old man with ties to the hash market shot and injured three people, including two police officers. After the shooting, residents decided to tear down all the drug stalls on Pusher Street. Its unclear how tolerant CHAZ will be. Seattles mayor Jenny Durkan has brought in portable toilets and other amenities. Shes in no hurry to retake CHAZ, equating the occupation to a block party and saying the city could have a summer of love. But the heavily armed CHAZ defense forces have blocked all vehicles and police from the area, and protesters have already participated in one case of police brutality against someone spraying the wrong graffiti. Someone else has already been deported apparently a pro-lifer who obviously didnt meet community standards. Christiana eventually morphed into an enclave of middle-class nonconformists. In 2012, the government offered loans so residents could buy their land at discounted prices. They now pay a monthly rent to pay off the loans as well as fees for water, electricity, and sewage. Many members of this socialist utopia are uncomfortable with the idea that they now own property, albeit collectively, notes the popular travel writer Rick Steves. But on the flip side, this is the greatest degree of security Christiania has ever experienced in its four-plus decades of existence. But some idealists hate this gentrification, as they call it. The untouchable Freetown where hippies and anarchists lived outside the framework of mainstream society is no more, Siddharth Ganguli of Outlook Traveller magazine mournfully reports. No one knows where CHAZ is heading. Its doubtful that under the glare of media cameras the Seattle police will ever emulate their New York City counterparts. In 2011, the NYPD cleared out Zuccotti Park after it had been seized for two months by Occupy Wall Street protesters. Some 200 people were arrested. For now, the city should curtail diplomatic relations with CHAZ and stop subsidizing it. Over time, as local businesses give up and leave, most of its street people will probably drift away. Then theres always the chance that CHAZ will somehow make a go of it and become established. Christiania is now the second-most popular tourist attraction in Copenhagen. But few linger more than a couple hours. The late irreverent CNN host Anthony Bourdain visited it back in 2013. Although a liberal, he came away unimpressed. He called it the well-established enclave of hippie anarchist squatters. Sounds about as attractive as being sentenced to life at a Phish concert. More from National Review ALBANY An Albany police detective told the Times Union on Friday that he heard Matthew Toporowski, now a Democratic candidate for Albany County district attorney, use racial slurs against a biracial man during a 2013 incident in which Toporowski was the victim of an alleged assault. Toporowski, who at the time of the incident was an assistant district attorney for the office he now seeks, denied the allegations a denial backed up by two others on the scene that night who were friendly with Toporowski. According to a police report obtained by the Times Union, the incident occurred in front of Toporowski's Warren Street residence before midnight on Dec. 20, 2013, after the alleged assailant was seen urinating on a vehicle. After Toporowski's friends confronted the man, an argument ensued. Toporowski was allegedly shoved into a snowbank and struck twice in the face. On Friday, the officer who arrested Toporowskis alleged assailant that night said the prosecutor, who identifies as Hispanic, directed racial epithets, including the n-word, at the 20-year-old. The Times Union is not identifying the alleged assailant because the case was eventually dismissed, and the matter was not previously reported by the paper. Efforts to reach him were unsuccessful. Racial slurs were definitely used that night by Matt Toporowski, Detective David Bernacki said in a phone interview. Bernacki, a nine-year veteran of the force who was promoted to detective four years ago and works in the criminal investigative unit, was initially reluctant to comment about the incident when contacted by the Times Union. After first declining to go on the record, he called back to say he needed to be upfront and honest and speak publicly about the incident. People need to know the truth about political candidates, especially when theyre portraying a certain stance on things, Bernacki said. Albany Police officer Kyle Haller, another officer on the scene that night, said in an interview that he remembered the situation differently. "What I can say is nothing was said in our presence, but there may have been an allegation of a racial epithet being used prior to the incident occurring not necessarily by Toporowski, but possibly by someone in the group of people he was hanging out with that night," Haller said in an interview Saturday. " ... There was a lot of intoxication." Haller went to high school with Toporowski, but said they have been no more than acquaintances in recent years. The brief police report makes no mention of any racial slurs being used or alleged. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a friend of Toporowski who was on the scene that night and also went to high school with him and Haller said he could not recall any slurs being used. Toporowski, now 34 and running as a progressive candidate dedicated to reforming a justice system tilted against minority members, said Bernackis allegations were untrue. A native of Saugerties who previously worked in the Putnam County district attorneys office, Toporowski began working for Albany County District Attorney David Soares his current opponent seeking a fifth term in July 2013. Soares is black. Toporowski, a 2011 graduate of New York Law School, resigned from Soares' office in March 2015. Now working at Albany's Wagoner Firm, he has made it a prominent part of his campaign biography that his departure was due to his disagreement with what he has described as Soares' over-prosecute, over-punish approach. On Friday, he reiterated that his decision to leave was entirely voluntary. I was never disciplined, ever, at that office, Toporowski said Friday. I was never criticized at all. I did my job professionally. In a statement released Friday, Soares' spokewoman Cecilia Walsh disputed Toporowski's claims about the circumstances surrounding his exit. "Mr. Toporowski is misrepresenting his tenure at the district attorney's office," Walsh wrote. "He was hired to work as assistant district attorney on July 12, 2013. On March 6, 2015, we asked for and received his resignation. There are rules that prohibit us from discussing the incidents that led to his departure. We cannot comment further without his authorization to release the complete personnel file." Asked Friday if he would approve the release of that file to verify his statement that he was never disciplined or criticized, Toporowski declined to do so. I stand by my reputation in this legal community, not a personnel file the DA's office created and wishes to release a week before an election, Toporowski said. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Asked if he was suggesting Soares office would fabricate a personnel record, Toporowski said, As Ive made clear I was never disciplined while working at the DAs office. Directly countering Walsh's statement, Toporowski insisted that he was never asked to resign. On Friday, Bernacki said when police arrived on the scene of the December 2013 incident, both Toporowski and the man who allegedly struck him were agitated. He said he brought Toporowski to the side. We de-escalated the situation among the group, Bernacki said. And then, as we were dealing with the call, Matt did use racial slurs. I do also remember him stating multiple times that he was (an) assistant district attorney, which I knew because he worked in police court. But racial slurs were definitely used that night by Matt Toporowski. Bernacki said the n-word was used multiple times. The detective said that several days later, he was called into a meeting with Chief Assistant District Attorney David Rossi, who asked him about the incident and if Toporowski had used racial slurs. In a subsequent interview with the Times Union conducted a few hours before Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan joined other local Democrats to endorse Toporowski the candidate said he did not wish to discuss his experience as a crime victim. It sounds like you have a police report from a sealed case, he said. "I was injured that night," he said. "The incident was the result of a young mans bad judgment, and I urged that the case be dismissed to prevent the situation causing more distress for everybody involved. And thats how I believe all these cases should be resolved," he said. "Im running to address structural racism in this justice system and address how black and brown people have been treated for too long. Toporowski said Rossi did not speak to him about the incident, and that no one in Soares office discussed any alleged comments made that night or any potential discipline that might result from them. Asked why Bernacki would make the allegations, Toporowski said, I cant speak to what Dave Bernacki thinks or speaks or does. Barbara Smith, a nationally known feminist author and former Albany Common Council member who is black, contacted the Times Union on Friday evening and strongly defended Toporowski. Smith, a strong backer of Toporowski's campaign, said she did not believe the allegations that he used a racial slur, and attributed the story coming to light now to the imminence of the Tuesday, June 23 primary. A video apparently filmed in Pacific Heights shows a couple threatening to call the police on a man for writing Black Lives Matter in chalk on the retaining wall of what he said on Twitter is his home. The video, posted on the Twitter account of @jaimetoons on Thursday, shows a woman who identifies herself as Lisa, and a man with her who calls himself Robert chastising the person filming the video for writing the slogan on a low wall. The location and signage match the description of a house that abuts Lafayette Park near the intersection of Gough and Clay Streets. The woman accuses the man making the video of defacing private property and claims to know the person who lives in the house. The man filming the video refuses to give them his name and suggests they call the police, which they say they will do. The tweeted video includes a message saying that A white couple call the police on me, a person of color, for stencilling a #BLM chalk message on my own front retaining wall. Karen lies and says she knows that I dont live in my own house, because she knows the person who lives here. #blacklivesmatter, the message continued, using a common internet slang term for an intrusive person taking it on themselves to unfairly police the behavior of others in public. No one answered the door when a reporter rang the bell at a house matching the description of the one in the video, an intricately carved yellow Victorian with a black roof and gold accents. An American flag lay draped on a chair in the darkened foyer. Along with the stenciled message, a large black, red, and green flag with Black Lives Matter in large white letters hung in a window facing Gough Street, along with small rainbow LGBT pride flags. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The woman and the man calling himself Robert in the video could also not be reached for comment. But on Sunday, ABC7 released what it said was a statement from the woman, whom the station identified as Lisa Alexander. The statement began with an apology to the man who had stenciled the letters, and continued: There are not enough words to describe how truly sorry I am for being disrespectful to him last Tuesday when I made the decision to question him about what he was doing in front of his home. I should have minded my own business. Chase DiFeliciantonio is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChaseDiFelice When the original panel of The View premiered on ABC in 1997, it consisted of Star Jones, Debbie Matenopoulos, Joy Behar, Barbara Walters, and Meredith Vieira. Although the daytime talk show for women, featuring women, was an enormous hit from the start, Vieira wasnt very keen about signing on at first. The ladies of The View stop by The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2003 | Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images Meredith Vieira has a great journalistic track record Prior to joining The View, Vieira boasted a weighty journalism career that began as a radio announcer in 1975, and then television network reporting in Rhode Island and New York City. She became nationally noticed when she joined CBS Chicago bureau in 1982. From there, the mother of three moved on to newsmagazines for the network including West 57th, 60 Minutes, and CBS Morning News. In 1994, she was working for ABC on the newsmagazine Turning Point when Barbara Walters approached her about an all-female daytime talk show that she thought Vieira would be the ideal moderator for. Walters wrote in Audition: A Memoir, about Vieira, As a possible moderator, we were considering an attractive woman named Meredith Vieira. Meredith had, at one time, been a correspondent on 60 Minutes on CBS, but because at the time she had one young child and was pregnant with a second, she didnt want to travel. More recently, I knew Meredith from ABC, where she was working on a newsmagazine the network was trying out, called Turning Point. Unfortunately, the program didnt make it. Merediths contract at ABC was not renewed, and she was at loose ends. I checked and heard from her producers that she was not just smart, but almost more important to me, possessed a wicked sense of humor. Vieira eventually left The View for the Today Show Almost ten years after joining The View, Vieira was offered in 2006 the career-changing position of filling the enormous shoes of Katie Couric as Matt Lauers co-anchor on the Today Show. In 2007, Vieira told Good Housekeeping about her fear of having made the wrong decision in leaving The View. I thought, Ill have to be careful with my personality The View was anything goes, but this is the news division. Im basically a night person, and those hours are daunting. Will I be able to pull this off? On waking up each day at 3:00AM for the morning show, the Rhode Island-born Vieira said she never knew what she would expect once she arrived at Rockefeller Center. Its not so much the getting up, she said, its having to get up and bring something to the table every day. The most difficult thing is to stay in the moment and be able to switch gears. One minute youre with Hillary Clinton or covering a mine disaster, the next minute youre baking a pie or talking to Kool & The Gang. Its like a roller coaster. It takes a lot out of you. Vieira was at first hesitant about joining The View for this reason For the former 60 Minutes correspondent, joining The View wasnt even an option. She wasnt familiar with the format, nor was she especially fond of it. I remember being very hesitant about even going to audition, Vieira told Ramin Setoodeh, author of Ladies Who Punch. I wasnt somebody who watched daytime. . . and it had never been an area of television that interested me. Speaking with More magazine in 2006, Vieira opened up about how silly she felt not to take Walters offer seriously. A couple of days of being ashamed, Vieira admitted, and then I went, Oh, this is great. We dont pretend to do journalism, though Barbara Walters and I have that background. But women want to hear our positions. They wanted to hear from us after 9/11. RELATED: Meghan McCain From The View Admits to Lying, She Wasnt in NYC to Say Her Neighborhood Looked Like a War Zone U.S. can't shut down economy again amid concerns over 2nd COVID-19 wave: treasury secretary People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 10:43, June 13, 2020 WASHINGTON, June 11 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Thursday that the United States cannot shut down the economy again amid rising concerns over a potential second wave of COVID-19. "We can't shut down the economy, again. I think we've learned that if you shut down the economy, you're going to create more damage, and not just economic damage, but there are other areas," Mnuchin said in an interview with CNBC. "And we've talked about this. Medical problems and everything else that get put on hold," he said. Mnuchin said he is prepared to return to Congress to request additional fiscal aid to help the economy and workers weather the COVID-19 pandemic. "We're prepared to go back to Congress for more money to support the American workers," said Mnuchin. "So, we're going to get everybody back to work." More than 44 million initial jobless claims have been filed over the past 12 weeks as the COVID-19-induced recession sent ripples through the U.S. labor market, according to the Labor Department. While White House officials have expressed optimism that the economy will rebound in the second half of the year, economists and public health experts have warned that a hasty reopening of the economy could trigger a second wave of COVID-19 infections, which could reverse the economic recovery. Over 80 percent of panelists view a second wave of COVID-19 as the greatest downside risk for the U.S. economy through 2020, according to a survey released by the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) on Monday. "The NABE panel remains decidedly pessimistic about the second quarter of the year, as 80 percent of participants view risks to the outlook tilted to the downside," said NABE Outlook Survey Chair Eugenio Aleman. The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States has surpassed the 2 million mark with more than 113,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address By PTI BHOPAL: The Bhopal administration has allowed religious places outside COVID-19 containment zones in the district to reopen from Monday after a gap of about two- and-a-half months. In an order issued on Saturday, the district administration said authorities at the religious places need to ensure that social distancing guidelines are followed, and put in place all safety measures. Devotees will not be allowed to touch the idols or religious books and there would be no distribution of 'prasad' (religious offering of food), the order said. People will need to perform 'Wudu' (ablution before prayers) at their homes before visiting mosques, it said. Religious singing, choirs, recital of Gurbani and any kind of gathering or religious function would not be allowed, it said. Devotees will have to maintain a distance of six feet from each other, the order said. All religious places are needed to adhere to the guidelines and standard operating procedures prescribed by the Centre and the state government, it added. Till Saturday, Bhopal reported 2,145 COVID-19 cases and 69 deaths due to the disease. Earlier, following the easing of lockdown, religious places in several districts of Madhya Pradesh were allowed to reopen from June 8, but no decision was taken at that time for the state capital Bhopal. The famous Mahakaleshwar temple in the state's Ujjain city, located about 175 km from Bhopal, reopened for devotees last week. The temple, one of the 12 'jyotirlingas' in the country, attracts lakhs of devotees every year. The number pf COVID-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh reached 10,641 on Saturday after 198 new cases were detected, with Bhopal accounting for 63 of them, an official said. With seven patients succumbing to the infection in the day, the death toll has risen to 447, he said. The number of COVID-19 cases in the state increased by 2,552 since lockdown restrictions were eased after May 31, while 97 people lost their lives during the same period, the official said. Since Friday, Bhopal reported 63 cases, followed by 57 in Indore, among the worst-hit districts in the country. Two deaths each were reported in Indore and Jabalpur, one each in Neemuch, Sagar and Khargone, the official said. No new coronavirus case was reported in 26 districts since Friday evening. Cases have been reported from 51 of the 52 districts in MP, five of them not having any active case as on Saturday, a health department bulletin informed. The number of cases in Indore increased by 57 to reach 4,029, while the death toll stood at 166. Bhopal has 2,145 COVID-19 cases, and 69 have succumbed to the infection. Coronavirus figures in MP are as follows: Total cases: 10,641, active cases: 2,817, new cases: 198, death toll: 447, recovered: 7,377, people tested so far: 2,46,973. The human remains found at an Idaho home of Lori Vallows husband belong to her two children, officials confirmed Saturday in a news release. On Tuesday, police found the remains while searching Chad Daybells home after obtaining a warrant. At the time, a relative was able to confirm the remains belonged to Joshua JJ Vallow, who was 7 when he vanished, and 17-year-old Tylee Ryan. After being taken to the medical examiners office, that was verified by officials on Saturday. It is not the outcome we had hoped; to be able to find the children safe. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of JJ and Tylee, the Rexburg Police Department said in a press release. Daybell was taken into custody and questioned by police on Tuesday. However, he has not yet been charged as of Saturday. Police began searching for Tylee and JJ who was 7 when he vanished in November after Woodcock and other relatives raised concerns. Police say the couple lied to investigators about the children's whereabouts before quietly leaving Idaho and being found in Hawaii months later. In court documents, Madison County Prosecutor Rob Wood said he believes Daybell either concealed or helped hide the remains knowing that they were about to be used as evidence in court. Wood said the first body was hidden or destroyed sometime on or after Sept. 8 the last known day that Tylee was seen and the second on or after Sept. 22, the last known day that JJ was seen. A document that details the reasons behind the charges isn't available to the public. Wood asked to have it sealed, saying it could compromise the criminal investigation. The prosecutor also noted how much media attention the case has received and said keeping the document secret would help preserve Daybell's right to a fair trial. Lori Daybell already has been charged with child abandonment and obstructing the investigation and is in jail on $1 million bond. Her attorney has indicated she intends to defend herself against the charges, and she is scheduled for a preliminary hearing next month. Besides the missing children, the couple also have been under scrutiny following the deaths of both of their former spouses. The complex case spans several states and began with Lori Daybells brother shooting and killing her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in suburban Phoenix last summer in what he asserted was self-defense. Vallow was seeking a divorce, saying Lori believed she had become a god-like figure who was responsible for ushering in the biblical end times. Her brother, Alex Cox, died in December of an apparent blood clot in his lung. Shortly after Vallow's death, Lori and the children moved to Idaho, where Chad Daybell lived. He ran a small publishing company, putting out many fiction books he wrote about apocalyptic scenarios loosely based on the theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He also recorded podcasts about preparing for biblical end times, and friends said he claimed to be able to receive visions from "beyond the veil." He was married to Tammy Daybell, who died in her sleep last October of what her obituary said were natural causes. Authorities grew suspicious when Chad Daybell married Lori just two weeks later, and they had Tammy Daybells body exhumed in December. The results of that autopsy have not been released. The Associated Press contributed to this report. What we now face is regime change. That is why these strange crowds have begun to gather round ancient and forgotten monuments, demanding their removal and destruction. They do not know what they want, or understand what they are destroying. But that no longer matters. They think their moment has come, and they may well be right. This is why the memorial to Winston Churchill, and the Cenotaph itself, were shamefully boarded up on Thursday night an act of appeasement if ever there truly was one. That is why police chiefs kneel like conquered slaves to the new gods of woke, and the leaders of the Labour Party do likewise. I have seen it happen before, but only when things were moving in the opposite direction. Then, as the Soviet Empire fell and an evil thing was swept from the world, it was a matter for rejoicing. The bloody mass murderer Vladimir Lenin, and his equally gory secret police enforcer Felix Dzerzhinsky, were pulled from their pedestals by a people sick of being ruled by their heirs. The boarding up of Winston Churchill's statue in Parliament Square was act of appeasement if ever there truly was one. The monument to the wartime Prime Minster now stands heavily boarded, to deter possible attacks of vandalism from protestors in the coming weeks This time, as ignorant armies seek the final abolition of Britain, it is very frightening. I would not like to say where it will end. I cannot claim to have known this would happen but I will say that I had an instinctive fear of very bad things to come when the country began its mad, wild shutdown in March. I have learned over many years to trust my instincts, to take that train, to make that phone call, to turn that corner. When I have heeded them I have either benefited or been saved from bad things. When I have ignored them I have been hurt. It may be inherited from our forebears, or learned by decades of experience. It may be a mixture of the two. But on crucial occasions we know more than we think we do. And as the cities began to darken and empty, and the world as we knew it started to close, I feared that we should never again see the lights lit again as they had been before. It was like the start of a great war without limit, made more perplexing because there was no obvious end to it, ever. This was not just about a disease and a wholly overdone response to it. It was like the death of Princess Diana and the fall of the Twin Towers gathered together into a single great mass of unreason and panic. The Diana episode had been a Dictatorship of Grief, in which even the most revered parts of the establishment had bowed to the mob. Show us you care! shouted the headlines. And woe betide those who did not. Then came September 11, 2001, and a Dictatorship of Security. No argument could withstand the claim that safety was paramount, and we willingly made a bonfire of our freedoms, wrongly persuaded that we could trust our governments not to take advantage. And now we have the Dictatorship of Fear. It is not the largely fictional R number which governs the behaviour of our feeble Government, which is only just beginning to grasp how much damage it has done and how hard it will be to repair. It is the F number, the number of people scared into pathetic timidity by the slick but false claim we were all at risk from a terrible and devastating disease. The numbers of dead are grossly inflated by an incredibly lax recording system, which does not distinguish between those who died of Covid-19 and those who died of other things but may have been infected by it. Many who have died of Covid-19 are almost certainly victims of the Governments failure to protect those who were in fact most vulnerable the residents of care homes. The Cenotaph too was boarded, as signs now point to Britain facing mass regime change The sad but unavoidable fact, that the disease is little danger to most young and healthy people but is especially deadly to the old and ill, is also now beyond dispute. The initial claims of Imperial College London, that half a million might die if strict shutdown measures were not taken, have been devastatingly dismantled by other experts, who believe its methods and codes are, to put it mildly, hopelessly wrong. Yet Imperials chief spokesman, Professor Neil Ferguson (caught ignoring his own advice with a girlfriend), has the double nerve to claim the rules he flouted should have been introduced even earlier. By contrast, Sunetra Gupta, Professor of Theoretical Epidemiology at the University of Oxford, says that the shutdown should be lifted immediately. Thanks to the barefaced dishonesty and unlawful bias of the BBC, and also the pitifully bad coverage of several newspapers, millions are unaware the whole basis of Government policy is now completely exploded by scientific experts. Even the truth about Sweden, which did not shut down, is obscured by incessant hostile reporting. Sweden followed Britain in one thing failing to protect care homes, and so it has had a higher death toll than it should have done. But even so, its experience along with Japan shows clearly that there is no link between shutdown and the number of deaths suffered. The ceaseless assumption of the Government and the BBC that the shutdown protected the NHS is simply not borne out by any facts. The NHS was never going to be overwhelmed. Covid deaths in this country peaked on April 8 an event far too soon to have been caused by the shutdown announced on March 23 and begun the following day. In fact, the country with the highest number of deaths per head is Belgium (843 per million). Yet Belgium introduced one of the tightest and most severe shutdowns on the planet. Sweden, without a shutdown at all, has suffered 472 deaths per million. Boris Johnson's imposed measures for the coronavirus lockdown have been widely criticised The UK figure of 620 per million may be inflated by our lax recording methods but hardly suggests that we did better than Sweden by throttling our economy and grossly interfering in personal liberty. Japan, which also did not shut down, suffered just over seven (yes, seven) deaths per million. It is as if some establishments, including our own, wanted a crisis and used their control of information to achieve one. And still it continues. As of tomorrow, in a symbolic moment never to be forgotten, users of trains and buses will be compelled to wear muzzles or forbidden to travel. The legal basis for this is highly doubtful. The medical basis for it is more doubtful still. These muzzles have been described as being as much use against a microscopic virus as a chain-link fence would be against mosquitoes. As the distinguished pathologist Dr John Lee asked, after examining the evidence for and against, does any of what is out there add up to a watertight case for compelling people to wear masks in public or at work (outside a healthcare setting)? The threshold for compulsion must surely be higher than maybe and perhaps. I am fairly sure these measures, like the house arrest and sunbathing bans which came before, have another purpose. They accustom us to being told what to do. Stand there. Wait there. Dont use cash. Dont cross that line. They permanently change the relationship between the individual and the state. Not only can the Government now tell us where we must live and when or if we can go out. Not only can it tell us who we can sleep with (apart from Professor Ferguson, who is still allowed to pontificate after brazenly breaking these rules). It can now even tell us what to wear. This is something I have not had to endure since my schooldays. What is even more startling is that it can tell me what to wear on my head and on my face, which is somehow even more personal and more intrusive. I well remember the moment of liberation on the day I left my Devon preparatory school for the last time, and hurled my annoying cap from a high viaduct (it was a school tradition) as the train took me towards the grown-up world I longed to join. All subsequent efforts to get me to wear such a thing failed. As soon as this lockdown began I could see most of this coming. It was clearly a revolution. And as the long weeks dragged by, something else became clear. The actual time it was taking was important. During these long dreamy weeks we have bit by bit forgotten who we were before, how we lived, what we thought, what we expected of life. I believe that forces hostile to our country, its history and nature, have seen this as an opportunity. Probably incredulous to begin with, they realised the British people really had gone soft, accepting absurd and humiliating diktats, believing the most ridiculous claims. They also noticed that formerly great institutions and forces the church, Parliament, the police, the armed services, much of Fleet Street, the universities submitted to it without so much as a sigh. So did what remained of our great industrial and commercial companies. There was, on top of this, an increasingly feverish atmosphere. Deprived of normal routines and circles of friendship, many people became strained and suggestible. They were discontented but not allowed to protest against the thing which was oppressing them, the shutdown, since from every quarter they were told it was justified. Almost any spark could have ignited this rich mixture. As it happens, it was the death in Minneapolis, a city most British people will never even see, of George Floyd. Seeing the surging crowds, the rioting and the looting in the USA, the British radical Left grew jealous. They imported the protest, converted it into outrage against some mouldering statues, and set the streets alight. Last week I attended one of these demonstrations, against the statue of Cecil Rhodes in Oxford. I have lived in Oxford for more than 50 years and I went out of interest, not because I care especially about this mediocre sculpture of a questionable man. The event was utterly incoherent, moving from vague rage against the long-dead Rhodes to concerns about the oppression of West Papua to shouts against colonialism. As far as I know, China is the only major colonial power left. Peking is certainly raping Africa on a scale Cecil Rhodes never dreamed of. But such people cant quite bring themselves to attack that particular regime. Sometimes I think the radical Left are more nostalgic for the British Empire than any retired Indian Army colonel ever was. They need it, to hate it. Its utter deadness is a nuisance to them. I became briefly famous because, when the crowd were invited to sit down for eight minutes and 46 seconds, with fists clenched, to commemorate Mr Floyd, I did not join in. One of the protesters accused me of refusing to take the knee. It is true I would have refused to do so if asked, but in fact they were taking the buttock, a slightly different thing. The important thing about these protesters, lauded by the Labour Party and deferred to by police chiefs, is that they help to strengthen the new establishment and destroy the old one. They have already helped to make it very hard for traditional, normal, Christian conservative and patriotic opinions to be expressed at all. By using social media as a form of discipline, they have made everyone including the Left-wing multimillionaire author J.K. Rowling fear them. Anyone, as she learned last week, can now be cancelled the new radicals chilling word for the obliteration they like to visit on their victims. She has been pursued for saying the wrong thing about the transgender issue. In fact, there is no right thing. I have known for years it was futile to try to respond with fairness and reason to the new orthodoxy. However carefully and generously I might argue, I would still be denounced for thought crime. You cannot be right, nor can you know if you are right. That is a large part of the trick. No actual debate can take place in these conditions. And where there is no debate there is no freedom. I have also pointed out for years without effect that the police were long ago infiltrated with radical Left-wing thought. I warned of Cressida Dick in 2004, noticing her early experiments in negotiating with demonstrators rather than reclaiming the streets from them, and predicting that she would be the first female Metropolitan Police Commissioner. I pointed out that Labours smoothie Mandelsonian and Blairite Eurocommunists were far more dangerous than Jeremy Corbyns crude and obvious Marxism. Now, when Sir Keir Starmer (another one of those who dallied with a Trotskyist sect in the 1980s) kneels in supplication to the new orthodoxy, who wants to tell me he is a moderate? Labour leader Kier Starmer took the knee, in a gesture which was shared widely online People thought this frothing, intolerant Leftism did not matter or was a minor issue on the edge of our society. But in fact it was the first wave of a new orthodoxy which will shortly be dominating all our lives. And it is the Covid frenzy which has made its final triumph much closer. For the Tory Party in office but not in power has over the past few months done the militant Left a huge favour. It has destroyed itself voters will not forgive the mess it has made of their lives and of the economy, especially when they get the bill and the inevitable public inquiry reveals just how wrong they were. The Johnson Government is now just keeping Downing Street warm for Sir Keir and his Blairite legions. But this will be far worse than 1997, when the Blairites moved softly and cautiously, nervous that they might rouse the Forces of Conservatism. For the past few weeks have also demonstrated that all the pillars of British freedom and civilisation are hollow and rotten, and that we are ripe for a sweeping cultural revolution as devastating as the one Lenin and Dzerzhinsky launched in Petrograd in 1917. Except that this time there will be no need to storm the Winter Palace, seize the railway station or the telephone exchange or the barracks. The Left are already in control of every lever of power and influence, from the schools the Tories are too weak to reopen to the police, the Civil Service, the courts and the BBC. It is regime change. Do not worry too much about the statues which are now coming down. They mean surprisingly little. Worry more about the ones they are soon going to be putting up, and what they will represent. Perhaps our grandchildren will find the courage to pull them down. If you want to comment on Peter Hitchens click here Save Sir Winston! Sign the Mail petition urging Boris Johnson to publicly promise that Churchill's statue will NEVER be torn down By Michael Powell and James Heale and Mark Nikol for the Mail on Sunday The Mail on Sunday today calls on our readers to help block any attempt to remove the statue of Sir Winston Churchill from outside the Houses of Parliament. Our petition urges Boris Johnson to make a public pledge that the monument to Britain's celebrated wartime leader will never be moved after it was attacked by anti-fascist and Black Lives Matter protesters last weekend. Churchill's granddaughter alarmed war veterans, MPs and historians yesterday by suggesting the iconic sculpture may be safer in a museum. London Mayor Sadiq Khan had the statue in Parliament Square boarded up with large metal sheets on Friday amid fears it would be targeted by protesters a move Mr Johnson branded as 'absurd and shameful'. Please enter your details here to sign the letter below Thank you for signing The Mail on Sunday's Save Churchill petition. The petition will be sent to Downing Street but your personal data will be held by DMGT in accordance with this 'petition' and will not otherwise be shared with any third parties. For more information on how we store and process data please visit our privacy policy here. If the form does not appear correctly, please show your support by filling it in by clicking here >>> If you are an Android user and you cannot find the 'submit' button, please enter your details and press the 'enter' button on the keyboard of you phone or tablet device Activists daubed the words 'was a racist' under Churchill's name on the statue during angry anti-racism protests last weekend. His granddaughter Emma Soames told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that she felt 'extraordinarily sad that my grandfather, who was such a unifying figure in this country, appears to have become a sort of icon through being controversial'. She said if people were 'so infuriated' by seeing the statue, it may be 'safer' in a museum. But Churchill's grandson Nicholas Soames swiftly condemned any attempt to move it from the spot the former PM had chosen before he died in 1965. 'I will have nothing of taking statues down and putting them in museums,' he said. People stand near the boarded up Churchill statue at Parliament Square in London yesterday Sir Nicholas told protesters to 'read your history and grow up', and said it was 'rubbish' and a 'lunatic representation' to call his grandfather racist. He told LBC: 'All his life he fought fascism.' Churchill, who was Prime Minister twice, is considered a national hero and often leads polls on who was the greatest-ever Briton. His picture was chosen to appear on the new polymer 5 notes. However, critics say his legacy is tarnished by controversial remarks he made about different races and his role in the Bengal famine in 1943 after Allied forces halted food supplies, leading to an estimated 3 million deaths. Mr Johnson, who wrote a biography of Churchill in 2014, acknowledged the former PM had expressed opinions which were 'unacceptable to us today', but he remained a hero for saving Britain from 'fascist and racist tyranny'. However, Mr Johnson was coming under increasing pressure last night to promise that the statue was going nowhere, amid a chorus of support for our petition. A worker cleans graffiti from the plinth of Churchill statue at Parliament Square on Monday Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: 'Churchill is the greatest Briton without any question who has saved this country and the whole free world from the terrible tyranny of Nazi Germany. I want the Prime Minister and those in authority to make it clear the statue will never be removed from its plinth.' Last night, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also backed our campaign, saying: 'Winston Churchill's statue in Parliament Square stands as a tribute to his leadership and the Allied victory in the Second World War. It should not be moved.' Colonel Richard Kemp, former British Army commander in Afghanistan, said: 'Even to consider relocating the statue of Churchill is shameful. He was responsible for saving this country from the tyranny of Nazism perhaps the most racist regime in history. Accusations of racism made against him are largely based on deliberate misrepresentations of history.' A protective covering surrounds the Winston Churchill statue at Parliament Square on Friday Former Chancellor Lord Lamont admitted that some of Churchill's views belonged in the past but 'he was a great man who saved this country from an evil regime. He has been an inspiration through the ages and remains so.' Rear Admiral Chris Parry, a former Royal Navy commander, added: 'Churchill should stay put. You have to look at his overall contribution. People calling for him to be moved are clueless as to the nuances of history. 'Statues stimulate debate you don't have to agree with everything that figure did or said.' Rusty Firmin, an SAS hero who took part in the Iranian Embassy siege in 1980, said: 'Many of these people calling for the statue to be removed wouldn't have been here today if the Nazi war machine had defeated us and our allies. So surely Winston Churchill defended all races? That statue could have easily been Adolf Hitler.' Prime Minister Boris Johnson is pictured at 10 Downing Street in London on Wednesday Author Shrabani Basu, who has written books about the British Empire, said there were 'two sides of Churchill', and 'we need to know his darkest hour as well as his finest hour'. But Ms Basu said she did not want to see the statue removed from Parliament Square. Tory MP Matt Vickers was one of several parliamentarians who arrived to clean the graffiti off Churchill's statue last Monday. He said: 'Winston Churchill is one of Britain's greatest figures and it is shameful that his statue was boarded up. We cannot allow rule by the mob to destroy the hard-won freedoms and rights he secured for us.' Andrew Roberts, historian and author of Churchill: Walking With Destiny, said: 'As well as being a Tory PM, Churchill was a Liberal for 20 years and a founder of the welfare state, so The Mail on Sunday's excellent campaign is something that all Britons should be able get behind, regardless of politics.' Bengaluru: In an all part meeting, Karnataka cabinet has decided not to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu till September 23. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah chaired a cabinet meeting to discuss the issue. Earlier, the Supreme Court had asked Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs of water everyday till September 27. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, said the Cabinet has decided to defer releasing of water to Tamil Nadu. He even said, the Cabinet has decided to request Governor of Karnataka to convene both the houses on 23rd September 2016 at 11 am. Earlier, BJP has decided to boycott the all-party meeting called by Chief Minister Siddaramaih to discuss the future course of action following Supreme Court's order directing Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu till September 27.The party has demanded that the government should call the Assembly session immediately to decide the issue. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 21:03:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Mohammed Hussein (R) meets Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah in Baghdad, Iraq, on June 14, 2020. Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah arrived Sunday in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on an official visit to hold talks with Iraqi leaders aimed at promoting bilateral ties. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood) BAGHDAD, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah arrived Sunday in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on an official visit to hold talks with Iraqi leaders aimed at promoting bilateral ties. A statement by the office of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said that al-Kadhimi received in his office the Kuwaiti minister, who carried a message from the Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah over the bilateral relations. "During the meeting, the two sides discussed the challenges of water security and the file of terrorism, which described as a common challenge among the countries of the region, as well as discussing the economic crisis and the decline of global oil prices," the statement said. The Kuwaiti minister confirmed that dealing with the economic crisis can be take place on three levels, which are the movement at the world states level, international institutions and at the regional level through cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council, which Iraq can benefit from in the field of electricity interconnection and other areas, according to the statement. For his part, al-Kadhimi stressed "the importance of strengthening security and economic cooperation between the two countries in a manner that serves the stability and prosperity of the region," the statement said. He also pledged that his government will continue to cooperate on the issue of Kuwaiti prisoners in the Gulf War in 1991, it added. The relations between Kuwait and Iraq have been strengthened in recent years after severing relations for many years following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and the U.S.-led war to liberate it in 1991. Press Release June 14, 2020 Lacson: NPA Fronts Busier with Disinformation Drive vs Anti-Terrorism Bill as More Comrades Surrender More at: https://pinglacson.net/2020/06/14/lacson-npa-fronts-busier-with-disinformation-drive-vs-anti-terrorism-bill-as-more-comrades-surrender/ Fronts of the communist New People's Army - and their "allies" - have become busier in their disinformation campaign against the proposed Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 over the weekend, as more of their comrades surrender to authorities. Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson bared this on Sunday as he urged the public to read a provision in the bill that those behind the intensified smear drive have conveniently skipped. "An Army commander reported that in anticipation of the passage of the Anti-Terrorism Bill, the NPAs have started surrendering. 27 in just 2 days in Quezon, Laguna and Mindoro alone. Many more are sending surrender feelers. That is why, he said, their fronts have become busier with their disinformation campaign," he said on his Twitter account. Earlier, Lacson noted there is a pending proscription case against the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People's Army at the Manila RTC. The CPP/NPA, along with the Abu Sayyaf, are already designated by the US Secretary of State as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. A list of foreign terrorist organizations posted on the US State Department website indicates the CPP/NPA was designated as early as Aug. 9, 2002. The Abu Sayyaf, which was declared a terrorist organization by a Basilan court in 2015, was designated on Oct. 8, 1997. "As per the Anti-Terrorism Bill, once the United Nations designates the local communist guerrillas as a terrorist organization, the ATC can initiate an administrative action through the Anti-Money Laundering Council to freeze their accounts. These and more could be the reason why there is so much disinformation going on," Lacson noted. "I hope the different political parties that are opposed to the current administration will not fall into the 'scare tactics' trap laid out and being peddled by groups who are sympathetic to the CPP/NPA's cause which incidentally has deteriorated to the level of banditry and extortion activities," he added. Meanwhile, Lacson urged the public to read a provision in the measure that the NPA's fronts have conveniently skipped in their disinformation campaign. He said Section 45 of the bill belies their claims the Anti-Terrorism Council has the power to order the arrest of "suspected" terrorists as the ATC has no judicial or quasi-judicial authority. "Those who have doubts on the extent of the ATC authority, please find time to read Section 45 of the bill, particularly the last paragraph, 'Nowhere herein shall be interpreted to empower the ATC to exercise any judicial or quasi-judicial power or authority,'" he said. Also, Lacson turned the tables on a so-called human rights "researcher" who accused him of "peddling misinformation" about the anti-terrorism measure and retweeted claims by a group claiming the ATC has such powers. "That is my original line. You are plagiarizing," Lacson tweeted to Human Rights Watch "researcher" Carlos Conde. By Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She is currently writing a book about textile artisans. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on June 3 struck down the EPAs approval of XtendiMax, Engenia, and FeXapan dicamba-based herbicides sold by Bayer (as a consequence of its acquiisition of Monsanto, which produced these products), BASF, and Corteva. (The complete 56-page opinion is appended below). As dicamba drifts it does not stay where it is applied and so damages nearby crops, the court ordered use of the herbicide to cease. This means that farmers cannot use the herbicide, beginning immediately with the current growing season, which is already underway. According to Common Dreams: The EPA and Monsanto urge us, if we conclude that substantial evidence does not support the 2018 conditional registrations, to remand without vacatur, leaving the conditional registrations in effect, the court said. We decline to do so. Last Monday, as announced in EPA Offers Clarity to Farmers in Light of Recent Court Vacatur of Dicamba Registrations. the agency issued a cancellation order, which outlines limited and specific circumstances under which existing stocks of the three affected dicamba products can be used for a limited period of time. EPAs order will advance protection of public health and the environment by ensuring use of existing stocks follows important application procedures. Lawyers for plaintffs, which include the Center for Food Safety and the Center for Biological Diversity, immediately struck back, as Progressive Farmer notes: An emergency motion was filed late Thursday night, June 11, asking the Ninth Circuit Court to halt all dicamba use and hold the EPA in contempt of court for its decision to allow farmers to use existing stocks of three dicamba herbicides. On June 12, the courts panel of judges responded and ordered EPA to respond to the emergency motion by 5 p.m. on June 16. Until then, EPAs order still stands. But if the judges ultimately rule against EPA, the motion could once again leave farmers without many dicamba herbicide options to use over millions of acres of dicamba-tolerant soybean and cotton this summer. The Glyphosate Link Ive written about the glyphosate litigation (see here, here, here), here, and here), but was unaware of the dicamba connection. In those lawsuits, various plaintiffs allege that glphosate has caused their cancers; click on the links for more details. From the June 3 9th Circuit opinion: American farmers have been using dicamba, a chemical herbicide, to combat weeds for more than fifty years. Dicamba is an effective weed killer, but its toxicity is not limited to weeds. It can kill many desirable broadleaf plants, bushes, and trees. It also has a well-known drawback. Dicamba is volatile, moving easily off a field onto which it has been sprayed. It can drift if the wind blows during application; it can drift if applied during temperature inversions; it can drift after application when it volatilizes, or turns to a vapor, during hot weather. As a result of its toxicity and its tendency to drift, dicamba had historically been used to clear fields, either before crops were planted or before newly planted crops emerged from the soil. This changed in 2017. By the early 2000s, many weeds had developed a resistance to the widely used herbicide glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup brand-name products sold by the Monsanto Company (Monsanto). In response, Monsanto developed and patented genes that allowed soybean and cotton crops to tolerate dicamba. Concurrently, Monsanto and two other herbicide manufacturers reformulated dicamba herbicides in an attempt to make dicamba less volatile and therefore usable during the growing season (p. 2). Contempt of Court for EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler? Plaintiffs attorneys will press to sanction the EPA for its attempt to end-run the clear June 3 opinion. Over to Progressive Farmer: The plaintiffs asked the judges to hold EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler in contempt of court. EPA and Administrator Wheeler should be found in contempt for not just failing to substantially comply with, but blatantly and intentionally violating the entirety of the Courts Order, they wrote. Yet nor is the EPA backing down. As Progressive Farmer reports: EPA released a statement to DTN this morning, defending its order. EPAs order which protects the livelihood of our nations farmers and the global food supply is consistent with the Agencys authority and with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals June 3, 2020 mandate, the agency said in an emailed statement to DTN. EPA stands by its order and will vigorously defend against attempts to limit the agencys authority to provide clarity and certainty to farmers. Dicamba registrant Bayer, which is listed as a defendant-intervenor in the original lawsuit, vowed to fight the emergency motion in court. We are reviewing the filing in detail, but do not believe it is proper or well-founded and we are preparing our responsive filing, a Bayer spokesperson said in an emailed statement. During this critical time, farmers and commercial applicators can continue to use low volatility dicamba herbicides per the U.S. EPAs current order. The judges did not grant Bayer an opportunity to respond to the plaintiffs emergency motion, only EPA. Both Corteva Agriscience, which markets the FeXapan herbicide, and BASF, which owns Engenia, announced that that they have filed motions to intervene in the lawsuit. Both companies noted that they only became aware that their dicamba products were implicated in the lawsuit when the Ninth Circuit vacated all three registrations on June 3. Trump EPA During the Time of COVID-19 The latest shenanigans well fit within what the Trump administration has been trying to get away with. I mention in passing its use of the excuse of the COVID-19 pandemic to shutter its EPA enforcement efforts (as well as advance its policy agenda across severalother realms). Several state attorney generals callied out this effort, by filing legal actions challenging the EPAs blanket waiver of enforcing air and water pollution rules. In fact last week, as Waste Dive reports: Nine states are pushing back on the U.S. EPAs moves to relax environmental oversight due to the new coronavirus pandemic. Attorneys general for New York, California, Maryland, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Vermont, Oregon, and Virginia raised the issue in a brief sent June 8 to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Those states are asking the court to issue a preliminary injunction that would halt the EPAs enforcement discretion policy, announced in March. The states filed a lawsuit in May arguing the policy is too expansive and vague. Spokespersons for the Maryland and New York attorneys general told Waste Dive this new brief supports the same case. EPA Stubbornness Hurts Farmers As to the dicamba issue, farmers are obvious losers on EPA dicamba policy. The legal situation is uncertain. So, what should they do? This is a particularly difficult question if they have already purchased dicamba but not yet applied what they have bought. A short Sioux City Journal account minces no words: A federal court has come down hard on the Environmental Protection Agency for allowing farmers to continue spraying the weed killer dicamba on crops even though it was obvious the chemical was toxic to nonresistant crops. The immediate ban imposed by the court on continued dicamba spraying seems certain to deal a catastrophic blow to an agriculture industry that has grown heavily dependent on the herbicide. This is yet another Trump administration mess that should, by now, have farmers questioning why the president deserves any continued support. President Donald Trump launched a disastrous trade war with China that destroyed their biggest export market. His bungled response to the pandemic further evaporated markets and put a stranglehold on produce-distribution networks. The EPA did nothing to prepare farmers for a ruling that appeared almost certain from the beginning to go against dicambas continued use. The evidence was overwhelming, as the unanimous ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals made clear, that the herbicide tends to evaporate under certain conditions or drift in wind and settle onto adjacent fields. The ruling quoted a study by professor Kevin Bradley of the University of Missouri, that by the end of 2017, 2,708 formal complaints of dicamba-caused damage were being investigated by state departments of agriculture. The study estimated that approximately 3.6 million acres of soybeans in 24 states were damaged by dicamba drift. Dicambas developer, Creve Coeur-based Monsanto, and parent company Bayer have long tried to shift blame, saying farmers failed to follow instructions. Damaged crops were the result of other factors unrelated to dicamba. It always seems to be someone elses fault. But the 56-page federal court ruling left no doubt that the herbicide is to blame. The EPAs decision in 2018 to extend approval of dicambas use for another two years substantially understated multiple risks recognized by the agency, and also entirely failed to acknowledge others, the ruling said. The EPA, defying the June 3 ruling, told farmers this week they could continue spraying until July 31 to use up their existing stock, but supplies purchased after June 3 may not be used. It was EPA that set farmers up for the prospect of worse heartbreak and financial loss. Farmers would be smart to abide by the court ruling rather than place more faith in a defiant Trump administration with a history of creating far more problems than it solves for American agriculture. The Bottom Line it seems the U.S. courts maystill occasionally issue tough environmental opinions. Im curious what the Ninth Circuit will now do with an EPA that has so clearly sought to dodge its opinon. Paul Buckowski/Times Union Every week brings stark news of how the coronavirus pandemic has worsened hunger in New York state. Because we know hunger will remain a challenge for the duration of the economic downturn, we need to re-double our efforts to enroll people in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Many are newly eligible for benefits and need help applying. New Yorks Nutrition Outreach and Education Program provides free, confidential services to help people learn about and apply for SNAP benefits. British Airways has a proud history of connecting Britain with the world and the world with Britain. We've been doing it for more than a century and in that time we have been through major crises but not one of those crises has come close to where we find ourselves now. You only have to look up to see that flying has, to all intents and purposes, stopped. Grounded: Chief executive Alex Cruz says British Airways is locked in a battle for survival It stopped more than two months ago and the stats speak for themselves. In May this year, we flew 485 passenger flights. Last year, on the first day of May, we had flown that number of flights by lunchtime. We had hoped for a return to some additional flying in July so we could begin to get back on track and give people the hope of a holiday after such terrible times. But the Government's decision to introduce 14-day quarantine for visitors arriving into the UK, without consultation or scientific evidence, has dealt our restart plans a hammer blow. It is irrational to stop people travelling from countries with a lower risk of infection into the UK and to treat those that do come more harshly, under criminal law, than people who actually have Covid-19. British Airways has been a well-run, prudent business for many years. We have created good employment for thousands of people, opened new routes, paid billions in taxes to the Exchequer, paid regularly into the company's defined benefit pension scheme and paid dividends to those who have chosen to invest in us. But if you were to listen to some of our MPs, or certain trade unions, these achievements are worthless and even derided. Their attacks on British Airways are both partial and parochial. In conducting its recent review, the Transport Select Committee made clear its report would be 'fuelled by the kind and impassioned messages' it received, rather than the facts. But the facts are clear. Economists at IATA predict international air travel won't return to the levels of 2019 until at least 2023. At BA, 98.2 per cent of our business is international. We know we will emerge from the Covid-19 crisis as a much smaller airline. We will have fewer customers and fly to fewer routes for years to come. Our business will be laden with hundreds of millions of pounds in new debt, much of which must be repaid over a short term, so any revenues we make when we return to flying will be swallowed up by loan repayments. Meanwhile, fleet-of-foot overseas competitors will be waiting in the wings to take the landing slots at Heathrow that our MPs have suggested BA does not deserve. British Airways has no absolute right to exist. We are in a fight to survive and, like our peers, we must consult in an honest, transparent and meaningful way on proposals to reduce the size of our workforce. To suggest we are focused on anything but our immediate survival in the short term, plus a sustainable and competitive re-emergence for the longer term, is not true. Unite and GMB have said publicly they will only meet us if we withdraw the Section 188 notices that set out our redundancy proposals. For the record, if a UK company proposes redundancies it must follow the law, inform the unions that jobs are at risk and provide any and all information to make the consultation meaningful. Our Section 188 notices are not 'notice of dismissals'. Rather they outline every item that could possibly be consulted on. And both Unite and GMB have form on this point. They have sued several companies for not correctly filing Section 188 notices when considering redundancies. Indeed, BA was sued by Unite and the GMB in 2011 when they argued we had not provided a Section 188 letter before entering into discussions with them. This claim was settled. So that is why we will not step back from our legal obligations on consultation to our employees. We are consulting, and this week, despite Unite and GMB failing to attend over 250 meetings and counting, we announced we are exploring and will consult upon options for voluntary redundancy for our colleagues, within the limits of our cash-constrained position. Like other companies facing job losses, I do not want to deprive my people of their livelihoods. It is painful to contemplate the scale of the change we need to make because I know we have the best people in the business the most kind, caring and compassionate people who deliver the best British service. I will do everything in my power to ensure that British Airways can survive and sustain the maximum number of jobs in line with the new reality of a changed airline industry and a severely weakened global economy. This is a challenge not of our making, nor one we could ever have conceived. We will continue to show up for union meetings and hope they stop scaremongering and attacking our brand and start doing what their members pay them for, namely representing them as they deserve. Katherine Bennett-Wilson has smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 50 years. So when the 66-year-old had her annual physical last May, as part of the Medicare screening process, her doctor told her she needed a low-dose CT scan of her lungs. They saw nodules in the right upper lobe of my lung, recalled Bennett-Wilson, who lives in South Philly. I had to do a follow-up around six months later to see if they had gotten any bigger. That scan, and a follow-up PET scan, showed that one nodule had grown, and she would need surgery to remove it. It was cancer, but [my doctor] got it so early, she said. Thats the benefit of the screening. He caught it early at stage 1 so I dont have to do chemo or radiation. Without that test, I never would have known I had it. It could have grown and been much worse than it was. Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in both men and women in the United States, according to the American Lung Association (ALA), though lung cancer death rates are declining. Because smoking is the most common risk factor for getting lung cancer, screening those at risk annually is saving lives. Recent studies showed that choosing the right patients like Bennett-Wilson and screening them with low-dose CT scans could find cancers earlier, and improve patients survival overall, said Nathaniel Evans III, director of thoracic surgery at Jefferson Health, and Bennett-Wilsons doctor. According to the American Cancer Association (ACA), lung cancer death rates dropped 51% from 1990 to 2017 among men and 26% from 2002 to 2017 among women. That decline is a direct result of fewer people smoking, said Anil Vachani, co-director of lung cancer screening at both Penn Medicine and the Philadelphia VA Medical Center. As smoking has declined, so have lung cancer deaths, but former smokers are still at risk. Unfortunately, lung cancer frequently presents with nonspecific symptoms. People can have tumors growing in their lungs and not have any symptoms for a long, long time, he said, because lungs are comprised mostly of air with few pain receptors. By waiting until someone shows symptoms coughing up blood, losing weight or pain the cancer is usually late stage. Stage 1 lung cancer is significantly more treatable and potentially curable compared to stage 3 and 4 lung cancer. About 10% to 15% of smokers develop lung cancer. While to some, that number may seem low, approximately 541,000 Americans living today have been diagnosed with lung cancer at some point in their lives, according to the ALA. A quarter of the population in some parts of Philadelphia smoke, said Evans. So even if only 10% of them get cancer in their life, that ends up being a huge proportion of people. Screening is recommended for smokers age 55 and older who have smoked 30 pack years a pack a day for 30 years or two packs a day for 15 years, for example. They also need to have smoked sometime over the last 15 years. Insurance will pay for the screening. The initial scan will be covered without co-pay for those meeting the high-risk criteria who are ages 55 to 80 and have private insurance, or are 55 to 77 and have Medicare, according to the ALA. For patients who dont have any signs or symptoms of lung cancer, screening identifies early stage cancer in about 4% or 5% of them, said Evans. And if they are still smoking, patients who are screened also get counseling for smoking cessation, Evans said. Thats a great opportunity to try and help them quit, added Vachani. At the time theyre getting screening is perhaps when they are worried about their lung health and future cancer risk, he said. We get them the necessary resources to think about quitting and help them quit. That worked for Bennett-Wilson. Ive tried to quit forever and a day, she said. But Ive always said, That cant happen to me. Im not going to get lung cancer because the lung cancer patients I see are on oxygen, and they are coughing and lost weight. None of that happened to me. I didnt have any symptoms. Im a healthy person, and Ive never had surgery before so it was scary. Like any diagnostic screening, there are risks, most notably, a small amount of radiation that comes with any CT scan, Vachani said. The accumulation of radiation over time can increase the risk for new cancers. There is also the risk of false positive results, which lead to more testing. Evans urges smokers who fit the screening profile to get the scan. One of the things that prevents people from getting screening is that theyre afraid of what they will find, he said. We only find anything on about a quarter of the scans, and 90% of the things we find are benign. Youre much more likely to be able to get peace of mind that everythings fine than you are to find a lung cancer. And if you have a cancer, its better to find out about it than not. Though there are causes of lung cancer unrelated to smoking exposures to radon, secondhand smoke, environmental factors such as air pollution, and occupational exposures like asbestos currently, the screening is not recommended for nonsmokers. We dont have a way of identifying nonsmokers who are high risk enough, that we could justify screening them, Evans said. For patients who dont have a lung cancer, quitting can decrease their risks of developing one, Evans said. Much of the damage theyre doing to their lungs can be reversed just by not smoking anymore. For patients who smoke that do have lung cancer, smoking puts them at risk for complications no matter what type of treatment they have. Evans said treatment of lung cancer is much different than it was 20 or 30 years ago. Most patients understanding of lung cancer is based on when their parents or grandparents might have lung cancer, he said. Thats not the way it is anymore. Its hard to get people to screen for things if they think, no matter what happens, you cant do anything about it anyway. The reality is, at all stages of the disease, there are new treatments every day. Rocket Lab has returned to active launch status from its first launchpad in New Zealand, after the global COVID-19 pandemic temporarily paused its work there. Early this morning, it flew its 12th Electron launch vehicle from its launch site on NZ's Mahia Peninsula, carrying payloads on behalf of the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), NASA and the University of New South Wales Canberra. The launch occurred at 1:13 AM EDT (5:13 PM local time) and went off without a hitch. Rocket Lab later confirmed that payload deployment also went exactly to plan once the Electron reached its target orbit. Rocket Lab has been gearing up for significant expansion of its launch capabilities, with a new launch site in the U.S. on Wallops Island in Virginia. The launch facility is now open, and its first mission had been scheduled to fly earlier this year, but that launch got pushed back in part because of delays resulting from NASA's efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19 with facility closures and a focus on essential missions. New Zealand is now fully out of lockdown, however -- the country's fast action and relatively small, dispersed population allowed it to contain cases of COVID-19 fairly quickly, and reduce the infection rate to zero. That's good news both for Rocket Lab's existing operation, and for its ongoing work to establish a second launch site at its Mahia facility, which is well underway and could go into operation sometime later this year. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa. It has vast reserves of copper, diamond and cobalt ore one of the most sought after minerals in the world today as well as being rich in flora and fauna. It is also one of the poorest countries in the world. According to the UN Human Development Index of four years ago, the DRC is the 176th least-developed country out of 188 in the world. More than 80 per cent of Congolese people live on what is defined as the threshold of extreme poverty. Violent conflicts of various types, drawing in fighters from neighbouring countries, have been going on for decades. The protests taking place in the US and Europe, following the killing of George Floyd by police in Minnesota, has seen the pulling down of statues associated with slavery and colonialism. This has led to predictable controversy and acrimony which is set to continue with the plans by various local area authorities to remove other such effigies. Around 12,000 protestors who took to the streets in Brussels this week targeted the statue of Leopold II astride a horse outside the royal palace, with people climbing on top and waving the Congolese flag. Another one was set on fire at Antwerp and a bust of the late king splashed with red paint in Ghent. Some people may not even know that Belgium had an empire with a land mass equivalent to it stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea, 76 times the size of Belgium itself. Or that for a long time it was run as the personal fiefdom of King Leopold. Or that up to 15 million people Congolese died at the hands of their colonial masters. And that a standard punishment for workers, including children, included amputations and executions for failing to fulfil their work quota of collecting rubber. An endless seam of riches flew from Congo to Belgium. This, of course, was also the case with other European nations, including Britain, which were busy ruthlessly exploited lands they had conquered. But Leopolds plunder was on an industrial scale. It provided him with a personal fortune which he used on lavish spending on himself, with expansions of his palaces and acquiring properties at home and abroad, such as country estates in the French Riviera. The king was also generous to his favourites like his mistresses, one of them a French prostitute aged 16. But the state benefited too, with money from the Congo helping with Belgiums rapid industrialisation. The king also carried out grand building projects, including Cinquantenaire arch alongside what is now the EU Commission building, the National Basilica and the dome of the Palace of Justice in Brussels. Leopold, however, was giving colonialism a bad name. Other European powers pressed the Belgian government to act. Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness was published in 1899 with its portrayal of horror and violence in the Congo. There were tales of barbarity by the security forces and their local cohorts emerging from missionaries and travellers. The parliament in Brussels took over administration of the Congo from Leopold in 1908. Crowds booed the funeral cortege of the king when he died later. There were concerted attempts to rehabilitated Leopolds image and many of the statues to him were put up in subsequent decades. The defence for this is that these were different times with different outlooks. That is true. It was a time when Winston Churchill was declaring I am strongly in favour of using poisoned gas against uncivilised tribes and stressing that no wrong had been done to people whose land had been taken by white colonists by the fact that a stronger race, a higher-grade race, a more worldly-wise race to put it that way, has come in and taken their place. A bust of the ex-monarch was also vandalised at the Africa Museum in Tervuren (EPA) There were some improvements in the life of the Congolese after the Belgian state took over and organised administration. But the fact remains that there were just a few high schools and not one local university when the country finally gained independence in 1960. At the independence ceremony, King Baudouin told the assembled Congolese to live up to the standards of Belgian rule. It is your job, gentlemen, to show that we were right in trusting you he advised. One could say that this presumably meant that as long as they did not kill more than 15 million people, and kept looting to King Leopolds levels, they would pass the test of colonial governance. Baudouins exhortation is in line with one key aspect of the narrative trotted out by defenders of colonialism. That is that the European powers left their colonies peaceful and stable, and that they were then ruined by corrupt and incompetent local rulers who took over. There is certainly a degree of truth in this. But what this account does not mention was that many of these venal and corrupt leaders who took over were propped up by the west, often by the former colonial masters, because it suited their economic interests. There was also a political motive during the Cold War with Russia. Reactionary forces, often religious ones, were used sometimes violently. Progressive leaders who tried to carry out reforms and wealth redistribution were perceived to be harming these interests. Those who sought to nationalise western-owned industries and businesses were particular targets. In the Muslim world this meant the west colluding with hardline Islamists. Britain attempted to combat the virus of Arab nationalism, after Gamal Abdel Nasser came to power in Egypt and in 1956 nationalised the Suez Canal, by forging links with the Muslim Brotherhood, an organisation involved in terrorism. The nationalisation of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company by the democratically elected Iranian government of Mohammed Mossadeq led to a British-American organised coup in 1953 which was facilitated by Ayatollah Seyyed Kashani, one of whose followers was the young Ruhollah Khomeini. In Indonesia, the removal of Ahmed Sukarno in 1967 in another military coup by the UK and US was carried out with the help of Darul Islam. Its followers went on to massacre socialists and trade unionists. There was an unforeseen, and deadly, consequence. The west could not control the extremist and aggressive Islamism it had helped to nurture and empower. Now we have adherents of that same creed carrying out jihad, bombings and shootings on the streets of Europe and America. In Congo the democratically elected prime minister, Patrice Lumumba, was removed in the early 1960s by the Belgians with the help of the Americans. The Eisenhower administration decided that the young leader was too left-wing, and worried that he would bringing Russian influence into central Africa. It is true that the prime minister had turned to Moscow for help in face of growing Belgian orchestrated destabilisation, but only after being turned down by Washington. Lumumba denied he was a communist, wanting to stress that he considered communism and colonialism to be equally deplorable. But that was not enough; he was overthrown, tortured and then murdered. More than 100 arrested as PM brands far-right protests racist thuggery We now know that Belgian personnel were involved in each stage of the way. Documents surfaced of orders from the Belgian government asking for Lumumbas execution and that it had taken close interest on how it was carried out including the composition of the death squad. In the US, the Church Committee concluded in 1975 that CIA chief Allen Dulles had ordered Lumumbas killing. The committee later said that while the CIA had conspired to kill Lumumba, it was not directly involved in the murder. There was apprehension that John F Kennedy, who had just won the 1960 presidential election, would taken an interest in the case and may demand his release and may even insist that he is back into politics. The murder took place three days before JFKs inauguration. The Belgian government formally apologised in 2002 for its role in Lumumbas assassination and donated 3.75m to create a Patrice Lumumba Foundation to finance conflict prevention projects and education grant for Congolese youth. There has been no apology from the US about its part in the affair. The US and Belgium supported Colonel Joseph Mobutu, who had carried out a coup, as the successor. He was presented as a bulwark against communism. Mobutus kleptocracy robbed the country of up to $15bn during his three decades in power and institutionalised corruption. He maintained, overall, good relations with the west. Belgian and French troops were flown in to suppress one of the rebellions against him. Mobutu He was overthrown in 1997: the country then went through a prolonged conflict drawing in six states and left around 4 million people dead. Belgium, of course, is just one of many colonial powers, and it did not have the large swathe of colonies like some of the others. It came late on the table for a slice of the magnificent African cake as King Leopold put it. And it may have been the need to catch up rapidly on the rich repast which led to the brutality of the methods used. Colonies of other European powers also experienced oppressive regimes. Some have emerged in better shape than others. Prominent Congolese figures have stressed that the current ills of the DRC cannot all be blamed on Belgium: as have people in other countries about their colonial masters. But what has been happening in the recent days show that the King Leopolds legacy, and those of others like him are not just matters for the history books. They resonate today. Likewise Donald Trumps refusal to allow renaming US army bases from those of Confederate generals who had fought to preserve slavery. The president believes the move will help him in the coming presidential election. What has happened in the past remain very much alive in 21st-century politics. The premier of the Canary Islands, Angel Victor Torres, during Sundays video conference with his regional counterparts and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. During his weekly video conference with Spains regional premiers, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Sunday that the country will reopen its borders with all European Union and Schengen-area countries on June 21. The exception will be Portugal, which will have to wait until July 1 on the request of the Portuguese government. Spains King Felipe VI and the president of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, will hold a ceremony on that day to reopen the Spain-Portugal border. Government sources confirmed on Sunday evening that despite having left the bloc earlier this year, the United Kingdom is still considered an EU member state given that it is in a transition period and enjoys full membership rights. This means that UK travelers will also be able to enter Spain from June 21. Speaking to UK daily The Telegraph, a government source warned, however, that this does not mean that there may not be another change if the epidemiological situation in Britain requires this. On Monday, the British Embassy in Spain sent out a tweet also confirming that the UK was included in the group of countries to whom these border relaxations will apply. Borders were closed by the Spanish government under the state of alarm, which was implemented on March 14 in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The state of alarm will also end on June 21, meaning that residents in the country will be able to travel freely once more throughout the territory. Spain implemented one of the strictest coronavirus lockdowns in the world, and most residents are still limited to their province or territorial unit under the governments ongoing deescalation plan. From June 21, travelers arriving in the country will no longer be required to stay in quarantine for two weeks Travelers from outside the European Union and the Schengen free-travel area will be permitted to enter Spain from July 1, the prime minister explained, provided there is a reciprocal agreement on travel and taking into account the epidemiological situation in the country of origin, among other factors. Sanchez expressed particular concern at Sundays meeting about the situation regarding the pandemic in the American continent and in countries such as Russia. In a tweet published on Sunday afternoon, Spains Foreign Affairs Minister Arancha Gonzalez also confirmed that both EU states and Schengen area countries would see borders with Spain reopened from June 21. Sanchez told the regional chiefs on Sunday that from June 21, travelers arriving in the country will no longer be required to stay in quarantine for two weeks. The prime minister also reported that in the last week, a total of 27 coronavirus-related deaths have been registered according to Health Ministry data, with 235 new infections detected in the last 24 hours. The prime minister announced to the regional premiers that Sundays would be the last of the weekly video calls that have been taking place every Sunday since the coronavirus crisis began. He added that their next meeting would be toward the end of July, and would be in person. English version by Simon Hunter. South Africa's gold and platinum miners are racing to bring back thousands of skilled migrant workers who are crucial to ramping up output following the easing of the nation's coronavirus lockdown. For almost 150 years, South Africa's deep-level mines relied on cheap labor from neighboring Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Botswana. They still account for about 10% of the industry's 450,000-strong workforce, and their skills are key to rebooting the nation's mines. That's pushing producers to undertake a huge logistics operation to bus thousands of migrant workers back from their homes, where they sought refuge during the pandemic. After journeys of often more than 500 kilometers (310 miles), those employees will be quarantined for 14 days in hostels and hotels close to the mines. "You can't just throw anybody else on the job," said Stewart Bailey, executive vice president of corporate affairs and investor relations at Johannesburg-based AngloGold Ashanti Ltd., the world's No. 3 gold miner. "Those are all skilled people, trained and very experienced." The stakes are high for South Africa, after the coronavirus piled on economic woes after almost a decade of mismanagement and corruption under former President Jacob Zuma. With the government forecasting the economy to contract as much as 16.1% this year, there's increasing pressure for a rapid turnaround in mining, one of the nation's biggest exporters. The producers have contracted labor consultant TEBA to transport 14,000 foreign workers back to the mines. Buses are carrying half their normal capacity to ensure social distancing, according to Graham Herbert, managing director of BETA. "I have worked in the industry for 30 years and I have not seen anything like this," Herbert said. "This is a historical first for me. This is probably the biggest movement of labor, certainly in gold and platinum mining, that's been known." Herbert is under pressure to expedite the relocations as skilled labor shortages curb mine output, even after companies were allowed to return operations to full capacity at the beginning of June. The biggest mining companies currently have about 23,000 foreign workers outside South Africa. Getting all workers back, including those in South African provinces such as the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, could take months as travel restrictions and quarantines slow the process, according to Johan Theron, a spokesman for Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. Foreign migrant workers are key, he said. "The most skilled and experienced workers are predominantly from those areas and that's true for the entire industry," Theron said. "We can't just return them without putting in place extraordinary measures." With the virus outbreak in South Africa yet to peak, those measures include refurbishing old mining hostels to turn them into quarantine facilities. With some workers coming from virus hotspots, companies are also booking them into hotels to meet isolation requirements. For Sibanye Stillwater Ltd., the biggest platinum producer, bringing back all of its more than 80,000-strong workforce could take until the third quarter, according to spokesman James Wellsted. So far, about half of its employees have returned. "We may not even get to a point where we get everybody back," Wellsted said. Mining companies have asked the government to reopen more border posts with Mozambique and Lesotho to speed the transit of returning workers, said Nikisi Lesufi, an executive for industry lobby group, the Minerals Council of South Africa. So far, only 250,000 of miners are back at work. "The volumes of workers that are going to come through is such that we want more borders to be opened," Lesufi said. The disruptions could curb mining output by between 13% and 20% this year, the council said. While a rally in bullion prices is providing a cushion, the impact of the virus on deep-level gold mines will be particularly "severe," said Andries Rossouw, an analyst at PwC South Africa. The mining sector contributed 8% of gross domestic product last year. "Bringing back people over an extended period of time and with limited virus testing capacity, it would be crazy to imagine there won't be a significant impact on production," said Theron of Implats. 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. The Agricultural Engineering Services Directorate (AESD) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has taken delivery of new farm equipment to support the operations of the small, medium, and large-scale farmers to enhance efficiency and boost yields. The equipment includes custom-made and conditioned rice tractors and accessories. The Tractors, Cabrio Compact Tractor, and Global Multipurpose Mini Tractor have been designed and conditioned to help triple rice production by allowing rice farmers to harvest and thresh their produced rice on the fields. The move forms part of the governments quest to boost the production of local rice and reduce the rice import bill under the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative. At a days event to demonstrate the operation of the machinery in Awutu, in the Central Region, Mr Amatus .K.B Deyang, the Director of AESD said the tractors were made in the Czech Republic and procured by the government with a 10-million euro facility from the Czech Export Bank arranged by Knights, a.s. of the Czech Republic. He said an agreement to that effect was signed in April 2018, when a delegation led by Dr Akoto Afriyie, the Minister of Food and Agriculture visited the Czech Republic. Mr Deyang stated that a total of 220 Cabrio Compact Tractors and 300 Global Multipurpose Min Tractors had arrived in Ghana under the first phase of the project. He said the machines were easy to use, simple, effective and efficient, affordable, and would transition farmers from cutlass and hole to mechanization while increasing productivity. Mr Deyang added that village infrastructure projects and agricultural mechanisation could only succeed in developing countries when "peasant farmers are introduced to smaller machinery than nurtured to the handling of the bigger machinery" "With these Tractors which are easier to maintain and service, a gradual transformation and nurturing of machine maintenance culture will be created, as an introductory stage for larger machinery and extensive agricultural mechanisation" said. Dr Karl Laryea, the Chief Executive Officer of Knights a.s, noted that the machines were effective, efficient, durable, and offered a range of services as well as had reliable after-sales service should there be technical issues. He stated that the Cabrio Compact Tractor, he been tailored to fit the needs of medium-scale farmers or small-scale farmer associations/cooperatives with the cultivated area about 20 hectares. "Global Multipurpose Mini Tractor is a simple technology and the first step to agricultural mechanization for small scale farmers with a cultivated area of 2 to 3 hectares," Dr Laryea, who is represented in Ghana by BIGA International Limited said. According to him, a market survey conducted in Sub-Saharan African countries revealed that there was a great demand for the Compact and Mini Tractors. "This is attributed to the fact that there are only a few companies in the region engaged in solving the existing problem in the small and medium scale farming industry," he noted. Dr Laryea said the company had an excellent result on the test trials of the technology in many Sub-Saharan African Countries apart from Ghana. He mentioned the Oyo State of Nigeria, Taraba State of Nigeria, Guinea Conakry, Liberia, Republic of Benin, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Angola, D.R. Congo, Zambia and many more. Dr Laryea said the Republic of Ghana, Benin, and Liberia had ordered over 35-million Euro worth of the technology from the year 2005 to date. 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 BRUNSWICK U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is moving her New York residence out of the Capital Region. Gillibrand's home in Rensselaer County is now on the market. The senator hopes to move to the North Country, her office says. The asking price for the home in Brunswick is $420,000, according to the listing. The 3,436-square-foot home sits on a 2.65-acre lot that backs up to undeveloped land off Brunswick Road. Gillibrand and her husband, Jonathan, bought the house in 2011 for $335,000, according to Rensselaer County tax records. The five-bedroom, three-bathroom modern one-story home boasts vast windows, high ceilings and "panoramic views of rolling hills," according to the listing. The home was built in 1952. The senator leaving Rensselaer County ends a political era for her, after she announced her run for president in January 2019 at the Country View Diner on Route 7 just north of her residence. Her presidential campaign headquarters were also in Troy. Gillibrand, one of many people who announced their intention to run in the Democratic primary for president, dropped out of the race in August 2019. When asked at her initial presidential announcement (she would later have another "formal" announcement in New York City) why she was siting her campaign headquarters in Troy, Gillibrand said, "Because Troy's awesome come to Troy; it's going to be fun." Her campaign leased a second-floor suite of 5,000 square feet in the former Frear's Department Store building at 2 Third St. "And I wanted it to be here because it's where I'm from. This is who I am. ... This is where I grew up. And my family's here." But while Gillibrand, who grew up in the City of Albany and graduated from Emma Williard School in Troy, owned the Brunswick home - her base for years has been Washington, D.C., where her youngest son, Henry, attends school. Her teenage son, Theo, attends boarding school. More for you For Gillibrand, politics part of family legacy Gillibrand moved to Brunswick after she and her husband sold their Greenport, Columbia County house in 2010 that overlooked the Hudson River; that property sold for $1.3 million to the managing editor of Time magazine. Jennifer Whalen, Gillibrand's longtime friend and fellow Emma Willard graduate, is the realtor on the Brunswick listing. Michael.Williams@timesunion.com Prosecutors in DR Congo have requested a 20 year prison sentence for Vital Kamerhe, a key ally of President Felix Tshisekedi, over his alleged role in the embezzlement of more than 50 million dollars of public funds. Kamerhe appeared before a court in Kinshasa's Makala prison on Thursday dressed in prison clothes for a trial broadcast live on state television. The 61-year-old, who has been detained since 8 April along with two co-defendants, has vehemently maintained his innocence. "Neither the lawyers of the Republic nor the prosecutor's office have been able to prove the guilt of M. Vital Kamerhe," he said referring to himself in the third person. Kamerhe, who made a pact to back President Felix Tshisekedi in a 2018 election in the expectation of succeeding him, is accused of embezzling more than 50 million dollars of state funds intended for major public works. 'Politically motivated' Prosecutor Kisula Betika Yeye Adler asked the judge to sentence him to a maximum of 20 years for embezzlement and other corruption charges. A 20-year sentence was also sought against one of Kamerhe's co-accused, Lebanese contractor Jammal Samih, 78, who would be deported at the end of his sentence. All three men claim they are innocent. Kamerhe's supporters say the case is politically motivated, aimed at blocking his chances of challenging Tshisekedi at the next election in 2023, after prosecutors requested he be barred from holding public office for 10 years. 'God decides' "True justice will come from God," Kamerhe said, adding he had warned his wife prior to the hearing that "the die is cast" regarding his fate. He and his wife, whom he married in February 2019, are also under scrutiny for acquiring and renovating a mansion in France for more than one million euros. "The proceedings mention the embezzlement of public money. But there is no evidence of any illicit financial flows," Kamerhe's Paris-based lawyers said in a statement, denouncing the sentence request as unconstitutional. They have now referred the matter to the United Nations's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. Insulting the president Nothing was done "without the knowledge" of Tshisekedi, Kamerhe claimed, insisting he was not in office when the contract at the centre of the allegations was signed in 2018. The illicit contract, allegedly signed with Lebanese contractor Jammal Samih, was for building 1,500 pre-fabricated homes for soldiers. What we were doing, we were doing in the name of the Head of State, Tshisekedi's chief of staff insisted. A government adviser called by the prosecution during the hearing slammed Kamerhe's comments as an insult to the president. The high-profile trial has seen many twists and turns, notably the sudden death of Judge Raphael Yanyi in May, barely two days after he presided over the second hearing. Life in danger Police said he died of a heart attack and the results of an autopsy are still pending. However, several reports have emerged suggesting that Kamerhe was responsible for Yanyi's death. In this tense atmosphere, Kamerhe's two lawyers have argued that his life is in danger in the jail where he is being held. Originally from South Kivu province, Kamerhe has been a central figure in DRC political life since the 2000s. He was initially a pillar of former President Joseph Kabila's rule before teaming up with Tshisekedi. Judges are due to deliver their verdict in his trial next Saturday 20 June. Their response will be eagerly awaited in a country that has vowed a campaign to "renew" the justice system to root out entrenched corruption. Tunde Bakare Tunde Bakare, the serving overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, formerly known as Latter Rain Assembly, says the church he pastors will not be opened until the coast is clear. Speaking at the second edition of the virtual 3Gz Guys, Girls and God session of the CGCC Legacy Youth Fellowship, Bakare said government cannot shut the church, it can only shut a building, stating that the church is marching on. Bakare said he was in a virtual meeting with Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos and his team, where it was predicted that August would likely record lots of coronavirus cases in Lagos and Nigeria. The pastor said the church is not about tithe and offerings but about edifying the people and fixing the challenges of the world. According to him, he is in no rush to reopen a building, when services can be done virtually and more people can be reached with the word of truth. Citing Genesis Chapter 8, Bakare said Noah was on a lockdown for 150 days, after which he sent out a raven to check if the water on the earth had receded. Bakare added that Noah was not trying to prove his anointing by coming out to swim in the flood before the water had dried up, stating that Noah waited another 40 days after the 150 days before setting out. He said that those who want to be the raven sent out to check the water can go out and check, but he is not ready to put the life of his people at risk to prove anything. The 65-year-old gave an example of a choir in the United States which met for rehearsals and recorded transmission of the novel coronavirus disease among over 40 of its members and recorded some deaths after that meeting. When asked when the church will reopen, he said with the projections by the government on when the disease would subside, he was looking at September or the end of the year. We are not opening till the coast is clear, he said. Bakare and the CGCC had given up their church halls as isolation centres to the Lagos and Ogun state governments in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Jammu, June 14 : An Army jawan was killed and two others injured on Sunday in unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan troops on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, sources said. The Army sources said: "One soldier was martyred and two soldiers were injured in Pakistan's firing and shelling along the LoC in Kirni sector this morning. The Indian Army is retaliating befittingly. The injured soldiers have been shifted to hospital." Last week, an Indian soldier was killed and a civilian injured in Pakistani ceasefire violation on the LoC in Rajouri district. For nearly a month now, Pakistan has been violating the bilateral ceasefire on the LoC with impunity. On Saturday, a woman was killed and another injured in Pakistan shelling in Uri sector of the LoC in Baramulla district. Lesson plans telling primary school students to study climate activist Greta Thunberg and spread her message have been found on the NSW Education Department website. The unapproved material on the official website was aimed at children between Years 3 and 5. The material, in a lesson plan since taken down, asked students to watch and study a Thunberg speech. Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg encouraged students to play truant to attend disruptive climate strike protests last year 'Read about Greta and the transcript of her speech What is the key message?' the lesson plan prompted. 'What techniques does Greta use Can you now state what needs to change and why?' the plan asked. The lesson plan asked students to conduct an 'energy audit' of their school to find areas where change is needed. The revelation prompted swift criticism from education researcher Kevin Donnelly who called the material 'indoctrination'. 'The great shame is education is no longer about being impartial or objective it is about indoctrinating students,' he told The Daily Telegraph. The lesson plan had a guidebook to go with it telling students that school air-conditioning adds 20,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases every year. The NSW school system was heavily criticised last year during the so-called Climate Strike for allowing climate activists to indoctrinate impressionable young children. Thousands of school children truanted school to take part in the Climate Strike street protests. Thousands of school students played truant to attend Climate Strike protests last year. The NSW education system came under criticism for allowing students to be 'indoctrinated' One father pulled his son out of a state primary school in Bilambil, northern NSW, at the time after he was asked to 'dress like a hippy' by his teacher. Matt Karlos, 38, took his 10-year-old son Max out, saying the teachers were making the kids terrified for the future and scaring them with climate change. 'The ideologies were in his face all the time,' Mr Karlos said. In September, Alan Jones accused teachers of brainwashing vulnerable children. The former 2GB radio host pointed to a report which claimed children under the age of 10 were experiencing anxiety from the climate change debate. 'Young people are going to be concerned, they believe their teachers, they actually think that they're at school and what they're being told is true,' he said. 'The notion of using children in all of this is scandalous and the politics of climate change has become poisonous.' Greta Thunberg has recently turned her attention to condemning police brutality in the US In February last year, former NSW Education Minister Rob Stokes warned students and teachers they would be punished if they skipped school to join the climate strike rallies. 'School children, on school days, should be at school,' he said at the time. Greta Thunberg's Twitter account responded, saying her followers didn't care. 'Ok. We hear you. And we don't care. Your statement belongs in a museum,' Ms Thunberg's Twitter account tweeted. A spokesman from the NSW Education Department said they would investigate how the Thunberg lesson plans made it onto the official website. 'This web page was published without approval. We will have the web page taken down and reviewed,' he said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 17:13:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Eight people were killed and six others wounded on Sunday in an attack by Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq's eastern province of Diyala, a provincial police source said. The attack took place in the early hours of the day when IS militants attacked a village near the town of Khanaqin, some 165 km northeast of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, Mohammed al-Shimmary told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. The attack sparked fierce clash between the attackers and local policemen, backed by armed villagers, al-Shimmary said. The clash resulted in the killing of two policemen and six villagers, along with wounding six villagers, according to al-Shimmary, who said that the extremist IS militants withdrew as reinforcement forces arrived to the village. Despite repeated military operations against the IS remnants, IS militants are still hiding in deserts, rugged areas as well as in Himreen mountain range which extends in the provinces of Diyala, Salahudin and Kirkuk. They are capable of carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. Enditem DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Years ago, I had some patches of melasma on my face removed with IPL treatment. When I went to make an appointment with my dermatologist recently for the same condition, I was told IPL should not be used for melasma. Why is this? What treatment should be used? ANSWER: The skin condition melasma can be challenging to get rid of completely, and as a chronic condition, it can come back after treatment. With the treatment you mention, intense-pulsed light or IPL, melasma often reappears quickly. Intense-pulsed light also carries a risk of heating the surrounding skin, which is thought to worsen melasma. To treat melasma, sun protection, topical medications and cosmetic procedures often are combined to achieve the best results. Melasma is a common condition that appears as irregular patches of tan, brown or brown-gray pigmentation, usually on the face. Melasma affects women much more frequently than men. Patients with darker skin also are more likely to develop melasma. The most common trigger for melasma is ultraviolet light from sun exposure. Melasma may develop as a result of hormone changes due to pregnancy or certain medications, such as oral contraceptives. Recently, research has found that blue light emitted from light bulbs, computer screens and other electronic devices can worsen melasma. Melasma tends to run in families, which points to a genetic component of this disorder too. When facial pigmentation first appears, its important to see a dermatologist for a definitive diagnosis because melasma may be subtle and can look like other skin conditions. Once diagnosed, the goal of melasma treatment is to decrease the production of pigment and remove areas of excess pigmentation that already have appeared. Intense-pulsed light treatment for melasma uses a broad spectrum of light to generate heat to target and remove pigment. But the heat diffuses to all the surrounding tissues. That can lead to complications, including a condition known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, which causes more dark patches to appear. Research shows that intense-pulsed light can improve melasma in the short term, but relapse often is seen within three months. More recently, fractional nonablative lasers have been studied for the treatment of melasma. These lasers resurface the skin and remove pigment through heated columns, but they leave the skin around the columns untouched. Different devices with different levels of power are available, so the treatment can be individualized for each patient. Unlike the set 100% coverage of intense-pulsed light, these lasers can treat as low as 5% of the skin to slowly remove pigment with a much lower risk of relapse or worsening of melasma. When considering melasma treatment overall, however, topical treatment is the key to success. It should be used before any light or laser procedure and, to decrease the risk of relapse, it should be continued even when those procedures are recommended. Topical hydroquinone is the most common lightening agent used. It works by decreasing the production of pigment. Your doctor may recommend combining it with tretinoin, corticosteroids, antioxidants or other topical products for added efficacy. In some cases, superficial chemical peels also may be considered to remove pigment. Avoiding sun exposure and protecting your skin from the sun is absolutely essential to prevent further development of melasma and to maintain treatment results. That includes wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses when youre outdoors and using sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 50 or higher on a daily basis. A sunscreen with a physical blocker, such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, is best. Reapply it every one to two hours. Research into melasma treatment is moving forward. Recent data has identified that melasma is associated with inflammation, skin barrier breakdown and an increase in blood vessels. Those findings may inform new treatment options. Talk to your dermatologist to learn more about topical and oral treatments on the horizon. Elika Hoss, M.D., Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona (Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesnt replace regular medical care. E-mail a question to MayoClinicQ&A@mayo.edu. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.org.) Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 South Korea convened an emergency security meeting on Sunday after the sister of North Koreas leader threatened military action against South Korea in the latest escalation of tensions between the two neighbors. Kim Yo Jong, a trusted aide to her brother, Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, said she would leave the right to take the next step of retaliation against South Korea to North Koreas military in a statement carried by state news agency KCNA on Saturday. Kim, who has gained new prominence in North Korea's power structure, did not specify what the next action could be, or when exactly it will be taken, but she added: I feel it is high time to surely break with the South Korean authorities. We will soon take the next action. A spokesman for The Blue House, South Korea's presidential office, said Sunday that the country's national security council held an emergency video conference to review the situation on the Korean peninsula and to discuss how to best to respond. The Unification Ministry, which handles relations with North Korea, said in a statement the South and the North Koreas must do their best to abide by all inter-Korean agreements. South Korea's Defense Ministry said separately that it was seriously assessing the situation and carefully monitoring North Korean movements. South Korean military is maintaining resolute military readiness to respond to all situations, the ministry's statement said. Kim's statement Saturday, followed her announcement earlier this week that North Korea was suspending all communication lines with South Korea, a move analysts believe could be an attempt to manufacture a crisis and force concessions from its neighbor. North Korea said it was angered by defectors who have fled to the South and the routine flying of balloons over the border carrying propaganda leaflets. South Korea responded by saying it would take legal action against two organizations that conduct such operations. Kim Jin Ah, a North Korean expert at Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, a government research center, in Seoul, said North Korea is using propaganda leaflets as an excuse to break the doldrum in its negotiations with the U.S. Story continues Nuclear talks with the Washington remain deadlocked after Kim Jong Un's last summit with President Donald Trump in 2019 broke down without an agreement and North Korea desperately needs relief in the face of harsh U.S.-led sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic. North Korea is using South Korea as a scapegoat and a stepping stone to build the context and the momentum for its engagement with the U.S. as the ultimate North Korean strategic goal is attracting the attention of the U.S., and President Trump in particular, Kim said. Kim Jong Uns struggle to address economic woes has likely faced setbacks as the coronavirus pandemic forced North Korea to close its border with China, its biggest trading partner. North Korea says it hasnt reported a single outbreak, but foreign experts have questioned that claim. Ramon Pacheco Pardo, lecturer in international relations at King's College London, said it's reasonable from the North Korean perspective for the regime to try to divert the situation from domestic conditions by raising tensions with South Korea. It makes sense for Kim Yo Jong to lead, or be seen as leading, these increasing tensions. This way she can show that she will be tough with South Korea if necessary," he said. Pacheco Pardo said raising tensions is also a way for North Korea to try to force the South Korean government to put pressure on the Trump administration to allow sanctions exemptions, or even relief. It makes sense for North Korea to focus on raising tensions with South Korea, at least until we know the outcome of the U.S. November election and we can see what type of dynamic relations between Washington and Pyongyang will follow next year," he added. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 00:05:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian police said on Sunday they had arrested a suspect in connection with conducting female genital mutilation to 10 girls in the country's northern region of Mara. Daniel Shillah, the Mara regional police commander, said the arrested woman collaborated with parents of the 10 children to subject them to the genital cutting, a ritual that causes numerous health problems that can be fatal. Shillah said the 50-year-old woman was arrested on Saturday at Sirari on the Tanzania-Kenya border. "Police are still questioning her before she is arraigned in court," said Shillah, adding that the woman was also facing two other court cases in connection with her involvement in female genital mutilation in the past. In April 2019, Tanzanian police saved a total of 24 girls from the female genital mutilation in northern Mara region's Serengeti district. In 1998, the government of Tanzania criminalized female genital mutilation. Enditem China on Sunday reported 57 new Covid-19 cases including 36 domestically transmitted ones in Beijing, the sharpest spike in over two months. The spike was recorded in the last 24 hours, between Friday and Saturday. The 36 new cases are the highest 24-hour jump for the capital since January when the health authorities started to release coronavirus data. Beijing had reported six new domestic cases for Friday, and one for Thursday, leading local authorities to swing back into anti-epidemic mode on a wartime footing. The capital, a city of around 21 million residents, had lowered its anti-outbreak emergency mode to the lowest level earlier this month. Two more domestic cases were reported from northeast Chinas Liaoning province, the National Health Commission (NHC) said in its daily briefing on Sunday. Nineteen of 57 cases were imported cases, the NHC said with 17 of them reported in the southern province of Guangdong. The virus first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late last year before spreading to the rest of the country, and then rapidly across the world. Beijing has now reported 43 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in about three days, triggering alarm bells about the second wave of the epidemic just when the city was getting back to full normalisation, which included the reopening of schools after being shut for months. Sporting activities have been suspended and tourist spots, which had only lately opened up fully, were shut down as well over the weekend. Thousands of workers and residents around the Xinfadi market in Beijings Fengtai district were lining up for nucleic acid tests on Sunday. Besides shuttering the market, where coronavirus traces were discovered in imported salmon, authorities have launched closed-off management over 11 residential compounds in the vicinity of the Xinfadi market. The city has suspended a major wholesale food and vegetable market and strengthened control measures to contain the spread of the epidemic. The total number of Covid-19 cases in mainland China now stands at 83,132 while the death toll has remained unchanged at 4,634 for weeks. By Saturday, the Chinese mainland had reported a total of 1,827 imported cases. Of the cases, 1,744 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 83 remained hospitalised, with no one in severe condition. No deaths from the imported cases had been reported, official news agency, Xinhua reported. When Saoirse-Monica Jackson was a little girl growing up in Derry, her favourite movie was Educating Rita. In the past couple of years, her life has taken on the Cinderella-like arc of Julie Walters' character. She has moved from unemployment and an uncertain future to become one of the stars of Derry Girls, an Irish comedy phenomenon that has taken the world by storm and has just made its debut on RTE. Saoirse-Monica's expressions of confusion and horror steal the show and it is hard to imagine anyone else playing Erin Quinn. Even without the benefit of a script, she is effortlessly funny. She tells me she will emerge from lockdown in London "looking like a bird's nest, I think it's safe to say". The friends she shares the house with have been giving each other haircuts but she will stay loyal to her hairdresser "because I don't want to end up looking like Lisa Simpson". That saltiness runs in her veins, a product of her upbringing. "I grew up between Derry and Donegal," she says. "We have a real harsh sense of humour there. When I moved to London it was a bit of a culture shock because our sense of humour is much rougher and sharper. Even when tough things happen, you find a way to laugh at them." Her mum was a counsellor - "which is why I'm such a well-rounded human being now", she says, laughing - and her dad was an engineer. "When I was growing up I was constantly testing and challenging their authority," she says. "I have a great relationship with my mum now so I'm actually grateful she was strict with me growing up." Inspired by Educating Rita, she wanted to be an actress. "I connected with that character so much. I was always watching old TV and films. I went to drama school and I got a job from there. I'd like to say to anyone out there starting out that I was incredibly lucky as well - that's a huge part of it." When she was auditioning for Derry Girls she had been working in a sales job in Manchester and was sacked from it on the day she found out she had got the role. "I was thinking, what the hell am I going to do and then I got the email saying that I had got the Derry Girls part," she recalls. "I had put so much into getting it I would have been devastated if I hadn't got it." Filming in Derry and Belfast was as much fun as it looked, she says, but this was also a worry. "It's often said if you're laughing on set on a comedy it's bad news because it doesn't really translate to the screen but, thank God, this was an exception to that because we really did crack each other up," she said. "Oh my God, there's so many Derry Girls bloopers that have never been released. Tommy Tiernan is definitely the worst at corpsing [breaking up laughing instead of saying lines] but he gets away with it. All of us were pretty bad at one time or another. "You think you know how someone is going to deliver a line but it comes out totally different and it can be very hard to keep a straight face." There has been much speculation about a Derry Girls movie but Saoirse-Monica says that is still up in the air. "I have no idea if there will be a movie. I would love if there were one but we don't know anything about it," she says. "We're just focused on doing season three at the moment. I think the script for that has been written and as soon as it's safe we're going to back on set filming it." Derry Girls has ensured Saoirse-Monica is in demand and she has upcoming parts in the TV series Urban Myths, in which she will star alongside Robbie Coltrane - "that was a huge honour, he's a legend". She has also just finished Unprecedented, a BBC drama dealing with the emotional reaction to lockdown. "The thing I'm most looking forward to is seeing my grandparents and the long walks and great chats we have on the beach in Donegal," she says. "All the waiting will be worth it for that." Iran Slams US, Saudis for Using UN as 'Tool' to Claim Iranian Involvement in Houthi Drone Attacks Sputnik News 18:33 GMT 13.06.2020 On September 14, 2019, a massed missile and drone strike on two Saudi oil refineries temporarily halved the kingdom's oil output. Yemen's Houthi militia claimed responsibility for these and other attacks, but Washington, Riyadh, and America's European allies blamed Iran. Tehran dismissed the allegations as "blind, incomprehensible and meaningless." Iran's foreign ministry has dismissed a fresh United Nations report accusing Tehran of providing missiles and drones to Yemen's Houthi militia for their fight against the Saudi-led coalition. "The Islamic Republic of Iran categorically rejects the allegations of the UN Secretariat, which is clearly under political pressure from the US and Saudi Regimes, and expresses its deep concern over the abuse of the UN Secretariat for political purposes," the foreign ministry said in a statement published by Tasnim. "Interestingly, the Secretariat's report coincides with the US' move to propose a dangerous draft resolution that paves the way for the extension of arms restrictions on Iran in an illegal way; yet more surprisingly, the content of this report is used by the US two weeks prior to its official release," the ministry added, suggesting that the document may have been prepared under US guidance for use against Iran. "Undoubtedly, such reports will not only fail to help [promote] peace and security in the region and to implement Security Council resolutions, but also completely destroy the validity and reputation of the United Nations," Tehran warned. Ultimately, the foreign ministry warned the UN against playing into the US's "pre-planned scenario to annul the cancellation of the Iran arms embargo." UN Report to Security Council On Friday, Bloomberg reported that a report from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent to the Security Council a day earlier had concluded that the weapons used in a series of attacks into Saudi Arabia from Yemeni territory were probably of "Iranian origin" and "may have been transferred" to Yemen "in a matter inconsistent" with the UN resolution on the Iran nuclear deal. The report was said to have been based on the analysis of missile and drone remnants from the May 2019 attack on the oil refinery in Afif, Saudi Arabia, strikes on the Abha Airport in June and August and the attacks on the Abqaiq and Khurays refineries in September which temporarily cut Saudi oil production in half. One of the components identified in the report was a drone engine said to have shown 'similarities' to Iran's Shahed 783 engine design. Bloomberg, which had a chance to look at the report, did not clarify which nations' experts were involved in the analysis of the missile and drone parts. The Security Council is expected to meet to discuss the report's findings later this month, with the document's release coming just months ahead of the October deadline to extend the international arms embargo against Tehran. Russia and China have each indicated that they would not allow for the embargo to be extended, pointing to Iran's observance its commitment not to pursue nuclear weapons. Saudi Arabia and a coalition of mostly Gulf states have been attempting to restore ousted Yemeni president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi to power since March 2015, but has so far proven unable to dislodge the Houthi militia which took over much of the country in late 2014. What's more, Saudi air defences have had to deal with Houthi missile and drone strikes on cities, military bases, airports and other infrastructure in Saudi Arabia itself. Houthi officials maintain that its missiles and drones were developed "with purely Yemeni expertise," with some reports suggesting some of the missiles were reverse-engineered from old Soviet designs inherited from the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, or South Yemen, during the Cold War. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has threatened South Korea with military action. Kim Yo Jong bashed Seoul on Saturday over declining bilateral relations and its inability to stop activists from floating anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border. Describing South Korea as an enemy, Ms Kim repeated an earlier threat she had made by saying Seoul will soon witness the collapse of a useless inter-Korean liaison office in the border town of Kaesong. Ms Kim, who is first vice department director of the ruling Workers Partys Central Committee, said she would leave it to North Koreas military leaders to carry out the next step of retaliation against the South. Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, has threatened South Korea with military action. Source: AAP (file pic) By exercising my power authorised by the supreme leader, our party and the state, I gave an instruction to the arms of the department in charge of the affairs with the enemy to decisively carry out the next action, she said in a statement carried by the Norths official Korean Central News Agency. If I drop a hint of our next plan the (South Korean) authorities are anxious about, the right to taking the next action against the enemy will be entrusted to the General Staff of our army. Our army, too, will determine something for cooling down our peoples resentment and surely carry out it, I believe. Ms Kims harsh rhetoric demonstrates her elevated status in North Koreas leadership. Already seen as the most powerful woman in the country and her brothers closest confidant, state media recently confirmed that she is now in charge of relations with South Korea. The liaison office in Kaesong, which has been shut since January due to coronavirus concerns, was set up as a result of one of the main agreements reached in three summits between Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in 2018. North Korean students rally denouncing 'defectors from the North' in Pyongyang. Source: Getty Images Mr Moons government had lobbied hard to set up nuclear summits between Mr Kim and President Donald Trump, who have met three times since 2018. At the same time, Mr Moon also worked to improve inter-Korean relations. Story continues But North Korea in recent months has suspended virtually all cooperation with the South while expressing frustration over the lack of progress in its nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration. Over the past week, the North declared that it would cut off all government and military communication channels with the South and threatened to abandon key inter-Korean peace agreements reached by their leaders in 2018. They include a military agreement in which the Koreas committed to jointly take steps to reduce conventional military threats, such as establishing border buffers and no-fly zones. They also removed some front-line guard posts and jointly surveyed a waterway near their western border in an unrealised plan to allow freer civilian navigation. South Korean soldiers patrol along a barbed wire fence Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea. Source: Getty Images In an earlier statement last week, Kim Yo Jong said that the North would scrap the military agreement, which is hardly of any value, while calling North Korean defectors who send leaflets from the South human scum and mongrel dogs. Her comments on Saturday came hours after a senior North Korean Foreign Ministry official said that Seoul should drop nonsensical talk about the Norths denuclearisation, and that his country would continue to expand its military capabilities to counter what it perceives as threats from the United States. In response to North Koreas anger over the leaflets, South Koreas government has said it would press charges against two defector groups that have been carrying out border protests. The South also said it would push new laws to ban activists from flying the leaflets across the border, but theres been criticism over whether Moons government is sacrificing democratic principles to keep alive his ambitions for inter-Korean engagement. Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers march in Pyongyang. Source: Getty Images For years, activists have floated huge balloons into North Korea carrying leaflets criticising Kim Jong-un over his nuclear ambitions and dismal human rights record. The leafleting has sometimes triggered a furious response from North Korea, which bristles at any attempt to undermine its leadership. While Seoul has sometimes sent police officers to block the activists during sensitive times, it had previously resisted North Koreas calls to fully ban them, saying they were exercising their freedom. Activists have vowed to continue with the balloon launches. But its unlikely that North Koreas belligerence is about just the leaflets, analysts say. The North has a long track record of dialling up pressure on the South when it doesnt get what it wants from the United States. Its threats to abandon inter-Korean agreements came after months of frustration over Seouls refusal to defy US-led sanctions and restart joint economic projects. Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers stand atop armoured vehicles during a military parade on Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang. Source: Getty Images Some experts say North Korea, which has mobilised people for massive demonstrations condemning defectors, is deliberately censuring the South to rally its public and shift attention away from a bad economy, which likely has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its unclear what kind of military action the North would take against the South, although weapons tests are an easy guess. Kim Dong-yub, an analyst from Seouls Institute for Far Eastern Studies, said North Korea could also be planning something near the countries disputed western maritime border, which has occasionally been the scene of bloody clashes over the years. Nuclear talks faltered at Kim Jong Uns second summit with Mr Trump in Vietnam in February last year after the United States rejected North Koreas demands for major sanctions relief in exchange for a partial surrender of its nuclear capabilities. Mr Trump and Mr Kim met for a third time that year in June at the border between North and South Korea and agreed to resume talks. But an October working-level meeting in Sweden broke down over what the North Koreans described as the Americans old stance and attitude. On the two-year anniversary of the first Kim-Trump meeting, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Son Gwon said Friday that the North would never again gift Mr Trump with high-profile meetings he could boast as foreign policy achievements unless it gets something substantial in return. 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. In this Tuesday, June 9, 2020 photo, a visitor watches the sunset at a bar in an area known as Little Venice in the main town of the island of Mykonos, Greece. Business owners and locals officials on the Greek holiday island of Mykonos, a popular vacation spot for celebrities, club-goers, and high rollers, say they are keen to reopen for business despite the risks of COVID-19 posed by international travel. Greece will official launch its tourism season Monday, June 15, 2020 after keeping the country's infection rate low. (AP Photo/Derek Gatopoulos) Europe is taking a big step toward a new normality as many countries open borders to fellow Europeans after three months of coronavirus lockdownsbut even though Europeans love their summer vacations, it's not clear how many are ready to travel again. Tourists from the U.S., Asia, Latin America and the Middle East will just have to wait for now. Europe is expected to start opening up to some visitors from elsewhere next month, but details remain unclear. The European Union home affairs commissioner, Ylva Johansson, told member nations last week that they "should open up as soon as possible" and suggested Monday was a good date. Many countries are doing just that, allowing travel from the EU, Britain and the rest of Europe's usually passport-free Schengen travel area, which includes non-EU countries like Switzerland. Europe's reopening won't be a repeat of the chaotic free-for-all in March when panicked, uncoordinated border closures caused traffic jams that stretched for miles. Still, it's a complicated, shifting patchwork of different rules. And although tourist regions are desperately counting on them, a lot of Europeans may decide to stay close to home this summer. That's something tourism-dependent Mediterranean countries such as Greece are keen to avoid. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis acknowledged Saturday that "a lot will depend on whether people feel comfortable to travel and whether we can project Greece as a safe destination." In this Tuesday, June 9, 2020 photo, visitors sit in bars in an area known as Little Venice on the Greek island of Mykonos. Business owners and locals officials on the Greek holiday island of Mykonos, a popular vacation spot for celebrities, club-goers, and high rollers, say they are keen to reopen for business despite the risks of COVID-19 posed by international travel. Greece will officially launch its tourism season Monday, June 15, 2020 after keeping the country's infection rate low. (AP Photo/Derek Gatopoulos) Greece has emphasized its handling of its outbreak, which saw only 183 deaths. Overall, Europe has seen more than 182,000 virus-linked deaths this year, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University that also shows Europe has had 2.04 million of the world's 7.8 million infections. Hard-hit Spain, which on Sunday moved forward its opening to European travelers by 10 days to June 21, is allowing thousands of Germans to fly to its Balearic Islands for a trial run starting Mondaywaiving its 14-day quarantine for the group. "This pilot program will help us learn a lot for what lies ahead in the coming months," Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said. "We want our country, which is already known as a world-class tourist destination, to be recognized as also a secure destination." Border checks in some places have already wound down. Italy opened its borders on June 3 and towns on the German-Polish border celebrated early Saturday as Poland opened the gates. At midnight, the mayors of Goerlitz, Germany and Zgorzelec, Poland cut through chains on a makeshift fence that had divided the towns. In this Friday, June 12, 2020 file photo, Lord Mayor of Gorlitz Octavian Ursu, center right, and Mayor of Zgorzelec, Poland, Rafal Gronicz, center left, together open the border fence on the Gorlitz Old Town Bridge in Gorlitz, Germany. Europe is taking a big step toward a new normality after the coronavirus outbreak as many countries open up their borders to fellow Europeans but exceptions remain, and it remains to be seen how many will use their rediscovered freedom to travel. (Daniel Schafer/dpa via AP, file) Germany, like France and others, is lifting remaining border checks on Monday and scrapping a requirement that arrivals must prove they have a good reason to enter. It also is easing a worldwide warning against nonessential travel to exempt European countries except, probably, Finland, Norway and Spain, where travel restrictions remain, and Sweden, where the level of new coronavirus infections is deemed too high. Many German regions have reimposed a quarantine requirement for arrivals from Sweden, whose virus strategy avoided a lockdown but produced a relatively high death rate. Czech authorities will require arrivals from Sweden to show a negative COVID-19 test or to self-quarantine along with travelers from Portugal and Poland's Silesia region. Austria is opening up Tuesday to European neighbors except Spain, Portugal, Sweden and Britainand keeping a travel warning for Italy's worst-hit region of Lombardy. France is asking people from Britain to self-quarantine for two weeks. In this Tuesday, June 9, 2020 photo, Polish border guards stand on the Bridge of Friendship on the Polish border before Zgorzelec and check with a thermometer the body temperature of drivers coming from Goerlitz, Germany to Poland. Europe is taking a big step toward a new normality after the coronavirus outbreak as many countries open up their borders to fellow Europeans but exceptions remain, and it remains to be seen how many will use their rediscovered freedom to travel. (Sebastian Kahnert/dpa via AP) Britain recently introduced a 14-day quarantine requirement for most arrivals, to the horror of its tourism and aviation industries, which say the move will hit visits to Britain hard this summer. Denmark is opening up only for tourists from Germany, Norway and Icelandand only if they can prove that they're staying for at least six nights. Norway also is keeping shut its long border with Sweden. "I realize this is a big disappointment. But the restrictions are based on objective criteria that are the same for everyone," Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said. "If we open too quickly, the infection can get out of control." With flights only gradually picking up, nervousness about new outbreaks abroad, uncertainty about social distancing at tourist venues and many people facing unemployment or pay cuts, this may be a good summer for domestic tourism. In this photo provided by the Prime Minister's Office, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announces the opening of the tourist season during a news conference, on the Greek island of Santorini, Saturday, June 13, 2020. (Dimitris Papamitsos/Greek Prime Minister's Office via AP) In this Saturday, June 13, 2020 photo, a sign with the opening hours of the border checkpoint between Harrislee in Germany and Padborg in Denmark is displayed in front the border crossing in Harrislee, Germany. Europe is taking a big step toward a new normality as many countries open up their borders to fellow Europeans after three months but exceptions remain, and it remains to be seen how many will use their rediscovered freedom to travel. (Frank Molter/dpa via AP) In this on Tuesday, March 10, 2020 file photo, a member of the medical staff measures the temperature of a traveller at a autobahn park place near Gries am Brenner, Austria near the border crossing with Italy. Europe is taking a big step toward a new normality after the coronavirus outbreak as many countries open up their borders to fellow Europeans but exceptions remain, and it remains to be seen how many will use their rediscovered freedom to travel. (AP Photo/Kerstin Joensson, file ) In this handout photo provided by the Greek Prime Minister's Office , ancient jars are seen inside the 16th century BC archaeological site of Akrotiri at the Greek island of Santorini . Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Saturday Santorini to announce the opening of the tourist season. (Dimitris Papamitsos/ Greek Prime Minister's Office via AP) In this handout photo provided by the Prime Minister's Office, Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, left, walks next to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during their visit in the archaeological site of Akrotiri at the Greek island of Santorini, Saturday, June 13, 2020. Mitsotakis visited Santorini Saturday to announce the opening of the tourist season. (Dimitris Papamitsos/Greek Prime Minister's Office via AP) In this handout photo provided by the Prime Minister's Office , Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, second left, his wife Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotakis, second right, and Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, right, looking at a scale model of the site during their visit in the archaeological site of Akrotiri at the Greek island of Santorini. Mitsotakis visited Santorini Saturday to announce the opening of the tourist season.(Dimitris Papamitsos/ Greek Prime Minister's Office via AP) In this photo provided by the Prime Minister's Office, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announces the opening of the tourist season during a news conference, on the Greek island of Santorini, Saturday, June 13, 2020. (Dimitris Papamitsos/Greek Prime Minister's Office via AP) In this photo provided by the Prime Minister's Office, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announces the opening of the tourist season during a news conference, on the Greek island of Santorini, Saturday, June 13, 2020. (Dimitris Papamitsos/Greek Prime Minister's Office via AP) In this Tuesday, June 9, 2020, photo, a fishing boat is anchored in front of the main walkway on the Greek island of Mykonos, Greece. Business owners and locals officials on the Greek holiday island of Mykonos, a popular vacation spot for celebrities, club-goers, and high rollers, say they are keen to reopen for business despite the risks of COVID-19 posed by international travel. Greece will officially launch its tourism season Monday, June 15, 2020 after keeping the country's infection rate low. (AP Photo/Derek Gatopoulos) In this May 25, 2020 photo, people visit the beach in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Spain's Balearic Islands will allow for thousands of German tourists to fly in from June 15 for a two-week trial of tourism under new regulations against the spread of the new coronavirus. (Isaac Buj/Europa Press via AP) In this May 25, 2020 photo, people sit on the beach in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Spain's Balearic Islands will allow for thousands of German tourists to fly in from June 15 for a two-week trial of tourism under new regulations against the spread of the new coronavirus. (Isaac Buj/Europa Press via AP) A view of the Unknown Soldier monument in Rome, Tuesday, June 9, 2020. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, also known as Vittoriano and Altare della Patria (Altar of the Fatherland), reopened to the public Tuesday after three months of closure due to the COVID-19 lockdown measures. (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP) In this May 25, 2020 photo, people visit the beach in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Spain's Balearic Islands will allow for thousands of German tourists to fly in from June 15 for a two-week trial of tourism under new regulations against the spread of the new coronavirus. (Isaac Buj/Europa Press via AP) Tourists guides stage a protest in front of Rome's Pantheon, Tuesday, June 9, 2020, asking for government aid after more than three months of travel restriction due to coronavirus have canceled tourism throughout the country. (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP) In this Friday, March 21, 2014 file photo, the Cap des Moro near Cala Llombards on the Spanish Balearic island of Mallorca. Spain's Balearic Islands will allow thousands of German tourists to fly in from beginning June 15, 2020, for a two-week trial testing out how new tourism rules work in the coronavirus era. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File) German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz are both planning to vacation in their homelands this year. "The recommendation is still, if you want to be really safe, a vacation in Austria," Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg told ORF television, recalling the scramble in March to bring home thousands of tourists as borders slammed shut. "In Austria, you know that you don't have to cross a border if you want to get home, and you know the infrastructure and the health system well." The German government, which helped fly 240,000 people home as the pandemic grew exponentially, also has no desire to repeat that experience. "My appeal to all those who travel: Enjoy your summer vacationbut enjoy it with caution and responsibility," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said. "In the summer holidays, we want to make it as difficult as possible for the virus to spread again in Europe." Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The San Francisco police narcotics unit that was taken out of the Tenderloin during the pandemic shutdown has been very busy since its return to the streets. The rebooted unit, along with Tenderloin beat cops, arrested 69 suspected street dealers from May 18 to June 5 thats nearly four a day. The overwhelming majority of the arrests occurred along a few blocks of Hyde, Eddy and Turk streets and Golden Gate Avenue all hot spots that residents have been complaining about for months. Several of the dealers were openly operating within two blocks of the federal building on Golden Gate, which houses the U.S. Attorneys Office and the FBI. One suspect was arrested for allegedly dealing on the same block as the Tenderloin Police Station. Many of those arrested are familiar with the criminal justice system. According to police records, 55 of the 69 had prior San Francisco arrest records. Eight had at least one outstanding arrest warrant. And more than a third of the 69 people arrested were in violation of court-issued orders to keep out of the neighborhood, which usually indicates a previous arrest or some other encounter with law enforcement in the Tenderloin. Supervisor Matt Haney, who lives in the Tenderloin, said that while the arrests may reduce the street trade in the short run, long-term solutions are still lacking. Ive seen people engage in dozens and dozens of drug transactions right in front of the police even while arrests are happening. Its brazen, Haney said. What folks are looking for is real long-term change, and that is going to take more than this, he said. We need a strategy that includes more than just the police. The narcotics team was one of several special police units that were put back on patrol in the weeks after Mayor London Breeds March 16 shutdown order. The idea was to give residents throughout the city a highly visible display of police presence. One result, however, was a plunge in the number of drug-dealing arrests. There were 19 arrests for heroin selling in March and 10 in April, for example, compared with 53 in the month before the shutdown. The problem was especially acute in the Tenderloin, where homeless peoples tents spread far and wide after the pandemic started. It came to a head when UC Hastings School of Law filed suit in federal court demanding that the city clean up its neighborhood. Two days after the suit was filed, the narcotics unit was sent back in and arrests began again in earnest. A lawsuit settlement was announced Friday but without a solution to the drug dealing. We recognized that it was a seemingly intractable problem that didnt lend itself to an easy solution that we could put into writing, said Hastings Chancellor David Faigman. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Supporters of criminal justice reform see the police drug units return to the TL as more business as usual. Decades of undercover police operations in the Tenderloin have failed to make any meaningful impact on demand, and buy-bust operations which overwhelmingly target and jail people of color usually recover very small amounts of narcotics, said Public Defender Mano Raju. To address the public health crisis of addiction, which feeds the demand, we must beef up our medical response, Raju said, not continue to invest in law enforcement responses that simply do not work. 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. So what happens next? Well, a group made up of law enforcement, city officials and Hastings representatives will be commissioned to look at long-term solutions. In other words, back to square one. Back at the booth: Given the move to go to cashless tolls soon on all Bay Area bridges, the future of the 250 toll takers ordered out of their booths by Gov. Gavin Newsom early in the pandemic is way up in the air. The toll collectors, who earn $36,000 to $48,000 a year, still report for their shifts. Many have been teleworking and have been assigned to taking online training courses, performing office duties, updating manuals or providing customer service. A few still report to the seven bridge toll plazas. They even occasionally interact with drivers, because some things are still best done in person. Some folks get confused and have questions about going over the bridges, said Caltrans spokesman Bart Ney. And we still deal with the bridge phobias of people who are afraid to cross. Correction: San Francisco Public Defender Mano Rajus name was misspelled in an earlier version of this story. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Phil Matier appears Sundays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KGO-TV morning and evening news and can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call 415-777-8815, or email pmatier@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @philmatier It was the height of the great toilet paper crisis of 2020 and rumours were flying through the leafy streets of Lane Cove on Sydneys north shore. Lane Cove Council had supposedly banned early-morning deliveries to supermarkets and so they couldnt restock their toilet paper supplies each morning. It didnt take long for news to reach Jacky Barker, founder of In the Cove, the beating heart of Lane Cove. Shoppers wait for toilet paper at Coles in Epping on March 20. Credit:AAP In the Cove has a website, Twitter account, Instagram page, email newsletter and Facebook page followed by more than 6500 residents. It provides a mix of news, local information and suggestions on who unblocks drains. It advises on what the council is up to and publishes links for feedback on controversial developments. It is what a local paper used to be. On this particular day, Barker did what she always does she contacted the council to check the facts. As soon as she found out the rumour was wrong, she reassured everyone the council was not to blame. Police officers escort a police SUV from a crowd of protesters while bottles of water are thrown at them during a rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. June 13, 2020. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage A protester gestures with raised fist as a Wendys burns following a rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. June 13, 2020. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage A protester watches as a Wendys burns following a rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. June 13, 2020. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage An Atlanta police officer has been sacked following the fatal shooting of a black man, and another has been placed on administrative duty, the police department has announced. The moves follow the resignation of Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields, who stepped down as the Friday night killing of Rayshard Brooks, 27, sparked a new wave of protests in Atlanta after turbulent demonstrations over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis had simmered down. The dismissed officer was named as Garrett Rolfe, who was hired in October 2013, while Devin Bronsan, who joined in September 2018, was placed on administrative duty, according to a release from police spokesman Sergeant John Chafee. The police department also released body camera and dash camera footage from both officers. Expand Close Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields On Saturday night, protesters set fire to the Wendys restaurant where Mr Brooks was fatally shot the night before, and blocked traffic on a nearby highway, although the fire was out by 11.30pm. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced the police chiefs resignation at a news conference on Saturday afternoon, and called for the immediate dismissal of the officer who opened fire on Mr Brooks. Read More I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer, Ms Bottoms said. Expand Close Police officers escort a police SUV from a crowd of protesters while bottles of water are thrown at them during a rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. June 13, 2020. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police officers escort a police SUV from a crowd of protesters while bottles of water are thrown at them during a rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. June 13, 2020. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage She said it was Ms Shields own decision to step aside as police chief and that she would remain with the city in an undetermined role. Interim Corrections Chief Rodney Bryant will serve as interim police chief until a permanent replacement is found. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the shooting, said the deadly confrontation started with officers responding to a complaint that a man was sleeping in a car blocking the restaurants drive-thru lane. The GBI said Mr Brooks failed a sobriety test and then resisted officers attempts to arrest him. Expand Close A Wendys burns following a rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. June 13, 2020. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A Wendys burns following a rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. June 13, 2020. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage The GBI released security camera video of the shooting, which shows a man running from two white police officers as he raises a hand, which is holding some type of object, towards an officer a few steps behind him. The officer draws his gun and fires as the man keeps running, then falls to the ground in the car park. GBI director Vic Reynolds said Mr Brooks had grabbed a Taser from one of the officers and appeared to point it at the officer as he fled, prompting the officer to reach for his gun and fire an estimated three shots. The security camera video recorded Brooks running or fleeing from Atlanta police officers, Mr Reynolds said. It appears that he has in his hand a Taser. The footage does not show Mr Brooks initial struggle with police. Expand Close Protesters rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. June 13, 2020. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Protesters rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. June 13, 2020. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage Mr Brooks died after being taken to an Atlanta hospital. One of the officers was treated for unspecified injuries and then released. L Chris Stewart, a lawyer for Mr Brooks family, said the officer who shot him should be charged with an unjustified use of deadly force, which equals murder. You cant have it both ways in law enforcement, Mr Stewart said. You cant say a Taser is a non-lethal weapon but when an African-American grabs it and runs with it, now its some kind of deadly, lethal weapon that calls for you to unload on somebody. He said Mr Brooks was a father of four and had celebrated his daughters eighth birthday on Friday before he was killed. The shooting came at a time of heightened tension over police brutality and calls for reforms across the US following the May 25 death of Mr Floyd in Minneapolis. Atlanta was one of the cities where large crowds of protesters took to the streets. Expand Close A Wendys burns following a rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. June 13, 2020. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A Wendys burns following a rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. June 13, 2020. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage Demonstrators, including members of Mr Brooks family, gathered on Saturday outside the restaurant where he was shot. Among those protesting was Crystal Brooks, who said she is Mr Brooks sister-in-law. He wasnt causing anyone any harm, she said. The police went up to the car and, even though the car was parked, they pulled him out of the car and started tussling with him. She added: He did grab the Taser, but he just grabbed the Taser and ran. Ms Shields, Atlantas police chief for less than four years, was initially praised in the days following Mr Floyds death last month. She said the Minnesota officers involved should go to prison and walked into crowds of protesters in central Atlanta, telling demonstrators she understood their frustrations and fears. Expand Close An Atlanta SWAT officer draws his weapon during a rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. June 13, 2020. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An Atlanta SWAT officer draws his weapon during a rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. June 13, 2020. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage She appeared at Ms Bottoms side as the mayor made an impassioned plea for protesters to go home when things turned violent with smashed storefronts and police cruisers set on fire. Days later, Ms Shields fired two officers who were caught on video on May 30 in a hostile confrontation with two college students whose car was stuck in traffic caused by the protests. The officers fired Tasers at the pair and dragged them from the vehicle. When prosecutors later charged six of the officers involved, however, Ms Shields openly questioned the charges. The shooting of Mr Brooks two weeks later raised further questions about the Atlanta department. In a statement, Ms Shields said she chose to resign out of a deep and abiding love for this city and this department. It is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, Ms Shields said. Mr Reynolds said his agents will turn over the results of their investigation to Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, whose office will decide whether criminal charges are warranted against either officer. Mr Howard said on Saturday that his office has already launched an intense, independent investigation of the incident without waiting for the GBIs results. CUT BANK, Mont. A century ago, one of the first of the ambitious federal water projects that helped build the West was constructed to carry water from the mountains of Glacier National Park hundreds of miles east, irrigating an area twice the size of Maryland. The well-traveled water allows alfalfa, wheat and cattle farms to flourish in what would otherwise be an arid landscape of prairie grass and sagebrush. Last month, however, a crumbling concrete portion of the antiquated ditch system known as the St. Mary Canal collapsed, cutting off the flow of mountain water to farms and towns in a portion of Canada and much of eastern Montana. As the heat of summer looms, water users are worried. I want water running, said Jennifer Patrick, the program manager of the Milk River Joint Board of Control. She was standing at the base of a 58-foot-tall concrete ramp called Drop 5, now a tangle of broken concrete and rebar. Its the lifeline for farms and towns, she said. There is no backup. Recently, New Zealands PM Jacinda Ardern had the social media swooning over her as she kicked out Covid-19 from her country, having displayed exceptional administrative skills during the crisis. Other global leaders such German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Norways PM Erna Solberg and Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen were also praised in the media for their strong yet compassionate approach towards the global pandemic, while showing the world what good leadership should look like. Although women have proved themselves to be excellent leaders, their representation in political and diplomatic fields is still peripheral. Women from different walks of life share with us why they believe post-corona, the world needs more empathetic leaders at the helm to fix the broken socio-economic scenario. Genetically engineered for the helm for a long time, governments or elite marketers across the world have treated people as subjects or consumers. Iram Mirza, a social entrepreneur, believes what makes these women leaders stand out from the rest of the breed is how during the pandemic they decided to evoke the citizen in their populace. Iram also notes how PM Ardern apologised to her citizens after shutting down the country. I think the bigger casualty of the pandemic has been the collective failure of alpha leadership across the world. I believe women are more prepared for facing disasters. Their future readiness is their secret weapon to fight unprecedented situations. These leaders proved that for a true leader, the most important factor is to be a humanist first, nationalist later, with qualities such as clarity, empathy, humility and strategic prioritisation, says Iram Mirza. Bhopal, June 14 : With the steady increase in the spread of coronavirus across Madhya Pradesh, all 52 districts of the state are now affected by the virus. Niwari district being the only exception till now has also been affected by the virus. Rural areas are now fast coming in the grip of the infection. The government is now concerned about the spread of the infection from urban to rural areas in the state. This is the reason why after opening offices and markets, the government is unable to decide on opening of schools. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has expressed his inability to commit on the opening of schools, adding, "We will not be able to say anything when schools will open in the state, but seeing the present situation it is unlikely that they will open in July. There will be a review again in late June and a decision will be taken only after that." The number of corona-infected patients has increased in 51 of the 52 districts of the state. Niwari, which was the only district free of corona patients, has also been affected now. Niwani district magistrate Akshay Kumar Singh said three corona-positive persons have been found in the district and strict measures will be enforced to check the spread. Markets will open only from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tracing the spread from urban to rural areas, official figures show there are 904 corona patients in 440 villages of the state. The government has earmarked Rs 275 crore, which is 15 per cent of the 14th Finance Commission allocation to the gram panchayats for prevention of Covid. It will be spent on masks, hygiene, sanitation, soaps, sanitizers, PPE kits, etc. Fearing the spread of the infection, Chouhan said due to opening of the lockdown there has been an invrease in new corona-infected patients and any relaxation in restrictions may increase the chances further. Therefore, absolute caution and vigilance are required. According to official details, 22 labs are functional in the state for testing samples. Citizens have been receiving medical services from 1,109 'fever clinics'. Testing and treatment capacity has steadily increased. In Alirajpur, Harda and Hoshangabad, no positive cases have been reported in the last 21 days. No positive cases were reported in Seoni in the last 19 days, Jhabua in the last 15 days and Sehore in the last 10 days. The recovery rate in the state has now increased to 70 per cent. Officials from health, revenue and the police departments are involved in prevention of corona infection. As many as 9,580 police officials, including 6,381 constables, 1,812 head constables, 711 assistant sub-inspectors, 422 sub-inspectors, 164 inspectors, 70 DSPs and 20 additional SPs have been deployed to check the Covid spread. According to Urban Dictionary, Main Street has appropriated many a finance term to describe drugs, bodily functions and R-rated activities. The following are some of the interesting, savvy and sometimes spot-on ways that laypeople define and use common market lingo in the modern vernacular. Wall Street 1. (n.) The location of the New York Stock Exchange. A monument to greed and materialism and a perversion of capitalism, where futures are carelessly traded like commodities. 2. (n.) The biggest casino in the world for people of Main Street. 3. (n.) A term used to describe the area for Day Traders in downtown New York, where people buy and sell mostly for emotional reasons. 4. (n.) The mecca of the Yuppies. Stock Market 1. (n.) The fastest way to lose money. 2. (n.) The lottery for rich people. Evil Republicans think we should put all of our retirement money into it. That way, we can work until we're 90 years old, because the stock market sucks up your money and doesn't give any back. Banker 1. (n.) A person employed by a bank, esp. as an executive or other official. 2. (n.) A morally deficient member of the bourgeoisie who will recklessly sacrifice others well being for personal gain. 3. (n.) Engineer of genocide. 4. (n.) A banker is the girl you know you can get with no matter what. She is the one you go for when all else fails, or you simply can't be bothered to make any effort for others. You may have one, or several bankers. CNBC 1. (n.) A mysteriously popular forum for professional sharks to fob off underperforming investments onto gullible amateur investors particularly targeting the elderly and mentally incompentent. 2. (n.) A media outlet for stale news that has circulated through Wall Street and already been entirely priced in. 3. (n.) A TV channel where demi-literate carpetbaggers, carneys, and c---gobblers are invited on to maunder and prevaricate and thereby encourage everyone to throw their money away. Story continues 4. (n.) An eye magnet for bored, horny, attention-deficit disordered Wall Streeters. Dead Cat Bounce 1. (n.) Investor slang; a brief recovery in the price of a falling stock. Term is derived from the idea that "even a dead cat will bounce if it falls from a great height." Dividend 1. (n.) A quarterly payment that companies make to owners of their stock. In theory, the source of the company's stock's intrinsic value. A company's dividends are usually chosen to be as regular as possible; they can be considerably lower than the company's quarterly earnings, provided the company is growing in value. They are important, because they are the direct motivation to buy the stock. 2. (n.) A drink or cocktail. Stems from the concept of sharing the profits from a good harvest among the farmers involved, as in a glass of wine from a barrel or a shot of whiskey from a cask. Commonly used to refer to a drink poured from a larger stash (i.e. a bottle of whiskey or a batch of martinis). Federal Reserve 1. (n.) Federal Reserve is a private bank of the NWO/Bilderberg old fat cats. The fat cat international bankers: (1) buy top leaders around the world, then (2) create private banks called the "Federal Reserve," "Central Bank of Xcountry..., "Bank of xxcountry" (3) detach paper currency from the Gold standard; (4) use the Treasury to print, horde, or release currency, to bubble or bust countries around the world. To gain power and mo resources. George Soros is their most famous member. 2. (n.) Financial terrorists. IPO 1. (n.) First public stock release for a company. 2. (n.) Gaseous emission immediately before a bowel movement. (can signal an emergent situation). Poison Pill 1. (n.) Something added to a situation, company, deal, object, etc., to make it undesirable to takers, buyers, thieves, investors, or conquerors. 2. (n.) The actions done by a party to screw another party after a major change has been completed or in the mix. Power Lunch (n.) A gathering of co-workers or of mostly young male corporate douches (see yuppies) for a 3 hour lunch on the clock that includes such things as a motorcade of Lexus and BMW automobiles, motivational speakers, cheers, steak, and talk about something like the bottom line or bonuses or something. Supposedly a motivational event, but usually turns out to be a feast of gluttony and ruined neckties. Newly motivated and encouraged participants are expected to go back to the office and make phone calls and fire off emails and achieve results, but most usually end up at a local boozer and get tanked before happy hour even starts. Stock Exchange Well, uh, let you check this one for yourself. See more from Benzinga 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option. New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Sunday (June 14) chaired a key meeting with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal amid rapid growth in coronavirus COVID-19 cases in the national capital. Apart from Amit Shah, Vardhan and Kejriwal, those who attended the meeting included Delhi Deputy Minister Manish Sisodia, State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) officials, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria and senior officers from the Home and Health ministries. The meeting began at 11 am and continued for almost 90 minutes. The Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo is expected to brief the media later this evening. Home Minister Amit Shah has also called a separate meeting in the evening at 5 pm today with the Mayors of Delhi's three municipal corporations North, South and East, and commissioners of the civic bodies to discuss the COVID-19 situation in the capital. L-G Baijal, CM Kejriwal and Union Health Minister Vardhan will also attend the evening meeting today. The meeting comes in the wake of a shocking number of COVID-19 cases in the capital where the tally has reached nearly 39,000 cases with over 1,200 deaths. The phone call Irena Veronese was dreading came on a chilly spring evening. Her 54-year-old husband, Mladen, was in intensive care at St. Michaels Hospital, hooked up to a ventilator, getting sicker and sicker with COVID-19. Gently, the nurse explained they were running out of treatment options: The ventilator was set to its maximum levels; drugs paralyzed his body to ensure any available oxygen would go to his brain and organs; his kidneys were shutting down. She was trying to prepare me, Irena said. When I hung up the phone, I knew that if he took another turn for the worse, he would die. But 10 minutes later, while she was sitting at her kitchen table trying to explain the wrenching conversation to their teenage son, a doctor called back. The critical-care team wanted to transport Mladen to Toronto General Hospital for a last-resort intervention an artificial heart-lung bypass machine reserved for the provinces sickest patients. There were many risks even the ambulance ride could be fatal and no guarantees, but Irena agreed to give Mladen a chance. It sounds like a lifeline, something that can help him. Later we realized it was the only thing that would get him back home. Mladen is one of 32 Ontario patients with COVID-19 who have so far received this sophisticated life support at Toronto General. The extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine, or ECMO, siphons blood out of a patients body from a vein in the groin, removes the carbon dioxide and adds oxygen, before pushing it back into a vein near the patients heart. Typically used for patients with severe lung infections or those waiting for a lung or heart transplant, the machine is not a miracle cure. But at Toronto General, part of the University Health Network and home to the largest ECMO program in Canada, doctors are successfully using it as a final option for some COVID-19 patients whose lungs are critically damaged by the virus. It helps buy time for all the other therapies to work and the lungs to heal, said Dr. Eddy Fan, Medical Director of UHNs Extracorporeal Life Support Program, which is run by members of the Sprott Department of Surgery and Critical Care Medicine. Even as Ontario relaxes physical distancing rules, and COVID-19 case numbers decline, patients severely ill with the virus continue to be referred to Toronto General for ECMO. On Friday, hours after Premier Doug Ford announced Ontarians can have a social circle of 10 people, surgeons put two COVID-19 patients on the life-support machine; days earlier, the program accepted a 22-year-old for ECMO, its youngest patient with the virus. Patients come to us steps away from death and this (machine) can help get them back to their loved ones, said Fan. But getting off ECMO is just the first step; its a long journey home. Mladen, who spent a total of 52 days in hospital, has no memory of the eight days he spent on ECMO and nearly three weeks on a ventilator. Now recovering at his home in Upper Bloor West Village, he still struggles to understand the extraordinary efforts to save his life. I think about the fact that I got to live and ask myself this question: Am I unlucky to have been hit with the virus so hard? Or am I lucky to have made it when so many others didnt? His wife, who spent weeks worrying at home, waiting by the phone for updates, quickly answers his question: Youre lucky, lucky, lucky. You are lucky. In January, as the first reports of severely ill COVID-19 patients emerged from China, doctors at Toronto General began to plan for a surge of patients with the virus. As the main ECMO referring centre for Ontarios ICUs, doctors knew they could be accepting patients from across the province. At that time, no one yet knew how fast COVID-19 would sweep through cities or whether ECMO would be a viable option for the sickest patients with the virus. Still, Toronto General ramped up capacity for its Extracorporeal Life Support Program, purchasing additional machines, including the computer hardware and disposable tubing systems. We prepared to support 25 patients at a single time, said Dr. Marcelo Cypel, Surgical Director of UHNs Ajmera Transplant Centre, noting the difficulty in finding enough equipment during a global rush for supplies. This is something we have never had to do before, even during H1N1 in 2009. Previously, the maximum number of patients we had on this device is 12 or 13 at the same time. Since becoming a provincial referral centre in 2006, the life-support program cares for between 100 and 120 patients a year. About 70 per cent are those being treated for lung failure due to infections, including influenza and bacterial pneumonia, or while awaiting new lungs for transplant, Cypel said. The remaining 30 per cent of patients who go on the machine need mechanical assistance before a heart transplant or to help their heart heal from infection, he said. Through the winter, as the coronavirus moved across the globe, physicians in the life-support program talked to colleagues in China and Europe to learn how to best support COVID-19 patients on ECMO. The main thing we heard was that some patients with COVID-19 deteriorate very quickly and once they start to worsen, you need to be prepared to escalate the amount of life support they need very fast, said Fan, director of critical-care research at UHN and Mount Sinai Hospital. We definitely saw that in our hospital and took that advice to heart and had many patients referred to us early in their illness to give us a better chance of helping them. Conversations with international colleagues also helped Toronto General physicians determine which patients had a better chance of surviving on the life-support machine, which comes with its own potential dangers, including an increased risk of stroke and blood clots. During the pandemic, a four-member team of physicians together decides which COVID-19 patients to accept for ECMO based on set criteria, including a persons age and whether they have any other serious health conditions, such as chronic heart disease or a recent history of cancer, Cypel said. Those with such conditions and people over the age of 65 are not considered for ECMO, though each case is made on an individual basis, he said. In early April, Toronto General saw its first COVID-19 patients requiring ECMO in its ICU. Cypel recalls how rapidly patients got severely sick, even patients in their 20s, 30s and 40s. That certainly changed our perception about this disease. Many of them are the same age as us, the physicians. We certainly reflected on that; that getting this sick with COVID could happen to any of us. Six days after Ontario declared a Provincial Emergency on March 17, Mladen stopped working as a warehouse manager and Irena temporarily closed her esthetics business. Their 18-year-old son, Moni, returned from University of Waterloo, and the family largely stayed home and stayed together. I only went to get a haircut and to the grocery store; I think thats maybe where I picked up the virus, Mladen said. This was still at the beginning and I dont think people were as aware as they are today. Because I was still touching my face and my eyes, I think that was my problem. Mladen first felt ill on March 26, spiking a high fever, followed by body aches, a persistent cough and difficulty breathing. On April 1 his 54th birthday Mladen was so breathless he couldnt finish a sentence while speaking with his family physician, who had phoned that morning to check on his condition. When he heard Mladen on the phone, he said: Im calling an ambulance, you are not well, Irena said. We all had a strong suspicion he had COVID-19, but we were told to self-isolate at home and until that morning he didnt seem sick enough to go to hospital. As she watched her husband slowly walk to the ambulance stretcher, listening to his brother wish him happy birthday on his cellphone, Irena did not think he was critically ill. Later that afternoon, from St. Michaels Hospital, Mladen called to say he would soon be intubated and put on a ventilator. That was a hard phone call because he was there alone and he was scared and I was telling him to trust the doctors, that they would help him. That was the last time I heard his voice until three weeks later. Though Mladen did test positive for COVID-19 and influenza A neither his wife nor son had any symptoms of illness. Dr. Karen Burns, a critical-care physician at St. Mikes, remembers calling Toronto General on April 4 to recommend Mladen for ECMO. That day, he was one of two COVID-19 patients in the ICU who were deteriorating rapidly, despite doctors and nurses doing all they could. At the time, Mladen was sedated face down on the bed, in the prone position, and hooked up to a ventilator that was pushing 100 per cent oxygen into his lungs. Doctors had also chemically paralyzed his body with drugs to ensure his muscles didnt use any oxygen so the little his lungs could process would get to his brain, heart and other organs. We were trying to do as much as we could, but we realized, from his blood gases and other markers, that we were struggling to support him and then you question how will he do over the next four to eight hours, Burns said. I felt like we had this window before he would really deteriorate. She recalls running back and forth between Mladen and the other sick patient, reviewing their charts, while talking to a physician at Toronto General. It becomes a judgment call of whether you are comfortable to transport them. These patients are the sickest of the sick and having to move them unprone them, collect their pumps and ventilators, go down an elevator, get them in an ambulance thats dangerous. They are struggling for every little bit of oxygen Im glad we prioritized Mr. V. as I think he was cannulated and put on ECMO almost on arrival, said Burns, who estimates St. Mikes referred about one COVID-19 patient a week to Toronto General during the first wave of the pandemic. Having that highly specialized resource concentrated in one hospital and being able to collaborate with colleagues there, any time of day or night, allows us to provide ... the best possible care. Irena recalls getting a phone call at 5 a.m. on April 5 from a doctor saying Mladen was successfully hooked up to ECMO. He ended up being on ECMO for eight days, she said. There was still a lot of ups and downs, but I could see there was a fighting chance for him to get better. Cypel and his colleagues are collecting data on COVID-19 patients who undergo ECMO at Toronto General, with plans to soon publish their findings and provide guidance on how the devices can be used during the pandemic. So far, about 65 per cent of COVID-19 patients who receive ECMO have survived, said Cypel, the programs surgical director. Amanda Spriel, a cardiovascular perfusionist at Toronto General, is an expert in ECMO devices, overseeing their use on patients during cardiac or transplant surgery and in the ICU. Normally, one perfusionist cares for ECMO patients in the ICU; during the pandemic, there are four to a shift. Spriel monitors the life-support machines, troubleshoots the devices, watches for blood clots and ensures the oxygenators work properly, all critical to a patients survival. Though she never spoke with Mladen he was sedated his entire time on ECMO Spriel remembers caring for him during his stay. He had a very straightforward and smooth ECMO run, she said. I didnt have to make many adjustments. At first he required 6L of blood through the circuit every minute to oxygenate enough blood to support his organ function. As his lungs recovered, we were able to turn down the settings, then turn it off completely when his lungs were able to take over oxygen functioning again. Irena called the ICU three or four times a day to check on her husband. On the day he opened his eyes three weeks after being intubated at St. Mikes she and Moni talked to him on an iPad, though he was still unable to speak. On April 22, after he had been transferred to a medical ward, Irena again tried to speak with Mladen. I realized he had no idea what had happened; he kept asking me: Why am I here? Why am I here? Moni suggested they each write a letter to explain. He wrote his in English while Irena wrote hers in Serbo-Croatian, the language they speak at home. She hand-delivered them to the hospital that day. They were so helpful. I reread them and understood a little more each time. I couldnt believe I had slept through everything. Still, it took a few more days for Mladen to appreciate how close he came to dying from COVID-19. I kept asking when I could go home. Then one of the doctors he was so sweet; he sat on my bed he said: Remember where you were a few days ago? This is a miracle that you are here and that you and I are talking. Mladen finished his hospital recovery at Bridgepoint Active Healthcare, a Toronto complex care and rehabilitation hospital. While there, he built up his muscles so he could go home without a walker and manage the stairs. A neurologist helped him overcome some lingering problems with nerve endings in his left leg. He also worked with a speech-language pathologist to practise swallowing. Weeks on a ventilator had irritated his throat and swallowing food liquids especially was tricky. On May 22 52 days after leaving in an ambulance with plummeting blood oxygen levels and a grim prognosis Mladen was discharged from hospital. The family, in tears after their first hug in weeks, drove home together in disbelief. On July 2, Irena and Mladen will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. They dont yet know how they will celebrate but Mladen said being together again after so many weeks of worry is a start. Every day, they sit for a long time at their kitchen table, talking and drinking small cups of espresso. And they often stand outside to wave at friends and family who visit from a distance. They want to see him in person, said Irena. They just cant believe what hes been through. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 04:01:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RAMALLAH, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Sunday declared that three new cases of COVID-19 were found in the southern West Bank district of Hebron, raising the total number to 676. Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila said in a press statement that the three cases are of a woman and two men from Hebron city and the town of Halhul, south of Hebron. The total number of cases in Hebron district has climbed to 102, of which 76 have fully recovered. Meanwhile, al-Kaila warned that there may be dozens of uncovered cases of the virus that could lead to a new wave of the disease in the country, urging the public to commit to the public health protocols, including wearing masks and avoiding crowds. She noted that the health authorities have conducted over 66,000 tests since the outbreak of COVID-19 and are currently carrying out tests on random samples daily. Enditem The statistics during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic have brought to our attention the racial and wealth inequalities in the United States. The concurrent protests over the death of George Floyd also came as a result of those inequalities. New Mexico had its own revelatory shakeup with the 2018 Martinez/Yazzie lawsuit decision. Under Judge Sarah Singleton, the court found that New Mexico was violating its constitution by not providing a sufficient education for four groups of students considered at risk: English language learners, Native American students, special needs students, and economically disadvantaged students. This suit is considered one of the most comprehensive education lawsuits in the country. Remedies suggested include increased per-student funding, increased teacher pay, changing the funding formula to give more weight to at-risk students, extended learning time, K-5 Plus (increase learning time in early grades), Indian education, standards-based assessments (evaluating a students mastery of a skill), teacher/administrator evaluation improvement (move from a punitive model to a model where struggling schools are given additional training and help), culturally relevant curriculum materials, improved monitoring of programs (both fiscal and program monitoring) by the Public Education Department and improved early childhood education opportunities. Some of these remedies have begun to be implemented: teacher raises, changes to the funding formula, early childhood education access. Many have not been adequately addressed. The state is currently going to court stating it has complied with the courts orders. Not only has the state not complied, but also, with the current economic shortfalls brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, the financial remedies implemented are in danger of falling by the wayside. The decision stated that lack of funds is not a defense to providing constitutional rights and provided 11 sources for more revenue sources available through legislation or amending the constitution. Many people have the mistaken attitude that the lawsuit was about increased financing for the schools. It was definitely about much more than that; it is about making sure student needs are met. One aspect of student needs not being met which costs little or no money is the attention to a culturally relevant curriculum. During the trial, Dr. Joe Suina, a professor from Cochiti Pueblo, opened by stating that public schools have been the enemy of Native American students. The same can be said of Hispanic students (including both students whose ancestors settled New Mexico and recent arrivals from Mexico or Central America). During the trial, it was revealed that 72% of New Mexicos students fall into what is called minority and that most of that 72% fell at the bottom of graphs of student achievement. Addressing cultural relevance does not require increased financing. It requires increased focus. Currently, districts are being required to establish equity councils. Many complain that there are no materials available. Not true, but it takes extra work to find them. Sometimes local communities have designed them internally. (I once attended a dinner in Zuni for students who were interviewing their elders in various fields of interest and putting together a curriculum based on those interviews.) An important source of cultural knowledge is elders (both Hispanic and Native American). Even in districts with a majority of students from the dominant culture, understanding the cultures around them is important for better interaction as they move into the community. The focus on the dominant culture in curricular materials is an example of institutional racism. It is taken for granted that this is what students need to learn without consultation from local non-dominant cultures. Imagine how a student feels walking into a classroom where none of the staff looks like him/her, talks like him/her, nor has an understanding of his/her cultural points of reference. One professor in Mexican American Graduate Studies at San Jose State University quipped once that it is like trying to play a game without knowing the rules. He further added that the sane ones are the ones who drop out. I also think of a Navajo legislator who grew up with the Dick, Jane and Sally readers. He told me he couldnt express how much he wanted to have a house with a white picket fence. I also think of one Hispanic child with cerebral palsy saying, More after I sang Alla en el Rancho Grande to her. When I shared that with her regular (dominant culture) teacher, the teachers response was she knew that the child could say more. Tone deaf. The Martinez/Yazzie decision revelation of inequalities does not result in physical death, but non-compliance can definitely result in the death of a soul. Georgia Roybal of Santa Fe is a retired teacher who spent 20 years (with Roberto Mondragon) developing bilingual educational materials based on the cultures of New Mexico. Help with this essay was provided by: Dr. Diane Torres-Velasquez (UNM), Dr. Luis Quinones (retired educator) and Jonathan Alvarado Romero (tour guide to historic sites in Mexico City). The biggest ever crowd, according to management of the Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, witnessed the Big 3 in Dirt Late Model racing go at it for the second consecutive night, as Jimmy Owens, Brandon Overton and Brandon Sheppard battled for the $15,000 "Mountain Moonshine Classic" Saturday night. Overton (# 76), whom lead Friday until suffering a flat right rear tire on the final circuit in South Carolina, held off "B-Shep" and "The O-Show" after gaining the lead on lap 27 of the 60 lap affair. Josh Richards (W.V.) and Earl Pearson Jr (Fl.) rounded out the Top 5 finishers with Chickamauga's Dale McDowell 6th overall. Local Loudon racer Cory Hedgecock was 9th just behind Canadian Ricky Weiss. Knoxville's Kyle Courtney picked up the $1,200 Limited Late Model feature over 20 other teams. Fans reportedly began arriving at the facility staking claims to seats and spots around the long 1/2 mile dirt track early Friday in preparation for the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model series event Saturday night. The series returns to East Tennessee in a few week, when 411 Motor Speedway host a $12,000 to-Win event at the end of June. This was the 8th win of 2020 for the Evans, Ga. native. By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 27, 2020 | 08:13 PM | MCCRACKEN COUNTY On Monday, the Kentucky State Police received a call from the McCracken County Juvenile Detention Center, reporting that a handful of juveniles were destroying property. After attempting to negotiate with the juveniles unsuccessfully, detention staff contacted Troopers to assist in restoring order. Upon arrival, Troopers were reportedly able to restore order quickly, and the juveniles voluntarily re-entered their cells. A staff member of the detention center was treated for minor injuries as a result of the incident. Troopers have opened an investigation into the incident to determine whether additional charges will be filed against the juveniles that were involved. The Kentucky State Police were called to assist in restoring order at the McCracken County Juvenile Detention Center. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Anand Rathi 's research report on Jubilant Life Sciences JLS revenue from operations came in at Rs.2,391 cr in Q4-FY20, up by 0.2% YoY. This was on account of growth in Pharmaceuticals business partially offset by decline in Life Science Ingredients (LSI) business. Pharmaceuticals revenue came in at Rs.1,483 cr in Q4-FY20, an increase of 6% yoy whereas LSI revenue came in at Rs.823 cr in Q4-FY20, down by 10% yoy. Drug Discovery & Development Solution segment revenue came in at Rs.85 cr, up by 25% YoY. On profitability front, the EBITDA from operations for the quarter improved by 49.9% year-on-year to Rs.537 cr. EBITDA margins expanded by 743 bps yoy to 22.4%. Margin expansion was mainly on account of lower raw material and other expenditure. Net Profit came in at Rs.260 cr in Q4-FY20 as compared to loss of Rs.99 cr in Q4-FY19. Q4-FY19 had a IFC stock settlement charge of INR235 cr classified as an exceptional item. Normalized profit after tax during the quarter was at Rs.260 cr as against Rs.135 cr in Q4-FY19. Outlook Fundamentally JLS Pharma business is positioned well in the current environment which bodes well for companies having a manufacturing footprint in the US and India both. Moreover, the demerger of LSI business will allow value unlocking for the Pharma business valuation. We continue to remain positive on the company on a medium to longer term perspective and maintain our BUY rating on the stock with a target price of Rs.867 per share. For all recommendations report, click here Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies 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. Read More Its happening already: Renters are being illegally tossed out on the street in the pandemic by their landlords, in truly outrageous fashion. And in just a few weeks, its about to get so much worse. Imagine, two days after your elderly father dies of coronavirus, being locked out of your apartment by your landlord. This was the experience of Edward Ware, Jr., of Newark, who discovered his locks had been changed while he was out making the funeral arrangements. Hed lost his income due to COVID and couldnt pay rent. Because he was paid under the table by his boss in construction, he couldnt collect unemployment, either. Then he got a notice slipped under his door. Please allow us to extend our sympathies, it said, on the death of his father, before giving him 14 days to get out of the home theyd shared for five years. As it turned out, he didnt even have that. His locks got changed that same day. My father was in the hospital for about a month. He was fighting, on a ventilator, Ware said. My older sister passed away in March, then he passed in May. I was really going through a lot Its like they just dont care about no one but money. This violates the spirit and the letter of Phil Murphys executive order that put a moratorium on evictions during the pandemic, but that hasnt stopped some landlords. And as soon as its lifted, expect an avalanche of evictions, all over the state. New Jersey desperately needs a clear policy to give all the tenants who fell behind a chance for gradual repayment. Lawmakers are holding a hearing on Tuesday, and should act before rent comes due in July. Otherwise, well see thousands left homeless or in overcrowded shelters, further exposing them to the risk of a deadly infection. * * * * * As many as 40 percent of New Jerseyans have someone in their home whos lost a job due to the pandemic, a Monmouth University poll found. For the poorest, its as much as 50 percent. And thats disproportionately true for Black and Latino families. The $100 million our governor devoted to emergency renter assistance will help about 10,000 to 15,000 families, which is great but there are 1 million renters in New Jersey. Advocates estimate at least 500,000 are struggling right now to make rent. Murphy also allowed tenants to use their security deposit to pay one months rent, but most did so already in May. Every month, more will come up short. While courts arent yet processing evictions, they are allowing filings and mediation sessions, in which a tenant usually shows up alone on Zoom, and is easily pressured by a lawyer for the landlord into a deal to voluntarily leave. And starting Monday, landlords will have their cases heard in court. Evictions are set to begin 60 days after Murphys moratorium is lifted. Essex County has at least 5,000 filed cases in the pipeline thats thousands of landlords, waiting to kick out tenants having hardships due to COVID. Judges will be swamped and under tremendous pressure to quickly check cases off as resolved, even if it leaves someone evicted a few months later. Tenants may be blacklisted by future landlords, who hold evictions against them. It could create a permanent underclass, further fueled by gentrification, as landlords welcome wealthier tenants fleeing places like Brooklyn. * * * * * In a city like Newark, where 78 percent of residents are renters, it could mean pure chaos. If not for his bureaucratic Batwoman, Khabirah Myers a free lawyer provided by the city, who partners with the nonprofit Legal Services Edward Ware Jr. says hed probably be out on the street right now. Even before COVID, Newark was one of just three cities in America, aside from New York City and Philly, to put money toward free legal representation for people facing eviction, to Mayor Ras Barakas credit. The city also just gave low-income residents up to $1,000 each in emergency funds, to help pay rent or utilities. Hes been great on this. Hes leading conversations that few other elected officials are willing or even able to have, housing advocate Staci Berger says of Baraka. His city has invested $400,000 so far in this legal program it hopes to expand, and it goes a long way: Myers says her office has helped more than 890 tenants and handled more than 150 eviction cases. Yet the need, already great, is now exploding. One tenants wife was six months pregnant when their landlord illegally evicted the family during the pandemic including two girls, ages five and eight. He came to my job, yelling in front of all my colleagues that I was illegal here and hes going to deport me to Portugal, according to the tenant, Luis Miguel, an essential worker in a supermarket who says he has always paid his rent. Its not uncommon for landlords to use someones residency status to force them out on a whim, Myers says, despite the recent moratorium on evictions. Just getting on the phone with the landlord or cop who shows up at the door can prevent an eviction, once people know their rights. But this landlord still proceeded to shut off the familys utilities for nearly a week. Ill see you in court, Myers says he fumed, before hanging up on her with a click. * * * * * We cant stop evictions forever, but lawmakers need to do all they can to level the playing field. Its very unfair that landlords expect that tenants can pay immediately upfront, says advocate Adam Gordon of Fair Share Housing. Its not like if youre a restaurant in Newark, you can say, I expected to be paid for meals that didnt happen, so I should get the full amount right now,'" he added. "It cant be that landlords have different rights than other businesses have right now. The governor needs a bill on his desk immediately that sets up a fairer process for tenants. Assemblywoman Britnee Timberlake and Senator Troy Singleton have both offered variations on that theme. They should fuse their best ideas to create a repayment plan for renters thats actually feasible, and act swiftly. Among other good proposals in Timberlakes Peoples Bill: Put a moratorium on any filings for eviction; require banks to offer a mortgage forbearance for owners who dont qualify for similar federal protection putting payments owed on the back end of the mortgage; and for both renters and mortgage lenders, ensure theres no damage to credit scores or late fees. Putting a repayment on the back of a 30-year mortgage is a relatively easy fix. The harder issue is monthly rent for tenants. Lets make sure we dont set them up for failure, as Gordon says: A wave of mass evictions the moment this moratorium expires, and another wave, a month later. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share New Delhi, June 14 : The Congress on Sunday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence over the border dispute with China, alleging the Chinese forcibly took over the land belonging to India. Indian Army Chief M.M. Naravane has said the entire situation along the borders with China is under control and that the process of disengagement has started. "The red-eyed Modi government has kept mysterious silence about China forcibly taking over Indian land. Now, will the PM tell when and how to get rid of the enemy from Pangong lake posts?," asked Congress national media in-charge Randeep Surjewala in a tweet in Hindi. His remarks came a day after Gen. Naravane's statement that "disengagement" of Chinese and Indian troops has begun in the Galwan area, and that both sides "are disengaging in a phased manner". After reviewing the passing-out parade of 423 officers at Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun, General Naravane said, "I would like to assure everyone that the entire situation along our borders with China is under control. We're having a series of talks which started with the Corps Commander-level meeting on June 6 and have been followed up with meetings at the local commanders-level." "As a result, a lot of disengagement has taken place and we are hopeful that through the continued dialogue that we're having, all perceived differences that we (India and China) have will be set to rest. Everything is under control," he said. These were the first remarks by the Indian Army Chief since the face-off at the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. Surjewala also slammed the Central government over the alleged torture of an Indian national, who was taken into custody by the Nepal police on Friday afternoon after a firting incident near the border in Bihar's Sitamarhi district. "Will the red-eyed (Modi) and Sushasan Babu (Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar) answer?" Surjewala asked. He also attached a news report in which the man who was taken into custody by the Nepal Police shared his plight with the media after returning to India. One man was killed and two others injured on Friday after the Nepal police opened fire on a crowd at a border area in Bihar's Sitamarhi district. Lagan Yadav was taken away by Nepal police on Friday following the firing incident at Jankinagar area. The Northern Arapaho Tribe has filed a lawsuit against another former lawyer, alleging the law firm which previously represented the tribes casino is withholding $75,000 and has not returned tribal documents. The lawsuit was filed last week in district court in Fremont County. It alleges that Riverton lawyer Joel Vincent, who previously represented the tribes Wind River Hotel & Casino, was improperly given $75,000 in tribal funds by casino employees who used the money as a down payment to retain Vincents services to later sue the tribe. The suit also alleges that Vincent has not returned tribal documents related to the previous representation. The Northern Arapaho Business Council never authorized this $75,000 payment to Mr. Vincent, which it appears was unlawfully orchestrated by Co-Chairman (Al) Addison and a former employee of the Wind River Hotel & Casino so that Mr. Vincent and his collaborators could wage a meritless legal battle against our Tribe, the chairman of the tribes Business Council, Lee Spoonhunter, said in a statement last week. Every Tribal member should be outraged at this flagrant abuse of funds and betrayal of our Tribes sacred trust. On behalf of the Arapaho people, the NABC calls on Mr. Vincent to immediately return our tribal funds and property. Its the second time in a year that the tribe has sued a law firm that previously represented its interests. In June 2019, it filed a lawsuit against the Lander firm Baldwin, Crocker & Rudd. In that case, the tribe again alleged that the firm had kept documents and nearly $1 million in tribal money. Vincent declined to comment by email last week, though he said he would respond in a full-throated fashion when permitted by counsel. According to the news release announcing the lawsuit against Vincent, the Business Council told the attorney in late May 2019 that Vincent was no longer representing the tribe. But, the suit alleges, Vincent received the $75,000 payment a week later. In emails between Vincent and an attorney for the tribe attached to the lawsuit, Vincent acknowledges receiving the payment from the former CEO of the casino as a prepayment but denies that it was unauthorized. The tribes attorney told Vincent that representing the casino CEO, using casino money, against the tribe constituted a conflict because the casino is an economic arm of and is wholly owned by the tribe. That allegation that Vincent accepting the money is a conflict and ethical breach is repeated in the lawsuit. But Vincent wrote back that the casino is autonomous from the tribe and that the CEO made the prepayment while he still worked for the casino; he did so, Vincent wrote, to effectively represent the casino and to protect its key employees. The new CEO of the casino, Brian Van Enkenvoort, wrote to Vincent in August requesting the return of the money. We were shocked to learn that two of our fellow Councilmembers and two former Casino employees would dare to effectively steal the Tribes money to fund a lawsuit against the Tribes direct interests, and even more shocked that a licensed attorney would go along with this shameful scheme, tribal councilman Stephen Fast Horse said in the news release. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. It is quite rare for a phone to be significantly more expensive than the one it succeeds yet still be great value. That is once all things are considered, including the competition. One of those rare phones is the OnePlus 8 Pro. You would perhaps raise an eyebrow or maybe hurl a few curses for saying a phone that is priced Rs 54,999 onwards is great valueconsidering the fact that the predecessor, the OnePlus 7T Pro was priced at Rs 53,999 (8GB + 256GB) and Rs 58,999 (12GB + 256GB for the McLaren Edition). I get that. But I raise you the competition check in return. In a way, OnePlus only real competition in the pricier tiers of the Android smartphone space is with Samsung. That pits the OnePlus 8 Pro in a battle against the Samsung Galaxy S20+ (prices around Rs 77,990 onwards) and the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (around Rs 97,990)both fantastic phones in their own right, but if you notice, considerably more expensive even after factoring in the deals and offers, than the OnePlus 8 Pro. That being said, this is the battle between two of the most loyal sets of users as well. Give or take a few things on the spec sheet, it is just too close to call. This is what you get if you are looking for the OnePlus 8 Pro. There are two variants to choose from. Shelling out Rs 54,999 gets you the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage option in the Onyx Black and Glacial Green colour options. The higher spec variant priced at Rs 59,999 gets you 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, and is available in the Onyx Black, Glacial Green as well as the gorgeous Ultramarine Blue colour options. Glacial Green and Ultramarine Blue are two new colours to the line-up. Design: Dash of colour isnt the only thing First things first, the OnePlus 8 Pro is taller than the OnePlus 7T Pro, but at the same time, is less wide and slimmer as well. Critically, it has also shaved off some weightnow 199 grams compared with 206 grams. Still, you will probably only like this if you genuinely prefer large screen phones, but for those who do, shaving off this weight is priceless. It also gets the IP68 dust and water resistance ratings, the first time ever a OnePlus phone has one of those. It is all a part of the growing up process. This year, OnePlus has truly set about differentiating between the OnePlus 8 Pro and the OnePlus 8, as far as the features go. What I have is the Glacial Green for review, and it has a very nice matte finish which reflects lights off it in rather interesting ways. If it starts looking blue at some stage, do not rush to get your eyes checked! Yet, for all intents and purposes, you know it is a OnePlus phone from a mile away. You hold it up, and it feels like a well-built yet very modern OnePlus phone. I have often said that the three-stage switch key, which is unique to OnePlus phones, is extremely convenient. Without having to unlock the screen, you can change the sound profile modes. It lets you toggle between the Ring, Silent and Vibrate profile modes. It is infinitely more convenient than having to unlock the phone, swipe down to access the quick options from the status bar and then tap on an icon to switch between profiles. Gone is the pop-up selfie camera, replaced by a more discreet and definitely less scary hole punch implementation which sits on the top left side of the screen, as you look at it. A pop-up camera, with all its mechanics at play, was always a bit scary when it came to reliabilitydust, impacts, wear and so on. If removing some of those mechanics has also helped in reducing the weight ever so slightly, thats a swap I would accept any time of the day or night. Another welcome addition is wireless charging. This makes the OnePlus 8 Pro the first OnePlus phone ever to offer wireless charging as well. There had been calls for it for a while now, and its finally been delivered. Have You Also Read? OnePlus 8 Review: This Intelligent Android Phone Will Save You a Lot of Money Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Review: This is The Android Superphone You Were Waiting For Performance: It doesnt need to get much faster than this It is perhaps an expected upgrade that the OnePlus 8 Pro is powered by the very latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor and with it the Qualcomm X55 5G modem. In a way, the performance is up to 25% faster than the OnePlus 7T Pros Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ chip. The chip isnt the only performance boost. Things are really getting serious under-the-hood. The LPDDR5 RAM is 30% faster than LPDDR4X RAM modules. The UFS 3.0 storage gets Turbo Write, which significantly boosts the data read and write speedsas much as 125% faster than just UFS 3.0 storage modules. That means everything is faster, snappier and responsive, even when you may be opening a file which is pretty big in size or a resource intensive app. What we see in the real world as far as performance goes is exactly as per promiseeverything is delightfully silky smooth while multi-tasking or opening and closing apps. The thing is, and we had pointed this out even with the OnePlus 8, that the 8GB RAM version of the OnePlus 8 Pro is most likely more powerful than your current PC or laptop. If you get the 12GB RAM version, youll make it cry in envy. Performance isnt just a factor of the hardware at play. Great hardware coupled with middling software ruins the entire experience. Something we have seen so many times. OnePlus has always maintained a standard with the OxygenOS that makes it feel like a premium experience. There are significant changes with the latest OxygenOS as well. There is the Dark Theme 2.0 which is the universal dark mode that OnePlus users wanted, and it is compatible with even more apps. There is the Work-Life mode as well that lets you assign important apps for either time of your day. All in all, it is pretty interesting. The OnePlus 8 Pro has a 4510mAh battery, which has great stamina levels. This not only a day and a half at moderate usage, youll also not have any battery anxiety as you head towards the evening on a busy workday, when the world becomes a better place and you step out of home. OnePlus phones have always bundled great fast charging tech and the OnePlus 8 Pro gets from a fully discharged state to 50% charge in 23 minutes. That is with the Warp Charge 30T charger bundled with the phone. Since the OnePlus 8 Pro has wireless charging as well, that clocks in with the Warp Charge 30 Wireless that charges the battery up to 50% in 23 minutes as well. And then there is reverse wireless charging as well, for your second phone or wireless earbuds that may have a wireless charging case. Display: Silky Smooth and Very Large The display is what will keep you hooked. For starters, the OnePlus 8 Pro gets an even larger display than the OnePlus 7T Pro. Yes, the 6.67-inch display makes way for a 6.78-inch display. Visually it wont probably make much difference, but in terms of the screen space, every extra bit does matter. OnePlus has given this screen every bit of goodness it could. This is a Fluid AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla 5 doing the additional bit to make it more robust. This can do the full 120Hz super smooth refresh rate magic at the 3,168 x 1,440 QHD+ resolution. A point to note, Samsung enabled the 120Hz on the Galaxy S20 Ultra at a slightly lower resolution. Set this at 120Hz, and everything just flows across, vertically or horizontally, better than at 60Hz that you may have used all this while. In fact, apps such as Netflix also support 120Hz for videosthe Motion Graphics Smoothing setting that is available in OxygenOS. Remember, enabling this will drain the battery life a bit, so be careful in that regard. What Im not entirely sure about is the Vibrant Colour Pro Effect, which is designed to make colours a bit more vibrant when you are watching videos. I prefer to keep it natural and artificial boosting of colours doesnt really always come about as the most accurate. Then there are the gentle curves on the left and the right of the screen, which provide a nice run-off effect for apps and gestures. However, it will be prone to accidental touches as well, so just be a little careful while holding this in your hand with the screen unlocked, and absentmindedly speaking with someone else. Camera: Point, Shoot and Marvel Till last year, OnePlus phones always struggled initially with the photography performance, and while subsequent software updates did iron out some bugs, things still werent at the sort of level that you would expect. That is set to change, as it should, considering the prices the OnePlus 8 Pro commands. For starters, the optical hardware. You get a 48-megapixel wide camera, a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera, an 8-megapixel telephoto camera and a 5-megapixel depth camera. All combined, this quad-camera setup is right up there in terms of the potential, as you would expect from a flagship Android phone. Open the camera app, and by default, it is set to capture images at 12-megapixel. That should be great for most users, pulling in data from all sensors, and yet keeping image sizes well in check for sharing or posting on social media. This is also where you get 3x hybrid zoom and up to 30x digital zoom. Switch to the 48-megapixel image size mode, and this is what I prefer, and you will not get the zoom options, but the image size is much larger allowing you to crop as you like. You might notice the 3x hybrid zoom, which means it doesnt do optical zoom like the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. But persist it a bit, and the results are surprisingly pleasant. Take the OnePlus 8 Pro out to take photos in a well-lit environment, and it captures very good levels of detailing. Colours are rich yet well distinguished, finer details are well reproduced and you can zoom in without compromising quality to a large extent. The latter is even more true for the 48-megapixel mode. Low light is where most phones struggle in say way or the other, even though almost all of them have a night mode to fall back on. Illumination of a scene is well tackled, but often, colours and detailing struggles. With the OnePlus 8 Pro, low-light photos are handled very well, particularly in the higher resolution mode. This is one of the few phones that can actually take a nice picture of the moonthat says it all. Macro photos are a strong point allowing you to get really up close to a subject to take photographs that are detailedand you dont struggle to get the focus locked in. For once, this is a OnePlus phone that ticks off the camera performance bit as well, right from the start. The Last Word: You must surely want this For me, the OnePlus 8 Pro sets expectations high. And it meets them, every step of the way. This is priced like an Android flagship phone, and it very well behaves like one. If you arent entirely in Samsungs corner in this never-ending battle in the Android smartphone space, this is a very solid option for you to consider. It looks great, particularly in the Glacial Green and Interstellar Glow colours. The OnePlus 8 Pro feels great to hold. The display, particularly at 120Hz is fantastic to look at. For once, we have a OnePlus phone that is fantastic with photography, straight out of the box. And well, performance is top notch. Yes, in the present day, your choices are limited in the Android smartphone space. You have the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, you have the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, some may vouch for the Xiaomi Mi 10 as well. And then there is the latest edition to it allthe OnePlus 8 Pro. Its all about quality and not quantity, I would guess. There has never been a better time to buy a fantastic Android flagship Android phone. At least one tornado touched down in southeast Alberta on Saturday evening, as severe thunderstorms brought intense hail and flooding to Calgary and the surrounding area. At 9:05 p.m. MT, a possible tornado was spotted 30 kilometres south of Brooks, moving north at 60 km/h, an emergency alert warned. Earlier in the evening, the alert had cautioned that a tornado had been spotted near Taber, Barnwell and New Dayton. It was not immediately clear whether each tornado was a separate event, or the same funnel cloud. All tornado warnings for the region ended at around 9:30 p.m. "This is a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation.... If you hear a roaring sound or see a funnel cloud, swirling debris near the ground, flying debris, or any threatening weather approaching, take shelter immediately," an Environment Canada warning had said. Terri Lang, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said a tornado may also have touched down southeast of Calgary's city limits at 7 p.m., but said as of mid-evening there were no reports of damage from any of the possible tornadoes. In Calgary, torrential rain and intense hail hit the city, flooding many roads and damaging homes and cars. Environment Canada said its meteorologists were tracking a cluster of severe thunderstorms at 6:47 p.m., stretching from Calgary to High River and moving north at 60 km/h. "It's hard to prepare for something like this. We call it explosive development," Lang said, adding that 48.7 millimetres of rain fell between 7 and 8 p.m. Heavy flooding, hail hit Calgary Some in north Calgary shared images on social media of the damage: smashed windows, torn siding and broken car windshields. Lang said hailstones the size of tennis balls were recorded in the northeast Calgary community of Corner Brook. The hailstones likely fell at a speed of 80 to 100 km/h, she said, some puncturing the plastic sides of barbecues. "Something like that will do quite a bit of damage," she said. Story continues Submitted by Candeena Langan Saima Jamal said her mother's home in Taradale was badly damaged. "The siding is completely destroyed," she said. "Her bedroom window has a massive hole in it.... It was the same thing with all the neighbours. Everyone is just with shocked faces walking outside their house, looking at all the damage. She's really, really shaken and scared." Jamal said many people in the neighbourhood are recent immigrants and have never seen hailstorms like this before. The hail heavily damaged Kendra Briand's home and vehicles in Redstone. "We just bought our house new five years ago," she said. "I don't even know where to begin.... I've never seen anything like this." The city cautioned that multiple roads were flooded, most in northeast Calgary, including 52nd Street and McKnight Boulevard, and Deerfoot Trail between 16th and 32nd Avenue N.E. Submitted by Kendra Briand The fire department said on social media that its boat was rescuing stranded motorists on Deerfoot Trail. CTrain, the city's light-rail train, was suspended between Marlborough and Saddletowne stations due to flooding, and multiple bus routes in the northeast were suspended as well, as many roads were impassible for much of the evening. The city said 911 was experiencing a high number of calls and asked those calling in not to hang up, but to stay on the line. "Many major thoroughfares are currently closed and crews are working to rescue stranded drivers. We also have received reports of missing manhole covers. Drivers are asked to proceed with caution if going out," Calgary police tweeted at 8:15 p.m. Coun. George Chahal tweeted that his ward was "devastated" by the severe storm. "There has been catastrophic damage inflicted on houses and vehicles, and major flooding on many streets," he wrote at 9:30 p.m. "A second storm is heading from the south. If you are in danger, call 911 and don't hang up. Calgary Fire will attend as soon as possible. Please be extremely cautious if leaving your houses tonight." According to Enmax's website, outages due to the storm knocked out power to more than 10,000 people in north Calgary. The majority of the outages were resolved as of 9 p.m. An up-to-date list of weather alerts is available on Environment Canada's website. The Daily Beast Reuters/Arnd WiegmannTheatrical rock superstar Meat Loaf, whose Bat Out of Hell is one of the bestselling albums of all time, has died at the age of 74. Reports say the singer and actor had recently fallen sick with COVID-19.In an emotional statement posted to Facebook early Friday, the performers family said he was with his wife when he died and had said his final goodbyes to his two daughters in the past 24 hours. The star sold 100 million albums in his five-decade career and starred in movie President Nana Akufo-Addo has appealed to Ghanaians to pay serious attention to their health as coronavirus keeps rising across the country. According to him it is important to seek immediate medical attention if ones begins to experience certain health conditions such as cold, high temperature, bodily pains, loss of taste and smell, difficulty in breathing as well as sore throat. To him there is nothing shameful to testing positive. He noted that overcoming the virus will require each and every Ghanaian taking responsibility of their health and respecting the safety protocols of the coronavirus. I implore you to pay attention to your health, when you begin to experience symptoms such as fever, persistent cough, bodily pains, loss of taste and smell, and difficulty in breathing, seek immediate medical attention at the nearest health facility. I remain concerned about the stigma associated with this disease. Stories of persons who have recovered from this disease, and being shunned by their own relatives and communities, are a source of considerable worry to me, because they undermine our efforts to fight it. There is nothing shameful about testing positive. We do not have to lose our sense of community because of this pandemic," he said. He reiterated his call on Ghanaians to eat healthy food. Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[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 Entering Ranch A to fish Sand Creek is like dropping into a fairy land. The prairie surrounding the canyon is brown and dusty, speckled with sage brush and the occasional juniper. But inside Ranch A, winding along Sand Creek, are verdant green meadows, willows, wild plums and flowers. Houses dot the river in places dont fish those sections, theyre private but keep driving over quaint bridges and through towering bur oak trees and youll reach the public portions. You could jump out and fish right away, wetting your flies in the water and hoping for a bite. Or you can take a minute to soak in the wonder of the place. Canyon walls with dramatic rock outcrops and ponderosas keep the creek isolated, protected and seemingly removed from the outside world. Turkeys may gobble in the distance or meander through the grass. Mule and white tail deer graze. Eagles and vultures soar above. Owls come out at night. If the area itself is a destination, we dont blame you. But if youre interested in fishing, know that Sand Creek has the distinction of carrying more trout per mile than nearly any other stream in Wyoming. You read that right. Many of them are small rainbows and brown trout colorful, spunky 6, 8 or 10 inches long but fisheries biologists have seen brown trout in the creek measure up to 25.5 inches. Its different than anywhere else in Wyoming, said Paul Mavrakis, fisheries supervisor for the Wyoming Game and Fish Departments Sheridan office. Its a spring creek, low elevation with spooky fish, really clear water and really consistent flows. It will be crystal clear most of the time. *** The stone arch leading into Ranch A lets you know theres history in that canyon. The Black Hills themselves have a rich legacy as a hunting ground and sacred region for the Western Sioux tribe. The Cheyenne, Kiowa, Arapaho and Crow also called the region home. In that section of canyon, a man had started a commercial trout farm raising fish for area restaurants. When a media mogul named Moses L. Annenberg broke down in Spearfish, S.D., on his way to Yellowstone, he went to visit the trout farm. In 1932, he bought it, creating whats now called Ranch A, according to the Ranch A Restoration Foundation. Former Wyoming Gov. Nels Smith purchased the land and buildings not long after. The area changed hands again, eventually selling to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1963 for fish research and then transferring to the state in 1996. Its now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. That history can draw you in, and feel free to picnic along the shores of Sand Creek while admiring both the impressive log buildings and surrounding nature. Hiking trails crisscross through the adjacent lands. A long, gravel road winds up through the canyon taking you on an extended journey. Hop off on any forest road to stop and hike or watch for wildlife. *** If it sounds like more than a day trip even from as close to Gillette or Sundance, bring along your tent or camper and stay overnight. Game and Fish offers several primitive sites along the creek before the Ranch A property, and plenty of surrounding National Forest provide options for dispersed camping. But back to that fishing. If you saunter up to the stream, youll see your quarry flitting around in the clear water. You may also see a silent explosion of fish scatter, heading for cover at the appearance of a tall predator on the shore. Theyre tough to catch. You have to be sneaky, he said. Thats the real key with that place. If youre serious about it, its almost like hunting big game. No one will judge you if you approach the creek on your hands and knees. If they see you first, youre pretty much done. But dont be deterred. The dry fly fishing can be incredible, with rumors of a good grasshopper crop this year. When in doubt, cast midges and other tiny nymphs into the clear riffles. Even if youre not an angler, dont own a fly rod and never intend to try fishing, the place is still worth a visit. Take along food and a camera. Soak in the remoteness. Escape. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 04:27:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A person takes the escalator at London Bridge Station in London, Britain on June 10, 2020. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua) -- Britain reports lowest daily COVID-19 deaths since lockdown starts; -- France "turns the page on the first act of the crisis," says President Emmanuel Macron; -- Italy shifts attention to post-COVID-19 health, economic priorities; -- The number of deaths from COVID-19 in Spain has been unchanged for a week now, at 27,136. BRUSSELS, June 14 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in European countries. LONDON -- Britain has reported 36 new deaths from COVID-19 as of Saturday afternoon -- the lowest number of daily fatalities since lockdown began, the Department of Health and Social Care said Sunday. As of Saturday afternoon, of those who tested positive for novel coronavirus in Britain, 41,698 have died. The figures include deaths in all settings, including hospitals, care homes and the wider community. As of Sunday morning, 295,889 people in Britain have tested positive for the disease, a daily increase of 1,514, said the department. A waiter wearing a mask works at Cafe de Flore at its reopening day in Paris, France, June 2, 2020. (Xinhua/Gao Jing) PARIS -- Starting from Monday it would be possible for France to "turn the page on the first act of the crisis" that had forced France into nearly two months of anti-coronavirus lockdown followed by a gradual and cautious deconfinement, President Emmanuel Macron declared on Sunday. With the exception of Mayotte and French Guiana, the entire map of France will go green, including Ile-de-France, the great Paris region, said Macron in a televised address to the nation, a fourth one since the outbreak of the epidemic. "This means a stronger resumption of work and the reopening of restaurants and bars," he said. People enjoy sunshine on the beach in Fregene, Lazio, Italy, June 12, 2020. (Xinhua/Cheng Tingting) ROME -- Italy's four-month-old coronavirus situation continued to trend in the right direction, data from the Civil Protection Department showed Sunday, as political leaders are shifting their attention toward assuring safety and economic growth during the post-coronavirus period. Over the previous 24 hours, Italy recorded 44 deaths from COVID-19, the lowest one-day fatalities since March 7. There were 338 new cases of the disease recorded over the last day, down from 346 a day earlier but higher than 163 on Friday. Health officials said that day-to-day fluctuations are less important than the overall trend, which has been positive. The total of new cases has now been below 500 for 15 of the last 16 days, including Sunday, a level reached only three times over the 86 days before that. Players of RCD Espanyol form a "12" shape to pay a tribute to their fans during a training session at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, June 10, 2020. (Photo by RCD Espanyol/Xinhua) MADRID -- The number of deaths from COVID-19 in Spain has been unchanged for a week now, at 27,136, according to the data published by the Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare on Sunday. But the ministry also noted that there have been 26 deaths "in the past seven days," and that "a validation of the number of deaths is being carried out to allow us to correct the numbers, which will be updated weekly." The Health Ministry also reported 48 new cases of COVID-19, drastically lower from the 130 reported 24 hours earlier, taking the tally to 243,928. New Delhi, June 14 : Veteran actor Anupam Kher is in no hurry to see his life story on the big screen, but he says that a few years ago filmmaker Neeraj Pandey had told him that his autobiographical play "Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai" could make an interesting film or a limited series. Anupam recently released his popular autobiographical play "Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai" on his new website. He also has an autobiography "Lessons Life Taught Me Unknowingly". Asked if anyone had approached him to make a film based on his book or play, Anupam told IANS: "Very briefly Neeraj Pandey had spoken to me...about two or three years back. After seeing the play, he said 'it will make an interesting film or a limited series', so I leave it to him whenever he plans to do that." "Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai" offers a glance of Anupam's failures, triumphs and life lessons, as the actor sets out to depict ordinary people. "Best part is that I can do most of the parts convincingly. Only the teenager's and child's roles will have to be done by somebody else. I am the same person who had played a 65-year-old at the age of 28. So from that point of view, I think it will be interesting. I was very flattered and happy when Neeraj had approached me. He had said it himself. It has to come whenever it has to. I am not in a hurry," said the "Saaransh" actor. If this happens, then the film will join the list of movies like "A Wednesday!," "Special 26" and "Baby" that have Anupam as an actor and Pandey as the director. In fact, Anupam had recently posted a photo of the team of "Baby" on social media. Are they working on another part of the 2015 film? "I think the next film he (Pandey) is making is 'Chanakya' with Ajay Devgn, so obviously he is booked for one year," said Anupam. Even Anupam is a busy actor. Among his various projects, he has the hit American "New Amsterdam". Considering it's a medical show, would he want an episode on the ongoing pandemic situation? "We had shot an episode about a virus. Later producers decided it's too close to reality and we should not air it," he said. "I am sure it (pandemic) will change writing all over the place, not just medical shows. Everyone is affected by it, so I am sure the approach of life will be completely different now," added Anupam. For now, he is religiously following a routine at home. "I am an early riser. It's not like there is nowhere to go, so I'll wake up at 11 am.The easiest thing in this situation is to be lazy, to sort of let go. But I do not do that. I like to do some sort of workout, yoga, make videos, conduct online classes," he shared. "There are thoughts coming in my mind...on this lockdown period, maybe pen down a book. So I am jotting down a few things, recording few things. It's just a thought," he added and concluded by saying: "The lesson that we have learnt is that we cannot take nature for granted. We have also discovered that we are nobody in front of nature." (Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at natalia.n@ians.in) Home Minister Amit Shah has called a meeting of all political parties of Delhi on Monday to review the Covid-19 situation in Delhi, an official said on Sunday. Delhi is the third most affected state in the country with close to 40,000 cases and death toll that is nearing 1300. Amit Shah on Sunday met chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant governor Anil Baijal to review the situation of countrys capital. Earlier on Sunday Amit Shah said that the Modi government will provide with 500 railway coaches to deal with the shortage of beds in the capital. In addition, a comprehensive house to house survey will be done in Delhi in containment zones to help with contact tracing. Four IAS officers have also been transferred from Arunachal Pradesh to assist in the battle against coronavirus along with two officers from the Centre. Testing in Delhi is also set to increase and will be doubled in the next two days and in the next three days trebled from the existing number. 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 Rep. Annette Glenn, R-Midland, will host a live tele-town hall meeting on Wednesday, June 17, to inform mid-Michigan residents about available resources following the recent flooding in Midland and surrounding counties. Glenn will be joined by special guests Sarah Kile, executive director for Northeast Michigan 211; Kelly King, Red Cross Michigan regional executive director; Speaker Pro Tempore Jason Wentworth, R-Farwell, of Clare County; and Rep. Roger Hauck, R-Union Township, who represents rural portions of Midland County. International Criminal Court oversight chief 'deeply regrets' US decision to target officials investigating Afghanistan war crimes 13 June 2020 - Responding to the decision of the United States Government to sanction International Criminal Court (ICC) officials and their family members, O-Gon Kwon, President of the Assembly of States Parties, the body that oversees the ICC, denounced the measures which, he said, undermine the "endeavour to fight impunity and to ensure accountability for mass atrocities". The decision, announced on Thursday by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, national security adviser, Robert O'Brien, defence secretary, Mark Esper and attorney general, William Barr, targets ICC officials investigating war crimes allegedly committed in Afghanistan by all sides, including the US, and will also see visa restrictions imposed on their families. The ICC investigation, given the green light to proceed in March, will be led by ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, who made the request to to the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber in November 2017. At the time, her Office cited grave crimes "and the absence of relevant national proceedings against those who appear to be most responsible for the most serious crimes". Mr. Kwon affirmed the independence and impartiality of the Court, which Mr. Barr questioned during Thursday's presentation, during which he reportedly referred to the ICC as "little more than a political tool employed by unaccountable international elites". The Court, said Mr. Kwon, operates under a system called the Rome Statute, which recognizes that States have primary jurisdiction, when it comes to the investigation and prosecution of atrocity crimes: the ICC, he explained, is a court of last resort, and complementary to national jurisdictions. He added that the Court, and the Assembly of States Parties, have embarked on a review, aimed at strengthening the Rome Statute, and ensuring effective and efficient accountability for atrocity crimes. Impact on investigations and trials The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), also expressed regret at the US decision on Thursday, with spokesperson Rupert Colville telling reporters at a briefing in Geneva that they would have an impact on investigations and trials underway in the ICC. "The independence of the ICC and its ability to operate without interference has to be guaranteed", he said, "so that it can decide matters without any improper influences, inducements, pressures, threats or interferences, direct or indirect, from any quarter or for any reason". Mr. Colville added that "victims of gross human rights violations and serious violations of international humanitarian law and their families have the right to redress and to the truth". NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, June 14, 2020 10:38 587 fc6853813033f564188675f8bde83a34 1 News COVID-19,coronavirus,virus-corona,tourism,Coordinating-Maritime-Affairs-Ministry,travel-bubble,economic-recovery,China,South-Korea,Japan,Australia Free The government is seeking to create travel bubbles with China, South Korea, Japan and Australia, which are known for their achievements in handling the COVID-19 outbreak, as the nation enters its so-called new normal period. The term travel bubble, or travel corridor, refers to an agreement in which countries succeeding in containing the outbreak open their borders to each other to allow free movement within the bubble. The Office of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Ministers undersecretary for tourism and the creative economy, Odo Manuhutu, said his office was discussing the matter with the Foreign Ministry as well as the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry. The four countries were chosen because many tourists and foreign investors in Indonesia come from those countries, Odo said on Friday, as quoted by Antara. Read also: Private sector urges govt to lay out post-COVID-19 economic strategy Despite the plan, he added that businesspeople would probably be the first and only ones to travel to and from those countries in the near future. Hopefully, tourists will gradually follow to visit [Indonesia] after the investors. Odo went on to say that the Foreign Ministry was discussing the requirements for travel bubbles before signing agreements with the four countries. The travel bubbles would open two to four weeks after the agreements are signed while taking into consideration health, security and technical aspects, said Odo. Experts have said that the governments move to ease COVID-19 restrictions might worsen conditions, as the country has yet to reach its peak in the epidemiological curve. (aly) Police body cam footage showing the events before the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta on June 12 APD Police have released bodycam and dashcam footage of the events before the fatal shooting of Black man Rayshard Brooks by a white police officer in Atlanta, Georgia, on Friday. In the footage, the officers attempt to take Brooks into custody after he fails a Breathalyzer test. A scuffle breaks out and the bodycam falls to the ground. Three shots are then heard. The death of Brooks has provoked a fresh wave of protests against police brutality in the city, with the Wendy's where the incident took place burnt to the ground Saturday. It comes with America gripped by the most widespread anti-racism protests in a generation, following the death of George Floyd at the hands of the white police officer in Minneapolis in May. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Police have released bodycam and dashcam footage showing the chain of events leading up to the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks by police in Atlanta on Friday that led to a new wave of anti-racism protests in the city. The footage of the incident was obtained by several news organizations on Saturday. Related: How White Savior Films Like The Help Hurt Hollywood Footage from police officer Devin Brosnan shows him waking Brooks, 27, who is asleep at the wheel of a vehicle in the drive-through lane in a Wendy's restaurant, at about 10.30pm. Brooks then moves his vehicle to a parking area, and officer Garrett Rolfe arrives. For half an hour, the officers conduct a sobriety test on Brooks, which he failed, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations. After taking the test, an officer tells Brooks, "I think you've had too much to drink to be driving," and attempts to take him into custody. The situation then rapidly escalates. About 43 minutes into the footage, a struggle breaks out between Brooks and the officers trying to cuff him. Story continues The officers tell Brooks to "stop fighting," and apparently try to subdue him with a Taser, shouting "You're going to get Tased." Then an officer shouts, "hands off the Taser." At this point the bodycam appears to fall to the ground, and points up at the night sky. One officer yells, "He's got my fucking Taser!" An officer is then seen drawing his weapon and three gunshots are then heard. The actual shooting is not shown in the footage. Bystanders are then apparently heard remonstrating with the police officers. The dashcam footage shows the officers trying to cuff Brooks, and struggling on the ground with Brooks, before he escapes and runs away. According to local network WXIA-TV, officer Rolfe's bodycam footage shows the same incidents, and also falls to the ground during the scuffle. Security camera footage from the Wendy's restaurant released by the GBI shows Brooks running from police when he is shot and falls down. Police say he pointed a Taser at an officer pursuing him. Brooks was rushed to an Atlanta hospital, where he died of his injuries. The following evening the Wendys where the shooting took place was burnt to the ground, as demonstrators took to the streets to demand justice. The killing earlier on Saturday prompted the resignation of Atlanta's police chief, Erika Shields. Atlanta's Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has said she did not believe there "was a justified use of deadly force." Rolfe, one of the officers involved in the incident, has been fired, while the other officer, Brosnan, has been placed on administrative leave. In the midst of the most widespread anti-racism protests in a generation, Brooks' killing comes with America following the death of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis in May. Read the original article on Insider Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams (D) said on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday that the defunding the police debate has drawn people into a "false choice idea." Why it matters: The movement to defund or abolish police departments pushed by progressive activists has captured headlines in the wake of George Floyd's killing, but prominent Democrats including Joe Biden and House Majority Whip James Clyburn have voiced opposition. What they're saying: "What happened yesterday to Rayshard Brooks was a function of excessive force. A decision that they were either embarrassed or panicked led them to murder a man they knew only had a taser in his hand," Abrams said. "We know that the murder of Breonna Taylor means we have to reform no knock warrants. We know that in the state of Georgia we have to look at the larger judicial issue go the fact that people can use citizen arrest laws to murder men like Ahmaud Arbery in the streets so reformation is absolutely important." We have to have a transformation of how we view the role of law enforcement, how we view the construct of public safety, and how we invest not only in the work that we need them to do to protect us but the work that we need to do to protect and build our communities. And thats the conversation were having: Well use different language to describe it, but fundamentally we must have reformation and transformation. Go deeper: Atlanta police officer fired after fatally shooting Rayshard Brooks Mediclinic Middle East announces that it has implemented Robotic Surgery at Mediclinic City Hospital using the da Vinci Xi HD 4 arm robotic system, one of the most sophisticated laparoscopic surgical technologies available. This programme will complement and enhance its current comprehensive general surgery and laparoscopic surgery services, and will offer the service to patients from across the UAE and wider Mena region. Da Vinci robotic surgery is a state-of-the-art surgical procedure in which the conventional laparoscopic technique is combined with high precision robotic technology using four robotic arms which are expertly commanded by the surgeon from the surgical console using a 3D high-definition view of the surgical area. Articulated instruments allow the same movement capacity as the human wrist and the tremor filter eliminates any small uncontrollable movement in the surgeon's hands. Minimally invasive surgery with da Vinci is widely used in urology and gynaecology procedures, and in several other procedures, too. Globally, Mediclinic already has extensive experience in robotic surgery using the da Vinci robotic system, with the technology in place since 2005 in Hirslanden, Mediclinic Middle Easts sister division in Switzerland, where they have carried out over 1,000 da Vinci interventions, and in Mediclinic Southern Africa since 2014. Mediclinic City Hospital was selected as the hub for Mediclinic Middle Easts robotic programme because it is already a market leader in the provision of advanced laparoscopic surgery across a number of specialities, and the introduction of robotics is a natural and logical fit with the existing clinical capabilities of the hospital, specifically in General Surgery, Gynaecology and Urology. As a leading tertiary care facility, it has an established programme infrastructure to support a surgical robot and has recruited a cohort of consultants, unmatched by any other hospital in the UAE in the scope of their training and experience in performing robotic surgery. Mediclinic City Hospital was also the first hospital in the UAE to offer robotic-assisted total/partial knee replacement surgery and has quickly built a strong reputation in this area, demonstrating the ability of the hospital to adopt new technologies and deliver measurable benefits. The implementation of the Robotic Programme will support the goal of Mediclinic City Hospital to be recognised as a Centre of Excellence for minimally invasive surgery. Dr. Roger Gergy, Consultant General Surgeon at Mediclinic City Hospital says, With the purchase of da Vinci Xi, Mediclinic City Hospital will provide state of the art minimal invasive surgery across different specialities such as General Surgery, Gynaecology, Urology, Paediatrics and Thoracic. Jamal Abdulsalam, CEO, Dubai Healthcare City Authority, said: The launch of the Mediclinic Middle East Robotic Surgery Programme in Dubai Healthcare City strengthens the innovative, specialised services offered in the free zone. Mediclinic City Hospital has over the years brought advanced treatments across various specialities. We at DHCC along with our clinical partners are proud to contribute to the countrys position as one of the leading healthcare markets in the Middle East. The benefits of robotic surgery include less postoperative discomfort, smaller incisions with less damaged tissue, fewer scars and lower risk of bleeding and infections. The patient is able to return to their daily activities quickly and safely, with a shorter hospital stay and recovery time. -- Tradearabia News Service Dear Annie: With your advice, I hope my family will be able to deal with a problem. Our 45-year-old daughter is at the heart of the issue. "Jane" has had a challenging past. She is an intelligent and motivated person, but starting in high school, she began a difficult life (mostly to do with her poor choices in relationships). She had a son at age 19, got married and then divorced soon after. She floundered for five years or so. After several relationships, she found another man. In those few years, she gave up custody of her first child, left a full-time job and followed her new man to another country (for a job that didn't work out). Then she returned to the States, did everything she could to get pregnant again, and succeeded. Shortly thereafter, the relationship ended. With our help, Jane relocated to another (smaller) city 150 miles from us. Briefly, she held a good job and was managing well in raising her second son. After three years, she was let go from her job. In the interim, she managed to live on welfare. Four years ago, she announced her intention of returning to college to get her teaching degree. We knew that she'd never be able to work long enough to repay her loans, but we were encouraging and supported her decision. Now the present problem. In the past five years, my wife and I have "spotted" her money, to keep her afloat -- approximately $12,000. Much of it went toward leased automobiles, but there has been more -- $100 and $500 here and there for "incidentals." Fortunately, she will graduate in June. But her student loan funds, which she was using to help pay rent and groceries, have ceased. Her usual summer job is uncertain. But most troubling of all, due to the coronavirus, her prospects of a teaching job in her area are also uncertain. She gets by month to month. Last summer, she asked us for funds to help her lease her (new) car. We gave her $4,700. This goes on and on. Last year, my wife and I retired. And without raiding our savings we cannot afford to support her anymore. June is approaching, and so is the fall. I am anticipating Jane will appear with another request for funds. My wife doesn't handle confrontations well, and much of our giving has been motivated either by avoidance or guilt. Besides just saying no, is there any other answer? -- Jane's Father Dear Jane's Father: Tough love is tough to give. But you and your wife are doing your daughter no favors in the long-term. If you keep acting as her financial crutch, she'll be leaning on you forever. That's not just immoral; it's also unsustainable. Deplete your retirement savings, she'll still be asking for more when there's nothing left to give. And you'll be in dire straits right alongside her. "Just saying no" is easier said than done; I know. It will be a hard conversation. Your daughter is not going to like it. But do not for one second accept any guilt she tries to lay at your feet. You've done nothing to earn that. If you find the situation taking a heavy emotional toll on you and your wife, you might consider attending counseling or a support group such as Families Anonymous for help developing healthy boundaries. "Ask Me Anything: A Year of Advice From Dear Annie" is out now! Annie Lane's debut book -- featuring favorite columns on love, friendship, family and etiquette -- is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2020 CREATORS.COM Read more advice: Ask Amy: Separated soulmates are eager to connect Dear Annie: Looking to hop off the hamster wheel Dear Abby: Children cut off stepmother with dads power of attorney Amidst the global protests against racism and racial inequality, Finland has decided to contribute to the movement in its own way by changing the name of an island because the island currently has a racist name. As per reports, the island located in the Pyhaselka Lake in eastern Finland bears a name that roughly translates to Negro Island a derogatory word used to refer to black people. Finland changes 'absolutely derogatory' name As per reports, the state-run Institute for the Language of Finland (Kotus) has claimed that the name is absolutely derogatory and has concluded that Finland should not have any racist expression in its official maps. The government is currently in the process of removing the racist name from its official documents and the island will now be referred to by its previous name, Seppanen. Reports have indicated that the island itself has no links to colonization, slavery, or black people. The island previously belonged to the North Karelian Association of Journalists. The island's racist name derived itself from an old-fashioned Finnish term that translated to journal negro which was a reference to journalists and how they would often get stained due to working with dark ink used for printing. Read: Pelosi Calls For Removing Confederate Statues From Capitol Read: London May Remove Statues As Floyd's Death Sparks Change US removes Confederate Statues Two senior members of the Congressional Black Caucus on Thursday, June 11 proposed a bill to remove the Confederate statues from the Capitol following nationwide protests against police brutality and racism discrimination in the wake of George Floyd's tragic death in police custody. Read: Statues Boarded Up In London Ahead Of Anti-racism Protests Read: George Floyd Death: US Lawmakers Introduce Bill To Remove Confederate Statues From Capitol Representative Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) introduced the bill a day after Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for removing Confederate statues from the Capitol complex. Lee in her statement said, "Americans in all 50 states and millions of people around the world are marching to protest racism and police violence directed at people of color, and yet across the country, Confederate statues and monuments still pay tribute to white supremacy and slavery in public spaces". California leader further affirmed that It is time, to tell the truth about what these statues are -- hateful symbols that have no place in our society and certainly should not be enshrined in the US Capitol. (Image Credit - Pixabay/Representative Image) Gurbir Singh By As the government eases lockdown rules, its a pitched battle out there between those pushing for economic survival and those who want to keep the safety cocoon intact. Sometimes it is a stalemate. Those venturing out and trying to crank up their offices and business, are finding things are just not moving. A reflection of this today in the upper middle class world of gated communities is the Battle Royale ensuing on whether the maid and the cook can be allowed back into homes. The lady of the house is tired of the incessant cooking, washing and scrubbing. The husband has dislocated his back mopping the floors. "It is about time we got some help back, dear. A bit of risk with COVID-19 is better than the hell we are going through," he grumbles to his wife. But the Residents' Welfare Association (RWA) or the housing society is not playing ball. The 'Mission-Begin-Again' from June 1 be damned! The collective fear of the 'infection' invading these high-walled safe havens is ensuring their gates continue to be locked for hundreds of families desperate to resume normal life. Circle of dependency Housing societies began with restrictions like scanning for fever with temperature guns in March. As the lockdown became tighter and panic turned to fear, societies banned cooks, maids, and plumbers as possible carriers of the virus. Some edicts were downright weird; others were inhuman and discriminatory. Many Pune societies barred maids and technicians from using the lifts and forced them to climb stairs fearing transmission in a confined space; other imposed hefty fines on member/residents if they brought in maids after the ban. The ousting of the maid for fear of the virus has led to the breakdown of carefully constructed household structures. It shows how dependent we are on the casual part-time services of domestic helpers. Their ban has disrupted care for the elderly and the work routines of thousands of professional and self-employed people. After weeks of deprivation, and ultimately physical breakdown, residents have begun to clamour for normalcy and to allow the maid and the cook in. An upscale gated community of six towers and about 650 flats in Mumbai the Crescent Bay Apartments, in Sewree has finally decided to lift the ban on part-time maids and other domestic help from June 13, but after laying down a strict protocol including temperature and pulse Oximeter checks. While much of the hygiene and sanitization routine is to prevent the spread of infection by possible carriers, many housing society rules are demeaning to domestic workers. Like getting maids to strip off their clothes, take a bath, and begin work in a fresh set of clothes. "It is strongly advised that wherever possible, please keep a set of fresh laundered clothes for the househelp which she / he can change into before starting the work. This is strongly advised for nannies/ househelps/ caregivers who come in daily but stay in one house for a longer duration and are in contact with young kids constantly," reads the Crescent Bay advisory. Are these bans legal? It is indeed a strange situation. The well-heeled have homes that cannot ordinarily be serviced without domestic help. On the other hand, helps are looked at as carriers of plague. It's the worst kind of class bias. Instead of developing processes which protect both the maids/domestic helps as well as the families that they work for, the uber housing societies are busy framing rules that try to balance squeezing work out of the domestic helps while finding ways of shutting them out. Decrying the trend of housing societies asking for COVID-19 test reports of maids, some of those representing maids have rightly asked housing societies to ask flat owners to produce test reports too, to protect the domestic workers. Babli Rawat, Secretary of the Domestic Workers Federation, told squarefeet india.com that the coronavirus was not spread by the maids but by the rich who came back from foreign travel. The big question is: Do housing societies have the legal right to create these little islands of exclusion? The Maharashtra Societies Welfare Association (MahaSewa), an apex body of housing societies, says Clause 6, sub clause (ii) of the directions of June 1 by the Maharashtra gover nment allow self-employed categories like plumbers and maids to resume work with precautions and social distancing norms. In that light, housing societies cannot regulate services which are the concern of individual flat/home owners. Punes District collector Naval Kishore Ram passed an order on June 10 directing housing societies in his jurisdiction not to restrict the entry of plumbers, maids and other categories. Its time others stepped in too, to ensure the commoners right to livelihood is safeguarded. No domestic staff, insist RWAs The collective fear of the 'infection' invading these high-walled safe havens is ensuring their gates continue to be locked for hundreds of families desperate to resume normal life. Joe Biden's deliberations over his choice of running mate are causing concern among Black Lives Matter activists calling for police reform, after suggestions grew that he could choose a former police chief. Biden, 77, has already pledged to have a woman as his vice president. He is facing mounting calls to choose a woman of color, and among those on the shortlist is believed to be former Orlando police chief Val Demings. But her suggestion as running mate is angering some, with opponents critical of her record while police chief. They point to several incidents of police using excessive force but going without serious punishment during her tenure. 'Joe Biden would be an idiot to put her on his ticket,' said Hawk Newsome, chairman of Black Lives Matter, Greater New York chapter. 'People are already on the fence about him,' he told The New York Post. 'When black people become police officers, they are no longer black. They are blue. 'And I have been told this by numerous officers.' Val Demings, 63, was chief of Orlando police from 2007-11. Her rule was controversial, with several incidents of police using excessive force but going without serious punishment Demings, 63, a two-term Florida congresswoman, has soared in prominence as riots flared around the country following the killing of George Floyd. 'She's fresh and new, and seems better on TV than Kamala [Harris],' a campaign insider told the New York Post. 'I think right now she's got an outside but decent shot at VP.' Demings has publicly stated her interest in the role. 'It is absolutely an honor, and these are the kind of opportunities that I want every boy and girl who are watching - no matter the color of their skin or how much money they or their parents have or where they live that in this country - they are supposed to live the American dream,' Demings told her local tv station, Channel 9, when asked about being considered for the job. But Demings's 27 years in the Orlando police Department, before rising to become the city's first female chief, are said to be complicating the matter. Demings was chief from 2007-11, then retired from the force and in 2012 ran for office. She was elected as a representative for Florida in 2016. Val Demings and Buddy Dyer, mayor of Orlando, pictured in November 2009 in the Florida city The Biden campaign staffer said there was 'definitely going to be some stuff in her record people won't like.' The source added: 'Other VP candidates are probably researching that furiously.' Other names mentioned include California senator Kamala Harris; Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren; Georgia politician Stacey Abrams; Barack Obama's former UN ambassador Susan Rice; New Mexico governor Michelle Lujan Grisham; and Keisha Lance Bottoms, mayor of Atlanta, who has like Demings has seen her profile surge during the protests. Clockwise from top left: Stacey Abrams, Kamala Harris, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Val Demings Demings, one of seven children born to a poor family in Jacksonville, Florida, began her law enforcement career in 1984. She rose from cop out on the street to detective to being chosen, in 2007, to lead the 700-person department - the first woman to head the force. But her four-year tenure was rife with controversy. In 2010, Orlando officer Travis Lamont slammed an 84-year-old to the ground so hard he broke his neck. Daniel Daley, a veteran of the Second World War, complained to Lamont about his car being towed. Lamont said Daley was intoxicated and he felt threatened by the old man. Daley sued the department, which was forced to pay out $880,000. An internal review by the police cleared Lamont of wrongdoing. 'After review of the defensive tactic by the training staff and Officer (Travis) Lamont's chain of command, it appears the officer performed the technique within department guidelines,' said Demings at the time. Daley's son Greg told The Post the thought of Demings as vice president made him 'sick to [his] stomach.' 'He's been on a feeding tube for 2 1/2 years now because of that,' said Greg, adding that his father currently lives in a nursing home. 'He hasn't had a bite of food for more 2 1/2 years and it stems from that incident.' Val Demings was elected to the House, representing Florida, in November 2016 Joe Biden is currently evaluating a series of potential running mates, all of them women In May 2011, Orlando cop Livio Beccaccio slammed a woman into the ground after she was involved in a brawl downtown. Beccaccio used an 'arm bar' technique with such force he broke her teeth. When a bystander called the police to report the incident, which was captured on video, she was arrested for assaulting him. Beccaccio's police report allegedly falsely said that she 'stumbled forward and fell to the pavement.' Beccaccio received a 40-hour suspension. Furthermore, a review of the department by Orlando Weekly in 2008 declared Demings' police force to be a place where 'rogue cops operate with impunity, and there's nothing anybody who finds himself at the wrong end of their short fuse can do about it.' Demings defended her department in an op-ed to the Orlando Sentinel. 'Looking for a negative story in a police department is like looking for a prayer at church,' Demings wrote. 'I believe a reasonable person also understands that a few seconds (even on video) rarely capture the entire set of circumstances.' Demings, one of seven children born to a poor family in Jacksonville, Florida, has said she is honored to be in contention for the vice-presidential role and would accept if asked Her record as police chief, in light of the wave of demands for an end to police brutality following George Floyd's killing by a white policeman, is worrying many of Biden's supporters. Newsome, 41, a former special projects coordinator for the Bronx district attorney, said Kamala Harris' years as a prosecutor should also disqualify her as a veep candidate. He said he favors Michelle Obama or former Georgia lawmaker Stacey Abrams. Some Democratic Party insiders, however, dismissed criticism of Demings, pointing out she could serve as a valuable bridge between activists demanding a black woman as running mate, and moderates hoping to win over law-and-order voters. 'The left flank, which is the very loud but very small minority that is pissed on Twitter about everything, are going to hate whoever he picks,' one Senate insider told The Post. 'The African American community isn't going to be inclined to distrust a black woman.' Biden's vetting committee had conversations with a larger group of women earlier this spring; those continuing on in the process have been asked to turn over financial records, past writings and other documentation. Biden has had various public and private interactions with many of the women his vetting committee has considered thus far, but has not yet had any formal one-on-one interviews expressly to discuss the No. 2 spot on the ticket. Those aren't expected for several weeks. "We are ending the era of endless wars. In its place is a renewed, clear-eyed focus on defending America's vital interests," Trump told the more than 1,000 cadets of the academy also known as West Point on Saturday. Washington: US President Donald Trump said in his remarks to graduates of the US Military Academy that the country was "ending the era of endless wars". He noted that the task of the US military is neither to rebuild foreign nations nor to "solve ancient conflicts in faraway lands that many people have never even heard of". "We are not the policemen of the world," he added. Admissions to the military academy are extremely tough. Besides fulfilling educational and physical requirements, a candidate will have to be nominated by a member of Congress, the vice president or the president to be admitted to West Point. Trump's speech came at a time when his administration is drawing up plans to pull out troops from various places around the globe. A joint statement issued by Washington and Baghdad on Thursday said that the US would continue reducing its military presence in Iraq over the coming months. Trump reportedly directed the Pentagon to reduce nearly 9,500 US troops from the 34,500 troops that are permanently assigned in Germany, which led to opposition from Republican lawmakers. Last week 22 Republican members of Congress wrote to Trump, warning him that a significant force drawdown in Europe would serve Russia's interests at the expense of US national security. There are also reports saying that the Trump administration is looking at a range of options to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan at an early date, with one possible option targeting this November. The peace agreement signed late February between the US and the Taliban called for the full withdrawal of the US military from Afghanistan by May 2021, if the Taliban no longer supports terrorist groups. Advertisement Thousands of peaceful protesters turned out for BLM marches across the UK today - though there were violent scenes in Glasgow as rival groups threw 'missiles' at each other and clashed with riot police. Across the country, protesters marched and gathered peacefully to show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement following the killing of George Floyd in the US. Thousands of demonstrators in Leeds 'took a knee' as they gathered in the heart of the city while people in Cardiff were seen holding placards. However, the peaceful protests were marred in some parts, with some skirmishes breaking out in Leeds, with reports of far-right activists defending a memorial. And in Glasgow rival groups were seen clashing with police near the city's George Square, as BLM supporters attempted to campaign for the removal of a statue of former Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel. Astonishingly, however, police claimed the clashes were not related to a Black Lives Matter protest, despite photos showing hundreds of far-right loyalists who claimed to be defending the statue from being pulled down. BLM supporters were unable to gain access to the square after clashing with hundreds of counter-demonstrators, organised by the far-right Loyalist Defence League. Organisers of the 'Peel must fall' campaign, run by the Glasgow Youth Art Collective, said they were forced to abandon the protest after claiming that they couldn't access the square and activists were being 'targeted' by police. Other clips showed a far-right mob clashing with police, with one officer seemingly surrounded and pulled to the ground. Commenting on the clashes, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: 'Violent protest is never acceptable. I say to anyone that has found themselves on the streets of Glasgow in an altercation with other groups or with the police, that they should really take a long hard look at themselves. 'That is not acceptable behaviour at any time, but at this time of crisis that the country faces, I think it's particularly shameful behaviour.' Police officers move in to position in central Glasgow to form a barrier between opposing groups of BLM activists and far-right loyalists Protesters 'take a knee' at a gathering in support of the Black Lives Matter and Black Voices Matter movements in central Leeds today Thousands of peaceful demonstrators - pictured 'taking a knee' - gathered in central Leeds today to support Black Lives Matter Police clash with protesters during Black Lives Matter protest taking place in Leeds Millennium Square this afternoon Protesters make Black Lives Matter fists at a gathering in support of the Black Lives Matter and Black Voices Matter movements in Leeds The protesters were peaceful as they thronged together in central Leeds today to campaign for Black Lives Matter A protester stands in front of police holding a Black Lives Matter placard in Leeds this afternoon during a peaceful demonstration Ugly scenes saw the far-right mob floor one police officer in Glasgow who was helped back to their feet by their colleagues Protesters stand at a demonstration organised by the Loyalist Defence League in George Square in Glasgow this afternoon Far-right loyalists in Glasgow sprint towards police officers trying to contain them at George Square near a statue of Robert Peel Demonstrators attend a Black Lives Matter protest following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, in Leeds Protesters hold up placards at a gathering in support of the Black Lives Matter and Black Voices Matter movements in central Leeds Demonstrators in Leeds attend a Black Lives Matter protest following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody A woman and child sit with placards during a Black Lives Matter rally in Millennium Square in Leeds this afternoon, joining thousands A protester makes a Black Lives Matter fist at a gathering in support of the Black Lives Matter and Black Voices Matter movements in Leeds A girl sitting on the shoulders of a man holds up a sign reading 'All I want is equality' at a protest in Leeds this afternoon A protester holds up a placard at a gathering in support of the Black Lives Matter and Black Voices Matter movements in central Leeds The protests in Leeds were peaceful with large crowds fathering to chant and hold up placards in support of Black Lives Matter Protesters gather in front of City Hall in Leeds, during a protest organised by Black Voices Matter, following the death of George Floyd Picture shows people gathered in Cardiff Bay for a peaceful protest in support of Black Lives Matter this afternoon A small crowd of protesters also peacefully gathered in Cardiff Bay today to show solidarity and support for Black Lives Matter Protesters hold up placards at a gathering in support of the Black Lives Matter and Black Voices Matter movements in central Leeds Loyalist Defence League members in George Square in Glasgow at a protest between people calling for the removal of a statue of Metropolitan Police founder Robert Peel Police and Loyalist Defence League members in George Square in Glasgow as they 'defend' the statue Police and Loyalist Defence League members in George Square in Glasgow at a protest between people calling for the removal of a statue of Metropolitan Police founder Robert Peel and counter protesters A substantial police presence watches over activists who gathered in George square in Glasgow this afternoon to 'defend' a statue Police separate counter-protesters from a large group of people in George Square in Glasgow after reports of missiles being thrown between rival groups A group of statue 'defenders' walk the streets in central Glasgow trying to find an opposition group after today's BLM protest was called off A line of riot police stand across a main road in central Glasgow. The BLM protest was called off amid the large loyalist presence In George Square, Glasgow, protesters were pictured gathering during a demonstration organised by the Loyalist Defence League In Leeds city centre, around 1,000 men, women and children gathered in Millennium Square for a protest organised jointly by Black Lives Matter and Black Voices Matter. Many held placards and cheered and applauded as the protest officially began at 2.30pm. Another couple of hundred protesters stood around the city's war memorial, approximately 0.2 miles away on The Headrow. Who was Sir Robert Peel? Sir Robert Peel (1788 - 1850), served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and is regarded as the father of modern British policing having founded the Metropolitan Police Service. He is also a founder of the The Conservative Party. Black Lives Matter activists have targeted statues of the former Prime Minister due to his father's involvement with the slave trade. A petition to remove Peel's statue in central Manchester was started by Sami Pinarbasi, who said Sir Robert is a 'icon of hate and racism'. His father Sir Robert Peel, 1st Baronet, (1750 - 1830), was a British politician, industrialist and textile manufacturer. He amassed wealth through industry and became one of ten known British millionaires in 1799. However to 'protect the cotton industry' in Manchester Peel petitioned against the Foreign Slave Trade Abolition Bill. Statues of Sir Robert Peel stand in London's Parliament Square, Glasgow's George Square, Bury and Manchester's Piccadilly Gardens. Advertisement Police vans lined the surrounding streets and officers stood in pairs around each protest. Dionne Edwards, from Black Voices Matter, said: 'Our rally is a peaceful protest. We do not condone damage to public or private property. We simply want to raise a call for our voices of pain to be heard - and to be heard loudly. 'We will no longer be silenced from fear.' In Glasgow, despite the comments, and the hundreds of statue defenders , Police Scotland remarkably claimed that the clashes were not linked to a BLM gathering. Chief Superintendent Alan Murray said: 'Police Scotland can confirm that officers were aware of a disturbance near George Square, Glasgow today. 'At this time the incident does not appear to be connected to a Black Lives Matter protest.' The far-right loyalists appeared to be ignoring all social distancing guidelines. Protesters in London over the weekend had been encouraged not to demonstrate because of fears it could fuel the spread of the disease. The original protest was cancelled by Glasgow Youth Art Collective after it claimed it could not access George Square and 'police targeting activists'. A group of those looking to see the statue removed were being escorted down North Hanover Street in the city when they overtook the police escort and began running towards George Square. Hundreds of counter-protesters began running towards the group before police were able to get in between the two. Missiles could be seen flying between the two groups as police - with their batons drawn - formed a line across the street. Those looking to see the statue removed were forced back up North Hanover Street by police. A police helicopter was deployed and could be seen flying over the city centre. Though Glasgow's Black Lives Matter protest was cancelled, the one in Leeds went ahead. A group of Black Lives Matter protesters carry signs as they attend a rally in Millennium Square, Leeds, today following the death of George Floyd on May 25 Protesters walk through Millennium Square in Leeds wearing face masks as they show their support of the Black Lives Matter movement Protesters wear face masks as they Protesters gesture in the street at a gathering in support of the Black Lives Matter and Black Voices Matter movements in Leeds in northern England on June 14, 2020, in the aftermath of the death of unarmed black man George Floyd in police custody in the US. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images) People wearing face masks protest during a Black Lives Matter rally in Millennium Square in Leeds this afternoon One man is handcuffed by a group of police officers at the Cenotaph in Victoria Gardens, Leeds, as hundreds take part in the protest organised by Black Voices Matter Police officers form a line and stand guard as another faction group protest at the Cenotaph in Victoria Gardens, Leeds, during a protest by Black Voices Matter A faction group stand at the Cenotaph in Victoria Gardens as hundreds gather at Leeds Millennium Square for the Black Lives Matter protest A young girl stand stands with a Black Lives Matter sign as she takes part in the rally in Leeds Millennium Square today In Cardiff, one woman was seen sitting on the ground with a mask (left) while another protester carried a sign on her back that read: 'Don't touch my hair' (right) The wave of protests come after the death of unarmed black man George Floyd in police custody in the US, which sparked fury across the world Protesters hold up placards at a gathering in support of the Black Lives Matter and Black Voices Matter movements in central Leeds A protester holds up a placard reading 'Britain is not innocent' as she joins in with today's demonstration in central Leeds A protester holds up a sign and wears a top that reads 'leave me alone' as he takes part in the event organised by Black Voices Matter A group of protesters carry signs as they show their support of the Black Lives Matter movement sweeping over the country At Leeds Millennium Square today a group of protesters hold up signs as hundreds descend into the city to take part in the Black Lives Matter protest One man is restrained by police officers as hundreds take part in the Black Lives Matter protest in Leeds Millennium Square today Protesters wearing face masks are held back by police as hundreds arrive to Leeds Millennium Square to take part in the Black Lives Matter protest A group of people sit outside with signs reading 'Black Lives Matter' as they join hundreds of other protesters at Cardiff Bay today A protester kneels on the ground as they take part in the Black Lives Matter protest taking place in Leeds Millennium Square A group of Black Lives Matter protesters sit outside with their signs as hundreds descend upon Leeds Millennium Square Demonstrators hold up signs during a Black Lives Matter protest following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody Protesters hold up placards at a gathering in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in central Leeds this afternoon Black Lives Matter protest taking place in Leeds Millennium Square this afternoon. The protest remained peaceful throughout A young protester holds onto a picture of George Floyd as she looks through the bars of a barrier at a gathering in support of the Black Lives Matter and Black Voices Matter movements in central Leeds Protesters hold up placards at a gathering in support of the Black Lives Matter and Black Voices Matter movements in central Leeds Protesters gather by the City Hall in Leeds, during a protest organised by Black Voices Matter, following the death of George Floyd A protester smiles for the camera as she holds a placard at a gathering in support of the Black Lives Matter Police in attendance as a large group of people stand in George Square in Glasgow Missiles could be seen flying between the two groups as police - with their batons drawn - formed a line across the street Police block the roads into George Square as a large group of people stand in the square near the Sir Robert Peel statue Crowds gather at the Robert Peel Statue in George Square, ahead of a Black Lives Matter protest calling for its removal Police try to control crowds that have gathered at the Robert Peel Statue in George Square, Glasgow In Leeds city centre, around 1,000 men, women and children gathered in Millennium Square for a protest organised jointly by Black Lives Matter and Black Voices Matter Protesters hold up placards at a gathering in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in central Leeds today Black Lives Matter protest taking place in Leeds Millennium Square this afternoon, the latest in a series of protests across the UK Many held placards and cheered and applauded as the protest officially began at 2.30pm. Another couple of hundred protesters stood around the city's war memorial, approximately 0.2 miles away on The Headrow Dionne Edwards, from Black Voices Matter, said: 'Our rally is a peaceful protest. We do not condone damage to public or private property' Yesterday, clashes between far-right yobs, Black Lives Matter supporters and riot police erupted in Trafalgar Square and at Waterloo station, with the far-right demonstrators claiming to be protecting Churchill's monument. Police chiefs imposed a 5pm curfew on all demonstrations in a bid to quell the unrest seen throughout the day as the anti-racist rally and a far right counter-protest descended into hooliganism driven by a hard core of violent activists. Boris Johnson spoke out against what he described as the 'racist thuggery' seen during demonstrations yesterday after facing criticism for his response to the unrest this week. The Prime Minister, who urged protesters to avoid the demonstrations all together - wrote on Twitter: 'Racist thuggery has no place on our streets. Anyone attacking the police will be met with full force of the law. 'These marches and protests have been subverted by violence and breach current guidelines. Racism has no part in the UK and we must work together to make that a reality.' Met Police confirmed that more than 100 people were arrested during yesterday's protest for offences including breach of the peace, violent disorder, assault on officers, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of class A drugs, and drunk and disorder. Wealthy special interests spend millions to persuade you to vote their way. If you respect them and believe their way is also good for you, their persuasion will work. If not, theyve wasted their money on you. But many donors, including corporations, prefer to be anonymous for business, political or other reasons. Thats called dark money. Fortunately, North Dakota law supports our right to know and requires reporting almost all campaign funding sources. Almost. Case in point: Governor Burgum gave nearly $2 million to his Dakota Leadership PAC, using it on campaign ads for selected Republicans who are running against other Republicans. This is not dark money; it shows how transparency helps democracy work. Transparency allows us to have a public discussion about his goals, the impact of large political donations, and his unusual spending plan. With transparency we can raise issues, debate them and make better decisions. The governor did not have to put himself out there. Thanks to a loophole in campaign finance law, he could have acted in secret. He could instead have formed a political nonprofit, given it an appealing name like Sound Government or Fair Taxes, collected and spent unlimited money, and reported the details to no one, as long as the group put its name on the ad and did not coordinate with a candidate or ballot campaign. Called Super PACs, independent expenditure committees, or C4 or C6 committees, their donors are not reported. Though foreign donations are illegal, they may never be known. Dark money, indeed. If voters are vigilant in November, the loophole in transparency law will close after January 4, 2022. All independent expenditure committees operating in North Dakota must then disclose their ultimate and true source of funds promptly and online. The new Article 14 Ethics Amendment of the state Constitution, which voters approved as Measure 1 in the 2018 election, requires it. But theres a catch. The 2019 Legislature made laws in House Bill 1521 that sabotage the transparency requirement. They must fix this in 2021 to prevent more needless lawsuits at taxpayers expense. To open the curtain on political influencers and avoid wasting your tax dollars, support November candidates who pledge to make dark money illegal, as the Constitution and their oath of office requires. Make sure they know what full transparency means and that it matters to you. Ellen Chaffee, Bismarck, was a sponsor of the Ethics Amendment in 2018. Love 8 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Former President John Dramani Mahama has called for the immediate withdrawal of the Public Universities Bill 2020 from Parliament since it does not guarantee the independence of our intellectuals and other researchers in state-owned universities. According to him; The Bill as it stands does not only risk undermining academic innovation and ingenuity; it will also jettison decades of scholarly excellence and adversely affect Ghanas position as the preferred destination for international scholarly collaboration." In a write-up on Sunday, June 14, Mr. Mahama said what the countrys universities need at this crucial point in time is partnership with government and not colonise public universities in the country. It must be immediately withdrawn from parliament," he added. Below is the full statements. What our universities need is a partnership. A partnership that fosters academic freedom enhances their efficiency, and also invests in research and development. The KNUST-INCAS COVID-19 rapid test kit innovation is one such outcome that is begging for support. Our academics and students need support to focus on their core mandates of creating and sharing knowledge, not a Public Universities Bill that seeks to control and undermine the independence of our intellectuals and other researchers in state-owned universities. The Bill as it stands does not only risk undermining academic innovation and ingenuity; it will also jettison decades of scholarly excellence and adversely affect Ghanas position as the preferred destination for international scholarly collaboration. As has been stated already by the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, University Teachers, some former Vice-Chancellors, individual academics in the universities among many other stakeholders, there is absolutely no need for the Public Universities Bill. It must be immediately withdrawn from parliament. In its current form, it is unclear what problems or challenges in higher education the Bill seeks to resolve. What is certain however is that, the Bill seeks to colonise public universities in the country, undermine academic freedom, stifle scholarly initiative, and subject research and researchers to needless and unproductive government control. Government must listen to the concerns of key stakeholders and withdraw the Bill. I want to, however, assure the people of Ghana and the academic community that should government proceed and pass the Bill into an Act of Parliament, I will not hesitate to initiate steps for its immediate repeal, as a matter of priority, if God willing I assume office as President in January 2021. Let me also renew the commitments I made during my meeting with the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) in Kumasi that as President, I will work with our universities to develop a comprehensive policy framework that promotes high quality research and rewards scholarly excellence. John Dramani Mahama Cantonments- Accra Sunday, June 14, 2020. Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[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 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have postponed the public launch of their Archewell charitable foundation - and will focus their efforts towards the coronavirus crisis and Black Lives Matter movement, according to reports. The Duke, 35, and Duchess, 38, stepped down as senior royals in January before moving to LA, where they are currently residing at Tyler Perry's $18million Beverly Hills mansion in LA. However, it is believed the couple were planning to launch their non-profit organisation from Los Angeles in spring - after formally registering the name in the US. According to The Telegraph, sources said it is now unlikely Archewell will be launched this year, with the public unveiling 'not on the cards' until 2021. Pictured, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe at the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation during their royal tour of South Africa on September 25, 2019 in Cape Town On June 4, Meghan Markle broke her silence on the murder of George Floyd, declaring that 'black lives matter' and revealed that she had not spoken about his death before because she had been 'nervous' (pictured) It is believed the couple were responding to current affairs, redirecting their efforts to the Black Lives Matter cause and the wider repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic. 'What's absolutely clear is that they want to get it right and there's no point in rushing,' the source explained. 'They are settling into a new life, a new era. This is about getting it right and making sure they are able to make the difference they want to make.' They added: 'This is about getting it right and making sure they are able to make the difference they want to make,.' Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the Commonwealth Day Service 2020 on March 09, 2020 in London Meghan Markle has given a video address to her old school in Los Angeles in which she talked about George Floyd's murder It comes after Meghan Markle broke her silence on the murder of George Floyd, declaring that 'black lives matter' and revealed that she had not spoken about his death before because she had been 'nervous'. The Duchess of Sussex gave an address to graduating pupils at her old school, Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles, where she also named other African Americans who were killed in the US by police in recent years. The 38-year-old former actress, who attended the school from the age of 11 to 18, said: 'George Floyd's life mattered and Breonna Taylor's life mattered and Philando Castile's life mattered and Tamir Rice's life mattered'. After announcing they are launching Archwell back in April, the couple said they 'look forward' to getting started with the foundation, which will replace their Sussex Royal brand. Harry and Meghan also revealed the Greek word in the project Arche meaning source of action was the inspiration behind the name of their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 13:45:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, June 14 (Xinhua) -- India's federal health ministry said Sunday morning that 311 new deaths of COVID-19 and 11,929 more positive cases were reported, taking the number of deaths to 9,195 and total cases to 320,922. "As on 8:00 a.m. (local time), today 9,195 deaths related to novel coronavirus have been recorded in the country," reads information released by the ministry. This is so far the highest single-day spike in the cases. According to officials, 162,379 people have so far been discharged from hospitals after showing improvement. "The number of active cases in the country right now is 149,348," reads the information. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met on Saturday with federal home minister Amit Shah and health minister Harsh Vardhan, among other officials, to review the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Modi will interact with chief ministers of all states via video conference on June 16 and June 17 to chalk out the strategy to come out of the coronavirus lockdown. Enditem Police have arrested Gurwinder Singh, who is accused of shooting dead a 65-year-old farmer at Jhorran village in Raikot on Saturday. Police said Gurwinder was arrested on Saturday night while he was planning to escape from the town. The murder weapon, his licensed .12 bore rifle, has been recovered. He was produced before a court that remanded him to five-day police custody. Kamaljit Kaur, daughter-in-law of the victim, Jarnail Singh, told the police that her father-in-law had bought six acres from Gurwinder Singh of Jhorran village. Though full payment was made for the deal, Gurwinder had not given possession of the land. On Saturday, her father-in-law called the accused to settle the matter, but the latter shot him dead, she alleged. The accused fled on his bicycle after the crime. We launched a manhunt as soon as the murder was reported and arrested him on Saturday night, said inspector Harjinder Singh, station house officer (SHO), Hathur. Gurwinder is facing a case of murder registered at the Hathur police station. The deceased is survived by his two sons, who live in the Philippines and the US. The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has sealed Jabi Lake Mall for violating the ban on public gatherings. Bashir Ahmad, the Personal Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on New Media, revealed this on Twitter on Sunday. The Federal Capital Territory Administration also announced its decision to lock up the mall on Sunday afternoon via Twitter. The FCT Ministerial Task Team on COVID-19 seals up Jabi Lake Mall indefinitely for violating Presidential Task Forces directives on the ban on public gatherings as part of measures to contain the spread of the dreaded pandemic in the territory, it tweeted. The action followed the judgment of a Mobile Court sitting in Jabi and presided over by Magistrate Idayat Akonni. Asides violating the rules of social distancing and the use of face masks in public places, the concert breached the 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew in the territory, the authorities said. The event had attracted a wave of public backlash on Sunday with many residents accusing the government including Aviation authorities of double standards. In her ruling, the magistrate ordered that the mall be sealed for two weeks. Background PREMIUM TIMES gathered that hip-hop artiste, Azeez Fashola, aka Naira Marley, held a concert at Jabi mall on Saturday in contravention of the directive of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 as part of measures to curb the spread of the virus. An ex-Big Brother Naija housemate, Kim Oprah, was the event anchor. The concert was put together by Play Network Africa, Traffic Bar, ElCarnival, and was sponsored by Glenfiddich. Nairabox and Ariiya sold the concerts tickets for N20,000 and N250,000. Naira Marley, 26, and Oprah shared videos of themselves inside a private jet owned by Jetlyfe, en route Abuja and upon arriving in the federal capital. The organisers, Play Network, react A flier advertising the concert which was shared on Instagram on Saturday by the organisers and Oprah indicated that it was meant to be a drive-through. But this was not the case as videos circulating on social media show Naira Marley performing on stage before a crowd at the venue. But the organisers said they instructed the crowd to go back to their cars before Naira Marley mounted the stage and have proof to back their claims. This has sparked outrage on social media with many comparing their actions to that of Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele, who was on April 6, arrested and fined for hosting a party in her Lekki home in violation of the coronavirus lockdown restrictions. Naira Marley, who is not a stranger to controversies, was also indicted when he showed up at the party which Akinedele organised in honour of her husband, Abdulrasheed Bello, also known as JJC Skillz. Many Nigerians have also taken to social media to criticise Naira Marley, Oprah, and the organisers of the concert, Play Network. Why do so few people speak Icelandic today? Why do many Icelanders have English names? What is with the Viking statues and the obsession with vinarterta? Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/6/2020 (587 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Why do so few people speak Icelandic today? Why do many Icelanders have English names? What is with the Viking statues and the obsession with vinarterta? These are just some of the questions that L.K. Bertram says visitors from Iceland to Manitoba have asked. In The Viking Immigrants, the assistant professor of history at the University of Toronto attempts to answer these queries and also explores other Icelandic immigrant habits and traditions. MIKE APORIUS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS files Skyr (left) and vinarterta, a prune layer cake, are popular desserts among Icelandic Canadians. Bertram, who grew up in an Icelandic- and Scottish-Canadian family in Manitoba, focuses on traditions such as the love of coffee, ghost stories and superstitions, alcohol, fashion, Vikings and, of course, vinarterta. Make no mistake: this is not a light-hearted, folksy or easy read. This is a scholarly and informative historical work. Bertram provides extensive and thorough historical information related to the everyday traditions of North American Icelanders. In her introduction, Bertram writes that "roughly 20 per cent of the population of Iceland departed for Canada and the United States between 1870 and 1914." However, she asserts, the number may even be higher. Winnipeg Free Press files A group of Icelandic immigrants crowd into a room to pose drinking coffee. Volcanic activity and "very poor weather" have often been blamed, she says, but other issues such as a desire for independence from Denmark, poverty, overcrowding and more also factored into the exodus. And so, in 1875, New Iceland was founded along the shores of Lake Winnipeg. Over the years, a unique culture emerged among the Icelandic immigrants in North America. It is this that Bertram focuses on their "habits, ideas and traditions" and their "distinctive, everyday popular culture." Steve Lambert / The Canadian Press files The Viking statue in Gimli is a prominent symbol of the towns Icelandic heritage and its deep, ongoing connections with Iceland. She writes in her acknowledgements that "15 years have passed" since research on her book began. During that time she "travelled thousands of miles, learned a difficult but beautiful language, and benefited from the help of a very large number of people." Bertram drew from published memoirs, stories, letters, newspapers, photographs and archival collections in Canada, the United States and Iceland. She has gathered together a huge amount of research. She visited and studied sites where Icelanders settled such as Gimli, Winnipegs West End, Riverton, Arborg and more. Extensive notes, a lengthy bibliography, an appendix and index are included. Bertram begins with a brief history of the Icelanders who came to Manitoba, landing first at Willow Point, "south of present-day Gimli." She writes of the extreme cold, poverty, inexperience, smallpox and more that plagued the immigrants in the early years. She writes of early Icelandic communities in Winnipeg, including "Shanty Town, Point Douglas, Ross Avenue and the citys west end." She also briefly discusses a few settlements elsewhere in Canada and in the U.S. She then turns her focus to everyday North American immigrant traditions, much of it drawn from along the shores of Lake Winnipeg and in Winnipeg itself. Bertram skilfully weaves historical facts, gender issues, Indigenous relations and more into her explorations. A chapter each is devoted to Icelandic immigrant clothing, the love of coffee, alcohol, ghost stories, Vikings and, yes, vinarterta. Rare photos and traditional recipes are included. Despite the everyday subject matter, this work has an academic and scholarly tone that does not make for a quick read. At times it can be repetitive in language and in content. Yet The Viking Immigrants is informative, intelligent and a worthy contribution to Icelandic and Manitoba history, and well worth the time and effort for the treasure trove of insights and knowledge it provides to Icelanders and lovers of history. Cheryl Girard sometimes writes about history and grew up not too far from Gimli. If you value coverage of Manitobas arts scene, help us do more. Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow the Free Press to deepen our reporting on theatre, dance, music and galleries while also ensuring the broadest possible audience can access our arts journalism. BECOME AN ARTS JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project. As the protests against racism and racial injustice continue in the United States, more and more celebrities are coming out to take their stand and support the ongoing "Black Lives Matter" movement. Just recently, Hollywood A-lister Angelina Jolie spoke up and expressed her support to end the systemic racism in the country. Having the chance to work with the United Nations through her philanthropic efforts, Jolie has seen different situations experienced by people identified by their skin color and race. Speaking to "Harper's Bazaar," the 45-year-old actress said that it is time for America to take extra measures in making structural changes and protect the vulnerable. "I was fortunate years ago to travel with the UN to frontlines around the world and put into perspective what really matters," Jolie said. The Oscar-winning actress' interview comes after she donated $200,000 to the NAACP Legal Defense in support of the Black Lives Matter protests. In a statement, Jolie emphasized that she stands with the organization's legal defense and fight for racial equality and social justice, adding that discrimination and impunity should not be tolerated. Angelina Jolie Fears For Her Daughter In the same interview, the "Maleficent" star pointed out that the ongoing protest that started after the brutal death of George Floyd at the hands of white police officers also sparked her fear for her own family, especially for one of her daughters. As an adoptive mother of a young Black woman, Jolie said that the racism issue hits her own home. "Having six children, I am reminded daily of what is most important. But after almost two decades of international work, this pandemic and this moment in America has made me rethink the needs and suffering within my own country," Jolie explained. The actress' particular concern is the safety and future of her 15-year-old adopted daughter, Zahara Jolie-Pitt. The mother-of-six adopted Zahara in 2005 from an orphanage in Addis Abba, Ethiopia when she was still six months old. Zahara is one of Jolie's three adoptive children. During her time in Ethiopia, Jolie has also seen the systemic racism towards Black men and women. "There are more than 70 million people who have had to flee their homes worldwide because of war and persecution - and there is racism and discrimination in America," Jolie said. "A system that protects me but might not protect my daughter - or any other man, woman, or child in our country based on skin color - is intolerable." angelina Jolie Encourage To Go Beyond Sympathy The "Tomb Raider" star also encouraged the public to go beyond expressing sympathy and make a way to pressure change in laws and policies addressing structural racism. She said that protesting against police brutality should only be the beginning of the action. Moroever, Jolie advised the younger generation to make a change by not assuming that they know everything, and instead really listen to those being oppressed. Jolie also hopes that people will remain in the center of the discussion, especially on pressing issues like racism, social injustice, and more. Police are investigating the incident. Five people have been injured in an explosion of a hand grenade in the village of Dachne, Biliayivsky district, Odesa region. Police are investigating the incident, the press center of Odesa region's police reported. According to preliminary reports, three residents of the village of Dachne, who are between 23 and 29 years old, brought home several RGD-5 grenades they had reportedly found in a local quarry. Read alsoUkrainian soldier injured in Donbas after enemy drone grenade drop One of the devices exploded when the men were trying to disassemble them. The men and two women, born in 1994 and 1949, who were next to them in the yard at the time of the explosion, received shrapnel wounds to their limbs. They were provided with medical assistance. Police officers and explosives experts are working on the scene to establish the circumstances of the incident. Police also seized two more hand grenades. The case investigated under Article 263 (illegal handling of weapons, ammunition or explosives) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine will be included in the state register of pretrial investigations. Egypts Ministry of International Cooperation has signed an agreement contract with Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) to finance a project to renovate the Cairo Metros first line. The agreement was inked on Sunday by Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat and AFD Country Director Fabio Grazi under Egypts multilateral cooperation framework among development partners, which brings together the AFD, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB). Minister Al-Mashat revealed that the project aims to renovate and modernise the 44km north-south Cairo Metro line, which intersects with Line 2 and Line 3. The project, through an overhaul of systems and infrastructure, is intended to sustain efficient, operational service of Cairo Metro Line 1 through a period of continued network expansion and increased demand, according to the statement. Multilateralism in line with the sustainable development goals is key in advancing a more resilient economy. This project demonstrates inclusive stakeholder engagement between the government of Egypt and its multilateral and bilateral development partners to enhance transportation infrastructure, enabling connectivity, and in turn, productivity, Al-Mashat said. The agreement contributes to achieving four Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 8: Decent Jobs and Economic Growth, SDG 9: Industrial Innovation and Infrastructure, SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities and SDG 17: Partnerships for Goals, according to Al-Mashat. Minister of Transportation Kamel El-Wazir said that the signed agreement brings the total funding allocated to the renovation of the Metro Cairos first line to 605 million, adding that the EBRD provided 205 million, the EIB provided 350 million, with an additional 145 million allocated from the state budget. Ambassador of France to Egypt Stephane Romatet said that the agreement is significant for both countries, as it exhibits a new phase of the historical partnership between France and Egypt over the Cairo Metro Project that has extended for more than 30 years. AFD Country Director for Egypt Grazi declared that the AFD is committed to act as an international leader in promoting inclusive and sustainable infrastructure investments in the agencys partner countries. Thanks to the signing of the Cairo Metro Line 1 project in Egypt, the AFD reaffirms its leadership and full support to the Egyptian authorities to improve the efficiency of urban transport systems in major agglomerations, ultimately fostering social inclusiveness, productivity growth and quality of life in a sustainable way for the Egyptian citizens, he added. Search Keywords: Short link: New Delhi: Intelenet Global Services backed by Blackstone is looking to increase its revenue by $200 million over the next four years by mining the private equity giant's portfolio companies. As per reports in major financial dailies, the BPO giant has set its eyes on a $1 billion revenue target by 2020. The world's largest PE firm bought Intelenet from Serco Group for $383 million. "We are targeting to get about 15-20% of our $1 billion target from Blackstone companies. From 2007, we have had seven Blackstone firms as customers.Blackstone has put together 2-3 dedicated resources to help us get business from its portfolio firms. If we are able to bring efficiencies to their companies, it will bring greater value for Blackstone," said Susir Kumar, executive chairman of Intelenet Global services. Kumar and his team have already scaled up Intelenet's revenues from Blackstone's portfolio companies like Hilton Hotels and Travelport. Intelenet is one of India's biggest BPO firms, employing 55,000 people across 66 global delivery centres. The firm had $400 million in revenue last year. It has been making acquisitions in areas like analytics and robotics. It is trying to mine the Barclays account further, work on its cards and mortgage businesses. By Niu Yanli BEIRUT, June 12 -- The 18th Chinese peacekeeping multi-functional engineer contingent to Lebanon went to the area near the "Blue Line" between Lebanon and Israel to carry out humanitarian demining missions recently. This marks the official resumption of humanitarian mine clearance operations by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) that had been interrupted for 10 years. Chinese demining peacekeepers to Lebanon have passed the qualification assessments conducted by the UN and Lebanon authorities separately in April this year. After preliminary minefield survey, they had been to the new minefield for the first time on June 1, but were forced to return because of the sensitive and complicated local situation. After coordination by the Lebanese government forces, Chinese minesweepers were able to enter the minefield three days later. The new minefield is an anti-tank minefield. This time, Chinese peacekeepers divided the field area according to various functions and identified safe and dangerous zones with cordon. The mine-clearing work is carried out in an orderly manner. As of June 10, they have cleared 60 square meters in the new minefield. Humanitarian mine clearance is an operation aiming to restore the safe living environment and the normal use of land for the local people. From 2006 to 2010, UNIFIL carried out humanitarian mine clearance within the framework of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701. For various reasons, this operation was suspended in 2010. Since then, UNIFIL has focused on combat mine clearance operations, mainly to provide security for the operations such as "Blue Line" identification, "Blue Line" patrols, and channel maintenance. In January this year, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the United Nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Humanitarian Demining, which authorized UNIFIL to carry out humanitarian demining operations within the UN Missions area of operation in south Lebanon. Pictet Group is one of the largest banks in Switzerland, focused on advising customers on how to make the most of their money. Founded in 1805, the firm has remained in family hands ever since, with the eighth generation still taking an active role in the business. This family culture makes Pictet Group better placed than most to understand what makes family firms succeed. As such, its Pictet Family fund, launched in the past fortnight, is worth a closer look. The unit trust invests in listed family firms around the world, using carefully chosen criteria to select those that are most likely to deliver robust, long-term returns. Heritage: The Pictet Family fund, launched in the past fortnight, holds Hermes in its portfolio The backdrop is promising. According to independent data, family firms generate between 50 and 70 per cent of the world's economic growth and account for more than half of all private sector employment. Listed family companies also tend to perform significantly better than their peers. The Pictet fund defines family firms as those where the founder or family owns at least 30 per cent of the shares. It invests where there is decent liquidity, that is, where more than 3million of shares are traded on the market every day. According to the firm's research, there are about 500 such companies worldwide and they have outperformed global markets by 46 per cent over the past 12 years an eye-catching achievement. Analysing all these businesses, Pictet has created a portfolio of just over 50 firms that it considers particularly promising. Some businesses have been in the same family for generations and are well-known, such as the French luxury goods maker Hermes and the Swiss drugs giant Roche. Some are still run by their founder, such as the US cloud computing specialist Veeva and JD.com, China's largest online retailer, whose chief executive Richard Liu established the business less than 20 years ago. Right now, just one firm, Ashmore, is UK-based. It has been led by Mark Coombs since the investment manager became an independent entity in 1998. Most companies in the fund are based in America and Europe, but about 20 per cent are located in Asia and Latin America. Firms come from a range of sectors but share certain key characteristics. As family or founder-run businesses, they are conservatively managed, so they do not take on excessive debt or excessive risks. They also take a long-term perspective, conscious of the present but also investing for the future. Roche, for example, invests more in research and development than most of its competitors, about 20 per cent of annual turnover, equivalent to billions of pounds. And its Covid-19 antibody test has been approved by regulators in the UK and overseas. Pictet obviously looks for a strong financial track record among its companies and many are at the top of the tree in their respective markets, such as JD. com or Hermes. Perhaps surprisingly for a family-centred fund, Pictet Family is focused on growth so it will reinvest dividends paid out by companies in the portfolio. Over time however, this should boost returns for investors. Midas verdict: Pictet has a long heritage as a family firm and companies within the Pictet Family fund have been chosen with care. For long-term investors, this should deliver generous returns. Each unit within the fund is expensive, at 1,187, but investors can buy parts of a unit, spending as little as 25 via most mainstream brokers, including Hargreaves Lansdown and AJ Bell. Name: Pictet Family GBP Code: LUO990124041 Contact: assetmanagement.pictet or 00 41 58 323 3333 Albuquerques Jeff Danneels flew all the way to Scotland to shoot pictures of a rock. Bow Fiddle Rock, to be precise, a natural sea arch dating from 1,000 to 541 million years ago, so-named because it resembles a bow. Thats a famous landmark in Scotland, the Sandia Labs retiree said. I tried to do something different. He photographed the weathered formation using a long exposure of 20-30 seconds. It made the ocean look like a cloud, he said. The day we went there it was raining and misty the whole time. Danneels Bow Fiddle Mystery is one of 225 images by 136 photographers online in the Annual New Mexico Photographic Art Show at anmpas.com. Danneels first picked up a camera when he was in middle school. I never really studied it formally, he said. I had a friend who loaned me a camera. He moved to Albuquerque in 1985. The digital age has allowed us to do so many things we couldnt do back then, he said. He took 6,653 images across two weeks in Scotland. Thats the beauty of digital, he said. It doesnt cost you a penny. Hes planning a photographic trip to Tuscany in 2021. Retired Sandia Labs electrical engineer Judy Beiriger turned to photography as a more creative expression when she quit working. She began shooting on hiking trips along the Rio Grande, as well as downtown architectural trips. Mentorship classes at the Enchanted Lens Camera Club taught her to think more critically. Its taking the time to look at things instead of just rushing by, she said. When her husband was studying at the Czech Technical University, Beiriger photographed the Gothic and Baroque Church of the Assumption of Our Lady and Saint John the Baptist in Kutna Hora. Its sweeping staircase swirls into a spiral. The church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its taking the time to absorb things and just contemplate and try to look for a different angle and point of view, she said. Last spring, Corrales Lawrence Blank aimed his lens at a trio of teenaged great horned owls nesting along the bosque. We had a lot of time to spend taking pictures of these owls at different stages of development, he said. They were nice enough to have a nest in a tree right by one of the ditches. The mom and dad were nesting there in another tree. A part-time dentist, Blank has taken his camera on wildlife safaris in Africa, Alaska and the Yukon. A trip to Peru produced a portrait of a woman selling dolls on the streets of Cusco. Blank learned to use a camera while working as a dentist in the Navy, setting up a camera club when he returned to the U.S. in both Philadelphia and Newport News, Virginia. It makes you see, he said of the camera. It makes you look around and take in whats there. Living in New Mexico, just look around, theres so much thats incredible. Hes lived in Corrales for five years. Weve got this view of the mountain from our house, he said. You could take a picture every day and its different. When US police flooded the streets around the country to confront protesters two weeks ago, for many it appeared like the army had deployed, with camouflage uniforms and combat gear, heavily armored anti-mine vehicles, and high-powered assault weapons. That's not by accident. For years the US Defense Department has been handing its surplus equipment over for free to police departments -- and the departments, large and small, have revelled in it. Critics say it has been part of the overall militarization of the police, and helped fuel mass nationwide demonstrations against police abuse and deadly tactics that began after the May 25 killing of a handcuffed African American, George Floyd, by a Minneapolis police officer. - Small-town police armed for war - As soon as protests began in Minneapolis, the city's troubled police department rolled out armored vehicles appearing more suited to Middle East battlefields. Other large cities have them too, but also small towns. In 2013 police in Flathead County, Montana, which has 90,000 residents nestled near the scenic Glacier National Park, received a landmine-resistant armored vehicle, one year after taking delivery of a military transport. The 10-person (two only part-time) police department in Ada, Oklahoma, population 16,000, got their mine-resistant armored car in July 2019, after stockpiling 34 M-16 assault rifles over the years. In a country where many people have their own guns and where schools have suffered mass shootings, even local education districts are taking advantage of the Pentagon's handouts. The 47 primary and secondary schools of the Bay District in Panama City, Florida acquired no less than 27 assault rifles and two mine-resistant armored vehicles in 2012 and 2013. - Trump restarted giveaway - The "1033" Pentagon surplus program has existed for years. Since 1997, the US military has distributed used and new equipment ranging from handguns to helicopters to armored vehicles, worth around $8.6 billion, to more than 8,000 federal, tribal and local police forces, according to the US Congress. In 2015 President Barack Obama severely limited the program, but his successor Donald Trump restored it in 2017. That year alone, some 500 million pieces of military equipment were transferred to the country's police services under the 1033 program. But the recent anti-police protests have recharged efforts to stop it. This week around 200 lawmakers in Congress, mostly Democrats, sponsored a bill, the "Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act", to again reel in the program. The bill, in the House of Representatives, would strictly limit the transfer of guns, ammunition, grenades, explosives, certain kinds of vehicles, and drones and other aircraft designed for the battlefield. A parallel bill is being prepared in the Senate, pushed by Democrat Brian Schatz, who has fought against over-arming the police for years. "It is clear that many police departments are being outfitted as if they are going to war, and it is not working in terms of maintaining the peace," Schatz told The New York Times. "Just because the Department of Defense has excess weaponry doesn't mean it will be put to good use." Schatz and Republican Senator Rand Paul attempted to push through a similar law in 2014, after the first publication of details of the 1033 program, amid the riots over police brutality against African-Americans in Ferguson, Missouri. The protests and riots that broke out over the police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown were met by police officers carrying assault rifles and driving armored cars they got from the Pentagon. Minnesota State Police officers in front of an armored sheriff's vehicle on May 31, 2020 in Minneapolis, during a protest against police brutality after the killing of George Floyd days earlier Army or police? Los Angeles police aboard an armored car in 2019 For several years, the Environmental Defense Fund has studied flaring and methane emissions in the Permian Basin, issuing reports detailing how the region leads in both flaring and methane emissions. Last week, the environmental group, along with GaffneyCline, issued a report that instead focused on best industry practices to eliminate flaring in the Permian Basin. Weve been engaged on flaring since the beginning of the great shale boom, said Colin Leyden, director, Regulatory & Legislative Affairs at Environmental Defense Fund, during a webinar to discuss the report. While the organization has been issuing reports on the large amounts of flaring and methane emissions in the Permian and the environmental harm being done, Leyden said this report highlights possible solutions and how some companies are prioritizing the issue and making investments to mitigate or eliminate flaring in the region. There are top-tier operators in the Permian Basin with respect to flaring techniques, compared with the average of 2.7 percent flaring, said Jennifer Stewart, carbon management strategy and policy lead at Gaffney, Cline & Associates, during the webinar. The report detailed the operations of Chevron, EOG Resources, Occidental Petroleum, Parsley Energy and Pioneer Natural Resources. Using public data from Texas and New Mexico regulatory agencies, Stewart the reports author -- said they wanted to find out How did they get these results? Was there a silver bullet? What was the answer? She said what emerged were three main themes: a strong governance and corporate culture with regards to flaring; a strong commitment to reduce or eliminate flaring by not putting wells online without the takeaway infrastructure in place beforehand; and best-in-class practices to ensure flare functionality and reduced vapor emissions. That corporate culture must extend from the boardroom down to the field level, so that when a field operator must make a decision about flaring, that decision will reflect the corporate culture, Stewart said. Tying compensation metrics to flaring performance, and making flaring goals public increases accountability, she said. If there is a silver bullet, she said it is to not flare at all. While takeaway capacity often has been cited as a reason flaring in the Permian Basin has increased, she said that should not be a barrier but a constraint that should be addressed by ensuring takeaway infrastructure is in place before a well is placed into production and the willingness to shut in a well until that infrastructure is available. That requires strategic, long-term planning and communication, not just within the company but with the producers midstream partner, Stewart said. While she said some flaring may be required because of operational upsets, high gas line pressure or safety reasons, the companies with best practices use trained staff or contractors to routinely and frequently check flares to ensure the equipment is functioning properly and emissions monitors and controls are incorporated into facilities design. They also install vapor recovery units at most, if not all, pad sites to achieve maximum emissions capture efficiency, she said. Its a clear bridge to beneficial financial impact. It has financial statement impact, protecting cash flow; its risk mitigation, offering long-term investment stability and maintains the social license to operate. And it opens access to capital markets, facilitating access to capital markets, lowers the bank risk profile and possibly drives a premium to multiples, she said. Jeff Gustavson, vice president of Chevrons North America Exploration & Production Mid-Continent Business Unit, said during the webinar that the issue of flaring is garnering not only a lot of attention inside the company but outside the company from its external stakeholders. Especially the investor community, he said. More and more, we get questions not just about flaring but about our environmental performance overall. Thats true of the company, of the industry and what we do in the Permian Basin. In the Permian Basin, flaring is a significant issue, he said. Look at the volumes last year; the amount is staggering and growing. The environmental impact is real, the economic impact is real. Were burning a product that has value. As Stewart wrote in the report, Gustavson said addressing flaring requires planning, foresight and investment. Its a manageable problem, he said. The best proof of that is the five companies Jennifer spoke to. These are companies large and small. This isnt a big-company issue, its not a small-company issue. Companies are managing because they plan appropriately. The economics are not insurmountable, even in the last year, when gas prices went negative for periods of time. You dont need that high of a natural gas price in the Permian to make some of the investments necessary and make some of the actions economic. But you have to plan. The commitment has to come from the top, he said, with making the issue a priority, setting targets, communicating that throughout the company and forming partnerships across the value chain, he said. Dave Maccarrone, managing director, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, said that when his firm evaluates energy stocks, we also evaluate the sustainability factors. We see economic waste in gas flaring. When we talk best practices, the Permian can be one of the lowest-cost environments in extraction costs globally, and the highest return on capital in the world. Its important for his company and other investors to support policymakers legislators and regulators as they craft regulations that support the elimination of routine flaring, Maccarrone said. Voluntary actions have not delivered the change were talking about. We have to realize the oil and gas industry as a whole faces a variety of risks in maintaining their social license to operate, he said. That will come into question over time if industry performance does not improve. Zero routine flaring will result in reduced costs, as well as delivering environmental benefits. The world is changing and because of those changes, it will drive company operations and stock valuations. Layden said routine flaring needs to end entirely. To put flaring in the rearview mirror, we need concrete measures, which will require strong regulatory bodies like the Railroad Commission, he said. The EDF believes if were going to tackle this problem and bring everyone along, we need to set a strong goal of where we want to get with flaring, a sort of North Star to guide us, Layden said. Ultimately, it will be agencies like the Railroad Commission to adopt policies to eliminate flaring in Texas and a roadmap to get us there. Its ambitious, its achievable. A lot of companies are committed to zero or near-zero emissions. There are probably a lot of policy options along the way. The industry panel Railroad Commission Chairman Wayne Christian has asked for recommendations; it will be interesting to see if theres something there thats a real start. Its great to see JP Morgan stepping up on this, he said. My sense is, investors are asking tough questions of the oil and gas sector on environment, social and governance. Its good for shareholder value, good for their license to operate, good for the environment and good for their clients. Im cautiously optimistic. As asset managers look at flaring, it will be a chance for a tangible difference. Gustavson said the current downturn offers a chance for infrastructure to catch up and reduce the need for flaring. Were in a downturn, but the Permian will be back in a big way, he said. We need to take this opportunity in this unique environment to keep the momentum going so we come out of this downturn in a better place. Id be very disappointed to come out of this cycle, with the Permian ramping up investment, and not make significant progress on this issue, he said. Ludhiana: Senior Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) leader Brig Jagdish Gagneja, who was attacked on August 6 by two unidentified bike-borne gunmen near Jyoti Chowk in Ludhiana, passed away on Thursday morning after battling for life over 45 days. Doctors said that Gagnejas condition turned critical on Wednesday night. He was declared dead on Thursday morning at 9:16 AM. He was on a ventilator as his intestines and other vital organs were ruptured with bullets. Brigadier (retd) Gagneja was attacked by bike-borne assailants on August 6 in Jalandhar. He was rushed to the Ludhiana hospital in a critical condition the next day. After police failed to get clues in the murder of the Vice President of the Punjab unit of the Sangh, the case was handed over to the CBI recently. Besided family members of the deceased, many senior RSS and BJP leaders including Phul Chand Jain, Anil Sareen, Commissioner of Police Jatinder Singh Aulakh and Dr Rishi Pal, ADC Ludhiana district were present at the hospital to pay their last respects. (With inputs from PTI) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. SIOUX CITY -- Roughly three months after it was first imposed, Bishop R. Walker Nickless has lifted the suspension on public Masses in the Diocese of Sioux City. Beginning the weekend of June 27, parishes will open for Mass at the discretion of their respective pastors, according to a press release from the Diocese. Nickless made the unprecedented move to suspend Masses on March 16, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Around that time the diocese formed a task force to monitor the outbreak. The task force and the bishop established a benchmark for resuming Mass -- namely, a 14-day period of consistently downward COVID-19 data, including new infections; hospital bed, ventilator and ICU usage; and projected spread of the virus, among other data points. According to the statement, the task force believes that the outbreak in this area has plateaued, the downward trajectory has begun and the area will reach the 14-day benchmark in the multiple categories between June 20 and 24. The Diocese will continue monitoring COVID-19 data until a vaccine hits the market, according to the statement. If it appears that new cases, hospitalizations and other metrics begin to increase substantially, it is possible that Diocesan churches and facilities will need to be locked down again. Once the suspension lifts and public Masses begin under the discretion of the individual pastors, priests of the diocese and the faithful will be following protocols outlined in May by the task force for attending Mass. These protocols will include spacing pews, mandatory face masks, availability of hand sanitizer at the entrances of church, and the use of social distancing. The obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains dispensed for Catholics in the Sioux City Diocese until the end of the calendar year. The elderly, more vulnerable and high-risk parishioners are reminded that although Mass is being offered, they are still recommended to stay home for the time being. However, Mass is open to all. Sioux City parishes, at the pastors' discretion, are permitted to authorize weekend Masses, weddings, funerals and events at parish halls and facilities as long as practices such as social distancing, use of face masks and proper sanitization are followed, with guidelines as determined by state public health officials. As of July 6, Bishop Nickless will allow parishes, with the priest's discretion, to allow weekday public Masses two days per week. Also, churches may be open for two hours each day for five days per week, at the pastors discretion. By July 20, at the pastors discretion, parishes may return to their normal schedules. For a comprehensive list of the instructions for the resuming of the public celebration of Mass, visit the diocesan website at www.scdiocese.org. 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 York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law on Friday a sweeping package of police accountability measures that received new backing following protests of George Floyd's killing, including one allowing the release of officers' long-withheld disciplinary records. The measures were approved earlier this week by the state's Democratic-led Legislature. Some of the bills had been proposed in years past and failed to win approval, but lawmakers moved with new urgency in the wake of massive, nationwide demonstrations over Floyd's death at the hands of police in Minneapolis. "Police reform is long overdue, and Mr. Floyd's murder is only the most recent murder," Cuomo, a Democrat, said. Cuomo was joined at the signing ceremony by the Rev. Al Sharpton, Valerie Bell, the mother of Sean Bell, who was killed by an officer in 2006, and Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, who was killed by police in New York in 2014. "It was a long time coming, but it came," Carr said. Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins thanks Carr and Bell "for being brave and strong." "We are at a moment of reckoning. There is no doubt about it," she said. The laws will ban police chokeholds, make it easier to sue people who call police on others without good reason, and set up a special prosecutor's office to investigate the deaths of people during and following encounters with police officers. "These bills mean some substantive change, so that we won't be sitting here going over this after the next funeral and after the next situation," Sharpton said. Some bills, including body camera legislation, drew support from Republicans, who opposed legislation that repealed a state law long used to block the release of police disciplinary records over concerns about officers' privacy. Eliminating the law, known as Section 50-a, would make complaints against officers, as well as transcripts and final dispositions of disciplinary proceedings, public for the first time in decades. New York Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Jessica McRorie said the department "will review the final version of the legislation and utilize it in a manner that ensures greater transparency and fairness." The state's approximately 500 police departments will all have to come up with plans to address everything from use of force to implicit bias awareness training by next April under an executive order that Cuomo said he will issue Friday. The governor said New York is the first to come up with such a plan and warned that police departments who fail to do so will not receive state aid. Patrick Lynch, president of the Police Benevolent Association, the city's largest police union, said in a news release that Cuomo and the legislative leaders "have no business celebrating today." Lynch said police officers spend their days addressing the "failures" of elected officials. "Now, we won't even be able to do that," he said. "We will be permanently frozen, stripped of all resources and unable to do the job." Meanwhile, members of the New York City Council said they would be working to cut $1 billion in NYPD spending for the next fiscal year. The cuts would include overtime, headcount through attrition and shifting the department's responsibilities, according to a joint council statement. "Our budget must reflect the reality that policing needs fundamental reform. Over the last few weeks, we have seen an outpouring of New Yorkers demanding change from their leaders," the statement said. "It is our job to listen and to act. We will not let this moment pass, and we will fight for the budget they deserve." Cuomo has 10 days to act on other bills passed by lawmakers this week, including legislation prohibiting police from using racial profiling and another bill ensuring that individuals under arrest or in policy custody receive attention for medical and mental health needs. Lawmakers also passed a bill to require New York to collect and report the race and other demographic details of individuals who are charged. The legislation says police departments must "promptly report" to the state the death of any people who die in police custody and in an attempt to establish custody, and provide a demographic breakdown. During this week's legislative debates, many lawmakers relayed their personal experiences with police. On Friday, Stewart-Cousins, who is the first black woman to lead the state Senate, said her youngest son was once stopped and frisked when he was 18 and said he ended up with a fractured nose. "Thank God I was able to bring him home," she said. "Every parent, every mother who looks like me understood that scary notion with our kids, with our husbands, with our brothers," she said. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said he's had "not-so-positive" interactions with the police from when he was young and even now as legislative leader. "Growing up when you heard the stories of Anthony Baez and Sean Bell and Eric Garner, as a black man, I felt that could be me," Heastie said. By Matthew Walther June 13, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - During the last month and a half or so of the 2016 presidential election, meta-arguments about how Donald Trump would respond to his own (inevitable in the estimation of most observers) defeat became more important than any of the apparent issues in the campaign. Would he accept the results? What this question was supposed to mean accept how? psychologically? was far less important than the response it was meant to elicit, which is to say, a negative answer that would in turn become the pretext for thousands of fear-mongering articles like this one. There were strong and weak theories about what form the Celebrity Apprentice star's loss would take. The most hysterical prognosticators, including his Democratic opponent, argued that he would attempt to destroy democracy itself. (How exactly he would go about this was never very clear: Would he attempt a coup via Twitter?) Others suggested that his entire campaign had been a marketing ploy all along, the teaser trailer for a coming right-wing populist media empire in which Trump would present himself as a kind of president-in-exile to millions of delusional fans, endlessly agitating for recounts and hawking branded water. In these endeavors, few if any observers expected Trump to receive support from the institutional GOP, which had, with few exceptions, remained ambivalent about its own presidential nominee. This was the implicit bargain between Trump and Republican leadership. Had he lost, he would have been excommunicated; his swift political rise and equally rapid fall would have been the occasion for an endless I-told-you-sos, both from those who have come to consider themselves his supporters and in what are now the wild hinterlands of #NeverTrump conservatism. (Whether casting him into outer darkness would have been as easy as congressional Republicans and the editors of conservative publications would have liked is an interesting question.) We all know what happened instead. After months of harangue from his opponent and the media about the existential importance of resigning himself to an assured defeat, Trump won, and Democrats spent the next four years very publicly doing most of the things they had predicted would ensue if things had gone the opposite way. His presidency was regarded as invalid from the moment he took the oath of office, for reasons ranging from his being an agent of the KGB to the very serious crime of not actually withholding aid to a minor East European nationalist regime. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Four years later, Joe Biden is openly fantasizing about a scenario in which the praetorian guard dispatches the senescent emperor from his palace. Whether the former vice president remembers the similar (and ultimately pointless) discussions from 2016 is an open question, but not an especially important one. What matters more is the current barely concealed relish at the prospect of the current president being removed from the White House by force. Never mind the fact that these lurid speculations exist alongside equally lunatic assertions that we are living under a Trump-led military dictatorship: What they reveal about the American attitude toward presidents and their legitimacy is far more interesting than their internal coherence. There's little reason to think any of us are prepared to accept the results of the upcoming election, at least not unequivocally. This unwillingness has less to do with the candidates themselves or the circumstances surrounding individual elections than with the chiliastic terms upon which presidential campaigns are waged in this country. These are not quadrennial contests between two parties offering competing sets of prudential solutions to the nation's problems: They are spiritual wars in which the righteousness of one side and the iniquity of the other are both blindingly obvious to all persons of good will. This is why George W. Bush's first presidential victory was dismissed by mainstream liberals as the result of either counting-related malfeasance or a plot by the Supreme Court or both, and why his re-election must have had something to do with rigged voting electronic voting machines. It is also why millions of us convinced ourselves that Barack Obama must have been born abroad and that Trump was working for the Russians. These conclusions, absurd and conspiratorial as they are, follow effortlessly from the twin premises that every presidential election is an all-or-nothing contest between good and evil and that the sovereign will of the people is inviolable. This is why even when genuine support for the wrong side is acknowledged not every vote is the result of a fraudulent ballot or a tweet from a Russian troll bot we insist upon delegitimizing the voters in question. The 47 percent and the basket of deplorables are mirror images of each other, and not only because simple arithmetic suggests that they must refer to many of the same voters. Rather than accept the idea that millions of our fellow Americans have simply drawn different conclusions about the candidates, which might call into question either the presumed stakes of our elections or the wisdom of self-government, we insist upon pushing them outside the boundaries of politics: people who vote in bad faith and (at least implicitly) should not be regarded as contributing to the actual democratic process. The plainer alternative explanation that elections are messy things and voters frequently irrational and almost never deserving of the flattery bestowed upon them by candidates from both parties is one that we have become mysteriously incapable of considering. Beginning as we do from such premises, it should be no surprise that none of us are prepared to accept any political outcomes that we find objectionable. So far from subverting our democracy, disregarding the results of our elections has become one of the most reliable norms in American politics. Matthew Walther is a national correspondent at The Week. His work has also appeared in First Things, The Spectator of London, The Catholic Herald, National Review, and other publications. He is currently writing a biography of the Rev. Montague Summers. He is also a Robert Novak Journalism Fellow. - " Source " - Post your comment below BEIJING, June 13 (Xinhua) -- China has launched multiple activities to celebrate this year's Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, which falls on Saturday. Across the country, over 3,700 activities will be rolled out to celebrate the day, with the majority to be held online, said Minister of Culture and Tourism Luo Shugang. The offline events will be held with strict epidemic prevention and control measures, said Luo. In the host city of Guilin in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, activities designed to celebrate the event kicked off Saturday. A themed forum and a donation ceremony for cultural heritage protection will also be held as part of the celebrations, jointly held by the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) and the local government of Guangxi. "Cultural relics are a dynamic source of confidence in our own culture, as well as an important platform for exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations," said Liu Yuzhu, head of the NCHA. Liu said that historical relics have also enriched people's lives and promoted the development of areas home to old revolutionary bases. More than 1,600 documentary films and pictures on intangible cultural heritage were promoted on eight popular online platforms. Nearly 6,500 online shops on various e-commerce platforms including Alibaba, JD.com and Suning have joined a shopping campaign to sell items related to 4,500 different kinds of intangible cultural heritage. Since 2006, China has celebrated cultural heritage day on the second Saturday of June. In 2017, it was renamed Cultural and Natural Heritage Day. Was 16 when his brother, uncle and grandfather were shot dead in a massacre A young survivor of the 2015 Tunisia terror attack has told how Prince Harry gave him advice on how to deal with his grief after three of his family members were killed. Owen Richards, now 21, from the West Midlands, was 16 when his brother Joel Richards, 19, uncle Adrian Evans, 49, and grandfather Charles Patrick Evans, 78, were shot dead in a massacre in which 38 tourists died five years ago on June 26, 2015. Last year, Prince Harry officially dedicated a memorial to the British victims of the 2015 Tunisia terrorist attacks - and attended the ceremony at Birmingham's Cannon Hill Park, alongside the families of those who had lost loved ones. Speaking about it for the first time with mum Suzanne Richards, Owen told The Mirror: 'He gave me some advice. 'He said I must talk about what happened. He said he knew personally, because when he lost his mum, he didn't. The Duke of Sussex speaking during a visit to Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, to officially open a memorial dedicated to victims of the 2015 terror attacks in Tunisia The Princess of Wales with her sons William and Harry during a holiday with the Spanish royal family at the Marivent Palace in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, August 198 'It was a bit weird when he said, "when my mum was killed", because she's not just any mum she's Princess Diana. 'It seemed like he was trying to give some advice rather than have a meaningless conversation.' And when he gave a speech at the unveiling, Owen told how he was given the chance to exchange a few words with the Duke of Sussex. 'I was nervous but Harry nodded during my speech,' he explained. 'Mum and I had a teddy from our charity Smile for Joel named after my brother which we gave to him for his wife who was pregnant. Owen Richards, (left) who lost his uncle, brother and grandfather in the terror attack in Sousse, arriving with his mother Suzanne Owen Richards (left) who was at the memorial today with his mother, pictured alongside Sousse massacre victims Adrian Evans, Charles 'Patrick' Evans and Joel Richards 'I told him I was there when it happened and how I lost my brother, my grandad and my uncle.' Owen was staying at the five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel in Port El Kantaoui with three family members when the terrifying ordeal unfolded. Tunisian student Seifeddine Rezgui, 23, opened fire and while the four of them tried to run inside the hotel complex to hide, Pat took several falls - and was hit by a bullet. Owen held his grandad Pat Evans, 78, in his final dying moments and was later praised by a coroner for his 'extraordinary courage' in trying to save him. After the attacks, he and his mother Suzanne Richards set up the Smile for Joel Charity, providing support for other victims of terrorism. Bengaluru, June 14 : The southwest monsoon had covered entire Karnataka by Friday, leading to widespread rain in several areas, said an official, here on Sunday. "The southwest monsoon had covered the entire state by Friday. Coastal Karnataka has been receiving heavy to very heavy rain," a Met Department official told IANS. One of the department's stations in the Udupi district recorded 20 cm rain and on Sunday, five stations in coastal Karnataka reported heavy rain. "Expecting widespread rain in the next five days. On Monday, there is a possibility of heavy to very heavy rain," she said. Very heavy rain ranges between 7 cm and 20 cm, and heavy rain between 7 cm and 11 cm. However, the Met department is expecting decrease in rain on Tuesday, and heavy rain on the next three days. "As far as north Karnataka is concerned, we are expecting fairly widespread rain, followed by scattered rain over the next four days," said the official. Similar is the forecast for south Karnataka. No heavy rain is expected in the interior districts. Meanwhile, not much rain is expected in Bengaluru as it lies towards the eastern periphery of the monsoon. "It will be only light to moderate rain in the next two-three days," she said. Bengaluru will experience cloudy sky with light rain on Monday and Tuesday, followed by cloudy sky on Wednesday and partly cloudy sky on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Heartbreaking photos shared to social media show a dying native animal found near a pile of trees that had just been felled. Three days after trees were cut down, a female brushtail possum was found hiding near a shed by locals in Tahmoor, southwest of Sydney, according to a wildlife rescuer. The marsupial was badly hurt but still clinging to life. A female brushtail possum was found with severe injuries 20 metres from where trees were felled. Source: Inga Schwaiger / WIRES WIRES carer Inga Schwaiger told Yahoo News Australia that she is called to assist animals found displaced by tree felling several times a year. It happens all the time, its just an ongoing saga, she said. However, we do get developers calling us if they do find an animal, to get inspectors out to assess the situation first. When we get the call out, they still chop the tree down, but at least were there to rescue the animals before they die. Whole neighbourhood was upset On Monday, Ms Schwaiger drove to a Tahmoor property, 69km southwest of Sydney, after receiving a call from upset neighbours. The possum was found 20 metres from the felled trees and had blood coming from her ears, scratches to her skin, and significant damage to her pelvis. Due to the severity of the injuries, which appeared to be internal, the animal had to be euthanised by a vet. A red dot indicates the location of a possum found near the felled trees. Source: Inga Schwaiger / WIRES It left me feeling a bit upset as it possibly could have been prevented, Ms Schwaiger said. It was a female possum, so I spent time looking for her babies. The whole block was cleared, and when I arrived the whole neighbourhood was upset. Ms Schwaiger said that she does not blame tree loppers for displaced wildlife, but would like to see more protections in place to help save native animals impacted by tree removal. Wollondilly Shire Council was contacted for comment, but did not respond to calls before deadline. Wont touch a tree that has wildlife Most Australian trees provide habitat for one or more species of native bird, mammal, or reptile, with older trees containing hollows playing a particularly important role. The majority of Australian widelife is highly territorial, and cannot simply just be moved to a new location. Story continues Sydney arborist Craig Young agrees that wildlife injuries are a regular story when it comes to his industry, so he always carries a cardboard box with a towel in it, in case he comes across an animal. During nesting season, Mr Youngs company, Sydney Abor Trees, will not remove anything that has baby animals or birds in it. These baby lorikeets were saved by a wildlife rescuer after an arborist called for assistance. Source: Cathie Stubbs / Wildlife Arc There are certain companies that have moral issues and wont touch a tree that has wildlife in it, he told Yahoo News Australia. Sometimes when we find trees with possums or sugar gliders we may call WIRES and relocated them. Unless youre going to sit under a tree and watch it for a few nights, it can be hard to know whats up there. Due to financial restraints, ecologists are not routinely called in before trees are felled, leaving decision making on what to do with wildlife up to the whim of the arborist or landholder. Across Australia, local councils are largely in charge of approving tree removal and setting guidelines for the rehoming displaced wildlife. Arborist creating hollows to house native species Looking to help improve habitat, Mr Young has expanded his business, to help create hollows and other nesting areas for animals who are losing their habitat to human expansion. Every bird or animal needs a completely different type of hollow, completely different aspect and height within the tree, he said. Were looking for trees that are in decline, and using arborists to help speed up the process of creating hollows. Mr Young encourages anyone thinking of removing a tree on their property to familiarise themselves with the wildlife in their area, in order to ensure wildlife is not displaced or injured. We have a list of different species that live within different trees and we put hollows into different aspects of trees, relating to what were trying to attract to the tree, he said. We create different hollows for different species. People in NSW who come across a sick or injured animal can contact WIRES on 1300 094 737, or their local animal rescue group. The author, Michael Dahlstrom, is a registered wildlife carer in NSW. 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. If theres one conclusion to be drawn from years of military equipment winding up in the hands of local police departments, its that its hard to de-escalate from the seat of an armored vehicle. De-escalation in tense situations on the part of police is essential to avoiding violence. It comes up as a top training recommendation whenever there is a death at the hands of local or state police. But when those officers are equipped with weapons of war, the escalation starts even before they meet the public. The issue is the federal 1033 program that donates unneeded military gear to police departments across the nation, including in Connecticut. Gear can include weapons, helicopters, armored vehicles, night vision goggles and more. Local departments have been eager participants, saying the gear offers necessary protection for officers and helps keep crime rates low. Theres also evidence that it gives police the appearance of an occupying force, adding distance between them and the people they are meant to serve. Its not as though regular police work requires vehicles built to withstand mine blasts. As Michael Lawlor, former Gov. Dannel P. Malloys top criminal justice adviser, told the CT Mirror, Putting this kind of military equipment in the hands of local police only escalates an already very tense situation and leads to violence. There have been moves to end the program on the federal level, but there are a number of roadblocks. A better idea would be action on the state level to end local participation, which could happen as soon as this summer, in a special legislative session. With police accountability on the agenda, an end to military gear on local streets should be among the priorities. Also to be discussed will be recommendations from the states Police Accountability and Transparency Task Force, which recently released its fast-tracked priorities and recommendations document. The task force was created last year in the wake of two highly publicized police-involved shooting deaths in Connecticut within days of each other. It aims to provide more transparency as well as prevent certain actions on the part of officers. These recommendations are a far cry from the calls to defund the police that have become common at rallies. They call for in some cases additional investment and a commitment to community policing, which requires deeper connection with communities police are meant to serve. Still, its basic outlines should sound familiar. Adopt a guardian versus warrior culture of policing, the task force recommends in its draft statement, as well as Publicly address the role of policing in past injustices, and Make it mandatory that officers report misconduct and intervene when they see wrongdoing. These should sound like the basics, but theres nothing wrong with a good starting point. The draft recommendations may not be enough to make everyone happy, but they are a necessary part of the process. Taken as a whole, they represent a chance for a new beginning in policing around the state, one that is desperately needed even as protests have been peaceful. Step one is an end to a military presence in the streets. Mumbai, June 14 : Actress Taapsee Pannu's "Game Over" on Sunday completed a year since its release. Marking the occasion, Taapsee recalled working on the film and wrote: "Whatever is that we are trying to do Ashwin I sincerely hope we don't end up making Swapna a spin bowler for a part 2. #1YearOfGameOver." Directed by Ashwin Saravanan, the film sees Taapsee as a wheelchair-bound gamer combating a mysterious identity. Ashwin Saravanan too took to social media andA shared many behind the scene shots from the film. "A year has passed since the release of #gameover I was going through some of the behind-the-scene images earlier and I would like to share the ones that really took me back to those days. Anniversary reaction, I guess,"he captioned. On the film front, Taapsee will be seen in "Haseen Dillruba", "Rashmi Rocket" and "Shabaash Mithu". More U.S. states, including Florida and Texas, are experiencing record-breaking levels of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations as most push ahead with re-opening. In Alabama, Florida and South Carolina - a record number of new cases were reported for the third day in a row on Saturday. And in Oklahoma - where President Donald Trump next Saturday plans to hold his first major rally since early March - health officials reported a record number of new Covid-19 cases. Those attending the rally in Tulsa will have to agree not to hold the campaign responsible if they contract the virus. State health officials across the U.S. are partly attributing the sharp spikes in cases and hospitalizations to gatherings over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, which saw busy beaches and boardwalks - like this one in Ocean City, Maryland. Nationally, there were over 25,000 new cases reported on Saturday, marking the highest tally for a Saturday since early May. The rise in new cases is also partly due to an increase in testing, yet perhaps more troubling for health officials is that many of these states - including Arkansas, North Carolina and Texas - are also seeing record hospitalizations Monsoon has covered a significant part of west and central India but its progress will be slower this week, the India Meteorological Department said on Sunday. The monsoon has advanced into the remaining parts of central Arabian Sea, some parts of northeast Arabian Sea, Gujarat, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, remaining parts of Maharashtra (including Mumbai), some parts of Madhya Pradesh, most parts of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand and some more parts of Bihar, the IMD said in a statement. "Conditions are becoming favourable for further advance of Southwest Monsoon into some more parts of North Arabian Sea, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, remaining parts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar and some parts of East Uttar Pradesh during next 48 hours," the IMD said. Thereafter, the progress will be slow for a week, IMD Director-General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said. "The low pressure area that helped in the progress of monsoon last week is weakening. So, the progress of the monsoon will be slow for a week," Mohapatra said. However, another low pressure area is likely to form over the Bay of Bengal next week which will help in the progress of monsoon, Mohapatra added. A low pressure area is a cyclonic circulation that helps in the progression of monsoon. Fairly widespread to widespread rainfall is very likely to continue over Maharashtra, Gujarat, most parts of central and east India during next 4-5 days with isolated heavy to very heavy falls over Konkan and Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Gujarat, the IMD said. Isolated heavy over south Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh and Marathwada are likely during next 2-3 days, the IMD statement added. According to IMD data, the country as a whole has received 31 per cent more rainfall so far. Of the four meteorological divisions, the south peninsula has received 20 per cent more rainfall; central India has 94 per cent more precipitation and northwest India has 19 per cent more rainfall. The east and northeast India has received rainfall four cent less than normal. Monsoon is likely to be normal, the IMD had said in the second long-range forecast earlier this month. AstraZeneca to Supply 400 Million Doses of Vaccine in Europe by Year End Biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has reached agreement with four European Union nations to supply up to 400 million doses of CCP virus vaccine by the end of 2020. AstraZeneca, a drugmaker headquartered in Cambridge, England, struck the deal with Europes Inclusive Vaccines Alliance to supply vaccines currently being tested by the University of Oxford to Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands at no profit. Oxford University is conducting phase 2 and phase 3 trials of the vaccine in about 10,000 adult volunteers. This agreement will ensure that hundreds of millions of Europeans have access to Oxford Universitys vaccine following approval. With our European supply chain due to begin production soon, we hope to make the vaccine available widely and rapidly, Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca, said in a statement. The company has struck similar deals with the United Kingdom, the United States, the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, for 700 million doses. The vaccine, called AZD1222, formerly known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, introduces the SARS-CoV2 spike protein with a weakened version of a chimpanzee virus into the body. According to Professor Babak Javid of Tsinghua University School of Medicine in Beijing, although tested animals became infected with SARS-CoV2, the vaccine has so far prevented disease and the onset of pneumonia. The most important finding to me is the combination of considerable efficacy in terms of viral load and subsequent pneumonia, but no evidence of immune-enhanced disease, professor Stephen Evans of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said of the vaccine. The technology used in AZD1222 has never been deployed in a licensed human vaccine before. Meanwhile, AstraZeneca picked Emergent BioSolutions Inc to help produce the doses of the drugmakers potential COVID-19 vaccine pledged to the United States, in an agreement valued at about $87 million, according to another statement on June 11. A person being injected as part of the first human trials in the UK to test a potential CCP virus vaccine, at Oxford University, England, on April 23, 2020. (Oxford University Pool via AP) In the United States, AZD1222 is one of several pharmaceuticals supported by the federal governments program Operation Warp Speed (OWS). OWS is aimed at speeding the development, manufacturing, and distribution of medical countermeasures to the CCP virus. We are proud to provide our CDMO services to advance AstraZenecas COVID-19 vaccine candidate. With this agreement, we bring to our facilities two of the five leading candidates being developed with U.S. government funding, said Robert G. Kramer Sr., president of Emergent BioSolutions. AstraZeneca has also signed a licensing agreement with the Serum Institute of India to supply one billion doses to low- and middle-income countries. The company will provide 400 million of these doses before the year ends. Its also building in parallel a number of supply chains across the world to bring global access to the vaccine at no profit for two billion doses. Oxford University is set to start the later states of AZD1222 trials in many other countries. AstraZeneca recognizes that the vaccine may not work but is committed to progressing the clinical program with speed and scaling up manufacturing at risk, the company said. A mother has created a stylish play area for her one-year-old daughter complete with a kitchen, picnic table and cubby house with flower boxes on the windows for just $400. Skye Hearnshaw, 34, lives with husband Nick and their baby Darcie in Pilbara, Western Australia, just over 1,200km north of Perth. With the region dry and sweltering for most of the year, the nurse was eager for her little girl to grow up with a special place to play indoors, safe from the intensity of the heat. After Darcie was gifted a Kmart cubby house for her first birthday in March, Ms Hearnshaw bought toys and accessories from brands like Bunnings, IKEA and eBay and created a bohemian-inspired space suitable for the pages of an interiors magazine. Scroll down for video The trendy playhouse Ms Hearnshaw created for her daughter Darcie from a $129 IKEA kid's kitchen (right), a $59 kids' picnic table (foreground centre), paint from Bunnings and a Kmart cubby house (left) gifted by a friend Western Australian nurse Skye Hearnshaw with husband Nick and one-year-old Darcie Ms Hearnshaw transformed a $129 IKEA play kitchen with paint from Bunnings, using white and pastel pink for the shelving units and metallic gold for the handles and sink. She covered the splashback with floral wallpaper from Minnie and Me Interiors and fitted rattan strips from eBay on the doors of the microwave and oven, creating a kitchen more stylish than most people's homes. She also painted wooden toys and wicker baskets from Kmart in white and blush to match the pastel colour scheme. Before and after: The original $129 IKEA kitchen (left) and Ms Hearnshaw's stylish update (right), with rattan inserts in the doors of the microwave and oven and blush, white and metallic paint The rust orange frame and dark green door of the cubby house didn't fit with Ms Hearnshaw's pastel colour scheme so she gave it a makeover with white paint. She added a splash of blush on the door and window boxes, which she filled with artificial flowers from Kmart left over from Darcie's birthday party. Ms Hearnshaw finished the play area with a $59 IKEA kids' picnic table. She told news.com.au that the project took two weeks to complete and cost her just $400, with the cubby kindly gifted. The original Kmart cubby house, which Ms Hearnshaw transformed with white and blush pink paint from Bunnings and artificial flowers from Kmart Parents were impressed with Ms Hearnshaw's creative handiwork after she posted photos of the cubby house on Instagram last month, with one woman describing it as 'sensational'. 'This is so cute, what a beautiful playroom,' said another, while a third called it 'perfection'. One mother said the photos had inspired her to create something similar for her own daughter. Update: Garrett Rolfe, the officer who fatally shot 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks, has been charged with felony murder and 10 other criminal charges in the shooting. An Atlanta police officer was fired early Sunday following the fatal shooting of a black man, which triggered unrest and new waves of protests in the city. Rayshard Brooks, 27, was fatally shot by police at a Wendy's drive-thru after officials said he resisted arrest and stole an officer's Taser. An autopsy found that Brooks suffered two gunshot wounds to his back and he died of organ injuries and blood loss, the Fulton County Medical Examiner said on Sunday. The manner of death was listed as a homicide. The fired officer, Garrett Rolfe, was hired by the department in October 2013, a department spokesperson said. Devin Brosnan, another officer at the scene, was placed on administrative duty. Rolfe's firing follows the resignation of the city's police chief, Erika Shields, who left the department just a day after the deadly shooting. Former Assistant Chief Rodney Bryant, who is black, will serve as the city's interim police chief. In a statement, Shields said: "I have faith in the mayor, and it is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve." rayshard-brooks-3.jpg Rayshard Brooks Stewart Trial Attorneys Police said Brooks fell asleep in the Wendy's drive-thru on Friday night and had failed a sobriety test. When police tried to take him into custody, Brooks resisted and stole a Taser from an officer, they said. Brooks ran from the officers, and at one point, aimed the Taser at police before the officer fired his weapon, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said, citing surveillance video that was released to the public. "While there may be debate as to whether this was an appropriate use of deadly force, I firmly believe that there is a clear distinction between what you can do and what you should do," Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said in a news conference. "I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force." Story continues Brooks was taken to a local hospital where he died after surgery, officials said. One officer was treated for an injury and discharged from the hospital. L. Chris Stewart, an attorney for Brooks' family, said the officer who killed Brooks should face charges. "Black, white, Hispanic, whatever you are," Stewart said in a news conference. "Are you not tired of seeing cases like this happen?" Brooks' eldest daughter turned 8 years old the day after his death. His family said he planned on taking her skating on Saturday but he never returned home. "She had her birthday dress on. She was waiting for her dad to come pick her up and take her skating," Smith said. Brooks has three daughters, ages 1, 2 and 8, and a 13-year-old stepson. Tomika Miller, who was married to Brooks for eight years, said she dropped to her knees when she heard the news. "It was murder that was not justified," Miller told CBS News. "He was shot running away. He wasn't dangerous. He wasn't coming at them in any kind of way to where they felt a threat, they shouldn't have felt threatened." Miller never imagined she'd be in the same position as the family of George Floyd, a 46-year-old who died in the custody of Minneapolis police. "I want them to go to jail," Miller said of the officers. "I want them to deal with the same things as if it was my husband who killed somebody else. If it was my husband who shot them, he would be in jail. He would be doing a life sentence." Brooks' niece, Chassidy Evans, remembered him in a news conference Monday. "Not only was he a girl dad, he was a loving husband, caring brother and most importantly, to me, an uncle I could depend on," Evans said. "Rayshard Brooks was silly, had the brightest smile and the biggest heart, and loved to dance since we were kids." Brooks' death ignited angry demonstrations in the city. Protesters on Saturday set fire to the Wendy's restaurant where Brooks was killed and shut down an interstate highway in both directions. At least 36 people were arrested, police said. Police Shooting Atlanta A man walks by as a Wendy's restaurant is on fire during protests on Saturday, June 13, 2020, where Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by police Friday evening. Brynn Anderson / AP The city of Atlanta was roiled by protests following Floyd's death. Six officers were charged with assault and four were fired after video showed police pulling two college students out of their car during a demonstration on May 30. The officers used a stun gun on the driver and passenger. Footage of the incident was broadcast live by WGCL-TV. Mark Strassman contributed to this report. Video shows 10-year-old boy stopping basketball to hide from police car Experts suggest improving ventilation may reduce coronavirus spread Former Atlanta police officer charged in Rayshard Brooks shooting RACINE Area residents who listen to police scanner traffic may have noticed recently theyre unable to hear what is going on. This spring, Racine Police Department radios began to transmit on digital channels, encrypted from the public, leaving public scanners silent. Handheld scanners and scanner apps available on most smartphones are no longer able to receive transmissions, leaving the general public deaf to unfolding events. The move to digital radios was not made to leave the public out of hearing Racine Police airwaves. It was a combination of reasons, said Sgt. Chad Melby, Racine Police Departments public information officer. Melby said there have been instances where wanted parties would be listening to the radio to have a head start on Police Department officers. Also the analog radios were not always reliable. That, combined with the need of upgrades and the way everything is trending that we were going to have to go digital I think thats what prompted the switch, Melby said. Planning for the switch from air waves to digital transmission began in 2017, with money being budgeted aside in 2017 and 2018. In 2017, a little over $600,000 was budgeted and in 2018 a little over $900,000 was budgeted towards the project. In total, about $1.5 million was budgeted. Melby said that there is still work being done to finalize the transition, so he was unsure how much of the allotted money had been spent. Melby said Racines is not the first area law-enforcement agency to make the switch to digital radios. Kenosha City, Kenosha County Sheriffs Department, Milwaukee City and Burlington are all digital, Melby said. Off the air Frank LoMonte, director for The Brechner Center for Freedom of Information at the University of Florida, said that police radios were over the air, like any other radio, just at a lower frequency. By going digital, LoMonte said it takes transmissions off the air. The idea of encryption is to take it off the air and to no longer have the signal available to be pulled out of the air by somebody who has a radio antenna and instead its digitally transmitted in the same way that a cell phone call is digitally transmitted I cant pull my neighbors cellphone calls out of the air using my radio, LoMonte said. Encrypting police department communication has come under fire by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council. Bill Lueders of the WFIC said the councils lawyers did not see any legal precedent against radio encryption, but Lueders also noted that it does make it harder for media and citizens to be aware of police happenings. Now more than ever, the police should be doing everything they can to make their processes more transparent, not less, Leuders said. Telling the public it can no longer listen to police calls does nothing to build trust." In some cases, as with the Citizen app, the public uses information from police radios to stay informed on what is happening in their areas. Citizen employees monitor transmissions and post updates to a map for users. Recode, a branch of Vox.com focused on the digital world, reported that the Citizen app, among other apps, has experienced a surge in downloads after George Floyds death and protests. Citizen, as of Thursday afternoon, was listed as No. 9 in top news apps in the iOS app store. Similarly, the top three paid news apps in the iOS app store were police scanner apps. During protests in areas that lack encrypted channels, such as in Chicago, police experienced difficulties during transmissions. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that hackers interrupted that citys police radio system during protests so dispatchers struggled to answer calls during the looting and gun violence. But, there have also been reports of the public helping law enforcement after listening to transmissions, such as the case of one California man helping police locate a shooting suspect. Locally, on the Racine County News/Scanner Facebook page, page administrators post what they hear on the scanner. But its mostly medical and fire calls because people cannot listen to the police transmissions. It is still possible to listen to Racine Fire Department radios with a scanner, online or with an app. Public records To balance the safety of officers with transparency to the public, LaMonte suggested that police departments switch channels, as it shouldnt be an all or nothing situation. But switching between channels has also been cited to cause issues within police department communication. LaMonte pointed to recent events, as police are under the microscope. The right answer should always be more disclosure instead of less, LaMonte said. So, if its inconvenient for them to switch channels or use two different communication devices, thats a shame, but Im not sure inconvenience weighs very heavily right now. As lawyers for the WFIC found, LaMonte, who worked as a journalist and a lawyer before his role at the Brechner Center, said that police stations are within their rights to encrypt their radios. There are no First Amendment rights being abridged by the action, according to LaMonte. But LaMonte also said that without access to scanners, concerned citizens and newsrooms alike are left in the dark. In the case of the hews media, there is a loss of access to breaking news coverage. Melby acknowledged this: I know for the media, its a headache because you have to hear through a citizen or you have to get ahold of me, which is not always the easiest thing, Melby said. But as far as transparency and things go, everything is recorded and available via open requests. It doesnt help you with a scene thats active, but if theres questions as to how something happened, everything is still recorded as usual and available. Open-records requests, which are a part of the Public Records Law, allow for the request of public information from government agencies. Public records requests, LaMonte said, can take months to receive, which has been the case in some instances in Racine. Without access to scanners, LaMonte said police officers should be allowed to speak more freely to the media, as it is common practice to limit media availability to a public information officer or public relations officer. Restricting access to whom the media can talk at a police department is actually a constitutional problem, which becomes larger without access to the scanners. LaMonte pointed out news outlets then have to rely on reconstructed accounts through news releases. That is a legal problem, LaMonte said. If you cant get access to news by way of the police scanner, youd better be able to talk to the officers without having to wait a day for a press release. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 7 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Police attempt to control protesters outside the Wendy's restaurant - Ben Gray/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP Protesters in the United States shut down a major highway in Atlanta on Saturday and set fire to a Wendy's restaurant where a black man was shot by police as he tried to escape arrest. The shooting incident was caught on video and is sure to fuel more nationwide demonstrations. An Atlanta police officer has been fired following the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks, and a second officer has been placed on administrative leave. Atlanta police announced the termination of Garrett Rolfe early on Sunday, a move that follows the Saturday resignation of Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said she had accepted the prompt resignation of Ms Shields after Mr Brooks was fatally shot by an officer in a struggle following a field sobriety test on Friday night. The unrest broke out after dark, and images on local television showed the restaurant in flames, with no fire crews on the scene. Other demonstrators marched onto Interstate-75, where they were met by police. The Wendy's in Atlanta where Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by police Friday is on fire as protests continue in the area https://t.co/F5BYut3cR7 pic.twitter.com/QU1bTyaFtg CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) June 14, 2020 Authorities said the slain man had grabbed an officer's Taser, but was running away when he was shot. Ms Shields stepped down as the killing of Mr Brooks sparked a new wave of protests in Atlanta after turbulent demonstrations that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis had simmered down. Ms Bottoms announced the police chief's resignation at a Saturday news conference as about 150 people marched outside the Wendy's restaurant. The mayor has also called for the immediate firing of the unidentified officer who opened fire at Mr Brooks. Story continues "I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer," Ms Bottoms said. She said it was Ms Shields' own decision to step aside as police chief and that she would remain with the city in an undetermined role. Interim Corrections Chief Rodney Bryant would serve as interim police chief until a permanent replacement was found. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the shooting, said the deadly confrontation started with officers responding to a complaint that a man was sleeping in a car blocking the restaurant's drive-through lane. The GBI said Mr Brooks failed a field sobriety test and then resisted officers' attempts to arrest him. The GBI released security camera video of the shooting. The GBI is releasing surveillance video showing the exchange between Atlanta Police Officers and Rayshard Brooks from Wendys restaurant - Atlanta OIS 6.12.20 https://t.co/dNlBDpXsRp GA Bureau of Investigation (@GBI_GA) June 13, 2020 The footage shows a man running from two white police officers as he raises a hand, which is holding some type of object, towards an officer a few steps behind him. The officer draws his gun and fires as the man keeps running, then falls to the ground in the parking lot. GBI Director Vic Reynolds said Mr Brooks had grabbed a Taser from one of the officers and appeared to point it at the officer as he fled, prompting the officer to reach for his gun and fire an estimated three shots. The security camera video recorded Mr Brooks "running or fleeing from Atlanta police officers", Mr Reynolds said. "It appears that he has in his hand a Taser." The footage does not show Mr Brooks' initial struggle with police. L. Chris Stewart, an attorney for Mr Brooks' family, said the officer who shot him should be charged for "an unjustified use of deadly force, which equals murder". A Black Lives Matter sign is placed on a police car near the scene of an overnight police shooting that left a man dead at a Wendy's restaurant in Atlanta - ERIK S LESSER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock "You can't have it both ways in law enforcement," Mr Stewart said. "You can't say a Taser is a non-lethal weapon ... but when an African-American grabs it and runs with it, now it's some kind of deadly, lethal weapon that calls for you to unload on somebody." He said Mr Brooks was a father of four and had celebrated a daughter's eighth birthday on Friday before he was killed. The shooting came at a time of heightened tension over police brutality and calls for reforms across the US following the May 25 death of Mr Floyd in Minneapolis. Atlanta was among US cities where large crowds of protesters took to the streets. Demonstrators, including members of Mr Brooks' family, gathered on Saturday outside the restaurant where he was shot. There was a short, tense stand-off with Georgia state troopers who lined up to block protesters as they tried to march onto a nearby highway. The demonstrators eventually turned away. Among those protesting was Crystal Brooks, who said she is Rayshard Brooks' sister-in-law. Protesters hold placards near the scene of an overnight police shooting which left a black man dead at a Wendy's restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia - ERIK S LESSER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock "He wasn't causing anyone any harm," she said. "The police went up to the car and, even though the car was parked, they pulled him out of the car and started tussling with him. "He did grab the Taser, but he just grabbed the Taser and ran." Ms Shields, Atlanta's police chief for less than four years, was initially praised in the days following Mr Floyd's death last month. She said the Minnesota officers involved should go to prison and walked into crowds of protesters in downtown Atlanta, telling demonstrators she understood their frustrations and fears. She appeared at Ms Bottoms' side as the mayor made an impassioned plea for protesters to go home when things turned violent with smashed storefronts and police cruisers set ablaze. Days later, Ms Shields fired two officers and benched three others caught on video on May 30 in a hostile confrontation with two college students whose car was stuck in traffic caused by the protests. The officers fired Tasers at the pair and dragged them from the vehicle. When prosecutors later charged six of the officers involved, however, Ms Shields openly questioned the charges. The shooting of Mr Brooks two weeks later raised further questions about the Atlanta department. In a statement, Ms Shields said she chose to resign "out of a deep and abiding love for this city and this department". "It is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve," Ms Shields said. Ms Reynolds said his agents would turn over results of their investigation to Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, whose office will decide whether criminal charges are warranted against either of the unidentified officers. Mr Howard said his office "has already launched an intense, independent investigation of the incident" without waiting for the GBI's results. Mr Brooks died after being taken to an Atlanta hospital. One of the officers was treated and released for unspecified injuries. Legal Practitioner and Professor of Accounting, Stephen Kweku Asare, also known as Kwaku Azar is calling for government to reconsider its decisions to partially reopen schools tomorrow. Universities in Ghana will reopen tomorrow, Monday, June 15, 2020, for final year students to prepare and write their final examinations. Senior High Schools and Junior High Schools will subsequently reopen on the June 22 and 29 respectively to only final year students as well to enable them to prepare and write their final examinations. This was announced by President Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo in his 10th televised address to the nation on May 31, 20202. According to him, the reopening is with the appropriate enhanced safety protocols and social distancing adherence. However, in a Facebook post, Professor Azar said the COVID-19 numbers do not support the idea and thus governmeet should reconsider the decision. The COVID-19 numbers do not support a partial reopening of schools on Monday. The government should look at the numbers and refine the reopening policy accordingly. Schools in the country were ordered to shut down after a directive from the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on March 15, 2020, as part of measures to stop the further spread of the Coronavirus disease [COVID-19] in the country. With the announcement by government to reopen schools, many have expressed worry over the decision and the possibility of a spike in the countrys case count. Ghana's COVID-19 case count stands at to 11,422 with 4,156 recoveries and 51 deaths, according to the Ghana Health Service's update on Sunday, June 14, 2020. Education Minister on measures put in place to protect teachers and students Meanwhile, the Minister of Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has said the government will ensure strict adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols in the various universities as they reopen on Monday. Dr. Prempeh at a meeting with University Vice-Chancellors said adequate measures have been put in place to protect all students, teaching and non-teaching staff. We hope that since we are reopening schools, we can enforce social distancing and the thought is that if we open for final years, we have enough time and space for lecturers to be able to do social distancing. The President has ordered the Ministry of Health that before school reopens, every tertiary institution, public and private, must be sprayed. This is to ensure that if there are surfaces the virus is on, it is killed before the students come, to protect the lecturers and the students. For schools, there are veronica buckets and sanitizers that are being supplied. citinewsroom Egypt on Saturday has claimed that the talks with Ethiopia and Sudan regarding the building of a controversial mega-dam on the river Nile had come to a stalemate. According to reports, Egypt had stated that Addis Ababa has refused to compromise and has not shown a willingness to negotiate. The dam called the Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam (GERD) has become a source of contention for the region ever since Ethiopia began its construction nearly a decade ago. Trouble over Nile dam As per reports, Ethiopia believes the dam to be a necessity for the electrification and development of the country. On the other hand, Sudan and Egypt have viewed the dam as a threat due to the dangers it poses to their essential water supplies. In a press release that was posted on Egypt's Water Resources and Irrigation Ministrys Facebook page, spokesperson Mohamed al-Sebaie has said that Egypt is currently not optimistic about a breakthrough in the negotiations. Read: Rights Group: Egypt Police Raid Homes Of Activist's Uncles Read: Mohamed Salah Was Advised To Watch Lionel Messi Closely By Former Egypt Coach The spokesperson, in his statement, further added that the unlikelihood of a breakthrough was because Ethiopia has repeatedly refused to compromise. The strongly-worded statement comes at the heels of days of negotiations. Ethiopia will reportedly start filling the dam by sometime in July. The United States, European Union and South Africa had been acting as observers during the talks between the irrigation and water ministers from the three Nile basin countries. During the course of the talks, Ethiopia has accused the United States of favouritism and being undiplomatic. Read: Libya's Tripoli Forces Press Gains Despite Egypt Truce Offer Read: Egypt: President Sisi Offers Peace Initiative To Warring Libyan Leaders, Hopes For Success The 6,600-kilometre-long Nile river is a lifeline for the 10 countries it passes through; it supplies them with water and well as electricity. As per reports, the main tributaries of the Nile, the White and Blue Niles converge at the Sudanese capital Khartoum before flowing north through Egypt to drain into the Mediterranean Sea. (Image Credit - Pixabay/Representative Image) Beijing demands more tests for fever patients as new COVID-19 cases emerge BEIJING, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Beijing has demanded that hospitals offer more tests to screen fever patients for novel coronavirus infections as the city began to register new cases after a weeks-long lull. All hospitals were required to perform nucleic acid and antibody tests, a CT scan and a routine blood test on patients with a fever, said Gao Xiaojun, spokesperson of Beijing's health commission. The city had previously made nucleic acid tests compulsory for patients visiting fever clinics. Gao said at a press conference on Sunday morning that fever clinics are forbidden from turning away patients. They must monitor patient numbers and report to authorities if an abnormal surge is detected. The official also said hospitals are required to beef up the protection of medical workers, disinfect facilities and screen medics at hospitals that have received COVID-19 patients. The string of measures were rolled out after Beijing confirmed one new COVID-19 case on Thursday, according to Gao. The Chinese capital on Friday reported six new confirmed cases. On Saturday, the figure climbed to 36, along with one new asymptomatic case. Officials said the 36 confirmed cases were all related to Xinfadi, a wholesale market in south Beijing. Ben Carson declined to say if he supports Donald Trump's claim that he's the president who's done the most for black Americans since Abraham Lincoln Ben Carson dodged questions on Sunday over whether Donald Trump has done more for black Americans than any other president like he has claimed several times in the midst of three weeks of nationwide protests over racial injustices. The Housing and Urban Development Secretary, and Trump's only black cabinet member, told ABC's This Week on Sunday morning that he doesn't think it's productive' to make the case for which president has made more strides for minorities. 'To get into an argument about who's done the most probably is not productive, but it is good to acknowledge the things that have been done,' Carson told George Stephenopoulos. The ABC News host played a clip of Trump's interview from his recent interview with Fox News during a trip to Dallas, Texas where he made the claim that he is the best president for black Americans since Abraham Lincoln, who signed the Emancipation Proclamation effectively freeing black slaves. 'I think I've done more for the black community than any other president. And let's take a pass on Abraham Lincoln because he did good, although it's always questionable,' Trump said. His comments came while discussing with Fox News host Harris Faulkner the riots and protests following the death of George Floyd. 'Quite a claim there from President Trump, done more for black Americans than any president since Lincoln. Do you stand by that claim?' Stephenopoulos prompted. Carson told ABC's George Stephenopoulos: 'To get into an argument about who's done the most probably is not productive, but it is good to acknowledge the things that have been done' The deflection came as the ABC News host asked Carson about Trump's claim during his interview with Fox News. 'I think I've done more for the black community than any other president. And let's take a pass on Abraham Lincoln because he did good, although it's always questionable,' Trump said Those comments come in the midst of weeks-long protests all over the country following the death of George Floyd as racial tensions have risen between the black community and law enforcement 'Well, I will say, rather than get into an argument about who's done the most, what has, in fact, been done, you know, the opportunity zones where they're designed in order to bring money into areas that are traditionally neglected. And that's been quite successful. Prison reform has been quite successful. It's just the first step,' Carson responded, ignoring the question, and instead listing Trump administration accomplishments for minority communities. 'Making funding for the HBCUs regular, rather than done on an annual basis and increasing the amount of money for that. That's been very useful,' he continued. 'There are other things that need to be done,' Carson conceded that there is still far to go in amending injustices toward black people in America. 'That's a fair point. So should the president stop making that comparison?' Stephenopoulos pushed, listing what other presidents have done for black Americans including Lyndon B. Johnson passing the Civil Right Act, Ulysses S. Grant taking on the Ku Klux Klan and Dwight D. Eisenhower enforcing Brown v. Board of Education by sending in troops to defend the ruling. 'All of which is a significant part of our history,' Carson admitted, still dodging the main question. 'And that's an important thing for us to acknowledge, what has happened in the past. And, you know, we should be willing to look at what we've done together collectively to make progress.' Trump has repeated a few times since protests broke out in the last three weeks that he has done more for black Americans than any president since Lincoln, the 16th U.S. president who saw the country through the Civil War. 'My Admin has done more for the Black Community than any President since Abraham Lincoln,' Trump asserted in a tweet June 2. 'Passed Opportunity Zones with @SenatorTimScott, guaranteed funding for HBCU's, School Choice, passed Criminal Justice Reform, lowest Black unemployment, poverty, and crime rates in historyAND THE BEST IS YET TO COME!' he asserted. Trump has claimed for weeks that he is the president who has done the most for black Americans, with the exception of Civil War-era President Abraham Lincoln The tweet came the day after a stunt where he cleared Lafayette Park of peaceful protesters outside the White House so he could walk across Pennsylvania Avenue for a photo-op in front of St. John's Episcopal Church, which was set on fire by rioters. 'In 3 1/2 years, I've done much more for our Black population than Joe Biden has done in 43 years,' Trump tweeted June 3, taking a hit at the presumed Democratic candidate, who has earned steam in polling since protests ensued in cities across America. 'Actually, he set them back big time with his Crime Bill, which he doesn't even remember.' 'I've done more for Black Americans, in fact, than any President in U.S. history, with the possible exception of another Republican President, the late, great, Abraham Lincoln...and it's not even close,' Trump continued. 'The Democrats know this, and so does the Fake News, but they refuse to write or say it because they are inherently corrupt!' SpaceX Successfully Deploys 61 Satellites Into Low Earth Orbit Sputnik News 11:24 GMT 13.06.2020 WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - SpaceX has successfully deployed 58 additional Starlink satellites and three SkySats into low-earth orbit aboard a Falcon 9 booster which safely touched down after launch, the company said on Twitter. Saturday's launch from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Center was the first mission that included rideshare customers, delivering payloads for two different customers. Starlink is the next-generation satellite network capable of providing Earth's inhabitants with broadband Internet access. The project began in February 2018. In total, it plans to launch about 12,000 satellites. Another 30,000 satellites - put into orbits with altitudes from 328 to 580 kilometers. SpaceX estimated the cost of the project at $10 billion. Planet Lab's SkySat provides a nearly live update of satellite images of select places of the earth's surface. This launch expands the company's capacity to image the same location up to 12 times a day for users to be aware of developments visible from space in real-time. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address JERUSALEM (AP) Eyad Hallaq liked to watch cartoons. He loved dressing up and wearing cologne. He even dreamed of getting married. But his favorite activity was walking to school, where he volunteered in the kitchen, preparing meals for his fellow special-needs students. Early on Saturday, the 32-year-old Palestinian with severe autism was chased by Israeli border police forces into a nook in Jerusalems Old City and fatally shot as he cowered next to a garbage bin after apparently being mistaken for an attacker. He was just a few meters (yards) from his beloved Elwyn El Quds school. The shooting has drawn comparisons to the death of George Floyd in the U.S. and prompted a series of small demonstrations against police violence toward Palestinians. The calls for justice have crossed Jewish-Arab lines, a rarity in this deeply polarized society. Yet for his devastated family, such gestures have provided little comfort and even less hope that the officers who shot Hallaq will be punished. Whenever a person is martyred here, we say that we hope for change, said Hallaq's father, Khiri. Where is the change? Two large photographs of Hallaq sit in the living room of the familys modest home in a Palestinian neighborhood of east Jerusalem. In one photo, wearing an Adidas sweatshirt, Hallaq holds a cactus he planted during the coronavirus lockdown. It was the last photo the family took of him. His tiny bedroom is neatly made up, with a small photo of Hallaq above the pillow, next to his cologne collection. He was a gentle soul, his mother, Rana, said as she fought back tears. She described him as intensely shy, afraid of strangers, unable to make eye contact and terrified of loud noises. He liked nice clothes, but he had no friends. He didnt talk to others. Only with me would he talk about what had happened that day at school, she said. What exactly happened on Saturday morning remains unclear. According to the family, Hallaq, wearing a badge that identified him as having special needs, left home on his daily walk to school, about 10 minutes away. Story continues Police said that officers in the Old City spotted a man carrying a suspicious object that looked like a pistol. When the man failed to heed calls to stop, police said they opened fire and neutralized him after a chase. Hallaq's teacher, who had accompanied him on that last walk to school, told Israels Channel 13 TV that she repeatedly cried out to the police that he is disabled and tried to stop the shooting. They didnt listen to me. They didnt want to listen to me, she said. She told the station they fired three bullets at him. He fell to the ground, asked her for help, then ran for cover in a small area housing a garbage bin. Officers came after him and killed him. At least five bullet holes could be seen in the wall of a small structure at the site. Hallaq's parents said they rushed to the scene but were not allowed to see him. Police later came to the house, cursing them as they searched for weapons, they said. They said police found nothing in the home. Israels Justice Ministry said two officers have been placed under house arrest, but gave no further details. Security camera footage has not been released. Khiri Hallaq said he has heard nothing from investigators. Even with the worlds attention focused on the unrest shaking the U.S., Hallaq's death has reverberated across Israel. Scores of people, mostly Jewish Israelis, marched through downtown Jerusalem on Saturday night to condemn the shooting. Demonstrations were also held in Arab towns throughout the week. Inspired by the protests in the U.S., demonstrators have held signs that say Black Lives Matter, Palestinian Lives Matter, or showed photographs of Floyd and Hallaq. Hallaq's death is expected to be a theme at a larger demonstration planned by a coalition of Arab and Jewish groups in central Tel Aviv on Saturday. Is there anything lonelier than an autistic person cowering and trembling in fear in a garbage shed, not understanding what is going on and why, while policemen empty a magazine of bullets into him, wrote Haaretz columnist Rogel Alpher, a parent of a grown autistic child. Good God, they executed him. If that happened to my son, Id find it hard to go on living. The shooting came two weeks after another fatal shooting of an Arab man outside an Israeli hospital. According to police, the man was shot after stabbing a security guard. Security camera footage showed the man, who reportedly suffered from mental illness, lying on the ground when he was shot multiple times. For Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and contested east Jerusalem, and members of Israels Arab minority, these cases reflect what they see as Israeli forces' loose trigger fingers when it comes to dealing with Arab suspects. Just as the white police officer easily kills the black citizen he sees as a second-class citizen, here the Jewish police officer easily opens fire on the Arab he sees as second class, said Said Issa, a 46-year-old protester in the Arab town of Jaljuliya. Israeli leaders typically stand behind the countrys security forces and have stopped short of condemning the shooting. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has remained silent. But several top officials, including opposition leader Yair Lapid, whose daughter is autistic, and Defense Minister Benny Gantz have expressed sorrow. Public Security Minister Amir Ohana, who is close to Netanyahu, said the family deserves a hug and vowed to introduce new tactics for police to better identify individuals with disabilities. A stream of Jewish and Arab well-wishers, including a former chief rabbi of Jerusalem, have visited the family. Hallaq's mother played down the outcry and said nothing will bring back her son. Sympathy is temporary and then ends, she said. Making things even more painful, the family has little faith in an Israeli justice system they see as hopelessly biased. If an Arab killed a Jew, what would have happened? said the father. They would demolish his home and arrest all of his family. That is the difference. According to Israeli human rights group BTselem, there have been at least 11 cases over the past two years in which Palestinians who did not pose a threat were killed while fleeing Israeli security forces. Amit Galutz, a spokesman for BTselem, said no charges have been filed in those cases and he did not expect different results in the Hallaq shooting. Existing Israeli law enforcement mechanisms are designed to protect the perpetrators of this violence not their victims, he said, calling the investigation into Hallaq's killing the first step of its whitewash. Israels border police force declined to comment. But David Tzur, a former top-ranking Israeli police officer who commanded the unit, said policing Arab neighborhoods was difficult and complicated. He said officers are on heightened alert in places like the Old City because the area has seen numerous Palestinian stabbings and shootings there over the years. Subjectively, the police officer feels more threatened. He knows he is entering an area where he could be subjected to violence, Tzur explained. Hallaq's mother said nothing could justify the death of her son. We are convinced that those who killed him will not be punished, she said. Justice does not exist. ___ Associated Press writer Aron Heller contributed reporting from Jaljuliya, Israel. - Mustafa went on Facebook praising his wife for the great changes she made in his life - The actor also prayed to God to increase her wisdom, wealth and even health as they continue the journey of love and life - The wife's birthday came just three days after Mustafa celebrated his own birthday Mother-in-law actor Mustafa born Andrew Muthure has celebrated his wife, Alexandria Harriet Masemo, as she turns a year older. The radioman is not only great at acting but also a wonderful family man who adores his own. READ ALSO: Amazing: Photo depictions of Bible characters if they were black wows internet Mustafa is not only a great actor but also good at his radio job Photo: Dru Muthure Source: UGC READ ALSO: Willis Raburu, Joey Muthengi adorably flirt on social media: "See you hun" He went on Facebook to share a beautiful message praising his wife for the great change she made to his life. "She added color and love to my life, she's royal, loyal, generous, kind, caring, loving, firm, and full of laughter. A personality cocktail that I thought only existed in fantasy," he wrote. The actor described her as his makeki and mathwiti, praying that God increases her wisdom, wealth and even health as they continue the journey of love and life together. "Alexandria Harriet Masemo, happy birthday my love, my Makeki and Mathweetie, my Kadollie. May God ever increase you in wisdom, love, health, wealth and good blessings this year and the years to come. It's a pleasure doing forever with you (sic)," he added. READ ALSO: Kisumu man who overcame abject poverty to become dentist builds elderly mom new house READ ALSO: Hatuna la kufanya, serikali na Raila wameungana kumlinda Waiguru, Murkomen asema In what may seem like a match made in heaven, Masemo's birthday came just three days after Mustafa celebrated his own birthday. The actor was ill and in hospital but this did not stop his wife from arranging a small party to mark his 41st birthday. READ ALSO: Tweep desperate to get married says guys are scared to talk to her He posted a message of gratitude online with photos of the beautiful event which was even graced by the health workers taking care of him. The thespian was surrounded by love, cake, laughter, good times and a lifetimes worth of memories. Mustafa had a cannula on his hand and looked a little bit weak but that did not stop him from thanking his wife for arranging such a thoughtful party. 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. Kamotho's mother disowns Tabitha, tells her to set her son free | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke Due to Covid-19, the Leitrim Design House, like many other local businesses, is currently closed to the public. While the retail gallery is sadly not accessible, the online shop remains open with new products being added regularly. During this Lockdown period, the team at the Leitrim Design House have been beavering away, working hard to develop new ways to keep in touch with you all. A spokesperson for the Design House stated We have good news to report! We are delighted to announce that we are expanding our online offering and the Leitrim Design House can now offer a Click & Collect service. Visit www.leitrimdesignhouse.ie and browse our online gallery from the comfort of your own home. Then simply select the local pick up option. On receipt of order, we will contact you to arrange your preferred collection time. You simply drive to the Dock Arts Centre where we are based. We will deliver the goods to your car. Nothing could be easier! We will also be adding more and more new products to the online shop over the coming weeks, so make sure to follow us on social media for all our updates. As part of our online expansion, gift vouchers are also now available online. What easier way to gift family and friends a beautiful piece of Irish design? Gift vouchers purchased in the retail gallery can also be redeemed online. Remember no matter where you live, the Leitrim Design House is available to you. We ship worldwide and we offer you the option to support a wide selection of micro craft and design businesses dotted throughout Ireland. We are proud to say that everything we stock is 100% Irish. In these current times it is now more important than ever to support Irish business so if you cannot visit your loved ones in person you can, from the safety of your own home, send them a memento of Ireland. As a social enterprise funded through the Community Services Programme, the Leitrim Design House, now in its 20th year of operation, has a dual function. It represents the Irish Craft Sector with a very specific focus on Leitrim and the surrounding region. They showcase and promote the very best of contemporary Irish craft and design and operate as a route to market for the makers they represent. It is a not for profit business intent on bringing the very best of Irish craft and design to you. The collections available are very carefully curated. Whether its a piece of original Irish jewellery, or a soft cashmere throw, a leather satchel or a stunning piece of Leitrim wood crafted, the aim is to bring you the very best of Irish craft and design. Along with the tourism industry, the cultural and creative sectors are among the most affected by the current coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis. Small businesses are important to the economic and social fabric of our society, and we all play a part in their survival. The craft and design businesses, represented by the Leitrim Design House have now lost many of their sales outlets. Craft businesses by their very nature are small one or two person entities. Many of these micro -businesses have no online sales channels. The Leitrim Design House is a very important support for them, bringing their products to a wider audience. We invite you to support local and shop Irish at the Leitrim Design House. Follow us to keep up to date with all the news and visit our online shop www.leitrimdesignhouse.ie to view the very best of Irish craft and design. Contact us at info@leitrimdesignhouse.ie or follow us on any of the social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates. "To be sure, the complexities of race in America will not be solved by simply saying we will try to do better," Rush said. "I charge our courts, our justice system partners, our lawyers and our law schools to do so. I demand the same of myself." "We must listen to and learn from the experiences of our communities who are too often unheard. Heeding their voices will give us the wisdom we need to correct the entrenched disparities that still divide us." Rush, who lived in Munster as a child, is the first female chief justice of Indiana, and the second woman to serve on the Indiana Supreme Court following former Justice Myra Selby, who also was the first black member of the state's high court. There currently are no visible minority members of the Supreme Court following the 2017 retirement of Justice Robert Rucker, the second black justice in Indiana and the namesake of the Lake County courthouse in Gary. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 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. Senior police officers last night called for a temporary ban on protests during the pandemic following the ugly clashes at the weekend. Missiles, smoke grenades, bottles and flares were hurled at riot police who tried to move far-right activists away from Whitehall on Saturday. Shocking scenes included one yob urinating on a memorial to PC Keith Palmer, killed in 2017s Westminster terror attack. Shocking scenes included one yob urinating (pictured) on a memorial to PC Keith Palmer, killed in 2017s Westminster terror attack Thugs who desecrate war memorials could now face up to ten years in prison under plans being considered by ministers. Chairman of the Police Federation John Apter yesterday called on Home Secretary Priti Patel to take action to protect officers and the public. He said: In normal times the principle of having the right to peaceful protests is an important one. However, we are tackling a deadly virus. I urge the Home Secretary to be unequivocal in her terms that while were under the threat of this virus, any large gathering or protest must be banned. Chairman of the Police Federation John Apter (pictured) yesterday called on Home Secretary Priti Patel to take action to protect officers and the public Metropolitan Police Federation chairman Ken Marsh called for sites favoured by protesters, such as Trafalgar Square, to be temporarily shut down along with nearby tube stations. Six police officers were injured and more than 100 people were arrested in Saturdays protest, which was condemned by Boris Johnson as racist thuggery. A man aged 28 was held in Essex yesterday on suspicion of outraging public decency over the PC Palmer incident. Description "The Farmers' Market, by Schneider's Farm, returns to Farmingdale Village on Sundays for the 2020 season: 6/7 - 11/22, 10am-3pm, weather permitting with Social Distancing/face coverings required. Stop by the Village Green & shop the fresh selection of produce, vegetables & other items. Stroll Main Street / downtown - Farmingdale Village, support the local merchants that are open - Shop Local / Purchase meals locally Schneider's Farm" Farmingdale Village The state of Michigan announced the resumption of unemployment benefits for 140,000 of 340,000 frozen accounts amidst an investigation of possible fraudulent claims filed by impostors. The payments for validated accounts are made after a couple of days, based on an announcement that came out a week after the state of Michigan noted that payments for 340,000 accounts, which is 20% of those being paid, had been stopped in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. Criminals have applied used accounts, which were previously stolen, or fallacious personal information from data infringement at Equifax. According to US News, Steve Gray, director of the Unemployment Insurance Agency, expressed his distress about the actions taken by the fraudsters which have delayed the payment for the working families. He uttered while their agency continues to work with the state and federal partners to put an end to this illegal activity, their focus remains constant on doing everything to validate legitimate claims and provide the needed financial assistance of their workers. The length of time it will take the remaining 200,000 frozen accounts, which is 61% of the active accounts that received halted payment notices, be validated is still uncertain. As stated by Spokesman Jason Moon, the process of validation will take several months under normal conditions but added they will not allow the lengthy process to happen. Six hundred workers are doing the validation of identities with 200 more in training. The state of Michigan brought in a forensic accounting firm and experts to get rid of fraud and clear legal claims. Read also: New Bill: Senate Debates Massive $10,000 Stimulus Checks for Families Affected by the Pandemic In a report by CBS Detroit, since March 15, the agency reported more than 50,000 identity theft and unemployment fraud. More than 40,000 of those fallacious accounts came since May 1. People who have not sent their application for the jobless benefits or those whose names did not match what was written on the forms but were sent a monetary determination letter may be identity theft victims. They are encouraged to contact the Unemployment Insurance Agency the soonest time possible. Since the Covid-19 arrived in March, Michigan has officially received around 2.2 million new jobless claims and more businesses were temporarily closed to curb the spread of the virus. Although more than 1.7 million people, who are from the state that had the second-highest unemployment record, received the payment from the government in April, 22.7% of the administration of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has faced criticism for processing delays before criminal schemes were revealed. As estimated by the US Labor Department, at least $26 billion could be wasted with the most of that amount going to scammers. This week the federal government stated that around 21.5 million people are given jobless aid, which gives an added opportunity for criminals. $600 a week will be provided as an extra benefit as part of the US coronavirus rescue law makes it more worthwhile. State Attorney General Dana Nessel, who established a task force responsible for the investigation and cracking down of fraud, said the present health crisis has turned out an opportunity for abuse by individuals who are taking advantage of the system and hindering the ability to get valid claims paid. Related article: Stimulus Check Scam: Imposters Offer Fake Stimulus Payments Online @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Zain Group, a leading mobile telecom innovator serving 49.5 million customers in eight markets across the Middle East and Africa, said that is joining the highly innovative Hedera Governing Council. Zain is the first company from the Middle East region to participate on the Council, joining a list of prestigious global innovators including Boeing, Deutsche Telekom, DLA Piper, FIS (WorldPay), Google, IBM, LG Electronics, Magalu, Nomura, Swirlds, Swisscom Blockchain, Tata Communications, University College London, and Wipro. Hedera Hashgraph provides a next-generation form of distributed consensus that is faster, fairer and more secure than traditional blockchains. It offers a new way for people or organizations who do not know or trust each other to securely collaborate and transact online without the need for a trusted intermediary. Through its participation on the Hedera Council, Zain Group will gain extensive early insights into the trends and applications in the distributed ledger technology (DLT) space and will be able to assess opportunities to develop services within its own field of operation. Hederas vision is to create a safer, fairer, more secure internet - one in which online communities can collectively create and evolve shared worlds in cyberspace, and on which developers can build trusted applications that enable people to play games and work together. End-users will also be empowered to buy and sell goods and services safely and securely, without entrusting a central organization with their data and privacy. As a leading regional digital lifestyle operator, Zain consistently looks to ways technology can provide new solutions to its individual and business customers while also improving its own operating efficiency. Furthermore, the Hedera Hashgraph patented technology platform addresses the universally important issue of the environment as its power usage is super-efficient, utilizing a fraction of the electricity that blockchain platforms use. This is in line with Zain Groups membership of and commitment to the Carbon Disclosure Project, which provides a reporting framework and guidance to address climate change. Zain Vice-Chairman and Group CEO, Bader Al Kharafi said: We feel a sense of purpose in joining the Hedera Governing Council, which has numerous blue chip, innovation-driven organizations all interested in driving the development of blockchains and the wider DLT space, which we have already noted has phenomenal potential. Council membership provides Zain first-hand exposure to cutting-edge and secure technologies that drive innovation, e-commerce and B2B across the region. From our own perspective, the growing list of new services and applications we have and continue to develop in areas such as the Group API platform; mobile money and fintech; e-health; drones; the Internet of Things; and 5G all lend themselves to further enhancement through blockchain and other distributed ledger technologies. Our participation in the Council also speaks to another pillar of Zains corporate strategy, which is to collaborate with leading industry players to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes and thereby improve the products and services we can deliver to our customers, Al-Kharafi added. Hedera aims to realize its vision to create a safer, fairer, more secure internet through a focus on addressing four fundamental challenges to the adoption of public DLT - technology, security, stability, and governance. For the vision to deliver impactful results, the network needs to be governed by representatives from a broad range of market sectors and geographies, each with world-class expertise in their respective industries. Mance Harmon, CEO of Hedera said: We are delighted to have Zain Group join the Council, given the companys sound track record of innovation, and professionalism in the development and delivery of cutting-edge mobile services and applications. We believe the Council will be enriched greatly by this first organization to join us from the Middle East region, given Zain Groups eight country footprint. We hope Zain will take full advantage of the opportunity to immerse itself in hashgraph and distributed ledger technologies and gain first-hand knowledge of new technologies and use cases developed on the Hedera network. The Hedera Governing Councils members contribute technical expertise to manage the technical roadmap, business expertise to advise on business operations, and legal expertise to help navigate the evolving regulatory environment. TradeArabia News Service The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered the Punjab Police to sanitise all its case records and make sure offensive terms "negro" or "nigro" are never used by its police officers to describe black persons in India. They should simply be referred to by the country of their origin in case papers, the court said as it issued directions to the Punjab Director General of Police to take strict action against the policemen who indulge in this character assassination based on physical features. Justice Rajiv Narain Rains took strong exception to the use of these offensive terms in the case papers of the state police and directed the DGP, Punjab, to immediately issue retraining orders to the police department. The court called it a terrible thinking that every black person in India is a drug peddler and emphasised such a mindset shall bring shame to India as it took up a matter relating to drugs case. "I am appalled to find the term 'Nigro' used while referring to an African national in the challan papers presented under Section 173 Cr.P.C before the trial court in an NDPS case. This is a highly offensive word across the globe and no one has any business to use it, and much less the police. Hence, it is directed never to use the unprintable word in any police document including in challans or anywhere else on case papers including in investigation reports," held Justice Raina. "This brings shame to India and hatred for the country. The police appears to have assumed that every black is a drug peddler and should be treated as such. This is terrible thinking," said the judge, asking the DGP to issue the necessary instructions. The Court said that all records needs to be sanitised by the Punjab Police to remove these offensive terms and a warning must be given to all officers that no person should be looked down upon on the basis of the colour of his or her skin. "They deserve the dignity and respect in a foreign land as visitors or students in India from Africa temporarily living in our country, which prides itself of many peoples of all colours of the skin ranging from white to black and aboriginal. This has nothing to do with investigation or crime," maintained the judge. Justice Raina further said that all Africans are our friends and when they come to India either as visitors or students they are our valuable guests. The judgment recalled Mahatma Gandhi's struggle in South Africa, and rued that although we are, professedly, a tolerant sub-continent of browns in all its shades, more often than not, we display a perverted and primitive mind-set looking down on others without looking within ourselves. It added freedom doesn't give a right to abuse foreigners on the street calling them 'kalla' but to the contrary, freedom teaches love for human dignity and respect for fellowman. Justice Raina concluded by directing as: "The pernicious practice should be stopped forthwith and the police commanded on pain of disciplinary action never to address anyone by that description, forget about writing it down in official papers of permanent State record." Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 20:42:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Members of a Chinese medical team meet with Palestinian medical experts in the West Bank city of Ramallah, June 14, 2020. A Chinese medical team arrived in Palestine on June 10 to help Palestinians fight against COVID-19. The 10-member team, sent by China's National Health Commission, consists of experts specialized in various medical fields including infectious diseases, virus examination and health management. The week-long visit until June 17 is aimed at enhancing bilateral relations in the health sector and the exchange of expertise in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) (Bloomberg Opinion) -- As the coronavirus pandemic continues, Bloomberg Opinion will be running a series of features by our columnists that consider the long-term consequences of the crisis. This column is part of a package on how the pandemic is altering the business of eating and drinking. For more, see Bobby Ghosh on destination dining, Amanda Littles interview with the CEO of Beyond Meat, Adam Minter on how sanitized street food will hurt the worlds poor and James Gibneys interview with Daniel Okrent and Wayne Curtis on the future of bars and cocktails. Jean Adamson is the chef and co-owner of Vinegar Hill House, a 60-seat capacity restaurant in Brooklyn, New York. On March 15, Adamson closed the restaurant and laid off 41 full-time and part-time employees. She has since received a loan through the federal governments Paycheck Protection Program and aims to re-open in the fall, though with only a portion of her former staff. Adamson spoke to Bloombergs Romesh Ratnesar about her plans to reinvent her restaurant to survive the pandemic. An edited transcript of their conversation: Romesh Ratnesar: New York City officially re-opened for businesses this week, but youre keeping the restaurant closed. Why? Jean Adamson: Our plan had been to not open until September. Every single year, our two worst months are July and August. We received a PPP loan, but it wont benefit me to use the PPP money during a time that is already slow for us. Wed have to hire back so many people that I dont have enough work for, and put them in precarious situations I dont feel comfortable with. Id be able to pay them for eight weeks, but I would only be doing, hopefully, a 25% business. At the end of eight weeks Id be back in the position of laying everybody off again. But there have been some changes in the paycheck program that make the money easier to use. They extended the forgiveness period from eight weeks to 24 weeks and you only have to bring back 60% of your employees by a certain date. The restrictions arent as heavy. So all those things said, Im actually going to start to ramp up in August. Story continues RR: So youll re-open for business in August? JA: Were going to use August to get things ready to open for customers in September. During that time Ill be able to bring some people back and start paying them with the PPP money. I mean, we need to clean everything. We need to have the air-conditioning people come in and put a filter on our air conditioners. Were going to have to reconfigure the restaurant. Well open up in phases. I think in Phase One, well just do takeout, where people can order food to go and also pick up cocktails and wine. And then in Phase Two well open for prix fixe dinners, where we can prep for a single night knowing exactly how many people are coming in, how many guests were going to have, which parts of the restaurant well use and how far apart they need to be seated. RR: Some higher-end restaurants have continued to provide takeout through the shutdown. Has anyone managed to make money that way? JA: Everyone I talk to says that theyre doing takeout just to support the people who work for them. They want to make sure the people that work for them have a job. You have to understand that restaurant people, especially owners and chefs, are creative people. We can all do easy takeout food with our hands tied behind our backs. But its not inspiring, from a creative perspective. I dont know anybody whos doing it because its a good business model. RR: Even with New York opening up again, people may not return to restaurants in the same numbers. And people whove left the city may not come back. Does that concern you? JA: Its a concern for a year. And I think that after a year, people will come back. I just got off the phone with the guy I buy vegetables from and he was like, Yeah, its going to be a crappy year. But it could also be a good reset. Maybe rents go down and that brings creative people back, you know what I mean? Creative people have been fleeing New York City for the last two decades because they cant afford to live here. And you also have people who dont make a lot of money who have to live way outside the city and commute two hours to get to their jobs. So maybe the city will become a little more affordable and people can live closer to where they work. I think theres going to be some good and some bad. Its still a business. I just signed another 10-year lease on the restaurant, so Im not willing to give up. RR: How do you think peoples tastes and appetites will change? How might that influence your menu and the food you serve? JA: People know Vinegar Hill House for five dishes: a pork chop, a roast chicken, a chicken liver mousse, a Guinness chocolate cake and sourdough pancakes. We serve very simple food, done technically really well. Food, for me, is about memory. You know when food tastes bad. But when you eat something in a restaurant that tastes exceptionally good, that kind of sparks your memory and makes you want to go back. And thats the goal. People are going to go out less, but when they do go out, it needs to feel really special. So were thinking that all the takeout would come out of our basement kitchen, so that if youve got a hankering for some of the comfort foods we have, you could stock up on, say, romesco sauce or chicken liver mousse or half a Guinness chocolate cake. And then the upstairs would be even nicer than what weve done in the past, more of an event menu, where wed really focus on creating an engaging, memorable experience. RR: How will you keep your staff and customers safe and socially distant? Are you going to require everyone to wear masks? JA: Yes, masks are a must and are the respectful thing to do for yourself and for others. We will have fewer people working and theyll work in staggered shifts. On a daily service, well have half the number of people we had working before. We used to have a prep person working at night but maybe that person will now only work after the chefs leave. For the front of the house, well have people assigned to one area, and they wont go anywhere else or mingle with anyone. Well have hand sanitizer everywhere. If you come into the restaurant, youll have to wear a mask, your server will wear a mask, and theyll just take care of you. Its going to be a lot of sanitizing, bleaching and limiting the number people in the space and how much they interact. Im not going to have a bar anymore Im going to turn it into a place where people can buy wine or, say, bottled cocktails to go. Right now we have 16 main tables in the dining room. Maybe we go down to six, but theyre all slightly bigger parties: a six-top, an eight-top, a four-top, you know what I mean? You still want people to feel good. And our restaurant can still look pretty good at half capacity. RR: If youre serving fewer people, youll have to raise your prices, right? JA: Maybe. No ones going to make the kind of money they used to make. For a while, people are still going to be reluctant to go out. But I think on the opposite side of that there could be a kind of comeback thats kind of romantic. Things are going to change. Some places will survive; I think a lot wont. But I think eventually our souls are going to kind of yearn for something that makes us feel comfortable and once we feel safe, were going to try to tap into that. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Romesh Ratnesar writes editorials on education, economic opportunity and work for Bloomberg Opinion. He was deputy editor of Bloomberg Businessweek and an editor and foreign correspondent for Time. He has served in the State Department, and is author of Tear Down This Wall. 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. 7 officers killed in attack on Afghan police checkpoint Iran Press TV Saturday, 13 June 2020 1:50 PM Seven police officers have been killed in an attack blamed on the Taliban militant group in Afghanistan's central province of Ghor, officials say. A checkpoint in Pasaband district came under attack late on Friday, said district police chief Fakhruddin on Saturday. "They killed seven police officers, wounded one, and a policeman is missing," he said, adding that the suspected Taliban assailants had managed to seize guns and ammunition before fleeing the scene. The deputy governor of Ghor, Habibullah Radmanish, also confirmed the attack and the toll, blaming the militant group for the incident. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but it bears the hallmark of acts of terror carried out by Taliban. The assault came hours after four people lost their lives in a bomb attack at the Sher Shah Suri Mosque, which is located in the western part of capital Kabul, during Friday prayers. The Taliban militant group, which controls large parts of the country, and the Afghan government seem to have been moving closer toward potential peace talks. The much-delayed negotiations, aimed at putting an end to the persisting conflict between the two sides, are expected to commence once both sides complete an ongoing prisoner swap, accelerated after a brief ceasefire last month. The rare three-day truce, which marked the Eid al-Fitr holiday, was followed by an overall drop in violence across the country. However, authorities have blamed the Taliban for a number of deadly attacks in the past couple of weeks. "While the government has continued to advance the cause of peace, the Taliban continued their campaign of violence against the Afghan people during Eid and the weeks after that," said Javid Faisal, spokesman of the National Security Council on Saturday. "In the last two weeks, they killed 89 civilians and wounded 150 across 29 provinces," he added. Official data shows Taliban bombings and other assaults have increased 70 percent since the militant group signed a deal with the United States in February. Under the agreement, the US will withdraw its forces from Afghanistan, and the Taliban will refrain from attacking international occupying forces. The militants made no pledge to avoid attacking Afghan forces and civilians. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address RTHK: Spain to reopen EU borders, except with Portugal Spain, one of the world's leading tourist destinations, will next Sunday re-establish free travel with fellow European Union countries, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced. The land border with Portugal will however remain closed until July 1. Portugal has suffered a much lower death rate than Spain from the coronavirus epidemic. Madrid had previously planned to restart full EU travel on July 1 but decided to lift "border checks with all member countries on June 21," Sanchez said in a televised speech on Sunday. The new date coincides with the lifting of the emergency Spain clamped on the country from mid-March to fight Covid-19 as fatalities soared. Spain has recorded more than 27,00 deaths in the pandemic, one of the highest tolls around the world. But by Monday, more than 70 percent of Spain's 47 million population will be in the final stage of a phased rollback of the lockdown that should finish by June 21. The European Commission has recommended that the 27 EU members fully reopen their frontiers with each other on June 15 and many countries are planning to do so. Italy reopened its borders on June 3, lifting all restrictions for travellers from within Europe. Madrid has declared the virus under control but Sanchez alluded to fears that opening the borders could provoke a new surge, saying, "It's a critical moment but we are prepared". Travellers who arrived in Spain after May 15 and had to go into quarantine will see the end of their period in isolation on June 21, Sanchez added. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2020-06-14. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. It was during that time that Chicago officers first worked 12-hour shifts and had their days off canceled for several days, a period in which officers made more than 2,000 arrests for looting and other civil unrest. But at that same time, the department faced scrutiny for some officers alleged conduct during the demonstrations and subsequent unrest. Former Vice President and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden may be leading Republican President Donald Trump in many recent polls, but by one other common gauge of political support small-dollar donations Trump has so far maintained an edge. Small-dollar donations defined as $200 or less are important to both candidates and voters, according to Eleanor Powell, a political science professor at UW-Madison whose research focuses on the influence of money in politics. You can think of small-dollar donors as sort of small d democratizing, Powell said. That theres a way for people to have a voice in the system even if they dont have the wealth to make the hundred million-dollar contributions, as most people dont. She said that clearly identifying supporters allows campaigns to use their resources to connect with voters they dont know anything about, rather than focusing on a voter who is already backing them. For the campaigns, its incredibly valuable to know who their passionate supporters are, Powell said, adding that online fundraising is driving this data collection for campaigns. Small-dollar contributors have been an integral part of many political campaigns. In 2012, former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul powered his short-lived presidential campaign on donations of less than $200, and more recently, in both 2016 and this year, Sen. Bernie Sanders took a similar approach. Norm Ornstein, a resident scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, agreed with the importance of small-dollar donations to the political system. The more people who give a small amount, the more they have a little stake in the system, Ornstein said. The more the political process means to them. Despite leading by a wide margin in national polls, and increasing his lead in polls in key swing states such as Wisconsin, Biden lags behind Trump in several key fundraising benchmarks, including small-dollar contributions. Nationally, the Center for Responsive Politics estimates that 64% of Trumps campaign cash comes from small donors ... totaling $174 million through April. In comparison, the center said, Biden has raised $69 million or 39% of his fundraising total from small-dollar donors. In Wisconsin, in the first quarter of this year, the president raked in a little more than $206,000 from approximately 5,200 small-dollar donations, according to Federal Election Commission filings. During the same period, FEC filings for Biden show that he raised just over $106,000 from 2,900 Wisconsin contributions. Small-dollar online fundraising is primarily being driven by two platforms: ActBlue for Democrats and WinRed for Republicans. And both the Trump and Biden campaigns are reaping the benefits of online platforms in Wisconsin. During the 15-month period that ended March 31 before Biden had locked up the nomination the Trump campaign raked in $478,893 from 11,129 Wisconsin contributions via WinRed. The Trump Make America Great Again Committee, a joint fundraising committee benefiting both Trumps campaign and the Republican National Committee, also brought in $930,613 from 24,808 small-dollar contributions via WinRed from Wisconsinites. Independently, the RNC raised another $271,845 through the platform from 6,332 Wisconsin-sourced contributions of $200 or less. President Trump dominates in small-dollar fundraising because his message resonates with everyday Americans, Anna Kelly, a Trump campaign spokeswoman, said in a statement. The Trump campaign said its fundraising is powering the largest field program and data operation in party history, including more than 1 million volunteers. Over the same 15 months, Biden raised $806,684 from 28,904 contributions in Wisconsin via ActBlue, according to FEC filings. Its important to note that Biden was not the Democrats presumptive nominee for most of this 15-month timeframe and that he was running in a contested primary. In comparison, over the same time period, Sen. Bernie Sanders raised $2.86 million from 158,527 contributions from Wisconsinites on ActBlue, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren raised $1.2 million in Wisconsin through the platform. Online donations do not account for the entirety of small donations, which are also still received as cash or checks. Joe Biden will always fight for those who have been left behind thats why our campaign has been powered by working-class Americans and grassroots donors, Sean Higgins, a Biden campaign spokesman, said in a statement. Momentum builds Despite initial struggles to attract small-dollar donors, Bidens fundraising improved once he became the Democrats presumptive nominee. Biden formally clinched the nomination a week ago. ActBlue said in May that Biden set the single-day and single-hour record for fundraising on its platform. Additionally, the Biden campaign said it raised $8.5 million in online donations during the week Sanders, Warren and former President Barack Obama endorsed the former vice president. The liberal fundraising platform has experienced little disruption since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and has added 420,000 new donors through its platform from March 15 through the end of April, an ActBlue spokesperson said. ActBlue remains on pace to raise $3 billion through its platform during this election cycle, the spokesperson said. WinRed did not reply to requests for comment about how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted donations through its platform. Both campaigns will provide updated FEC filings in July, which will help paint a picture of whether the coronavirus pandemic has affected small-dollar donations. Signal for success Ornstein said small-dollar donations can be used, in some part, as an indicator of the potential success of a campaign. If you can raise a sizable sum of money in small donations it becomes an indicator of whether you have a level of excitement and a breadth of support, Ornstein said. However, he cautioned that small-dollar donations are not a sure-fire path to victory. Bernie Sanders ... did extremely well with small donors, but his ceiling of support wasnt enough for him to be able to break through with the majority necessary, Ornstein said. So, it doesnt predict outcomes. But it gives you a sense; it does become a kind of barometer. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) pushed back on the idea of defunding the police on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday, insisting that "police have a role to play" and that the system can be restructured and reimagined in order to respond to the current crisis. Why it matters: Clyburn is the highest-ranking African American in Congress and an important voice in the effort to reform policing at the federal level. He and other Democratic leaders, including Joe Biden, have voiced opposition to the idea of defunding or abolishing police departments pushed by activists in recent weeks. What he's saying: Nobody is going to de-fund the police. We can restructure the police forces. Restructure, re-imagine policing. That is what we are going to do. The fact of the matter is that police have a role to play. What we've got to do is make sure that their role is one that meets the times, one that responds to these communities that they operate in. ... This is a structure that has been developed that we have got to deconstruct. So I wouldn't say defund. Deconstruct our policing. Rep. Clyburn The big picture: House Democrats unveiled a sweeping police reform bill last week that aims to broaden police accountability, reimagine police training, and ban chokeholds and the use of no-knock warrants in drug cases, among other things. They're aiming to pass the package by the end of June. Driving the news: Clyburn condemned the shooting of Rayshard Brooks, a black man who was killed by an Atlanta police officer on Friday night after resisting arrest. "This did not call for lethal force," Clyburn said. "And I don't know what's in the culture that would make this guy do that. It has got to be the culture, it's got to be the system." Go deeper: Black Lives Matter co-founder explains "Defund the police" slogan There is ample evidence with which they could conclude that an investigation is worthwhile and called for over the circumstances and execution of Bobs last will, Mr. Spencer said. The legal tussles and deterioration at the Star of Hope have set back plans to create a museum in the building any time soon. Larry Sterrs, a veteran of Maine nonprofit management, who replaced Mr. Brannan as chair of the foundation board, said he is worried the legal woes are draining resources needed to bring Mr. Indianas vision to fruition. Renovation work has revealed deeper structural problems than expected, he said. He could not say when a museum would open, or exactly where, suggesting Mr. Indianas art could eventually be displayed in multiple locations to avoid overloading the towns infrastructure. Were not leaving Vinalhaven, he said. Somewhere on that island, there will be some place that you go to see the art of, and learn about the art of Robert Indiana. Whether there will ever be a public memorial service is less clear. That is one area where Mr. Thomas retains a good measure of control. After the artists death, Mr. Indianas body was taken to the mainland and cremated. His ashes were then given by Mr. Brannan to Mr. Thomas. Pursuant to Bobs directives, Mr. Thomas said in a statement provided by his lawyer, John D. Frumer, his ashes were entrusted to me so that I could lay him to rest. The turmoil needs to end for Bob to rest in peace, and for me to be able to fulfill the last promise I made to Bob, to send my friend off with LOVE, as Bob wished. Murray Carpenter contributed reporting from Maine. By Trend 14th patient has died of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Georgia today, Director of the First University Clinic Levan Ratiani told Georgian First Channel, Trend reports. Currently, Georgias coronavirus cases stand ar 851. 702 patient recovered from the novel virus so far. According to the latest figures, 2795 people remain under quarantine, and 252 more under hospital supervision. A popular Thai beauty YouTuber Soundtiss ST introduces JAYJUN's cosmetics on her channel, on June 10. / Courtesy of eBay By Kim Jae-heun Gmarket's English and Chinese versions of its Global Shop, operated by eBay, is seeking to serve as a stepping stone for promising small- and medium-sized firms here that aim to enter the global market by teaming them up with relevant social media influencers from around the world. The e-commerce platform has identified local brands that want to collaborate with influencers, riding the global trend of a contactless culture in the post-coronavirus period. Based on its 20-year experience, Gmarket Global Shop is working with various social media stars around the world to sell Korean products that global customers are developing a taste for. Korean companies will not only benefit from exposing their products via international influencers' social media content but with purchasing power that leads to actual sales as Gmarket helps them develop loyal customers. Local cosmetics brand JAYJUN is the epitome of success after its collaboration with Gmarket. Global Shop has been introducing its "Beauty Box" promotion targeting female customers in Asia and has garnered an explosive response in Thailand and Taiwan. Beauty Box is a package containing items from different cosmetics brands. Gmarket Global Shop sent the packages to popular YouTuber influencers so that they would make content featuring the products on their channels. Unlike other forms of advertising that are prone to be ignored, customers tend to open their wallets more comfortably after watching videos shared by their favorite YouTubers who give honest feedback on the pros and cons of the items reviewed. This can now be seen in the rise in sales of local cosmetics brands' products. Gmarket's targeting strategy is attributed largely to leading Beauty Box to direct product purchases. For example, it utilized data collected on loyal customers in Southeast Asia to select their favorite influencers and cosmetics items. In Thailand, where beauty standards lean toward pale white skin, Gmarket selected JAYJUN's moisture and brightening products and sent it to local YouTuber "Soundtiss ST" for review. Soundtiss St has over 720,000 YouTube followers, and many left positive feedback on her review of JAYJUN's items. In Taiwan, Gmarket focused on selecting travel kit items that will be advertised by Taiwanese YouTubers who review travel items. It also held a "JAYJUN Brand Week" promotion as part of efforts to increase synergy with its related influencers. Thanks to YouTubers' review videos from all around the world, which featured various discount e-coupons, sales of JAYJUN cosmetics in Gmarket's Global Shop increased nearly 280 percent in February compared to last year. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic is causing delays in product deliveries, JAYJUN is continuing to increase its sales. The company's official Facebook and Instagam channels have more than 8 million and 60,000 subscribers, respectively. The e-commerce firm offered free gift events including new products from JAYJUN on its social media channels for the purpose of also promoting unknown brands and increasing their popularity abroad. By Trend Export of carpets from Turkey to Azerbaijan dropped by 26.1 percent from January through May 2020 compared to the same period of 2019, having made up $2 million, Turkish Trade Ministry told Trend. In May 2020, Turkeys export of carpets to Azerbaijan plunged by 48.6 percent compared to May last year and amounted to $334,000. Export of carpets from Turkey to world markets dropped by 18.3 percent from January through May 2020 compared to the same period of 2019. Turkeys export of carpets to world markets for the reporting period amounted to 1.4 percent of the countrys total export for the same period of this year. "In May 2020, Turkeys export of carpets to world markets amounted to slightly over $117.3 million, which is 50.2 percent less compared to May 2019," the ministry said. Turkeys export of carpets to world markets in May this year amounted to 1.2 percent of the countrys total export. During the last twelve months (from May 2019 through May 2020), Turkey exported carpets worth over $2.3 billion. Greece wants to become the safest destination in Europe, according to its Prime Minister. From the emblematic island of Santorini, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Saturday that Greece is "ready to welcome tourists" in complete safety after the coronavirus lockdown, whose impact on tourism will be "significant". "Greek tourism is back," said Mitsotakis, two days before the reopening of the tourist season. The return of tourists to Greece from around 30 countries by air, sea and land, begins on Monday. "Everything is ready in terms of making sure that we ensure the proper social distancing guidelines, said Mitsotakis, adding that safety and health is "our number 1 priority". "We want visitors to feel safe. I am not interested in making Greece the number one destination in Europe. "I am interested in making Greece the safest destination in Europe." Greece has been relatively unscathed by the virus with just 183 deaths. After stopping at Fira hospital, where he again spoke of the "success" of his government "in overcoming the first wave of the pandemic", the prime minister visited the archaeological site of Akrotiri by greeting "the incredibly diverse cultural heritage" of Greece. But in a country where tourism is crucial to the economy, accounting for almost 25 percent of GDP, Mitsotakis admitted that the impact of confinement on the tourism sector would be "significant". Only "a fraction" of the 33 million tourists who visited Greece last year would turn up this summer, he cautioned "The honest answer is I don't know what the real impact on the GDP will be," Mitsotakis told a press conference. "We'll try to save whatever we can to make sure our sector stays alive... and can survive what will obviously be a very difficult summer "A lot will depend on how comfortable people feel." Only the airports of Athens and Thessaloniki will be reopened to flights from around 30 countries on Monday, while regional airports, including that of Santorini, are due to reopen on July 1. Before this date, any passenger who tests positive for COVID-19 must submit to a 14-day isolation period in a hotel at the expense of the Greek state. The government hopes to lift "all restrictions" in July and wants to "extend the tourist season" when the Greek weather permits "living outside" which is less conducive to the transmission of the virus. Asked about possible new outbreaks of coronavirus in Greece, he said there was no "risk-free approach". "We are dealing with a dangerous virus," he said. "Its still here, it hasnt disappeared. "We are taking an extremely calculated risk," he added, stressing that a new total containment was not "tenable" or "an option". "We are doing the best that we possibly can." Police are appealing for information after shots were reportedly fired at a house in north Belfast on Saturday. The incident happened in the Forthriver Crescent area of the city sometime between 3am and 3.30am. PSNI Detective Sergeant O'Flaherty said: "Damage was caused to a window but, thankfully, no injuries were reported. "Our investigation continues and we are working to establish a motive for this reckless attack, which could have had devastating consequences. "Anyone with information is asked to call us on the non emergency number 101, quoting reference number 1550 of 13/06/20. You can also submit a report online using our non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/. Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/." A secret diary found in the bedroom of teenager Rachel Antonio may finally bring some form of closure for her family more than two decades after she mysteriously vanished. The 16-year-old disappeared without a trace after being dropped off at a cinema by her mother in Bowen, northern Queensland, on Anzac Day 1998. Surf lifesaver Robert Hytch, then 25, was charged with her murder a year later and found guilty by a jury of the lesser offence of manslaughter - but was acquitted at a retrial in 2001. Through each trial and re-trial, Mr Hytch consistently denied being in a relationship with the 16-year-old. But a coroner found in 2016 he had lied and the pair had been in an 'intimate relationship'. Coroner David OConnell also found Mr Hytch fatally injured the teenager and hid her body, which has never been found. In the teenager's diary tendered to that inquest, Rachel wrote of how she was scared the then-Bowen surf club captain would break up with her if she didn't sleep with him. The personal thoughts of missing Queensland schoolgirl Rachel Antonio, 16, in a secret diary could prove to be key in finding closure for her family The teenager's diary was tendered to an inquest (pictured as evidence) and formed the basis of a coroner's finding that the man acquitted of her manslaughter, Robert Hytch, had lied about his relationship with her 'The biggest issue I have in my life right now is whether to do it - or not. Robert and I have been best friends for over two years and have been going out for six months. I can honestly say I think I love him,' she wrote. 'Although Robert is 24 (almost 25), he is really caring. The only problem I have is that Im scared he will dump me afterwards. This shouldnt really worry me cause he has been with me for six months already. I know he cares about me.' The inquest had used the diary as evidence, despite it being ruled inadmissible at trial. It can now be revealed Queensland Police are considering advice from the Office of The Director of Public Prosecutions as to whether Mr Hytch could be charged with perjury. 'The DPP has concluded its consideration of the matter and it was referred to the Queensland Police Service for their consideration,' a spokeswoman for the Office of The Director of Public Prosecutions told The Courier-Mail this week. Daily Mail Australia does not suggest Mr Hytch is guilty of any crime, only that police are considering the advice from the DPP about the possibility of laying perjury charges. Robert Hytch and Rachel Antonio are pictured together. He was charged with her murder in 1999 and convicted by a jury of the lesser offence of manslaughter but was acquitted at a retrial in 2001 Mr Hytch appealed the coroner's findings and has always denied any involvement in her disappearance. Two men who came across Rachel on the night of her disappearance on the town's Queens Beach said at inquest she told them 'I'm waiting for my boyfriend'. Coroner O'Connell meanwhile found Mr Hytch had left his brother's birthday party to hire a movie that night and was unable to account for a half-an-hour discrepancy in his movements. Queensland Police are now considering whether Mr Hytch could face a perjury charge following the coronial inquest's 2016 findings Police also found a tiny drop of blood on his sandal. The inquest found the young girl was likely killed by the surf lifesaver - an outcome unsuccessfully challenged in 2018 by Mr Hytch in the Supreme Court. Ian Antonio and wife Cheryl said in 2015 it was difficult not having a resting place for their daughter - as was coming to terms with the realisation they may never know what happened to her. Pictured: Rachel's bedroom before her disappearance. Her family have refused to give up hope in recent years her body will be found Ian Antonio and wife Cheryl (pictured together at Mr Hytch's Supreme Court challenge of the inquest's findings in 2018) have previously expressed their pain at not having a resting place for their daughter Two men who came across Rachel on the night of her disappearance on the town's Queens Beach said at inquest she told them 'I'm waiting for my boyfriend' But they said they remained hopeful. 'I always hope her body will be found so she can be laid to rest,' Mrs Antonio said. In 2017, police scoured Bowen tip in the hope of finding her remains. The search was fruitless. MBABANE Is it meagre, reasonable or enough? Following Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlaminis announcement last week Friday of an amount of E25 million set aside to assist workers who have been laid off due to the effects of COVID-19, guidelines of how this relief fund will be distributed are now out. They stipulate that a successful claimant will get E400 a month but for not more than two months, which means that the maximum a laid off worker can get is E800. In the event that the period of unpaid layoff is less than a full month and the employee has earned a salary which is less than the flat rate of E400, those employees will be entitled to a prorated share of the E400. The affected employees are not the ones who are supposed to file the claims; instead, this task has been given to employers, who will do so on behalf of the affected employees. The guidelines were released yesterday by Minister of Labour and Social Security Makhosi Vilakati. Reacting to the amount, the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA), though welcoming the initiative and especially commending the Eswatini National Provident Fund for the initiative, described it as too little. The allocation, if meagre, cant even cover rental costs, which is very basic for a worker to remain within reachable distance from employment, said Secretary General Mduduzi Gina. He opined that it would have been better of the money was at least E800 a month to cover half of the workers normal monthly wage. He said he based such on the understanding that a majority of the affected workers are in the textile and apparel sector as well as the hotel and catering sector. In this respect, he advised government to engage landlords to suspend the collection of rent for the duration of the state of emergency. UNCOLLECTED TAX This is possible because the landlords owe the government millions in uncollected tax from their rental business, they surely should cooperate, he said. It is emphasised in the guidelines that no individual workers shall be attended as claims are required to be submitted by employers. The process is expected to begin on Wednesday (June 17, 2020) when employees may start downloading the claim form template from the government website. An employer, when filing the claim, must provide, among other things, a letter of approval of the layoffs issued by the office of the Commissioner of Labour. Also to be provided is a copy of the wages register preceding the layoffs; a copy of NPF 200 (returns) preceding layoffs; proof of any amounts paid to the employees during the period of the layoff, if any, in comparison to the employees regular wages. As part of the guidelines, the minister said the purpose of the special fund is to provide compensatory relief to employees who have suffered loss of earnings as a result of being temporarily laid off without pay at their places of employment due to the COVID-19. The funds, as per the guidelines, are going to be distributed to qualifying workers through the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA). A dedicated management committee composed of senior government officials, employer and employee representatives will be appointed to, among other duties; supervise the whole administration of the funds designated account to be opened by NDMA for depositing and disbursing the money to qualifying workers. The committee will also receive, screen and approve claims before payment is made by NDMA; and also receive grants, donations or contributions from any other lawful source to supplement the fund towards meeting the purpose for which it is created. Additionally, the committee will give strategic direction on the control, management and disbursement of monies belonging to the special purpose fund. Beijing, June 14 : Chinese vaccine maker Sinovac has said that its Covid-19 vaccine candidate, CoronaVac, has been found to induce immune response in initial human trials. No severe adverse events were reported in either the phase-1 or phase-2 trials, said the company on Saturday, while revealing preliminary results of the trials. "Our phase I/II study shows CoronaVac is safe and can induce immune response," Weidong Yin, Chairman, President and CEO of Sinovac, said in a statement. "Concluding our phase I/II clinical studies with these encouraging results is another significant milestone we have achieved in the fight against Covid-19. We have started to invest in building a manufacturing facility so that we can maximise the number of doses available to protect people from Covid-19." The clinical trials were designed as randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled studies. In total, 743 healthy volunteers, aged from 18 to 59 years old, enrolled in the trials -- 143 volunteers in phase-1 and 600 volunteers in phase-2. The phase-2 clinical trial results showed that the vaccine induces neutralising antibodies 14 days after the vaccination. The neutralising antibody seroconversion rate was found to be above 90 per cent, indicating that the vaccine candidate can induce positive immune response. Sinovac said it expects to submit a phase-2 clinical study report and a phase-3 clinical study protocol to China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in the near future and commence application of phase-3 clinical trials outside of China. As previously announced on June 11, Sinovac is collaborating with Instituto Butantan in Brazil to prepare and conduct a phase-3 clinical study. Sinovac said it hopes to share the full data on its clinical trials with the public through academic publications. The Chinese vaccine maker started work on development of a vaccine against Covid-19 in January in partnership with leading academic research institutes in China. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) NSW will reopen businesses from its coronavirus shutdown on July 1 in a move that will see the state's economy start its rebound two months ahead of the federal JobKeeper scheme ending. Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the significant move will see businesses from theatres to theme parks allowed to operate with only physical distancing rules in place. Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet say NSW will reopen for business from July 1, but have warned that people need to remain vigilant. Credit:Edwina Pickles The easing of the restrictions comes as Mr Perrottet prepares to give his first economic update since the coronavirus crisis to NSW Parliament on Tuesday. Mr Perrottet will outline the fiscal impact on NSW from the drought, bushfires and the pandemic. The meeting comes in the wake of rising coronavirus cases in Delhi. The tally has reached 36,000 and more than 1,200 people have died due to the virus in the National Capital. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will hold a meeting with Delhi lieutenant governor Anil Baijal, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and others on Sunday to discuss the COVID-19 situation in the National Capital. The meeting comes in the wake of rising coronavirus cases in Delhi. The tally has reached 36,000 and more than 1,200 people have died due to the virus in theNational Capital. "Home Minister, Shri @AmitShah and Health Minister, @drharshvardhan to hold meeting with @LtGovDelhi, CM Delhi & members of SDMA to review situation in the capital regarding COVID-19 tomorrow, 14th June at 11 am. Director AIIMS and other senior officers would also be present," Shah's office tweeted. The number of coronavirus cases in Delhi is the third highest in the country after Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. There has been criticism from different quarters over the handling of COVID-19 cases in the capital with complaints of non-availability of beds in hospitals for patients and difficulty in getting the tests done in laboratories. The Supreme Court, on Friday, lashed out at the city government, terming as "horrific" the state of affairs in Delhi hospitals with bodies being stacked next to COVID-19 patients. After the SC's observation, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government said it accepts with utmost respect and sincerity the apex court's remarks and pointed out that it was trying its best to set up better infrastructure and provide quality healthcare to all COVID-19 patients in the city. Baijal has also formed a six-member panel to formulate a COVID management plan and suggest ways to ramp up medical infrastructure in the capital. This comes close on the heels of Baijal's recent assertions on hospital beds and testing, and overturning of two Delhi government ordersreserving hospital beds only for residents of Delhi and testing of only symptomatic patients. The members on Baijal's advisory committee are DG ICMR professor Balram Bhargava, AIIMS director Randeep Guleria, National Disaster Management Authority members Krishna Vatsa, Kamal Kishore and others. India surpassed the three lakh-mark in coronavirus cases on Saturday with the worst daily spike of 11,458 infections, while the death toll too climbed to 8,884 with 386 new fatalities, the Union health ministry said. It has now become the fourth worst-hit nation by the pandemic with a case load of 3,08,993, according to coronavirus statistics website Worldometer. However, the health ministry has said that the doubling time of coronavirus cases has improved to 17.4 days from 15.4 days. And its data updated at 8 am on Saturday showed active cases at 1,45,779 and those who have recovered at 1,54,329; one patient has migrated. "Thus, around 49.9 percent patients have recovered so far," a ministry official said. Batelco, the leading digital solutions provider in Bahrain, announced the launch of its latest digital enterprise solution, Batelco Cloud Unified Communications, which is set to provide enterprise customers with access to communication, collaboration and productivity capabilities without the need for investing in costly equipment. Batelco's Unified Cloud Solution will provide enterprise customers with the opportunity to benefit from a wide range of features including business instant messaging, voice and video calls, conferencing, as well as many other collaboration tools. The solution also offers customers the convenience of switching in real-time between different devices effortlessly from any location and is characterised by ease of use, reliability and flexibility. Abderrahmane Mounir, Batelco GM Enterprise, said: We are pleased to be launching this innovative new solution through which we aim to support the advancement of the local telecommunications industry. Cloud Unified Communications is part of Batelcos digital communications product portfolio introduced for our enterprise customers and enabling us to support their digital transformation journey. Batelco is providing the tools to fit the modern and agile work style, helping users who are constantly on the go and working remotely from any location to be more flexible, as their office is with them wherever they go. We believe that its the perfect time to launch this product as it meets all of these requirements, he added. The newly launched solution will be hosted in Batelcos private cloud from which customers will be able to access all Unified Communications capabilities, thereby reducing maintenance and operational costs and increasing efficiency for Batelco customers, the company said. -TradeArabia News Service STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- Police have arrested a 21-year-old Staten Island man in connection with a violent crash Saturday in Princes Bay that injured a pregnant woman and cost the life of her child. Alexander Iacone, 21, of Cypress Loop in Rossville, faces charges that include multiple counts of second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and driving without a license, an NYPD spokesman said Sunday. A preliminary investigation by the NYPDs Collision Investigation Squad determined Iacone was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of the incident. Police responded just after 4 p.m. to a report of a crash involving two vehicles near the intersection of Hylan Boulevard and Cornelia Avenue, near Wolfes Pond Park. Iacone was headed northbound in a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee, when he shifted into the left turning lane and lost control of the vehicle, slamming head-on into a 2018 Nissan Rogue occupied by a 26-year-old male driver and a 28-year-old female passenger, police said. Police said the driver of the Nissan Rouge was on the southbound side -- headed toward Tottenville -- of Hylan Boulevard, attempting to make a left turn onto Cornelia Avenue at the time of the crash. The impact of the collision sent both vehicles northbound and across both lanes of traffic and into a patch of woods, according to police. According to a law enforcement source, the female passenger was transported to Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH), Ocean Breeze, where doctors performed an emergency C-section, however, the baby succumbed to injuries and died. The woman was listed in serious, but stable condition, as of Sunday. Authorities were awaiting a report from the citys Medical Examiner to determine if the child had taken its first breath at the hospital, which then -- based on New York state law -- could lead to homicide charges. The male driver of the Nissan Rouge was transported to SIUH, Ocean Breeze, with a laceration to his head. He was listed in stable condition, as of Sunday, police said. Iacone was transported to SIUH, Princes Bay, with an arm injury. More than 7,000 people have backed an online push to remove the Emancipation memorial in Bostons Park Square, with many slamming the statue for the same reason that Frederick Douglass reportedly critiqued the original in Washington, D.C., in 1876: it depicts Abraham Lincoln standing tall over a freed slave on his knees. Ive been watching this man on his knees since I was a kid. Its supposed to represent freedom, but instead represents us still beneath someone else, wrote Tory Bullock in an online petition signed by 6,947 people as of Sunday afternoon. I would always ask myself, If hes free, why is he still on his knees? No kid should have to ask themselves that question anymore. Bullocks petition comes as cities across Massachusetts and the country have seen protests over racial injustice and police brutality ever since the May 25 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. In addition to calls for police reform, national leaders have debated the fate of Confederate monuments and the names of U.S. military installations honoring generals who fought against the Union to protect slavery. Statues of Christopher Columbus in Boston and other cities have been vandalized or taken down in recent days. In a Facebook video last week, Bullock called on Boston Mayor Marty Walsh to tear down the statue or work with artists that can erect that black man so he can stand up on his two feet ... they can be shaking hands." Remove The Emancipation Memorial Dear Boston, This statue needs to go. -Your Black Friend I'm going about this civically to see if Boston is as 'woke' as it's currently claiming to be. Sign the peition: https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/remove-the-emancipation-statue PLEASE DO NOT DONATE MONEY ON THE PETITION! I just need your signature #Boston #EmancipationMemorial #WhatAboutCrispus? #DesgraceOnPurpose Posted by Tory Bullock on Thursday, June 11, 2020 Boston.com reported that Walsh supports rising calls to remove or change the statue. Walshs office said the mayor is interested in recommissioning the statue in favor of a memorial recognizing equality, Boston.com reported. Washington City Paper wrote that John Cromwell, a Howard University historian, recorded remarks by Douglass at the dedication of the original statute which went unreported by newspapers at the time. Douglass, the keynote speaker at the 1876 event, strayed from prepared remarks to say that the memorial, sculpted by Thomas Ball of Charlestown, Massachusetts, showed the Negro on his knees when a more manly attitude would have been indicative of freedom," according to Cromwell. Statues of Columbus have been toppled or vandalized in a host of cities, including Miami, Richmond, St. Paul and Boston, where one was decapitated. The head of the statue was reported severed to Boston police sometime before midnight last Tuesday. The statue in Bostons North End has been damaged several times in recent years. In 2015, the statue was dosed in red paint with Black Lives Matter spray painted onto its base. In 2006, the head of the statue was removed and remained missing for several days. Related Content: Gucci Mane is taking aim at Atlantic Records with some tough talk on Twitter. The Atlanta-based rapper, 40, called his longtime label 'racist' and announced he's leaving the Warner Music Group company. He then followed that up by urging all artists to stand with him and follow suit. 'Leaving#AtlanticRecords July 3 these crackers polite racist,' he wrote in a since-deleted tweet. Tough talk: Gucci Mane, 40, called out his longtime label, Atlantic Records, and announced he's leaving the Warner Music Group company in July in a since-deleted tweet The Proud Of You rapper (born Radric Delantic Davis) also encouraged his music industry colleagues to band together in a united voice, while referencing the Black Lives Matter movement. 'All artists let's go on strike f*** these racist a** labels burn them down too #BlackLivesMatter #BlackExecMatter f*** these crackers????' he wrote. Mane has been signed to Atlantic Records since 2007, but in 2013 he was dropped for a period of time after he tweeted insults towards the company and its representatives. He later apologized for the tweets and said he was binging on codeine at the time, according to NME. Moving on: The Atlanta-based rapper maintained he is leaving Atlantic Records July 3 Shaky working relationship: Mane has been signed to Atlantic Records since 2007, but in 2013 he was dropped for a period of time after he tweeted insults towards the company and its representatives Leading the charge: Mane also encouraged all artist to band together in a united voice and 'burn down racist labels', while referencing the Black Lives Matter movement The Alabama native's harsh rants didn't end there. He again took to Twitter on Friday and called out the luxury fashion brand, Gucci, while again brining up the subject of race. 'To all snitches and haters and the most polite racist ever @Gucci,' he wrote before adding, 'I pray y'all die of corona virus.' More tough talk: Mane also called out the luxury fashion brand Gucci Mane is credited with helping pioneer the hip-hop subgenre trap music alongside fellow Atlanta-based artist T.I. and Young Jeezy in the 2000s and 2010s. Over his career he has worked with such stars as Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Drake, Mariah Carey, Selena Gomez and Marilyn Manson. Most recently he released a new single, Both Sides, featuring Lil Baby on May 29. Big films like Thalaivi, Maidaan, and Bhool Bhulaiyya 2 are all pending completion among a host of around 15-20 top films in Bollywood Now that the lockdown has been lifted, there are shoots planned around the country while small units have already started shooting outside Mumbai. Unfortunately, the bigger guns havent been able to lock in on insurance and other details for the daily wage workers and other unit hands yet. Big films like Thalaivi, Maidaan, and Bhool Bhulaiyya 2 are all pending completion among a host of around 15-20 top films in Bollywood, including Brahmastra, Mumbai Saga, and Prithviraj. There are also two sets at Mumbais Film City one for the Alia Bhatt starrer Gangubai Kathiawadi and the other for Bosco Martis film. The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) says that they cannot let workers shoot in such circumstances. We have been talking to the producers and they need to provide insurance to the workers if they have to return to the shoot. Also the guidelines are still not clear. There needs to be someone to monitor the safety precautions and insurance etc., have to be taken. If the shoots have to start, the producers need to be ready to shell out all these things, says FWICE president B.N. Tiwari. However, T.P. Aggarwal, President, Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA) feels that normalcy in shoots may not return soon. The Federation claims they have Rs 5 lakh members; they dont even have Rs 50,000. According to Competition Commissioner of India, the Federation cannot stop or force producers to take their members. Even then, they force the producers and trouble them. This insurance is not the producers job. How can any producer put a doctor and an ambulance on call on the sets when there is shortage of doctors and ambulances in the city! Then they want the shoot workers and technicians to be kept in a separate hotel where no one else is there, which is not possible. In case of coronavirus detection, they want treatment at private hospitals. At this point, no one will admit and if they do, the cost will be very high. I dont see us shooting under these conditions anytime soon. But if any producer wishes to shoot under these circumstances, he is more than welcome. We have no objection to the same. Actor Sushant Singh Rajput's alma mater Delhi Technological University (DTU) is planning to organise an online prayer meeting in his memory. Rajput, 34, was found dead at his Mumbai home on Sunday. The actor had enrolled at DTU in 2003, which was then known as Delhi College of Engineering, but dropped out in three years to pursue his showbiz dreams. Even as Rajput made it big in TV and films, he never forgot his alma mater. He had last visited DTU in 2019 after his film Chhichhore's release. The actor had shared a video of the visit on social media in which he was being mobbed by students but he was greeting them with a smile and was obliging them with selfies. "Dreams, dreams... What an overwhelming feeling. Thank you Delhi Technological University (my DCE:) for having me there and help make my dream come true. All of you'll is me, and all of me are you'll..' Lots and lots of love.Dream 12/50 Plan a day trip to My Alma Mater. #livingmydreams #lovingmydreams," he had captioned the video and the picture. Recalling his visit, DTU vice-chancellor Yogesh Singh said he had visited the hostel and interacted with the students. "It is very shocking that he has committed suicide. There are many alumni who were in close contact with him. It is shocking for all of us. He had joined in 2003 and was there for almost three years. His all-India rank was seventh when he got admission. He was a very bright and intelligent student," he told PTI over phone. The DTU V-C said Rajput's 2019 visit was not an "official function" but a discreet visit. He said the university administration is planning to hold an online prayer meeting for the actor very soon. Another professor, requesting anonymity, said the actor had visited the university three-four times in the last five years. "He was a very soft and humble person. Even when he visited last year, he did not have bouncers accompanying him and mingled with the students like the campus was his home. He spent nearly three-four hours and did not have the air of a celebrity," the professor said. The DTU professor said the actor had always been proud of his engineering background and even mentioned about being an engineering student when he had appeared on The Kapil Sharma Show. "In the last five years, he had visited the university three-four times. Even in 2014 also he had come to spend time with students," he recalled. The university had plans to bring out a special booklet on Rajput listing out his achievements, the professor said, adding that DTU had brought out four booklets on its famous alumni in the first round. "There were plans to have a publication on him in the first round but he was busy and the interview could not be done at that time," he said. The university has also issued a statement on the actor's demise. "DTU family is extremely shocked and sad at the sudden demise of actor Sushant Singh Rajput who was our Alumnus (Batch of 2003, Mechanical Engineering). He was not only a popular actor but was also a popular student of DTU-DCE," the statement said. "This news has come as a great loss to the institution as a bright Alumnus and proud DTU-DCEite has left for the heavenly abode. Our sincere prayers go out to his family in this difficult time," it added. Former President John Dramani Mahama is embarking on a visit to the Savannah Region today Sunday 14th June, 2020. He expected to be in Busunu, within the West Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region where his mother hails from for a funeral and then proceed to Bole. At Bole in the Savannah Region, John Dramani Mahama will be at Mandari which is about eight kilometers to the west of Bole to attend another funeral of a very prominent and influential NDC member, Hajia Fati Jinga. The said Hajia Fati is a family member of the former President and has been a John Mahama loyalist from the first day he contested as Member of Parliament (MP) for Bole-Bamboi Constituency in 1996 till he became President. John Dramani Mahama is always welcomed by massive crowds of excited people anytime he is in the Savannah Region where he is extremely popular. He effectively served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for 12-years (1997 2009). However, his handlers have served notice that they will insist on the social distancing protocols during his visit to the Savannah Region today. Source: ghanaweb Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video For Gwen Carr, seeing the nationwide protests over George Floyds death at the hands of Minneapolis police feels like deja vu. The 46-year-old Floyds s final words I cant breath were the same as her own son, Eric Garner, who died after being wrestled to the ground in a chokehold by a white New York police officer in 2014, on suspicion of selling cigarettes. A grand jury voted to not indict the officer, inspiring protests in major cities across the country. Its like deja vu all over again. But its something thats necessary. The marches are to bring awareness, and once we bring awareness, now we have to see people stay on the forefront. We have to make America pay attention to us, Carr said before giving a speech at a protest against police brutality in Roselle. Im here today to commemorate all the stolen lives. There are so many stolen lives we dont even know," she said. Pressure on leaders for police reform must continue, Carr told a crowd of hundreds gathered at Warinanco Park. And shes no stranger to fighting for change. Protesters in Roselle rally against police brutality on Sunday, June 14, 2020.Natalie Paterson After her sons death, Carr began advocating for the Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold Act" to make it a felony in New York for an officer to engage in a chokehold - except in situations where they are protecting their own life. Gov. Andrew Cuomo publicly signed the bill into law on Friday. Its a step in the right direction. Thats why I stay active. Thats why I stay on top of whats going on... A lot of the time, change comes slow, said Carr, whose son is buried nearby in a Linden cemetery. She now wants to see the same action in other states and on the federal level. In New Jersey, Assemblyman Jamel Holley (D-20) said he and Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly (D-35) are both sponsoring a series of bills being introduced in the coming weeks in the state legislature, including an anti-chokehold act similar to New Yorks. In order for us to start breaking away at these barriers, legislative action is going to have to take place, Holley said. Im pleased to see (New Jersey is) following New Yorks lead, Carr said. Yusuf Boriqua, of Elizabeth, holds signs at a protest against police brutality in Roselle on June 14, 2020.Natalie Paterson Protesters carrying signs gathered at a field in the park Sunday, listening to a line-up of speakers for about an hour before honoring those killed by officers. Organizers read aloud the names of dozens of police brutality victims, and released a black balloon for each name. One protester, Yusuf Boriqua, of Elizabeth, stood alongside others holding a sign reading End racist policing" and wearing a mask with the words I cant breathe." The 44-year-old said he moved to New Jersey about 26 years ago, and has faced racial profiling from police since he was younger and while growing up in the Bronx. He pointed to a scar on his eyelid, which he said is from being pistol-whipped by a police officer at 12-years-old. You become desensitized to it," he said. You cant escape it anywhere you go... When you walk down the street and a police car rides past you, you cant look them in the eye because that gives them a reason to stop you. So youre walking nervous. All you can do is keep walking and hope they dont bother you. Carr said people shouldnt become discouraged if change isnt immediate. None of the responding officers involved in Garners death were charged, and a grand jury declined to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who was filmed putting Garner in a chokehold. Pantaleo was fired from the department, but Carr is still calling on the other responding officers to be disciplined too. We have to stay on the battlefield," she said. "Im still fighting for our grandchildren, Im still fighting for the unborn, because they cannot keep killing our children. It does seem like deja vu, but we have to do this as many times as necessary. Gwen Carr, Eric Garner's mother, left, speaks at a police brutality protest in Roselle, New Jersey on Sunday June, 14, 2020.Natalie Paterson Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Avalon Zoppo may be reached at azoppo2@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AvalonZoppo. The ideal subject of totalitarian rule ... are people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction (the reality of experience) and the distinction between true and false (the standards of thought) no longer exist. Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism Ever since his pre-election campaign MAGA rallies, and up to the pandemic and George Floyd crises, Donald Trump has shown that he is unfit to lead this country. In fact, he is systematically destroying our constitutional democratic republic. To him and his militant followers fake news is the truth, and the truth is fake news. This is what all authoritarian governments past and present believe. Many conservative columnists have seen enough. George Will recently exhorted voters to rid our democracy of Donald Trump and all of the Republicans in the Senate. He states that these enablers of a morally bankrupt president are like the Vichy government in World War II under French general Marshal Petain who occupied southern France, but who sold out the French people to Hitlers Gestapo. In other words, Donald Trump is leading us into the abyss of a totalitarian state. Attorney General William Barr heads Trumps Praetorian Guard (protectors of the Roman emperor) of corrupt Republicans whose only goal is to be re-elected and to solidify their power. We the people must rise up in this attempt to destroy our democracy. Joseph Kiemen, Racine Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Election night watch parties usually have a few key components. You need a big screen TV, plenty of signs and as many loud supporters as you can cram into a neighborhood bar or convention center. They are all there to serve one overriding purpose: making the candidate look good while allowing folks to have as much fun as possible. The right optics can even transform a political nobody into a star by the end of the night especially if its a winning candidate. In a normal election cycle, campaign staff might spend weeks getting the details right for election night, according to longtime Democratic operative Darren Rigger. It was always factored into the GOTV budget, he said. You would set aside some money for a venue, food and drink. The size was always tricky based on if you were going to win or not. But that is all over now, and campaigns for the June 23 primaries are going to have to figure out plans on the go. The coronavirus pandemic means there are practical and political restraints on hosting traditional election night events. Zoom appears to be the only option for many campaigns, and hardly a substitute for what could have been in the before times. It can feel really disconnected when youre each in your home, said Christina Gonzalez, who is working on Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas primary campaign against Democratic Assemblyman Michael DenDekker in Queens. How sad itll be to not get together that night to celebrate (and) let off steam and dance to Bad Bunny together. It is hard to make plans when bars and restaurants are closed to parties and in-person gatherings are limited to less than 10 people statewide. A campaign could theoretically hold an event in some outside venue like a park or a big backyard while donning full PPE and keeping social distancing space. However, the logistics of finding the right space, getting people there and paying for everything along the way are inherently tricky, according to campaign insiders. Plus, there are political risks inherent to staging an event where people could spread the coronavirus. What candidates want to be known for hosting an event where a bunch of people contracted a deadly pathogen? It also comes off as more than a little tone deaf to hold a political event at a time when the COVID-19 death toll is still rising. An ill-conceived election night party invitation could even hurt a candidates chances to win, if it makes a campaign look like it is playing fast and loose with public health guidelines. Plus, there might not be anything to celebrate on election night itself. Early voting and the expansion of mail balloting this time around has injected uncertainty into the electoral process. The coronavirus also poses a danger to poll workers and local election boards, which could further delay results. Remember the 2019 Democratic primary for Queens County district attorney? If one race could take weeks to figure out, what is going to happen with dozens of competitive races across the state? That is why campaigns are taking a cautious approach on June 23. I highly doubt any events will be held in person, said Democratic political consultant Jake Dilemani. But that does not mean that campaigns have to just hold a boring Zoom meeting with no flair at all. Cameron Koffman, a Democrat challenging Assemblyman Dan Quart in Manhattan, is one of several candidates looking to spice things up, for however long the vote counting takes, by having supporters order from the same restaurant on election night which will offer a discount for anyone usingthe coupon code Cameron, according to campaign spokesman Martin Rather. All of Camerons supporters will then all eat together on election night, Rather said. Were ironing out the final details now, but I can tell you this Ive asked for the deal to be valid through June 30. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 11) Several overseas Filipino workers who were granted royal pardon in Bahrain have been deported to the Philippines, the Labor Department said on Thursday. King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain pardoned last month 16 OFWs convicted of drug peddling, murder, accessory to murder, attempted homicide, prostitution, embezzlement of funds, stealing, human trafficking, and involvement in fights. They are part of the 154 inmates in Bahrain who were recently granted pardon. Eleven of them were already sent back to the Philippines, while the deportation of four others is still being arranged. The remaining OFW has been pardoned for the crime of drug peddling, but still faces a seven-year jail term for human trafficking, the department said. President Rodrigo Duterte previously thanked King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa for granting the royal pardon. "This act of humanity by His Majesty King Hamad Bin lsa Al Khalifa provides renewed hope and an opportunity for our countrymen and women to build new lives," he said on May 31. By Michael T. Klare June 13, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - Americas pundits and politicians have largely concluded that a new Cold War with China -- a period of intense hostility and competition falling just short of armed combat -- has started. Rift Threatens U.S. Cold War Against China, as a New York Times headline put it on May 15th, citing recent clashes over trade, technology, and responsibility for the spread of Covid-19. Beijings decision to subject Hong Kong to tough new security laws has only further heightened such tensions. President Trump promptly threatened to eliminate that city-states special economic relationship with this country, while imposing new sanctions on Chinese leaders. Meanwhile, Democrats and Republicans in Congress are working together to devise tough anti-Chinese sanctions of their own. For anyone who can remember the original Cold War, the latest developments may seem eerily familiar. They bring to mind what occurred soon after Americas World War II collaboration with the Soviets collapsed in acrimony as the Russians became ever more heavy-handed in their treatment of Eastern Europe. In those days, distrust only grew, while Washington decided to launch a global drive to contain and defeat the USSR. We seem to be approaching such a situation today. Though China and the U.S. continue to maintain trade, scientific, and educational ties, the leaders of both countries are threatening to sever those links and undertake a wide range of hostile moves. Admittedly, some of the steps being discussed in Washington to punish China for its perceived bad behavior will have little immediate impact on the lives of Americans. A lot of the threats, in fact, may turn out to be little more than good old-fashioned chest thumping. Consider, for instance, the proposal floated by the top-ranking majority and minority members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Oklahoma Republican Jim Inhofe and Rhode Island Democrat Jack Reed, to fund a multibillion dollar Pacific Deterrence Initiative intended to bolster American forces in Asia. That effort, they avowed, will send a strong signal to the Chinese Communist Party that the American people are committed to defending U.S. interests in the Indo-Pacific. Well, that was easy! All we, the taxpaying citizens of the United States, need to do in this opening salvo of a new Cold War is salute Congress as it funnels yet more billions of dollars to the usual defense contractors and thereby send a signal to Beijing that we will defend U.S. interests somewhere far across the globe. (Now theres a moment to wave your American flag!) But dont count on such a moment lasting long, not if a new Cold War starts in earnest. A quick look back at the original one should remind us that well all pay a price of some sort for intensifying hostility towards China (even if a hot war isnt the result). Perhaps, then, its none too soon to consider how such a world would impact you and me. A Feeble Economic Recovery For most Americans, the first consequence of an intensifying Cold War could be a weaker than expected recovery from the Covid-19 economic meltdown. Anything that stands in the way of a swift rebound -- and a new Cold War with China falls into that very category -- would be bad news. Unlike in the original Cold War, when Washington and Moscow maintained few economic ties, the U.S. and Chinese economies remain intertwined, contributing to the net wealth of both countries and benefiting this countrys export-oriented industries like agriculture and civilian aircraft production. Admittedly, such ties have also harmed blue-collar workers who have watched their jobs migrate across the Pacific and tech companies that have seen their intellectual property purloined by Chinese upstarts. Donald Trump stoked resentments over just such issues to get himself elected in 2016. Since then, hes sought to disentangle the two economies, claiming we would be better off on our own. (America first!) As part of this drive, hes already imposed stiff tariffs on Chinese imports and blocked Chinese firms from gaining access to American technology. Feel free to argue about whether China has abused international trade rules, as Trump and his allies have charged, and whether imposing tariffs (paid for by American importers and consumers, not Chinese suppliers) is the best way to address that countrys economic rise. The key thing to note, however, is that economic growth in both places had slowed in the wake of Trumps trade war even before Covid-19 hit. As 2019 drew to a close, in fact, the prospect of yet higher tariffs and intensified economic warfare was already dragging down the whole global economy. And while some experts believe that a relaxation of tariffs and other steps to improve U.S.-China trade would stimulate the economy in tough times, Trump and his China hawks, led by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, appear to view this moment as the perfect opportunity to double down on anti-Chinese measures. The president has already hinted that hes prepared to order yet more tariffs on Chinese products and take other steps to hasten the decoupling of the two economies. There are many things we could do, he told Maria Bartiromo of Fox Business in mid-May. We could cut off the whole relationship. Cut off the whole relationship? Some policymakers claim that such a decoupling would stimulate growth at home as American firms shifted manufacturing back to the United States and its close allies. This argument, however, ignores two key factors when it comes to Americans desperate for work now: first, many of the tasks currently performed by Chinese workers will be shifted to plants in Mexico, Thailand, Vietnam, and other low-cost manufacturing hubs; and second, any relocation of entire production lines to this country will take years to accomplish and, in the end, undoubtedly wind up employing more robots than workers. Bottom line: economically, an intensifying Cold War is guaranteed to scuttle any chances of a rapid recovery from the Coronavirus Depression, dampening employment prospects for millions of Americans. Military Spending, Not Recovery Stimulus And heres another thing a new Cold War guarantees: a significant increase in military spending at a time of ballooning national debt and a desperate need for investment in domestic economic recovery. By the end of June, unless Congress votes additional assistance, much of the $2.2 trillion in emergency pandemic relief voted by Congress will have been used up, leaving millions of jobless Americans and many small business owners in dire straits. Democrats in the House of Representatives did unveil a plan for an additional $3 trillion in emergency funding, including aid for struggling states and cities and another round of direct payments to citizens. White House officials and many Republicans insist, however, that any further giveaways to ordinary Americans will raise the federal debt to unsustainable levels (a problem that never worries them when it comes to tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy). So passing anything like that stimulus package appears ever less conceivable and July may leave millions of Americans unable to pay rent as well as other essential expenses. When it comes to increased military spending, however, Republicans have no such qualms. Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, for example, has introduced a $43 billion Forging Operational Resistance to Chinese Expansion (FORCE) Act. (Nifty title, huh?) Its goal, he claims, would be to help thwart the Chinese Communist Partys main geopolitical aim [of] pushing the United States out of the Western Pacific [and] achieving cross-strait unification with Taiwan via military force. It includes, among other things, $3.9 billion for another Virginia-class submarine (thats in addition to the $4.7 billion requested for such a sub in the Pentagons proposed 2021 budget) and $3 billion for more of one of the most expensive weapons systems in history, the F-35 jet fighter (and thats in addition to the $4.6 billion requested for 48 of them in that same budget). With the Democrats desperate to demonstrate their own anti-Chinese credentials, passage of the FORCE Act, or the somewhat more modest Pacific Deterrence Initiative introduced by Senators Reed and Inhofe, appears to be a sure thing. In fact, the need for yet more military funds may prove to be the Republican rationale for rejecting calls for additional pandemic relief. But wont higher military spending act as an economic stimulus, just as it did during World War II when it helped lift the United States out of the Great Depression? Indeed, passage of the FORCE Act or a variant of it will pump additional money into the economy. But todays military-industrial complex bears little relation to the one of 80 years ago when millions of workers were mobilized to churn out thousands of tanks and planes monthly in an all-out drive to defeat Nazi Germany. Nowadays, military hardware has become so complex that most of any dollar spent on a new plane, tank, or ship goes into specialized materials and computer systems, not armies of laborers. So the billions of dollars for one new submarine and additional F-35s are likely to generate only a few thousand extra jobs, while spending the same amounts on health care or elementary school education would generate many times that number. Conscription And then theres the issue that should be on the minds of every young man and woman in America (along with their parents, grandparents, and loved ones): the draft. In contrast to the original Cold War, young men in this country are no longer obliged to serve in the U.S. military, though they (and their female counterparts) may choose to do so, whether for patriotic reasons, economic need, or both. Even though the United States has been continuously involved in forever wars since the 9/11 attacks, the armed services have been able to use a variety of economic and educational incentives to keep the ranks filled (and avoid the public outcry over those wars that would surely have accompanied a draft). This was possible in part because the numbers of soldiers engaged in combat at any given moment was not huge in comparison to, say, the Korean or Vietnam War eras and because vast numbers of troops were no longer on tap to contain the Soviet Union in Europe. A full-scale Cold War with China could, however, prove another matter entirely, even if Pentagon manpower requirements were somewhat diminished by U.S. troop withdrawals from Afghanistan and Iraq. Large force deployments will undoubtedly be needed to engage in a modern version of the containment of China, not to speak of deterring the further adventurism of Vladimir Putins Russia. Can this be done with an all-volunteer military? Not if tensions rise with Beijing. Count on it: at some point, the question of conscription is bound to come up. So far, the Department of Defense has not opted for reinstating the draft -- a move that would require congressional approval and undoubtedly ignite intense political debate of the sort top officials would prefer to avoid right now. Still, the leaderships overarching guidance, the National Defense Strategy of 2018, made it quite clear that the United States must expect to face years of intense rivalry with its great power competitors and that such an epic struggle could well require the full mobilization of Americas war-making capabilities. Long-term strategic competition [with China and Russia], it claimed, requires the seamless integration of multiple elements of national power. Conscription was not specifically mentioned, but given the new focus on a rising China and a reckless Russia, it will be on the table sooner or later. Repression and Discrimination Another feature of the original Cold War that you should expect in a new one is an environment of repression, intolerance, and discrimination. In this case, it would be against Chinese-Americans, Chinese students and researchers currently in this country, and non-Chinese viewed as in any way beholden to that power. Sadly enough, signs of this have already emerged. Officials from the FBI and the National Security Council have, for instance, been dispatched to leading Ivy League universities to warn administrators against admitting or retaining Chinese students who may be collecting scientific and technical information to share with government-sponsored institutions at home. Concurrently, some 30 Chinese professors with ties to such institutions have had their visas denied, despite a history of collaboration with American academics. In a more dramatic move, the chair of Harvard Universitys chemistry department, Charles Lieber, was arrested in January for failing to report income he had received from a Chinese university. Many American academics have criticized such actions as an assault on academic freedom. Increasingly, however, U.S. officials insist that they represent a necessary component of the new Cold War. And while those officials also insist that our adversary in this struggle is the Chinese government or people associated with it (however tangentially), many Chinese-Americans are increasingly experiencing suspicion and hostility just for being Chinese. Chinese-Americans feel targeted, and thats really hurtful, said Charlie Woo, a prominent Chinese-American businessman. The experience of the first Cold War suggests that this sort of intolerance and repression will only increase with potentially chilling effects on intellectual freedom and the already deeply unsettled racial situation in this country. Hot War And never forget that cold wars always risk becoming hot ones. Looking back, its easy enough to remember those years of the U.S.-USSR standoff as a relatively war-free era, since the two superpowers were fearful that a direct conflict of any sort between them might spark an all-out thermonuclear conflagration, leaving a planet in ruins. In reality, though, both sides engaged in a grim assortment of bloody proxy wars -- regional conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan, among other places, involving troops from one superpower and local allies armed by the other. In addition, the U.S. and the Soviet Union nearly found themselves in direct conflict on several occasions. The most notable, of course, was the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, when Moscow installed nuclear-armed ballistic missiles in Cuba and the U.S. nearly went to war -- which would probably have turned into a nuclear conflict -- to remove them. Only a last-ditch negotiating effort by President John F. Kennedy and his Russian counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, averted such an outcome. Its easy enough to imagine that both contemporary versions of such proxy conflicts and of the Cuban Missile Crisis could emerge from a growing confrontation with China. An incident on the Korean Peninsula, no matter how it was sparked, could quickly turn into just such a proxy war. The greatest danger, however, would be U.S. and Chinese forces facing off directly, perhaps due to a naval clash in the East or South China Sea. At present, American and Chinese warships encounter each other on a regular basis in those waters, often coming within shooting (or even ramming) range. The U.S. Navy insists that its conducting permissible freedom of navigation operations (FRONOPS) in international waters. The Chinese -- claiming ownership of, and often building up, the many small atolls and islets that dot those seas -- accuse the American ships of infringing on their national maritime territory. On occasion, Chinese gunboats have sailed dangerously close to them, forcing them to shift course to avoid a collision. As such incidents multiply and tensions increase, the risk of a serious faceoff involving loss of life on one or both sides is bound to grow, possibly providing the spark for a full-scale military confrontation. And there can be no question of one thing: an intensifying Cold War with China will only increase the odds of such a thing happening. No one can say at what point you or any of us will begin to feel the direct effects of this new Cold War, only that, as tensions and hostile acts heighten, the consequences will prove harsh indeed. So cheer now, if you approve of measures already taken to isolate and punish Beijing, but think carefully before you embrace a full-blown Cold War with China and all that it will entail. Michael T. Klare, a TomDispatch regular, is the five-college professor emeritus of peace and world security studies at Hampshire College and a senior visiting fellow at the Arms Control Association. He is the author of 15 books, the latest of which is All Hell Breaking Loose: The Pentagons Perspective on Climate Change. Follow TomDispatch on Twitter and join us on Facebook. Check out the newest Dispatch Books, John Feffers new dystopian novel (the second in the Splinterlands series) Frostlands, Beverly Gologorsky's novel Every Body Has a Story, and Tom Engelhardt's A Nation Unmade by War, as well as Alfred McCoy's In the Shadows of the American Century: The Rise and Decline of U.S. Global Power and John Dower's The Violent American Century: War and Terror Since World War II. Copyright 2020 Michael T. Klar Post your comment below While addressing the Class of 2020 for Hindu students, the 39-year-old US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard had reportedly said that one can find certainty, peace and strength in Bhagavad Gita, amidst the uncertain times. She urged the Hindu students to find solace and strength in Bhakti Yoga and Karma Yoga as preached by Shri Krishna in the Hindu Holy book. As you think about this new chapter in your lives, ask yourself what is my purpose in life? It is a deep question that if you can recognise now that your purpose is to serve God and Gods children, practicing Karma Yoga, then you can lead a truly successful life, Gabbard was quoted as saying. Her address came at the backdrop of the violent protests that have taken the United States by storm, following the murder of a black man George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25. Tulsi Gabbard who ran for the post of President, before giving up her election campaign, said that success could not be defined by accomplishments and material benefits but rather by the happiness one derived through service to the society. She was the first Hindu woman to run for the coveted post and had served as an army veteran in Iraq. In this chaotic time, find strength and peace in Bhagavad Gita: Tulsi Gabbardhttps://t.co/61FRlTF8v9 pic.twitter.com/LGVKJeNTgk Hindustan Times (@htTweets) June 13, 2020 The Event The virtual event was organised for the first time by the Hindu Students Council, the largest Hindu youth organisation in North America founded in 1990, on June 7. The event was held amidst the Coronavirus outbreak, which has infected 2.11 million people in the US and caused 116K fatalities. The event was watched live by thousands of viewers on Facebook and Youtube. Hindu graduates from the US, Canada, UK, India, and Australia took part in the event to commemorate their graduation by celebrating the values taught by Hinduism. The students belonged to several premier universities including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Princeton, and Stanford. The event primarily focused on timeless themes from Bhagavad Gita, Hindu prayers, symbolic conferral of degrees, besides recitation of graduation message from the Upanishads. The Grand Marshall of the ceremony was Professor Subhash Kak, an Indian-American computer scientist and recipient of the Padma Shri award in 2019. While reading out the names of the graduating students, he said, I exhort you the graduating students to be the leaders of the new world where education is less of the mind of a vessel to be filled with information (usually forgotten after the semester is over), and more of a flame that is lit as envisioned by our Vedic sages. No new date announced for talks that were scheduled to take place in Istanbul on Sunday and Monday. Russia and Turkey have postponed ministerial-level talks that were expected to focus on Libya and Syria, where the two countries support opposing sides in long-standing conflicts. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov decided to put off the talks during a phone call on Sunday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said. The two countries deputy ministers will continue contacts and talks in the period ahead. Minister-level talks will be held at a later date, the ministry said in a statement. Lavrov and Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu were to visit Istanbul for the discussions. This week, the United Nations said warring sides had begun new ceasefire talks in Libya, where Ankara supports the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), whose forces have in recent weeks repelled an assault on Tripoli by the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA). Moscow, along with the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, backs the LNA in the long-running Libyan conflict. Turkey has always said its political and military support will continue for the GNA, the only government it recognises, which is led by Fayez al-Sarraj. Diplomatic sources told Al Jazeera that the disagreement was on the appointment of Aguila Saleh as the new leader of a political settlement in Libya as proposed by Russia. While Turkey is understood to be in agreement with Salehs appointment, it wants him to remain a supportive figure to Sarraj and not his replacement. In the talks, the Russians were expected to offer to replace the LNAs commander, Khalifa Haftar, with Aguila Saleh, the representative of the Tobruk House of Representatives, as he is seen as in a position that would support the GNA and al-Sarraj, and could also be involved in the political settlement in Libya. In Syria, Russia supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assads forces, while Turkey backs opposition fighters. Although a Turkish-Russian brokered deal three months ago produced a ceasefire that halted fighting in northwest Syrias Idlib, air strikes have once again hit the region in the past week. Iranian paramilitary forces in Idlib were to be an issue discussed in Istanbul. Turkey has already expressed concerns and expectations regarding six significant locations where these forces are stationed. Military sources say that especially in the last three months, Iranian paramilitary forces have increased their fighter numbers near some Turkish observation posts in Idlib that was seen as a potential risk by Turkey. Additional reporting by Sinem Koseoglu in Istanbul JSW Cement has deferred its expansion plans by six to 12 months as well as plans of listing on the bourses. The company had earlier earmarked around Rs 2,900 crore to fund its expansion, namely brownfield and some other organic projects, to raise the installed capacity from around 14 million tonne per annum (mtpa) to 25 mtpa by 2023. Around 50 per cent of the capital outlay is being funded by debt and the rest from internal accruals. As a result of the current economic situation, our expansion plans are being deferred by six to 12 months. But these will happen for ... Hundreds of residents in Waterloo's biggest public housing blocks face an uncertain future after the state government split planning for its redevelopment of the inner Sydney estate into three precincts. The NSW Land and Housing Corporation has lodged plans with the City of Sydney Council to build 3000 units in towers up to 32 storeys at Waterloo South, which is being revamped alongside the future metro rail station. The government has lodged a lower-density plan than initially proposed for part of the Waterloo public housing estate. Credit:NSW government The government has spruiked revised plans to separate the 19-hectare site into three "sub-precincts" as an opportunity to transform the majority of the ageing estate with "new and better fit-for-purpose housing, retail and community facilities" and "access to more and better quality open space, including two new parks". But the rezoning proposal for Waterloo South has triggered concerns about the development and the provision of social housing in the later two stages of the project, Waterloo Central and Waterloo North. When you aint got nothin, you got nothin to lose. Bob Dylan Over the last two weeks, in the wake of the death of George Floyd, we are a nation seemingly adrift from our moral moorings. Mr. Floyds death has done what the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Ahmaud Arbery, Emmett Till, etc., could not: it has forced a vastly overdue conversation about violence by police, violence by citizens, and the root causes of poverty and racism in a land where, with our hands over our hearts, we swear allegiance to the idea that Americas liberty and justice is for all its people. The extent to which protest marchers are filling the streets of Americas cities is a measure of the frustrations of those, white and black, who can plainly see that the gap between what America promises and what it delivers is wide indeed. Watch closely, and youll see both the protesters and supportive pundits decrying a smorgasbord of social ills. But I suspect that the problems of law-bending police, generational poverty and systemic racism are all facets of the same problem: the naive belief among the average American haves that while we are not all financially equal, we all enjoy an equal opportunity to succeed in life. Then along comes several thousand peaceful, placard-waving protesters trying to teach us a different and more honest lesson. Its simply this: to be successful in America, you need more than a strong work ethic. You need an effective education, loving support, professional mentoring, and the confident expectation of your eventual success. This notion that we can achieve whatever we want, all by ourselves, whatever the obstacles, if we just want it bad enough is, and has always been, a myth. From time to time we all need wise counsel, warm encouragement, and a well-timed helping hand. But instead of a hand, we see large segments of our population, often defined by racial lines, generationally bound to a cyclical economic and social reality that cruelly reinforces the likely failure of individual achievement by sabotaging the steps to success. Across America, schools are not equal, resources are not equal, and families often struggle generationally under the weight of first-person patterns of underachievement and defeat at the hands of those who offer only smirking and condemnatory judgment instead of life changing, can-do support. Its true that some escape the poverty cycle. But their success does not prove that everyone else can do it tooanymore than Lebron James can tell kids that if they want it badly enough they can all be six-feet nine-inches tall. A few will. Most wont. Instead, children of color go to their largely underequipped and dilapidated schools where they are taught the all-American philosophies of hard work, decency and ultimate reward, but then return to their neighborhoods where they crash against the cliffs of institutional suspicion, societal indifference, and anticipated defeat. Over time it would do a number on anyones head. Even yours. You can disagree if you like, but Ive seen first-hand how the denial of true opportunity, enforced like a cudgel through generations, creates people who enter society feel beaten before they begin. The resulting psychological carnage on individuals and social groups is difficult to comprehend by those who have never been trapped in that particular cage. Which brings us back to Bob Dylanwhos right, by the way. When you aint got nothin, you got nothin to lose. We are now seeing, in ways that cant be ignored, what happens when those weve kept underfoot, either intentionally or through blissful ignorance, tell us that they will no longer accept anything less than Americas promisenot of equal possessions, but the promise of equal opportunity without the simultaneous denial of the tools to achieve it. So welcome to the revolution. Like all revolutions, this one will be messy and filled with clumsy and painful mistakes on both sides. And, like any revolution, it may ultimately fail. But were at a crossroads now, and we have a generationally rare opportunity to try and get it right. I have no idea if we will, but I know its a dream worthy of the best efforts of us all. Chris Huston is an author and award-winning columnist living in the Magic Valley. Connect with Chris on Facebook and Instagram at Chris Huston-Finding My Way and at chrishustonauthor.com. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 . The gesture of generosity has undeniably been visible in the public sphere when the novel coronavirus crisis is causing devastation to people. The act of generosity may be judged as an activity that has an inherent quality of being innocent; innocence on the grounds that it is not motivated by the politics of achieving personal or party interests. Thus, any efforts made by either an individual or organisations to support the most adversely affected people, particularly the migrant labourers at this moment, are considered to be conspicuously voluntary, and thus, beyond the sphere of narrow political inclinations. Arguably, it is the moral force that is constitutive of the virtue of generosity. It is the element of virtuosity that can possibly assign a distinct moral advantage of innocence to the act of generosity. Such a manifest gesture of generosity, however, has led to political debate, if not controversy, involving some of the spokespersons of the Government of Maharashtra. Doubts were cast about the innocence of such an act. Dion Dion DiMucci turns 81 next month. This month he released a new set of recordings titled Blues With Friends. The friends range from Jeff Beck and Joe Bonamassa to Paul Simon and Bruce Springsteen. I dont think Dion sounds like hes older than 45. He sounds like an artist in his prime. When I saw that the new disc was going to be released on June 5, I thought it might serve as the occasion for another installment of the special life in lockdown edition of this series. We can take a look back at an artist with an amazing career just for the sheer pleasure of the thing. Dions new disc gave Alan Paul something of the same idea. He seized on the recording to profile Dion for the Wall Street Journal yesterday in Dion still sings of America. Richie Unterberger provides the brief Allmusic overview of Dions career here. Dions career is of such length and breadth that I can do no more than touch on a few of its moments here this morning. Dions love of the blues brought me back to him 15 years ago. This post leans on his most recent work for that reason. Pauls Wall Street Journal profile takes us back to Dion on tour at age 18: In 1959, Dion was the fourth headliner on tour with Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson (the Big Bopper); Dion opted out of the plane ride that crashed and killed the other three because he couldnt justify the tickets cost of $36, the very amount that his parents paid in rent on their Bronx apartment. He was 18 when he returned home after the day the music died. Nobody much wanted to talk about it. There were no grief counselors in the Bronx in 1959, says Dion. I lived by instinct, though a priest did comfort me by saying that relationships dont end, that my friends were closer to the beatific vision and I should ask them to say a prayer for me. But the first way I dealt with that pain is I became a heroin addict. The addiction threw a monkey wrench into Dions career. Paul adds this Sunday morning element to Dions story: In 1968, shaken by the death by overdose of his fellow teen sensation Frankie Lymon, Dion completely reimagined his life. I got on my knees and said a prayer, and I havent had a drug or a drink since52 years, he says. Unbelievable. I just changed, and the Thomas Aquinas and Merton pieces fit together. It went from my head to my heart. I had a conversion experience, and I saw myself as a child of God instead of a rock star. I think Dions Runaround Sue may be the first single I ever bought. It was a number 1 hit in 1961. Dion wrote the song with Ernie Maresca. Reading around, I see that Dion explains: I recorded Runaround Sue with The Del-Satins and black musicians from the Apollo theater, Buddy Lucas on Sax, Sticks Evans on drums, Panama Francis on percussion, Teacho Wilshire on piano, Milt Hinton on bass, and Mickey Guitar Baker. ~ When Hollywood filmed [it] they use[d] all white actors playing musicians behind me, knowing the film wouldnt get played in the South at that time [if they they didnt do that]. Heres his story, sad but (allegedly) true. Dion was on his own road. Here is The Road Im On (Gloria) from 1964, written by Dion. I place it here just to provide some idea of the range of his work. Dion recorded Kickin Child with producer Tom Wilson at Columbia in 1965, but Columbia didnt see fit to release it. It sat in the can until 2017. Its nevertheless a great album, now with the tag The Lost Album 1965. I declare it the best album of 2017. Two Ton Feather is a highlight. I cant imagine how Dion must have felt when Columbia locked it away. Abraham, Martin and John marked the annus horribilis of 1968. The song was written by one Dick Holler and it wasnt Dions idea to record the song, but it was Dion who put the song over, big time. Dion looked back on his addictions in Your Own Back Yard. Its one of my two favorite message songs. The other is What the World Needs Now. Anyway, heres his story, sad but true. Dions first hits were of course with the Belmonts. This was doo wop, Bronx style. They reunited for a show in 1972 which opened in thrilling fashion. Written on the Subway Wall/Little Star turned up in 1989 on Dions album on Arista. It sounds like Mark Knopfler on the guitar fills and its definitely Paul Simon on the Little Star break. I returned to Dion with 2005s Bronx in Blue. I love the disc from beginning to end. You Better Watch Yourself follows up on Your Own Back Yard. This is the title track from 2007s Son of Skip James. Dion paid tribute to the era in which he came of age in 2008s Heroes: Giants of Early Guitar Rock. This is his respectful cover of Del Shannons Runaway. Dion released Tank Full of Blues in 2011. I have lifted Rides Blues (for Robert Johnson) from that set. Cant Go Back to Memphis from 2016s New York Is My Home pairs up nicely with the highlight of Dions new disc, with which I will sign off below this morning. Dions new disc, out this month, is Blues With Friends. Van Morrison and Joe Louis Walker are his friends on I Got Nothin. Dion and Van trade phrases like Sam and Dave. If I have it right, this is a helluva come on song in the form of a blues lament. Song for Sam Cooke (Here in America) is at the heart of the new disc. Paul Simon joins in. This is Dion. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal During Wednesdays Santa Fe City Council meeting, city officials lauded what they said were the many successes of the Midtown Emergency Shelter. Announced to the public March 30, the shelter was created in order to give those experiencing homelessness a place to isolate from the COVID-19 pandemic and prevent an outbreak among Santa Fes homeless population, using part of the Midtown campus purchased by the city after the Santa Fe University of Art and Design closed in 2018. The city recently hired a master developer for the 64-acre campus for what Mayor Alan Webber has called a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build an urban center on the site that has the potential to change the City Different forever. This is where the rubber meets the road, Councilor Jamie Cassutt-Sanchez said during the meeting. This is what this should be looking like, not just in a COVID world, but also when were looking at homelessness as a whole. As of last week, 60 people were living at the shelter, nine of whom are in a COVID-positive building. Public Works Director Regina Wheeler, one of the shelters directors, said a reduction in traffic to local hospitals and providing housing for residents have been among the largest benefits of the shelter. But for some staff members working on the front lines in the shelter, things arent so rosy. They say conditions at the shelter are unsafe and operations there suffer from poor management. So far, shelter employees have filed two human resources complaints against Wheeler. Copies of the complaints obtained by the Journal detail unsafe working conditions in the shelter and allege Wheeler has inappropriately spent city funds while serving as director. Multiple staff members at the shelter told the Journal drug use, theft and physical threats to employees have become all too common since the facility opened. They also said management has often ignored some of the issues they face. Were at risk of a lot of things, said Charlene Sandoval, an employee at the shelter. Like many others working at the shelter, Sandoval worked previously at a different city department and was furloughed for 16 hours a week due to the citys budget shortfall. Workers were offered the opportunity to work at the shelter to decrease the number of furloughed hours. Nearly half the staff worked previously in city libraries, while others came from courts, parks, youth services and the fire department. And while some have prior experience working with homeless people, every employee interviewed said they have not received any training since the shelter opened. They shouldve trained us better, Sandoval said, adding some employees dont know how to interact with homeless people in crisis. The lack of training, Sandoval said, has also exacerbated the lack of security at the shelter. Employees said there is no security in the building during the day, only a guard in a car patrolling the entire Midtown campus. On one occasion, they allege, two former residents came to the campus and physically attacked other residents. Another man who had previously made threats to staff members arrived with a knife in his waistband, employees said. One of the complaints states that employees have been sexually harassed or stalked by residents, and had reported the incidents to Wheeler. Sandoval said one resident would repeatedly make inappropriate comments to her while drunk. Wheeler said she was not aware of any instances of sexual harassment. The lack of security also led to an increase in the presence of drugs at the campus, employees said. While Wheeler said illegal drugs have been found on one occasion, employees said the use, purchase and sale of drugs have become a regular feature of the shelter. One employee said they had found multiple needles, small baggies of methamphetamine and other types of narcotics. A resident accidentally poked herself with a loaded heroin needle located in a donated jacket, multiple employees and Wheeler said. Residents have also used cellphones, provided to them by the city, to purchase and sell drugs, employees said. But while drug use has proliferated, employees say Wheeler has not allowed them to police the shelter for drugs. Wheeler denied this was the case. Sandoval said the shelter lacks any supplies needed in the event of an overdose. Being that we do have these types of individuals here, we should have a defibrillator and Narcan, she said. We dont have either here. Wheeler said naloxone, also known as Narcan, will be provided once staff are trained to use it. Along with drugs, thefts have become increasingly common. Employees and Wheeler said a television, a Mac laptop and multiple cellphones were stolen from the property. Staff members said the thefts initially went unreported, but Wheeler said she did report them. Keys to the building were also stolen, according to employees who said Wheeler was initially hesitant to change locks. We did lose track of a set of keys and we dont know what happened to them, Wheeler said, adding locks were later changed for unrelated reasons. Wheeler also acknowledged she initially purchased cigarettes for residents at the shelter so they would stay quarantined, but she is not buying them any more. They couldnt leave the property to get cigarettes, so in order to succeed at reducing the COVID spread in the community, cigarettes were provided during the quarantine period, she said. She said she does not know how much money was spent on cigarettes, but some employees said it amounted to thousands of dollars. Multiple staff members also alleged Wheeler purchased alcohol for residents, some of whom are alcoholics. Wheeler said she never bought alcohol for residents, but she did once buy beer for herself while purchasing supplies for residents. There was beer on one of my receipts at one time, but it was an inadvertent purchase, she said, adding she used her personal credit card. One complaint sent to the city includes a letter to Wheeler found by staff. The letter was written by a former resident to Wheeler and includes $200 in cash. Here is something for the house, the letter reads. If I should obtain more in the future, I will be sure to help out. Wheeler said the man writing the letter had wanted to pay the city back for housing and food, and that the money was eventually returned. She said she received the letter only when the citys human resources department gave it to her. Staff members said some residents have benefitted from their time at the shelter, and have secured housing and job interviews. But they also said the negatives greatly outweigh the positives, with one employee calling the shelter the states largest trap house. Sandoval said theyll be able to provide better services to those living in the shelter once conditions and management improve. I want it to be happy and safe for myself, my workers and some of these people deserve it, too, Sandoval said. The City Council is currently considering funding the shelter on a more permanent basis, partially using federal funds provided through the CARES Act. France will reopen its borders with other European countries at midnight on Monday after three months of travel restrictions intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The big picture: The European Commission has recommended countries in the Schengen Area lift internal border restrictions by Monday and eliminate some essential travel requirements. But several countries that border regions with hot spots are exercising more caution, AP reports. France and Germany will begin to allow visitors from outside of Europe July 1 depending on a country's health status. Those traveling from the U.K. must self-quarantine for 14 days. will begin to allow visitors from outside of Europe July 1 depending on a country's health status. Those traveling from the U.K. must self-quarantine for 14 days. Austria will reopen Tuesday to all of Europe except Spain, Portugal, Sweden and the U.K. It will also maintain a travel warning for Italy's Lombardy region, the site of Europe's original outbreak. will reopen Tuesday to all of Europe except Spain, Portugal, Sweden and the U.K. It will also maintain a travel warning for Italy's Lombardy region, the site of Europe's original outbreak. Spain will reopen its borders with all Schengen Area countries besides Portugal on June 22. The Portugal border will reopen on July 1. will reopen its borders with all Schengen Area countries besides Portugal on June 22. The Portugal border will reopen on July 1. The U.K. has a 14-day quarantine requirement for most arrivals. has a 14-day quarantine requirement for most arrivals. Denmark will only allow tourists from Germany, Norway and Iceland who are staying for a minimum of six nights. will only allow tourists from Germany, Norway and Iceland who are staying for a minimum of six nights. Norway and Sweden have not made plans to reopen yet. Of note: French President Emmanuel Macron said in a national address Sunday that all bars and restaurants would be able to fully reopen across the country, celebrating what he called France's "first victory" against the virus. Go deeper: India reports record infection increase Ukraine's armed forces eliminated three enemy troops, according to intelligence reports. Russia's hybrid military forces mounted 15 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donbas on June 13, as a result of which one member of Ukraine's Joint Forces was killed and another two were wounded. Enemy troops used proscribed 122mm artillery systems, 120mm and 82mm mortars, as well as grenade launchers of various systems, heavy machine guns, and rifles, the press center of the Joint Forces Operation Headquarters said in a morning update on Sunday, June 14. Read alsoOne Ukrainian soldier wounded amid 12 enemy attacks in Donbas on June 12 Ukrainian troops fired back to suppress the attacks. Ukraine's armed forces eliminated three and wounded at least two enemy troops, according to intelligence reports. From 00:00 to 07:00 Kyiv time on June 14, Russian armed formations attacked Ukrainian positions near the village of Luhanske in the Pivnich (North) sector three times. They used 120mm mortars, cannons installed on infantry fighting vehicles, as well as grenade launchers, and heavy machine guns. No Ukrainian army casualties have been reported since Sunday midnight. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been in their LA mansion for a few months only but are now being joined in with Meghan's mom Doria Ragland. Is this a good thing or Prince Harry is likely to feel suffocated? Not that the mansion is too small for them or anything, but still. Doria is now a hands-on grandma to baby Archie after a source revealed that she moved in with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to lend her babysitting prowess. Since mom-in-laws in general can be difficult for couples who want their independence, one cannot help but wonder if Prince Harry is feeling the blues. According to the source however, this is unlikely since not only does Doria has her own quarters, but she and Prince Harry actually has a good relationship. A few of Harry's friends are reportedly teasing him about this new arrangement but the Duke is said to have a "brilliant" relationship with his mom-in-law, so everything's all good. Meghan Markle can be particularly happy with the situation since the plan was to be in her mom's life when they moved to LA. However, because they relocated to Los Angeles in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, that plan did not push through. As they practiced distancing in the past few months, they did not get much chance to spend time with each other. They only finally got to spend time together on Mother's Day. While Meghan Markle's sour relationship with her dad was heavily publicized, she and her mom reportedly had a very strong and close relationship. A source once told People magazine that Meghan Markle's heart to help others stemmed from her mom. "Meghan didn't have much when she was a child, but her mum made sure they always gave back," the source at the time, revealed. Another source told the Mail that Meghan perceives her mother as her rock - someone she can trust wholeheartedly. The source added that Meghan does not trust many people outside her own family and some friends. Before this alleged move, Doria was living in LA already, since she has own property at the popular LA areas - View Park, Windsor Hills. How close is Prince Harry and mom-in law Doria, really? Recently, a source revealed that they are so close that Prince Harry would choose to consult with Doria about Meghan's behavior whenever they bicker as a couple. According to the insider, Meghan can sometimes be too much for Prince Harry to handle. She does not like that he's too happy-go-lucky and cannot stand his laidback fashion sense. She wants him to do more, more, and more, and even blames him for how her Hollywood dreams are stalling. Reportedly, Prince Harry goes to Doria for tips because the mother just knows her daughter's best. Doria and Harry are even becoming the best of friends. Whether the allegations about the fights compelling Prince Harry to approach his mom-in-law are true or not, it's impossible to say. At least he and his mom-in-law has a decent relationship, which is a mean feat these days. By Express News Service COIMBATORE: A 50-year-old woman from Bommanampalayam village near Vadavalli in Coimbatore who was tested positive for coronavirus recently allegedly hid her travel history to Chennai. An investigation revealed that she had stayed in Chennai for a week and returned to Coimbatore, police said, adding that she was not infected by community spread. The woman's 27-year-old son, a private bank employee, too recently returned to the village from Chennai. He too was tested positive for the virus. Further, her 23-year-old daughter, who is eight-months pregnant, was also tested positive after she developed symptoms. Taking note of the three cases in a single family, district health department suspected the youth to be the source. The department also set up a mobile medical unit to screen all Bommanampalayam villagers. Meanwhile, Vadavalli police formed a team to find out the source. The team found that the youth's mother was in Chennai between May 28 and June 5. It has been proven in mobile tower location tracking, police said, adding that she hid the travel history. "The youth and his mother both had a separate travel history to Chennai and were infected there. We have suggested health department officials to recommend initiation of legal action on the woman," said a police official. The official added that the team is trying to ascertain the travel history of the pregnant woman too. "If she does not have a travel history, then it will be confirmed that she contracted the virus from either her brother or her mother," the official said. When asked, Deputy Director of Health Service G Ramesh Kumar said there was no necessity for police to seek permission from the health department. "They can register a case under provisions of Epidemic Diseases Act, Tamil Nadu Public Health Act and IPC sections. We have issued notices to two persons for allegedly hiding their travel history," he said. Thats because, despite the mural she commissioned on 16th Street NW declaring Black Lives Matter, D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowsers (D) proposed budget does nothing to change the police departments role. In fact, Ms. Bowser would increase the departments budget by $18.5 million, exacerbating over-policing in the District while suggesting cuts to violence-prevention programs. If actions are worth more than words, where can D.C. residents see just how much black lives matter in the budget? The D.C. Council will be debating the budget in the next two weeks, with a crucial hearing on the police departments slice of the pie on Monday. The councils decision will signal whether our city will continue along the same failing path or move forward a bold vision that prioritizes a public health approach to address the root causes of community violence and makes significant investments in violence prevention, housing, health care, education and jobs. By Azernews By Laman Ismayilova Coronavirus is continuing its spread across the world with millions of confirmed cases. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic on March 11. Many countries, including Azerbaijan, united their efforts to slow down the rate and the number of new coronavirus infections. COVID-19 pandemic requires comprehensive action to protect children's safety, well-being and futures. In his interview with Azernews, UNICEF Representative to Azerbaijan Edward Carwardine provided insight into the measures carried by the organization to protect children during coronavirus pandemic. "A big part of our work is really going back to the beginning of the pandemic in March and has been around raising public awareness and knowledge about the virus. Particularly, in the basic information about how families can keep themselves save, how they can prevent the risk of transmission, hygiene information and so on. With the support of USAID, we have been doing that through online communication, using social media platforms with a lot of creative public information messages. We are also working with our local partners in communities to get information directly to families to keep raising awareness and knowledge amongst the public about the virus and how to reduce the risk of it being transmitted," Mr . Carwardine said. "Over the last few months, we have reached literally millions of people through various communication initiatives. I would like to say that at this point this is very important. Coronavirus is still a real thread even in Azerbaijan. Risk is still very high and we could all see that a number of cases had not come down and not reduced yet. I think that it is very important to remind the public that we all have individual responsibility to follow the guideline, to keep our good hygiene practices and practice social distancing when we are in public, to wear the face masks in public areas and also to reduce and minimize our interaction with other people. Our message is right much now that it if it is not necessary to go to crowded places like shopping malls, restaurants, then please do not go. We are encouraging people still to stay at home as much as they can even though it is difficult and to reduce social contacts. This is the only way we are going to start seeing a reduction in a number of coronavirus cases," he said. UNICEF Representative to Azerbaijan also touched upon the challenges that can possibly await the country this summer. "Summer is here and people want to be outside, they want to be enjoying time with their friends and families. But if we do not follow the guidance has being given by the government and the health officials then during the summer it is going to be even difficult. We are worrying that people would not be able to have a good summer; they would not go up to the beaches, parks and into the recreation centers if coronavirus continues to increase in the country. So, our message right now is please, keep following these important measures and let`s protect ourselves and hopefully we will soon see the coronavirus behind us," Mr. Carwardine said. UNICEF has been responding to the epidemic of COVID-19 around the world in many ways in Azerbaijan including providing support to families who are living under the quarantine regulations. "For example, we have been providing a lot of advising guidance to families on how they can keep their children active, healthy at whether at home and outside. With support from the European Union we have been providing a lot of support around education, particularly for children of younger age under five by providing materials, activities, guidance and advices to parents on how to keep that children learning at home. And it is extremely important during the months we are living under the tightened lockdown. We are also providing psychological support to families because we know it is difficult to be at home for a long period of time with your kids, when they are not at school or kindergarten. We have been working with child psychologists, providing online webinars, online briefing, taking questions and giving advices to parents on how to manage the situation with the children," the UNICEF representative said. "The other thing we have been doing around education is really developing some very good TV programs with the Ministry of Education for children of preschool age. In the last month, there have been more than hundred thousand children that have been able to benefit from these programs which are broadcast on two TV channels through the week. We are also developing online platforms and even cell phone apps to provide advices, guidance, practical tools and resources to parents around early learning and early child development. We hope that schools will eventually re-open and we want to make sure that there are save places when children do go back. Now we just started working with child psychologists in school sectors to provide them with the right information and skills to be able to help children go back to the classrooms because it may not be easy for all of them to just go back straight into the classrooms," he added. Moreover, UNICEF Baku office has been implementing a number of youth programmes around COVID-19. "We have a quite popular basic life skills programme that was running before the crisis. And we ran that through network of youth houses around the country providing training to young people on things like communication, confidence and leadership skills. We have actually been moved that programme into online format so the young people can continue to take part even if it is physically hard to go to the training centers that they went before. We are able to reach more young people and now we have youngsters from educational centers also participating in this programme using online platforms," the UNICEF representative said. UNICEF Baku offices also successfully cooperates with the Nation Youth Foundation, which has been working directly with young people again using online platforms to really help young people to be active under the quarantine period providing them with resources on how to be motivated and active and home. "We are also encouraging young people and helping them to play a part in supporting their own families, for example, on how they can protect their younger siblings, to take out some of the pressure from parents during the last few months. I think it is very important that we recognize that the crisis has a really big impact on vulnerable families, those ones who have already facing difficulties before the pandemic. For example, families where there is just one parent, families who have children with disabilities or families where the income is very low. Before the crisis we have a successful social work programme in a number of districts and we have been able to continue that programme with social workers, continuing to support families but instead of doing it face to face now using phone, messaging, platforms to maintain contact with these vulnerable families and keep providing them with support and guidance on how to go through this difficult period," Mr. Carwardine said. "In addition to that, again, using some of our local partners like the Regional Development Public Union (RiiB), ASAN volunteers we have been providing food and hygiene packages now to about thousand families for a couple of months to help those families who are struggling the most. And we are supporting national helplines that is taking an increasing number of calls from the families facing difficulties and also from children who have concerns and worries about the virus. We have been providing support to these helplines so they have the right information, guidance in order to support these people calling and seeking assistance. That is just a summary of some many things that we are involved in and our work will continue until we feel confident that the thread of coronavirus is behind," he added. Speaking about new programmes in Azerbaijan, Mr. Carwardine stressed that over this year a lot of work has been shifted in focus because of coronavirus. "We are doing a lot of work right now directly related to COVID-19 situation. But, of course, we are trying to maintain as best we can our regular programmes. We hopefully want that the virus is behind us and we will able to turn to our programmes things like early childhood development, nutrition support for parents and work we have been doing about promoting inclusive education for children with disabilities and so on," he said. Edward Carwardine also praised the country`s new children strategy recently approved by the government. "There has been a new development in country which is really exciting. And we actually guide our work a month ahead. On Children Protection Day, His Excellency President Ilham Aliyev issued a new decree introducing a national children strategy in Azerbaijan, which sets out a plan for the next ten years on how to strengthen the legal framework for children to protect their rights, to strengthen social protection of vulnerable families and support things like early childhood development, how to invest in more early detection of disabilities amongst children so they can be provided with a better care and support and looking on things like children participation, how they can be active in the community. Now we are working closely with the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs to turn that strategy into a plan with very clear actions that identify the policy and legal development, legislation development, Mr. Carwardine said. We are also looking for new programmes, new services that can translate this strategy into a real action and results for children. And through that work we are also working with government to look at what the cost of that work is going to be, so we can be clear about what investments needed by the government and non-government organizations, international partners, private sector and this strategy does not remain just a piece of paper. That is going to be a big part of our work in areas like education, early childhood development, health and nutrition, social service development, youth and adolescent development. As we work on that plan, we will start development a new focus on working years ahead. Next year, we officially begin a new five-year programme here in Azerbaijan. That programme is now being discussed with our government. It should be finalized next few months and it has already set out a vision plan for UNICEF for the coming five years and a lot of that will be linked with national strategy announced by the president," he added. Edward Carwardine highly appreciated the work done by Azerbaijani government in fight against coronavirus. "The government has done a lot of work in raising people`s awareness and understanding, trying to support those who are affected by the virus in terms of the healthcare, in terms of the testing programme that has been expanded enormously last few months as well as in social assistance, help that has been providing to vulnerable families. As you know, social assistance payments are increased and expanded because the government recognized that some people would be economically affected by the virus and quarantine measures. Also, the creation of these additional public center jobs for a people who are becoming unemployed as a result of the virus. I think there has been a lot of very good work recognized across the region and globally. Azerbaijan has really made effort to contain virus," Mr. Carwardine said. UNICEF Representative to Azerbaijan calls upon public to practice good hygiene and physical distancing and follow the rules for public gatherings. "The fact is that the virus is still with us. We cannot be relaxed about the situation. We all must now take personal responsibility to keep ourselves save, to keep those around us save. I want re-emphasize again a message which comes through government and much supported by UNICEF: People need to follow the measures that means keeping at least one metre distance, wearing face masks in public places, public transport, shopping centers, supermarkets, restaurants. It also means minimizing the amount of time you are spending in crowded places. That is where a risk of catching the virus is the greatest is. So, I would say to parents and families, if you go to the shopping mall or a supermarket where people are not wearing face masks, go to another one where people are following the guidance. If you go to restaurants or tea shops and tables are too close to each other less than one metre, go to another shop or restaurant. Do not put yourself at risk! And to those who are the managers and the owner of these businesses, they also need to ensure these regulations. There are simple things we all can do but they will make a difference. And if we all follow this guidance, take it seriously we will come out of this. The virus will be behind us. Hopefully we will have an enjoyable and pleasant summer ahead of us," Mr. Carwardine concluded. The year 2020 is sure to dominate history books of the future with a pandemic that killed hundreds of thousands, followed by what some are calling an overdue racial reckoning concerning police work that will equal the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. In Trenton, add in an apparent out-of-control spree of public gun killings before the midpoint of the year. Its had 15 murders so far, a number the Capital City often finishes the entire year with. And one more thing: the riot. Of all the peaceful protests in New Jersey after the death of George Floyd there have been over 100 - one of Trentons turned violent May 31, when marauders and looters descended on a few blocks downtown, smashed windows and set a police car on fire. Trenton Police Director Sheilah Coley discusses a shooting that injured two children, Wed. June 3, 2020. At left is Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora.(Photo by Brian McCarthy) All of it leads to Police Director Sheilah Coley, who sometime in late April passed her one year mark at the helm of the department. In the past few weeks, police officers have been complaining about how she handled the May 31 violence, and some residents are grumbling online that she should step down or be fired. Not going to happen, Coley said. I do not intend to abandon the city, she told NJ Advance Media Monday. (And firing? Not going to happen either, Mayor Reed Gusciora said. Shes got his full support and confidence, he said.) Coley, personally, has had a difficult few months too. She revealed for the first time she tested positive for the coronavirus in March, which she described as frightening. She had no symptoms, despite the positive test, she said. Shes proud of how the department continues to navigate the pandemic, she said, from at times quarantining themselves (several officers also tested positive), to maintaining their vigilance during the uncertainty. We have great opportunities here, and we will work harder, she said. Shes looking forward. As for the May 31 riot, she bristles that the city was caught with its pants down. Coley did acknowledge that the city suffered a lack of intelligence that day. As has been reported, the protest that day in the city was peaceful, even though a group of protesters split off from a main march and gathered at the Trenton Police Department. That went well too, with officers kneeling in solidarity with the crowd. But, as Coley said, as darkness descended on the city, a smaller group, of about 100, were intent on violence and it erupted like a flash mob. We believe this was a planned event that we were not privy to, she said. Investigations into the incident found planning on social media, she said. Even with all their policing partners, like the county sheriffs office and New Jersey State Police, Coleys not sure that 20 to 30 officers on every corner could have stopped the May 31 violence. To be clear, she said: People have a right to voice their opinions and exercise their rights, but they do not have the right to destroy property. Police have made over two dozen arrests from the incident, and federal authorities have charged a man caught on video who they allege was trying to set a city police car on fire that night. And the state police publicized photos recently of a man wanted for breaking windows at a business during the rioting. The department has since put a plan into place for protests, and Coley said its working. This past Sunday, June 7, during another protest, officers intercepted intelligence that violent acts were planned and made arrests of people carrying equipment. She declined to elaborate, citing an ongoing investigation, but said the protest was peaceful. As for the violent crime in the city, and 15 homicides, Coley said police departments planned for pandemic crime, like anticipated domestic violence increases due to the stay-at-home order. But theres no way we could have known that some of the other violence could have occurred, she said. What she knows is that 2019 was trending downward into 2020 for violent crime, and statistics kept by the state police show this. And shes not sure if 2020 will be worse than 2019. But if it is, she will battle it. Coley said police are targeting some known offenders to combat the current scourge of violent crime, and some other different techniques, but did not offer specifics. Coley said yes, crime during the pandemic has been tough with 13 homicides, countless shootings and the recent wounding of a child by gunfire but she spent over 25 years in Newark, and 2020 has been just a flash in the pan for her. Shes a believer in judging someone by their body of their work, not a small sample in time. As for social media, she said, she does not pay much attention, because if you embrace the positive there, you must embrace the negative. And I choose my time to focus on the job, and make residents as safe as I can, she said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. An Action Hero: Ayushmann Khurrana is now joined by Jaideep Ahlawat as they kickstart shoot in London The US Secret Service on Saturday has reported that an agency employee used pepper spray on the anti-racism protesters on June 1 to clear the Lafayette Square ahead of President Donald Trumps photo-op at a local church. Released information stating the agency had concluded that no agency personnel used tear gas or capsicum spray during efforts to secure the area near Lafayette Park on Monday, June 1, based on the records and information available at the time. Since that time, the agency has learned that one agency employee used capsicum spray (i.e., pepper spray) during that effort, CNN quoted the statement released by the Secret Service. It further read: The employee utilized oleoresin capsicum spray, or pepper spray, in response to an assaultive individual. Trump had faced widespread criticism after he stood outside St John church in Washington for minutes holding a Bible in his right hand on Monday just after police cleared his route from protesters demonstrating peacefully using tear gas and flash grenades. Also Read: US sanctions over Hong Kong security law may worsen Chinas US dollar shortage In video footage obtained by the New York Times on Monday before Trump headed to the church, protesters can be seen fleeing as flash grenades ignite and tear gas fills the street despite the fact that the demonstration had been peaceful. The last couple of weeks saw worldwide protests demanding justice for George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American, who died shortly after a police officer knelt on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds For all the latest World News, download NewsX App A not-for-profit association based in Nova Scotia says rural communities may need to take matters into their own hands if they want better internet service. "You can't count on private companies to step forward and do it," said Terry Dalton, president and co-founder of a group called i-Valley, which describes itself as a movement to create "smart" communities. The pandemic has highlighted deficiencies in internet service in many rural areas. People who live in communities from Mispec to Titusville, all within 40 km east of Saint John, signed a petition that was presented to the legislature in recent days asking for fibre optic internet. "There's high demand for teachers, students and the general workforce to be able to work from home," said Hampton MLA Gary Crossman, when he introduced the petition. "The current internet service is not sufficient to be able to support these residents at this time." Crossman said he had added his name to the petition's 642 other signatures. CIRA Big telecom companies usually aren't interested in building new broadband or wireless infrastructure in sparsely populated areas, said Dalton. "And you can't blame them." "They are a private company trying to make money." Shareholders are looking for investments that offer returns within three to five years, said Dalton. "If you take a long term view no different than a road or a water project of any flavour then you can do it with a good return to the community in a 10, 20, 30-year period." Dalton said in most cases municipalities have the financial means to go it alone. The Valley Regional Enterprise Network Once their fibre optic network is built, they can rent it out to service providers. That's the kind of project Dalton's association has been working on in the municipality of Pictou County in Nova Scotia. The municipality approved $11 million in funding earlier this year, according to its website, for the first phase of a project to set up high-speed internet in four small communities. Story continues "The Municipality of Pictou County wants to become the first rural community in Canada to create its own high-speed network, which will generate funds for the municipality." It's aiming to enable 1GB download speed for fibre connections and meet the requirements for wireless. i-Valley says part of its role is to try to win government funding, although Pictou says it has had trouble getting any from the Nova Scotia government. Municipality of Pictou County A consortium led by Nova Communications was chosen to perform the engineering planning and network construction for Pictou. Dalton said i-Valley works with eight different companies on aspects including design and GIS mapping. i-Valley is looking to work with some New Brunswick communities too, including Belledune. The village received a "cold call" from Nova Communications about it, said CAO Landen Lee. Lee acknowledged that some parts of the village are still on dial-up, and residents have on occasion approached council asking whether anything could be done about it. He said village council has just begun to look at the proposal. High-flying City dealmaker Amanda Staveley claims she was put under pressure by a Barclays boss to donate millions to George Clooneys Darfur charity out of her earnings from helping rescue the bank in the financial crisis. Miss Staveley, 47, says in court documents that then-Barclays executive Roger Jenkins, 64, pressed her to use her fees from the 7 billion Barclays deal to make a donation towards a 10,000-a-head charity fundraiser in Mayfair. The financier, who was labelled a foxy blonde and a tart by Barclays bosses, has also accused executives at the bank of sexism and misogyny. High-flying City dealmaker Amanda Staveley (pictured) claims she was put under pressure by a Barclays boss to donate millions to George Clooneys Darfur charity out of her earnings from helping rescue the bank in the financial crisis The star-studded bash was held at Mr Jenkins flat to raise money for Hollywood star George Clooneys humanitarian charity Not On Our Watch and was attended by the likes of actors Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson and model Cindy Crawford. The party, organised by Mr Jenkins socialite wife Diana, is at the centre of a power struggle that played out between Miss Staveley and Mr Jenkins as they fought for months to save the bank while its share price fell through the floor. Miss Staveley, who once dated Prince Andrew, claims Mr Jenkins used the gala to lure her powerful Middle Eastern contact Sheikh Mansour and cut her out of the Barclays rescue deal. In the court documents, she says Mr Jenkins initially asked her to make a donation at their first meeting to discuss the Barclays rescue at his Mayfair townhouse on October 23, 2008. She says he then pressed the issue on a number of telephone calls. Newcastle fans fury at liar jibe Angry Newcastle fans complained to the presiding judge when they overheard a member of the Barclays legal team saying Amanda Staveley was obviously a liar after she gave evidence. Miss Staveley and Saudi Arabias sovereign wealth fund are in talks to buy Newcastle United and fans have plugged into the live feed to watch the case. They told the judge they overheard comments from the court after Staveley left the witness stand. In an email, one fan told the court: I find this pretty scandalous to pass comments like this publicly incredibly unprofessional. Barclays legal team at Simmons and Simmons was forced to read out an apology in court on Friday. Advertisement In her witness statement, Miss Staveleysays: He said something about his forthcoming fundraiser party on December 4 and said words to the effect of: There is over 100 million in fees coming to you, how about you spare a couple of million for Darfur? I said to Mr Jenkins at some point that I would make a donation of $1 million (for some reason, it was in US dollars), mainly to get him to stop going on about it but also because I thought it was a good cause and I would have the money to pay a substantial donation in due course. There is no suggestion that Mr Clooney knew about the discussions between Miss Staveley and Mr Jenkins. The allegations are the latest in an explosive case at Londons High Court that has shone a light on the drama of City deal-making at the height of the financial crisis. Miss Staveley is suing Barclays for 1.6 billion claiming she was denied hundreds of millions in fees that went to other investors. She made 30 million for securing a 3.5 billion investment from Abu Dhabi royalty, but later discovered Qatari investors pocketed 346 million. Barclays has rejected the claims as misconceived and without merit. Miss Staveley claims Mr Jenkins repeatedly tried to secure a direct line to Sheikh Mansour during the deal so he could dispose of her. There is no suggestion that Mr Clooney (pictured with Amal Clooney) knew about the discussions between Miss Staveley and Mr Jenkins The financier says she eventually granted the bank direct access to Sheikh Mansour when she felt her position was secure, but never divulged his telephone number. She says she contacted the Sheikh while he was getting into a helicopter in the desert in Kazakhstan, and arranged for him to speak to Barclays chief executive John Varley for about one minute on October 31, 2008. Barclays also tried to get Miss Staveley to disclose the Sheikhs mobile number while they were gathering evidence for the case, her witness statement says. In another twist, Miss Staveley also says she thought Barclays needed her help to survive the financial crisis because it wanted to avoid a taxpayer bailout due to its tax affairs. Barclays investment banking arm and some of the tax structuring they did would not be viewed as appropriate or acceptable for a bank in UK taxpayer ownership, she claims. She says she believed Barclays banker Richard Boath referred to Mr Jenkins a former head of the tax division at Barclays investment bank as Roger the dodger on a telephone call. I had done some research on Mr Jenkins and had heard that he was well-known for tax structures that pushed the boundaries, she said. He was also said to be one of the highest paid executives at the bank. The case continues. - ASAP Natin To is finally on air again after its production was halted due to previous quarantine measures - The Sunday variety program is back to showcasing studio performances on June 14 with a star-studded lineup - Multiple trending topics related to the shows comeback also landed spots on Twitter - ASAP Natin 'To will air every Sunday at 11:30 a.m. on pay television channels owned and operated by ABS-CBN PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed ASAP Natin To is finally on air again after its production was halted for few months in compliance with previous quarantine measures. The Sunday variety program is back to showcasing studio performances on June 14 with a star-studded lineup that included Sarah Geronimo, Regine Velasquez, Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Piolo Pascual and more. Multiple topics related to the shows comeback also landed spots on Twitter's trending topics in the Philippines and worldwide. These topics are, #ASAPNatinTo, iWantASAP, #iWANTASAPisback, #SarahGeronimo, Sarah G. Day, Queen Regine, martin nievera, Erik Santos, Piolo, Papa P, ASAPComeback WithMAYMAY, Queen Regine ASAP Concert, DONNY PambansangLaBAE, MAYWARDIsBack OniWantASAP, #DreamOniWantASAP, #iWantASAP WithDARREN, Darren Espanto, ASIAS PHOENIX MORISSETTE, ASAPFearlessComeback JONA, Tala, and AsapReturnsWith KLARISSE. PAY ATTENTION: Shop with KAMI! The best offers and discounts on the market, product reviews and feedback "Salamat sa pagtutok mga kapamilya! Na-miss namin kayo!!!" it said on the show's official social media accounts. ASAP Natin 'To will air on Sundays at 11:30 a.m. on Jeepney TV and Kapamilya Channel (Sky Cable Channel 8 on SD and Channel 167 on HD, Cable Link Channel 8, G-Sat Direct TV Channel 2, and PCTA member cable operators). PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! In a previous report by KAMI, Vice Ganda and the rest of the hosts of ABS-CBN's noontime program It's Showtime are back to entertain people on Saturday, June 13. ASAP, rebranded as ASAP Natin 'To, is the longest-running, multi-awarded and top-rating Sunday musical variety show on Philippine television. It showcases ABS-CBN's best and the brightest artists and world-class performers. Please like and share our amazing Facebook posts to support the KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinions about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts and views on different matters! Source: KAMI.com.gh Pixabay Islamabad: Pakistan, one of the key South Asian nations that is fighting a serious COVID-19 outbreak, is still witnessing forced conversion of minority girls even at this hour of health crisis. According to media reports, the country witnessed seven such incidents recently. At least 1,000 non-Muslim girls are forcibly converted to Islam in the country annually, according to a Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) report. Many of these girls belong to the Hindu community in Sindh, where most of Pakistans eight million Hindus live, reports The Spectator. Locals claim that such abductions are so common they affect 'every other family', with a vast majority of those targeted underage. Some victims are as young as 12 years old, reports the British magazine. Despite such incidents, the country still lacks a law dedicated to curtailing the relentless spree of forced conversions. Two such bills, tabled in 2016 and then 2019, were shot down. Among other clauses, the bills demanded that the minimum age for changing ones religion be set to 18 years, jail terms be sanctioned for anyone guilty of coercion, and a 21-day period in a safe house be mandated for the person seeking conversion to ensure that the decision has been taken out of free will, reports The Spectator. Turning down the first bill against forced conversion, former Sindh governor Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui, had said as quoted by the magazine: 'When Hazrat Ali [the fourth caliph in Sunni sect, and the first imam for the Shia] can convert to Islam at a young age [9 years], why cant Hindu girls?' Even though Pakistan managed to finally pass legislation against child marriage last year, courts continue to allow forced conversion and marriage of underage girls in blatant defiance of the law. This is especially true in Sindh where the Child Marriages Restraint Act has been in place since 2013. "Presiding over this grim situation is Imran Khan, who has spent much of his energy extricating Islamophobia around the world. "He would be well advised to note that Pakistans treatment of dissenting Muslim voices and the wrong kind of Muslims is arguably more Islamophobic than many of the countries he accuses of the same," The Spectator reports. Indeed his backers, the all-powerful Pakistan Army, have had a leading role in the countrys Islamisation. Khans political opponents have similarly been complicit, with even the self-proclaimed liberal Pakistan Peoples Party doing little to distance itself from individuals orchestrating forced conversions in Sindh, the magazine said. As the harness racing industry attempts to adapt to a new normal, one can argue that during this time it has been difficult to stay optimistic. With racing slowing resuming across the nation, a shimmer of hope has shone through many training centres across the country. As harness racing in Alberta prepares to make its post COVID-19 debut at The Track On 2, trainer-driver Nathan Sobey is looking forward to the return to racing, along with a couple of other changes in his life. In recent seasons, Sobey has put forth personal bests as both a trainer and a driver. In 2019, Sobey drove 92 horses to victory for $575,403 in purses while conditioning 42 winners and earning $256,138 in purses. The young teamster admits that racing in Western Canada isn't always the easiest place to get started. When you race in Alberta there's no such thing as just being a catch driver, Sobey told Trot Insider. You have to kind of train and drive your own stable. So how does a young horseman who is getting the ball rolling in this industry handle a global pandemic occurring and shutting everything down? When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, and Sobey has had to adapt to these changing times both in terms of protocols and practices as well as the overall composition of his stable. The backstretch around here is a pretty small group, there aren't a ton of people around here in the sense that we can distance ourselves from one another if we need to. We all abide by the social distancing rules, we have to wear masks unless we are on the track and they have hand sanitizer stations set up all over the barn areas. Weve all definitely done our part to work through all this together and safely. I'm down to nine [horses] right now. We sent four to Ontario in December and then sold some. Im prepping for a move to Ontario actually hopefully sooner rather than later so Ive downsized quite drastically. Sobey provided additional insight into the decision to relocate to Ontario after a few successful seasons in Alberta. It's something that I have been wanting to do. I got into the business later than others did. Im 28 years old now and have really only raced in Western Canada. I went down to California last year and had some success and a lot of fun. I feel like I haven't had a chance to reach what my full potential could be. I sent my pride and joy, one of my best horses to Ontario so that is where I would like to be. That horse is Icy Blue Scooter, a seven-year-old Blue Burner - Jills Sooter gelding who Sobey raced in the Open ranks both in Western Canada and California. Icy Blue Scooter bankrolled $101,399 in 2019, a season topped by a victory in $50,000 Jim Vinnell Memorial at Fraser Downs. The pacer was then sent to trainer Shawn Steacy in Ontario in late February. He has been racing in the Preferred at Mohawk, but he soon will drop $25,000 off his card and that will help him get into lower conditions. He had a hundred-thousand year racing in overnights aside from one stakes win. I think he really is a high-caliber horse; he might not be a Preferred horse in the summer at Mohawk but I think in the winter time that will be where he will fit. When Sobey heads east, he's likely to base his operations in southwestern Ontario close to Icy Blue Scooters current connections. I plan to set up in the Guelph area. I would like to focus on driving when I get there and who knows, maybe someday even jump across the border. I dont really plan on training a stable, I'd like to have a couple of my own and then maybe work under someone -- Mark and Shawn Steacy have the horses that I sent to Ontario so it would be nice to work for them and learn some things there and better myself as a horseman. With a plan in place to chase bigger and better opportunities, Sobey is still looking forward to the return of racing in Alberta. Itll be really good to get back in the bike and get going again, it's been a long couple months with no racing. T he UK coronavirus death toll has risen by 36 in the lowest daily increase since lockdown began. According to figures from the Government, the total number of deaths across all settings in the UK now stands at 41,698. Meanwhile, there were no new recorded deaths in Northern Ireland. The latest total is the lowest since March 21 when there was 35 deaths recorded. The Government figures apply to those who have died in care homes, hospitals and other settings. But they do not include all deaths involving Covid-19 across the UK, which is thought to have passed 52,000. How the UK looks 80 days later at midday during Coronavirus lockdown 1 /29 How the UK looks 80 days later at midday during Coronavirus lockdown 80th Day of lockdown: 11 June 2020 A popular riverside walk alongside the Thames near London's Tower Bridge at noon PA 30th Day of lockdown: 24 April 2020 A popular riverside walk alongside the Thames near London's Tower Bridge is almost empty as tourists stay away, PA 80th Day of lockdown: 11 June 2020 Reuters Square at midday in Canary Wharf PA 30th Day of lockdown: 24 April 2020 Reuters Square at midday in Canary Wharf PA 80th Day of lockdown: 11 June 2020 Horse Guards Parade in London PA 30th Day of lockdown: 24 April 2020 Horse Guards Parade in London PA 80th Day of lockdown: 11 June 2020 House of Commons in London PA 30th Day of lockdown: 24 April 2020 House of Commons in London PA 80th Day of lockdown: 11 June 2020 Lighthouse Laboratory in Glasgow PA 30th Day of lockdown: 24 April 2020 Lighthouse Laboratory in Glasgow PA 80th Day of lockdown: 11 June 2020 King's Parade, with King's College (left) and the Senate House (distance) in Cambridge PA 30th Day of lockdown: 24 April 2020 King's Parade, with King's College (left) and the Senate House (distance) in Cambridge PA 80th Day of lockdown: 11 June 2020 The concourse of London's Waterloo station PA 30th Day of lockdown: 24 April 2020 The concourse of London's Waterloo station PA 80th Day of lockdown: 11 June 2020 Newcastle upon Tyne PA 30th Day of lockdown: 24 April 2020 Newcastle upon Tyne PA 80th Day of lockdown: 11 June 2020 The M5 motorway, looking south towards Devon PA 30th Day of lockdown: 24 April 2020 The M5 motorway, looking south towards Devon PA 80th Day of lockdown: 11 June 2020 Liverpool waterfront PA 30th Day of lockdown: 24 April 2020 Liverpool waterfront PA 80th Day of lockdown: 11 June 2020 Vauxhall Bridge Road and Victoria Street PA 30th Day of lockdown: 24 April 2020 Vauxhall Bridge Road and Victoria Street PA The DHSC also said in the 24-hour period up to 9am on Sunday, 144,865 tests were carried out or dispatched, with 1,514 positive results. Overall, a total of 6,772,602 tests have been carried out and 295,889 cases have been confirmed positive. The figure for the number of people tested has been temporarily paused to ensure consistent reporting across all methods of testing. They do not include all deaths involving Covid-19 across the UK, which is thought to have passed 52,000. The DHSC also said in the 24-hour period up to 9am on Sunday, 144,865 tests were carried out or dispatched, with 1,514 positive results / Getty Images Earlier, NHS England said another 27 patients who tested positive for Covid-19 had died in hospital, taking the total number of confirmed deaths in hospitals to 27,954. In Scotland, a total of 2,448 people have now died after testing positive for coronavirus, up by one from 2,447 on Saturday New statistics show that 15,755 people have tested positive for the virus north of the border, up by 25 from 15,730 the previous day. There are 964 people in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, a decrease of 19 in 24 hours. Of these patients, 15 were in intensive care, down by five from the previous day. Public Health Wales said a further three people had died after testing positive for Covid-19, taking the total number of deaths to 1,444, while the total number of cases increased by 39 to 14,742. No new coronavirus-linked deaths has been recorded in Northern Ireland, leaving the total reported by the Department of Health at 541. There were new seven new confirmed cases of the virus, bringing the total to 4,848 since the pandemic began. - Angel Locsin became emotional during the virtual press conference of her new project - She was asked about the thing that she wants to wish during these difficult times - The actress did not hesitate to mention ABS-CBN and talk about the issues it is facing - The One More Try star received words of sympathy from netizens because of the incident PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Angel Locsin could not hold back her tears while talking about ABS-CBN and the heavy issues that it is currently facing. KAMI learned that the emotional moment happened when the prominent actress attended the virtual press conference of her newest show entitled Iba 'Yan. An anchor of DZMM asked the celebrity about the one thing that she wants to wish during these trying times. Angel suddenly shed tears while explaining her wish to media representatives. There was even a point in the interview when the La Luna Sangre star turned off her camera to fix herself and get composed again. "Sir, ang laki po ng hihilingin ko sa inyo, na sana po mapagbigyan niyo po kami. Siguro, aware naman po kayo sa sitwasyon namin ngayon, ng aming network. So, kailangan po talaga namin ng... kailangan namin ng push, she tearfully quipped. "Hinihiling ko po sana, kasi kailangan po namin iyong tulong niyo para ma-spread sa tao na nandito po kami, patuloy po kaming nagbibigay serbisyo sa tao. And, ayun po, mahirap lang. Ang hirap lang ng sitwasyon kasi po, talaga ngayon, but we're fighting, she added. PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Here are some of the reactions online: She's truly a Kapamilya by heart! Kudos to our Queen Angel! You really belong to the brightest network, ABS-CBN! The country's largest network. Angel is a real queen. No one can treat her that way because she is known for being generous to other people. Go, Angel! Hayaan mo mga haters manggalaiti sa inis! God is with you, Angle and ABS CBN. Hindi pumasok sa isip ko na magiging ganito ang come up kay Ms. Angel. Im very hurt. PAY ATTENTION: Shop with KAMI! The best offers and discounts on the market, product reviews and feedback In a previous article by , Angel sent a message to Caloocan police who arrested 6 jeepney drivers for allegedly violating social distancing protocol. Angel Locsin is a popular actress and commercial endorser in the Philippines. She already starred in blockbuster and well-acclaimed movies including One More Try and Four Sisters and a Wedding. POPULAR: Read more news about Angel Locsin! Please like and share our Facebook posts to support KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinion about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts! Source: KAMI.com.gh Piece by piece and inch by inch, volunteers gradually placed an almost 120-year-old Studebaker wagon into its new home at the Ice House Museum and Cultural Center in Silsbee Saturday, moving closer to a new vision for the museum. The wagon made the trip all the way from Huntsville, but it was also a kind of return home. Susan Kilcrease, museum curator, said the wagon was once used to make countless trips from Kirbyville to Beaumont hauling produce. Were just so happy to finally have it here, she said. We looked at two other wagons before picking this one, and it was just what we needed. The green and red Studebaker will now serve as the ice wagon for the museum's newest display explaining how the tons of ice produced in the old Silsbee Ice Plant turned museum made rural life easier prior to refrigeration. The wagon will have replicas of the block delivered to homes, and will be adjacent to a recently constructed replica of a 1920s kitchen complete with an ice box, ceramic sink and wood burning stove. Its also a part of Kilcreases new vision for the museum after she took over in March. Shortly after the museums board selected her for the job, her first task was seeing the closure of the museum after the COVID-19 pandemic struck Texas. But the down time has also meant plenty of time to make changes. The museum displays exhibits explaining the history of the surrounding area and what living in the Big Thicket region looked like through the years, but it didnt have many representations of what the historic building used to mean for Silsbee until now. Stephanie Magee, a member of the museums board, said the committee was impressed by Kilcreases vision when she first applied for the job as curator, and she was glad to see how that vision was coming together. Im so impressed, she said as the volunteers placed the last pins into the wagons chassis. Kilcrease said her great grandfather was an ice delivery man in Silsbee and she grew up hearing stories from her dad about going along with him as he tirelessly hauled ice from the moving wagon from house to house. Now, future generations will be able to imagine what that might have looked like in the museum. The wagon was purchased thanks to a donation from Lawrence Tate, a Silsbee graduate that now lives in Conroe. Along with the $3,000 for the wagon, Tate gave a $15,000 donation for the museum to use in future developments. More exhibits are on the way, like one demonstrating what medical care looked like in the Big Thicket and another about predators found in the region. jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/jdickjournalism 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 mother has told of how she is too afraid to come into Longford town anymore after falling victim to a violent assault while eight months pregnant with her fourth child. Lynn Egar revealed her horror at the ordeal she suffered at the hands of her assailants John Kelly, 4 Cluain Ard, Ardnacassa, Co Longford and fellow co-accused Frances OBrien, of the same address following an incident at the Checkout Shop, Ardnacassa Avenue, Longford on September 3 2019. Ms Egar took to the stand after Mr Kelly pleaded guilty to threatening to kill or cause serious harm to her during the incident. John and Frances had been into me prior to this (incident) and were always asking how my pregnancy was going and how my children were, so they knew exactly who they were dealing with, she said. Ms Egar, who suffered injuries to her back and has only in recent weeks been able to carry her newborn baby in her arms, said she remained fearful for her own safety after the threat to her life was made by Mr Kelly. Yes, she replied, fighting back tears when asked by Judge Seamus Hughes if she was still anxious as to the alleged threat posed by her aggressor. These people have their teams. Who else is out there because they didnt get what they wanted out of me. I dont come near Longford. Look at the levels of criminality in Longford, not just here but countrywide. Everything is not going to be okay. These people should not be free. The court heard how Ms Egar had been working behind the counter of the small grocery store when Ms OBrien entered the store to try and procure a loan from the owner of the business. When that overture was declined, prosecuting Sergeant Paddy McGirl said the episode suddenly turned violent. It was alleged Mr Kelly, who had been waiting outside as the incident unfolded then approached the door of the shop as Ms Egar attempted to lock it and contact the Gardai. At that juncture, Sgt McGirl claimed Mr Kelly delivered an ominous threat, telling her: If our children are taken into care because of you I will be back to kill you and if I am not back to kill you, somebody else will. Ms OBrien has since been sentenced to three years in prison at Longford Circuit Court after Judge Hughes refused jurisdiction on the case, deeming it too severe to be heard at District Court level. Ms Egar said in the months following the incident she had been receiving physiotherapy at Mullingars Midland Regional Hospital but was forced into postponing those sessions for the time being due to the outbreak of Covid-19. I would still be in a considerable amount of pain, she said. I was literally only able to carry around my baby for the last two months as I wasnt able to do it before then. She said her level of empathy for either of the accused was negligible owing to the fact the pair were fully aware she was just weeks away from giving birth. They were out to get me, so who is behind John and who is out to get me? Ms Egar asked. My question is who is next? Judge Hughes noted how Ms Egar was on a waiting list for counselling, saying the practice was one she could benefit from in her long term recovery. Under questioning from his solicitor John Quinn, Mr Kelly, who was wearing a face mask throughout proceedings vowed to withdraw the threat made to Ms Egar. I didnt want to go anywhere near the shop, he said, adding he was under the influence of tablets at the time. He said his own 82 year-old father frequented the shop regularly, something Ms Egar raised in response as she claimed it was not the first time he had mistreated someone. Mr Kelly replied, saying he was not in the right frame of mind at the time of the incident and had since broken up with Ms OBrien, citing how the pair were just not good together I am ashamed and on my kids life I wont interfere with that woman, he told the court. Ms Egar, however, questioned the sincerity behind Mr Kellys level of remorse as she stared across the courtroom at him. How many times have you had to stand in court and had to apologise to a victim and when is your apology actually going to mean something? Ms Egars added. Judge Hughes said he too could understand the dubious stance adopted by Ms Egar as she listened to Mr Kellys apology. I hear it every day of the week, said the judge. I am sorry judge and then they are back before me. Judge Hughes implored Mr Kelly to recognise the deep effect the incident has inflicted on Ms Egar, adding the court needed to reflect the severity of the crime committed with an appropriate sentence attached. He also urged him to keep his word in not attempting to approach or contact Ms Egar or run the risk of attracting a very long (prison) sentence if found to be in breach of those terms. In mitigation, Mr Quinn said despite the injuries caused to Ms Egar, his client had no part in inflicting them. Judge Hughes, nonetheless, said given the trauma and physical ailments exacted on Ms Egar, he sentenced Mr Kelly to ten months in prison. Mr Quinn asked the court to fix recognisances in the event of an appeal, something Judge Hughes took a dim view of. Looking down at Mr Quinn, Judge Hughes said he would arrange a taxi to the circuit court himself and allow his circuit court colleague Judge Keenan Johnston, who only months earlier had issued a three year sentence to Mr Kellys co-accused, to adjudicate on the case. Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow speaks to reporters inside the Brady Press Briefing room at the White House on Feb. 13, 2020. (Tom Brenner/Reuters) White House Adviser Kudlow Expects $600 Unemployment Checks to Stop in July White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said extra weekly unemployment insurance payments are expected to end in July, saying it decreases the incentive for people to start working again. The extra $600 per week was included in the $2.2 trillion CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act, which was passed in March to offset economic losses incurred during the CCP virus pandemic lockdown. The $600 plus, thats above the state unemployment benefits they will continue to receive, is in effect a disincentive. I mean were paying people not to work, its better than their salaries would get, Kudlow told CNN on June 14. The extra funds might have worked for the first couple months, but it will end in late July, he said. The additional checks arent needed, as a number of businesses have started to reopen after remaining shuttered for months. Nicole Snider opens the Northern Treasure thrift store in Roundup, Mont., on April 27, 2020. (Matthew Brown/AP Photo) In addition, the White House is aiming to provide incentives to get people back to work, including smaller checks that still provide some kind of business for returning to work. I think we are on our way, we are reopening, businesses are coming back, and therefore jobs are coming back. And we dont want to interfere with that process, Kudlow told CNN. He noted that some people might be trying to get back to work, but due to the current state of the economy, they cant find a job. I think people want to go back to work. I think they welcome the reopening of the economy. I think theyre anxious to get out and about, Kudlow said. However, at the margin, incentives do matter. And so we have heard from business after business, industry after industry, and theres already some evidence that this effect is taking place. Now, mind you, let me repeat, we are not going to remove unemployment benefits. That will still continue. And there will be some return-to-work benefit. It wont be quite as substantial. It comes as the White House has expressed a willingness to pass legislation to dole out more direct payments to Americans. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett told the Wall Street Journal last week that the odds of another piece of legislation is very, very high. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said on June 5 that he will be asking for additional stimulus money. The Bureau of Labor Statistics latest jobs report showed that the economy gained jobs in May, although more than 40 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits during months of lockdowns. Of Cabbages and Kings In the beginning was the word I think the word was OM The last words heard in the tavern Were show me the way to go Home! From the Tower of Babul by Bachchoo One nations heroes are another nations tyrants. Problems arise when, through the march of history, the nations merge, living in the many mansions of declared democracies. Isnt that what happened in the United State of America when a nation of black Africans were transported as slaves to toil for the European immigrant usurpers of that continent? Isnt the contemporary explosion of the US after the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis policeman the consequence of two opposed historical perspectives? The owners see the plantation as the source of wealth and the owned know it as the rack of torture. George Floyds murder brought these views of history from the subconscious of that nation and certainly of Britain, into a conflicted open. The Black Lives Matter movement of the US demanded an end to the powers that allow the American police to discriminate against Afro-Americans and imprison and kill them. And today there is a smooth transition to the universal demand by millions of Americans, black and mostly white, for an end to the legacies of this opposing history, this pretence that the abolition of slavery and the granting of universal votes to black and white, has fulfilled the requirements of democracy as defined, not by the Athenian or Roman state of old, but by the definition of the people, for the people, by the people! The people on the streets of New York, Washington and a hundred cities in the US, even those who choose not to peacefully march, but to loot armament stores, are demanding that the two nations thrown together on a continent by opposing histories, bury the legacy of those histories. Can it be done? Its the closest the entire nation has got to demanding it. This historical sub-conscious of a movement that seems to be activated by a demand for rights and reform, emerged dramatically in Bristol when demonstrators pulled down the statue of Edward Colston, a slave owner who used his wealth from the slave trade to benefit, in several philanthropic ways, the citizens of his city. Statistics can be easily produced to prove that Bristol, Liverpool and Glasgow, among others were built and rendered prosperous through the money earned in the slave trade and plantations worked by slaves in the new world. The remarkable factor of this protest, led by black Britons, had four or five white sympathisers pull the statue down and drag it to the cemented waterways of Bristol port and cast it into the waters. The protests against the constituted, though anti-constitutional, racism of the US has reinforced the fact that Britain is also, in this day and age, an amalgam of two metaphoric nations: the descendants of colonisers and those of the colonised. In Oxford the demonstrations of thousands of people who took to the streets were not demanding any material advancement, but the symbolic removal of the statue of Cecil Rhodes from the streets of the town. Oriel College, which was endowed by Rhodes, has in the last few years met with such protests and has consistently maintained that Rhodes may have been a racist and a prime mover of colonial conquest and subjugation in Africa, but he was a part, perhaps even a shameful part, of Oxfords history. And yet his presence in stone on the streets is, to some, a celebration of historical brutality. The ironic element of this protest is that the people leading it are students from abroad who are Rhodes scholars as was Bill Clinton in his draft-dodging time at Oxford. In London, Sadiq Khan, the mayor, has waded into this symbols-of-heritage argument with the demand that the Tate galleries, named after the owners of slave plantations growing sugarcane in the Caribbean, ought to be renamed. He is also committed, he says, to the removal of statues, which offend the ethnic population of London. So, is it off to the museums or to the cold depths of the Thames with the statues of Charles Napier, the conqueror of Sind and the bronze statue of Robert Clive, who transformed the East India Company from a trading into a militant, mercenary and colonising enterprise? Historians still argue about his role. Did colonial rule unite an India that was tearing itself apart with internecine wars? Did colonialism leave a legacy that was, on balance, not entirely negative? Must the enthusiasts who gather to pull down these statues be lectured on the alternative arguments before they bring out their slings and arrows? Will Sadiq Khan do some homework and say which legacy is clearly without ambivalence? He is right to point out that the Tate family were slave owners. Will his intervention now cause the winners of the Tate-Booker literary prize to rush to return the sums of reward money that could be denounced as carrying the taint? Ummm I think no way Jose! Opposing Sadiqs view, which could encourage the demolition of Napier, Clive and others, the UKs home minister, Priti clueless Patel waded in with some homilies about sticking to the law and keeping to the regulations of the Covid virus emergency. Keep the statues you pull down two metres apart? And make sure they are wearing protective PPE masks? Which brings me, gentle reader, to the renaming of streets and cities in India. Take Aurangzeb Road in New Delhi. It is beyond dispute that this emperor was more than nasty towards the Sikhs. It is also true that he had Hindu generals and high officials in his administration. Opinion, which demanded his name removed, was canny enough to replace it with the name of a Muslim President of India. So that wasnt, as the removal of Colstons statue was, a manifestation of the historical clash of Indias principal religious nations. Or was it? Between January and April, Canada welcomed 74,000 new immigrants. Here is where they came from. Where are Canadas immigrants coming from in 2020? Between January and April, Canada welcomed 74,000 new immigrants. Here is where they came from. Where are Canadas immigrants coming from in 2020? Between January and April, Canada welcomed 74,000 new immigrants. Here is where they came from. Where are Canadas immigrants coming from in 2020? Between January and April, Canada welcomed 74,000 new immigrants. Here is where they came from. Kareem El-Assal Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Prior to the start of coronavirus lockdowns in Canada and around the world in mid-March, Canada was continuing to welcome high levels of immigration. In fact, just days before lockdowns in Canada, the countrys immigration minister announced a new ambitious plan to welcome over 1 million new permanent residents between 2020-2022. While Canadas immigration system has since faced interruptions, the country is processing immigration applications to the best of its ability. New data released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) provides an early look at where Canadas new immigrants were coming from in the early months of 2020. Up until the end of April, Canada welcomed 74,000 new permanent residents. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs India continues to lead the way As has been the case over the last few years, India remained the leading source country of Canadas new permanent resident (PR) visa holders. They accounted for 24 per cent of new PRs in the first four months of 2020. India is the leading source of Canadas immigrants since many of its citizens speak English fluently and possess other key characteristics that help them become eligible for Canadian immigration such as having university and/or college credentials and professional work experience. Many Indian immigrants also arrive to Canada from the U.S. since it can be difficult for H1-B visa holders to obtain permanent residence in the U.S. A look at the top 10 source countries The following comprise the top 10 source countries of the 74,000 people that gained PR in the first four months of 2020: India China Philippines USA Nigeria Pakistan Syria France Iran Brazil So far, immigration from China has been slightly higher in 2020 than in recent years. Chinese immigrants have accounted for nearly 10 per cent of newcomers compared with 9 per cent in 2019. Filipino immigration to Canada has also remained fairly consistent (7 per cent in 2020 compared with 8 per cent in 2019). As was the case in 2019, U.S. and Nigerian immigrants are rounding out the top 5. Immigrants from those countries have a major advantage in Canadas immigration system due to their English-language proficiency, which accounts for a major component of the federal Express Entry system, Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), and other programs. What impacts will COVID-19 have on immigrant source countries? It remains to be seen how the COVID-19 pandemic will impact the source countries of immigrants to Canada during the rest of 2020. On the one hand, coronavirus-related disruptions are currently limiting the ability of new permanent residents to come to Canada from abroad. This may alter the distribution of immigrant source countries in the second half of the year. On the other hand, there may prove to be little or no impact on Canadas immigrant source countries. Reasons for this may include that individuals within Canada who receive PR later in 2020 are also from the same source countries, those abroad are eventually able to travel to Canada, and the new invitations to apply for permanent residence that have been issued since the start of the pandemic also go to nationals of these top source countries. Despite the impacts of the travel restrictions, it is still in the interests of candidates to go ahead and submit their Express Entry profiles and immigration applications during the pandemic if they have the ability to do so. Submitting a profile or application gives you a chance to receive an invitation to apply, or approval for permanent residence, and the chance to travel to Canada as soon as you are able to do so. Even if you encounter some difficulties, IRCC is being more lenient during this time to help people achieve their Canadian immigration goals. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs 2020 CIC News All Rights Reserved A Belfast woman who is charged with hitting a 14-month-old girl with a glass thrown from a balcony has been refused bail. Elizabeth Sterrett also allegedly spat at the child's mother from the balcony but the prosecution claim her spit also hit the little girl. Refusing to grant bail to 23-year-old Sterrett at Craigavon Magistrates Court on Wednesday, District Judge Nigel Broderick said she "faces a quite serious alleged assault on a young child." He also said it appeared she had "issues with abuse of substances" and said "there is a fear of further offences". He said a proposed bail address for Sterrett was not suitable after hearing the woman she proposed to move in with had herself been questioned about an alleged GBH. When the case was initially opened by the prosecution the previous week, a lawyer said the charges arose from an incident involving an infant last September. Sterrett, who appeared at court via videolink from custody but who has an address at Black Mountain Walk in Belfast, is accused of a common assault on the child and possessing a weapon, namely a glass, with intent to cause actual bodily harm. She also faces two counts of assaulting police. The lawyer told the court a woman was helping a distressed female at an apartment block when Sterrett "from two floors above started to verbally abuse her from the balcony." "She spat at the reporting party but it hit her 14-month-old daughter," claimed the lawyer. He added it was the prosecution case that "the defendant then threw a glass from the balcony that struck the child causing a bruise to her foot". When police attended, Sterrett allegedly struggled with the officers, kicking one in the chest and spitting on another. Arrested and interviewed she denied the offences. In court on Wednesday, defence counsel Robert McTernaghan revealed that due to allegations Sterrett had spat on the little girl being reported in the press, "the defendant's mother has been subject to online abuse and the defendant has been left distressed." He said: "The Crown on the previous occasion stated that my client spat on the child - myself and my instructing solicitor went through the papers and believe this is incorrect. "This was reported widely in the Sunday papers, as a result the defendant's mother has been subject to online abuse and the defendant has been left distressed, I would ask that this is amended." The prosecutor replied it could not be amended at this time and confirmed that their papers allege that Sterrett's spittle did hit the child. The bail application was adjourned from Friday as the judge said he wanted more information about the person Sterrett proposed to live with and during the week he heard how the woman, who herself was recently released from custody. The PPS told the court she had been interviewed for an alleged GBH with intent and driving offences but had been freed pending further inquiries with the submission that "police do not believe the address is appropriate (for Sterrett)." Mr Broderick said he was refusing to free Sterrett but that she could appeal to the High Court. ATLANTA (AP) Atlantas police chief resigned Saturday hours after a black man was fatally shot by an officer in a struggle following a field sobriety test. Authorities said the slain man had grabbed an officers Taser, but was running away when he was shot. Police Chief Erika Shields stepped down as the killing of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks sparked a new wave of protests in Atlanta after turbulent demonstrations that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis had simmered down. Protesters on Saturday night set fire to the Wendy's restaurant where Brooks was fatally shot the night before and blocked traffic on a nearby highway. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced the police chief's resignation at a Saturday afternoon news conference. The mayor also called for the immediate firing of the unidentified officer who opened fire at Brooks. "I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer," Bottoms said. She said it was Shields' own decision to step aside as police chief and that she would remain with the city in an undetermined role. Interim Corrections Chief Rodney Bryant would serve as interim police chief until a permanent replacement is found. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the shooting, said the deadly confrontation started with officers responding to a complaint that a man was sleeping in a car blocking the restaurant's drive-thru lane. The GBI said Brooks failed a field sobriety test and then resisted officers' attempts to arrest him. The GBI released security camera video of the shooting Saturday. The footage shows a man running from two white police officers as he raises a hand, which is holding some type of object, toward an officer a few steps behind him. The officer draws his gun and fires as the man keeps running, then falls to the ground in the parking lot. GBI Director Vic Reynolds said Brooks had grabbed a Taser from one of the officers and appeared to point it at the officer as he fled, prompting the officer to reach for his gun and fire an estimated three shots. The security camera video recorded Brooks "running or fleeing from Atlanta police officers," Reynolds said. "It appears that he has in his hand a Taser." The footage does not show Brooks' initial struggle with police. L. Chris Stewart, an attorney for Brooks' family, said the officer who shot him should be charged for "an unjustified use of deadly force, which equals murder." "You can't have it both ways in law enforcement," Stewart said. "You can't say a Taser is a nonlethal weapon ... but when an African American grabs it and runs with it, now it's some kind of deadly, lethal weapon that calls for you to unload on somebody." He said Brooks was a father of four and had celebrated a daughter's eighth birthday Friday before he was killed. The shooting came at a time of heightened tension over police brutality and calls for reforms across the U.S. following the May 25 death of Floyd in Minneapolis. Atlanta was among U.S. cities where large crowds of protesters took to the streets. Demonstrators, including members of Brooks' family, gathered Saturday outside the restaurant where he was shot. Among those protesting was Crystal Brooks, who said she is Rayshard Brooks' sister-in-law. "He wasn't causing anyone any harm," she said. "The police went up to the car and even though the car was parked they pulled him out of the car and started tussling with him." She added: "He did grab the Taser, but he just grabbed the Taser and ran." Shields, Atlanta's police chief for less than four years, was initially praised in the days following Floyd's death last month. She said the Minnesota officers involved should go to prison and walked into crowds of protesters in downtown Atlanta, telling demonstrators she understood their frustrations and fears. She appeared at Bottoms' side as the mayor made an impassioned plea for protesters to go home when things turned violent with smashed storefronts and police cruisers set ablaze. Days later, Shields fired two officers and benched three others caught on video May 30 in a hostile confrontation with two college students whose car was stuck in traffic caused by the protests. The officers fired Tasers at the pair and dragged them from the vehicle. When prosecutors later charged six of the officers involved, however, Shields openly questioned the charges. The shooting of Brooks two weeks later raised further questions about the Atlanta department. In a statement, Shields said she chose to resign "out of a deep and abiding love for this city and this department." "It is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve," Shields said. Reynolds said his agents will turn over results of their investigation to Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, whose office will decide whether criminal charges are warranted against either of the unidentified officers. Howard said Saturday his office "has already launched an intense, independent investigation of the incident" without waiting for the GBI's results. Brooks died after being taken to an Atlanta hospital. One of the officers was treated and released for unspecified injuries. Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. Associated Press writer Pat Eaton-Robb in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report. This weekend marks the third in a row for protests in Philadelphia in support of Black Lives Matter after the killing of George Floyd. Hundreds turned out around the city yesterday for several different demonstrations. But amid the social and political upheaval, white supremacists and other extremists groups are using these protests and the pandemic to amplify their message. We also chatted with reporter Samantha Melamed about how the movement is possibly changing Phillys restaurant industry. Lauren Aguirre (@laurencaguirre, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com) The week ahead This weeks most popular stories Behind the story with Samantha Melamed Each week we go behind the scenes with one of our reporters or editors to discuss their work and the challenges they face along the way. This week we chat with Samantha Melamed about her recent story on how the Black Lives Matter movement is affecting Philadelphias restaurant industry. You dont usually cover Philadelphia restaurants. How did you find this story? Michael Klein, who is seemingly omniscient when it comes to Philadelphias restaurant scene, first flagged the trend of restaurateurs floundering to address the Black Lives Matter movement. Then, The Inquirers (relatively) new food editor, Jamila Robinson, recognized that one reason they seemed to be having such a difficult time with it was that many have not dealt with the racism that is already baked into the restaurant industry, as it is in so many other facets of American life. Because Ive covered food and bars for The Inquirer, as well as issues of race and identity, Jamila asked me to explore the larger story here. What is something new you learned while reporting this story? Blew Kind from Franny Lous Porch in Kensington really shed light for me on how difficult it is to be a black business owner right now trying to keep staff safe while people were coming by her cafe and yelling, White lives matter!, not trusting the police to protect her business, and at the same time trying to create her own community safety plan so that she would not be part of embroiling others in the criminal-legal system unnecessarily. What was one of most challenging parts of covering this story? A lot of chefs and restaurant owners, including people Ive interviewed before, did not want to talk to me, or did not get back to me at all. And staff generally were unwilling to speak on the record, if at all an understandable reluctance given that the job market in the restaurant industry has been decimated and will likely be incredibly fragile as we get back to work. Overall, I think its clear that this is the beginning of a much longer conversation, one that many people still dont have the words for. Is there anything you think will stay with you from this story? The black chefs and restaurant owners I interviewed really made me think about what the medias role has been in reinforcing stereotypes, overlooking black chefs or failing to recognize the place of Southern and soul food traditions in the culinary canon. We all need to examine our coverage and our role in structural racism. Why did you become a reporter? I have always loved that my role is to listen, to learn more about peoples lives that are so different from my own, to share their stories and translate them in the hope that they will resonate with a wider audience. Over the years, one thing I have come to value greatly is that it is one of the rare jobs that is always for truth. What is one thing you wish more people knew about your job? Careful reporting takes time we need your patience! But we also need you to keep pushing us to do the difficult stories. It takes sources with the courage to speak up, but you can always talk to us off the record about how to move forward safely with delicate stories. Email Samantha Melamed at smelamed@inquirer.com and follow her on Twitter at @samanthamelamed. Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly This shot is very striking. Love a good Philly skyline shot. Thanks for sharing, @shot_by_jim! Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and well pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout-out! Can you go on vacation this summer during the pandemic? After months of stay-at-home orders and sheltering in place, some of us really need a vacation. But while the stay-at-home order has been lifted in Pennsylvania, and you technically can travel, its important to think about whether you should. While you can mitigate the risk of getting sick, you cant completely eliminate it. Heres more on what to know if you decide to travel this summer. What were Comment of the week There are like three dozen streets throughout Philadelphia we should have done this with already, and the pandemic recovery makes it even more important. orange you glad, on how West Chesters popular Gay Street will close to cars and allow outside dining. Your Daily Dose of | Philly protest moments During the pain and powerful protests in recent weeks, Philadelphia still found a way to be Philly. What makes this city great has always been the people, and when the people of Philadelphia are challenged, they always rise to the occasion with their spirit fully intact. From tension-breaking scenes to inspirational ones, weve gathered up 10 of the most Philly moments from protests in the city. This is an opinion cartoon. Coronavirus Fever This is an opinion cartoon. Coronavirus I cant speak for the whole state, but Lower Alabama has turned into Sodom and Gomorrah, yall. I went into a local restaurant to pick up a takeout order the other day, and I was shocked. This place that had six-foot spacing the week before was jam-packed. Quarantine-fattened bodies were draped over the bar like a line of sand bags, swigging back shots of Jagermeister. Sweaty, tattooed bodies darted this way and that with butterfly bowling ball abandon; sadly, with no social distancing. Including the staff, I was the only one in this haven of hedonism wearing a face mask and rubber gloves. And yet, these people were staring at me? The gloves and mask were all I was wearing, but still ... Since the reopening, coronavirus numbers have spiked. The most recent numbers reflect the young uns Memorial Day beach parties. How will the post-protest numbers add up? The headlines have shifted to the George Floyd protests, but the COVID war aint over. Alabama adds 888 coronavirus cases overnight; 22,241 in the state We all want the economy to boom. We want our local Alabama businesses to be rejuvenated, to thrive. The reopening only works when people take safety precautions seriously. Respect business owners, respect yourselves and your neighbors. Face masks and social distancing are still in order. If you really want to support business, act like you have a lick of sense. Otherwise, were looking at another shelter-in-place order. Or maybe its just GAME ON until we all burn out. Too many people are acting like everything is back to normal. I wish it was. Love and virtual hugs to all. Check out more cartoons by JD Crowe Alabamas white supremacy playbook Behind the glass: The isolated reality of nursing homes Angels of Mercy: COVID-19 nurses are the next PTSD veterans Alabama physician exorcises his coronavirus demons through art 1. Yes. Too many kids are staying home. They need a virtual learning option to keep up. 2. Yes. Teachers are out sick and subs cant handle the load. Online learning is needed. 3. No. Its too late in the school year to make a wholesale switch in teaching platforms. 4.No. Many parents arent in a position to stay home while their kids learn virtually. 5. Unsure. It may seem like a good idea from a health standpoint, but it has shortcomings. Vote View Results Dear Editor, The issue surrounding whether local police departments should be arming themselves with armored vehicles is problematic. Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroas response is flawed. He said that it could be used to evacuate 20 kids in the case of a live shooter in a school situation. How would you choose the 20 kids? Which kids get left behind? The implication would be that every school would need to have an armored vehicle in order to be at the ready in the case of an active shooter. Maybe the money to maintain such a fleet would be more effectively used for mental health services, currently so underfunded and now unavailable in our local hospital. Then there is getting bomb squad closer to the possible bomb. Really? Do we think a large clunky vehicle might not indeed cause the triggering of a bomb? Wouldnt it be safer to let the actual experts, aka the bomb squad, do their work carefully as they have been trained? Then, the proposition of assisting people in a serious flooding situation: Does an armored vehicle provide more safety and maneuverability than, say, squads trained in water rescues? I suspect not. The whole conversation is about the militarization of the police. The skills needed in contemporary policing are not found in upping their military capacity; rather, in skills of listening and actually talking with folks skills of patience and compassion. Ann Kalmbach Kingston, N.Y. For many months, the 28-year-old man who died after being shot by Peel Regional Police on Jan. 7 went in public without a name, his identity withheld at the request of family. On the books of the provinces Special Investigations Unit, he became case #20-OFD-005. Aside from two pithy press releases from the civilian agency one announcing there had been a police-involved shooting; another three days later that the man had died and some early media coverage there had been nothing further. The man, of course, has a name and a story, and now we are saying it and telling it. He is Jamal Derek Jr. Francique a Black man, father of two, a son and a grandson and on Saturday afternoon, a vigil was held at Celebration Square on City Centre Drive in Mississauga in his name and those of other Black and Indigenous people who have died in police encounters. His family endorsed the vigil and spoke to a crowd of about 250 who spread out under a clear blue sky. But family members asked not to be interviewed, organizers said, and preferred not to be named. Franciques sister said Jamal was perfection in progress, and that the family demands answers and justice. Josh Lamers, one of the organizers, said in an interview that Francique was a figure in the Toronto music scene, and friends started to circulate the story of what happened months ago. The vigil Justice For Jamal was organized to honour Jamal and connect Jamals story to this larger conversation of anti-Black racism and police violence toward Black community members, said Lamers. For nearly two moving hours, speaker after speaker demanded accountability, police reforms and systemic upheaval in many areas that affect Black and Indigenous lives. Enough of this kneeling, Rima Berns-McGown, NDP MPP for Beaches-East York, told the crowd in reference to politicians who have done so at protests, when you have the ability to actually make the change. Author, journalist and activist Desmond Cole, who helped run the vigil, spoke of how draining and taxing historic and ongoing injustices are on Black people, but we are not defeated by any means. Until we get justice, we will never stop fighting. This much is known about Franciques death: from the SIU, tasked with investigating police incidents that result in serious injury, death or involve allegations of sexual assault. On Jan. 7 around 7:45 p.m., Peel officers were in the area of Southampton Drive and Aquinas Avenue to make an arrest. They located the person of interest in a vehicle, there was an interaction and one officer discharged his firearm at the vehicle multiple times. The man who we now know was Francique was shot and died Jan. 9. Seven SIU staff members were assigned to the case. On Friday, an SIU spokesperson told Mississauga News that the subject officer, eight witness officers and two civilian witnesses have been interviewed and that the investigation continues. It continues at a time of mass protests in the United States, Canada and abroad over the deaths of Black and Indigenous people in encounters with police. Peel police said Saturday they were aware of the vigil and were in the area. As is the requirement when an incident is under investigation by the SIU, Peel police were not commenting on the case. However, at the time of the incident, police were talking about details not included in any SIU releases. They mentioned drugs and a vehicle moving toward officers. In cellphone video posted by Global News, an officer appears to kick at Francique while he is down, outside the drivers side door and already surrounded by other officers. There is no mention in the SIU releases of him being armed with anything. News photos from the scene, taken after Francique was transported to hospital, show a black car pinned by a grey Ford SUV, hood first, to a damaged garage door of a townhouse on Southampton, Eglinton Avenue West and Winston Churchill Boulevard. A yellow tarp covers the rear roof area, drivers side rear window and open driver door of the black car. The SUV has no police markings on it. What appears to be a police protective shield rests on the drivers side of the car. In other photos, officers in tactical gear are seen on foot. Online condolences speak of Francique as a kind young man who would pick up a friend at night and drive until the sun rose, speaking of his goals to change his life around and how he wanted to do better. More than five months later, Franciques family wants answers from the SIU about what they have learned, vigil organizers said, just as another family in Toronto, that of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, awaits answers on her death after a fall from her apartment building during a police interaction May 27. Our goal is to have a decision from the SIU, but I think its also important to ask questions about early police comments in Franciques case, said Lamers. Weve been told very different about how information is supposed to flow. The SIU has asked the Toronto police professional standards unit to look into media leaks in the case of Korchinski-Paquet, a 29-year-old Afro-Indigenous woman, after police versions of events were attributed to anonymous sources. Her family has said she was in need of mental health support. The SIU also continues to investigate the April 6 shooting death of DAndre Campbell, 26, by Peel police. Campbell, who is also Black, was shot in his Brampton home after what has been described as a domestic incident. His family said he initiated the call to police and that he had a history of mental illness. Soon after entering the home, officers encountered Campbell in a kitchen. Two officers used Tasers on him before one shot him multiple times, according to an SIU statement. News emerged this past week that the Peel officer who fatally shot Campbell had so far refused to be interviewed by the SIU. The court has asked the Punjab Director General of Police to notify instructions in order to ensure that offensive terms are not used while referring to black people. Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has pulled up the Punjab police for using a racist slur while referring to an African person in police documents. The single-judge bench of Justice Rajiv Narain Raina has asked the Punjab Director General of Police to notify instructions in order to ensure that offensive terms are not used while referring to black people. Justice Raina said he was appalled to find the term Negro used while referring to an African person in the challan papers presented under Section 173 (Report of police officer on completion of investigation) of the Criminal Procedure Code before the trial court in a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. This is a highly offensive word across the globe and no one has any business to use it, and much less the police. Hence, it is directed never to use the unprintable word in any police document including in challans or anywhere else on case papers including in investigation reports, the judge said in his order dated June 12. This brings shame to India and hatred for the country, the judge observed. It's easy to jump on the bandwagon and invest in stocks that are performing well. However, being a contrarian investor can yield even stronger returns -- if you're right. Contrarian investors buy shares of companies that the markets aren't optimistic about, to effectively bet that a turnaround will happen. That means contrarian stocks could be bargains, especially if the companies are able to bounce back and you snagged shares at a low price. Here are three stocks that are cheap and could appeal to investors who are interested in going against the grain. 1. Aurora Cannabis Aurora Cannabis (NASDAQ:ACB) has lost 85% of its value over the past year as the S&P 500 index has risen 11%. The pot stock has underwhelmed and often disappointed investors. The most embarrassing blunder was undoubtedly when the company missed its own sales guidance back when it reported its fourth-quarter results in September. It's one thing to fall short of analyst expectations, but missing your own forecast doesn't inspire much confidence from investors. But the company's still optimistic that it is turning things around. In its third-quarter results, released on May 14, Aurora stated that it is "on track for EBITDA profitability in the first quarter of fiscal 2021." It's an ambitious goal given that in Q3 the Alberta-based pot producer recorded an adjusted EBITDA loss of 50.9 million Canadian dollars. If Aurora can indeed hit its target, the stock will likely take off in a hurry. But that's a tall task during an economic slowdown and with many people out of work and struggling to make ends meet. The pot stock's a risky buy but it's also trading at 0.6 times its book value and around 6.5 times its revenue; it's not an expensive buy and is a lot cheaper than where it was months ago. 2. Royal Caribbean Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) stock is down around 50% over the past year. Cruise lines have, unfortunately, become synonymous with the COVID-19 pandemic. And that makes them risky buys because even if cruise lines start operating again, demand is likely to be a fraction of what it would've been without the fear of a pandemic weighing on people's minds. The company released its first-quarter results on May 20, when it reported a net loss totaling $1.4 billion. Much of that was the result of impairment and credit losses, which were $1.1 billion during the quarter. Royal Caribbean's operating activities still generated $198.7 million in cash. However, with the period only going until March 31 when the COVID-19 pandemic was still in its early stages in North America, future quarters will likely be a lot worse. But one reason to swim against the tide and believe in Royal Caribbean is that people are still making bookings. In the press release about its earnings, the company stated that customers continued to make bookings for 2020 through 2022. Customers are also showing a willingness to take credit instead of cash refunds. Royal Caribbean stated that as of the end of April, 45% of customers on canceled sailings wanted cash refunds. There's clearly some optimism from customers that the pandemic won't be as bad as many fear it will be. And if that's the case and Royal Caribbean can weather the storm and get back to operating sooner rather than later, the stock could see a big rally. Currently, shares of the Florida-based cruise company are trading at 1.5 times both their book value and sales. While the stock's recovered from the 52-week lows it hit earlier this year, it's also nowhere near the more than $130 it was trading at to start 2020. 3. JPMorgan JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) is only down 4% over the past 12 months. But year to date, the top bank stock has lost more than one-quarter of its value while the S&P 500 is down around 1%. In the midst of a recession and the bank preparing for greater credit losses ahead, investors aren't particularly excited about investing in the New York-based company. JPMorgan reported its first-quarter results on April 14. During the quarter, the bank's profits were down 69% from the prior-year period. However, that was mainly due to the company building up its credit reserves "given the likelihood of a fairly severe recession." The bank stock's normally a safe bet to record strong profits, and in each of the four quarters prior to Q1, its profit margin's been 30% or better. Here, contrarian investors would be betting on the recession not being as severe as the bank expects it to be. And that's possible, given the pressure there's been on states and cities to reopen. But it also depends on there not being a new wave of COVID-19 infections that sends cities back into lockdown. As long as that doesn't happen -- and it's hard to gauge at this point how likely that scenario is -- then JPMorgan's stock could see a quick recovery. The top bank stock's currently trading at around a modest 1.5 times its book value. Which stock is the most likely to turn things around? Of the three contrarian buys on here, the best buy is certainly JPMorgan Chase. The financial company is profitable and will likely stay that way over the long term; the same cannot be said of the other two stocks on this list. Aurora Cannabis and Royal Caribbean could both run into cash flow problems at some point this year, depending on how strong their respective industries are. There are potentially higher returns available for those stocks, but there's also much more risk involved. With JPMorgan, contrarian investors are taking a modest-sized bet that the stock will recover. And over the long term, it's almost a given that the top bank stock will rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic. New Delhi, June 14 : 'Knowing someone virtually never got its fair share of love in India; but these unprecedented times has singles choosing the online mode as an attractive option. Recently, in a survey by Jeevansathi.com, 46 per cent of respondents said they would like to meet their prospective partners for the first time over a video call. Out of these, 39 per cent acknowledged that virtual is the only option available at the moment, while 32 per cent feel that it is more convenient in general. Interestingly, 52 per cent of the respondents confirmed that they will continue to meet prospects over video calls even in a post lockdown world, indicating a new-normal for online matrimony portals. In times like these when more people are confined to their homes and lounges, as shopping centers, movie theatres still continue to be closed, the trend is big. It has has emerged as a winner on matrimony sites as prospective candidates opting for Video and Voice calls features to connect with their future soul-mates. Companies are hosting events like Virtual-Meet Ups to fast-track the selection and meeting processes. Online events like 'Milan Samarohs' are becoming popular where people can connect with like-minded individuals over audio/video calls free of cost. Such events have facilitated a large number of meet ups in this period to help accelerate the meeting and shortlisting process. Experts believe the trend is here to stay and will be the new normal. Mr. Rohan Mathur, Business Head, Jeevansathi said, "We have seen a surge in engagement in the last few months on our apps. We have not noticed any major change in behaviour of our audiences during the early stages like searching and shortlisting. The transformation comes when people finally decide to meet the prospective match, which is now difficult. Hence, at this stage, people are opting for virtual ways to connect. On our platforms, we have witnessed that users are engaging 3 times more with our voice & video calling feature than before. Our Milan Samaroh events have also facilitated large numbers of meetups in this period to help accelerate the meeting and shortlisting process. We believe that this change is here to stay and will be the new normal. As a result, the platform witnessed a 60% hike in the number of voice & video calls. Interestingly, the total time spent by users on voice &a video calls has increased 3X while the average duration per-call has also increased to 2X." The Video & Voice calling feature was launched on the platform in January this year for better matchmaking experience. The in-built add on voice and video feature not only helps in keeping a log of the conversations at one place but also helps in overcoming the problems of a serious user while extending the promise of perfect matching to the network of rich and genuine profiles. (Aditi Roy can be contacted at aditi.r@ians.in) By Humeyra Pamuk WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Parts of a proposal by Egypt for a truce in Libya are "helpful," but a United Nations-led bid to broker peace in the North African country is the best way forward, the State Department's top Middle East diplomat said on Thursday. The oil-producing state descended into chaos after the NATO-backed overthrow of leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Since 2014, Libya has been split, with the internationally recognized government controlling the capital, Tripoli, and the northwest, while military leader Khalifa Haftar in Benghazi rules the east. Haftar - who launched an offensive a year ago to grab Tripoli - is supported by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia, while the government is backed by Turkey. On Saturday, Egypt called for a ceasefire starting on Monday, as part of an initiative that also proposed an elected leadership council. Turkey dismissed the proposal, saying the plan aimed to save Haftar after the collapse of his offensive. While Washington has said it opposes Haftar's offensive, it has not thrown its support behind the government. David Schenker, U.S. assistant secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, appeared to largely knock down Cairo's proposal on Thursday. "We think there are parts of the initiative that are helpful. ... That said, we think that the U.N.-led process and the Berlin process are really ... the most productive frameworks ... to make progress on a ceasefire," Schenker said. Libya's warring parties have started to engage in a new round of ceasefire talks, the U.N. political mission in Libya said on Wednesday. Ghassan Salame, who headed the U.N. mission and was charged with trying to mediate peace, quit on March 2 because of stress, days after his latest effort at peacemaking failed. U.N. chief Antonio Guterres has suggested that former Ghana foreign minister and current U.N. envoy to the African Union, Hanna Tetteh, head the U.N. Libya mission. The United States has said it could support her appointment, diplomats said. Story continues Schenker confirmed that but added that running the U.N. political mission and brokering peace were "quite a big task for one person, so we're ... talking with our counterparts about the best way forward." Diplomats said that before agreeing to Tetteh's appointment, Washington wants Guterres to name a special envoy to focus on mediating peace in Libya and has proposed former Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt. The U.N. Security Council traditionally greenlights such appointments, but some of the 15 members are not in favor of the U.S. proposal to split the role, diplomats said. (Additional reporting and writing by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Chris Reese and Peter Cooney) In 2017, Janice Brahney was examining dust that had blown across the wilderness of the Western United States to determine its nutrient composition. She slid her samples under a microscope, expecting to see the usual quartz and feldspar grains, pollen and random bug parts. Instead, what leaped from the lens were candy-colored shards and spherules - blue, pink and red plastics mixed with the dust like foul confetti. "I was really taken aback when I saw this," said Brahney, an assistant professor of biogeochemistry at Utah State University. "I had no idea that our pollution had extended to that level." Sensing a potential discovery, Brahney, along with fellow researchers, started monitoring dust deposits in nearly a dozen protected areas in the West - places we tend to think of as relatively pristine, like Joshua Tree National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park and the Grand Canyon. At each location, they found microplastics blown in on the breeze. In a study released Friday in the journal Science, they reveal just how much plastic is landing on protected areas in the West: more than 1,000 tons each year, equal to 123 to 300 million pulverized plastic water bottles. Not many hikers huffing up a mountain trail would realize they might be breathing in components of what used to be somebody's snazzy nylon pants. Minuscule plastic particles - microplastics, made from artificial-clothing fibers, broken-down consumer products, beads used in medical and industry applications and other sources are practically undetectable to the naked eye. But they're ubiquitous now, thanks to a world that generates hundreds of millions of tons of plastic every year. "We are producing something that doesn't go away, and just because we can't see it doesn't mean it's not there," Brahney said. The study found microplastic particle sizes that ranged between 4 and 188 microns, which are as small as one-tenth the width of a human hair. On the upper end, the researchers found particles twice the size of fine beach sand. Some of the smaller particles can, if ingested, become lodged in human lungs. We've known for decades that plastics litter the oceans, accumulating in floating garbage patches, piling up like landfills in deep-sea trenches and eaten by the tiniest organisms in the marine food chain. But it hasn't been until recently that scientists realized it was flying above our heads, similar to how dust particles are picked up by the wind. One of the first studies on this phenomenon came out in 2015 - through the precise mechanisms of uptake and deposition, and, more importantly, their consequences, are still poorly understood. The discovery of airborne plastic dusting cities and agricultural areas as well as more-remote locations have alarmed the research community that studies such contamination. "Atmospheric transport means our wilderness areas - and thus our safety net of ecosystems, insects, and animals not affected by farming - are not safe," Steve Allen, a plastics researcher at Scotland's University of Strathclyde, said via email. "The effects of microplastic on these areas is still being researched, but it is known that even the physical act of eating it can block the digestive tract of small creatures like worms. That is not even counting the mutagenic, carcinogenic and endocrine-disrupting chemicals that plastic carries," Allen said. Brahney's work sheds new light on the atmospheric plastic cycle, revealing the role that cities play as generation tanks, how storms can fling plastics many miles away, and vast ribbons of lightweight plastic whizzing across vast distances on the power of large-scale atmospheric circulation like the jet stream. This research "has shown that it is not a simple process of source to deposition and that it is influenced by the bigger atmospheric processes," said Allen, who in 2019 released a study of microplastic deposition in the French Pyrenees. "This opens up a lot of new questions on the mechanisms and factors influencing this transport. It is exciting and very worrying." So what's behind the great aerial migration of plastic? To find out, Brahney used a publicly available computer model from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) called HYSPLIT that reconstructs the source regions of a particular air mass. "You can give it a point in space and say, 'Tell me for the previous 48 hours where that air mass came from, and it gives you this nice spatial output of (its) trajectory,'" she said. The detective work pointed one of several fingers at cities. The highest deposition rates of "plastic rain" the researchers found was in Rocky Mountain National Park, less than 50 miles from Denver and Fort Collins. Colo. That cities influence the drift of microplastic makes sense, as they're where most people and plastic sources are located. Human activity can release plastic into the air in a variety of ways, from spraying industrial paints and coatings that contain microbeads to running clothes dryers that belch out fibers to driving on tires that degrade into nasty black dust. Thunderstorms might not just bring rain and lightning, but also torrents of microplastics after they pass over urban centers and erodible soils. "We were able to show that a storm track and the energy from a storm can pick up a lot of plastics from a city and deposit it somewhere remotely," Brahney said. The National Park Service, for its part, recognized the potential hazards that come with so much microplastics raining down within its protected areas. "The NPS is concerned about the deposition of microplastics in parks and wilderness areas. The recent study further contributes to the large body of evidence that microplastics are everywhere, including remote and high elevation areas," Kristi Morris, a physical scientist in the air resources division of the National Park Service, said via email. "Further studies are needed to understand some key mechanisms that enable microplastics to be emitted and transported over large distances and to better understand the effects that microplastics have on park ecosystems and biota," Morris stated. "(An) important question to me is: How much microplastic is in the atmosphere in comparison with other natural particles, and does this actually have the potential to affect weather patterns?" Melanie Bergmann, a marine ecologist who studies microplastic at Germany's Alfred-Wegener-Institute, said via email. "Particles can act as nuclei for condensation. This depends of course on the particle load and sizes, but it is a question to tackle in my opinion." Even without cities and storms, plastic fallout seems to always be persistent, billowing and falling like invisible, non-digestible snow. This constant deluge of plastic is typically made up of smaller, lighter particles like fibers, which can travel vast distances under the influence of high-level winds like the jet stream. "I think we can identify (if) it's coming from far away and it's within the size range that can move across continents," Brahney said. "Given the amount of plastics we've put into the world, there's no reason to think it hasn't been moving around the globe." That means the flake of ethylene-acrylic copolymer now landing imperceptibly on your nose could've originated from, say, somewhere in Morocco. Or perhaps Fiji, as it has been shown that microplastic can erupt from the surface of the ocean in a process called bubble-burst ejection. Short of installing giant HEPA filters from the North to South Pole, can anything be done to stop the circulation of airborne plastic? One obvious solution is to reduce our plastic production, which continues at a rampant pace. A consumer movement has taken hold worldwide to eliminate the use of plastic straws, for example, but this goes only so far. The goal of cutting plastic use is increasingly at odds with oil companies looking for new profit sources that are turning increasingly to plastics. "This is important in an era of a shale-gas fracking boom, which is closely linked with the production of polyethylene, the most common plastic produced," Bergmann said. "Building of new (plastic-making) infrastructure is on the way with $180 billion of investments, rather than reductions." In the meantime, we can contemplate the implications of inhaling particles of plastic of a size known to be small enough to be a source of potential harm to human bodies. However, a lack of studies means the effects on people are a mystery. "The human health effect of breathing this material is almost unknown, in spite of the first study on human lungs being back in 1998," Allen said. "Simple logic tells us this cannot be good for us. It is hard to imagine a sentence starting with: 'The health benefits of breathing airborne microplastic ...'" All students at a Sydney primary school have been told to self-isolate after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. Laguna Street Public School in southern Sydney will stop on-site learning until June 24 following the diagnosis, according to the NSW education department. All school students have been deemed close contacts of the employee and should start self-isolating, a statement from the department said on Saturday night. Laguna Street Public School in southern Sydney (pictured) has shut down and all students hav been urged to self-isolate after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 It comes after a staff member at Rose Bay Public School in Sydney's eastern suburbs (pictured) also tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday 'The staff member has had contact with most students at the school during the period they may have been infectious,' the statement said. It comes after a staff member at Rose Bay Public School in Sydney's eastern suburbs was confirmed on Friday to have tested positive for the coronavirus. The Rose Bay case was one of four confirmed in the 24-hour reporting period to Friday night, along with a locally-acquired case still under investigation. It caused the school's closure on Friday, but authorities are investigating whether it is an older infection. Meanwhile, the locally-acquired case - a man in his twenties - brought an end to the state's streak of having no community-transmitted infections recorded for more than two weeks. He's not believed to have attended any recent protest or mass gathering, NSW Health says. There have now been 3120 cases of coronavirus in NSW, with 47 people being treated as of Saturday. None are in intensive care. We're a family of seven living in Georgia where Andrew's working as a professor at GSU. You can read more about us here She's been proudly showcasing her make-up skills while holed up at home in lockdown. And Jacqueline Jossa once again stunned fans with her incredible new look as she shared a beautifully made up selfie on Sunday. The I'm A Celebrity winner, 27, looked gorgeous in the snap after applying a gold smoky eye, defined cheeks and slick of nude gloss. Beautiful: Jacqueline Jossa, 27, once again stunned fans with her incredible new look as she shared a beautifully made up selfie on Sunday While Jacqueline has been embracing the natural look while in lockdown, she's also been passing the time by testing out an array of different makeup styles. The actress looked beautiful with the dramatic eye and nude lip, while her brunette tresses were pulled back into a sleek up-do. She kept the caption simple, writing the word: 'Baby.' Flawless: The I'm A Celebrity winner has been embracing the natural look during her time in lockdown (pictured makeup free) Jacqueline's post was soon flooded with comments from fans complimenting her look with one writing: 'Your makeup is incredible and you look so beautiful.' Another commented: 'Absolutely stunning,' while a third added: 'OMG beautiful seems like ages since I've seen any makeup.' It comes after Jacqueline appeared to confirm that her marriage to Dan Osborne is back on track following reports of 'struggles,' by sharing a loved-up snap on Friday. The I'm A Celebrity winner posted a picture of herself and Dan looking loved-up while on their engagement trip to Greece five years ago. You look amazing! Jacqueline's post was soon flooded with comments from fans complimenting her look Sweet: It comes after Jacqueline appeared to confirm that her marriage to Dan Osborne is back on track following reports of 'struggles,' by sharing a loved-up snap on Friday Jacqueline shared more evidence that the couple are back on track, as she included her husband in an advert for dishwasher tablets. While filming the video for the brand, Jacqueline panned the camera to Dan, who was doing the washing up, and asked him what he thought of the product. The couple had reportedly been 'struggling' during the early weeks of lockdown, leading to Jacqueline temporarily moving out. But spirits were high in the family home on Tuesday as Dan shared videos of Jacqueline cooking, before snapping a selfie with their eldest daughter Ella, five, and his son Teddy, who he shares with ex Megan Tomlin. A white couple called the police on a man of color for writing with chalk on his own property. Screenshot/Twitter James Juanillo said a white couple called the police on him for stenciling "Black Lives Matter" in chalk onto his own property. Juanillo posted a now-viral video of his interaction with the couple to Twitter, where it had over 16 million views at the time of writing on Monday. Birchbox identified the woman in the video as Lisa Alexander, the owner of LaFace, a skin-care company that has been featured in Birchbox products, and the company released a statement saying it cut ties with LaFace as a result of the incident. The financial services firm Raymond James identified the man in the video as Robert Larkin, and it announced on Monday that Larkin had been let go as a result of the incident. Alexander issued an apology to Juanillo on Sunday, saying she was "taking a hard look at the meaning behind white privilege" and was "committed to growing from the experience." Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A white couple was caught on tape accusing a man of color of vandalizing his own property and lying about knowing the owner of the building, a scene described by James Juanillo on Twitter. Juanillo is a San Francisco resident and business owner, and he rents a home in the city. He was stenciling "Black Lives Matter" in chalk outside his home when the couple, who identified themselves as Lisa and Robert, stopped him on Friday. "Are you defacing private property?" Robert asked him at the beginning of the video. "You're free to express your opinions. Just not on people's property." "So if I did live here and it was my property, this would be absolutely fine?" Juanillo asked the couple. "And you don't know if I live here or if this is my property." "We actually do know," Lisa responded, claiming to know the homeowner. Her statement turned out to be false, as Juanillo wrote in his tweet. Brad Gilbertson, one of the owners of the building, told ABC 7 News that he didn't know the couple. In addition, Juanillo wrote in a tweet that he had lived in his home for 18 years. Story continues It's also worth noting that Juanillo was writing with chalk, so the stenciling was not permanent. James Juanillo was writing with chalk. Screenshot/Twitter At the end of the video, Juanillo suggested that Robert and Lisa should call the police if they felt unsafe because of him. They did, and the police drove by Juanillo's house shortly after the interaction, as he told ABC 7 News. "The police came and recognized me immediately as a resident of the house and left without getting out of their patrol car," Juanillo said. "I didn't even show them my ID." "What she did is polite racism," Juanillo also told ABC 7 News. "It's respectable racism. 'Respectfully, sir I don't think you belong here.'" Juanillo's video went viral after he posted it, having over 16 million views at the time of writing on Monday. Juanillo did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on the interaction. Lisa and Robert have not been independently identified, but Birchbox seemed to confirm that the woman in the video was Lisa Alexander, the owner of the skincare company LaFace. In a tweet, the company announced that it was cutting ties with LaFace because of the incident. "Thank you to the Birchbox community for speaking up and speaking out, and bringing the racist actions of Lisa Alexander to our attention," the statement said. Likewise, Raymond James, a financial services firm appeared to confirm that Lisa's husband is Robert Larkin. He worked for the company until Monday. In a tweet, the company announced he had been let go because of his actions to Juanillo. "An inclusive workplace is fundamental to our culture, one in which people are free to bring their whole selves to their careers, and we expect our associates to conduct themselves appropriately inside and outside the workplace," the statement read, adding that Robert had been let go after an internal investigation. Lisa Alexander issued an apology to Juanillo on Sunday, as reported by CBS San Francisco's Kenny Choi on Twitter. "I want to apologize directly to Mr. Juanillo," the statement said. "There are not enough words to describe how truly sorry I am for being disrespectful to him last Tuesday when I made the decision to question him about what he was doing in front of his home. I should have minded my own business." The statement went on to say Alexander was shocked by her own behavior when she saw the video. "I did not realize at the time that my actions were racist and have learned a painful lesson. I am taking a hard look at the meaning behind white privilege and am committed to growing from the experience." She also said she hoped to get coffee with Juanillo at some point soon to have a "dialogue" in person about the experience. LaFace's website is unavailable, and all of its social-media accounts have been deactivated. Alexander's LinkedIn page and social-media accounts are also no longer active. LaFace and Larkin did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. You can read Lisa Alexander's full statement here. UPDATE: June 15, 2020: This article was originally published on June 14 and has been updated to reflect a statement issued by Raymond James, the financial services company where Robert Larkin was previously employed. Larkin, who appears in Juanillo's video, has been identified as Lisa Alexander's husband. Read the original article on Insider COVID-19: Retracted hydroxychloroquine studies, changes to carrier risk, how virus spreads on surfaces Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The global coronavirus pandemic that spurred mass government shutdowns of businesses and the loss of over 30 million jobs in the U.S. has led many to question the ever-changing advice coming from the World Health Organization and other experts whove been advising government officials and the public. While churches, restaurants, and doctors' offices continue to operate well below capacity, many Americans have joined street protests that sometimes number into the thousands, raising concerns about a spike in coronavirus infections. China is also now seeing an increase in infections and has imposed a lockdown in part of Beijing. In February, Tedros Ghebreyesus, the head of WHO, criticized the U.S., Australia and Singapore's ban on foreign travelers from China and later Europe. Some even called it "xenophobic." Yet later, many countries followed suit by enforcing their own travel restrictions. WHO and the CDC also initially said wearing face masks would not protect the public, but months later they advised strict adherence to wearing masks in public spaces. Now, expert opinions have changed on how the virus is spread from person-to-person, on surfaces, and which treatments are safe and effective. Here are three questions being raised in response to those changing opinions. 1 2 3 4 Next HAIRDRESSERS, barbers and beauty salon owners across Northern Ireland are hair-ing to go as they prepare to reopen in July. The Republic of Ireland is expected to bring forward the opening of salons to June 29 as part of the third phase of lockdown easing with Northern Ireland also expected to follow suit shortly afterwards. A date will likely be given this week. Suzan Manning (46), owner of Zuni Hairdressing in Belfast, said: "We don't have a definite date yet, we're also waiting for specifics on things like distances and exactly what can and can't do in the salon. Read More "Blow-drying for example, there's some European countries where that's not allowed at all so certainty around things like that is important. "Distancing is massive for us because it dictates how many staff we can employ and what we can offer. Read More It is going to be very different from before. Customers for example will need to wear a mask, either their own mask or one can be provided, and our staff will be equipped with full-face shields meaning they will still be able to see their hairdresser. "We will no longer have a waiting area, magazines or refreshments. Everybody is also going to have to be temperature checked before disinfecting their hands, then it will be straight over to the chair so there's no waiting around," she said. "All the staff will be wearing PPE and going through sanitisation but we want to try and maintain a nice service where possible and a good service as well." Elsewhere in the industry times have been tougher for mobile hair and make-up professionals like award-winning Olivia Muldoon (44, above) from Dungannon, who has lost an entire year's worth of income. She adapted to online teaching to keep her business going during lockdown but says she cannot wait to get back to her brushes. Olivia said: "Business collapsed with lockdown as my clients have postponed their events, weddings, award ceremonies etc and I haven't worked face-to-face since mid-March. "It's been tough as I fell into the category of not receiving any help from the government being a director of a company but not employing anybody. "All my clients have moved their bookings into 2021. I also teach bridal hair and make-up so I started online classes for that during lockdown to try and keep the business afloat. I can't wait to get back up and running." Loading When Matt Rowell arrived at Gold Coast, Stuart Dew knew he had picked up a special player. Now the rest of the AFL knows it, too. The No.1 draft pick's potential was no secret but few would have expected him to be best on ground in just his second AFL match against an experienced and vaunted West Coast midfield. Matt Rowell starred for the Suns in their drought-breaking win over the Eagles. Credit:AAP Rowell was brilliant as the Suns snapped a 19-game losing streak with a shock 44-point win over the Eagles at Metricon Stadium on Saturday. The 18-year-old kicked his first two AFL goals, racked up 26 possessions, 14 of which were contested, and stood tall when challenged physically by Eagles stars such as Elliot Yeo and Luke Shuey. Courtesty the Harsch and Gause Families/GoFundMe As hundreds of protesters gathered in Palmdale, California, on Saturday to demand more investigation into the death of a 24-year-old black man found hanging from a tree, questions emerged about a similar death 10 days earlier and 50 miles away. The family of Robert Fuller, whose body was discovered by a passerby on Wednesday, said they dont believe he would take his own life. And now relatives of 38-year-old Malcolm Harsch, who was found in a tree in Victorville on May 31, say they are skeptical he killed himself outside the city library. Harschs family came forward on Saturday to say they believe preliminary findings of suicide are just an easy way for authorities to avoid any further media attention. The deputy who called to confirm his death asked questions about drug or alcohol use, he made a statement about how the coronavirus has hit people really hard and said that a USB cord was used to hang himself, Harschs family said in a statement Saturday. Harmonie Harsch, one of Malcolm's sisters, told The Daily Beast that police had not offered an explanation for why blood was found on Malcolms shirt. The explanation of suicide does not seem plausible. There are many ways to die but considering the current racial tension, a black man hanging himself from a tree definitely doesnt sit well with us right now. We want justice not comfortable excuses, the family said. Malcolm had very recent conversations with his children about seeing them soon. He didnt seem to be depressed to anyone who truly knew him, the statement read. City officials in Victorville have said they are closely monitoring the investigation into Harshchs death, which is still ongoing. There were no indications at the scene that suggested foul play; however, the cause and manner of death are still pending, Sheriffs Spokeswoman Jodi Miller was quoted as telling Victor Valley News. In neighboring Los Angeles County, where thousands of people came together for a memorial for Fuller on Saturday, County Supervisor Kathryn Barger has asked Attorney General Xavier Becerra to carry out an independent investigation into his death near Palmdale City Hall. Story continues Palmdale city officials sparked public outrage earlier this week after issuing a statement before an autopsy had been conducted suggesting Fuller was depressed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Police told The Daily Beast that while early indications pointed to suicide, they werent necessarily ruling anything out and are waiting for toxicology results. Just like Harshchs family has said they believe something doesnt quite add up, Fullers family has said the conclusion drawn by authorities doesnt feel right. We want to find out the truth on what really happened. Everything they told us is not right. We just want the truth. My brother was not suicidal. He was a survivor. He was street smart, Fullers sister, Diamond Alexander, told the crowd at the memorial on Saturday. If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741 Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. The federal government has rolled out a plan to get the economy back on track after the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic affected the price of oil, the mainstay of Nigerias revenue. This led to the reworking of the 2020 budget by the executive arm of government to reflect the current economic realities. The revised budget of N10.810 trillion was passed by the National Assembly last week. Also, President Muhammadu Buhari set up the economic sustainability committee chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to find ways to get the economy back on track following the economic havoc wreaked by COVID-19. In its report, the economic sustainability committee rolled out a number of solutions across the different sectors of the economy. The plan is based on real sector measures, fiscal and monetary measures and implementation. Five million agric jobs The committee suggests that five million jobs be created from the agricultural sector owing to the we must produce what we eat belief of the president. It said state governments are to contribute between 20,000 to 100,000 hectares of land to make the project feasible over a period of 12 months. The intention is for the project to create 5 million jobs by focusing on increasing land under cultivation with state governments contributing between 20,000 to 100,000 hectares from a combination of aggregated smallholder farms and utilization of abandoned states farm settlements and agricultural projects, the report said. READ ALSO: The project will span the entire agricultural value chain, from farm to table as it were. It will support smallholder farmers directly or through outgrower schemes with services and inputs including land-clearing, ploughing, provision of seeds, saplings, fertilisers, pesticides as well as extension services, storage to mitigate post-harvest losses and equipment. Farmers will also be linked to low-interest input nancing. 1.8 million jobs from mass housing The committee said 1.8 million jobs will be created from a mass housing scheme. A total number of 300,000 homes are to be built within 12 months. The rst track is aimed at easing bottlenecks in the delivery of social housing while the second track will deliver aordable homes through direct government interventions in house construction, the report read. Health sector The Osinbajo led-committee said the pandemic has shown the need for a robust health sector. National eorts in this regard are hinged on four key priorities, namely, boosting the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring access of every Nigerian to qualitative health services based on the prioritisation of primary health care, building preparedness for the threat posed by infectious diseases and boosting local research and development eorts aimed at the production of medical and pharmaceutical resources, it said. VAT, monetary measures The committee proposed the implementation of the reforms in the Finance Act of 2020, maintaining the increase in the VAT rate to 7.5 per cent. Develop business continuity plans for tax and customs administration to provide services to citizens, taxpayers, and importers in case of widespread contagion (or mobility restrictions), it read. Rationalise ineective tax incentives and exemptions. The committee also proposed that all government expenditure should be streamlined to eliminate non-essential items. Provide N1trillion in loans to boost local manufacturing and production across the critical sector. Unify exchange rates to maximize naira returns to FAAC from foreign exchange inows, the report read Manage the exchange rate in a sustainable manner. Invoke partial risk guarantees for SMEs. Hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Iranian Central Bank's headquarters in Tehran mid-day Sunday June 14 protesting about the losses they incurred as a result of a special rate of exchange the bank has devised for businesses. The protesters blamed inherent "inefficiency and embezzlement" in the NIMA system [Persian acronym for Consolidated System of Forex Transactions] for their losses. The system was supposed to regulate transactions between Iranian importers and authorized money changing offices. After a sharp fall in the value of Irans rial, inMarch 2018 the Iranian banking system introduced at least three rates for foreign exchange based on the US dollar. The official rate of 42,00o rials per dollar, as well as the NIMA rate which is around 150,000 rials per US dollar and the free [black] market rate which fluctuates but currently is around 180,000 rials per dollar. Several videos and pictures circulating on social media show protesters chanting slogans demanding the resignation of Abdolnasser Hemmati, the Governor of Central Bank of Iran (CBI) and the disbanding of the NIMA rate of exchange. Meanwhile, reports from Tehran say security forces have been deployed to the part of Tehran where the CBI headquarters is located. Some of the slogans chanted during the protests were "Hemmati, Resign! Resign!"; "You shut down factories and tied up our hands"; and "hard working workers have been victimized." A tweet under alias Twitter handle @Jimi_r0 posted a picture of the protest and commented: "Who would have thought that inefficiency and embezzlement in the special rate system would cause losses to traders?" and added the hashtag Stock Exchange. Another tweet by the Human Rights in Iran Organization @humanrightsir1 broke the news about the protest gathering with the hashtags Central Bank, Nationwide Protests, Protest, and Human Rights. This tweet explained that the protest took place because the bank refused to sell foreign currency at the special rate. The Central Bank of Iran claims to have introduced the special rate (NIMA) in order to create a secure atmosphere for transactions between importers and authorized money changers. There were reports about embezzlement in this system. The protesters on Sunday said that they have not received any foreign currency at the special rate although they have deposited the equivalent in Iranian currency rial several months ago. Nevertheless, IRGC-linked news agency Tasnim and several conservative news websites defended Central Bank Governor Abdolnasser Hemmati and said the gathering on Sunday was suspicious. Meanwhile, within an hour of the gathering, the Central bank released a new list of those who have received foreign currency at the official and NIMA rates. Financial problems as well as widespread discrimination and corruption have led to many protest gatherings in various cities of Iran during the past two years. Various groups of people such as farmers, workers, Bazaar traders and owners of small businesses have been among those who protested the situation but every time, security forces violently suppressed the protests and arrested some protesters. Protests were against rising prices in January 2018 and against a sudden hike in the price of fuel in November 2019. More than 50 protesters were killed in 2018 and as many of 8,000 were arrested. In 2019, at many as 1,500 might have been killed based on a Reuters report, but the Iranian government rejects these figures. Recently, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani-Fazli said implicitly that some 200 to 225 protesters were killed in November 2019 and claimed only 80 percent of them were killed by security forces. 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 Joe Biden's search for a running mate has advanced to the next phase as his campaign conducts more extensive reviews of some prospects, including at least several African American women, according to people with knowledge of the situation. Among the candidates who have progressed to the point of more comprehensive vetting or have the potential to do so are Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., former national security adviser Susan Rice and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, all of whom are black. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who is white, is also in that group, as is New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is Latina. The pool of prospects remains fluid, and some close Biden allies suggested other contenders could also face the more intensive vetting process. The people describing the situation spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive private conversations and an evolving search process. The Biden campaign declined to comment. Biden has vowed to choose a woman, and Biden has repeatedly stressed that he wants a running mate who is "simpatico" with him. The candidates who continue to be under consideration by the campaign reflect in part the growing prominence of African American women amid a national uproar over police violence and racism that has sparked protests around the country. These developments have added pressure on Biden to select a black woman as his ticket mate. "I think that a ticket that is not reflective of the diversity of this country is a ticket that is doomed to fail," said Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, who said she has long felt Biden should pick a black woman and feels "even more so now." More for you Health experts warn of coronavirus risks at Trump's upcoming rally Biden's search is attracting even more attention than that of most candidates because at 77, he would be the oldest person ever elected to the presidency. Beyond potential health issues, some Democrats believe that if elected, Biden might not seek a second term, giving his vice president an early advantage in the race to become the next chief executive. In a recent interview with CBS News, Biden said the national upheaval of recent weeks has not affected his decision beyond placing "a greater focus and urgency on the need to get someone who is totally simpatico with where I am." But many Biden allies believe the protests have upended the calculations Biden must make. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who was once seen by Biden allies as a leading candidate, has seen her stock fall recently in their eyes. As outrage has grown over the killing of George Floyd, a black man who lost his life when a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck as he cried out that he could not breathe, Klobuchar's record as a local prosecutor has come under criticism from activists. They contend she was too tough on black and brown people and not hard enough on the police, contributing to systemic problems. Another variable is the pressure Biden faces from some quarters of the party to give strong consideration to a Latina running mate. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., took herself out of the running last month, leaving Lujan Grisham as the most prominent Latina prospect. Others who have been mentioned by Biden allies include Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis. Duckworth is a Purple Heart recipient who lost both her legs in the Iraq War and is Asian American. Baldwin hails from a crucial state President Donald Trump won in 2016 and was the first openly gay person elected to the Senate. "She has an appeal that goes way beyond the obvious political candidate," said Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., of Duckworth. "I believe they are taking her seriously." Durbin has been in touch with Biden and his associates. Another Midwestern Democrat who has received at least some consideration is Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who Biden has previously said was on the list. The Biden campaign is expected to undertake a deep scrub of the backgrounds of its finalists, requesting documents and answers to personal questions. Those who have received close consideration in past years say the process was intense. "We got a 129-question survey to answer," said former Housing and Urban Development secretary Julian Castro, who was vetted by Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2016. "You sit for hours with teams of lawyers to go over your personal, financial, political history." Biden has tasked a group of four allies - former senator Christopher J. Dodd, D-Conn., Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and former White House counsel Cynthia Hogan - to spearhead his running mate selection process. Of the group getting a closer look from the campaign, Harris stands out for her experience on the national political stage. She is the only black woman in America who is currently either a U.S. senator or a governor, and she ran for president against Biden in the Democratic primaries. Several top Biden allies said this past week that they increasingly view Harris as the best fit to be Biden's running mate. They believe the senator from California, a former state attorney general, could appeal to the party's activist wing as well as its professional class, helping Biden meet a challenging moment of upheaval on race. Rice has never sought or held elective office, but she has the most extensive record of dealing with foreign governments and representing the United States on the world stage. She served as ambassador to the United Nations and national security adviser during the Obama administration. She has faced criticism, however, for her public comments about the 2012 Benghazi attacks that killed four Americans, including two U.S. diplomats, which she later acknowledged were not fully accurate. Demings has also emerged as an intriguing prospect to many Democrats. She hails from the nation's largest swing state and made history as the first female chief of the Orlando Police Department. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla., said Demings "has a tremendous background" and the "added importance" of being from Florida. Crist said he expressed his enthusiasm for Demings on a recent call with Dodd. Still, the law enforcement backgrounds of Harris and Demings are likely to face public scrutiny and receive close attention from the campaign officials vetting them. In recent years, liberal activists have grown more skeptical of prosecutors and police, and the current protests have focused on law enforcement's treatment of African Americans. Bottoms, an early Biden endorser, has received national attention for her widely praised response to Floyd's killing and the resulting protests in her city. Warren, who like Harris ran against Biden in the primaries, developed a reputation during the race as an ideas candidate with detailed plans for advancing a liberal agenda, particularly on economic issues. Some Democrats who have spoken with Biden said they have not been given an indication that he is leaning toward any specific candidate. Biden said at a May 27 virtual fundraiser that he hoped to name his vice-presidential pick around Aug. 1. "We're in the process of deciding the basic cut - about whether or not they really want it. Are they comfortable?" he said that day. Former Georgia gubernatorial nominee and state House minority leader Stacey Abrams, who has shown strong interest in the job but has drawn skepticism from some Biden allies questioning her experience, said on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" that she would answer if called, but "I have not received any calls." The former vice president has been guarded about discussing specific candidates in his public remarks, but he has occasionally revealed some details. He has previously disclosed that Demings was under consideration and said that more than one African American woman was in the mix. Crist, a former Republican who was vetted by John McCain's campaign in 2008, said the experience "can be grueling." "It's like a no-stone-unturned kind of process," Crist said. "Which it should be." Vicki Whitties brought her grandchildren Jaylin, 7, and Meredith, 5, from Petersburg to Richmond to attend the march. Whitties said she told her grandchildren about participating in the Civil Rights movement during the 1960s. They said, grandma, we have got to go to the march in Richmond, Whitties said. No bus was available on Saturday, so they took a taxi, she said. George Floyd should not have been treated like that, Jaylin said. Everybody should be treated equally. Im just hoping for change, Whitties said. We need change. I think everybody has an understanding now. Sometimes you have to see it to feel it. I think that video [of George Floyds killing] did it. In the circle around the Robert E. Lee monument, where the march began, and down Monument Avenue, vendors sold shirts, buttons and other merchandise. Food trucks were available, selling meals to marchers. Organizer Triston Harris, who organized the 1,000 Man March in Richmond four year ago in response to the death of Eric Garner, included vendors and performers at the event because it just showed positivity, and that was the message that we were trying to send. Love lives here. The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management said that fire crews are battling the fast-growing 'Bush Fire ' that burned more than 600 acres as of this time. Meanwhile, a helicopter is already helping to suppress the fire in Lump Gulch Area. A human-caused bushfire began around 2:00 p.m. on Saturday in Arizona and is burning north toward the Sugarloaf Recreation area. According to a published report by AZ Central, the bushfire has jumped over the highway and is burning east along Four Peaks Road. Meanwhile, another bushfire has occured in the Lump Gulch Area near the Sheep Mountain, west of Clancy, Montana, according to a published report by KRTV. The Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation responded to the emergency. Closure of Highways in Arizona As of 6:15 on the same day, the fire has already burned more than 600 acres near the Sugarloaf Recreation area, according to a published report by FOX 10. Fire crews continue to battle to contain it. Officials also said that the fire grew from 100 acres to 600 acres in a matter of hours. Firefighters are already working west of the State Route-87 by building containment lines and other operations to stop the fire. Following the fire's rapid growth, some highways have been closed. A Twitter post from the Tonto National Forest wrote: "Bush Fire Update: 600 acres, burning along the 87 near Bush Hwy and Hwy 87. Nine engines, 3 hotshot crews, 4 air tankers, and 2 helicopters assigned. Additional resources ordered. Hwy 87, Lower Sycamore, Sugarloaf, and Four Peaks areas closed." They also added that firefighters will continue working throughout the night and expected that smoke and flames will be visible during the evening. Meanwhile, the fire restrictions have already elevated to Stage 2 in the Tonto National Forest. A Human-Caused 'Bush Fire' Investigation is Underway The fire danger ratings are too extreme according to the Tonto National Forest. Meanwhile, the law enforcement agencies are now currently investigating the origin of the 'Bush Fire' that burned more than 600 acres. Additionally, they are also escorting the members out of the public area and have already closed the affected roads. Moreover, no structures are threatened this time and no injuries related to the fast-growing 'Bush Fire' were reported. As of this time, there are no updates yet about the situation of the 'Bush Fire.' The ABC 15 News reported as well that many sent photos to them about the 'Bush Fire' that can be seen kilometers away from the area. There no arrests made as well as the investigation is still goin on. Meanwhile, videos and photos of the 'Bush Fire' went viral online. A 'Bush Fire' in Montana Lewis & Clark Emergency Management confirmed the 'Bush Fire' in Montana through its Facebook Page post. Meanwhile, in just nearly an hour, residents in the immediate area were told to evacuate by the Jefferson County Sheriff who gathered at the Legal Tender Parking Lot. On its developing report, several homes in the Little Buffalo Creek area and on Sheep Mountain have been evacuated including a home in Montana City according to Clancy Fire Information Officer Pat McKelvey. The Fire Officer said that the strong winds are spreading the fire northeast and it is expected to move toward Park Lake. They are also investigating the cause of the 'Bush Fire.' Check these out! Coronavirus tests could be carried out at work with results within two hours by the autumn, officials claim. The Health Secretary has said officials are in talks with businesses about how they could run their own testing programmes as they re-open. An NHS chief said it includes using 'on the spot' tests, which are those which produce results in very little time without needing to be sent to a laboratory - however they do need to be worked by a healthcare professional. It means people don't have to wait days to find out if they can go back to work or self isolate and coronavirus outbreaks can be pinned quickly. GP surgeries, dentists, prisons, airports and ports may be first in line to offer workplace testing. But rapid diagnostic devices are in very limited supply. Only a handful of hospitals have been given one for trial purposes with a long list of others, and care homes, waiting. The ambitious plans - revealed at an industry briefing last week - aim to boost testing figures to expand Boris Johnson's 200,000-a-day target. Experts have emphasised the importance of using rapid diagnostic tools in order to keep on top of the crisis. Ministers are also looking at rolling out a series of new tests by the autumn, such as the saliva test which health chiefs have been validating in recent weeks. Research suggests saliva tests are more accurate than swabs used now because there is less room for errors in sampling. All it requires is some saliva in a tube. The Health Secretary has said officials are in talks with businesses about how they could run their own testing programmes as they re-open It includes using 'on the spot' tests, which are those which produce results in very little time without needing to be sent to a laboratory. The Samba II device (pictured), is being used at Addenbrooke's, a teaching hospital in Cambridge. It can produce results in 90 minutes The Covid-19 LAMP assay test, developed by UK-based manufacturer Optigene, can turn around results within 20 minutes. It is being trialled in Hampshire The Government's current advice still outlines that people should work from home but if they can't, they are 'actively encouraged to go to work'. Guidance for workplaces suggests how to maintain social distancing, such as using glass shields to separate people at desks. But there is nothing in place to regular test employees to keep the virus under control. Guidance has not explicitly said employees must be required to give their temperatures or be tested regularly before entering the workplace, but some have taken it upon themselves to do this on a voluntary basis. Today Matt Hancock revealed workplace testing may soon become the norm in an article for the The Sunday Telegraph. He said: 'I'm a massive supporter of the ingenuity of the nation's businesses. We want businesses to be part of the solution to getting our country back on its feet. 'So as we take these careful steps to get our economy going again, we will continue working closely with businesses on how they can keep their staff and the public as safe as possible, including how they might run their own testing programmes, if they choose to.' The plans to bring businesses into the testing strategy were discussed at an industry briefing last week, The Sunday Telegraph reports. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CORONAVIRUS TEST? PCR (DNA) TEST A PCR test (polymerase chain reaction) aims to pick up on active viruses currently in the bloodstream. A PCR test works by a sample of someone's genetic material - their RNA - being taken to lab and worked up in a full map of their DNA at the time of the test. This DNA can then be scanned to find evidence of the virus's DNA, which will be embroiled with the patient's own if they are infected at the time. The PCR test is extremely reliable but may be slow as it needs to be carried out by a qualified technician in a specialised laboratory. It does not look for evidence of past infection. ANTIGEN TEST Antigens are parts of a virus that trigger the immune system's response to fight the infection. The key advantage of antigen tests is that antigens can be seen almost immediately after infection. They work by running the patient's swab sample through a machine designed specifically to spot them, often by introducing a chemical which reacts with the antigen to give off a signal visible to the technology. Antigen tests are used to diagnose patients with flu, as well as malaria, strep A and HIV. They can also be done using swabs. ANTIBODY TEST An antibody test is one which tests whether someone's immune system is equipped to fight a specific disease or infection. When someone gets infected with a virus their immune system must work out how to fight it off and produce substances called antibodies. These are extremely specific and are usually only able to tackle one strain of one virus. They are produced in a way which makes them able to latch onto that specific virus and destroy it. For example, if someone catches COVID-19, they will develop COVID-19 antibodies for their body to use to fight it off. The body then stores versions of these antibodies in the immune system so that if it comes into contact with that same virus again it will be able to fight it off straight away and probably avoid someone feeling any symptoms at all. To test for these antibodies, medics or scientists can take a fluid sample from someone - usually blood - and mix it with part of the virus to see if there is a reaction between the two. If there is a reaction, it means someone has the antibodies and their body knows how to fight off the infection - they are immune. If there is no reaction it means they have not had it yet. Advertisement Lindsey Hughes, a deputy director of NHS England, said 'point of care' tests provided a 'really exciting opportunity' to help firms to re-open and protect their employees from Covid-19. 'Point-of-care' tests, otherwise known as 'on the spot' tests are those which can be operated on site, such as in a GP surgery. Machines used at point-of-care need to be operated by healthcare workers, so it is not clear how this could work in places like offices. Ms Hughes said point of care tests allowed 'rapid triage' in hospitals and would also enable quick testing in GP surgeries, dentists, care homes, prisons, and potentially at airports and ports. She added: 'We're really keen to enable employers to play a part in the testing programme. 'We know that a number of businesses are looking at their own approaches to reopening their businesses and protecting their workforce. Point of care testing is a really exciting opportunity to enable them to do that and take a decentralised approach. 'As a start, both BEIS [The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy] and DHSC [The Department of Health and Social Care] are starting to engage with employers, as part of the BEIS safer working programme.' Two point-of-care tests are currently being used within the NHS but, although in high demand, are of very limited supply. The Samba II device, validated by Public Health England, is being used at Addenbrooke's, a teaching hospital in Cambridge. The hospital recently revealed how significantly the test had improved the hospital's workings, because it can give a result in as little as 90 minutes. This compares to Public Health England's test which may take 48 hours to produce a result after being sent off the laboratory. The average time it took to get a test result fell from 39.4 hours to 3.6 hours, according to a trial at Addenbrooke's, published as a pre-print. The creators of Samba II, a University of Cambridge spin-off company called Diagnostics for the Real World, say the device is expected to be launched in hospitals across the country. A donation of US$3million (about 2.4million) from the businessman and philanthropist Sir Chris Hohn means 100 machines have been purchased so far. Mr Hancock announced in May it will trial the other rapid diagnostic test - the Covid-19 LAMP assay test - in a pilot study in Hampshire. Around 4,000 patients will be the first to try the new antigen test, which looks for signs of current coronavirus infection. The test, developed by UK-based manufacturer Optigene, can turn around results within 20 minutes. If successful, the test would first be rolled out to a number of A&E departments without access to laboratories, GP coronavirus testing hubs and care homes across Hampshire, the Department of Health said. Ministers are also keen to use antibody testing in the work environment - but have faced obstacles to get this off the ground since the start of the pandemic. The 'have you had it' tests scan the blood for antibodies which signal a person has already had Covid-19 and have since recovered. 'Immunity passports' to say someone has had the virus and are therefore immune were in the pipeline. But have been shelved due to weak evidence of immunity from reinfection. The Government said 10million antibody tests had been ordered from Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche and US-based healthcare company Abbott on May 22. NHS and care home staff were prioritised and testing is still ongoing. But it is not clear how they will reach the public in the future, or if the results of antibody tests will be useful considering the gaps in scientific understanding of immunity. The ambitions of workforce testing have come into the Government's plans to scale up testing in order to optimise the contact tracing system. Contact tracing relies on both high numbers and rapid results of testing to work properly and avoid a second wave of the virus. Under the programme, people who have been in close contact with a positive Covid-19 case must self-isolate for two weeks if told to. The contacts of a person with Covid-19 - traced by Government employed call handlers - are only notified when a positive test result is returned. If this takes two days or more, it could lead to those contacts infecting more people when they should have been told to self isolate. Officials are seeking a series of new tests which can be scaled up and ready by the autumn - at which point schools are supposed to return. The Government is reportedly in talks with epigenetics company Chronomics about its saliva test for coronavirus (pictured) One of those is expected to be saliva tests which have been under close analysis by health chiefs in recent weeks. The Government is reportedly in talks with epigenetics company Chronomics about its saliva test - two months after the US approved a similar one. The kit, which requires someone to spit into a tube, is easier and less painful than swabs currently used at hospitals, drive-in test facilities and in home packs. Chronomics says it has the ability to significantly increase how many tests are conducted. An expert involved with the project said the firm was able to turn around test results within one hour of the samples arriving at laboratories. Professor John Newton, the Government's testing tsar at PHE, has previously said saliva tests are 'really interesting' in the diagnosis of Covid-19. 'So we are actively looking at those and we are engaging with the companies and if they prove to be better then we will use those,' he said. Lawrence Young, a virologist and infectious disease expert at Warwick University, who previously told MailOnline Government officials were looking at saliva tests said: 'I think saliva testing looks very promising and more reliable.' To speed up testing, a four-week validation process of 'pooling' has begun, according to the briefing. The process means a large group of tests are read by laboratory technicians in one go, rather than individually. If the result is negative, all samples could be 'ruled out', and if it is positive, each would then be examined individually. When the infection rate is low and only a few people are infected, pool testing can significantly expand testing capacity. Therefore, it will likely become useful as infections continue to decline in the UK. A Government presentation stated: 'Sample pooling is being applied internationally in the testing of Covid-19, most noticeably in Germany, China, Singapore, Malaysia and Israel.' Vietnam's fishing boats operate in the waters off Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands in May 2014. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong. The Vietnam Fisheries Society has demanded China compensate for the "inhumane" ramming and looting of a Vietnamese fishing boat this week while Vietnam's foreign ministry requested an investigation. At around 10 a.m. on June 10, a Chinese Coast Guard patrol vessel and a speedboat chased, rammed and damaged the fishing boat owned by Nguyen Loc, 42, of Ly Son District in the central Quang Ngai Province. Loc was on the boat and had a crew of 15 fishermen when this occurred near Lincoln Island in Vietnam's Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago. In a letter it sent on Saturday to the Government Office, the Central Commission for External Relations, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vietnam Fisheries Society condemned China's "inhumane actions, which threatened the life and damaged the properties of Vietnamese fishermen." During the attack, personnel from the Chinese patrol vessel, number 4006, attacked the fishermen and forced them to sign off on a statement. They then took away two GPS positioning machines and a fishing sonar, a coracle, ropes, and one ton of seafood after damaging the fishing boat. In all, Loc suffered losses of around VND500 million ($21,500). With the vessel damaged and equipment stolen, the crew could not continue and returned to shore on Friday and reported to Quang Ngai authorities. On the same day of the attack, the Consular Department at Vietnam's Foreign Affairs Mnistry and Vietnam Embassy in Beijing had discussed the matter with China, asserting Vietnam's sovereignty rights over Hoang Sa. The agencies demanded that China investigate and verify the incident and inform Vietnam with the results, so both sides can take further necessary actions. The fisheries society said that "Such actions by China have occurred many times and are increasing relentlessly, causing insecurity and discontent among Vietnams fishermen, reducing Vietnams fishing production, causing serious economic losses to fishermen, infringing on Vietnam's sovereignty and violating Vietnamese and international laws," the statement read. It called on authorities to strongly condemn and immediately stop China from obstructing and ramming Vietnamese fishing boats in Vietnam's sovereign waters, and take resolute measures against China's "unreasonable" actions. Nguyen Viet Thang, president of the society, had said last year that Chinese vessels were ramming boats in Vietnam's traditional fishing grounds, especially around the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands. "When Chinese boats find Vietnamese boats fishing near the islands, they sink the boats without issuing warnings as they used to," he had said. "Every time a Vietnamese fishing boat is sunk or damaged, we would send messages to the Chinese embassy, and through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ask Chinese authorities to compensate. But we have never received any response." On April 2, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel had rammed and sank a fishing boat from Quang Ngai while it was fishing off Woody (Phu Lam) Island in the Paracels. Vietnam publicly condemned the act, and the U.S. and the Philippines joined in the criticism. China seized the Paracel Islands from South Vietnam by force in 1974, and has since been illegally occupying them. In 2012, it built the so-called "Sansha City" with Woody Island as its seat, and has since built a runway capable of handling military aircraft and other supporting structures. The so-called city also extends to a number of reefs in Vietnam's Spratly (Truong Sa) Islands that China seized by force in 1988 as well as the Scarborough Shoal, which is claimed by the Philippines. Owners of Goa's heritage museums, which were struggling to stay afloat due to the COVID-19 crisis, are hopeful that the state government will allow them to reopen their premises for visitors soon. Though a lot of curbs have been lifted in Goa, museums have not yet been allowed to reopen. Goa, which is popular among tourists as a beach destination, is also home to several museums that showcase the rich culture and heritage of this former Portuguese colony. Since the lockdown came into force in March, these museums, which used to attract hundreds of visitors or normal days, have remained closed. Maendra Alvares, the curator of 'Big Foot' museum at Loutolim village in South Goa district, said his gallery has been shut for over two-and-a-half months now. But, he is hopeful the government will allow museums to reopen. "When the state borders open for tourists, we also expect to get visitors. We used to host nearly 400 visitors a day at the museum earlier, but now the footfalls are likely to decrease, he said. Spread across 12 acres, the museum has a sculpture of 'Mirabai', which has been registered in the Limca Book of Records as the longest laterite sculpture in India. Alvares said he is aware that all precautions will have to be taken while reopening the museum. "Very soon, people will be used to living with the Coronavirus. People are bored of sitting at home, so they will prefer visiting places like ours, he said. The 'Goa Chitra' museum, another popular tourist attraction at Benaulim in South Goa, has also been shut since the lockdown began in March. Its curator Victor Hugo Gomes is also waiting for the government's order to open the premises for visitors. "We have temporarily closed the place. It has been financially draining, but personally I got time to sit and document whatever I have been collecting all this while, he said. Gomes said he is ready to open the museum, which has a rich collection of artefacts dating back to pre-Portuguese era, whenever allowed by the authorities. "We have already installed a sanitisation booth for visitors. They will be provided face masks and social distancing will be maintained during tours of the place," he said. He is also hopeful that once the museum opens, the footfalls will not be less than earlier. The United Nation's cultural agency last month warned that nearly 13 per cent of museums around the world may never reopen, as about 90 per cent of them globally have had to close their doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two studies by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the International Council of Museums (ICOM) said museums have been especially affected by the pandemic, with nearly 90 per cent of them, or more than 85,000 institutions, having closed their doors for varying lengths of time during the crisis. The two female workers alleged Ehtesham Ghaffar, 20, threatened to kill them Two female paramedics have been forced to flee their ambulance fearing for their lives after a patient allegedly attacked them during an early-morning callout. The ambulance workers were called to a home in Greystanes in western Sydney at about 4am on Saturday to help a man with heart pain. But instead of taking the man to hospital, footage obtained by 9 News showed the paramedics running from the van while calling for help. 'We're on foot, we've left the car, he's threatening to kill us,' they could be heard saying. The panicked workers ran from the ambulance (pictured) and took refuge inside the home a neighbour The panicked workers took refuge inside a stranger's home. 'We're inside the residence where people have let us in. We are safe but still require armed assistance.' The woman who let them into her home said the workers looked terrified. 'The doorbell was ringing really crazy, just continuing,' she said. '[The paramedics] were very shaken. They were very frightened.' The officers alleged the patient, 20-year-old Ehtesham Ghaffar, threatened and lunged at them inside the ambulance. Another neighbour said she saw the man run out of the ambulance and up the street (pictured on CCTV camera) Another neighbour said she saw the man run out of the ambulance and up the street. Mr Ghaffar was later taken to hospital by his mother before he was arrested and charged with assault. He denied threatening the paramedics and claimed he was having a panic attack throughout the ordeal. 'I'm like, "can you help me, I can't breath" and they didn't give me any response and then they just kept looking at me and I'm just telling them "help me, help me",' he said. Ehtesham Ghaffar (pictured), 20, allegedly threatened and lunged at them inside the ambulance 'I just grabbed my phone, and as soon as I grabbed my phone she ran out of the ambulance.' NSW Ambulance Assistant Commissioner Tony Gately said the workers were 'rattled' by the experience. He said: 'In no way is it ever, ever appropriate for anyone to threaten, abuse, spit at attempt to assault a paramedic.' The paramedics were wearing body cameras during the ordeal which will help police with their investigation. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, the First Lady, Sunday called on all healthy Ghanaians to donate blood and save lives, as the world marks Blood Donor Day today. "Today I am supporting the call for all healthy Ghanaian citizens, to be Champions of Change, please give blood and save lives", Mrs Akufo-Addo who doubles as the Executive Director of the Rebecca Foundation said in a message to mark the day. She explained that every day in Ghana, hundreds of blood donations make the difference between life and death. However, with the outbreak of COVID-19, many of the locations that used to host blood drives, have closed their doors. "It is now even more difficult to maintain sufficient blood supply for people in critical conditions," she said. Therefore, the First Lady said it was in these times of crisis, "that we must come together to save lives." The World Health Organisation (WHO) and countries around the world are celebrating The 2020 World Blood Donor Day to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gift of blood. It is also to raise awareness of the need for regular blood donations to ensure that all individuals and communities have access to affordable and timely supplies of safe and quality-assured blood and blood products, as an integral part of universal health coverage and a key component of effective health systems. The Day has the slogan Share Life, Give Blood, referring to the caring and cohesion that giving blood and caring for others involve. One of the aims of the day was to encourage younger people, who might be a bit nervous or unsure about giving blood, to feel encouraged to sign up and start donating, so that the donor population does not decline. Experts say blood donation saves millions of lives annually and helps with the recovery and health of patients who have illnesses or injuries, complex operations, or childbirth problems. Blood stocks are also essential in natural and man-made disasters. 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 Actor Sanjana Sanghi, who will make her film debut in what will be actor Sushant Singh Rajputs final film, Dil Bechara, has shared a tearful goodbye for Sushant, who died on Sunday. Im grateful to everybody who believed Sushant is an artist beyond excellence, she said in a video. Abhi toh itna kuch baaki tha, Sushant?(We had so much to do, Sushant), Sanjana wrote in her caption. I refreshed my web pages a 100 times hoping Im reading some sort of horrible joke. Im not equipped to process any of this. I dont think I ever will be. Im definitely not equipped to articulate my feelings, this is me failing, but trying. Sushant is suspected to have died of suicide but the police are yet to find a note. She continued, After 2 years of seemingly all the possible difficulties one single film can face, with all sorts of crap constantly being written, and being relentlessly pursued. We were supposed to FINALLY see our film - my first film, and what you told me you believed was your best film yet, together. ALSO WATCH | RIP Sushant Singh Rajput: The darkness beyond the tinsel town glamour Sanjana added, In the middle of our 16 hour shoot days, youd tell me that being and becoming Manny, made you happy. But youd also fleetingly mention being anyone other than yourself made you happy. I was too ill equipped to understand the depth of what you meant. In her video message, Sanjana recalled how encouraging Sushant was, and that he said he saw infinite potential in her. I just want to promise you that everyone who loves will forever be grateful for the gift that youve left behind, she said. She added in her note, Amidst your struggle, you somehow found a way and had a desire to yell out to me from the opposite side of set screaming Rockstar, itni achi acting thodi na karte hain paagal!; To guide me over things big & small through our films process, To tell me to conserve my energy on set; To discuss even the smallest nuance you thought could change the narrative of a scene and would whole heartedly accept my disagreement; To discuss ways in which we could together forge a brighter educational future for the children of India. You were a force Manny, and you always will be. Were going to spend an eternity to try and make sense of what youve left us behind with, and I personally never will be able to. I simply wish you never left us behind in the first place. Just know, you have a country full of millions, looking up at you, smiling at you, thankful for you. As you smile back at us, from up above. The fact that you get to spend the rest of your time by your mothers side, I know you gives the only happiness you wanted in the world. John Green wrote this, in our beloved book, The Fault In Our Stars, from my character to yours, but here is me, Sanjana, saying this to you, Sushant : You gave me a forever, within a limited number of days, and for that. Im forever grateful. A forever of learnings, and memories. Also read: Let Sushant Singh Rajput go in peace, Sonu Sood requests media; Anushka Sharma and Vikrant Massey call for sensitive coverage The actor was found dead at his sixth floor apartment in Bandra (West). While the police have confirmed that he has died by suicide, no note was found from his residence. Sushants team shared a message for his fans: It pains us to share that Sushant Singh Rajput is no longer with us. We request his fans to keep him in their thoughts and celebrate his life, and his work like they have done so far. We request media to help us maintain privacy at this moment of grief. Earlier in the day, Dil Bechara director Mukesh Chhabra was seen outside Sushants Bandra house, just before his body was taken for a post-mortem. If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918 Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Private legal practitioner, Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo has said mass testing of teachers and students should precede the partial reopening of schools on Monday. Mr. Addo said a mandatory COVID-19 test for teachers and students will help in curbing a spread of the virus in schools. One of the things that ex-President Mahama has been advocating is mass testing for our students. We cannot in good conscience allow our students to enter into the various campuses without testing. It is like we are signing a suicide pact. How do we know the status of the people that are in. How do we know the status of teachers? The idea is that you want to protect them [students and teachers] from some infection from outside but you are not concerned about whether the people that are coming from their various homes have any infection. Schools in the country were ordered to shut down after a directive from the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on March 15, 2020, as part of measures to stop the further spread of the Coronavirus disease [COVID-19] in the country. The President, however, reopened schools for only final year students to prepare and enable them to take their final examinations. According to the Minister for Education, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, final year SHS students will be in school on Monday, June 22, 2020, while final year JHS students will resume on Monday, June 29, 2020. Universities will also reopen for final year students on June 15, 2020. Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has set up a special taskforce to ensure t he safe re-opening of schools for final year students. Among other duties, the taskforce will oversee the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and also ensure strict enforcement of COVID-19 safety protocols. The President, Nana Akufo-Addo has said the success or failure of the partial reopening of schools will inform the government's next line of action in the educational sector. citinewsroom Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-13 23:41:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Firefighters work at the site of a tank truck blast in Wenling, east China's Zhejiang Province. Ten people were killed and 117 others injured after a tank truck exploded and veered off an expressway in east China's Zhejiang Province Saturday afternoon, local authorities said. (Xinhua/Wang Junlu) HANGZHOU, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Ten people were killed and 117 others injured after a tank truck exploded and veered off an expressway in east China's Zhejiang Province Saturday afternoon, local authorities said. The explosion that occurred around 4:40 p.m. near the village of Liangshan in the city of Wenling, has caused the collapse of some nearby residential houses and factory workshops along the Shenyang-Haikou Expressway, according to the local sources. A total of 138 local firefighters and 34 fire engines were at the scene. Another 316 firefighters were called in to help with the rescue work, the Ministry of Emergency Management said. Firefighters and rescuers were searching possible missing persons in the debris. Lu Fang, who works at a nearby restaurant, told Xinhua that she heard a loud bang, and thought it was a flat tire commonly heard along the expressway. But people immediately started sharing news about the blast in WeChat groups, and some photos and videos showed the front of a row of houses had been shaved off in the explosion. "The glass on the windows and doors of my home was all shattered. Luckily my mother and brother were unharmed," she said. Sun Huashan, vice minister of emergency management, has been sent to Zhejiang to guide the rescue work. Enditem Seven Networks sports presenter Jim Wilson has been named the new host of 2GBs Drive program, replacing former host Ben Fordham. The competitive slot opened when Fordham took over 2GBs breakfast slot on June 1 following Alan Jones' retirement. Jim Wilson will be the new host of 2GBs Drive program. Credit:Louise Kennerley Wilson, 52, joined Seven in 1992 as a sports presenter and reporter in Melbourne before moving to Sydney. Prior to joining Seven, he worked for the Nine Network in Brisbane. Nine, the owner of this masthead and 2GB, did not reveal what date Wilson will start his new role but said he will begin in the coming weeks and the show will be renamed 2GB Drive with Jim Wilson. Coronavirus cases in France continue to fall one month after ending the strict eight-week lockdown, with no second peak in infections as restaurants open, children return to school and families travel for weekend breaks. The figures offer a rosy picture for Emmanuel Macron, the president, to present to the nation in an address on Sunday night that will attempt to reassure an anxious public that the government has a viable post-virus plan to put the country back on its feet. Authorities say there are only 933 virus patients in intensive care across the country, down from 7,148 in April. The number of new admissions to emergency units, meanwhile, was 20 in the last 24 hours. An analysis of the pandemic in France over the last month this week by the newspaper Liberation confirmed the trend since the end of the lockdown, noting a slow, progressive but constant return towards normality. It added: It seems improbable the curve will rise again in the coming weeks. Emmanuel Macron wears a protective face mask as he speaks with schoolchildren Pool EPA Emmanuel Macron wears a protective face mask as he speaks with schoolchildren Pool EPA The next stage of recovery will focus on the battered economy, now that fears of a second wave of infections have largely abated. With Frances economy expected to contract by 11 per cent this year, many people, including government ministers, are calling for a speedy return to normality. To boost tourism, France and other EU countries will gradually reopen their borders to countries outside the Schengen passport-free travel zone from July 1 after a three-and-half month closure. In his first major public speech since April, Mr Macron is expected to outline a further lifting of restrictions, such as a possible easing of social distancing rules in French schools. Paris restaurants are expected to be permitted to serve customers indoors from June 22. They are currently only permitted to serve food on outside terraces. Elsewhere in France, where the risk of infection is considered lower, restaurants are already serving inside but must keep tables one metre apart. Restaurateurs are lobbying the government to ease the rules further. We cant make a living with only a fraction of our customers, said Xavier Denamur, the owner of five bistros in Paris. Public health is paramount, but as the danger of infection comes down, we need to start charting a path back to normality. Francoise Pinel, 42, a Parisian mother of three, said: Many parents want an end to social distancing in schools. Kids have to get back to normal activities, so were hoping Macron will have good news for us. Ninety per cent of the French are expected to holiday in France this summer, but the national rail company and airlines report fewer bookings than normal and they are scaling down services accordingly. Parc Asterix, the smaller Gallic competitor to Disneyland Paris, will reopen on Monday. Another French theme park, the Puy du Fou, which features historical reconstructions, will reopen on June 22. But Disneyland Paris, which claims to be Europes most visited tourist attraction, is expected to remain closed until at least mid-July. Nicolas Kremer, the general manager of Parc Asterix, said face-masks would be compulsory on rides. Hundreds of hand gel dispensers have been installed. Weve set a maximum of 5,000 visitors on Monday but that will be increased gradually and we hope to get up to 10,000 a day by next weekend. Mr Macrons approval ratings have fallen, with many French people criticising his management of the Covid-19 crisis and pointing out that Germany handled it better. He has been blamed for a shortage of face-masks and PPE at the height of the outbreak. France has reported fewer than 30,000 coronavirus deaths in hospitals and care homes since the pandemic began. Only 879 Covid-19 patients remained in intensive care on Saturday. The country still has 126 active clusters of infections, with particular concern about higher numbers of cases in eastern and northern regions. As of Saturday morning 29,374 people in France had died of Covid-19, according to official statistics. SOURCE: The Telegraph Officials take the temperature of applicants who came to take an employment exam of the Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) at Myongji College in Seoul, Sunday. / Yonhap By Jun Ji-hye Visitors to gyms, cram schools, bars and other crowded establishments are exposed to higher risk of COVID-19 infections, and their "easygoing attitude" has been leading to a continuous rise in infection clusters in the densely populated capital area, the health authorities warned Sunday. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said 164 patients have been traced to the multi-level marketing company, Richway, as of noon Sunday, up from 153 the previous day. The first case linked to the company a man in his 70s was confirmed June 2. Initially, patients traced to Richway were mostly elderly citizens as the company was selling health food supplements, but infections are believed to have occurred for those in their 20s who live a more active life and frequently visit crowded spaces. A female patient in her 70s, who had contracted the virus after visiting Richway, May 30, has spread the virus to at least 30 people in a commercial real estate agency in Seoul. Among the 30 was a part-time worker there in her 20s. The young woman then attended a foreign language school in Gangnam District, and spread the virus to at least 14 other attendees. Among the 14 new cases, a 26-year-old male patient living in Seoul's Jungnang-gu went to a gym, and two more people there, both in their 20s, tested positive on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Another 26-year-old patient living in Jungnang-gu, who was confirmed to have COVID-19, Thursday, went to another gym, the authorities said, noting that they are working to carry out coronavirus testing on about 200 people who used the facility around the time when the patient visited the facilities. "Amid the prolonged pandemic, some young people have shown an easygoing attitude toward the contagious disease, and this is posing a setback for the government's efforts to stop the spread of the virus in the capital region," KCDC Deputy Director Kwon Joon-wook said in a briefing. According to the KCDC, 34 new cases, including 31 local infections, were detected for Saturday, which raised the nation's total to 12,085. The death toll remains at 277. As virus continues to spread, the country carried out a written test for applicants seeking to become public servants, Saturday, after about three months of delay due to the pandemic. About 193,000 applicants gathered at 700 test venues across the country. Among those, 138 who showed symptoms associated with the new coronavirus were directed to take the test at separate places. "We have asked those who took the test at separate places and those who supervised them to monitor their health condition for the next two weeks and report to the health authorities if any symptoms occur," an official from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said. Iraqi Base Hosting US Troops Comes Under Missile Attack, Report Says Sputnik News 18:30 GMT 13.06.2020(updated 19:08 GMT 13.06.2020) In March, more than 15 medium-sized missiles hit the Taji base. Three soldiers died and 12 more were injured as a result of the attack. A rocket has hit Iraq's Taji military base which hosts the US-led coalition forces, according to Al-Arabiya TV channel. No injuries or damage have so far been reported. Last time the Taji military base came under attack was in March when three soldiers were killed and 12 more injured after 15 medium-sized missiles hit the base. Following the attack, the US carried out precise attacks on five munition depots owned by the Shiite 'Kataib Hezbollah' network in Iraq. Six people were killed in US airstrikes targeting several facilities in Iraq, including an airport in Kerbala which was under construction, Iraqi security service said. The Iraqi army condemned the US attack, saying that it "violated principles of cooperation". Earlier, Iran's Foreign Ministry protested to the US over Washington's statement that Tehran was responsible for the attack on the Iraqi base hosting coalition forces. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The news of Sushant Singh Rajput committing suicide has left everyone stunned and numb. The actor was found dead in his residence in Mumbai this afternoon where he had hanged himself at his sixth-floor apartment. Official statement of Mumbai Police has been released where it has been confirmed that the actor committed suicide and no note has been found in his house. This was confirmed by DCP Pranay Ashok, Spokesperson Mumbai Police. The incident has shocked everyone as the actor was all of 34. The official statement read, "Sushant Singh Rajput as committed suicide, Mumbai Police is investigating. Police has not found any note yet. Sushant Singh Rajput was last seen in last years superhit film Chhichhore on the big screen and his film Drive had released on the web recently. Read More - Actor Sushant Singh Rajput Commits Suicide New Delhi, June 14 : A joint team of doctors from Central health department, Delhi government, All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and three municipal corporations of Delhi will visit all COVID-19 hospitals here to inspect the healthcare system. The decision was taken in a key meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah here on Sunday morning in the presence of Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria, officers of three municipal corporations in Delhi and members of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA). It was decided that the team would check the preparedness in these hospitals to fight novel coronavirus cases in the national capital and will prepare a report based on its survey. The report compiled by the team will be submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs and Union Health Ministry and action will be taken to better Delhi's situation as the city is passing through its worst phase with 38,958 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported so far, and 1,271 deaths. Shah in a series of tweets shared the information soon after the meeting ended amid a worrying spike in corona infections in the city where 2,134 new cases and 57 deaths were reported in a 24-hour period. As we continue our battle with COVID-19, we see healthcare workers working tirelessly to attend to patients, making the ultimate sacrifice by risking the danger of getting the disease just to provide support to those in great need of medical care and assistance during this pandemic. But many front line workers carry an extra load, and often with little praise. Some of them are the mothers in the frontlines who put themselves in the path of the virus every day while also balancing the needs of their own families at home. We spoke with two nurses on what it means to be mothers in the frontlines during the coronavirus pandemic. We learned about what they have to give in efforts to fight against the virus and keep us all safe during this time. We spoke to two mothers in the frontlines fighting our battle with the COVID-19 pandemic. | Image source: Tan Tock Seng Hospital/Facebook The Double Duty Of Mothers In The Frontlines When Nurse Juwita Ramlan found out that she was going to be deployed to the National Centre For Infectious Diseases (NCID), she knew she had to step up and make some sacrifices in order to fulfil a sworn job. When I was told that I will be deployed to the infectious diseases ward, my initial thought was maybe I should stay away from my kids. But being away from them for many hours in a day is already something very difficult for me, Nurse Juwita, who is a mum to three kids with the youngest being only eight months old, told me during a video call while she was getting ready to go to work that day. Health workers follow a strict procedure in ensuring their safety as well as the safety of their patients. Each one would wear personal protective equipment (PPE), with the help of another colleague, to ensure that they dont contract the virus when they tend to patients positive of COVID-19. mothers in the frontlines Mothers In The Frontlines: Juwita leaves her two kids in the care of her parents when she goes to work as a nurse at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH). | Image source: Supplied Story continues Every day, going home after work, I make sure Im clean, I wash up before getting near any outside of the hospital. As nurses, and for me personally, because I have a family at home, we dont take safety procedures and precautions lightly. But Nurse Juwita said shes lucky. Lucky, that despite great risk, she is still able to come home to her family every day. Such is not the case for Nurse Unica Gutierrez. The single mother left home in the Philippines to work as a nurse here in Singapore. She left her 8-year-old child in the care of her parents and worked overseas in hopes to provide them with a better life. She is now one of the mothers in the frontline fighting Singapores battle against the virus pandemic. mothers in the frontlines Mothers In The Frontlines: Unica, a Filipino nurse in Singapore, has not seen her child since she was last in the Philippines in February. | Image source: Supplied Despite how hectic their schedules are, Nurse Unica said it is important for her to make sure she makes time to call her child. Every opportunity I get to call her, I do. Im grateful that we are able to take breaks and I get to go on a video call and check on my daughter, she said, adding that keeping in touch with her child helps her fight the mental and physical exhaustion of her everyday job. Extraordinary Time, Extraordinary Job But of course, there are times the sadness brought about by being away from her child during this extraordinary time we face takes over her. Nurse Unica said it is especially difficult when she thinks about how unpredictable this pandemic is, and the idea of not knowing when it will end. She has not seen her child since coming back from the Philippines four months ago. It is the longest that I have not seen her, she said, noting one of her motivations of going to work every day is knowing that the sooner we overcome the virus pandemic, the sooner she can go back home. However, the COVID-19 pandemic means uncertaintyon so many different levelsfor a lot of people. For patients, its like being suspended between life and death because the battle is so unpredictable, no one knows how each day would end. Recalling a conversation with a patient whose battle with the virus gets more difficult by the day, Nurse Unica said: when they tell you about how much they are suffering, especially those who are in the verge of giving up, you feel this intense level of heartbreak. You can feel how anxious they are when they ask if you think they will ever get better or if they will even survive. Will I still be able to go back to my family? a patient who was in critical condition asked me before.' When you hear these questions, you cant help feel emotional. But at the same time, you know you have to be strong because they get their energy from you, too. So it makes you want to try everything you can to provide them with even the slightest of comfort. But not everyone was lucky to make it through. As of 11 June, there have been 25 fatalities related to the virus. A medical worker wearing personal protective equipment. | Image source: Tan Tock Seng Hospital/Facebook Nurse Unica has tended to many patients throughout this whole pandemic and have also met those who unfortunately lost their battle against COVID-19. She said she was able to speak with one of the patients who passed on, just moments before the patient succumbed to the virus. Just let me go, he told me, days before the patient passed on. [the patient] was telling us he just wants to [pass on] because he feels like he has suffered enough. It was very sad. Their families couldnt even be there with them physically during their final moments. There were no goodbye hugs, no goodbye kisses, it was extremely heartbreaking. Nurse Unica said these are days that are extra difficult. But there are days that are extra fulfilling. She said one of the things that help them, especially the mothers in the frontlines, get through those moments is seeing more patients get better, and eventually, seeing them get discharged. Support From Family Members And The Community There are no words enough to express our appreciation for the bravery, efforts, sacrifice and service our medical workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 outbreak here. The pandemic has brought together people from across the nation to support those who go out to help us get closer to overcoming this challenging time. From clapping from our balconies to singing together as a nation, there have been several ways Singaporeans have expressed the neverending gratitude and support for our frontline workers. I am very thankful for all the support people have given us in the frontlines. We never expected that the whole nation would actually come together to cheer us on and give us support. Its heartwarming. The claps, the songs, the messages of encouragement are energy-boosters for us, she added. Meanwhile, Nurse Juwita said she has never felt more proud to be a healthcare worker, and that the support from the community remind us why we are on the front lines. I have always been proud of being a nurse, my job has always been something of pride to me. But I think now, it gives me more confidence especially how people have changed their perceptions of us nurses. Before, we were just caregivers and dont see us as important members of the healthcare system. Now, people acknowledge us, they praise us, cheer for us. That gives me confidence and I think I have become more passionate about my job, and confident as a nurse, she said. However, despite the many efforts from the community to express support and gratitude to front line workers and those in the essential services sector, there were still instances where they suffer from abuse and discrimination. Just in May, a nurse was reported to have been constantly harassed by his neighbour because of the nature of his work. It even came to a point where he and his child was sprayed with a disinfectant on some occasions, on top of verbal abuse such as being called virus and other nasty things. A police report has been filed since. This is not the only instance where healthcare workers faced discrimination since the beginning of the pandemic here. Some nurses experienced being shunned at food establishments and ostracised simply for wearing their uniforms. Despite this, however, most nurses theAsianparent spoke with said no matter how exhausting their job is, which also comes with the extra burden brought on by being away from their kids, or not being able to hug and kiss them even when getting home, there is not a day when they just wanna throw in the towel. Caring for COVID-19 patients in the front lines has been a test to our commitment to our duties as medical workers. Each and every one of us in the health care sector plays an important role in fighting this battle, Nurse Juwita said. Everyone Plays A Part While we may be far winning the battle against this pandemic, our frontline workers remain hopeful. It may be a cliche to say but this, too, shall pass, Nurse Unica said. Let us work together in keeping Singapore safe. Stay home, stay with your loved ones at home and take this opportunity to be closer to them, have quality time with them. Both mums look forward to overcoming this tough period and finally go back to the normal life they have at home. The main motivation for me is that I want my kids to live life normally. I want them to be able to go out, have fun, experience new things as we normally would, Nurse Juwita said. If we work hard, and fight this pandemic, we can eventually triumph over and we will then be able to go back, little by little, to our normal livesalbeit the new normalas much as possible. Meanwhile, Nurse Unica said what she looks forward to the most is being able to go back home and be with her daughter. And as Singapore slowly reopens after the circuit breaker period, she said: Lets support each other in this difficult time because we play such an important role in helping the country get through this. Lets keep fighting this virusobserve safe measure, lets do our part to prevent further spreadso we can all go home safely to our families. ALSO READ: He gave me the willpower to live: Discharged COVID-19 Patient Spurred on by Grandson The post For Mothers Working In The Frontlines, Its A Lot Like A Double Duty appeared first on theAsianparent - Your Guide to Pregnancy, Baby & Raising Kids. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 01:40:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, June 14 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday appealed for "people everywhere" to support migrants as the World Bank projected that remittances will fall by about 20 percent. Marking the International Day of Family Remittances, which falls on June 16 annually, the UN chief released a message appealing for people everywhere to support migrants, at a time when remittances -- the money migrants send home to support their families -- have fallen by more than 100 billion U.S. dollars, causing hunger, lost schooling and deteriorating health, for tens of millions of families. In his message, Guterres recognized the determination of the 200 million migrants who regularly send money home, and 800 million families, in communities throughout the developing world, who depend on those resources. Following a record 554 billion dollars sent home by migrants in 2019, the World Bank estimated, in April, that the economic crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting shutdown, would cause the "sharpest decline in remittances in recent history," and projected a fall of 19.7 percent. Millions of migrant workers have lost their jobs, pushing dependent families below the poverty line. In order to help migrants, the UN chief called for a reduction in remittance transfer costs, financial services for migrants and their families -- particularly in rural areas -- and the promotion of financial inclusion for a more secure and stable future. Such measures are proposed in the UN's Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, described by Guterres as a "key platform for action." At the beginning of June, Guterres launched a UN policy briefing on the protection of "people on the move," in which he referred to the "socio-economic crisis" facing migrants, especially those working in the informal sector who have no access to protection schemes, and the drop in remittances which, he said equates to "nearly three-quarters of all official development assistance that is no longer being sent back home to the 800 million people who depend on it." The UN chief also called for human dignity to be upheld in the face of the crisis, suggesting that lessons can be learned from those countries which have implemented travel restrictions and border controls while respecting international principles on refugee protection. The International Day of Family Remittances is a universally recognized observance adopted by the UN General Assembly. The day recognizes the contribution of over 200 million migrants to improve the lives of their 800 million family members back home, and to create a future of hope for their children. Half of these flows go to rural areas, where poverty and hunger are concentrated, and where remittances count the most. Enditem Lockdowns were imposed in parts of Beijing on Saturday to try and prevent the spread of a new coronavirus cluster, highlighting the challenges that lie ahead even for places where outbreaks are under control. It has fuelled fears of a resurgence in local transmissions in China, where the outbreak curve has been months ahead of the rest of the world, and comes as many European nations move to further lift their own lockdowns. Follow: Coronavirus Worldometer | 15 countries with the highest number of cases, deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic The pandemic is still surging elsewhere, particularly in Latin America, with Brazil claiming the unenviable position of having the second-highest virus death toll behind the United States. The respiratory disease was first detected in central China late last year, believed to have jumped from an animal to humans at a market that sold wildlife. China largely eliminated transmission within its borders through hyper-strict lockdowns that were emulated across the globe. But on Thursday Beijing announced its first infection in two months and went on to report 50 more cases linked to the large Xinfadi meat and vegetable market, which provides much of the capital's food supply. Authorities have raced to contain the outbreak, ordering residents in 11 nearby residential estates to stay home, announcing mass testing, establishing a "wartime mechanism" and deploying hundreds of police officers. "Everyone's very stressed right now," an elderly driver told AFP outside a fenced-off neighbourhood in Fengtai district of southwest Beijing. "There are cases living in there, it's real." CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH Worldwide, the pandemic has killed more than 426,000 people and infected more than 7.6 million, while wreaking large-scale economic devastation. The number of global infections has doubled in slightly over a month -- with one million cases recorded in just the last nine days -- and the virus is spreading most rapidly in Latin America. Mexico and Chile recorded their worst days yet during the pandemic on Friday, while Brazil reported 909 new deaths, putting its total at 41,828, surpassing Britain's toll. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who threatened last week to quit the WHO over "ideological bias", has dismissed the virus as a "little flu", and berated state officials for imposing lockdowns. But world health officials have warned that the virus is far from contained. The WHO said this week the pandemic is accelerating in Africa, and on Saturday Botswana's capital Gaborone locked down after new cases were detected. In the US, which has confirmed the most COVID-19 deaths with over 114,000, more than a dozen states, including two of the most populous, Texas and Florida, reported their highest-ever daily case totals this week. In Russia, which has the world's third highest number of cases, authorities more than doubled the official death toll for April after changing how the country classifies fatalities. There is still no treatment for COVID-19, but pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca said it has agreed to supply an alliance of European countries with up to 400 million doses of a possible vaccine. The development of a vaccine could be completed by the end of the year, German government sources told AFP. For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here A number of European countries are preparing to reopen borders on Monday after the EU Commission urged a relaxation of restrictions. Poland reopened its borders to all fellow EU members on Saturday. France said it would gradually reopen its borders to non-Schengen countries from next month, and Germany said it would end land border checks on Monday. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis travelled to the picturesque island of Santorini on Saturday to open his country's tourism season. "Greece is ready to welcome tourists this summer by putting safety and health as our No.1 priority," he said in English. In several European countries, the focus has shifted to the courts and who might eventually be blamed for the pandemic. In hard-hit Italy, prosecutors grilled Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte for three hours over his government's response. "I explained everything to prosecutors. I am totally calm," Conte said Saturday, adding he did not fear a judicial probe would be opened. Public anger is mounting in France, where some 60 complaints have been filed against members of the government. Elsewhere, British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair launched legal action against the British government over a 14-day coronavirus quarantine system introduced this week. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II meanwhile celebrated her official birthday on Saturday, the normally massive pomp and pageantry of the traditional "Trooping the Colour" ceremony vastly scaled back due to the pandemic. A plane veered off a runway while landing at an airport in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday afternoon, with its carrier attributing the incident to rainy and windy weather conditions. Flight VJ322 operated by budget carrier Vietjet Air touched down in Ho Chi Minh City at 12:10 pm after departing from Phu Quoc Island off Kien Giang Province in southern Vietnam, according to a source close to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, As it was landing at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in the city, the aircraft slid off the runway, one of its wheels damaged. One of the planes wheels is damaged following the incident at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, June 14, 2020. Photo: Tuoi Tre Contributor All passengers and crew members aboard the flight were unharmed, and the plane was later pulled back to its track. The runway was closed for 120 minutes. It was raining then but the weather condition was not bad enough to affect landing at the airport, according to an aviation official. Local authorities are investigating the cause of the issue. The aircraft is pulled back to the runway at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, June 14, 2020. Photo: Tuoi Tre Contributor A Vietjet representative confirmed the incident on the same day, attributing it to rain and strong winds. Two similar incidents happened at Tan Son Nhat in 2009 and at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi in July 2018, the representative added. Tan Son Nhat has two runways, 25R/07L and 25L/07R, its operator said. The 25R/07L is being shut down for an upgrade. The Vietjet plane skidded off the 25L/07R runway. A Vietjet aircraft skids off the runway at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, June 14, 2020. Photo: Tuoi Tre Contributor Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Shah Rukh Khan Remembers Sushant's 'Energy, Enthusiasm And His Full Happy Smile' The superstar mourned Sushant's demise with a heartfelt tweet which read, "He loved me so much...I will miss him so much. His energy, enthusiasm and his full happy smile. May Allah bless his soul and my condolences to his near and dear ones. This is extremely sad....and so shocking!!" Sushant Singh Rajput Was A Huge Fan Of Shah Rukh Khan In an interview with Hindustan Times, the Chhichore actor had revealed, "I'm an actor right now because of Shah Rukh. When I was in school and even when studying engineering, I used to watch his films. Shah Rukh's name was and is synonymous with romance. Whenever we spoke to girls, we used to talk like him. When I was in the eighth standard, I would dance to Suraj hua madham'. I have to achieve many things before I become even the S' of SRK." When Sushant Said That SRK Helped Him In Sort Out His Confusion Of Who He Wanted To Be "I was a huge fan of Shah Rukh Khan. I remember watching Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) and thinking now here's a cool dude. He is a great performer, but that's not what impacted me most. Shah Rukh helped me sort out my confusion about who I should be. This was in the early '90s and the economy was just opening up - we were seeing Coke cans for the first time, international brands were coming in, and I was fascinated...yet confused. I didn't know whether to embrace the West or be loyal to our culture. At this point came DDLJ, I was in Class VI, and Raj showed me that it was cool to have a beer, but then he also waited for Simran's dad's approval. There was a balance. It was the perfect marriage of an aspiring India and an India trying to hold on to its culture," the actor had said in an interview with Indian Express. When Sushant Gave An Epic Reply To His Comparison With Shah Rukh Khan "Shah Rukh Khan had made a successful transition from TV to films and yes, it did play on my mind! When I started out, even if I used to forget about it, everyone around me would remind me that it was impossible to repeat history. I think that if you can somehow cultivate absolute certainty [about what you want to do], then you are on a good wicket. If your job is your passion, and you have unshakable belief in your skills, then hard work and luck will take care of everything," Sushant had said about his transition from TV to films. 'Woke' Gospel on race relations in light of George Floyd compromises biblical teaching: scholar Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment An Anglican scholar is warning that amid ongoing political developments related to racial injustice in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, Christians are embracing a compromised Gospel as it relates to race. In a Thursday essay at First Things, author and scholar Gerald McDermott of Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama, wrote that in light of recent turmoil many parishioners and church leaders are "adopting a race narrative that is empirically and theologically suspect." Whatever their denomination, many of these leaders are now opining that the United States is structurally or systemically racist and are shifting their ministry efforts to address racism, he said. Under the influence of what is known as Critical Race Theory, many white Christians are eager to display their virtue by confessing their white privilege. But this posture deserves greater theological scrutiny, he said. "Paul said, 'From now on, we regard no one according to the flesh.' He saw other people as present or potential members of the 'new creation': 'The old has passed away and the new has come,' McDermott observed, referencing 2 Corinthians 5:1617. "The new creation, wrote John, is made up of people 'from every nation (ethnous), tribe, people, and language'" he added, citing Revelation 7:9. "Nations (ta ethne) in the New Testament world were often multiracial, like the United States, but typically united by a common culture. The early church recognized that culture was rooted not in skin color but in religious cultus." McDermott is editor of the forthcoming book Race and Covenant: Retrieving the Religious Roots for American Reconciliation. When the Apostle Paul said in Galatians 3 that "in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek" he was speaking about how Jesus brings unity based on religion, not race because Greeks and Jews come in many colors and that skin color is skin deep, McDermott noted. The only two "races," in the minds of the Apostles, were old creation and new creation. "But the apostles went much further, teaching that the work of Jesus does not destroy the old creation unity of the one human race but redeems it and brings it to its God-given destiny by the power of the Spirit. Grace perfects nature through the preaching and sacraments of the Church: "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation," and our unity in creation is transformed into the image [of Christ] from one degree of glory to another, he said, again citing 2 Corinthians. Yet in the 1970s, liberal Protestant denominations in the U.S. began trying to diversify clergy and congregations by employing quotas and teachings on systemic racism, he said, and many parishioners felt as though they were required to confess sins of previous generations as though they were culpable themselves. This theological shift has been a significant contributing factor in the decline of mainline Protestantism, he went on to say, and today evangelicals have been signaling similar signs. "[T]he new anti-racism has become a new religion with its own original sin (white racism), baptismal liturgy (confession of whiteness), and new birth (to wokeness). But there is no redemption, and its ethic encourages people to practice what Jesus condemned, 'Do not judge, lest you too be judged' (John 7:1). It imputes motives to others based on skin color bad motives to one skin color and good motives to other colors. This is racism by another name. It is also sinful judgment," he said. The death of George Floyd sparked worldwide protests bolstered by a resurgent Black Lives Matter movement. The BLM organizational apparatus first appeared on the scene in 2013. President of the Southern Baptist Convention J.D. Greear endorsed the black lives matter movement as a Gospel issue to members of the world's largest Baptist denomination Wednesday, but he denounced the BLM organization because of its stated political beliefs, which include the denuclearization of the family. I realize that the movement and the website have been hijacked by some political operatives whose worldview and policy prescriptions would be deeply at odds with my own, but that doesnt mean that the sentiment behind it is untrue. I do not align myself with the Black Lives Matter organization, Greear said. Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) have expressed optimism that the party will resolve its curren... Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) have expressed optimism that the party will resolve its current challenges and emerge stronger. In a press statement issued on Sunday after an emergency teleconference meeting, Abubakar Bagudu, Progressive Governors Forum chairman said the governors will work to ensure internal democracy in the selection of the partys candidates for Edo and Ondo governorship elections. Progressive governors held an emergency teleconference meeting on Saturday, June 13, 2020, and resolved as follows: unanimously reaffirmed the commitment of all progressive governors to work for the unity of our party, Bagudu said. Collectively agreed to work to ensure strengthening fair and democratic internal party mechanism for the selection of party candidates in all elections, especially in respect of Edo and Ondo states 2020 governorship elections. Forum members are confident that the party will resolve all current challenges and emerge stronger. Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo state, and Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the party, have been at loggerheads, and this has caused division in the APC in Edo. On Friday, the screening committee of the Edo governorship primary election disqualified Obaseki but cleared Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Oshiomholes preferred candidate, to contest in the primary election. The APC said the governor was disqualified over what the committee described as a defective certificate. Obaseki who said he will not appeal his disqualification is likely to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Please register or log in to keep reading. No credit card required! Stay logged in to skip the surveys. Dave Chappelles latest standup, 8:46, has been a huge hit among viewers. Upon its June 12 release, the special shot up to over 16 million views and drew widespread praise for its brave and perceptive social commentary. However, some fans have opted not to tune in in protest of past comments by the Half Baked comedian. Dave Chappelle at an event in September 2018 | Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for Backstage Creations Why fans are upset with Dave Chappelle The outrage stems from Chappelles history of making comments that fans say are misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic, and downright disrespectful. Critics have been pointing to his 2019 standup, Sticks & Stones, in particular, where Chappelle made gags about the #MeToo movement, LGBTQ community, and more. Upon its August 2019 release, Sticks & Stones attracted huge amounts of criticism from fans for its commentary on said topics. BuzzFeed News reporter Tomi Obaro described the program as a low, low bar for the former Chappelles Show star, while Vice told readers to skip it completely. But despite such backlash, Sticks & Stones received a 99 percent rating from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes. Chappelle even won a Grammy Award for his performance. The comedian has never commented on the criticism he received from Sticks & Stones, but he admitted he saw it coming the special. Thats why I dont be coming out doing comedy all the time, he explained (via The Guardian). Im goddamn sick of it. This is the worst time ever to be a celebrity. Youre gonna be finished. Everyones doomed. Fans wont watch 8:46 because of this Although 8:46 has received a more positive reception, fans just cant bring themselves to watch the program due to his past remarks. A lot of male comedians are praising Dave Chappelle today, while I watch a lot of Black women and trans folks talk about his anti trans and rape apology jokes so Im gonna go with a solid pass on watching that new whatever of his, read one tweet. Echoing that, Crissle West of the popular podcast The Read tweeted in part, Im not watching a damn thing that n*gga puts out til he makes amends for his sh*t. Someone else went as far as saying, I enjoyed Dave Chappelles standup and Chappelle Show, but its time to leave him in the 2000s. There were others, however, who defended the Robin Hood: Men in Tights actor. He owes no one an apology, said one fan. Another person urged fans to watch 8:46 anyway. I know hes said hurtful things, and Im not sure hes offered a meaningful apology to the trans community. Keep that in mind, as you see a man pouring out emotion, vulnerability, and raw anguish on stage. Come to your own conclusions, read the tweet. What has Dave Chappelle said about the backlash? So far, Chappelle has not weighed in on the criticism and theres a good chance he doesnt even know about it. He famously said in a 2017 interview with HOT 97 that he rarely ever hears about his controversies. Unless hes out promoting something or doing a show, Chappelle usually keeps to himself at his home in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Im not on Twitter. Im not on Facebook. Im not on Instagram. I dont do any of that stuff, he explained to host Ebro Darden. The only way I know about stuff is because everyone else tells me about it. My wife, if it gets real bad, shell let me know, like, Oh, you should look into this. But for the most part, I try not to pay attention to it because you dont want to be careful as a comedian. I try to keep my business small enough so it can still be authentic enough, he continued. With that, only time will tell if his wife has alerted him to this drama. Stay tuned. Read more: Who Is Dave Chappelles Wife, Elaine Chappelle? Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and cabinet members of his health and human services agencies collectively condemned the Trump Administrations revoking of protections for equal access to healthcare because of their sexual orientation or gender identity in a Sunday press release. The Obama-era Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) previously secured the right. This rule flies in the face of every policy and protection my administration has put in place, Wolf said. Wolf said the action will put the LGBTQ community at greater risk and is especially egregious since it came during a pandemic and on the anniversary of the Pulse nightclub mass shooting. Wolf added, Changing an Affordable Care Act rule that includes provisions for non-discrimination based on sex to include only male and female genders is another attempt to dismantle the ACA and put our LGBTQ communitys well-being at greater risk by trying to delegitimize this vulnerable population. Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine called the action unconscionable. These actions not only put the LGBTQ community at risk, they put our entire health care system in jeopardy. These continuous attacks on the rights of transgender Americans must stop, Levine said. Gov. Wolf has shown that protecting the rights of all Pennsylvanians is essential to our continued success and prosperity the federal government should do the same. Pennsylvania Department of Human Services secretary, Teresa Miller, said this decision will exacerbate health problems LGBTQ individuals are facing. By ending specific non-discrimination requirements for health services, the Trump Administration is allowing for medical professionals to deny vital, life-saving services and could result in health care that is ineffective or inappropriate for LGBTQ and other vulnerable individuals, Miller said. Mark Tuttle of Grandville loves removing the doors and top from his 2016 Jeep Wrangler and heading into the woods of Michigan for a weekend of hammock camping. It used to be, when he stopped at a gas station to grab a Payday candy bar, he would leave his belongings exposed. "My vehicle is accessible to anybody who walks by," he said. "Anybody (who) wants to can walk up and take anything. Most of the time that's not a problem, but I'm not going to leave my wallet or phone or a handgun accessible." He started looking for more "secure" storage and made a discovery: a hidden 12-gauge cold-rolled plate steel safe that's bolted inside the center console between his two front seats. The secret hiding place is designed to protect money, phones, credit cards, handguns or anything of value. Mark Tuttle, 55, of Grandville, Mich., has a secret vault in his 2016 Jeep Wrangler and so do most of his friends. "I installed it myself, in the center console, underneath the armrest," said Tuttle, who works for an auto parts supplier. "Several people have bought them because of mine. They all had Wranglers. Every time you'd get out of the Jeep, you've got to grab everything of value and stuff it in your pockets and take it with you." Columbus-based Console Vault expects this will be its most profitable year in nearly two decades. Co-founder Scott Bonvissuto said people are more focused on personal safety and securing weapons in compliance with conceal-carry laws. "We have seen a significant trajectory in orders of the in-vehicle safe over 2019 due to the impact of COVID-19 and the increase of firearms sales since the quarantine," he said. Gun sales in the USA have surged, according to national data. The FBI said it did 3.7 million background checks for firearm purchases in March, the most recorded in a single month by the bureau exceeding sales in March 2019 by more than 1 million, according to USA TODAY. Customers in Texas, California and Florida purchase the most vaults for their Ford F-150 pickups, Ram Trucks and Chevy Silverados. Story continues As other companies have caught on to the trendy vehicle accessory, about 75,000 people made their purchases in 2019 from Console Vault, which invented the concept. The company, founded in 2002, also installs the hidden vaults as part of an option package for buyers of the bestselling Ford Super Duty pickup at the factory in Louisville, Kentucky. Scott Bonvissuto, co-founder of Console Vault, tucks a handgun into a steel vault bolted into a 2016 Ford F-150 in Cedar City, Utah, on Feb. 12, 2016. Console Vault, a trademarked brand, expects to sell more than 200,000 safes annually by 2024. Ford and Toyota dealerships sell vaults to people who take them home to install themselves. Owners often buy directly from the company at a cost ranging from $250 to $350, depending on the size of the vehicle and whether the owner wants a key or combination lock. The vaults are designed to fit most major truck and SUV brands, including Cadillac, Dodge, GMC, Lincoln, Nissan, Subaru and Volkswagen. There are security vaults for a handful of passenger cars, including the Dodge Charger, the Ford Fusion and the Toyota Camry. Harley Davidson is brand new. Other companies create safes for many uses, but Console Vault meets or exceeds strict specifications required by auto manufacturers for in-vehicle use only. Law enforcement officers who buy the vault praise its easy installation and bolt design. "When we first developed this, we were the only game in town," Bonvissuto said. "We'd do a trade show, and people would say, 'Omigod. Where have you been all my life?' Now, fast forward to current times, other companies have caught on. We rely on our innovative engineering design and reputation for detail. A Chevy vault will not fit in a Ford, and a Ford vault will not fit in a Chevy." The initial idea for the company came from working with Rolls-Royce owners who wanted to protect their valuables. Armando Herrera and his fiancee, Erika Licon, far left, installed a security vault in their Toyota Tundra. Herrera and Licon attend the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Bar-B-Que Cook-Off competition on March 2 with Larry Grajales and O.J. Lozano. Women make up a growing portion of the vault buyers. Erika Licon, 37, a small-business owner in Houston, said she went to a charity auction and noticed the secret vault was an item for bid. She went home and did a little research, ordered one and surprised her fiance by installing it herself in their 2019 Toyota Tundra. "My fiance carries a gun, so we had it for that," she said. "But in my line of business, I carry a lot of important documents, like passports. You always want personal documents locked in your car. You have no idea how many people have their backpacks stolen from their car, whether they just run in to grab a Subway sandwich or go inside the gas station for a pack of gum." Scott Bonvissuto, co-founder of Columbus-based Console Vault, sees a surge in business. His security device is popular among pickup and SUV owners. Smash test Bonvissuto, 56, grew up in Cleveland the son of a civil engineer and an office manager. He is a street smart car guy who started out selling running boards, spoilers and pinstriping. He figured out what people wanted and needed, then built up his company, focusing on security. He said customers tell him guns are increasingly common, and they want a solution for when they can't carry their firearms, especially when going into schools, courthouses, post offices and fitness centers. "We do a destructive test," Bonvissuto said. "How long does it take you to break in? We use several different tools like a car thief would use. We have a hammer, a crow bar, a screwdriver, a wrench. We tell our engineer to take this 5-pound sledgehammer and how long does it take you? Or a crowbar and try to pry open the lid. We're testing our own product. We'll try and think like a thief. What kind of tools does a smash-and-grab thief carry?" The core buyer of the vault, based on the company's last demographic study, is a sportsman age 35 to 55 with an income of $125,000 or more, Bonvissuto said. "The concealed-carry community gravitates to us. Women fall into the group more than ever," he said. Goodbye, stress James "Chris" Nicola, 60, of Austin, Texas, is a retired Houston police officer who works as a security adviser and recommends the covert safe to ease anxiety especially for men and women carrying handguns. "You just don't have to worry," said Nicola, who has led safety classes for the license to carry. Tim Dye, 47, an Ohio law enforcement officer, installed a steel vault on his 2018 Harley Davidson Ultra Classic Limited, as well as his 2006 Dodge Ram Truck, to hide valuables. Tim Dye, 47, a law enforcement officer in Delaware County, Ohio, installed a vault on his 2018 Harley Davidson Ultra Classic Limited. Before that, he had one in his 2006 Dodge Ram pickup. "Normally, you get a simple box from Walmart, Meijer or a local gun shop, and you put it in the back of your truck or a saddle bag. It's not secure, just setting there," he said. "The first thought people have is just put things in your glovebox," he said. "But they can take a screwdriver and pop that and get your gun. Now a criminal has your gun. But this is not just for firearms. When you go to the beach, you don't want to take your wallet or your cellphone. And it's there when you get back." Kayaking, hunting, hiking Marianna Magyar, 46, a high school teacher in Madera, California, does product reviews on the YouTube channel Hun.tress.308 a nod to her Hungarian heritage. Console Vault sent her a safe to try out, and she loved it so much she made a video in May; the response from consumers has been overwhelming. "What I love is that nobody knows it's there," she said. "I have this big armrest in the middle, you can fold it up, and it looks just like a seat. But then you open that up, and it's where the console is. If I'm just trying to get out and about and go for a hike, I don't want to take my phone or my wallet. But you want things to be out of sight." Marianna Magyar, 46, of Madera, Calif., is an adventurer whose hobbies include hunting and hiking. She has a license to carry a gun and stores her weapons and other valuables in her console vault in her 2014 Ford F-150. Magyar said she took five to seven minutes to install the vault, which she uses when she's camping, hunting and kayaking. She loved the product so much, she asked the company if she could become an ambassador. She has an arrangement by which she can receive a percentage of her referrals. The Free Press asked to interview her after seeing the video review, Magyar was not initially suggested for the story by the company. "All these Facebook pages and different groups, people loved it," she said. "I had men say they had a lock box but this is better. You have men who carry guns and these tomboy girls in Montana and driving trucks and hunting. I have it for my 2014 Ford F-150 Ecoboost. I'm part of a lot of groups with women hunters. They say this solves a lot of problems." Follow Phoebe Wall Howard on Twitter @phoebesaid. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Hidden Console Vault keeps guns, money safe in vehicles Cairo (AFP) - Young Egyptian women with thousands of followers each on the popular TikTok app have become the latest target of state authorities who accuse them of spreading "immorality" in society. Since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi came to power in 2014, hundreds of journalists, activists, lawyers and intellectuals have been arrested and many websites blocked in the name of state security. But in recent months a popular group of female social media "influencers" has also drawn the ire of the government, and several have been arrested in a crackdown cheered by many in the deeply conservative country. University student Haneen Hossam in April posted a three-minute video clip telling her more than 1.3 million followers that girls on the social media platform could make money working with her. "You will get to know new people and form friendships in a respectful manner ... but please keep it clean," she said, smiling cheekily from under a red veil. "The most important thing for me is my reputation," she stressed, adding that participants who collaborate with her, depending on the number of clicks, could earn thousands of dollars. Following allegations from online users that she was promoting prostitution, Egyptian police arrested Hossam on April 21. - 'Iron fist' - In May, another influencer was arrested, Mowada al-Adham, who rose to fame posting satirical clips on TikTok and Instagram, where she has two million followers. The prosecutor-general said both women were charged with "attacking the family values of Egyptian society" through their inflammatory posts. A court ordered Hossam's release on bail this week, but a statement by the prosecutor-general on Thursday said she had been re-arrested "after new evidence was brought against her". "The prosecutor-general decided to refer the two accused... and three others to a criminal trial, while continuing their custody," the statement said. Story continues The young women drew a storm of sexist and hateful comments online. "This is excellent," wrote one user about the arrests, arguing that Egyptian justice must safeguard "the morals of the Egyptian street and society... It needs to do it with an iron fist." An even more shocking case followed later in May. A sobbing Menna Abdel-Aziz, 17, her face battered and bruised, posted a TikTok video in which she said she had been gang raped by a group of young men. The authorities' response was swift: she was arrested, along with her six alleged attackers, and all were charged with "promoting debauchery". "She committed crimes, she admitted to some of them," the prosecutor-general said in a statement. "She deserves to be punished." The non-government Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights called for her immediate release, the dropping of all charges and for the teenage girl to be "treated as a rape victim and survivor". Only this Tuesday did prosecutors announce that she had been transferred from custody to a rehabilitation centre for female victims of abuse and violence. - 'Tech revolution' - Human rights lawyer Tarek al-Awadi said the recent arrests show how a deeply conservative and religious society is wrestling with the rapid rise of modern communications technology. Internet penetration has reached over 40 percent of Egypt's youthful population of more than 100 million. Online communications were a key instrument in the Arab Spring protests almost a decade ago. "There is a technological revolution happening and legislators need to take into account a constantly changing environment," Awadi said. He said that while "there are crimes that must be punished," many "incidents fall squarely within the realm of personal freedoms". Helwan University sociologist Inshad Ezzeldin agreed that "traditions and rituals trump the law" in Egypt, at a time when "the younger generations have access to, and knowledge of, everything now". The latest arrests fits into a wider pattern of the state targeting dissent online, said Joey Shea, a non-resident fellow researching cyber security at the Washington-based Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy. "This is yet another attempt to increase and legitimise surveillance of digital platforms," she told AFP, pointing to laws criminalising "fake news" that are used to restrict freedom of expression. The feminist Ghadeer Ahmed argued the latest crackdown is also about class and status. "Young women used the internet to create different opportunities for themselves that are ordinarily unavailable because of their class," she said on Facebook. In the eyes of many Egyptians, she said, this "is contrary to the behaviour expected of women hailing from poor classes". More tech news on Reliance Jios deals and Google Pixel 4a leaks. Tech news today was dominated by Apple introducing the Nearby feature for Apple Maps users in India and expanding the real-time transit information to other countries. Apart from this, we also saw more details about Googles upcoming Pixel 4a surfacing on the internet. Heres a breakdown of all the things that made headlines today: Reliance Jio deals Late last night, Reliance Jio made a critical announcement regarding its ongoing deals spree. The company announced that TGP and L Catteron were investing 4,586.80 crores and 1,894.50 crore in Jio Platforms respectively. Vivo V19 Neo launch Vivo launched the Vivo V19 Neo in the Philippines. It costs $360 ( 27,000 approximately) and is available in Admiral Blue and Crystal White colour variants. Google Pixel 4a New report hints that the upcoming Google Pixel 4a will launch in August in Just Black colour variant with Barely Blue colour variant arriving in October. Apple Maps features Apple has rolled out its Nearby feature to all its Apple Maps app users in India. Apple is also making its Real-time transit feature available to several more countries including Canada, England, the Netherlands, Scotland, Sweden and Wales along with some areas in Australia, China, and the United States. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 00:23:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JUBA, June 13 (Xinhua) -- South Sudanese officials have applauded China's domestic and global efforts in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. John Andruga Duku, South Sudan's Ambassador to China, said Chinese authorities and people acted swiftly to contain the outbreak at home and also supported global efforts to curb the spread of the virus. Duku said Beijing was able to contain the spread of the Coronavirus because of hard work and unity from the top leadership of the country to the grassroots level. "China has succeeded in reversing the tragedy of COVID-19 because of the collective discipline of the whole country from the top leadership to the grassroots," Andruga told a local radio station in Juba. "Everybody adheres to the government and that is why today China is among the countries who have turned the corner and reversed the spread of the virus," he added. Thomas Tongun, a medical expert based in South Sudan's capital Juba also applauded China's efforts in containing the COVID-19. Tongun said countries with weak health systems like South Sudan can share China's experience and replicate them in their own local context. "China has managed to control the spread of the virus and with that experience, I think our people and government here can learn from it," Tongun said. "When we put it into practice, we can reduce whatever is happening in our country here," he added. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus in the East African country, the Chinese government, the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation have dispatched four batches of anti-Coronavirus medical supplies to help South Sudan fight the pandemic. The most recent donation delivered by the Chinese government on Thursday included protective suits, face masks, surgical masks, protective goggles, gloves and packets of diagnostic kits. Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan Hua Ning pledged China's continued support towards global efforts to eradicate the novel Coronavirus. "We have been working very hard in the past months and China is very successful in containing the virus," Hua said. In conquering COVID-19, "you need determination, you need coordination, you need sacrifice, and you need self-discipline," Hua added. The Chinese envoy urged South Sudanese to help their government in fighting the pandemic by respecting measures aimed at curbing further transmission. "The individuals' role is also very essential in fighting the virus," the Chinese envoy said. "They know that their personal sacrifice will contribute to successful victory against the pandemic," he said, adding that "when people get united and follow government guidelines, this will help in the fight against the virus." South Sudan confirmed its first COVID-19 case on April 5 and the number of cases continues to rise. The Ministry of Health of South Sudan reported late on Friday 14 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the country's cumulative tally to 1,684, with 25 deaths and 49 recoveries. Enditem President Hassan Rouhani warns the population that restrictions could be re-imposed of the lockdown in the country due to increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. Irans Health Ministry said that the overall number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country increased by 2,410 to 184,955 over the past 24 hours, the highest daily rise since June 5, while President Hassan Rouhani warned the population on Saturday that restrictions could be re-imposed of the lockdown. According to the health authorities, 71 coronavirus carriers died over the given period, taking the COVID-19 death toll to 8,730 since the start of the outbreak. At the same time, the number of recoveries reached 146,748. On June 4, Iran registered a record 3,574 cases in one day, and since then the country has since been reporting less than 3,000 cases a day. Nonetheless, Iran is seeing an upward trend for the fourth day in a row. Iranian authorities have explained the spike by more aggressive testing. Meanwhile, Rouhani said that the coronavirus-related restrictions could be re-imposed and called on Iranians to take the pandemic seriously. The President added that regional governors will be able to introduce the lockdown measures if needed. Also Read: US sanctions over Hong Kong security law may worsen Chinas US dollar shortage Iran started to gradually ease the lockdown in mid-April. Since then, the Middle Eastern country allowed most businesses to reopen and lifted the ban on travel between provinces. The global count of confirmed coronavirus cases has surpassed the landmark of 7.5 million, with 142,672 cases recorded over the past day, the World Health Organization said in its daily situation report on Saturday. Over the past 24 hours, 5,055 people died from COVID-19 worldwide, taking the death toll to 423,349 fatalities, according to the report. The cumulative global toll of confirmed cases has now reached 7,553,182, as stated in the report. The plurality of cases and deaths 3.64 million and 196,440, respectively remain concentrated in the Americas. The United States continues being the country with the highest single count of cases (2 million) and fatalities (113,757) Also Read: Hundreds of youths protest in Nepal against governments response to COVID-19 For all the latest World News, download NewsX App Developers in the state were given additional nine months for completing projects by the West Bengal Housing Industry Regulatory Authority (WBHIRA), in a major relief for the sector reeling under the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, officials said on Sunday. Following the decision, developers would not have to pay any penalty or face action if a project is delayed by up to nine months from the scheduled time, they said. It will give a boost to the sector that has been severely hit by the Covid-19 crisis and the lockdown that has led to the stoppage of construction work for over two months, officials said. The industry assured that construction activities would begin soon and said that with the support of the government, there is room to absorb 5 lakh more workers into the sector with the huge number of migrant labourers returning to the state. Recognising the pandemic as a 'force majeure' condition, the WBHIRA allowed the additional time under Section 6 of the West Bengal Housing Industry Regulatory Act, 2017. The law allows extension of up to one year for such situations that are beyond control, officials said. CREDAI West Bengal, the apex real estate body in the state, said they had sought an extension for one year as the lockdown brought all construction work to a standstill. Housing Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said that the West Bengal government is putting in efforts to support all in the trying times and thus the extension was considered. The industry appreciates the positive approach of the West Bengal government, particularly WBHIRA for such pro- active steps. There are about 35 lakh workers in the construction sector in the state. Another estimated 5 lakh people are engaged in back office, sales and technical support and consultancy, CREDAI West Bengal president Sushil Mohta said. The industry has also written to municipal bodies, the Urban Development Department and other authorities for similar extension of approval period because of the delays happening due to the pandemic. But, so far positive response has come only from WBHIRA, he said. With the support of the state government the industry will be able to absorb additional 5 lakh workers, Mohta said. The real estate sector is about 10 per cent of West Bengal's GDP, the body said, adding that it is one of the highest contributors to the state's revenue. A Wendy's restaurant burns following a rally against racial inequality and the police shooting of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta, Georgia, June 13, 2020: Reuters Protesters have burned down a Wendys fast food restaurant and temporarily blocked a major road in Atlanta at the scene where a black man was shot dead by police on Friday night. Rayshard Brooks, 27, had allegedly fallen asleep in his car in the drive-thru lane at the restaurant. Police attempted to arrest Mr Brooks after he failed a sobriety test. A video of part of the incident shows a struggle on the ground between two officers and Mr Brooks, during which he manages to break away with one of the officers Tasers. He is then seen running away from the scene, being pursued by the officers, when three gunshots can be heard. Police said Mr Brooks was taken to a local hospital, where he died after surgery. The restaurant was in flames for more than 45 minutes before fire crews arrived to extinguish the blaze, protected by a line of police officers, video on local television showed. By the time the fire was out the building had been reduced to charred rubble. Other demonstrators marched onto Interstate-75, stopping traffic, before police used a line of squad cars to hold them back. The incident came amid international protests against the polices use of excessive force against people of colour. Less than 24-hours after the incident, Atlantas chief of police resigned. Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced during a news conference on Saturday that she had accepted the resignation of police chief Erika Shields. I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer, Ms Bottoms said. Garrett Rolfe, the officer who allegedly shot Mr Brooks, has also been sacked, police spokesman Carlos Campos said on Saturday evening. The other officer present at the incident, Devin Bronsan, has been placed on administrative duty. Brooks was the father of a young daughter who was celebrating her birthday on Saturday, his lawyers said. The killing prompted yet more protests in a state that has already seen large demonstrations over the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer last month and that of Georgia resident Ahmaud Arbery by two white men while jogging in February. Story continues As well as the first video, which shows the struggle between the officers and Mr Brooks, a second videotape from the restaurants cameras shows Brooks turning as he runs and possibly aiming the taser at the pursuing officers, before one of them fires his gun and Mr Brooks falls to the ground. Mr Brooks ran the length of about six cars when he turned back towards an officer and pointed what he had in his hand at the policeman, Vic Reynolds, director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, told a press conference. At that point, the Atlanta officer reaches down and retrieves his weapon from his holster, discharges it, strikes Mr Brooks there on the parking lot and he goes down, Mr Reynolds said. Lawyers representing the family of Mr Brooks told reporters that Atlanta police had no right to use deadly force even if he had fired the taser, a non-lethal weapon, in their direction. You cant shoot somebody unless they are pointing a gun at you, attorney Chris Stewart said. Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard Jr, said in an emailed statement that his office has already launched an intense, independent investigation of the incident while it awaits the findings of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Ms Bottoms said Ms Shields, a white woman appointed police chief in December 2016, would be replaced by deputy chief Rodney Bryant, a black man who will serve as interim chief. Additional reporting by Reuters. Read more Trump threatens to boycott NFL over racism protests- live After Black Lives Matter protests, the far right march on Westminster Atlanta police shoot and kill black man during attempted arrest Family demands investigation after black man found hanging from tree I just want to be clear: we are still not in sight of the end. But we are also not at the beginning. Albuquerque Chief Administrative Officer Sarita Nair For those who would say not much has changed in years at the Albuquerque Police Department, remember that in 2012 the city was still in federal court vehemently defending using 47 officers, snipers, attack dogs, bean bag rounds and electric current on an intoxicated 60-year-old guy whose only weapon was his not-so-smart mouth. For those who would say six long years of police reforms under the watchful eye of a federal monitor mean APD has done what needs to be done, remember that the department didnt launch its new use-of-force suite of reforms until January of this year. That though 100% of the heavy policy lifting is complete, both the independent monitor and the head of the police union agreed then there were still officers and supervisors who needed to get with the program and embrace changes and the accountability that comes with them. And know that six years into reform, four men have been shot by APD this year, two fatally, and two in disturbing cases of a family calling for help. But Nair is correct, that as use-of-force protests and calls to defund the police continue nationwide, Albuquerque is in a much better place than many communities when it comes to constitutional policing. Yes, it remains an evolving system run by fallible mortals who require support and oversight, but its hard to imagine officers siccing a dog on and tasing an inebriated senior citizen today much less the Mayors Office defending that in court. And reforms within the department as well as in the surrounding legal system and community at large mean there are clearer guidelines, more watchdogs and additional options to confrontations always ending with suspects in jail at best and the morgue at worst. Inside APD Within the police department, Albuquerque requires officers to wear lapel cameras and use dashboard cameras for the publics safety as well as their own, and for the sake of public accountability. It has banned chokeholds and strangleholds like the one that killed George Floyd in Minneapolis, and it requires officers to intervene and stop such brutal acts. Albuquerque requires its officers to try to de-escalate a situation and has a use-of-force continuum so officers have appropriate training and tools for the myriad situations they face. Officers must give a verbal warning before shooting, as well as report every time they threaten to use, or do use, force. So as communities look at the #8cantwait campaign, Albuquerqueans should know their city police have embraced six of the eight reforms completely and have come very close on a seventh by banning shooting at moving vehicles unless a person is in danger. The eighth, exhausting all other alternatives before shooting, presents challenges in those situations that escalate from zero to 60 in a matter of seconds. It bears repeating these reforms are in place because of the U.S. Department of Justices 2014 finding APD had a pattern of using excessive force against its citizens, especially those dealing with mental health issues. The scathing report looked at 20 fatal shootings and found the majority were not justified. Post DOJ, all use-of-force policies have been rewritten and implemented, all officers now have at least 40 hours of crisis management intervention training and, on calls that involve people in crisis, are supposed to partner with licensed social workers. Internal Affairs now has two sections, one for general complaints and one for use-of-force incidents. A Use of Force Review Board now oversees all IA investigations of use of force and deadly force. And the ranks of unarmed responders working in and with the community have been increased in addition to those crisis intervention professionals there is now a pilot program of folks who tackle some of the more than 15,000 calls a year for welfare checks of homeless individuals, and others who handle crash reports and evidence gathering. Nair says the goal is to better deploy appropriate resources. Outside APD The past six years under the Department of Justice settlement agreement have also brought more oversight on policies and actions. There is now a Civilian Police Oversight Agency, a Police Oversight Board, Civilian Police Councils from each area command, a Mental Health Response Advisory Committee and an internal compliance bureau. But Nair emphasizes follow-through is key for reforms to make a difference, and Peter Simonson, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, is right that these groups are only effective if they are listened to. Under prior administrations APD has often disregarded such input. The Second Judicial District Attorneys Office and the courts have stepped up with pre-prosecution diversion and specialty court programs, allowing defendants who are amenable to treatment to avoid jail, felony records or entering the system altogether. Now our legal defenders, prosecutors and judges need to find ways to get more people into the programs, which all remain woefully under capacity. Still to be addressed Albuquerque, like many communities, must come to grips with police union leadership that protects wrongdoers at the expense of the good, the honest and the professional in its ranks. There must be zero tolerance of conduct unbecoming of APDs dedicated core group of law enforcement officers. Our city and police leadership should consider the recommendation of retired APD Deputy Chief Paul Chavez on todays op-ed page and reinstate college requirements and tuition reimbursement for a better-educated, more mature force. Nair says the city is hoping to ramp up its tuition reimbursement program. Bernalillo Countys Sheriffs Department, which is on APDs pre-DOJ path with a shameful track record of million-dollar payoffs for fatal shootings of civilians in distress, needs to wake up and embrace lapel and dashboard cameras. Kudos to the Law Offices of the Public Defender and N.M. Attorney General Hector Balderas for putting a statewide camera requirement for law enforcement as well as a chokehold ban on the Legislatures radar. There remains much work to be done to ensure the Albuquerque Police Department is the best it can be. And while the DOJ investigation did not identify racism as an issue within the department, it is crucial APD examine its interaction with people of color and stamp out any systemic racism or bias. But it is also important to recognize that hard work from within the department and the city administration, as well as from dedicated activists and professionals in the community, has brought the department a long way from the pre-DOJ settlement agreement days. New Mexicos two U.S. senators got it right when they told Journal reporter Scott Turner that it is time for law enforcement to move away from the warrior mentality and toward being true guardians of our community. To do that, APD must require all officers and supervisors to embrace that mentality and a culture of accountability. Thats the path forward. 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. The president sent the signal that qualified immunity is off the table. They see that as a poison pill on our side, Scott said. So were going to have to find a path that helps us reduce misconduct within the officers. But at the same time, we know that any poison pill in legislation means we get nothing done. Residents of a Kenosha apartment building are crediting 8-year-old Addilyn Holland with helping them safely escape a fire. The fire broke out at Windsor Apartments, 3825 89th Street, at about 10:14 p.m. Friday. The fire destroyed two apartments in the eight-unit building and caused smoke damage to others, displacing everyone who lives there. Nancy Putrynski said she was watching a movie Friday when all of the sudden the fire alarm went on. I put my head out of my door and there were people in the hallway pounding on doors, saying get out theres a fire, Putrynski said. Sandy McQuesion said she was in her downstairs apartment when the 8-year-old girl knocked on her patio door, warning her to get out of the building. Jason Holland said he was asleep when his daughter Addilyn woke him up, saying she smelled smoke. I smelled something so I woke him up and he looked out and saw fire, Addilyn said. So I ran outside and started knocking on my neighbors doors. Holland thinks his quick-thinking daughter may have saved lives in the building, which has many elderly residents. Before I knew it Addy was out in the hallway knocking on doors to get people out and then she ran across and asked people to call 911, he said. Addilyn said she learned about fire safety from her grandfather, who was a firefighter. Asked if she was scared when she was trying to alert residents she said a little. Christopher Hannes, battalion chief with the Kenosha Fire Department, said it appears the fire began on an exterior balcony then moved through the soffit into the attic. Those types of fires can spread quickly, he said. He said there were smoke alarms in the building, but he said it is likely that Addilyn smelled the smoke and alerted her father before the alarms went off. Our first crews in were very aggressive in attacking the fire, Hannes said. He said the fire was out by about 11 p.m. He said most residents were already out when fire department arrived, but crews got two residents out of their apartments. He said the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but said it is not believed to be suspicious in origin. Hannes said the fire caused an estimated $200,000 in damage to the building, $50,000 to the contents. The Hollands apartment is one of the two that were completely destroyed. Putrynski said residents worked together to help an elderly woman who lives on the first floor escape. Shes going to be 93 in a month, so we all look out for her, Putrynski said. We all grabbed her and got her out. Residents will be unable to return home until the building is repaired. Some residents are staying with friends and family. Others received aid from the Red Cross to stay at a hotel Friday night. On Saturday morning, residents were gathered outside, waiting to be taken inside their apartments by management to pack belongings. They are worried about when they might be able to go home. But they were also grateful everyone escaped unharmed. It was all thanks to a little girl, McQuestion said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 San Antonio officials Saturday reported four more deaths from COVID-19 and 230 new cases as a feared second wave of infections gained momentum. The four deaths brought the total in Bexar County to 88 since the start of the pandemic. The latest victims were Hispanic men with multiple underlying medical conditions, the Metropolitan Health District reported. One was in his 50s and the other three were in their 70s. The newly confirmed cases bring the total in Bexar County to 4,242. On ExpressNews.com: Second wave of COVID-19 cases in San Antonio has experts worried Some 148 patients were being treated for COVID-19 in San Antonio-area hospitals Saturday, the highest level since the coronavirus began spreading in the community in March. Also of concern was a rise in the percentage of coronavirus tests that came back positive. Public health officials say a 6 percent positivity rate would indicate the spread of the virus was under control. As of Saturday, the rate was between 10 and 11 percent, Metro Health reported. Thats nearly twice as high as it was a week earlier. We must continue to work together to contain the spread of COVID-19. We likely will be battling this pandemic for a long time, and our best defense is vigilance, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said in a news release. If you need to leave your home, practice social distancing, wear a face covering and wash your hands, he said. If you are in an at-risk population, you should stay home whenever possible. On ExpressNews.com: Eighteen hours inside a COVID-19 intensive care unit Metro Health director Dawn Emerick has attributed the resurgence in cases to Memorial Day gatherings and the phased reopening of businesses in Texas, which began in late April. She also said people generally have become less vigilant about wearing masks and practicing social distancing. On Saturday, Emerick called on residents to work together to practice safe behaviors to contain the spread. The spike in cases has not yet placed a strain on the regions health care system, officials said. Of 148 patients in area hospitals with COVID-19 on Sasturday, up from 138 Friday, 58 were in intensive care. Of those, 26 were on ventilators, Metro Health said. That leaves 26 percent of San Antonios staffed hospital beds and 78 percent of ventilators available. Of the 230 new cases, three were found to have originated in the community rather than in a nursing home, jail or other group setting. The other 227 cases were under investigation. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio health official says residents are letting down our guard. Of the 4,242 people infected with the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, 2,271 (54 percent) have recovered, and 1,883 (44 percent) still are sick, Metro Health data show. Of the 88 people who have died, 65 (74 percent) were over age 60. Free testing for the coronavirus is available whether you are experiencing symptoms or not. A list of test locations and other information is available at covid19.sanantonio.gov. A retirement home in Brazil has come up with a creative solution to allow friends and families to enjoy personal contact with aging residents particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus: a "hugging curtain." The large plastic curtain, installed in a retirement home in the city of Sao Paulo, allows residents on one side and visitors on the other to engage in the sort of comforting hugs that COVID-19 has made impossible for months. The curtain has pockets through which resident and visitor can insert their arms, and they are outfitted with shoulder-length black gloves for added protection. "It really feels good; I missed her so much!" 68-year-old Silvio Nagata told AFP after enjoying a long, emotional hug with his sister, Luiza Yassuko, who is 76, at a retirement home in the affluent Morumbi neighborhood. "Because of the pandemic, I wasn't able to visit her, especially because at my age I'm also part of a high-risk group," Nagata said. "It's an excellent system -- it's great to be able to take her in my arms," said Nagata, a retired civil servant. "There were 12 of us brothers and sisters, and she was practically a mother to me," he went on. "She didn't get married so she could take care of us." Nurses carefully disinfect the plastic curtain after each use. "When we saw that this pandemic was going to last a long time, we had to find a safe way to let families see the residents and let the aging residents know that their loved ones are thinking of them," said Mairo Martins, an physical therapist at the facility. For visitors, the feeling of being able to take a loved one in their arms is deeply moving, especially as the pandemic continues to rule out normal human contact. "It's good for them, but for us too; it's been a while since we could hug anyone," said Murilo Meira, 51, during a visit to 90-year-old Nair da Costa Marques, who needed a nurse's help to stand for the much-awaited hug. Sao Paulo state is Brazil's richest and most populous state, with 46 million inhabitants, but it is also the hardest-hit by the coronavirus. There have been 172,875 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 10,581 deaths, according to the latest official tally. Brazil has registered the second-largest number of coronavirus deaths in the world, at 42,720, and of people infected (850,514), after the United States. Elisabete Nagata (top) hugs her 76-year-old sister-in-law Luiza Nagata, through a transparent plastic curtain at a senior nursing home in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on June 13, 2020, amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic Suzane Valverde (L) hugs her 85-year-old mother Carmelita Valverde, through a transparent plastic curtain at a senior nursing home in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on June 13, 2020, amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 01:51:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Mounted soldiers ask local people to go home in Sale, Morocco, on June 14, 2020. Morocco on Sunday announced 101 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the North African country to 8,793. (Photo by Chadi/Xinhua) RABAT, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Morocco on Sunday announced 101 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the North African country to 8,793. The number of recovered patients increased to 7,765 with 69 new ones, while the death toll remained unchanged at 212, said Mouad Mrabet, coordinator of the Moroccan Center for Public Health, at a daily press briefing. A day earlier, Morocco decided to gather all active and future COVID-19 cases in two medical units in the cities of Benslimane near Casablanca and Ben Guerir near Marrakech. The measure is part of the ongoing preparations for the gradual easing starting June 20 of the state of medical emergency, in order to allow Moroccan hospitals enough capacity for treating patients with other illnesses. China has helped Morocco in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. A batch of medical supplies donated by the government of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region was transported on June 8 to Casablanca-Settat in Morocco. On May 14, China Development Bank sent a batch of donation, including respirators and medical protective masks, to Morocco to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. China's Guizhou Province has also donated 15,000 surgical gloves, 20,000 medical masks and 2,000 protective suits to help protect Moroccan medical workers fighting the pandemic. Enditem Protesters gather on University Ave near a Wendys restaurant in Atlanta (Steve Schaefer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) Atlantas police chief has resigned hours after a black man was fatally shot by officers in a struggle. Authorities said the dead man had grabbed an officers Taser, but was running away when he was shot. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced the resignation of Police Chief Erika Shields at a Saturday news conference as roughly 150 protesters marched outside the Wendys restaurant where 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks was fatally shot late on Friday. Expand Close Protesters gather near Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta (Ben Gray/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Protesters gather near Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta (Ben Gray/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) The mayor also said she called for the immediate firing of the officer who opened fire at Mr Brooks. I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer, Ms Bottoms said. She said it was Ms Shields own decision to step aside as police chief and that she would remain with the city in an undetermined role. Interim Corrections Chief Rodney Bryant would serve as interim police chief until a permanent replacement is found. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the shooting, said the deadly confrontation started with officers responding to a complaint that a man was sleeping in a car blocking the restaurants drive-thru lane. The GBI said Mr Brooks failed a field sobriety test and then resisted officers attempts to arrest him. The GBI released security camera video of the shooting on Saturday. The footage shows a man running from two police officers as he raises a hand, which is holding some type of object, towards an officer a few steps behind him. The officer draws his gun and fires as the man keeps running, then falls to the ground in the car park. GBI director Vic Reynolds said Mr Brooks had grabbed a Taser from one of the officers and appeared to point it at the officer as he fled, prompting the officer to reach for his gun. In a circumstance like this where an officer is involved in the use of deadly force, the public has a right to know what happened, Mr Reynolds told a news conference on a day when protesters gathered at the scene of the shooting and in other areas of Atlanta. The shooting came at a time of heightened tension over police brutality and calls for reforms across the US following the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Construction work takes place, at the site of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam near Assosa, Ethiopia (Elias Asmare/AP) Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia said talks would continue later this week to resolve their dispute over a Nile dam Ethiopia is constructing, even as Cairo accused Addis Ababa of rejecting fundamental issues at the heart of the negotiations. Ethiopia wants to begin filling the dams reservoir in the coming weeks, but Egypt has raised concerns that filing the reservoir too quickly and without a deal could significantly reduce the amount of Nile water available to Egypt. Both countries have made clear in the past that they could take steps to protect their interests, should negotiations fail, and experts fear a breakdown in talks could lead to conflict. The talks resumed last week via video conference after months of deadlock, and will start up again on Monday, statements from the three main Nile basin countries said Sunday. However, the most recent negotiations have been punctuated by strong comments from both Egypt and Ethiopia. Egypts irrigation ministry said in a statement late on Saturday that Ethiopia was looking to renegotiate a number of points of contention, which demonstrated that there are many fundamental issues that Ethiopia continues to reject. Expand Close A man poles his boat to check his fish traps in the Nile River, near Abu al-Nasr village in Egypt (Hiro Komae/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A man poles his boat to check his fish traps in the Nile River, near Abu al-Nasr village in Egypt (Hiro Komae/AP) Irrigation ministry spokesman Mohammed el-Sebaei accused Ethiopia of bogging down the talks with a new proposal he called concerning. A day earlier, Ethiopias deputy army chief had said his country will strongly defend itself and will not negotiate its sovereignty. Talks came to an acrimonious halt in February, after Ethiopia rejected a US-crafted deal and accused the Trump administration of siding with Egypt. At the time, Egypts Foreign Ministry said it would use all available means to defend the interests of its people. Construction of the 4.6 billion US dollar Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile is over 70% complete, and promises to provide much-needed electricity to Ethiopias 100 million people. Egypt seeks to protect its main source of freshwater for its large and growing population, also more than 100 million. William Davison, senior analyst at the Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think tank, said the resumption of talks was necessary and positive, however there were still considerable disagreements between the parties on key issues, primarily how to manage future droughts, and also how to resolve any future disputes that arise. Any further pause in talks would not be welcome as the only way to resolve this matter is for the parties to remain engaged in negotiations until they reach consensus on the outstanding issues, he said. The Ethiopian proposal aims to scrap all the agreements and understandings reached by the three countries during the negotiations spanning nearly a decade, Mr el-Sebaei said. Ethiopias water and energy ministry on Sunday said Mr el-Sebaeis comments were regrettable. It said that if the ongoing negotiations failed, it would be because of Egypts obstinacy to maintain a colonial-based water allocation agreement that denies Ethiopia and all the upstream countries their natural and legitimate rights. Egypt has received the lions share of the Niles waters under decades-old agreements dating back to the British colonial era. Eighty-five percent of the Niles waters originate in Ethiopia from the Blue Nile, which is one of the Niles two main tributaries. Ethiopia has said it plans to start filling the dam in July this year, at the start of the rainy season. A 41-year-old man who has recovered from COVID-19 died from complications due to the virus infection more than two weeks after being discharged, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Saturday (6 June). The case is Singapores youngest COVID-19 casualty. Singapores youngest COVID-19 casualty The Chinese national, identified as case 11714, died on Thursday (4 June) and is the 25th person in Singapore to die from complications due to COVID-19. According to MOH, the man had recovered from the infection and was discharged on 17 May. He collapsed on 4 June and the Coroner has certified that the cause of death was massive pulmonary thromboembolism following SARS-CoV-2 infection. SARS-CoV-2 is the strain of coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). 741 new coronavirus cases, singapore's youngest COVID-19 casualty Image source: File Mayo Clinic defines pulmonary embolism is a blockage in one of the pulmonary arteries in your lungs. In most cases, pulmonary embolism is caused by blood clots that travel to the lungs from deep veins in the legs or, rarely, from veins in other parts of the body (deep vein thrombosis). No other information was provided about the case. COVID-19 Patients With Blood Clots and Heart Disease In a written reply to Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Leon Pereras question on patients with COVID-19 experiencing above-average rates of blood clots and heart disease, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said the ministry has issued an advisory to all doctors on 20 May to highlight the emerging data on these risks. Mr Gan said doctors have been advised to be watchful for cardiovascular symptoms in COVID-19 patients, and to provide guidance on the evaluation and management of such patients. About 1 in 1000 experienced cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and blood clots so far, Mr Gan said. Citing international data, Mr Gan added that COVID-190 patients admitted to the intensive care unit are at higher risk, as they are immobile for prolonged periods and may have multiple co-morbidities. Story continues new cases reported, singapore's youngest COVID-19 casualty Image source: National University Hospital/Facebook Doctors here should take take extra precautions such as monitoring [the propensity for the blood to clot] closely, he said. In some cases, anti-coagulants or blood thinners are used to prevent blood clot formation. However, use of anti-coagulants must be weighed against the risk of bleeding, and our doctors will decide on a case by case basis, Mr Gan added. As COVID-19 is a new disease, we are learning more about it as we go along. MOH will continue to monitor the emerging evidence, and work with our clinical experts to ensure the best possible care and outcomes for our COVID-19 patients Mr Gan concluded. Additional 344 cases of COVID-19 infection in Singapore on Saturday MOH has confirmed and verified an additional 344 cases of COVID-19 infection in Singapore on Saturday (6 June). Of the new cases, 7 are community cases including three Singaporeans/Permanent Residents (PR), and four work permit holders. Of the 7 cases in the community, 5 are asymptomatic, but we had swabbed them as part of our proactive surveillance and screening, MOH said. Amongst the 3 Singaporeans/PRs, one is a family member of a previously confirmed case, and had already been quarantined earlier. Another is a cleaner at the preschool section of an international school and was tested as part of the governments proactive screening of preschool staff. Meanwhile, epidemiological investigations are ongoing for the remaining case Singaporean/PR case. Meanwhile, all 4 Work Permit holders had been picked up as a result of proactive screening. Of these, three cases were tested as part of our efforts to screen workers in essential services, and one case was tested as part of our screening of migrant workers deployed at public healthcare institutions. The patient had been doing building maintenance works at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and had not interacted with hospital staff or patients. A case from the public healthcare sector was also reported on Saturday. The patient, a 27-year-old male Singapore Citizen who has no recent travel history to affected countries or regions. He was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 5 June, and is currently warded at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases. He is employed as a physiotherapist at Tampines Polyclinic but had not gone to work since onset of symptoms, MOH said. Separately, 350 more cases of COVID-19 infection have been discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities. According to MOH, a total of 24,559 have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospitals or community care facilities. ALSO READ: Social Distancing is Dead: Crowds Observed Outside School, Within Supermarkets as Restrictions Ease The post COVID-19: Case Dies More Than 2 Weeks After Recovery; Blood Clot In Lung Artery Said To Be Cause Of Death appeared first on theAsianparent - Your Guide to Pregnancy, Baby & Raising Kids. Muntaka Mohammed, Member of Parliament for Asawase constituency has called for a parliamentary enquiry after news broke that some MPs are not corporating with the COVID team "Im sad because I warned that we thread cautiously and because of comments I made they stopped giving we the leaders of the minority information. We hear the number of people who got infected in parliament has even got up. Speaking in an interview on UTV's Critical Issues, The Minority Chief Whip said he urged that "we let Ghanaians know" and assure them "that they (infected persons) are going through the protocols but no one listened"; adding what is currently going on can breed stigmatisation. Muntaka was reacting to reports that some Members of Parliament, staff and journalists who have been infected with COVID-19 are not corporating with the COVID team. According to him, if the reports are true, there is the need for a parliamentary enquiry and immediate disinfection. "If this is true and people are not corporating; we need to call for an investigation or parliamentary enquiry. If this is the case then something amissthis questions the integrity of the team conducting the contact tracing" According to him, "what is going on in parliament means, the same thing is happening across the nation. 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 Title: "MAO -- The Unknown Story" Author: Jung Chang and Jon Halliday Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Jung Chang and Jon Halliday have written a very important history and biography of Mao Tse-Tung, who for decades held absolute power over the lives of one-quarter of the worlds population (and) was responsible for well over 70 million deaths in peacetime, more than any other twentieth-century leader. From that opening sentence Chang and Halliday in 631 packed pages reveal Maos rise to absolute power over the countless millions of lives murdered paving his way to rule China. From Maos birth on Dec. 26, 1893, to his death on Sept. 9, 1976, Chang and Halliday have detailed Maos relentless quest for absolute power. He was the third-born son but the first to survive beyond infancy. Tse-Tung is a two-part name. Tse means to shine on ; Tung means the East." So his full given name meant "to shine on the East. As a young student, Mao was blessed with an exceptional memory and managed to recite and write by rote difficult Confucian texts. He gained a foundation in Chinese language and history, and began to learn to write good prose, calligraphy and poetry, as writing poems was an essential part of Confucian education. Reading became a passion. Throughout his rise to power and his reign as dictator he wrote poetry and was surrounded by books. Still a student as he turned 24, his core philosophy was I above everything else. Mao shunned all constraints of responsibility and duty. 'People like me have a duty to ourselves; we have no duty to other people. Mao believed for China to change, the country must be destroyed and then re-formed. People like me long for its destruction, because when the old order is destroyed, a new universe will be formed. Isnt that better? What Mao destroyed in his rise to power and his rule over China were the lives of millions, and Chinese culture. The Bolsheviks, having taken over Russia, were exporting communism through the Communist International. It arrived in China as the Chinese Communist Party just as Mao was ready. Although not one of its founders (the CCP), Mao was in the immediate outer ring. I got the distinct impression from reading this book that Mao was not concerned with communist ideology, but rather he saw he could use the CCP to maneuver his way to the top, which is consistent with I above everything else. Chang and Halliday nicely set forth his coldhearted cunning as he stepped over and eliminated his communist contemporaries. All of this played out against the upheaval in the first half of the 20th century with the establishment of a Republic advocated by Sun Yet-Sen and the battles among the warlords, the Nationalists army led by Chiang Kai-Shek, the smaller armies of the CCP, and the Japanese Army in Manchuria, all of which was churning in China before and during World War II. This was an unstable time for China, which Mao and the CCP successfully exploited. Mao schemed to achieve ever-higher positions in the CCP as he sought control over a CCP army. Mao established a base in Yenan during the war where he started a campaign of self-criticism by everyone but himself, giving him absolute control over the lives of the people. It was referred to as the Yenan Terror. Maos rise in the CCP was accompanied with terror, as enemies were publicly executed while peoples possessions were taken from them. By 1945, with the end of the war Mao was firmly in control of the CCP. Chiang Kai-Shek was in a position with a much larger army to destroy the communists. However, disloyal Nationalist generals deliberately led entire Nationalist armies to destruction, forcing Chiang Kai-Shek and his remaining followers to escape to Taiwan. Mao was left in control of China. On Oct. 1, 1949, in Peking (now Beijing), standing on top of Tiananmen Gate Mao inaugurated the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). Maos goal was to take over the leadership of the worldwide communist movement and control the world. But he needed the help of the Soviet Union under Stalin and then under Khrushchev to build China into a military superpower. The question was how to pay for it. As China had a peasant agrarian economy, the answer was the peasants would pay for it. They would produce food for export to the Soviet Union to generate the money Mao needed. Without enough food for themselves, starvation became a scourge; over 10,000 peasants died of starvation in 1947 in the Yenan region. According to Chang and Halliday, Maos most formidable weapon was pitilessness. Mao wanted North Korea to attack South Korea in 1950, as he believed it would lead to war with the United States which in turn would cause the Soviets to give him the weapons and military technology he wanted. As North Korea was being driven north by the U.S. and its allies, Mao on Dec. 7, 1950, committed 450,000 troops into Korea to kill Americans and keep the war going to get more help out of the Soviets. Maos son was killed in Korea. The starvation brought on by increased requisitions of food and forced collectivization of farms was compounded by the Great Leap Forward, which ran from 1958-61. The peasants were made to work harder and longer with less food. Close to 38 million people died of starvation and overwork in the Great Leap Forward and the famine, which lasted four years. Additional waste resulted when the government encouraged steel production in backyard furnaces, a truly absurd idea. This was followed in 1966 by the Cultural Revolution, at first, a simply horrible attack on teachers and those in charge of education. A group of middle school students named themselves the Red Guards. The name and the terror unleashed with it spread quickly. The Red Guards broke into homes where they burned books, cut up paintings, trampled phonograph records and musical instruments -- generally wrecking anything to do with culture. They confiscated valuables and beat up the owners. All this was a preface for Mao to purge millions of CCP officials. By 1969, Mao had completed his great Purge, though this did not mean that killings ceased. In the ten years from when Mao started the Purge until his death (from ALS) in 1976, at least 3 million people died violent deaths, and post-Mao leaders acknowledged that 100 million people, one-ninth of the entire population, suffered in one way or another. The killings were sponsored by the state. Only a small percentage was at the hands of Red Guards. Most were the direct work of Maos reconstructed regime. It is hard to imagine the millions and millions of deaths inflicted by Mao on his own people! I have confidence in this history by Chang and Halliday, as they have listed their extensive research, which includes 14 pages of names of people and the positions they held as witnesses to this entire tragedy. I recognized a few of the names, but with all of their positions set forth it gives a real sense of how comprehensive their work is. I wanted to read about the Cultural Revolution, but I learned so very much more about China and the suffering endured by its people. And I have not developed any sense the current leadership has any smaller goal than Mao had. We need to be very cautious. Bob Wefald is a retired North Dakota state district court judge, a former attorney general and a retired Navy captain. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Former prime minister Tony Abbott said he sympathises with local Black Lives Matter protesters and the country has "atoning to do" for past wrongs against Indigenous Australians, but rejected suggestions they were unjustly policed or incarcerated. Mr Abbott - who has had a career-long interest in Indigenous issues and was a special envoy on Indigenous affairs under Prime Minister Scott Morrison - said there was no evidence the court system discriminated against First Australians. Former prime minister Tony Abbott launched his sister Christine Forster's book Life, Love and Marriage, last week. Credit:Getty Images "Obviously the Indigenous incarceration rate is much higher than the general incarceration rate. That shouldn't be so unless there's evidence that courts are more likely to imprison Indigenous offenders than non-Indigenous offenders, and there is none," he told The Sun-Herald in his first substantive comments on the protest movement sweeping the globe. "The higher Indigenous incarceration rate is a function of the higher Indigenous offending rate. It is absolutely tragic. But we know that when it comes to domestic violence and a lot else, this is much worse in Indigenous communities than most parts of the country." Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday questioned the Congress over its opposition to the abrogation of Article 370 and its discreet silence over the provision that gave special status to the former state of Jammu and Kashmir. Article 370 was an old stain and it was done away the moment the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) got the full majority, Rajnath Singh said while addressing the virtual Jammu Jan Samvad rally. Singh said that by abrogating Article 370, BJP fulfilled its decade-old promise and is committed to the development and growth Jammu and Kashmir. We revoked it within 100 days in office at the blink of an eye. But I would like to ask why the Congress, which had a full majority but had supported Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, remained discreetly silent on it, Rajnath Singh said. When we revoked it in August last year, the Congress called it an attack on secularism. But may I ask the Congress why the word secularism remained absent from the preamble of the J&K Constitution? he asked. Singh pointed out that the discriminatory temporary provision was incorporated through an ordinance and not Parliament. If Article 370 was so important then why didnt the Congress make it a permanent provision and why it was kept as a temporary provision? he asked. Singh said that the so-called during Azadi movement in Kashmir, Pakistani and ISIS flags were hoisted with impunity but now the Tricolor could be seen across the Kashmir Valley. The defence minister said that with an end to Article 370 oppressed people like refugees from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and west Pakistan and the Valmiki community got equal rights after more than 70 years of Independence. Today, I recall our visionary leader AB Vajpayee, who believed in Kashmiriyat, Jamhuriyat and Insaniyat. The BJP stands committed and today for us Kashmiriyat is Hazratbal shrine and Amarnath Baba, he said. Singh said that in the next five years the Narendra Modi-led government will bring a sea-change in Jammu and Kashmirs image. The people of PoK will be envious of it. And, wait for some time PoK will demand to live with India and not with Pakistan. The day it happens our unanimous resolution of Parliament will also be fulfilled, he said. An international team of scientists has conducted a GPS tracking collar study on red pandas (Ailurus fulgens) in eastern Nepal. This is the first time GPS collars have been used to study these elusive animals in the wild. The red panda is the only living member of the genus Ailurus and the family Ailuridae. The animal was once widely distributed across Eurasia but is now restricted at the southeastern and southern edges of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau within an altitude range of 2,200 to 4,800 m. With less than 10,000 individuals left in the wild, the red panda is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Red pandas are the only extant member of their taxonomic family, and if they were to become extinct that would be, at least taxonomically, like losing the whole cat family, from lions to domestic cats, said Dr. Angela Glatston, Chair of the Red Panda Network Board of Directors. The researchers studied 10 (six females and four males) red pandas using GPS telemetry and estimated their movement and space use. They also used VHF tracking devices and camera traps to collect additional data. The collars are programmed to record data every two hours which will be transferred via a satellite system for one year, said Red Panda Network researcher Damber Bista, a Ph.D. student at the University of Queensland. The data will help us get a better insight into their movement and space-use pattern, social behavior, and their response to disturbances. The study was funded by Rotterdam Zoo and conducted in the Panchthar-Ilam-Taplejung Corridor, a belt of forest that connects protected areas in Nepal and India. This is a great milestone in red panda conservation, said Man Bahadur Khadka, Director General of Nepals Department of Forests and Soil Conservation. We assure the protection and conservation of this charismatic species whose survival is mainly threatened by anthropogenic factors. This is a proud moment for us to have the opportunity to fulfill one of the objectives of Nepals Red Panda Conservation Action Plan, added Ang Phuri Sherpa, Red Panda Networks Country Director for Nepal. This study aims to better understand how red pandas interact in human-dominated landscapes. Canada is both a vast geographical expanse and a state of mind worth guarding; it is also a behemoth in the world energy industry. Energy, generally, accounts for 900,000 jobs in the Canadian economy, and makes up more than 10% of the countrys total GDP. Canada is the worlds fourth largest producer of natural gas, and third largest producer of crude oil. Hydrocarbons are big business in the snowy north. Toronto-based banking giant RBC, the Royal Bank of Canada, is immersed in the Canadian financial sector, with a vested interest in the countrys success. The bank has just released its latest report detailing its Global Energy Best Ideas. These are the go-to energy choices for RBCs cadre of analysts; they dont confine themselves to the Canadian landscape, but they dont ignore it either. Weve looked up two of RBCs choices in the TipRanks database to find out what makes them so compelling the dividends stood out. These stocks offer investors returns ranging from 5% to nearly 8%. Adding to the good news, each boasts over 30% upside potential. TC Energy Corporation (TRP) First on our list, TC Energy operates a network of hydrocarbon facilities across North America. The companys natural gas and crude oil pipeline networks extend from British Columbia, across Canada and the Lower 48, and down to the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mexico. In addition, the companys Energy division generates 6,600 megawatts of electricity for the North American grid. Inhabiting an economically essential niche helped insulate TRP from the disruptions of the first quarter. While the coronavirus-inspired shutdowns hurt most companies at both the top and bottom line, TC Energy reported an increase in earnings attributable to common shares, to a total of $1.15 billion. Net cash for the quarter, from operations, came to $1.7 billion. Success in the pipeline business contributed to the forecast-beating quarterly results, especially continued progress on the US-Canadian Keystone XL project. Story continues The company used its high earnings to fund a 56.5-cent per share dividend in the quarter. Annualizing to $2.26, the payment gives the stock a dividend yield of 5.3%, providing a steady income stream for return-minded investors. Representing RBC, 5-star analyst Robert Kwan describes TC Energy as having numerous avenues for growth. He elaborates, The companys assets provide a competitive advantage in winning new projects to lever off the existing steel in the ground (i.e., in- corridor expansions). Typically, these are projects of smaller size that often fly under the radar but also generate above-average returns given that they expand or extend existing infrastructure. Kwans price target here, of $81 Canadian ($59.61 in US currency), implies an upside potential of 38% for the coming year. (To watch Kwans track record, click here) With 14 analyst ratings on record, including 11 Buys and 3 Holds, the analyst consensus rating on TRP is a Strong Buy. The stock is trading for US$43.35, and the average price target, at US$52.60, suggests it has room for 21% upside growth. (See TC Energy stock analysis on TipRanks) Williams Companies, Inc. (WMB) Heading south to Tulsa, Oklahoma, the next stock on our list is Williams Companies. Like TC Energy, Williams primarily processes and transports natural gas, but its business model also includes crude oil and energy generation capacity. WMB controls gas pipelines connecting production fields in the central Rockies with the Pacific Northwest, and fields in Appalachia and Texas with the Northeast and the Gulf Coast. Approximately one-third of all US commercial and residential natural gas is handled by Williams. The Q1 report showed some mixed results for WMB. Quarterly revenues were down 6.8% year-over-year, from $2.05 billion to $1.91 billion, but EPS beat the forecast. Earnings, at 26 cents per share, came in one penny over the estimates. Overall, the earnings report was seen as a net positive, as it was generally in-line with expectations. That management felt confident, despite the coronavirus pandemic, was evident in the dividend. The company raised the quarterly payment in Q1, continuing its pattern of starting the year with a dividend increase, and has maintained the payment for the Q2 dividend, already announced for the end of June. At 40 cents, the dividend gives an annualized payment of $1.60 and a yield of 8.8%. For comparison, the services sector, where Williams Companies resides, has an average dividend yield of only 1.37%. TJ Schultz, another 5-star analyst from RBC, is impressed with WMBs balance sheet and increasing cash flow. He writes of the stock, Despite moderating NE gathered volume growth, we still expect WMB to deliver stable cash flow in 2020 and 2021. With this, we think WMB will remain safely within IG metrics, as it should post positive FCF this year (after capex and dividends). As a result, Schultz rates the stock a Buy, and his $25 price target implies a 37% upside potential in the next 12 months. (To watch Schultzs track record, click here) The Strong Buy analyst consensus rating on WMB is based on 9 Buys and 2 Holds, showing that Wall Street for the most part agrees with Schultzs assessment. The average price target, $21.73, indicates a 19% upside potential from the current share price of $18.23. (See Williams Companies stock analysis on TipRanks) The debate saw a lot of differences on the election system to be adopted in holding the coming parliamentary elections. Gamal Essam El-Din reports Egypt's parliament the House of Representatives approved on Sunday amendments to the law regulating the formation and election of the House of Representatives (law 46/2014). Parliament also approved two draft bills on the exercise of political rights (law 45/2014) and the performance of the National Election Committee (law 198/2017). The amendments were drafted and submitted by the parliamentary majority Support Egypt coalition last week The amendments to the House law state that the number of the House's elected MPs shall stand at 568, instead of 540, in line with Article 102 of Egypt's 2019 amended constitution. "Fifty percent of this number (284 MPs) will be elected via the individual system, and 50 percent (284 MPs) will be elected through the closed list system," said Article 3, adding that "25 percent of the total number of the House's seats shall be reserved for women, and the president shall be authorised to appoint no more than 5 percent of the total." Article 4 states that the individual candidacy system shall be implemented in a number of districts, while the closed list system will be in application in four districts, two of which will elect 84 MPs (42 each) and two will elect 200 MPs (100 each). "A law regulating the drawing of electoral districts will be passed to show in detail the size, seats and components of each district," said Article 4. The debate saw a lot of differences among representatives of political parties over the election system to be adopted in holding the upcoming parliamentary elections. Akmal Qortam, a businessman and leader of the Conservatives Party, said his party decided to abstain from voting on the law. We have many reasons for this abstention, the first of which is that the amendments to the House law and other political laws should first have been the subject of a national dialogue, said Qortam, adding that the adoption of the closed list system does not serve the principle of political pluralism as stipulated by the constitution. It is better to implement the proportional list system to allow all political parties to have seats in parliament and this serves political pluralism, said Qortam. In response, Ashraf Rashad, head of the Future of Homeland party, insisted that the amendments were the result of a national dialogue among all political parties. The participants in this dialogue reached agreement that the closed list system is the best for Egypt in this period, said Rashad, also arguing that this system opens the door for small political parties to form coalitions to run as one list. Parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Aal said the proportional list system usually causes political instability, and what is best for Egypt at these critical times is to adopt the closed list system. Egypt is facing a lot of national security challenges at present and it is good to have a parliament that represents the voice of all the people, said Abdel-Aal. Head of the leftist Tagammu party El-Sayed Abdel-Aal said the national dialogue on election laws saw several political parties asking for the adoption of the proportional list system. This system leads to a true representation for all political forces in the coming parliament, said Abdel-Aal. Talaat Khalil, a leftist MP, said the national dialogue, brokered by the Future of Homeland, was symbolic. I participated in this dialogue and I saw that it was symbolic and formal and so I decided to withdraw, said Khalil, arguing that the real goal of the amendments is to create a new ruling party and this is something we should all reject. In response, parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Aal said MPs are not legislating for a ruling party, not to mention that the president of the republic refused to be at the helm of a ruling party. The amendments to the two laws on the exercise of political rights and the National Election Committee (NEC) state that the NEC shall decide on appeals filed on the results of the election within 24 hours and in doing so it shall observe the requirements of integrity, neutrality and fairness of the ballot process. Parliament also approved on Sunday a draft bill on the formation and election of the Senate. The bill will set up a 300-member Senate, one-third of which (100 members) will be elected via the closed list system, one-third through the individual system, and the last third will be named by the president of the public. Search Keywords: Short link: As Flagstaff cautiously begins to open up some businesses, many events still remain in the virtual realm. Heres a look ahead at some offerings from the creative communityboth in-person and onlinethat can be enjoyed by all. Dance it out Canyon Dance Academy, the educational branch of Canyon Movement Company, is hosting a four-day Hip-Hop Intensive for dancers ages 12 and up. Guest teachers include talented dancers like FALA graduate Darrion Gallegoswho performed on tour with pop artist Arianna Grande and has appeared in Taylor Swifts music video for Look What You Made Me Do, among other impressive accomplishmentslocal hip-hop legend Daniel Cunningham, and commercial dancer and performer Preston Sam. The workshop will be held Monday-Thursday, June 15-18, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., at 2812 N. Izabel St. The dance studio is following CDC guidelines for safety, including keeping class sizes limited. Visit www.canyondanceacademy.org/policies to read about all the safety precautions in place and sign up for the workshop. Charcoal for beginners Creative Spirits aims to help people explore their inherent artistic talent in a fun environment. After several months of solely virtual classes, the BYOB (wine and beer only) studio, located at 605 W. Riordan Road, will be offering a course covering the basics of charcoal drawing Thursday, June 18, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Participants will embrace a loose approach to drawing while learning about tones and values, light and shadow, composition, perspective and more. Several short sketches will get creativity flowing before working on a final still life drawing. Supplies to borrow for use during class will be provided, as well as a supplies list and suggested shopping locations. The class is $35 per person. Visit www.creativespiritsaz.com for more information. Loud and proud Pride celebrations have come a long way since the Stonewall Riots of 1969 served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States. June is designated LGBT Pride Month, and Flagstaff became the first city in Arizona to fly a rainbow flag in solidarity for the entire month last year, with the flag returning to the Flagstaff City Hall lawn this year. While the in-person Pride in the Pines festival has been canceled to ensure the safety of the community during the COVID-19 pandemic, live performances will continue with Flagstaff Pride LIVE, in partnership with Virtual Arizona Pride and the Orpheum Theater. Host and drag queen extraordinaire Mya McKenzie will be joined by DJ Lezbian and Mr. Mann as they introduce a variety of talented performers for audiences of all ages. Tune in Saturday, June 20, beginning at 3 p.m. on the Orpheums Facebook page. Learn more at www.flagstaffpride.org. A Return to HeArt Like many downtown art galleries and shops, The HeArt Box, 17 N. San Francisco St., Ste. 1B, temporarily closed its space due to COVID-19. With June came a return to the healing space created by artist Jill Sans in 2018. Joined by partnering artists Rebekah Nordstrom and Tamara Hastie, the gallery has reopened (by appointment only) to present A Return to HeArt, a new exhibit featuring new work from the three artists. Vibrant landscapes, still life paintings and more celebrate the studios return to sharing conversations and community. Appointments are available Thursday through Saturday, 1-5 p.m., until June 27. The exhibit can also be viewed online at www.theheartbox.space/june-2020. Slowing down As more and more scientists have studied mindfulness in the past two decades, its become clear that meditation can improve aspects of our lives, allowing us to slow down and fully process stress, biases and more things we might experience on a regular basis. For those who may be new to the practice, or just appreciate guidance, the International Kadampa Retreat CenterGrand Canyon is offering 30-minute daily guided meditations with Kadam Michelle Gauthier Monday through Friday beginning at noon until June 26. Those who take the time to regularly practice IKRCs meditations for relaxation, meditations for a kind heart and meditations for a clear mind can experience an increase in peace of mind, mental clarity and more. Cost is $3 per meditation, register at www.meditationinnorthernarizona.org/live-stream-page. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Disadvantaged students slipped six weeks further behind their peers while schools were delivering lessons remotely, a report has found, and more than a billion dollars' worth of intensive tuition is needed to help them catch up. Modelling by the Grattan Institute, a think tank, estimated the wide achievement gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students grew at triple the usual rate during remote schooling, with surveys of teachers showing their disadvantaged students learned 25 to 50 per cent less than they would have in class. The report's author, Grattan Institute School Education Fellow Julie Sonnemann, estimated that over two months of remote learning, the achievement gap between disadvantaged students and their peers would have widened by 7 per cent, or an additional six weeks. The Grattan Institute says the federal government should invest more than $1 billion in helping students disadvantaged by COVID-19 Credit:Virginia Star In NSW, where remote learning ran for seven weeks, the gap would be slightly less, at 5.1 weeks or 6 per cent, while in Victoria, where it ran for nine weeks, the gap would be 8 per cent, or six and a half weeks. The boss of British Airways today hits back at MPs who have criticised his plan to axe 12,000 jobs, warning that the airline is 'in a fight to survive'. MPs on the Transport Select Committee yesterday branded BA a 'national disgrace' for announcing redundancy plans for almost one in four staff while many are still on the Government's furlough scheme. In an article for The Mail on Sunday, Alex Cruz defends the mass redundancies, saying BA has to go through a 'painful' restructuring to survive the aviation industry's biggest-ever crisis. In an article for The Mail on Sunday, Alex Cruz (pictured) defends the mass redundancies, saying BA has to go through a painful restructuring to survive the aviation industrys biggest-ever crisis Cruz also slams the Government's 14-day quarantine for arrivals in the UK, which he says has dealt a 'hammer blow' to BA's plans for more flights in July. The BA chief executive writes: 'We are in a fight to survive. 'We know we will emerge from the Covid-19 crisis as a much smaller airline. 'We will have fewer customers and fly fewer routes for years to come. Our business will be laden with hundreds of millions of pounds in new debt, so any revenues we make when we return to flying will be swallowed up by loan repayments.' Cruz dismissed accusations that BA is using the pandemic as an excuse to slash costs. Unions have accused the airline of using a 'fire and rehire' strategy to downgrade pay and conditions for staff it keeps on. The claims have led to a bitter stand-off with trade unions, with GMB and Unite refusing to attend talks unless BA withdraws its formal redundancy proposals. Last night, Balpa, which represents BA's 4,300 pilots, also threatened to withdraw from negotiations. Cruz also slams the Government's 14-day quarantine for arrivals in the UK, which he says has dealt a 'hammer blow' to BA's plans for more flights in July (file photo) Cruz accuses the unions of 'scaremongering'. He says: 'I will do everything in my power to ensure that British Airways can sustain the maximum number of jobs in line with the new reality of a changed airline industry and a severely weakened global economy.' Huw Merriman, Conservative chair of the Commons Transport Select Committee, yesterday led the criticisms of BA for announcing redundancies while 22,626 of its 42,000 staff are furloughed. As of mid-May, BA had received close to 35 million from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Mr Merriman told The Mail on Sunday that he will this week press for a meeting with Chancellor Rishi Sunak to ask the Treasury to close the loophole that allows firms to make staff redundant while they are receiving taxpayer cash from the furlough scheme. Las actividades productivas en las zonas rurales se reactivan. El premier @VicAZeballos superviso en el distrito de Ahuaycha (Huancavelica) las acciones para reiniciar negocios de elaboracion y comercializacion de lacteos y crianza de cuyes del programa Haku Winay del @MidisPeru. pic.twitter.com/aa90Ai1rua You are here: Business Lock-up shares worth about 74.84 billion yuan (about 10.56 billion U.S. dollars) will become eligible for trade on China's bourses in the coming week. The volume is 97.36 percent higher week on week, according to data from financial information provider Wind. Over 38.8 million shares from Jiangsu-based Maxscend Microelectronics Co., Ltd. worth 24.4 billion yuan will be freed up for trading. Under China's stock market rules, major shareholders must wait for one to two years before they are permitted to sell their shares. Chinese stocks closed mixed on Friday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index down 0.04 percent, at 2,919.74 points. The Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.07 percent higher at 11,251.71 points. Air France has announced plans to launch three dedicated flights to Paris. France, from Dubai to help impacted persons return home safely. The flights will be operated using an Airbus A350-900 and will take off on June 14, 18 and 21. The special flights will depart Dubai at 00:40 (local time) and arrive in Paris at 06:10 (local time). These flights are bookable online and via the travel trade, the airline said in a statement. - TradeArabia News Service Gwanchoksa Temple, circa 1900s. Robert Neff Collection By Robert Neff As mentioned yesterday, in the fall of 1884, George C. Foulk, an ensign in the U.S. Navy temporarily assigned to the American legation in Seoul, traveled extensively around the Korean Peninsula. Over the past year or so, I have tried to follow Foulk's journey. There are, of course, differences. He did his journey on foot or in a palanquin while I have done mine by bus and bicycle. This week I traveled to Nonsan. For me, the roads have been relatively smooth (but in some places dangerous due to the lack of bicycle lanes and heavy traffic), with convenience stores and public restrooms readily available Foulk would have probably killed for the latter convenience. One of Foulk's greatest inconveniences was the lack of privacy, especially when it came to the call of nature. In his journal he wrote: "I went to the W.C. this a.m., a little ring of rushes in the yard, filthy and obscene beyond expression. Fully 150 people of all kinds stood by silently watching me with the most unconcerned manner in the world. My eventful life as a traveler has no doubt made me coarse in some ways, but indeed I suffered while undergoing this scrutiny. There seems to be not the faintest idea of modesty and of allowing privacy among the people." Gwanchoksa Temple and the Maitreyea Bodhisattva, June 2020. Robert Neff Collection The Maitreyea Bodhisattva at Gwanchoksa Temple, circa 1910. Courtesy of Diane Nars Collection He denounced the experience as the worst he had ever had quite a statement from a 19th century naval officer. Yet, despite the bad start to his day, Foulk was looking forward to seeing the giant Miryok at Gwanchoksa Temple that he had heard so much about. Throughout the morning he and his party trudged through the flat plain. It was a relatively easy trek as there were few trees or rock formations to hinder their journey. Within a short time they spotted the temple on a wooded plateau that towered over the vast plain. He was convinced that it had once been a fortified temple as evidenced by the remnants of the strong wall that once guarded this holy site. There were two gates one to the east and the other to the west that were made from heavy stone and shaped like doors. According to one of the priests, a river or stream once ran along the base of the wall and was spanned by a bridge. According to the legend, during the Goryeo period, a young peasant girl was gathering brush and wood when a huge stone suddenly arose out of the ground. She reported the incident to officials who determined the stone was supposed to be an image of the Maitreyea Bodhisattva the future Buddha and work began shortly afterward to transform it into this vision. After some 30 years of labor, the statue was finished in 1006. A small gate leading to the temple complex, June 2020. Robert Neff Collection Foulk was told that there was "a gold (said to be) plate, a full ten inches in diameter, with a crystal ball in the center" whether he saw it or not is unclear but he did notice that "the hat piece [was] very large and carved on the underside nicely. The northwest corner was broken off, but mended with great iron hooks very well. The image showed signs of repairs and was in good condition." Despite the great efforts he took to visit the site, he didn't seem to be that impressed. "There was nothing prehistoric about the place at all. In this respect, the [Paju] images are superior to this." After only a short break, he and his party continued on their way. If you would like to know more about Foulk's journey, I highly recommend Samuel Hawley's book, "Inside the Hermit Kingdom." The legend of the Maitreyea Bodhisattva at Gwanchoksa Temple, June 2020. Robert Neff Collection Maitreyea Bodhisattva and the stone lantern, June 2020. Robert Neff Collection The Age and 60 Minutes have seen copies of the membership forms used by Mr Somyurek in his branch stacking operations and have spoken to several of the new party recruits. Some admitted they did not pay for their own memberships, while others were unable to name the Premier of Victoria. The tapes show Mr Somyurek spent many hours building his power base and aggressively reshaping the make-up of branches in Victoria including Cranbourne, in Melbourne's south-east, and Hoppers Crossing in Melbourne's west. Mr Somyurek claims he controls nearly two-thirds of the Victorian Labor Party. "Im more powerful than all of them put together," he says in one tape, referring to other Labor powerbrokers. In another recording he claims "our people have been putting like industrial-scale numbers, you know, just f---ing masses for a year", before describing plans to launch a "big f---ing stackathon" in Melbournes south-east. Mr Somyurek was appointed Minister for Local Government by Mr Andrews in 2018 despite a patchy record. His previous stint in cabinet, in the first term of the Andrews government, was cut short in 2015 following an allegation of bullying when he was small business, innovation and trade minister. When he was a backbencher in 2009 he lost his job as chair of the electoral matters committee for a driving offence. The tapes, recorded between mid 2019 and mid 2020, show Mr Somyurek pressuring politicians he claims to control, telling them to move members into branches and in some cases provide staff for what appear to be political activities. Loading He claims Melbournes growing Indian community make better members than "Anglos". "Stacking Anglos, its not going to work. Anglos just f--- off after a while," Mr Somyurek says in one recording just before Christmas. In another, he says: "The good thing about Indians is they pay. Well, people pay for them. But Id rather not be exposed too much with the Indians." Former prime minister Kevin Rudd said Mr Somyurek was a "kingpin" and "Frankenstein" of the ALP, and called on federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese and Mr Andrews to expel him from the party if he was shown to be involved in misconduct. "He should be booted out. Very simple. And if they've [Mr Somyurek or his allies] fallen afoul of the law, throw the book at them," Mr Rudd said. Mr Somyurek claims on tape that he uses the parliamentary staff of MPs for his branch stacking operations. He claims Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Veterans Robin Scott agreed to allow his parliamentary electorate officer, Nathan Croft, to work on boosting membership in key city and country branches for Mr Somyurek. "Hell be doing work from there, Robin wont mind," Mr Somyurek says in March. Mr Somyurek is later recorded on video speaking to Mr Croft. In the recording Mr Croft says: "I spoke to Robin and he said on his days [when I work at his office] hes pretty chill. I gave him the heads-up that I was doing some of this stuff and hes like, 'Have fun.' " On another tape, Mr Somyurek is recorded claiming he will direct state MP Tien Kieu to try to enlist staffer Jake Cripps for political activity aimed at bolstering branch memberships. "I will speak to Tien and get you for a couple [of days]," Mr Somyurek tells Mr Cripps in March. (L to R) Jaclyn Symes, Gabrielle Williams, Daniel Andrews, Melissa Horne and Adem Somyurek. Credit:Photo: Eddie Jim Mr Scott and Mr Kieu denied any knowledge of or involvement in branch stacking, while Mr Cripps, Mr Croft and Mr McLennan declined to answer questions. Ms Kairouz did not respond to questions about branch stacking. Political staffers are funded by taxpayers and meant to assist MPs on policy, media or electorate work that benefits the community. The abuse of public resources for party political purposes was made unlawful after the "red shirts scandal" engulfed the Andrews government in 2015, leading to an Ombudsman inquiry and police raids. Geoffrey Watson, SC, a barrister and director of the Centre for Public Integrity, said using taxpayer-funded parliamentary staff to stack branches could be a criminal offence. "If that was proved, it would be a strong case for criminal offences, and multiple criminal offences," Mr Watson said. "I mean, it is a diversion of public money for an ulterior or improper motive and thats just misconduct in public office, a very serious offence which carries a hefty jail term." In the tapes Mr Somyurek is dismissive and rude about his colleagues. He boasts he is working to remove state MP Pauline Richards and intends to demote Gabrielle Williams, the Minister for Women and the Prevention of Family Violence. "They're dumb, they're stupid," he says of the "younger, new generation" of Labor leaders. "All these little f---ers, like Gabrielle and all, they don't know how f---ed they are. I will force her out of the ministry, that f---ing stupid bitch, when Andrews goes." The recordings include disparaging comments about Mr Andrews, with Mr Somyurek claiming the Premier is regarded by some in Labor as untrustworthy. Mr Somyurek says a close factional ally and former senior government minister labelled Mr Andrews a "c---". Julian Hill (left) and Robert Mitchell. Credit:Photos: Alex Ellinghausen Mr Somyureks conduct affects Labor MPs in Canberra as well as Spring Street. The tapes reveal him big-noting himself and boasting about his power over federal politicians. He says he wants to remove Victorian federal Labor MPs Rob Mitchell (the member for McEwen), Julian Hill (Bruce) and Joanne Ryan (Lalor), and claims that rising stars Josh Burns (Macnamara) and Tim Watts (Gellibrand) rely on his support. "Tim Watts is like bowing to me. I dont know what they say behind my back," says Mr Somyurek in a video in which he imitates Mr Watts bowing to him. Tim Watts(L) and Josh Burns Credit:Photo: Alex Ellinghausen, AAP Mr Somyurek says he is "protecting" Anthony Byrne, the member for Holt and deputy chair of the Federal Parliaments powerful intelligence and security committee. "Anthonys got a terrible reputation, everyone thinks hes a waste of space. I dont. I protect him. I had to stop articles talking about Anthony Byrne going. I said hes got my protection, hes going nowhere." Mr Somyurek claims his reach in Canberra now extends to federal Labor leader Anthony Albaneses inner circle. Magna Carta Day is celebrated on June 15, as it commemorates the signing of the Great Charter that limited the powers of the English monarch. Here is everything one needs to know about the importance, the history and the facts associated with Magna Carta Day. Read details. Also Read | Man Steals Magna Carta Because He Doubted The Authenticity Of Document History Magna Carta consists of a charter of rights agreed by King John of England. First drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury to make peace between the unpopular King and a group of rebel barons, Magna Carta promised the protection of church rights, protection for the barons from illegal imprisonment, access to swift justice, and limitations on feudal payments to the Crown, to be implemented through a council of 25 barons. Neither side stood behind their commitments, which resulted in the annulment of the charter, leading to the First Barons' War. Reportedly, Magna Carta also influenced the early American colonists, which led to the formation of the American Constitution in 1787 and became the supreme law of the land in the new republic of the United States. Scholar explains how views have evolved, and split, on 800-year-old Magna Carta http://t.co/ccYhLf6Pp6 #MagnaCartaDay pic.twitter.com/mxu0QUckLj Harvard Alumni Association (@HarvardAlumni) June 15, 2015 Also Read | UK: Man Convicted For Attempting To Steal Original Manuscript Of Magna Carta Modern Day Magna Carta Magna Carta still forms an important symbol of liberty today and is held in great respect by the British and American legal communities. However, Magna Carta carries little legal weight in modern Britain, as most of its clauses have been repealed. Reportedly, Magna Carta was reprinted in New Zealand in 1881 as one of the Imperial Acts in force there. The document also continues to be honoured in the USA as an antecedent of the United States Constitution. Also Read | Man Steals Magna Carta Because He Doubted The Authenticity Of Document How people celebrate Magna Carta Organised by Thames Alive and support from Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, a replica of Magna Carta was carried down the river Thames as part of events to mark its 800th anniversary. The British barge, the Royal Barge Gloriana led 200 boats from Hurley in Berkshire to Runnymede in Surrey over two days and twenty-three local people were chosen as "charter bearers" to relay the document. As per reports, Charter bearers, who lived, worked or studied in one of the three boroughs, carried the document on board the Royal Shallop Jubilant. Also Read | UK: Man Convicted For Attempting To Steal Original Manuscript Of Magna Carta Six-time Golden Globe nominee Rob Lowe stripped down to only his swim trunks to get wet and wild in Santa Barbara on Saturday. Needless to say, the 56-year-old Brat Packer - who's been sober for 30 years - has held up pretty well since his eighties heartthrob hey-day. Rob was seen body-surfing, boogie-boarding, and surfing for about an hour at the 'American Riviera' - now in stage three - which fully reopened Friday. Pisces: Six-time Golden Globe nominee Rob Lowe stripped down to only his swim trunks to get wet and wild in Santa Barbara on Saturday Beach bum: Needless to say, the 56-year-old Brat Packer - who's been sober for 30 years - has held up pretty well since his eighties heartthrob hey-day There have reportedly been 142K confirmed COVID-19 cases in California leading to 5K deaths as of Sunday. Lowe was joined at the beach by his pet German Shorthaired Pointer Owen and his eldest son Matthew Edward. That same day, the 26-year-old attorney-photographer was 'guilty' of rocking out to Lady Gaga's 2008 hit Let's Dance while driving his BMW with pal Patrick Schwarzenegger. Hang 10! Rob was seen body-surfing, boogie-boarding, and surfing for about an hour at the 'American Riviera' - now in stage three - which fully reopened Friday First-born: Lowe was joined at the beach by his pet German Shorthaired Pointer Owen and his eldest son Matthew Edward 'Guilty': That same day, the 26-year-old attorney-photographer rocked out to Lady Gaga's 2008 hit Let's Dance while driving his BMW with pal Patrick Schwarzenegger (R) The Virginia-born, Malibu-raised actor will celebrate the 59th birthday of his wife - jewelry designer Sheryl Berkoff - this Saturday followed by their 29th wedding anniversary on July 22. Rob met the retired make-up artist on a blind date in 1983, but they didn't start dating until 1989 while working together on the set of Bad Influence. It's an impressively long marriage by Hollywood standards especially from an ex hard-partying/womanizer, who originated the concept of the sex tape scandal. 'The Lowes': The Virginia-born, Malibu-raised actor will celebrate the 59th birthday of his wife - jewelry designer Sheryl Berkoff (R) - this Saturday followed by their 29th wedding anniversary on July 22 (pictured March 16) Still going strong! It's an impressively long marriage by Hollywood standards especially from an ex hard-partying/womanizer, who originated the concept of the sex tape scandal (pictured December 31) 'I am so grateful': The Lowes are also parents to 24-year-old son John Owen, who penned the February 17th episode - titled 'Friends Like These' - of his dad's Fox spin-off 9-1-1: Lone Star The Lowes are also parents to 24-year-old son John Owen, who penned the February 17th episode - titled 'Friends Like These' - of his dad's Fox spin-off 9-1-1: Lone Star. The Celebrity Watch Party guest star produces and hosts Fox's trivia game show Mental Samurai, but the second season premiere on April 22 was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Rob will next launch his podcast Literally! this summer on Team Coco and Stitcher featuring interviews with celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow, David Spade, and Alec Baldwin. Nope! Rob produces and hosts Fox's trivia game show Mental Samurai, but the second season premiere on April 22 was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic Matt Taibbi, a contributing editor to the leftist Rolling Stone magazine, is one of the best journalists out there. He, unlike almost any other left-wing media figure, is willing to report from a place of sanity. In his latest article, he focuses on the American medias hellbent road to self-destruction. Taibbi, however, has a serious intellectual blind spot. While he sees and calls out the Democrat partys insanity, he doesnt understand that its the inevitable endpoint of all leftist political beliefs. He therefore misses that President Trump and his supporters are the last bastions of normalcy. If leftism drives conservatives out of Americas political discourse, Taibbi will learn that the same media madness that scares him will overtake America entirely. Writing at his blog, Taibbi published an article entitled The American Press Is Destroying Itself: A flurry of newsroom revolts has transformed the American press. After a ritual Trump denunciation (ritual denunciations are mandatory for leftists), Taibbi states his core thesis, and its a doozy: But police violence, and Trumps daily assaults on the presidential competence standard, are only part of the disaster. On the other side of the political aisle, among self-described liberals, were watching an intellectual revolution. It feels liberating to say after years of tiptoeing around the fact, but the American left has lost its mind. Its become a cowardly mob of upper-class social media addicts, Twitter Robespierres who move from discipline to discipline torching reputations and jobs with breathtaking casualness. The leaders of this new movement are replacing traditional liberal beliefs about tolerance, free inquiry, and even racial harmony with ideas so toxic and unattractive that they eschew debate, moving straight to shaming, threats, and intimidation. They are counting on the guilt-ridden, self-flagellating nature of traditional American progressives, who will not stand up for themselves, and will walk to the Razor voluntarily. What mainly concerns Taibbi is that journalism is leading the lemmings charge off the cliff. He touches upon newsroom revolts at The New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Variety, and Bon Appetit, all of which have led to editors getting fired for publishing ideas consistent with popular American beliefs, rather than with radical ideas popular on American college campuses. Taibbi is particularly offended by what happened to the Intercepts Lee Fang. The Intercept is a hard left, anti-American, anti-Israel, anti-Semitic outlet that has intermittent periods of honesty that still make it worth checking out. Lee Fang is one of the intermittently honest writers. That hes still a leftist, though, wasnt enough for him to survive Americas modern fascist newsroom: Yet Fang found himself denounced online as a racist, then hauled before H.R. His crime? During protests, he tweeted this interview with an African-American man named Maximum Fr, who described having two cousins murdered in the East Oakland neighborhood where he grew up. Saying his aunt is still not over those killings, Max asked: I always question, why does a Black life matter only when a white man takes it?... Like, if a white man takes my life tonight, its going to be national news, but if a Black man takes my life, it might not even be spoken of Its stuff just like that that I just want in the mix. Shortly after, a co-worker of Fangs, Akela Lacy, wrote, Tired of being made to deal continually with my co-worker @lhfang continuing to push black on black crime narratives after being repeatedly asked not to. This isnt about me and him, its about institutional racism and using free speech to couch anti-blackness. I am so fucking tired. She followed with, Stop being racist Lee. The tweet received tens of thousands of likes and responses along the lines of, Lee Fang has been like this for years, but the current moment only makes his anti-Blackness more glaring, and Lee Fang spouting racist bullshit it must be a day ending in day. A significant number of Fangs co-workers, nearly all white, as well as reporters from other major news organizations like the New York Times and MSNBC and political activists (one former Elizabeth Warren staffer tweeted, Get him!), issued likes and messages of support for the notion that Fang was a racist. Though he had support within the organization, no one among his co-workers was willing to say anything in his defense publicly. Fang made his ritual apology for racial insensitivity, but hes now on probation. Taibbi discusses other outrage mob attacks within American newsrooms, including the New York Times disgraceful conduct regarding Sen. Cottons opinion piece. He ends with a cri de coeur about what he perceives as weakness in Americas newsrooms. The irony he misses is that the same newsroom managements that once aggressively supported leftism on campuses are now terrified as the Marxist attack dogs they coddled turn on them, with red, foaming maws and bared teeth. As the coronavirus spread causes distress worldwide, a man in Kerala is worshipping the deadly pathogen as a Goddess and praying for the well being of frontline warriors, with his move drawing flak on social media. IMAGE: Anilan worships Corona Devi to "ward off the virus, at a makeshift shrine at Kadakkal in Kollam, Kerala. Photograph: PTI Photo A thermacol replica of of 'SARS CoV2, the virus that has affected millions worldwide and over three lakh in India, with red protrusions as seen in pictures, finds a place in the large puja room in the house of Anilan at Kadakkal in Kollam, Kerala. "I am worshipping the coronavirus as a goddess and doing daily pujas for the safety and well being of health professionals, police personnel and scientists, who are toiling to discover a vaccine, fire force and media personnel and others engaged in the battle against the virus, he said. Unfazed by the trolls against him in the social media, Anilan said people ridicule him for offering prayers to 'Corona Devi'. "This is my way of creating awareness,"he said. Many in the social media have questioned his motive, while others have said he was doing it just for publicity and some said it was just superstition. Anilan, who is against the government's decision to open places of religious worship, including temples, said people can sit in their homes and pray. At this juncture, when the virus has not been contained, allowing people to go to religious places will create havoc, he said. "There are 33 crore Hindu gods and I am worshipping the virus as a goddess as part of the fundamental right guaranteed under the Constitution", he said. Anilan does not encourage devotees to come to his house to offer prayers and give money to 'Corona devi.' Asked for his reaction to prayers being offered to the idol, well known writer, critic and orator Sunil P Elayidom said "At one end, our society and its people are well known for their knowledge and degrees and have become teachers, professors, technical experts, scientists and professionals. But on the other side, we still hold close to our heart such blind beliefs and communal expressions." "We carry the extreme ends of both worlds. We never feel anything wrong in it. This worship is just a crude expression of that phenomenon", he added. Many parts of rural India in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal Bengal has seen people worshipping Corona Devi to ward off the pandemic. Women in parts of Assam have also offered prayers to please 'Corona Devi', according to media reports. Grace Oshiagwu Premium Times reports that a student identified as Grace Oshiagwu has been reportedly r*ped and killed in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the third in the state in two weeks. Her body was found inside a church mission building. The deceased, 21, was a National Diploma student of The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki. The incident was confirmed by residents of the area and the police who only confirmed her murder. The attack on Ms Oshiagwu happened on Saturday at Idi-ori Area, off Shasha Expressway, Akinyele Local Government Area in Ibadan. A resident of the area who asked not to be named for security reasons spoke on how the victims body was found. It was evident enough that she was r*ped. One could see blood all over her body and the cut on her head, the source said. It happened close to my area. I was scared. Grace hardly talked or abused anyone. She was easy going. Only God knows those that killed her. Her family has been thrown into sorrow, another resident of the area said late Saturday. Confirmation: The latest incident was confirmed by Olugbenga Fadeyi, the spokesperson of the Oyo State Police Command. One Grace Oshiagwu, female, aged 21 years, was macheted on her head in a church mission building at Idi-Ori Area, Shasha off expressway by unknown assailant(s) today 13/06/2020 about 3:00 pm, Mr Fadeyi said in a statement. He said investigation has commenced and urged the public to assist with information to apprehend the killers. Our correspondent also gathered that the corpse of Ms Oshiagwu has been deposited at Adeoyo State Hospital in Ring road, Ibadan, for autopsy. Billion Dollar Burger Chase Purdy Piatkus 14.99 Rating: What is meat? An odd question, you might think, for we are all familiar with steaks, chops and sausages and the animals from which they come. But what if the meat on your plate came not from an animal but from a laboratory, and what if you couldnt tell the difference? Would you want to eat it? These arent academic questions, for as Chase Purdy explains in this up-to-the-minute survey of the latest trends in food technology, we are on the brink of a revolution that could transform not just what we put on our plates but how we see and manage the world around us. The global meat market is worth more than $ 1 trillion a year, and putting all that food on our plates involves the slaughter of 65 billion animals, not including fish. These animals consume more than their own weight in plant matter before they can be eaten and they are responsible for 14 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions. The global meat market is worth more than $ 1 trillion a year, and putting all that food on our plates involves the slaughter of 65 billion animals, not including fish With the UN forecasting that agricultural production will have to rise by 70 per cent by 2050 just to keep pace with rising populations, somethings going to have to give. This revolution will happen sooner than we think. Back in 2013 it cost more than $1 million to grow a pound of cellular meat in a laboratory, but the price has now fallen to $50 and it will continue to drop rapidly as investment increases and research advances. Cells taken from living animals are grown using liquid nutrients in bioreactors, which resemble large beer vats. The finished product doesnt yet taste as good as the real thing, but its getting there. The existing meat industry isnt happy about this. In America powerful lobby groups are agitating against what they disparagingly call fake meat. Food regulators may also delay the arrival of lab-grown products on supermarket shelves, but so much money is being invested, and the potential economic and environmental benefits are so huge, that its bound to happen. And theres another very pressing reason why we should take it seriously. Cellular meat grown in sterile laboratory conditions is free of harmful pathogens. With the world in the grip of a deadly pandemic, that is surely something worthy of attention. Defiant: The Untold Story Of The Battle Of Britain Robert Verkaik Robinson 20 Rating: This summer marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Most people will be familiar with the exploits of the Spitfires and the Hurricanes pitted against the enemys Messerschmitts and Stukas; this book aims to resurrect the reputation of a third aircraft, the Boulton Paul Defiant. It is a story of incompetence, political machinations, military mismanagement and top-brass ineptitude, but also one of outstanding bravery and sacrifice, an important contribution to the war effort that has been largely overlooked. The Defiant, while slower than the more feted Spitfire, was a two-seater aircraft with a gunner at the rear, in a swivelling turret with four machine guns, which gave formidable firepower. The Defiant (above), while slower than the more feted Spitfire, was a two-seater aircraft with a gunner at the rear, in a swivelling turret with four machine guns It was seen as essential against the threat of German bombers. It performed heroically at Dunkirk and the two Defiant squadrons served with distinction during the Battle of Britain: 264 Squadron holds the record for the most number of confirmed kills in a day; 141 Squadron, on the other hand, suffered the greatest loss of life and aircraft in a single combat. History appears to have judged the Defiant a design failure, best forgotten. It is, however, Robert Verkaiks well-argued contention that the Defiant was misused and mismanaged: deployed to frontline fighter stations as an independent fighter instead of a bomber destroyer working in tandem with the Hurricanes and Spitfires, it was marred by production delays and design flaws (why no bulletproof-glass canopy?) and a malfunctioning radio system. Verkaik is an excellent guide, making his case with a restrained passion, taking us through the inter-war rearmament before cataloguing the muddled thinking, the political infighting, the inter-service and personality rivalries. His research was clearly a labour of love, leaving no Whitehall paper or airmans letter unturned in his search for the truth, and he never forgets the human dimension behind the losses. Simon Humphreys An Australian man sentenced to death in China for smuggling 7.5kg of ice has been identified as actor Karm Gilespie. Gillespie, 56, has been incarcerated in China since 2013 and on Wednesday was sentenced to death by the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court. According to his Linkedin profile, Gilespie is a Melbourne-based actor who moved into property development. He also starred in Blue Heelers with a recurring role, 7News reported. Roger James Hamilton, a friend of Gilespies, told The Age the 56-year-old vanished seven years ago and friends couldnt figure out what had happened to him. Karm Gilespie has been sentenced to death in China. Source: Facebook "He had been an active member of our community, encouraging others to be the best they could be, he told the paper. He was always there for others, which was why it was so strange that he suddenly disappeared." Mr Hamilton has also questioned whether Gilespie is guilty of drug trafficking and believes he may have been set up. Friends of Gilespie, who havent been named, told The Age they had never seen Gilespie drink or smoke. Tahnee Woolf, who met Gilespie in 2008 while he was working on a one-man show of Banjo Paterson poems, told News Corp she felt terrible on hearing of what had happened to him. I cannot imagine what his family is going through, she told News Corp. Death penalty comes during rising tension News of the courts decision was widely reported on Saturday, with The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade condemning the decision. We are deeply saddened to hear of the verdict made in his case, a DFAT spokesperson said. Australia opposes the death penalty, in all circumstances for all people. We support the universal abolition of the death penalty and are committed to pursuing this goal through all the avenues available to us. Owing to our privacy obligations we will not provide further comment. Trade minister Simon Birmingham was asked by Sky News on Sunday whether Gilespies sentencing had anything to do with rising tensions between China and Australia to which he replied: We shouldnt necessarily view it as such. Story continues Mr Birmingham said Gilespie has 10 days to appeal. Australias relationship with China has been tense since prime minister Scott Morrison declared it would lead the way in investigating the origins of coronavirus. China has also slapped tariffs on barley, blocked beef imports and widely criticised Australia for being racist to Chinese visitors - a claim played down by Mr Morrison. 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. Government, through the Ministry of Business Development, has launched a support programme for startups and small businesses across the country. The project, dubbed: Presidential Business Support Programme, aims at training and funding small scale and startup businesses to grow their capacities and create more jobs. This years edition, which marks the 3rd phase of the programme, will see a total of 26,000 startup and small business owners receiving training in various fields and sectors of the economy. Of this number, 5,000 businesses will receive financial support after the course. The support package ranges from GH5,000 to GH10,000 depending on the nature of participants business. Addressing journalists at the launch of the programme yesterday in Accra, the Minister for Business Development, Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, stated that the principal objective of the programme was to build their resilience, create jobs and make our young people job owners instead of job seekers. Even before the pandemic, startups and small businesses were struggling. The President directed that we train startups and small businesses, grow their capacity, fund them and create jobs, he noted. He disclosed that in the first and second phases of the programme, 19,000 startups and young entrepreneurs received training in various fields and that helped us to create over 19,000 jobs. We expect to create over 50,000 direct and indirect jobs out of this training, he added. John Ampontuah Kumah, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), on his part, indicated that his outfit sought to train at least 100 small scale and startup business owners in the various districts across the nation, adding that applications would be opened at the district assemblies for young interested entrepreneurs. He, however, underscored that individuals who applied in the previous phases and could not receive funding would have to go through the same process all over again and receive additional training. A lot of these people were from the agricultural sector. When you take a look at the trends for the past two windows, the higher percentage has been in agriculture and agribusinesses. We also have ICT, commerce and trade, fashion, beverages, media, tourism and all different kinds of sectors also come in to apply. We encourage, especially those in the rural areas to also apply. Its likely we are going to have tailoring, hairdressers, welders and all those with individual skills that want to set up as business enterprises and employ other people. We are seeking to train all of them and empower them to receive funding and access to market, he stated. Mr. Kumah appealed to the municipal chief executives and district chief executives to make the process accessible to all interested individuals. 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 She often shares fitness motivation with her followers on Instagram. And Gabby Allen showed her impressive flexible moves in a fun video shared on Sunday. The Love Island star, 26, slipped into a grey tracksuit that flashed her taut abs as she larked about while out on a walk. Impressive: Gabby Allen showed her impressive flexible moves in a fun video shared on Sunday Gabby balanced on a grey pole on one leg and held her other leg in the air above her head. She then fell off and landed on two feet, all while laughing. Gabby tied her bright blonde locks into a scruffy top knot and sported a bronzed golden tan. The star shared two more pics from her outing that showed her turned to the side to amplify her peachy posterior. Looking good: The Love Island star, 26, slipped into a grey tracksuit that flashed her taut abs as she larked about while out on a walk She then perched on top of the grey pole and gazed into the camera. Earlier this month, the blonde beauty insisted Ex on the Beach star Brandon Myers, 34, is a 'really good friend' but nothing more, and admitted being single has been a 'really positive thing for her' after she split from Rak-Su's Myles Stephenson last August. Gabby admitted that a man would need to really add something to her life for her to date him and she's determined to not have her life ruled by finding love. Playful: Gabby balanced on a grey pole on one leg and held her other leg in the air above her head Gabby and Brandon were first rumoured to be dating last month, when he posted a flirty comment under one of her scantily-clad bikini snaps. But the fitness enthusiast insisted they are little more than close friends, telling OK!: ' No. We've known each other for a long time. He's the loveliest person and a really good friend of mine, but that's all it is. 'Someone must have seen him comment on a picture on my social media, and automatically assumed he's my boyfriend.' Gabby added that while she would love to marry and have children someday, she's in no rush to find a man at the moment. Pose: The star shared two more pics from her outing that showed her turned to the side to amplify her peachy posterior The star admitted she'd have to find someone who can really add something to her life, and is currently enjoying the benefits of being single. She added: 'Being single right now is a really beneficial and positive thing for me, and that's what I'm focusing on.' Gabby was dating Rak-Su star Myles until August 2019, when she accused him of cheating on her, and also dumped her Love Island beau Marcel Somerville in February 2018 when she discovered he'd been unfaithful. Balence: She then perched on top of the grey pole and gazed into the camera Etihad Airways will resume services from its hub in Abu Dhabi to Bahrain International Airport and back starting from June 19. The outbound flights will operate on June 19, 21, 26 and 28 June (Boeing 787-9) departing at 01:30 and arriving at 01:45. The return flights will operate on the same days at 03:15 and arriving at 05:25 in Abu Dhabi, said a Wam news agency report. Travellers wishing to book tickets on the flights are advised to visit www.etihad.com to review their options and to remain informed on the appropriate entry regulations at the end destination. Flights are also available for booking through the mobile app, by calling the Etihad Airways Contact Centre on +971 600 555 666 (UAE), or through a local or online travel agency, the report said. Pastor Enoch Adeboye announced on Sunday that he and his wife will not attend church services as the Redeemed Christian Church of God, R... Pastor Enoch Adeboye announced on Sunday that he and his wife will not attend church services as the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG re-opens in Nigeria. He spoke today during the online Sunday service of the Church broadcast on Dove Television. The 78 year-old General Overseer said he and his wife will not be part of such gatherings in Lagos in observance of the protocol of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. The NCDC advises people above 65 years to keep off large gatherings, such as religious services. Adeboye also said his grandchildren will not be part of the services because they are under 15. He said he will continue to conduct online services for some weeks. He said Pastors under the Church are free to resume services with their congregation or continue with the virtual worship. We want to thank the Almighty God that some of us will begin to gather again as from next Sunday. I believe that some of you are already gathering in some parts of the world and we believe that you will now begin to enjoy power of corporate prayers once again. But as you gather together in all those places where you are free to gather, please remember those of us who cannot gather with you yet. People like me and my wife cannot gather with you in Lagos because we are over 65 years of age and my grandchildren cannot gather with you yet because they are under 15 years of age. So, remember us in prayers, so that very soon, we will be able to join you. And now that you are able to pray together corporately. I am sure that your prayers will be far, far more effective against this plague so that very soon, all will be well. For those of you who are still at home, I think I will be reaching out to you again for a couple of weeks more. And for those of you who can gather, your Pastors can go back to their assignments. If they still want to join those of us who are still on lockdown, they are welcome of course. HMM Algeciras, the worlds largest container ship, passes Canvey Island in Essex as it arrives in the UK for the first time (Joe Giddens/PA) The worlds biggest container ship has arrived in the UK for the first time. HMM Algeciras concluded its journey from China to Essex on Sunday via South Korea, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. The 1,312ft (400m) long and 200ft (61m) wide ship is delivering a variety of goods at DP World London Gateway in Thurrock. Preparations began more than six months ago, with the Port of London Authority modelling its arrival on a simulator to ensure it could be carried out safely. HMM Algeciras will depart on Monday, carrying UK exports on her return journey to China via Singapore. Peter Livey, managing director for Britain at shipping company HMM, which owns the vessel, described its maiden voyage as a major milestone. This weekend DPWLG prepares for the arrival of HMM Algeciras. At 23,964 TEU she is the largest container vessel in World. Vessel size has increased faster and more comprehensively than imagined, this graphic shows just how large she is. #SmartTrade #largestvessel #HMMAlgeciras pic.twitter.com/xsS8bezGfN DP World - UK (@DPWorldUK) June 12, 2020 He said: Ships of this size give us the capacity and flexibility to get our customers goods to the right place at the right time. DP World UK chief executive Ernst Schulze said the commitment of his staff has been critical to London Gateway remaining open throughout the coronavirus lockdown. Diamond Alexander, center, sister of Robert Fuller, joined demonstrators in Palmdale on Saturday to demand answers in her brother's death. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Three Mylar balloons, tethered near the top of a thin tree, stirred in the breeze outside Palmdale City Hall on Saturday. At the base lay bouquets of flowers wrapped in plastic and more than two dozen votive candles, their flames flickering. The tree, which stands on the edge of a 2-acre courtyard known as Poncitlan Square, is now a memorial, one an angry, frustrated but mainly heartbroken crowd of nearly 2,000 dedicated to the memory of a 24-year-old Black man found hanging from its branches early Wednesday morning. This is Robert Fuller Memorial Park from this day forward, Pharaoh Mitchell of the Community Action League shouted into a microphone. We want justice." The Los Angeles County medical examiner-coroners office initially called the death a suicide. Fullers family and civic leaders quickly pushed back, insisting that it be investigated as a homicide and demanding an independent probe and autopsy, something the city also has requested. The City of Palmdale is joining the family and the communitys call for justice and we do support a full investigation into his death, the city said in a statement, reversing a release issued Thursday in which City Manager J.J. Murphy labeled the death a suicide. Murphys claim was repeated Friday by Capt. Ron Shaffer of the L.A. County Sheriffs Department. This is really crazy to all of us, Fullers sister Diamond Alexander said. We want to find out the truth of what really happened. Everything that theyve been telling us has not been right. To be here, staring at this tree, it dont make no sense," Alexander added. "My brother was not suicidal. My brother was a survivor. Robert Fuller, the young Black man found hanging from a tree in Palmdale this week. (Courtesy Tommie Anderson) Fullers family and friends described him as a peacemaker, a street-smart man with shoulder-length dreadlocks and a bright smile who loved music, anime and video games and mostly stayed to himself. Days before he died, he attended a Black Lives Matter protest. His body was found by a passerby at 3:39 a.m. Wednesday, a time when Fuller would never have been out, said Tommie Anderson, 21, a close friend since high school. Story continues For my best friend to be gone, its hurting me, said Anderson, who was wearing a T-shirt depicting one of Fullers favorite characters from the Japanese anime TV series "Dragon Ball Z." Fuller was too large and too muscular for the thin tree to support his weight for long, she said. And he was too tall to hang from its lowest branches. For people to say he did this, this wasnt Robert, Anderson said. For him to tie himself to that tree, its not possible. Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger on Saturday requested that state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra conduct an independent investigation into Fuller's death. Najee Ali, a community organizer and activist from South L.A., has also called for an independent investigation. Based on what I've seen, that does not add up, he said of the suicide claim, adding that Fullers family is right to doubt what theyve been told. Historically the Palmdale-Lancaster area has had many complaints from Black residents who feel they've been the victim of racism and destruction. It's been problematic for decades, he said. They said their family member had no history of mental illness, is not depressed. So we have grave concerns, especially with the rise of hate crimes in recent years. The Antelope Valley has a substantial Black population. There have been repeated allegations of racist policies, including a U.S. Justice Department finding that officials worked to drive Black people out of public housing. Five years ago, the Los Angeles County Housing Authority agreed to pay $2 million to victims of alleged discrimination, and some families who lost their housing assistance will have the chance to get it back. At the same time, the Sheriffs Department agreed to pay $700,000 and implement policies aimed at preventing racial bias. The Justice Department launched an investigation in 2011 into allegations that people of color particularly Black people living in federally subsidized housing in Lancaster and Palmdale were being harassed and discriminated against by sheriffs deputies and county housing agency officials. On Saturday, Ali led the crowd in a peaceful march from the site of Fullers death to the Sheriffs Department station half a mile away. The protesters, whose ranks swelled during the short journey, filled the northbound lanes of Sierra Highway, shutting down traffic. Once they arrived, the marchers crowded around the entrance to the building, chanting Fullers name and requesting a dialogue with the watch commander as a dozen officers, clad in riot gear, clustered behind tinted glass doors, which remained closed. After a half-hour wait, Lt. Derrick Ballentine came out of a side door and told Ali and the crowd that the departments investigation into Fullers death was continuing and that he had no updates. Asked if he, too, backed calls for an independent probe, Ballentine said yes. The crowd then turned around and, beneath the whirl of a Sheriffs Department helicopter, marched back to City Hall and the tree where Fullers body was found. Directly beneath the tree, a short poem was etched into the concrete seven years ago. The winning entry in a local poetry contest, it speaks of the smart black crows and the rainbow that led us here. The question Fullers family wants answered is what led him here in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said Saturday that foul play was not suspected in the death of a Black man found hanging from a tree near the Victorville City Library two weeks ago. But the department said that the investigation into the death of Malcolm Harsch, 38, is ongoing, according to a report in the Victor Valley News. There were no indications at the scene that suggested foul play; however, the cause and manner of death are still pending, Sheriffs Department spokeswoman Jodi Miller told the news outlet. The Victorville Fire Department discovered Harschs body May 31 after receiving a dispatch call around 7 a.m., officials said. When firefighters arrived at the library, they found Harsch hanging from a nearby tree. In a statement sent to the Victor Valley News, Harschs family in Ohio said they find it hard to accept that his death was a suicide. They said that Harsch had recent conversations with his children about seeing them soon and that he did not seem to be depressed to anyone who knew him. The explanation of suicide does not seem plausible, the family wrote. There are many ways to die but considering the current racial tension, a Black man hanging himself from a tree definitely doesnt sit well with us right now. We want justice, not comfortable excuses, they wrote. Times staff writers Deborah Netburn, Matt Hamilton and Kiera Feldman contributed to this report. Meghan Markle has moved her mother, Doria Ragland, into the 8million mansion she and Prince Harry are renting in Los Angeles. It is reported that Doria, a former social worker, is acting as an 'unofficial nanny' to one-year-old grandson Archie and to help the couple out as they find their feet in the United States. The Duke and Duchess are understood to be looking to buy the home in the famous 90210 zip code, which is complete with a 'granny annex' for Doria to live in. The source told the Sun: 'Doria has her own quarters and whilst a few of Harry's chums have been ribbing him about living with his mother-in-law, he has a brilliant relationship with her.' Meghan Markle has moved her mother, Doria Ragland, into the 8million mansion she and Prince Harry are renting in Los Angeles It is reported that Doria, a former social worker, is acting as an 'unofficial nanny' to one-year-old grandson Archie and to help the couple out as they find their feet in the United States The Duke and Duchess are understood to be looking to buy the home in the famous 90210 zip code, which is complete with a 'granny annex' for Doria to live in Another source added that Meghan wants to keep her mother, 63, close as she is 'her rock' and now 'doesn't trust many people' outside of an immediate circle of family and friends. It has also been reported that Prince Harry has recently struck up an unlikely friendship with Hollywood actress Liza Minnelli, 74, who is helping him 'find his feet' after leaving his royal life behind. It is also been reported that Prince Harry has recently struck up an unlikely friendship with Hollywood actress Liza Minnelli, 74, who is helping him 'find his feet' in after leaving his royal life behind It is believed the Cabaret star reached out to the Prince, 35, because of her good relationship with his late mother, Princess Diana. The pair met a number of times during the 1990s, and were pictured enjoying drinks together at a charity film premiere for Minnelli's film Stepping Out in 1991. A source close to the family said that Harry had struggled with the transition to life in America, which was made harder by the coronavirus lockdown. A friend said: 'Liza reached out because she was close to Diana and offered her support. 'She's been dealing with paparazzi for years, and knows the fame game. The Oscar-winning actress has previously said she was 'lucky enough to count Princess Diana as a friend.' Meghan was this week dragged into best friend Jessica Mulroney's race row after the Canadian 'threatened' a black social media influencer in an argument over white privilege. Canadian fashion stylist Mulroney, who attended Meghan's wedding to the Duke of Sussex, has now said she is 'stepping back' from social media following an online disagreement with Sasha Exeter. The controversy has seen the CTV network remove Mulroney's reality show I Do, Redo from its channels, saying her 'recent conduct... conflicts with our commitment to diversity and equality'. It is believed the Cabaret star reached out to the Prince, 35, because of good relationship with his late mother, Princess Diana. Pictured together in 1991 at a charity film premiere of Stepping Out, starring Minnelli The move came after Exeter posted a 12-minute long video to Instagram, claiming Mulroney 'took offence' to her call of action for people to join the Black Lives Matter movement. She said: 'What happened next was a series of very problematic behaviour and antics that ultimately resulted in her (Mulroney) sending me a threat in writing last Wednesday.' Exeter said the threat was an example of "textbook white privilege". She accused Mulroney of sending a message which read: 'I have also spoken to companies and people about the way you have treated me unfairly. You think your voice matters. Well, it only matters if you express it with kindness and without shaming people who are simply trying to learn. Good luck.' Mulroney frequently appeared on Meghan's Instagram page, before it was closed as the former actress prepared to join the Royal Family. But Meghan Markle is said to be 'absolutely mortified' with her best friend's 'tone-deaf' threats and can 'no longer be associated with her' A source told Dailymail.com: 'Meghan is absolutely mortified that she's been dragged into this complete mess. She said Jessica is in no way a racist, but the way she handled the situation (with the fashion influencer) was tone-deaf and heartbreaking'. On this weeks episode of MassLives The Fenway Rundown podcast, Red Sox third-round pick Blaze Jordan joined the show to discuss being drafted, living life as a YouTube sensation and his relationship with Mookie Betts. Jordan also explained the origin of his unique name. Jordan, who the Sox took with the 89th overall pick in this years draft, also talked about committing to Mississippi State as an eighth-grader and how he has handled the challenges of being a well-known amateur player. Jordan has almost 85,000 followers on Instagram and has been dubbed the next Bryce Harper by some analysts. Here are some highlights from Jordan: On the draft process: Im not going to lie, it was a pretty stressful process. Especially that first night, because I knew there was a shot I could go that night. I was just waiting it out to see when it happens. The next day came and Boston called... when I heard my name get called, I actually started crying a little bit because of the stress of the stuff that was built up. It was always one of my dreams and I was really fortunate to get picked by a great organization like the Red Sox. It was a truly great experience right there. On committing to Mississippi State as an eighth-grader: It was a little bit hectic. Once some schools started reaching out, more schools started to reach out. I was on multiple phone calls every week as a 13-year-old. I knew I worked hard to put myself in that position. I was truly blessed to be in that position. On whether hell sign with the Red Sox: Not a lot of things are finalized, with coronavirus we cant really fly anywhere or anything yet. Its just one of those things where Im going to have to still talk to my advisers and my family, because they play such an important role in this whole situation. Im going to have to see where it goes from here. Right now, I just feel amazing I got picked by such a great organization like that. Its a dream come true and I know a lot of kids would love to be in this position and have this choice to make. On his unique name: "Its actually on my birth certificate. My mom saw the name in a magazine and they named me that. Its not a nickname. I really enjoy it because I guess it brings attention. I think a lot of people do assume its a nickname, but its my real name. I enjoy it. *** Click here to listen to the full episode. You can subscribe to the show on Spotify and iTunes. By Rich Manieri We've all seen the video. There's simply no justification for Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin doing what he did to George Floyd. I've worked with law enforcement officers federal, state and local throughout my career. The overwhelming majority are simply trying to do their duty under difficult circumstances. It's a dangerous job. So far this year, 22 law enforcement officers in the U.S. have been killed "feloniously," according to FBI crime statistics. Last year, 48 were killed. Most of the officers killed were shot by gun-wielding suspects. In 2018, according to the FBI, there were 58,866 assaults against law enforcement officers. It's a tough job where you have to make life-and-death decisions in fractions of seconds, only to be second-guessed by armchair analysts. There are some 800,000 sworn law enforcement officers in this country. There are bound to be a handful of bad actors among them. In no way does this excuse what happened to Floyd. Why did Chauvin do it? We don't know. Was he motivated by racism? We don't know that, either. All we really know is that Chauvin is white and Floyd was black. Chauvin will have his day in court. Chauvin's actions are an affront to all honest, hard-working cops. He and other officers who use unnecessary force are catalysts of suspicion and mistrust. They divide rather than unify. In the same way, those who sowed mayhem and chaos in cities across America only diverted attention away from legitimate protest, not to mention from Floyd himself, and have made it just about impossible to engage in productive discussions to ensure that what happened to Floyd never happens again. And now, for an encore, progressives are pushing to defund ("dismantle" in the case of Minneapolis) local police departments. This is what happens in a world of extremes. The advancing of agendas always supersedes the desire for reconciliation. Let me just pause here to ask an obvious question. How does fewer cops on the streets or redistributing law enforcement funding help anyone, including people of color? CNN's Alisyn Camerota asked Minneapolis City Council president Lisa Bender, who wants to "dismantle" the city's police department, what a citizen is supposed to do if someone is breaking into her house and there's no police force. "For those of us for whom the system is working, I think we need to step back and imagine what it would feel like to already live in that reality where calling the police may mean more harm is done." The worst thing about this sort of nonsense is it distracts all of us and diverts our attention from legitimate issues and productive discourse. In January, on Martin Luther King Day, Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles called racism "a sin that denies the truth about God and his creation." King himself called racism "a cancerous disease that prevents us from realizing the sublime principles of our Judeo-Christian tradition." William Wilberforce, who led the movement to abolish slavery in Europe in the 18th century, viewed his work as his Christian duty. "God Almighty has set before me two Great Objects," Wilberforce said, "the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners." Discrimination, racism and oppression deny an individual his personhood as created by God. Thus, people like Wilberforce believed slavery was a crime not only against man but against God Himself. A serious pursuit of justice requires calling out evil. It does not require extremist rhetoric and behavior. Those engaged in peaceful protests over Floyd's death don't want to be seen as rioters and looters, setting fires and stealing TVs. That would be unfair. It's equally unfair to suggest that Derek Chauvin is representative of all police officers. Unfair and untrue. I'm a white male of European descent and therefore don't feel qualified to lecture anyone on the struggles of African-Americans in the U.S. I do think of my students of color, some of whom have shared with me what it's like to be the "only" in so many situations. I can listen, but I simply can't relate. Nor should I pretend that I can. What all of us can do is seek empathy, for people of color, for their struggle and yes, for dedicated law enforcement officers, whose main goal every night is to live through their shift. The "us" versus "them" approach in the name of justice, advanced by the Al Sharptons of the world, will get us nowhere. Unless empathy and reason prevail, the middle ground of compromise and understanding we seek assuming we're really interested in finding it will remain unreachable. That would be the greatest injustice of all. Rich Manieri (manieri2@gmail.com) is a Philadelphia-born journalist and author. He is currently a professor of journalism at Asbury University in Kentucky. His commentary was distributed by Cagle Cartoons Inc. The views expressed in the above article are the author's own and do not reflect the editorial direction of The Korea Times. Harvest Health & Recreation (OTC:HRVSF) and Hightimes Holding are modifying the terms of a recent agreement. Fewer assets are now involved in the deal, and the price is lower. Under the new terms, Harvest will sell 10 currently operational and planned dispensaries in California to Hightimes Holding for up to the equivalent of $67.5 million. No reason or reasons were given for the change. That $67.5 million will consist of $61.5 million in Hightimes Holding Series A preferred stock, $4.5 million in a one-year promissory note bearing interest of 10%, and as much as $1.5 million in cash. Previously, as announced in April, Harvest had agreed to sell 13 dispensaries in California to Hightimes Holding, whose core asset is the long-standing marijuana aficionado magazine High Times. The price for that set of assets could have reached as much as $80 million, divided into $67.5 million worth of the preferred stock, $7.5 million for the promissory note, and a maximum of $5 million in cash. If realized, the new arrangement will see Harvest keeping four currently operational dispensaries in the state -- one in the Los Angeles seaside community of Venice, one in the Central Coast town of Grover Beach, one in Palm Springs, and one in the wine country municipality of Napa. Harvest said that with the new deal, its revenue guidance for 2020 remains unaffected, at $200 million. The marijuana company reaped almost $155 million in 2019. On Friday, Harvest stock rose by 2.3%, exceeding the gains of the wider equities market on the day. Seoul: The sister of North Koreas leader has warned of retaliatory measures against South Korea that could involve the military, in the latest escalation of tensions over defectors from the North who have been sending back propaganda and food. Kim Yo Jong, who serves unofficially as one of Kim Jong Uns top aides, issued the warning in a statement carried by state news agency KCNA on Saturday. By exercising my power authorized by the Supreme Leader, our Party and the state, I gave an instruction to the ... department in charge of the affairs with (the) enemy to decisively carry out the next action, Kim said. Her statement, which did not say what the next action could be, came days after South Korea took legal action against defectors who have been sending material such as rice and anti-North leaflets, usually by balloon over the heavily fortified border or in bottles by sea. North Korea said it has been angered by the defectors and in the past week severed inter-Korean hotlines and threatened to close a liaison office between the two governments. As part of the effort to improve ties with the North, South Korean President Moon Jae-ins administration has sought to discourage the leaflet and rice campaigns, and defectors have complained of pressure to avoid criticism of North Korea. On Sunday, South Koreas National Security Council meeting was held with security and diplomatic chiefs in attendance, to examine the current situation of the (Korean) peninsula, the presidential Blue House said without elaborating further. Separately, South Koreas Unification Ministry released a statement asking the North to honour inter-Korean agreements reached in the past. The South and the North should try to honour all inter-Korean agreements reached, the ministry said in a statement. The government is taking the current situation seriously. The escalation of tension comes a day ahead of the 20th anniversary of the first inter-Korean summit in 2000, which pledged increased dialogue and cooperation between the two states. In 2018, the leaders of the two countries signed a declaration agreeing to work for the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and cease hostile acts. Analysts say North Korea appears to be using the leaflet issue to increase pressure on South Korea amid stalled denuclearisation talks. The leaflets are an excuse or justification to raise the ante, manufacture a crisis, and bully Seoul to get what it wants, said Duyeon Kim, a senior advisor at the International Crisis Group, a Belgium-based independent non-profit organisation. Pyongyang feels betrayed and misled by Seouls prediction that the United States would lift some sanctions in exchange for North Korea closing its nuclear reactor site, and is upset that leaflets and U.S.-South Korea military drills continue, Kim said. Theyre upset that Seoul has done nothing to change the environment and is again telling Seoul to stay out of its nuclear talks with Washington, she added. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 05:45:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Members of a Chinese medical team visit the Central Public Health Lab under the Palestinian Health Ministry and listen to a briefing on the latest testing technology of the coronavirus in Ramallah, June 14, 2020. A Chinese medical team on Sunday visited facilities for testing, isolation and treatment of the COVID-19 pandemic in the West Bank district of Ramallah. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) CAIRO, June 14 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Iran rose to 187,427 on Sunday. Meanwhile, a Chinese medical team visited facilities for testing, isolation and treatment of the coronavirus pandemic in the West Bank district of Ramallah. Iran, which has re-emerged as the hardest-hit country by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Middle East region, reported 2,472 new cases, brining the total number of infections to 187,427. The pandemic has so far claimed the lives of 8,837 Iranians, up by 107 in the past 24 hours. A total of 148,674 coronavirus patients have recovered, with 2,781 still in critical condition. On the same day, the Chinese medical team, which arrived in Palestine on June 10, visited the Central Public Health Lab, Palestine Medical Complex and Hugo Chavez Hospital in Ramallah. The Chinese experts also joined technical discussions with Palestinian clinicians at the premises of the Palestinian Health Ministry. Palestine announced that three new cases of COVID-19 were found in the southern West Bank district of Hebron, raising the total number to 676 including five deaths. Palestine has registered a recovery rate of nearly 88 percent. In the meantime, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Turkey climbed to 178,239 after 1,562 new infections were reported, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted. The death toll from the coronavirus in the country rose to 4,805 after 15 new fatalities were added in the past 24 hours, he said, adding that 1,330 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, raising the total recoveries to 151,417. The minister warned citizens to stick to anti-coronavirus measures as Sunday's surge marked the highest number of daily new cases of the past month. Saudi Arabia announced 4,233 new cases and 40 more deaths, increasing the total number of confirmed cases to 127,541 and the death toll to 972. The kingdom also registered 2,172 more recovered patients, taking the total recoveries to 84,720. Saudi Arabia announced on the day a project to vaccinate children at their homes, which comes after a decrease in the vaccination rate among children was reported during the coronavirus pandemic. In Qatar, 1,186 new cases of COVID-19 were detected, bringing the total number to 79,602, of whom 73 have died and 56,898 recovered. Egypt's coronavirus cases continued the surging trend to reach 44,598 after 1,618 new infections were added. The Egyptian Health Ministry also reported a new record of 91 daily fatalities and 402 cases of recoveries, increasing the death toll to 1,575 and the total recoveries to 11,931. The Egyptian government started on Sunday implementing a shorter eight-hour curfew instead of nine hours, which will continue until the end of the month. The country will resume air traffic at all airports from July 1 amid preparations to resume foreign tourism in three provinces with the least COVID-19 infections, said Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Manar. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced 304 new COVID-19 cases and one more death, increasing the tally of infections to 42,294 and the death toll to 289. The total number of recoveries from the virus in the UAE increased to 27,462 after 701 more fully recovered. Kuwait recorded 454 new cases, raising the country's total number of infections to 35,920, of whom 296 have died and 26,759 recovered. Oman's Ministry of Health announced 1,404 new cases of infections, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country to 23,481, including 104 deaths and 8,454 recoveries. The country ordered the formation of a committee to handle the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The total number of COVID-19 infections in Iraq climbed by 1,259 to 20,209. The country also reported 58 deaths from the coronavirus during the day, bringing the death toll in Iraq to 607, while a total of 8,121 patients have recovered. Israel reported 83 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the tally of coronavirus infections to 19,055. The number of death cases in the country remained 300 for the third consecutive day while the recoveries rose to 15,375. Algeria said that 109 new cases of infections were reported in the past 24 hours, taking the tally of infections to 10,919, while the death toll hit 767 and the recoveries reached 7,606. In Morocco, the tally of COVID-19 infections rose to 8,793 after 101 new cases were added, which included 212 fatalities and 7,765 recoveries. Meanwhile, Morocco donated a first batch of medical supplies to 15 African countries to help combat the coronavirus. In Lebanon, the number of COVID-19 infections increased by four to 1,446, while the death toll remained unchanged at 32. Enditem The riots of the spring of 2020 are far from without precedent in the United States. Indeed, they seem to happen once a generation at least. The 1992 Los Angeles Riots are such an example of these generational riots. And while most people know about the riots, less known though quite well known at the time were the phenomenon of the so-called Roof Koreans. The Roof Koreans were spontaneous self-defense forces organized by the Korean community of Los Angeles, primarily centered in Koreatown, in response to violent and frequently racist attacks on their communities and businesses by primarily black looters and rioters during the Los Angeles Riots of 1992. Despite their best efforts, over 2,200 Korean-owned businesses were looted or burned to the ground during the riots. It is chilling to imagine how many would have suffered the same fate had the Koreans not been armed. Standing on the rooftops of Koreatown shops they and their families owned, clad not in body armor or tactical gear, but instead dressed like someones nerdy dad, often smoking cigarettes, but always on alert, the Roof Koreans provide a stirring example of how free Americans of all races can defend their own communities without relying upon outside help. The Koreans of Los Angeles were the ultimate marginalized minority group. They were subject to discrimination and often victimized by the black community of the city. Due to language barriers and other factors, they lacked the political clout of other minority groups, such as the large Mexican community of Los Angeles County. This in spite of their clear economic success in the city beginning in the 1970s and 80s. The reasons for the tensions between the Korean and black communities of Los Angeles pre-dates the riots, which were largely just the match that ignited the powder keg that had been this region of Los Angeles for years. To understand what happened in Koreatown in 1992, it is necessary to understand much more than simply the Rodney King trial and the resulting riots. The Roots of Korean Business Ownership in Black Communities How is it that the Korean-American community of Los Angeles ended up owning so much property in what were largely black neighborhoods? The answer, ironically, lies in a previous riot, the Watts Riot of 1965. This riot, which included six full days of arson and looting, was kicked off when a black man was arrested for drunk driving. The riots occurred roughly at the same time that the Koreans started showing up in America. This meant that, among other things, businesses and real estate were very cheap to purchase. The newly arrived Korean immigrants began buying up the businesses that no one else wanted. By the 1980s, it wasnt limited to Los Angeles Koreans were dominating the mom-and-pop shops from coast to coast. But the resentment in the City of Angels was growing. Prologue: The Death of Latasha Harlins While it was not the start of tensions in the city between these two communities, the killing of Latasha Harlins in 1991 certainly ratcheted the situation up to a new level. Harlins, whose personal life is a hard-luck story that does not bear repeating here, was 15 at the time when she was shot and killed by Korean shopkeeper Soon Ja Du, a 51-year-old woman born in Korea. Du generally didnt even work in the store, a task that typically fell on her husband and her son. However, that day she was covering for her husband who was outside in the familys van. Du claimed that Harlins was trying to steal a $1.79 bottle of orange juice, but witnesses said they heard Du call Harlins a slur and heard Harlins say she planned to pay for the juice, with money in hand. After reviewing video tape footage, the police agreed with the witnesses. Video footage further showed Du grabbing Harlins by her sweatshirt and backpack. Harlins responded by striking Du twice, which knocked the latter to the ground. Harlins started to back away, prompting Du to throw a stool at her. The two struggled over the juice before Harlins went to leave. Du went behind the counter and grabbed a revolver, firing at a retreating Harlins from behind from three feet away. Harlins was killed instantly by a bullet to the back of the head. Billy Heung Ki Du, Jas husband, rushed into the store after hearing the gunshot. His wife asked where Harlins was before she fainted. Mr. Du then called 911 to report an attempted holdup. Mrs. Du was charged with voluntary manslaughter, a charge that can carry up to 16 years in prison. At trial, she testified on her own behalf. The jury recommended the maximum sentence, which the judge rejected, instead giving Mrs. Du time served, five years probation, 500 hours of community service and a $500 fine. The California Court of Appeals upheld the sentence about a week before the riots began in a unanimous decision. Harlins family received a settlement of $300,000. The case wasnt the first example of tensions between the two communities, but it was a microcosm for them and perhaps the worst from an optics perspective. In 1991, the Los Angeles Times reported that there were four shootings in the span of just over four months involving a Korean shooter and a black target. The store was eventually burned down during the riots, never to reopen. That same year, there was an over 100-day boycott of a Korean-American-owned liquor store that ended when the owner was effectively bullied into selling his store to a black owner. Then-Mayor Tom Bradley, who many blamed for the riots, was instrumental in coming to this settlement which chased a Korean owner out of the area. The Rodney King Verdict: The Riots Begin The other relevant background story is the trial of Rodney King. This was what touched off the LA riots. The short version of the story is that Rodney King led the police on a high-speed chase going up to 115 miles per hour. He was evading them because he was driving while under the influence and was on parole at the time. His two passengers were loaded into the squad car first, with King exiting the car last. King was beaten for approximately two minutes straight on a 12-minute tape recorded by a nearby civilian. He was also tazed. King repeatedly attempted to get up despite instructions to stay down. Officers later testified that they believed he was on PCP at the time, but his toxicology test ruled this out. The tape became a national sensation and then-Chief Daryl Gates described himself as being in disbelief when he saw the tape. Four of the five officers on the scene were charged. The jury, which contrary to popular belief, was not all white, but did not include any black members, acquitted the four officers on assault, acquitted three of them on excessive force and resulted in a hung jury on the fourth charge after seven days of deliberation. At 5 p.m. after the verdicts were announced, Mayor Tom Bradley gave a press conference interpreted by many, including Assistant Los Angeles police chief Bob Vernon, as effectively giving permission to riot. Vernon stated that police incidents increased noticeably after the mayors statement. The event credited with touching off the riots was the arrest of 16-year-old Seandel Daniels at 71st and Normandie in South Central Los Angeles. The rioters began attacking Koreatown on the second full day of rioting. Koreatown Gets Attacked During 1992 LA Riots Koreans began moving to Los Angeles in large numbers after the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, a radical departure from previous immigration laws that dramatically changed the demographic character of the nation, including Los Angeles. Many Koreans opened successful businesses in the area, but incurred resentment and racism from black residents, which is documented in popular culture of the time such as Do The Right Thing and Ice Cubes Black Korea off of Death Certificate. When the riots spread throughout the city, the LAPD blocked roads going through Koreatown into more affluent neighborhoods. This was seen by many residents as a containment that effectively left Koreatown residents trapped inside the riot zone. Whats more, the police and other first responders ignored the pleas for help coming from within Koreatown. Of the nearly $1 billion in damages done during the riots, over half of it was done to Korean-owned businesses. Enter the Roof Koreans The Korean community of Los Angeles did not simply sit by and allow their neighborhood and businesses to be destroyed by rioters without lifting a finger. On the contrary, the images of Korean shopkeepers and their families defending themselves from the rooftops of their buildings soon became one of the most iconic images of the riots. Live footage of gun battles were circulated on cable news and elsewhere. The images still resonate with freedom lovers to this day what image could be more powerful than an ethnic minority refusing to subject itself to a pogrom, instead taking to the rooftops to defend themselves with deadly force, if necessary? For firearms collectors, the Roof Koreans present another avenue of interest: They used many cool weapons that largely left the market after the Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 was passed. The Intratec TEC-9 and the A.A. Arms Kimel AP-9 are just two of the weapons used by the Roof Koreans, alongside more standard weapons such as the Daewoo K1, standard issue for the Republic of Koreas military. The Republic of Koreas military is another key part of the story with regard to the Roof Koreans. Far from an untrained mob of men who took up with arms sans training, the Roof Koreans were, by virtually any definition, a well-regulated militia. Many of them had experience in the South Korean Army, as South Korea has conscription with very few exceptions. Its worth noting that virtually every weapon used by the Roof Koreans to defend themselves, their businesses, their communities and their families would be against the law or, at least, highly restricted today. High capacity magazines (anything over ten rounds) are against the law and there is a 10-day waiting period for all firearms purchases. As the riots lasted five days, this would have put anyone who had not already purchased a firearm in a seriously precarious position. The Lessons of the Roof Koreans Kurt Schlichter was in Inglewood at the time of riots, one of the hardest hit areas. He speaks eloquently on the topic of the Roof Koreans (or Rooftop Koreans as he calls them) and the need of communities to defend themselves. His account of defending Los Angeles against riots is worth reading, despite the fact that he was not in Koreatown. He makes the case that it is not just wise, but the responsibility of all Americans to prepare themselves for such events. And while we would not go as far as him to suggest that people ought to be legally required to prepare for such an event, we do agree with him that everyone is their own first responder. More than that, there is a solid argument to be made that we have a duty to our community to prepare for those times when individual defense is not enough, but a common defense is necessary. The Roof Koreans provide a perfect, real-life counter argument to the idiotic question of gun grabbers that free men justify why they need certain arms to defend themselves. If ever anyone needed a fully automatic rifle with a 100-round magazine, it was the Korean community of Los Angeles. Some educators have warned that the sharp rise in tuition set by state-owned schools will deprive poor but good students of opportunities to access higher education. State-owned universities have released 2020 enrollment plans, showing tuition with sharp increases compared with previous years. The tuition set by the HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy is described as stunning. Instead of VND13 million a year as applied for the last years, the school has decided to collect VND30-70 million a year. The highest tuition level, VND70 million, is for an Odonto-Stomatology training major. The tuition would increase by 10 percent year after year. Meanwhile, the Faculty of Medicine of the HCM City National University set tuition of VND88 million for Odonto-Stomatology training and VND55 million for pharmacy. The HCM City Information Technology University, a member school of the HCM City National University, and HCM City University of Technology and Education and HCM City University of Technology have also raised tuition for the 2020 enrollment season. Some educators have warned that the sharp rise in tuition set by state-owned schools will deprive poor but good students of opportunities to access higher education. The schools now apply autonomous governance. As state-owned schools, they will not provide training with funding from the state budget, but will only spend money they can earn. Therefore, they have the right to determine the tuition. Prof Dr Pham Pho, former Rector of the HCM City Technical and Economic College, a respected educator, commented that the tuition of nearly VND90 million is sky high, warning that it is unacceptable and it is a blunder to say autonomy allows it to raise tuition to such level. According to Pho, state-owned schools receive big preferences from the state. Infrastructure items are built with states money, and equipment that serves training is bought with the states money. Besides, the schools dont have to pay tax. Meanwhile, they can collect tuition from students and spend the money they can collect without having to pay for the use of infrastructure items and equipment to the state. There are big differences between state-owned and private schools, he said. Despite the preferences, the tuition set by some state-owned schoolsis even higher than private schools. It is illogical, he said. Meanwhile, private schools have to spend their own money on infrastructure and equipment and have to pay tax. An analyst, agreeing with Pho that the tuition set by some state-owned schools is overly high, has called on the state to intervene to force the tuition down. The State cannot make an intervention in private schools, but it has the right to do this with state-owned schools, he said. Vu Dung High tuition at medical schools puts poor students at disadvantage The announcement by the HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy on raising tuition by five times has stunned the public. In Borno state, some soldiers caused some mayhem at the Auno checkpoint on Saturday. They caused a fatal accident, mocked Nigerias democracy and threatened officials at gunpoint. One of the soldiers blurted out to the officials: To hell with democracy, useless democracy. This was a day after Nigeria celebrated Democracy Day. One person died and four others were injured at the scene. This time around, some soldiers attached to the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army assaulted members of Borno State Covid-19 Committee enforcing the interstate lockdown order. The Attorney General, Malam Kakashehu Lawal, and Commissioner for Health, Dr Salisu Kwaya-Bura were among the committee members when the incident occurred. Lawal, who spoke to newsmen on the incident, said the soldiers pulled down the barricade, undermining the work of the committee, by allowing non-essential travellers to enter the state. He said that the troops in three Hilux gun-trucks, who claimed to be on a mission to repel Boko Haram attack on Gubio, fatally struck the convoy of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), enforcing the lockdown. He said that the impact of the collision propelled the RRS Hilux vehicle down the roadway, at which point it somersaulted killing one and injuring three other security men. After hitting the vehicle, the soldiers pointed their gun-trucks at us and began assaulting us. It was then one of the soldiers mocked 21 years of Nigerias democracy. Others raised their guns at us, while one of them removed the cap of a policeman attached to the team. A cameraman attached to the team from the Deputy Governors office was also attacked and beaten while his camera was seized by the soldiers, Lawan said. Kakashehu said that in spite of the assault, he asked the policemen in his team to remain calm. Why we stood our ground at the scene was to call on journalists and the military authorities to come and witness what was happening so they could bring an end to the impunity. As Nigerians, the mission and vision of the Buhari-led administration and also the Chief of Army Staff, is to save the lives and property of the people. So we cannot just allow a bunch of military men to cause any form of harassment when people are there on their official responsibility, Lawan said. It took the efforts of the state Deputy Governor, Alhaji Usman Kadafur, and the Garrison Commander of 7 Division, Brig.-Gen. Sunday Igbinomwanhia, to bring the situation under control. Also speaking, the commissioner for health told the military commander that the soldiers pointed a gun at him after he identified himself. He added that the soldiers equally forced all the motorists to come into the town without undergoing any COVID-19 test, an action he said, could hamper efforts of government in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Kwaya-Bura explained that the state had so far recorded more than 400 coronavirus cases. Yesterday alone, more than 40 persons who travelled into the state were COVID-19 positive. This prompted the committees decision to come and impose the lockdown on this road today, he said. Meanwhile, Kadafur, who doubles as the Chairman of the COVID-19 Committee, condemned the incident, describing it as unfortunate. He said that when the incident was reported to him, he quickly alerted the Garrison Commander to come to the scene in order to restore calm. The deputy governor urged the military to investigate the incident to avoid a recurrence. Brigadier Igbinomwanhia apologised to the COVID-19 team over the incident. He assured that the army would set up a commission of enquiry to investigate the incident and vowed to punish erring soldiers. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates She is expecting her second child later this summer, and recently admitted she is struggling with the effects of pregnancy. But Vogue Williams looked gorgeous on Sunday as she strolled through London in the early hours in time for her Heart Radio Breakfast Show. The Irish star dressed for comfort in trainers and a loose summer dress after revealing this week that she is struggling to walk and battling non-stop morning sickness in the final stages of pregnancy. Pretty in pink: Vogue Williams looked gorgeous on Sunday as she strolled through London in the early hours in time for her Heart Radio Breakfast Show Vogue was looking as chic as ever in her bright pink dress from H&M, teaming the voluminous number with heart-print trainers. She tied her blond locks up into a topknot to keep cool in the scorching weekend temperatures and accessorised with dark shades and statement hoop earrings. Carrying a chic Chanel bag in the same bright shade as her pretty dress, the star was ready for her early start at work. Earlier this week Vogue revealed she is struggling to walk and battling non-stop morning sickness during the final stages of her pregnancy. Always chic: The Irish star dressed for comfort in trainers and a loose summer dress after revealing this week that she is struggling to walk and battling non-stop morning sickness Gorgeous: Vogue was looking as chic as ever in her bright pink dress from H&M, teaming the voluminous number with heart-print trainers Work: She tied her blond locks up into a topknot to keep cool in the scorching weekend temperatures and accessorised with dark shades and statement hoop earrings The presenter, 34, shared a candid post about her pregnancy and said the journey 'was not easy' as she prepares to welcome her second child - a baby girl. The star, who is married to former MIC star Spencer Matthews, 31, said: 'I hate complaining about anything to do with pregnancy because I feel so very lucky to be having a baby. 'I have had a lot of mails from people saying I make it look easy and they feel bad not doing things I'm doing. Early start: Carrying a chic Chanel bag in the same bright shade as her pretty dress, the star was ready for her early start at work, documenting her early alarm on Instagram 'Please don't, I find it really hard some days, my back and pelvis are making it difficult to walk at times and I have full on morning sickness again for the last six weeks. The star added that it was 'okay to chill and take it easy', saying: 'Don't feel like you have to do anything, being pregnant is not easy.' Vogue is already a mother to son Theodore, 21 months. While the Delhi administration is working on identifying spaces that can be converted into makeshift hospitals, seven hospitals, with more than 2,800 beds collectively, have stayed off the governments radar. These hospitals are run by the three respective municipal corporations in the city, which have claimed that there has been a lack of support from the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government. The government has, however, hit back, saying there has been a lack of will on the civic bodies part. The north, east and south civic bodies together run eight hospitals. Only one of them Tilak Nagar Super Speciality Hospital has been declared a Covid-19 hospital so far. Officials from the government and the north corporation also said talks are on to covert the 980-bed Hindu Rao hospital in north Delhi into a dedicated Covid hospital. It generally takes four to five days to convert a hospital into a dedicated Covid facility. The entire building has to be sanitised, admitted patients have to be shifted to other hospitals, isolation wards have to be made and ventilator systems have to be streamlined. We expect the hospital to be ready by June 18 to begin taking Covid-19 patients in, said a senior hospital official. Political representatives of the three civic bodies had on Thursday held a joint press conference, and said they were ready to hand over their hospitals to the government to be declared dedicated facilities to treat patients who contract the infectious disease. We are ready to give our facilities, like Hindu Rao and Kasturba hospitals, to the government so they can be developed as dedicated Covid-19 units and better treatment is provided, said Jai Prakash, standing committee chairperson, North Delhi Municipal Corporation. The Delhi government on Friday responded saying the civic bodies do not need approvals from them to start treating Covid-19 patients in their hospitals. The MCDs are within their rights to proactively make decisions, declare their hospitals dedicated Covid facilities, or reserve a certain percentage of beds for Covid patients. It is surprising they have not done it so far. We have not taken over any hospital run by the Central government. They are treating Covid-19 patients on their own. Similarly, the municipal corporations are expected to do so on their own. They dont need an order from the Delhi government, said a media advisor to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. A senior official of the SDMC, the civic body that runs the Tilak Nagar hospital, said the Delhi government took over the facility earlier this week. We have six Covid-19 patients in the hospital now. They were sent by the government five days ago, the official said. When asked why the 70-bed hospital has such a low occupancy rate, the corporation said the hospital is still not available as an option in the governments Corona App or the delhifightscorona.in dashboard. Documents with the SDMC showed that the said hospital did not have any beds equipped with oxygen support and ventilators, nor did it have any ICU beds. An official in the hospital, however, said the equipment is to be provided by the Delhi government. A senior Delhi government official said that whenever government takes over any hospital in such a crisis, it arranges for resources required at the facility. A top official in the north corporation said, Civic bodies have not been able to open up their health infrastructure for Covid patients because of our poor financial situation. It is so bad that we have not been able to pay salaries to our health care workers and teachers, who distribute rations in schools, the official said, asking to stay anonymous. We have inadequate equipment. Five of the eight hospitals do not have ventilators and ICU beds. We will need a lot of support from the Delhi government before we can begin to admit Covid-19 patients, the official added. Earlier this week, resident doctors of Hindu Rao and Kasturba hospitals had threatened to tender mass resignations if they were not paid their pending salaries. Doctors at Hindu Rao have not been paid their salaries since February this year, while doctors at Kasturba Hospital have not been paid since March. The Delhi Medical Association, with which the state government is holding meetings to discuss bed augmentation plans, said valuable resources are going unutilised because of political differences between the civic bodies and the city administration. Theres no doubt that trying to utilise the available resources hospitals, to be precise is the first thing any government should do. Plans such as taking over hotels, banquet halls and stadiums are capital intensive and setting up makeshift hospitals will take more time, compared to readying operational hospitals for Covid patients, said Dr Girish Tyagi, president of Delhi Medical Association. The Supreme Court of Texas is ordering all courts across Texas to temporarily halt evictions to prevent people from losing their homes if they can't pay rent amid the coronavirus pandemic. This comes after earlier this week, Bexar County courts said they would pause evictions through April 16. The supreme courts new order says that courts must pause most eviction court proceedings through April 19 and wait until after April 26 to force tenants out of their homes through the writ of the possession process. During that period, the supreme court is allowing courts to move forward with evictions if tenants engage in criminal activity or pose an "imminent threat" of physical harm to landlords, management staff and neighbors. Once you have an eviction on your record , it can make finding a place to live much more difficult and lead to higher move-in deposits. If you have lost your job or are struggling to pay rent, heres what you need to know about how to avoid eviction in the future: 1. Your landlord can still file eviction lawsuits while court proceedings and move outs are stalled if you pay rent late or not at all. Once courts go back to business as usual, landlords will be able to move forward with evictions that were temporarily paused during the pandemic. 2. If you think you might have trouble paying rent on time, talk with your landlord. Apartment industry groups are encouraging landlords to waive late fees and help arrange payment plans for tenants who are struggling to keep up. 3. Did you lose your job, or were your hours cut? Keep all related documents such as pay stubs and letters from employers to prove that your source of income has dropped. Show these documents to your landlord and social service agencies when asking for help. 4. CPS Energy and San Antonio Water System have also paused the practice of disconnecting services for residents who fail to pay their water and energy bills. But if you dont pay those bills, theyll still continue to accrue. The NHS has quietly changed its guidelines on the use of controversial transgender drugs for children who J K Rowling last week described as 'fragile' teenagers being encouraged into making irreversible decisions they might later regret. The drugs used by NHS gender clinics to halt the puberty of supposedly transgender children could have long-term consequences for youngsters' brains, bones and mental health, the health service has now admitted. The U-turn by the NHS will give succour to supporters of the Harry Potter author who has raised concerns about the potential dangers of the trans agenda. The drugs used by NHS gender clinics to halt the puberty of supposedly transgender children could have long-term consequences for youngsters' brains, bones and mental health, the health service has now admitted In a deeply personal blog last week, Ms Rowling noted the sharp rise in the number of children being seen at gender identity clinics, adding: 'Studies have consistently shown that between 60-90 per cent of gender dysphoric teens will grow out of their dysphoria.' Now The Mail on Sunday can reveal that the NHS guidance on the treatment of children with gender issues has been entirely rewritten to state: 'Little is known about the long-term side effects of hormone or puberty blockers in children with gender dysphoria. 'Although the Gender Identity Development Service advises this is a physically reversible treatment if stopped, it is not known what the psychological effects may be. It's also not known whether hormone blockers affect the development of the teenage brain or children's bones. Side effects may also include hot flushes, fatigue and mood alterations'. The U-turn by the NHS will give succour to supporters of the Harry Potter author who has raised concerns about the potential dangers of the trans agenda The NHS previously announced a review of cross-sex hormone treatments, but until now the service had defended the use of puberty-blockers, assuring parents that they are safe and 'fully reversible'. Trans rights groups want health chiefs to make it easier for children to receive the drugs. Ms Rowling has denied claims that she is transphobic, adding that her motivation was to protect children. An NHS spokesman said: 'An independent expert group will review the evidence underpinning the use of puberty blockers.' Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a 3.75-billion-euro aid plan for the car industry, a pillar of its economy that has been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic. "The government has worked hand in hand with the sector to develop a comprehensive plan that meets their needs and also serves to achieve an urgent ecological transition," he said in a television address. The plan, which will be officially presented on Monday, "will be financed from a budget of 3.75 billion euros," he added. The plan would set aside money to renew the car fleet, with special attention to electric vehicles. There would be aid for research and innovation and tax incentives to make the sector more competitive. Aid for the purchase of electric vehicles is in line with the government's ecological transition plan, which by 2040 aims to have all new vehicles in the country "zero emissions". The automotive sector is one of the pillars of the economy of Spain, the second European manufacturer behind Germany. It makes up 10 percent of GDP, a fifth of Spain's exports and directly or indirectly employs two million people, said Sanchez. It was also hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic with factories in Spain shut down for several weeks. Japanese group Nissan recently announced the closure of its factories in Barcelona, affecting 20,000 jobs, directly and indirectly, while US giant Ford announced 350 job losses in its factory in Valencia. Other countries have announced automobile aid plans such as France, where President Emmanuel Macron announced in late May a recovery plan for the sector of more than eight billion euros. Sanchez also announced that a tourism sector support plan will be presented on Thursday. Tourism, which accounts for 12 percent of GDP, has been hit badly by the coronavirus crisis. Explore further France unveils 8 bn-euro plan to revive auto sector through electric cars 2020 AFP Washington: After months away from the campaign trail, US President Donald Trump plans to rally his supporters this coming Saturday for the first time since most of the country was shuttered by the coronavirus. Trump will head to Tulsa, Oklahoma a state that has seen relatively few COVID-19 cases. But health experts question the decision, citing the danger of infection spreading among the crowd and sparking outbreaks when people return to their homes. The Trump campaign itself acknowledges the risk and has tried to protect itself from lawsuits with waiver language on its registration website. "By attending the rally, you and any guests voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 and agree not to hold Donald J. Trump for President, Inc ... liable for illness or injury," the campaign advises those signing up for the rally. False arrests, civil rights violations and excessive force are just a handful of claims made against police departments across the country by the thousands every year. Amid massive protests over the last few weeks on the heels of the death of George Floyd while in police custody, demonstrators and law enforcement officials have clashed. As a result, some officers in cities from Atlanta to Philadelphia to Buffalo have been disciplined for alleged misconduct against protesters and opened the door to the possibility of countless civil lawsuits, legal experts told ABC News. While data shows that claims against police are down in cities with the largest police forces in the country, they still cost taxpayers over $300 million in fiscal year 2019. Advocates say that tax money could be better spent. PHOTO: Police watch as hundreds of protesters march in downtown Brooklyn over the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis Police officer, June 05, 2020, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) "The taxpayers are going to bear the brunt for the cost of police brutality," Sanford Rubenstein, a New York City-based civil attorney whose firm has represented families and victims of police brutality for over 35 years and collected millions of dollars in settlements. The New York Police Department is the largest police force in the country with over 36,000 members servicing a city of 8.3 million people. During fiscal year 2019, the city paid out $175.9 million in civil judgments and claims for police-related lawsuits -- not including settlements made with the city's comptroller's office, said Nick Paolucci, a spokesman with the city's Law Department -- the agency that defends the city and its employees in lawsuits. In 2019, the city's comptroller's office dished out almost $4 million in settlements to almost 200 pre-litigation civil rights and police action claims that included excessive force, according to data obtained by ABC News for settlements between 2014 and 2019. PHOTO: A demonstrator holds a sign reading 'pro justice isn't anti white' in front of French police on the Place de la Concorde, in Paris, June 6, 2020, as part of 'Black Lives Matter' worldwide protests against racism and police brutality. (Anne-christine Poujoulat/AFP via Getty Images) "In New York City at least, it's not like the police's budget. Budgets for settlements from lawsuits ... comes from the city, and that's taxpayer money," said Jennvine Wong, staff attorney with The Legal Aid Society's Cop Accountability Project, Special Litigation Unit. Story continues Employees of government agencies like the NYPD have immunity from contributing to a settlement or judgment if named in a lawsuit where an accusation of misconduct is made while the employee is on the job. For notice of claims and lawsuits filed against New York City, the Mayor's Office of Management and Budget allocates funds every fiscal year -- $733 million in 2020 and $697 million in 2019 -- for payouts. In instances where a government employee is ordered to contribute to a payout, the amount is very small, legal experts said. For fiscal year 2021, 6 cents of every dollar will go to miscellaneous spending including "labor reserve, general reserve, judgments and claims, MTA subsidies and other contractual services," according to the city's executive budget from the OMB. PHOTO: Demonstrators march down Pennsylvania Ave. during a protest against police brutality and racism, on June 6, 2020, in Washington. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) "That's a lot of money that we are paying out for the misconduct of many cops that are still allowed -- many, not all -- to stay on the force or probably are not even disciplined," said Wong. Wong said that as conversations of defunding the police continue, there should be consideration for allocating the funds to public health crises like "gun violence, poverty, drug addiction and in treating those in a more efficient manner." Funds would then go to attacking community problems at the root cause and could result in "a less of a need for policing to begin with," she said. MORE: Timeline: The impact of George Floyd's death in Minneapolis and beyond In a letter sent to to Mayor Bill de Blasio on June 4, Comptroller Scott Stringer urged cutting $1.1 billion from the NYPD's budget over the next four years and to reinvest into the community as a result of $1.3 billion spent since 2014 as the consequences of alleged police misconduct. PHOTO: Seattle Police Assistant Chief Deanna Nollette and Assistant Chief Adrian Diaz are blocked by protesters from entering the newly created Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) in Seattle, June 11, 2020. (Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images) "Acting aggressively to identify and hold officers accountable for police misconduct will not only save dollars in future lawsuits, it will spare many New Yorkers the needless pain and suffering stemming from the unnecessary use of force or other violations of civil rights," according to the letter. Hazel Crampton-Hays, the press secretary for Stringer, said in a statement to ABC News that she agrees that "New York City must invest more in underserved communities most impacted by violence and structural racism." PHOTO: A sign painted by protesters reading 'Defund the Police' is painted next to a 'Black Lives Matter' sign painted on 16th Street near the White House in Washington, D.C., June 7, 2020. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters) For several years, advocates and lawmakers have made efforts to change legislation that protected government officials like police officers from discipline. New York state lawmakers were successful on June 9 in repealing Section 50-A that prevented the release of a police officer's personnel records. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the legislation on Friday. The following day, attorney Ben Crump spoke before the House Judiciary Committee about the effects of the "qualified immunity," which prevents filing a lawsuit against police officers as an individual, unless they were found to have violated a federal law. The Supreme Court is expected to decide if it will review qualified immunity laws. "Immunity breeds impunity for these police," said Crump, who represents several families of black people who died in encounters with the police, including Floyd and Breonna Taylor, who was shot to death by police during a "no-knock" warrant raid. "If they have this qualified immunity, we see no accountability." PHOTO: Civil rights attorney Ben Crump speaks during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on proposed changes to police practices and accountability on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, June 10, 2020, in Washington. (Graeme Jennings/AP Photo) Notice of claims filed against the NYPD that settled with the city's comptroller's office during fiscal year 2019 cost taxpayers $220.1 million, compared to $237.4 million in the previous year and a 35% decrease from the $338.2 million paid out in 2017, according to the comptroller's annual report released on Friday. Of those 5,848 claims filed, 61% were for accusations of "police action" such as false arrest or imprisonment, excessive force or assault, or failure to provide police protection. However, Rubenstein believes that "given the recent epidemic of police brutality during the pandemic, settlements from expected lawsuits will be a rather large expense." Here is a look at claims in other cities with the largest police forces in the country: Los Angeles Los Angeles, with a population of over 4 million, had an increase of lawsuits filed against law enforcement over the last three fiscal years, according to the city's chief executive risk management's annual report published in January. Of the 606 claims filed during the 2018-2019 fiscal year, 539 were against the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office -- the authoritative arm of several law enforcement agencies including the Los Angeles Police Department. Two-hundred and forty one lawsuits were dismissed without any payments, according to the county's County Counsel Annual Litigation Cost Report. The county budgeted $148.5 million where $91.5 million was paid to satisfy 16 judgments, including $16.3 million paid for nine lawsuits against the Sheriff's Department and 240 settlements, according to the annual litigation cost report. "This marks a 24% increase over the $73.7 million the county expended on judgments and settlements" from the previous fiscal year, the report read. Of the settlements from the 2018-2019 fiscal year, there were nine made against the Sheriff's Department and another form of law enforcement that accounted for 56% of the $60.4 million in expenses -- a 1% decrease from the previous fiscal year. The county spent $81,485,430 in litigation expense for the Sheriff's Department, according to the annual litigation cost report. The city has budgeted $19.4 million for "judgments and damages/insurance" for at least the last three fiscal years, according to the county's final budget. Law enforcement liabilities made up 43.1% of lawsuits filed against the city during the 2018-2019 fiscal year, according to the risk management's annual report. Compared to the 6.5% of law enforcement liability claims from the 2017-2018 fiscal year where $40.6 million was paid by cost taxpayers. The LAPD has approximately 9,000 sworn officers and 3,000 civilian employees, according to the agency's most recent COMPSTAT report. In 2016, when the agency had a reported 11,954 officers, according to the FBI's full-time law enforcement employees database, the amount of law enforcement liability claims were at 491 during that fiscal year. PHOTO: A man wearing a protective face mask raises his fist and holds a placard as he attends a protest against racial inequality in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd in Los Angeles, June 8, 2020. (Mike Blake/Reuters) Chicago The city increased the amount of "corporate fund" resources -- operations and services such as public safety which includes the police department -- available to pay for routine settlements and judgments costs. "Revenue within the corporate fund is derived from local taxes, intergovernmental taxes, non-tax revenue, proceeds and transfers and prior year available resources," according to the city of Chicago's 2018 Annual Financial Analysis. The city has a population of over 2.7 million with a total of 13,135 law enforcement officers that include 11,954 police and 1,181 civilian members, according to the FBI's 2016 full-time law enforcement employees database. Expenditures of the corporate funds had an estimated $99.8 million figure to go towards claims, refunds, judgments and legal fees by the end of 2018, the document read. The city's financial analysis projected spending $45 million in 2019 on those same expenses. In 2018, more than $85 million of taxpayer funds were used to settle police misconduct lawsuits -- the highest amount since 2011 -- and an additional $28 million to outside lawyers to defend these cases, according to data analyzed by the Chicago Reporter. For the prior year, over $32 million were paid to settle police-related lawsuits and $23 million in lawyer fees. PHOTO: Black Lives Matter protesters fight with supporters of US President Donald Trump as police try to break up the clashes during a demonstration due to the police killing of George Floyd in Huntington Beach, California, June 6, 2020. (EUGENE GARCIA/EPA via Shutterstock) Millions in lawsuit settlements are another hidden cost of police misconduct, legal experts say originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A day after it breached the 100,000 mark, Maharashtra on Saturday reported its third highest single-day spike of 3,427 new coronavirus disease cases, taking the tally to 104,568. The death toll in the state has reached 3,830. Mumbai, the worst affected Indian city, saw 1,380 new infections and 69 more deaths taking the tally of the cases to 56,831 and deaths to 2113. The city accounted for 63.73% of the states new cases on May 14, 56.47% on May 28 and 49.06% on June 4. This percentage dropped further to 39.10% on Friday. While Mumbai has been able to restrict the virus spread to some extent, a spike in the caseload in rural parts of the state and districts like Solapur, Aurangabad, Yavatmal, Jalgaon remains a cause of concern for the administration. The district administrations have been directed to focus on the containment by ramping up the health infrastructure. We are implementing Dharavi pattern in districts like Aurangabad to bring mortality rate down and effective tracing of the patients. Thermal scanners and oximeters are being aggressively used in these districts that have witnessed a rising caseload. Asha workers and other health workers are being roped in to form surveillance squads for tracing and testing, said Dr Sadhana Tayade, director, health services. The state authorities have also directed the Mumbai corporation for the immediate acquisition of beds in private hospitals. This has come after the Central government on Thursday expressed concerns over the high mortality rate and pointed at the possibility of the shortage of the ICU beds in a few districts and cities of Maharashtra. Barring Mumbai, we have been able to cope with the demand for ICU beds required for patients. While acquiring additional stock of ventilators, we have also asked the district authorities to trace the vulnerable patients early so that they would not need to be put on ventilators, said an official from the state government. Meanwhile, state health minister Rajesh Tope on Saturday said that the government has reduced the rates of the Covid-19 tests conducted by private laboratories from ~4,500 to ~2,200. ~2,200 will be charged for collecting the swabs through viral transport media (VTM) from hospitals, while it would cost ~2,800 for collection of swab from home. Earlier, the charges were ~4,500 and ~5,200 respectively, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A MAN and a woman have appeared in court after they were charged in connection with a major drugs seizure on the outskirts of Limerick city. Trevor Carey, of Chesterfield Downes, Castletroy View, Limerick and Serena Walsh, of Carrig Midhe, Corbally are each accused of possession of cocaine, worth an estimated 440,000, for the purpose of sale or supply. The drugs were allegedly seized at Ms Walshs home in Corbally at around 11.35pm on Friday. The search was carried out as part of an investigation targeting the activities of an organised crime group which is operating in the Limerick area. At a special sitting of Limerick District Court this Sunday afternoon, Judge Marian OLeary was told Ms Walsh was arrested at her home on Friday night while Mr Carey was arrested at his home during a follow-up operation on Saturday morning. Neither made any reply when they were formally charged at Henry Street garda station shortly before 1am on Sunday. Inspector Sandra Heelan said gardai were not objecting to bail but were seeking the imposition of strict conditions which would enable gardai to monitor the activities defendants. Solicitor Con Barry, for Mr Carey and solicitor Ted McCarthy, for Ms Walsh, both expressed their concern that a nightly curfew was one of the conditions being sought. It is not needed in this case, submitted Ms Barry. However, noting the serious nature of the charges, Judge OLeary said she was satisfied a curfew was appropriate. Each of the defendants must live at their home addresses and they must sign on regularly at Henry Street garda station. They must also supply gardai with mobile phone numbers and they must not have any contact with each other. Both were granted legal aid as they are not currently working. Investigations are continuing and the matter was adjourned to July 22, for DPPs directions. A Buffalo teenager who spent 10 hours cleaning up glass and garbage following protests in his city, has received a car, full college scholarship and job offer from the mayor. Following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, Antonio Gwynn Jr. had attended a peaceful protest earlier on May 30, but after he went home it turned into a night of unrest. Gwynn set about cleaning up at 2am on June 1, hours before others arrived with the same intention, then pictures taken by a stranger went viral on social media and locals began to reward the 18-year-old for his selfless efforts. 'I felt disgusted. My nerves were bad. They're destroying a city that could actually be very beautiful,' Gwynn told ABC 7. Antonio Gwynn Jr., 18, has been offered a car, college scholarship, and job with the City of Buffalo after he was seen cleaning up after rioting Gwynn Jr. set about cleaning up on June 1 at 2am, hours before others arrived at 10am with the same intention Mayor Byron Brown offered him a job in the city's buildings department and encouraged other leaders to do the same for young African Americans He used a UHaul truck from recently moving into a house he's renting from his aunt, to tackle a large area before people started heading to work. 'I went bought some trash bags, grabbed my broom and my dustpan and I just started. It was just me by myself. I just started riding up and down Bailey (Street) to see where stuff was destroyed so I can clean it up.' Gwynn was still cleaning at 10am when Kalah Bishop arrived with a group of volunteers. 'To know that an 18-year-old had it in his heart to come out here at 2 in the morning and clean up...and to be honest, he kind of risked his life to do it. That's amazing,' Bishop told ABC 7. 'A lot of people should take insight on him doing that and be more like Antonio.' Gwynn's mother died from a heart attack in 2018 and his sister went to live with their grandmother. Duane Thomas, 37, a pastor and youth leader at the Change Church, took in Gwynn on the condition that he does his homework and cleans the dishes. Matt Block was in the process of selling his 2004 red Mustang (pictured) but decided to give it to Gwynn after he saw the teen's good deed. It's the same model, year and color his late mother got for him Sweet Buffalo offered Gwynn $1,000 after seeing the images of him cleaning and a GoFundMe page raised $5,800 after the pictures went viral 'I wanted to clean because I'm always cleaning at my house, so why can't I just help the city stay clean?' Gwynn explained to the Washington Post. 'It's something that she would do probably because I mainly try to be just like her or something similar because I don't want to be a follower. I want to lead sometimes also.' The day after he cleaned he started receiving thank you messages. Nicole Hopkins originally shared the images of his good deed and told followers: 'If we can pay for his books, a Mac Book, or at least one semester of college for this brave young man, his generosity and kindness will be the change we wish to see in the world.' Local good news website Sweet Buffalo began by sending a $1,000 and encouraging others to donate. A GoFundMe account brought in more than $5,800. Gwynn said he didn't clean up for attention. His guardian Thomas explained to the Washington Post: 'Our church used to be on Bailey Avenue, right across the street where all of the mayhem went down. 'So I know that Antonio was thinking of that. He was grateful to have a place to live, and now he wanted to look after somebody else. That's just the kind of kid he is. He's always been a peaceful person, wanting to see that others are taken care of.' Duane Thomas, 37, (left) a pastor and youth leader at the Change Church, took in Gwynn (right) after his mother died in 2018 on the condition that he does his homework and cleans the dishes. 'I wanted to clean because I'm always cleaning at my house, so why can't I just help the city stay clean?' Gwynn explained The good deed caught the attention of Matt Block, who was in the process of selling his 2004 red Mustang but decided to give it to Gwynn instead. Briceland Insurance Agency owner Bob Briceland is covering Gwynn's insurance for one year. It turned out the vehicle was the exact model, year and color his late mother first got him. 'The car he sent me a picture of was the same exact car that my mom first got me. It's the same color, same everything,' Gwynn said. Then private school Medaille College offered the Hutchinson Central Technical High School senior a full four-year scholarship. Gywnn wants to take business classes and open his own mechanic shop and a cleaning business one day. When he found out, Gwynn started crying. He says his great-aunt and cousin cried too. Gwynn originally planned to go to trade school and save up for college. Following Gwynn's good deed, Buffalo has received lots of attention after riot police were seen pushing a 75-year-old man to the ground and leaving him to bleed from the ears. He has not suffered brain damage. 'Violence is pointless. It doesn't help anything, and it doesn't change anything,' Gwynn commented to the Washington Post. 'I was happy to help out, and I'm really surprised by the attention. I'm just really grateful for everybody's support.' On Saturday, Mayor Byron Brown offered him a job in the city's buildings department. Brown said in a tweet that Gwynn has agreed to take the job upon his graduation. 'As part of my #ReformAgenda, I am calling on other local governments, businesses and organizations to set a goal to hire more black people as the global movement for real racial justice and equity continues,' Mayor Brown tweeted. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 00:32:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Brunei is not ready to open borders with neighboring countries any time soon and there is no negotiations with other countries on this matter, Minister at the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister of Finance and Economy Mohd Amin Liew said. According to the local Borneo Bulletin on Sunday, Liew made the comments regarding a recent report saying that the "green lane" or "green bubble" on the possibility of opening borders with the neighboring countries. The minister added that there may be a misconception or misunderstanding on the matter. "There has not been any official discussion with the government of Malaysia or the government of Sarawak, and if we look at the newspapers, it was an unofficial statement and so far there have not been any official statement or official negotiations with neighboring countries," the minister was quoted as saying. The minister added that the special lane set up between Singapore and China is not for tourists, but specifically for those who are carrying out business or on an official visit, making it a special arrangement. Brunei reported no new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday with the national tally of cases standing at 141, marking the 38th day without new cases since May 7. There have been two deaths resulted from COVID-19 in Brunei. Enditem Companies that have shown no evidence of infection with avian influenza viruses will be able to resume exporting their products for the first time since exporting was suspended amid an outbreak of bird flu in 2006 Egypt will resume poultry exports after a 14-year hiatus following approval by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) to enlist Egypt among the countries with avian influenza free establishments system, Egypts agriculture ministry said in a statement on Sunday. Egyptian companies that have shown no evidence of infection with avian influenza viruses will be able to resume exporting their products for the first time since exporting was suspended amid an outbreak of bird flu in Egypt in 2006, Agriculture Minister El-Sayed El-Qusseir said in the statement. The companies will be exporting different kinds of poultry products including: day-old chicks, table eggs, fertilized eggs and broiler chickens. The move is expected to help boost poultry production, support the economy and increase Egypts foreign reserves, the minister said, adding that Egypt is currently self-sufficient in poultry and table eggs. According to the minister, the avian flu free establishments are located in the deserts of three governorates: Sarabium in Ismailia, Wadi El-Natron in Behira, and Cairo-Assuit western road in Minya. The isolated establishments system is an international mechanism recommended by the OEI to allow countries to export their poultry products, provided that these facilities are free of epidemics, Head of the General Authority for Veterinary Services Abdel-Hakim Mahmoud said. Fourteen poultry facilities belonging to eight of Egypts largest poultry firms have submitted requests to receive approval from the OIE, he said. He added that his authority has implemented several epidemiological and biosecurity measures in those facilities and performed periodic follow-ups to ensure that they are free of epidemic diseases, particularly avian influenza, before filing for approval. Deputy Minister of Agriculture, for Livestock, Fisheries and Poultry Mostafa El-Sayad said that the ministry will now work on increasing the number of farms wishing to adopt the isolated establishments system after the OIEs approval. He added that the ministry has prepared an investment map in this field that includes about nine regions nationwide. Search Keywords: Short link: Top US health official Dr. Anthony Fauci said British holidaymakers could be banned for visiting America for months to come, or until a vaccine is found. The current travel ban for UK tourists which has been in place since March 16 will likely be lifted in months rather than weeks, the senior virus expert said. So far, more than 114,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the United States, according to a Reuters tally. About half a dozen US states are grappling with a rising number of coronavirus patients filling hospital beds. Top US health official Dr. Anthony Fauci said British holidaymakers could be banned for visiting America for months, or until a vaccine is found A TSA agent wearing a facemask at a deserted Los Angeles International Airport amid the coronavirus pandemic. Top US health official Dr. Anthony Fauci said British holidaymakers could be banned for visiting America for months to come, or until a vaccine is found A traveler wearing a protective mask exits from the United Airlines Holdings Inc. check-in counter at San Francisco International Airport 'It's going to be really wait and see. I don't think there's going to be an immediate pull back for those kinds of restrictions,' Dr Fauci told The Telegraph. 'My feeling, looking at what's going on with the infection rate, I think it's more likely measured in months rather than weeks.' While Dr. Fauci said the US had been successful in squashing the outbreak in major cities including New York, Chicago, Detroit and New Orleans, several states trying to reopen are seeing 'early indications [that] infections are higher than previously.' Passengers arrive at London Heathrow Airport. The current travel ban for UK tourists to the US which has been in place since March 16 will likely be lifted in months rather than weeks,Dr. Fauci said The strict new quarantine rules people face when entering Britain What happen when you arrive in the UK? All passengers arriving in the UK have to fill in a form before heading to Britain. This includes British nationals coming home, as well as foreign visitors. You must provide the address at which you will be staying in the UK and self-isolate there. You will not be allowed to leave that address at all, or receive visitors, for 14 days. How does it work? Passengers will be able to complete 'contact locator form' on the Government's website up to 48 hours before departure. There will be no paper versions of the form. Failing to complete the form before travelling is a crime, but there will be a short grace period and allow travellers to fill in the form electronically in the arrivals hall. How will this be enforced? There will be spot checks to ensure all passengers have completed a form. Border Force staff will interview people as they leave planes and at border checkpoints. What happens if I refuse to fill in a contact locator form? You will be given an on-the-spot 100 fine by Border Force officers. What checks will take place during the 14-day period? Public health officials will carry out random checks by telephone. If these raise doubts, police will visit the address, issuing a fine where necessary. What happens if I leave the address I provide in the form? In England, you will be issued with a 1,000 spot fine. You could even be prosecuted, and face an unlimited fine if convicted. The fine could increase beyond 1,000 if the 'risk of infection from abroad increases', the Home Office says. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will have their own enforcement systems. Advertisement All 50 states have begun to reopen in some way after the coronavirus threw the country into lockdown starting in March, despite early warning signs that cases could again spike. More than a dozen states, including Texas and Florida, have recently reported record daily infection rates. Texas hit highs this week for hospitalizations and new Covid-19 cases, while allowing restaurants to expand eat-in dining Friday to 75% of capacity, up from 50%. On the topic of mass protests across the country which were sparked at the end of last month over the death of George Floyd, Dr. Fauci said: 'I would say in a perfect world people shouldn't congregate in a crowd and demonstrate. 'But I know, even though you say that, they are going to go do it. So, if you're going to do it, don't take the mask off when you're chanting, and screaming, and yelling, and doing whatever at a demonstration.' UK citizens have been barred from entering the US since March 16, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. There are some exceptions to the travel ban, including green card holders, those with specified close family members in the US, and certain other limited categories of visas holders such as UN staff and diplomats. Those who are allowed entry to the US must be prepared to self-isolate for up to 14 days on arrival. The travel ban has greatly restricted the roughly 3.8 million British nationals that visit the US every year. The UK foreign office continues to advise British nationals against all but essential international travel, and those who return will have to quarantine for 14 days. Europe will partially reopen on Monday allowing Britons to holiday abroad. In a move recommended by the European Commission (EC), border controls are to be lifted between Schengen member states from June 15. Even though the UK doesn't have an EU status, it is included on the lists which allow entry into several nations, the Telegraph reported. Much of Europe will remain off-limits for US tourists in July due to the country's high infection rate. America's Centre for Disease Control (CDC) continues to advise citizens against all but essential international travel and Americans returning to the US will have to follow the 14-day self-quarantine rule. Some EU countries have chosen a different approach to opening their borders. For example, Italy opened its borders to EU nations and the UK on June 3. Meanwhile Spain is imposing a 14-day quarantine on arrivals until July 1. France is one of the countries set to open its borders to visitors from the EU and UK on Monday. Spain is imposing a 14-day quarantine on arrivals until July 1. Pictured: Benidorm is preparing to open its beaches from Monday The country has a voluntary self-isolation but its quarantine is not enforced with fines and is a request made to British visitors. Benidorm, Spain, is also preparing to open its beach from Monday with a list of strict new guidelines imposed by the Mayor Toni Perez and its town hall. Beach cordons segregating the over 70s and making one way entrances and exits to the sea are being put in place. Ladbrokes Coral owner GVC has sparked a backlash after it handed top bosses share bonuses potentially worth 5million despite furloughing all 14,000 staff at its betting shops. Chief executive Kenny Alexander has been given shares currently worth 3.3million, while chief financial officer Rob Wood has been handed shares worth 1.4million. Some of those will definitely pay out in 2023 because they date from 2019, while most will only pay out then if the company hits what it calls 'stretching' performance targets. Signing off: Ladbrokes Coral owner GVC furloughed all 14,000 staff at its betting shops The share awards come after GVC furloughed all staff at its 3,100 betting shops operating under the Ladbrokes and Coral brands. All of those outlets reopen tomorrow and the staff will come off furlough. The Government has been paying 80 per cent of their wages, while GVC has been topping this up so staff receive their full salaries. However, Andrew Speke at the High Pay Centre, an independent think-tank, said: 'For a company to be relying on public finances to pay its workers' wages, while handing out millions to its executives in bonuses flies in the face of what the general public expects from businesses at a time of national crisis. 'Perhaps now is the time for Government to make it clear that it will not tolerate such behaviour from companies using the scheme.' Firms have been warned about dishing out long-term share bonuses during the coronavirus crisis. In April, the Investment Association, which represents investment managers and asset management firms, said that companies that had used taxpayer support such as the furlough scheme but where pay remained high risked 'significant reputational ramifications'. The Association, whose members manage 7.7trillion in assets, urged pay committees to postpone granting long-term incentives if the share price has yet to recover and to trim the number of shares if it results in a large payout. GVC, which suffered a shareholder revolt over pay last year, delayed awarding the shares in March, when the share price had collapsed, amid fears about the impact of coronavirus on business as its shops shut. But now the share price has recovered to near pre-virus levels, GVC has decided to award them. The share price recovery means it is set to re-enter the FTSE100 after a year's absence. The company is also benefiting from business rates relief. In April, it said it was saving about 20million a month through the furlough scheme and rates relief combined. GVC said its remuneration committee could decide to reduce the payouts if they result in 'windfall gains'. GVC bosses have taken a 20 per cent salary cut since May and have decided not to take an annual bonus for this year. Long-term bonuses however tend to be far more lucrative than salaries or annual bonuses. GVC said of the long-term incentive plan bonuses: 'We originally delayed the awarding of the LTIPs and the payment of the 2019 bonus due to the uncertainty created by Covid-19. However, the outlook for GVC is now more certain as a result of the gradual resumption of sport and the reopening of our retail estate next week. 'The remuneration committee has therefore deemed it appropriate to pay the 2019 bonus and make the LTIP awards, which contain stretching performance conditions that have not been adjusted to take into account the impact of Covid-19.' GVC has grown through a series of takeover deals under Scottish boss Alexander, including buying Bwin.Party and culminating in the 4billion deal for Ladbrokes Coral, the high street bookmaker, in 2018. Alexander came under fire last year for offloading 13.7million in GVC shares, just days after its share price was boosted by an upbeat set of financial results. His sale along with that of former chairman Lee Feldman caused the share price to dive 20 per cent in a single day. Alexander and Feldman controversially signed off each other's share sales. Alexander was branded a coward by MPs last year for refusing to turn up to a parliamentary hearing on problem gambling online. Other firms have come under fire for their behaviour while taking taxpayers' cash. BP refused to cut its dividend, but last week announced as many as 10,000 jobs would be cut. Tesco came in for heavy criticism for rewarding shareholders with a 635million dividend after receiving a 585million business rates holiday from the Government. By West Kentucky Star Staff Jun. 13, 2020 | 12:52 PM | PADUCAH Representative Randy Bridges of Paducah has been appointed to the Interim Joint Committee on Local Government. The Interim Joint Committee on Local Government is responsible for overseeing the financial condition of city and county governments. During the legislative interim, this committee will be closely monitoring and evaluating the economic impact the ongoing pandemic has had on city and county budgets, and the services they are providing. "Our city and county governments have seen an unprecedented loss of revenue because of the effects of COVID-19," Bridges said. "There are no easy solutions to remedy the economic consequences of forced shutdowns and abrupt business closures. Our local entities provide important services to the people of Kentucky, and I look forward to working diligently with my colleagues on this committee to ensure that local and county governments have the resources they need." Speaker of the House, David Osborne, was the one to appoint Bridges to the committee. "Rep. Bridges will be a tremendous asset to this committee," Osborne said. "As a small business owner and community volunteer, he interacts with a number of city and county governments in Western Kentucky. His experience gives him a great perspective on what we can do at the state level to ensure local governments have the tools they need to support their communities. They are already hard at work on COVID-related issues, but beyond that, we want to continue focusing on creating jobs and making our state the best place to live and work." Additionally, Bridges will continue serving as a member of the following Interim Joint Committee's: Natural Resources and Energy; Transportation; and Education. He is also the Vice Chair of the House Committee on Transportation. The Interim Joint Committees meet from the first week of June until at least mid-December. You can find additional information at the link below. A local Representative has been appointed to a Committee dedicated to examining the effect COVID-19 has had on city and county governments. On the Net: Air France will reinstate its entire network of destinations in the former Yugoslavia by mid-July, albeit with significantly fewer frequencies. As previously reported, flights between Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Ljubljana are set to resume on June 24, twice per week, before increasing to four weekly in early July and eventually turning daily. Operations to Zagreb will restart on July 1 with three weekly rotations, while two weekly services to Belgrade will commence on July 13. Frequencies to both the Croatian and Serbian capitals will gradually increase. Air France has a codeshare agreement in place with both Croatia Airlines and Air Serbia on both routes. The Serbian carrier is currently flying to Paris, while its Croatian counterpart is expected to do so in July. Air France will also be returning to the Croatian coast with its seasonal operations to Dubrovnik and Split. Flights to Dubrovnik will commence on July 4 and run twice per week, increasing to three weekly from the middle of the month. Services to Split will run four times per week starting July 13. Prior to the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic, Air France planned to maintain operations this summer to Ljubljana and Zagreb twice per day, to Belgrade and Split daily and to Dubrovnik six times per week. On the other hand, Croatia Airlines planned to run daily rotations from Zagreb to Paris, five weekly from Dubrovnik and three weekly to Split. Air Serbia scheduled sixteen weekly flights from Belgrade to the French capital. By the end of June, Air France will serve around 20% of its pre-corona network. Subject to the lifting of travel restrictions, the gradual increase in the number of frequencies and destinations will continue, reaching 35% of the flight schedule initially planned in July and 40% in August. Air France plans to serve close to 150 destinations, some 80% of its usual network, with priority given to strengthening its domestic services. The flight schedule will be operated by 106 of the 224 aircraft in the Air France fleet. "We can see that people need to travel again and will gradually be resuming services to 150 destinations in France, Europe and the rest of the world this summer. After this difficult period, we are delighted to be welcoming our customers back on board, so that they can travel this summer and be reunited with their loved ones. All Air France staff, both on the ground and on board, are committed to guaranteeing our passengers the highest levels of health and safety", Air Frances CEO, Anne Rigail, said. An army veteran may be forced to repeat year 10 after his old high school lost his certificates. Linus Wilson, who attended Toowong State High School in Brisbane in the 1990s, hoped to rejoin the army after losing his hospitality job because of the coronavirus pandemic. Eager to rejoin the Australian Defence Force, the 38-year-old needed a copy of his education certificates to prove he finished school. But he was told the records were lost by the Department for Education. 'This has forced me into a situation where I need to re-do my Year 10 education with TAFE even though I have completed year 10,' he told the Courier Mail. A former soldier is concerned he will have to go to a TAFE to study Year 10 maths and English after officials 'misplaced' his completion certificates (pictured, a TAFE campus in Sydney) 'Im really determined to be a soldier again, I am an ex-servicemen and I really dont fancy going to TAFE and studying Year 10 maths and English at 38 because of the incompetence of the Department of education in losing this information.' His former school was shut down in 2006 and was replaced by the Queensland Academy of Sciences, Maths and Technology. Realising he needed the forms, Mr Wilson contacted the Queensland Curriculum Assessment Authority, and was then told to contact the local Education Queensland office. He explained that while they were 'helpful', he was soon told the records 'didn't exist' and had been 'misplaced.' Mr Wilson then asked the Department of Education for an alternative certificate to prove he finished Year 10. The department explained that the government was only required to keep such documents for seven years. It has since found his Year 10 term one report, and Year 11 admission records, but not his Year 10 completion documents. Pakistan continued with their misinformation campaign this week by spreading lies about two Indian spies being caught in Gilgit-Baltistan. On June 12, several Pakistani news portals and social media handles claimed that two Indian spies, Noor Mohammed Wani (20) and Firoz Ahmed Lone (28), were caught spying. SSP Gilgit Raja Mirza Hassan said that the two individuals belonged to J&K and were arrested soon after they crossed to Gilgit-Baltistan. But this is far from the truth. Republic TV has learned from top sources within the security apparatus that the two individuals were working for Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) in the launchpads in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and were not Indian spies as Pakistan would like us to believe. A deep investigation has revealed that Noor Mohammed Wani and Firoz Ahmed Lone went missing in late November 2018 from Achoora village of Gurez District. While Noor worked as a labourer in a shop at Srinagar, Firoz worked as a village level worker at BDO, Gurez. Firoz went missing from his village in November 2018 and the missing report was lodged on November 22, 2018 at Dawar police station. Visuals of the spies accessed by Republic: THE PAKISTANI HANDLER Firoz came in contact with his handler Mushtaq Lone through Facebook. He motivated Firoz to cross over to Gilgit-Baltistan and work for Hizbul Mujahideen in the Taobat region. Noor come in contact with Mushtaq Lone when he was working in Srinagar. Noor was motivated by Mushtaq to assist in the infiltration of terrorists from Taobat-Markoot region of Dawar. Noor and Firoz were introduced by Mushtaq around mid-2018. They crossed over to Gilgit in January 2019. Firoz and Noor started working for HM from their launchpad. DUO EXPOSED Top sources within the security apparatus say that Firoz wanted to return home and their handlers did not like the idea of them returning. Firoz was in touch with his acquaintance in Srinagar. He had asked for help to get him out of Gilgit. The communication began around November 2019. He had also revealed his plans to return home by early 2020. Sources say that the duo may have faced a backlash after their handlers in PoK came to know about their plans to return home. PROFILE AS PER POLICE RECORDS NOOR MD WANI Noor Md Wani 20 yrs, Education 8th standard -- s/o Late Md Mustaq Wani is a resident of Achoora, Dawar. He is an orphan and worked as a labour in a shop at Srinagar. The individual went missing from Srinagar. The Individual frequently visited the house of his uncle namely Bashir Ah Wani. 2. Family Details:- (a) Late Md Mustaq Wani, Father. (b) Hanifa Begum, Mother. (c) Bashir Ah Wani (50 yrs), Uncle, Ex Sarpanch, Achoora. (d) Nishar Ah Wani (42 yrs), Uncle, Dvr. (e) Riyaz Ah Wani (38 yrs), Uncle, Shopkeeper. (f) Zahoor Ah Wani (36 yrs), Uncle, Serving in 126 Inf Bn TA FIROZ LONE Firoz Ah Lone 28 yrs, Graduate -- s/o Ab Rahim Lone r/o Achoora, Dawar was working as a casual labour at BDO, Dawar. Individual missing from his residence since November 18, 2018. Missing report lodged at PS Dawar vide DD No 09/2018 dated November 22, 2018. Individual was in contact with Ab Rouf Ganai. 2. Family Details:- (a) Ab Rahim Lone (55 yrs), Father, Casual Labour at BDO, Dawar. (b) Late Bibi Begum, Mother. (c) Zamila Begum (32 yrs), Sister, married. (d) Zahoor Ah Lone (29 yrs), Brother running a cmptr shop, Dawar. (e) Reshma Begum (26 yrs) Sister, Married. (f) Imtiyaz Ah Lone (24 yrs), Brother, Dvr. (g) Kulsuma Bano (17 yrs) Sister, Unmarried The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 430,000 with more than 7.8 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness. Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions. Russia President Vladimir Putin says Russia is emerging from the coronavirus pandemic with minimal losses and has done better than the United States in handling the health crisis, but questions about Russia's recordkeeping persist. Russia is "working rather smoothly and emerging from this situation with the coronavirus confidently and, with minimal losses," Putin said on state television. Russia has recorded 6,938 deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. The death toll is much lower than in many other countries despite Russia having more than a half-million infections -- the third-highest rate after the United States and Brazil. The veracity of Russian statistics, however, has been questioned. Critics have said that the authorities might have falsified the numbers for political purposes to play down the scale of the outbreak, and a top World Health Organization (WHO) official said the low number of deaths in Russia "certainly is unusual." Unlike Russia, some countries' official death count includes people who had COVID-19 but died from other causes, said Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program. "It will be important that the Russian authorities review the way in which death certification is done to reassure themselves that they are accurately certifying deaths in the appropriate way," Ryan said, according to the Associated Press. In his interview with Rossia-1, Putin also said Russia had handled the crisis better than the United States because authorities at federal and regional level had worked as one team without disagreements. "I can't imagine someone in the [Russian] government or regions saying we are not going to do what the government or president say," he said. Commenting on the United States' high death toll of more than 115,000, Putin said it appeared that "party interests" had been "put above those of society's as a whole, above the interests of the people." The virus exposed what he called deep internal crises that dated back to President Donald Trump's election victory and efforts by rivals to undermine its legitimacy. Putin also commented for the first time on anti-racism protests in the United States, describing them as a sign of "deep-seated internal crises." RFE/RL's Coronavirus Crisis Archive Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region. The Russian president stressed he supported African-Americans' struggle for equality, calling it "a long-standing problem" in the United States and one that Russians "had a lot of sympathy for." But Putin added that if the fight for legal rights turned into "mayhem and rioting," he sees "nothing good for the country." He said he nevertheless expected that the "fundamental basis of American democracy will allow the country to escape this series of crisis events." Putin also denied allegations that constitutional reforms that could allow him to extend his rule were aimed at "strengthening a presidential dictatorship," saying parliament would have a bigger role after the changes. Putin has called on citizens to support amendments to the constitution at a national vote scheduled for July 1. Among other changes, the amendments would allow the 67-year-old, who has run Russia for 20 years as either president or prime minister, to stay in power until 2036. Iran The number of deaths from COVID-19 in Iran has exceeded 100 for the first time in two months, the country's Health Ministry said on June 14. Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari announced 107 coronavirus fatalities in the past 24 hours, raising the overall death toll to 8,837. She said the number of infections had reached 187,427, with 2,472 new infections recorded in the past 24 hours. Real numbers are believed to be significantly higher. After gradually relaxing its lockdown since mid-April, Iran in recent weeks has seen a rise of new daily infections. Speaking on June 13, President Hasan Rohani said that restrictions to stem the coronavirus pandemic will be reimposed in the country if citizens continue to disobey public health regulations. Rohani said compliance with health regulations had been as high as 80 percent in mid-May. But he said compliance is now down to only about 20 percent. Kazakhstan Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin has gone into self-isolation after the Central Asian country's health minister tested positive for the coronavirus. The prime minister's spokeswoman, Zarina Nurlanova, said on Facebook on June 14 that Mamin would continue to work and had tested negative for COVID-19. Mamin made a working trip to the southern Zhambyl Province with Health Minister Yerlen Birtanov on June 12 to start construction at a new pharmaceutical plant intended to produce medicines and vaccines. Birtanov said on June 14 he tested positive for the coronavirus and had been hospitalized. "Despite all the strict sanitary measures I have followed, there are always risks," he wrote on Facebook, urging Kazakhs to practice physical distancing, wear a mask, and follow sanitary measures. Nurlanova said both ministers wore masks when they were together. Pictures posted on Facebook show the two wearing face masks at the pharmaceutical-plant construction site. The number of people infected with the coronavirus has risen sharply in the country recently. According to the latest data, 18,898 people have been infected with the coronavirus in Kazakhstan and 77 people died. The true infection rate and death toll are believed to be higher. Those diagnosed with COVID-19 but said to have "died of another disease" are not included in the country's core statistics. With reporting by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, Reuters, AFP, and IRNA One can only wonder if recent Black Lives Matter protests would have gone as peacefully in the Lehigh Valley if theyd happened in the late 1990s or early 2000s. And it likely wouldnt have been the protesters fault if they didnt. Its really hard to decide on a low point in local policing from that earlier era. But there are two likely good choices. In 2004, a civil jury came back with a nearly $8 million award against the city of Bethlehem in the 1997 killing of John Hirko Jr. on the citys Southside. Hirko was shot 11 times during a drug raid and his body was left to burn after a flash-bang device set off an intense fire. We showed them today that they are accountable and will be held accountable, the Hirko familys attorney, John P. Karoly Jr., said after the jury ruled against police. That goes to all the cowboys who think they are judges, jurors and executioners. In 2006, when a grand jury report was released a year after Easton Patrolman Jesse Sollman was accidentally fatally shot in the citys police station, a long probe after years of police brutality suits led to the state calling Easton a department in chaos and the federal government stepped in. I cant believe some of the stuff thats happened, an unidentified Easton officer told an Express-Times reporter at the time. The best line someone said was, I thought we hit rock bottom but now were digging a hole.'" Or to put it even more bluntly: The grand jury discerned little recognition of Easton Police Department officers of their duties as public servants, standard bearers of the law and protectors of the Easton community. Easton would shell out millions of dollars before it was all over. But flash forward to 2020 and local police at Black Lives Matter protests in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton used planning plus policies and procedures in place to protect the peace, while other parts of the country devolved into violence. Of course, the protesters deserve the credit for being peaceful as they made their case. The Rev. Phillip Davis, of Greater Shiloh Church in Easton, at the first of the Black Lives Matter protests in Downtown Easton.lehighvalleylive.com file photo The Rev. Phillip Davis, of Greater Shiloh Church in Easton, said he finds police brutality toward black people a cancer throughout the country and has communicated what he believes are ways to better the city department, especially along the lines of diversity. But he added he thought the citys police were cooperative and supportive for the last two marches," both of which he attended, on May 31 and June 7. Police did everything they could to keep marchers safe, he said. One moment that could have become a flashpoint was resolved when police showed a lot of restraint and let others remove a man from the square, he said. A concern about officers not taking a knee when others did outside City Hall was resolved when city officials agreed to kneel and pray with Davis at the beginning of the next protest, he said. No marchers mentioned to Davis that police had been in any way disrespectful, he said. How did the Lehigh Valley policing get from one point to the other? Well, it was actually underway before the chaos had died down. In 2005, Allentown became a state accredited police department, a long and difficult process directed by the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association that opens a department to outside critiques, then leaves it better positioned to move forward toward goals of being professional and modern. We did it because it is a way of confirming or reaffirming what we are doing is in line with nationally accepted policing standards, said Glenn Granitz Jr., who was an Allentown detective then and is chief now. The citys accreditation status -- which is up for review every three years -- is being upgraded this year to premier, he added. Forks Township police in December 2005 became the first accredited department in Northampton County, Chief Greg Dorney said. Colonial Regional police in 2006 became the first regional department in the state to achieve accreditation, and has held onto it ever since, Chief Roy Seiple said. Bethlehem and Easton became accredited in 2007, with Bethlehem going the extra difficult step of getting national accreditation. The accreditation effort has done a lot of things for police departments, including providing some protection from lawsuits, which were previously difficult to fight. For example, back in the day, Allentown only tracked use of force incidents where someone was hurt, Granitz said. We only had examples of when things didnt go well, he said. Now, in Easton, for example, any use for force above putting on handcuffs is documented, weighed by the captain of administrative services and then added to software that can produce various comparison reports, Chief Carl Scalzo said. But all those years of difficult preparation and the hard work and expense of retaining accreditation have an unforeseen benefit, too. Chief Roy Seiple says his was the first regional department accredited in Pennsylvania.lehighvalleylive.com file photo That benefit came to light when Campaign Zero highlighted its 8 Cant Wait police reforms after the police killing of George Floyd on Memorial Day in Minneapolis. The group formed after the unrest following the 2014 police killing of Michael Brown Jr. in Ferguson, Missouri. In 2020, many of the 15 accredited departments in the Lehigh Valley had a huge head start. The reforms are something Bethlehem City Council pressed the citys police department on last week. They all have been in place for years, Seiple said about Colonial Regional, which has a comprehensive hiring process including background checks. We also have not had any substantiated or sustained use of force complaints in our history, which dates to 1995, Seiple continued. Bethlehem Township police Chief Dan Pancoast says accreditation was well worth the time and effort,lehighvalleylive.com file photo We have followed all of the proposals for some time, added Bethlehem Township Chief Dan Pancoast. "Its just one benefit of being an accredited agency. The process is challenging, but its more a matter of compiling support for a number of different activities. I felt that bringing the entire department in line with the rules and regulations was fairly straightforward. Police officers are accustomed to following orders so they understood the process. Forks Townships Dorney said accreditation allows local departments to hold up under review in a time when changes are being considered at all levels of government. You will find that accredited departments all have a use of force continuum, a policy, appropriate training and mandatory reporting requirements, Dorney said in an email. "Some may be more extensive than others." Forks Township police Chief Greg Dorney, seen many years ago at a community event, lays out how his department matches up with 8 Can't Wait.lehighvalleylive.com file photo He made a key point in that the 8 Cant Wait recommendations have some limitations, but are consistent with department standards. Our use of force continuum and policy addresses almost all of what they are promoting, he said. Heres how he explained it point by point: Ban chokeholds: Those are banned and not taught. Require de-escalation: The last several years we have provided additional training on de-escalation techniques through tactical verbal communication skills. Policy requires the minimal amount of force objectively reasonable to render control of the subject. This training will continue to be expanded upon. Require warning before shooting: Sometimes thats simply not possible. Example: Sometimes thats simply not possible. Example: Seth Kelly shooting incident . (Daniel) Clary clearly re-engaged the troopers firing his weapon first. Requiring verbal direction prior to shooting to defend ones self sometimes simply may not be possible as in real life, things happen so fast that just may not be possible. Requires exhaust all alternatives before shooting: Use of force policy and continuum is to utilize the least amount of force that is objectively reasonable to gain control. That may simply be the presence of a uniformed officer using verbal direction. Their standard seems to suggest that an officer must exhaust all other methods prior to resorting to deadly force; presence, verbal direction, physical control, pepper spray, taser, baton, etc all prior to utilizing a firearm. Again, may not be realistic. A subject that points a firearm at an officer doesnt allow the opportunity to use all other methods of use of force prior to resorting to their duty weapon. Duty to intervene: All of our officers are trained in a consistent manner. Every January is a refresher training on the use of force continuum and policy. The standard of objectively reasonable is extensively covered. With that said, we have never had a situation where an officer would have needed to intervene. Ironically, the duty to intervene was the first thing that struck home with me personally upon watching the video from Minneapolis. We will be adding this to our use of force policy and our training. Dorney said he anticipates this happening shortly. Ban shooting at moving vehicles: This Forks police do ban. Requires use of force continuum: Forks police do have a use of force continuum and policy. It is a part of the field training program, it is the annual monthly department training every January, and they participate in physical application of skills annually. Requires comprehensive reporting: Forks police do have a use of force report required anytime officers use force however slight. Those reports are reviewed to determine compliance with state and federal law as well as departmental policy. Slate Belt Regional police Chief Jonathon Hoadley is the newest member of the accredited department club, but he knows he still has work to do.Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com Slate Belt Regional Chief Jonathon Hoadleys department achieved accreditation in January. He said Slate Belt is already in compliance with seven of the eight proposed regulations -- with some standard caveats for danger to an officers life. The duty to intervene, which became crystal clear when three officers did nothing to prevent a fourth from kneeling on Floyds neck before he died, still needs to be worked out. While it seems common sense that a fellow officer would step in to stop such abuse, Nowadays, you cant plan for everything, he said. Having that in effect would solidify officer understanding." Its something that I have on the list to look at," he said. Granitz said many of those in command of local departments have had the same extensive training and gone through one of three highly respected leadership programs. He called the 8 Cant Wait proposals solid principles of policing that many police departments have enacted. He tied them to Barack Obamas 2014 executive order that created the Presidents Task Force 21st Century Policing. Allentown police Chief Glenn Granitz understands the value of accreditation for his departnment.Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com Granitz had just come from a meeting with local Black Lives Matters organizers before speaking to lehighvalleylive.com. I think they left feeling good about where we are in terms of policies and procedures, he said. ... It was not an easy thing to get to where were at now. While communication is key, he said, most people are looking for more than words at the moment. And thats why its important the department can prove itself with deeds, he said. These things have been practiced here for some time, he said about the suggested framework. Its not a reaction to the tragedy of George Floyd. But its hard if officials havent explained these things well. That is the challenge, to have meaningful dialogue on this topic so people understand how the department got to this point, he said. Its important people understand. The city at the moment is once again going through its accreditation review, as required every three years, he said. They literally check the doors, he said of the very stressful and exhaustive process. We devote personnel to this to ensure we are meeting these standards here. So hes weighing what more can be done. Its about setting us up for the future, what actions or implementation actions we need to take here, Granitz said. With so many accredited police departments, the Lehigh Valley may be an anomaly when it comes to the rest of the country, he said. Allentown is in a unique spot because weve already put in some work in this area. Scalzo, in Easton, admits he gets fired up and speaks quite quickly when the subject is accreditation. He was an accreditation lieutenant in 2007 and the first years of his tenure as chief from 2012 to 2015 overlapped with the last years of the U.S. Department of Justices decade-long efforts to help straighten out the city department. That relationship ended with praise from the DOJ in a letter Scalzo pulled out of the files to read to lehighvalleylive.com, with the gist being that Easton went above and beyond the agreement, he said. Easton police Chief Carl Scalzo knows success comes from the right polices and procedures as well as hiring and educating the right people.lehighvalleylive.com file photo As he goes point by point through the 8 Cant Wait recommendations -- pointing out that where he would see gray areas such as when an officers life were to be in danger -- its clear after all these years have involved a lot of thought. No, dont shoot at a moving vehicle, unless that vehicle is about to slam into you. Theres training and more training. The new police station on North Fourth Street was built just for that. Theres software and tracking and subsequent reports that can be pushed out to everyone. In a half-hour Scalzo can produce documents to respond to most any challenge of how the department works, he said. Heres the shocking part: From where the department was in 2006, a target for almost anyone who wanted to sue, Scalzo added two statistics of which he is very proud. So far in 2020, there have been no official citizen complaints. A coronavirus quarantine thing? In 2019, there was just one, he said. We handle 35,000 calls a year, he said. The citizen complaint numbers have gone down year after year after year. Some protesters flipped off police officers Sunday, June 7, 2020, in front of Easton City Hall following a Black Lives Matter rally. The event organizer said this small group was unaffiliated with the rally and the gestures do not reflect the opinions of those involved in the rally.Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com Mayor Sal Panto Jr. said in a four-page letter about systemic racism, some protesters in recent weeks had nasty words for Easton police. The chief said he understands, something he requires his officers to do, as well. Were all human. We all deserve that level of respect," he said. Not because they treat us this way. Were doing it, thats how we treat them. ... Treat everybody with respect. The challenges were even more acutely on display in July 2018 when 27-year-old Jeffrey Folkner holed up in a home just off North Seventh Street. He fired a shotgun and threw Molotov cocktails out the window, one of which landed on a police car. He eventually came out carrying a machete. He was Tasered but police didnt fire a gunshot and Falkner was walked to a police vehicle. The officers used their training, shielded themselves from the gunfire and firebombs, worked to create time to negotiate an end to the situation and then, when it came to possible force, chose the non-lethal avenue, Scalzo said. Always praising his officers, he said, We did the things we needed to do to bring that to a resolution. The job is to protect the citizens and if done well, it gives the city the opportunity to grow, Scalzo said. One issue being discussed right now is why officers have to wear so many hats and if theres some way to distribute that load to other professions. Another idea is potentially moving police funding to other needed programs. While the city already funds a number of social programs, Scalzo admits that asking police to be so many things is challenging. The summary -- including social worker, psychologist, first-aid provider and listener, in addition to the safety aspect -- demonstrates how difficult (the job is) and how much is required to be a law enforcement professional, he said, adding whenever necessary they call on experts in those other fields to assist. Were all of those things. They have to go out there every day, Scalzo said of the officers. Whatever that call requires, they have to be that expert. Once everything is safe, it is our job to move it to a trained professional. It shines a light on nature of profession. Men and women of law enforcement ... deserve all the accolades they get. Easton is by no means a perfect department, but Scalzo wants to make sure when an issue arises that it is communicated and addressed. There is regular training on everything from cultural awareness to online activity to anti-bias to minimizing force to anti-harassment to ethics to civil rights to search and seizure, he said. Every officer -- from Scalzo on down to the latest recruit from the academy -- gets at least four hours of training per month, he said. The department has body cameras and cameras in all the cars. We spent a lot of money procuring vessels to collect and track data, he said. You can have all the tracking you want, but it wont matter without these officers. In the end, local police chiefs say they will count on the process, the training and their ability to listen and adjust in an imperfect profession. Out of the ashes we will grow something positive, said Slate Belts chief, Hoadley. Right now were down. This will bear fruit. And well be better in the end. 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. K T Rama Rao, Minister for Municipal Administration & Urban Development, Industries, IT, E&C, Govt of Telangana talks about boosting the economy post COVID-19 "We need to think of scale, we need to think about mega industrial parks. The world's largest pharma cluster in the form of Hyderabad Pharma City will be coming up in Telangana in the next few months. This will reduce dependence on any other market across the world. Telangana is open for business and we are looking for investments in high employment generating sectors like textiles, electronics, life sciences, IT, and we will continue our endeavour to bring more investments. COVID-19 has been a challenge for governments across the world. In a developing nation like India, we will have to ensure that lives and livelihoods are balanced. At the same time, the country by and large cannot afford to shut out economic activities completely." - K T Rama Rao, Minister for Municipal Administration & Urban Development, Industries, IT, E&C, Govt of Telangana They presided over one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British history, in which up to 960 sub-postmasters had their lives ruined after they were wrongly accused of pilfering, fraud and false accounting. Staff were plunged into a Kafka-esque nightmare after money seemed to vanish from their tills. They were pilloried even though the shortfalls were the result of faults in the Post Offices IT system Horizon. Staff were plunged into a Kafka-esque nightmare after money seemed to vanish from their tills Now MPs are calling for Post Office bosses to face criminal prosecutions. The first settlement with sub-postmasters in December resulted in a payout totalling 58million after a lengthy court case. Yet as the scandal unfolded Post Office bosses accumulated wealth, honours and a series of prestigious directorships. Why did they allow the scandal to carry on unfolding in front of their eyes? Here are four bosses with serious questions to answer. The Preacher Name: Paula Vennells Age: 61 Role: Former chief executive Tenure: 2012-2019 Post Office earnings: 4.9m The priest and mother of two sons joined the Post Office as network director in 2007 before becoming chief executive in 2012. By the time she left in 2019, there had been a disastrous High Court battle against sub-postmasters and a series of missed chances to sort out the problem. She landed plum jobs as chairman of he Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and adviser to the Cabinet Office. Mrs Vennells was also made a CBE for services to charity and the Post Office. As a non-executive director at supermarket giant Morrisons, she is paid 89,000-a-year for two or three meetings a month. In September 2019 she was appointed director of homeware retailer Dunelm adding another 51,000-a-year. She lives in a plush detached house near Kempston, Bedfordshire. with husband John, 64, who was a director of a chemical engineering consultancy. As a non-executive director at supermarket giant Morrisons, she is paid 89,000-a-year for two or three meetings a month Mrs Vennells came from what she described as working class Manchester with a father who worked at an engineering firm and a bookkeeper mother. She excelled at the private Manchester High School for Girls and went on to read Russian and French at Bradford University. After a stint as an interpreter, she embarked on a business career with stints at Unilever, Whitbread, LOreal, Dixons and Argos before joining the Post Office in 2007. She said it appealed to her sense of public duty and gave her an opportunity to give back. Mrs Vennells waxed lyrical about how her Christian faith was a driving force. Despite the sub-postmasters scandal, she has won some plaudits for modernising branches and bringing the Post Office back into profit from heavy losses, reducing its reliance on the taxpayer. But her record on the scandal threatens to overshadow all that. On her watch, former sub-postmaster Martin Griffiths, 59, took his life while being hounded for money by the Post Office. And the prosecutions continued right up until 2015 long after widespread doubts about the guilt of staff had surfaced. The pursuit of her own workers persisted throughout her reign despite a mounting body of evidence that the IT system was flawed. In 2011 an official audit report by Ernst and Young, which was sent to Post Office directors, said it has again identified weaknesses in the Horizon IT system. The Post Office did set up a mediation scheme in 2013 to try to make amends, but it failed and MPs labelled it a sham. Then independent investigators, hired in the same year, found phantom losses could have been caused by the IT system. However, two years later Mrs Vennells told a committee of MPs she continued to have confidence in the Horizon system. And in 2017 she approved the decision to fight sub-postmasters who claimed they had been wrongly accused in the High Court. After a series of defeats, her successor settled for 58million last December. Tory peer Lord Arbuthnot, who has campaigned in Parliament on behalf of sub-postmasters for several years, said the whole Post Office board should take responsibility but it starts with Paula Vennells. There have been some consequences for her. In 2018-19 her bonus was cut by 35,000 to 179,000 because of the litigation and its impact on the business. She was dumped from the Cabinet Office in March and ministers have written to the NHS watchdog, the Care Quality Commission, to ask if she is a fit and proper person to head five hospitals. It took until December 2019 before she apologised. But for Mr Griffiths sister, Jayne Caveen, this was too little too late. In response Mrs Vennells said: It was and remains a source of great regret to me that these colleagues and their families were affected over so many years. I am truly sorry we were unable to find both a solution and a resolution outside of litigation and for the distress this caused. The Politician's Wife Name: Alice Perkins Age: 71 Role: Former chairman Tenure: 2011-2015 Earnings: 100,000 a year Alice Perkins, a paid up member of the New Labour aristocracy of the Tony Blair era, was the 100,000 a year chair of the Post Office from 2011 until 2015. She is the second wife of ex-Labour home secretary Jack Straw. They have two adult children. Born and brought up in wealthy Hampstead, north London, she graduated from Oxford in Modern History. Although the problems with Horizon date back to before she joined, she was in charge when alarm bells over the plight of the sub-postmasters were ringing. Alice Perkins, a paid up member of the New Labour aristocracy of the Tony Blair era, was the 100,000 a year chair of the Post Office from 2011 until 2015 She held a meeting in May 2012 where concerns were raised about sub-postmasters. As chairman, she was in a position to have demanded the growing scandal be dealt with properly and to halt any attempts to gloss over it. But instead, she was focused on hiving off the Post Office from the Royal Mail. On her departure, she claimed the Post Office was more capable and confident than when she joined. The sub-postmasters who suffered so much may beg to differ. Miss Perkins could not be reached for comment. Prince of Darkness Name: Tim Parker Age: 64 Job: Post Office chairman Tenure: October 2015-present Post Office earnings: 245,000 In City circles, he is known as the Prince of Darkness for the gusto with which he embarks on job cuts, writes Lucy White. Tim Parker, 64, the current chairman of the Post Office, presided over a restructuring at Clarks Shoes after becoming its chief executive in 1996, during which time 20 factories were closed. Eight years later he became boss of the AA, where he reportedly showed up in a Porsche to sack factory workers. Tim Parker, 64, (left) the current chairman of the Post Office, presided over a restructuring at Clarks Shoes after becoming its chief executive in 1996, during which time 20 factories were closed. Two years into his chairmanship of the Post Office, in 2017, he supported his chief executive in fighting 550 of his former staff through the civil courts using an aggressive legal strategy. That he remains in post as a new chief executive, Nick Read, seeks to repair the Post Offices reputation has raised eyebrows amongst Horizon campaigners. The father of four, said to be worth 247million in the 2018 Sunday Times Rich List, said he was attracted to the Post Office by its strong social purpose. On joining in 2015, he claimed he only needed to work a day and a half per week to turn around the loss-making outfit. He negotiated a 75,000 annual pay package and for at least the past two years has donated his Post Office fees to charity. He saw them reduced to 19,200 last year as he cut his hours further. The businessman went to the 7,000 per term Abingdon School for boys and Oxford University, and was briefly First Deputy Mayor of London under Boris Johnson in 2008. The Post Office has set up a compensation scheme for sub-postmasters. ... and the Dame Name: Dame Moya Greene Age: 65 Role: Chief executive, Royal Mail Tenure: 2010-2018 Post Office earnings: 11.5million Canadian-born Moya Greene was in charge of the Royal Mail for eight years. Although Royal Mail, which delivers letters and parcels, is now separate from the Post Office which runs the network of branches and services her reign included a two-year period when both were part of the same empire. When Dame Moya was in control of the Post Office, the scandal over the sub-postmasters had been bubbling for several years. In 2009, just before she arrived, a group of former sub-postmasters told their story in trade magazine Computer Weekly and cases began to appear in local papers. The BBC reported on one female sub-postmaster, Seema Misra, 44, from Surrey, was pregnant when she was jailed for 15 months in 2010 for stealing 74,000. This week, Dame Moya and her chairman were accused of continuing to prosecute postmasters after directors were told Horizon could be to blame for shortfalls in branch accounts. When Dame Moya was in control of the Post Office, the scandal over the sub-postmasters had been bubbling for several years Warnings included the official audit report by Ernst and Young from 2011, which identified weaknesses in the Horizon system that could lead to... unauthorised or erroneous transactions. But Dame Moya accepted assurances from the bosses of the Post Office that the handling of the cases was all above board. In hindsight, had she insisted on a full investigation, the misery might have been halted years earlier. A year later in 2014, when Paula Vennells still maintained there were no faults in the Horizon system, Dame Moya was named the Sunday Times Business Person of the Year. Dame Moya, who has an adult daughter from her first marriage, wed Dr Roger Springall in 2014 and lives in Fulham, west London. After being approached by the Mail, she made no comment. When approached for comment ahead of publication Horizons architect, Fujitsu, said it was conducting a thorough review. Church is urged to de-frock Post Office priestess The Church of England was last night under pressure to de-frock the part-time priest who was at the heart of the Post Office IT scandal. As a church minister, former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells provides guidance to her congregation. But postmasters, including a church warden, yesterday claimed she had not shown the same moral standards during her tenure at the Post Office. Between 1999 and 2015, hundreds of postmasters were sacked, made bankrupt or wrongly convicted after cash appeared to vanish from their tills. But it was later ruled that shortfalls in the accounts of branches were the result of flaws in the Post Offices IT system called Horizon. Mrs Vennells, 61, ran the company between 2012 and 2019, and questions are being raised as to whether she knew about the flaws at the time and, if so, to what extent. They resulted in hundreds of postmasters being driven into court in a fight that cost the taxpayer 90million. Mrs Vennells went on to land plum roles as an adviser to the Government and chairman of a London NHS trust. The married mother-of-two, who was paid 4.9million during her Post Office tenure, was also made a CBE. She apologised to postmasters in December as a result of coverage in the Mail. Now churchgoers and postmasters have written to the Bishop of St Albans calling for Mrs Vennells to be de-frocked from her ministry in Bedfordshire. Tom Hedges, a church warden and former postmaster, who received a suspended sentence after being accused of stealing 20,000 in 2010, said: It was an absolute nightmare. As Christians, we should always try to forgive, but the apology she gave was couched in a way that did not ring true to me. I really think the bishop should stop her ministry. Andy Furey, of the Communications Workers Union, which represents some postmasters, said: Our members will find it hypocritical that, in her role as a priest, she is still trusted with providing guidance to her congregation, when she did not apply those moral standards when dealing with the victims and their families. The Bishop of St Albans, Dr Alan Smith, said: My view, taken following legal advice, is that I cannot simply impute to Mrs Vennells all of the failures found to have been committed by Post Office Ltd. There is also growing pressure at the heart of Government for Mrs Vennells to be removed from her role as chairman of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. A senior minister said: Its outrageous. It just looks like rewards for failure. In March Mrs Vennells was dumped as an adviser to the Cabinet Office amid fears the scandal was becoming toxic for No 10. Last week MPs called for Post Office bosses to face criminal prosecutions. Mrs Vennells is accused of ignoring a 2013 report which found phantom losses in postmasters accounts could have been caused by the IT system. In 2017 she decided to fight 550 postmasters in civil courts, which cost 32million in legal fees. In December the Post Office settled for 58million. Separately the cases of 47 postmasters convicted of theft, false accounting and fraud have been sent to the Court of Appeal, and 14 more are under review. A further 900 cases could follow. A longtime Jacksonville public servant and committed member of the Jacksonville community known for being a problem solver and for the comforting meals she cooked died Friday. Authorities have confirmed the death of Morgan County Treasurer Jenny Geirnaeirt in a single-car accident Friday morning. Geirnaeirt, 49, died at the scene of the accident about 6:30 a.m. Friday at Old State Road and Wallbaum Lane, according to Morgan County Coroner Marcy Patterson. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Jenny, Patterson said. This is a tremendous loss to their family and our entire community. A lifelong Jacksonville resident, Geirnaeirt was appointed Morgan County treasurer in 2015 when previous treasurer Gayla Hornbeek retired. She was re-elected in 2018. Prior to becoming treasurer, Geirnaeirt served as a Ward 4 alderman from 2009 to 2015. Last year, she won the Illinois County Treasurer of the Year award for Zone 2 from the Illinois Treasurers Association. Geirnaeirt also served as legislative director for state Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer. She operated Davidsmeyers Jacksonville office and also had served under former state Rep. Jim Watson. Geirnaeirt had several other roles in the community, including involvement with the Routt/Our Saviour Dreams Committee, Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, the Strawn Art Gallery and the Beaux Arts Ball. City and county officials who knew and worked with Geirnaeirt remember her as a hard worker who was full of life with a strong dedication to her friends and family. Jacksonville Mayor Andy Ezard said Geirnaeirt was one of his best friends who he would talk to daily. Ezard has known Geirnaeirt since they were teenagers and recalled how quickly she would come to comfort people with a cooked meal. If anyone was going through a hard time she would cook for them, Ezard said. If you needed someone to have a beer with theres Jenny. Coworkers in the county praised Geirnaeirt for always being willing work through any issue that came her way and for helping to make the county courthouse more efficient any way she could. She was a dear friend above all else, Morgan County Chairman Bradley Zeller said. Morgan County Vice Chairman Ginny Fanning said Geirnaeirt was a go-to gal for members of the community who had problems with which they needed help. She brought a spark to every situation, Fanning said, She was such a joy to be around. Im saddened by the tragic death of Jenny Geirnaeirt today. My heart goes out to Jennys family and all of her many friends, State Senator Steve McClure said. She was a great person, dedicated mother, and tremendous public servant. I hope her memory will serve as an inspiration for a life of service to family and community. Those who knew her agreed Geirnaeirts unexpected death would be felt by the whole community. Its just not going to be the same as life goes on, Ezard said. It really stings when you talk to someone daily and youre not going to be able to talk to them anymore. Geirnaeirt is survived by her husband, Terry, and her three children, Grace, Lilly and Owen. The Morgan County Coroners Office and the Morgan County Sheriffs Department are continuing the investigation into the crash. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Donald Trump attempted to solidify his bond with the US army on Saturday, delivering the graduation speech to cadets at the United States Military Academy and boasting of a colossal $2tn rebuilding of American martial might. Related: Top US military general Mark Milley apologizes for Trump church photo-op Trumps West Point speech was studiously vapid, with only a modicum of partisan boasting. But the political setting crackled with civil-military tension. When all else fails and that has happened a lot the president has embraced the flag and hugged the military. But these days the military is not hugging back. It stands to attention as duty demands, but as inertly as Old Glory, the banner which Trump has taken to fondling at public events. The president likes to refer to the soldiers around him as my generals and my military. The possessive pronoun always jarred with the spirit of civ-mil rectitude, even before it became evident how literally Trump interpreted it. Saturdays ceremony at West Point was the embodiment of the presidents approach. More than a thousand cadets from the class of 2020 were called back from their homes to the campus, 50 miles north of New York City, despite the coronavirus pandemic, so Trump could give a televised speech. Fifteen cadets tested positive. The rest had to quarantine for two weeks. The whole show was widely disparaged as stage dressing for Trumps re-election campaign, days after the president crossed a line in the exploitation of military leaders as props. What we have here is an effort to use the military to partisan advantage Risa Brooks On 1 June, the president had the area around the White House cleared of peaceful demonstrators who were protesting police killings of black Americans. Teargas and other chemical irritants were used as well as rubber bullets, baton charges and mounted police, all so Trump could walk across Lafayette Square to pose with a Bible in front of St Johns, the so-called church of the presidents. Story continues In his entourage were the defense secretary, Mark Esper, and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen Mark Milley, the latter dressed in battle fatigues. In the presence of scores of soldiers from the national guard, it certainly looked like Trumps suppression of peaceful protests was a military operation, in violation of norms that have underpinned US military conduct for a century and a half. Trump planned to go much further, invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act to deploy an elite combat unit from the 82nd Airborne on the streets of the capital. What we have here is an effort to use the military to partisan advantage to the point of potentially putting troops in the streets to confront protesters [and] to present himself as the law and order president, which is a concept with pretty historical racial overtones, said Risa Brooks, professor of political science at Marquette University. As the full impact of the photo op debacle dawned, Esper and Milley slammed on the brakes. Esper reportedly came close to being fired, by opposing the use of the Insurrection Act and ordering the 82nd Airborne home. The former army officer and arms trade lobbyist pleaded cluelessness, saying he had no idea he was being roped into a photo op at St Johns. This week, in a video address to the National Defense University, Milley apologised for his presence, saying it had been a mistake. In an administration for which absolute personal loyalty is everything, the longevity in office of both men seemed to be in question. They are facing powerful countervailing winds. A string of retired generals denounced Trumps behaviour. James Mattis, the marine commander who was Trumps first defense secretary, accused him of abuse of executive authority and making a mockery of the constitution. Ahead of the West Point ceremony, hundreds of its graduates wrote to the class of 2020. We are concerned that fellow graduates serving in senior-level, public positions are failing to uphold their oath of office and their commitment to Duty, Honor, Country, the open letter said, in a reference to Esper, class of 1986. Their actions threaten the credibility of an apolitical military. Donald Trump departs the White House on 1 June, with Mark Esper and Gen Mark Milley to his left. Photograph: Patrick Semansky/AP Peter Bergen, director of international security at the New America thinktank, and author of Trump and His Generals: The Cost of Chaos, said: I think this is the biggest split between the military and the civilian leadership. I cant recall a time where there was more of a fissure. A very delicate position Such tremors under the pillars of the republic have been amplified by racial tensions, the restless fault line in US society and politics. The US armed forces reflect the diversity of the nation far more than other institutions. Amid protests over the killing of George Floyd, black officers who posted emotional videos expressing the agonies of bearing witness to systemic racism were backed by the top brass. The protest movement also gave new impetus to attempts to do away with symbols of the Confederacy. The navy and marine corps banned displays of the Confederate flag and the army has been taking steps to review whether 10 of its bases should be named after Confederate officers. Senior military leaders want to talk about how important it is for the American military to be anti-racist. Alice Hunt Friend Alice Hunt Friend, a former senior Pentagon policy official now at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said: Senior military leaders, both active and retired, are in a very delicate position because they want to maintain their nonpartisanship but they also want to talk about how important it is for the American military to be anti-racist. The widening gap between racially sensitive armed services and a presidency that draws significant support from white nationalists became vividly apparent this week. On Monday, the Pentagon indicated that Esper was considering changes to bases named for Confederate generals. On Wednesday, Trump decreed by tweet: My Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations. Our history as the Greatest Nation in the World will not be tampered with, he declared. Respect our Military! Respect for the military is a powerful drug in US politics. It has retained the confidence of an overwhelming majority of an electorate largely contemptuous of other institutions. The endorsement of seasoned flag officers is enthusiastically sought at election time, though the actual electoral benefits appear to be marginal. Trump surrounded himself with generals at the start of his tenure. They have all since fled and are now either critical or silent. Related: Biden predicts military will intervene if Trump refuses to accept election loss The president is their commander-in-chief, but their loyalty is to the constitution. They must obey every order Trump gives them, as long as it is legal. In admitting he had been led into crossing that line, Gen Milley signalled he was on guard to stop it happening again. But that can be a hard judgment to make. What happens, say in October, if Trump is behind in the polls and wants to conjure up a military adventure abroad or a show of strength on US streets? In October 2018, the army went along with an order to send hundreds of troops to the Mexican border, a couple of weeks before the midterm elections, a move that allowed the president to claim he was taking strong action on immigration. There is no way that the senior military leaders are not having a host of really difficult conversations among themselves about what the next six months or so will look like, about what they might be asked to do, and what would be appropriate to do, said Mara Karlin, former assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development, now director of strategic studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. I think its going to be a really bumpy few months. The son of American media magnate Shari Redstone was deported from Israel on Friday for violating the country's coronavirus quarantine rules while paying a secret visit to his 18-year-old model girlfriend. Israels Population and Immigration Authority said it had granted Brandon Korff an exceptional permit to enter the country on Friday to visit his brother, who is serving in the Israeli military. It said Korff 'violated the isolation orders from the moment he entered the country and met his Israeli partner' and 'stayed with her in the same apartment.' Brandon Korff (pictured) was deported from Israel on Friday after officials said he violated coronavirus quarantine orders It said Korff, son of the chairwoman of ViacomCBS, was ordered to leave the country immediately. In March, Israel implemented a 14-day quarantine rule for anyone arriving to the country amid the corornavirus pandemic. Visitors must also undergo a health screening. As of March 18, only citizens and permanent residents of Israel would be allowed to enter the country, with some exceptions for 'non-nationals whose lives are based in Israel.' Korff is the son of Shari Redstone (right), ViacomCBS chairwoman Shari Redstone, and Yitzhak Aharon Korff Korff is dating 18-year-old model Yael Shelbia (pictured), who has done work for Kim Kardashian's KKW Beauty and Israeli clothing company Renuar Korff (right) reportedly ignored Israel's mandated 14-day quarantine rules to visit his girlfriend Shelbia (left) at her apartment Neither Shelbia (left) nor Korff have publicly spoken about the incident yet. The Redstone family also did not release an official statement As of Sunday, Israel has recorded around 19,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and a death toll of 300. Israel's pandemic numbers are dwarfed by the United States, which recently surpassed two million cases and amassed 115,586 deaths. The statement did not identify the partner, but Korff, who is in his mid-30s, is dating Israeli model Yael Shelbia. The 18-year-old model, who is doing compulsory military service, has appeared in campaigns for Israeli clothing company Renuar and Kim Kardashian's KKW Beauty makeup line. Pictured: Korff and Shelbia posed together for an Instagram photo earlier this year before his deportation Neither Korff nor Shelbia have spoken out about the incident publicly. Last week, Israels deputy director of the Health Ministry came under fire after an Israeli billionaire businessman was granted an exemption from the isolation orders. In a 2016 article from Wall Street Journal, it said Korff was a managing partner at real-estate developer Panoply Properties. He became a director for National Amusements, a privately owned theater and mass media company that oversees ViacomCBS. Shari Redstone, the daughter of media mogul Sumner Redstone, was named chairwoman in 2019. Forbes reports that she's the first woman to have such a massive stake in the company, which is a $30billion empire. She was responsible to facilitating a $12billion merger deal between CBS corp. and Viacom Inc. As part of its ongoing efforts to support UAE businesses during the ongoing COVID-19 situation, Emirates Islamic, one of the leading Islamic financial institutions in the UAE, is offering Business Banking debit cards free of charge to eligible SME clients. Emirates Islamics Business Banking debit card offers an alternative channel to customers seeking access to cash and supports their ongoing cash flow requirements. SME clients will have access to their accounts through the network of Emirates Islamics ATMs and CDMs. The debit cards will be issued free of charge to eligible business banking customers, and in partnership with Visa, accepted at millions of locations worldwide for retail and online purchases. To enable secure payments on the go, the card can be added to mobile wallets such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay. To protect clients further, Emirates Islamics Business Banking debit card also offers warranty and purchase protection for lost, damaged and stolen goods. We remain committed to supporting UAE SME businesses and the economy during this difficult time by developing innovative products and services that address their challenges while ensuring that customer excellence remains at the heart of our proposition, said Wasim Saifi, Deputy CEO at Emirates Islamic. Our Business Banking debit card offers SME clients, including LLCs, a convenient way to manage their business expenses efficiently, providing them a seamless, digital alternative to withdraw cash, added Syed Ghazanfar Naqvi, Head of Business Banking at Emirates Islamic. In 2019, Emirates Islamic was named Best SME Bank at the Enterprise Agility Awards, presented by du, in recognition of its innovative and business-friendly proposition for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and its status as a preferred bank for UAE national entrepreneurs seeking Sharia-compliant products and services for their businesses. Emirates Islamic currently supports the banking needs of more than 46,000 UAE-based SMEs, and its Business Banking segment saw double-digit growth in 2019. -- Tradearabia News Service Indias tally of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) reached beyond 3.2 lakh on Sunday after nearly 12,000 new cases and 311 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, according to the Union health ministry. The number of active Covid-19 cases now stands at 149,348 and the death toll is at 9,195 so far, taking Indias tally to 320,922, according to the health ministrys dashboard. On June 1, there were 190,387 infections and 5,394 deaths, indicating that Covid-19 cases and fatalities have nearly doubled in two weeks. Also read: As Covid-19 cases spike in Delhi, Amit Shah to meet Arvind Kejriwal today As the cases have surged, the number of recoveries have shown improvement with 162,378 or 50.59% of people discharged from hospital, data shows. Globally, 7.7 million people have contracted Covid-19 and 429,666 people have died, according to Americas Johns Hopkins University. The Covid-19 situation in Indias major cities, including Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Thane, Ahmedabad and Indore, have worsened, prompting the government to take additional steps to ramp up its fight against the pandemic. A statement from the Prime Ministers office said testing, as well as the number of beds and services, will be augmented to effectively handle the peak surge of daily cases in all these hotspots of the viral pandemic. It came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan, NITI Aayog member Vinod Paul and key officials in charge of the various empowered groups managing various facets of Indias response to the pandemic met on Saturday. Also read: How Mumbais Dharavi chased Covid-19 has lessons for other developing nations On Saturday, Delhi added 2,134 new cases, the second-highest number of cases it has added in a 24-hour periodthe highest was on Friday at 2,137and Chennai, 1989, the highest the city has added in a day. Shah will meet with Kejriwal to discuss the situation in Delhi on Sunday. The Prime Minister is scheduled to meet with chief ministers on June 16 and 17, with the second day reserved for meetings with the chief ministers of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and a few other states that are seeing a sharp rise in the number of cases. The Union health ministry has revised its clinical management protocol for Covid-19 to include loss of smell, taste along with fever, cough, sore throat and shortness of breath as symptoms of the coronavirus disease. Muscle pain, diarrhoea, expectoration (coughing up phlegm), and fatigue have also been added to the protocol released on Saturday. Older people and immune-suppressed patients, in particular, may present with atypical symptoms such as fatigue, reduced alertness, reduced mobility, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, delirium, and absence of fever. Children might not have reported fever or cough as frequently as adults, says the revised document, a copy of which HT has seen. A health ministry official underlined that fresh evidence keeps emerging daily. The ministry is constantly reviewing the evidence to update its protocols. The current one is being released today [Saturday] based on the latest information available on the disease, said the official. The health ministry has also recommended the use of antiviral drug remdesivir in moderate stages of a Covid-19 while changing its earlier stance on hydroxychloroquine, saying the anti-malarial drug should be used in the early course of the disease and not on critically ill patients. In its revised Clinical Management Protocols for COVID-19 the ministry dropped the use of azithromycin in combination with HCQ in severe cases. HCQ has demonstrated in-vitro activity against Sars-CoV-2, the virus which causes Covid-19, and was shown to be clinically beneficial in several small single-centre studies though, with significant limitations, it stated. A tanker truck has exploded in southeast China, killing 19 people and injuring a further 172, according to state-run media outlet, Peoples Daily. The truck carrying liquefied gas exploded around 4:45 p.m. on the Shenyang-Haikou Expressway south of Shanghai in Zhejiang province, the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing local authorities. The blast sent flames and a cloud of smoke high into the sky, state-media pictures showed. The explosion caused extensive damage to nearby buildings. One photo showed firefighters hosing down a row of buildings with blown-out facades well into the night. In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, firefighters work at the site of buildings damaged after a tanker truck explosion on a highway in Wenling. Source: AP A second explosion followed when the truck fell onto a factory workshop, Xinhua News Agency said, citing local authorities. The Wenling city government information office said on its social media account that houses and workshops collapsed and nearly 200 people were treated at six hospitals. A worker at a nearby restaurant told Xinhua that the blast shattered the windows of her home, but that her mother and brother were unharmed, according to the Associated Press. According to the Global Times, more than 2600 rescue workers and 150 vehicles were deployed to the site for the rescue operation. While the vehicle was found, the driver and a passenger are still missing, the Global Times reported. The cause of the accident is under investigation, media said. With Reuters and 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. (CNN) Lesotho's ex-prime minister Thomas Thabane and his wife paid a local criminal gang to kill his estranged wife three years ago, according to recently released court documents. Thabane ordered the hit on Lipolelo Thabane to allow his current wife Maesaiah to become the first lady, Lesotho police commissioner Paseka Mokete said in an affidavit. Lipolelo Thabane was fatally shot by gunmen near her home in the capital Maseru in June 2017. She was negotiating a divorce from Thabane before her death. The documents state that the prime minister and his wife allegedly met with the head of a gang and promised them $177,000 and jobs to kill Lipolelo before his inauguration as prime minister, police said in the affidavit. Thabane also shared his ex-wife's home address with her killers and they started monitoring Lipolelo's movement, police said. They attempted to kill Lipolelo on 12 June but failed and she reported the incident to the police, according to Mokete. They then waylaid and killed Lipolelo two days later on her way from a meeting with an unnamed intermediary, who is now a state witness. The intermediary was negotiating a truce between the two women in Ficksburg, a small town in neighboring South Africa, according to the affidavit. Thabane married his current wife Maesaiah two months after Lipolelo was killed. Maesaiah has been charged with Lipolelo's murder and the attempted murder of another woman, who was with the former first lady when she was killed. The former prime minister has not been charged despite attempts by police to prosecute him. His lawyers have argued that he has immunity because of his position. Thabane stepped down from office in May following months of pressure from his party to resign over his alleged involvement in the case. He will be charged with murder now he is no longer in power, Mokete said. Police re-arrested Maesaiah last week and her previous bail was revoked over technical issues. The court ordered a fresh bail application and said a different judge must hear the case. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Lesotho former PM and wife paid criminal gang to execute his estranged wife, court papers say." Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 22:32:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Brunei reported no new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday with the national tally of cases standing at 141. It marked the 38th consecutive day without new cases since May 7. According to Brunei's Ministry of Health, no more recoveries were recorded on Sunday, keeping the total number of recovered cases at 138. Some 67 individuals are currently undergoing quarantine and a total of 2,756 individuals have completed their quarantine. The ministry added that only one active case is still receiving treatment at the National Isolation Center, who is in still critical condition, requiring Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) and respiratory assistance. There have been two deaths resulted from COVID-19 in Brunei. Enditem The spread of the novel coronavirus has impacted the entire global economy, devastating economic sectors from foodservice and hospitality to energy. In response to this economically fraught moment as we linger on the precipice of a yearslong recession, some developing countries are taking a politically perilous task by removing limits and subsidies on gas and electricity prices. Energy subsidies are particularly important in developing countries with less robust social service programs and tax systems since they are an easy way to provide an impoverished populace with more access to essentials like affordable electricity and fuel. Removing these subsidies now could be a short-sighted solution with harsh implications for the future. Governments are caught in a dilemma, Jim Krane, an energy expert at Rice University told the New York Times. Do they want to protect the poor who may have lost their jobs and incomes, or do they want to take action against the pernicious long-term cost to their budgets? This week the New York Times compiled a list of some of the notable examples of developing countries that are taking part in the subsidies-slashing trend: Nigeria and Tunisia have lowered fuel subsidies in recent weeks, and India has raised taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel. Sudanese officials plan to replace some subsidies with direct cash payments to the poor. Venezuela, where the economy was collapsing before the pandemic, has partly reversed decades of gasoline subsidies. And the state-owned electric utility in Dubai is seeking to raise rates for the first time in a generation. Related: OPEC+ Panel To Discuss Compliance With Oil Production Cuts But so far these leaders are not receiving the political backlash for these decisions that they would likely receive in less extraordinary times. There are a few reasons for this. A large part of the reason that the removal of fuel price subsidies hasnt been met with outrage is that fuel prices are shockingly low. Globally, oil prices still have not yet recovered from the massive oil price crash that took place at the end of April, when the West Texas Intermediate crude benchmark plunged to nearly $40 a barrel below zero, and it looked like Brent could be soon to follow. One factor that led to the massive downturn in oil prices, low demand for oil, also persists, as driving, flying and industrial activity have dropped off sharply. Story continues Just because there hasnt been backlash yet, however, certainly does not mean that its not coming, and coming soon. Industry experts are in dispute about when energy markets will bounce back, but the consensus is that they will do so, and the effects of the easing of energy subsidies and price limits will be felt sharply. Energy subsidies are often taken for granted outside the halls of power, reports the New York Times. But they constitute vital policy choices that weigh on government budgets and economic development. When energy prices do recover, however, and the populace in these developing countries are faced with rising and inaccessible prices for essentials like cooking oil and petroleum, these governments are looking at potentially severe social unrest. Any price increase hurts people earning subsistence wages, warns the New York Times. And cuts in subsidies have prompted political protests, riots and strikes from Iran to Indonesia. There are, however, plenty of detractors to the idea of energy and fuel subsidies, and economists at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have long advised countries to ease off these subsidies. One critique is that these policy measures dont, in fact, do much of anything to help the poor that they claim to protect, but instead are a boon to higher-earning families who own cars and have electricity in their houses and are therefore more affected by the targets of the subsidies. Furthermore, these measures can be seen as political populism, a flag waved by politicians and activists to win votes. The money devoted to these measures also takes money away from other government initiatives like social services, healthcare, and education, and experts say government spending on fuel and electricity makes it harder for officials to spend on health care and education. It also encourages people to use more energy than they need, increasing air pollution and traffic congestion. While there are many good arguments for getting rid of energy subsidies in developing countries, once they are in place, it is politically fraught to take them away. And doing so on the eve of a yearslong recession, with soaring rates of unemployment and civil unrest, seems like a particularly risky move. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Read this article on OilPrice.com By West Kentucky Star Staff Jun. 12, 2020 | 07:17 PM | KENTUCKY Many Kentuckians are getting back outdoors to enjoy Kentucky's lakes and streams all across the state. In light of the great weather, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife warns Kentuckians that a fun day swimming or boating can turn tragic quickly. Kentucky's waterways have been the site for twelve drownings since the start of the Memorial Day holiday weekend. The victims ranged from 17-years-old to 52-years-old. All of which were men, and the majority under 30-years-old. The department urges everyone to wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved lifejacket while boating. Children under the age of 12 must wear a lifejacket while in the open portion of a boat that is underway. Inflatable lifejackets are a viable option for people concerned with comfort. "Swimming in a lake or jumping into a stream is much different from swimming in a pool," Commissioner Rich Storm said. "There is often debris and logs that can entrap or injure you. The bottom can drop off sharply. The water can be cold and the current deceptively swift. Fatigue can set in quickly. It's critical to know your abilities as a swimmer and do not take any chances." The American Red Cross provided the following guidelines to ensure your fun in the sun remains safe: Have young children or inexperienced swimmers wear approved life jackets around the water. Don't swim alone. In the event of an emergency, do not go in because you could become a victim yourself. Instead, reach or throw an object to the person in trouble. Supervise children around water and avoid distractions. Stay within arm's reach of young children. In group situations, designated a water watcher whose sole responsibility is to oversee the activity in the water. Swimming anywhere near a lock and dam can be extremely dangerous because of the unpredictable water levels rrents. Lifejackets must be worn when boating in hazardous areas near dams. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife is reminding Kentuckians to play it safe in Kentucky's waterways. NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP >> Newtown Township will be applying for federal funding to bolster its career firefighting force. And its crossing its fingers and hoping the third times a charm. At its Jan. 12 meeting, the board of supervisors voted unanimously to resubmit its SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant application to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to... Cam Gillespie had been sentenced to death in China Australia on Sunday described as "deeply disheartening" a death sentence China imposed on an Australian man accused of drug smuggling, and the trade minister said it shouldn't be linked to ongoing friction over trade and the pandemic. Cam Gillespie was arrested in 2013 at Baiyun Airport in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on charges of attempting to board an international flight with more than 7.5 kilograms (16.5 pounds) of methamphetamine in his check-in luggage. The Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court on Saturday announced Gillespie had been sentenced to death and ordered the confiscation of all of his personal property. Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was "deeply saddened to hear of the verdict". "Australia opposes the death penalty, in all circumstances for all people," it said. "We support the universal abolition of the death penalty and are committed to pursuing this goal through all the avenues available to us." Trade Minister Simon Birmingham called the sentence "distressing" but said it shouldn't necessarily be linked to disputes between China and Australia. "This is very distressing for Mr Gillespie and his loved ones and our government will continue to provided consular assistance," Mr Birmingham told Sky News Sunday. "This is a reminder to all Australians ... that Australian laws don't apply overseas, that other countries have much harsher penalties, particularly in relation to matters such as drug trafficking." Australia has led calls for an inquiry into China's handling of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan. In response China, Australia's largest trading partner, has imposed some new restrictions on Australian exports and issued travel warnings to Chinese students planning to study in Australia, citing racism. Gillespie has 10 days to appeal his sentence. There is still a little bit of hope Madeleine McCann may be alive, the German prosecutor investigating her disappearance has admitted despite previously claiming there was evidence she was dead. Hans Christian Wolters on Monday said prosecutors had some evidence Madeleine was dead but not enough for a trial. But in a U-turn just five days later he has backtracked on that comment, saying there is no forensic proof to support his claim. Mr Wolters told the Sunday Mirror he did not realise it was so important to the British public when he said police were working on the assumption Madeleine was dead. Because there is no forensic evidence there may be a little bit of hope [that she is alive], the spokesperson for the Braunschweig public prosecutors office told the paper. We dont want to kill the hope and because there is no forensic evidence it may be theoretically possible. I know its important for the British people when I say she is dead, but I did not know it was so important. The probe into Madeleines disappearance from Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007 has been thrust back into the limelight after authorities announced they were investigating a 43-year-old convicted German paedophile. The suspect, who is currently serving a prison sentence, has been named in reports as Christian Brueckner. Handout picture taken in 2018 shows German Christian Brueckner when he was arrested for drug trafficking in Italy. (Italian Carabinieri) Brueckner is known to have lived on the Algarve coast between 1995 and 2007 and his Portuguese mobile phone received a 30-minute phone call in Praia da Luz about an hour before Madeleine, then three, vanished from her familys holiday apartment on 3 May 2007. Madeleines mother Kate went to check on her during a meal with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant but found the window open and her oldest daughter missing from her bed. Speaking to The Sunday Times, Mr Wolters said prosecutors were investigating whether a hotel employee may have helped the suspect target the McCanns apartment knowing they were out at a restaurant. There is no suggestion the member of staff knew about Madeleines kidnap in advance, and Mr Wolters said: The phone call made by the suspect could be between him and a member of staff who told him when to break into the McCanns apartment. Hans Christian Wolters, spokesman for the public prosecutor's office in Braunschweig, Germany, addresses the media during a press conference on the Madeleine McCann case, 4 June 2020. (Martin Meissner/AP) He added that police had not interviewed Brueckner about Madeleines murder at the time as they had not traced the person who called him. Mr Wolters told the paper: The person he spoke to could put the phone in his hand [by confirming it was Brueckner to whom he spoke], which would mean he was in the area at the time. This is the evidence we want before we issue an arrest warrant and then interview him for the murder. It would help the case against him but we would also need more evidence. Scotland Yard said it received nearly 400 tips to its Operation Grange team in the days after the renewed appeal. Operation Grange refers to the forces active investigation, which is still classed as a missing person inquiry because there is no definitive evidence whether Madeleine is alive or dead, a police spokesman said. Additional reporting by PA Students at the school will learn from home until June 24 following the diagnosis Rugby Commission chairman Peter V'landys said players' health comes first Tolman has undergone an urgent test, with the NRL expecting results by midday The Bulldogs v Roosters game has now been moved to 7pm on Monday A teacher at the school in Sydney's south tested positive to coronavirus Sunday's NRL game between the Bulldogs and the Roosters has been postponed to tomorrow over a coronavirus scare. Canterbury forward Aiden Tolman's children attend Laguna Street primary school, in Sydney's south, where a teacher has tested positive to COVID-19. Tolman has undergone an urgent coronavirus test, with the NRL expecting results by lunchtime on Sunday. 'We're rapidly testing that player (Tolman) as we speak. We believe the risk is minimal, but we're not going to take the risk,' ARL Commission chairman Peter V'landys said. 'The message is we're not taking any risk with our players, or the community. Even though the risk is very low, the risk is not worth taking.' Canterbury star Aiden Tolman's (pictured) children attend Laguna Street primary school, in Sydney's south, where a teacher has tested positive to coronavirus Tolman has undergone an urgent coronavirus test, with the NRL expecting results by lunchtime on Sunday. Pictured with wife Zarinah All 455 school students have been deemed close contacts of the employee and should start self-isolating. Pictured: Laguna Street primary school in Caringbah The Bulldogs v Roosters game has now been moved to 7pm on Monday, while Sunday's St George Illawarra v Cronulla match at Campbelltown has been brought forward to start at 4pm instead of 6pm. At this stage Tolman is the only Canterbury player being tested, given if he returns a negative result there is no risk to any other teammate. The match is the first to be affected by the virus since the NRL's resumption last month. Students at the school will learn from home until June 24 following the diagnosis, according to the NSW education department. All 455 school students have been deemed close contacts of the employee and should start self-isolating, a statement from the department said on Saturday night. 'The staff member has had contact with most students at the school during the period they may have been infectious,' the statement said. New South Wales Department of Education Deputy Secretary Murat Dizdar said the school's principal notified parents on Saturday. 'The Department of Education discussed this case in detail with NSW Health on Saturday afternoon,' he said. 'We have communicated through our principal with the school community on Saturday evening of our decision to cease operation of on-site learning at the school up until June 24.' Mr Dizdar said at-home learning would be provided for students. Further details will be provided to parents tomorrow. It comes after a staff member at Rose Bay Public School in Sydney's eastern suburbs was confirmed on Friday to have tested positive for coronavirus. The Rose Bay case was one of four confirmed in the 24-hour reporting period to Friday night, along with a locally-acquired case still under investigation. The locally-acquired case - a man in his twenties - brought an end to the state's streak of having no community-transmitted infections recorded for more than two weeks. He's not believed to have attended any recent protest or mass gathering, NSW Health says. There have now been 3120 cases of coronavirus in NSW, with 47 people being treated as of Saturday. None are in intensive care. Our NHS doctors and nurses are no strangers to dealing with death. But even the most highly trained staff are feeling broken by the toll of the pandemic. Anna Moore hears their harrowing stories and asks how they will cope with the emotional fallout For trainee anaesthetist Dr Maddie Wells, the frightening part was dealing with uncertainty and feelings of dread For Abi Carr*, 45, a senior intensive care unit (ICU) nurse in Buckinghamshire, theres a Covid-19 patient shell never forget. A woman in her 60s, she had two sons like me, says Abi. She came in struggling to breathe, so exhausted she wanted to die. The woman was first given CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) a tight-fitting mask that floods the body with oxygen. She was very sick and I fought hard to have her ventilated. When a consultant finally agreed, she arrested and died while it was being done. Did I do the right thing? Should I have pushed harder so it was done sooner? I still wake at 3am thinking about that lady. Shell be with me for ever. For 31-year-old Dr Maddie Wells, a trainee anaesthetist in an ICU in Central London, the patient who stays in her mind is young like her. She is a new mother, but is yet to see her baby instead she is sedated and on a ventilator, fighting Covid-19. Thankfully, says Dr Wells, she is now doing well. Its like stepping into a sci-fi movie. You adapt but the strangeness never leaves For Dr Emily Kelly, 38, an ICU consultant in the East of England, the phone calls to relatives remain her darkest memories. Theres no substitute for sitting down face to face with a family and talking through what might happen to a patient, carving a relationship over time, she says. Phone calls dont cut it. Since Covid, Ive phoned complete strangers and told them their mother or father has died. Ive called an elderly man and given him the news that his son has died. I remember hearing his wife faintly in the background, trying to figure out what was going on. Ive lost count of the number of phone calls that have culminated in the person on the end of the line asking in disbelief, So Ill never see their face again? While the number of Covid cases continue to drop and most of us welcome the easing of lockdown, critical care staff are left with a head full of memories like these. Although they have always worked under pressure, the past few months have been, as Dr Wells puts it, pressure-cooker pressure. And though the death rate in critical care has always been higher than most areas of medicine, with Covid it has doubled to one in two. Im used to death, but Ive not known it in these numbers before, says Dr Kelly. Less than half the patients I placed on mechanical ventilation have survived. Ive looked after multiple members of the same family, and you cant help begging the universe for some sort of pity when youre treating the relative of someone whose death you witnessed not so long before. This volume of trauma and tragedy is new to us. Add to this a whole range of extra challenges: a new disease we dont yet fully understand; extraordinary hours; colleagues off sick, perhaps seriously ill themselves; layers of PPE to slow you, make you sweat buckets and separate you from colleagues and patients. Then after work come the lockdown rules. Dr Wells and Dr Kelly, who both live alone, return to empty homes. Old coping mechanisms such as meeting friends or hitting the gym are no longer possible. Others, like nurse Abi Carr, a wife and mother of two teenage boys, have lived with the daily dread of bringing the disease back to their families. I leave my shoes in the porch then go straight up to our loft room, shower and wash my hair before I see anyone, she says. My husband doesnt sleep there any more hes in our sons room. No ones allowed at the top of the house except me. Its like a contaminated area. Consultant clinical psychologist Dr Julie Highfield: the number of critical care staff self-referring to her tripled in the crisis For all these reasons, the national charity the Intensive Care Society (ICS) has launched an urgent appeal in order to fund specially tailored psychological support for the UKs critical care workers. Dr Ganesh Suntharalingam, ICS president and himself an intensive care consultant, believes this has never been more vital. Everybody fears a second wave of the virus, he says, but we also need to worry about the real possibility of a second epidemic of burnout and post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD] in the people we need to look after us. When staff were in the midst of it, everyone threw themselves into work and found ways to cope. Its when things go quieter and youre on your own that it can hit. Thats when critical care workers might ask if they want to do this all over again in a few months time and, with the best will in the world, they could be too exhausted. I still wake at 3am thinking about that patient. Shell be with me for ever Dr Julie Highfield agrees. As a consultant clinical psychologist embedded in Cardiff Critical Care, her job is to allocate half her time to supporting patients and the other half to supporting staff. Its an unusual role. Only one in five UK hospitals has a psychologist dedicated to intensive care, and most are there for patients. In recent months, the number of staff self-referring to Dr Highfield for therapy has tripled. Studies of healthcare workers in previous pandemics such as Sars and ebola found almost one in four suffered PTSD, while one in three suffered psychological problems such as depression and anxiety. According to Dr Highfield, critical care in pandemics typically moves through three phases: preparation, active phase and recovery. Each brings separate psychological pressures for staff. The preparation phase is when people are urgently planning for the unknown with limited time and resources, she says. For staff, it was a logistical nightmare: repurposing beds, redeploying personnel, creating isolated areas where you can contain a virus. Theres a lot of uncertainty. Its very high stress. For Dr Wells, who had only joined the critical care unit in February, this was the most frightening point of all: Seeing it play out in other countries before it arrived in the UK, everyone talking about it and not knowing what would happen, dealing with the uncertainty and feelings of dread. Dr Suntharalingam vividly recalls the first time he entered his hospitals hastily created expansion area for Covid patients. You know about it, he says, youve heard all the planning, but the first time you put on PPE, unzip your way through the plastic airlock and walk into this long ward filled with beds and ventilators and people in PPE, its like stepping into a science-fiction movie. You adapt very quickly but the strangeness and disorientation never leave. A PPE-clad medical worker caring for patients at Cambridges Royal Papworth hospital last month The active phase is the peak of the surge, when all those beds are filled and staff are in full go mode. Though high adrenaline and huge camaraderie can propel them forward, theres the risk of sudden exhaustion with staff working all hours with no breaks, witnessing things theyve never seen before. This was certainly true for Abi Carr. It was hideous, she says. It felt like the apocalypse. I couldnt sleep, there was no time to eat, I lost weight, I spent all my time at work Ive done 100 extra hours. Horrendous waves of people were coming in with such low levels of oxygen and they were young they could be my relatives, my mum; they could be me. There was nowhere to put them all. We were transferring some to other hospitals, picking who should go, who should stay. Youre always thinking, Should I have done something different? It felt like it would never end. This is when normal standards of care and ethical codes around best practice and what counted as a good death had to be routinely broken. Patients died without loved ones close by. Terrible news was delivered by phone. Difficult decisions to end treatment were made every day. According to Dr Highfield, this can trigger huge moral distress and self-blame as well as emotional disconnection in staff. In Abis ward, CPAP patients often fought to remove the masks that kept them alive while nurses had to physically restrain them. Those masks were tight and sore but they deliver 100 per cent oxygen normal air is 21 per cent and if they take them off, levels drop, their lungs collapse and their hearts cant function, she says. We lost patients who did this. In other cases, when it was decided that the patient could not be saved, decisions were made to deliberately remove the mask. It was to allow them to die in more comfort, not to cause them to die, says Abi, but its hard to watch and hard to do. The families couldnt be there. We were the ones who sat and held their hand. Unlike ventilated patients, CPAP patients were awake. They had a voice; they know whats happening. I remember one gentleman wed got to know so well. He was sort of conscious, was comfortable, hed had enough. Critical care staff helped families say goodbye, often holding the iPads themselves when patients were too weak to do it. Youd hear them say, I love you, Dad, We miss you and then crying, says Abi. Sometimes staff arranged for a patients favourite song to play as they withdrew treatment or read out letters from family members. Some took handprints of patients for families to keep, in the way staff do when babies die in hospital. Twelve weeks since lockdown and past the peak, were reaching recovery phase, where staff might finally have time to step back and reflect. To Dr Kelly, this brings no relief. I walked through an empty bay of beds in the Covid unit this week and for the first time, I felt like I was at a funeral, she says. Its hard not to look at those empty beds and just see dead people. Despite years of experience in critical care, Dr Kelly isnt sure how shell cope in the long run. I havent offloaded because it doesnt feel a safe option right now, she says. Who wants to open a door and find out if theyre going to fall apart, when they know that they need to pull themselves together the next day? Recently, at work, Id just finished a phone call to a patients very distressed son. I put down the phone and put my head in my hands and, although tears had welled in my eyes, I thought with the bulk of my mask and visor, nobody would see. A nurse came and put her arm around me and I realised it was the first time anyone had hugged me since the beginning of lockdown. I have no idea how this will change me, Dr Kelly continues. Either Ill dislike myself for not being affected enough by all the trauma that Ive witnessed, or Ill break myself trying to absorb what has happened. Theres probably a middle ground. The ICS want to fund enough psychological support to help staff find this middle ground. Dr Highfield has been seconded to oversee the programme. As a charity, we cant afford a full-time psychologist in every unit, says Dr Suntharalingam, but we would like to go into every unit, talk to staff and offer sessions with a trained psychologist online. Its not just the 30,000 staff who usually work in ICUs, he adds. We also need to reach the 30,000 workers who were redeployed from other departments. In most areas of medicine, its rare to see someone die now theyve been faced with that every day. When they move back to their former roles in a normal ward, it could feel very isolating. There has been a lot of comparing this pandemic to being at war, says Dr Highfield, and the burnout, the PTSD, the anxiety and depression could be similar. The next six to 12 months is when we could see it emerge. Initial stress responses to trauma replaying an event on a loop, being edgy, irritable and feeling constant dread can develop into vivid flashbacks, nightmares and insomnia. Emotional and physical exhaustion can take staff to a place where they believe they have nothing left to give, that whatever they do isnt enough, where they struggle to even get out of bed and interact with family, continues Dr Highfield. Fortunately, specialised support can help prevent this and PTSD responds well to therapy. Its more than a listening ear. It can help staff process what theyve been through, formulate how they are coping and really get underneath it. Without this, Dr Suntharalingam fears for the future of ICU medicine. In normal times, one in six people will go into an ICU at some point in their lives its there for the strokes, the heart attacks, the car crashes. We need to look after the staff so they can look after us. ICU workers tend to be courageous, but if you know that this speciality means being hit by these waves, working extraordinary hours under enormous pressure with no support, theres a real danger that it will put new people off coming and make the people already doing it want to leave. Abi agrees in fact, weeks ago, in her lowest moment, she also planned to change career. If youve got an option not to do this, why would you? she asks. This is hard work, this is horrible. I told myself I was leaving nursing. Now though, Ive wavered, she says, because this work is where you make the most difference. Its a messy time, we dont know whats round the corner, we could be in those dark days again but at the end of all this is a patient. And thats why you do it. For more details or to support The Intensive Care Society Crisis Appeal, go to ics.ac.uk or easydonate.org/icuhelp The sustained and prolonged attacks on police around Westminster - which came as Black Lives Matter protesters gathered elsewhere around the country in mainly peaceful protest - were described by Home Secretary Priti Patel as "thoroughly unacceptable". She tweeted: "Any perpetrators of violence or vandalism should expect to face the full force of the law. Violence towards our police officers will not be tolerated." Police said they arrested more than 100 people for offences including violent disorder and assault on police, and that six officers had suffered minor injuries. The ambulance service said it had treated 15 people. "It is clear that far-right groups are causing violence and disorder in central London, I urge people to stay away," Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Twitter. Activists from far-right linked groups chant as they face police officers in Trafalgar Square on June 13. Credit:Getty Images In a brief respite to the animosity after the clashes near Waterloo, pictures showed a man identified by the crowd as a far-right protester being carried to safety by a Black Lives Matter protester. The police, who had already imposed a restriction calling for all demonstrations to end by 5pm, urged people to disperse. There have been demonstrations around the world against racism and police abuses since the death of African American George Floyd in Minneapolis last month. In British cities tens of thousands of people have marched peacefully during previous days of protest. Anti-racism protesters attend a Black Lives Matter rally in London. Credit: In London the demonstrators numbered fewer on Saturday than in recent days, after announcements by far-right groups that they would converge on the city centre prompted anti-racism activists to cancel a planned march and instead call for scattered protests. Statues of historical figures including Winston Churchill were boarded up to prevent them from becoming flashpoints or being defaced by protesters who say such monuments celebrate racists. In and around Parliament Square, hundreds of people wearing football shirts, describing themselves as patriots, gathered alongside military veterans to guard the Cenotaph war memorial. The far-right groups said they wanted to defend British culture, in particular historical monuments, after the toppling of the statue of a 17th century slave trader in the port city of Bristol during an anti-racism protest last weekend sparked calls for others to come down. "Winston Churchill, he's one of our own," they also chanted, near the statue of the World War II leader, which last weekend was sprayed with graffiti reading: "Churchill was a racist". Thousands of people take part in a march against police brutality and racism in Paris, France, on Saturday June 13. Credit:AP Thousands of people meanwhile protested in central Paris on Saturday in the latest demonstration accusing the police of racism and excessive violence. The demonstration was called by Assa Traore, whose brother Adama, a young black man, died in disputed circumstances after his arrest by gendarmes in 2016 in a town north of Paris. Many of the mostly young, racially mixed crowd - estimated by police to be 15,000 strong - bore placards with slogans from the US Black Lives Matter movement. "We are gathering today to denounce police violence. We are gathering today to denounce social violence. We are gathering today to denounce racial violence," Traore said as the square began to fill up. "I'm here to support the Traore family," one young black protester, a security guard who gave his name as Jonys, said. "It could have been my brother or my sister. It could have been anyone." Jonys said he "totally" felt he had at times been treated in a racist way by police officers - "but not all the police. We mustn't lump them all together." Advertisement Black Lives Matter activists in Richmond, Virginia, projected the LGBTQ rainbow flag as well as images of African Americans killed by police including George Floyd on to the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The statue on Monument Avenue in Richmond, in which Lee is depicted on a horse, has been the site of massive protests since the May 25 police-involved killing of Floyd. Black Lives Matter activists projected the 'BLM' letters onto the statue on Friday. The LGBTQ pride flag as well as prominent black activists including Angela Davis and Malcolm X were also projected onto the monument. Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, died in the custody of Minneapolis police. Four officers, including one who was seen kneeling on his neck for nearly nine minutes, have been charged over his murder. Black Lives Matter protesters have projected the colors of the LGTBQ rainbow flag onto the monument An image of George Floyd is seen above projected onto the statue of Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Virginia, on Friday People gather around a monument of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Virginia, on Wednesday The governor of Virginia has ordered that the monument be taken down, but a judge has put those plans on hold after a lawsuit was filed to block the move Since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody on May 25, the statue has drawn protesters in Richmond Courtesy of AiRVA Drone Floyds death ignited worldwide protests as millions took to the streets calling for racial justice and an end to police brutality. The incident also reignited the debate over the future of Confederate statues and monuments as well as other memorials for controversial figures in American history who owned slaves. Democratic Governor Ralph Northam last week ordered the removal of the 12-ton, 61ft-high equestrian statue of Lee, the most revered Confederate of them all, but a judge on Monday blocked such action for at least 10 days. The spokesman for the Virginia division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, B. Frank Earnest, condemned the toppling of public works of art and likened losing the Confederate statues to losing a family member. Activists have also projected the letters 'BLM' onto the statue of Lee, who is depicted on a horse Activists have also projected the images of prominent African American activists including the late black nationalist leader Malcolm X Activists also projected the image of Angela Davis, the former far-left activist author and speaker The men who served under Robert E. Lee were my great-grandfathers or their brothers and their cousins. So it is my family, he said. What if a crowd of any other group went and found the symbols of someone they didnt like and decided to tear them down? Everybody would be appalled. He added: I dont know why its acceptable, why people who are descended from the Confederate Army and the Confederate soldiers, its accepted in this country that you can do anything to us you want. Protesters also projected the images of American Americans who were killed by including Trayvon Martin. Martin was the Florida teen who was shot and killed by a security guard in 2012. The image of Trayvon Martin, the young black man who was shot and killed by a security guard in Florida in 2012, was also projected onto the statue Activists also projected the image of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, the slain civil rights leader, onto the statue Democratic Governor Ralph Northam last week ordered the removal of the 12-ton, 61ft-high equestrian statue of Lee, the most revered Confederate of them all, but a judge on Monday blocked such action for at least 10 days It comes after protesters on Thursday pulled down a century-old statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Richmond, which is also the former capital of the Confederacy, adding it to the list of Old South monuments removed or damaged around the US in the wake of Floyds death. The 8ft bronze figure on Richmonds grand Monument Avenue had been all but marked for removal by city leaders in a matter of months, but demonstrators took matters into their own hands Wednesday night, tying ropes around its legs and toppling it from its stone pedestal onto the pavement. A crowd cheered and police looked on as the monument - installed by a Confederate heritage group in 1907 - was towed away. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney had recently announced he would introduce an ordinance in July to remove the Davis monument and statues of other Confederates, including Gens. Stonewall Jackson and J.E.B. Stuart. A new state law that goes into effect this summer undoes protections for Confederate monuments and lets local governments decide what to do with them. Stoney tweeted Thursday that he will push to quickly dismantle the other monuments. Both he and the governor asked protesters not to do it themselves. For the sake of public safety, I ask the community to allow us to legally contract to have the remaining ones removed professionally, to prevent any potential harm that could result from attempts to remove them without professional experience, Stoney said. Large crowds of protesters were seen near the statue on Saturday. The spokesman for the Virginia division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, B. Frank Earnest, condemned the toppling of public works of art and likened losing the Confederate statues to losing a family member Protesters carry signs and chant slogans near the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Virginia, on Saturday Protesters are seen above holding a sign which reads 'No justice, no peace! Black Lives Matter!' in Richmond on Saturday Several protesters were seen sitting at the foot of the statue in Richmond, Virginia, on Saturday A close-up of the statue of Robert E. Lee is seen in the above image from Saturday in Richmond, Virginia Speaker Sherri Robinson chants 'tear this statue down' to protesters at a rally against racial inequality in Richmond on Saturday Crews on Friday removed a 113-year-old statue of a Confederate soldier that stood atop an 80ft-tall Confederate monument in downtown Norfolk, Virginia. The city said in a statement Friday that the statue, nicknamed Johnny Reb, came down in less than two hours. The 15ft-figure was removed out of concern for public safety. A protester had suffered life-threatening injuries in the neighboring city of Portsmouth after demonstrators pulled down a confederate statue in that city on Wednesday. Norfolks city council members passed a resolution expressing their desire to remove the statue after a violent white nationalist rally in Charlottesville in 2017. But a state law protecting memorials to war veterans prohibited Norfolk from doing so. That law was rewritten earlier this year by the new Democratic majority at the General Assembly and will give localities the ability to decide what to do with monuments. Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander acknowledged that the new version doesnt go into effect until July 1 but said he thinks public safety trumps waiting. He said the remaining pieces of the column would be taken down in coming weeks. Black Lives Matter protesters rip down bust of slave owner John McDonogh in New Orleans then throw it into the Mississippi River Protesters tore down a bust of a slave owner and then took the remains to the Mississippi River and rolled it down the banks into the water. The destruction of the John McDonogh bust is part of a nationwide effort to remove monuments to the Confederacy or with links to slavery as the country grapples with widespread protests against police brutality toward African Americans in the aftermath of George Floyd's death. Police said in a statement Saturday that demonstrators at Duncan Plaza, which is directly across the street from City Hall, dragged the bust into the streets, loaded it onto trucks and took it to the Mississippi River where they threw it in. Two people who were driving the trucks transporting the bust were apprehended by police, authorities said. Their names were not given in the statement. Video on social media showed dozens of people surrounding the bust which sat on a pedestal while some people pulled on a rope tied to the bust and another hit it with what appears to be a skateboard The image shows the moment McDonogh's bust is pulled off its foundation in Duncan Plaza Arrest records indicate that Caleb Wassell, 27, and Michaela Davis, 30, each face multiple charges, including inciting a riot, according to WWL-TV. Wassell is white and Davis is black. Wassell has been charged with illegal possession of stolen property, inciting a riot, theft under $1,000 and inciting a felony. Davis faces charges of battery of a police officer, being a principal to theft, possession of marijuana, inciting a riot, inciting a felony and aggravated flight from an officer. This is the first arrest for both individuals in New Orleans. They were reportedly booked into Orleans Parish Jail early Sunday morning. Local reports indicate that they were also questioned by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Authorities allege that Wassell and Davis were the two who drove the toppled bust to the banks of the Mississippi River, where it was eventually thrown into the water. McDonogh owned slaves while building his wealth, but he also freed them after his death and left part of his fortune to cities so that they can build public schools New Orleans police said that after the bust was toppled, it was then loaded onto a truck and taken to Jax Brewery Caleb Wassell (left), 27, and Michaela Davis (right), 30, each face multiple charges, including inciting a riot. Authorities say Wassell and Davis hauled the bust away and drove it in a truck to the river Video on social media showed dozens of people surrounding the bust which sat on a pedestal while some people pulled on a rope tied to the bust and another hit it with what appears to be a skateboard. As the bust tilts and then crashes to the ground the crowd cheers. Another video posted on social media shows a crowd watching as the bust is rolled down the rocky banks of the Mississippi River and into the water. Mayor LaToya Cantrell said in a tweet that the city 'rejects vandalism and destruction of City property. It is unlawful'. When he died, McDonogh left a large portion of his money to New Orleans and Baltimore for schools, and many schools in New Orleans are named after him. The McDonogh Day celebration in which schoolchildren across the city laid flowers at a different monument to McDonogh became the subject of boycotts in the 1950s. The ceremony was racially segregated, and African-American children would have to wait for hours for white children to lay their flowers first. (Natural News) The Nelson Mandela Foundation has issued a controversial statement supporting Black Lives Matters and even endorsing the use of violence to achieve their goals. Their statement said that the protests against police brutality and racism that we are seeing following George Floyds death at the hands of a police officer are part of growing rage against white supremacy around the world. The use of violence can be rational and carefully targeted as part of a strategy to counter structural and other forms of violence against Black lives. And, of course, it ought always to be so, they wrote. They added that police killings in their own country show how 26 years of democracy have not ensured that black lives matter as much as white lives there. They said that using violence to pursue political goals is too readily dismissed as being in the realm of criminals and extremists, when it can actually arise in communities where people realize that it is the only way they can get the response they want. The Nelson Mandela Foundation is a non-profit organization that says it aims to protect the legacy of South Africas first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela, and was set up by Mandela himself when he stepped down as the South African president in 1999. They are being heavily criticized for condoning violence, particularly in light of the fact that there is already a significant violence problem in South Africa. Despite the progress that has been made there, the country is still dealing with significant inequality and racial tensions. Anger over South African man who was allegedly beat to death by soldiers They also mentioned Collins Khosa, a South African man who recently died after he was allegedly beat by soldiers during the countrys coronavirus lockdown. He had apparently violated the countrys lockdown rules by drinking a beer in his yard. Court papers indicate that Khosa was kicked, punched, choked, slammed against the wall and hit by the butt of a machine gun in the Good Friday incident; he died shortly thereafter of blunt force trauma to the head at home while waiting for paramedics to arrive. However, the army was absolved of wrongdoing in his death after an investigation found there was no link between his death and the injuries he sustained. According to South African police watchdog the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, more than 42,000 criminal complaints were lodged against the police there from 2012 to 2019, including thousands of deaths, assaults and rapes. However, just 531 led to successful criminal convictions. Civil rights group opening incitement of violence case against foundation The South African civil rights organization AfriForum has said it plans to open up an incitement of violence case against the foundation over the irresponsible statement. Their head of policy, Ernst Roets, said they would also be charged with hate speech, adding that their statement clearly glorifies and incites violence. Violent threats of this nature have no place in any society, and the fact that an organization of the NMFs status can so nonchalantly publish a justification of violent means is very troubling and telling, he said. Theyve urged the authorities to take this case seriously and send a strong message that inciting violence is unacceptable. Sources for this article include: BigLeaguePolitics.com RT.com TimesLive.co.za Reuters.com News24.com CSMonitor.com MIAMI (AP) More than 40,000 cruise ship workers are still stuck at sea because of concerns about the coronavirus. The Miami Herald reports that at least 42,000 workers remain trapped on cruise ships without paychecks, and some still are suffering from COVID-19, three months after the industry shut down. Cruise lines stopped sailing in mid-March after several high-profile outbreaks at sea. More than 600 people fell ill aboard Carnival Corp.s Diamond Princess while it was quarantined off Japan, for example. Fourteen passengers died. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has prohibited cruises in U.S. waters through July 24. Some cruise ship workers have started being repatriated to their home countries. About 3,000 Carnival Cruise Line workers got off in Croatia earlier this month to catch rides and flights home across Europe. MSC Cruises has flown more than 1,000 Indian crew members home on charter flights from Europe and South America. Royal Caribbean also flew more than 1,200 Filipino crew members home last week from Greece, Dubai, the United States and Barbados, according to the Herald. Several Caribbean countries haven't allowed cruise ships to dock in their ports out of concerns that they would cause spikes in the number of virus cases. Only Barbados has allowed for crew repatriation flights from its airports. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe symptoms and be fatal. ___ Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak. He will often join his constituents on the steps, and has especially made his presence known during the protests. A retired N.Y.P.D. captain, Adams knows the danger of unchecked policing. As a teenager, he and his brother were badly beaten by police officers in Queens. This incident motivated him to get involved with public service. In 1995 he co-founded 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, an advocacy group that speaks out against police brutality and racial profiling. In 2013, he became the first African-American borough president of Brooklyn. Borough Hall faces Cadman Plaza Park, the site of the June 4 memorial for George Floyd, which was organized by his brother, Terrence Floyd, a Brooklyn resident. Marj Kleinman, Downtown Brooklyn For now, its all ours Image The author, right, visits with Daniel Donohue and his dog, Layla. Credit... John Degen Grove is one of those quaint West Village streets that on normal days often gets overrun by tourists (Look, its the Friends building!). But these are far from normal days, so the neighborhood has been getting back some of its locals only vibe. The routine goes something like this: shut down the computer at 6, grab a tallboy of Modelo from the deli on Christopher, head over to the stoop, then get ready for the parade. So many dogs! But in the current dynamic, its the actual owners doing their own walking (Oh, youre Calebs mom!), and no one gives you the side-eye or tries to hurry along when you reach out to pet Layla or Mowgli. New Delhi, June 14 : On one hand, the long-extended lockdown has motivated us to develop new skills, and do something different, but it has also prevented a majority of us from satisfying our wanderlust. However, it hasn't stopped us from dreaming of a day when we can lounge by the beach, climb mountains, or go on a shopping spree at some of the worlds most exotic markets. What you can do though, is grab a bucket of popcorn, sit back, and go on a world tour, right from the comfort of your homes. Here is a list of some binge-worthy shows that will take you across the length and breadth of the country, and also to exotic foreign destinations. TVF Tripling Season 1&2 by TVF The show covers the journey of three siblings- Chandan (played by Sumeet Vyas), Chanchal (played by Maanvi Gagroo), and Chitvan (played by Amol Parashar) who set out on a spontaneous adventure. Over the course of the show, travel along with them through the beautiful deserts of Rajasthan, and the picturesque North-East. The show is also filled with tons of sibling drama to make you want to plan your next trip with yours. Bazaar Travels by Gobble If you love travelling and exploring different shopping places in and around India, Gobble's Bazaar Travels is definitely for you. Hosted by digital influencer Barkha Singh, the show captures her journey to some of the finest, oldest, and most popular bazaars of India. Each episode talks about unique shopping destinations that offer the best of handicrafts by artisans, mouth-watering delicacies, and so much more. Right from Delhi's Chandni Chowk to Kolkata's Das Gupta and Co along with iconic destinations in Jaipur and Jodhpur, the show covers it all. The show is also a must watch for some of the greatest ideas for budget-friendly holiday destinations. Four More Shots Please Season 1&2 by Amazon Prime Your bffs will always be some of the best travel partners you could ask for. No matter what life throws at you, you can always lean on each other to sail through it. This is exactly what 'Four More Shots Please' covers, while taking you on a tour of South Bombay in the first season, and exotic Istanbul and Rajasthan in the second. Starring Kirti Kulhari, Maanvi Gagroo, Bani J, and Sayani Gupta the show will definitely give you vacation goals. So what are you waiting for? Get on that group call, and plan that exciting trip with your buddies! KALKI'S GREAT ESCAPE by Hotstar While this show is an old one, hosted by talented Kalki Koechlin and her father Joel Koechlin, this is a must-watch if you want to discover some of the best places to visit in North-East India. The adventure takes viewers on an emotional and exciting journey showcasing the local culture and traditions of these places. Are you planning a trip with your father already? THE TRIP by Bindaas If you've ever wondered how to find your life's goals, we recommend watching 'The Trip' for ideas. The story revolves around four best friends who embark on a road trip to find their goals in life before one of them gets married. In season 1, popular actors Lisa Haydon, Mallika Dua, Shweta Tripathi, and Sapna Pabbi take a trip by road and travel to Thailand from Delhi for their friend's bachelorette. In the second season, the girls discover a new side to Pondicherry, and will help you plan a great trip to this gorgeous city. LOVE OK PLEASE by MX Player Despite being a relatively old show, we keep coming back just for the beautiful sceneries, and visuals of the mountains. The 12-episode show sees contestants explore Himachal Pradesh by road, while also taking part in fun activities. (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah chairs a meeting to review the situation of COVID19 in the national capital, New Delhi on June 14, 2020. Also present at the meeting were Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Delhi Lt. Governor Anil Baijal, Ch Image Source: IANS News New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah chairs a meeting to review the situation of COVID19 in the national capital, New Delhi on June 14, 2020. Also present at the meeting were Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Delhi Lt. Governor Anil Baijal, Ch Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, June 14 : The Centre on Sunday attached six Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers to the Delhi government to assist in Covid-19 management amid a worrying spike of infections, which have crossed 38,000 so far in the city. Senior IAS officers S.C.L. Das and S.S. Yadav have been attached to the Delhi government, along with Awanish Kumar and Monica Priyadarshini from Andaman and Nicobar, and Gaurav Singh Rajawat and Vikram Singh Mallik from Arunachal Pradesh. These attachments come on the order of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Shah also instructed immediate transfer of Kumar, Priyadarshini, Rajawat and Mallik to New Delhi. Das, a 1992-batch Uttarakhand cadre IAS officer, has been working as a Joint Secretary with the Ministry of Home Affairs since March 2018. Yadav, a 1995-batch AGMUT cadre IAS, was appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development in August last year. He was the Administrator of Daman and Diuand Dadra and Nagar Haveli then. Yadav has previously worked with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as his secretary. In May 2015, Yadav was appointed as the Secretary to Kejriwal from the post of CEO of Delhi Jal Board (DJB). The Home Minister took the decision soon after a major meeting with Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal and Chief Minister Kejriwal in the presence of members of the State Disaster Management Authority, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria, Commissioners of three Municipal Corporations and senior officers from the Union Home and Health Ministries. It was also decided in the meeting that the Centre will give five more senior officers to the Delhi government to fight the corona infection vigorously. Shah held the meeting at his North Block office around 11 a.m. to take stock of the novel coronavirus situation in Delhi where 1,271 people have so far died due to the virus. - Former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile has taken to social media to express his stance on the argument regarding ABS-CBN chairman emeritus Eugenio Gabby Lopez IIIs citizenship - He said that questioning the citizenship of Lopez is a weak ground to deny the media networks new franchise - Enrile also believes that Lopez is qualified to own and manage a mass media broadcast business in the Philippines as he is a natural-born Filipino - It can be recalled that Lopezs citizenship is being tackled in an ABS-CBN franchise hearing because the countrys laws require that mass media firms should belong to a 100% Filipino owner PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said on Sunday, June 14, that questioning ABS-CBN chairman emeritus Eugenio Gabby Lopez IIIs citizenship is a weak ground to deny the media networks new franchise. In a Facebook post, Enrile expressed his belief that Lopez is qualified to own and manage a mass media broadcast business in the Philippines as he is a natural-born Filipino. Here is Enriles full Facebook post: The citizenship of Gabby Lopez alone is a weak ground to deny ABS-CBN a new franchise or to extend its old franchise. I understand Gabby Lopez was born in the United States with parents who were both citizens of the Philippines. Under that factual situation, Gabby Lopez, at birth, acquired the status of being a natural born citizen of the United States by virtue of the principle of JUS SOLI ( law of the soil or place of birth), which is generally followed to determine the citizenship of the United States. Also at birth, Gabby Lopez simultaneously acquired the status of being a natural born citizen of the Philippines by virtue of the principle of JUS SANGUINIS (law of nationality or ethnicity), which is generally followed to determine Philippine citizenship. Gabby Lopez (and all Filipinos similarly situated like him) was never required under our Constitution to elect and choose which of his two citizenship he would retain or follow. Both attached to him at birth without any choice or act on his part. From the view point of US law, he is a natural born American. At the same time, from the view point of Philippine law, he is a natural born Filipino. This dual citizenship is, in fact, recognized by our Congress under the dual citizenship law passed by it. And so under those circumstances, I personally believe that Gabby Lopez is qualified to own and manage a mass media broadcast business in our country, and that ABS-CBN Corporation is not disqualified because of him to engaged in mass media broadcast business under a provision of our Constitution which says The ownership and management of mass media shall be limited to citizens of the Philippines." PAY ATTENTION: Shop with KAMI! The best offers and discounts on the market, product reviews and feedback It can be recalled that the citizenship of Lopez is being tackled in a House joint panel hearing on the ABS-CBN franchise because the countrys laws require that ownership and management of mass media firms should belong to a 100% Filipino. PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! In a previous report by KAMI, Lawmaker asks ABS-CBN executive Gabby Lopez to recite "Panatang Makabayan". ABS-CBN is one of the leading broadcast networks in the Philippines. Its 25-year franchise expired on May 4 and it was not able to secure another franchise. Please like and share our amazing Facebook posts to support the KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinions about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts and views on different matters! Source: KAMI.com.gh Mumbai: Around 18,000 undertrials in Maharashtra prisons can now call their families and talk for five minutes every week, with the first such coin box facility in the state launched in Sangli district. District Collector Shekhar Gaikwad inaugurated the facility in Sangli prison yesterday. Earlier, a similar facility was available only to the convicts, numbering around 10,000 in the state. The facility to make a call to family members has been extended to undertrials, who can call family members once a week, for five minutes, state polices Deputy Inspector General (Jail) Swati Sathe said. Gaikwad inaugurated the coin box in the Sangli jail. The facility is expected to cool down undertrials, who sometimes panic and at times turn violent, he said. If the undertrials get to speak with their family members and get details of lawyers, it will work as a psychological support to them, Gaikwad said. The contact details will be first verified by police and noted down by jail superintendents. The undertrials will be allowed to make calls to verified numbers only. The undertrials can use the money they earn from their work or money-order for making the calls, Gaikwad said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. There was great excitement when the first Pomo Indians returned to Sonoma County with a bag full of gold in early 1849. Word of the find at Sutters Mill was slowly reaching the East Coast, and swarms of would-be prospectors were still months away. Those Pomo men, hired by the Kelsey brothers, were some of Californias first gold miners. Andrew and Benjamin Kelsey, the first white settlers ever in the area, recruited more men for their second trip to the Feather River. Together with 100 indigenous men, they set off for the Sacramento Valley that fall. The first to return was Benjamin Kelsey, carried in on a stretcher, stricken with malaria. Andrew Kelsey followed and, when worried Pomo families inquired after their loved ones, he assured them they werent far behind. Weeks passed. The Kelseys said perhaps the men had been killed by other tribes. Women who questioned them further were tied to a tree and whipped. As fall turned to winter, a few emaciated Pomo men stumbled back to the Kelsey ranch. They told a horrifying story. Upon arriving in the gold fields, they said the Kelseys decided there was more money to be had in selling supplies than panning for gold. They sold most of the food and essential goods theyd packed for the journey. Then, malaria ripped through the camp. The Kelseys left, abandoning the sick men. These men, some accounts say two and others three, were the lone survivors. The rest had died of malaria or starved. When confronted about their crimes, the Kelseys were unrepentant. So, as Christmas approached, their Pomo slaves decided: The Kelseys had to die. --- Although the Kelseys primary distinction in California history has often been that as the first European American settlers in Lake County and the namesake of the town of Kelseyville their true legacy should be that of some of the states most brutal slavers. Along with a man named Charles Stone, Andrew Kelsey purchased cattle and began ranching in the territory 40 miles north of Calistoga in 1847. In order to procure laborers, they began abducting and enslaving local indigenous people. Often first lured with the prospect of legitimate jobs, the workers soon found themselves trapped on the ranch. They were fed starvation rations and penned into the compound like animals by a stockade. Anyone who spoke out or tried to escape was punished or, worse, saw their children or family members punished in their stead. The men gained such a reputation that even their white contemporaries frowned upon their behavior. They became famous for a "game" theyd play for visiting friends: shooting at their slaves "just for the fun" of seeing them jump in terror. Sometimes theyd put on whipping demonstrations. It was rumored, and highly likely, that they raped the Pomo women. And, like many slave owners, they would occasionally sell people to interested buyers. There was debate, even at the time, about the trigger event. Some accounts say Benjamin Kelseys wife was threatened by a young Pomo man, and Kelsey retaliated by sentencing him to 100 lashes. After the punishment was meted out, Kelsey shot him in the head. In another account, the man was beaten and killed for begging for more food for his starving relatives. But the most trustworthy account comes from Chief Augustine, a Pomo man who was enslaved by the Kelseys and Stone at the time. He makes no mention of a single spark in his recollection of the violence that came next, just a slow build of desperation and rage after the death of 100 Pomo men in the gold mines. The Indians made up their minds to kill Stone and Kelsey, he said in an oral history recorded in 1880. ... They decided to take the final and fatal step. One morning around Christmas 1849, the slaves rushed their captors sleeping quarters. Andrew Kelsey died first, chased down and beaten to death with a rock. Charles Stone was cornered next and, after some struggle, had his throat slit with his own knife. Their bodies were hidden under cow hides and the Indians dispersed. "They had their liberty once more and were free men," Chief Augustine recalled. Their joy was short-lived. Benjamin Kelsey soon arrived at the home to find his brother and colleague dead. He sent word to the U.S. military post in Benicia, and then he took matters into his own hands. In an 1851 letter to the U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs, neighbor Pete Campbell relayed how Kelsey assembled a death squad. "The brother of the murdered man collected a strong force on pretense of going to the lake and punishing the murderers," Campbell wrote, "but instead of which they commenced an indiscriminate slaughter of the Indians who reside on farms working for Americans." The Kelsey posse killed 20 Indians before being stopped by their white neighbors. The next day, on December 26, Lieutenant J.W. Davidson and a squadron of 22 soldiers arrived at the scene. They were met by Benjamin Kelsey, intent on killing everyone who had escaped the compound. During the course of his investigation, Davidson came upon 12 native people of a different tribe. After holding back the Kelsey gang from killing them on the spot, they got intel: The Pomo survivors were apparently living on an island called Bo-No-Po-Ti, near State Highway 20 in Clear Lake today. George Rose/Getty Images Lacking boats, Davidson decided an invasion would have to wait for another day. He returned to base and in early January submitted a proposal to the chain of command. He asked for two parties of 30 men each, who would board rafts on two sides of the lake and approach the island at night. "If managed with caution, [we can] surprise them in their rancherias," Davidson wrote, "and cut them to pieces." In the late spring, Davidsons plan was approved by Major General Persifor Smith, and Davidson and Captain Nathaniel Lyon who would go on to be the first Union general killed in the Civil War headed to Clear Lake with the 1st Dragoons of the U.S. Cavalry. Lyons official report, remorseless in every detail, provides a reconstruction of events. The company reached the island on May 14 but were spotted on their approach by the elders, women and children living there. The soldiers killed four before retreating. The next day, they viciously renewed their attack. As they stormed the island, dozens of Indians poured into the water, attempting to hide in the high tule reeds. Lyon ordered his men to pursue them. Women were shot and children were drowned or bayoneted. "The tule was thus thoroughly searched, with severe and protracted efforts, and with most gratifying results," he wrote. That result was at least 60, and upwards of over 100, dead. When the cavalry's massacre was complete, they went 20 miles downriver to another island inhabited by indigenous peoples. They cornered at least 75 more there and murdered them. It was the "perfect slaughter pen," Lyon wrote. By the end of the day, according to the most conservative estimates, close to 200 Indians were dead. Pomo historians believe the number may be closer to 400. Two white soldiers were injured. --- Although Indian massacres were disturbingly common, the scale of what became known as the Bloody Island Massacre was noteworthy even at the time. The Alta California in San Francisco, tipped by one of the soldiers on the scene, wrote of the horror. "It was the order of extermination fearfully obeyed," the paper wrote on May 28. "They fell as grass before the sweep of the scythe." But erasure of the massacre began almost immediately. On June 1, the Alta California retracted that story after Major General Smith told them their account was "false in the very strongest possible language" and questioned "our motives for its publication." In the retraction, the paper falsely wrote that the dead had committed "many" murders. "The statement that women and children were massacred is wholly unfounded," the story reads. It goes on to say the Pomo women had merely drowned and, even more insidiously, accused mothers of killing their own children rather than have them captured. Andrew Kelsey had the town named in his honor. Lyon would become the namesake of a street in San Francisco. And all but the survivors reframed the genocide as a skirmish between Indians and white settlers. In 1942, the Native Sons of the Golden West had a plaque erected to mark the site of the Bloody Island Massacre. It reads: "Scene of a battle between U.S. soldiers under command of Captain Lyons [sic] and Indians under Chief Augustine." Google Street View It wasnt until 2005 that an accurate plaque was placed at the scene. That marker, on a boulder at Highway 20 and Reclamation Road, reads: "One-fourth mile west is the island called Bo-No-Po-Ti (Old Island), now Bloody Island. It was a place for native gatherings until May 15, 1850. On that date, a regiment of the 1st Dragoons of the U.S. Cavalry, commanded by Capt. Nathaniel Lyon and Lt. J.W. Davidson, massacred nearly the entire native population of the island. Most were women and children. This act was in reprisal for the killing of Andrew Kelsey and Charles Stone who had long enslaved, brutalized, and starved indigenous people in the area. The island, now a hill surrounded by reclaimed land, remains a sacred testament to this sacrifice of innocents." The memorial was created with the help of the Lucy Moore Foundation, founded by the descendents of Pomo woman Lucy Moore. She was six years old at the time of the Bloody Island Massacre. As the U.S. Army descended on her family, she fled into the tule to hide. Using a hollow reed, she crafted a makeshift breathing tube that she used for hours. Finally, the soldiers departed. Little Lucy had survived. She lived to be 110. Her family says she prayed every day until she died to forgive America. Katie Dowd is the SFGATE managing editor. Email her: katie.dowd@sfgate.com | Twitter: @katiedowd Babatunde Fashola, minister of works and housing, says some countries asked Nigeria to supply them food during the COVID-19 lockdown mea... Babatunde Fashola, minister of works and housing, says some countries asked Nigeria to supply them food during the COVID-19 lockdown measures. Speaking during an Instagram live chat with City People Magazine on Saturday, Fashola said President Muhammadu Buhari told the countries to wait because Nigerians must be well-fed first. He said the countries, which he did not mention, made the requests because of the success of the agriculture programme of the federal government. Agriculture is another critical part of the Economic Sustainability Plan. We want to increase the cultivatable lands in the country, Fashola said. We are currently cultivating just about one-third and I stand to be corrected on that figure. The minister of agriculture knows the numbers than I do. But in his presentation, as I recollect it, we are not cultivating enough lands. We want to double cultivation, increase food output, not just for local use but for export. I must say to Nigerians that because of the success of the agriculture programme which is still evolving, during this COVID exercise, many countries were writing to us from near and far, asking us to please supply them food. This is not in the public space but President Buharis priority was, tell them to wait, we must feed our people first before we send out food, we dont know when this is going to end. So, we want to see more value-added in the sector in terms of processing and cultivation. We are losing an unsatisfactory quantity of our agro produce to many factors: transport, cooling, heating and so on. These are some of the components that the Ministry of Agriculture will share in the next few months about how to ensure that we preserve many more of what we produce and lose less. The first quarter of 2020 saw a modest fall in Irish agricultural land values after a relatively stable opening three months to the year. As the end of the quarter coincided with the outbreak of COVID-19 and the subsequent implementation of a national lockdown, there was no evidence of a significant impact on values as March closed. According to data from Sherry FitzGerald Research, the weighted average price of farmland in Ireland, excluding Dublin, was approximately 8,850 per acre at the end of the quarter. There was only a marginal change in agricultural values evident after the first three months of 2020 with prices falling 0.6% in the quarter. Carrying over from a challenging year in 2019, prices were down 4% in the twelve months to the end of March, with all regions in the country recording some reduction in values in the period. In terms of the different farm types, prime arable land saw a 0.8% reduction in value in Q1 2020, while prime grassland values saw a milder fall of 0.2%. However, after a tough twelve months, grassland values noted a larger reduction in the year to March, with prime grassland values down 5.2% in the period compared to 3.4% for prime arable land. At the end of quarter one, the weighted average price of prime arable land in Ireland, excluding Dublin, was approximately 10,700 per acre and 9,900 for prime grassland. Sentiment remained steady in the quarter. Anecdotally, agents noted that, for the most part, activity levels were broadly in line with last year, although a drop off was observed in the Mid-West and South-West. Low supply levels were a common theme throughout the country with agents noting this as being a persistent issue for some time. By the end of March, the COVID-19 outbreak did not appear to have had an overly significant impact on the land market. Many deals which had already begun the sales process or were sale agreed as the outbreak was unfolding completed or held. However, this impact will likely become more significant as the year progresses with farmers holding off on initiating new transactions or bringing new farms to the market until later in 2020. While the farming sector has shown resilience over the past number of years, the Government will need to support the industry from the impact of the economic fallout of the outbreak. Incomes have already been hit by significant falls to milk prices and the industry enters the crisis in a weakened position, hampered by the beef protests and Brexit concerns. Commenting on the overall market, Philip Guckian, Associate Director, Sherry FitzGerald Country Homes, Farms and Estates said, The land market started 2020 with more optimism until halted by completely unforeseeable events. The outbreak of COVID-19 presents an unprecedented global crisis. The necessary precautionary public safety measures taken by governments worldwide to restrict the movement of people will have adverse implications on the economy at large as well as the land market. In terms of the potential impact on the market, I believe that smaller farms that are less than 50 acres shouldnt be affected or should only see a small decline in value, but interest will remain strong. With regards to larger farms this is harder to predict. It may take a few months for this market to find its feet and for that time there may be a fall in values. However, land is sought after commodity in Ireland and history has shown us that there will always be a market for it. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SHARC International Systems Inc. (CSE:SHRC) (IWIA.F) (INTWF) ("SHARC Energy" or the Company) has filed its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2020 (Q1 2020) and 2019 (Q1 2019). All figures are in CDN unless otherwise noted. Q1 2020 Financial Highlights: Quarter over quarter revenue growth of 182% or an increase of $0.04M and comparative quarter over quarter revenue growth of 93% or an increase of $0.03M. Adjusted EBITDA 1 Loss of $0.47M compared to $0.58M in Q1 2019. The Company has reduced its working capital deficit by approximately $2.0M, from $3.5M at December 31, 2019 to $1.5M at March 31, 2020. Furthermore, this represents a total $3.6M reduction in working capital deficit from $5.1M at September 30, 2019. Gross margin of $0.05M at 86% margin in Q1 2020 compared to $0.02M at 76% margin in Q1 2019. On February 11, 2020, the Company issued 10,000,000 units at a price of $0.065 for cash proceeds of $156,000 and the settlement of debt of $494,000 owed to officers, directors and consultants. Debt settlement of officers and directors of the Company account for $326,794 of the total settlements. On February 13 and February 24, 2020, the Company issued unsecured convertible debenture units with total principal amounts of $1,764,000 and $276,000 respectively. The debentures mature on February 13 and February 24, 2023, respectively, and bear interest at an annual rate of 2% due semi-annually Secured a Key Account in Washington state and received deposits of $0.2M and purchase orders for the future order of 4 PIRANHA units and a SHARC system with revenue potential of approximately $1.0M anticipated to be fulfilled by summer 2021. Q1 2020 Accomplishments Hired Director of Marketing and IT to oversee the overhaul and build out of sales and marketing content and materials and build out IT infrastructure required to scale. The Company issued notice for all previous sales representation ( Representatives) under Manufacturer Representative Agreements ( MRA ) and issued new MRAs that clearly establish terms and conditions that create a clear and transparent relationship between SHARC Energy and its Representatives. Successfully reallocated internal resources from research and development and technical positions to sales and sales support positions Appointed 3 Board Members who have collectively invested $0.9M into SHARC Energy over the past year Pivoted during COVID-19 to begin remote training and sales presentations. On March 27, 2020, the Company held its inaugural Sales and Technical training seminar to approximately 200 sales representatives from across North America and United Kingdom. The Company has been putting on multiple sessions each week with audiences ranging from architects, engineers, Representatives, potential customers and government officials. Story continues Subsequent events In May 2020, SHARC Energy won the opportunity to collaborate on a pilot project funded by the Electric Power Research Institute ( EPR I) after presenting at the Incubatenergy Labs Challenge . After being selected as 1 of 17 finalists from a pool of over 130 applicants, SHARC Energy made a virtual pitch on April 7 th, 2020. The Company has now been selected as 1 of 10 companies to demonstrate innovative power delivery and use technologies under the leadership of EPRI, Ameren Corporation, Tennessee Valley Authority and Southern California Edison. On May 29, 2020, the Company issued unsecured convertible debenture units with a principal amount of $2,000,000. The debenture matures on May 29, 2023 and bears interest at an annual rate of 2% due semi-annually. On May 29, 2020, the Company settled with all holders ( Debentureholders ) of the Companys $1,320,000 and $1,023,000 12% unsecured, convertible debentures which were set to mature on May 30, 2020 and June 29, 2020 (the Maturing Debentures ).The Debentureholders have entered into settlement agreements with the Company (the Settlement Agreements ) pursuant to which the Debentureholders accepted 75% cash payout of the outstanding principal amount of the Maturing Debentures, the payout of any accrued and unpaid interest up to the date of maturity and the amendment of 1,673,571 common share purchase warrants (the Warrants ) in consideration for the cancellation of the Maturing Debentures and a release of the Companys obligations under the Maturing Debentures. On June 12, 2020, the Company issued unsecured convertible debenture units with a principal amount of $700,000. The debenture matures on June 12, 2023 and bears interest at an annual rate of 2% due semi-annually Q1 2020 has been challenging globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic. says Lynn Mueller, Chief Executive Officer of SHARC Energy, However, SHARC Energy was able to adapt its strategy, continuing to generate awareness and sales lead opportunities through remote sales and training presentations. I am proud of what our team has accomplished. Despite the challenges, we are ready for the opportunities COVID-19 has presented. About SHARC International Systems Inc. SHARC International Systems Inc. is a world leader in thermal heat recovery. SHARC systems recycle thermal energy from wastewater, generating one of the most energy efficient and economical systems for heating, cooling & hot water preheating for commercial, residential and industrial buildings. SHARC Energy is publicly traded in Canada (CSE:SHRC), the United States (INTWF) and Germany (IWIA.F). Further information about the Company is available on our website at www.sharcenergy.com or under our profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Lynn Mueller Chairman and Chief Executive Officer For further information, please contact: Jason Shepherd SHARC International Systems Inc. Telephone: (250) 212-2122 Email: jason.shepherd@sharcenergy.com The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "should", and similar expressions. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. SHARC Energy's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which the Company operates, prevailing economic conditions, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. SHARC Energy believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. Any forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the Company's expectations as of the date hereof, and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation. 1 Adjusted EBITDA is a Non-IFRS measure. Please see discussion and reconciliation of Non-IFRS measures in the Q1 2020 Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A). Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal This is going to be different in what people usually expect of a Republican, Alexis Johnson said of her candidacy in the 3rd Congressional District. Johnson won her partys nomination for the northern New Mexico district that has long been occupied by Democrats. Just once since its inception in 1982 has a Republican represented the district, and even then under unusual circumstances and for an abbreviated term. Bill Redmond won a special election 1997 after Bill Richardson resigned to become U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. He edged Democrat Eric Serna in a three-way race in which Green Party candidate Carol Miller pulled 17% of the vote, likely spoiling the election for Serna. What Johnson meant was people usually expect the Republican nominee to be a white man. The partys most recent general election entries for the CD3 race have been people named Jerald McFall, Michael Romero, Jefferson Byrd (twice), Thomas Mullins, Daniel East, Ronald Dolin and Gregory Tucker. Constituents of the district spanning the northern half of the state arent used to seeing a womans name on the ballot, and that goes for Democrats, too. But that changes dramatically this year as Johnson will face Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez in November. In fact, all the finalists in races for New Mexicos three congressional seats are women. Johnson acknowledges she is the underdog against Leger Fernandez. But she was the underdog in the GOP primary, too. Despite receiving just 11% of the delegate vote at the partys pre-primary convention in March and being outspent by her main rivals, Johnson prevailed in the June 2 primary, which wasnt decided until June 6. Due to a large number of absentee votes that overwhelmed election officials in Santa Fe County, the mother of four wasnt named the winner until the Saturday following the election. According to unofficial results, Johnson won 37% of the vote, edging Harry Montoya, a former Democrat, by just 569 of more than 44,000 votes cast. Karen Bedonie, a Navajo woman from Mexican Springs, was third, with 28% of the vote. I started this candidacy with a voice of one. I had no power, I had no wealth, nothing, said Johnson, who prevailed despite just $9,799 in campaign financing, $5,584 of which was of her own money. Theres something else you wouldnt expect from someone named Alexis Johnson. Shes not white, either. Im a very proud Hispanic woman. Im very proud to say I have Native American ancestry, and maybe people dont want to talk about it, but Im very proud to be a New Mexican, she said during an interview last week at her Santa Fe home. Johnsons name comes from her husband, whose ancestry is Choctow and Scandinavian. And her Native American blood comes from her great-great grandmother, who was Apache. But, most of all, shes New Mexican. Born in Portales, raised in Roswell, a Las Cruces High School graduate who earned a degree in environmental engineering from New Mexico Tech, Johnson calls herself an everyday New Mexican. She also sometimes calls herself Alexis Martinez Johnson, perhaps to emphasize what is not so obvious, though she says she pushes back against identity politics. People want to put a label on you and say youre either this or that; I say we are all American, she said. Johnson said she had a humble, but happy, upbringing. She and an older sister were raised by their grandparents, because her parents couldnt afford to. That wasnt, and still isnt, unusual in many parts of New Mexico, she said. We have something culturally where we take care of our own, she said. Her grandmother was a woman of faith, she said, and her grandfather was a kind, hard-working man, and together they taught her lifes values. And while they lived in poverty, she didnt know any different. They were a typical New Mexican family, she said. There was a lot of love in the household, and they instilled in her the belief that anything can be achieved through hard work and determination. She recalled how she once offhandedly mentioned to her grandfather she wished she could get off the free lunch program so she could eat pizza, like her classmates who were better off. He then started slipping her a dollar or two, which she realized probably cost him a half hour of labor to earn. He wanted me to know that it is possible to achieve that American Dream on your own, with dignity and respect, said Johnson, who otherwise doesnt believe in handouts. I dont think its the job of any government to put programs out there and take away the opportunity to stand on your own two feet. Johnson found her footing and earned an academic scholarship to Vanderbilt University, but returned to New Mexico to be closer to her ailing grandmother. She finished school at New Mexico Tech in Socorro, where she met her husband, Chris Johnson. While Alexis is now retired, Chris continues to work in the family business, EnXL, a Midland-based firm that manages projects for oil and gas producers. She notes the company employs New Mexicans on projects in the Hobbs area. After graduation, Alexis went to work for Larson & Associates, an environmental consulting firm out of Midland, Texas. I went there because, when I graduated from New Mexico Tech, I was unable to find employment in New Mexico I had to leave the state, she said, adding that she wants to rectify that kind of circumstance for New Mexicos college graduates by creating jobs at home. She spent most of her career working in the oil-rich Permian Basin. She says her job involved working with federal regulators, local governments and stakeholders to keep energy flowing, to keep people employed and to be respectful to our environment. Her college degree was in environmental engineering, and preserving and protecting New Mexicos natural resources is important to her, she says. One thing I really wanted to do was take care of our environment and that is what my career has been based upon to make sure our water is clean, our air is clean, and our land, she said. Johnson said people tend to take sides; theyre either all-in on fossil fuels or totally into sustainability. And, in reality, it is neither one of those, she said. Its a middle ground, where we come together and utilize our resources in the best manner possible. Johnson has strong views about abortion, gun rights and just about any of the altruistic causes favored by Santa Fe elites. I fight against these extreme, far-left ideologies in New Mexico, and its time to bring back the voice of the average-day New Mexican, she said. Im a daughter of this state and Im here to say, Enough! Johnson got emotional when speaking about abortion. Her youngest children, twins Vera and James, were born between 31 and 32 weeks into her pregnancy. And, right now, today, I can make a phone call and say I would like to end the life of my children when Im 32 weeks pregnant. This is something that can be done today, she said. I can tell you right now that Democrats and independents are not going to go for the killing of a baby past 32 weeks. I say killing because thats what it is. Johnson said shes heard some womens rights advocates say some children arent meant to live if their mother cant take care of them. That upset her. I am one of those children, she said, breaking down into tears. Johnson is also passionate about gun rights, an issue shes at odds over with progressive Democrats, but one that she feels has the support of most rural-living New Mexicans. A surprise winner of the Republican primary, Johnson believes her message is getting through to constituents in CD3, regardless of party affiliation. And that is what it will take to put a Republican back into seat represented by Democrats for 36 of the past 38 years. Something there is resonating, she said. The message of our faith, our family, our freedom and New Mexican pride is resonating with conservatives in New Mexico. And its going to bleed out into our Democrat community, as well as independents. So that is where Im going. And you never want to underestimate an underdog, and that is pretty much what is occurring. VERMONT - After taking a silent retreat in March for two-and-a-half months, a man in the United States who ended up disconnecting from the outside world now tweeted and asked if he missed anything. The man who spent 75 days disconnected is Daniel Thorson, a Monastic Academy staff member. During those 75 days, Thorson spent the entire duration of his days sleeping, eating, walking, and meditating while being in silence as he was isolated at the rural Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, the Monastic Academy wherein he decided all of the retreats before the global health crisis had taken thousands of lives in the United States. According to Times Now, during an interview, Thorson shared that his isolation includes a lot of experience, he even emphasized that it is so rich after being completely disconnected from the news cycle. He also added that during his silent retreat, there is no information coming in, aside from his teacher inside the Academy, he would speak to no one and he would meet his mentor for five or ten minutes every other day. During his sessions with his teacher, he stated that they usually share life experiences but in case that there is anything bad that happened in his family or friends, Thorson will be notified and have an option to come out of his retreat, luckily, none of these happen. Read also: Ohio Lawmaker Ask If Colored People Get COVID-19 Because They Don't Wash Hands Properly While being isolated inside the Monastic Academy, Thorson could feel that what is happening outside was something not right, he shared that he senses fear there, especially by late March. After being logged out for 75 days on his Twitter account, Thorson's first tweet after his retreat is a question if what did he miss from the whole time he is isolated. I'm back from 75 days in silence. Did I miss anything? Daniel Thorson (@dthorson) May 23, 2020 The Sun reproted that Thorson's tweet received lots of replies, and all of it points to the cause of the global health crisis, the COVID-19. Most netizens commented on their individual mini-retreats while following the quarantine measures. While others are asking if what it is like to be disconnected with all of the COVID-19-related news. One Twitter user welcomed Thorson and asked him if how did he process all of the weirdness that blasted since the time of his retreat for the user is not the only one wondering about it. While others are asking about the exact location of the Monastic Academy as they emphasized that we really need a 75-day breather from 2020. Thorson shared that he had been totally impressed with the other aspects of life that have changed as he did not predict it or even expected. He even stated that he has never lived through a pandemic before so he does not have any idea. In his other tweet, Thorson posted that people at the grocery store are more anxious as far as he can remember. It seems that not unlike Thorson, the world also its own retreat from the normal due to the spread of coronavirus pandemic. Economies were on a pause, travel was restricted, and people have been trapped inside their homes. Related article: Spain Denies Hiding True COVID-19 Mortality Rate After Death Rate Remains Frozen @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 11:20:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Rescuers work at the site of a tank truck blast in Wenling, east China's Zhejiang Province, in the early hours of June 14, 2020. The Saturday tank truck blast has left 19 people dead and 171 others injured, the local publicity authority said on Sunday. (Xinhua/Wu Shuaishuai) HANGZHOU, June 14 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a Saturday tank truck blast in east China's Zhejiang Province rose to 19, local authorities told a press conference on Sunday morning. A total of 172 injured people, including 24 seriously injured, were receiving medical treatment in hospitals. The accident occurred at around 4:40 p.m. Saturday when a tank truck loaded with liquified petroleum gas exploded near the Liangshan Village in Daxi Town under the city of Wenling on a section of the Shenyang-Haikou Expressway. A second blast happened when the blown-up truck fell onto a workshop near the expressway. The explosions caused the collapse of residential houses and factory workshops. So far, more than 2,660 rescue personnel, 151 rescue vehicles and over 30 large rescue machinery and equipment were sent to the site for rescue work, said Zhu Minglian, vice mayor of Wenling, at the press conference. More than 630 medical workers were also mobilized for the treatment of the injured, said Zhu. Local environmental protection authorities carried out real-time monitoring of the air and water around the accident site. No obvious pollution was found so far, said Zhu. Rescue and search efforts are underway. The cause of the accident is under further investigation. Enditem With key states headed for the polls later this year and next year, and with the coronavirus disease showing no sign of abating, the poll campaign of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be built around digital rallies that highlight the achievements of the first year of its second stint in power, according to leaders familiar with the details. With the pandemic yet to abate, going forward, most of the rallies by leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will be held digitally, a senior party functionary said. Addressing a virtual rally for Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, Union defence minister Rajnath Singh said the mode of outreach was samvaad ka ek rasta (a way to communicate), and added that a new world where physical distancing is the keyword has nudged politics towards the path of digital India. Singhs address was among the 75 such rallies planned by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government, but party leaders said these virtual events were likely to continue as part of poll campaigning. While Bihar will go to polls later this year, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will vote in 2021 to elect a new government. Digital outreach Soon after the nationwide lockdown was announced on March 25 to stop the spread of Covid-19, the BJP, which has 180 million member members, set the tone for political engagements in the time of social distancing. Party leaders, led by their president JP Nadda, began holding virtual meetings with workers right down to the booth level. It was decided at a general secretarys meeting that the party can connect digitally with masses and its workers. Ram Madhav (also a general secretary) was the one who suggested the idea and drew up the plan, which was new to a lot of people, said a second BJP functionary. National secretaries Tarun Chugh and Satya Kumar were given the charge to plan the rallies. Big states can have more than one rally and the target audience here is at least 50,000 (for one rally), while in the smaller states, the target audience is 25,000, the second functionary said. Union home minister Amit Shahs rally in Bihar on May 31, which marked the beginning of the programme, recorded over 3.9 million impressions in real time. These rallies are live-streamed on social media. The response far exceeded expectations, said BJP Bihar unit president Sanjay Jaiswal. In that rally, Shah, however, said it was not about elections but about boosting the morale of the people amid the Covid-19 outbreak, though the Opposition criticised his party over the timing of the programme. Preparations The first step to organise rallies is a meeting through video calling. Senior leaders are instructed to hold meetings with workers on a daily basis to discuss the partys activities during the pandemic. This helps the party cadre prepare the logistics for digital rallies, such as internet services. For the May 31 rally addressed by the home minister, information technology (IT) sanyojaks, or coordinators, were appointed at the panchayat level to train party members on how to share data of those who watched the rally. Bihar shattered the myth that party workers in far-flung areas are not tech-savvy, Jaiswal said. A list is drawn up in every district of party workers with smartphones and access to the internet, and this is followed up with IT training. PM Modi has said we need to turn this challenge (Covid-19) into an opportunity, and thats exactly what we have done. We have been holding regular IT training lessons for our workers, said VD Sharma, president of the Madhya Pradesh unit. Captive audience Getting people to tune in for the digital rallies has an added advantage for the BJP. Earlier, we used to ask people to give a missed call to connect with us. Now, when they log on, we get their details and we can then forge a connection with them. Those who are not supporters also log on to the rallies. Our booth-level workers will reach out to these people while maintaining the norms of social distancing, said the first functionary. Sharma said the party formed WhatsApp groups in every district of not just party workers but of residents as well. For the Nitin Gadkari rally in Madya Pradesh on June 10, people from 45,000 of the total 65,000 blocks connected through social media and primarily WhatsApp, he said. Digital outreach is not new to the party; it explored the hologram technology in 2012 during the Gujarat assembly polls and scaled it to a pan-India level in 2014 during the general elections. The party is also known for effectively using social media to reach out to people. From novelty to routine Rajyavardhan Rathore, a parliamentarian from Rajasthan and a former minister, did not expect to see a bunch of people on the screen when he dialled a party worker in a district in the state. Earlier meetings used to be held in designated areas; now with the facility of video calling our workers can speak to us from the comfort of their homes, surrounded by their families, he said. The idea of a big leader calling on a workers phone is fascinating for many. There is a lot of interest in VCs (video conferences)The process itself has become very disciplined and streamlined; workers now follow the etiquette of muting mikes while other speak, said Rathore, who, like several of his party colleagues, makes multiple such calls every day. Economical Even as the BJP dismissed allegations by the Opposition that it distributed television and mobile sets ahead of the rallies, most leaders concurred that digital outreach was cost efficient. There is a humongous amount of money spent on organising ralliesWhile we are still advertising about the rallies and putting up posters and banners; it still is a huge money-saver, said the first functionary. Impact Will the digital rallies evoke the same response that a public rally does? Earlier we used to meet in public rallies, look into each others eyes, read facial expressions, but that is not possible here, but samvaad ka ek rasta has been found, defence minister Singh said on Sunday. Political commentator Abhay Deshpande said the rallies are a good way of keeping workers motivated and engaged, but it was yet to be seen if they found acceptance among the electorate. When such rallies get picked by the mainstream media as news, it helps spread the message. But primarily, these are party-worker oriented, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON UN Human Rights Council in Geneva will hold debate on the issues at request of African countries. The UNs top human rights body agreed to a request from African countries to urgently debate racism and police brutality on Wednesday following unrest in the US and beyond over George Floyds death. One of the four former Minneapolis police officers who was charged over Floyds death has been released on a $750,000 bail. Floyd, a Black man, died on May 25 after a policeman knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. His death has sparked calls across the US for policing reforms and triggered global protests. Here are the latest updates: Monday, June 15 12:10 GMT FIFA urges tolerance after Trumps anthem kneeling rebuke FIFA has appealed for tolerance, mutual respect and common sense after US President Donald Trump denounced the annulment of a policy that required football players to stand during the national anthem. I wont be watching much anymore! Trump tweeted Saturday. Trump retweeted a tweet by US Representative Matt Gaetz, who wrote: Id rather the US not have a soccer team than have a soccer team that wont stand for the National Anthem. It was US captain Megan Rapinoe kneeling in support of Colin Kaepernick that led to the US Soccer Federation adopting the rule in 2017. It was annulled last week after American football leaders acknowledged a change in sentiment among the public since the death of Floyd sparked global anti-racism protests. 10:40 GMT Black Americans disproportionately die in police Taser confrontations: Reuters As police confront protesters across the US, they are turning to rubber bullets, pepper spray, tear gas and other weapons meant to minimise deaths in violent confrontations. But some are using a weapon that has the potential to kill: The Taser. When those encounters have turned fatal, Black people make up a disproportionate share of those who die, according to a Reuters analysis. Reuters documented 1,081 cases through the end of 2018 in which people died after being shocked by police with a Taser. At least 32 percent of those who died were Black, and at least 29 percent were white. African Americans make up 14 percent of the US population, and non-Hispanic whites, 60 percent 09:22 GMT UN rights council agrees to debate on racism, police violence The United Nationss top human rights body will hold an urgent debate on allegations of systemic racism, police brutality and violence against peaceful protests in the US on Wednesday, a statement said. The decision by the UN Human Rights Council followed a request last week by Burkina Faso on behalf of African countries, it said in a statement on Monday. The death of George Floyd is unfortunately not an isolated incident, the letter said. #HRC43 has opened & starts w/ GD on item 5. It was decided that an urgent debate on the current racially inspired #HumanRights violations, systematic #racism, #PoliceBrutality & violence against peaceful protests to take place Wednesday, 17 June at 3 p.m. https://t.co/wUEEG9n2Bg pic.twitter.com/8SYNTgRThD HRC SECRETARIAT (@UN_HRC) June 15, 2020 08:30 GMT Australian Rules-Carlton forward Betts calls out online racism Carlton Blues forward Eddie Betts has highlighted the racist abuse he receives on social media after a Twitter user posted a picture of a monkey in reference to the Australian Football League (AFL) player. Aboriginal Australian footballer Betts, a victim of repeated incidents of online racial vilification in recent years, posted the tweet on his Instagram account. If at any time anyone is wondering why we work so hard to bring attention to the importance of stamping out racism, this is it, the 33-year-old wrote. If ever there was a time where our focus on this needs to continue more than ever, its now. Carlton Blues forward Eddie Betts highlighted the racist abuse he receives on social media [File: Graham Denholm/Getty Images] 07:30 GMT UN leaders issue call to end racism More than 20 senior African leaders in the UN have called on the world to go beyond and do more to end racism. Not enough can ever be said about the deep trauma and inter-generational suffering that has resulted from the racial injustice perpetrated through centuries, particularly against people of African descent. To merely condemn expressions and acts of racism is not enough, the group said in an opinion piece. Now is the time to move from words to deeds, the piece read. The signatories included Tedros Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS, and Natalia Kanem, who runs the UN sexual and reproductive health agency. An important statement by over 20 senior @UN officials from Africa or of African descent on the need to do more to end #racism To merely condemn expressions and acts of racism is not enough. #BlackLivesMatter Full statement in @UN_News_Centre story https://t.co/YTXo6zMoSO Maher Nasser (@MaherNasserUN) June 15, 2020 06:45 GMT UK PM Johnson criticises distortion of our history Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the United Kingdom cannot photoshop its cultural landscape and complex history as doing so would be a distortion of its past, amid a continuing dispute over the removal of statues of historical figures. If we start purging the record and removing the images of all but those whose attitudes conform to our own, we are engaged in a great lie, a distortion of our history, Johnson wrote. Johnson also defended Winston Churchill and said it was absurd and deplorable that the former prime ministers monument should have been in any danger. A worker cleans the Churchill statue in Parliament Square that had been spray-painted with the words was a racist [Dan Kitwood/Getty Images] 06:35 GMT Football must take giant leap to fight racism: Neville Former England international Gary Neville says words are not enough to combat racism in football and that he is ashamed he did not fight harder against it when he was a player. The former Manchester United defender made the comments in the wake of Floyds death. Forget campaigns. Forget words. It has to be actions, Neville said ahead of the Premier Leagues restart on Wednesday following a three-month stoppage due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We need to take a giant leap rather than minute steps each year. Im not going to hide away from it. We need education, we need protocols and processes in place which basically reverse whats been happening in our country. Former England international Gary Neville said words are not enough to combat racism [File: Getty Images] 03:52 GMT Trayvon Martins mother joins protest for racial equality The mother of Trayvon Martin has joined hundreds of demonstrators at a rally in Miami, demanding racial equality following Floyds death last month at the hands of a white police officer in Minnesota. Sybrina Fulton joined the demonstrators who carried signs that read Stop Killing Us and We Are All Equal at the Torch of Friendship, a 60-year-old monument erected as a welcoming beacon to the citys Latin American and Caribbean neighbours. The protest organised by several churches was one of several across Florida on Sunday. Fultons unarmed son, Trayon Martin, was killed by a neighbourhood watch volunteer, George Zimmerman, while walking back from a central Florida convenience store in 2012. 02:05 GMT Brooks shooting declared a homicide The Fulton County medical examiners office has ruled the death of Rayshard Brooks a homicide caused by gunshot wounds to the back. An autopsy conducted on Sunday showed that the 27-year-old died from blood loss and organ injuries caused by two gunshot wounds, an investigator for the medical examiner said in a statement. The manner of his death was homicide, it added. Brookss fatal encounter with police came after an employee of a Wendys restaurant in Atlanta phoned authorities to say that someone had fallen asleep in his car in the restaurants drive-through lane. Sunday, June 14 20:50 GMT Report says Black people most arrested for Chicago curfew violations A new report says Black people made up 75 percent of those arrested in Chicago for alleged violations of a curfew put in place following demonstrations over Floyds death. The Chicago Sun-Times analysed police data from the first five days of the curfew imposed on May 30 and lifted on June 7. The racial disparity in Chicago, where Black people comprise about 30 percent of the population, drew criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois. A Chicago police spokesman says the departments curfew enforcement was universal regardless of race or neighbourhood. A protester holds a sign during a protest over the death of George Floyd in Chicago on May 30 [Nam Y Huh/The Associated Press] 20:40 GMT Macron says colonial statues will not be removed French President Emmanuel Macron has promised to stand firm against racism, while also insisting that France would not take down statues of controversial, colonial-era figures, as he addressed the issues for the first time since Floyds death in the US. In a televised address to the nation on Sunday evening, Macron called for the nations unity at a key moment when the country is trying to put the coronavirus crisis behind it while being shaken by a series of protests against racial injustice and police brutality. Echoing American protesters, demonstrators in France have expressed anger at discrimination within French society, particularly towards minorities from the countrys former colonies in Africa. 20:20 GMT Beyonce demands justice for Breonna Taylor in letter to Kentucky attorney general Performer Beyonce has written a letter to the Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron demanding justice for Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician who was shot and killed when police raided her home in Louisville in March. Three months have passed and Breonna Taylors family still waits for justice. Ms Taylors family has not been able to take time to process and grieve. Instead, they have been working tirelessly to rally the support of friends, their community and the country to obtain justice for Breonna, Beyonce wrote. The letter goes on to demand that the officers involved be charged, that the investigation and prosecution be transparent, and that the Louisville police departments response to the killing be investigated. 19:40 GMT District attorney to decide this week if officer in Brookss shooting will be charged The Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard has said a decision on whether charges will be brought against the officer who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks will be made this week. Howard, speaking to CNN, said Brooks did not seem to present any threat to anyone. The fact that it would escalate to his death seems unreasonable, he added. Howard said the charges of murder, felony murder or voluntary manslaughter are all being considered. 19:00 GMT High-ranking house Democrat says Brooks incident did not call for lethal force House of Representatives majority whip James Clyburn has said the Brooks incident did not call for deadly force. You wonder, sometimes, when youre dealing with an issue like this out here for two or three weeks, and then you see a police officer still being insensitive to the life of a young African American man, the South Carolina Democrat told CNNs State of the Union. This did not call for lethal force. And I dont know whats in the culture that would make this guy do that. It has got to be the culture. Its got to be the system, he said. Meanwhile, the US Senates only African American Republican, Tim Scott, in an interview with CNN, called the incident far less clear than the widely-condemned killing of George Floyd or other cases of police brutality. 18:20 GMT Systemic racism slows economic growth: Dallas Fed chief Systemic racism and high unemployment levels among Black and Hispanic Americans create a drag on the US economy, Dallas Federal Reserve President Robert Kaplan has said. A more inclusive economy where everyone has an opportunity will mean faster workforce growth, faster productivity growth and will grow faster, Kaplan said on CBSs Face the Nation. Kaplan added he agreed with his counterpart at the Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank, Raphael Bostic, the Feds only African American policymaker, who on Friday called for an end to racism and laid out ways the US central bank can help. 17:40 GMT Trump moved Tulsa rally date after learning about Juneteenth President Donald Trump did not know the significance to African Americans of the date and location he chose for his first campaign rally since the coronavirus pandemic more than three months ago, key Republican supporters of the president in Congress have said. Trump had scheduled the rally for June 19, known as Juneteenth because it marks the end of slavery in the US. Tulsa, Oklahoma, the location for the rally, was the scene in 1921 of one of the most severe white-on-Black attacks in American history. Black community and political leaders denounced the move and called on Trump to reschedule. He resisted until late on Friday when, in a rare turnabout, Trump tweeted that he had moved the rally to this Saturday, June 20, out of respect for the view of supporters and others who had asked him to. The president moving the date by a day once he was informed on what the Juneteenth was, that was a good decision on his part, said Senator Tim Scott, the only Black Republican senator, adding he did not know if Trumps planners knew the significance of the date. 17:00 GMT At least seven Minneapolis police quit, seven more resigning: Report At least seven Minneapolis police officers have quit and another seven are in the process of resigning, citing a lack of support from department and city leaders as protests over George Floyds death escalates. Current and former officers told The Minneapolis Star Tribune that officers are upset with Mayor Jacob Freys decision to abandon the Third Precinct station during the protests. Demonstrators set the building on fire after officers left. Protesters have also hurled bricks and insults at officers, numerous officers and protesters have been injured, and the state has launched a civil rights investigation into the department. Minneapolis police officers stand in line while facing protesters demonstrating against the death of George Floyd outside the 3rd Police Precinct in Minneapolis, Minnesota [Kerem Yucel/AFP] 16:30 GMT Vermont governor says Black Lives Matter mural vandalised A Black Lives Matter painting in front of Vermonts statehouse has been vandalised in what the governor has described an an effort to fuel hate and division. Governor Phil Scott, in a tweet, said the vandalism had been discovered early Sunday morning. He added he had instructed state police to aid local authorities in the investigation. This act of vandalism only reinforces that were not immune to racism, divisiveness and hate in Vermont, he wrote. We must redouble our efforts to dismantle systemic racism and bigotry, and stay united as Vermonters. Early this morning, in an effort to fuel hate and division, the Black Lives Matter painting in front of the State House was vandalized. This painting serves as an important reminder to make equity a priority and use this movement to drive real action and long overdue change. 1/3 Governor Phil Scott (@GovPhilScott) June 14, 2020 15:50 GMT Lone Black Republican Senator says he is open to decertification of bad police Tim Scott, the only Black Republican member of the US Senate, has said he is open to exploring whether to enact a new law that would decertify bad police officers as part of a larger law enforcement reform package. Speaking on CBSs Face the Nation, Scott said a new policy to decertify police who engage in misconduct could be a compromise as he negotiates with Democrats, who have called more drastic measures such as ending the qualified immunity legal doctrine which helps shield officers from liability. I think theres a way for us to deal with it, said Scott, who has been tapped by the Republican leadership to oversee the drafting of new policing reform legislation. Decertification would be a path that I would be interested in looking at. 15:20 GMT Video shows moments before deadly shooting of Rayshard Brooks Footage released by investigators of the deadly police shooting of Brooks shows him telling officers he is not armed and consenting to a pat-down before he is killed. Brooks had been reported to police for sleeping in the drive-through of Wendys restaurant in Atlanta on Friday night. After telling Brooks to pull off to a side of the parking lot, the officers ask him if he is armed. I just have money for gas and thats it, he responds. When asked if they can pat him down, Brooks consents: Absolutely, thats fine. After checking Brooks for weapons, the officers then administer a sobriety test, which Brooks reportedly failed. As they attempt to handcuff him, a scuffle ensues. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, surveillance footage from Wendys and witnesses cell phone footage indicate Brooks took one of the officers Tasers during the scuffle. At one point, Brooks, as he flees, appears to fire the taser at officer Garrett Rolfe, who then fires his gun three times at Brooks, fatally hitting him. 14:50 GMT Italians deface statue of journalist who had 12-year-old Eritrean bride Protesters have scrawled rapist and racist on the statue of a late Italian journalist who had acknowledged having had a 12-year-old Eritrean bride while stationed in the Italian colony in the 1930s. The statue of Indro Montanelli, inside a Milan park that bears his name, has been a flashpoint in Italys Black Lives Matter protests, which have put renewed focus on Italys colonial past. Activists are also pushing for Italy to grant automatic citizenship to those born in Italy to parents who are permanent residents. Montanelli, who died in 2001 at the age of 92, was one of Italys most revered journalists, honoured by the Vienna-based International Press Institute in 2000 as among the 50 World Press Freedom Heroes. A municipal employee cleans a statue of a famous Italian journalist Indro Montanelli after it was stained with red paint and tagged with the inscription racist, rapist [Miguel Medina/AFP] 14:15 GMT Berlin demonstrators form human chain in message against racism Demonstrators are forming a planned nine-kilometre (five-mile) chain in Berlin in a message against racism, among a range of other protests. Organisers of Sundays Indivisible demonstration were told to require participants to wear masks, and protesters were also asked to maintain social distancing. They were linked by coloured ribbons, forming what organisers called a ribbon of solidarity that stretched southeast from the Brandenburg Gate to the Neukoelln neighbourhood. Police said people appeared to be keeping up with safety protocols. Berlin recently lifted coronavirus-related limits on the number of people who can attend demonstrations, though people are still required to keep at least 1.5 metres (5 feet) apart in public. People participate in the Unteilbar (indivisible) Solidarity Chain demonstration in Berlin, Germany [Omer Messinger/EPA] 13:30 GMT Family seek answers in death of Black man found hanging from tree in California Amid protests against racial mistreatment and injustice across the US, protesters and the family of a 24-year-old Black man found hanging from a tree in Palmdale, California have called for answers. On Saturday, hundreds of people marched in Palmdale following the death of Robert Fuller who was found hanging from a tree near City Hall early on Wednesday. During the demonstration, Los Angeles Supervisor Kathryn Barger formally called for an investigation into the death by the states attorney general. Authorities initially said the death appeared to be a suicide but are awaiting the results of an autopsy. Everything that theyve been telling us has not been right, Fullers sister, Diamond Alexander, who was among the protesters said, the New York Times reported. Weve been hearing one thing. Then we hear another. And we just want to know the truth. My brother was not suicidal. He wasnt, she added. Hello, this is Joseph Stepansky in Doha taking over from my colleague Linah Alsaafin. 12:25 GMT Fox News apologises for running digitally altered images in Seattle protest coverage Fox News has apologised for running digitally altered and misleading photos on stories about Seattles Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ). The zone had been taken over by protesters after Seattle police abandoned the East Precinct. Fox News website ran a photo of a man standing with an assault rifle in front of a smashed retail storefront, but the image was actually a mash-up of photos taken by different photographers from different days. On Saturday, Fox issued an apology in an editors note on its website, sayings its home-page photos did not clearly delineate the splicing together of multiple images from different locations. Fox News regrets these errors, the note stated. 12:00 GMT Tokyo marches in solidarity with George Floyd protests Protesters pose for a photograph at Yoyogi Park after a peaceful Black Lives Matter march in Tokyo, Japan [Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images] Holding handmade signs that read Black Lives Matter, hundreds of people marched peacefully in Tokyo on Sunday, highlighting the outrage over the death of Floyd. Mitsuaki Shidara, who works for a food maker, was in the crowd at Yoyogi Park, where the march began. He said Japan has plenty of discrimination problems, but they are overlooked. We are all human first, but we are divided by nationality, gender, religion, skin colour, Shidara said, Whats happening in the US shows racism is going on, even after 400 years, said Shidara. 11:40 GMT Fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks: What we know so far The killing of Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old Black man, late on Friday outside a fast-food restaurant in the US city of Atlanta has triggered protests and forced the citys police chief to resign. Police were called to the Wendys restaurant after a complaint that Brooks had fallen asleep in his car while waiting in the drive-through line, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), which has opened an inquiry into the shooting, said on Saturday. The GBI said Brooks failed a sobriety test and police attempted to take him into custody. A struggle between Brooks and the officers over a police taser followed. The GBI initially reported that the father of four, who had celebrated the birthday of his eight-year-old daughter earlier on Friday, was shot during the struggle. Read more here. 10:48 GMT Police release footage of struggle before Brooks shooting The Atlanta Police Department on Sunday released body-camera and dashboard camera footage of the attempted arrest and fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks outside a fast-food restaurant in Georgias capital on Friday. Officers Garrett Rolfe and Devin Brosnan attempted to arrest Brooks after questioning him and getting him to perform sobriety tests. Footage showed Rolfe attempting to put handcuffs on Brooks before a struggle begins. Dash-cam footage showed Brooks, Brosnan and Rolfe on the floor before a taser is fired at Brooks. Three gunshots are then heard while the three are off-camera. Brookss death sparked protests in Atlanta on Saturday night and the restaurant where Brooks was shot was set alight. 09:55 GMT Police arrest more than 100 after London Black Lives Matter protests Police take some protesters as clashes break out between protesters supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and far-right activists at Leicester Square in London [Anadolu Agency] The British police said they have arrested more than 100 people after demonstrators, including far-right protesters, clashed with officers in London. Hundreds of far-right protesters turned out on Saturday, many saying they wanted to protect monuments targeted recently by anti-racism protesters for links to slavery and colonialism. The protests, attended by far-right groups including Britain First, turned violent when some scuffled with riot police and others hurled bottles, flares and smoke grenades at officers. Six police officers suffered minor injuries. More Black Lives Matter protests are planned on Sunday after rallies in at least a dozen British towns and cities including Newcastle, Bristol, Chelmsford, Canterbury and Brighton, on Saturday. Read more here. 08:35 GMT Black Lives Matter protests in New Zealand Thousands of New Zealanders turned out to Black Lives Matter protests in Auckland and Wellington on Sunday. In Auckland, the protest ended at the US consulate, where protesters took a knee and observed a minutes silence to commemorate George Floyd, who died at the hands of Minneapolis police last month. In Wellington, the capital, protesters marched to the grounds of Parliament, chanting Black Lives Matter and holding placards with slogans like Racism is a pandemic, lets fight it! Andrew Little, the countrys justice minister, spoke to the crowd outside Parliament, saying politicians and people needed to demand improved outcomes for Indigenous Maori. 08:11 GMT Australian prime minister apologises over slavery comments Protesters participate in a Black Lives Matter rally at Langley Park in Perth, Australia to raise awareness of Aboriginal deaths in police custody [Richard Wainwright/EPA] Scott Morrison has apologised for denying his countrys history with slavery, saying he was referring to the settlement of the first colony. His remarks have angered some Indigenous Australians as well as descendants of Pacific Islanders who say their ancestors worked for little or no pay on sugar plantations. The comments I was referring to was how the first colony, New South Wales, was first established, he said in a news conference in Canberra. Dominic OSullivan from the Charles Sturt University said many Australians are not aware of their past. Australia has a habit of forgetting those bits of its history it doesnt like, that could cause tension or embarrassment, he said. While Morrisons initial comment about denying the history of was simply a mistake, the fact that he retracted it so quickly was a sign that he had realised that he really couldnt defend his position because what he said was not true and the evidence that it is not true is compelling. 07:33 GMT Atlanta officer fired after fatal shooting of Black man An officer talks with protesters near the Atlanta Wendys where Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by police on Friday evening following a struggle in the restaurants drive-through line in Atlanta [Brynn Anderson/The Associated Press] An Atlanta police officer was fired following the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks, a Black man, and another officer was placed on administrative duty, the police department announced early on Sunday. The moves follow the resignation of Atlanta police chief Erika Shields, who stepped down as the Friday night killing of Brooks, 27, sparked a new wave of protests in Atlanta after turbulent demonstrations that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis had simmered down. The terminated officer was identified as Garrett Rolfe, who was hired in October 2013, and the officer placed on administrative duty is Devin Brosnan, who was hired in September 2018. The police department also released body camera and dash-camera footage from both officers. L Chris Stewart, a lawyer for Brookss family, said the officer who shot him should be charged for unjustified use of deadly force, which equals murder. 07:15 GMT New Orleans protesters pull down bust, throw it in river Demonstrators in New Orleans pulled down the bust of John McDonogh, a slave owner who left his wealth to build schools, took the remains to the Mississippi River and rolled it into the water [Rebecca Santana/The Associated Press] Protesters tore down a bust of slave owner John McDonogh who left part of his fortune to New Orleans schools and then took the remains to the Mississippi River and rolled it down the banks into the water. The destruction is part of a nationwide effort to remove monuments to the Confederacy or with links to slavery as the country grapples with widespread protests against police brutality towards African Americans. Police said in a statement that demonstrators at Duncan Plaza, which is across the street from City Hall, dragged the bust into the streets, loaded it onto trucks and took it to the Mississippi River where they threw it in. When he died, McDonogh left a large portion of his money to New Orleans and Baltimore for schools, and many schools in New Orleans are named after him. The McDonogh Day celebration, in which schoolchildren across the city laid flowers at a different monument to McDonogh, was racially segregated and became the subject of boycotts in the 1950s, as African American children would have to wait for hours for white children to lay their flowers first. 06:55 GMT More than 10,000 demonstrate against racism in Zurich People demonstrate in Zurich against racism after the worldwide movement of the Black Lives Matter protest against the recent death of George Floyd [Ennio Leanza/EPA] Demonstrators took to the streets of several Swiss cities to protest against racism, the news agency Keystone-SDA reported. In Zurich alone, more than 10,000 people demonstrated, Keystone-SDA reported, citing city police. The mostly young protesters held up signs with slogans taken from anti-racism and anti-police brutality rallies in the US including White silence is violence and Black Lives Matter. Protesters also met in the capital Bern, Lausanne, and in St Gallen. During the demonstration in Zurich, people knelt several times to commemorate the brutal incident. Hello, this is Linah Alsaafin taking over the blog in Doha from my colleagues in Kuala Lumpur. 05:35 GMT US embassy in South Korea displays Black Lives Matter banner The US embassy in Seoul draped a huge Black Lives Matter banner on its mission building and tweeted a picture of it in support of an anti-racism campaign across America. The US Embassy stands in solidarity with fellow Americans grieving and peacefully protesting to demand positive change. Our #BlackLivesMatter banner shows our support for the fight against racial injustice and police brutality as we strive to be a more inclusive just society, the embassy tweeted, along with the picture of the banner in black and white. US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris retweeted the message, adding USA is a free and diverse nation from that diversity we gain our strength. No comment was immediately available from the embassy on Sunday. I believe in what President JFK said on June 10, 1963 at American University: "If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity." USA is a free & diverse nationfrom that diversity we gain our strength. https://t.co/vpk2NbFoWl Harry Harris (@USAmbROK) June 13, 2020 04:14 GMT Protesters burn down Wendys in Atlanta where Black man was slain Protesters have shut down a major highway in the US city of Atlanta and set fire to a Wendys restaurant where a Black man was shot by police as he tried to escape arrest in an incident caught on video and expected to fuel more nationwide demonstrations. The unrest broke out after dark in Atlanta where, earlier in the day, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said she had accepted the prompt resignation of police chief Erika Shields over the death on Friday night of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks at the restaurant. Images on local television showed the restaurant in flames for more than 45 minutes before fire crews arrived to extinguish the blaze, protected by a line of police officers. By that time, the building had been reduced to charred rubble next to a petrol station. GBI released video that shows the moment Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by an Atlanta Police officer at a Wendys on University Ave last night. Police say Brooks had taken an officer's taser and pointed it at the officer as he ran. pic.twitter.com/1G8fn03gFV Matt Johnson (@MattWSB) June 13, 2020 04:00 GMT Missouri police chief on leave over inflammatory posts A rural Missouri police chief has been placed on leave over inflammatory Facebook posts about protests over the death of George Floyd. Keven Suedmeyer, police chief in Auxvasse, about 56 kilometres (35 miles) northeast of Jefferson City, was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation, Mayor Tom Henage said Friday. Racism is not condoned or tolerated by the City of Auxvasse, Henage said in a news release. When asked by the Jefferson City News-Tribune if that meant he considered the posts, which were on Suedmeyers personal Facebook page, to be racist, Henage said he did not. Suedmeyers home phone rang unanswered on Saturday when The Associated Press tried to call him for comment. In a May 31 post, Suedmeyer wrote that if someone stands in the street blocking traffic, that person deserves to be run over. That will help clean up the gene pool. When Will Shackelford, a candidate for Callaway County western district commissioner, responded, Have you come across any road blocks?, Suedmeyer wrote, Nope (and) I certainly wont stop for them though if they insist Ill identify myself they can back down or get shot. On June 2, he wrote: Corona virus coming to rioters everywhere Darwin work your magic Time to ramp up the funeral industry. A city alderman, Bret Barnes, was among Suedmeyers friends who hit like on the post. Software giant Microsoft released Windows 10 in 2015 and the operating system (OS) was released as a free upgrade by the company. Microsoft decided to release the OS as a free upgrade with an aim to move users to the new Windows 10 OS which was meant to get free upgrades forever in the future. But the free upgrade was available for a limited time and ended about 4 years ago. After the end of the offer, Microsoft either forgot or deliberately did not take step to close the activation servers leading to users upgrading to Windows 10 for free years after the initial offer expired. To upgrade to Windows 10, you will need to do the following: - Backup all your important files, ideally off the computer. You can use an external drive or use cloud storage like OneDrive. - Uninstall old software and security utilities as those are known to cause issues. Dont worry, you can reinstall them once the upgrade is complete. - You will need around 5 GB of bandwidth to download the upgrade and the drivers. - You should also go to your manufacturer website and grab some drivers, especially for network and Bluetooth and storage drivers. These can act as a backup in case Windows 10 doesnt install the basic drivers automatically. -Get two different USB drives- one for Windows 10 and another for your drivers. -You should also remove the drives that will not be used during the upgrade. This is not necessary but recommended. -Find your product key. For older laptops, this should be in the form of a sticker on the bottom of the laptop. If you bought it separately then it should be in the Windows box or on your email depending on how you bought the license. If you cant find it then open Command Prompt as administrator and run wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey command. This should fetch your product key. Keep it somewhere safe in case you need it for activation. -Once you are prepared, download Microsoft Windows 10 Media Creation Tool and run it. -Click Upgrade this PC to start the compatibility check. Theres a chance that some of the programs might not be compatible with Windows 10. You will need to uninstall those to proceed to ensure the update is installed without problems. -Once all that is done, the Media creation tool will start the Windows 10 download and install it. -After installation, go to Settings>Update and Security>Windows Updates and download the latest updates and drivers. This is the best way to install Windows 10 on your old computer. However, if youre upgrading someone elses computer or have to upgrade multiple computers then you can follow the steps below. This method will require a USB drive. -Start with downloading Windows Media creation Tool. -Once done, open it and instead of selecting upgrade this computer, select the second option (create installation media). -Plug in your USB drive and select it in the Media creation tool. -Let the tool download Windows 10 on to the USB and create a bootable drive. -You can now plug in the drive into any computer that supports Windows 10 (and is running Windows 7 or above). -Open File Explorer and double-click on the USB drive. Now open Setup to run the Windows 10 update. The process to upgrade to Windows 10 is the same as the first method. Do note that you cant upgrade to Windows 10 by booting using the USB stick so you will need to log into Windows and upgrade via File Explorer. Man Sentenced To Death For Espionage Spied On Iranian Forces In Syria, Judiciary Says Radio Farda June 13, 2020 The Spokesman of Iran's Judiciary on Saturday said Mahmoud Mousavi-Majd who has been sentenced to death for "espionage on behalf of CIA and Mossad" had spied on Iranian forces in Syria. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an official ceremony, Gholam-Hossein Esmaili said the accused and his family were residents of Syria and he was "in contact with the Iranian forces there" but did not elaborate on whether the accused was a member of "Defenders of the Shrine" or worked for the Revolutionary Guard in another capacity. "Defender of the Shrine [of Zeynab]" is a term used by Iranian authorities to refer to its the Revolutionary Guard members and the militia organized by it that fight alongside Syrian government forces. It is not possible to verify the claims of Iran's Judiciary about a collaborator or whether this person was a member of IRGC. Last week the Judiciary Spokesman implied that Mousavi-Majd had been involved in the targeted killing of Qods Force Commander Qassem Soleimani's in Iraq by the United States on January 3. This was later refuted by the Media Center of the Judiciary which said all stages of Mousavi-Majd's case and trial predated Soleimani's killing. According to the statement released by the Judiciary's Media Center, Mousavi-Majd was arrested on October 10, 2018 and was sentenced to death on August 25, 2019 by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court. He was re-tried after the Supreme Court found the first trial faulty and was sentenced to death for a second time, which the Supreme Court has now endorsed. A Twitter account named Seyed Mahmoud Mousavi-Majd with tweets in Persian and Arabic that has been publishing information about the accused since June 10, claims that he is innocent and was a "devoted soldier" who became a "victim of the corrupt". The account has also published a very recent voice recording of Mousavi-Majd in which he says he wants to be tried in a "fair and free court" where he can reveal all the truth. The authenticity of the recording is hard to establish. The same account claims that he had served as a soldier in Syria since 2017 on the merit of his fluency in Arabic and was arrested and repatriated to Iran in September 2018. The governments of the United States and Israel have not commented on the allegations. Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/man-sentenced-to- death-for-espionage-spied-on-iranian-forces- in-syria-judiciary-says/30668853.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 People wear face masks to protect against the spread of the coronavirus as they ride the subway in Taipei, Taiwan. (AP) Seoul: Infections in South Korea have spiked up, showing how the disease can come back as curbs on business and travel are lifted. Elsewhere, governments including Egypt, Ukraine and North Macedonia have reported their highest single-day totals of new infections since Friday. In the United States, case numbers are rising in some states as President Donald Trump pushes to reopen businesses despite warnings by public health experts. The world is seeing more than 100,000 newly confirmed cases every day, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. South Koreas government reported 34 more cases, adding to an upward trend in infections. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 30 were in the greater Seoul area, where half of the countrys 51 million people live. New cases have been linked to nightlife establishments, church services, an e-commerce warehouse and door-to-door sellers. On Saturday, Egypts Health Ministry announced 1,677 new confirmed cases. The Arab worlds most populous country has its highest coronavirus death toll at 1,484 among 42,980 confirmed cases. Also Saturday, Ukraine reported 753 new cases, more than double the daily count earlier this month. Authorities in North Macedonia reported 196 cases. In the United States, the number of new cases in Arizona in the southwest has risen to more than 1,000 per day from fewer than 400 when the states shutdown was lifted in mid-May, according to an analysis by The Associated Press. Gov. Doug Ducey is not requiring Arizona residents to wear masks in public despite warnings by public health experts outside the government. Elsewhere, bar owners in New Orleans were preparing to reopen. San Francisco restaurants resumed outdoor seating Friday and the California government allowed hotels, zoos, museums and aquariums to reopen. The states of Utah and Oregon suspended further reopening of their economies due to a spike in cases. Since the emergence of COVID-19 in Ghana, a lot has been said about its impact on the creative arts industry with the focus mainly on music, movies and events. However, there are other sectors also feeling the effect of COVID-19, one of them is the makeup industry. This is an industry that thrives on events; more events mean more people requesting for the services of make up artists, and the limitations on public gatherings has hit the people who show their creativity through the use of brushes and cosmetics very hard. Makeup artists woes Some makeup artists have been sharing their thoughts on how the coronavirus pandemic has changed their business. Zeena Shafiu is the owner of Zees Beauty Parlour in Accra, and she told the Daily Graphic it has been a challenging time. Previously, we had people booking us for a lot of occasions, we were busy almost everyday and I felt good as an entrepreneur but immediately the pandemic became very serious and it was mandatory that we close the business centres, business was bad and remains so even now that the lockdown has been lifted. People are scared to even make up again, she said. When asked what measures she had put in place to prevent people from getting infected, she said, currently, though I open my shop everyday with the hope of getting customers, I take the measures provided by the WHO and the government seriously. I have some of the Veronica buckets with water and soap at my entrance along with sanitisers. Zeena expressed the hope that life would return to normal soon. Im hopeful that business would be better after the complete eradication of the virus but I would be grateful if the government can assist us financially, as things have not been easy at all, she said. Owner of Nadark Makeup, Abigail Oduro Darko shared the same sentiments as Zeena. When cases were recorded, I was completely broken as I no longer received bookings for events. It was even worse when all social gatherings were cancelled, my business was running at a loss. According to her, peoples fears of getting infected was so high that even after the lockdown was lifted customers were still scared of personal contact with makeup artists. Abigail Darko expresses excitement that the number of wedding attendees had been increased to 100. Due to the number initially being 25, lots of people were not getting married in fear that they would record higher numbers and be arrested. But now that it has been increased, I am hopeful that things will change and bookings will start soon. Exceptions Patricia Ohene of Narks Beautiria may be the exception to the stories of woe being told as she said the lockdown did not have any effect on her. I was not bothered because I knew it was just for a short period of time. But my fear was when the number of cases kept increasing, and it was a wake up call for me to make my preventive measures ready as soon as it was lifted. She added that since the lockdown was lifted, business has been good. I am still operating but under different rules; clients will not allow you to touch them unless you have washed your hands properly with soap under running water or sanitised your hands, and as a beauty therapist touching clients faces is one basic thing we do. I also have my gloves on every time I have to work as well as my nose mask, she said. Patricia expressed optimism that life would be normal soon and things would fall into place. Source: Graphic Showbiz Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video By PTI NEW DELHI: In a relief to journalist Vinod Dua, the Supreme Court in a special hearing on Sunday restrained the Himachal Pradesh police from arresting him till July 6 in a sedition case lodged against him in the state over his Youtube show. The top court said that Dua will have to join the investigation and there shall be no stay on the ongoing probe undertaken by the Himachal Pradesh police. A bench of Justices U U Lalit, M M Shantanagoudar and Vineet Saran issued notices to the Centre and the state government and sought their responses within two weeks. Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for Dua, not only sought staying of the FIR rather demanded its quashing, saying the fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression of the journalist has been taken away by filing of the sedition case. Singh said that if such charges are slapped against individuals then many of them may fall within the ambit of sedition charges. He said that petitioner is willing to show the video clip of the show to the court. Granting interim relief, the bench said that it was not going into the details of the matter and will also not stay the probe. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the state government, accepted the notice and said he would file the reply in two weeks. The Delhi High Court had earlier stayed an investigation into another case against Dua in connection with his show on YouTube. The police in Shimla had summoned him for questioning over a sedition complaint by a local BJP leader. Like the complaint lodged in the national capital, the FIR registered against the senior journalist in Shimla is also over his YouTube show on communal riots in Delhi earlier this year. According to the complaint, he had accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using "deaths and terror attacks" to get votes. Dua has been charged under sections 124A (sedition), 268 (public nuisance), 501 (printing matter known to be defamatory) and 505 (statements conducive to public mischief) on the basis of a complaint last month by BJP's Mahasu unit president Ajay Shyam. On Thursday, Dua was sent a notice asking him to appear before the police in Shimla. Himachal Pradesh police personnel had arrived at his Delhi home on Friday morning to serve the notice. In his reply to the notice, Dua said he cannot visit Kumarsain police station because of his health, age and the COVID-19 protocol for travel and quarantine. BJP leader Ajay Shyam had complained that Dua made bizarre allegations on his 15-minute YouTube show on March 30. The BJP leader alleged that Dua had instigated violence against the government and the prime minister by spreading false and malicious news. On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court had stayed till June 23 an investigation into a similar case filed by BJP spokesperson Naveen Kumar. The court had said there was an unexplained delay of nearly three months in filing the complaint. A "meditation" might be the best way to describe the slightly untethered formal energies of this 1981 essay by Edna O'Brien, now revived for this year's Bloomsday celebrations. The purpose here does not seem to be to merely chart one of Irish literature's most enigmatic romances but to disassemble and inhabit in a manner that perhaps novelists are better suited to than professional biographers. It was while studying pharmaceutical science in the 1950s that O'Brien came across a copy of TS Eliot's Introducing James Joyce. At that very moment, she says in her original introduction from 1981, her burgeoning dreams of becoming a writer suddenly found some form of purchase in the reality of her situation. "I saw that literature was not mysterious lofty stuff," she recalls, "but the rough and tumble of everyday life." Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Bloomsday 2020. Simon Morgan, Tom Fitzgerald and musician Luke Cosgrave outside Fitzgeralds pub in Glasthuile village Picture; Gerry Mooney Bloomsday 2020. Tom Fitzgerald and musician Luke Cosgrave outside his pub in Glasthuile village Picture; Gerry Mooney Bloomsday 2020. Tom Fitzgerald enjoys an early morning pint with Ulysses in his pub in Glasthuile village Picture; Gerry Mooney Bloomsday 2020. Peter Caviston entertains early morning bathers at the Forty foot in Sandycove. Picture; Gerry Mooney Bloomsday 2020. Michael Chester and Peter Caviston with his copy of Ulysses at the Forty foot in Sandycove. Picture; Gerry Mooney Bloomsday 2020. Peter Caviston with his copy of Ulysses at the Forty foot in Sandycove. Picture; Gerry Mooney Bloomsday 2020. Tom Fitzgerald enjoys an early morning pint with Ulysses in his pub in Glasthuile village Picture; Gerry Mooney Tom Fitzgerald and Peter Caviston enjoy Bloomsday 2020 while social distancing in Glasthule village. Picture; Gerry Mooney / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Bloomsday 2020. Simon Morgan, Tom Fitzgerald and musician Luke Cosgrave outside Fitzgeralds pub in Glasthuile village Picture; Gerry Mooney Read More A lifelong fascination with Joyce began, one that would encourage O'Brien to go straight to the well of family drama for fiction inspiration time and time again. What Joyce perhaps also offered O'Brien was a literary portal into the male reverence of the female form as placed against the cloistered backdrop of Catholic Ireland. For Joyce, women's apparel were "a source of spermic titivation" and "a spring to catch woodcocks", she reminds us in one of countless channellings of arch Joycean wordplay. "The molecules of the body shuttling to and fro, as the artist in the man weaves and unweaves woman's image and the man in the artist desecrates and considers the stains on her drawers. Forever mingling the genitalia and the transubstantial." Throughout this psychoanalytical reading, O'Brien makes riverine swerves into Joyce's two difficult maternal spectres in his life - his mother, "an umbilical drudge", and the Catholic Church, "the scullery maid of Christendom". Nora, a goddess-whore dichotomy made flesh, was inextricably tied up in all of this. The seance that O'Brien conducts over these two souls is light on beauty and sweep. That may just be the fact of how things were between them, gleaned as it all has been from epistolary and archival materials. There is libidinous animalism that can veer into near-grotesque, internal warfare, and the constant poverty they both existed in as Joyce consistently proved to be a disastrous manager of finances. Above all, Barnacle, the Galway chambermaid, facilitated physical and mental transport in Joyce, O'Brien opines. Video of the Day She has never hidden her idolisation of Joyce and this slim edition sees her conjuring not only the inner sanctum of his life with Nora but also his aim to "do a Humpty Dumpty on the English language". There are ticks and puns and knowing nods throughout this text, neologisms taped together from the Joycean dictionary. But there is also the knowledge that comes with being a writer and therefore capable of understanding another at a deeply profound level, the push and pull of it, the things it saps out of one. She is able to empathise with Joyce's simultaneous presence and absence in his marriage, and how any longing to see into the other person is "discharged into the work". Her image of Joyce spending most of his time in semi-darkness, "lost to the outside world" and away from a solemn, unsmiling Nora is one of the most lasting here. This is one of many paradoxes O'Brien presents without having to sell them to us. "No man has ever wanted so to be a woman," she says, and yet the writing of Ulysses resulted in scant attention towards the very woman who would become the blueprint for Molly Bloom herself. Indian and Nepalese security agencies are working in co-ordination with each other to stop 'anti-national activities' along the India-Nepal border here, a senior official of Uttar Pradesh police said here on Sunday. "The 254-km border between Uttar Pradesh and Nepal covers districts of Balrampur, Shravasti and Bahraich. Sashastra Seema Bal is guarding this border," Deputy Inspector General Rakesh Singh of Devipatan range told reporters here on Sunday. "The SSB and Nepali soldiers are working in co-ordination with each other to stop anti-national activities and human trafficking on the India-Nepal border," he added. "There is harmony between the border forces of both the countries like it was prevailing earlier. There is no tension in the districts bordering Nepal," Singh said. He added that intelligence agencies are keeping a close watch on activities taking place along the border. The statement by the state's senior police officer on "harmony and coordination" between security agencies of two countries came a day after India termed as "not tenable" the Nepal's act of amending its constitution to change its map and include Indian territories in it. By Dahlia Bazzaz, The Seattle Times SEATTLE, WA - It was here, at Garfield High School in 1961, that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech on his only trip to Seattle. So it was only logical that on Saturday, nearly 60 years later, the school would be the starting point for the Seattle Childrens March, a mile-long protest inspired by the 1963 Birmingham Childrens Crusade, when thousands of kids skipped school to protest racist institutions and segregation. It is not about us adults, said Toyia Taylor, an educator and motivational speaker who spearheaded the event with youth. We cannot lead the way because we have already tried and we have already failed. The children at Saturdays march, which wove through the citys once predominantly Black Central District, did not face violent reaction from police while they demonstrated, unlike like their counterparts in 1963 Birmingham, Alabama. But they were connected, through the ages, by the same urge to start a revolution after bearing witness to racism and police brutality. Desi Maher, 13, whod been out protesting late last month, said kids belong in this movement because they can face violence at the hands of police, too. The police deploy pepper spray and tactics to disperse crowds, they do so without knowing if children might be present, he said. If my Blackness is threatening, I will never truly be unarmed to them, said Desi. Desi and other youths read 10 demands to the large crowd gathered at the start of the event. Along with police accountability reforms, many of the demands are what Seattles civically engaged teens have spent years calling for: more Black teachers, an end to the King County youth jail, equitable school funding and a stronger youth voice in government decision-making. (Demand eight, for example, asks the city of Seattle to create a paid youth council that would work with local governments to inform decisions about youth criminal justice and more racially inclusive curriculum in schools.) Speeches and performances focused on the wisdom of community elders. The protests logo was a Sankofa bird, a symbol from the Akan people of West Africa, a reminder to look to the past while moving forward. As they made their way to Bailey Gatzert Elementary School, the march endpoint, students weighed in on what needed to change. The police need to be nicer and non-racist, said Luella Ducksworth, 10. We need to be heard so that when we get older, we can live in a safe community. For parents like Faiza Mohamed, the protests are serving as a teaching experience in the middle of a pandemic when schools are closed. Mohamed said she wants her sons, who are Black, to know how to advocate for themselves and fight injustice. Her 3-year-old son Zahir, seems to be picking up those lessons already. He stood on a corner on 14th Avenue, holding a mini megaphone, leading dozens of adults in Black lives matter chants. (c)2020 The Seattle Times Visit The Seattle Times at www.seattletimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Virginia Roberts has branded Prince Andrew a 'toad' after the disgraced royal finally admitted that his failure to express sympathy on his car crash Newsnight interview was a 'source of regret'. Venting her frustration, the victim of paedophile Jeffrey Epstein said: 'Oh the gull of this toad - he regrets the BBC interview but not his "friendship" with Epstein because it gave him "great contacts" and much more. 'Look into the house he sold to a wealthy arms dealer, not at the asking price but added on a few extra 100's of 1000's. 'Seems his fat-fingers were in a lot of pies. This man is not a prince but a facet of insidiousness who has proven to get away with it all.' In the devastating interview aired in November last year the Queen's favourite son failed to express any sympathy for Epstein's victims, who were trafficked from as young as 14 years old. He also demanded an 'olive branch' from US authorities this week before he assists them with the investigation, in a move that is likely to draw further anger. The US attorney leading the investigation, Geoffrey Berman, has slammed Andrew for 'falsely portraying himself as eager and willing to co-operate'. Prince Andrew (pictured) has demanded an 'olive branch' from US authorities before he comes forward about the Jeffrey Epstein case Virginia Roberts slammed him on social media for saying he regrets the BBC Newsnight interview. He failed to express sympathy with the victims during the interview Virginia Roberts, pictured following a hearing in New York last year, has accused Prince Andrew of having sex with her. She is also pictured with him in 2001 Ms Roberts, who claims she was forced to have sex with the Prince, posted the message after a palace source revealed his failure to express sympathy was a 'source of regret'. They told the Sunday Times: 'I don't think he regrets the intention behind the interview, which was to clear the air for his family, the royal family and the institution. 'But the fact he was unable to appropriately or sufficiently convey his sympathy for the victims of Epstein, is of course a source of regret.' Ms Roberts was pictured with the Prince in March 2001 at the home of Ghislaine Maxwell in Kinnerton Street, Belgravia, London. Sources close to Prince Andrew have told the Mail on Sunday that he will not co-operate with the investigation unless US prosecutors 'rebuild trust' in the legal process. In a furious salvo a source close to the Duke of York said: Until theres an olive branch from the Department of Justice [DoJ] and an attempt to establish trust, we cant deal with them. Sources close to Prince Andrew have said he will not co-operate with the case unless the US team works to 'rebuild trust'. They accused it of too many leaks Prince Andrew expressed no sympathy for Epstein's (pictured) victims. His decision to demand an 'olive branch' from the US is likely to infuriate them further The DoJ has been painting an entirely inaccurate picture and this third time was enough. Three strikes and youre out. There have been three provable breaches in the DoJs own rules [in talking about cases] while the Duke has played a straight bat out of respect for the rules and the process. There is no way the Dukes lawyers can recommend an engagement with the DoJ when theyre breaking the rules. They need to do something to start rebuilding trust. The US asked Prince Andrew to assist their investigation in April, and would usually receive a response within 30 days. But he has so far failed to come forward for the interview. A source told the Sunday Times: 'Andew's team have to find an appropriate way for him to share his experiences and just get it done, rather than pick fights with the feds. 'Even if down the line, all the criminal and civil cases are over and Andrew is completely exonerated, the stain will always be there, with the suspicion he was party to what went on.' The Duke has previously claimed he offered his help for the investigation, only to be 'turned down'. Commentators believe the Dukes performance in last years disastrous Newsnight interview has made him cautious about giving a face-to-face interview. Prince Andrew is pictured above during his car crash newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis Prince Andrew (pictured in November) denies all allegations against him. He stepped back from public royal life six months after the Newsnight interview US attorney Renato Mariotti, who was a state prosecutor for ten years, said: What the federal prosecutors would expect is that they would be able to question Prince Andrew themselves, without giving any questions in advance and have the opportunity for follow-up. A written statement, which is what Prince Andrew seems to be offering, would not be sufficient. He wants to be able to say publicly he is co-operating without giving the federal authorities what they want. The DoJ have called Prince Andrew a liar and that is very unusual. The language was very pointed and blunt, which again is unusual. I think they want to pressure him to either work out a deal or go into court and plead the Fifth [Amendment]. This is fraught with huge diplomatic issues and it goes beyond Prince Andrew. One would think the UK and US governments would discuss this and work out a solution. Prince Andrew has denied all allegations against him. The news of Sushant Singh Rajputs death has sent shockwaves across the nation. The actor was found hanging at his residence in Mumbai on Sunday. DCP Pranay Ashok, the spokesperson of Mumbai Police, said in a statement that the police are investigating and have not found any suicide note yet. Sushant, who started his acting career with a supporting role in the show Kis Desh Mein Hai Mera Dil, shot to fame with the serial Pavitra Rishta. In 2013, he made a successful transition to films with the critically and commercially successful Kai Po Che! Many from the television industry condoled Sushants demise. In an emotional Instagram post, Rashami Desai called it a personal loss. She wrote, Sush!! Not fair.. Sucha talented, hardworking, brilliant person and a dear friend.. its a personal loss. #RipSushant. Krystle DSouza said that Sushant had always been protective of her, and wished that she could be there for him as well. Since 2008 you protected me like your own. I wish I could do the same, she wrote. Producer Ekta Kapoor, who gave him his first break on television, had showered praise on him in an Instagram post just a week ago. She shared a screenshot of his comment on the post and wrote, Not fair sushi ! One week everything changed ! Not fair my baby! Also read: Actor Sushant Singh Rajput, 34, found dead at Mumbai home Urvashi Dholakia called him one of our own and wrote, He was one of our own! Im shocked , shattered and mum beyond words! Gone too soon! Such a young and bright guy.. #SushantSinghRajput. Hina Khan wrote, I am in disbelief.. This cant be true, followed by a heartbroken emoji. Rohit Roy tweeted, Who would have thought that behind that cherubic smile that could warm the coldest hearts lay a troubled soul.. RIP my friend. Dont have words to express my grief.. sad, shocking, unbelievable #gonetoosoon #numb. I am in disbelief.. This cant be true Hina Khan (@eyehinakhan) June 14, 2020 Who would have thought that behind that cherubic smile that could warm the coldest hearts lay a troubled soul.. RIP my friend Dont have words to express my grief.. sad, shocking, unbelievable #gonetoosoon #numb pic.twitter.com/4ymDz3wzra Rohit Bose Roy (@rohitroy500) June 14, 2020 He was one of our own! Im shocked , shattered and mum beyond words! Gone too soon! Such a young and bright guy.. #SushantSinghRajput Urvashi Dholakia (@Urvashi9) June 14, 2020 Tragic. Sad. Feel awkward to even write this... RIP Sushant. oh God. Sunil Grover (@WhoSunilGrover) June 14, 2020 Sunil Grover was shocked by the news and felt awkward to write RIP Sushant. Tragic. Sad. Feel awkward to even write this... RIP Sushant. Oh God, he tweeted. Follow @htshowbiz for more It is difficult to surprise anyone in todays world with another set of sanction-slapping. A bipartisan group of US senators has expressed its intent to put another spoke in the wheel of Gazproms 55 BCm per year Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The new bill would amend the 2019 Protecting Europes Energy Security law by extending its force to entities that provide underwriting services or insurance or reinsurance relating to the construction of Nord Stream 2 as well as provide services or facilities for technology upgrades or installation of welding equipment for, or retrofitting or tethering of vessels. In a nutshell, wary of antagonizing European partners even further, Washington is seeking to implement a strategy of legislative precision strikes. Yet the chances of such sanctions derailing Europes prime pipeline-construction project remain pale, as we will see below. The new anti-Nord Stream 2 bill is sponsored among others by Ted Cruz and Jeanne Shaheen, senators who were instrumental in drafting previous legislation against the gas conduit which purportedly threatens Ukraine, Europes energy independence (Shaheen) and poses a critical threat to Americas national security (Cruz). As can be seen from the senators comments, the encompassing narrative to buttress the bills prospects is a thin line to be walked were the senators to publicly present the new measures as further attempts to use non-market measures to achieve the objective of higher US LNG exports to Europe, their case could be easily taken to arbitration courts. Yet some of the phrasings involved certainly do insinuate this why else would a Russian subsea pipeline to Germany (which as of 2020 has no LNG terminal) threaten US national security? The difficulty of maintaining a healthy enough US-German tandem also transpires from the bills reported aim to sanction any entity that would provide services for the testing, inspection or certification necessary for or associated with the operation of Nord Stream 2. This is a direct jab at the German energy regulator Bnetza as it would be them who provide official approvals for the constructed pipeline. Bnetza has already been in the crosshairs of intra-European decision-making, rejecting Nord Streams application to have the pipeline exempt from the EUs 3rd Energy Directive. This need not be the final decision on the matter (notwithstanding the decision Brussels can still grant a more lenient set of conditions to Nord Stream 2 if both parties manage to find common language) yet has already stirred up too much attention around the regulator. Related: Iran To Reach Production Target At Worlds Largest Gas Field This Year The new set of US sanctions pit Washington against the European Union, concurrently upending its delicate balancing act vis-a-vis Russia. Ambassador Grenells sudden departure and President Trumps decision to cut the size of US troops in Germany has complicated matters even further. In the meantime, Germanys Baltic port of Mukran has seen a flurry of activity around the two Russian pipe-laying vessels assumed to complete Nord Stream 2. Akademik Cherskiy, the one which received significantly more media coverage due to its dynamic positioning capability, has moved out of the Far Eastern port of Nakhodka in February 2020 and carried out a prolonged (and oftentimes untraceable) 4-month voyage around Africa all the way to Mukran. It seems that the vessel is currently being retrofitted for the upcoming pipe-laying works and getting loaded with pipes to be laid. The second vessel, Fortuna, lacks dynamic positioning equipment a precondition for pipe-laying in Danish territorial waters but might carry out all the necessary works in the shallow waters of Germanys Baltic waters. The Danish authorities have also barred pipelaying works in July-August around the Baltic island of Bornholm due to cod spawning season, adding another prohibitive layer to this summers construction developments. Since every single vessel associated with Nord Stream 2 is under immediate threat of ending up sanctioned by the US government, the supply vessels required to assist the pipe-laying ones will also be Russian according to Russian media reports 2 such vessels have already departed from Vladivostok. Inasmuch as the constant sanctions threats keep on unnerving Gazproms management, the Russian gas export monopoly has found a seemingly simple yet effective way to complicate matters further for US senators. As Russian media reports have discerned, Akademik Cherskiy no longer belongs to Gazproms shipping subsidiary Gazprom Flot (which had owned it for 4 years, since 2016) the vessels owner is a largely unknown Russia-based property investment fund STIF. What is adding another twist to the story is the fact that it seems almost impossible to understand who owns the investment fund and why it bought the pipelaying vessel. In effect, such a lack of clarity renders it quite difficult for US authorities to sanction STIF it can hardly allow itself to initiate a lengthy and very risky legal dispute with Gazprom, stabbing in the dark in its pursuit of any Gazprom trace. Derisking the day-to-day operations of Gazprom Flot was a good enough reason to sell Akademik Cherskiy as the company has already been subjected to sectoral sanctions, meaning that it is forbidden to provide US equipment and technology to the Arctic, offshore and shale projects that the company might be participating in. According to recent reports, the STIF investment fund was co-owned by two Gazprom subsidiaries before April 2020, however, given its private character has decided to conceal its current ownership structure. Theoretically, with its acquisition of Akademik Cherskiy, it might have concurrently switched owners yet there is no way of telling whether this has in fact happened. By Viktor Katona for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Lockdown cast its shadow on World Blood Donor Day as the blood transfusion authorities in the city had to cancel a blood donation camp scheduled to be held at a marriage place on the Rahon Road, while only 15 donors arrived at another camp held at the civil hospital here on Sunday. Blood transfusion officer at the civil hospital Dr Gurinderdeep Singh Grewal said the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown had adversely affected the blood donation programmes. However, after the lifting of the complete lockdown, we organised several camps to meet the shortage of blood in hospitals. We were expecting an encouraging response today, but people could not reach the venue for blood donation due to lockdown, said Dr Grewal. He said the department has also cancelled the blood donation camp scheduled for June 21 at Raikot. We will now hold camps during weekdays. We are holding one medical camp in Samrala on June 17 and another on June 19 at the ancestral house of Shaheed Sukhdev at Naughara, said Dr Grewal. He admitted the blood transfusion unit at the civil hospital was operating under tremendous stress due to shortfall in blood. We received a demand of 196 units on Saturday while a demand of 155 units on Sunday. So, more blood donation camps are the only solution to solve the problem, said Dr Grewal. As many as 70 people, including doctors, nurses and paramedical staff, donated blood at the Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH). The theme for this years World Blood Donor Day was Safe blood saves lives with the slogan Give blood and make the world a healthier place. Iran says it may take legal action to free billions of dollars of its oil money frozen in South Korea's banks due to U.S. sanctions. In one of the latest developments in the saga to get some of its frozen assets released, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has ordered Central Bank Governor Abdolnasser Hemmati to take "firm measures" including legal action against South Korea "to prevent the repetition of this behavior by other countries," official news agency IRNA quoted part of Rouhani's order on June 14. On Friday June 12, Hossein Tanhaee, the chairman of Iran and South Korea's joint chamber of commerce told Borna news agency in Tehran that Iran's frozen assets in South Korea were between $6.5 billion to $9 billion. Tanhaee added that not only Korean banks refuse to release Iran's money, some of them have also demanded commission and maintenance fees for Iran's accounts. He added that during the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the South Korean government agreed to pay $50 million to Iran to purchase food and medicine but Seoul later broke its promise and refused to pay the sum. Earlier, Central bank Governor Hemmati had said that Iran might take international legal action against Seoul if Korea refuses to repatriate Iran's oil money. In an interview with Bloomberg, Hemmati reiterated that South Korea refuses to repatriate the funds for the oil it has imported from Iran even for U.S. purchases of food and medicine, allowed by U.S. sanction rules. He complained that Iran has imported $500,000 worth of medicine from South Korea after two years of negotiations. Korean officials say they will send another $2 million dollars' worth of medical supplies in June based on an agreement with U.S. government that allows the shipment of humanitarian aid to Iran. An IRNA commentary published on Sunday June 14 says Rouhani has criticized South Korea for "following the United States anti-humanitarian policies," adding that Seoul's prevention of Iran's access to its oil money is "unacceptable." Following the 2015 nuclear deal which ended the economic sanctions against Iran, South Korea expanded its trade ties with Tehran and became a major customer for Iran's oil. In return, Iran boosted its import of Korean products after a 2016 agreement between the two countries. Using racist language about the appearance of Koreans, the commentary featured by IRNA criticized Seoul for not respecting its agreement with Iran but it did not mention the U.S. sanctions that have restricted Iran's transactions with the international banking system. However, it mentioned that Korean companies that were represented in Iran after the JCPOA, left Tehran as soon as President Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear agreement with Iran. The commentary added that after two years, there is still no will in Seoul to repay its debt to Iran. In the meantime, Koreans have said that they have been continuing consultations with U.S. officials about Iranian assets in Korea. The IRNA commentary says Korean officials have implicitly said that Korea's strategic ties with the United States supporting South Korea against nuclear North Korea prevents them from paying their debts to Iran. According to IRNA, Iran initially suggested that South Korea can repay its debt by exporting industrial machinery and later asked for medical supplies and medicine in return for the oil money, but Korea has held the money in two Korean banks and its officials say they are waiting for a go ahead from U.S. officials to release the assets. Tehran calls the Korean medical supplies it has received "minimal". However, neither the IRNA commentary, nor President Rouhani or his Central Bank Governor are sure what they or Korea can do to end the deadlock. In a clear sign of desperation, the commentary says Seoul has two choices: To continue the current situation or to play a more constructive role. But it does not say how. In the meantime, during the first quarter of 2020, South Korea has exported $61 million worth of goods to Iran. The figure for the similar period last year was $282 million. During the same period, Iran's exports to South Korea usually exceeding two billion dollars have dropped to less than $4 million. One of the most notable developments during the long dream sequence caused by the arrival of the coronavirus has been the revelation that a Morrison government frontbencher and a senior union official have struck up a working relationship. By necessity, Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter and ACTU secretary Sally McManus got to talking regularly as the lockdown took effect and would you believe? they found each other to be reasonable. They could get things done. This told us so much about the sensibilities that have driven policymaking in Australia in recent years. A member of the federal cabinet and the leader of a peak body that represents about 1.5 million workers actually having something to do with each other. How about that! Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter worked with ACTU secretary Sally McManus. Credit:Louise Kennerley For most of the nations history this would have been regarded as thoroughly unremarkable. But not these days. Since John Howards WorkChoices laws helped tip him out of office in 2007, the Liberals have viewed industrial relations as a policy no-go zone and a political plaything. A strange combination, true, but also in keeping with the way the Coalition had been governing, which was a pity, but more about that later. Since regaining office in 2013, the Coalition has been loath to touch industrial relations policy in any substantive way. It left Labors supposed curative to WorkChoices, the Fair Work laws, in place and mostly concentrated on finding ways to punish unions, which served its political ends. Nightclubs could reopen their doors to revellers sooner than expected if community transmissions of coronavirus remain low. Sydney's controversial lockout out laws will also end with late night trading restrictions eased in the post-COVID-19 era, which could be as early as August. A long-standing freeze on new liquor licences in the CBD will be lifted for the first time in 11 years, meaning venues can apply to sell alcohol and stay open 24 hours. The much-needed boost for the city's nightlife comes as the New South Wales government announced a string of eased restrictions in the coming weeks. Gyms, yoga studios, tattoo parlours and food courts reopened for the first time in almost three months on Saturday. The 50-person limit on at indoor venues such as pubs, cafes, restaurants and churches will be scrapped on July 1. There is no capped number on patrons, as long as venues abide by the 'one person per four square metres' rule. Sydney nightclubs such as Marquee could reopen in August. Pictured is US musician/DJ Mark Ronson performing at the packed venue in 2015 Outdoor cultural and sporting venues with capacity of up to 40,000 will also open up to crowds to fill up to a quarter of the normal venue capacity. Several hundred NRL fans attended matches at Parramatta's BankWest Stadium on Friday and Saturday nights while up to 350 Sydney Swans members will be at the SCG on Sunday when the club resumes its AFL season against Essendon. Nightclubs and bars will remain closed for at least another month but could reopen in August if the rate of community transmissions remains low. Music festivals may also get the green light with Premier Gladys Berejiklian expected to provide more details at a press conference on Sunday. The 50- person limit on indoor venue will be scrapped in NSW on July 1. Pictured are revellers at the Royal Oak Hotel in Double Bay after the venue reopened on June 1 The NSW government will also scrap lockout laws as lockdown restrictions ease to allow nightclubs to reopen. Pictured are revellers enjoying a beer after pubs reopened June 1 NSW had no community-transmitted infections for more than two weeks until last Friday, when a locally-acquired case of a man in his 20s was recorded. No new cases were reported in NSW on Sunday with Victoria the only state to record new new cases with nine. 'The community has worked incredibly hard over the past few months which has allowed us to be where we are today,' Ms Berejiklian told reporters on Saturday. 'However we can't let our guard down. People need to come forward for testing with the mildest of symptoms and practice good hand hygiene and social distancing.' Around 400 Souths fans attended Saturday night's NRL game at Bankwest Stadium. Pictured are Rabbitohs players thanking their fans after a big win against the Gold Coast Titans The NSW government will also scrap lockout laws when coronavirus lockdown restrictions are lifted on nightclubs. Pictured is the Ivy. The NSW government announced on Sunday that it will lift its long-standing freeze on new liquor licences in the CBD and relax restrictions on late trading to boost Sydney's night time economy once lockdown measures are eased. 'These changes will kick-start a new era in Sydney's 24-hour economy, giving new venues a start, and allowing existing pubs, clubs, hotels and bottle shops a chance to adjust their offerings to meet changing customer demand,' customer service minister Victor Dominello said. 'In some CBD locations, this will be the first time in 11 years that applications for new venues will be considered.' The lockout laws were introduced in NSW in 2014 with the aim to reduce alcohol-fuelled violence following the fatal one punch attack on teenager Thomas Kelly in Kings Cross in 2012. His killer Kieran Loveridge was sentenced to a minimum 10 years in prison. Daniel Christie was also killed in an another one punch attack in Kings Cross while celebrating New Years Eve shortly before the laws were enforced in February 2014 Precincts with high concentrations of liquor businesses which prevented the granting of new licences for premises across the Sydney CBD and Kings Cross precincts. The 50-person limit on restaurants and cafes will be lifted in NSW on July 1. Pictured are diners at Colombo Social in Newtown on a recent Friday night The freeze has also restricted existing licensees from extending late night trading hours and, in most instances, from changing their licensed boundaries and patron capacity. The government will allow applications for new licences later this year following public consultation and is preparing interim guidelines for existing businesses. 'The interim guidelines are being driven by relevant evidence and data, including the latest geospatial tools showing the density of licensed premises as well as hotspots for alcohol-related violence and anti-social behaviour,' Mr Dominello said. WASHINGTON President Donald Trump was unfamiliar with the significance of June 19 when his campaign scheduled a rally for that date in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but rescheduled the event when he learned the day know as Juneteenth marks the end of slavery in the U.S., according to Sen. Tim Scott. "I'm thankful that he moved it," Scott the only African-American Republican in the Senate and one of only three Black senators in total said on CBS News' "Face the Nation" Sunday. "The president moving the date by a day once he was informed on what Juneteenth was, that was a good decision on his part." Coupled with the significance of the date, the choice of Tulsa where a white mob killed hundreds in 1921 as it burned and looted an affluent Black neighborhood was decried by many as racially insensitive amid nationwide protests against discrimination. Scott was asked to clarify if he meant Trump, White House staff and the president's campaign team were all unaware of the historical connotations of Juneteenth and the Tulsa riots. "My understanding is he moved the date once he understood the Juneteenth," the South Carolina Republican replied. "I'm not sure that the planners on his inner-circle team thought about June 19th, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and race riots. Unless you're doing a historical check, you probably don't get those dots connected." What is Juneteenth?: We explain the holiday that commemorates the end of slavery Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., speaks to reporters as he arrives at the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 31, 2020, in Washington. Scott said it was important to have a diverse staff to avoid such "pitfalls." He noted that some of his former staffers now work for Trump, and he said they may have "helped to inform and educate the president on why Tulsa, Oklahoma, June 19th was not the best day to do it on it." In 2018, Scott told CNN he did not think Trump is a racist, but said "without question" he could be racially insensitive. On Sunday, he pointed to Trump's speech Saturday at the West Point commencement, where the president spoke of the "evil of slavery" and "terrible injustice of segregation," as examples of what Scott hoped would be the "path forward" for Trump in talking about race. Story continues "If we hear more of that, our nation will turn its head and listen a little closer to what the president says on issues of race," Scott said. "That is the path forward for this nation. It's finding the common ground and those institutions that bring us together. Without that, we may be looking at worse outcomes, not better outcomes, in the next few months." Scott told NBC News on Sunday the thought Juneteenth should be a federal holiday in order to educate people about its importance. He said he was talking to the White House about the possibility. "If there was a national holiday," he told "Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd, "we would all know about Juneteenth. We'd all have an opportunity to celebrate it and frankly there would be fewer mistakes on that day." In a Fox News interview on Friday, Trump said the choice of June 19 and Tulsa were not deliberate. "Think about it as a celebration. Don't think about it as an inconvenience, " he said. "The fact that I'm having a rally on that day, you can really think about that very positively as a celebration. "It an interesting date, it wasn't done for that reason, but it's an interesting date. But it's a celebration." The next day, Trump announced on Twitter that he was moving the date of the rally to June 20 "in order to honor" the requests of "African American friends and supporters" who had asked him to consider changing it. Tulsa rally: Trump dismisses controversy, says it will be a 'celebration' of his campaign We had previously scheduled our #MAGA Rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for June 19th a big deal. Unfortunately, however, this would fall on the Juneteenth Holiday. Many of my African American friends and supporters have reached out to suggest that we consider changing the date out... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2020 Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" he had advised Trump to move the date of the rally. "His immediate response was, 'I don't want to do anything to be able to disrespect the black community,'" Lankord said. "He didn't see it as disrespectful to be able to do it on Juneteenth. Other people interpreted it differently. And so he moved the rally date." In addition to accusations of racial insensitivity, critics have slammed the president for holding a massive indoor rally amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 115,000 people in the U.S. Lankford defended the president's decision to hold the rally, noting that hospitalizations were down in Oklahoma, which has suffered 359 COVID-19-related deaths out of 8,231 confirmed cases. He said he intended to attend the event but was unsure whether he would wear a mask at the rally for the president, who has been reluctant to wear one in public. "I wear a mask everywhere that I go currently, and have for weeks and weeks and weeks when I'm out at all here at Oklahoma," Lankford said. "And so I assume I'm going to have it. I'm trying to figure out the best way to be able to do this." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump unaware of significance of Juneteenth or Tulsa, Tim Scott says Facebook fired an employee after he criticized a coworker for not publicly supporting for Black Lives Matter through a work-related project. According to CNN, Brandon Dail used to work as a user interface engineer in Seattle, Washington, before Facebook fired him for publicly criticizing a coworker. Dail said he asked a coworker to add a #BlackLivesMatter banner to a project by Facebook. He called out the coworker for messaging him privately rather than posting a public reply, resulting in his firing, CNN reported. "In the interest of transparency, I was let go for calling out an employee's inaction here on Twitter. I stand by what I said. They didn't give me a chance to quit," he tweeted on Friday. Facebook confirmed to CNN Dails version of events that he was fired for calling out a fellow employee in a tweet. Dail was among a group of Facebook employees who have been tweeting critiques of the company since CEO Mark Zuckerburg decided to not to take action against President Donald Trumps posts on Facebook. This is not the first time a Facebook employee has spoken out against Zuckerburg and the companys actions. ....These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I wont let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020 When President Donald Trump tweeted, when the looting starts, the shooting starts, in reference to Minnesota demonstrations over the death of George Floyd, Twitter applied a warning label about glorifying violence. Facebook left the post as is, drawing public outcry. If Facebook were to take action, it would be a violation of free speech, Zuckerburg said. For the past few months, it seems that almost everyone in the world has had an extreme focus on Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Every move that they make seems to be criticized, and with millions of people constantly voicing their opinions, it certainly cant be easy for them. There has been quite a lot of drama going on with the royal family lately, and the unfortunate fact is that someone always has to take the blame for whatever is happening. Ever since Meghan and Prince Harry announced that they would be stepping down from their positions as senior royals, they have been facing even more backlash in the media than they had before. Things certainly havent been easy for them, especially since moving to Los Angeles. Here is how Meghan and Prince Harry reportedly stunned Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge with this insensitive move. A disconnect between the two families For months on end, rumors have been circulating about some sort of feud between the Cambridges and the Sussexes. In the beginning, it was rumored that Meghan and Kate just couldnt get along, supposedly due to some sort of falling out that the two women had while Princess Charlotte was being fitted for her bridesmaids dress for the royal wedding. Soon, the reports changed, and according to news sources such as Cosmopolitan, it was actually Prince William and Prince Harry who were at odds with each other. The brothers, who were once extremely close, were butting heads due to the fact that Prince William expressed concern over Prince Harry and Meghans relationship moving too quickly. Things escalated to the point where Prince Charles had to step in and intervene, and it was only then that the situation began to get better. Even so, the two families have been distant ever since, and although the two princes are on speaking terms again, their relationship isnt what it once was. COVID-19 even took the royals by storm Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Andrew Milligan WPA Pool/Getty Images RELATED: Meghan Markle Reportedly Has a Long History of Ghosting People So many things have been happening since the beginning of the new year, and its hard to believe that it has only been a few months ago since Meghan and Prince Harry separated from the royal family. It was after Megxit was in full swing that the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and suddenly, billions of people, including the royals, found themselves on lockdown in order to slow the spread of the deadly virus. Everyone was focusing on the best way to handle the crisis, and Fox News reports that Queen Elizabeth, who was extremely concerned, issued a statement regarding the unfortunate situation that everyone was dealing with. Things escalated when Prince Charles tested positive for COVID-19, and before anyone knew it, the pandemic was the main focus of just about everyone. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry reportedly stunned William and Kate with this insensitive move Meghan and Prince Harry always seem to think carefully before they act, so what did they do that was so insensitive? According to Best Life, Prince William and Kate were shocked that the Sussexes, in the midst of a global pandemic, announced the name of their charity, Archewell. It happened just as the prime minister, Boris Johnson, was hospitalized for the virus, and the timing couldnt have been worse. A source says that William and Kate were stunned by the insensitive move, and that they also felt that under the circumstances, Meghan and Prince Harrys announcement could have waited until a more appropriate time. It would appear that the bitterness is still present between the two couples, and even though it is possible that the timing of the announcement was purely coincidental, Prince William and Kate were still unhappy about it. Fabian Ornelas, 30, was arrested Saturday on suspicion of kidnapping, false imprisonment, attempted rape and other allegations A man has been arrested on suspicion of the kidnapping and attempted rape of a woman he connected with on Tinder, and now authorities believe he could have had more victims. Fabian Ornelas, 30, went under the name Dominick on the dating app. After matching with the woman they arranged to meet at a residence in Fresno, California on Saturday. The pair spent some time together - the length of time is unclear - but when his date prepared to leave, Ornelas allegedly would not let her go. During this time Ornelas attempted to sexually assault her, according to the Fresno County Sheriffs Office report. The sheriff said she was eventually 'able to break free during the middle of the assault and fled the area'. Ornelas went under the name Dominick on the dating app (right) and police believe he could have more victims As she escaped the residence, the woman called 911 to report Ornelas. The alleged incident took place at a property on the 3900 block of Sante Fe Avenue, near Palm Avenue. Ornelas was arrested Saturday on suspicion of felony kidnapping, false imprisonment, attempted rape and other allegations. His bail was set at $243,500. Police say during their preliminary investigation they found leads that suggest Ornelas may have had other victims. Potential victims or anyone with additional information is asked to call Sgt. Chad Stokes at 559-600-8144. Rape Counseling Service (RCS Fresno) and a 24 hours Crisis Line is also available at (559) 222-7273. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 14) The Labor Department expressed optimism that the country's business process outsourcing industry will flourish again as the world grapples with the COVID-19 crisis and a looming global recession. In a statement, the agency said this optimism followed a meeting with IT-BPO industry leaders wherein they noted the sector keeps providing work opportunities amid the pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic, which triggered recessions across the world, will "force" Western countries to offshore more jobs in the industry, said Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III. A good fraction of these jobs will go to the Philippines, especially Clark, Cebu, and Metro Manila, he added. RELATED: World Bank says the global economy will shrink by 5.2% this year We received information that some big companies have already given notice for their requirements, one of which needing at least 4,000 seats to be filled up before September," said the Labor chief. The agency likewise noted the IT Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) also assured companies continue to hire in order to address the industry's demand. IBPAP, which has over 300 member firms, describes itself as the "enabling association for the information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industry in the Philippines." The industry employs more than 1.3 million individuals, said DOLE. DOLE added that the meeting was prompted by a recent online survey of a BPO employee group reporting four out of 10 BPO workers were either in floating or no-work-no-pay status during the lockdown. Business process outsourcing companies are among the establishments that were allowed to operate under both enhanced (ECQ) and general community quarantine (GCQ) provided they make available temporary accommodation and shuttle services for on-site workers or alternative working arrangements such as working from home. Mrs Queenstar Pokuaa Sawyer, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Agona East has been interrogated by Agona Swedru Divisional Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service over removal of Professor Kwesi Yankah's posters at Mankrong-Junction. A source close to Agona Swedru Divisional Police Command told Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the case was transferred from Mankrong-Junction Police Station to Agona Swedru for further investigations. It would be recalled that Mr Seth Arhin, Agona East Constituency Treasurer of New Patriotic Party(NPP) on April 20, reported to the Mankrong-Junction Police about the removal of Prof Yankah's posters at the market in the town. According to the source, the complainant said the MP on reaching Mankrong-Junction market, while on her usual rounds to distribute food items to supporters of NDC saw posters of Professor Kwesi Yankah who is the NPP Parliamentary Candidate for the Area and President Akufo-Addo pasted on pillars of the market. It said Mrs Sawyer got down from her car and walked straight to the Market and allegedly removed the posters with an explanation that the edifice was built with her own funds and supporters of NPP had no right to paste posters on the pillars. The source said the MP delayed in responding to the invitation extended to her to report to the police and offer her statement about the matter. The delay compelled the Swedru Divisional Police Command to through the Central Regional Police Command write to the Speaker of Parliament to request for the release of Mrs Sawyyer. According to the Source, it took about a month before the request made to the Speaker of Parliament was granted to enable Mrs Sawyer to report to the Swedru Police. The MP had so far offered her statement to the Police and in full cooperation and pledged to respond to any further invitation concerning the case. According to the Source, the MP told the police in her statement that her opponent had allegedly also removed her posters and pasted Prof Yankah's poster on a billboard erected at Agona Bewadze. The docket on the case has been sent to the Attorney's General Office in Cape Coast for advice, it added. GNA She recently announced she was quitting social media following the death of her Pomeranian puppy. But Molly-Mae Hague has returned to Instagram and shared a stunning selfie in a black figure hugging catsuit on Sunday. The Love Island star, 21, declared a 'new beginning' in the radiant selfie as she posed outside of her new home. Gorgeous: Molly-Mae Hague has returned to Instagram and shared a stunning selfie in black figure hugging catsuit on Sunday The beauty wore her blonde tresses in a middle parting and held her hands over her ears as she gazed into the camera. She wrote: 'New beginning. Cant thank you all enough for the love....' Molly-Mae looked incredible in the long sleeved ensemble that teased a glimpse of her ample bust. Earlier in the day, Molly-Mae and boyfriend Tommy Fury shared a look at their lavish new pad. Return: Earlier in the day, Molly-Mae and boyfriend Tommy Fury have been mourning the loss of their puppy Mr Chai, who died days after moving in with them Tommy stretched out on their suede corner sofa, telling fans that she didn't want 'to dwell' in the past couple of weeks. She added a lengthy caption that read: 'I don't want to dwell on the last couple of weeks but what I do want to say is thank you. 'Thank you to every single person that sent me such thoughtful messages asking me how I am and making sure I'm okay, it has meant the world to me. 'I've enjoyed a much needed break from my phone but I'm back now and ready to get stuck into some really exciting things I have coming up.' Fresh start: The former Love Islander showcased her luxurious living room as boyfriend Tommy Fury stretched out on their suede corner sofa Insight: Molly-Mae then proudly flaunted her spacious marble bathroom before posing in front of the mirror in an over-sized purple T-shirt Molly-Mae then proudly flaunted her spacious marble bathroom before posing in front of the mirror in nothing but an over-sized purple T-shirt. She wrote: 'Also had a much needed change of location. Didn't realise how much I needed a fresh start.' The TV personality finished with a snapshot of a messy room piled high with boxes of clothes and Louis Vuitton bags, saying 'although this is the reality now'. It comes after YouTube star Molly has taken a temporary break from her social media channels after facing a barrage of criticism surrounding her puppy's death. 'He didn't have a single white blood cell in his body': Molly-Mae recently addressed the backlash from importing Mr Chai from another country The reality TV star was gifted the pooch by Tommy as part of her lavish birthday celebrations - but the pair were left devastated by his sudden death just days later. A source recently told The Sun: 'Molly-Mae is taking a break to have time to herself for a few days.' MailOnline have contacted a representative of Molly-Mae for comment at the time of publication. In the wake of the puppy's passing, both fans and celebrities spoke out about the importance of researching when buying a dog. Heartbroken: The reality star announced Mr Chai had died in a heartbreaking statement posted just six days after welcoming the pup into her home Former Made In Chelsea star Ashley James, 33, wrote: 'Please please do your research before getting a pet. 'Do not import dogs from other countries unless they are rescues from charities. Please look into #lucyslaw and if you do go to a breeder then always make sure you see a fit and healthy mum!' Love Island's Olivia Buckland, meanwhile, shared a lengthy statement to her account, urging her followers not to support 'third-party breeders' or buy dogs from other countries. Stipulating that her discussion was 'in no way towards my lovely Molly' as she was 'devastated' for the reality star, Olivia explained that she was speaking out 'to make sure this doesn't happen again and to raise awareness.' Shock: Molly-Mae's new puppy was not from a registered breeder, The Kennel Club confirmed On Wednesday, Molly-Mae discussed the tragic death of her dog and addressed the backlash from importing Mr Chai from another country. She stated: 'Whilst we completely understand everyone's opinions about being shipped over from Russia, what you need to understand is that is not what made him die. 'He was going to die regardless. The autopsy results showed his skull wasn't fully developed and part of his brain was exposed. He didn't have a single white blood cell in his body'. 'If we had the time again we would have got a dog from the UK or got a rescue dog from the UK.' Tommy bought the dog through Cheshire-based business Tiffany Chihuahuas & Pomeranians, which is licensed by Cheshire Council but not a Kennel Club assured breeder. Breeder Elena Katerova has denied breaking the rules, insisting that clients see the mother with their puppy via videos. She said: 'I'm truly devastated to learn about the death of Mr Chai. He was a beautiful young dog with a loving, playful temperament. I'd watched him grow up, having regular video calls with his birth family. 'My heart goes out to Molly-Mae and Tommy. Mr Chai was a healthy dog, I only work with trusted people and have a small network of reputable breeders who care for their dogs to the very highest standards and and see animals as part of their family.' Molly-Mae told her viewers: 'Neither of us wanted to film a video or talking about this but after everything we've seen today and reading everyone's opinions, I think it's really important that we actually do sit down and talk about it and explain how we are feeling and what we now know after receiving the autopsy results.' Tough times: Mr Chai's death prompted several stars to speak up about the importance of researching when buying a dog (they set up an Instagram account for him last month) After describing how Mr Chai was energetic in his first few days with them 'as a puppy should be', they soon noticed he started showing symptoms, with the sportsman explaining: 'His poo was runny, he was vomiting, he wasn't running.' They took him to the vet and Molly recalled that while waiting outside, she could 'tell something was wrong', adding Mr Chai was 'wriggling' and said dogs 'almost know when they are about to die'. Molly-Mae said 30 minutes later, the vet rang and informed them Mr Chai had had a seizure and died. 'We were both utterly shocked', she explained. 'Tommy literally just threw up everywhere'. 'You do not need a puppy from that far away!' Love Island's Olivia Buckland urged her followers not to support 'third-party breeders' or buy dogs from other countries A representative of Molly-Mae and Tommy confirmed Mr Chai had died of 'a seizure and neurological issues.' A statement read: 'Chai died of a seizure and neurological issues. This probably relating to the puppies skull not being fully formed (see note on anterior fontanelle below). 'Chai passed away with a number of health issues outlined below and the puppy clearly was not at full health and potentially had been carrying an infection and fighting it for some time before reaching Molly and Tommy.' It then listed a number of ailments the dog suffered from, including: 'no white blood cells present in blood, anterior fontanelle not completely ossified, body condition 3/5, liver congested, spleen enlarged congested, adrenal glands enlarged, kidneys congested, colon congested, lungs congested and Heart right ventricle dilated.' Fox News has removed digitally altered photos from its website which appeared to show armed men in a Seattle neighborhood that has become a protest center against police brutality and racial injustice. The Seattle Times reported Fox News' website featured at least two photos on Friday where an image of a man standing with a military-style rifle had been inserted into pictures. There were no disclaimers on how the pictures had been manipulated when featured on the network's website for most of the day Friday. As of Saturday, Fox News included an editors note posted at the top of at least three stories on its website covering the protest zone, saying it replaced a 'home page photo collage' because it 'did not clearly delineate between these images' and that it mistakenly included a St. Paul, Minnesota, photo in a slideshow about Seattle. The image of the gunman is from a Getty Images photo that was taken on June 10 at what is known as the 'Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone' protest area. The original photo showed an unidentified man wearing a green mask who was carrying a weapon while standing in front of a car. The Fox News website featured at least two photos on Friday where an image of a man standing with a military-style rifle had been inserted into pictures The image of the gunman is from a Getty Images photo that was taken on June 10 at what is known as the 'Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone' protest area The gunman image was inserted into a different June 10 Getty Images photo, which shows the 'Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone' The gunman image was inserted into a different June 10 Getty Images photo showing a sign from the protest zone that reads: 'YOU ARE NOW ENTERING FREE CAP HILL.' The gunman and sign photos were taken by Seattle freelance photographer David Ryder, who then distributed the photo through Getty Images. The Seattle Times said Fox's website also used that gunman image for the network's coverage of the protest zone, but the image was included in a mashup of other photos from May 30 that depicted smashed windows in downtown Seattle - before the protest zone was set up and in a different neighborhood. The Seattle Times said Fox took down the photos after the newspaper inquired and a Fox News spokeswoman acknowledged the issue in a statement that falsely claimed all photos were from the same week and the same location. 'We have replaced our photo illustration with the clearly delineated images of a gunman and a shattered storefront,' the Fox statement read in part. The standards of journalism require photo illustrations to be clearly marked, and caution against using photos from different times and locations unless they are clearly marked because it can be misleading to the reader or viewer. The armed man was also digitally inserted into this picture, which shows a smashed storefront The image was included in a mashup of other photos from May 30 that depicted smashed windows in Seattle - before the protest zone was set up and in a different neighborhood 'It is definitely Photoshopped,' Ryder told the Seattle Times. 'To use a photo out of context in a journalistic setting like that seems unethical.' The Seattle Times also reported that Fox's package of stories on Seattle's protest zone included a May 30 photo taken by an Associated Press photographer depicting a burning building and car that was in St. Paul, Minnesota. Fox has also since removed that image. The Capitol Hill protest zone east of downtown Seattle has evolved this week into a festival-like scene after police on June 8 removed barricades near the East Precinct and largely abandoned the station in an effort to de-escalate tensions between officers and demonstrators. The largely peaceful zone has drawn the ire of President Donald Trump, who fumed on Twitter that the city had been taken over by 'anarchists.' Meanwhile, a U.S. judge on Friday ordered Seattle police to temporarily stop using tear gas, pepper spray and flash-bang devices to break up largely peaceful protests. Members of ISWAP, a breakaway faction of Boko Haram, on Saturday staged yet another deadly attack on a village in Gubio local government killing at least 31 residents and injuring many others, security sources said. The second attack on the Gubio village took place around the same time Monguno, the country home of the current National Security Adviser, Major General Mohammed Monguno, was being attacked. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how Monguno came under heavy attack at about noon, on Saturday, when armed insurgents stormed the town in large numbers. Sources familiar with the Monguno incident confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that the insurgents came in about 13 pickup vehicles and gun trucks and immediately engage soldiers in a fierce gun duet. They split into two groups while approaching Monguno, said an official of a local vigilante group, Malam Bunu. The first group moved straight into the town and headed straight to the military base, while the second group engaged the soldiers at the outskirt of Monguno. They came in a way, that they circled the soldiers who had to return fire from the middle. Some of the insurgents drove right into Monguno town in seven trucks and began to drop leaflets to the residents. In the single-sheet typed letter, which was written in Hausa, the insurgents warned the residents to desist from cooperating with the military. They told the insurgents not to allow the military to use them as a human shield because whereever the soldiers are based is our battlefield. Mr Bunu said the civilian residents were not directly attacked by the insurgents, as they stated in the warning letter that they would not fight civilians except soldiers and those who took sides with their enemy. He said some soldiers were killed by the insurgents in Monguno. One of our members in Monguno informed us that he saw six bodies of slain soldiers at the entrance, the vigilante official said. The army is yet to speak on the Monguno incident and whether or not it suffered casualties from the attack. Mr Bunu also said he was informed that some facilities of the UN and other aid organisations were torched during the attack. PREMIUM TIMES has not been able to verify this. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the insurgents later left Monguno and headed for Nganzai, a town 59km northeast of Gubio village where they also dropped leaflets. Attacking Gubio village Our source confirmed that the insurgents also attacked Goni-Usmanti village in Gubio local government where they killed at least 31 persons. Goni Usmanti is not very far from the village where 81 persons were killed on Tuesday, the source said. They went there at about the time Monguno was being attacked and opened fire on the residents killing about 31 persons. We are not sure if the number would be more than that because we learned that some people fled into the bushes and the insurgents went shooting after them. Why Gubio suffers repeated attacks Sources who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES said there has been a long-standing acrimony between the villagers in Gubio local government especially the herders community and the ISWAP group. Due to the large scale business of animal husbandry in those villages, the insurgent used to harass the dwellers from time to time during which they would demand levies or forcefully take away their animals. With time the villagers began to resist them, by arming themselves with double barrel hunting rifles, Dane guns, and other non-ballistic weapons. So each time Boko Haram sends their traducers who usually visit them riding on one or two motorcycles, the villagers who are also spiritually charmed, would overpower the insurgents, kill and bury them. This has been going on for many months now, and by so doing the farmers were able to preserve their cows and other livestock Advertisements Attacking them in their villages used to be very difficult, that was why they visited them at the water point in Foduma Koloram where they killed most of the hardened defenders of the villages before going in to maim other residents, the source said. The renewed attacks came barely 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the mass killing in Gubio by ISWAP and charged soldiers to go after the insurgents and ensure that they are brought to book. President Muhammadu Buhari [PHOTO CREDIT: Bashir Ahmad] The Borno State Government has confirmed the attacks even as officials said they are yet to get detailed briefing on them. Yabawa Kolo, the Executive Chairperson of State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that we have heard about the unfortunate attacks in Monguno and Gubio, but we have not received detailed update on the incidents for us to make comments or respond to the emergency situation that may have befall the poor people. Mrs Kolo said based on advice from the security, SEMA cannot immediately respond or visit the attacked communities to make assessment. We have to wait for the security for clearance before one can move into the areas, she said. We are still in contact with the security agencies hoping that they would soon give us the go ahead. The spokesman of the Nigeria Army, Sagir Musa, did not return calls nor respond to text messages sent to him. An early evening in the park ended, tragically when two sisters got stabbed by a deranged stranger in the London park they were in. One Sunday afternoon, in Fryent Country Park, Wembley, two sisters met their untimely demise when attacked by a stranger for no logical reason except random violence, reported by Independent. The victims were Nicole Smallman, 27, and Bibaa Henry, 46,who were both attacked by a knife-wielding assailant who acted deranged, taking their lives senselessly. Stabbing and death of the two sisters It was Sunday when the victims from Harrow and Brent went to meet family and friends last Friday in the park at Fryent Country, at 7:40 p.m. to have Bibaa Henry's 46th birthday, confirmed by 24 World News. When everyone left the party, they were left alone at 00.30 a.m. on an early Saturday without knowing their that an unfortunate fate awaits them. They were not able to return home and were reported missing late Saturday. Soon, officers went on a search for the two missing women. Tragedy struck as Nicole and Bibaa were found dead. An autopsy was done by the coroner on Tuesday soon after their demise. The coroner revealed that under examination, it was concluded that the cause of death for both unfortunate victims was getting stabbed violently several times. Manhunt for the killer of Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry Also read: Skeletal Remains of Girl Discovered in Feces-Filled Basement Along With Her Brother in Dismal Condition Investigators are convinced that a pond may hold clues to the violent murder of Nicole and Bibaa that early morning. All the garbage is getting examined, that according to officers in the case, might have an item thrown into it that was used by the killer. Detective Chief Inspector Simon Harding stated that the slaying of the two women is unnerving and tragic for their bereaved families, as their murders bring unexplainable grief over the senseless act, mentioned Daily Mail. Looking for lead to the murder of Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry Detective Chief Inspector Harding said in press brief that it was evident the murderer of the two sisters is a total stranger. He added that one of the clues will be unknown cuts and wounds with excessive bleeding. Further investigation is still conducted by the authorities to find out the happenings before the crime and what possibly transpired during the unfortunate moments. Investigators think that the murderer left Fryent Country Park through the Valley Drive entrance. Harding also said that if there's anything out of place from Friday to Saturday till lunchtime of June 7, 2020, call the police to report it asap. According to Chief Superintendent Roy Smith, from northwest London, he grieved for the loss but was concerned for the effect on residents nearby. He added more patrols will be done to watch over the situation, caused by the murder of Nicole and Bibaa, citing Chief Superintendent Roy Smith statement in full at Kilburn Times. Last Wednesday, a 36-year old male suspect was detained in south London but was later released. Related article: Wife Accidentally Kills Husband in Utah But Further Investigation Reveals a Different Story @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Sumi Sukanya Dutta By NEW DELHI: A whopping 6.2% of the countrys GDP is required to fight the Covid-19 pandemic in India with intensified public measures, a report by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said. Considering that Union health ministrys budget is 1.3 per cent of the GDP and the Centre has pledged Rs 150 billion towards the public health crisis so far. This means that the cost of Covid-19 care could be nearly five times the annual allocation for health budget and 75 times the money dedicated currently towards the disease management. In absolute number that means, cost of Covid-19 management in the country could be Rs 25,534 billion or US $339 billion. The report A Model-Based Analysis for COVID-19 Pandemic in India: Implications for Health Systems and Policy for Low- and Middle-Income Countries has also noted that in the event of a lockdown for 8 weeks, the peak of the epidemic shifts by 34-76 days, and the number of cases at the end of 8-week lockdown reduces by 69% to 97% with varying effectiveness of lockdown. However, the cumulative long-term cases remain the same, says the report prepared by the public health specialists and health economists attached with the ICMR, PGI, Chandigarh, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a member of the National Task Force on Covid-19. The 25-page report submitted to the government also underlines that intensification of public health surveillance measures with 60% effectiveness is estimated to reduce the cases at peak and cumulative number of infections by 70% and 26.6% respectively. Strengthening the health system response in terms of enhanced testing, isolation of cases, treatment and contact tracing, as is being done currently, would have to be the mainstay to reduce the impact of the pandemic in terms of reduction in infected population and COID-19 deaths in India until a vaccine becomes available, experts have said. One of the highlights of the report is that without the lockdown and public health measures such as testing, contact tracing the peak would have come in mid- July but has now been shifted in November and the total number of infections at the peak would be much lesser than the unmitigated scenario. The first two weeks of the lockdown were most effective in containing the spread of the disease and as per our analysis. The peak could be expected in October-November, Dr. Narendra Arora, chair of the operations research group of the national Covid-19 task force said. While some modelers and scientists in the US and UK were predicting doom for India in May-June, we have done much better and the main cornerstone of our Covid-19 strategy has been the effective cluster management, Dr. Arora said, adding, the country is much better prepared to deal with infections now than it was in March. According to the report, the health system cost of managing Covid-19 in the scenarios of no-mitigation or 8-week lockdown is estimated to be Rs 11,313 billion. This is nearly 4.5% of the GDP. These estimated costs increased by 2.25 times with an intervention of 8-week lockdown and public health measures with 60% effectiveness, says the report. The incremental cost of intensified public health measures per infection and death prevented is estimated to be 43,867 and 3.84 million respectively. The estimated requirement of isolation beds, ICU beds, and ventilators at the peak of the epidemic in the unmitigated scenario is 1805, 394, and 69 per 1 million population, respectivelythe experts estimated. In the event of public health measures being strengthened with 60% effectiveness after lockdown, the requirement of ICU beds as well as ventilators each will be reduced by 83% . The report noted that the majority of the mild cases would require isolation in a non-hospital setting-- the current dedicated resources in terms of isolation beds, ICU beds, and ventilators are adequate to meet the necessity till the 3rd week of September. Beyond this point, there is a period of unmet need for approximately 3.3 months for isolation and ICU beds and 2.9 months. Similarly, in the scenario of intensified public health measures with 60% effectiveness after lockdown, the demand can be met till 1st week of November and afterwards it is inadequate for 5.4, 4.6 and 3.9 months to meet the demand for isolation beds, ICU beds, and ventilators, respectively, the experts say in the report. The Gwanda solar project remains one of the priority projects for the Government in its quest to make the country energy self-sufficient. Energy and Power Development Minister Fortune Chasi recently wrote to ZESA Holdings directing it to find a lasting solution with the contractor working on the project Intratrek Zimbabwe so that the country can tap power from the venture in the shortest possible time. In an interview, Minister Chasi said the country could not afford the relentless legal wrangles around the 100MW Gwanda solar project, especially at a time when it was facing power shortages. People are confusing two things: there is the prosecution side; I have nothing to do with it, I am not interested, I have not ordered anyone not to be prosecuted; I do not have the power and the Prosecutor-General is seized with that, he said. All we have said is that we cannot tolerate ZESA being in court for more than five years without the power project going on. Government is the sole shareholder there and I have a mandate, as Energy Minister, to deliver sufficient power. The High Court, he said, previously directed the parties to sit down and discuss, but it seems they were squandering precious time and resources squabbling over the issue. And the period that the contractor is suggesting is six months. If I can get 10MW in six months, I would be very happy instead of spending 10 months with nothing and enriching lawyers it is pointless, he said. Minister Chasi says it is pragmatic to negotiate with the current contractor rather than terminate the contract and refloat the tender, a process that was likely to take an inordinate amount of time. Gwanda started in 2012 and so we have already lost a lot of time already and the country does not have power. We cannot have the luxury of (shuttling) between courts. The appetite to resolve the matter is not there at ZESA. I cannot and I will not just sit and watch these people playing games with this project. Gwanda has no power . . . It was also encouraging, he added, that pre-commencement works, for which the contractor received payment but had initially not done all the work, had finally been completed. Government is now bullish about the project, especially after a new project implementation and financing matrix to be overseen by reputable individuals with extensive experience in contract execution was developed, he said. The new implementation plan includes a new financing model driven by consultants African Transmission Corporation (ATC) who recently delivered a photovoltaic power plant in Nyabira, Mashonaland West. A new project implementation team had been constituted comprising some experienced legal minds. Added Minister Chasi: Should we completely ignore the fact that experts like Victor Utedzi (African Transmission Corporation), who recently delivered 5MW through a photovoltaic centre grid in Nyabira, have promised that within six months they will deliver the first 10MW. Should we instead start a new process that will take no less than 18 months before work begins, making it effectively 7 years? A meeting of all the senior management of ZESA and Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), ZESAs generation arm, which included the entities chief executive and managing director, respectively, was reportedly held on May 22, 2020 to discuss the proposed new plans for the project. The meeting sought to discuss the formative steps towards thrashing out fresh terms of an amended EPC contract to replace the existing one, which has been the subject of an ongoing legal dispute. ZESA, through its generation unit ZPC, has since 2017 been involved in a bruising contractual dispute with the contractor after terminating the contract for Gwanda solar project over missed timelines. Intratrek approached the courts for recourse. Minister Chasi said ZESA and ZPC were already in contempt of High Court judgments passed by Justice Chitapi, which directed the parties to sit down and find an amicable solution to the wrangle. It is hoped that key projects like the one involved in this case are not stalled by unnecessary bickering and extra contractual frustrations and parties should desist from merry-dancing in the courts of law and fighting in boardrooms instead of implementing this project of national importance at the site, Justice Chitapi ruled. Funding is also reportedly now available for delivery of the first 10MW of solar energy within six months, which will benefit over 30 000 residents of Gwanda under a phased development of the project. which is now over 30 percent complete and US$500 million Kariba South for 300MW. The prospective financier, African Transmission Corporation (ATC), has been playing a pivotal role in the debt/equity structuring for the ongoing US$1,4 billion 600MW Hwange 7 and 8 expansion project,which is now over 30 percent complete and US$500 million Kariba South for 300MW. ATC recently successfully commissioned a 5MW photovoltaic centre grid at Nyabira, which is now feeding the national grid. Notable professionals in the restructured EPC contractors board include Presidential Advisory Council (PAC) chairperson and lawyer, Mr Edwin Manikai. Mr Manikai is reportedly now leading the legal conscription of the financial and technical variation of the amended project contract for Gwanda through Dube, Manikai and Hwacha Legal Practitioners. Mr Wilson Manase has also been appointed the new executive chairperson of Intratrek Zimbabwe. Government, Minister Chasi said, believes in the capacity of CHiNT Electric a Chinese electrical engineering firm that has been contracted to execute the project. The Shanghai Stock Exchange-listed firm has an asset base of US$12 billion. He added: At the revised (EPC) price of US$139 million (from US$173 million initially), the debt/equity model will be less rigorous and financial closure will be reached expeditiously. Private launch companies seeking to lower the cost of reaching space continue to develop new vehicles, and the latest to attempt a trip to space is Interstellar Technologies (IST), a Japanese private launch company founded in 2003. The company first launched a vehicle in 2017, but the launch didn't go exactly as planned and failed to reach space. In 2019, its MOMO-3 sounding rocket did break the Karman line, though just barely. And, unfortunately, its MOMO-5 sounding rocket launched today did not make space as planned, instead apparently suffering some kind of malfunction and loss of control around the time it reached max Q, or the point of maximum aerodynamic pressure prior to exiting Earth's atmosphere. MOMO-5 took off at 8:15 PM UTC (4:15 PM EDT), and liftoff seemed to go smoothly. This demonstration launch was meant to build on IST's existing development program and put it closer to establishing a new, affordable rocket option for redelivering small payloads to orbit using a small, affordable rocket that the company describes as a "family sedan for the stars." IST's approach is interesting in that it doesn't claim to be cutting-edge; instead, the company says that it focuses on leveraging "legacy methods" of rocketry, along with advances including additive manufacturing and more modern materials to reduce costs as much as possible to lower the bar in terms of affordability to serve a wide range of customers. To some extent, that's similar to the approach taken by SpaceX and Rocket Lab, but IST's approach is even less focused on modernization, and more intent on efficiencies, than some of its operational competitors, which could theoretically give it a cost advantage once it starts serving companies with regular commercial launches. MOMO-5 launched from Hokkaido, Japan, in a mission rescheduled from the end of 2019 and earlier this year due to a number of delays, including COVID-19 and the May holidays observed in the country. MOMO-5 measures a little over 30-feet tall, and weighs around 2,200 lbs, making it smaller than Rocket Lab's Electron. IST says that MOMO-5 terminated its flight earlier than planned due to a manual "emergency stop" order delivered from the command center, and subsequently fell safely to the surface of the sea. More details about the cause of the early termination will be released later. New National Assembly gets off to rocky start The ruling and opposition parties have proved again how difficult it is to overcome their partisanship and form a consensus. This explains why the newly elected National Assembly has got off to a rocky start since it was inaugurated May 30. Partisanship was evident on the first day of the Assembly's plenary session June 5 when lawmakers of the main opposition United Future Party (UFP) walked out of the chamber right after the opening. The UFP cited the "unilateral" opening of the session by the governing Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) as the reason for its walkout. But what is really at stake is how to organize the 18 standing committees of the Assembly and who will chair them. The rival parties have failed to narrow their differences over this thorny issue, delaying the full operation of the Assembly. Their showdown centers around the Legislation and Judiciary Committee as both parties are uncompromisingly seeking to take the leadership of the committee. For its part, the UFP wants to lead the committee in order to check the "tyranny" of the strong ruling party which won 177 seats, a supermajority in the 300-seat Assembly, in the April 15 general election. It is seeking to review all bills to be presented to the Assembly through the legislation committee by having the chairman's post. It is also trying to curb the government and ruling party's bid to push for judicial reform. However, the DPK said that as the majority party, it cannot yield the committee chairmanship to the opposition. It has even threaten to mobilize its majority power to take the chairman's post, saying that it was impossible to make any concession to the UFP. As the rival parties show no room for compromise, Speaker Park Byeong-seug gave them three days to settle the dispute. Thus the Assembly has to complete its work to organize the standing committees and select chairpersons of each by tomorrow. In that case, it is certain that a DPK lawmaker will take the helm of the legislation and judiciary committee; and the UFP might launch a struggle against the DPK by boycotting the Assembly operation. This will dim any hope for the opposition's cooperation in many important issues, including efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and minimize its crippling impact on the economy. We hope both parties will make last-ditch efforts to find a compromise. This is not the time for partisan strife; instead, it is time for them to solve the problem through dialogue. If they cannot do so, they will inevitably invite the rage of the people who are already fed up with their dog-eat-dog partisanship. The coronavirus disease has led to a decrease in the number of caesarian deliveries across the country. Districts like Lucknow, Moradabad and Agra in Uttar Pradesh have seen the C-section deliveries drop by up to two-third, Hindustan Times Hindi language publication Hindustan reported on Sunday. In Uttar Pradesh, 3.6 lakh babies have taken birth in the last 80 days. Usually, the women opted for C-section, but during Covid-19, they have avoided the procedure. In the last 20 days, just one thousand babies out of a total number of 90,000 were born surgically. Hindustan spoke to Dr Deepa Tyagi, the chief medical superintendent (CMS) of womens hospital in Ghaziabad, who said that the fall in the number C-section deliveries is marginal in the district. However, the number of deliveries have dropped in the city hospitals. Women are preferring to give birth at their homes with the help of personal physicians. In Noida, 1,246 children were born through surgery. By April, this number fell to 811. This shows a drop of 35 per cent. According to senior gynecologist Dr Nirupama Singh, 4,572 children were born in the month of January, out of which 1,194 were through C-section. In May, there were 2,204 births out of which 708 were surgical. In Aligarh, the number has dropped by a staggering 90 per cent. In Faridabad, part of the National Capital Region (NCR) near Delhi, registered a drop in the number of C-section deliveries during the Covid-19 crisis. The district recorded 140-160 caesarian deliveries and 400 normal ones on an avergage every month. Since the Covid-19 outbreak was reported in March, 81 children were born surgically and 310 came into the world naturally. This was a drop of 57 per cent. There has been a fall in C-section deliveries due to the fear of infection, said Dr Punita Hasija, president of the Faridabad chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA). In Uttarakhand, the US Udhamsingh Nagar has seen a drastic fall in the number of caesarian deliveries. The Rudrapur hospital in the district held 40-42 such surgeries. The number halved in the month of April. However, other districts in the state are reporting marginal fall in such procedures. Jharkhand has seen the trend reverse during the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, the C-section deliveries increased 8-9 per cent in the state in May as compared to April. At the Sadar hospital in Ranchi, there were 101 C-section deliveries out of a total of 240 in the month of April. In May, 119 out of 315 deliveries were held surgically. US Congressman: Having Better Quality Allies is the Greatest Advantage Over the CCP Honest News Straight to Your Home. Try the Epoch Times yourself, and get a free gift. Congressman Michael Gallagher is a member of the bipartisan committee China Task Force which oversees congressional strategy on China and develops legislative policies to curtail Chinese influence. On Monday, June 8, he indicated that having better quality allies is the biggest advantage the United States has against the Chinese Communist Party. Mike Gallagher said: The core of competition will come down between the U.S. and Chinawho has better quality friends. We start from an enormous advantage in that area. China doesnt want friends, it wants vassals, states, and abuses other countries as barbarians to be handled. He believes that the CCP is the greatest threat to the U.S. in all time, involving areas such as the economy, national security, and politics. In the present U.S.-China competition, the U.S. takes the slowest and weakest response in the area of ideology. Gallagher further explained: There is a naive temptation to believe that the conflicts in the U.S.-China relationships are just the product of the Trump administrations more hawkish approach. Part of it is related to how we underestimate the way in which Xi and the CCP look at this ideological lens. Gallagher believes that the nature of the CCP has not changed for decades and what worries him the most is the united front infiltration used by the CCP to divide the international community. Being a friend member of the Australia Parliament, he recently publicly condemned the CCP for using economic intimidation to retaliate against Australias call for an independent investigation into the origin of the CCP virus. Gallagher reiterated: [The] Wolf Warrior Diplomacy we talked about before is now something of a truism which expresses the way in which they are trying to drive wedges throughout the free world, but I think its actually uniting the free world, at least the Five Eyes. Last Friday, June 5, congressmen and politicians from eight democratic countries, including the U.S., formed the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China. Gallagher believes that the current CCP virus pandemic and the Hong Kong situation have awakened many countries to form a joint effort to contain the Chinese Communist Party. Lower House of Nepal's Legislature Passes Amendment Bill for New Map Including 'Indian' Territory Sputnik News 14:07 GMT 13.06.2020 New Delhi (Sputnik): New Delhi and Kathmandu have been engaged in a tussle since May, when India launched a strategic road along the Lipulekh Pas leading to China border. Nepal had accused India of encroaching on its territory. In a snub to India, the lower house of Nepal's Parliament, the House of Representatives, has passed the New Nepal Map (Coat of Arms) Constitutional Amendments, which include the strategically important Indian territories of Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura as part of Nepal. The Bill also seeks to resemble the national emblem. The constitutional amendment was introduced by Law Minister Shivamaya Tumbahamphe on 31 May following a massive backlash from the opposition and citizens after India inaugurated the road along the Lipulekh Pass. The bill will be incorporated in the Constitution only after the upper house, the National Assembly, passes it and if there are no amendments moved against the bill's provisions in 72 hours by the lawmakers. After being passed in the upper house, president will authenticate to make it part of the Constitution. Meanwhile, India has maintained Kalapani region to be the part of Indian territory and denounced Kathamandu's claims as lies. India's External Affairs Ministry said on Thursday: "We have already made our position clear on these issues. India deeply values its civilisation, culture and friendly relations with Nepal." On deteriorated relations in India, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli said: "We will seek a solution through diplomatic talks on the basis of historical facts and pieces of evidence. And that means our territory should be returned." In November 2019, India had showed Kalapani as its territory, resulting in concerns from Nepal but the matter escalated when on 8 May when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated an 80-km road along the Lipulekh Pass, which goes up to the India-China border. Nepal has stated that the Kali River is the border between the two countries, but India refuted this claim. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A motorcyclist was killed by a tree branch that was broken during a rain in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday evening. The accident occurred on To Hien Thanh Street in Ward 15, District 10 at around 6:30 pm, Do Hoang Anh, the wards chairman, confirmed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. The victim, 62-year-old T.M.L., was riding his motorbike on the street when he was hit by a large branch falling from a tree. Local residents rushed to help but L. had already died. A large tree branch falls onto a motorcyclist on To Hien Thanh Street in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, June 13, 2020. Photo: Tran Van Thong / Tuoi Tre Police in District 10 finished examining the scene and removing the tree branch from the street as of 9:00 pm the same day. It was raining lightly at the time of the incident, according to eyewitnesses. Due to the effect of Tropical Storm Nuri, the first to hit Vietnam this year, the southern metropolis was battered by heavy rain accompanied by strong gusts on Saturday afternoon. The tree whose branch was broken during the rain in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, June 13, 2020. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre Rainfall lingered until late in the evening. At around 2:00 pm the same day, two people on a motorcycle were injured by a falling tree branch on 3/2 Street in District 10, Lao Dong (Labor) newspaper reported. The victims were both brought to the hospital for emergency treatment. One of them suffered a broken arm. The tree whose branch was broken during the rain in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, June 13, 2020. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Prophet Samuel Kayode Abiara, a retired General Evangelist Worldwide of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) has said killing of virgins in Nigeria is a sign of end time. He also spoke about the pandemic saying it is nothing anyone should fret about, because it is not new, but instead go back to God and pray. He made all these known in an interview with Gbenga Aderanti. We are told that the coronavirus pandemic will be around for a long time. How does that sound to you? Covid-19 is not a new thing. Epidemics had happened many times in the past. Even before the birth of Jesus Christ, there were epidemics. It is not a new thing. History tells us that when the smallpox epidemic broke out, it killed millions of people. Cholera, Lassa fever, Ebola, malaria all killed many. It is a signal to all the people of the world. Christ Jesus talks about the end of this age in Matthew 24. At the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, you will hear rumours of wars and many incidents will continue to happen. Epidemics will break out. There will be fake prophecies and fake prophets. It is the word of Jesus Christ manifesting. It is one of the signs of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not something we should fret about. You say we should not worry but scientists have said we should be ready to live with it. What is the way out? What should be the roles of clerics in this critical time? The Bible does not put us in darkness concerning this. In Isaiah 45:7, God says I form the light and create darkness; I make peace and create evil. I the Lord do all these things. Im still the same God. If that is the case, we must still go back to that same God and pray to Him; appeal to Him to deliver us from this pandemic. God will surely answer our prayer. He said call upon me in the day of trouble and I will answer you (Psalm 50:14-15). At a time like this, we need to gather together and pray unto God and God will answer our prayer. When the enemies wrote a letter to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, that they were coming to fight him, Jehoshaphat called all the people, the men, the women and the children, they all prayed unto God and God fought for them. We need to pray to God Almighty. Only God can solve the problem. Scientists have tried, doctors have tried, they did not find a solution to the problem. It is a manifestation that God has absolute power over everything, so we have to return to Him. Of late, killing of young virgins has been on the rise. What do you think is responsible for this? That was what Jesus Christ was talking about when he talked about signs and end of this age and signs that our Lord Jesus Christ is coming. Because He said in Matthew 24:12 that sins will be rampant. I just finished a sermon online. The present world is worse than Sodom and Gomorrah. It is sad that people no longer fear God. They kill at will and do so many bad things. They cut and sell human parts at very ridiculous prices. It is a sign of the end of times. That is why people must be careful and move closer to God. People now r-pe. Fathers are r-ping their daughters. That is an abomination. That was what they did in Sodom and Gomorrah. To stem this tide, we need to pray more and government needs to do something about this. My advice to government is that the judicial process must be hastened. Cases drag for too long in courts. That should not be. Aside that, some of the criminals get light sentences and this tends to encourage others to commit crime. Imagine the case of a kidnapping suspect dragging for four or five years and government continues to spend money on these suspects. In 1984, the capital punishment that was in place discouraged many of these criminals from committing crimes. For many years CAC was factionalised with members belonging to different camps. Recently, efforts were made to bring the church under one umbrella. When is the process going to be concluded and what should we expect? We thank God that church is making efforts and the president, Pastor Abraham Olukunle Akinosun, is making efforts to bring the church together. I believe everything is settled. Very soon, you will hear officially from the church that everything is settled. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Mumbai: Walmart India is evaluating policy guidelines to come up with a food-only retail model, after the government has allowed 100 per cent foreign direct investment in food retail, a top company official said on Wednesday. We are currently evaluating all the policy guidelines and we do not have an only food model anywhere. So, we need to conceptualise, evaluate and come up with a model, which takes time, Walmart India CEO Krish Iyer told reporters on the sidelines of India Retail Forum here. It is not something we will jump into very quickly, he added. On governments move to open up food retail to investment, he said all the stakeholders including retailers, consumers, and farmers will benefit from it, and it will also increase access to capital, which will promote retail enterprise. For Walmart India, food retail in the cash and carry business accounts for more than 65 per cent of business, he said. Particularly looking at the importance of food, we do believe that we will continue to focus a lot more on food in our cash and carry stores, Iyer said. He also noted that resellers, particularly mom-and-pop stores are the most important channel for Walmart. Our e-commerce (B2B) experience has been good, and while we do not speak about the e-commerce sales, more than 50 per cent of buying is digitally influenced, he said. Iyer further said that Walmart India is focusing on private labels, however, customer buying proposition is more crucial. Walmart India has two private labels Members Mark and Right Buy. The idea of private labels is to support make in India programme, he said. Walmart India operates stores in nine states across the country. In the next five years, it is planning to add 50 more stores, taking the total number to 70. We continue to focus on Tier II and Tier III cities, and the opportunities here are as good as metro towns, Iyer said, adding that availability of land is a challenge in metros but the company continues to look for good options. Government is awarding 36 additional road projects as part of efforts to improve on the poor road network in the Upper West Region. These, in addition to the 78 already existing projects, brings the total number of road projects to be delivered in the region to a total of 114. Mr Akwesi Amoako Atta, the Roads and Highways Minister who announced this at a News conference in Wa, said the region currently has only 10 per cent (586kms) of its total road network size of 5,798kms paved. Categorizing the road network situation in the region, Mr Amoako Atta, noted that 40 per cent (2,300kms) were good, 32 per cent (1,875kms) fair, and 28 per cent (1,623kms) were considered to be poor. The Roads and Highways Minister noted that with the award of the projects, over 26 per cent of total road network in the region would be under construction in less than two months. Major roads covered by the projects include; the Tumu-Han-Lawra road, Wa-Han road, Fian-Wahabu road, Wa-Bulenga road, Ga-Wechiau road, Wahabu-Funsi-Yala road, Nadowli-Lawra-Hamile road, Wa-Nyoli-Sawla road, Tumu-Hamile road and the Kulun-Ambalara bridges among others. Both the Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Studies and the Wa Polytechnic would benefit from a combined 35km internal roads project to give the two tertiary institutions a facelift. Mr Amoako Atta said under President Akufo-Addo, the region had its fair share of road projects, noting that road infrastructure was considered the pivot of all development, hence the declaration of 2020 as the year of roads by the President. He said road transport constituted almost 98 per cent of all transport in the country, adding that it was therefore not a mere coincidence that the focus had been on roads. Responding to a question on the challenge with payment of road contractors to deliver projects, Mr Amoako Atta noted that they identified sources of funding for all projects and also had a proper payment management system. "That is why today all contractors that were awarded contracts were on site" he said. Mr Amoako Atta accompanied by his Deputy, Mr Anthony Abaifaa Karbo, Upper West Regional Minister, Dr Hafiz Bin Salih and other high ranking officials of the Roads and Highways Ministry inspected some of the road projects along the Nadowli-Lawra-Nandom-Hamile stretch and the Tumu-Han-Wa stretch. At Lawra, he inspected the Dipke Bridge and pledged government's commitment to construct the bridge to facilitate movement of goods and services among Ghanaians and their Burkina Faso counterparts. The Roads and Highways Minister was on a week-long working tour of the Northern, North East, Upper East, Upper West, and the Savannah Regions of the country to familiarize himself with progress of work on ongoing projects. 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 Ahmedabad: India is not interested in land of Pakistan or China but wanted peace and amity, Union minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari said on Sunday. Addressing virtual 'Jan Samvad' rally of Gujarat BJP from Nagpur in Maharashtra, he said India believed in peace and non-violence and do not want to be strong by becoming an expansionist. "India never tried to grab land of its neighbours like Bhutan and Bangladesh," he added. The Minister of Road Transport & Highways and MSME also said that COVID-19 crisis will not last long, as a vaccine is on its way soon. "India do not want land that rightfully belongs to Pakistan or China. All India want is peace, amity, love, and (want) to work together (with neighbouring countries)," Gadkari said. His comments came at a time when India and China are engaged in a stand-off at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. Talking about the completion of one year of the second term of the Modi government, Gadkari said its biggest achievement was to bring peace in the country by dealing with matters of internal and external security. "...Whether it is about almost winning over the Maoist problem or securing the country from Pakistan-sponsored terrorism...There is China on the one side of our border and Pakistan on the other side. We want peace, not violence," he said. "The strong steps taken by our government against terrorism and naxalism; giving importance to internal and external security has made peace possible in the country," Gadkari said. During his speech, the Nagpur MP referred to famous novel "Mrityunjaya" by Marathi novelist Shivaji Sawant, saying peace and non-violence can be established by only those who are strong and not weak. "We should not make India strong by becoming expansionist. We want to make India strong for establishing peace. We never tried to grab land of Bhutan. Our country made Sheikh Mujibur Rahman the prime minister of Bangladesh after winning the war (with Pakistan in 1971), and our soldiers returned thereafter. "We did not take a single inch of land. We do not want land either of Pakistan or China. All we want is peace, amity, love, and wanted to work together," he said. Gadkari also said the coronavirus crisis will not last long as scientists in India and abroad have been working to develop a vaccine. "This crisis is not going to last long. Effort is on in our country to develop a vaccine for coronavirus. Scientists across the world are working in this direction. As per the information received by me, I can say with confidence that very soon we will find vaccine. Once we develop a vaccine, we won't have to fear the crisis, Gadkari added. "The crisis is deep, not just for our country but for the entire world. Our government under Modiji is standing with the people. Let us leave aside negativity, and with self confidence, we will deal with the crisis and defeat the coronavirus," he said. Referring to Emergency, Gadkari further said India has braved many crises, and so has the BJP since its formation. He said, "(From Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi to successive Congress governments) the Congress gave the slogan of 'garibi hatao ', but the condition of the common man, farmers and the poor did not improve". On the other hand, poverty of Congress party leaders, workers, and flatterers ended, he said. Gadkari also referred to annulment of Article 370 and the "sacrifice" made by Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee. "We brought terrorism exported by Pakistan under control by repulsing terrorists, but the Congress lacked courage and did not give importance to the crisis," he said. Gadkari said the NDA government was guided by the concept of "Antyodaya" of Deendayal Upadhyay. "We reached out to the poorest of the poor by opening 35 crore 'Jana Dhan' accounts. We provided LPG cylinders to 9 crore families, and constructed two crore houses under the 'Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana', he said. He also listed promotion of bee-keeping, khadi industry, e-rickshaws, cleaning of the Ganga river as major achievements of the government in the last six years. "The Road Transport and Highways ministry is working to develop Jammu and Kashmir by constructing roads, tunnels, and encouraging local crafts for the economic development," he added. TDP leader and former MLA JC Prabhakar Reddy and JC Asmit Reddy being arrested in connection with the BS III vehicle scam in Hyderabad on Saturday. PTI photo Anantapur: The Anantapur police arrested former Tadipatri MLA J.C. Prabhakar Reddy and his son J.C. Asmith Reddy who contested as the TD candidate in last years general elections from Tadipatri, in connection with illicit conversion of banned vehicles of BS-III emission standards into BS-IV by forging documents. They sold these vehicles and their family owned-companies, Jatadhara Industries Pvt Ltd and C. Gopal Reddy & Company of Tadipatri, also plied them. Jatadhara Industries is represented by J.C. Uma Reddy, the wife of Prabhakar Reddy, and Asmith Reddy as directors. Gopal Reddy is a close aide of Prabhakar Reddy, who is the brother of former MP J.C. Diwakar Reddy. The duo was arrested at Hyderabad early on Saturday and taken to the Anantapur One Town police station based on a pending case lodged by the Anantapur deputy transport commissioner (DTC) in January after eight modified trucks were seized. At Anantapur, police questioned Prabhakar Reddy and Asmith Reddy for three hours and shifted them to hospital for a medial check-up. They were later duo was produced before the Judicial First Class Magistrate court and send to 14 days in judicial custody.The arrest comes a day after former TD minister K. Atchannaidu was taken into custody in Srikakulam district for a `150 crore scam in medical purchases. A total of 24 criminal cases were registered against the two companies based on complaints by the Anantapur DTC. Police said 50 vehicles of BS-III emission standard were sold to Jatadhara Industries as scrap and 104 to C. Gopal Reddy & Co. Of these, 101 were in AP and further transactions were blocked in department database. Another 28 vehicles were taken on a no-objection certificate to other states. Sixty vehicles were seized in AP 46 in Anantapur and others in Kadapa, Guntur, Nellore, Kurnool and Chittoor districts. The others are yet to be traced. As per Supreme Court order, BS-III vehicles were prohibited and their registration banned from April 1 2017. But, Jatadhara Industries and C. Gopal Reddy & Company purchased vehicles sold as scrap by Ashok Leyland and got them registered in Nagaland in 2018 by producing fake and fabricated documents, Anantapur DTC Shivarama Krishna said. These vehicles were plying in Anantapur district after securing a NoC from Nagaland. An email was sent to Ashok Leyland asking them to provide the details of the 68 vehicles. The company replied on January 23, giving details of 66 vehicles that had been scrapped. A team of officials of the transport department and the Anantapur police was deputed to the registering authority at Kohima, Nagaland to get documents regarding the registration of the vehicles. Documents furnished by the registering authority, Kohima, Nagaland State, state that J.C. Uma Reddy of Tadipatri has signed the application produced before the registering authority on behalf of C. Gopal Reddy & Company seeking registration of the vehicles These invoices are said to have been issued by Ashok Leyland Ltd, Kalyanpur, of Uttarakand and Ashok Leyland Ltd, RSO, Hosur, Tamil Nadu, sources said. Though they purchased the vehicles as scrap, they tried to make them fit and roadworthy for unlawful gain and for plying vehicles illegally, transport department officials said. The plying of vehicles with fake insurance policies endangers public safety and road safety. Criminal cases had to be booked against the two companies for producing fake insurance certificates, the officials said. Graffiti that echoes George Floyd's last words "I Can't Breathe" makes us bear witness to his murder again and again. The image was taken May 31 in the Fairfax District. (Los Angeles Times) During the recent protests, a piece of graffiti in the Fairfax District simply read: God Said Riot. The message could be a testament to the righteousness of the current Black Lives Matter movement or a nod to the importance of spirituality in 1960s civil rights struggles. The graffiti makes clear that, even if the president poses with a Bible to create an image of power, its the power of collective action written here as God that trumps all. Change is coming, it says. We will make sure of it. Graffiti provides a shorthand, a lens that zeroes in on what people on the ground deem most important and why. Graffiti has been helping to build a new narrative since people took to the streets across Los Angeles and the nation to protest police brutality and systemic racism. The graffiti refutes the argument, embraced by the Trump administration, that outside agitators inflamed the current movement. Instead, the writing on the walls signals the deeply local nature of participation, the development of new alliances and a set of new demands. Inside the 2nd Street tunnel, downtown Los Angeles, June 8. (Susan A. Phillips) Ive studied graffiti in Los Angeles for 30 years. During the 1992 Los Angeles uprising, people wrote such phrases as Black Power, Bloods and Crips Together Tonight and This Is for Rodney King. That year gangs were peacemakers while abusive policing and white supremacy were called out in bold strokes on the streets LAPD 187, which invoked the California penal code for murder, and KKK Killa. Then as now, owners decorated storefronts for protection and to signal solidarity: Black Owner. We Are With You. Today, graffiti cuts to the heart of protest. People demand Care, Not Cops, 16-year-olds spray paint FDT, an acronym incorporating the presidents initials. The current social movement around police brutality amplifies a key message: Police need to be held accountable. Pushing back against lethal policing has led to novel alliances between people from diverse race and class backgrounds and the organizing principle of staging protests in wealthy, commercial neighborhoods. These shifts show up on the walls alongside Black Lives Matter, Raza Unida, Asians 4 Black Lives. Story continues The political graffiti thats sprung up recently in Los Angeles and across the nation can be divided into two loose categories. The first is anarchist writing, some of which dates to 1970s England and links anti-capitalist ideology to the Black Lives Matter movement. This contains phrases like ACAB (All Cops Are Bastards), 1312 (for the alphabetic order of the letters in ACAB), and anti-capitalist slogans that include the classic Eat the Rich, Hang Bankers, F Capitalism, and various depictions of pigs. Farmers Market, Fairfax District, June 6. (Susan A. Phillips) The second relates specifically to Black Lives Matter and focuses on white supremacy and the death of George Floyd and countless others at the hands of police RIP George, "Say Their Names." Graffiti that echoes George Floyd's last words "I Can't Breathe" makes us bear witness to his murder again and again. The visual reminder is powerful, as is seeing his name in Los Angeles scrawled next to a painted question, Am I Next? Protest graffiti is a critical intervention in urban space, especially as municipalities and police attempt to shut down the streets. Even after protests have dispersed, graffiti stands as a testament to the protesters collective voice. Political graffiti always signals the potential for social change. The graffiti may soon be washed away, but not before it is documented, becoming part of history. Graffiti in times of crisis can also offer hope, echoing on walls across the city and country: Another World Is Possible. Susan A. Phillips is professor of Environmental Analysis and an associate dean at Pitzer College. Her latest book is The City Beneath: A Century of Los Angeles Graffiti. GIVEN RECENT PROTESTS & RIOTS, KCPD AND POLITICS WERE NERVOUS ABOUT PUBLIC REACTION AFTER A DEADLY POLICE SHOOTING!!! BUT THE REALITY IS THAT NOBODY IS GOING TO RIOT OVER COPS KILLING A WHITE DUDE IN THE MIDST OF A HIGH SPEED CHASE AND CARJACKING!!! "Officers were called to the area to investigate a possible armed carjacking. When they arrived on scene, a driver fled going northbound. Officers pursued the driver a short distance before they crashed at 23rd and Lister. The general area is east of Interstate 70 on 23rd Street, just east of Ashland Square Park." "Police say a suspect reportedly was armed with a gun and was shot by a police officer." "Mayor Quinton Lucas released a statement a few hours after the shooting, and said a white man died." We have learned of an officer-involved shooting that occurred this afternoon near 23rd and Lister. The victim is an adult white male. I called an emergency Board of Police Commissioners meeting roughly one week ago to review and immediately enact police oversight policies to help build community trust and ensure transparency. One of those measures requires an outside enforcement agency to investigate any officer-involved shooting that occurs in Kansas City. This afternoon I have spoken with Kansas City Police Chief Rick Smith and Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker. Pursuant to our new board policy, the Missouri Highway Patrol is now on the scene to handle the investigation into this incident, rather than the Kansas City Police Department, and will be communicating with the public and press in connection with this incident. Special Note From The Mayor To Calm Tense Streets Kansas City police say man dead in officer-involved shooting KANSAS CITY, Mo. - One man is dead after an officer-involved shooting Saturday afternoon in the area of 23rd and Lister. Mayor Quinton Lucas released a statement a few hours after the shooting, and said a white man died in this shooting. "We have learned of an officer-involved shooting that occurred this afternoon near 23rd [...] Killing After Car Chase Authorities investigating officer-involved shooting in KC KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- The authorities are investigating an officer-involved shooting this afternoon in KC. According to an email from the KCPD sent at 3:18 p.m., the shooting happened in the 2300 block of Lister Ave. KCPD dispatch confirmed to KCTV5 News that there was a carjacking and a pursuit, then shots were fired. New Policy Enacted To Investigate Deadly Aftermath Missouri State Highway Patrol to investigate KCPD shooting KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Kansas City, Missouri, police officer shot and killed a suspect in an armed carjacking on Saturday afternoon. KCPD responded just before 2 p.m. to a report of an armed carjacking and chased the vehicle northbound. The suspect vehicle crashed in the area of East 22nd Street Street and Lister Avenue. Local media was desperate for a Saturday story and so they swarmed after news of a deadly officer-involved shooting.For better or worse . . .The sitch right now:Even more interestingly . . .Here's his note in full . . .And this, more than any other local news today, might prove that we're not living in asociety after all despite the hopes of politicos and protesters.Check the links:Developing . . . UN chief calls for Libya mass grave investigation 13 June 2020 - The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has expressed deep shock at the discovery of mass graves in Libya over recent days, in territory that was recently in the hands of the so-called opposition Libyan National Army (LNA) led by General Khalifa Haftar. The UN Support Mission in Libya, UNSMIL announced, on Thursday, the discovery of at least eight graves in Tarhouna, around 100 kilometres southeast of the capital, Tripoli, and formerly a stronghold for the forces of General Haftar, during his campaign to capture Tripoli, which has now lasted over a year. In a statement released on Saturday, the UN spokesperson, Mr. Dujarric, said that the Secretary-General is calling for a "thorough and transparent investigation", and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. In particular, he called on the authorities to "secure the mass graves, identify the victims, establish causes of death and return the bodies to next of kin", and assured Libya that the United Nations has offered support in this regard. "The Secretary-General once again reminds all parties to the conflict in Libya of their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law", said Dujarric, adding that Mr. Guterres "reiterates his call for an immediate end to the fighting in Libya in order to save lives and end civilian suffering". The spokesman went on to note that the UN chief welcomes the resumption of the work of the Libyan Joint Military Commission, and hopes that a ceasefire will be agreed soon. On Wednesday, UNSMIL declared that the UN-backed authorities, and the LNA are "fully engaged" in the thirds round of talks. During a recent Security Council meeting on Libya, Stephanie Williams, the head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), briefed that Libyans had to deal with almost constant bombardment, and frequent water and electricity outages during the holy month of Ramadan. "From what we are witnessing in terms of the massive influx of weaponry, equipment and mercenaries to the two sides, the only conclusion that we can draw is that this war will intensify, broaden and deepen - with devastating consequences for the Libyan people", she told the Council. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Villagers in rural Peru have detained technicians from broadband provider Gilat Peru over fears they were installing 5G technology, which they claimed was responsible for the coronavirus, police and the company said Friday. The eight-member maintenance crew have been held since Wednesday by villagers in Acobamba province, more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) southeast of the capital Lima. "They have detained eight workers from a telephone company, who maintained the antennas that provide internet to public places such as educational centers, under the pretext that they are 5G antennas that, in some way, cause COVID-19," regional police chief Alejandro Oviedo told TV Peru. The incident occurred late Wednesday when workers were sent to maintain an antenna in mountainous Acobamba's Huancavelica region. "They were held when they tried to leave and we had no communication with them since Wednesday night," said Gilat Peru spokesman Arieh Rohrstoc. "They mistakenly think COVID is transmitted by radio waves, our technology is wireless, and the virus cannot be transmitted by electromagnetic waves," he said. Farmers from the Huachhua Chopcca community in Acobamba demanded the technicians remove existing antennas as a condition of their release. "The engineers have not been kidnapped," community spokesman Lorenzo Escobar told PPP radio, adding that they were free to move around and were given food. He said the men had been held when they entered the area after the start of the nighttime curfew and had broken quarantine rules. Escobar said the community council would hold talks with Gilat Peru representatives on Saturday and the men would be released. Peru is the second-worst affected country in Latin America after Brazil, with more than 214,000 confirmed cases and over 6,000 deaths. The province of Acobamba, which rises to nearly 4,000 meters above sea level, has one of the lowest infection rates in the country. John Minchillo There have been 30,000 COVID-19 deaths in more than 378,000 cases in New York state. A 2015 report counted 7,250 ventilators in the state yet the COVID-19 outbreak has devastated New York. Much poorer countries and regions, by contrast, have no ventilators. The inevitable COVID-19 outbreaks in these places will likely be far more devastating. The Somalian Health Ministry has no ventilators while Nigeria, a nation with a population two-thirds that of the United States, has fewer than 100. Congressional leaders have pushed for domestic funding to address the COVID-19 breakout within the United States; however, there has been no significant funding for a global response to the pandemic. Top universities are preventing students from deferring places in an effort to avoid half-empty courses and a drastic drop in tuition fee income. As new research reveals that more than 40 per cent of sixth-formers are considering deferring until 2021, universities including Oxford and Edinburgh have told teenagers they will have to start their degrees this autumn or lose their places. The move means those with offers will be forced to enrol on 9,250-a-year degree courses at a time when Covid-19 restrictions may result in online lectures, little or no face-to-face teaching and limited contact with staff and other students. As new research reveals that more than 40 per cent of sixth-formers are considering deferring until 2021, universities including Oxford and Edinburgh have told teenagers they will have to start their degrees this autumn or lose their places (file photo) Those who refuse to start in September will have to apply again in 2021, running the risk of being rejected. Critics said colleges were effectively holding applicants hostage, forcing them to pay full fees for a vastly inferior service. Oxford is 'expecting to welcome a full cohort of new undergraduates in October 2020, so will not routinely support requests for deferral'. Edinburgh said deferrals 'will be limited'. Cambridge has advised students to 'commence their studies as planned' and that only deferral requests 'unrelated to the pandemic' will be considered. The move means those with offers will be forced to enrol on 9,250-a-year degree courses at a time when Covid-19 restrictions may result in online lectures, little or no face-to-face teaching and limited contact with staff and other students (file photo) Sussex University said: 'If your reason for deferring is linked to the current global pandemic, we'd encourage you to hold on to your offer for now.' The London School of Economics has decided not to let applicants for postgraduate courses defer in 2020. Research by Leicester University found 41 per cent of UK students are considering deferring until 2021. Professor Alan Smithers, of Buckingham University, said: 'Lectures online, little contact with staff and a restricted campus is such a limited university experience that deferral should be an option.' The Burisma Group company and its management have nothing to do with the report of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office and some media outlets about participating in illegal actions, the company said in a statement Saturday. The company is operating exclusively within the framework of the current legislation, and it is one of the largest taxpayers and defends the interests of energy independence of Ukraine. Plight of the pangolin: Once coveted, now feared because of coronavirus Veterinarian Mark Ofua walks through rows of cages housing barking dogs and stray cats in the animal shelter he set up in Lagos, Nigeria's largest city, about five years ago. The ease with which the animals submit to his ministrations makes it clear it is a place of trust, a sanctuary for lost souls in the animal kingdom. Many Nigerians, struggling with the challenges of the coronavirus, are no longer able to afford or keep pets. But the shelter isn't just for domestic animals. Increasingly, Ofua finds himself rescuing wild animals, including one of the world's most endangered: the pangolin. One, in particular, has clearly captured his heart: a baby he rescued from a bush meat market when it was just a week old. He named the pangolin Juba. "Now, I know buying these animals off them is wrong, because it kind of promotes the trade," he said in a Skype interview. "But imagine if Juba was not rescued." Juba is now about five months old, still fed from a bottle. But Ofua is also encouraging him to forage for ants and termites before he releases him back into the wild. Pangolins blamed for coronavirus outbreak He's named after a character in the film Gladiator, because he's armoured like one, Ofua said. Pangolins are mammals that look like anteaters but are covered in scales made of keratin. But those chain-mail coats haven't been enough to protect them from a voracious illegal wildlife trade that sees their meat sold as a delicacy in Asian markets overseas, and their scales sold for alleged medicinal cures. "In the last couple of years the demand for pangolin has skyrocketed," said Ofua. "It has left the traditional role for bush meat and medicine. It has now moved on to the scales." WATCH | Veterinarian and a rescued pangolin: Juba is a white-bellied tree pangolin native to Nigeria. There are eight species across Africa and Asia and all are either vulnerable or critically endangered. Story continues Negative attention could protect pangolins Nigeria has become a world hub when it comes to trafficking them. The UN's Wildlife Crime Report for 2020 found that almost 60 per cent of seized pangolin scales came from Nigeria in 2018, compared to 20 per cent in 2015. Professor Olajumoke Morenikeji of the University of Ibadan said it's "absolutely ridiculous." "[There is ] so much illiteracy when it comes to environmental laws, wildlife trade and so forth," she said. Morenikeji is also the president of the Pangolin Conservation Guild of Nigeria. Her advocacy work has earned her the nickname Madame Pangolin but she doesn't mind if it gets people talking about them. Isaac Kasmani/AFP via Getty Images She also said that the negative press the pangolin received in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic and speculation that it might have had a role in its jump to humans could help them survive. People are asking her if they should stay away from them. "We now know that most likely it is not from the pangolin. It might be from the bats or whatever," Morenikeji said. "But we know from history that there are instances we have had diseases jump from wildlife to man." "I have more people listening to what I have to say about the situation," she said. "And I tell them it's not just the pangolin. There's the problem of zoonotics if you do not leave wild animals in the wild and you bring them into the system." Submitted by Olajumoke Morenikeji Early investigations into the source of the coronavirus outbreak focused on a market in Wuhan, China, where live animals were traded. But there are as yet no firm conclusions and a zoonotic source has yet to be identified. WATCH | Coronavirus: Where did it come from? In a move that many conservationists hope will be permanent, China banned the consumption and trading of wildlife in February, after the outbreak began. Beijing also recently afforded the pangolin its highest protection status and banned pangolin scales from being used in traditional medicines. Kaddu Kiwe Sebunya, CEO of the African Wildlife Foundation, an international wildlife conservation organization, calls it a huge step. "We are so happy this is happening," he said in a Skype interview from Kenya. "And you know we are not going to relent. We would like to see this also happening with rhino horns because they really have no medicinal properties." Poachers capitalize on COVID-19 outbreak It's a potential ray of hope for the pangolin, but Sebunya said that in general, COVID-19 has been a tragedy for conservation efforts. "Actually, what we are seeing is a spike in poaching across the continent," he said. "Because the tourism industry collapsed overnight and funding went to zero for conservation." Sebunya said tourism accounts for more than 80 per cent of conservation money directed toward most of the national park services across Africa. "And so [anti-poaching] patrols are less," he said. Submitted by Mark Ofua Kruger National Park in South Africa might be an outlier, having reported a "significant decline" in rhino poaching since its lockdown in April. It has a well equipped anti-poaching unit, including helicopters and a canine team. But it's a very different picture in neighbouring Zimbabwe. Ellen Mauro/CBC "We still have the criminal [poaching] syndicates that are operating, said Mark Brightman, conservation manager with the Bumi Hills Anti Poaching Unit along Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe. "They haven't shut down the tools. In fact, they're taking advantage of the situation." The Bumi Hills rangers are still operating as a deterrent for now, but two elephants were recently poached just outside their area. And Zimbabweans who used to rely on tourism for work are feeling even more economic pain in the face of the lockdown than normal. "People have got to feed themselves," said Brightman. He said there's been an increase in the number of people snaring animals to put meat on the table for their families. "We're not really concerned with that. It's the commercial poaching and the priority is elephant poaching and the bush meat trade that we cannot let get out of hand once more." 'We'll have to do what is right by him' The COVID-19 pandemic offers the world an opportunity for a reset, to have a global conversation about biodiversity and management of natural resources, according to Sebunya. "People have seen what happens when we mismanage nature," he said. "COVID-20 might come from my country. And it will shut down Toronto. So this responsibility is global responsibility. And we need more support. There has been a decrease in support to conservation in Africa." Ellen Mauro/CBC News Back in the port city of Lagos, Ofua is walking the stray dogs twice a day and feeding baby civets along with Juba. He's bracing himself for the day he'll say goodbye to the young pangolin before releasing it back into the bush. "I pray every day for grace to be able to let him go when it's time. I just want to make sure he's able to fend for himself properly." Ofua is working on building a kind of enclosed pangolin shelter where they can take first steps before finally being returned to the wild. Juba will be the first to try it. "It's going to be difficult but we'll have to do what is right by him," he said. "I try to let people see the connection between us and these animals. Conservation is not something we should do for fun or for pleasure or for sentiment. It's something we actually need to do deliberately to save mankind." The Ajumako Campus of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), in the Central Region, has put in place a standby medical team to attend and manage any case of COVID-19. The Dean, Faculty of Ghanaian Languages, UEW, Ajumako Campus, Professor Charles Owu-Ewie, made the revelation yesterday when Zoomlion Ghana Limited disinfected the campus here. We have medical personnel on standby who will attend to any student who may test positive for the Coronavirus, he said. According to him, the medical team will act as first respondents, isolating and managing any COVID-19 case that would be recorded on the Ajumako Campus. He said the disinfection exercise was the last leg of the campus readiness before the students finally returned. And as part of the protocols, every student coming to campus will first have his/her temperature checked before allowed entry, he noted. For those who were not resident on campus, Prof. Owu-Ewie said, there would be a daily check of their temperatures with thermometer guns anytime they arrived at the campus main entrance. He assured that they would ensure all the students abide fully by the COVID-19 safety protocols. We know there is some apprehension amongst the students and parents, but we believe by adhering to the COVID-19 protocols we will prevent a coronavirus attack on campus, he said. Further, he said, the university had purchased Veronica buckets, soaps and alcohol-based hand sanitisers which would be placed at the entrances of lecture halls, offices and various halls of residence. The university also has loads of nose masks which will be given to the students who will be returning to campus, Prof. Owu-Ewie further disclosed. Source: Ghanaian Times Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video London was engulfed in a wave of violence yesterday as Black Lives Matter protesters, far-right activists, and riot police clashed in the capital's rain-soaked streets. A thug was filmed spitting on a woman as she enjoyed a picnic with her friends in Hyde Park, before a group of activists surrounded them, kicked their picnic rug and yelled 'f*** off!'. BLM protesters and far-right activists also brawled outside Waterloo station before they were separated by police officers. And an officer was filmed kicking a man, who appeared to be a protester, in Chinatown before two others pinned the individual to a police van. More than 100 people were arrested yesterday as violence erupted, for offences including violent disorder, assault on officers, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of class A drugs and drunk and disorder. Prime minister Boris Johnson has condemned the actions as 'racist thuggery' and vowed any attack on forces will be met with 'the full force of the law'. A 28-year-old man has also been arrested on suspicion of outraging public decency after a suspected far-right protester provoked national outrage by urinating next to the memorial to PC Keith Palmer, who was stabbed to death in the 2017 Westminster terror attack. The man, filmed on the left-hand-side of the clip, was seen spitting at the woman as she enjoyed a picnic in Hyde Park. He is shown above After spitting at the woman, the man stood back. He was seen wearing a white shirt, brown jacket and hat This is the moment a police officer was filmed kicking a person, believed to be a protester Officers were filmed clashing with protesters in Chinatown yesterday (Shown above) The Hyde Park video, which has been viewed more than four million times, shows a group of at least ten men storming up to the friends sitting calmly in the sunshine. They swarm around them and start kicking their rug and shouting. Some members of the group are heard yelling: 'Get the f*** up!'. The friends quickly get up and walk away as bystanders come forward to put themselves between the friends and the angry mob. It was uploaded yesterday by Tom Norman, who said: 'Just entered Hyde Park so did this hoard. There isn't even a protest on for them to protest against. 'Vile. Video blurred as I got pushed Thankfully the Met Police UK arrived and tehy ran for the hills.' The man who spits at the woman is wearing a white shirt, black jacket and hat. Twitter users have condemned the group for spitting, noting that even in ordinary times this is unacceptable but during a pandemic it could amount to a 'death sentence'. There was no protest taking place in Hyde Park yesterday. Protesters were filmed brawling outside Waterloo station yesterday before officers arrived to break up the crowds Officers pushed back the crowds, revealing a bloodied 'far right' protester lying on the ground Man was seen lying on the ground, appearing to be dazed, as officers tried to calm the crowds Footage taken later that afternoon showed an officer kicking an individual, who appeared to be a protester, after he was tripped over in Chinatown. The man was then held against a police van by two other officers as others shout to 'move back!'. On the footage, protesters can be heard yelling back: 'Leave him alone! What did he do?'. Video taken at Waterloo station, and posted online late yesterday, shows hundreds of protesters shouting and hitting each other in an orgy of violence. Police then force their way into the group and push back the crowds, revealing a bloodied 'far-right' protester lying on the ground. The officers attempt to calm the crowds, as the individual lying on the floor gazes forward with blood dripping from his nose. Responding to the video of a woman being spat on in Hyde Park, the Met police said they are aware of the footage and are 'making enquiries'. They have also been contacted for comment after an officer was filmed kicking a protester in Chinatown. The anti-racist rally and a pro-statue counter-protest descended into hooliganism driven by a hard core of violent activists on both sides. Pictured: Clashes in Trafalgar Square yesterday A man was beaten to a bloody pulp in Trafalgar Square as the Black Lives Matter protests turned violent shortly before the 5pm curfew kicked in Black Lives Matter supporter carries white 'far-right' protester to safety after he was beaten up in violent clashes between rival troublemakers at London Waterloo station By William Cole For Mailonline A man identified as a far-right protester has been carried to safety from protestors as animosity was briefly set aside on a day of clashes in London between rival groups and police. Following violent clashes in Trafalgar Square, Black Lives Matter protestors and some counter protestors headed over the River Thames towards Waterloo Station. Far right thugs have been accused of being the instigators of the violence by attacking police as well as BLM supporters, who then fought back as the scene descended into violence. One of the protestors, claimed to be 'far right' by the crowd, was seen lying injured on the ground after being chased past the Royal Festival Hall. But photos then show a black man pick up the white man and carry him over his shoulders to safety - flanked by police in riot gear. Reports suggest he was badly beaten by some demonstrators, before other protesters stepped in to protect him. Advertisement Twitter users have condemned the group for spitting, noting that even in ordinary times this is unacceptable but during a pandemic it could amount to a 'death sentence'. There was no protest taking place in Hyde Park yesterday. Boris Johnson has condemned the protesters for 'racist thuggery', writing on Twitter: 'Racist thuggery has no place on our streets. 'Anyone attacking the police will be met with the full force of the law. 'These marches and protests have been subverted by violence and breach current guidelines. Racism has no part in the UK and we must work together to make that a reality.' Diplomat Reza Afshar, who served at the head of the team responsible for the UK's Syria policy, shared the video and said: 'Welcome to the nasty underbelly of Britain. This is nothing new in the UK. 'I've encountered this kind of thuggery for as long as I can remember It's a dirty, hateful, undercurrent in our society.' The Met police have been contacted for comment on the clip. Police chiefs imposed the 5pm curfew on all demonstrations yesterday in a bid to quell the unrest seen throughout the day as the anti-racist rally and a pro-statue counter-protest descended into hooliganism driven by a hard core of violent activists on both sides. While a small number of pro-statue military veterans in uniform made their point peacefully, their protest was hijacked by others intent on confronting police and BLM supporters. About an hour later, the first of several pitched battles erupted as police in riot gear tried to hold back crowds chanting 'Eng-er-land' and raising their arms in apparent Nazi salutes. Time and again, the drunken mob lunged at police lines, which blocked them from moving down Whitehall towards Trafalgar Square, where some BLM supporters were gathered. One small group of right-wingers did manage to find their way into Trafalgar Square to fight with BLM groups, but police contained the violence. Similar running battles occurred later in Hyde Park and at Waterloo station as rival groups clashed. A man was seen involved in a confrontation between police and various demonstrators near to Waterloo Station this afternoon The man - identified as a far-right protester- then got injured and had to be carried to safety as animosity was briefly set aside A man, whose face was covered in blood, was seen lying on the floor near Waterloo Station in London as the protests turned violent After the groups were driven out of Trafalgar Square at 5pm, the clashes spilled over to Waterloo station where a group of BLM activists were filmed beating a lone white man accused of being a member of a far right group. Labour's shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said today that he was 'extremely disturbed' by the 'completely unacceptable' scenes of violence on the streets of London on Saturday. Speaking to Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday show, Mr Thomas-Symonds said: 'I want to say a particular word as well about that awful scene of someone urinating next to PC Keith Palmer's memorial. 'Absolutely despicable behaviour and I hope that individual is identified and brought to justice.' Mr Thomas-Symonds said he also would back the Government in creating a specific offence against damaging war memorials and said he would be willing to work cross-party to support such efforts in Parliament. Elsewhere in the country tens of thousands gathered at anti-racism protests that passed off largely peacefully although clashes also erupted in Bristol (pictured) Police fight to maintain control in Trafalgar Square amid both Black Lives Matter and pro-statue protests in London yesterday He said: 'Well, firstly I would support the government in creating a specific offence of protecting war memorials and I would be willing to work with the government on that. 'But let's not be moved away either from what we've seen since the awful killing of George Floyd in America because the government needs to show leadership on the inequalities and racism that still sadly exist in our country and the Prime Minister needs to come forward and show that he understands the hurt and the anguish of the stories that black people in our country have spoken about so movingly in recent weeks and also to set out the concrete steps that his government now intends to take to address that.' Tens of thousands gathered at anti-racism protests in Liverpool and Brighton that passed off peacefully although clashes also erupted in Bristol and Newcastle. More than 42 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, shattering previous unemployment records. Millions of those who were laid off or furloughed have been pinching pennies just to get by, even with help from the economic stimulus check many received under the CARES Act. Although millions of Americans are still unemployed and in need of a second stimulus check, nobody knows yet whether another stimulus bill will pass through Congress. However, there are two good signs another check may be on the way -- and one sign it may not. Good sign No. 1: The HEROES Act passed the House The HEROES Act -- the proposed sequel to the CARES Act -- recently passed in the House of Representatives and is currently in the Senate's hands. Under the HEROES Act, those who received the first stimulus check will likely receive another one of up to $1,200 (or $2,400 for married couples), plus an additional $1,200 for each dependent for up to three dependents. The new stimulus bill would also provide checks to some of those who were left out under the CARES Act, specifically dependent children ages 17 and older and those married to someone without a Social Security number. The HEROES Act is unlikely to pass as written in the Senate, but the fact that the bill has gained enough traction in Congress to pass in the House is a good sign that a second stimulus check is still a possibility. Good sign No. 2: The Senate is drafting its own stimulus bill The Senate may be reluctant to pass the HEROES Act, namely because it's expensive. The CARES Act cost approximately $2 trillion, while the HEROES Act will cost a proposed $3 trillion. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already said that a second stimulus bill cannot exceed $1 trillion, so the House's bill is likely already dead on arrival. However, that doesn't necessarily mean a second stimulus check is off the table. The Senate is currently drafting its own bill, which could include more stimulus money. Negotiations are still in the early phase, and the second stimulus package likely won't be revealed until July or August. Anything could happen by that time, so don't write off a second stimulus check just yet. The not-so-good sign for stimulus checks: The unemployment rate is dropping The unemployment rate dropped to 13.3% in May, according to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, down from 14.7% in April. As many cities across the country start to reopen and more Americans go back to work, the economy is starting to strengthen. While this is good news in general, it's not so good for the prospect of another stimulus check. With fewer people out of work, Congress has less of an incentive to approve another round of checks. The stock market has also experienced an incredible comeback recently, with the S&P 500 recovering its coronavirus-related losses and turning positive for the year. While nobody knows how long this rebound will last, Congress could consider it evidence that Americans don't need another stimulus check right now. Is a second stimulus check on the way? It's uncertain whether a second stimulus bill will pass. If the economy continues to recover and COVID-19 is contained, another round of checks is unlikely. However, things could change over the next month or two, so more stimulus money isn't out of the question. If we've learned anything from the coronavirus pandemic, it's that anything could happen. Image: Twitter/@varunsharma90 Sushant Singh Rajputs former manager Disha Salian died after falling off a Malad highrise in the early hours of June 9, just five days before the actor found dead at his residence on June 14. According to a Mumbai Mirrors report, Salian accidentally fell off from the 12th floor of a Malad building in an inebriated state. Disha, who lived in Dadar with her parents, had visited the residence of her friend in the Jankalyan Nagar area of Mumbai's Malad, where the six friends were drinking after dinner, said the report. Salian, who was also tipsy, walked to the window of the apartment from where she fell down around 1 am on June 9, said the report Senior Inspector Jagdev Kalapad of Malvani police station. The police were informed about the incident at 2.25 am, the report said. Reaching the site, the police found Salian lying in a pool of blood, and took her to a nearby hospital where she was declared brought dead, said the report. The investigating team talked to Salian's parents who said that they did not suspect any foul play and added that their daughter had been anxious about her future for a while, added the report. The incident took place just five days before the death of Sushan Singh Rajput. The Bollywood actor died by hanging at his Bandra apartment on June 14, police said. He was 34. After posting a series of Facebook messages over several days mocking the protests against racial injustice sparked by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Dave Andelman, CEO of Phantom Gourmet and co-owner of Mendon Twin Drive-In, issued an apology Saturday. While his Facebook page is now private, screenshots of the messages were shared by people across social media, some calling for people to complain to WBZ, the station that airs the Phantom Gourmet. Excited to open Chaz (formerly Seattle) Drive-in: Americas Most Looted Drive-In, Andelman wrote in one post over the past few days. Another post from Friday read, We dont take a knee here. This is America, not Game of Thrones. Your desperate need for approval, from those who hate cops and country regardless, is pathetic. Have a great day! Other posts mentioned defund potatoes, not police and suggested Back Bay restaurants offer touchless, curbside looting. Andelman issued an apology Saturday on the Phantom Gourmet Facebook page. I want to apologize. I maintain my own Facebook Page, he wrote. I made comments on that page that were inappropriate, hurtful, and wrong regarding the Boston protests. I support everyones right to free speech and free assembly. I, too, desire racial and social justice. My record of philanthropy and business reflects this. I want to apologize. I maintain my own Facebook Page. I made comments on that page that were inappropriate, hurtful,... Posted by Phantom Gourmet on Saturday, June 13, 2020 Andelman asked for peoples forgiveness and said that he made a mistake. I apologize. I feel terrible. We all make mistakes. And I ask for your forgiveness, he wrote. The post on the Phantom Gourmet Facebook page had more than 2,700 comments as of Sunday morning around 9:45 a.m. The Union finance ministrys expenditure department has for now opposed a proposal for Rs 300 monthly reimbursement for increased data usage for officials working from home, saying it is unnecessary since remote working saves the travelling costs, officials aware of the matter said. The proposal has been made as part of deliberations for the formulation of the Centres work from home policy. The policy is being drafted in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic that has prompted social distancing norms and remote working globally to check its spread. An official in ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions familiar with the developments, said the the Department felt the proposed reimbursement unnecessary in its feedback last week. The feeling is that since officials have to bear less travel costs, data usage reimbursement is not necessary at this point, said one of the officials on condition of anonymity. An expenditure department official, who did not wish to be named, said there is no question of such reimbursement as officials are paid for travel and other costs. The official added that the no formal proposal has been made as yet, although officials from other departments confirmed that it has been debated. The department of administrative reforms and public grievances (DARPG), which is drafting the work from home guidelines, has held at least 35 meetings with representatives of over 80 ministries and departments over the last month to seek their feedback. The proposal for the monthly compensation for data usage has been discussed at the meetings. Extending virtual private network (VPN) access to officers below the secretary level, creation of a cloud large enough to store all the information, and providing support like laptops are among other suggestions DAPG has received apart from the one for the data usage reimbursement. Officers above the rank of deputy secretary were allowed VPN access in 2019. A VPN works usually through the internet and connects remote users to an organisations network. A third official said they have sought VPN access for nearly 20,000 officials. At present, nearly 3,000 officials have the access, the official said on condition of anonymity. The Union electronics, information and technology ministry has also recommended that eOffice, the fulcrum of the governments functioning during the Covid-19 lockdown, be used for routine files for now. Bulk procurement of laptops is also being debated, said the second official from the personnel, pensions and grievances ministry. Another key aspect is access to sensitive files [for] which the ministry of home affairs is yet to take a call on. The above-mentioned DAPRG official said a work from home policy was definitely on the cards but the only question remains whether it will be a liberal or a slightly restricted one. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Warren Buffett surprised a lot of his followers back in early May when he announced in Berkshire Hathaways 2020 annual shareholders meeting that he had largely sat on his hands when it came to buying amid the COVID-19 crisis. He ditched his airline stocks and did an unremarkable amount of buying. His sombre tone was largely dismissed by many in the following weeks, as the stock market continued surging higher in what looked to be a V-shaped recovery. Many skeptics and big-league money managers questioned Warren Buffetts abilities, going as far as calling his advanced age as the primary reason for his lack of buying activity as the markets collapsed back in February and March. Bill Ackman, who made a killing amid the COVID-19 crisis, threw in the towel on his shares of Berkshire, likely because of the fact that Buffett missed out on what appeared to be the quickest wealth-creating opportunity in recent memory. Has Warren Buffett really lost his edge amid the COVID-19 crisis? Buffetts cash hoard continues to swell, and while it may be easy to conclude that the man has lost his edge, having missed out on two months worth of massive gains, one must remember that Warren Buffett bashers are nothing new. This isnt the first time that Buffett and Berkshire have fallen into a slump, underperforming the broader markets by a considerable amount. Every time Warren Buffett underperforms, he always makes up for it and then some over the long term. And this time, I believe, will be no different. The coronavirus is an impossible beast to predict, and various U.S. states, including Texas, have seen a resurgence in COVID-19 cases amid reopening. If more cases spark a flip-flopping shutdowns and reopenings, the economy could be decimated further, and investors may not find comfort in knowing that the U.S. Fed (and central banks around the world) has their back. Is Warren Buffetts over-prudence warranted as the COVID-19 pandemic drags? Story continues Were moving into uncharted territory, and theres no sense in trying to predict the endgame of this pandemic. Economic reopenings and a return to normalcy are indeed exciting, but if such an opening isnt successful, dont be surprised if we have more vicious down days like this Thursday. Given the unprecedented uncertainties, Warren Buffett is only prudent to pick his spots very carefully, opting to only swing at the pitches that he deems worthy of swinging. Even after the big relief rally, its too early to tell whether Buffett is right or wrong, or whether his market-beating edge has eroded with age. This market is ridiculously volatile, and Buffett (as well as many other investors) are either going to look like a genius or a fool based on their near-term actions. For now, Warren Buffett looks foolish, but all it takes are a few huge down days before he looks like a genius again. Swing at pitches you deem swingable Amid this COVID-19 crisis, Mr. Market is going to be throwing fastballs your way. Even though theyre not swing-worthy by Warren Buffetts standards (maybe the pitch falls outside his circle of competence), that doesnt mean theyre not swingable for you, especially if a pitch falls within your own personal circle of competence. With the lines between investment and speculation blurred, itd be prudent to look to stocks that you can easily value. Consider shares of Fortis (TSX:FTS)(NYSE:FTS), a bond proxy and defensive dividend stock that wont be disrupted nearly as much by COVID-19 as many of its non-regulated peers. The stock got hit 4% on Thursday in the broader sell-off. Shares sport a 3.8% yield and could be a name that could help buoy ones portfolio should the next phase of the coronavirus typhoon get much worse. Shares of Fortis are modestly discounted and are worthy of buying if youre looking to be like Warren Buffett, opting to proceed with caution amid this pandemic. What you see is what youll get with Fortis. A solid, well-covered dividend and 5-6% in annual dividend growth every year. For the most part, youll get no surprises, which is the most a risk-averse investor could ask for in this kind of environment. The post COVID-19 Crisis: Was Warren Buffett Right to Sit on His Hands? appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. More reading Fool contributor Joey Frenette owns shares of Berkshire Hathaway (B shares) and FORTIS INC. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Berkshire Hathaway (B shares) and recommends the following options: long January 2021 $200 calls on Berkshire Hathaway (B shares), short January 2021 $200 puts on Berkshire Hathaway (B shares), and short June 2020 $205 calls on Berkshire Hathaway (B shares). 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 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. The embattled governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, says he will make his next step on his reelection ambition public after consultation with President Muhammadu Buhari. The president has been silent in the face-off between Mr Obaseki and Adams Oshiomhole, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that climaxed with the disqualification of the governor from the primary of the ruling party in Edo State. Mr Obaseki was disqualified on Friday from participating in the partys primary election slated for June 22 by the APC screening committee. He was declared ineligible alongside two other aspirants due to technicalities found in their submitted credentials, an outcome the embattled governor predicted due to the sour relationship between him and Mr Oshiomhole. For over a year now, the duo has been in constant tussle for dominance in Edo State, a contest that has led to the polarisation of the APC in the state. Since the Jonathan Ayuba-led APC screening panel announced his disqualification, Mr Obaseki had been seen with some governors from the PDP, leading to speculation of his interest in contesting the governorship election on the ticket of the.main opposition party. The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, earlier on Sunday shared a picture taken during a meeting with the embattled Edo state governor. Earlier before Mr Wike shared the pictures, Mr Obaseki had taken to his Twitter handle, @GodwinObaseki, to tell his supporters to be calm ahead of him revealing his ultimate plan. I appreciate the sustained show of solidarity, support and goodwill from Edo people and Nigerians in the face of injustice by the @OfficialAPCNg screening committee. I will be making my next move known after I complete consultations with my supporters and meet with @MBuhari, he wrote. PDP commends governor In a related develpment, the Edo State Chapter of the PDP has applauded Mr Obasekis developmental strides in the various sectors of the state. The Chairman, Edo PDP, Tony Aziegbemi gave the commendation after inspecting facilities at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, ahead of the partys forthcoming primary election scheduled to hold on June 19th 2020. Addressing journalists at the stadium, the state PDP chairman expressed appreciation to the governor for approving the use of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium for the conduct of the partys primary election. He noted that the PDP is very impressed with the transformation of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, adding, We are going ahead with our preparations and on the 19th of June, we are coming here to do what we know how to do best, and we will do it peacefully. We have 2,100 delegates. The stadium has a capacity for 15,000; so as you can see, we are going to maintain social distancing. We will abide by the rules and regulations as contained in the Gazette by the state government. The Hindu right-wing discourse around the sexuality and sex lives of Muslim men and women has acquired a particular tone and tenor On 5 June, Payal Rohatgi, the Indian TV actor who identifies herself as a "proud Hindu, shared a video in which Safoora Zargar the Jamia Millia Islamia student currently in jail on charges of conspiracy to instigate the February riots in New Delhi was seen delivering a fiery speech during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC). "Ram Ram ji, maybe she had sex after this video to remove her frustration and she got pregnant," tweeted Rohatgi, adding, "#SafooraZargar is a terrorist." In another tweet, she asked: "Were medical shops not providing condoms?" "Oops for Muslim women there is no concept of condom, so when they produce kids like a dozen [sic], what's the problem if one is born in jail, but this k***ya will do victim drama," Rohatgi wrote. The actors Twitter timeline is replete with comments on the sex lives of Muslim women, including Zaira Wasim, the former Bollywood actor who quit the film industry citing religious reasons. .@twitter @jack is this your standard for a blue tick, this vile woman has crossed all the limits of decency, will you allow her to use your platform for such hate and shit? Please suspend @Payal_Rohatgi's account @TwitterSafety @TwitterIndia #SuspendPayalRahtogi pic.twitter.com/AxzgAExifL Nabiya Khan | (@NabiyaKhan11) June 7, 2020 In the age of the IT cell, the Hindu right-wing discourse around the sexuality and sex lives of Muslim men and women, has acquired a particular tone and tenor: Muslim women are backward and hence they "understand very little about sex", but the men of the same community are near savage and perverted, always in the quest to entice and entrap Hindu women. In December 2005, much before "Love Jihad" the alleged conspiracy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women and convert them to Islam entered the mainstream lexicon, the Meerut Police raided the city's Gandhi Park, rounding up couples, including married ones. "Operation Majnu" was filmed by TV crews who had been informed by the police in advance. Three years later, in writer-filmmaker Paromita Vohra's documentary, Morality TV Aur Loving Jehad: Ek Manohar Kahani, Sandeep Pahal, then a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activist, was seen underscoring the perennial Hindu-Muslim conflict in the communally sensitive city of Meerut and saying, "It's their (Muslims') hidden agenda". "You'll see, in 99.5 percent of the cases, it will be a Hindu girl and a Muslim boy," he said, adding, "They would wear vermilion on their foreheads, tie the red thread to their wrist and keep Hindu names." Pahal then said it was considered a kind of "Jihad", just as there was "terrorism jihad to kill Hindus and non-believers, this is loving jihad". Charu Gupta, associate professor at the University of Delhis Department of History, says there is a qualitative shift in the Hindu right-wing's rhetoric vis-a-vis Muslim women after the latter challenged the "meek" caricature of themselves through the very-well organised anti-CAA-NRC demonstrations in Shaheen Bagh and other parts of India. "What is perceived of the Muslim male is now being extended to the body of the Muslim woman," Gupta says. "The anti-CAA protests revealed that a Muslim woman is not going to be won over so easily." "For the right-wing, the Muslim woman was meek, less educated, less outgoing than the Hindu woman, and then there was this argument that Islam suppresses women, but the Shaheen Bagh protest brought [out] a different dimension," says Gupta, whose work explores caste, gender and feminism, modern Indian history, and masculinities. These women cannot easily be accused of violence or for that matter can't be related to a terrorist figure, she noted. A terrorist figure is largely a male figure. And then here's a woman who wears her identity on her sleeve, is also a nationalist in abiding by the Constitution, so it becomes difficult for them to tackle. Shadab Bano, assistant professor in History, Women's College, Aligarh Muslim University, says when Muslim woman challenged the Hindu right's pre-conceived notions, the latter didn't know how to deal with it, and therefore the only way "to demonise Muslim women was through their sexuality". She sees this as the primary reason why right wing trolls question the character of Muslim women. Nivedita Menon, professor at the Centre for Comparative Politics & Political Theory, School of International Studies, observes that whoever has spoken against the Hindu Rashtra has faced online abuse of a sexual nature from the right-wing. "That's how they attack people in any society but particularly in this highly sex-repressive society: through the use of sexual slurs, particularly towards women, cutting across caste, class and community," says Menon, who specialises in political theory, feminist theory, and Indian politics. It's a mode of silencing because for them these abuses are meant to completely devastate people, she adds. As for why its women who are always at the receiving end of this verbal wrath, Menon says, "The idea of purity of any community, caste identity is determined by the woman because you would never know who the father is... so you have to control the woman's womb. That's why sexuality becomes a way by which you shame women, you punish women, you rape them." Anyone who speaks up against the Hindu Rashtra is an issue, particularly women, and "the control over sexuality is crucial to their [right-wings] idea of what a pure Hindu identity is," she said. While Muslim women have been denigrated as child-producing machines, men of the same community are portrayed as hypersexual, deceitful and on a mission to win over Hindu girls. Dibyesh Anand, associate professor at London's Westminster University, argues in his paper Anxious Sexualities: Masculinity, Nationalism and Violence that "anxious masculinity" lies at the heart of right-wing nationalism, of which Hindu nationalism in India is an example. Citing a 2006 conversation with a young activist at the VHPs Nagpur office, Anand wrote the former tried to convince him that "Muslim men are too sexy because they have a hard foreskin due to circumcision and this is preferred by [Hindu] girls and this is why we need cultured Hindu girls who think of their family and not sex". Muslim men's sexuality as a "threat to the Hindu community, particularly its women, foregrounds the Hindutva discourse, an example of which is seen in a recently published book, Love Jihadis: An Open-Minded Journey into the Heart of Western Uttar Pradesh, authored by Mihir Srivastava and Raul Irani. Chetna Devi, better known as Yati Maa Chetnanand Saraswati, heads a Meerut-based outfit called Akhand Hindustan Morcha, a Hindutva nationalist political outfit. According to her, Muslims as a community are relatively poor and live in small houses without privacy. "Young children, therefore, witness their parents in the act of sex very early on. Since they are initiated into sexual intimacy early, they are better at satisfying a womans desire. Therefore, if a Hindu girl experiences intimacy with a Muslim boy, she falls madly in love, and even the honour of her family becomes a secondary consideration," Chetna Devi is quoted as saying in the book. There is a reason for it. Sex is not taboo in a Muslim family. And the family encourages them to trap Hindu girls. The rationale behind such statements, says Shadab Bano, is to use Muslim men's sexuality to "other-ise" them completely. The sexuality of Muslim men is seen as a threat to Bharat Mata and Hindu women by Hindutva, says Bano. And that threat has been recreated and harped upon so much these days." Australian model Jessica Gomes looked chic in a vintage-style ensemble as she stepped out for coffee in Los Angeles on Friday. The 35-year-old appeared to go without makeup for the casual outing. Jessica wore her brunette tresses up in a messy bun, and looked effortlessly cool in a pair of designer shades. Model Jessica Gomes looked effortlessly cool in a vintage Disney shirt and trousers when she headed out for coffee in Los Angeles on Friday The actress was seen wearing an oversized Disney shirt with a picture of Mickey and Minnie Mouse. She paired the fun cartoon design with olive green, pleated trousers and brown leather slides. Jessica spoke on her mobile phone as she carried her blue purse in the other hand. The brunette accessorised her look with gold jewellery, including a cross necklace, hoop earrings and a watch. Jessica - who hails from Perth and is one of Australia's top model exports - is based in Los Angeles, where she is focusing on building an acting career. Relaxed: The 35-year-old beauty appeared to makeup free for the casual outing and wore her brunette tresses up in a messy bun The star also runs her own skincare line - Equal Beauty. Jessica has been a vocal advocate for the Black Lives Matter protests on Instagram in recent weeks, sharing a symbolic black square for '#blackouttuesday'. In December last year, she took to Instagram to announce that she was stepping down from her role as brand ambassador for Australian retail giant, David Jones. Hands full: She was seen talking on her mobile phone, as she carried her blue purse in the other hand 'Well, that's a wrap on eight amazing years as Brand Ambassador for David Jones,' the budding actress began her post. 'What a privilege and honour it has been to represent this iconic Australian brand that has and continues to be a pioneer in the world of retail and luxury experience. 'It has been so wonderful to grow and evolve together on this collaborative journey, and we have done so creating many magical moments including the launch of my own beauty brand Equal Beauty!' The brunette replaced Victoria's Secret model Miranda Kerr as the store's lead female ambassador back in August 2012. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump, besieged by a long season of crisis, wanted to create an iconic moment. Less than one hour after federal authorities forcibly removed peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square, the president emerged with military leaders from the fortified White House - the air still thick with the acrid smell of tear gas - to pose for pictures holding a Bible in front of a historical church. The moment was indeed iconic. But it spawned yet another crisis for the president. The succession of images from Lafayette Square on June 1 has reverberated for nearly two weeks - a harrowing cable news split-screen that now has enduring consequences for Trump and outsize symbolism for a nation broken after yet another black man died in the custody of police. So indelible were the pictures that night outside the White House that Lafayette Square has come to represent Trump's inability to meet the moment. The layers of black fencing erected to close the park and surrounding streets became Fortress White House - a physical manifestation of the president's distance from Americans' cries for racial justice. The bold, yellow "BLACK LIVES MATTER" lettering on 16th Street became a declaration of resistance visible from the sky. And the name Lafayette Square itself became a shorthand for so much of what many see as wrong in America. "History picks these moments. It picked the march on Selma. It picked Bull Connor sending dogs against children. It picked the burning child from Vietnam," said Stuart Stevens, a longtime Republican strategist and ad maker who works with the Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump group. With his triumphal stride through the square to historical St. John's Episcopal Church, Trump had hoped to appear strong and dominant, and to dispel the narrative of him hiding in the secured White House bunker during evening protests outside. Demanding a show of force, he sought to make the nation's capital a shining example of how to control the streets amid racial unrest. Instead, the photo op proved calamitous. The episode caused an extraordinary breach between the commander in chief and the military. The Pentagon's top general, Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Mark Milley, and Defense Secretary Mark Esper, both of whom flanked Trump that day, scrambled to distance themselves from the spectacle. And a succession of former officers, including Jim Mattis, Trump's first defense secretary, excoriated the president. The outrage was similar within religious communities. Washington's top episcopaland Catholic bishops each condemned Trump for using the Bible as a prop in what they described as an incendiary display outside a house of worship. The episode magnified many characteristics of the Trump presidency. At a period of national turmoil, Trump appeared self-indulgent and overtly political as he posed for photos that his aides quickly turned into a propaganda-style montage. The event itself was slapdash and haphazard. No remarks were prepared for the president to deliver. He did not tour the damage the church sustained to its basement during riots the night before. When a reporter asked if he was holding a family Bible, he described it only as "a Bible." He offered no prayer or moment of silence to honor the life of George Floyd, whose May 25 death in the custody of Minneapolis police sparked the nationwide protests for racial justice. "What happened was symptomatic of so many things," said a senior White House official, speaking anonymously to share a candid assessment. "The gulf between what happened and what could have happened was so great. If you're going to go, then go - but plan it." Trump's standing in public opinion polls, already weak amid the coronavirus pandemic, has dropped further since the Lafayette Square episode. The smoky images of largely peaceful protesters choking on chemical irritants juxtaposed with the president's photo op prompted the opposite of his intended effect, generating widespread sympathy for the protesters. Eddie Glaude, the chair of the department of African American studies at Princeton University, said that in two short weeks Lafayette Square has come to represent "the theater of dictatorial power." "People saw it clearly for what it was, and to conscript the military into that performance made concrete the feeling that not only are we seeing the erosion of democratic norms, but the very institutions of the country are in jeopardy," Glaude said. Retired Army general Wesley Clark, who served as supreme allied commander of NATO, recalled watching the clash at Lafayette Square on television: "My wife and I looked at these young people demonstrating. They were wearing Patagonia shirts. These were not the Rodney King riots of 1992. And suddenly, they were moved against viciously. I don't care if it was tear gas or pepper spray. It was really shocking and outrageous. There was no reason for it. Then to see the president come across with the military leadership, oh, it looked ugly." Inside Trump's orbit, the reaction was mixed. Some worried the president's desire for an immediate display of strength had backfired, making it look like the president personally had ordered the use of tear gas against Americans. The spectacle underscored the lack of any substantive planning or communications forethought behind the sojourn through the square, according to a current senior administration official and a former senior administration official. "This was a colossal staff failure," said the former official, who has been briefed on internal deliberations and spoke on the condition of anonymity to be frank. "I'm sure that it was well-intentioned by people who were aware that there was a need and desire for the president to project strength and to counter the hiding-in-the-bunker narrative that was so frustrating to him. . . . But it was very poorly executed, and as a result clearly did more harm than good, for the president and for the country." Nevertheless, Trump has celebrated the images of himself standing in front of St. John's and holding the Bible aloft. "I think it was a beautiful picture," Trump said in a Fox News interview that aired Friday. "I'll tell you, I think Christians think it was a beautiful picture." Inside the West Wing, the impulse was largely to spin the event as a success. Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter and a senior White House adviser, had encouraged the idea and transported the Bible in her designer Max Mara purse, and a cadre of aides had accompanied Trump on his walk to the church. In the aftermath, aides tried to reassure the president that the damaging story line was just more "fake news" and that he had, in fact, pulled off a historic moment. In an interview with CBS News Radio on Friday, Vice President Mike Pence - who was absent from the photo op - said that he had been encouraged to remain at the White House "out of an abundance of caution." "But I would have been happy to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with President Trump," Pence said. He added, "We don't allow places of worship to be burned in this country. We don't stand by while churches or synagogues or mosques are vandalized. The president made that very clear in his walk." Trump's five years as a presidential candidate and president are littered with controversies that spark outrage in the moment, only to be largely forgotten and fail to sway public sentiment. But some episodes, such as his impeachment earlier this year and his handling of the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017, are more definitional - and Lafayette Square has the potential to join that category. Terry McAuliffe served as the Democratic governor of Virginia during the Charlottesville incident, when the president heralded "very fine people on both sides" of the rally. McAuliffe said that, as with Charlottesville, the Lafayette Square photo op revealed that "the man has no moral compass, no moral core." "Charlottesville and the Bible incident are the two biggest moral failures of this president on display," McAuliffe said. "Each time, we wanted the president to rise above it and say we're better than this, and both times he did nothing but fan the flames and create more division." The campaign of former vice president Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, released a video Friday that sought to use the Lafayette Square moment against Trump. Against the backdrop of images of violent chaos from that evening, a narrator intones, "He's afraid he looks too weak. So he has tear gas and flash grenades used on peaceful protesters just for a photo op." The video concludes: "Where is Donald Trump? Too scared to face the people. Too small to meet the moment. Too weak to lead." Trump's critics say his instinct to produce powerful imagery backfired in this instance, forcing Americans to evaluate his character - and not in a way that necessarily accrues for the president. "Trump just doesn't know when to quit, and he pushes these things too far," said Stevens, the Republican strategist. "He's like a patient who is prescribed to take a pill twice a day and decides just to take the whole bottle because that'll work better." A Brooklyn Assembly candidate reportedly once mooned a couple having sex before writing about the escapade in an online blog. Emily Gallagher, who is running against longtime Assemblyman Joe Lentol for District 50, reportedly shared details of the incident in a 2003 Livejournal post when she was a 19-year-old student at Ithaca College. According to New York Daily News, Gallagher was meeting with friends in Syracuse when she noticed a couple having sex through a window and decided to watch. When the couple realized Gallagher was there, she reportedly mooned them. 'Not only did I stare at people who were having sex in front of a window, but I remained even after they noticed me...'she wrote. 'I waved, smiled, and when the girl flipped out I mooned her. Youd think i was on drugs... but no!' Brooklyn District 50 Assembly candidate Emily Gallagher (pictured) mooned a couple having sex while visiting friends in Syracuse, New York, New York Daily News reports Other posts made by Gallagher, now 36, also revealed similar behavior, including throwing a 'homeless party' with friends. 'This consisted of me in a hat and scarf, steve in a fur coat, meaghan wrapped in a blanket and chelle in a garbage bag, passing around a cheap jug of sangria in a paper bag,' wrote Gallagher. 'This was very fun but I had no idea how hard the cheapo crap was hitting me. Before I knew it I was dancing with chelle to no music, and reinacting selected scenes from Fiddler on the Roof.' It's unclear how old she was during the homeless party. The Livejournal posts were circulating on social media in recent weeks. Gallagher is set to go head-to-head with Lentol, 77, on June 23 after the Assemblyman has been a member of the Legislature since 1973. Assembly member Joseph Lentol (center) has been part of the legislature since 1973 and has only had one other primary challenger throughout his career Lentol represents District 50, which covers parts of Brooklyn's Williamsburg, Fort Greene and Greenpoint neighborhoods. Andrew Epstein, Gallaghers campaign manager, claimed Lentol had tried to weaponize the Livejournal posts and social media to undermine his challenger. 'Frankly Im embarrassed that the Assemblymembers campaign is goofing around on the internet, scouring for blog posts of a teenage girl,' Epstein said in a statement to NYDN. 'Clearly Emilys message of fighting for every day, working-class New Yorkers is resonating and theyre getting desperate.' Lentol has only faced one other primary challenger throughout his 47-year career. Gallagher has been endorsed by a number of progressive groups and individuals, including former gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon (pictured) Gallagher also has endorsements from former gubernatorial candidate Zephyr Teachout (pictured) and New Kings Democrats Gallagher, a member of Brooklyns Community Board 1, has been backed by several progressive groups including New Kings Democrats and New York Communities for Change. She also has the official support of former gubernatorial candidates Zephyr Teachout and Cynthia Nixon. After graduating from college, Gallagher moved to Brooklyn and soon became an ardent advocate for issues like criminal justice and housing. A representative of Lentol told NYDN that Gallagher was attempting to 'deflect and attack.' 'Emily Gallagher should be ashamed of her history of denigrating the homeless,' said spokeswoman Jessica Carrano. 'While were not responsible for finding these statements, they are reprehensible. Its sad that instead of taking responsibility for her gross and insensitive behavior, she is attempting to deflect and attack--and its why progressives are united in supporting Joe Lentol.' People are detained during protests Saturday near the Atlanta Wendy's where Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by police Friday evening near the restaurant's drive-through. (Brynn Anderson / Associated Press) Against the backdrop of another Black mans death at the hands of a white police officer, this time in Atlanta, Republican allies of President Trump clashed Sunday with Democratic lawmakers over police-reform legislation expected to be a focal point this week in both the House and the Senate. Nearly three weeks after George Floyds death in Minneapolis, which galvanized the most widespread and sustained racial-justice protests the United States has seen in a generation, House Democrats are calling for a ban on police chokeholds, an end to no-knock warrants and the creation of a national police misconduct registry, among other steps. A midweek hearing is set in the House on the Democratic plan. On the Senate side, the chambers only Black Republican, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, plans to unveil a measure this week. Trump, who turned 74 on Sunday, has often appeared out of step with public sentiment, with opinion polls suggesting broad support for the protests aims of redressing systemic racism in policing. As marches and rallies spread from coast to coast and beyond the U.S., critics accused the president of stoking tensions with inflammatory tweets and statements, including his threat earlier this month to send in active-duty military troops to American cities. Even so, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, the only Black member ever to serve in Trumps Cabinet, said Sunday that he expected the president would look at everything in terms of legislation meant to curb police abuses. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson testifies before a Senate committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on Tuesday. (Astrid Riecken / Associated Press) We need to look at appropriate reforms, and this is probably a good time to shine the spotlight on it and get it done, Carson said. But he added: Obviously we do not want to create a situation where the police are under the microscope. Democrats clearly hoped to build on an outpouring of sentiment in favor of greater accountability for police abuses especially after recent weeks yielded a number of viral videos of heavy-handed actions by officers during peaceful protests. Story continues We are in a nation right now where the sense of what's possible has shifted, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said. Interviewed on CBS Face the Nation, he said this was not the time for lowest-common-denominator, watered-down reforms. It's a time to stop the problem, because if someone's knee is on your neck, you can't take it halfway off and say that that's progress, said Booker, a former mayor of Newark who sought the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. While the protests overall peak appeared to have passed, weekend unrest flared in Atlanta after police on Friday night shot and killed a 27-year-old Black man, Rayshard Brooks. The police chief, Erika Shields, resigned the next day, and on Sunday, authorities announced the firing of the white police officer who shot Brooks in the back, Garrett Rolfe, and a second white officer was being placed on administrative duty in connection with the shooting. A Wendy's restaurant burns Saturday in Atlanta after it was set on fire. Rayshard Brooks, a Black man who was shot and killed by Atlanta police Friday, had been in a Wendy's drive-through. (Ben Gray / Associated Press) Several lawmakers said circumstances surrounding Brooks death appeared murkier than they did Floyds case. A Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, faces second-degree murder charges after video from the scene showed him pressing his knee to the handcuffed mans neck for nearly nine minutes, while Floyd repeatedly called out that he could not breathe. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Brooks failed a sobriety test after police responded to a call about a man sleeping in a parked vehicle in the drive-through lane of a Wendys restaurant. Brooks, according to authorities and videos, struggled with officers seeking to handcuff him after questioning him for a lengthy period of time. Authorities said Brooks grabbed a Taser during the scuffle, and video appeared to show him aiming the stun gun in officers direction after attempting to flee. L. Chris Stewart, an attorney for the Brooks family, told reporters that the officer who shot him should be charged for an unjustified use of deadly force, which equals murder. A Taser is considered a nonlethal weapon in Georgia, Stewart noted, citing state court cases. The attorney said Brooks, a father of four, on Friday had celebrated the 8th birthday of one of his daughters. Authorities on Sunday announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to the prosecution of individuals responsible for setting fire late Saturday to the Wendy's where the shooting occurred. They also said that 36 people had been arrested Saturday in protests of the shooting. Asked whether the police had used excessive force, Scott, appearing on CBS on Sunday morning, said, one of the challenges that we have in these split-second decisions is the need for more training. I think its really difficult to establish a codified-in-law standard for use of force theres millions of scenarios that play out, he said in a separate interview on NBCs Meet the Press. But Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.) said he was incensed by the killing. Clyburn, the 79-year-old House majority whip, said that even at his age, he is sometimes afraid that an encounter with law enforcement could result in death or injury. I didn't grow up in fear of police, even in a segregated environment. We never feared the police. But, all of a sudden now, I do fear the police. The young Blacks fear the police, he said on CNNs State of the Union." He blamed a structure that has been developed that we have got to deconstruct. Despite differences in the Democratic and GOP legislative approaches including on whether chokeholds should be banned or simply discouraged, and setting conditions for suing police in civil courts Clyburn said he hoped for compromise. I never call anything a nonstarter, he said. Lets just let both houses do what theyre going to do, and then lets get down to the serious business of reconciling our differences. Times staff writer Jennifer Haberkorn contributed to this report. While many pregnant women in the Bay Area have made unprecedented adjustments to their delivery plans in light of the coronavirus pandemic, Karma Quick-Panwala, who is hard of hearing, faced a more pressing challenge: how to communicate with doctors and nurses in the delivery room when everyone is required to wear face masks. I have to read lips to understand speech, she said. Its imperative. Quick-Panwala gave birth to a son, Axel, on June 10 at Sutters California Pacific Medical Center hospital on Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco. It took a lot of planning. More than a month before her due date, Quick-Panwala reached out to hospital administrators to start a conversation about planning for the birth. I was really proactive talking to my doctor about how this would go down, said Quick-Panwala, who works as a special education advocate in San Francisco. She set up a meeting with the hospital administrators and made sure I had a chance to state my communication needs. It allowed me to participate in the conversation. Securing hard-to-find clear masks, in conjunction with face shields and digital technology, was key to being able to talk with Quick-Panwala during the childbirth process, according to hospital officials. Her husband, Asit Panwala, was also in the room. The entire nursing staff was humbled, said Amy McColley, manager of labor and delivery at CPMC. We took for granted how difficult the COVID crisis is for those who rely on lipreading. But shes an advocate and we were able to execute all her needs. 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. This type of assistance is the first of its kind in the U.S. for a birthing mom during COVID-19, Sutter said. Aidin Vaziri is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avaziri@sfchronicle.com Oak Park is moderately walkable, is relatively bikeable and has a few nearby public transportation options, according to Walk Score's rating system. So what does the low-end pricing on a rental in Oak Park look like these days and what might you get for the price? We took a look at local listings in Oak Park via rental sites Zumper and Apartment Guide to find out what budget-minded apartment seekers can expect to find in this San Antonio neighborhood. Take a look at the cheapest listings available right now, below. (Note: Prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 1779 Nacogdoches Road Listed at $890/month, this 633-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment, located at 1779 Nacogdoches Road, is 3.8% less than the $925/month median rent for a one bedroom in Oak Park - Northwood. The building offers a swimming pool and assigned parking; the unit also includes a dishwasher, a mix of hardwood floors and carpeting and a balcony. Pets are not welcome. (See the complete listing here.) 8038 Broadway St. Here's a two-bedroom, one-bathroom condo at 8038 Broadway St., which, at 895 square feet, is going for $1,150/month. The building offers assigned parking and a swimming pool. You can also expect a balcony and in-unit laundry in the furnished unit. Pets are not welcome. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. (See the full listing here.) 2611 Eisenhauer Road Then there's this apartment with three bedrooms and two bathrooms at 2611 Eisenhauer Road, listed at $1,425/month. Expect to find a balcony in the apartment. The building offers outdoor space. Good news for animal lovers: This property is both dog-friendly and cat-friendly. Look out for a $300 pet fee. (See the listing here.) 454 Laramie Drive Check out this 1,464-square-foot three-bedroom, two-bathroom rental at 454 Laramie Drive, listed at $1,575/month. When it comes to building amenities, expect outdoor space, garage parking and additional storage space. The residence also has a walk-in closet and hardwood flooring. Pets are not welcome. There's no leasing fee required for this rental. (Here's the listing.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data from Zumper and Apartment Guide, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Additionally, if youre an agent or a broker, read on for real estate marketing ideas to promote your local listing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, June 14, 2020 12:31 587 fc6853813033f564188675f8bde8a47f 1 Art & Culture #art,#culture,#museum,#Jakarta,#health,#COVID19,#NewNormal,#National-Gallery-Indonesia Free Works of art are indeed best viewed at some distance, but the virtual museum tour we currently have because of the COVID-19 pandemic has not been a satisfying alternative to enjoying each of a collections pieces. In Jakarta, several museums run by the city administration, such as the Taman Prasasti (Memorial Stone or Inscription Park) Museum, the Maritime Museum, the Textile Museum and the Betawi Cultural Village, have started to open their doors to the public with some restrictions applied. Overall, Jakarta has over 70 museums, including private-owned or managed by other government institutions. The government-run National Gallery of Indonesia has also put health measures in place before reopening in the coming week, with the safety of the collections, museum employees and visitors in mind. The busiest museum located at the heart of the capital city hopes to welcome visitors back after closing on March 17 but with limited access. Limited: The National Gallery of Indonesia plans to open for visitors on June 16 but with limited access, after being closed since March 17 due to the pandemic. (JP/Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak) It will only reopen its free-admission Permanent Exhibition hall on the second floor of B Building, which displays state collections to represent the history of arts development in Indonesia. We will apply the standard health protocols for visitors and staffers, museum director Pustanto said during a live public discussion streamed on YouTube on May 28. In an episode titled Treating Art Collections Amid the Pandemic, a part of the Bicara Rupa discussion series, the gallerys conservators shared their strategy and measures to keep both the collections and visitors safe during the global health crisis. Masks, he said, would be compulsory with tight monitoring of physical distancing rules. The museum will limit the number of visitors in one room at the same time and replace on-site ticket purchases with an e-ticketing system to avoid lines and prevent physical contact. The gallery has also installed sinks around the compound for visitors to wash their hands and have their temperature checked before entering buildings and setting up protocols for visitors while using restrooms. The gallerys management even considered placing plastic shields at the receptionist desk and as requested by many participants in the public discussion glass covers for the art collections. We are doing everything we can as long as the budget allows it. In the meantime, the important thing is to disseminate the information to the public and to communicate the agreed practices to visitors, Pustanto said. There will be new norms to adopt as we appreciate the artwork in this new way of living, in a different set of rules. Considering the habit of Indonesian museum visitors, there is still a long way to go before galleries can create a no-touch experience, but the pandemic might expedite it, he added. Precaution: The National Gallery of Indonesia implemented some measures before reopening its doors to the public, with the safety of the collections, museum employees and visitors in mind. (JP/Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak) National Gallery conservator Jarot Mahendra said that art collections in the museum could be a medium for the spread of the disease. The [novel coronavirus] could be brought in by an infected person who interacts with the art collections and [that can] infect other people, he said at the public discussion. Although there is no completed research on how long the virus can survive on inanimate objects, Jarot said he had looked into research conducted on the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). As we protect art collections that are sensitive to the exposure of sunlight and humidity, we keep them in display rooms or storage rooms with minimum ventilation and controlled temperatures, which actually be a breeding ground for viruses, he said. Therefore, we carried out preventive measures by cleaning and sterilizing the rooms and the collections on a regular basis. In the hope that other museums, gallery owners and private collectors will follow suit, he said that the National Gallerys preventive measures had proven effective in maintaining the artworks condition in the past two months. Using research from the Canadian Conservation Institute, the Library of Congress and the World Health Organization as references, Jarot said not all materials used in disinfectants were safe for art collections. It is not safe to use hand sanitizing liquid before touching a paper-based art collection. It is advised to wash your hands with soap and always use nitrile gloves while interacting with the works of art, he said. The Gallery also used ethanol 70 solutions or chlorine bleach for disinfectant purposes as the chemicals are less harmful to the art collections. The application techniques, meanwhile, varied. We could spray disinfectant on the display props or wipe it on the collection. Just dont forget to clean up the residue of the disinfectant later. While the Gallery tried to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission and to instill public confidence in visiting the museum, the particular requirements for a healthy public space called for different design solutions. Pustanto acknowledged the buildings of the National Gallery formerly a school dorm during the Dutch colonial administration in the early 1900s were not up to the international standards for a museum. We have consulted an architect to create a museum building with international standards. We plan to extend the compound for the new facilities, but it can only happen if we are able to acquire the elementary school adjacent to the compound, Pustanto said. In the meantime, we are focusing on creating a safe space for the art collections and the public. (ste) We all bleed the same. My skin is not a target. Hands up, dont shoot. Silence equals violence. Black lives matter. Those rallying calls rang through the streets of Hamilton Saturday afternoon as groups in the city once again called for an end to anti-Black racism. Two equally sized protests one beginning at Dundurn Park, the other at Gore Park eventually convened at the city hall forecourt, creating a sea of 600-plus fists and signs raised in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Black Lives Matter rally in Hamilton on Saturday, June 13. Jesse Kelly, one of the many leading chants for the crowd, said he was incredibly proud to see so many people turn up for the occasion. Unity is power, diversity is strength, said Kelly, a grandson of the late Ellison Kelly, a Tiger-Cat Hall of Famer and former teacher in the Hamilton school system. White or black, gay or straight. Here we stand with our fists up, united. Jesse Kelly, a grandson of late Ticats player Ellison Kelly, leads a chant at Gore Park. "Unity is power, diversity is strength," Kelly says. The Hamilton Spectator Saturdays rallies marked the fourth and fifth held in the city over the last number of weeks. Thousands of Hamiltonians also marched in support of Black organizations on Friday afternoon. The demonstrations were among many held in the United States and Canada, following the death of George Floyd, who suffocated died after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes in Minneapolis, and Regis Korchinski-Paquet, who died after falling from her Toronto highrise balcony in the presence of police officers. Korchinski-Paquets death is under investigation by the provinces Special Investigations Unit while Floyds death has sparked widespread protests across the U.S. and much of the world. At both protests in Hamilton, demonstrators kept moments of silence, took a knee in honour of those who have died in the presence or custody of police, then listened to spoken word performances and speeches. Amani Williams, organizer of the Dundurn Park rally, told the stories of Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice and Breonna Taylor in the U.S., and DAndre Campbell and Chantel Moore in Canada, all of whom died during interactions with police officers. As Williams held up their photos, chants of shame echoed through the downtown. Nathan Tharontakste Muir and his partner Dylan Wulf also took to the stage to read out the names of Indigenous folks including Rodney Levi, Moore, Korchinski-Paquet, Stewart Kevin Andrews, Eishia Hudson and Jason Collins, all of whom died during interactions with police this year. To the police of Canada, we hold you accountable, said Muir. Dylan Wulf , left, and Nathan Muir speak at the Black Lives Matter Rally at city hall Saturday. The Hamilton Spectator Wulf also drew attention to the missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada, to which the crowd joined in chanting no more stolen sisters. Police were noticeably present at both rallies, including officers on horseback or bicycles. Both rallies this weekend remained peaceful. Most attendees wore face masks, some of which were provided by organizers who also offered hand sanitizer. Passing vehicles could be heard honking in support, and a beagle donning a Black Lives Matter sign could be heard howling as the crowd chanted. Dayna Robinson said she came out to the rally in support of her four-year-old son, Samuel Uday-Robinson. As a mother, she fears her son could be a victim of police violence when he grows up. I fear him leaving to do anything when hes older and never coming back, Robinson said. Its just unfair. She said the fight for equality and justice for Black people has been a fight that has gone on for too long. Shantel Binns travelled from Brantford to show solidarity and add her voice to the message. People need to recognize that racism is everywhere, its not just in my own community, said Binns, who was part of a group that organized a Black Lives Matter march in Brantford on Thursday. Its the same message and it applies to every community, not just my own city. Zora Aikman came to rally to be a voice for her father, who immigrated to Canada from Jamaica. Aikman said her father suffered anti-Black racism at the hands of police and saw many of his friends die from gun violence in Toronto. I just feel like its my part to say something or do something, especially for him, Aikman said. He didnt get the opportunity to speak out, so I feel like its my turn. I need to. Zora Aikman went to the Gore Park rally to be a voice for her father, who immigrated to Canada from Jamaica. Aikman said her father suffered anti-Black racism at the hands of police and saw many of his friends die from gun violence in Toronto. The Hamilton Spectator Aikman led chants of no justice, no peace in Gore Park, her voice carrying over the rest of the 350-plus crowd. Its about being loud and being present, she said. Younger than most in the crowd, Jazmine Wall-Gordons voice peaked above the crowd when others grew quiet. The 15-year-old said the more people speak out against anti-Black racism, the more that they will notice us. Its important to keep going so they can hear us, so they can finally change what theyre doing, Wall-Gordon said. She hoped the sustained number of protests and marches in Hamilton would bring change and equal rights for Black Canadians. "It's important to keep going so they can hear us, so they can finally change what they're doing," said Jazmine Wall-Gordon, 15. The Hamilton Spectator We dont deserve to suffer the way that we are. We should all be treated equally, she said. THE COUNTY Limerick farmer who helped organise fodder crisis meetings in 2018 says the next three weeks will be crucial. Robert Holmes, a dairy farmer in Dromkeen, said we badly need rain. Met Eireann has said that May was the driest since 1850. I am concerned about what lies ahead. We are approaching the normal dry time of the year with no reserve of water in the ground. It has become more apparent in recent years that, weatherwise, we go from periods of prolonged dry spells to prolonged wet spells. We have had no significant rain since early March just a few showers since then, said Mr Holmes. As grass growth has slowed down considerably, some farmers are feeding buffer silage already to cows, he said. Grazing conditions are good with the dry weather but trying to keep quality grass in front of cows is becoming more difficult. In my opinion the next three weeks will be crucial to a successful year from a dairy farmers perspective. We badly need plenty of rain to get grass growing again and to insure that there will be sufficient second cut silage. 66,000 gallons is needed per acre to get the ground back to parity. Thats three inches of rain, said Mr Holmes. The quality of first silage should be good, he says, but volume in pits / bales is much less than previous years. Some farmers have some silage left over this may be a vital asset to have, time will tell. There is no point in trying to predict the weather or the success of the farming year just yet. All we can do is wait and see, look to the sky and hope for the silver lining in the clouds which will give plenty of rain for a couple of weeks. After that it can stay dry again for a while, smiled Robert. If the empty clouds continue then farmers like Robert and organisations will have difficulty organising public meetings on a fodder crisis and mental health like in 2018 due to Covid-19. Some lovely rain over the next few days would help wash many worries away. 2018 will be remembered for the drought but also the glorious day when Declan Hannon lifted Liam MacCarthy. Lets hope we remember 2020 for a repeat of the latter and not the former. Most recently, he and his allies have questioned the mental acuity of the presumptive Democratic nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, who is 77. But Trump spent much of the fall general election in 2016 challenging the strength and stamina of his Democratic rival at the time, Hillary Clinton, who suffered a bout of pneumonia and was videotaped unsteadily being led into a van at the annual ceremony at the World Trade Center site to commemorate the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Boris Johnson has ordered a comprehensive review of the two-metre social-distancing rule amid calls it should be scrapped. Easing the restriction is seen as vital if businesses such a restaurants and pubs are to be able to re-open sustainably. The Mail on Sunday reported the review would effectively take control of social-distancing guidelines out of the hands of the British Governments scientific advisers, who have been deeply reluctant to countenance relaxation. The move comes as thousands of non-essential shops in England are set to re-open on Monday for the first time since the coronavirus lockdown was imposed in March. We need to get Britains economy firing again, while at the same time making sure we keep people safe and avoid a second peak of the disease With many people thought to be nervous about going out again after nearly three months in lockdown, Business Secretary Alok Sharma sought to reassure the public that measures had been put in place to ensure their safety. Writing in the Sunday Express, he said: We need to get Britains economy firing again, while at the same time making sure we keep people safe and avoid a second peak of the disease. And Chancellor Rishi Sunak told the Sun on Sunday: I am very conscious that there will be anxiety. For some time, many people have not been inside a shop and, in a way, we all have to relearn the behaviours we took for granted. Weve been living with anxiety now for 12 weeks but the good news is that weve made enormous progress. Bit by bit, that confidence will come back and the anxiety will reduce. But its not going to happen overnight. The Government is actually killing the country right now and the hospitality industry is in the front line of the disaster There have been warnings that any maintaining of the two-metre rule, along with a closing of the furlough scheme, could be a horrendous situation for the hospitality sector. Already stretched by a shortage of medics and critical care beds, the situation in Mumbai might turn uglier, health experts warn, as cases of malaria, dengue, leptospirosis and encephalitis are expected to soar in coming months Mumbai: For doctors and healthcare workers in Indias financial capital Mumbai who are grappling with surging coronavirus infections, the onset of the annual monsoon poses a serious threat - a new wave of patients with vector-borne diseases. Already stretched by a shortage of medics and critical care beds, the situation in Mumbai might turn uglier, health experts warn, as cases of malaria, dengue, leptospirosis and encephalitis are expected to soar in coming months. Mumbai will be dealing with a crisis in the monsoon, said Kamakshi Bhate, professor emeritus of community medicine at the state-run King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital in Mumbai, noting there is typically a surge in hospital bed occupancy due to such diseases during Indias annual June-September monsoon season. Water-logged streets are a common sight every monsoon across India. But in Mumbai, its most populous city, monsoons can often bring life to a standstill with flooding and water-logging, and result in a surge of diseases. In a report, local NGO Praja Foundation said official data from only government-run hospitals showed Mumbai recorded about 32,000 malaria and dengue cases in 2018, but the NGO said its own household survey indicated more than 200,000 cases of just those two diseases in the city that year. This year the citys hospitals are already overrun. Mumbai has been hit the hardest by COVID-19. About 25 percent of Indias 297,535 coronavirus cases and roughly 29 percent of the 8,498 deaths recorded have come from the city and its surrounding suburbs. Suresh Kakani, an additional commissioner at Mumbais civic authority, said it was asking clinics and dispensaries, some of which had shut during a two-month long nationwide lockdown, to re-open. Drains are being cleaned and stored water in houses were being inspected for larvae, Kakani said, adding that while major hospitals were on treating COVID patients, smaller nursing homes would be available to handle other cases. But, with local hospitals already strained by significant staff shortages, heath experts fear the spread of diseases in Mumbais slums could compound issues for a healthcare network already reeling from COVID-19 cases. We have a number of slums in low-lying areas and they are prone to flooding and disease, said Brinelle DSouza, a health activist with Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, a local non-governmental organization. DSouza said that while many isolation beds were available for patients with mild COVID-19 symptoms, the city, home to about 20 million people, needed substantially more critical care beds with oxygen supplies and ventilators. Sitting in an outside chair at his Papamoa home, with my eyes squinting nearly shut, I could faintly visualise what Tom Bradley was telling me. It was pre-lockdown and we were enjoying one of the many sunny summer days. I have this imaginary muse that sits on my shoulder, says Tom. Hes a boy I call Tommy and hes about ten. In the days when I was writing for children, we would sit down together, Tommy and I, and Id say to him where are we going today? Hed say I dont know, lets have an adventure and off wed go. Tom has now written more than 20 childrens fun adventure books, all available as downloadable free ebooks on his website www.bradley.nz There is the Johnny Whistler series with titles like Johnny Whistler and the Whizzbang Tandem Race, a set of popular junior fiction novels. Crowded House and Double Dilemma are two of the Brightside Bunch series, also aimed at the seven-years-plus fiction lover. There are four Johnny Whistlers, six Brightside Bunch books, and then there are three young adult fiction standalone titles, says Tom. And I threw in three previously unpublished very short titles to make up what I think is a good number to throw on the website. Prior to throwing or uploading his books in mid-2019, Tom contacted HarperCollins, his publisher as well as the book cover illustrators, to check they approved of the books being available free online. They were. Its starting to build momentum. The Libraries Association of New Zealand are now getting behind it. The uptake of interest on the website has resulted in NZ school libraries and library associations in Australia also downloading the free series. I do love to be able to make them available for free for the next generation because you cant go buy them now. There are maybe a few dozen in school libraries around the country. They get battered and knocked about, so by putting them into an ebook format, they can last as long as theres an internet and electronic transmission. I only discovered recently that Tom is a fiction writer. He wrote A Kiwi Christmas for Tauranga which was performed on stage at the Holy Trinity in December, and a musical called Dr Luke which I remembered seeing in the 1980s. And hes very well-known as one of NZs iconic news readers from the early days of television in this country. These other roles required writing or reporting facts. So how did he slip over into writing fiction? Im a big kid. This surprised people who saw me through the years reading TV news, which was for them quite a serious role. His books are full of adventures, with one book of slightly quirky short stories aimed at the seven-year-olds and above. His young adult books target the early teen age bracket. Id describe the Johnny Whistlers as family comedy dramas. Lively kids, fast, adventurous. Good kids having fun. Theyre sort of PG. No sex, drugs or rock and roll. Theres plenty of that in the world. They have a certain innocence. My wife Dayna, bless her heart, has always said I dont think you could ever write adult fiction. Youre too innocent. She couldnt see me writing nasty adult fiction and I wouldnt want to either. I remembered Tom arriving via television in our lounge in June 1975, at the dawn of TV2. I was 15. Wed turn on the six oclock news and there he was, his calm steady tone bringing reassurance into our lives that everything across the nation would be okay. Still years away from the launch of the internet, but Tom was there, with Philip Sherry, John Hawkesby, Angela DAudney, Richard Long, and Judy Bailey. He appeared on telethons, breakfast news, lates, then going full circle doing weekend news as well. Telethons were exciting because it was new. People would stand for hours with buckets of money to have their face on TV for five to ten seconds. The good-hearted simplicity of it was amazing. Not many people knew he had arthritis even way back then. I was always very cautious during the Telethons because people would ring up and say theyd give $100 if Tom does push-ups and squats or something, and Im thinking thats not a good idea. Fortunately, I had a job for all those years where I was sitting down. He jokes that Tauranga is the elephants graveyard of old TV news readers. Theres Phillip Sherry, Peter Williams, Richard Long, and me. All the blokes really from the last 30 years. The big four, now living in sunny Tauranga, with Peter Williams daily expressing his opinions and livening up the airwaves. Since leaving television news reading, Tom has written dozens of scripts for animated series Buzz and Poppy, has been a professional master of ceremonies and accomplished voice over artist. Hes also penned a family memoir of over 60,000 words. He and Dayna happily settled into the Papamoa lifestyle about seven years ago, becoming locals. Its now 22 years since his television stint and hes still surprised people recognise him when theyre out for coffee. The hairdresser said to me the other day, has anyone told you that you look like someone? Atlanta PD officer Garrett Rolfe has been fired following the deadly Friday night shooting of Rayshard Brooks, while another officer, Devin Bronsan, has been placed on administrative leave, according to 11 Alive - citing an Atlanta Police spokesman just after midnight on Sunday. Officer Garrett Rolfe, Officer Devin Bronsan Meanwhile, Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields will be stepping down following the incident. Brooks, who had fallen asleep at the wheel at a Wendy's drive-thru, was shot by an officer after he grabbed one of their Tasers and pointed it at them as he was running away. He died later that evening at Grady Memorial Hospital. In response to the shooting, protesters set the Wendy's on fire: Atlanta aint having it.... they burnt that Wendys down Quick. pic.twitter.com/oLDI37kG2d DJ Kam Bennett (@KameronBennett) June 14, 2020 Atlanta: Wendy's on University Ave. on fire as protests have taken over the interstate in response to the killing of Rayshard Brooks by police on Friday. Police chief Erika Shields has reportedly resigned following weeks of protest. Video: CBS affiliate pic.twitter.com/6d9OthFBrQ Camila (@camilateleSUR) June 14, 2020 A CNN crew was attacked by peaceful protesters at the scene: Wow. CNN crew attacked by peaceful protestors at the Wendys in Atlanta. pic.twitter.com/SHs0Sj8R2a Kyle Kashuv (@KyleKashuv) June 14, 2020 The group then began to set fires nearby: After setting Wendys is on fire, the protesters/rioters now set other small fires & looting a gas station. Fire department is not responding due to unsafe conditions & the crowd is still growing. #AtlantaRiot#LawAndOrderpic.twitter.com/asya112LA1 ~Marietta (@_MariettaDavis) June 14, 2020 * * * The latest police killing of an "unarmed" black man unfolded Friday night in Atlanta, and footage released Saturday afternoon is already causing a major uproar in the city. Activists are demanding that Atlanta's police chief Erika Shields, whose statements to the press and willingness to push deescalation tactics made her a media darling during the unrest that followed the killing of George Floyd. Though the only details of the incident so far involve grainy cellphone camera footage, it's clear in the video that one of the two APD officers involved in the incident shot a suspect in the back as he was running away after wresting one of the officer's tasers away from him. The Georgia NAACP claimed the APD needs "a serious overhaul" and argued that the deceased suspect, later identified as Rayshard Brooks, 27, was killed for "sleeping" (not for attacking two officers and stealing one of their weapons)> @KeishaBottoms, @Atlanta_Police needs a serious overhaul. The continuation of these kinds of actions require immediate resolution. Instead of seeing an improvement, it continues to happen day after day. Chief Shields must be relieved immediately. https://t.co/cHQMdosqip Georgia NAACP (@Georgia_NAACP) June 13, 2020 The footage posted to twitter earlier shows Brooks successfully wrestle both officers to the ground before running off with the taser. At the end of the video, several gunshots ring out, though the shooting of Brooks isn't shown. ATLANTA PD SHOOT AND KILL AN UNARMED MAN pic.twitter.com/BW5IcNLUqm The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) June 13, 2020 Meanwhile, protesters showed up Saturday to Washington DC's "Black Lives Matter" plaza where smaller protests have been ongoing every day. Saturday marked the 16th day of demonstrations. Here's what happened according to the Washington Post: the ADP received a call and was dispatched to a local Wendys Friday night following a complaint about a man parked and asleep in the drive-through, according to a preliminary report from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The situation escalated when the two officers tried taking Brooks, 27, into custody. He resisted, and the situation quickly became violent. Shields Atlanta activists wrote Saturday that "ADP shot another unarmed black man in South Atlanta. Details are still coming and our rage continues." The GBI's preliminary report told a different story. "During the arrest, the male subject resisted and a struggle ensued, GBI said. The officer deployed a Taser. Witnesses report that during the struggle the male subject grabbed and was in possession of the Taser. It has also been reported that the male subject was shot by an officer in the struggle over the Taser. Brooks died Saturday morning at a local hospital after emergency surgery. Brookss death marks the 48th officer-involved shooting the GBI has been asked to investigate since the start of 2020. Ahmaud Arbery was also shot and killed in Georgia, though his assailants - who will all stand trial for murder - weren't cops. Once the GBI completes its independent investigation, the case will be turned over to the Fulton County District Attorneys Office for review. Later on Saturday, the Fulton County DAs office said it had already launched "an intense, independent investigation of the incident" and that personnel were dispatched to the scene immediately after the shooting. One local outlet said both officers involved have been removed from duty pending an investigation. L Catterton, one of the worlds largest consumer-focused private equity firms, will pick up a 0.39% stake for Rs 1894.50 crore in Reliance Industries Limiteds digital unit Jio Platforms. This is an unprecedented tenth investment in Jio Platforms in seven weeks since April 22 this year. The oil-to-telecoms conglomerate raised a total of Rs 64.4 billion ($847 million) from the sale of two stakes in its digital unit Jio Platforms, the group said on Saturday. It said global investment firm TPG will also buy a 0.93% stake in Jio for Rs 4,546.80 crore ($598 million). Controlled by Indias richest man Mukesh Ambani, Reliance has now sold just over 22% of Jio Platforms to investors including Facebook Inc. A release by RIL said it is remarkable that the investments were done amidst a global lock-down, clearly signifying Indias digital potential and Jios business strategy. This investment values Jio Platforms at an equity value of Rs 4.91 lakh crore and an enterprise value of Rs 5.16 lakh crore. L Cattertons investment will translate into a 0.39% equity stake in Jio Platforms on a fully diluted basis, the release said. With this investment, Jio Platforms has raised Rs 104,326.95 crore from leading global investors including Facebook, Silver Lake, Vista Equity Partners, General Atlantic, KKR, Mubadala, ADIA, TPG and L Catterton since April 22. I am delighted to welcome L Catterton as a partner in our journey to unleash the power of digital for India while providing a consumer experience that is among the best in the world, Mukesh Ambani, RILs chairperson and managing director, said. I particularly look forward to gaining from L Cattertons invaluable experience in creating consumer-centric businesses because technology and consumer experience need to work together to propel India to achieving digital leadership, he said. L Catterton, which has a partnership with French luxury group LVMH and investment firm Groupe Arnault, concentrates on consumer-focused brands. Michael Chu, the global co-CEO of L Catterton, said the company is looking forward to the partnering with Jio. We are strong supporters of fostering growth through product development, enhanced digital capabilities and strategic alliances. We look forward to partnering with Jio, which is uniquely positioned to execute on its vision and mission to transform the country and build a digital society for 1.3 billion Indians through its unmatched digital and technological capabilities, Chu said. Jio Platforms is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries which comprises its telecoms arm Jio Infocomm and its music and video streaming apps. Jio Infocomm is Indias biggest telecoms firm by subscribers, with more than 376 million users. It has forced out several rivals and driven consolidation in the sector since entering the market in 2016 with free voice services and cut-price data. The RIL release said Jio Platforms has made significant investments across its digital ecosystem, powered by leading technologies spanning broadband connectivity, smart devices, cloud and edge computing, big data analytics, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, augmented and mixed reality and blockchain. L Catterton, founded in 1989, is investment partner of choice for leading consumer-focused brands around the world, the release said. With a 30-year track record of leveraging its operational expertise, deep sector insights, global network of resources, and its unique partnership with LVMH and Groupe Arnault, L Catterton has successfully invested in and helped build some of the most innovative brands at the forefront of the evolving consumer landscape, including Peloton, Vroom, ClassPass, Owndays, FabIndia, and more, it said. The Jio Platforms deals, along with a $7 billion share sale, will help Reliance meet its target of paying off $21.4 billion of net debt by the end of the year, according to the company. RIL is Indias largest private sector company with a consolidated turnover of Rs 659,205 crore ($87.1 billion), cash profit of Rs 71,446 crore ($9.4 billion), and net profit of Rs 39,880 crore ($5.3 billion) for the year ended March 31, 2020. (With agency inputs) People hang out on rooftops in an area dubbed the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) in Seattle, Wash., on June 12, 2020. (Karen Ducey/Getty Images) Seattle Rapper Says Hes No Terrorist Warlord SEATTLEA local hip-hop artist has emerged as one of the de facto leaders of the self-proclaimed Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone in Seattle, or CHAZ, and has been referred to as a warlord. Rapper Raz Simone, whose real name is Solomon Samuel Simone, rejected the label that hes a terrorist warlord in a June 13 interview with The Epoch Times inside CHAZ. Online social media videos, however, paint a different picture. On the first night after the Seattle Police Department vacated its East Precinct building, Simone, who had an AK-47 on his shoulder and a pistol on his hip, screamed This is War! into a megaphone and instructed armed paramilitaries to guard the barricades in shifts, according to City Journal, an urban-policy magazine. Simone denied carrying a firearm at the time. [Im] definitely not a terrorist warlord, monarch, or any of those names that they have been calling me. Its completely false, Simone told The Epoch Times. EXCLUSIVE: I just interviewed the so-called warlord of #CHAZ rapper Raz Simone. I asked him what he thought of the title. I also asked him why he was carrying a concealed handgun to the zone today. [PART 1] pic.twitter.com/UZTsKOgngl Bowen Xiao (@BowenXiao_) June 13, 2020 When I saw it on the news, part of me was just dying laughing, and part of me was like that is a scary accusation, because I know what that doesthats like a dog whistle to any American whos a patriot to get down here and exterminate the terrorist warlord. That night, Simone was filmed on video allegedly assaulting multiple protestors who disobeyed his orders, informing them that he was the police now, sparking fears that he was becoming the de facto warlord of the autonomous zone, City Journal reported. Another video appears to show Simone allegedly physically assaulting someone. The zone, a police-free area that covers an area of about six blocks, has makeshift borders constructed via old police barricades, fencing, plywood, overturned dumpsters, trash cans, and warning cones. A cardboard sign reads that you are now leaving the USA. Anti-police, pro-revolution, and pro-Black Lives Matter graffiti is seen throughout the area. We have been hearing from community members that they have been subjected to barricades set up by the protesters, with some armed individuals running them as checkpoints into the neighborhood, Seattle Assistant Police Chief Deanna Nollette told reporters on June 10. While they have a constitutionally protected right to bear arms, and while Washington is an open-carry state, there is no legal right for those arms to be used to intimidate community members. According to The Washington Times, there are various Twitter accounts that have portrayed Simone as a sort of warlord in the Seattle neighborhood, with him replacing the police and city authorities. One video of Simone shows him trying to stop a man from spraying graffiti, before the confrontation appears to escalate into a physical one. We are the police of this community now, one protester can be heard saying in the video. Simone, who was carrying a pistol on his side during the interview, claimed he was open carrying for self-defense purposes only. Its because I have thousands of death threats in my inbox from people who believed the Fox News and believe that Im this terrorist warlord whos holding everyone here captive and extorting the businesses and roughing people up if they graffiti on walls. The zone has also caught the attention of President Donald Trump, who has called on Seattles mayor and Washingtons governor to take back the city. Domestic Terrorists have taken over Seattle, run by Radical Left Democrats, of course, Trump wrote in one post. LAW & ORDER! In a post on Medium, protestors in the zone compiled a list of demands that include the abolition of the Seattle Police Department and the attached criminal justice apparatus, to reparations for victims of police brutality, among others. Jack Phillips contributed to this report Following a successful trial period, the people behind the Everyone Eats Brandon initiative are coming back for seconds. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/6/2020 (587 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us Following a successful trial period, the people behind the Everyone Eats Brandon initiative are coming back for seconds. Brandon University food services manager Nicholas Namespetra told the Sun that his team served approximately 100 people a day through this new curbside meal delivery program, which was available for the first time from Wednesday to Friday this week. The program received such a good response from the public that Namespetra will be offering it up again next week with a slightly tweaked menu. "If we have the donations to keep it going forward were going to keep going," he said on Friday. "Thats the goal. I dont think we want to really take a break." Everyone Eats Brandon is a new initiative designed to combat local food insecurity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, where anyone with a working phone or internet connection can order a hot meal by donating anywhere from $0 to $100. All donations are funnelled back into the program so that members of BU food services can continue making meals like meatloaf and vegetables (Wednesday), beef kofta and seasoned vegetables (Thursday) and cheesy chicken Alfredo and broccoli (Friday) on campus. "Were not earning a profit from this at all," Namespetra said. "Any of the proceeds that we actually get basically just runs right back into the operations so it can continue going forward." Brandon University culinary assistant Trish Chalanchuk, lead cook Paul Mount and food services manager Nicholas Namespetra take a break from cooking cheesy chicken Alfredo and broccoli on Friday afternoon to pose for a photo. The trio have been serving an average of 100 people a day through the new Everyone Eats Brandon program. (Kyle Darbyson/The Brandon Sun) Everyone Eats is also being spearheaded by members of the John Howard Society of Brandon and Assiniboine Community College, who are providing financial backing and operational support. John Howard executive director Ross Robinson said the society played a significant role in coming up with the original idea, seeing the need for a new program for people who who are seeking out food support services for the first time because of the coronavirus outbreak. "We know theres a lot people who had jobs but are laid off now and didnt see themselves ever going to the soup kitchen," Robinson said. "And we wanted to provide them with a dignified way to access low cost or completely free meals." True to its name, Everyone Eats received orders from all different kinds of community members throughout its three-day trial period, including BU students, faculty staff, families and people with disabilities. "Were going into the seniors homes too," Robinson said. "They have a hard time accessing food now because grocery shopping is a little bit more difficult for them." If this program moves past its second week, Robinson thinks it can also be used as a valuable tool to figure out what food insecurity actually looks like in Brandon throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. "Our goal is to penetrate a greater market to see if there is a greater need," he said. "We dont know where the people in need are, we dont know how to get the message out to them, so were trying different things." For next weeks menu, Brandonites can order a meal from the Everyone Eats team by visiting everyoneeatsbrandon.ca or by calling 204-727-9652 on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Those unable to pick up their orders at the BU campus can request a contact-free delivery from a volunteer. kdarbyson@brandonsun.com Twitter: @KyleDarbyson Credit: Getty TSB (TSB.L) has withdrawn mortgage deals for customers with a 15% deposit as the housing market faces continued uncertainty. Most banks have stopped deals with a 10% deposit, but TSB is the first to removed its 15% offering on all home purchase, remortgage and shared ownership products. The industry fears a sharp fall in house prices and now HSBC is the only high street bank offering mortgages with a loan-to-value ratio above 90%, reports the Mail on Sunday. These deals are limited in number each day with brokers reportedly selling out early in the morning. Coventry Building Society is also offering a limited number of low-deposit mortgages on a first come, first served basis but the deal ends tonight. Banks are withdrawing lower deposits due to fears they will lose money on mortgages if prices plummet and repossessions don not cover the money loaned. Some mortgage applications were temporarily paused during the UK lockdown while lenders were unable to make physical property valuations. READ MORE: Coronavirus: Games Workshop to refund government payout as sales soar The lockdown also had a knock on effect on productivity with bank staff working from home unable to keep up with mortgage application demand. "Homeworking reduces productivity because they don't always have as many screens. That can really reduce productivity," Robert Sinclair, chief executive of the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries, told the Mail on Sunday. Estate agents were permitted to open and start physical viewings again on 13 May with strict coronavirus measures in place. But uncertainty in the market has led to an increasing number of low deposit mortgage deals being withdrawn making it even more tricky for first time buyers to get on the housing ladder. A TSB spokesman said: "We are working to support our customers as best we can." The average first-time buyer 10% deposit now stands at 24,189 ($30,343.89), jumping to 36,284 if a 15% deposit is needed, Rightmove said. And in London a 15% deposit would require a deposit of 71,635 on average. READ MORE: Employers to be given 30 days to admit to furlough fraud Picture this: You've opened over ten tabs on your browser, and now your computer is hanging. You know that you need to shut down some to stop the lagging, but you don't know which ones to exit and which ones to retain. In a frantic attempt to stop the lagging, you exit an important one that you should have kept open. If you find yourself in such a situation, you should not worry, because you can easily restore tabs on any browser. Find out how to reopen closed tab in Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Edge, or Safari, both on your mobile device and on your PC. Image: canva.com (modified by author) Source: Original Whenever you accidentally shut down a browser tab or window, the first thing you may be inclined to doing is freaking out over it, especially if you were completing an assignment on the computer. However, this should not be your first reaction, as this mistake is easily fixed. You can easily reopen closed tab on whatever browser you are using. Here is how to go about this. How to reopen closed tab in PC Here are the procedures on how to restore closed tabs while using your computer. 1. How to restore tabs on Chrome There are a number of methods that you can use to restore tabs Chrome. Here is how to make Chrome reopen closed tab: Technique 1 Right-click on the tab bar and select Reopen closed tab from the menu that pops up. Technique 2 Press Ctrl - Shift - T on your keyboard to reopen closed tab Chrome. Technique 3 This method involves looking through your browsing history to see if looking at the webpages youve visited before jogs your memory. To access your browsing history, click the Chrome menu button (three horizontal bars) in the upper-right corner of the browser window Select History > Under Recently closed, on the sub-menu, select the option that says X tabs (for example, 2 tabs). This will restore that many recently exited browser tabs in a new browser window. 2. How to reopen a closed tab on Firefox Here is how to recover tabs on Firefox: Method 1 Right-click on the tab bar and select Undo Close Tab from the pop-up menu. Method 2 Press Ctrl + Shift + T on your keyboard to restore the last closed tab on your Firefox browser. 3. How to reopen closed tab on Opera Method 1 Right-click on the tab bar and select Reopen last closed tab from the drop-down list Method 2 Press Ctrl + Shift + T on your keyboard. 4. How to open closed tabs on Internet Explorer To restore tabs on Internet Explorer, use these methods: Method 1 Right-click on a tab and select Reopen closed tab Method 2 Press Ctrl + Shift + T on your keyboard 5. How to reopen closed tabs on Microsoft Edge If you accidentally exit a browser tab on Microsoft Edge, you can restore it by following these simple procedures: Method 1 Right-click on a browser tab and select Reopen closed tab. Method 2 Press Ctrl + Shift + T on your keyboard. Image: pixabay.com Source: UGC 6. How to open recently closed tab in Safari For Safari users, these methods will work: Method 1 In OS X, after closing a browser tab, press Command+Z, the standard Mac keyboard shortcut for Undo. Your lost browser tab will be instantly restored. Method 2 Go to the Edit menu and select "Undo Close Tab". How to reopen closed tab in mobile devices For mobile devices, these processes will suffice: 1. How to reopen closed tabs on iPhone Safari Tap the Tab View button at the bottom right corner of the Safari app to view your open tabs. Tap and hold the New Tab button (the plus sign). After a second or two, the Recently Closed Tabs screen should appear. Tap any recently exited browser tab to restore it. 2. How to restore tabs on iPad Safari Tap and hold the New Tab button on Safaris toolbar until the Recently Closed Tabs popup appears. 3. How to restore Chrome tabs on an iPhone or iPad If you have an iPhone or iPad, this is the method to use: Tap the menu button, and then tap the Recent Tabs option. You will see a list of browser tabs you recently shut down under the Recently Closed section. Tap on the one you would like to restore. 4. How to open a closed Chrome tab on an Android phone Here is how to open a closed tab on an Android device: Open Chrome browser on your Android phone. Tap on the 3 dot menu icon, located in the top right corner of your screen. From the list of options, tap on 'Recent Tabs'. On the next screen, you will see all the browser tabs that you had just closed under the heading Recently Closed. Simply tap on the website or article that you wanted to restore, and voila, you have your session restored! Image: pixabay.com Source: UGC 5. How to open closed tab on Android in Firefox Open the Firefox browser on your Android device. Tap on the 3 dot icon, located in the top right corner of your screen. Next, tap on History. You will see a list of all the websites you have visited on your Android phone using the Firefox browser. Browse through the list and try to locate the website that you had accidentally exited. If you find the website, tap on it to restore it. How to restore Google Chrome tabs after restart You can still restore your Chrome tabs even after your Windows PC restarts. Here is how to go about this. Using your Chrome history You can use your Chrome history to restore your session by following these steps: Press CTRL - H, which will open Chromes History. If you had shut down Google Chrome accidentally or if it shut down due to any bug, then when you open Chrome History, it will show you the option to Re-open Closed Tabs option. Click on that option, and you can restore or regain back all your tabs immediately. Restore Google Chrome tabs from the last session on startup To do this, follow these steps: Open the Google Chrome browser on your PC and click on Menu (three vertical dots icon) at the top right corner and select the Settings option. Scroll down, and under On startup, you have to select Continue where you left off option. Using shortcut keys Open the Google Chrome Browser and then press CTRL - SHIFT - T. It will start with the last browser tab which was open in Google Chrome. Recover Google Chrome with TabCloud Google Chrome extension This extension allows users to save and restore window sessions at a later date and sync across multiple devices. The extension allows you to save and restore window sessions over time and across multiple computer, effectively allowing you to sync open windows between multiple computers. To use it, you simply need to click the extension's icon on the menu, you will then see your current open windows and previously saved windows, you can save open windows, or restore saved ones. You can also delete previously saved windows. The guide above shows you how to reopen closed tabs. The process is quite simple, regardless of the browser or the device used. Now, whenever you find yourself stressing over the fact that your computer unexpectedly shut down while you were working over the internet, take a deep breath, stop stressing, and remember that this article is there to help you solve this issue. Source: Legit.ng Staten Island lost a powerful presence on Saturday with the death of the Rev. Maggie Howard, pastor of Stapleton Union American Methodist Episcopal (UAME) Church. She was 56. Rev. Howard had been selected as a 2020 Advance Woman of Achievement. Because of the ongoing public health crisis, the April awards luncheon was postponed. Rev. Howard was interviewed for her Woman of Achievement profile story in February, and it is published here as a tribute to her life and good work. Condolences, community reaction and funeral arrangements will follow in the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com Its easy to miss the little white church on Tompkins Avenue. The unassuming wood-frame building erected nearly a century ago seems dwarfed by a nursing facility, two public schools and the hustle and bustle of a neighborhood in transition. The Aflao Sector Command of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has intercepted 141 jerrycans of fuel being smuggled out of Ghana into neighbouring Togo. The gallons of fuel were intercepted in two separate operations Saturday night and in the custody of the GIS, Aflao Command pending further investigations to arrest the suspects who fled into Togo. Mr Frederick Baah Duodu, the Sector Commander, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the arrest followed intelligence officers on duty gathered. On Saturday, June 13, 2020, at about 2130hrs, following surveillance and intelligence gathered by three of our men, Mr Sumaila Safo, Mr Anthony Bessa Denyo and Mr Wisdom Joel Adiko who were on duty at an unapproved route, 'Pillar 7, the first 129 yellow jerry cans of fuel were intercepted," he said. Mr Duodu explained, the gallons of fuel were packed in a makeshift structure erected along the borderline at Pillar 7B, also an unapproved route close to Pillar 7 purposely for smuggling of goods in and out of Ghana. The Sector Commander said the same patrol team on their usual patrols also intercepted twelve additional gallons of fuel adding up to the 141 gallons of fuel being the quantity intercepted on the day. Mr Duodu attributed the successful interception of the goods to the collaborative efforts of his men. He said when the quantities of fuel were discovered, the three officers called Mr Thomas Moore Youre and Mr Courage Tengey who was on duty at Pillar 5 to support them secure the fuel pending the arrival of the Patrol team on duty. The Commander said the patrol team on duty were quickly dispatched to the scene and the intercepted gallons of fuel conveyed to the main border in two Service Patrol pick-up vehicles. Mr Johnson Appiah Benefo, the Border Patrol Commander commended the patrol team for a good job and said officers would continue to intensify surveillance at all unapproved routes to clamp down on illegal activities. 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 Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 06:24:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TUNIS, June 14 (Xinhua) -- "Tunisia has won its fight against the coronavirus disease thanks to the country's national unity," Tunisian Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfakh said on Sunday. During his interview broadcast on Tunisian private channel Attasia, Fakhfakh called on Tunisians to be proud of the "impressive" results. "We made efforts and we were able to achieve a victory," he said, adding that "Tunisia has contained the virus but care must be taken in order to completely eradicate the disease." Fakhfakh declared that "Tunisia is preparing to open its air, land and sea borders from June 27," noting that the tourists who will visit Tunisia must respect mandatory confinement in hotels. Tunisia has reported two new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of cases to 1,096, announced Tunisian Ministry of Health on Sunday. The Tunisian government has imposed strict confinement measures shortly after the announcement of the first coronavirus case in the country on March 2. The North African country has received several batches of medical aid from the Chinese government, foundations and companies since late March to help its fight against the pandemic. Enditem Mumbai, June 14 : Well known Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Bandra residence here on Sunday morning in an apparent suicide, a police official said. He was found hanging at his home by his domestic help who alerted the police. A team of Bandra Police has rushed to investigate and details of the apparent suicide are awaited, said the official. Rajput, 34, hailed from Bihar and was educated in Patna and New Delhi, before shifting to Mumbai. He was known for his portrayals in TV serials like "Pavitra Rishta", films "Kai Po Chhe", "Shuddh Desi Romance", the biopic "M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story", "Kedarnath" and "Chhichore", among several others. Bollywood and social media reacted with shock and disbelief on hearing the news of Rajput's death. Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Cargo Ships Waiting To Get Paid By Iran Before Unloading Much Needed Fertilizers Radio Farda June 13, 2020 A member of Iran's parliament says five ships carrying phosphate and potash fertilizers "urgently needed" by farmers are waiting in the Persian Gulf to receive payment in hard currency before delivering their cargo. The official website of parliament cited a lawmaker, Javad Askari, as saying on Friday, June 12, "the farmers will not be able to increase their crops, and they will suffer a loss if the needed foreign currency is not allocated in time for the waiting ships to dock." Iran is short of foreign currency as U.S. sanctions have stopped most of its crude oil exports, which are the country's main source of income. Meanwhile, Askari maintained that farmers urgently need the fertilizers for their spring cultivation; otherwise, their plans would be delayed. Askari went even further by warning that parliament might directly summon President Hassan Rouhani for an explanation. "The government should take the necessary steps to address the problem," Askari said. But the government needs to address multiple urgent economic needs, including paying a vast bureaucracy, pensions and essential food and other imports. These imports are in fact subsidized by the government. Earlier on June 3, a member of the parliament's Agricultural Commission, Abbas Papizadeh, had disclosed that the local market was suffering from a shortage of chemical fertilizers. According to Papizadeh, President Rouhani's administration blocked paying governmental subsidies for buying chemical fertilizers last year; therefore, petrochemical complexes refused to supply the product. Iran has a complex, hybrid economic system of government ownership and control alongside private businesses that are affected by the government's interference and control of the economy. Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/cargo-ships-waiting -to-get-paid-by-iran-before-unloading-much -needed-fertilizers/30668610.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The College of Nursing, Gulf Medical University (GMU), Ajman paid tribute to the global nursing community, as they inaugurated the International year of the Nurse and Midwife 2020 celebrations in a virtual ceremony held recently. More than 250 people from around the world participated in the event. Professor Selva Titus Chacko, Dean of the College of Nursing, GMU delivered the inaugural address in the function attended by the students, faculty and staff of GMU and members of the nurses community. The virtual ceremony also included an oath-taking session participated by the students, staff and faculty of GMU. Professor Hossam Hamdy - the Chancellor of GMU, Professor Manda Venkatramana Vice Chancellor Academics of GMU, Elizabeth Iro - Chief Nursing Officer of the World Health Organization (WHO) Geneva, Dr Sumaya Mohamed AlBlooshi - Director of Nursing Department of the Ministry of Health & Prevention Dubai, Dr Arwa Oweis - Regional Advisor for Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Personnel, WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) Cairo, Dr Naeema Al-Gasseer - Senior Advisor to Regional Director, WHO EMRO Cairo and Nancy Justina Mendonca - Chief Nursing Officer of Thumbay University Hospital Ajman, delivered felicitations on the occasion. Professor Chacko in her inaugural address emphasised the growing role of nurses worldwide, especially in the wake of the recent and anticipated changes to healthcare delivery models in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Pointing out that nurses constituted the largest part of the professional healthcare workforce at almost 60 per cent, she said: Globally, there is a shortage of 6 million nurses today. Each country has to focus on producing its own nurses to meet the shortage of nurses, and address problems of migration. Even though the UAE has a good nursing personnel per population ratio, the country should focus on building its own workforce, as most of these nurses are expats, she added. Iro lauded the nursing community and other healthcare workers for their courageous, compassionate and professional work on the frontlines of the Covid-19 pandemic. Addressing the College of Nursing GMU, she said: I encourage you to strengthen our profession through ensuring quality education, research and best practice, to impact positively on communities you care for. Remembering the sacrifices of the nursing community, especially during the recent times, Dr Oweis reminded the nursing students of their increased responsibility in times like these. Dear students, you are the future leaders of the profession. We rely on your talent in creating opportunities for nurses and for nursing to become a stronger and more resilient profession, she added. Congratulating the nursing professionals in the UAE and all over the world, Professor Hamdy said that the College of Nursing would launch several academic and professional initiatives, activities and training programs this year. Our main goal during this year is to support and raise the level of nursing practice and boost the image of this noble profession, he said. Greeting the nursing community, Professor Venkatramana said: GMU has recognised the true value of nursing professionals and we have started a standalone college of nursing which offers the bachelor of nursing program and also offers diploma holders the opportunity to upgrade to the bachelor degree. - TradeArabia News Service Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 14) Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson said he would join the ranks of protesters in the streets if the anti-terrorism law was in any way abused. A statement posted on his official website said he would not allow anyone to "pervert the legislative intent" of the measure. "I vow to join those who are concerned, genuinely or otherwise, about the proposed laws implementation to be as vigilant in monitoring each and every wrongful implementation by our security forces, even to the point of joining them in street protests," he said. The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 seeks to impose stiffer penalties for terrorists and those found to be helping or engaging in related acts. Netizens have voiced concerns over the hasty passage of the bill, with some questioning its broad and vague provisions that may lead to human rights violations. Some also said the proposed law may be used to target those who express dissent against the government. "I will be as eagle eyed and vigilant and more because I will regard any abuse as a bigger challenge since I am going all-in on this," Lacson said in a statement. "Taya pati pamato na ako dito [I'm betting on this], not because I was the principal sponsor of the measure who painstakingly defended its constitutionality and strict compliance to the Bill of Rights with the help of most of my colleagues who interpellated and proposed their amendments to further enhance the safeguards which I accommodated, as long as we would not come up with another dead-letter law like its predecessor, the Human Security Act of 2007." Lacson said that while the measure, which seeks to repeal the Human Security Act of 2007, will impose tougher penalties, it also contains stringent safeguards for citizens. Lacson added that Section 29 of the bill, which allows the detention of suspected terrorists without a warrant for up to 24 days, is "merely a restatement of the same provision in the Human Security Act." "The only difference is that the ATB (Anti-Terrorism Bill) which I sponsored in the senate has more added safeguards like the immediate notification in writing of the nearest judge where the warrantless arrest was made in compliance with Rule 113 Sec 5 of the Rules of Court, the CHR and the ATC itself which are not present under RA 9732." In his statement, Lacson said he would be the first to call out those found abusing the law, and that enforcers who are caught abusing the measures protocols will be held accountable. "I assure them that I will be the first to stand on the Senate floor and call out those responsible for abuse at the top of my voice in privilege speeches and Senate inquiries, if and when it comes to that, as I have done so before and during this current administration," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 14:09:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CANBERRA, June 14 (Xinhua) -- The protests in the United States showed a feeling among Americans that the situation is becoming hopeless unless they stand up and demonstrate, an Australian scholar has said. The death of George Floyd, which triggered protests spreading to many countries, was "just another one of the examples in the recent American history where the police have treated black people with no respect for their civil or human rights," John Hart, former head of the Department of Political Science at the Australian National University, told Xinhua in an interview. Floyd, the 46-year-old African American, died on May 25 after being pinned by the neck for nine minutes by a white officer's knee while pleading "I can't breathe." Floyd's death revealed the "racist and violent" nature of some police officers, and "triggered a demonstration," said Hart. "There is a sensitivity in the United States amongst a lot of people and now seems to be a majority judging from the opinion polls about racism in the United States and discrimination against black people, and violence against black people, taking their lives away for no reason, which is something that the Americans have got to stand up and oppose," he added. In the interview, Hart questioned the tactics used by the police against protesters, giving an example of a 75-year-old protester in Baffalo, who was knocked over by the police. The protester was reported by local media as suffering from a brain injury. "It's just appalling," said Hart. "There's no justification for it." Noting that the protests were not handled well by the U.S. leadership, the scholar said President Donald Trump "has inflamed the situation and that may have been the cause of some of the violence by the protesters." Hart believed that the protests are a sign of how bad the situation is in the United States, "if you add into Trump's handling of the coronavirus issue." "Everything he's done there was being wrong," said the scholar, adding that "It started off in late January, and in February he made a public statement that the epidemic would disappear by the beginning of April." "There was no attempt to prepare America for the consequences of it," he said. The chaos in the United States surprised the world, said Hart. "The whole world deplores what's going on in the United States," said Hart. "World leaders are less inclined to ... regard the United States as the defender of the free world." Enditem Spread through mosquitoes, malaria was responsible for 435,000 deaths in 2017 as per WHO. Almost 80 percent of these deaths occurred in the WHO African Region and India. Apart from malaria, such mosquitoes have been responsible for spread of diseases like dengue, chikungunya, Zika, yellow fever, West Nile, Mayaro viruses and any possible new ones. Reuters An idea now aims to produce a vaccine for all these diseases in a single go. For this, a novel ingredient is being looked at - mosquito spit. Birth child of Jessica Manning, a clinical researcher for the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the idea aims to use the protein in mosquito saliva to build a universal vaccine for diseases spread through the insects. A giant sculpture of a mosquito is pictured in the courtyard of scientist Jessica Mannings lab space, near Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Image: Reuters) Working on the vaccine with her colleagues, Manning has now been able to conduct the first ever clinical trial of a mosquito spit vaccine in humans. As per the results published by The Lancet, the trial has had a positive response. The trial included a vaccine based on the saliva of an Anopheles mosquito. The results of the trial were found to be safe for use in humans, with an ability to trigger antibody and cellular responses in the human body. The significance of the vaccine In essence, the vaccine differs in one crucial aspect than most other vaccines. Instead of targeting the pathogen that causes the disease (like malaria), the vaccine is based on the vector that transmits the disease (like mosquito). It has been known for decades that vectors have a role to play, not just in transmission but in severity of the disease. Mosquito spit, for instance, is known to enhance the severity of mosquito-borne infections as per a report by Reuters. Genetically modified male Aedes mosquito pictured at Oxitec factory in Piracicaba, Brazil (Representative Image: Reuters) This knowledge, however, has been put to use only recently, believe it or not. New vaccine approach With the new-found vaccine, Manning intends to train the human body's immune system to recognize the saliva proteins in a mosquito and correspondingly initiate a response to weaken or prevent an infection, even if the pathogen is transmitted to the body. The vaccine is a classic example of how researchers have started looking outside-the-box for finding cures of infectious diseases. The new perspective has also given rise to a whole new generation of tools like the above-mentioned vaccine to help fight such diseases. "We need more innovative tools," Manning was quoted as saying in the report. A vaccine like this would be "the Holy Grail." She has not yet revealed the name of her daughter, after she welcomed her with partner Norman Reedus in 2018. And Diane Kruger and her man were spotted spending time with her little one during a park outing in Beverly Hills on Sunday morning. The 43-year-old beauty put on a leggy display as she joined her family for a sweet picnic. Legs eleven: Diane Kruger was spotted putting on a very leggy display during a park day with her daughter and partner, Norman Reedus, in Beverly Hills on Sunday Diane rocked an oversized graphic T-shirt that was long enough to cover her short shorts. She was seen walking around barefoot and accessorised with a cap and protective mask over her face. The National Treasure star dressed casually in a T-shirt and jeans while picnicking with his two ladies. Oversized: Diane rocked an oversized graphic T-shirt that was long enough to cover her short shorts Family time: Diane and Norman appeared in high spirits during the masked outing with their daughter Diane has been isolating with her partner, Norman Reedus. The pair met back in 2015 on the set of their film, Sky. Together, they welcomed their daughter in 2018. They have not yet revealed her name. The Walking Dead actor also has a son Mingus, 20, from his relationship with supermodel Helena Christensen. Staying home: Diane has been sharing selfies with fans while isolating at home in Los Angeles amid the COVID-19 pandemic In March 2019, Diane told French magazine Madame Figaro that she had always thought she would not be a mother. But that changed when she met Norman. 'For a long time, the desire for a child didnt preoccupy me,' she said. 'I had my ways. I was fine without one. In short, I didnt feel absolutely ready.' 'Life ensured my daughter arrived at the right time. It was a surprise, and she is beautiful.' Pakistan Army has once again stooped to a new low and started targeting the civilian population in various sectors along the line of control in the newly carved Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. In the past 48 hours, the Pakistan Army has violated ceasefire at three different sectors wherein it has targeted the civilian population again, damaging several houses. Indian Army gives a befitting response "Pakistan army violated ceasefire at Tarakundi sector of Rajouri district, Uri sector of Baramulla district and Shahpur Kerni and Qasba sectors of Poonch district. The Indian Army gave a befitting response to the firing", a defense spokesman said. Also read: Pakistan Army violates ceasefire in LoC in J&K's Baramulla district An Army officer said that Pakistan was targeting the civilian population in all these sectors knowing that in retaliation, the Indian Army would do the same. "However, Indian side was only targeting Pakistan Army positions from where it was firing on our side," added the officer. "Pakistan wants us to target their civilians, as they use them as cannon fodder. They want the civilians to be killed so that they can take up the issue to the international media. But the Indian Army is professional, it only targets the positions of the Pakistan Army", an officer said. Also read: Indian Army destroys live mortar shells fired by Pakistan army targeting J&K public He said that last week the Pakistan Army used the US-made TOW missiles to target the civilian population in the Poonch district. "These missiles were procured by the Pakistan Army for defense purposes but the same were used to target the civilian population on the Indian side, clearly a violation of the agreement Pakistan Army had with the US supplier", he said. Pakistan violates ceasefire at multiple locations In the past two days, Pakistan has violated ceasefire at multiple locations in the Uri sector where several families had to be relocated to safer locations. "Several villagers from the Uri sector had to be relocated to safer locations after the Pakistan Army targeted the civilian population in these areas. We are taking every possible precaution to ensure that there is no civilian casualties," a government spokesman said. Also read: Pakistan army battling with COVID-19, many soldiers and officers infected Pakistan has been using small arms, mortars and heavy artillery shells to target the forward posts of the Indian Army and the civilian population; the Indian side is giving a befitting response by targeting the army installations of the other side, the spokesman added. (Image credit: PTI) Also read: Balochistan: Pakistan Army forced to abandon security posts as protests erupt Stock market speculators are attempting to cash in on turmoil at the British companies raising money from investors to survive the coronavirus pandemic. Short-sellers have swooped on Premier Inn owner Whitbread, Aston Martin and events firm Hyve, which have raised 1.5billion through rights issues. They are the only UK firms to raise funds through rights issues, where existing investors are offered the chance to buy new shares, usually at a discount. Turmoil: Short-selling involves borrowing shares, selling them, buying them back hopefully at a lower price, before returning them to the lender for a profit Most others have opted to raise money through placings, which usually bypass private investors and are conducted behind closed doors with new and existing institutional investors. Unlike with placings, which are often priced when they are announced, rights issues are a lengthier process and have to be approved, giving short-sellers normally hedge funds an opportunity to engineer a profit. Short-selling involves borrowing shares, selling them, buying them back hopefully at a lower price, before returning them to the lender for a profit. During rights issues, short-sellers can also exploit technical price differences by buying up the rights to the newly issued cheaper shares while shorting the shares. Guevoura, a Gibraltar-based hedge fund, has placed bets against all three companies in recent weeks the only short positions it has disclosed since last July. It disclosed a 30million short position in Whitbread on June 4, but closed it on Wednesday when the company, whose hotels have been shut during lockdown, completed its 1billion rights issue. It made a similar move with troubled Aston Martin in April and closed its short position on the day it completed its 356million rights issue in April. Guevoura could not be reached for comment. The 127million rights issue for Hyve, formerly known as ITE Group, whose events have been on hold during the crisis, completed on Friday. And another hedge fund, Londonbased LMR Partners, closed its short position in Hyve on Thursday, having only disclosed a bet against the shares at the start of the month. LMR has also shorted shares in Whitbread recently, according to data published by the Financial Conduct Authority. LMR did not respond for comment. The tactics have echoes of the financial crisis when short-sellers were vilified for attempting to drive down the share prices of companies such as HBOS to make a profit. Former business secretary Sir Vince Cable told The Mail on Sunday: 'It is a worrying commentary on our financial institutions, like hedge funds, that they discourage firms from raising risk capital rather than borrowing or running to the Government for help. 'We need a complete rethink of our systems of tax and regulation which are biased against long-term investment and equity and biased towards speculation and debt.' During the financial crisis in 2008, the then-City watchdog, the Financial Services Authority, introduced rules forcing hedge funds to disclose their short positions to give more transparency, but stopped short of banning short-selling. Since then, the FSA's successor the Financial Conduct Authority has introduced rules meaning all substantial short positions must be disclosed. Last month, the FCA issued guidance to investors, warning short-sellers about their conduct during a period where many companies are looking to raise funds. It said short-selling can act as a useful tool to 'liquidity and price discovery', but added: 'Where we have concerns that there are significant opportunities for abusive behaviour, our monitoring will increase in intensity accordingly.' The coronavirus infection that emerged in December 2019, has now spiralled out to infect over 77 lakh people across the world. On June 14, The US-based John Hopkins University confirmed that a total of 77,86,042 people have been infected with the virus while 4,30,128 have died. The United States of America tops the list with 20,74,526 while Brazil with 8,50,514 cases has now become the new hotspot. In the United States, 1,15,436 have died with New York bearing the maximum brunt of the COVID-19 infection. Meanwhile, Brazil, where the officials announced an agreement with a Chinese firm to mass-produce its coronavirus vaccine, has reported 8,50,514 cases. This data comes just a day after the World Health Organisation warned that the Americas were bearing the maximum brunt of the infection with over 38 lakh cases across the two continents. Read: India Leads Anti-misinformation Initiative At UN, Pushes For Fact-based Content On COVID-19 In Europe where counties are now reopening borders, Britain remains the most affected with 2,95,828 cases followed by Spain with 2,43,605 cases, Italy with 2,36,651 cases and France with 1,93,746 cases. Over 10,000 fatalities Other countries with over 10,000 deaths are the United Kingdom with 41,747 fatalities, Italy with 34,301 fatalities, France with 29,401 fatalities and Spain with 27,136 fatalities and Mexico with 16,872 fatalities. Meanwhile, India, which is rapidly moving towards normalization has now reported 3,08,993 cases and 9,195 fatalities. Read: Coronavirus Live Updates: India's Cases Cross 3-lakh Mark; Govt Expands COVID Symptoms Russia, which has announced partially reopening its border has reported 5,19,458 cases, making it to the third after US and Brazil. A total of 6,819 have died in Russia. This comes as New Zealand declared itself corona free last week. Read: Brazil Signs Agreement To Produce Chinese Coronavirus Vaccine, Trials To Begin July Read: Russia To Partially Reopen Its Borders As Country Eases Coronavirus Restrictions (Image credits: AP) Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 16:42:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Sin Kwok Lam, a Hong Kong businessman and a film producer, has opened a Youtube channel to condemn the rioters' violence and refute the opposition's groundless theories since October last year. After around seven months, he has more than 116,000 subscribers now. On the personal political channel, he also actively proposes suggestions to resolve social conflicts. Photo: Getty Up to 50% of online product reviews are fake according to industry experts. Five-star reviews which are highly sought after by sellers are often bought or written by family and friends. That is the verdict of Andrew Levi, founder of Capo Commerce, a company which helps firms boost their e-commerce presence with genuine reviews. Fraudsters use false reviews to influence consumers to buy sub-standard goods and services or even dodgy counterfeits. These firms will write reviews themselves or bribe others with cash payments for every positive review they post, according to a report in the Mail on Sunday. Nine out of 10 people admit reviews influence their buying habits and strong recommendations can boost trade by at least 25% said Levi. READ MORE: Matalan moves to sell off HQ This means phoney reviews are big business in the UK's 23bn ($29bn) a year online shopping marketplace. "Positive reviews to a seller are like gold dust. Buyers place a heavy weight on what is posted by other customers. Companies know that if they can manipulate these comments it will be good for business. As many as 50% of all reviews are now fraudulent," Levi told the Mail on Sunday. Online traders can buy fake reviews from 1 and websites such as BuyUSAservice and Social Media Badge Verification also advertise five star review services. This can cost up to 50 for 10 excellent reviews. This type of misleading practice is illegal under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and traders can be blacklisted if they are caught using fake reviews. Online shopping giant Amazon (AMZN) has pledged to fight fake reviews and in 2019 took legal action against companies selling four and five star reviews. But consumer watchdog Which? has called on the tech firm to "takes stronger action to ensure people can trust the information they see online and arent duped into buying poor quality products." READ MORE: Markets to focus on UK economy, BOE rate decision amid fear of second COVID wave Please take utmost care of my father to protect him from coronavirus, Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput (34) told house help Laxmi Devi, who works at the residence of his father, KK Singh, in Patna. It was a routine phonecall, giving little indication that it would be the last conversation that the father and son would have. On Sunday, just as he sat for lunch, KK Singh got another call from Mumbai, hoping it was from his son. It was a call from the Mumbai Police, informing him that Sushant had been found dead at his Bandra residence. A retired government servant, KK Singh lost his wife several years ago. Sushants father fell unconscious. He was distraught, as friends and neighbours tried to console him. He is in a state of shock, said a family member. Sushant spent his childhood in Patna, where he was a student at St Karens High School. A large number of people, including Digha BJP MLA Sanjiv Chorusia, gathered at KK Singhs house. It is a great loss. He was such a talented actor. He was a pride of Bihar. I will urge the Centre to conduct an inquiry into the circumstances leading to death, said Chaurasia. A family member said that Sushant had called three days ago. Hed spoken to his father and inquired about his health, and advised him not to go outdoors due to pandemic. Fans of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput gather outside his fathers residence in Patna. (PTI) Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput had shared his 50 dreams, wanted to teach women self-defence and send kids to study at NASA The actor was found dead at his sixth floor apartment in Bandra (West). While the police have confirmed that he has died by suicide, no note was found from his residence. Sushants team shared a message for his fans: It pains us to share that Sushant Singh Rajput is no longer with us. We request his fans to keep him in their thoughts and celebrate his life, and his work like they have done so far. We request media to help us maintain privacy at this moment of grief. Many celebs of social media have advocated speaking and communicating with friends, family or experts in case of mental distress. Follow @htshowbiz for more NSW Police handed out more than $1 million in fines amid the coronavirus pandemic in just over five weeks, with $50,000 in fines given to children, figures reveal. A summary of fines issued at the height of COVID-19 restrictions obtained by the Redfern Legal Centre via freedom of information laws show 1018 on-the-spot fines were issued by officers between March 26 and May 2. NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller. Credit:Rhett Wyman Six per cent of the fines 58 instances were issued to offenders under the age of 18. Samantha Lee, Redfern Legal Centre's head of police accountability practice, is calling for a review of all fines issued to children as the centre announces a free COVID-19 fines advice service. The Academy of Natural Sciences' "Ask the Scientists" series connect kids with biologists. The theme for Tuesday, June 16: My backyard. Read more School is out, but really, aside from not dragging your fifth grader into another Zoom math class, have things really changed? Were all still home, and some of us the adults still have to work, or look for work. Joy. Luckily, some of our favorite livestreams arent taking summer vacation either. Theyre teaching U.S. history about Flag Day and Juneteenth, and giving kids something to do outside thats not pelting each other with water balloons. (Thank you, Academy of Natural Sciences!) Theyre also keeping them moving and singing and generally jamming, Philly style, with Jams for Junior Jawns, and for those teens whose fingers are just itching to get themselves into art school one day offering virtual access to a bilingual manga class. Flag Day at the Betsy Ross House Recorded Sunday, and now on the Betsy Ross House Facebook (school age and up) At the Betsy Ross House, Flag Day is Christmas day. The wee Old City birthplace of the star-spangled banner pulled out all the stops Sunday online, this year with a trio of brief videos where an actor playing Ross tells the story of the flags creation and explains the evolution of its symbols. An actor playing Bishop Richard Allen, founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and Revolutionary War soldier, explains what the flag may have meant to him, a formerly enslaved African American man, in the late 18th century. Ask the Scientists 3-3:30 p.m. Tuesdays, register online at ansp.org/programs-and-events (ages 7-11) The Academy of Natural Sciences debuts its virtual classroom class-Zoom? this week, encouraging kids to get off their iPads and go outside right after class-Zoom, that is. For session number one, entomologist Tanya Dapkey and John Heinz park ranger Wingyi Kung will reveal the beauty of backyard bugs, birds, plants, deer, and such, then answer questions about them. Next Tuesday, June 23, botanist Jordan Teisher and entomologist Greg Cowper will demo how to turn outside finds into collections. On Tuesday, June 30, wetland ecologist Beth Watson and ichthyologist (fish scientist) Mariangeles Acre H. will talk about how a global pandemic could affect global biodiversity. Jams for Junior Jawns 10-10:25 a.m. Fridays, live (and then recorded) on Instagram @juniorjawns (ages 46) Songwriter and musician MBalia Singley wouldnt let a little thing like a global pandemic stop her work. With the Kimmel Center, schools, and such closed, shes turned her home into a stage, turned her original songs My Friends are Always in my Heart, Peace, Adios, I Love You into internet sensations, and made her Instagram the best spot for preschoolers to sing, sway, receive a birthday shoutout, and shake their sillies out all in less than a half hour. Bandmates Jimmy Coleman (drums) and Patrick Hughes (trumpet) plan to join in virtually in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Singleys 12-year-old, Adelia, has stepped up, wearing last years Halloween costume and appearing as Donut de la Sprinkles a rising star if ever there were one. Juneteenth Storytime 11 a.m.-noon Friday, register at mightywriters.org/mighty-writers-at-home (ages 5-8) In a year when in-person Juneteenth parades and festivals might have, at long last, drawn crowds, Mighty Writers South director Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow gives the all-American holiday its due with a thoughtful, interactive hour. Shell read from Floyd Coopers picture book, Juneteenth for Mazie, share songs and dances, and teach future kindergartners-through-rising third graders to compose freedom poetry. Manga Academy 1.0 Register through Friday at tallerpr.org/yap-manga-academy-1-0. Classes are 10 a.m.1 p.m. Wednesdays & Thursdays, June 24July 16 (ages 1522, free to members, $50 for new students to cover materials) Art classes at Taller Puertorriqueno have always been entirely based on the space, says Youth Artist Program (YAP) director Daniel de Jesus. For its students, the Fairhill arts and cultural center is also a nurturing hangout. So de Jesus has been researching how to make the digital space feel as homey as possible. Manga Academy 1.0, inspired by his teenage students love for Japanese comics, offers three hours twice a week of art history, meditation, instruction, a plan to publish finished work in an anthology and the materials to make it happen. Indian natural gas well with uncontrollable leak explodes 13 days after initial blowout, killing two The Oil India Limited (OIL) natural gas well in the state of Assam, India which suffered a blowout on May 27 has now exploded and erupted into flames. International experts arrived on June 8 to help plug the "uncontrollable" leak but the well exploded a day later on June 9. OIL said there was no immediate danger to locals, however the fire spread to local villages on June 10, killing two firefighters. Image: OIL (Twitter) The leak from the rig at the Baghjan oilfield, north east India, has so far forced the evacuation of around 2500 people and killed scores of fish, birds, and monkeys, as well as an endangered dolphin. In a statement, OIL explained how on May 27 at around 10:30, the well suddenly became very active while workover operations were underway. The statement added that there was no sign of fire, casualties or damage following the blowout, however gas continued to flow uncontrollably from the well for 13 days before the fire and explosion on June 9. A team of experts from Singapore-based Alert Disaster Control were not on the site when the well exploded but at OIL's offices, planning operations to plug the well. The Hindustan Times reports that the significant fire and explosion caused a large plume of black smoke which could be seen from several kilometres away. A spokesperson for OIL said that the reason for the leak catching fire is unknown. A fireman suffered a minor injury during the incident while no other injuries were reported. The spokesperson added that there was no immediate danger to locals, however a day later on June 10, two firefighters were found dead at a nearby pond where they are believed to have drowned after trying to escape the blaze which has begun to spread away from the site. According to newspaper The Indian Express, locals have reported being able to smell gas from several kilometres away while others have experienced a burning sensation in their eyes and respiratory issues. Around 2500 locals have been evacuated from the area and sent to three relief camps at local schools. OIL has stationed fire personnel at the well 24 hours a day to continuously provide a water jacket since the blowout happened. Air quality has also been monitored at regular intervals, OIL said. Several species of birds, fish, monkeys and snakes have been found dead, as well as an endangered species of dolphin. The rig is located next to the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park which is home to several endangered species of animals. In a statement, OIL said it is awaiting the observations and findings of the District Administration, Forest department, Pollution Control Board so that all necessary steps can be taken to protect the local environment. The Express adds that OIL has only recently come under scrutiny from environmentalists after the state-run company was given permission from the government to drill at seven different locations under the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park. More information... After a loved one dies, the next few months offer up a series of firsts, moments of adjusting to the reality that the rhythm of life has changed forever. Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and milestones are all reminders of the new absence in your life, and celebrations take on a bittersweet quality. For my daughter Molly, the list of big moments included her law school graduation, an event turned upside down not only by the coronavirus but by the death of her father 10 weeks earlier. Molly always described her dad as her sounding board, therapist, biggest fan and best friend. He was also her biggest cheerleader, doing everything from long-distance wake-up calls to expressing confidence she could take on anything and when Mike said it, you knew it was true. The path to law school was winding. After graduating from university, Molly worked driving tour boats and then at a local tourist destination for a few years as she pondered what to do next. She enjoyed her work but knew it didnt feel long-term, and she struggled to find the confidence to figure out where she wanted to go. Whenever I would stew aloud about when she might make up her mind, her father, with a quiet confidence, would reassure me that everything would work out and that she would discover her passion. When the decision became law school in California, it was her dad who took her there, helped her get an apartment set up and calmed her jitters. And when the chance to transfer to Harvard presented itself at the end of her first year, his was the loudest voice in her cheering section. Midway through Mollys second year, Mike was diagnosed with lung cancer. Without missing a beat, Molly adjusted, and somehow managed to arrange to come home more often, fitting study time in with doctors appointments and time with her dad, writing a final paper from the chemo suite. She was upbeat and fun just what the doctor ordered. Within weeks of starting her final semester this past January, it became apparent that Mike was dying, and the frequent trips now became weekly flights home. The week Mike died, Molly got on a plane to Boston on a Monday morning, only to get a call to come home. She arrived back in Toronto that night. Mike died on Thursday, and the great consolation was that everyone in the family had the chance to say goodbye. But when Molly returned home, no one had yet anticipated the degree to which COVID-19 would change things. Left behind in Cambridge, Mass., that Monday morning was an apartment she had to clear out, and a life to wrap up. She monitored travel restrictions and waited until she couldnt wait any longer. Then she took a deep breath and got on a plane to sort out her affairs. After quarantining in Cambridge for two weeks, she then had to quarantine here on her return, which meant her stripped-down online graduation was going to be even more bare-bones. No party, no extended family, not even a hug from her very proud mother. The banner I ordered online hadnt arrived and Id goofed on the balloon delivery time. It was shaping up to be a very subdued milestone. Graduation morning, her sister Charlotte and I stood at a distance as Molly placed her computer on the family room coffee table and we watched the virtual ceremony unfold. But just a few minutes before Mollys name scrolled across her computer screen, there was a knock at the front door. When I walked back into the room, I had a long white box in my arms. Molly looked at me, paused, and her eyes filled with tears. Mike was not one to talk about death, even after receiving a dire diagnosis. The only time he acknowledged his own mortality to me occurred a few weeks before he died, when he asked me to make sure our daughters always got flowers from him for the big moments in their lives. Nestled inside the box were a dozen roses and a card reading simply, Love always, Dad. When Mike became sick, I worried that Molly would abandon school and rush home to nurse her dad. I suspect that was an impulse she fought for the entire year after diagnosis. But the dynamic that father and daughter shared was very much a two-way street. He had cheered her on to get where she was, and her job was to make it to the finish line. It was hard to be away but she knew it was where her dad wanted her. She also knew her dads care was in her sister Charlottes capable hands, and so she ploughed ahead, homesick but determined. On graduation day, when we saw the words Margaret Babad, JD, appear on Mollys laptop, it was every bit as exciting as if we were at an in-person ceremony because the moment was overflowing with so much significance, so much emotion. We cheered, we cried we did everything but hug. After the ceremony, Molly informed me that every Monday morning for almost three years she had received the same text from her father. Hey, it would read, remember when you got into law school? One of the last times he had sent one, she had mentioned that she couldnt wait to have him see her graduate. Ill be the proudest dad, he replied. I already am. The roses on our mantel, now starting to drop their petals, stand as bittersweet proof. Catherine Mulroney is a Toronto author who works in communications for University of Torontos St. Michaels College Lalitha Ranjani By Express News Service MADURAI: They come under the category 'rare', and they consider the 'Bombay blood' that runs through their veins as a gift, for they could help save many a life. Discovered in 1952, the rare blood type HH blood type is commonly known as 'Bombay blood group' as it was first found in the people of Mumbai (previously Bombay). According to experts, one in four million across the world and one in 10,000 in India are born with the blood type. An individual belonging to Bombay blood group could donate blood to a person with ABO blood type but can receive blood only from a donor belonging to Bombay blood group. On the sidelines of World Blood Donors Day that falls on June 14, T Prakash (37), a resident of Melur and a teacher in a private school, said that he until six years ago, he thought that his blood group was O positive. "But in 2014, when I volunteered to donate blood to my friend's father-in-law who had to undergo bypass heart surgery in a private hospital, the hospital staff told me that my blood group was in fact the Bombay blood group," he said. Recalling his first blood donation experience, Prakash said, "I got a call from GRH seeking blood for a pregnant woman. When I was told the next day the woman and her child were in good heath, I felt elated since I got a 'rare' chance to save not just one but two lives." He said that the fear of blood loss did struck him once, but he claimed, he came out of it quickly. "Maybe it is this fear that stops a few others who belong to to the rare blood group from donating blood." Since then, he has donated blood six times at Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) and added that the blood of a Bombay blood group donor could be stored only for 45 days, requests for donation are made only during critical times, for immediate use. He also added that unlike other donors who are encouraged to donate once in three months, Bombay blood group donors are usually encouraged to donate blood once in five months. R Muthukumar (42), a sales executive, residing in Vadipatti said that he found out the rarity of his blood group accidentally, when he was 19 years. Speaking to TNIE, Muthukumar said that he has donated blood 12 times so far, of which, 7 or 8 times was at GRH itself. "Whenever a patient requires blood, I take leave from office and travel to Madurai city," he said. 100 Years Ago 1920: City Commissioner T. Woodward Trainer was back at his desk yesterday after a strenuous period spent in Chicago last week. He was a spectator of every happening at the Coliseum, and, as he humorously remarked, wore out several sets of lungs cheering for Gov. Sproul, during the balloting. This was unquestionably the most strenuous convention since that of 1880, when it took 36 ballots to nominate Garfield, said Mr. Trainer. 75 Years Ago 1945: Driving celebrities to places of interest in Germany can be a lot of fun, especially if its behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz, with an inch-and-a-half thick windshield, which belongs to one A. Hitler. Thats the duty of Pfc. Joseph J. Sullivan, of Beechwood. Sullivan, 19, recently drove members of the Bulgarian royal family on a tour of the Bavarian Alps in Der Fuehrers chariot. He wrote to his father that It has five speeds forward the last one flying! Joe holds the Purple Heart for wounds received in Germany while serving with the 100th Division of the Seventh Army. 50 Years Ago 1970: State Rep. Stanley R. Kester (R-160), of Chester Township, will draft a bill amending the state penal code that would prohibit the retail sale of soft drinks in glass, no deposit, no return bottles. Kester said today from his hometown that the bill which is similar to an ordinance tentatively adopted by Upland Council last week may bring a lot of opposition but were going to introduce it. 25 Years Ago 1995: Regarded by many as a living saint for her tireless work with the sick and poverty-stricken around the world, Mother Teresa is scheduled to make brief stops in Chester Saturday evening as part of her current United States tour. She will visit the Gift of Mary AIDS Hospice, which is run by her order, the Missionaries of Charity sisters, then attend the 5 p.m. Mass at Blessed Katharine Drexel Roman Catholic Church, 20th and Providence avenues. 10 Years Ago 2010: In the face of continued criticism, Eddystone Council approved the first step of an indoor scrap metal shredding facility locating in the former Foamex plant along the Delaware River. Councilman Bob Howat made the motion to approve the development application, saying he was dismayed by the lack of respect council received from residents opposed to the plant. A life-long resident, he recounted looking at Baldwin Locomotive, running near round the clock, from his back door. He noted neither he nor his family were sickened by the various industries once operating in the borough. COLIN AINSWORTH For a person infected with Covid-19, the debilitating disease also brings with it an unbearable feeling of isolation. A Delhi hospital is helping its coronavirus patients in not only fighting the disease but also the accompanying loneliness with phone calls and a bit of chit-chat. At the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH) here, doctors and nurses regularly interact with patients, making sure they dont lost touch with life in the time of social distancing and quarantined existence. We call this project reaching out to the unreached and it started about one-and-a-half months ago. The idea was to help the patients deal with isolation while under treatment and also get feedback from them to improve our patient care system, Director, RGSSH, Dr B L Sherwal told PTI on Sunday. RGSSH in east Delhi, with 500 beds, has been treating pandemic-affected patients since the outbreak in Delhi in March and has been a Covid-19 dedicated facility from the very beginning. The facility only admits serious coronavirus patients. As part of this initiative, a team of doctors and nurses regularly calls patients in isolation wards to check on them and enquire about their general well-being. I also talk to many of them, by going in the wards or ICU, or on phone, and they also share their stories with us, Sherwal said. The senior doctor says a phone call may appear to be very innocuous, but in many cases patients lose hope not because of the disease that has weakened their bodies but the terrible sense of loneliness that comes with staying in isolation. Once I spoke to an old man and he told us he had no one to go to in Delhi, and requested that we allow him to stay a bit longer after treatment. We managed an arrangement for him in the non-Covid area for some time to help him. Loneliness also kills, you see, Sherwal said, recalling his interaction with patients. The doctor in charge of the hospitals grievance redressal system calls patients to ask about their well-being and to hear out their complains. She gives me a list of the people she has called in a day and the complaints received, maybe on medicine not given on time, or about food or anything else, and that helps us improve our patient care system at RGSSH, the director said. Asked what motivated them to come up with the system, Sherwal said the genesis of this was the social media posts being made during the Tablighi Jamaat episode, when a large number of its members were brought to the facility from the Nizamuddin area where a religious congregation had taken place. A normal person behaves in a different manner during isolation, and thats what we understood. Many social media videos had been put up during that time showing the wards. We took it up in two ways, as an impulse to go for course correction if any gaps are found in our system, and also to counter the allegations made in the videos, he said. So the improvement of patient care system began and soon the facility will discharge its 1000th patient after successful recovery from Covid-19, Sherwal added. A 65-year-old American woman who was diagnosed with Covid-19 was discharged from RGSSH three days ago after successfully recovering from coronavirus infection. Thank you everyone from the bottom of my heart and everyone at Rajiv Gandhi hospital for the amazing service. Your expertise and techniques saved my life. Thank you all of you for your generosity, she said. Sherwal said while many foreign nationals were brought to RGSSH after the Tablighi congregation, this woman was the first American national to be treated at the hospital. Delhi recorded 2,134 fresh coronavirus cases on Saturday, the second highest single-day spike here taking the Covid-19 tally in the city to cross the 38,000-mark, and the death toll due to the disease climbed to 1,271, authorities said. As many as 14,945 patients have recovered, been discharged or migrated so far, while there are 22,742 active cases, according to the Delhi health department. Sherwal said besides face-to-face and telephonic conversations with patients, the hospital has also formed a May I Help You team. The uniforms of doctors and nurses who are part of this team carry the logo of May I Help You on both sides, so patients can recognise them from a distance and tell them their problems, he said. A patient-doctor relationship is very different. Though in the initial days doctors and nurses were scared to go near patients, now they are all helping them recover, Sherwal said. Perhaps because unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures, he said. You would think people wanting change would be more focused on introducing new statutes than taking out old statues. Doug Walker, Baulkham Hills The PM has apologised for his ''no slavery'' remark (''PM vows action but 'history war' panned'', June 13-14). But before we all move on, consider that up until a few days ago, our PM was unaware that this was experienced by Aboriginal people in Australia in the relatively recent past. Im sure he is genuine about closing the gap but those policies must be informed by a real understanding of the legacy of deprivation, hurt and anger. It is still possible that the emotional charge behind the Black Lives Matter protests still eludes our pollies. Well intentioned though governments may be, they must also come to grips with the mounting fire in the belly among Aboriginal Australians and the groundswell of support among White Australia. Otherwise, we will continue to paddle in the shallows over our national response to the Uluru statement. Margaret Johnston, Paddington The Prime Minister uses the pejorative term history wars which immediately divides the community into them and us. This is not leadership; history is not a war nor is it a moral judgment. Yes, we can have spirited discussions about interpretations of history, but lets first accept facts. Fact: James Cook landed in what he christened Botany Bay in April 1770. Fact: before he landed, James Cook shot Cooman, a local man who was part of a small group resisting this unauthorised landing. Fact: Cooks party then collected Coomans shield and it now resides in the British Museum. Let's accept facts and then we are being honest about our history. The PM should approach PM Boris Johnson and tell him we want the shield back; it can then be installed in the new monument slated for Kurnell, so the whole story instead of just one side of it, is told. Michael McMullan, Five Dock It was in sixth class social studies in 1958 that I first learnt of the practice of blackbirding. It was clearly seen as a historical evil. However, it was distinguished as differing from the American model in that it was not chattel slavery - hows that as a concept for an 11-year-old? Perhaps it was this that Scott Morrison had in mind. Patrick Jordan, Campbelltown New Australian citizens have to complete a test regarding Australia before being granted citizenship. Perhaps a Prime Minister-elect should complete a history test about Australia before being sworn in as PM. Peng Ee, Castle Cove Don't expect the PM to engage in a meaningful way with issues of racial and social injustice any time soon (Letters, June 13-14). His neat separation of the population into "quiet Australians" (good) and "noise-makers" (bad) conveniently abrogates the need for him to listen to anyone. Meredith Williams, Northmead One million questions remain I've been thinking about those 7 million people who are going to live in Sydney by 2041 and what they'll do for water, and how many tolls they're going to have to pay just to be able to get around, and whether they'll live happy lives, and I worry about them, I do. I've also been thinking, why (''1 million new homes needed in Sydney'', June 14)? Kel Cowling, North Sydney The minister should perhaps tune in to some random peak-hour traffic reports before she settles on one million new homes. Peter Mahoney, Oatley Does the strategy include planning for green spaces to support the health and well-being of urban dwellers? Will the government ensure the new buildings will be built well free of fire hazards, waterproofed against deluges and leaking pipes and strong enough to resist subsidence? Will the dwellings be built according to a green code, with solar panels, battery storage and recycled grey water facilities? Sydney doesnt want a ready-made slum strategy. Carolyn van Langenberg, Blackheath Welcome to the sisterhood I feel compelled to respond to name withheld (Letters, June 13-14). I am sorry you felt you had to withhold your name, I am even more sorry, so sorry, that you have been met with rejection by friends and family who do not understand you are a woman. I'm pleased you have eventually found safety. As a middle-aged feminist, I needed to educate myself about trans women, and I am proud to say my teenage daughter (young people get gender so much better than we did) helped to explain it to me. It is sad that a young man, Daniel Radcliffe, gets it when a woman like J K Rowling doesnt, but I guess its a generational thing. Please know I see you, I hear you and you are welcome to the sisterhood. Dont ever accept the ignorant who tell you that you do not belong. We all belong. You have many friends whom you have not yet met, people who are far more interesting than an author who cobbled together other peoples ideas. I truly hope that one day we will all just be accepted as humans. The younger generations who follow show every sign that we are on the right path. Eva Elbourne, Pennant Hills ''Name withheld'': two simple words but they shout both the letter writer's ongoing pain and our failure to embrace gender in all its forms. Others will stand on your courageous shoulders. Keep well. Judith Fleming, Sawtell Ultimately it is the brain and an individual's perception of one's self that exists as the foundation of gender identity. Consciousness is as complex as the universe is far reaching. In an ecosystem, diversity equates to richness in life and from the human psyche comes a global community rich in diversity. Lets celebrate not criticise such a diversity that comes from the ability to express one's self freely and honestly. Steve Dillon, Thirroul What a sad indictment on our society that a correspondent writes that ''people who walk past me wouldn't guess my trans status this keeps me safe''. Ignorance should not be a factor in safety. It should be ''people who walk past don't care about my sexuality because it's none of their business''. Peter Butler, Wyongah Parra matters Couldnt agree more with Elizabeth Farrelly (''Parramatta could be a real jewel but we trash its treasures'', June 13-14). The community is suffering total annihilation of all our treasured places and loss of our sense of place as the cradle city . The community knows what they want but are being drowned out by business chambers and those that feel we should shut up and be grateful we are getting anything. We want Parramatta to shine on the international stage, not from towers of metal and glass reflections, but instead to proudly host the narratives of our premier state with a Museum of NSW in a 30ha botanic heritage site. This will deliver more and cost less than whats being proposed. Come on, Premier I urge you to be visionary. Suzette Meade, Toongabbie Russian roulette Dave Sharma makes the tendentious argument that to manage the rise of China, the G7 needs to bring in Russia (Hard-to-stomach Russian revival holds key to taming China, June 13-14). In the process, he underplays or ignores the fact that Russia is a highly authoritarian state, has permanently usurped Ukrainian territory, shot down a civilian plane that killed 298 people and is intent on undermining parliamentary democracies and supporting ultra-right political parties globally. And yet Sharma wants to make Russia a key ally bizarre. Alan Morris, Eastlakes Sharma's analogy of the West's relationship with the Soviet Union and today's relationship with China is false. Russia today is a corrupt oligarchy, a dangerously unpredictable bedfellow. China, despite its inevitable global ambitions, is one of our principle trading partners without whom our economy would diminish together with our material well-being and living standards. Surely our strategic and diplomatic aim must be to strengthen our trading relationship with China without compromising our social and political values. Given China's ever-increasing economic power, attempting to isolate it, as Sharma suggests, is a dangerously misguided policy. Peter Thomas, Rose Bay Minister bookended My heart goes out to Ken Wyatt (''Indigenous pathfinder treads a fine line'', June 13-14). He has already had to retreat from his promise of a referendum on Indigenous constitutional recognition in this term of Parliament and he is caught between the conservatives who oppose meaningful action on the legitimate grievances of the First Australians and the radicals who demand too much. He should pledge that all the recommendations of the royal commission into Indigenous deaths in custody will be implemented in one year and establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to bring home to all Australians the terrible way the First Nations people have been treated since the invasion. Andrew Macintosh, Cromer Soloist struggle Saturday afternoon NRL: Souths v Gold Coast. Seven tries scored, seven bunker referrals, at least five of which were, in my view, unnecessary. This one-referee plan is working out really well, isnt it, Peter Vlandys? Brian Pymont, Frenchs Forest Products of their time Where will all this ''cultural cleansing'' end (''Don't mention the furore: Cleese lets loose'', June 13-14)? After bans on Gone with the Wind, Fawlty Towers and other cultural icons, whats next? Perhaps all the early James Bond movies should also be wiped from history. Honor Blackmans role as Pussy Galore in Goldfinger (and Bonds rejoinder when first introduced) would surely offend not just feminists but many women when viewed today. These movies would not be made the same way today. But is it right to apply todays standards to cinematographic works made up to 80 years ago and in very different times? One would hope not. Tony de Govrik, Cammeray United Nations: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has raised the Kashmir issue with almost every world leader he has held talks with on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, but his efforts to internationalise the dispute with India appeared to have gained no traction. Sharif raised the issue with the leaders of the US, the UK, Japan and Turkey and sought their intervention to resolve the matter. He met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan here yesterday. PM Sharif briefed Japanese PM about the grave turn that the situation in occupied Kashmir is taking. Reminded him about UNSC resolutions, Pakistans envoy to the UN Maleeha Lodhi tweeted. PM Nawaz Sharif also apprised his Japanese counterpart of the human rights violations being committed by Indian occupation forces in Kashmir, Lodhi said in another tweet. Erdogan and Sharif agreed that OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) Commission on Human Rights should send a fact-finding mission to Kashmir, Lodhi said. On Monday, Sharif held bilateral talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry and UK Prime Minister Theresa May. According to a readout of his meeting with Kerry by the Pakistan mission, Sharif told him that more than 107 people have been assassinated in Kashmir, thousands injured and worst human rights violations are being committed at the state level. I still remember President (Bill) Clintons promise that US will play its role to help out in resolving bilateral disputes and issues between Pakistan and India, Sharif said, according to the release. I expect US Administration and Secretary Kerry to use his good offices to help in resolving bilateral issues between Pakistan and India, he added. In his meeting with May, Sharif urged her to play her role in convincing India to stop the use of force against the people in the region. He said Pakistans support for Kashmiri people in their legitimate struggle for self determination and its commitment to the Kashmir cause are non-negotiable. However, Sharifs repeated calls to the UN to help resolve the Kashmir dispute appeared to be gaining no traction as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made no reference to Kashmir in his final speech to the UNGA as the UN chief. At the opening session of the General Debate yesterday, Ban touched upon a cross-section of global issues including the Syrian crisis, the Palestinian issue, the refugee and migrant movements and tension in the Korean Peninsula. Kashmir will be the focal point of Sharifs address to the UN General Assembly. Tension have heightened between India and Pakistan in the wake of the attack by heavily-armed militants, suspected to be from Pakistan, on an army base in Uri in which 18 jawans died. Ban has repeatedly said his good offices are available to help resolve the Kashmir dispute only if both India and Pakistan request for it, a clear indication that the issue is bilateral and should be solved by the two countries only. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Veteran actor Surendra Rajan, who is best known for her role in Munnabhai MBBS, has been stranded in Mumbai ever since the lockdown as he had come to the city to film a web-series. The actor has now received aid from Sonu Sood, who has been helping stranded people in Mumbai to reach their respective homes. Talking to DNA, the veteran actor said, "Sonu Soods work is amazing and I am surprised that a man is working like this. One cannot do this unless he has a tremendous will to help people from within. He is doing extraordinary work and people like Sonu Sood are rare." The actor also said that even though he is in touch with Sanjay Dutt, who has been like a son to him, he did not want to ask him for aid. Rajan said that he received Rs 45,000 from a disciple for three months and he has been getting help from institutions who provided him with ration. Sonu Sood, last sent 200 idli vendors home to Tamil Nadu, among many others. The actor recently launched a toll free number - 18001213711 - through which one can reach out to his team for help. "I was getting a lot of calls... thousands of calls everyday. My family and friends were busy collecting the data then we realised we might miss out on a lot of people who we will not be able to approach us. So we decided to open this call centre, it is a toll free number," Sood told PTI. Follow @News18Movies for more How do we sustain the infrastructure to make the kind of highly professional theater that we have come to revere without pushing the actual artists to the fringes of that ecology? How can we reimagine the American theater to acknowledge who our first responders are: actors, directors, playwrights, designers, composers, musicians, in all their plurality and diversity? Should we be asking our artists in this pandemic to make home videos that extol our work when we took them off the payroll the moment the pandemic hit? Clyde Fitch Report Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 01:33:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi authorities on Saturday decided to implement a former decision of partially lifting the nationwide curfew starting from Sunday. A statement by Iraqi Health Ministry said that "the curfew will be lifted from 5:00 a.m. (0200 GMT) to 6:00 p.m. (1500 GMT)." The authorities adopted other restrictions, including wearing masks and preventing religious and social gatherings, the statement quoted Hazim al-Jumaili, the deputy health minister, as saying. He confirmed that there would be fines and severe penalties against those who violate the health instructions, especially gatherings, asserting that such legal procedures will include Baghdad and other Iraqi provinces, according to the statement. The new restriction measures came as the Health Ministry said in a separate statement that the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country increased to 18,950 after a record of 1,180 daily infections were added. The new cases included 497 in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, 138 in Wasit, 102 in Maysan, 82 in Sulaimaniyah, 68 in Dhi Qar, 49 in Najaf, 47 in Kirkuk, 43 in Karbala, 39 in Diyala, 38 in Basra, 24 in Diwaniyah, 20 in Erbil, 16 in Salahudin, 14 in Duhok and three in Nineveh, the ministry said in a statement. It said that 53 more people died from the coronavirus during the day, bringing the death toll to 549, while 7,515 patients have recovered. The new cases were recorded after 10,325 test kits were used across the country during the past 24 hours, and a total of 359,950 tests have been conducted since the outbreak of the disease, the statement added. On June 6, the Higher Committee for Health and National Safety, headed by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, took several measures including the continuation of the full curfew until June 13, and then replacing it with a partial curfew starting on June 14. The committee also announced that it will prevent the movement between provinces, except for the health, security and public service personnel, and ordered security forces to tighten the control of the implementation of health restrictions. China has been helping Iraq fight the COVID-19 pandemic. From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad. Since March 7, China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq. Enditem SHELTON Planning and Zoning commissioners are seeking more detailed plans before allowing a developer to turn empty land along Bridgeport Avenue into a commercial nursery. The developer, 153 Bridgeport Avenue LLC, has submitted plans to build a 960-square-foot building and a half dozen 27-foot-wide, three-sided storage bins for landscaping materials including mulch at 153 Bridgeport Ave. The business, to be named Nancys Tree Planting Inc., would also include outside storage of plants and equipment. At present, the developer uses the vacant site on a seasonal basis, with permits to store equipment and store and dispense mulch. The property abuts the Sunoco station with a building that houses The Greeks eatery and a U.S. Postal Service operation. Planning and Zoning consultant Anthony Panico told commissioners during the P&Z meeting held Wednesday in the City Hall auditorium and livestreamed on the citys website that he would need more detailed plans before backing any site plan approval. Commissioners echoed Panicos sentiment and voted to table the application to a future date, yet to be determined. The site plan application did not require a public hearing. A variety of things need a lot more detail before I would be able to fully understand what they are proposing to do, said Panico. Panico said the developer is applying for a use under the regulations that envisions a traditional nursery. What they have here is storage bins for sale of materials that is dominating the site. Panico asked the developer to provide a specific planting and landscaping plan showing where outdoor plant storage would be on the site and for comments from the state Department of Transportation on the proposed drainage plan. Panico and commissioners said they were most concerned about the size and location of the storage bins. What are they going to be made of? asked Panico. And why are they so big? Twenty-seven feet wide is very large not normally what I would expect to see. Commissioner Ruth Parkins concurred with Panico. I would like to know the material of the storage bins. Are they going to be concrete jersey barriers? Why do they need to be so large, and how will they be kept in a neat fashion? asked Parkins. Parkins said years ago a similar business let its property become quite distasteful. The developer has proposed nine parking spaces for the site. There would also be a loading zone in front of the large storage bins for vehicles to get the landscape materials. brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com Families that lost their homes in the Grenfell Tower blaze are still waiting for permanent housing three years after the tragedy. More than 200 homes were lost in the blaze on 14 June 2017 that killed 72 in the West London tower and the walk beneath it. In the aftermath, hundreds of people who were left homeless due to the inferno, including many children, were placed in bed and breakfast hotels and temporary flats while they waited for permanent housing. Now figures from Kensington and Chelsea Council show that there are still seven households living in temporary accommodation. There are also said to be around 10 households who used to live in the tower who have since requested to be moved again as they were placed into permanent that was unsuitable. Around half of these requests have been successful, with the others either unsuccessful or still pending, according to the North Kensington Law Centres (NKLC). Spike Western, housing paralegal at North Kensington Law Centre, told The Independent the delays stemmed from a failure by successive governments to provide adequate social housing. The households who have still to be rehoused permanently following Grenfell are the most vulnerable survivors. They represent either those with particular housing needs, such as those arising from a disability, or those on whom moving permanently is something that cannot be rushed and must only be done when the survivor is ready, he said. The damage has been done, and that is severe lack of investment in social and affordable housing over a long period, meaning there arent a whole lot of suitable options." Mr Western added: We must remember that those affected by Grenfell are still awaiting justice, which has only been further delayed by the postponement of the inquiry due to Covid-19. A spokesperson for Kensington and Chelsea Council said five of the seven households still waiting to be permanently re-housed had accepted a permanent home but not yet moved in, and that the council was continuing to support the remaining two households to find a home to settle in. They said the council had been working with households at their own pace to allow them to find a new home that suits them rather than working towards artificial deadlines. A government spokesperson said: The Grenfell Tower fire was a devastating tragedy and we will ensure everyone affected continues to receive the support they need with over 158m committed to supporting the community so far, including with rehousing costs. We are committed to ensuring people have a safe, secure, affordable place to live since 2010 we have delivered over 464,500 new affordable homes, including homes for social rent and are bringing forward the biggest cash investment in affordable housing for a decade with 12bn from next year until 2026. It comes amid widespread concerns that the government has failed to act on warnings about dangerous cladding which still covers thousands of tower blocks across the UK. Last summer, the then-housing secretary James Brokenshire said he expected all Grenfell-style aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding would be removed by June 2020. Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Show all 18 1 /18 Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Kitchen in flat 16 where the fire started Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began The kitchen from flat 16 ReutersGrenfell Tower Inquiry/Reuters Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began The kitchen from flat 16 PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Hallway in flat 16, leading to the kitchen where the fire started Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began The kitchen from flat 16 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began The kitchen from flat 16 PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Bedroom in flat 16 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Living room in flat 16 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Toilet in flat 16 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Living room in flat 16 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Bedroom 2 of flat 16 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/Reuters Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Bedroom in flat 16 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Bedroom 2 of flat 16 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/Reuters Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began The kitchen from flat 16 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Kitchen in flat 16 where the fire started Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Door to flat 16 from the lobby on floor 4 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Living room in flat 16 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Hallway in flat 16 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA However, the latest figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) show there are still at least 300 high-rise residential and publicly owned buildings with ACM cladding in England yet to be remedied. It is estimated around 1,700 more buildings have some other form of dangerous cladding, such as timber or High Pressure Laminate. The second phase of the Grenfell inquiry, which was halted on 16 March by chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick due to coronavirus, is set to resume on 6 July, although with a limited number of people in the room. Passengers wait to disembark the plane on their arrival at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, on April 23, 2020. Chandan Khanna | AFP | Getty Images As the U.S. economy makes further progress in recovering from the harsh blow of the coronavirus pandemic, certain industries are showing signs of recovery. Home purchases are up compared to last year, reservations are increasing at restaurants and hotel occupancy rates are on the rise. Even the battered air travel industry has seen some slight growth in passengers, indicating that the worst might be over for the U.S. economy. These five charts illustrate this progress as the economy recovers from one of the most significant downturns in history. Direction requests Requests for transit directions have crept up further and are at almost half of their previous levels prior to the pandemic, according to the latest data from navigation app Apple Maps. This boost follows New York City entering into phase one of reopening this week, allowing many residents to return to work. This week also saw a dip in walking directions as people may be traveling further and relying more on driving and public transportation. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Restaurant bookings Restaurant bookings have continued their steady ascent as more states have loosened restrictions on indoor dining and raised customer capacity limits. Even cities like San Francisco that only allow outdoor dining have enabled restaurants to expand dining spaces onto streets and sidewalks. With this easing of restrictions, restaurant bookings are down around 70% from last year, according to data from online reservation service OpenTable network. The increase comes ahead of the summer season during which restaurants typically add jobs. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Hotel occupancy More people are willing to travel as coronavirus restrictions have been lifted across the country. Hotel occupancy rates are now just under 40%, according to data from global hospitality research company STR. The highest occupancy levels were reported in parts of New York City as well as popular destinations in Florida, Texas and South Carolina, according to STR. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Air travel The number of passengers traveling through airport checkpoints is down about 80% compared to last year, according to data from the Transportation Security Administration. Though there have been increases in passengers, it still seems like travelers may be wary of being exposed to the virus on a plane and that the airline industry still faces significant challenges ahead. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Home purchases Mortgage applications for buying single-family homes are up 13% compared to the same week last year, according to the latest data from the Mortgage Bankers Association. The increase in home purchases could signal that the housing market is on one of the fastest roads to recovery amid reopening progress. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Photo: Correctional Service of Canada James Lee Busch, left, and Zachary Armitage Two inmates who escaped William Head prison almost a year ago have been charged in the killing of a Metchosin man. James Lee Busch and Zachary Armitage have each been charged with one count of first-degree murder in connection with the death of Martin Payne, West Shore RCMP and the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit said in a statement. Busch, then 42, and Armitage, 30, escaped from William Head on July 7, 2019. They were recaptured the evening of July 9 in Esquimalt by an off-duty RCMP officer. On July 12, West Shore RCMP were sent to check on the well-being of Martin Payne, 60, in at his Brookview Drive home in Metchosin. Payne was found deceased inside his residence. The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit was called to investigate. The 11-month investigation has involved several police agencies. Chief Superintendent Sean Sullivan thanked them. "Our condolences go out to Martin Paynes family and friends," said Insp. Todd Preston, officer in charge of the West Shore RCMP. "We know that this has been a very difficult time for the community and citizens of the West Shore and in particular, Metchosin. We want to thank the citizens for their patience in the investigative process." Paynes family thanked everyone for their support and asked for privacy as they continue to grieve. Marty was deeply loved by his tight circle of friends and family and we have continued to mourn his senseless loss every day for the past 11 months, the family said in a statement. The man who was taken from us was an exceptionally gentle and caring human being whose love, support, and encouragement were unfailing, the statement said. We are completely devastated and have been relying heavily on one another throughout this horrifying ordeal. THE STORMONT Executive wants to have all aspects of Northern Ireland's economy up and running again - including hairdressers and gyms - by July 20 at the very latest. With a significant and consistent drop in deaths and new infection rates from coronavirus, attention has now turned to restarting our decimated business and retail sectors. Ministers are under pressure to bring forward plans to ease lockdown by reopening cafes and restaurants on June 29 with strict social distancing measures in place. Hairdressers and gyms will likely follow within three weeks, with a provisional July 20 date to match that of the reopening of hotels being discussed - but it could be earlier. Read More Wider social bubbles allowing a greater number of households physical contact should also be introduced by then. Yesterday saw people who live alone in Northern Ireland allowed to interact with another household for the first time in 12 weeks, with some grandparents finally able to hug their grandchildren. Expand Close Toy Story screening at the drive-in cinema at Titanic. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Toy Story screening at the drive-in cinema at Titanic. Movie lovers later flocked to the Titanic Quarter in Belfast for outdoor screenings of films including Toy Story with all proceeds donated to Covid-19 research. Expand Close Watching Toy Story are (L-R) Kevin, Martha and Clare McAteer. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Watching Toy Story are (L-R) Kevin, Martha and Clare McAteer. Indoor workplaces are also set to reopen by July 20, with staff being able to return in larger numbers should, as expected, the two-metre social distancing guideline be reduced to one metre. An Executive source told Sunday Life: "The plan is to have the economy brought back to life by July 20 at the very latest, that's the date we are working towards. "There should be an announcement later in the week in regards to this and the easing of other lockdown measures." Assembly insiders admit Northern Ireland's recovery plan will mirror that of the Irish Government where set dates have been announced for each stage. In the Republic the reopening of hotels, restaurants and bars which serve food and provide table service will happen on June 29. Hairdressers there are also expected to get the go-ahead to reopen on the same date. "We've been consistent about this any time we've been asked," added our insider. "We will look at indicative dates again this week and make decisions. Read More "If there is a pub, restaurant or hairdressers open in Dundalk, it would be foolish to have the same businesses closed in Newry. Our steps out of lockdown will match the south." The accelerated easing of Covid-19 restrictions in Northern Ireland has been made possible because of the fall in infection and death rates. There were another two deaths here yesterday, but crucially just three new positive test results. The recorded death toll now stands at 541 with 4,841 recorded Covid-19 cases. However, figures provided by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency paint a bleaker picture. By June 5 fatalities where the virus is mentioned on a death certificate were 779, although the weekly average has been falling since the end of April. The R number which measures the rate of infection is currently between 0.5 and 0.9, meaning that every person with the virus infects less than one other. The early lifting of some aspects of lockdown has been possible because this value has stayed below 1, but any increase over that may result in restrictions being reintroduced. As Northern Ireland takes tentative steps towards recovery, gym owners are the latest to add their voices to demands for the Executive to provide firm dates for reopening. Ex-world champion boxer Brian Magee, who owns Magee Health and Fitness, told Sunday Life how he has not taken a penny in income since his business was forced to close in March. He said: "We need to be given a reopening date to work towards because at the minute we are in complete limbo. "I've had no income for three months. I actually cancelled a lot of our members' direct debits when lockdown first came in because I didn't want them paying for a service they weren't getting. "We've been running online and outdoor classes, but it's not the same," added Belfast-based Brian. Danny Glenn, who owns Uturn Fitness in Derry, is in complete agreement. Expand Close Danny Glenn / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Danny Glenn At the beginning of lockdown he loaned out more than 10,000 of gym equipment to clients to make sure they could stay in shape while his business was closed. Danny has been trying to compensate with outdoor classes, but these are heavily dependent on the weather. "We need the government to tell us when we can reopen, it's not a big ask, and it would be a huge boost to gyms across the country," he said. When gyms do reopen, they will be subjected to strict social distancing and hygiene guidelines - something that will put a huge dent in their finances. Cleaning contractor costs have doubled as has the price of simple everyday items like blue roll. Sources at Belfast City Council, which operates 14 leisure centres, explained how more than 300,000 will be spent on personal protection equipment for staff. They estimate that the closure of all of Northern Ireland's leisure centres is costing councils in the region of 1m per week in lost revenue. One insider said: "Before coronavirus, a seven-litre refillable container of sanitiser cost 17, now it costs 54. That's one example of the 300% price increases we are having to budget for." Sunday Life understands that nine of Belfast's 14 leisure centre gyms are scheduled to reopen in mid July, with four outdoor pitches at Whiterock, Ballysillan, Grove and Girdwood also set to welcome the public again. Loughside and Belvoir, where social distancing is harder to achieve, will remain closed. But in other council areas it is more likely to be well into August before leisure centres reopen. Belfast City Council sources say this will have an impact on staff levels, with several remaining on furlough because there is no work for them. One explained: "When the leisure centres do reopen there will be no receptionists and because swimming pools are closed for the foreseeable future, lifeguards will stay on furlough. "Changing rooms will also be closed meaning anyone using the centres will have to get changed and showered at home. "The bottom line is we have to reopen leisure centres soon; if we don't we are looking at permanent closures." cbarnes@sundaylife.co.uk There are more ways than one for Scott Morrison still to stuff up the virus crisis. And in seeking to avoid such a calamity hed do well to remember a rule followed by all successful leaders: dont believe your own bulldust. Its become increasingly clear that Morrisons handling of the corona crisis has benefited greatly from his disastrous handling of the bushfires. Obviously, he resolved not to make the same mistakes twice and he hasnt. Scott Morrison has done a great job in shielding Australia from the impacts of the coronavirus, but now comes the hard part. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen He was too slow to appreciate the magnitude of the political, environmental and human consequences of the fires. And by the time he did, it was too late. But when the medicos gave him the classic Treasury advice to "go early, go hard", he took it. When youre dealing with "exponential" growth, starting a week or two earlier than you might have can make all the difference. And it has. Morrisons entitled to be terribly proud of our success in suppressing the virus, which compares well against all the big advanced economies. Kyrgyzstan added on Sunday 78 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number of infections to 2285, Trend reports citing Kabar. The republican headquarters on coronavirus infection said that among the newly infected 9 are medical workers, bringing the total number of contracted medical workers to 438, including 341 recoveries. Of the new confirmed cases, 39 cases (50%) were identified among the contact persons, 35 are unknown sources (45 %) and 4 are imported cases (5%), the report said. Public services in Ho Chi Minh City are set to adopt cashless transactions this year, said the citys vice-chairman Tran Vinh Tuyen at a Tuoi Tre-hosted event on Friday. The municipal leader was speaking at a seminar on building a cashless society on the occasion of the forthcoming Cashless Day 2020 on Tuesday, June 16. The event was organized by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper in coordination with the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), the Vietnam E-commerce Association, and the National Payment Corporation of Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday. Vice-chairman Tuyen said the city is on course to build a smart city whose main priority is to develop a cashless society. Cashless payment among patients and students has produced satisfactory outcomes so far, according to the official. He said students at a staggering 80 percent of city schools no longer pay their tuition fees in cash since 400 public schools have started collecting tuition via bank transfer. Meanwhile, half of the citys healthcare services have allowed patients to pay fees the cashless way. For example, Cho Ray, the largest general hospital in southern Vietnam, and the Ho Chi Minh City Childrens Hospital have adopted electronic payments. However, according to Tuyen, many public facilities have not yet gone cashless. He pledged that the municipal government would team up with relevant stakeholders to fast-track cashless payment among public services this year. The city leader urged the SBV the countrys central bank to provide a regulatory framework that enables local banks to offer non-cash transaction services. Ho Chi Minh City vice-chairman Tran Vinh Tuyen (right) attends a seminar on cashless payment in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, June 12, 2020. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre Central bank vows to fine-tune legal framework SBV vice-governor Nguyen Kim Anh said the legal framework for electronic payment is being amended to fall in line with payment activities, especially the adoption of new technologies that aim to encourage non-cash transactions. Anh revealed the SBV had recently submitted to the central government a draft decision piloting mobile money, which allows the use of a mobile account balance for small-value payments. He said Vietnams interbank e-payments rose 27.3 percent in total transactions and 20.3 percent in their value in 2016-19. The e-payment ecosystem has become widely available in the Southeast Asian country and been connected to various sectors, enabling customers to make online payments for electricity and water bills, shop on e-commerce platforms, as well as pay taxes and some public service fees. The central bank intends to boost card payment, facilitate the switch to chip cards from magnetic-stripe ones, and make it easier for other industries to participate in the cashless ecosystem in order to diversify payment services. Nguyen Kim Anh, vice-governor of the State Bank of Vietnam, delivers a speech at a seminar on cashless payment in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, June 12, 2020. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre Online tax payment on the rise As of late 2019, a whopping 99 percent of active businesses had signed up for online tax payment, according to Ly Thi Hoai Huong, vice-director of the Department of Tax Administration for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Household Businesses, and Individuals under the General Department of Taxation. Huong said electronic tax payments topped VND700 trillion (US$30 billion) in 2019. At least 53 local and foreign banks and 12 providers of intermediary electronic data transmission services joined the efforts to provide taxpayers with tax declaration and payment services. A host of policies have been rolled out in recent years to facilitate non-cash payment in the taxation sector, Huong said, noting that there remain several bottlenecks. One barrier involves the habit of taxpayers who are reluctant to employ technologies. Meanwhile, the adoption of e-public services among state agencies has yet to be in tandem with one another, making it tough for businesses to pay taxes. Ly Thi Hoai Huong, deputy director of the Department of Tax Administration for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Household Businesses, and Individuals, speaks at a seminar on cashless payment in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, June 12, 2020. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre She said tax authorities will issue guidance on the Law on Tax Management, continue introducing online tax payment services, and upgrade information technology infrastructure, while cooperating with state agencies, banks, and intermediary payment service providers to devise more modern tax payment methods. Many ministries and central agencies have yet to develop a centralized database system, so banks are unable to introduce cashless payment services in this regard, said Pham Tien Dung, head of the SBVs Payment Department. They have failed to meet common standards, he said, adding that joint efforts among various departments are needed. Cashless Day was first suggested by Tuoi Tre Editor-in-Chief Le The Chu in January 2019, with June 16 being the designated date. The annual event is meant to solicit ideas and suggestions from SBV officials, economic experts, financial specialists, and representatives from several local commercial banks on what can be done to minimize cash use in Vietnam. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! SYDNEY, Australia - Australia on Sunday described as deeply disheartening a death sentence China imposed on an Australian man accused of drug smuggling, and the trade minister said it shouldnt be linked to ongoing friction over trade and the pandemic. Karm Gilespie was arrested in 2013 at Baiyun Airport in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on charges of attempting to board an international flight with more than 7.5 kilograms (16.5 pounds) of methamphetamine in his check-in luggage. The Guangzhou Intermediate Peoples Court on Saturday announced Gilespie had been sentenced to death and ordered the confiscation of all of his personal property. Australias Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was deeply saddened to hear of the verdict. Australia opposes the death penalty, in all circumstances for all people, it said. We support the universal abolition of the death penalty and are committed to pursuing this goal through all the avenues available to us. Trade Minister Simon Birmingham called the sentence distressing but said it shouldnt necessarily be linked to disputes between China and Australia. This is very distressing for Mr. Gilespie and his loved ones and our government will continue to provided consular assistance, Birmingham told Sky News Sunday. This is a reminder to all Australians ... that Australian laws dont apply overseas, that other countries have much harsher penalties, particularly in relation to matters such as drug trafficking. Australia has led calls for an inquiry into Chinas handling of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan. In response China, Australias largest trading partner, has imposed some new restrictions on Australian exports and issued travel warnings to Chinese students planning to study in Australia, citing racism. Gilespie has 10 days to appeal his sentence. ___ This story was first published on June 14, 2020. It was updated on June 15, 2020, to correct the spelling of the mans name to Karm Gilespie, not Cam Gillespie. Egypt started last month to allow hotels that secure a new health and safety certificate to open for domestic tourists at a reduced occupancy rate to revive the tourism sector Egypt said it has decided to revoke the licence of a hotel in the Red Sea resort city of Hurghada after it held a party for guests despite a ban meant to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Tourism and antiquities minister Khaled Al-Anany ordered the hotels licence be revoked because the facility had failed to adhere to health protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic, the tourism ministry said in a statement on Sunday. The move came one day after a video of a pool party at the hotel went viral on social media showing guests dancing with what appeared to be the hotels animation team. The licence of the hotels manager will also be revoked, the statement added. Egypt has banned public gatherings and shuttered schools, universities and places of worship in a bid to curb the spread of the virus. Hotels allowed to reoperate under strict safety rules are not permitted to hold parties, weddings, or overnight activities. Egypt last month allowed hotels that secure a new health and safety certificate to reopen to domestic tourists at a reduced occupancy rate, in an effort to revive its key tourism sector, which has been hit hard by the virus restrictions. Besides a ban on parties at hotels, their restaurants can only serve pre-set menus, as buffet services are banned, and dining tables should be set at a safe distance to reduce the risk of virus transmission. The occupancy rate was initially set at 25 percent of the usual capacity in May but was increased earlier this month to 50 percent. Around 232 hotels nationwide are now allowed to reopen with a reduced capacity. Egypt hopes a decision to resume international flights to allow foreign tourists to some coastal cities that have been least affected by the coronavirus starting from the beginning of July would help the vital sector recover. Search Keywords: Short link: Police officers are seen during a protest against police brutality and the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Paris, France June 13, 2020. Riot police fired tear gas and charged at pockets of violent protesters at an anti-racism rally in central Paris on Saturday, as a wave of anger continued to sweep the world following the death of African American George Floyd. The protesters gathered in Place de la Republique, chanting "No justice, no peace" beneath the statue of Marianne, who personifies the French Republic. One banner held by the crowd read: "I hope I don't get killed for being black today". Police refused organisers permission to march to the Opera House. The first clashes erupted after three hours of peaceful gathering. Some protesters hurled bottles, paving stones and bicycle wheels at police lines and one Orange outlet was vandalised. Organisers urged protesters with children to leave. The outrage generated by Floyd's death in Minneapolis last month has resonated in France, in particular in deprived city suburbs where rights groups say that accusations of brutal treatment by French police of residents of often immigrant background remain largely unaddressed. Assa Traore, sister of 24-year-old Adama Traore, who died near Paris in 2016 after police detained him, addressed Saturday's protest. "The death of George Floyd has a strong echo in the death in France of my little brother," she said. "What's happening in the United States is happening in France. Our brothers are dying." Traore's family say he was asphyxiated when three officers held him down with the weight of their bodies. Authorities say the cause of his death is unclear. Earlier this week, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner acknowledged there were "proven suspicions of racism" within French law enforcement agencies. His remarks drew condemnation from police unions, which said officers were being scapegoated for deep-rooted social ills. Police have held their own protests in cities across France this week. Ahead of the protest, in the ethnically diverse Paris suburb of Belleville, one man of Algerian descent said he had been the victim of police violence but he doubted institutional racism ran through the force. "I've been insulted, hit even. But the police aren't all the same," he told Reuters TV, identifying himself as Karim. "Unfortunately, this minority is hurting the police." Far-right activists unfurled a banner with the words "anti-white racism" from the rooftop of a building overlooking the protest. Residents emerged onto their balconies and ripped it up using with knives and scissors, to cheers from below. In Marseille, where another protest against racism and police violence took place in the afternoon, police also fired teargas at dawn as the event was ending, BFM television reported. Footage showed protesters burning bins and throwing stones towards anti riot police. Protests took place in other countries on Saturday, including in several Australian cities, Taipei, Zurich and London. (Natural News) First off, 2 out of every 3 Black Americans do not want to defund or get rid of the police in America. Secondly, most US states are not in disarray with violent protests, police cars set ablaze, and anarchist spray painting walls everywhere; thats just a handful of Democrat-run metropolitan cities but the mass media would have us all believe its happening in every city in every state. Third, in America, if White people with legal carry guns peacefully protest, the mass media and Democrat Governors call them all white supremacists and lie and say they were carrying nooses but if Black people protest violently and destroy entire city blocks, police stations, and thousands of businesses, thats called peaceful protesting. If you dare to disagree, then YOU are a racist bigot yourself. A few years back, when Bundy family members and friends took control of an Oregon Wildlife Reserve, Obamas goons went in with full force swat teams to extract and jail them all, but the Bundy family was just protesting the illegal arrest of family members. That standoff ended with conspiracy charges and state troopers shooting an innocent man in the back 3 times. How will the CHAZ autonomous zone in Seattle end? Certainly if Trump brings in the military, he will again be called a racist white supremacist dictator who cant respect peaceful protesters in the USA. The Bundys (Ammon and Ryan) were treated like terrorists, but all they were doing was peacefully protesting. Would Obama send in fully-armed swat goons now to dismantle CHAZ and arrest everyone on conspiracy charges? Still, a black man named Obama sent in fully-armed FBI swat teams to extract them, and the news vilified the Bundy family, and they went to jail on conspiracy charges. Obamas FBI forced their surrender. Period. They werent white nationalists or Nazi-wanna-bes or BLM or WLM or white supremacists or racists, but a black man had them arrested for protesting. To put things in mainstream medias perspective, since theres a few white dudes with automatic weapons at the front gate of CHAZ, arent they then white supremacists? Any white person with an automatic weapon is always labeled White Supremacist by lamestream media, just like in Charlottesville and just like in Richmond. Whats the difference, because theyre now standing around spray painting Defund the Police, BLM and All Cops are Bastards (ACAB) on the streets and buildings? Isnt hating every cop at all 18,000 federal, state, local and city police departments for something a few bad cops did considered bigotry? Were we not supposed to treat all Muslims with respect after 9/11, since it was only supposedly 19 guys who committed the atrocity? How are all cops bastards then just because a few white ones have been abusive to Blacks? Its the ultimate double standard, and it applies right now to the country of CHAZ in Seattle. Its time to be consistent with history and move in with full federal force or military and seize all these terrorists and Black Nationalists who are a threat to our civil nation, right? The Bundy ranchers spokesperson was shot in the back 3 times and KILLED execution style by a pre-planned Obama government ambush where was the mainstream media outrage then? The Bundy family was protesting because two of their family members were thrown in jail for fake arson charges after they used a controlled burn to reinvigorate some land where they keep their cattle, legally. Obama was looking to lease out some federal land to the Chinese for fracking, and so Obama federal goons shot and killed a bunch of the Bundy cattle, and rounded up the rest in a pen, threatening to execute the rest of them if the Bundys didnt give in and give up the land use that the family has taken good care of for over a century. So later, when a couple Bundys and their friends occupied the remote wildlife refuge in Oregon, the Obama feds treated it like a terrorist takeover with hostages, almost the same as Waco and Ruby Ridge. They were ready to go in full force, risking bloodshed and death to extract these white nationalists. The 40-plus day standoff ended, though, when the Bundys decided to walk peacefully to the next county for an interview, and state police shot their spokesperson in the back three times and arrested everyone else on conspiracy charges. Are the protesters who occupy CHAZ militant nationalists who are hateful bigots that hate all cops, including Black ones? Can it be racist to be black and hate everyone who disagrees with your political views? Is that like being a Nazi? It may be time to arrest all these Antifa and BLM terrorists who are extorting businesses in the idiot zone and illegally deporting citizens who dont agree with their hypocritical ideologies. The whole no police movement is really just George Soros funding more chaos in America, and has nothing to do with racism, except staging a fake race war to help install the new Socialist-Communist Amerika. Tune your internet dial to FoodSupply.news for the best ways to stay stocked for when all the big cities start turning into the DSCA dysfunctional states of CHAZ-merica. Watch the brilliant and hilarious Hodgetwins expose the ultimate catch phrase that has duped so many Americans: Sources for this article include: HCN.org Breitbart.com FoxNews.com OsnetDaily.com TheGatewayPundit NaturalNews.com FoodSupply.news HumanityInAction.org China has today reported 57 new cases of the coronavirus, the highest daily figure since April, as Beijing enters into 'wartime emergency mode' following an outbreak of cases at a major wholesale market. The domestic outbreak in China had been brought largely under control through strict lockdowns that were imposed early this year - but a new cluster has been linked to Xinfadi market in south Beijing. The National Health Commission (NHC) said 36 of the new cases were local transmissions in the capital, and Beijing health officials said later that all three dozen were linked to the Xinfadi market. The other two domestic infections reported Sunday were in northeastern Liaoning province and were close contacts of the Beijing cases. A new cluster of cases in Beijing has been linked to the Xinfadi wholesale market (pictured) The new cluster has prompted fresh lockdowns with people ordered to stay home in 11 residential estates near the market which supplies most of the city's fresh produce. City official Xu Hejian told reporters on Sunday that Beijing had entered an 'extraordinary period'. Forty-five people out of 517 tested with throat swabs at the Xinfadi market in the city's southwestern Fengtai district had tested positive for the coronavirus, Chu Junwei, a district official, told a briefing. None were showing symptoms of COVID-19, he said, but added that 11 neighbourhoods in the vicinity of the market, which claims to be the largest agricultural wholesale market in Asia, had been locked down with 24-hour guards put in place. Chinese officials have closed the Xinfadi wholesale market, which has been linked to a new cluster of coronavirus cases A policeman wears a protective suit as people living surrounding the Xinfadi wholesale market arrive to get a nucleic acid test at a stadium in Beijing, Sunday, June 14, 2020 Tests are conducted at a Beijing stadium for all those who had visited the market or who locally to the market 'In accordance with the principle of putting the safety of the masses and health first, we have adopted lockdown measures for the Xinfadi market and surrounding neighbourhoods,' Chu said. The district is in a 'wartime emergency mode,' he added. The alert was sounded in the capital after the NHC confirmed the first cases for two months on Friday and city officials delayed the return of primary school students that had not already resumed classes. One of Sunday's new cases was a 56-year-old man who works as an airport bus driver and had visited the Xinfadi market before falling ill, the state-run People's Daily reported. He developed a fever a week later and was diagnosed with COVID-19, the newspaper said. Chinese paramilitary police prepare to guard entrances to the closed Xinfadi market in Beijing on June 13, 2020 Chu Junwei, a district official, said that Beijing was in 'wartime emergency mode' The meat section of the huge, sprawling market was closed Sunday and AFP reporters saw hundreds of police officers and security personnel plus dozens of paramilitary police blocking access to the area. Officials have said that everyone who works at the market and lives in surrounding neighbourhoods has to undergo testing, as well as other residents who have visited the market since May 30. A vegetable market adjacent to Xinfadi was open on Sunday and trucks were arriving to deliver or collect stock. One driver said he was collecting crates of mushrooms to take to supermarkets and restaurants in Beijing, his surgical mask pulled down under his chin. 'Afraid? Not really' the man surnamed Zhang told AFP. 'But anyway I have no choice -- I am part of the lowest class of society. So I have to keep working in order to make a living.' COVID-19 first emerged late last year in a market in the central city of Wuhan that sold wild animals for meat. The latest outbreak in Beijing has turned the spotlight on the hygiene of the city's food supply chain. Customers wearing face masks buy pork meat at the Xinfadi wholesale market in Beijing, February 19, 2020 Customers wearing face masks buy pork meat at the Xinfadi wholesale market, in Beijing, China February 19, 2020 State-run media reported that the virus was detected on chopping boards used to handle imported salmon, and that major supermarkets had removed the fish from their stocks. Beijing authorities ordered a city-wide food safety inspection focusing on fresh and frozen meat, poultry and fish in supermarkets, warehouses and catering services. One trader surnamed Sun, selling tomatoes and cherries at a local food market in the centre of the city, told AFP there were fewer customers than normal. 'People are scared,' he said. 'The meat sellers have had to close. This disease is really scary.' Although the Xinfadi market accounts for much of the capital's food supply, Sun said that it did not affect him as he gets his produce directly from farmers. 'Business is as usual on my stand,' a fruit and vegetable seller surnamed Liu told AFP. 'I'm not particularly afraid of this new outbreak.' Two women wear protective suits as they walk on a street near the closed Xinfadi market in Beijing on June 13, 2020 Men wearing protective face masks load a scooter with meat next to the closed Xinfadi market building in Fengtai district, Beijing, China, 13 June 2020 And 32-year-old shopper Song Weiming said: 'As long as you wear a face mask, it should be fine... Anyway, I have to buy food, right?' City authorities have closed nine schools and kindergartens near Xinfadi, while sporting events, group dining and cross-provincial tour groups have also been stopped in a bid to stamp out this latest outbreak. The majority of cases in recent months have been overseas nationals tested as they returned home. The 19 other infections reported on Sunday were all imported cases, including 17 travellers on a China Southern flight from Bangladesh. Owing to the high number of cases, the aviation regulator said the Dhaka-Guangzhou route would be suspended for four weeks. The Civil Aviation Authority of China has imposed dramatic limits on flights in and out of the country and had warned routes would be halted if needed. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 22:04:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MARSABIT, Kenya, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan police said on Sunday they had launched a major manhunt for suspected bandits who killed four herdsmen in a village in Marsabit County in northern Kenya. Benjamin Mwanthi, Marsabit Central divisional police commander, said the four were killed on Saturday afternoon by gunmen as they took their animals to Jaica watering point. "We have launched investigations into the incident that includes pursuit for the suspects so that they can face the full force of the law," said the local police commander. Mwanthi said the incident which had shocked local residents happened near Jaica wells, adding that the victims died on the spot and the attackers escaped soon after committing the crime. The killings brought the number of casualties from banditry attacks involving use of illicit guns in Marsabit County to 20 in the last week. On Saturday, Kenyan Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i said the government had embarked on changing its national security doctrines to decisively address the escalating conflict in the counties of Marsabit and Wajir. Matiang'i said the deployment of more police resources has begun. Speaking in Nairobi after receiving the security officers who were injured when a police helicopter crashed at Kithoka area in Meru on Saturday morning, Matiang'i pointed out that the protracted inter-clan violent conflict in the region is increasingly becoming thorny and the government will turn to alternative means to bring about sanity. Enditem Faith vs safety in burials: COVID-19 remains in dead bodies for 9 days says Centre Committee to examine viability of housing complex near DU says SC India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, June 14: The Supreme Court has directed a committee to examine various aspects including viability of construction of a high-rise housing complex by a private real estate firm adjacent to the Delhi University campus. A bench comprising Justices R Banumathi, Indu Malhotra and Aniruddha Bose refused to interfere with the order of NGT restraining the real estate developer from any activity. Applying the 'Precautionary Principle' of environmental law, the NGT on January 8 had directed Young Builders (P) Ltd in north Delhi that no construction activity should be carried out. It had also formed a joint committee comprising representatives of the Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Environment and Forests and IIT Delhi to evaluate the project. The builder then challenged the order in the apex court, which set aside the order. Later, the green panel once again restrained the real estate developer from any activity. The apex court has now directed the committee to examine various aspects including the viability of the project without being influenced by any of the opinions expressed by the NGT. The top court granted liberty to University of Delhi and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to file their respective representation along with requisite documents before the committee within two weeks. The committee, before it starts its first deliberation, shall afford an opportunity of preliminary hearing to the appellant, University of Delhi and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, it said. "The committee shall complete the deliberation and submit its final report within two months from the date of the representation being filed by the appellant and University of Delhi and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. The Member Secretary, Central Pollution Control Board, shall coordinate and take necessary steps for convening the meeting of the Committee. "The meeting of the Committee shall be conducted by virtual hearing, or video conferencing, and afford an opportunity of hearing to the representatives of the parties," the bench said. The apex court further said that after submission of the final report by the committee, the varsity and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation are at liberty to raise all the contentions before the National Green Tribunal. Senior advocate Shyam Diwan, appearing for the petitioner Young Builders, argued that National Green Tribunal was not justified in constituting a committee. Senior advocate K V Vishwanathan and advocate Sanjay Upadhyay, appearing for Delhi University, said the builder has obtained a fresh clearance and NGT has rightly constituted the committee to examine the various aspects. The apex court was hearing an appeal by Young Builders against NGT January 8 order. The tribunal had passed the order on a plea by Delhi University challenging the environmental clearance granted to a housing project by Young Builders (P) Ltd in North Delhi. The plea challenged the order of the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority granting Environmental Clearance (EC) for the housing complex located at 1 and 3, Cavalry Lane and 4, Chhatra Marg at Civil Lines here. It said EC could be granted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests and not by SEIAA as the project is within 10 km from Critically Polluted Area, notified by CPCB. DU said the permission sought by Young Builders Private Limited for construction of a group housing society in the University enclave was violative of the Master Plan of Delhi-2021 and was against the larger public interest, "given the fact that the project site in question and its vicinity are within the North Campus of the University and that it contains various historical and archaeological buildings". As a shocked Bollywood paid tributes to actor Sushant Singh Rajput as news of his sudden and untimely demise sent shock waves across the nation, Mumbai BMC said the actor's postmortem will be completed by late night on Sunday and appealed to the media to not assemble at the hospital in view of coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. The BMC issued an appeal to the gathering of media persons at Cooper Hospital. The civic body in a statement, said: "The body of Sushant Singh Rajput was brought to the Emergency Department of Cooper Hospital, BMC this afternoon (June 14, 2020) at around 3.30 pm." Gallery: From Ankita Lokhande to Sara Ali Khan, a look at the actresses whom Sushant Singh Rajput romanced on screen The statement further said: "The medical officer examined the body and said that the actor was declared dead at around 4 pm. And after completing the paperwork, the body was handed over to the police," And the autopsy post-mortem is expected to be completed by late tonight. While the in a separate statement the hospital too requested the media representatives to cooperate with the hospital administration. They said, "Given the current state of COVID-19 infection, the hospital campus should not be crowded. Also, you should take proper care when dealing with it." Gallery: Unseen pics of Sushant Singh Rajput with family at his village in Bihar's Saharsa Earlier, a team of Mumbai Police later reached the actor's residence to investigate the matter. DCP Abhishek Trimukhe said, "Prima Facie, this looks like a case of suicide. No suspicious thing was found at the spot." The 34-year-old actor was found hanging at his Bandra Apartment in Mumbai on June 14, 2020. He was said to be under stress and depression for the last few months. Almost miraculously, Maria Morsillo is recovering from the coronavirus at the age of 98. But even as she gets better, Morsillos family now worries Maria wont survive the depression and loneliness she endures as she remains separated from her family while living in a nursing home. I can hear it in her voice, shes depressed," said Vera Morsillo, her daughter-in-law. She says its the same thing day in and day out she sits there. There is no interaction except for her roommate...Their final days -- and I hate that term -- shouldnt be like this, she said. As the pandemic started to escalate, the state Department of Health suspended visits at all 678 long-term care facilities in New Jersey on March 14, with exceptions only for people who were near death. Three months later, as the state slowly starts to reopen, officials now face the toughest of decisions. Do they keep the ban on visitors in place to protect the safety of medically fragile people or do they lift it to relieve the emotional cost of isolation? And that emotional toll is coming with devastating consequences. Without a visit or hug from the people who love them, the residents mental health is also affecting them physically, families and caregivers say. Some residents and their families are reporting bed sores and weight loss, said Laurie Brewer, who as New Jerseys Long-Term Care Ombudsman takes calls from nursing homes and their families every day. More than that, they are becoming increasingly desperate. "Residents who have told us on the phone I just cant take this anymore and I dont want to live any longer, " Brewer said. That is why I feel strongly we really need to start to look at the severe emotional distress and trauma the residents of long-term care facilities have experienced. And I would add the staff, as well. Nowhere in New Jersey has the disease taken more of a toll than inside nursing homes. Of the 12,489 New Jerseyans who have died from COVID-19, 5,768 of them or 46 percent called these facilities home, according to state data on Friday. Thats far more than the rest of the country, where one-third of all COVID-19 death occurred in nursing homes, according to the AARP. How New Jersey can lift the ban without putting residents at further risk is a daily topic of discussion, Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said Wednesday. The disease in nursing homes is still there in most of our facilities, so we have to be extremely vigilant when we put out guidance for visitation, said Persichilli, a nurse and former hospital CEO. Weve identified some guidelines that were just not ready to put out yet, but we will be soon." We understand both sides of this issue, but its not something that were going to be putting out without a lot of thought. But we will come up with a way for individuals, residents to have visitors in very selected circumstances, Persichilli said. Jonathan Dolan, president and CEO of the Health Care Association of New Jersey, a long-term care industry group, said they are working with the state "to develop and identify policies and procedures to reopen visitation as quickly as possible for the benefit of all those in our care. Until those procedures are ready, nursing home employees are stepping up with tablets and phones for virtual visits and are more involved than ever in assessing resident needs to connect with their families, friends and caregivers," Dolan said. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, shared detailed guidelines for reopening nursing homes in a May 18 memo. It recommends nursing homes first be able to conduct weekly testing of employees and residents with COVID-19 symptoms. Visitors should wait until a facility has gone at least 28 days without a new case originating onsite, according to the memo. Facilities also should demonstrate there is ample personal protective equipment at pre-pandemic levels." Employees would say this is an unspoken acknowledgment of how employees have been forced to reuse PPE and to wear cloth masks, bandanas and makeshift gear like garbage bags because of a national shortage. The AARP published an article Tuesday suggesting most facilities are likely months away from resuming indoor visits. COVID-19 infections were detected inside 7,700 long-term care facilities in the nation, including 551 in New Jersey. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage In considering options, Persichilli said she is looking at other states for ideas. Massachusetts is requiring all visits to be held outside with no more than two friends or family at a time. Everyone must be masked. Residents with the virus cannot have visits until they recover. Indiana adopted a similar model. Brewer, the state ombudsman, said she favors Connecticuts policy, which in addition to allowing outdoor visitation, allows activities among residents who have been tested and separated based on their COVID-19 status. Over time, Brewer said, Perhaps they can gather in dining rooms or outside with social distancing." Meanwhile, residents and families are struggling to cope. Bob Whitfield, a resident of United Methodist Communities at Collingswood, an assisted living facility, said recently he has been allowed to sit outside on the porch with residents from the same hall because they have all tested negative. That will end if someone tests positive, he wrote in an email. I dont see this as a viable, long-term option, said Whitfield, president of the Resident Council. We cant shut down the community every time someone tests positive. It is detrimental to mental, emotional and physical health, even as it intends to protect physical health. Im in favor of permission to move freely and live normally within the building, given basic precautions (masks, limited numbers together). There are risks no matter what course is taken. As the virus is expected to persist and a vaccine is not expected until next year, the threat it poses to elderly people in long-term care centers is a very real issue that isnt going to end any time soon," said Nancy Berlinger, a scholar with the Hastings Institute, a nonpartisan bioethics research institution. As a society we owe it to residents to find that balance between protecting their health and preserving their dignity and emotional stability, because people will continue to need nursing home care," she said. The reality of the environment is there is a tremendous reliance on families to show up for people in nursing homes," she said. "To have that end so abruptly for a person in a nursing home who does not understand fully the pandemic - because of dementia or another incapacitating condition is inhumane. One Mercer County woman said she has seen that first hand. Before the pandemic, she said she would spend 25 to 30 hours a week at her 83-year-old sisters nursing home playing bingo, singing songs and praying the rosary. Her sister, a stroke survivor with dementia, has all but stopped speaking since the lockdown. Looking through the window at someone doesnt cut it. The more we are away, the more she doesnt remember us," said the woman, who asked that she and her family not be identified for privacy reasons. I see everything else opening up. And I get it. But these people need TLC. Hackensack Meridian Health, which operates 16 long term care facilities including the one that is Maria Morsillos home, is taking all the necessary steps to make visits happen once they are allowed, said spokeswoman Mary Jo Layton. That includes testing its 9,000-member workforce every week, she said. We have facilitated thousands of virtual visits throughout our network, but we understand it cannot take the place of real visits with loved ones, Layton said. Anticipating the outdoor visits are the first step toward reuniting families, We are reviewing every location to develop outside visiting areas, she said. Even with the amazing staff at the West Caldwell Care Center accommodating virtual family visits for Maria Morsillo, her daughter-in-law said its still heartbreaking not to be with her. As she recovers from the virus, "she is weak and is on oxygen more than she has ever been. Well take the proper precautions. We want to be respectful. We just want to see her, and for her to see us. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. By David Tizzard David Tizzard Warmongers can exploit peace lovers by threatening to destroy the peace unless their wishes are granted. That seems to be what has played out in inter-Korean relations this week. And many of the field's more season observers are rather worried about what might unfold as a consequence. Recent events have centered on statements from Kim Jong-un's sister, Kim Yo-jong. She has been taking charge of inter-Korean affairs and is becoming increasingly visible leading some to suggest she is being positioned as the country's next ruler. And, as advocates of Machiavelli will profess, in order to succeed in politics, one is required to carry a knife behind the velvet curtain. Morality and ethics are little more than window-dressing for what really matters: power and survival. Game of Thrones stuff, sure. But there are no dragons here. Just the constant and very real threat of North Korean military action. Despite the detente which has been encouraged by South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the North has a long history of attacks against the South. These have not always been unprovoked. The South has also in the past sent soldiers across the border to carry out military actions and take North Korean lives. But more recently the North has committed actions which would surely give pause to even the most peace-loving of doves. In 1983 it carried out an assassination attempt against ROK President Chun Doo-hwan in Rangoon, Burma. North Korean military officials were captured and held responsible for the deaths of 21 people injuring 46. In 1987, in the lead up to the Seoul 1988 Olympics, North Koreans brought down Korean Air Flight 858 by exploding a bomb onboard. A total of 104 passengers and 11 crew members all died. The majority of those on the plane were South Koreans. In March 2010, the ROKS Cheonan a South Korean military boat was sunk in the Yellow Sea. Most analysts attribute the sinking to North Korea. A total of 46 seamen died in the incident. In November 2010, the North then fired around 170 artillery rockets and shells at Yeonpyeong Island. This killed four South Koreans and injured 19. The last two attacks in 2010 were carried out a time when Chairman Kim Jong-il's health was failing and current leader Chairman Kim Jong-un was being positioned to take over. It was a show of strength to the world amidst its own internal changes. Perhaps we are going to witness the same again? The hotline between the two Koreas has been cut. The door has been slammed. Pyongyang often uses this tactic of brinkmanship with other states. It escalates tensions, takes them to the brink, and then promises to back down if it is paid money or granted sanctions relief. It's not too dissimilar to tactics one might see gangsters or mobsters carry out in a movie, to be honest. It's bullying: "Give us what we want or we'll punch (bomb) you!" What does one do when the bully has nukes and you are out walking with your children? Particularly when there are 51 million people here in South Korea trying to live, for the most part, a peaceful, democratic life filled with Netflix, cat memes, and existentialism. Of course, the wider international community has a role to play in all of this. The Koreans suffered colonization and then had their land and people divided despite being victims in the conflict. The Cold War also brought with it propaganda against the North often dehumanizing them. Political and economic sanctions also made the lives of the citizens harder than ever. It's a lot more difficult than saying, "They're the bad guys and everything they have done is wrong. And we're the good guys and everything we have done is correct." Of course that's the attitude of most Twitter users on any subject, but the North Korean situation is far more complex and there have been missteps by all along the way. To explain the situation would require a deep analysis of history going to back to 1948, if not before. But as it's Sunday morning and there seems to be some urgency to the situation, let's get up to speed. After loudly demanding that South Korea stop activists from sending balloons filled with bibles and rice to the North, the current administration quickly moved to appease Kim Yo-jong. They had police up at the border stop people sending them and are seeking to make such activities illegal through a series of newly-proposed laws. The sending of such balloons is a difficult one and there are reasonable arguments on both sides about whether they help or worsen the situation: Whether they are for the benefit of North Korean citizens or merely to satiate the consciences of those that send them. This conversation aside, however, the South moved quickly to do as the North requested. Kim Yo-jong's response? "By exercising my power authorized by the supreme leader, our party and the state, I gave an instruction to the arms of the department in charge of the affairs with enemy to decisively carry out the next action." "If I drop a hint of our next plan the (South Korean) authorities are anxious about, the right to taking the next action against the enemy will be entrusted to the General Staff of our army. Our army, too, will determine something for cooling down our people's resentment and surely carry out it, I believe." Doesn't sound like the peace-loving, misunderstood, intent on denuclearization, stanned figure that a lot of Twitter says she is, does it? Her words spell it out quite clearly: The South is the "enemy". There is a "next action". And it will be carried out by "the military." While the western world is having to come to grips with its own ugly reality and the systemic problems of racism and inequality, issues that have long been swept under the covers in favor of economic development and globalization, there are real dangers out there. There be dragons. And these are fully-grown. They have fire in their belly. What should South Korea do? Essentially it's a land of band options. You appease them and they take everything from you and give nothing in return. You ignore them and they develop a nuclear arsenal and series of ballistic missiles capable of flying further around the world and endangering more and more people. I'm sure the North Koreans have very real grievances about the way they have been treated. Their history and past is a tragic one. But does that give them freedom to act with impunity? Certainly not. I feel somewhat for President Moon who has given so much to the North only to be labelled an "enemy". Despite all that he has done for the North here in South Korea, in inter-Korean relations, and on the international scene, much of which has been noble and supported by large swathes of the population, Pyongyang has turned its back on him and threatened military action. This must be galling for a leader who has tried so hard to bring the Koreas closer together. Relative to many Western states, President Moon has done an excellent job in managing the country's reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic. He has also earned large support from the public and at the polls giving him and his party a deserved victory in the recent national election. But has the North Korean policy failed? Saying "I told you so!" doesn't help anyone. Humans are not all Machiavellians. Some are filled with hope and an ultimate faith in man. They are Kantians. To dream of better days despite what dark clouds gather is an important thing. So what next? I don't have a solution to the current conundrum. And I worry about the safety of family, friends, and all the citizens here in South Korea. Can we get the K-pop fans to hack Pyongyang's servers or something? Can we get BTS and BLACKPINK to start a revolution? Can we all just go outside and walk slowly up to the North Korean border and then just not stop? Just keep walking? A peaceful march of 50-odd million? How do you deal with bullies and gangsters when there's no police? Answers on a postcard, please. David Tizzard (datizzard@swu.ac.kr) is an assistant professor at Seoul Women's University, where he teaches Korean Studies, and he is an adjunct professor at Hanyang University lecturing in World History and Political Science. He discusses the week's hottest issues on TBS eFM (101.3FM) on "Life Abroad" live every Thursday from 9:35-10 a.m. (Veteran actor Manoj Bajpayee worked with the late Sushant Singh Rajput in the critically-acclaimed "Sonchiriya". Both actors hail from Bihar, and Bajpayee is sad he will never again invite the young actor to feast on the mutton curry he cooks at home) By Manoj Bajpayee Mumbai, June 14 (IANS) What I automatically recall about Sushant is his how much interested he had about everything in life. He was always curious to learn about everything -- the unknown, space, about quantum physics, about acting, about filmmaking. Off the set, I still remember how fond he used to be of the mutton curry I cooked at home. He would always want to have lunch or dinner at my place. I feel really heartbroken to think that he will never come to my place to have his favorite curry. The time I spent with him during the making of 'Sonchiriya' is flashing in front of my eyes now. It is very hard to come to terms with the fact that Sushant is no more. He left his family, he left all of his friends and all of us who knew him as a very fun-loving and respectful person. Rest in peace Sushant wherever you are, God bless you." (As told to Ahana Bhattacharya) Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery She has been dominating covers and catwalks since 2003. And Candice Swanepoel dominated the social sphere on Saturday when she shared snapshots from a recent swimsuit shoot with photographer Eduardo Bravin on Instagram. The 31-year-old Victoria's Secret Angele flaunted her fit figure in a gingham print two-piece by her personal swimwear line Tropic Of C. Angelic: Candice Swanepoel dominated the social sphere on Saturday when she shared snapshots from a recent swimsuit shoot with photographer Eduardo Bravin on Instagram In the shots seen by her 15million followers, Candice rested her derriere on a ledge outdoors as she candidly posed for the camera. Her blonde hair flowed down from under a red and white patterned head scarf and she had large hoops fastened to her ears. Swanepoel rocked a noticeably bronzed complexion and she appeared to be a few coats of mascara and plenty of pout plumping lip gloss. For her post's caption, the South African beauty shared lyrics from the song Saudades Do Tempo from the Brazilian reggae band Maneva. Cheeky: On her Instagram Story, Candice showed off her pert bottom in a black bikini as she rested chest-first on a sandy beach Candice's flattering Zion Top - which retails for $90 - is described on the official Tropic Of C website as 'a retro-inspired top that creates the perfect decolletage' and features a halter neckline. The suit's Vibe Bottom retails for $80 and has a high waist and high legged design. On her Instagram Story, Candice showed off her pert bottom in a black bikini as she rested chest-first on a sandy beach. The Tropic Of C Instagram page also treated fans to a bikini-clad photo of Candice pulled from the brand's recent campaign. Tropic Of C: The Tropic Of C Instagram page also treated fans to a bikini-clad photo of Candice pulled from the brand's recent campaign Mission: Candice launched Tropic Of C back in 2018 in the hopes of creating 'a fully sustainable suit' out of recycled/up-cycled materials In the portrait, Swanepoel posed on the beach, while donning the brand's Vibe Top and Curve Bottom in a stunning bright red shade. In another shot shared on Thursday, Candice wowed in a black one piece suit - called Rockers - that retails for $170. Candice launched Tropic Of C back in 2018 in the hopes of creating 'a fully sustainable suit' out of recycled/up-cycled materials. Aside from her eco-friendly agenda, Swanepoel has also been using her personal Instagram and her brand's page to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement amid nation-wide protests. Philanthropy: Candice recently donated one of her favorite Chanel purses to an auction orchestrated by Vogue in order to raise money for the NAACP and NHS Charities Together; Candace pictured on Instagram on Wednesday Solidarity: Aside from her eco-friendly agenda, Swanepoel has also been using her personal Instagram and her brand's page to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement amid nation-wide protests Candice recently donated one of her favorite Chanel purses to an auction orchestrated by Vogue in order to raise money for the NAACP and NHS Charities Together. She promoted the 'special project' by covering her chest with the highly priced purse as she posed topless in her home's restroom. On the Tropic Of C Instagram page, Candice and her team announced that they stood 'in solidarity with all who seek justice and are taking action to achieve racial equality.' External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that the government has made its position clear in Nepal's lower House passing amendment to change map of Nepal and said that artificial enlargement of claims is not based on historical fact. India said on Saturday said that it had noted Nepals House of Representatives passing a constitution amendment bill for changing map of Nepal to include parts of Indian territory and the artificial enlargement of claims is not based on historical fact and is not tenable. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava also said that the move is violative of the current understanding to hold talks on outstanding boundary issues. He was answering a query about Nepals lower house of Parliament on Saturday passing an amendment to include a new map incorporating Indian areas of Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura in the Constitution of the country. Srivastava said the government has already made its position clear in the matter. We have noted that the House of Representatives of Nepal has passed a constitution amendment bill for changing the map of Nepal to include parts of Indian territory. We have already made our position clear on this matter, the spokesperson said. This artificial enlargement of claims is not based on historical fact or evidence and is not tenable. It is also violative of our current understanding to hold talks on outstanding boundary issues, he added. Nepals House of Representatives had on June 10 endorsed a proposal seeking consideration of a constitution amendment bill for change of countrys map after a lengthy discussion. The amendment in the schedule is related to an Article concerning coat-of-arms of Nepal. Also Read: COVID-19 update: India records highest single-day spike of 11,929 cases with 311 deaths in last 24 hours, 3.2 lakh total cases Nepal passed constitutional amendment in haste for political gains? Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/GcLqbcEsaP pic.twitter.com/mSzWBmujo0 ANI Digital (@ani_digital) June 13, 2020 Nepal has made offers to India to hold diplomatic talks to resolve the territorial issue between the two countries. India has said earlier this week that has made its position clear on these issues and deeply values its civilisation, cultural and friendly relations with Nepal. After Nepal released the new political map last month, India had said such artificial enlargement of territorial claims will not be acceptable to it and noted that the unilateral act is not based on historical facts and evidence. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Media direct questions to Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, upon his arrival at Government Buildings to discuss outstanding issues, as leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party are set to formally agree a draft programme for government between their parties later. Tanaiste Simon Coveney has said the draft coalition government deal expected to be signed off on Sunday is good for the country. The leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party are set to formally agree a draft programme for government between their parties later. The trio were meeting at Government Buildings on Sunday to discuss outstanding issues. Expand Close Media direct questions to Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, upon his arrival at Government Buildings to discuss outstanding issues, as leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party are set to formally agree a draft programme for government between their parties later. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Media direct questions to Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, upon his arrival at Government Buildings to discuss outstanding issues, as leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party are set to formally agree a draft programme for government between their parties later. Speaking on the way into the talks, Mr Coveney, leader of the Fine Gael negotiating team, hailed the contents of the text as good for the country. We did a lot of good work last night and we effectively have a text for a government with a need for the leaders to finalise a very small number of issues, he said. Negotiating teams have done their job. I think the text that will be going to the leaders today is good for the country and I hope and I am confident that the three leaders will be able to sell it within their parties and to the public. Negotiators from the parties met until the early hours of the morning. The three negotiating teams agreed most of a programme for government this morning. A small number of issues have been left to the party leaders to decide later today. A lot of good stuff in there! Ossian Smyth TD (@smytho) June 14, 2020 Green Party TD Ossian Smyth, who is part of his partys negotiating team, tweeted at 4.30am on Sunday: The three negotiating teams agreed most of a programme for government this morning. A small number of issues have been left to the party leaders to decide later today. A lot of good stuff in there! Health Minister and Fine Gael TD Simon Harris said the public are eager for a government to be in place soon and he is hoping for a breakthrough. Were very hopeful that, when the party leaders meet this afternoon, they will be in position to finalise an agreement. I understand there is some serious talking being done by the three leaders. I think there is a clear expectation that this agreement can be brought to finality. It has been a long few, intense weeks of negotiations 127 days since the general election, he told RTEs Week In Politics Programme. I think it is reaching a point where we need to get on with it and the public need a government. When Leo Varadkar meets with Micheal Martin and Eamon Ryan this afternoon, I hope this agreement can be brought to a finality. Hopefully today we see a final breakthrough. We then need to consult with our parliamentary party and our membership across the country through our electoral college system. Expand Close Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he thinks a government could be in place by the end of June or early July (Photocall Ireland/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he thinks a government could be in place by the end of June or early July (Photocall Ireland/PA) The programme for government could run to more than 100 pages and the details will be worked out by party leaders on Sunday. It will then have to be put to the membership of each of the three parties for consideration. Taoiseach Mr Varadkar said on Friday that he thinks a government could be in place by the end of June or early July if members accept the deal. Finance Minister and Fine Gael TD Paschal Donohoe said a number of important issues remained to be resolved. He said: Were here today to try and get agreement in relation to some really important matters that affect the future of our country. My own party have put in a huge effort looking at issues that are important to our country but also that matter to our party. There is a number of really important matters that still have to be resolved and I hope and expect that a huge amount of effort will go into that today, and that will make it much clearer when we take the next steps in this process. Issues remaining include those around the pension age, Occupied Territories Bill, pensions, a ban on fracked gas imports, income tax cuts and carbon tax proposals. A Green Party source said a ban on fracked gas imports would likely see deputy leader Catherine Martin backing the deal, which could help to persuade two-thirds of its party members to approve the agreement. The Green Party has the highest bar as their rules state two-thirds of their 2,700 members must support the deal. Dance reality shows have never failed to catch our attention. So, in 2009, when Zee TV came up with Dance India Dance, everyone was looking forward to watching this one, as it had zealous youngsters shaking their leg on various songs. While Mithun Chakraborty was the headmaster, Geeta Kapur, Terence Lewis and Remo D Souza were the judges. The show meant the world to these dancers, and at the end, besides taking home the trophy and prize money home, the winners also achieved Takdeer Ki Topi, well-known as the cap of fortune. The increasing TRP and popularity led to other spin-offs including DID Doubles, DID Super Moms, DID Li'l Masters. Let's take a look back at all the winners of Dance India Dance and what they are up to these days. 1. Season 1: Salman Yusuf Khan Twitter/SalmanK_FC Ever since the beginning of this season, Salman was at the top of his game, who knew how to make his mark in the show. With his versatile dance moves, he took the trophy of Season 1 home. After the show, his life transformed and he entered Bollywood as he was seen in Wanted as a dancer. He also made his debut in ABCD: Any Body Can Dance. The actor is a full-time choreographer and he was last seen in Street Dancer 3D. Way to go, Salman! 2. Season 2: Shakti Mohan Twitter/ShaktiMohan In season 2, Shakti Mohan took the title of Dance India Dance home and post her win in the show, she appeared in various songs like Tees Maar Khan, Samrat & Co. etc. Later, she made her debut in Dil Dosti Dance serial, which garnered a lot of popularity. Currently, the actress runs her dance academy called Nritya Shakti and is also a YouTuber. 3. Season 3: Rajasmita Kar Twitter/Rajasmita Kar After winning the show with massive votes, Rajasmita's life changed. She was awarded the prize money of Rs 50 lakh and a Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. Post her victory, she has been running her own dance academy and has been a judge on Dance Odisha Dance. 4. Season 4: Shyam Yadav Facebook/Shyam Yadav Shyam Yadav was the winner of season 4 who bagged Rs 50 Lakh and a Maruti Suzuki Celerio during his win. The dancer signed a contract with Zee TV and is now a part of DID workshops. He soon plans to open his dance academy in Mumbai. 5. Season 5: Proneeta Swargiary Twitter/Proneeta Swargiary Even though the judges of Dance India Dance kept changing, the spirit and enthusiasm of dancers never came down. Season 5 saw Proneeta Swargiary as the winner. The dancer is currently an active YouTuber and all her dance videos get her a lot of viewership. Besides that, she is also a well-known face on TikTok. 6. Season 6: Sanket Gaonkar TikTok/Sanket While not a lot of people know this but Sanket Gaonkar was already well-known from the Telugu Dance Show Dhee Jodi. This gave him the confidence to perform on stage, which led to him participating in DID and also winning the trophy of Season 6. The dancer prodigy won Rs 5 Lakh and at the moment, he is training dancers for various events under his moniker. 7. Season 7: Unreal Crew Zee TV Dance India Dance season 7 had a unique concept where instead of individuals, a group of dancers performed on the stage. Out of the which, the one to win millions of hearts and votes was the Unreal Crew. The team hails from Jaipur and they had also participated in other reality shows like India's Dancing Superstar and Dance Plus 3. Besides that, the team also signed a movie contract with Bosco Martis, the judge of season 7. An attack on a 10-year-old British girl in Praia da Luz two years before Madeleine McCann disappeared has formed part of German inquiries into the prime suspect Christian Bruckner. Portuguese police have been asked to send on details of the 2005 assault, Hans Christian Wolters, the prosecutor heading the investigation, confirmed. The request from German authorities follows their suspicions that Christian Bruckner, the prime suspect in the three year old's disappearance, could be responsible for other assaults. The previous attack on a British holidaymaker was revealed by Met Police officers in 2014 after they joined the worldwide search for the youngster. In the attack which took place in 2005 it is thought the person slipped into the girl's holiday apartment while her parents were out. Police said there were 18 similar cases along the Algarve coast over a six year period that could possibly be linked. An attack on a 10-year-old British girl in Praia da Luz two years before Madeleine McCann disappeared has formed part of German inquiries into the prime suspect Christian Bruckner In the attack which took place in 2005 it is thought the person slipped into the girl's holiday apartment while her parents were out. Pictured is the apartment block Maddie went missing from in 2007 Many were classified as 'near misses' after parents returned home to disturb the intruder. The attacker was said to have a deep tan and stale smell leading investigator to believe he could be a refuse collector. Many of the incidents took place early in the morning after refuse collections had been completed. The attack on the 10-year-old in Praia da Luz was not widely publicised and only came to light after an appeal by Met Police officers. It comes after it was revealed Madeleine McCann could still be alive, according to German prosecutors. In comments which could ignite fresh hopes for Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry that their daughter may be alive, prosecutor Hans Wolters said there was no forensic evidence to say she is dead. This was despite officials repeatedly saying that they were convinced she is no longer alive after news emerged earlier this month of new prime suspect Christian Brueckner. German prosecutors, who are investigating Brueckner for links to Madeleine's 2007 disappearance, had also said they knew how the little girl was killed but had no idea where her body is. Madeleine McCann could still be alive, according to the German prosecutor Hans Wolters (left) who previously suggested she was likely to be dead. Pictured right: Paedophile Christian Brueckner, who is suspected of kidnapping Madeleine However, speaking to the Mirror, Mr Wolters said: 'Because there is no forensic evidence there may be a little bit of hope. 'We don't want to kill the hope and because there is no forensic evidence it may be possible. 'I am surprised the fact we say or I say Madeleine is dead is so important for the British people. ' The prosecutor added that, in Germany, it is 'normal' to assume a murder has taken place in similar cases. Brueckner is currently in prison in Kiel, northern Germany, for drugs offences. Mr Wolters also admitted that his previous assertion that Madeleine may have been 'killed quickly' was only 'personal opinion and speculation'. In comments which could ignite fresh hopes for Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry that their daughter may be alive, Mr Wolters said there was no forensic evidence to say she is dead This was despite officials repeatedly saying that they were convinced she is no longer alive after news emerged earlier this month of new prime suspect Brueckner He said he came to the opinion 'without facts' based on experience of previous kidnapping cases. It comes after news emerged that Portuguese police reportedly did not interview Brueckner in the weeks after the three-year-old's disappearance as they did not know that he was a convicted sex offender. At the time of Madeline's disappearance, the German was living in the Praia da Luz resort from which she was taken. His criminal past in Germany was not known to detectives searching for Madeleine. While all sex offenders in the Algarve region came under suspicion and were interviewed, 43-year-old Brueckner was not among them. German prosectuors, who are investigating Brueckner for links to Madeleine's 2007 disappearance, had also said they knew how the little girl was killed but had no idea where her body is. Pictured: Portuguese police at the the Praia da Luz resort from where Maddie disappeared It comes after news emerged that Portuguese police reportedly did not interview Brueckner in the weeks after the three-year-old's disappearance as they did not know that he was a convicted sex offender. Though Brueckner had two convictions for theft and disobedience since arriving in Portugal in 1998, he was not on the radar of those searching for the youngster. His name was included in a file sent to British police in 2011 - but only because he was a foreigner who had been jailed and not because he was linked to a sex crime. It wasn't until Brueckner 'confessed' to a friend in a bar in Germany that he knew about Madeleine's disappearance that he became the prime suspect. German prosecutors are convinced he killed the then three-year-old but have admitted they do not have enough evidence to charge him with murder. Kate and Gerry McCann continue to hope that their daughter is alive Portuguese media said EU countries did not routinely share information on all criminals in the 1990s. Brueckner was convicted of molesting a six-year-old girl in a playground in his home town of Wurzburg, Bavaria, in 1994 when he was just 17. He left Germany for the Algarve after serving part of a two-year youth sentence for the crime. But that conviction was unknown to police on the McCann case in 2007. Karnataka Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar on Sunday said there was no question of reimposition of the lockdown amid speculation that it would be done. The question of lockdown is not in front of us. There is such speculation as the Prime Minister is holding a video conference with all Chief Ministers on June 16 and 17. On June 17 our state will be taking part in it at around 3 pm, Sudhakar said in response to a question. Speaking to reporters at Kalaburagi, he said the current situation would be discussed in that meeting. Sudhakar said the Prime Minister has repeatedly been holding such video conferencing exercises to take stock of the situation and plan for the future. There will not be a lockdown anymore according to me, he added. There has been speculation that there would be another shutdown from this month owing to a rapid rise in the number of cases. Sudhakar had on Friday said experts have indicated a surge in COVID-19 cases in the state in August and that the government was taking all precautionary measures in that direction. As of June 13 evening, cumulatively 6,824 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 81 deaths and 3,648 discharges. LONDON Right-wing counterprotesters to the Black Lives Matter movement were among groups who gathered in London on Saturday in what some said was an effort to protect public symbols of British history. Videos on social media showed some of the demonstrators singing the British national anthem and chanting "England," amid a tense atmosphere and heavy police presence, despite prior warnings from officials for the public to stay home. "Winston Churchill, he's one of our own," some chanted near a statue of the former prime minister that last weekend was sprayed with graffiti reading: "Churchill was a racist." British Home Secretary Priti Patel condemned the violent clashes by the counterprotesters as "throughly unacceptable thuggery." Throughly unacceptable thuggery. Any perpetrators of violence or vandalism should expect to face the full force of the law. Violence towards our police officers will not be tolerated. Coronavirus remains a threat to us all. Go home to stop the spread of this virus & save lives. https://t.co/HsOx9cgrqD Priti Patel (@pritipatel) June 13, 2020 London Mayor Sadiq Khan urged people on Saturday to stay away from the demonstrations in light of the risk of spreading the coronavirus and concerns about possible disorder, vandalism and violence. We have intelligence that extreme far-right groups are coming to London ostensibly, they say, to protect the statues, but we think the statues may be a flashpoint for violence, Khan said on BBC Radio on Saturday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also forcefully advised against attending protests, saying Friday that anyone attacking public property or the police would face "the full force of the law." The U.K.'s Black Lives Matter group also urged people to avoid central London, citing fears over safety. Story continues The global Black Lives Matter movement has spread beyond demonstrations against police brutality to confronting colonialist pasts and systemic racism. In recent days, some protesters around the world were emboldened to take more strident action, toppling statues of slaveholders, slave traders and prominent colonial-era figures. With this in mind, metal scaffolding was placed around a statue of Churchill in London ahead of this weekend's anti-racism protests. Okay, okay, laat ik de tijdelijke verhulling van Churchill positiever, minder dramatisch brengen. Mogelijk is dit het Londense eerbetoon aan de pas overleden Christo pic.twitter.com/LMQ29vyvcp Patrick v IJzendoorn (@IJzendoornV) June 12, 2020 While Johnson called the threats against the Churchill statue 'absurd' and 'shameful,' the celebrated former World War II leader's legacy is tainted by evidence of racist and white supremacist views. Scaffolding was also placed around statues of Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi, as the mayor said was that far-right groups intend to remove these statues. Londons Metropolitan Police imposed several restrictions ahead of the scheduled protests including requiring the events to end at 5 p.m. local time. But the police warned protesters to reconsider attending at all due to the coronavirus pandemic. The restrictions come in the wake of disorder in the city at the end of protests last weekend. While police said those demonstrations were on the whole peaceful, there were dozens of arrests and some police were injured. Even so, more anti-racism demonstrations around the world are expected to continue on Saturday for the third consecutive week, as protesters stand with U.S. demonstrations after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. Demonstrations are planned in Paris on Saturday despite police bans on large gatherings due to coronavirus. Police urged restaurants, shops and businesses on the route between the upscale Place de la Republique square and Opera areas to close and board up their windows due to the risk of civil disorder. Image: Australia (Trevor Collens / AFP - Getty Images) In Australia, protests also went ahead on Saturday in support of the Black Lives Matter movement against the advice of government and health authorities. The rallies, dominated by a heavy police presence, were mostly peaceful. Protesters marched on the streets or gathered at public parks carrying posters that said "No Justice, No Peace" and "Sorry For The Inconvenience, We Are Trying To Change The World." Australian police on Friday night set up temporary barricades in front of Sydney's town hall and stood guard around a statue of colonial figure Captain Cook in the nearby park. The movement in Australia focuses on the mistreatment of indigenous Australians, including Aboriginal deaths in law enforcement custody. The worldwide unrest has also drawn attention to indigenous rights in Taiwan, where hundreds packed into a park in central Taipei on Saturday to protest. An indigenous Taiwanese group was given prominent billing at the rally to draw attention to discrimination against the island's original inhabitants. The rally, attended by more than 500 people, was peaceful with only a very light police presence. TOKYO, JAPAN - JUNE 14: People attend a demonstration organized by the Black Lives Matter Tokyo against racism and police violence in echo to the killing of a black man, George Floyd in the US at the hands of a white police office in Tokyo, Japan on June 14, 2020. Thousands of protesters in Tokyo took part in a Black Lives Matter march on Sunday, calling for an end to racial discrimination and police abuse after the killing of African American George Floyd in Minneapolis last month. Demonstrators marched through the streets of the capital's Shibuya and Harajuku districts chanting and holding up signs spelling out slogans such as "Racism Is A Pandemic" and "No Justice No Peace". "It is not enough to just send our prayers," Shu Fukui, a 22-year-old university graduate, told Reuters. "We need to change society, not only for George Floyd, but also for those who died in the past." Organisers said about 3,500 people took part in the protest. Police did not disclose an estimate. Protests have gripped major U.S. cities and spread around the world since footage from May 25 showing a white police officer kneeling on Floyd's neck to pin him to the ground for a whole nine minutes went viral. In Atlanta on Saturday more protests erupted after a black man was shot dead by police as he tried to escape arrest. Demonstrators shut down a major highway and burned down the Wendy's restaurant where he was killed. Some protesters at the Tokyo march said Japan needed to own up to its own problems with race. "In Japan, there are far-right people who discriminate against other races. And Koreans and Chinese in Japan are exposed to a lot of hate speech," said Naho Ida, 44. "These things must not be allowed and we need to oppose this." Public broadcaster NHK last week apologised and deleted from its Twitter feed an animated video about the U.S. protests that sparked online outrage for its depiction of African Americans. It is going to be quite a trip watching Black Lives Matter spend billions of dollars in the coming years -- handed to them by the most powerful megacorporations in the world -- to tell everyone how "systemically oppressed" they are! From Black Enterprise, "Black Lives Matter: Corporate America Has Pledged $1.678 Billion So Far": Companies have made extraordinary pledges of support in the face of significant operational and financial challenges. Many have stepped up support for black workers and communities. These monetary commitments are designed to facilitate and support "action for racial justice -- to empower, support, and accelerate immediate solutions, as well as work towards long-term systematic transformation." What is surprising is the paucity of corporations and the stinginess of the donations. In a sense, this shows the true regard corporate America has for black people and is, in actuality, why marches and demonstrations were required in the first place. The corporations in our BLM response database list earned over $400 billion in 2019. While we understand that the level of uncertainty in the economy warrants conservation of monetary resources, these institutions are the primary beneficiaries of the Fed's corporate credit facility, a $6.7 trillion dollar expansion in the Federal Reserve's balance sheet specifically designed to help these corporations. Indeed, this is where our bailout money went. You can loot the treasury to the tune of $6 trillion while Americans are losing their jobs en masse and having their small businesses shut down and get away with it so long as you pledge a billion or two dollars towards advancing wokeness. Even the world's richest man can now play the victim and silence all his critics by accusing them of "racism." Bezos to racist customer: 'You're the kind of customer I'm happy to lose' https://t.co/OFipsONsnp CNBC (@CNBC) June 8, 2020 This is the end game of "woke" politics, which was nothing more than a scam to neutralize the left and divide and conquer America. You can see exactly how the con was run in this pivotal video from Occupy Richmond in 2011: The new left is now a gang of misfits, weirdos and freaks who operate as an unpaid human resources department for megacorporations by helping them root out thought criminals in their ranks. While some well-connected few will be the recipients of this $1.7 billion in handouts from Corporate America, most brainwashed leftists are happy to serve their masters just for social media "likes." Follow InformationLiberation on Twitter, Facebook, Gab and Minds. The head of State Intelligence Service Major General Suresh Sallay to institute legal action against Yasmin Sooka and ITJP First time for the Sri Lankan history, an acting intelligence officer has sent a letter of demand against an NGO Head for their alleged careless and misleading reports. Major General Suresh Tuan Sallay, the Incumbent Director of the State Intelligence Services of Sri Lanka has taken steps to send a Letter of Demand to Ms. Yasmin Sooka and the International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP), the statement received by the Sri Lanka Guardian has noted. File Image ( Courtesy: Unflash) According to the statement, The said Letter of Demand sent through Major General Sallays Lawyer: Pasan Weerasinghe, Attorney-at-Law, states that on or about 01st June 2020, Ms. Yasmin Sooka, in her capacity as the Executive Director of the ITJP has issued a press statement making various defamatory remarks against Major General Sallay. The press statement is said to be published via the ITJP Sri Lankas website. The Letter of Demand highlights the defamatory implications have resulted in parties with vested interests making attempts on the life of Major General Sallay. Further, the Letter of Demand goes on to mention the numerous awards and achievements of Major General Sallay and the resultant character and reputation he has thus garnered. Further, it states that the defamatory remarks of Ms. Sooka published by the ITJP Sri Lanka website have caused unto the Major Generals character and reputation a significant damage, which the Major General has valued at 1 Billion Sri Lankan Rupees and in turn, demanded that Ms. Sooka and ITJP pay. The Letter of Demand has also notified Ms. Sooka and the ITJP to cease and desist from issuing further defamatory remarks and the intention of Major General Sallay to seek litigative remedies, both Civil and or Criminal, if Ms. Sooka and the ITJP fail to adhere to said demands. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 16:58:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CHANGSHA, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Tan Zhixiang, 54, is witnessing the rising popularity of Liuyang Xiabu cloth, an intangible cultural heritage that originated in Liuyang City, central China's Hunan Province. The cloth, made of ramie known as "Chinese grass," was exported to Japan and other countries as a hot commodity as early as the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). More than 100,000 bolts of the cloth were sold overseas each year in the 1980s and 1990s. However, the cloth's production has declined due to its complex processing and other drawbacks. "More than 60 manufacturing processes are needed to make high-quality Xiabu cloth," said Tan. A lot of craftspeople who made the cloth, including Tan's wife, chose to find other jobs with higher pay. As an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage, Tan never gave up his dream of restoring the cloth's past popularity. Born into a family of cloth makers, he started to study the technique at the age of 12 and was also the family's fifth-generation cultural heritage inheritor. "Every family in my hometown used the cloth especially in summer because it was breathable," said Lu Songyuan, who followed Tan to study how to make the cloth. "We should bring the cloth back into people's daily lives." Lu spent more than a year studying the cloth and founded a company to promote it. He also designed bags, clothing and other products featuring the cloth. In 2018, the company's products were exhibited at a fair in Paris. Yi Hongbo, a designer from Liuyang, also brought the cloth to New York's international fashion week. Now the cloth and related products have been sold to Japan, France and other countries worldwide. Tan provided raw ramie materials to nearly 200 villagers, including some from poverty-stricken households, and organized them to process the cloth, helping them increase their income. "As an intangible cultural heritage, the cloth reflects profound culture and wisdom," said Lu. "We hope to make the cloth a popular product by improving the quality of raw materials, refining the process and optimizing the design." Enditem Ajay Kanth By Express News Service KOCHI: COVID-19 has become the catchword for many overseas education consultants scouting for prospective students from Kerala. The private agencies are promising special corona discounts for admission and migration to Australia and Canada, with a few launching campaigns with taglines like low-cost migration process during the COVID-19 transition period. Experts in the field, however, warn that people should be wary of fraudsters as top universities have not announced any special discounts for admissions on account of the coronavirus pandemic. Put on hold under the prevailing circumstances, the admission process overseas is expected to resume only by January/February next year. Students wishing to go to Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Canada have to be careful as there is no clarity yet on the admission process. Many foreign universities are planning for a January 2021 intake of students, ISE Education Media chief Manu Rajagopal told The New Indian Express. He said, despite the pandemic affecting overseas travel, a lot of inquiries on admissions to universities abroad have been coming in from students in the state. Milia Jacob of Princy Global Education said that only universities in the United Kingdom have considered reopening their academic intake of foreign students by September 2020. Some private universities in non-English speaking countries may be offering discounts to attract students, but leading universities in Europe are not, she said. Another expert said the agencies may attempt to lure students with the promise of scholarships from universities. Eligible students may get a scholarship of around 3,000 British pounds. But scholarships are not easy to get. Elaborate procedures have to be completed before students can avail them, he said. A majority of students from Kerala are opting for post-graduate courses overseas. The course fee varies depending on the country and the university. An MBA course in the US will cost around Rs 25 lakh while it will be between Rs 18 lakh and Rs 20 lakh in Australia. In the UK, a post-graduate course will cost around Rs 10 lakh, the expert said. Experts say Top universities have not announced any special discounts for admissions on account of the coronavirus pandemic. Agencies may attempt to lure students with the promise of scholarships from universities. PG courses in demand A majority of students from Kerala are opting for post-graduate courses overseas. (Natural News) Recalling the horrors that have taken place in the streets of Minneapolis as well as many other cities, most of us would agree that sending in the National Guard was a smart move to keep the peace. But when the National Guard showed up in Atlanta to enforce curfew, they were seen dancing the Macarena alongside protesters. This occurred just prior to the 8pm curfew that was about to take effect, with video footage of the weirdness quickly circulating the internet and prompting criticism from those who described it as a clown world. While these officers were supposed to be taking the situation seriously and professionally, they instead broke into dance. Local media outlets said it was a moment of much-needed levity after a week of protests in Atlanta, but other independent media outlets said it was an embarrassing and unserious display. The riots in Atlanta have already caused a tremendous deal of property damage with many innocent bystanders being hurt by the mob, wrote Shane Trejo for Big League Politics. Meanwhile, armed black militant supremacists are marching in the streets with guns with a mob showing solidary behind them, he added. Many protesters openly encourage the destruction as a form of racial justice. The damage included damaged and destroyed buildings, burned out vehicles, and plenty of looting, all of which was presumably happening on the other side of town as National Guardsmen danced the night away with protesters in front of the cameras. Listen below to The Health Ranger Report as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, talks about the latest plan by Democrats to abolish entire police departments in crime-ridden cities: Law enforcement needs reform and respect, not disbanding and disrespect The spectacle was almost as cringeworthy as when the local police department in Fayetteville, North Carolina, knelt down before a group of protesters in an act of surrender. While some police officers are corrupt, as are entire police departments, kneeling down and begging for forgiveness in front of a group of strangers does not command the type of respect that law enforcement needs in order to effectively keep the peace. By capitulating to angry mobs, these cops and National Guardsmen are only making matters worse by emboldening the worst among us to inflict even more violence upon innocent Americans. When domestic terrorists are burning cop cars, destroying buildings, vandalizing businesses and trashing cities, the last thing they need is for law enforcement to dance with them. What they actually need is to be held accountable for their crimes and told that such behavior will not be tolerated. While there are many areas where law enforcement could use some major improvements, there is also much to be said in appreciation of what the good ones do to keep our society in order. Without them, many more lives would be at risk, including black lives like the ones George Floyd threatened to eliminate in search of his next drug fix. The vast majority of protesters now demanding that police forces be disbanded for the protection of black lives are failing to recognize the many black lives that have been saved by police. George Floyds victims alone, including the pregnant black woman who he pointed a gun at, are certainly grateful that police intervened to protect them from potential death. The riots in Atlanta have already caused a tremendous deal of property damage with many innocent bystanders being hurt by the mob, Trejo adds. May God save us from this anarcho-tyranny that is being inflicted upon America by this mob. To keep up with the latest news about the protests and rioting, visit Chaos.news. Sources for this article include: BigLeaguePolitics.com NaturalNews.com WashingtonTimes.com For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers. MAIDUGURI, Nigeria - Three attacks by Islamic extremists, including an assault on Monguno, a military garrison town, have killed more than 40 people in Nigerias northeastern Borno state. The extremists from the Islamic State West Africa Province on Saturday attacked Monguno, where there are an estimated 150,000 displaced civilians, a United Nations office and a Nigerian military base. The well-armed attackers came in large numbers from three directions and took over the town for some hours before the military fought them back with the help of fighter planes, said Mohammed Ibrahim, a member of Mongunos community safety force. Many of the attackers appeared to have come from neighbouring Chad and Niger, said Ibrahim. At least three civilians and an unspecified numbers of soldiers were killed, he said. The attackers came in 13 vehicles, including heavily armed trucks, said another witness. The fighters dropped letters written in English, Hausa and Arabic warning people to stay away from the military and humanitarian organization because they could be attacked at anytime. Military spokesman Sagir Musa said on Sunday that the attackers sustained high number of casualties and some of their weapons and equipment was destroyed. A separate extremist attack on Saturday was in the Nganzai area, where residents say about 40 people were killed. Idris Yahaya, a member of the local community safety group told The Associated Press that they have recovered about 40 corpses in and around Usmanti village. He said the attackers also burned down several houses before they left the village. A third attack was on Zuwo village in the Gubio area but the number of casualties have not yet been confirmed because of poor telecommunication services in the area. In an earlier attack on June 9, 81 people were killed in Gubio. Gubio, Monguno and Nganzai are in the Lake Chad region of Nigeria where the Islamic State West Africa Province is most active. We have fallen heirs to the most glorious heritage a people ever received, and each one must do his part if we wish to show that the nation is worthy of its good fortune. -President Theodore Roosevelt Montana is many things. It is a small town with some very long roads. It is a collection of people, culture, faiths, and beliefs. It is a history of turmoil and peace. It is a collection of towering peaks dotting the skyline and expansive prairie as far as one can see. It is rivers starting in the alpine tundra as drops of rain on shale and ending on our borders as mighty forces that fuel our United States through food and power. It is a place so unique in the lower 48 that the visitors to our great state outnumber our residents 10 to 1 every year to seek a solitude unavailable for most citizens of the world. As President Roosevelt so eloquently affirmed more than a century ago, the people of Montana have inherited this great place. How we treat this place will leave an indelible mark on the land and in turn those that come. Those that inherit the peaks and the prairies, the rivers and the cathedrals, from us. Our decisions about the land must be for a greater good, because our decisions will be forever forged into the hillsides. Through a lifetime of conservation work, Ive watched the people of Montana continue to build society, as people do, and Ive watched the Smith River wind its way through the canyon, as the river does. The river is, for the most part, the same. It is the people who change. In 1977, the Council on Natural Resources and Development released a study and report on the Smith, its great bounty, and how it must be preserved. Public hearings with concerned Montana citizens were held. The report captures the sentiment at the time for those with an interest in the river: The testimony given reflected an exceptional general agreement in principle. The primary concern expressed was that the unique quality of the Smith River and its canyon must be preserved. The sentiment of the people, and the report, resulted in major conservation measures for the Smith that have withstood the tests of time and kept the river, for the most part, the same. The river meandering through the towering canyon, the bountiful fishery, and the abundant wildlife are still present. The greater lesson here is that the people, and not the river, will make the choice about what the next generation inherits. The Smith is now in the hands of a new generation, and the decisions it makes will determine the rivers fate. I worry deeply about the possibility of a large copper mine on its headwaters, and the permanent changes to the wild landscape, water quality, and recreation that could result. Allowing for large-scale mining on the headwaters of the Smith is a decision you cannot go back on. So many places in Montana have been irreparably damaged by the greed of a few, to the detriment of all. Here, the risks are just too great. It is my wish that the new generation of Montanans become stewards for the Smith and continue its conservation legacy, leaving the next generation with the rivers bounty, as my generation has done for yours. Between the peaks and the prairies, far off in the distance, we can see a horizon that we have not yet reached but continue to travel towards. As we cross the mighty Smith, we must be careful to leave it intact. We must show we have been worthy of its good fortune. Jim Posewitz of Helena spent 32 years with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, leading the agencys ecological program for 15 years. He then founded Orion the Hunters Institute. He served as executive director of the Cinnabar Foundation since its inception in 1983 to 2010. In 2015 the National Wildlife Federation named him Conservationist of the Year. Jim is the author of several popular books on the North American wildlife conservation model, including the nationally bestselling Beyond Fair Chase. Love 6 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 18 A decades-long battle could end very soon, if only a few key members of Congress will finally pull their pack mules out of their canyons and see the forest for the trees. The Land and Water Conservation Fund is one of those programs of special importance to states such as Montana, where public lands are not only a way of life but also a major pillar of the economy. Yet for too long the LWCF has been left to languish at the bottom of the list of priorities in Congress, despite its obvious public benefit and strong bipartisan support. Too often many members of Congress fail to grasp the true value of Americas public lands, and are content to leave critical maintenance and conservation projects chronically underfunded. A mere drop in the federal budget, the LWCF has been fully filled to its $900 million cap only twice in all the years since it was established in 1965 as a way to repay Americans for oil extraction from our shared off-shore property. Perennially in danger of non-renewal, the fund was intended to shore up access to public lands while also ensuring their continued conservation. It is entirely funded by fees paid by energy companies that want to drill for oil and gas in federal waters. LWCF supporters celebrated a major milestone in March 2019, when it was permanently reauthorized as part of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. That was rightly hailed as a step in the right direction, as it mean the existence of the fund would no longer be in question. However, it did not address the more important question of whether the fund would be financed, or to what degree. In early march of this year, Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colorado, introduced the Great American Outdoors Act, which includes two main actions. For one, it would provide $9.5 billion to allow the National Park Service to begin working through its maintenance backlog. With record numbers of visitors flocking to national parks each year, the National Park Services total cost of deferred maintenance is actually closer to $12 billion. Visitation numbers will likely be lower this year due to shutdowns to prevent the spread of coronavirus, perhaps slowing the rate of wear and tear, but basic upkeep on public amenities will still need to be completed. The other major component of the Great American Outdoors Act is full and permanent funding for the LWCF. Last week, both of Montanas senators Democrat Jon Tester and Republican Steve Daines, who is campaigning to keep his seat against challenger Steve Bullock spoke on the floor of the U.S. Capitol to persuade their colleagues to support the Great American Outdoors Act. There are so many Montanans and folks around the country that I want to thank for putting in the work and bringing my colleagues from darkness to light [on full, permanent LWCF funding], said Tester, who introduced a Land and Water Conservation Authorization and Funding Act back in 2009. Your work has inspired me, and its inspired future generations that are going to benefit from your selfless efforts. I was at home last night and got a text message from one of those folks that said Thank you. Thank you for your hard work for the last 13 years on LWCF. I sent him back a text that said I dont deserve the thank you, you do. So I would urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote yes on the Great American Outdoors Act so we can preserve our public lands for future generations for our kids and our grandkids just as the visionary President Teddy Roosevelt did for us. Daines talked about the importance of public lands to Montanans: As a fifth-generation Montanan, I know just how important our public lands are to protecting and preserving our Montana way of life... Today, we now have the opportunity to move forward on the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act, a conservation bill that will provide full and permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and finally tackle the massive maintenance backlog plaguing our public lands and national parks... It is an honor to serve the people of Montana in the United States Senate, and bring this vote, a vote decades in the making, before the U.S. Senate today. The Senate could vote on the act as soon as this week. With 59 co-sponsors, the bill is likely to pass, and Daines has already secured President Trumps promise that he will sign it into law. Yet at this particular time in our nations history, with so many pressing demands on Congress members attention, the act remains at risk of being derailed. This week, Montanans should voice their support for this bill and thank both of their U.S. senators for pushing their colleagues to support it as well. It's time to lead those mules out of the canyon. This editorial represents the views of the Missoulian Editorial Board: Publisher Jim Strauss, Editor Gwen Florio and Opinion Editor Tyler Christensen. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 RTHK: Atlanta police chief quits after black man shot dead Atlanta's police chief resigned on Saturday, the city's mayor said, as protesters took to the streets hours after the fatal shooting by police of a black man who had fallen asleep in his car at a Wendy's fast-food restaurant drive-thru line. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said she accepted the resignation of police chief Erika Shields after the killing of Rayshard Brooks, 27. Dozens of protesters gathered by late afternoon around the spot south of downtown where the man was shot and killed. "I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer," Bottoms said at a news conference, adding the officer who shot Brooks had been fired. Authorities have not yet released the names of the two officers involved in the shooting, both of whom were white. Bottoms said Shields, a white woman appointed chief in December 2016, would be replaced by deputy chief Rodney Bryant, a black man who will serve as interim chief. Atlanta's police did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said it was investigating the incident. Police said Brooks resisted arrest after failing a field sobriety test. The killing of Brooks came after weeks of intense racial equality protests across the United States following the death of George Floyd, a black man killed in Minneapolis police custody when an officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes. The Georgia investigators said video taken by an eyewitness was aiding their probe. GBI director Vic Reynolds said during a news conference that video captured by cameras inside the Wendy's restaurant appeared to show Brooks had one of the officer's Tasers in his hand when he fled. Brooks ran the length of about six cars when he turned back toward an officer and pointed what he had in his hand at the policeman. "At that point, the Atlanta officer reaches down and retrieves his weapon from his holster, discharges it, strikes Mr. Brooks there on the parking lot and he goes down," Reynolds said. (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2020-06-14. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Admissions tests have long been an important part of gaining entry to higher education. But coronavirus restrictions are causing education officials to reconsider how students take these tests and some are wondering if they are needed at all. Two of the most important tests for the college admissions process are the SAT and ACT. Most colleges and universities in the United States require applicants to take one of them. The College Board operates the SAT, which is only offered a few times a year and must be taken in person at an approved test center. Last year, the College Board said that a record 2.2 million people took its test. But because of efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus, the company canceled its March, May and June sessions this year. The company never made plans for an April session. Charlie Astorino is the president of measurement for the ACT. He told VOA his company decided to move its planned April session to June 13. He also said more changes could be coming. Astorino is hopeful testing centers will re-open in the U.S., China, Japan and Korea in a few months. But, he said, the future is still very unclear. He noted that, although it is an in-person test, the ACT has been entirely computer-based for years. So, the company is starting to experiment with ways to offer the test at a distance, online. Astorino said his company is working on remote proctoring technology. This technology uses artificial intelligence, or AI, to observe students taking the test online at home through the cameras built-in to their computers. The AI technology ensures that student follow rules and records their work securely. There are not many examples of this technology being used successfully to provide a test to groups as large as the 1.9 million students who took the ACT in 2018, Astorino said. But the growing popularity of a completely online test is causing companies to consider changes they may not have considered before. Really, what COVID is causing the entire industry to do is re-think where and how people can take tests, said Astorino. The TOEFL is one of most widely-used tests of English language ability in higher education worldwide. More than 11,000 colleges and universities in 150 countries use it for their admissions process. In March, ETS, the company that operates the test, launched the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition test. Srikant Gopal is the executive director of the TOEFL program for ETS. He said this special form of the test can be taken completely online using the company ProctorUs remote proctoring technology. Gopal added that it only took six weeks to develop, showing that a crisis can lead to important changes. Yet Jennifer Dewar with the language education company DuoLingo said this technology has been available for years. In 2014, DuoLingo launched its own English ability test that was completely online and used AI proctoring from the beginning. Now over 2,000 institutions accept it for their language requirements. Dewar said the coronavirus has shown that the traditional leaders in the testing field are not the best or even only option. She said it is interesting that her service was able to prove that testing could be done online, at home and that it could be secure and valid. She added that DouLingo now is the one thats been doing that for the longest. Still, some experts worry that online tests might not be considered as valuable as traditional ones. Mehran Ebadolahi is the chief executive officer of Test Max, a test preparation company which offers study assistance to people taking the LSAT. The LSAT is the main admissions test for law schools in the U.S. He said the LSAT Flex, an online form of the LSAT that was recently launched, is shorter than the traditional test. He worries that schools might value its results less. As youcompare students with traditional LSAT score(s) versus LSAT Flex, how will admissions committees look at that? he asked. He added that not everyone has access to strong internet or a quiet place to work at home. However, some experts wonder if admissions tests like the SAT and ACT are necessary at all. In May, the University of California system decided to suspend its admission requirements for SAT and ACT results. Bob Schaeffer said this move is proof of the growing popularity of what is being called the test-optional movement. Schaeffer is the director of Fair Test, an educational organization that works on admissions testing. It reports that over 1,000 schools have joined the movement. He noted that a large amount of research shows that students whose parents have high incomes are more likely to perform well on the SAT and ACT. That would be fine if the test was designed to predict where you come from, said Schaeffer. But its use is to determine where you can go, and that is where it becomes an inaccurate, unfair barrier to access. Im Pete Musto. Peter Musto reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. Quiz - Colleges Consider Big Changes to Admissions Testing Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story applicant(s) n. someone who formally asks for something, such as a job or admission to a college session(s) n. a period of time that is used to do a given activity artificial intelligence n. the power of a machine to copy intelligent human behavior option n. a choice or possibility valid adj. fair or reasonable versus prep. used to indicate two different things. or choices that are being compared or considered income(s) n. money that is earned from work, investments, or business inaccurate adj. not correct or exact access n. a way of being able to use or get something Road and infrastructure projects will get a $1.5 billion boost from the federal government in an attempt to push Australia's economy out of recession. The investment, to be announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday, will prioritise smaller-scale projects in NSW and Victoria that can be started quickly. Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The move follows the advice of the Reserve Bank before the coronavirus pandemic, when it urged the federal government to pick up infrastructure spending to stimulate the economy. Mr Morrison will tell the Committee for Economic Development on Monday that the government will focus on increasing productivity, environmental management through "caring for country" and, in a nod to ongoing diplomatic tensions with China "maintaining our outward-looking, open and sovereign trading orientation". The Armenian police said on Sunday that more than 100 supporters of Gagik Tsarukian were detained while protesting against apparent criminal proceedings launched against the leader of the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK). The police spokesman, Ashot Aharonian, told RFE/RLs Armenian service that they were taken into custody because of defying police orders outside the National Security Service (NSS) headquarters in Yerevan. Hundreds of angry Tsarukian supporters rallied there as NSS officers began interrogating the BHK leader hours after searching his house. Riot police pushed the crowd away from the building. They said that the demonstration is illegal, citing a coronavirus-related state of emergency in Armenia. Following the search, the NSS issued a statement alleging that BHK activists handed out vote bribes in the run-up to 2017 parliamentary elections at the behest of the partys leading members. Another NSS statement accused two gambling firms controlled by Tsarukian of large-scale fraud. Tsarukian accused the authorities of political persecution when he addressed the press before heading to the NSS building. The BHKs governing board issued a statement later in the day linking the crackdown to Tsarukians recent demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and his government. It said that the party, which holds the second largest of seats in the Armenian parliament, will not bow to the illegal pressure. A smaller number of protesters, among them senior BHK parliamentarians, remained gathered near the NSS headquarters even after the mass detentions. One of the lawmakers, Naira Zohrabian, said the authorities may now ask the National Assembly to lift Tsarukians immunity from prosecution and arrest him. We are ready for all scenarios, she told reporters. Meanwhile, Armenias human rights ombudsman, Arman Tatoyan, said that he has dispatched rapid-reaction teams to police stations where the BHK backers were held. He said they will talk to the detainees to and look into the legality of their arrest. On the 15th consecutive day of protests in downtown Raleigh, protesters demanded change from the citys leadership, particularly with its police department. Saturdays protests, which were organized by N.C. B.O.R.N., started around 4 p.m. with about 150 people. Over the course of the afternoon and evening, the group traveled through downtown, marching to Nash Square, the Executive Mansion, eventually marching on train tracks and ending up at Central Prison. Protesters march along the railroad tracks beneath the Boylan Avenue Bridge to Central Prison for a rally on police and orison reform on Saturday, June 13, 2020 in Raleigh, N.C. They were joined by people who have been making the daily protests part of their routine. And they heard a few times from a woman whose son was fatally shot by Raleigh police. Gloria Mayo is the mother of Keith Collins, a Raleigh man who was killed in February. Mayo said she wanted to be a voice for her son, who was 52 when he died, and other people who have been killed by police. They cant speak no more for themselves, so we have to speak for them, she said in an emotional speech to the crowd. She called for defunding the police department, a similar demand from many community activists across the country. She said police arent following their own policies to refrain from excessive force. In the case of her son, Raleigh police said they received a 911 caller said they saw a large black handgun fall from Collins shirt. When police arrived to investigate, they chased him and shot him while he refused to drop a BB gun and raise his hands, The News & Observer reported. We want justice, Mayo shouted, with protesters chanting the words back to her. Its time for a change, Mayo said. Weve got to keep fighting. ... They can make all the policies they want. If you dont follow the policies, policy aint no good. Thousands of people have marched in Raleigh over the past two weeks to protest police brutality and racism, after the death of George Floyd. Protesters from NC Born depart the North Carolina State Capital and mach down Salisbury Street on their way to Nash square for a rally on prison reform on Saturday, June 13, 2020 in Raleigh, N.C. Floyd died last month after now-fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyds neck for nearly nine minutes, despite his pleas that he couldnt breathe. Story continues Some groups have protested around the Capitol building, Nash Square, the Executive Mansion and other areas around downtown Raleigh. Others have held vigils in remembrance of those who died at the hands of police brutality. Saturday, protesters changed while marching: No justice, no peace. Abolish the police, and Whose streets? Our streets. Supporting a movement Kelly Hruska, a 20-year-old East Carolina student, moved back to the Triangle in mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic. She said she joined the protests early on and has been marching on a regular basis to show her support for organizers. Its like, this is my life now, she said. Really, I just show up and support organizers here. Its their movement, really, and Im here to be a body on the ground. She said she has appreciates the stories she has heard from speakers each night, who often tell about their own encounters with racism and police. She said she has been impressed watching young leaders emerge. To hear them talk about their experiences, theres so much to be learned from sitting here and listening, she said. Its been really powerful to hear their experiences and hear their stories. Its amazing to watch young people, especially, step up. Theyre leading groups of a hundred people. Hruska said she wants the city council to recognize demands of Raleigh PACT, a group that has been advocating for police reforms for several years. Protesters along Morgan Street on their way from Central Prison to Nash Square on Saturday, June 13, 2020 in Raleigh, N.C. Even if they were just to say, We hear you, that would be something, Hruska said. Jamal Alexander of Raleigh has been to several protests and demonstrations in Raleigh and Durham in recent weeks, and came out again to listen to speakers in Nash Square on Saturday evening. Its been nice to see the changes around the nation in terms of police reform, Alexander said, citing Raleighs adoption of the 8 Cant Wait reforms that include banning chokeholds and strangleholds, and shooting at moving vehicles. He called that a good start. But Alexander, 22, who works for a civil engineering firm, said hed like to see police funding diverted to mental health, education and other social programs that get at the root causes of crime and can help prevent it. Until that happens, Im going to try to be out here on a regular basis, he said. Marching to Central Prison Around 6:30 p.m. the group marched on the train tracks to Central Prison, where they chanted We see you. We love you and We hear you. You matter, to two different prison buildings. At one point a train approached. As the train passed by, the conductor honked his horn to the delight of protesters, who cheered. A man sitting in the passenger seat of the conductors booth held his fist out of the window. A Norfolk Southern train passes protesters along the tracks at Central Prison on Saturday, June 13, 2020 in Raleigh, N.C. The engineer blew the horn and held a clinched fist out the window of the locomotive as it passed. While congregating in a parking lot near the prison, NC BORN organizer Lauren Howell addressed the crowd while volunteers handed out water, fruit, chips and pre-packaged meals at nearby folding tables. Other wrote messages on the asphalt in chalk, including Collins name, eat the rich and blue lives murder. Taari Coleman, an NC BORN organizer, spoke at length about prison reform before leading a chant against solitary confinement. I dont want a punitive system, she said. I want a rehabilitating system. Mayo, Keith Collins mother, stood on the gravel right off the train tracks outside Central Prison. She carried a sign with a photo of her late son. She said she hadnt walked this much since she was in high school. Its very important, not only for me and my son, but for all the mothers that had sons killed, or black men killed, she said. Its important that all of these people come together. Every chance I get, Im going to be out here. At the end of the night, the group marched back to the center of Nash Square, where Mayo addressed the crowd a final time. Thank you for being here, she said to applause. The billionaire founder of Australia's most-loved tea has recalled up about the harsh racism he encountered when he first launched his brand in Australia. Merrill J Fernando, 90, was one of the first locals from the British colony of Ceylon -now known as Sri Lanka - to train as a tea-taster 19,000 kilometres away in London. The then-teenager saw first hand the colonial exploitation of producers back home and vowed to one day start up his own ethically-produced tea company, which was realised 34 years in Australia later. Mr Fernando was 58 when Dilmah first hit the market in 1988 through a Coles supermarket in Melbourne. But it wasn't everyone's cup of tea as he recalled the hostile reaction he received from the industry. Merrill J Fernando (pictured) is known to Australians as the face of Dilmah, the tea branded he founded in 1988 which is now a global brand 'Competitors said ''This is a third-world unhygienic product being dumped here!' The chairman of the then Australian Tea Alliance threatened me. 'We will get your brand out of the supermarket,' he told Sydney Morning Herald's Good Weekend Magazine. Dilmah was soon stocked in 35 more Coles stores in Melbourne before Woolworths expressed an interest. It didn't take long for Mr Fernando to win over Australian tea lovers as the face of Dilmah Tea television ads as Dilmah expanded to New Zealand, Europe and then the US to become a global brand. 'I owe everything to Australian consumers,' he said. Dilmah was the first producer-owned tea brand in the world, where 10 per cent of profits go to the MJF Charitable Foundation. Mr Fernando said his time in London sparked an urge to stand up to the multinational brands to ensure tea farmers from Sri Lanka and other developing countries got their fair share of the profits. The Sri-Lankan tea mogul (pictured middle with his sons) wanted to start up an ethically-produced tea company after his time as a teen in London learning how tea was made 'They would mix Ceylon tea with tea from other regions and market it as 'Ceylon Tea' because Ceylon tea is known as the world's finest at 20 or 25 times what they paid the poor farmer! They exploited our tea farmers, their families and workers and equally the consumer by telling them lies,' he recalled. It's not the first time the tea mogul has recalled Dilmah's tough debut in Australia. 'Two Englishmen working at a big tea company told me, 'we give you the interest, you keep supplying the tea, don't do our job, we do it best,' Mr Fernando told news.com.au in December. 'So I told them exactly where to go. I told them in very nice language to go to hell.' His son Dilhan added: 'It was a time when our political colonialism had been replaced by an economic form of colonialism, so he was viewed as an upstart that should not be allowed to exist.' Mr Fernando stepped down as chief executive last year for son Dilhan to take over the reigns but remains involved as chairman. Mr Fernando said the next generation is just as keen to be involved and insists his empire will never leave the family. By Pepe Escobar June 13, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - The marriage of post-Lockdown and George Floyd protests has nurtured a rough beast that is still immune to any form of civilized debate in the U.S.: the Seattle Commune. So what really is the Capital Hill Autonomous Zone cum Peoples Republic all about? Are the communards mere useful idiots? Is this a refined Occupy Wall Street experiment? Could it survive, logistically, and be replicated in NYC, L.A. and D.C.? An outraged President Trump has described it as a plot by domestic terrorists in a city run by radical left Democrats. He called for LAW & ORDER (in caps, according to his Tweetology). Shades of Syria in Seattle are visibly discernable. Under this scenario, the Commune is a remixed Idlib fighting regime counter-insurgency outposts (in communard terminology). For most American Right factions, Antifa equals ISIS. George Floyd is regarded not only as a communist Antifa martyr, as an intel operative told me, but a mere criminal and drug dealer. So when will regime forces strike in this case without Russian air cover? After all, as dictated by Secretary Esper, its up to the Pentagon to dominate the battlefield. But weve got a problem. Capital Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) is supported by the city of Seattle run by a Democrat which is supported by the governor of Washington State, also a Democrat. Theres no chance Washington State will use the National Guard to crush CHAZ. And Trump cannot take over Washington State National Guard without the approval of the governor, even though he has tweeted, Take back your city NOW. If you dont do it, I will. This is not a game. Its enlightening to observe that counter-insurgency can be applied in Afghanistan and the tribal areas; to occupy Iraq; to protect the looting of oil/gas in eastern Syria. But not at home. Even if 58% of Americans would actually support it: for many among them, the Commune may be as bad if not worse than looting. But then there are those firmly opposed. Among them: the Butcher of Fallujah Mad Dog Mattis; color revolution practitioners NED; Nike; JP Morgan; the whole Democratic Party establishment; and virtually the whole U.S. Army establishment. Welcome to the Only Occupy Others movement. Still the question remains: how long will Idlib be able to defy the regime? Thats enough to cause an alleged bully, Attorney General Barr, many a sleepless night. Real Black Power Trump and Barr have already threatened to criminalize Antifa as a terrorist organization even as Black Lives Matter has pointed a yellow dagger in the asphalt of 16th St. in D.C. towards the White House. And that brings us to the across the board legitimacy enjoyed by Black Lives Matter. Hows that possible? Here is a good place to start. Black Lives Matter, founded in 2013 by a trio of middle class, queer black women very vocal against hetero-patriarchy, is a product of what University of British Columbias Peter Dauvergne defines as corporatization of activism. Over the years, Black Lives Matter evolved as a marketing brand, like Nike (which fully supports it). The widespread George Floyd protests elevated it to the status of a new religion. Yet Black Lives Matter carries arguably zero, true revolutionary appeal. This is not James Browns Say It Loud, Im Black and Im Proud. And it does not get even close to Black Power and the Black Panthers Power to the People. The gold standard on civil rights, Dr. Martin Luther King, in 1968, concisely framed the structural heart of the matter: The black revolution is much more than a struggle for the rights of Negroes. It is forcing America to face all its interrelated flawsracism, poverty, militarism, and materialism. It is exposing evils that are rooted deeply in the whole structure of our society. It reveals systemic rather than superficial flaws and suggests that radical reconstruction of society itself is the real issue to be faced. The Black Panthers, young, extremely articulated intellectuals who had mixed Marx, Lenin, Mao, W.E.B. Du Bois, Malcolm X and Frantz Wretched of the Earth Fanon took MLKs diagnosis to a whole new level. As summed up by the Panthers Minister of Information Eldridge Cleaver: We believe in the need for a unified revolutionary movement informed by the revolutionary principles of scientific socialism. That synthesized the insights of MLK, who was, crucially, a proponent of color blindness. Fred Hampton, the target of a de facto state assassination in December 1969, made sure the struggle transcended race: We got to face some facts. That the masses are poor, that the masses belong to what you call the lower class, and when I talk about the masses, Im talking about the white masses, Im talking about the black masses, and the brown masses, and the yellow masses, too. Weve got to face the fact that some people say you fight fire best with fire, but we say you put fire out best with water. We say you dont fight racism with racism. Were gonna fight racism with solidarity. We say you dont fight capitalism with no black capitalism; you fight capitalism with socialism. So this is not only about race. This is not only about class. This is about Power to the People fighting for social, political and economic justice under a system thats intrinsically unequal. It expands on the in-depth analysis by Gerald Horne in The Dawning of the Apocalypse, where the 16th century is fully dissected, creation myth of the U.S. included. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Horne shows how a bloodthirsty invasion of the Americas engendered fierce resistance by Africans and their indigenous populations allies, weakening imperial Spain and finally enabling London to dispatch settlers to Virginia in 1607. Now compare this depth of analysis with the meek, almost begging for mercy Black Lives Matter slogan. One is reminded, once again, of Malcolm Xs sharpness: We had the best organization the black mans ever hadniggers ruined it! To solve the Black Lives Matter question, one must, once again, follow the money. Black Lives Matter profited in 2016 from a humongous $100 million grant from the Ford Foundation and other philanthropic capitalism stalwarts such as JPMorgan Chase and the Kellogg Foundation. The Ford Foundation is very close to the U.S. Deep State. The board of directors is crammed with corporate CEOs and Wall Street honchos. In a nutshell; Black Lives Matter, the organization, today is fully sanitized; largely integrated into the Democratic Party machine; adored by mainstream media; and certainly does not represent a threat to the 0.001%. The Black Lives Matter leadership, of course, argues that this time, its different. Elaine Brown, the formidable former chairwoman of the Black Panthers, takes no prisoners: Black Lives Matter has a plantation mentality. Try to set the night on fire Set the Night on Fire is an extraordinarily absorbing book co-written by Jon Wiener and the inestimable Mike Davis of City of Quartz and Planet of Slums. Cataloguing in exhaustive detail the L.A. of the Sixties, we are plunged into the Watts riots in 1965; the antiwar movement joining the Black Panthers to form a uniquely Californian Peace and Freedom Party; the evolving grassroots unity of the Black Power ethos; the Che-Lumumba club of the Communist Party which would become the political base of legendary Angela Davis; and the massive FBI and LAPD offensive to destroy the Black Panthers. Tom Wolfe notoriously and viciously characterized L.A. supporters of the Black Panthers as radical chic. Elaine Brown once again sets the record straight: We were dying, and all of them, the strongest and the most frivolous, were helping us survive another day. One of the most harrowing sections of the book details how the FBI went after Panthers sympathizers, including the sublime Jean Seberg, the star of Otto Premingers Saint Joan (1957) and Godards Breathless (1960). Jean Seberg contributed anonymously to the Panthers under the codename Aretha (yes, as in Franklin). The FBIs COINTELPRO took no prisoners to go after Seberg, enrolling the CIA, military intel and the Secret Service. She was smeared as a sex-perverted white actress as in having affairs with black radicals. Her Hollywood career was destroyed. She went into deep depression, had a stillbirth (the baby was not black), emigrated, and her decomposed body was found in her car in Paris in 1979. In contrast, there have been academic rumblings identifying the sea of converts to the Black Lives Matter religion as mostly products of the marriage between wokeness and intersectionality the set of interlinked traits that since birth privileges heterosexual white men, now trying to expiate their guilt. Generation Z, unleashed en masse from college campuses across the U.S. into the jobs market, is a prisoner of this phenomenon: in fact a slave to politically correct identity politics. And once again, carrying zero revolutionary potential. Compare it once again to immense political sacrifices of the Black Panthers. Or when Angela Davis, already a pop icon, became the most famous black political prisoner in American history. Aretha Franklin, when volunteering to post bail for Davis, famously framed it: Ive been locked up for disturbing the peace, and I know youve got to disturb the peace when you cant get no peace. Elaine Brown: I know what the BPP [Black Panther Party] was. I know the lives we lost, the struggle we put into place, the efforts we made, the assaults on us by the police and government I know all that. I dont know what Black Lives Matter does. Its open to endless debate whether Black Lives Matter is intrinsically racist and even inherently violent. And its also debatable whether taking a knee, now a household ritual practiced by politicians (complete with Kente scarves from Ghana), cops and corporations, really threatens the foundations of Empire. Noam Chomsky has already ventured that the protest wave so far carries zero political articulation and badly needs a strategic direction, far beyond the obvious revolt against police brutality. The protests are dying down just as the Commune emerges. Depending on its evolution that may pose a serious problem to Trump/Barr. The President simply cannot allow a running color revolution to develop in the middle of a major American city. At the same time hes impotent as a federal authority to dissolve the Commune. What the White House can do is to dog whistle its own counter-insurgency units, in the form of armed to their teeth white supremacist militias, to go on the offensive and crush the already flimsy supply lines of the wokeness-cum-intersectionality crowd. Occupy after all took over key areas of 60 American cities for months just to suddenly dissolve into the ether. Additionally, the Deep State has already war-gamed plenty of scenarios to deal with siege situations way more complex than the Commune. Whatever happens next, one key vector is immutable. A state of permanent insurrection only benefits the 0.00001% plutocracy comfortably ensconced while the plebs set the night on fire. RTE has today announced that an almost 30-hour production of James Joyces Ulysses will be broadcast on its DAB and online worldwide channel RTE Radio 1 Extra to celebrate Bloomsday. The full dramatised production originally broadcast in 1982 to celebrate the centenary of Joyce, and totalling 29 hours and 45 minutes in duration - will begin at the same time as both Stephen Dedalus and Leopold Bloom's journey through Dublin begins in the book: 8am on 16 June. With Bloomsday 2020 one of many events in the nation's cultural calendar to be affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, RTE will mark the occasion with this unique and ambitious broadcast. Jim Jennings, Director of Content, RTE, said: "With the rise in popularity of audiobooks and podcasts at the moment, this is a real cultural treasure from the RTE Archives, which we are delighted and extremely proud to make available to audiences globally via our DAB channel and website. If youve never felt brave enough before, this is an ideal way to get into Joyces masterpiece. Guided by the exquisite performances of the RTE Players you will find yourself immersed in this stunning production within minutes. For those who have already read the book or enjoyed the original production in the 1980s, here is an opportunity to re-visit this unequalled moment in world broadcasting." The production was recorded by Marcus MacDonald, directed by William Styles, and performed by the RTE Players, featuring Pegg Monahan, Patrick Dawson, Ronnie Walsh, Brendan Cauldwell, Colette Procter, Barbara McCaughey, Kate Minogue, Denis Staunton, Laurence Foster, Conor Farrington and Deirdre OMeara. Audiences can listen live on RTE Radio 1 Extra, or via podcast at www.rte.ie/Ulysses To complement the broadcast, RTE has created a permanent website that will include 20 explainer programmes, 'Reading Ulysses, hosted by Gerry O Flaherty and Fritz Senn. This comprises 18 episodes, plus an introductory programme with contributions from Edna O'Brien and Joseph O'Connor, and a programme hosted by Bernard Clarke and featuring Barry McGovern on the music in the book. RTE is also including Joycesongs (music from the book performed by the RTE Concert Orchestra) and other audio and visual archive material. New writing is also part of this years Bloomsday offering. RTE Radio 1 has commissioned a half-hour programme, specially scheduled to coincide with the publication of Edna O'Brien's new book. James and Nora: Portrait of Joyce's Marriage: A reading by Edna O'Brien will air on 6.30pm on RTE Radio 1, Saturday, June 13, 2020. In addition, RTE has commissioned a series of short essays focusing on a fundamental activity of James Joyces Ulysses - walking. Called Walking Out, in the days approaching Bloomsday a new short essay will be published daily on www.rte.ie/culture/ from acclaimed fiction writers and essayists Nuala OConnor (Wednesday 10 June), Joseph OConnor (Thursday 11 June), Cristin Leach (Friday 12 June), Ian Maleney (Monday15 June) and Mary Costello (16 June, Bloomsday). Walking the pier with a first love, sustaining older relationships through art and walking, as well as the iconic walk taken into literary history by James Joyce and Nora Barnacle on 16th June 1904, are all features in a witty, thought-filled new writing collection. When she thinks about a student going through college, Kristen Renn imagines a seedling growing into a tree: There are a lot of things that could go wrong along the way. "One cataclysmic event can do it in," said Renn, a professor of higher, adult and lifelong education at Michigan State University. An entire forest of potential future graduates is now imperiled by the pandemic that has large numbers of students saying they will delay their higher educations, take time off, opt for community college or shift to studying part-time. While attention has been focused on the impact of these choices on enrollment in the fall, each has also been shown to slow down or derail students on their way to degrees. For them, and for employers who need educated graduates, that means the effects of this crisis will be felt not just for one semester but for six or more years. That's how long it takes some undergraduates to finish college, if they ever do, even in the best of times. Now, just as happened in the last recession, it is likely to take them even longer and cost more, while - after years of hard-won progress - dropout rates rise and graduation rates fall. "We're so focused on the now and on the short-term future," said Laura Perna, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. "But there are serious long-term consequences to this." Most affected will be Americans who are already way behind their peers in completing higher education: those who come from low-income families and whose parents never finished college. "This could add a year or two, easily, to a student's time to degree," said Renn. That's the inescapable lesson of history and research. Worried about having to take classes online or not sure how they'll pay, for instance, 10 percent of high school seniors who were planning to attend a four-year college or university before the pandemic now say they're going to do something else, the consulting firm SimpsonScarborough reports. About half say they will enroll at a community college. But high school graduates who put off college often end up never going, research shows. And only 45 percent of people who enter community college full time earn associate degrees in even six years, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Some of these students say they ultimately plan to transfer from community college to a four-year university and get a bachelor's degree. But only 13 percent of community college students manage to achieve that goal, the Community College Research Center at Teachers College, Columbia University, says. (The Hechinger Report, which produced this story in partnership with The Washington Post, is an independent unit of Teachers College.) "For some students [community college] will be like a detour," Renn said, "and for others it will be an off-ramp." Of students who have changed their education plans, 15 percent say they will reduce the number of courses or the amount of training they take, another survey, by the nonprofit Strada Education Network, found. But studying part-time also significantly lowers success rates. More than half of part-time students still hadn't earned a credential six years after starting college, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center says. Even if graduating high school seniors say they are only delaying their educations and will eventually go to college, "their likelihood of actually enrolling a year or two years later is lower, and therefore their chances of getting a degree is lower," said Watson Scott Swail, president and chief executive of the Educational Policy Institute. Some may find jobs, start earning money and stay put, he said. Others will lose the helpful momentum of peer pressure. "You're going to be behind your friends," said Swail. "In your head, you've lost the race." Of course, many of these decisions about whether, where and how to go to college are being driven by new financial realities. While wealthier families still may largely be able to afford the cost of college, growing numbers of lower- and middle-income Americans - who were already struggling to pay - have now lost jobs or fear they will. "What's happening right now is putting families into a very precarious position for whom paying for college was precarious to begin with," said Lindsay Page, an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Education who studies how students get to and through college. "This is not going to affect families for a semester," she said. "It's going to affect them for a really long time." Some low-income prospective students now are working to help their families, said Yolanda Watson Spiva, president of the advocacy group Complete College America; others are seeing record unemployment rates and wondering whether there will be any jobs for them, even with degrees. "It's hard enough under regular circumstances to help students understand why college is important," said Spiva. "Trying to get students to understand the value proposition of college now is going to be a more difficult and arduous undertaking." All of these new barriers and delays will likely further widen the nation's broader socioeconomic divide, Page and other experts said. "It's middle- and lower-income students who I think will be wildly thrown off by this," Renn said. Already, only 12 percent of bachelor's degrees awarded by age 24 go to people in the bottom quarter of income, new research from the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education finds, compared with nearly 75 percent that go to those in the top half. "From high school graduation out toward college, we're seeing covid make it even less likely that low-income, first-generation students of color do what we hope they will, which is get a bachelor's degree," said Liane Hypolite, an assistant professor of educational leadership at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Although college and university enrollment went up after the last recession, as more Americans sought education at a time when jobs were also scarce, there was a distinctive socio-economic divide, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center found. Students from wealthier families continued to attend the priciest institutions while more lower- and middle-income families chose community colleges, which the College Board reports cost about a third as much as the lowest-tier public four-year universities and one-tenth as much as the lowest-tier four-year privates. Dropout rates rose, and graduation rates fell. Since then, both statistics had begun to improve. The proportion of students dropping out between their first and second years, in any kind of university or college, fell two percentage points, and the proportion earning any kind of a degree within six years grew five percentage points as institutions put more resources into prodding their students to succeed - often under pressure from policymakers who tied their funding to such measures. "We were making some good strides in supporting those students and improving completion rates," said Bradley Custer, senior policy analyst for postsecondary education at the progressive nonprofit Center for American Progress. How delicate these seedlings are, however, is evident from the fact that, even accounting for this progress, 26 percent of students still quit before their second year and 34 percent still haven't graduated after their sixth. Now there's fear that financial problems could prompt institutions, some of which have already begun layoffs, to reduce support for students who need it. Student planning and advising offices consume $1 billion a year of university budgets, according to the consulting firm Tyton Partners. "Those kinds of programs aren't cheap, and colleges are really strapped right now," Page said. Already, fewer than a third of university and college advisers say they can always meet the needs of their students, Tyton Partners found in a survey of 2,500 administrators, advisers, counselors and faculty. The rest say their caseloads are too big to keep up with. That could take a particular toll on first-year students and returning adults, many of whom need extra counseling. And if their institutions continue to teach online in the fall, as some have announced they will, it may be even tougher. "Our students are out there floundering," said Hypolite, who still advises graduating seniors at a charter school in Boston where she previously worked. "Once they hit a few roadblocks, without a person and a contact and a human being who can help guide them through the process, they'll say, 'I'm over it.' " Spiva likens the job of advisers right now to that of contact tracers helping to find people exposed to the novel coronavirus. "We're going to have to do some contact tracing to find our students, in some cases," she said. And that will have to happen even with advisers' already high caseloads and the possibility that their funding will be cut. There are glimmers of optimism. The experience of juggling work and family while being shut down at home, for instance, may have made the broader public more sympathetic to the challenges faced by working students with children, and more willing to support services that might help them, said Perna, at Penn. "There's a lot of complexity that most people haven't been aware of," she said. "Everyone as they're trying to do work is understanding that colleagues have families and other sorts of constraints. When you have those multiple responsibilities, there's a precariousness to it. The whole house of cards can crumble." Public attitudes toward community colleges also may warm, said Karen Stout, president of Achieving the Dream, which works with those institutions to improve their graduation rates and the odds that their students can successfully transfer to four-year institutions. "And that puts pressure on policymakers to ensure that there are strong credit-transfer policies." But there are other problems. Should large enough numbers of students put off college but then show up on campus next spring or the following fall, for instance, it could create a sudden surge in demand for required courses that outstrips the supply, Page said. "Students may be facing these course-level pileups and also advising-load pileups" that delay them on the way to their degrees, she said. "By the time they register, the class is full." And, in a vicious cycle, anything that slows them down diminishes the chances that they'll ever finish, said Swail. "It's like a 100-meter dash or hurdles," he said. "If you make the race a little longer, you add another 10 meters onto it, it just gets harder and harder to reach the finish line." Even students who do show up in the fall may not experience the usual in-person first-year orientation programs universities and colleges have built up over the past decade to get them accustomed to the campus and introduce them to each other, which have helped reduce the dropout rate, said Jennifer Keup, executive director of the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience at the University of South Carolina. But Keup sees hope, too. The purpose of those programs, she said, is to take "a diversity of individuals you're bringing to a campus and make it into a community" by finding things that first-year students can agree they share in common. And, said Keup, "we've never had a more common human experience than we're having right now." - - - This report is a product of The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Amid the rising coronavirus COVID-19 cases in Delhi, the AAP-led government on Saturday (June 13) night passed an order declaring all nursing homes in the national capital, which have 10-49 beds, as 'COVID nursing homes'. The Delhi government also directed all such nursing homes to make their beds functional in three days. According to Delhi government, all such nursing homes will have to ensure that intermingling of COVID and non-COVID patients is avoided. In a statement, the Delhi government said, In order to avoid intermingling of COVID and non-COVID patients in small and medium multispeciality nursing homes, also to augment the bed capacity for COVID-19 patients, all nursing homes in the national capital territory of Delhi, having bed strength of 10 to 49, are declared as COVID nursing homes. All such nursing homes are required to make their COVID beds functional within three days, failing which would initiate action against the defaulter nursing home, the statement noted further. Notably, the Delhi government passed the order even as the national capital reported over 2,000 cases in the last 24 hours, a second consecutive spike of over 2,000 fresh coronavirus cases. In a related development, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to chair a meeting on Sunday (June 14) with Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to review the coronavirus situation in the national capital. The Delhi government is also gearing up to set up the citys first makeshift COVID hospital in order to increase the number of beds to treat coronavirus patients in Delhi. A student identified as Grace Oshiagwu has been reportedly raped and killed in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the third in the state in two weeks. The deceased, 21, was a National Diploma student of The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki. The incident was confirmed by residents of the area and the police who only confirmed her murder. The attack on Ms Oshiagwu happened on Saturday at Idi-ori Area, off Shasha Expressway, Akinyele Local Government Area in Ibadan. A resident of the area who asked not to be named for security reasons spoke on how the victims body was found. It was evident enough that she was raped. One could see blood all over her body and the cut on her head, the source said. It happened close to my area. I was scared. Grace hardly talked or abused anyone. She was easy going. Only God knows those that killed her. Her family has been thrown into sorrow, another resident of the area said late Saturday. Confirmation: The latest incident was confirmed by Olugbenga Fadeyi, the spokesperson of the Oyo State Police Command. One Grace Oshiagwu, female, aged 21 years, was macheted on her head in a church mission building at Idi-Ori Area, Shasha off expressway by unknown assailant(s) today 13/06/2020 about 3:00 pm, Mr Fadeyi said in a statement. READ ALSO: He said investigation has commenced and urged the public to assist with information to apprehend the killers. Our correspondent also gathered that the corpse of Ms Oshiagwu has been deposited at Adeoyo State Hospital in Ring road, Ibadan, for autopsy. PREVIOUS ATTACKS PREMIUM TIMES reported how Baraka Bello, a student of the Department of Science Laboratory Technology (SLT), Federal College of Animal Health and Production, Moor Plantation, Ibadan, was raped and killed on June 1. Suspected ritualists also killed a 29-year-old woman, Azeezat Somuyiwa, who was seven months pregnant in her home on June 5. The two cases, as well as that of Ms Oshiagwu, happened at Akinyele Local Government Area. The police have, however, not given any indication that the attacks were carried out by the same suspects. The Nigeria government, on Tuesday, through the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, vowed to take decisive action against rapists by ensuring the adoption of strict implementation of relevant laws. Speaking on Friday, President Muhammadu Buhari in his Democracy Day address also condemned the rising sexual violence cases. I am particularly upset at recent incidents of rape, especially of very young girls. The Police are pursuing these cases with a view to bringing perpetrators of these heinous crimes to swift justice, Mr Buhari said. Latest News Westpac makes first fixed rate move of 2022 New year, same rate action as major lenders continue rate hikes Inside the property market explosion in regional Australia Regional broker explains just how crazy the property market has been in one NSW town While there have been a number of criticisms lobbed at the governments HomeBuilder grant, including its specific and limited parameters for eligibility, there could also be a longer-term economic impact which has been less discussed. According to Eliza Owen, CoreLogic head of research for Australia, the policy largely creates stimulus for those who were planning to build and renovate anyway and, as such, may result in a vacuum effect. A vacuum effect describes housing stimulus bringing forward a planned decision to purchase property. It reflects a surge in buyer activity soon after housing grants are made available, and a significant drop in activity thereafter, Owen explained. The implication is that rather than stimulating sustained, new demand, stimulus is simply bringing forward activity to a certain date, where it would likely have occurred over time anyway. The timeframe of the HomeBuilder scheme further confirms its target audience will become those who were already prepped to execute their plans, with or without governmental support. The kind of planning and financing that needs to be organised for a six-figure renovation means that it would largely be taken up by those who have already started the process, said Owen. Similarly for home owners, and first home buyers in particular, those looking to commit to a property purchase within the next six months would already have been saving a deposit and primed to buy. While Owen noted that the way HomeBuilder could create additional construction would be through directing buyers from established property to new housing, unlike previous stimulus such as the first home owner boost in 2008, she still communicated doubt regarding its overall effectiveness. The HomeBuilder package may be limited in its ability to deliver new construction work, because it relies on decisions to purchase and renovate property in a highly uncertain economic climate, Owen said. This is one of the reasons consensus is mounting around social housing being a more efficient use of government expenditure on housing, because it guarantees the upgrade and building of homes through direct expenditure. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 14) The ruling on the cyber libel case against online news organization Rappler, its chief executive officer Maria Ressa, and former researcher-writer Reynaldo Santos Jr. is set to be delivered on Monday, June 15. The lawsuit was filed by businessman Wilfredo Keng over a 2012 investigative report written by Santos, which mentioned Kengs supposed anomalous ties with then Chief Justice Renato Corona. The article in question also cited an intelligence report on the businessman's alleged involvement in illegal activities. Keng previously said he wanted to send a message that the media cannot simply destroy a persons reputation and character through irresponsible reporting without consequence. For Atty. Theodore Te, Rapplers lawyer and former Supreme Court spokesperson, a verdict against the news organization will bear crucial ramifications on the countrys independent journalism. He said a conviction would have a chilling effect on press freedom, as it will define how journalists will carry out their duties in the face of possible threats. Online journalists, for example, would have to really think twice, several times [before publishing a report], Te said in an online video forum on Sunday. As I would put it, if you keep thinking whether to write it at all, thats where the chill comes in. Should the judgment be a conviction, Te said they intend to elevate the case to the Court of Appeals. If proven guilty of cyber libel, Ressa and Santos may face imprisonment ranging from six months and one day to up to seven years. Keng has also demanded 50 million in damages, adding that the amount does not even suffice to compensate for the injury inflicted by the online news site on his reputation. Rappler, for its part, has maintained that Kengs lawyers failed to prove actual malice in the article, and that Santos merely quoted an intelligence report, which is privileged communication under the Revised Penal Code. But the court had ruled that Rappler's argument was without merit. It said the prosecutors "need not prove the presence of malice" if the offended party is a private person. While the story was published months before the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 was passed, Keng also argued that the article was republished in February 2014. In response, Rappler said there were no substantial modifications made to the story, as the update only involved correction of typographical errors. Te also pointed out that the republication rule should not apply since the temporary restraining order on the cybercrime law was still in effect when the article was updated. The high-profile cyber libel case has been denounced by various human rights and media groups as an attack on press freedom. Rappler has also said that it sets a "dangerous precedent that can be used to silence critical reporting on the part of media. The embattled organization faces a number of other pending charges, including those questioning its corporate existence and foreign ownership, as well as tax evasion. DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Saturday that U.S. President Donald Trump still has a good chance of being re-elected thanks to his strong support base, despite his declining support in recent months. "The biggest mistake in human sciences is to predict, especially in fluid and grave conditions. But allow me to venture a prediction that Mr Trump's re-election chances are still more that 50%," Zarif said in an interview. "Of course his chances have seriously decreased compared to four to five months ago." "But Mr Trump has a 30-35% base that has not moved and, as long as this base does not move, there is still a chance of his re-election," Zarif said in the live interview on Instagram with Iranian journalist Farid Modarresi, the first of its kind with a senior official of the Islamic Republic. Relations between Iran and the United States have taken a turn for the worse since Donald Trump last year pulled Washington out of the nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions that have crippled Tehran's economy. Iran has responded by gradually scaling back its commitments under the agreement. Trump said earlier this month that Iranian leaders would be wrong if they expected his defeat in the November elections. Recent opinion polls have seen President Donald Trump lose ground to Democrat Joe Biden. "Dont wait until after U.S. Election to make the Big deal. Im going to win. Youll make a better deal now!," Trump tweeted, addressing Iran. Iran's Foreign Ministry responded that Iran would not base its policies on internal U.S. matters, such as elections. Zarif said in the interview that Trump himself had likely reached the conclusion that his policies of "maximum pressure" against Iran had failed. "I don't think Trump believes anymore in talk that the Islamic Republic is about to collapse," Zarif said. "But he keeps repeating his mistakes. It seems that they (U.S. officials) know they have committed errors but don't know how to correct them." (Reporting by Dubai newsroom, editing by Louise Heavens) KYODO NEWS - Jun 14, 2020 - 21:29 | All, Japan An explosion at a Honda Motor Co. plant in Mie Prefecture, central Japan, seriously injured two men on Sunday, police said. The blast occurred at around 9:15 a.m. near an electrical power distribution board at the Japanese automaker's Suzuka factory in Suzuka city, the police said. The two men, who were nearby, sustained serious burns and were taken to a hospital, they said. The two were identified as Tetsuya Nohara, 21, and Ryuji Kumagai, 27, who suffered burns to the upper body and to the face, respectively. The police said the factory, about 2 kilometers away from the Suzuka Circuit motorsport racetrack, was undergoing inspections after halting its blast furnace. The pair were operating the distribution board to see whether there was a flow of current. Related coverage: New car sales of Toyota surge in China in May amid easing virus fears FOCUS: Nissan falls behind rivals in industry's critical transition period Honda, GM to jointly develop 2 new electric vehicles The police said the burns were likely caused by sparks due to a short circuit in the board. While the board was partially charred, there were no visible traces of burns on its door or on the floor. They said a colleague heard the explosion and found the two collapsed on the floor before a security guard called for an ambulance. Honda said the Suzuka factory was scheduled to resume operations on Monday following the inspection. Established in 1960 as Honda's third domestic factory, it has manufactured models including the Fit subcompact car, according to the company's website. It also provides technical support and supplies components to Honda factories in 28 foreign countries. Advertisement Winston Churchill's photo mysteriously disappeared from Google's list of British prime ministers overnight, coinciding with protesters calling for his statue to be torn down. The wartime leader was the only prime minister to be left without a photo with Clement Attlee, Neville Chamberlain and Stanley Baldwin, who all served before Churchill, still displayed with their images. Google claimed later the image disappeared due to an update, and said it would be resolved 'as rapidly as possible'. It was absent for around 12 hours. The picture's disappearance coincides with an escalating row over whether his memorial in Parliament Square, London, should stay up with Black Lives Matter supporters calling for it to be torn down. Imarn Ayton, 29, who has given speeches alongside Star Wars actor John Boyega in support of the BLM movement, said yesterday the monument is offensive and should be moved to a museum. Even his granddaughter Emma Soames, after seeing the statue daubed with 'was a racist', said that if people were 'so infuriated' it may be 'safer' in a museum. Yesterday, clashes between far-right yobs, Black Lives Matter supporters and riot police erupted in Trafalgar Square and Waterloo station, with the far-right demonstrators claiming to be protecting Churchill's monument. Police chiefs imposed a 5pm curfew on all demonstrations in a bid to quell the unrest as the anti-racist rally and a far right counter-protest descended into hooliganism driven by a hard core of violent activists. Boris Johnson spoke out against what he described as the 'racist thuggery' seen during demonstrations after facing criticism for his response to the unrest this week. Winston Churchill's picture disappeared from Google's list of British prime ministers for 12 hours today. Google claimed this was due to an 'update'. It coincides with calls from Black Lives Matter protesters for his statue to be removed Google said it was working to put the image back 'as rapidly as possible'. It re-appeared on the search engine at midday Churchill's picture was also no longer displayed on his brief description, which is shown for all prime ministers. The wartime hero is the only British leader to have been left without an image Google users suggested the image was being pulled from Wikipedia as a default. However, his picture still remained on the Wikipedia website. Google restored Churchill's picture to the search engine today The wartime leader's statue in parliament square has been covered up to protect it from further damage during protests. More than 100 people were arrested in London yesterday following protests Google users said Churchill's image had disappeared from the search engine in the UK, US, Australia, South Africa and other countries, as they branded it 'disgraceful' and 'disgusting'. They were quick to question why it was not there and point out that other war leaders who were tyrants, including Stalin and Hitler, were still displayed by the search engine. A request to Google from users for an explanation read: 'The images on the search results are taken from Wikipedia, it's not clear to me why this would break in only the UK and the US. 'It's especially interesting given the current controversy around Churchill in our countries. Even more interesting is that pictures of Hitler, Stalin and Mao are shown with no issues.' A search engine expert responded at the time saying the image appears to be a 'default'. Google SearchLiaison said in a statement: 'We're aware an image for Sir Winston Churchill is missing from his Knowledge Graph entry on Google. We apologise for any concern. This was not purposeful and will be resolved. 'Images in such panels are automatically created and updated. During an update, they can briefly disappear. 'We don't have an exact time for when Churchill's Knowledge Graph image will be restored, but it will be as rapidly done as possible.' Social media users reacted with fury to the removal, with many questions its timing in light of the campaign to remove Churchill's statue. Pictured above is Google's statement this morning. They claimed an 'update' had caused the image to disappear Black Lives Matter activist Imarn Ayton, 29, called for Churchill's statue to be removed yesterday, branding it 'offensive' Churchill's statue in Westminster was daubed with 'was a racist' during an anti-racism march in the capital last week Black Lives Matter supporter carries white 'far-right' protester to safety after he was beaten up in violent clashes between rival troublemakers at London Waterloo station By William Cole For Mailonline A man identified as a far-right protester has been carried to safety from protestors as animosity was briefly set aside on a day of clashes in London between rival groups and police. Following violent clashes in Trafalgar Square, Black Lives Matter protestors and some counter protestors headed over the River Thames towards Waterloo Station. Far right thugs have been accused of being the instigators of the violence by attacking police as well as BLM supporters, who then fought back as the scene descended into violence. One of the protestors, claimed to be 'far right' by the crowd, was seen lying injured on the ground after being chased past the Royal Festival Hall. But photos then show a black man pick up the white man and carry him over his shoulders to safety - flanked by police in riot gear. Reports suggest he was badly beaten by some demonstrators, before other protesters stepped in to protect him. Advertisement One wrote: 'Google deleted Churchill but kept Hitler and Stalin.' Another said: 'I don't like conspiracies, so I had to check... Churchill's picture is indeed not on Google. & neither is his 1940-1945 entry. Which is also the period where he oversaw our role in WW2. I hope it's just a not-so-convenient glitch, but if not, this stinks of history revisionism.' A third commented: 'I just checked this claim out & Google *have* blanked Winston Churchill in pictures of British prime ministers. WTAF?' BLM activist Ms Ayton, 29, yesterday shared her belief that the Churchill statue should be removed. She told BBC Radio 4: 'Yes I do. I believe these statues should be moved to a museum I think it's a win win for everyone. 'It no longer offends the black nation, but we get to keep our history and keep those that would like to see that. Asked why Churchill's statue was offensive, she said: 'Any statue of people who has spoken negatively towards black people is going to be offensive. Any man.' Activists daubed the words 'was a racist' on the statue during angry anti-racism demonstrations last weekend. His granddaughter Emma Soames told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that she felt 'extraordinarily sad that my grandfather, who was such a unifying figure in this country, appears to have become a sort of icon through being controversial'. She said if people were 'so infuriated' by seeing the statue, it may be 'safer' in a museum. But Churchill's grandson Nicholas Soames swiftly condemned any attempt to move it from the spot the former PM had chosen before he died in 1965. 'I will have nothing of taking statues down and putting them in museums,' he said. Sir Nicholas told protesters to 'read your history and grow up', and said it was 'rubbish' and a 'lunatic representation' to call his grandfather racist. He told LBC: 'All his life he fought fascism.' The Mail on Sunday has launched a petition urging Boris Johnson to make a public pledge that the monument to Britain's celebrated wartime leader will never be removed. Churchill, who was Prime Minister twice, is considered a national hero and often leads polls on who was the greatest-ever Briton. His picture was chosen to appear on the new polymer 5 notes. However, critics say his legacy is tarnished by controversial remarks he made about different races and his role in the Bengal famine in 1943 after Allied forces halted food supplies, leading to an estimated 3 million deaths. Mr Johnson, who wrote a biography of Churchill in 2014, acknowledged the former PM had expressed opinions which were 'unacceptable to us today', but he remained a hero for saving Britain from 'fascist and racist tyranny'. However, Mr Johnson was coming under increasing pressure last night to promise that the statue was going nowhere, amid a chorus of support for our petition. Churchill's statue in parliament square, Westminster, has been covered up for its protection. Protesters are pictured marching around the monument yesterday Other statues across the capital, including Nelson Mandela's, have also been covered in order to protect them from protests Boris Johnson spoke out against what he described as the 'racist thuggery' seen during demonstrations after facing criticism for his response to the unrest this week It comes as thousands of protesters took to the streets all over the UK yesterday, both in support of Black Lives Matter and a counter-protest to protect memorials like Churchill's statue in Parliament Square. The capital was the site of the most violent clashes as far-right groups hijacked peaceful protests led by veterans attempting to protect monuments. Met Police confirmed that more than 100 people were arrested during yesterday's protest for offences including breach of the peace, violent disorder, assault on officers, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of class A drugs, and drunk and disorder. Labour's shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said today that he was 'extremely disturbed' by the 'completely unacceptable' scenes of violence on the streets of London on Saturday. Speaking to Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday show, Mr Thomas-Symonds said: 'I want to say a particular word as well about that awful scene of someone urinating next to PC Keith Palmer's memorial. 'Absolutely despicable behaviour and I hope that individual is identified and brought to justice.' A 28-year-old man has been arrested in Essex on suspicion of outraging public decency after a 'far-right' protester was photographed urinating next to the memorial dedicated to Pc Palmer, the officer who was stabbed to death in the 2017 terror attack in Westminster. Mr Thomas-Symonds said he also would back the Government in creating a specific offence against damaging war memorials and said he would be willing to work cross-party to support such efforts in Parliament. He said: 'Well, firstly I would support the government in creating a specific offence of protecting war memorials and I would be willing to work with the government on that. 'But let's not be moved away either from what we've seen since the awful killing of George Floyd in America because the government needs to show leadership on the inequalities and racism that still sadly exist in our country and the Prime Minister needs to come forward and show that he understands the hurt and the anguish of the stories that black people in our country have spoken about so movingly in recent weeks and also to set out the concrete steps that his government now intends to take to address that.' A veteran went to Churchill's boarded up statue in Parliament Square yesterday - and held a flag reading 'lest we forget' Police fight to maintain control in Trafalgar Square amid both Black Lives Matter and pro-statue protests in London yesterday On the man arrested for urinating on PC Palmer's memorial, the Metropolitan Police said: 'A 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of outraging public decency after a man was photographed apparently urinating on the memorial dedicated to PC Keith Palmer. 'The incident is believed to have taken place in the afternoon of Saturday, June 13. The man is currently in custody in Essex after presenting himself at a police station.' Meanwhile, shadow justice secretary David Lammy said Mr Johnson's tweets about the Churchill statue are a 'deflection'. In a series of eight tweets on Friday, Mr Johnson said to take statues down would 'be to lie about our history'. He tweeted: 'The statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square is a permanent reminder of his achievement in saving this country - and the whole of Europe - from a fascist and racist tyranny.' Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, Tottenham Labour MP Mr Lammy said: 'Boris Johnson sent out eight tweets, I think it was, on Friday on Winston Churchill and statues. 'He's never tweeted eight times in a day on coronavirus, he's never tweeted eight times in a day on the Windrush review or what he's going to do about it, or on the review that David Cameron asked me to do on disproportionality in the criminal justice system and what he's going to do about it. 'This feels to me like a bit of a deflection. Let's get to the action, let's have some substance, let's do something about these historic injustices that still exist in our country.' As the clocks struck 5pm, around 1,200 protesters in London ignored requests to go home, instead staying in Trafalgar Square - one of the flash points where a small number of troublemakers sparked violent clashes with police earlier on. Elsewhere, between 350 and 400 Black Lives Matter protesters headed south of the River Thames to Waterloo station, chasing men they said were members of hate group EDL. Smoke bombs were let off and bottles thrown as police struggled to protect the men on the steps of the train station. It all started with a pro-statue rally at around 11.30am which featured veterans dressed in military uniform as well as far-right thugs such as Britain First leader Paul Golding. Around that time, Black Lives Matter protesters gathered peacefully in Hyde Park. Carnage started to erupt after midday as far right thugs peeled off from their rally in Parliament Square and began pelting cans and bottles at the police blockading the Cenotaph. Police issued a Section 60 order around this time. Large numbers of people in the group then moved to Trafalgar Square where they were separated by police lines from BLM demonstrators who started to gather. Skirmishes were seen both there and in Parliament Square. Shortly before the 5pm curfew kicked in in Trafalgar Square, one man was attacked - believed to be a Tommy Robinson supporter - by angry crowds. The injured man was swarmed before being punched and kicked to the floor leaving blood streaming from his nose. Other protesters managed to drive a wedge in between the man and his attackers and stop the violence before police moved in. He was later taken out of the square by officers, staggering unsteadily on his feet. Around 6.30pm in Parliament Square, officers herded the final far-right protesters away from the statue of Churchill and began moving them across the green space and onto a road. At around 7pm, police blocked off two pedestrian bridges between Embankment and Waterloo in London. Officers said they had been blocked off as Black Lives Matter protesters had been on them attempting to get north in the capital. T he date of June 14 is always a hard day for the community around Grenfell Tower, but this year is particularly intense", a campaigner has said. On the third anniversary of the fire that killed 72 people, Covid-19 means the bereaved community are unable to support each other in ways they usually would. We havent been meeting on the regular monthly walk, and weve all been stuck in our own homes, Justice 4 Grenfells Yvette Williams told the Evening Standard. Its given the community a very strange feel. It is a community - she explained - that has been tight-knit since before tragedy struck. 72 people died in the Grenfell Tower fire REUTERS) / REUTERS We do everything together, and weve always been like that as a community, its a beautiful place to be. This is the community that invites a million strangers to dance in its street for two days of the year, she said, referring to Notting Hill Carnival. Thats why it is so painful to us that those 72 are no longer with us. But it's not just the sense of community that Covid-19 has affected - the Grenfell Inquiry was suspended until further notice in March. The delay has aggravated longstanding grievances over what many perceive as the inquirys stagnant progress. Its too little and its too long, said Ms Williams. Three years on, we can feel those 72 looking down on us and we dont know what theyre thinking. Weve made noise, weve been silent, and yet so little has changed." The 24-storey building was consumed by fire in the early hours of June 14, 2017 / REUTERS Despite the lockdown, administrative work is still underway for the Grenfell Inquiry, and moves are being made to recommence hearings online. The local council did not want to distract from the communitys messaging over the anniversary by putting someone forward for interview. But council leader Elizabeth Campbell said in a statement: Finally, although now delayed by many months, the inquiry is set to return, and this is a welcome step towards truth, and to justice. Nevertheless, some fear virtual hearings will compromise the process. One of the only things the inquiry has given us - which it will no longer provide online - is the ability to look those people in the eye and feel their discomfort, said Ms Williams. That gives some solace at the end of each day. What has the Grenfell Inquiry achieved? Justice 4 Grenfell says its campaign continues due to "the ongoing failure of the authorities to respond adequately to the disaster" / PA The Grenfell Inquiry was ordered by former Prime Minister Theresa May the day after the horrific fire, with a promise it would leave no stone unturned. Divided into two phases, it would look respectively at events on the night of the fire, and longer-term causes in the period preceding. Phase One, conducted between June and December 2018, published its results last October. It found significant systemic failings on the part of the London Fire Brigade, which maintained a Stay Put order, keeping residents in their apartments long after they should have been evacuated. Andy Roe, Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade, said the service is undergoing a transformation plan, so Londoners in high-rise buildings can feel safe in their care once again. In an interview with Sky News, Mr Roe described innovations such as ladders that reach further up high-rise buildings, and smokers that allow them to bring members of the public safely down through smoke-filled lobbies. These have reportedly saved 30 lives so far. On the other hand, Phase One found the Fire Brigade had been caught off-guard by the fires rapid spread. This - it concluded - was caused by an aluminium-composite cladding that coated the buildings exterior. A 2015-16 refurbishment fitted Grenfell Tower with unsafe cladding / REUTERS Three years on from the incident, tens of thousands of people remain in buildings with the very same cladding (at a safe estimate). A government deadline for its replacement expired this month, despite over a billion pounds having been set aside by consecutive governments to assist the process. Justice may still be on the horizon. Phase Two of the inquiry, once resumed, will investigate those implicated by the cladding scandal. For the manufacturers - Arconic - and the company that oversaw Grenfells refurbishment - Rydon - this could mean criminal proceedings. "I think they will always feel an injustice if there are not prosecutions as a result of this," said Ms Williams of the community. "You know, 72 people died." But corporate witnesses have been guaranteed immunity from oral evidence they provide, to encourage them to come forward with information. While it does not guarantee full immunity, this decision has proven contentious. Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said: Firefighters gave evidence openly and in good faith to the inquiry and will be appalled that this undertaking has been provided. It seems there is one rule for them and another for those doing the bidding of the profiteers who turned Grenfell into a death trap. Beyond this, there are issues the inquiry does not touch on. Before it began, the inquirys chair, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, said he did not want to look at questions of a social, economic and political nature, regretting it would take too long. This overruled requests from the community, supported by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, for issues of national policy be examined, such as austerity, privatisation, and social and racial inequality. Black Lives Matter protesters marched in Marble Arch, London, on Saturday / PA As Black Lives Matter campaigners march worldwide, Ms Williams - who co-founded Operation Black Vote 21 years ago - sees the incident at Grenfell to be closely connected. Its about social inequality and institutional indifference towards working-class and BAME communities. Lets not forget: Grenfell himself was a colonialist. The Ministry of Housing did not respond to a request for comment. By Kim Kyung Hoon TOKYO (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters in Tokyo took part in a Black Lives Matter march on Sunday, calling for an end to racial discrimination and police abuse after the killing of African American George Floyd in Minneapolis last month. Demonstrators marched through the streets of the capital's Shibuya and Harajuku districts chanting and holding up signs spelling out slogans such as "Racism Is A Pandemic" and "No Justice No Peace". "It is not enough to just send our prayers," Shu Fukui, a 22-year-old university graduate, told Reuters. "We need to change society, not only for George Floyd, but also for those who died in the past." Organisers said about 3,500 people took part in the protest. Police did not disclose an estimate. Protests have gripped major U.S. cities and spread around the world since footage from May 25 showing a white police officer kneeling on Floyd's neck to pin him to the ground for a whole nine minutes went viral. In Atlanta on Saturday more protests erupted after a black man was shot dead by police as he tried to escape arrest. Demonstrators shut down a major highway and burned down the Wendy's restaurant where he was killed. Some protesters at the Tokyo march said Japan needed to own up to its own problems with race. "In Japan, there are far-right people who discriminate against other races. And Koreans and Chinese in Japan are exposed to a lot of hate speech," said Naho Ida, 44. "These things must not be allowed and we need to oppose this." Public broadcaster NHK last week apologised and deleted from its Twitter feed an animated video about the U.S. protests that sparked online outrage for its depiction of African Americans. (Additional reporting by Hideto Sakai; Writing by Chris Gallagher; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) Photograph: Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP via Getty Just months ago, much of south-east Asia appeared on the brink of a major coronavirus epidemic. The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan had escalated at the worst possible time, ahead of the lunar new year, when Chinese tourists usually flock to hotels and resorts across the region. Thailand was described as especially vulnerable due to the large number of travellers it had received from Wuhan, and by the end of January it had the second highest number of cases outside of China. As footage circulated online, showing panic in Wuhan hospitals and residents collapsing in the streets, health experts wondered how countries with far weaker health systems would cope. The virus has caused deaths and misery across south-east Asia, particularly in the Philippines, Indonesia and workers dorms in Singapore, where officials are struggling to control outbreaks. But elsewhere in the region, the worst fears have so far been mostly avoided. Thailand has recorded 58 deaths, while Malaysia has confirmed 120. Vietnam, which has won praise for its response, has not recorded a single fatality. Public awareness has been key in countries that have had such relative success, said Dale Fisher, professor at the National University of Singapore and chair of the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network at the World Health Organization. Clear messaging, he adds, is essential. When you have any country with a weak leadership then people get confused. Theyre not sure what to do and who to believe, and then you legitimise ignorance, said Fisher. Experts say that by acting quickly, and by drawing on well-established systems in place following the Sars epidemic in 2002, health departments in many south-east Asian countries have avoided the explosion in community transmission seen elsewhere. In Cambodia, 2,900 health workers were trained and deployed throughout January and February. They implemented aggressive rapid detection and contact tracing, said Dr Li Ailan, WHO representative to Cambodia. Meanwhile in Thailand, more than 1 million village health volunteers also monitored communities. Story continues In Malaysia, meetings to prepare a response were held as early as December, said Dr Fifa Rahman, who reviewed the countrys handling of the pandemic for the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative. Reagents needed for diagnostic tests were ordered early, and plans were made to reorganise hospitals in the event of a large outbreak. A Thai Buddhist monk registers for a Covid-19 swab test at Wat Pho temple in Bangkok in May. Photograph: Rungroj Yongrit/EPA As in many other south-east Asian countries, all those diagnosed as Covid-19 positive were hospitalised, even if they were asymptomatic. Countries in the region have not performed mass testing on the same scale as South Korea, but instead focused on high-risk individuals or targeted mass testing across buildings or neighbourhoods where positive cases were identified. Some question whether low testing rates mean cases have remained hidden. In Cambodia, 17,000 people have been tested so far, with 126 infections detected, most related to foreign travel. There are likely to be undetected infections, but hospitals are not overwhelmed, as in parts of Indonesia. Cambodia has reported no deaths. Mistakes have been made. Cambodias authoritarian leader, Hun Sen, caused nervousness by downplaying the virus during the early stages of the outbreak. In Singapore, neglect of migrant workers, who live in overcrowded dormitories, caused the vast majority of its 40,197 cases. Malaysias biggest spike followed an event at a mosque near Kuala Lumpur, after a failure to prevent mass religious gatherings. On the whole, Malaysias response has been led by health experts rather than politicians, said Rahman. When the health minister suggested on TV that drinking warm water was a cure, his comments were quickly rejected by Dr Noor Hisham, the director-general of health. There was a clear conflict but that conflict was good, said Rahman. In the UK there has been a pretty close synergy between political leaders and technical experts. I dont know if that results in better global health responses. Likewise, when the Malaysian deputy health minister, Noor Azmi Ghazali, was photographed breaking strict lockdown rules, he was fined. It sent a strong message to the public, she added. Restrictions on movement in Malaysia were particularly strict. Only one person per family was allowed outside for groceries, and people were not allowed out for daily exercise. It has been suggested that heat or humidity could slow transmission, but experts say there is no evidence for this. Other factors, such as the rural profile of countries such as Cambodia, could influence transmission, Li said. High-risk events are not common here, she added. The young demographic in some countries may also mean populations are less vulnerable. Yet such factors, experts say, cannot be relied on to protect a country as business reopens. In Bangkok, which enjoyed a brief moment of clean air during its lockdown, the roads are once again heaving with traffic. Markets have come back to life though with plastic screens at dining tables, near ubiquitous mask-wearing and temperature scanning. As countries look to ease travel bans, and rebuild economies, health teams are aware there is no room for complacency. SANILAC COUNTY, MI A 20-year-old Southfield man was hospitalized after he led police on a chase over 13 miles at speeds of more than 100 miles per hour in rural Sanilac County, according to the Sanilac County Sheriffs Office. Sanilac County Sheriffs Deputy Otto Kutach was on patrol around 3:45 p.m. Saturday, June 13 when he attempted to stop a 2009 Ford Fusion traveling at a high rate of speed on Van Dyke Road near Downington Road in Lamotte Township, northeast of Kingston. The driver of the Fusion, whose name has not been released, failed to stop and continued on for several miles, according to the sheriffs office. The sheriffs office said the driver eventually lost control of the vehicle on Cass City Road near Wheeler Road in Austin Township, entered a ditch, and came to rest in a field where he proceeded to try and flee on foot. Police said a stolen gun was found in the mans car after they checked the area and vehicle. The driver was located and taken into custody without further incident approximately one mile from the vehicle after an hour-long search by police, with assistance from St. Clair County Sheriffs Office K-9 Faust. He was lodged in the Sanilac County Jail, pending charges. The Sanilac Couty Drug Task Force and Michigan State Police Caro post assisted deputies with the incident. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Saturday he didn't want to make Greece Europe's "number one destination" but the continent's "safest destination," as the country begins to reopen to international tourists. Heavily reliant on tourism, the south eastern European country is officially reopening to foreigners on Monday after closing its borders to most during the coronavirus pandemic. Its hopes are pinned on popular tourist destinations such as Mykonos and the islands of Rhodes, Corfu, Crete and Santorini, where regular ferry services have already resumed and direct international flights are set to restart on July 1. Mitsotakis said he was expecting people to be "more comfortable in booking late holidays" towards August, September and October. The Greek government has taken a gamble in deciding to relax COVID-19 health inspections at ports and airports in order to avoid another crippling recession, having only recently emerged from an economically painful period sparked by the international financial crisis. In Santorini - one of the country's most popular island destinations - there are currently no cruise liners docked, no tourists roaming the narrow streets of its renowned whitewashed towns and no couples sipping wine, enjoying the sunset. Most hotels, restaurants, and shops haven't opened yet, and the few businesses that don't have their shutters down are serving locals and a handful of tourists coming through Athens. Travel to the island was authorised on June 1. George Louis, who runs a cafe in the town of Fira, said islanders had to go "day by day," stressing the need to put health before business. A high-end travel destination, Santorini relies heavily on international tourists. Louis suggested that most local businesses were set to suffer without the cruise liners which usually bring thousands of tourists on a daily basis. Greeces National Public Health Organization reported just four new coronavirus cases on Sunday and no virus-related deaths. This brought the total number of confirmed cases in Greece to 3,112, including 183 deaths. The number of infections is thought to be higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick. Following reports that Ghanas Health Ministers and MP for Dormaa-Kwaku Agyemang Manu has tested positive for coronavirus and is recovering at the University of Ghana Medical Centre in Accra, Founder and Leader of The Peoples Project (TTP), Kwame A-Plus, has stated that the Minister should be transferred to Dormaa hospital. According to A-Plus, since Mr Kwaku Agyemang Manu is an MP for Dormaa and he has a hospital at his constituency, it would be prudent for him to be transferred there so he can enjoy the true state of healthcare delivery within his constituency which his people enjoy. A Plus wrote on Facebook: He is MP for Dormaa, if he has COVID-19 why dont you send him to Dormaa district hospital, the same hospital people who voted for him will go to when they test positive for the disease?. He posted: Commenting on governments resolve to keep the University of Ghana hospital closed prior to the invasion of COVID-19, A Plus said Open the UGMC hospital for the general public you said no you wont because Mahama built it. The ordinary people can die but you are there receiving treatment. Smh!!!. Source: ghanafeed 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 Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 14) Netizens backed Frankie Pangilinan under the hashtag #HijaAko after she criticized TV host Ben Tulfo for saying the way women dress invites sex offenders to commit crime. It all started when Pangilinan, daughter of Senator Francis and actress Sharon Cuneta, reacted past midnight on Saturday to a now deleted Facebook post by the Lucban Municipal Police Station, which told women to dress modestly to avoid getting harassed. "STOP TEACHING GIRLS HOW TO DRESS?? TEACH PEOPLE NOT TO RAPE," she tweeted. READ: PNP Chief orders probe on Lucban police station's victim-blaming post on social media On Saturday evening, Tulfo tagged Pangilinan in a tweet, wherein he called her "hija" and said all a rapist or a juvenile sex offender needs is an opportunity to commit a crime. "Sexy ladies, careful with the way you dress up! You are inviting the beast," he said. Pangilinan countered Tulfo's tweet on Sunday morning, saying, "rape culture is real and a product of this precise line of thinking, where the behavior is normalized, particularly by men. She added, the way anyone dresses should not be deemed as an 'opportunity' to sexually assault them. ever." Pangilinan also replied to her tweet a screencap of a Facebook post from BITAG Live, which Tulfo hosts. The post argued sex maniacs and rapists cannot be taught how to control their sexual desires and criminal state. "Ang tanging magagawa ay manamit ng tama. Huwag nating pukawin ang pagnanasa nila. Ito ang iyo magagawa," he said. [Translation: What can only be done is to dress properly. Do not rouse their desire. That's what you can do.] "Bago natin sila baguhin, baguhin muna natin ang sarili't pag-iisip natin. Gets mo, Hija?," read the post, adding that Pangilinan's dad Kiko authored the Juvenile Justice and Welfare act, which discusses how children and teens committing crimes should be handled accordingly. [Translation: Before we can change them, let's change ourselves and our way of thinking first. Get it, Hija?] Pangilinan also took offense to Tulfo addressing her as "hija," adding it "will not belittle" her point. A few hours after, Pangilinan tweeted the hashtag #HijaAko, which contains a screencap of a message from an unnamed sender saying they'd "also like to sign up for the hija label if that's what ben tulfo's calling girls who fight for their rights as human beings." And the hashtag was born. #HijaAko now has over 20,000 tweets mostly from netizens condemning Tulfo's victim-blaming remarks, with others opting to share their own experiences of sexual harassment. "stop telling girls what to wear. it doesn't matter what girls wear or what time of day it is. rape/sexual harassment happens bcos of the offender's dirty twisted mind," one netizen shared. Another Twitter user tweeted that the culture of victim blaming will never be abolished as long as men who think like Tulfo exist. Meanwhile, this netizen criticized the way Tulfo addressed Pangilinan, saying "boomers love to use hija/hijo to downplay our points and our efforts to make a change to hide the fact that they grew up believing problematic beliefs that they carried out through adulthood." Lawyer and human rights advocate Erin Tanada III, who is also Pangilinan's godfather and a partymate of her father, expressed support for her as well. "We should stand-up to bullies in the form of Dirty Old Men!," he tweeted. I never said that Im blaming the victims. Lets get it straight, this is not a blame game. I said, lets not awaken the beast within the criminals," said Tulfo in a statement to bitagmedia.com, said the website in one of its recent releases. It looks like Frankie Pangilinan has addressed my reaction to her tweets last night," said Tulfo, according to the site. Sa paggamit niya ng hija sa kanyang Twitter account, patuloy na mananatili ang gabay at anino ni Ben Tulfo sa kaniya. [Translation: With her using "hija" in her Twitter account, the guidance and shadow of Ben Tulfo will always remain with her.] Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 20:08:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAMAKO, June 14 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) confirmed this Sunday that two of its peacekeepers were killed Saturday evening during an operation in norther Mali. According to a press release of the MINUSMA, unidentified armed individuals attacked the the UN mission convoy near Tarkint, norther region of Gao, around 7 p.m. on Saturday. Two peacekeepers lost their lives. Mahamat Saleh Annadif, special representative of the UN secretary-general for Mali and head of the MINUSMA, strongly condemned these cowardly acts aiming to paralyze the MINUSMA's operations on the ground, according to the press release. "We will have to combine all efforts to identify and apprehend those responsible for these terrorist acts, so that they can answer for their crimes in front of justice," Annadif concluded. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday stressed the need for continued international commitment to Mali, as the country continues to navigate the path to political stability while confronting numerous obstacles including terrorism and the COVID-19 pandemic. "Building a politically stable and more secure Mali requires our collective and sustained commitment and MINUSMA's continued support. We owe this to the people of Mali and the Sahel region, who deserve a better future," Guterres told ministers and ambassadors attending the meeting. The MINUSMA was deployed in 2013 to support political processes in Mali. During a failed coup in 2012, extremist militias took control of Mali's north. A UN-backed peace deal in 2015 between the government and various armed groups failed to stabilize the situation in the country's central and northern regions, with attacks multiplying in the past years. Enditem Freshman Rep. Denver Riggleman, R-Va., who drew criticism from within his party for presiding over a same-sex wedding, lost the GOP nomination to challenger Bob Good, a former Liberty University fundraiser who describes himself as a "biblical conservative." The defeat of Riggleman puts the central Virginia seat potentially within reach for Democrats in the general election for the first time in more than a decade, analysts say. Riggleman is the first of 73 candidates endorsed by President Donald Trump this cycle to lose an election, marring the president's undefeated record. Good won a drive-through nomination contest outside Lynchburg on Saturday with 58 percent of the vote, said Melvin Adams, chairman of the 5th District Republican committee. The results were announced early Sunday, more than six hours after voting ended. Riggleman had not conceded as of Sunday morning, saying he was evaluating his options - which could include legal action against the party committee - amid reports of "voting irregularities and ballot stuffing." "Voter fraud has been a hallmark of this nomination process and I will not stand for it," Riggleman tweeted at midnight. A campaign spokesman would not elaborate on the alleged anomalies. In response to Riggleman's tweet, Good told reporters outside his campaign headquarters at Forest Family Fellowship church early Sunday: "That's what losers say the sad thing is people remember how you leave." In remarks streamed live on Facebook, Good said convention delegates embraced his "true conservative principles," including his originalist interpretation of the Constitution and a hard-line immigration policy that puts "Americans first." He pledged to turn Virginia's 5th District "bright red" in November and said voters would reject the "radical socialist agenda" of Democrats. The independent analysts at Cook Political Report and the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, moved the race early Sunday from the "likely Republican" to "leans Republican" column. "Congressman Riggleman was clearly the stronger general election candidate, but the Republican Party of Virginia does not always select the strongest general election candidates," said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Virginia Democrats and several Democrats vying for the nomination in the now open seat immediately cast Good as too extreme for the district. They pointed to Good's opposition without exception to abortion, support for eliminating birthright citizenship and his desire to make English the national language. Republicans are "a party defined by incompetence and bigotry, and Bob Good has plenty of both," Virginia Democrats spokesman Grant Fox said in a statement. Four Democrats are competing in a June 23 Democratic primary, including three Marine veterans - R.D. Huffstetler, an entrepreneur who ran unsuccessfully for the nomination in 2018; John Lesinski, who worked in commercial real estate; and Claire Russo, who talks candidly about being sexually assaulted in the military - as well as physician Cameron Webb. Huffstetler had the most cash on hand by the start of June, with $286,811, followed by Russo with $201,530, Webb with $139,661 and Lesinski with $36,078, finance reports show. Riggleman outspent Good, who had about $34,482 cash on hand by the end of May. On Saturday, 2,537 preregistered party loyalists came from throughout the sprawling district to cast ballots in the parking lot of Tree of Life Ministries. The convention did not feature the traditional speeches and horse-trading because of social distancing restrictions intended to limit the spread of covid-19. Riggleman's campaign had complained for weeks that Good had an unfair advantage and said the nomination should be decided through a primary. The convention was held in Campbell County, where Good was a county supervisor for four years. While it was a convenient location for Good's supporters, many of Riggleman's backers had to drive up to six hours round trip to vote for him. Riggleman, an Air Force intelligence officer and distillery owner with a libertarian streak, made headlines as a Bigfoot aficionado in his first campaign. Once in Congress, GOP leaders say, he leveraged his experience in the military and as a small-business owner to stand out among the freshman class. Good accused Riggleman of being out of touch with the party's base, in part because the congressman presided over the same-sex wedding of two campaign volunteers in 2019. Farnsworth, the political scientist, said Trump's endorsement of Riggleman, and the congressman's record of voting mostly with the president's agenda, weren't enough to hold off a well-organized challenge. "The congressman's mistake was not recognizing how insistent the Christian conservative community would be in supporting only Republican candidates who fully adopt their vision of Republicanism," he said. "Riggleman had one questionable day in his two years as a congressman and that's the day that sunk him." Virginia's 5th District is reliably conservative, choosing Trump by double digits over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016. The massive district, which is larger in area than New Jersey, runs from Fauquier County to the Shenandoah Valley, through Appomattox and into Southside Virginia along the North Carolina border. The last time a Democrat won the seat was in 2008, when Tom Perriello out-campaigned incumbent Republican Virgil Goode and rode a wave of high turnout among African Americans and Charlottesville residents galvanized by then-presidential candidate Barack Obama. But Perriello won by fewer than 1,000 votes, and redistricting has slightly boosted the GOP position since then. Good missed the Tuesday deadline for filing a key form related to his candidacy, but he hand-delivered the form to the state elections office on Friday afternoon, election officials said. The board of elections routinely offers extensions in cases like these, and changing election dates due to the coronavirus may have created confusion about the deadline. Riggleman narrowly won the 5th district 2018 nomination in a rare meeting of party committee insiders, who chose him days after then-Rep. Thomas Garrett, a Republican, revealed he was an alcoholic and abruptly abandoned his re-election bid. In addition to Trump's endorsement, Riggleman was endorsed by influential president of Liberty University, Jerry Falwell Jr. Falwell's brother, Jonathan, backed Good, as did Garrett and E.W. Jackson, a firebrand minister who won the party's 2013 nomination for lieutenant governor - also at a convention. Adams, the 5th District GOP committee chairman, defended the convention process. "Candidates are very important," he said last week. "But candidates come and go, and when we have elections, our delegates are king, OK? Their votes are the ones that count." - - - The Washington Post's Mike DeBonis contributed to this report. Chennai: A 39 year-old man has been arrested for allegedly killing his wife and son by setting them on fire following an argument, police said on Sunday. His minor daughter, who also sustained burn injuries in the incident, is undergoing treatment, police said in a release on Sunday. According to police, Maqbool Ali Sathar of Maduravoyal had an argument with his wife last week, following which he poured petrol on his spouse and two children, aged 21 and 14, and set them on fire before fleeing the place. All three persons were admitted to a hospital where the accused person's wife and son died, police said. A case was registered and police were on the lookout for the absconding person and a special team arrested him from the same locality yesterday. He was later remanded to custody, police said. Srinagar: Pakistan has shown its true colours once again as it violated ceasefire in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir. They have targeted Indian army positions with small firearms and its the second time within the period of two days that our soldiers have put their lives at stake to protect our borders. Two days after the terror attack in Uri, Pakistani troops today violated the border ceasefire in the same sector of Kashmir, targeting Indian army positions with small firearms. However, there was no damage in the incident, army said. "Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing by small arms towards Indian positions in Uri sector this afternoon," an army official said. He said the firing from across the Line of Control took place between 1.10 pm and 1.30 pm. The official said while there were no reports of any casualty in the firing, further details of the incident were awaited. The ceasefire violation comes two days after four Jaish- e-Mohammad militants stormed an army base in Uri Sector, killing 18 soldiers and injuring several others. All the four militants were also killed. The terror attack has heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. As Long as It Takes Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell reiterated his commitment to pulling out all the stops on stimulus measures until the economy recovers. As he put it, the Fed will do whatever we can, and for as long as it takes. And if the central banks projections bear out, that will be a heavy lift. Although the unemployment rate is dropping, the Fed predicts it will remain high for some time, gradually decreasing to 9.3 percent by the end of 2020. (For context, it was 3.5 percent in February, and leapt to 14.7 percent in April.) Congress is under pressure from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to pass more stimulus legislation, with a focus on travel and retail industries. Image Credit... Giacomo Bagnara Whats Next? (June 14-20) Biden Presents an Alternative Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, advanced a plan for reopening the country. His policies look quite different from President Trumps, and include guaranteed free and prompt coronavirus testing for those who are returning to work, as well as paid family and medical leave for those who get sick. Separately, Mr. Biden is launching petitions to demand that Facebook do more (which is to say, anything) about inflammatory posts and the spread of disinformation. Will Goldman Get to Guilty? You may recall the scandal involving Goldman Sachs, a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund known as 1MDB, and its more than $2.7 billion in stolen funds that were spent on luxury apartments, yachts and diamonds. Goldman is now said to be trying to avoid admitting fault in the scheme, even though one former executive has already pleaded guilty and is cooperating with authorities. Goldman has insisted that the executive and another ex-banker (who has pleaded not guilty) acted alone, but federal prosecutors still believe the bank should take responsibility. Which would be a first Goldman has never had to admit guilt in a federal investigation before. Twitter vs. China Twitter is continuing an attempt to position itself as the platform that wont tolerate misinformation, this time by removing thousands of accounts tied to a campaign to spread falsehoods about the Chinese governments response to the coronavirus. The company said it had discovered and removed 23,750 accounts that were highly engaged in a coordinated effort to propagate disinformation, as well as 150,000 accounts that were dedicated to boosting Chinas messages by retweeting and liking the content. WASHINGTON At a time of national crises, the Senate has been able to come together on a topic both parties celebrate: the great outdoors. While the country copes with the coronavirus, an economic downturn and a reckoning over racism, lawmakers have reached bipartisan agreement on an election-year deal to double spending on a popular conservation program and devote nearly $2 billion a year to improve and maintain national parks. If approved by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump, the Great American Outdoors Act would be the most significant conservation legislation enacted in nearly half a century. The bill, set for a Senate vote this coming week, would spend about $2.8 billion per year on conservation, outdoor recreation and park maintenance. "Americans have been spending a lot of time indoors" as a result of the pandemic, said Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., one of the bill's chief sponsors. "They are ready to get into the great outdoors.'' Gardner and Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., have pushed for the bill, first convincing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., that he should take it up, then persuading Trump at a White House visit. McConnell told the two senators, who are both seeking reelection this year, that he would not consider the bill unless Trump was on board. Gardner and Daines are among the Senate's most vulnerable incumbents, and each represents a state where the outdoor economy and tourism at sites such as Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone national parks play an outsize role. At a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in late February, Gardner and Daines made their case. "This is a legacy thing,'' Gardner told Trump, pointing to a portrait of Theodore Roosevelt that dominates the room. "We wanted to make landmark legislation about our great landmarks,'' Gardner said in an interview. The senators showed Trump pictures and maps of their states and stressed the importance of conservation in the West. Trump, who has repeatedly tried to cut spending for the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, soon tweeted his support for the proposal. "It will be HISTORIC for our beautiful public lands," Trump said. At a hastily called news conference to announce the deal, Daines and Gardner were joined by 10 other senators from both parties as eager lawmakers jumped to back a rare bill destined for approval in the slow-moving Senate. That was in early March, days before the pandemic derailed Congress from most legislation not related to the virus. It's three months later, and the bill is set for approval as early as Tuesday. "America deserves a break right now, and the outdoors is restorative,'' said Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., a longtime advocate of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. In an interview, Cantwell credited a "new coalition" of lawmakers who support conservation and public lands. "We've made people aware of the juggernaut that the outdoors economy has been,'' Cantwell said. She cited statistics showing that outdoor recreation and tourism supports $887 billion a year in consumer spending and 7.6 million jobs, much of it in the West. Cantwell credited Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., for forcing attention on the conservation fund by blocking a 2018 spending bill that did not renew the program. It uses federal royalties from offshore oil and gas drilling to pay for conservation and public recreation projects. The program is authorized to collect $900 million a year but generally receives less than half that amount from Congress as lawmakers bicker over how the money should be spent. Burr's actions helped "educate" lawmakers on the importance of the fund, Cantwell said. Republican Sens. Rob Portman of Ohio and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee also pushed to renew it, along with nearly all Democrats. While widely supported, the outdoors bill faces sharp opposition, mainly from Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and other Gulf Coast senators pushing to ensure it includes revenue-sharing for their states from offshore drilling. A separate group of conservatives opposes new federal land acquisitions. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, complained during debate that the bill was "written behind closed doors and is now being hermetically sealed, walled off from amendments" by Senate leaders. "Forget the theatrics in Seattle this bill is the real 'Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone,' " Lee said. As written, the bill "enables the federal government to purchase new lands in perpetuity without accountability, oversight or any measures to make sure it can actually care for the land that it owns,'' Lee said. He noted that the federal government is already the largest land owner in Utah and many other states in the West. The policy will "make life easier for politicians and bureaucrats, and harder for the Americans they ostensibly serve,'' Lee said. Daines disputed that, saying Montanans and other Westerners treasure their public lands. "We say in Montana that we get to work, but we also like to play,'' Daines said. "We work hard during the week ... so we can get out on the weekends, where there is hiking, fishing, hunting and backpacking. This is our life." For many in Montana and throughout the West, "our fondest memories are spending time outside on our public lands,'' Daines said. "It is why we continue to preserve, protect and expand that access to this incredible treasure we have in America.'' Cantwell dismissed criticism by some Democrats and outside groups that the bill provides a major boost to Gardner and Daines in their close election campaigns, even as control of the Senate hangs in the balance in the November election. Calling Trump's record on the environment "the worst one in history,'' Cantwell said Gardner, Daines and other Republicans will be forced to defend the president as they go before voters. "We've been working on this for a long time," she said. "Just because it's 2020 shouldn't stop us from securing this victory." Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 An Australian actor may have been sentenced to death for smuggling drugs into China in response to the increasingly fractious relationship between the two nations, lawyers say. Karm Gilespie was arrested at Hong Kong airport in December 2013 with more than 7.5 kgs of methamphetamine in his luggage. His friends and family had not heard from him until June 10 when local media reported Mr Gilespie had been sentenced to death by the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's demand for an independent inquiry into the origins of COVID-19 angered his Chinese counterparts, who in response slapped an 80 per cent tariffs on barley exports and scaled back beef trade. Legal experts believe the 56-year-old's sentence was a reaction to Australia's diplomatic row with China and escalating war of words. 'China has been prudent in giving sentences to foreigners out of consideration of diplomatic relations with other countries,' a lawyer who wished to remain anonymous told The Australian. Karm Gilespie was sentenced to death after being arrested in Hong Kong airport in December 2013 with more than 7.5 kgs of methamphetamine in his luggage The lawyer said Mr Gilespie's sentence may have been a political power play in the face of recent Chinese tension against Australia. 'It is not a coincidence,' they said. Friends of Mr Gilespie tried desperately to contact him in the years after he vanished and were shocked to learn of his charges, as his detainment in China had not been made public until Wednesday. An unanswered comment on Mr Gilespie's Facebook profile picture from seven months ago reads 'would you please contact me', with no activity on his profile since November 2013. American entrepreneur Roger Hamilton posted a statement on Facebook telling how he had last seen Mr Gilespie in 2013 at a financial forum, before he 'disappeared'. 'This is a photo of Karm Gilespie (in the red shirt) graduating from our WD Masters 7 years ago. Soon after, Karm disappeared,' Mr Hamilton wrote. His friend Roger Hamilton (left) posted a statement on Facebook telling how he had last seen Mr Gilespie (second from left) in 2013 at a financial forum (pictured), before he 'disappeared' 'He had been an active member of our community, encouraging others to be the best they could be. He was always there for others, which was why it was so strange that he suddenly disappeared. 'He had been an active member of our community, encouraging others to be the best they could be. He was always there for others, which was why it was so strange that he suddenly disappeared. 'Today I heard the news of what had happened to him. He has been in a Chinese jail for 7 years and has now been sentenced to death. 'This is an Australian citizen who has been kept secretly in jail by a foreign government for 7 years before being sentenced to death with no due process.' Mr Gilespie had a recurring role on popular 1990s drama Blue Heelers before moving into wealth and financial management, which led him to spend an increased amount of time in Asia, away from his hometown of Melbourne. After his acting career, Mr Gilespie (pictured with a friend in Thailand) moved into wealth and financial management where he would spend lots of time in Asia It is understood Mr Gilespie is married and has several children. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told Daily Mail Australia it was providing consular assistance. 'We are deeply saddened to hear of the verdict made in his case. Australia opposes the death penalty, in all circumstances for all people,' a spokesperson said. 'We support the universal abolition of the death penalty and are committed to pursuing this goal through all the avenues available to us.' According to some local media reports Mr Gilespie had left the Hong Kong airport in December 2013, only to be stopped by customs officers outside who allegedly found the methamphetamine in his checked luggage. Local news outlet Ifeng.com reports that he was sentenced to death on June 10, but will now have an opportunity to appeal. 'On the morning of June 10, the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court made a first-instance judgment on the smuggling of drugs by the Australian defendant and sentenced him to death for the crime of drug smuggling,' the Chinese site said. Mr Gilespie featured in the popular 1990s Australian drama program Blue Heelers A number of Australians are currently being detained in China, including a fellow convicted drug smuggler Peter Gardner. Mr Gardner, a joint Australian and New Zealand citizen, has been behind bars since 2015 after he was caught allegedly trying to smuggle 30kg of methamphetamine into the country. Mr Gardner was stopped at Gangzhou airport in November 2014 and arrested with his then girlfriend Kalynda Davis. Gardner, then 26, is accused of attempting to board a flight to Sydney with two suitcases which were superglued shut and allegedly contained the drugs. Australian and New Zealand citizen Peter Gardner (pictured) has been in a Chinese prison since 2015 on drugs charges Chinese authorities claim it is the largest haul of drugs ever recorded at the airport. Two Canadians were handed death sentences by China in 2019 amid diplomatic tensions between the two countries. Canadian citizen Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was handed death sentence after a retrial in January 2019. Fan Wei was sentenced to death in the Jiangmen Intermediate People's Court in Guangdong province three months later. Canada accused the Chinese government of payback after Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Vancouver on behalf of the United States. The United States had accused him of working to evade sanctions against Iran. He is being detained under house arrest in Canada and fighting extradition to the United States. ALTON The protests and rioting across the nation in reaction to George Floyds death while in police custody have seemingly caused a spike in firearm and ammunition sales in the Riverbend region, local gun dealers say. The Illinois State Police (ISP) Firearm Services Bureau, which issues state Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) cards and performs the required firearms purchase background checks, received 17 new applications for FOID cards May 25, the date of Floyds death in Minneapolis. The next day, 1,742 applications were received. The numbers peaked June 2 when the bureau received 4,916 FOID card applications in a single day. Sales are significantly up, owner of Altons Piasa Armory Scott Pulaski said. They are buying anything and everything, but mostly defensive firearms, things like handguns, AR-15s and defensive shotguns. The surge in firearm and ammunition sales is due in large part to first-time gun buyers who are using their FOID card for the first time, gun sellers have said. They are nervous, they are seeing the events going on around the country and are saying how theyve been thinking about it for a while and decided now is the time, Pulaski said. Most folks have had their FOID cards for a while, but have never made a purchase. Pulaski said many first-time buyers are surprised to learn that it can take days from the time they enter a gun shop until they walk out with a firearm. All buyers must have a valid FOID card and undergo an Illinois State Police background check, which Pulaski said normally takes approximately one day, but more recently has stretched to six or more days in certain cases. Those who pass the background check then have to wait 72 hours before they can pick up the firearm that they purchased. So they are getting delayed access to the stuff that they are legally able to own, Pulaski said. We have also had a huge delay in people receiving their FOID cards. It was slow before this buying surge started, and now its even worse. At Outrageous Outdoors, in Jerseyville, owner Bob Jones said gun sales are up and about one half of the purchases are from first-time buyers. They feel that they need to protect themselves and their homes now, because they keep hearing that the protests and riots are going to start in the rural areas, Jones said. The time required to purchase a firearm in Jersey County is no less than in Madison County. The background check approvals now are actually running four or five days, and we cant transfer the gun until we get that approval back, Jones said. New FOID card applications between March and May this year totaled 84,829 compared to 48,194 from last December through February, ISP spokesperson Beth Hundsdorfer said. To meet the increased demand, Firearm Services Bureau staff are working one extra week, in overtime hours, every month and the bureau hired 10 new trainees with an additional 20 hires pending, she said. Hundsdorfer said the bureau is within the statutory timelines for processing firearms transaction background checks, but it is outside of those timelines for new FOID processing. The Firearms Services Bureau continues to work to get through these new applications to return to processing within the statutory guidelines, she said. State officials arent the only ones struggling to keep up with the firearms sale increase. Local retailers are having a hard time keeping items on the shelves and in the gun racks. The manufacturers and distributors are behind on a lot, everything across the board pistols, rifles, shotguns, anything you would typically see for a home defense situation, said STS Armory owner Katie Johnson. We are out of stock on a lot of things right now, and weve had to back order a number of items. Johnson said the sales increase at her Pontoon Beach store began with the COVID-19 crisis. People are becoming awakened by whats going on, the times we are in, Johnson said. The world is not necessarily all made of rainbows and sunshine. They want to figure out how to defend themselves should they ever be put in a situation where they need it. Edwardsvilles Goshen Guns has seen a significant uptick in sales of home defense-style firearms and ammunition, including the old reliable favorite, the pump-action shotgun. The pump shotgun has a very distinctive noise when it is racked, or loaded, a very loud click-clack noise, Goshen Guns owner Terry Bast said and hopefully the home intruder hears that and decides its time to go. The goal of any self-defense product is to make the aggressor go away. Having a defensive firearm is one thing, but using it is another. All of the people interviewed for this story stressed that every gun owner should be properly trained to safely handle their particular firearm. In a worst-case scenario, when a gun owner has to decide whether to pull the trigger while facing another human being, there are very serious consequences that must be considered. You have to be in danger of death or great bodily harm before you can use a firearm, said Illinois State Rifle Associations Richard Pearson, executive director. Whether you are in or out of your home has some bearing on it. It also depends if you are an older person against a younger person, or a woman against a man, several people against one. But if you are under attack, you have to do what you have to do to defend yourself. Pearson said it is not considered self-defense if you shoot someone who is fleeing from you. If you do shoot and injure or kill someone, the incident will be treated as a crime scene, the police will investigate, a states attorney will decide whether to charge you, and you may have to defend yourself in court, he said. Pearson said if civil unrest occurs, and you have a valid FOID card and a legally-obtained firearm, you can carry a loaded weapon to defend your property as long as you are physically on your property. Pearson added that both the Illinois and U.S. supreme courts have ruled that the police have a duty to protect the public at large, but no duty to protect any individual person. Thus, self-defense is a personal issue. You need to think it through. Do you really want to do this, are you capable of doing it? Pearson said. Its not just saying at the coffee shop that youre capable, its serious business. As Nepal's Parliament passed the constitutional amendment ratifying the new map of the country incorporating Indian territory of Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy asked if it is time to 'reset India's foreign policy'. Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Swamy inquired as to what hurt the sentiments of Nepal and why do they want to break with India in such a fashion. Swamy asked if it was not India's 'failure'? How can Nepal think of asking for Indian territory? What has hurt their sentiments so much that they want to break with India? Is it not our failure? Need RESET in foreign policy too Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) June 14, 2020 READ | Nepal's lower house passes bill to redraw map including Kalapani, Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura India and Nepal are at loggerheads after Nepal redrew its map showing parts of Indian territory - Kalapani, Lipu Lekh and Limpiyadhura in it. Nepal claims that the new map has been drawn on the basis of the Sugauli Treaty of 1816 signed between Nepal and the then British Indian government. Nepal's Lower House passes map amendment Nepal's lower house on Saturday, June 13 passed the constitutional amendment to redraw the new map. Out of 275 MPs in Nepal, 258 were present and all voted Yes for Amendment. The updated map will now be accommodated in the national emblem, stated Nepal's Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Gyawali. The three territories claimed by Nepal include Gunji, Kuti, and Nabi villages - which are a part of Uttarakhand. READ | MEA reiterates opposition to Nepal's map; highlights help extended during COVID-19 crisis MEA slams the move Terming the newly passed Napalese constitutional amendment as 'violative', the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that India has noted the new development. Reaffirming India's stance, he said that the 'artificial enlargement of claims' was not fact-based or tenable. READ | India notes passage of Nepal's constitutional amendment for new map; terms it 'violative' READ | Labourer allegedly shot dead by Nepal Border Police along International Border in Bihar It was really fun to make and really fun to watch. Teachers just wanna have fun: St Hilda's TV. Credit:YouTube screenshot Interestingly the parents enjoyed it as much as the girls, so our audience changed from what we had initially anticipated. And there are discussions about it continuing as a student-led initiative in the future. Its one of those things coming out of COVID[-19] that certainly fell into that category of what we want to keep doing post-COVID and were still using it very regularly now because we cant conduct assemblies with 900 girls all in one venue, she said Wesley College staff got creative too, and embraced social media to teach some of their classes. Loading WebX was the official school platform but we know young people use social media so much more than people of our generation [so] the teachers set up smaller groups where they used their own social media, College headmaster Ross Barron said. So quite often there might have been a group of seven chemistry students who through Facebook and Snapchat were actually having mini tutorials and mini groups as well, as well as getting online with each other. He said YouTube also played a vital role in teaching, which included things like chemistry experiments. Theres always a YouTube clip showing you how to do it, its amazing, he said. Obviously youve got to ensure that it is correct but thats actually used a lot more than the old days of VCR and DVD. Everything is online and YouTube is such a powerful medium, youd be crazy not to use it and you can actually tailor it so well. YouTube is such a powerful medium, youd be crazy not to use it. Ross Barron, Wesley College Perth College principal Helen Aguiar said they utilised technology in different ways they intend to keep, going forward. For example, our year 5 and 6 students are involved in the Makerkids program, where they have started their own businesses online, she said. Loading Usually they would have run a market stall to sell their products (and they may still do this later this year). However this year they have hosted their stalls online, where members of the community can purchase their goods and have their orders delivered. It is a whole new realm of learning that our students have been able to explore and it has been wonderful to see how much the students have learnt from this experience. Scotch College is also toying with the idea that teachers dont always have to be in the classroom with their students to achieve class goals for the day. Scotch College headmaster Alec O'Connell. Credit:Scotch College website Headmaster Alec OConnell said by providing teachers flexible working-from-home arrangements the outcome proved better than calling in a relief teacher for the day, citing when a senior teacher recently taught her maths specialist class while at her South Perth home with her sick child. And she was actually transmitting the work via her iPad and sharing the algorithms with her students who were sitting in a classroom in Scotch, he said. If there's a reason somebody cant come in, instead of just having a relief teacher who comes in and all they do is just give that work out, if they (the teacher) supervise students while they self-monitor, I think its going to change what we can do in terms of relief work, I really do. 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. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, June 14, 2020 18:16 586 fc6853813033f564188675f8bde9c85c 1 National Jokowi,TNI,TNI-AD,TNI-AL,TNI-AU,army,chief-of-staff,Air-Force,Navy,Bogor-Presidential-Palace,new-normal,COVID-19,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,PSBB,PSBB-Masa-Transisi,Transitional-PSBB,large-scale-social-restrictions Free President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo reiterated following a jog with Indonesian Military (TNI) chiefs of staff on Sunday that the TNIs role is to ensure that health protocols are followed as large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) are eased. Today I invited the Army chief of staff, the Air Force chief of staff and the Navy chief of staff for a morning jog because it is very important to keep our immune system up so that we remain healthy, Jokowi said at the Presidential Palace after the jog as quoted in a State Palace press release. He urged the military to continue to discipline the public. "Keep making sure that the public is disciplined when following health protocols including wearing masks, washing hands, physically distancing and avoiding crowds. The public needs to be told that over and over," he said. Army chief of staff Gen. Andika Perkasa, Air Force chief of staff Air Chief Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo and Navy chief of staff Adm. Yudo Margono said that their forces were ready to carry out their duties. "The Navy force will keep helping in accelerating mitigation efforts against COVID-19," Yudo said. "The troops in the field will help the regional government to discipline society. Fadjar echoed Yudos sentiments. "The Air Force will support [the government's efforts], for example by sending medical tools to rural areas with an airport and/or air force base," he said. Last month, the President announced that TNI and National Police personnel would be deployed to guard crowded places in preparation for the new normal. Several regions such as Jakarta and Greater Surabaya in East Java have since started to ease social restrictions as they move toward transitional PSBB. Rights groups and security experts have raised concerns that the TNIs involvement may result in a hard security approach to compliance, harking back to the militarys involvement in civilian life during the New Order era. (trn) India is not interested in land of Pakistan or China but wanted peace and amity, Union minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari said on Sunday. Addressing virtual 'Jan Samvad' rally of Gujarat BJP from Nagpur in Maharashtra, he said India believed in peace and non-violence and do not want to be strong by becoming an expansionist. "India never tried to grab land of its neighbours like Bhutan and Bangladesh," he added. The Minister of Road Transport & Highways and MSME also said that COVID-19 crisis will not last long, as a vaccine is on its way soon. "India do not want land of either Pakistan or China. All India want is peace, amity, love, and (want) to work together (with neighbouring countries)," Gadkari said. His comments came at a time when India and China are engaged in a stand-off at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. Talking about the completion of one year of the second term of the Modi government, Gadkari said its biggest achievement was to bring peace in the country by dealing with matters of internal and external security. "...Whether it is about almost winning over the Maoist problem or securing the country from Pakistan-sponsored terrorism...There is China on the one side of our border and Pakistan on the other side. We want peace, not violence," he said. During his speech, the Nagpur MP referred to famous novel "Mrityunjaya" by Marathi novelist Shivaji Sawant, saying peace and non-violence can be established by only those who are strong and not weak. "We should not make India strong by becoming expansionist. We want to make India strong for establishing peace. We never tried to grab land of Bhutan. Our country made Sheikh Mujibur Rahman the prime minister of Bangladesh after winning the war (with Pakistan in 1971), and our soldiers returned thereafter. "We took not a single inch of land. We do not want land either of Pakistan or China. All we want is peace, amity, love, and wanted to work together," he said. Gadkari also said the coronavirus crisis will not last long as scientists in India and abroad have been working to develop a vaccine. "This crisis is not going to last long. Effort is on in our country to develop a vaccine for coronavirus. Scientists across the world are working in this direction. As per the information received by me, I can say with confidence that very soon we will find vaccine. Once we develop a vaccine, we won't have to fear the crisis, Gadkari added. As per the Union Health ministry, India saw the highest single-day spike of 11,929 novel coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the number of infections to over 3.20 lakh on Sunday, while the toll crossed the 9,000 mark with 311 more deaths. PTI KA PD NSK. Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/11/2020 -- AMA Research added a comprehensive research document of 200+ pages on 'Home Care Chemicals' market with detailed insights on growth factors and strategies. The study segments key regions that includes North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific with country level break-up and provide volume* and value related cross segmented information by each country. Some of the important players from a wide list of coverage used under bottom-up approach are BASF SE (Germany), Solvay S.A. (Belgium), Clariant AG (Switzerland), Evonik Industries (Germany), Croda International Plc. (United Kingdom), Ashland Inc. (United States), The Dow Chemical Company (United States), Lubrizol Corporation (United States), Huntsman Corporation (United States), Akzo Nobel N.V. (Netherlands). Get to know more about the unprecedented reaction of Home Care Chemicals Market player's analysis and their strategies. Impact of coronavirus on Consumer Spending to create intense volatility and speculative pricing bringing imbalance in demand and supply curve. Request a sample report @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/85233-global-home-care-chemicals-market Growing consumer preference towards home care chemicals and growing inclination of masses towards health and hygiene will help to boost global home care chemicals market in the forecasted period. There are various types of home care chemicals including pigments, surfactants, solvents, and various other additives and chemicals. There are various applications of home care chemicals such as chemicals in the floor, metal and polishing products are anticipated to fuel the growth of the market. In addition, domestic areas where the process of food preparation is conducted every day, are essential to be kept clean and hygienic as ignorance of such practices could adversely affect our health. Market Segmentation by Type (Surfactants, Solvents, Additives, Pigment, Others), Application (Dishwashing, Hard Surface Cleaning, Laundry/Fabric Care, Others), Distribution Channel (Online, Offline) Check for Discount @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/request-discount/85233-global-home-care-chemicals-market Highlights of Influencing Trends: Increasing Adoption in Hospitals and Clinics for Dual Purposes of Cleanliness and As Disinfectant -Fueling Media Penetration and Literacy Market Growth Drivers: Rising Dependency on Healthas And Hygiene -Growing Buying Power of the Middle-Class People -Developing Urbanization As Well As Growing Environment Concerns Restraints: Limitations on Prices and Input Costs Challenges: Stringent Government Regulations Related To Home Care Chemicals View Detailed Table of Content @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/reports/85233-global-home-care-chemicals-market Country level Break-up includes: North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) Europe (Germany, France, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, Nordic, Others) Asia-Pacific (Japan, China, Australia, India, Taiwan, South Korea, Middle East & Africa, Others) On Special Request we do offer a dedicated and focus report on regional or by country level scope. GET FULL COPY OF Latest Published COVID-19 Impact Analysis Study of United States Home Care Chemicals Market @ --------- USD 2000 And, Asia-Pacific Home Care Chemicals market study with Commentary on COVID-19 Impact Analysis on Sales Growth @ --------- USD 2500 Strategic Points Covered in Table of Content of Global Home Care Chemicals Market: Chapter 1: Introduction, market driving force product Objective of Study and Research Scope the Home Care Chemicals market Chapter 2: Exclusive Summary the basic information of the Home Care Chemicals Market. Chapter 3: Displaying the Market Dynamics- Drivers, Trends and Challenges & Opportunities of the Home Care Chemicals Chapter 4: Presenting the Home Care Chemicals Market Factor Analysis, Post COVID Impact Analysis, Porters Five Forces, Supply/Value Chain, PESTEL analysis, Market Entropy, Patent/Trademark Analysis. Chapter 5: Displaying the by Type, End User and Region 2014-2019 Chapter 6: Evaluating the leading manufacturers of the Home Care Chemicals market which consists of its Competitive Landscape, Peer Group Analysis, BCG Matrix & Company Profile Chapter 7: To evaluate the market by segments, by countries and by Manufacturers/Company with revenue share and sales by key countries in these various regions (2020-2025) Chapter 8 & 9: Displaying the Appendix, Methodology and Data Source How Research Study of AMA helps clients in their decision making: - Creating strategies for new product development - Supporting & Adjust Investment/business decisions - Benchmark and judge own competitiveness - Aiding in the business planning process - Serving as a credible, independent check on company internal forecasts - Supporting acquisition strategies Buy this report @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/buy-now?format=1&report=85233 Thanks for reading this article, you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ardila Syakriah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, June 14, 2020 16:16 586 fc6853813033f564188675f8bde95656 1 National BPJS-Kesehatan,JKN,JKN-insurance-deficit,JKN-premium-increase Free The government is redefining primary healthcare needs and the standards of service at hospitals eligible for the National Health Insurance (JKN) to ensure the deficit-stricken programs sustainability. Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto said the ministry was working on finishing a benefits package for policyholders that was based on primary health needs, as mandated by a 2004 law on the national social security system (SJSN), and was expecting to realize it by the end of June. He also presented the plan on Thursday before a hearing with the House of Representatives' Commission IX overseeing health care and manpower. "The benefits package, which is based on primary health needs, will not reduce the benefits received by the people but rather optimize the benefits principles by reducing unnecessary treatments [...]," Terawan told the hearing. He said such excessive services were in contrast to the principles of social insurance, which aims at providing basic health care for all eligible Indonesians. Unnecessary treatments have reportedly inflated medical bills under the JKN. Read also: Activists demand better services after drastic JKN premium hike Terawan said the new benefits package would contain a list of what the JKN could and could not cover, as well as what it could cover with restrictions. The ministry will further discuss the package with the Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan), which manages the JKN, to take into account the social security fund managed by the agency and to avoid aggravating its deficit further. As deficits continue to batter the agency, totaling Rp 13 trillion (US$920 million) last year alone, the government issued in early May a presidential regulation to almost double JKN premiums roughly two months after the Supreme Court annulled an earlier regulation on similar premium increases. The new regulation will take effect in July but to the opposition of lawmakers and experts who not only accused the government of undermining the rule of law but also criticized its timing, as millions of people had been badly hit by the pandemic. Read also: Government accused of undermining rule of law in JKN premium hike BPJS Kesehatan president director Fahmi Idris said that with the premium hikes, the agency would still see a deficit of Rp 185 million by the end of 2020 but this was better than the Rp 3.9 trillion deficit projected if it maintained the old premiums. However, relying only on the increases would not be enough, Fahmi said, as they were still below the actuarial estimates for premiums, ranging between Rp 137,221 and Rp 286,085. Thus, managing the agency's spending by defining primary health needs and classes of JKN services, among other measures, was necessary and also mandated by the new presidential regulation. Achmad Choesni, the head of the National Social Security Council (DJSN) overseeing the BPJS, said the council was still mulling over the criteria for JKN hospitalization classes, which was expected to be gradually implemented starting at the end of this year before coming into full force by 2022. Read also: Can BPJS Kesehatan survive? An assessment after drastic premium hikes It remained to be seen whether there would be only one service class for all policyholders or two, such as by separating the recipients of contribution assistance (PBI) low-income patients whose premiums are fully paid by the state from non-PBI participants. What is certain is that those willing to upgrade their plans could do so by paying the remaining fees on their own or by other insurances. Currently, there are three types of JKN plans, with the third-class service also covering a large number of PBI recipients. Non-PBI policyholders can choose to pay the premiums by themselves or have them partly paid by their employers. "Some of the output will be to [...] reduce the potential of INA-CBG [diagnostic rate] claim fraud," Achmad said. Much of the concern, however, was directed toward whether the country's hospitals would be able to adjust their wards to the planned JKN service class. If the prevailing third-class JKN service was to be used as the baseline for the new categorization, then the number of hospital beds for the third-class service should also be increased to accommodate 270 million Indonesians, said National Mandate Party (PAN) lawmaker Saleh Daulay. JKN now covers some 220 million participants, but the government is aiming for all its citizens to join the program to help close the gap between claims and benefits. We need a review of our hospital beds, especially now that the COVID-19 pandemic is taking up many of them," Saleh said. Read also: Experts warn about impact of premium hike on low-class JKN holders The Health Ministrys director general for health services, Bambang Wibowo, said his office had requested that hospitals add third-class beds even before the pandemic struck to anticipate policyholders downgrading their insurance plans following the previous premium hikes. Some 127,000 beds, or 47 percent of the country's 270,000 hospital beds, are available for third-class policyholders, which is more than the mandatory 30 percent. Following the previous premium hikes, the ministry targeted to have 60 percent of hospital beds for this category by 2021. Activist Timboel Siregar from BPJS Watch said the government must first ensure that the planned categorization would not lead to a shortage of hospital beds because even with the current three insurance classes, many hospitals still do not have enough beds for inpatient care. He doubted that hospitals would be able to renovate their wards as that would be costly. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) found in a recent study that the BPJS could save as much Rp 12.2 trillion through stricter insurance claim management, including by limiting claims for noncommunicable diseases, which puts the heaviest burden on the JKN. It found that readjusting hospital classes could also help the BPJS avoid making unnecessary payments. T he Government is set to make fresh push to get more primary school children back into the classroom ahead of the summer break. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson was this week forced to abandon the aim of getting all primary pupils in England back for at least a month before the holidays. The move following warnings schools lacked the capacity to take more pupils while observing strict social-distancing rules led to accusations that the Government had not done enough to prepare. Currently primary schools in England which closed following the coronavirus lockdown in March are opening to pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson was this week forced to abandon the aim of getting all primary pupils in England back for at least a month before the holidays / Sky News However, ministers will next week reaffirm that they can take children from other year groups provided they have the capacity to do so safely. It means limiting class sizes to just 15 while ensuring that protective measures are in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus UK Schools begin to reopen during Coronavirus lockdown ease 1 /28 UK Schools begin to reopen during Coronavirus lockdown ease Harris Academy Primary School Jeremy Selwyn Parents drop off children at Queen's Hill Primary School, Costessey, Norfolk, as pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, begin to return to school as part of a wider easing of lockdown measures PA Harris Academy Primary School Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Parents and children arrive at Watlington Primary School as some schools re-open Reuters Lessons with reduced class sizes at Queen's Hill Primary School, Costessey, Norfolk, as pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, begin to return to school as part of a wider easing of lockdown measures PA Parents and children arrive at Watlington Primary School as some schools re-open Reuters Parents drop off children at Queen's Hill Primary School, Costessey, Norfolk PA Parents drop off children at Queen's Hill Primary School, Costessey, Norfolk, as pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, begin to return to school as part of a wider easing of lockdown measures. PA Parents drop off children at Queen's Hill Primary School, Costessey, Norfolk, as pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, begin to return to school as part of a wider easing of lockdown measures. PA At the same time, Mr Williamson was said to be working with Boris Johnson on a long-term catch-up package for all pupils in England The moves came as the Childrens Commissioner for England issued a fresh warning that the failure to re-open schools risked undermining childrens basic right to an education. Schools adapting to social distancing rules / Jeremy Selwyn With non-essential shops in England due to start opening on Monday, Anne Longfield said ministers appeared to have given up quite easily on schools. It has taken 200 years of campaigning to get children into the classroom, ensuring that education was a basic right for all children, she told the Observer. We seem for the first time to be prepared to let that start go into reverse. And I think that is a very, very dangerous place to be. Families queue outside schools as more children go back into classrooms / PA We heard from the Prime Minister back in April that education was one of the top three priorities for easing lockdown, but it seems to have been given up on quite easily. With most children not now due to return until September, it will be nearly six months since they have been in a classroom by the time they get back. The Prime Minister was said to be particularly concerned about the impact on disadvantaged children who lack the same support at home and access to remote learning as others. A No 10 source said: The PM is acutely aware that school closures will have a disproportionate impact on all children, and particularly the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children. He appreciates the consequences of months out of school, and this package will be focused on providing extended support for children. The PM is so grateful for the hard work of teachers, parents and schools to keep educating children throughout this difficult period. The Minneapolis City Council has passed a measure to dismantle the city's police department and replace it with what Council President Lisa Bender calls "a transformative new model of public safety." This is supposed to better protect people in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd by a now-former Minneapolis police officer. CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota asked Bender, "Do you understand that the word dismantle, or police-free, also makes some people nervous? ... What if in the middle of [the] night my home is broken into? Who do I call?" Bender equivocated: "I mean, I hear that loud and clear from a lot of my neighbors ... and I know that that comes from a place of privilege. Because for those of us for whom the system is working, I think we need to step back and imagine what it would feel like to already live in that reality where calling the police may mean more harm is done." Come again? Does Bender seriously believe doing away with the police and replacing them with her "model" will deter criminals, especially violent ones? Shouldn't the emphasis be on controlling criminals and fighting crime more than handcuffing and putting new restraints on all police officers, who put their lives at risk every day? The overwhelming number of police officers perform their duties with distinction. Clearly some reforms are necessary, but the one voted by the Minneapolis City Council and other radical proposals go too far. How would such a "model" work? Will these new personnel have the power to arrest suspects? Will they be allowed to shoot back if fired upon? If suspects flee, can they be chased and tackled? Suppose they resist arrest? Will this new authority permit force to subdue them? How many people will want to join such a force? It is difficult enough to recruit police officers given the increasing number of restraints on them. That everyone seems to be "armed" with cellphones capable of making videos that might be edited and used to intimidate officers also doesn't help. Perhaps Bender should spend time in Chicago where last weekend 18 people were gunned down in 24 hours, or Brooklyn, where seven people were shot within 10 minutes in three separate incidents. Living in a mostly white city within a mostly white state appears to have blinded her to the people (African Americans) who are most victimized by crime. According to FBI crime statistics, in 2018, 2,925 African Americans were murdered in the U.S., 2,600 of the murderers were African American. Given these figures, it would appear that the problem goes deeper than racism and that dismantling the police - something that is now being considered by Democratic mayors in several other cities - invites more crime. David McNichol is a longtime friend and retired police officer. He served 20 years with the Fairfax County, Virginia, police department and 12 years with the Prince William County Sheriff's office in Manassas, Virginia. In a phone conversation, he says he worries that the crime rate could increase if police are defunded or disbanded, and incidents of vigilantism could also rise. The TV images of street violence, he believes, are fueling public fears. In 1968, during demonstrations and riots in major cities, some young people began calling police officers "pigs." The insult appeared to have been created by what were then called Yippies, who protested at that year's Democratic National Convention in Chicago. They had a small pig as their presidential candidate and when police attacked them with clubs and tear gas they called them pigs. This prompted a reaction from supporters of law enforcement: "The next time you're in trouble call a pig." Politicians and protesters demanding police departments be de-funded, or even eliminated, might wish to ask themselves who they will call when threatened by criminals. It won't be "Ghostbusters." Love 9 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 The internally displaced Kashmiri Pandits on Sunday staged a protest march here against the killing of Sarpanch Ajay Pandita alias Bharti in Anantnags Dooru. Led by We the Kashmiri Pandit Volunteersa socio-religious group representing Kashmiri Pandits, the protest march was held at Toph Sherkhania near the residence of Pandita. Sheen Bharti, daughter of Pandita, also joined the protestors and demanded an impartial probe into the killing of her father by the Islamic terrorists. Protesters wore black batches and held placards to show their demonstration against barbaric Islamic Terrorism promoted and propagated by Pakistan. The protesters later presented a memorandum to the lieutenant governor GC Murmu and put forth their charter of demands that included constitution of a genocide commission for delivery of justice to all the martyred Kashmiri Pandits and other minorities since 1989, a concrete policy for Kashmiri Pandits, policy formation for revival and protection of Hindu temples, shrines and religious places in Kashmir, foolproof security cover for all minorities residing and serving in Kashmir, especially to PM package employees, sarpanches, panchs, corporators and other employees belonging to the minority community. Memorandum also demanded an ex-gratia of 1 crore in favour of family members of Ajay Pandita and government service to one family member. Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool will not go down as one of the 'great all-time English clubs' despite their success this season, according to former player Stan Collymore. The Reds need two more victories to secure the Premier League title and have dropped just four points from 29 games all season. They could also break the division's record points total. But Collymore believes Klopp's side have not been pitted against strong enough opposition to be deemed as one of the best teams of all-time, despite their impressive form. Liverpool need just six more points to claim their first ever Premier League title this season But ex-player Stan Collymore does not think they will go down as one of the greatest ever sides 'Liverpool are a fine team and they will deservedly have the title wrapped up within two games,' he wrote in The Mirror. 'But while I will celebrate my old club's success, I will also lament that their domination isn't just because Jurgen Klopp's side have been so good but also because plenty of others around them have been bad. 'Liverpool's dominance is not a sign that we're seeing the greatest sides ever, it's about a limited number of clubs being able to fill out squads because they have the biggest budgets, something that puts other clubs in leagues at a competitive disadvantage. The Reds are 25 points clear of second-placed Manchester City which is a league record Collymore admitted that Jurgen Klopp's side have been exceptional during the campaign 'Liverpool have been exceptional but will they go down as one of the great all-time English clubs? No, for the reasons above they will not.' When Liverpool reached 61 points from their opening 21 matches, it was the most a team had ever accumulated at that stage in any of Europe's top five leagues. The Reds are currently 25 points clear of second-placed Manchester City, which is the biggest ever lead in English top-flight history. Pep Guardiola's side play their game in-hand against Arsenal on Wednesday and if they were to lose, Liverpool could win the title by beating Merseyside rivals Everton on Sunday. But he also claimed Liverpool's dominance was partly down to their under-performing rivals But if City win or earn a point then Klopp's side will need to wait until their home fixture with Crystal Palace to claim the the trophy, unless they fail to beat the Toffees. There are several records Liverpool could set this season as well as the record points total which currently stands at 100 and is held by Guardiola's team from the 2017-2018 season. The honours they are chasing include: most victories in a season, most away wins in a season, earliest title win and biggest winning title margin. As hit romantic film Chalte Chalte clocks 17 years, actor Rani Mukerji on Saturday remembered shooting for the film with Shah Rukh Khan and said that the film is one of her favourites. "Working with Shah Rukh has been one of my favourite things! It was Shah Rukh's production and it was the first time I had visited Greece, Mikonos, and Athens, which is a fun memory for me. The beautiful blue and white houses was a landscape which I had not seen before," she said. "The island was just amazing to stay and shoot. Athens also has such stunning architecture, such heritage, so many things which speak of history! We had a very nice outdoor during Chalte Chalte," she added. The 42-year-old actor gave India the big trend of smokey eyes through Chalte Chalte and she credits celebrity make up artist Mickey Contractor for his vision to create something completely new and stunning for her. "I remember smokey eyes becoming a huge rage during the release and everyone kind of adopted that style of makeup. Mickey and me today also chat about it and he says that Rani had you not trusted me with doing those eyes for you, the look probably would have come much later," the Mardaani actor said. "I am so glad that I went ahead and the makeup in Chalte Chalte has always been one of my favourites ever and smokey eyes became something that was very synonymous with," Rani added. Also read: When Shah Rukh Khan fed Anurag Kashyap omelettes at Mannat: I was hungry and I walked into his house Speaking about working with Shah Rukh Khan, Rani said, "It was a Red Chillies production and we were looked after humongously because Shah Rukh always kind of goes out of his ways to make his unit member and actors very comfortable and I have had a great association with Red Chillies whether it's Chalte Chalte or Paheli." "It's one of the best production houses. I really miss working with Shah Rukh's production because he takes such special care," she added. Follow @htshowbiz for more A federal judge in Seattle has ordered local police to stop using tear gas, pepper spray and other force against nonviolent protesters, finding that the Seattle Police Department used excessive force against demonstrators. The Seattle Times reports U.S. District Judge Richard Jones concluded that protesters' right to free speech had been violated by the police department, citing video and other evidence. The temporary restraining order issued by Jones also prevents the police from using flash bangs, pepper balls and rubber bullets. A woman was killed and three men were wounded in New York after a gunman wildly shot into a crowd of teenagers who were celebrating the end of the school year. The victim was identified on Saturday as Tyana Johnson, 19. She had been with a group of fellow teens at Shoelace Park in the Wakefield section of the Bronx on Friday night at around 11pm, when two men suddenly got out of a car and began firing. Johnson was hit several times and died later at Jacobi Medical Center. Tyana Johnson, 19, died after being shot in the head, torso, hip and buttocks. Pictured, police are gathered near the scene of the accident Johnson was celebrating the end of the school year with friends at a Bronx park Several other people were also shot including a 15-year-old boy who ended up being shot in the buttocks. One other 16-year-old teen was hit in the ankle and a 24-year-old man, identified as Manny Brown was shot in the groin. Both ended up taking themselves to Montefiore Medical Center according to the Daily News. A 15-year-old boy, 16-year-old boy and 24-year-old man were shot. Pictured, police on scene All three men are expected to survive. Police say they believe the gunman was targeting one of the three men who were shot but Johnson was caught by the gunfire. She was hit in the head, torso, hip and buttocks according to the New York Post. The gathering where the teens were celebrating the end of the school is usually an animated affair. 'It's usually very loud and rowdy. It was a huge crowd,' the witness said who believed there to have been around 150 other teens all gathered at the park. The three men are expected to survive the shooting of which police say there is currently no known motive The killing happened in Shoelace Park which was sealed off to the public on Saturday 'There were like nine shots,' the witness said. 'It's sad to lose a life.' Police have been looking for surveillance video that might have caught the shooting on camera. The two shooters fled in a silver BMW. Police say the motive is unknown but may be gang related. No arrests have so far been made. EDWARDSVILLE A man accused of barging into an Alton home where he and associates beat two people was allowed Friday to leave the Madison County Jail on electronic monitoring. Thomas C. Kish, 18, of Columbia, was charged May 18 with home invasion, a Class X felony, for allegedly shoving his way into a home in the 200 block of Madison Avenue in Alton and beating a man and his mother on April 3, according to court documents. Bail was set at $250,000. Associate Judge Neil Schroeder on Friday warned Kish that any deviation from the strict rules of home monitoring would land him back in the Madison County Jail. Assistant Madison County States Attorney Jacob Harlow argued that Kish and others, who have not been identified, knocked on the door of the home on April 3. When a woman answered, the group dragged her outside and beat her, then went inside and beat her son, according to court documents. Kishs attorney, William Carroll, argued his client has no adult criminal history and plans to move to OFallon to live with his mother. He said Kish had a job at a hardware store, but Kish admitted he was only employed there for a short time. Carroll said Kish entered the home because he had been robbed there earlier in the day. Harlow said Kish was already on court supervision for a juvenile drug charge. That supervision will be revoked. Schroeder warned Kish that he was not to leave the home without permission from his probation office, who would be very particular about where he goes. If you mess up, a warrant will be issued and you will be back where you are, he said. Kish must wear an ankle bracelet, which he also must pay for and keep charged. The home is your jail, Carroll told Kish. Authorities have been attempting to limit the Madison County Jail population because of the pandemics health risks. Schroeder also ordered that Kish cannot enter Alton, and Kish said he has no intention of returning to the city. He was already under a court order to stay away from the victims in the home invasion case. Home invasion is punishable by a prison term of six to 30 years. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 21:40:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RIYADH, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday a project to vaccinate children at their homes as part of the precautions against coronavirus, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. The health ministry signed an agreement with the Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City, a rehabilitation hospital and medical center, to commission the hospital to provide necessary vaccinations for children, SPA said. This project comes after a decrease in the vaccination rate among children was reported during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ministry registered 4,233 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, raising the total number in the kingdom to 127,541. The death toll from the virus rose to 972 after 40 new fatalities were reported, while 2,172 more recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 84,720. Enditem Lagan Yadav was taken away by Nepal police yesterday following the firing incident at Jankinagar area in which one person was killed and two others were injured. Sitamarhi (Bihar), June 13 (IANS) The Nepal police on Saturday released an Indian national a day after it opened fire on a crowd at a border area under Sonbarsa police station. Sitamarhi Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar said Lagan Yadav has been released by the Nepal police. On Friday angry villagers had protested the killing of Vikesh Yadav, who died in Nepal police firing, and demanded that Lagan Yadav be released by that country's police. Lagan Yadav has alleged that Nepal police had taken him away from an Indian border area and that he was beaten up. Meanwhile, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), which is part of India's Central Armed Police Forces, said in Patna that the Sitamarhi incident was a local issue and that there was no tension along the Indo-Nepal border. SSB's Inspector General Sanjay Kumar told IANS that the local administration is looking into the Sitamarhi incident. He said there was no controversy involving the SSB and the Nepal police. Kumar said that people belonging to both sides of the border had family relations and that there was a daily movement of people from across the border. "Quarrels and squabbles do happen, but these are sorted out at the local level," he said, ruling out any tension along the border. He said patrolling along the border during Covid-19 lockdown has been intensified and that people's movement was restricted. People were inconvenienced due to the lockdown, he added. He said the Bihar-Nepal border was open and that SSB had 94 posts along that part of the border. Each post has a platoon-size force (around 25 men), he added. --IANS Hindi/prs Economics is the study of how human beings respond to incentives when making decisions about allocating their scarce resources. A decade before I ever took an econ course, I learned some basics from my platoon sergeant: Okay, remember one thing, he said, a dead man makes a very hard pillow. Dont shoot, even into the air, if you dont really need to. Lock a magazine with 10 rounds and dont anyone chamber a round. Ill come around checking. If you have a round in the chamber when I ask to see your piece, you and your squad leader will be in trouble. We are not here to kill people, we are here to restore calm and order. It was the evening of April 5, 1968, about 24 hours after the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. I was a 17-year-old private in the 82nd Airborne Division. We were on South Capitol Street in Washington, D.C., standing near the half-looted liquor store some of us were to guard for the next three days. The neighborhood was quiet but, as we looked north, we saw the reddish glow of flames on the underside of low clouds and smoke drifting past the Capitol. We teenage greenhorns stood in awe of Sgt. Shep. He was the only man I ever met who had made six combat jumps, including harrowing ones in Sicily and Normandy. He was awarded the Combat Infantrymans Badge in three different wars, had two Purple Hearts, a Silver Star and three Bronze Stars. More importantly, he was a natural leader. He was competent, honest, helpful and obviously cared about those he led. He never raised his voice, never counseled anyone publicly. A Kentucky hill-country, grade-school dropout, he had true wisdom and had deep integrity. In other words, he was a better person than many of our national leaders, including our president. He understood, as Prussian military theorist Carl Von Clauswitz said, that the purpose of war is to compel ones enemy to do our will. That may involve overwhelming deadly force. But Sgt. Shep also understood that civil unrest, even including looting and burning, is not war. Having lots of police and even soldiers spread around in such a situation indeed may help bring order. But being heavily armed, opting to act instead of react, as did the policeman who repeatedly shot Philando Castile seven seconds into a traffic stop, or seeking to dominate the battle space as Secretary of Defense Mark Esper prescribed, almost certainly make situations worse, not better. Economic theory at Von Clauswitzs time followed British thinker Jeremy Benthams assumption that people seek pleasure and avoid pain. Increase the pain resulting from some activity and you reduce that activity. That is how any rational person would react, and humans are rational beings. Military strategists assumed the same in the 1920s when predicting how civilians would react to aerial bombing. The bomber will always get through, and terrorized civilians would force their governments to seek peace. That seemed to work in keeping primitive colonial peoples in line. When 1920s Iraqi tribesmen damaged British-own oil pipelines, Royal Air Force Maj. Arthur Harris ordered the bombing of the nearest village, regardless of whomever had actually done the damage. Sabotage stopped, but deep resentments were engendered -- and those came out against U.S. forces in that area some 80 years later. The British government feared German bombing during the Blitz in World War II would crush civilian morale. It carried out highly secret polls of public sentiment. These reveled that after horrific raids, like the firebombing of Coventry in 1940, public support for the war actually increased rather than decreased. In other words, the opposite of the earlier assumption proved true. That also was the case in Germany and Japan during the initial phases of Allied bombing of these countries. Late in the war, when incendiaries to create a firestorm would completely burn out square miles of a city and kill tens of thousands of civilians in one night, the reaction was exhaustion and despair. Arthur Harris, now head of Britains Bomber Command, championed such deliberate incineration of civilians. But the populations of Germany and Japan never rose up against their own governments. Similarly, one sometimes hears that if only we had taken off the gloves in Vietnam decades ago or did so in Afghanistan now, we could have killed enough peasants to make their leaders sue for peace. This is nonsense. Yes, one can level cities and kill people -- as the Assad regime, and Russian and American air power have done in Syria over the past decade -- but if one wants a functioning nation and economy that, at the very least, is not hostile, then total destruction is a tragic failure. Short-term civil unrest and longer-term armed insurgencies always are complex. For the first, in the U.S., there often are many entirely peaceful demonstrators exercising their constitutional rights. Some deeply committed activists may believe that the time of peaceful protest is past, and destroying property is justified. There are teens and ruffians spoiling for a fight. There may be cynical looters. There may be provocateurs from both extremes seeking to foment uprisings that are key to their own delusions. The mix of these can vary from place to place and hour to hour. How law enforcement reacts can rapidly shift some people from one group to another. Behavior in groups during chaos is highly impulsive and subject to suggestion by what others are doing. In myriad cases across a broad range of situations, people do not behave rationally at all. Situations also are highly reactive to steps taken by law enforcement officials or military forces tasked with maintaining order. Undue violence never results in crowds raising their hands in surrender and turning to quietly file toward home. Economics has particular insight on shows of heavy armament. Tom Schelling got a Nobel in 2005 for his work on game theory in nuclear defense strategizing. The credibility of a threat is key. We could have threatened to unleash ICBMs on Moscow if a Soviet soldier fired a pistol into a U.S. checkpoint at the Berlin wall, but no one would have taken that seriously. My battalion could have taken 81 mm mortars, .50-caliber Browning machine guns and flamethrowers into D.C. in 1968, but everyone would have known that we would never use them. So the idea that heavily armed federal troops will cow rowdy demonstrators or violent looters into peaceful retreat is a delusion. Getting lots of well-trained and disciplined people onto the streets, whether police, National Guard or active-duty Army, is effective. But brandishing machine guns, tanks and whatever else people may imagine makes troops heavily armed is counterproductive. St. Paul economist and writer Edward Lotterman can be reached at bismarck@edlotterman.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 US officials believe Saab, believed to be arrested en route to Iran, holds many secrets about Maduros government. Venezuela has demanded the release of a government-connected businessman who was detained in Cape Verde on US corruption charges, calling his arrest an illegal act of aggression aimed at piling new hardships on the crisis-wracked oil nation. Alex Saabs arrest on Friday en route to Iran was a major blow to President Nicolas Maduros government. US officials believe he holds many secrets about how the socialist leader, his family and top aides allegedly siphoned off millions of dollars in government contracts amid widespread hunger in the oil-rich nation. It was unclear how American authorities, who had been targeting the Colombian businessman for years, finally caught up with him. The Justice Department declined to comment as did Saabs American lawyer, Maria Dominguez. A person familiar with the situation said the 48-year-old Saab was arrested in the Atlantic Ocean archipelago when his San Marino-registered jet made a refuelling stop on a flight to Tehran, where he was believed to be negotiating deals to exchange Venezuelan gold for Iranian gasoline. Flight tracking data shows the aircraft, which the once globe-trotting Saab had used in the past, departed on Friday from Venezuelas capital, Caracas. A private jet belonging to Presidential Aviation, a US government contractor formerly owned by the Blackwater private security firm, was ready for a chartered flight from Cape Verde to Miamis private Opa Locka airport on Sunday. Venezuelas government protested against the arrest, saying that Saab was travelling on a Venezuelan passport and was on a humanitarian mission to buy food and medical supplies. In a statement issued on Saturday night, the government said an Interpol arrest notice for Saab was not issued until a day after his detention, violating international norms and disregarding the diplomatic immunity he enjoys as an agent of a sovereign government. It said it would initiate all legal and diplomatic actions to secure his release. But coronavirus restrictions frustrated an attempt by Maduros nearest ambassador, in Senegal, to travel to Cape Verde. In March, the Donald Trump administration indicted Maduro and more than a dozen other individuals on narco-terrorist, corruption and other criminal charges. Saab came onto the radar of US authorities a few years ago after amassing a large number of contracts with Maduros government. Federal prosecutors in Miami indicted him and a business partner last year on money laundering charges connected to an alleged bribery scheme that pocketed more than $350m from a low-income housing project for the Venezuelan government that was never built. Separately, Saab had been sanctioned by the Trump administration for allegedly using a network of shell companies spanning the globe in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Hong Kong, Panama, Colombia and Mexico to hide huge profits from no-bid, overvalued food contracts obtained through bribes and kickbacks. Saab engaged with Maduro insiders to run a wide-scale corruption network they callously used to exploit Venezuelas starving population, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said at the time of the sanctions. They use food as a form of social control, to reward political supporters and punish opponents, all the while pocketing hundreds of millions of dollars through a number of fraudulent schemes. Cape Verde has no extradition treaty with the US and fresh on officials minds is the 2014 saga involving another high-priority Venezuelan target, the late Hugo Chavezs longtime spy chief, retired general Hugo Carvajal. Carvajal was arrested in 2014 on the Caribbean island of Aruba, where he had been named Maduros consul, but managed to flee a US drug warrant after intense diplomatic pressure from Caracas. Carvajal remains at large after having been jailed and later released in Spain. Last week, prosecutors in Colombia froze eight properties allegedly belonging to Saab, including a mansion in his Caribbean hometown of Barranquilla valued at more than $7m, as part of their own money laundering investigation. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 01:41:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Members of a Chinese medical expert team share experiences with their Bangladeshi peers at the Central Police Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, June 14, 2020. Experts from a Chinese medical team have shared experiences with their Bangladeshi peers to assist them in better combating the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chinese medical team arrived here on June 8 and will stay in Bangladesh for two weeks to support Bangladesh in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. (Xinhua) DHAKA, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Experts from a Chinese medical team have shared experiences with their Bangladeshi peers to assist them in better combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Senior officials of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society conveyed gratitude and thanks to the Chinese government for sending the experts to Bangladesh. The Chinese team visited hospitals and Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka Saturday and gave advice on the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bangladesh experts said smooth communication and information exchange between the two sides are very important, and they also showed a strong interest in traditional Chinese medicine. The Chinese medical team arrived here on June 8 and will stay in Bangladesh for two weeks to support Bangladesh in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Hundreds of people have rallied in Prague for the second straight Saturday in support of the protests in the United States against police violence and racism. In a noisy but peaceful rally amid occasional showers, the protesters were marching through the Little Quarter picturesque district of the Czech capital, chanting slogans such as "Black Lives Matter," "No Justice No Peace" and "No Trump, No KKK, No fascist U.S.A." At the end, they observed a minute of silence in front of the U.S. Embassy.The protesters, many in face masks, condemned all forms of racism in the U.S., the Czech Republic and elsewhere in the world. They demanded an independent investigation of police actions during the protests in the U.S.The peaceful rally was organized by an informal group of Americans living in Prague together with several mostly leftist Czech groups. (Image Credit: AP) Thousands of people have turned out for fresh demonstrations against alleged police brutality and racism in central Paris and other major French cities. The protests come against a backdrop of mounting anger among police officers who reject the accusations. Protesters gathered at Place de la Republique in Paris on Saturday to protest against alleged police brutality and racism. The march, which is to head towards Opera from 2:30pm, was organised by the Adama Traore committee, created to call for justice for the young black man who died in police custody in 2016 in the Paris region. Adama Committee "We call on all the cities in France to come and demonstrate with us to demand truth and justice for Adama and all the victims of the police or gendarmerie," the committee said. The Adama committee drew some 20,000 people on 2 June to the Paris court, and has become the spearhead of the fight against police violence. Its discourse has broadened from denouncing police violence to denouncing "systemic racism", finding a powerful echo after the death of George Floyd, an African-American killed on 25 May in Minneapolis by a white policeman, which sparked a worldwide wave of indignation. Other marches for racial justice are planned in Marseille, Lyon, Montpellier, Nantes, Saint-Nazaire, Bordeaux and in Strasbourg on Sunday. French police protests French police staged protests for a second day Friday, angry at accusations of racism in their ranks. They slammed top officials for failing to defend the force against the allegations. Several dozen officers blocked traffic in a wildcat march down the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, carrying banners proclaiming: "No police, no peace!" and "The police aren't racist." Border police at Orly airport south of Paris and officers in Bordeaux, Marseille and other cities threw handcuffs, armbands and other equipment on the ground while standing in formation, with many shouting for the resignation of Interior Minister Christophe Castaner. Castaner infuriated officers this week with a pledge of "zero tolerance" for police racism after 20,000 people massed at the Paris courthouse on 2 June in an echo of the Black Lives Matter protests in America. He also said police would no longer be allowed to use chokeholds to detain suspects, a move derided by many officers as an unfeasible concession that could make their jobs more perilous. "The police are not racist... they save people's lives no matter the colour of their skin," Fabien Vanhemelryck, head of the Alliance union, told journalists on Friday. Castaner met police representatives on Thursday and Friday. "It's not just the interior minister... the president must make sure the police are respected," Vanhemelryck said. Some police unions have threatened to carry out only minimal duties, since France forbids strike action by law enforcement agents. President Emmanuel Macron could address the heightened tensions in a TV speech on Sunday evening. Mumbai: In a bid to revive the state's economy that has been hit by the ongoing lockdown, Maharashtra government, on Sunday evening said that 12 large memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with companies from across the globe including US, China, South Korea, Singapore and India will be signed on 15 June in the presence of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Minister for Industries Subhash Desai. The MOUs are aimed at attracting foreign direct investments (FDI) in Maharashtra, which, with 1.04 lakh covid-19 cases, is the country's worst affected state. Global business leaders, country missions and bilateral investment agencies will join this exclusive session via video conference from 6:30 pm onwards on 15 June, said the government in a statement. The government did not quantify the FDI investment coming up. "The state has also seen a significant uptick in investment intentions from countries such as Germany, Japan, Russia and other major FDI source countries for India. The investments represent a diversity of sectors including - engineering, automobiles, food processing, ESDM, IT/ITeS and many others," said the government. The Government of Maharashtra delegation will also feature the minister of state Aditi Tatkare and the new Sherpa for FDIs Bhushan Gagrani, the Principal Secretary Industries Venugopal Reddy and the CEO of the states Industrial Development Corporation Dr. P. Anbalagan. "While globally and in Maharashtra, our healthcare systems are scaling to meet the unprecedented challenges posed by the covid-19 pandemic, the states economic response has remained resilient to offset long-term impacts. The state of Maharashtra has methodically re-opened more than 60,000 industries in the state and these enterprises employ close to 1.5 million people," said the government. The government said that while global investment sentiments have suffered due to the lockdown, the pandemic has provided the state of Maharashtra a unique opportunity. "Backed by the states performance across elements of FDI , export, competitiveness, industrial ecosystem, policy and ease of doing business, companies looking to diversify their supply chains across South East Asia have considered Maharashtra as their new investment destination," said the government. Monday's interaction will witness the signing of "realising the importance of our country partners , missions and trade bodies in the country." The interaction will also see two key bilateral investment agreements being signed during the event. Partners such as the ones who have proposed FDIs, have helped Maharashtra support existing industries in the state and now it will help Maharashtra set up dedicated country desks in the near term for closer handholding of new potential investments. On Monday, the government said the state will reveal its Magnetic Maharashtra 2.0 roadmap. "Featuring path breaking initiatives such as plug and play infrastructure, an earmarked landbank of more than 40,000 acres; flexible rental and pricing structures; Automatic permissions in 48 hours through the Maha Parwana route; specialized labour protection guidances and an Industry employment bureau for local skill and capacity matching for industries, the state will aim to convey its readiness for the 2020 post pandemic world where investments are readily met with a capable ecosystem of executional excellence," said the state government. 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 Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 00:12:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, June 14 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Eritrea has risen to 65 after the Red sea nation recorded 24 new cases of COVID-19 within a 24 hours period, the Eritrea Ministry of Health (MoH) reported on Sunday morning. This is so far the highest daily increase in the Red sea country. "24 patients were diagnosed positive for COVID-19 in tests carried out for individuals who had completed their quarantine time at Adibara quarantine center, Gash Barka region, Forto Sawa sub-zone." "In the past two months, 1,370 nationals who returned home through irregular land routes from Sudan were quarantined in Adibara. Out of these, 117 individuals were released from due processes while 1,253 persons still remain quarantined in the center," the Eritrea Ministry of Health said in a statement. The ministry also said 7,158 Eritrean nationals had returned home through land and sea routes from neighboring countries in the past two months, with 3,153 still remaining in 47 quarantine centers throughout the country. The ministry further said 39 of Eritrea's confirmed COVID-19 cases have recovered fully and have been released from hospital, while the remaining 26 are receiving the necessary medical treatment. Eritrea confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on March 21. Since then, Eritrea has implemented a series of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the Red sea nation. These include a nationwide lockdown, ban on all non-essential local and international flights as well as banning all trading activities and transactions during the lockdown period. Enditem President Nana Addo Danquah has sent warm wishes to the Minister of Health, Hon. Kwaku Agyeman Manu for contracting coronavirus in the line of duty. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo addressing the country for the 11th time on measures his administration is putting in place to fight Coronavirus confirmed the health status of the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, who has tested positive for the novel Coronavirus. According to the president, Hon. Agyeman Manu is recovering at a hospital and is in stable condition. "Let us also wish our hardworking Minister for Health, Hon Kwaku Agyemang Manu, MP for Dormaa Central Constituency, a speedy recovery from the virus which he contracted in the line of duty but in a stable condition," Akufo-Addo said in his address. Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[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 State health officials announced four more COVID-19 deaths and 104 new infections on Sunday, although they noted that only partial numbers were being released due to a delay in reporting from some private labs. The new deaths bring the number of New Mexicans who have lost their lives to coronavirus to 435 and the total number of infections in the state to 9,723. Of the new infections, 14 are state Corrections Department inmates at the Otero County Prison Facility, which now has 266 cases. Five new cases have also emerged among people held by federal agencies at the Torrance County Detention Facility, bringing the number of infections there to 24. The state Department of Health said there have been 4,114 recoveries. And the agency said 162 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized in New Mexico. This number does not include New Mexicans who tested positive for COVID-19 and may have been transferred to a hospital out of state, Nora Meyers Sackett, a spokeswoman for the Governors Office, said in a news release. Two of those whose deaths were announced Sunday were Bernalillo County residents, and the other two lived in McKinley County, in northwestern New Mexico. All four had underlying medical conditions. Those who died were: A Bernalillo County woman in her 60s. A man in his 90s from Bernalillo County who was a resident of the Camino Healthcare facility in Albuquerque. A woman in her 60s from McKinley County. A man in his 80s who was a resident of the Red Rocks Care Center in Gallup. Of the new infections reported, 16 are in McKinley County, 15 in San Juan County, 14 in Sandoval County, 13 in Dona Ana County and 12 in Bernalillo County. Of the remaining new cases, four are in Curry County, three in Chaves County, two in Valencia County and one each in Cibola, Eddy, Lea, Lincoln, Los Alamos and Luna counties. A man takes a picture of a boarded up Sir Winston Churchill statue in London. (Getty) Several Labour MPs have thrown their weight behind proposals from a large group of Conservative politicians to jail people caught desecrating war memorials for up to 10 years. Reports in The Sunday Telegraph suggested that a group of Tory MPs was putting pressure on the government to introduce strict new penalties for those who vandalise monuments. As many as 125 Tory MPs in the Blue Collar Conservative Group have reportedly voiced their support for a new Desecration of War Memorials Bill. Home secretary Priti Patel is said to be considering the plans alongside Robert Buckland, the justice secretary, and Suella Braverman, the attorney general. Protests at the boarded up Churchill statue in Parliament square on Saturday. (Getty) Opposition MPs voiced their support for the proposals on Sunday after the scheme was revealed. David Lammy, the shadow justice secretary, was asked by the BBCs Andrew Marr whether he supported fast-track prosecutions for those caught desecrating memorials. Well the scenes [on Saturday] were ugly and very, very threatening. And the scene involving urinating at PC Keith Palmers memorial was utterly, utterly dispicable and must have hurt his family greatly. Fast-track, yes absolutely- of course speedy justice. But I would say we have a massive backlog currently in our justice system because of coronavirus. So how the government is going to do that we will certainly scrutinise. Hundreds were arrested during Saturday's demonstrations. (Getty) While the shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds told Sky News' Sophy Ridge he also would back the government in creating a specific offence against damaging war memorials. He added that he would be willing to work cross-party to support such efforts in parliament. "I was extremely disturbed by the scenes yesterday (Saturday) which were completely and utterly unacceptable," he told the host. "I want to say a particular word as well about that awful scene of someone urinating next to PC Keith Palmer's memorial. "Absolutely despicable behaviour and I hope that individual is identified and brought to justice." It comes after more than 100 people were arrested at a far-right protest in London on Saturday. Story continues One image emerged from the protest showing a man urinating next to a memorial to PC Keith Palmer, the officer who was stabbed to death during the Westminster Bridge terrorist attack in 2017. On Sunday it was announced that a 28-year-old man has been arrested in Essex on suspicion of outraging public decency over the incident. Tobias Ellwood MP, gave the dying officer first aid outside the Houses of Parliament following the attack, tweeted asking for help in identifying the man - calling the image abhorrent. Labour MP Jess Phillips also wrote: The man saying this was an actual soldier for our nation who ran towards danger to try to save Keith Palmer who also served to protect our country. The man in the picture claims to care for our country but he is just pissing on us all. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 14) A solon is pushing for a comprehensive review of the accuracy of all the brands of coronavirus tests used by the Department of Health and licensed laboratories nationwide. "Weve gathered that there are some brands of COVID-19 tests that return up to 20 percent false-negative results, which is unacceptable," said Anakalusugan Party-list Representative Michael Defensor on Sunday. The lawmakar added that the DOH and authorized laboratories might be wasting precious time and resources in redoing thousands of tests, due to the large volume of inaccurate results. This may lead to patients being falsely reassured they aren't infected with the coronavirus, and these individuals "can contribute to the spread of the disease without them knowing it," said Defensor. Last month, medical societies in the Philippines have cautioned against the usage of rapid antibody test kits, particularly for employers who want to test their workers. These might yield inaccurate results, especially for asymptomatic individuals, they said. READ: Medical societies: Do not use antibody tests on returning workers This echoed earlier warnings of the Department of Health and Food and Drug Administration saying antibody test kits could still yield false positive or negative results, with RT-PCR (reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction detection) test kits remaining the "gold standard" in COVID-19 testing as these can detect the actual virus causing the disease. As of Thursday, the DFA has already approved 155 coronavirus test kits for commercial use. Of the total, 60 are rapid antibody test kits, 56 are RT-PCR-based, 36 are immunoassay, and three of other kinds. Only one of these test kits originated from the Philippines, which is the GenAmplify COVID-19 rRT-PCR Detection Kit. We are counting on the DOH to track closely the accuracy of all brands of COVID-19 tests regardless of their country of origin so that we may be properly guided as to which of them offer the best value for money for long-term use in the country, he said. The DOH received over 95 million in cash allocations for the purchase of RT-PCR kits, revealed President Rodrigo Duterte in his latest report to Congress. Defensor likewise called on the DOH to release the number of COVID-19 tests that had to be conducted again due to inaccurate results, along with the cumulative number of tests that have been performed since March. EDWARDSVILLE To do his best to stay out of the national spotlight on police brutality, Edwardsville Police Chief Jay Keeven said, We hire very good people, provide adequate support for them and we train them regularly. A small group met with Keeven Wednesday to learn more about how the department hires and trains its officers. Edwardsville NAACP President John Cunningham and Paul Pitts attended, along with Jamie Ball, director of equality opportunity access at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville Police Sergeant Matt Breihan and David Hayes, director of the Southern Illinois Law Enforcement Commission (SILEC). Keeven discussed the first step the hiring process. He said many people are surprised to discover he does not hire or fire his staff, a civilian board of police and fire commissioners is responsible for hiring, promoting, disciplining and terminating police and firefighters. He said prospective recruits have to complete a multi-step process, starting with written and physical tests. They go through background checks that involve talking to family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, most anyone the subject is regularly in contact with; they must submit to a drug test; a psychological exam; and a polygraph test. Keeven explained to the visitors what kinds of certified training his officers had to go through after they were hired. He said the state passed legislation in 2015 that makes their training more stringent than average. Hayes agreed, pointing to Ferguson and topics after that influenced the training courses, such as implicit bias, cultural competencies, civil and human rights and procedural justice. Our departments training is two full 12-hour days, beyond anything the state or SILEC recommends, Keeven said. Hayes said he thinks the other non-police officers in the group were enlightened on the amount of training Edwardsville does. He believes the citys police force is one of the higher trained groups in the region based on the amount of training they undergo annually. Were the only state that does a systematic in-service training the same way, Hayes said. I think by the time I finished explaining how far advanced we are in Illinois, they didnt have many questions. SILEC covers a seven-county area of southern Illinois Randolph, Monroe, Washington, Clinton, St. Clair, Bond and Madison. SILEC is like a training buffet, Keeven said. He explained that for $100 per sworn officer or about $5,000 annually, they can choose from 320 training courses in which to enroll. Keeven said he has to balance those out taking courses with the departments regular staffing needs. Occasionally, patrol and other demands prevent him from sending as many officers to class as he would like. Next, he talked about the departments use of force standards and how they differ from what the world saw in Minneapolis on May 25 with George Floyd. One of the bigger topics they discuss almost daily is crisis intervention and its companion, de-escalation without arrests. Another everyday subject his officers face is those who are mentally ill. Another subset of calls involves what he calls people who are in a state of excited delirium. Other calls involve drug use, and not always illegal drugs. Sometimes, a subject has had a bad reaction from prescription medication, or they mixed two medicines together that reacted poorly with each other, Keeven said. Keeven added that 40 of his 43 officers are crisis trained. He said he planned to have two of the three remaining ones trained but the pandemic changed his plans. Keeven said that Cunningham asked him how he gets the word out to the general public about his department, its policies and other related topics. Keeven replied usually through the media. Cunningham suggested a Zoom meeting in listen mode with unlimited virtual attendance for at least an hour where people could submit questions to a moderator for Keeven to answer and talk to more to people without being filtered through the news media. Keeven agreed and the meeting is tentatively set for June 25 at 6 p.m. More details about it will be released next week via a city press release. Reach reporter Charles Bolinger at (618) 659-5735 Latino officers continue to add much-needed diversity in police departments across the states, although their numbers are far less than desired. Based on data by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Latinos comprised roughly 12.5 percent of the police force in 2016. This was up from the 1997 percentage of 7.8, an increase of 60 percent. At the same time, the same statistics stated, "the share of Black police officers" slightly dropped over the same period, to 11.4 from 11.6 percent. And, even though prism through the death of George Floyd and the protests that followed it is commonly viewed as "Black vs white," Latinos are also reportedly taking positions in "soul-wrenching" arguments over authority of police that has now consumed the whole country. They are Cops, and They are Latinos Detective Arturo Martinez said, he's blue, and he's a cop, and he is so proud "to be called a police officer." However, he added, when he retires, he's still a Mexican, "You look as you are." In 2016, a sniper reportedly shot and killed about five police officers at a protest against Black men's police killings in downtown Dallas. One of the dead was Detective Martinez's close friend, Patricio "Pat" Zamarripa. After almost four years, 33-yar-old Martinez got into initiating and taking part in a police march dubbed, "Blue Lives for Black Lives Matter," again, in downtown Dallas, to show unity with people who have been demonstrating, according to news reports, since Floyd "cried out, 'I can't breathe' and died in Minneapolis police custody." An Army veteran with a decade of experience as a police officer, and whose parents are Mexican immigrants, Martinez got criticisms for the recently-held march, "including racist and angry comments on his social media feeds." But despite the backlash, a lot of his colleagues in the police department, as well as his friends and those he knows through his a part-time job "as 'DJ Turo'" supported him. Stories of Police Killings Latinos have their own stories to share about people who experienced police killings. These include the deadly shooting of 22-year-old Sean Monterrosa in California early this month. Media outlets reported, Monterrosa was kneeling with both hands above his waist when a police officer shot him from his police car's windshield. The officer, according to reports, mistook the hammer the young black man had for a gun. As more Latin Americans join the police force and federal law enforcement agencies, the separating lines, are reportedly growingly blurred. In 2015, Antonio Zambrano-Montes was apparently shot several times by three cops in Washington. Specifically, Zambrano-Montes's reported shooters were two white officers and one Latino police. The shooting occurred, according to the report, after the victim allegedly threw rocks at the officers, and at cars. The said enforcers did not face charges. Last year, a study by the University of Buffalo and University of Washington researchers presented that Latino men were more than 2.6 times as possible as others to be killed by cops from agencies that have higher or more numbers of Hispanic police. More so, they faced hither risks of a deadly encounter with an officer in neighborhoods and communities that have high-earning inequality. Check these out! Israeli official says Trump Heights in the occupied Golan Heights will house 300 Jewish families. An Israeli cabinet minister on Sunday said the government has approved plans to build a new illegal settlement in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights named after US President Donald Trump. Settlements Minister Tzipi Hotovely wrote on Facebook that her ministry will start preparations for Ramat Trump Hebrew for Trump Heights to house 300 families. The Jewish settlement is currently known as Bruchim and is more than 30 years old and has a population of 10 people. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it in 1981. The vast majority of the international community considers the move illegal under international law. But during a visit to Washington, DC by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in March last year, just weeks before the Israeli elections, Trump changed decades of US policy by signing an executive order, officially recognising the strategic mountainous plateau as Israeli territory. The decision, the latest in a series of US diplomatic moves benefitting Israel, was widely applauded there. It followed Trumps controversial decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital and relocate the US embassy to the city, sparking outrage across the region. According to Israeli media, the plan will involve earmarking 8 million shekels ($2.3m) for developing the settlement. At a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu said Israel would begin practical steps in establishing the community of Ramat Trump on the Golan Heights, Israels sovereignty over which was recognized by President Trump. Developing Trump Heights will not be easy. Ringed by high yellow grass and landmines, it is located roughly 20km (12.5 miles) from the Syrian border and a half-hour drive from the nearest Israeli settlement, Kiryat Shmona, where 20,000 Jewish settlers live near the Lebanese border. According to Israeli figures, almost 50,000 people live in the occupied Golan Heights, including about 22,000 Jewish settlers and nearly 25,000 Arab Druze residents. The area is home to small agriculture and tourism sectors but otherwise has little industry. Last month, Israel pressed ahead with plans to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank in line with Trumps so-called Middle East plan unveiled in January which strongly favours Israel and was rejected by the Palestinians. The plan gives Israel the green light to annex Israeli settlements and strategic areas of the West Bank. For much of the international community, such a move by Israel would amount to a grave violation of international law and crush hopes of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It could also further inflame regional tensions. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 5 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 on June 5 referring to Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Another student, Grace Oshiagwu, has reportedly been raped and murdered in a church mission building at Idi-Ori, Sasa-Ojoo in the same Akinyele LGA, Ibadan, Oyo State, where the two previous incidents happened over the last two weeks. The 21-year-old National Diploma student of Oke Ogun Polytechnic, Saki, was hacked to death on Saturday by yet-to-be-identified persons. This brings to three, the number of ladies that have been killed in a similar situation in the area. READ ALSO Lawmakers Reject Castration As Punishment For Rapists Advertisement Barakat Bello and Azeezat Shomuyiwa were other ladies who met the same fate in the past two weeks. The Oyo Police Public Relations Officer, Gbenga Fadeyi, has now asked members of the public to assist with information to track those behind the killings in recent weeks. The Nigerian presidency has updated the State House website (statehouse.gov.ng) with relevant information hours after PREMIUM TIMES published a report that the website is filled with outdated, incorrect information. The report revealed that despite President Muhammadu Buharis recent appointment of a new Chief of Staff, the official website carried the details of the former, late Abba Kyari. Also, the website had the name of Jalal Arabi as the State House Permanent Secretary, weeks after his redeployment. This newspaper also observed that the positions of ministers who were redeployed months ago were yet to be corrected on the website, exposing readers to the danger of misinformation. Critics who spoke with our correspondent wondered why the media unit of the presidency failed to update the relevant information needed about Nigeria. One of them, Lekan Olonode, an ICT expert, had said, a credible website is known with the kind of information it feeds the audience with. It is a shame that the website is not updated with relevant information. Updated Following this newspaper report, the website was updated on Sunday evening with current realities. The Chief of Staff to the President is Professor Ibrahim A. Gambari. He was appointed on May 13, 2020, to succeed the late Mallam Abba Kyari, who held the office from August 27, 2015, until his death on April 17, 2020. READ ALSO: Professor Ibrahim A. Gambari, CFR, OCORT, a scholar-diplomat, is the Founder/Chairman of the Board of Directors of Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, a non-governmental think-tank on research, policy studies, advocacy and training on the nexus between conflict prevention and resolution, democratisation and development in Africa, the website now reads. The presidency has also reflected the replacement of Mr Arabi with Tijani Umar as the current Permanent Secretary of Statehouse. Festus Keyamo has now been described with his current portfolio as Minister of Labour and Employment (state), while Tayo Alasoadura is appropriately documented as the Minister of Niger Delta (state). In addition, PREMIUM TIMES findings show that the website has also been updated with all previous speeches of Mr Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. Coronavirus outbreak: Union Home Minister Amit Shah with Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan will conduct a meeting with CM Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi LG Anil Baijal to review all the preparations with regard to increase in Covid-19 cases in Delhi. Union Home Minister Amit Shah along with Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan will hold a meeting with Delhi LG Anil Baijal, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and members of State Disaster Management Authority to review the preparations with regard to COVID-19 in the national capital. The Office of the Home Minister of India also informed that Amit Shah and Harsh Vardhan will also hold a meeting with Baijal, Kejriwal in the capital at 11 am. Mayors of Municipal Corporations of Delhi will also attend the meeting. Union Home Minister, Amit Shah along with Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan will hold a meeting with Mayors of municipal corporations of Delhi tomorrow, June 14 at 5 pm to review preparations with regard to COVID-19, Office of the Home Minister of India tweeted. In a subsequent tweet, it informed that Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will remain present in the meeting. Lt Gov Delhi and Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal will also remain present besides Director AIIMS, Commissioners of three Municipal Corporations and senior officers from Union Home and Health Ministries, it said. Also Read: GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited (GVIAL) signs concession agreement for Bhogapuram airport Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan to hold a meeting with Delhi LG Anil Baijal & CM Arvind Kejriwal and members of State Disaster Management Authority to review the situation in the capital regarding #COVID19, today at 11 am. ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2020 Earlier on Wednesday, Kejriwal met Shah and discussed the COVID-19 situation in the national capital in detail. Kejriwal had said the Home Minister assured him of all cooperation. Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal overturned Delhi governments decision to reserve hospital beds for the residents of the national capital. Recently, the Delhi government presented data, according to which there will be around 2.25 lakh cases till July 15 and the cases will reach around 5.5 lakh till July 31. As per the Union Health Ministry, there are 36,824 confirmed cases in Delhi including 22,212 active cases and 13,398 cured/discharged/migrated and 1,214 deaths. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App He touched on racial and sexist stereotypical humour as a writer on the controversial SBS comedy series Fat Pizza from 2000 to 2007. And on Sunday, Paul Fenech has admitted that the Black Lives Matter movement has made it a challenging time for comedians. Speaking to Sunday Telegraph, Paul, 47, explained: 'I think political correctness has perhaps strangled some of the elements of humour that exist in what you might call the old-style or larrikinism.' Fat Pizza star Paul Fenech (pictured) has admitted that the Black Lives Matter has made it a challenging time for comedians, and political correctness has 'strangled' elements of humour The filmmaker and director of Maltese and Aboriginal descent said that humour could be a 'tricky' thing to balance. He continued: 'On one hand, it really isn't cool if you are hurting someone with art or comedy.' 'But at the same time as a person from another era, I do think that we are at a point where people can be so thin-skinned that they can't take anything.' Speaking to Sunday Telegraph, Paul, 47, explained: 'I think political correctness has perhaps strangled some of the elements of humour that exist in what you might call the old-style or larrikinism'. Pictured bottom centre alongside Rebel Wilson (left) The Housos star added once comedy veers into territory that's mean-spirited, that's when it's crossing the line. The SBS comedy series was based on the life of Pauly Falzoni, a Greek pizza delivery boy living in Sydney. Fenech told Seven News in June last year that 'Fat Pizza is one of the boldest Aussie comedies on television'. While promoting a reboot of the series, he said the show is 'political incorrectness at its best'. Plot: Created by comedian Paul Fenech, Fat Pizza originally aired on SBS between 2000 and 2007. It was based on the life of Pauly Falzoni, a Greek pizza delivery boy living in Sydney It comes as his former co-star Rebel Wilson, who played obese Greek-Australian Toula Maccalopoulos on the series from 2003 to 2007, said that 'people would be crucified' if they aired the show now. 'Logically, a comedian's job is to make people laugh and to constantly flirt with the line of what's appropriate and what's not,' Rebel began. 'My first show on SBS was Fat Pizza which was the most extreme culturally insensitive show ever,' the Bridesmaids actress said with a laugh. 'People would have been crucified for putting that on the air right now, but comedy, there are cycles to it and it does go up and down and it is a bit of a weird time.' Comments: 'My first show on SBS was Fat Pizza which was the most extreme culturally insensitive show ever,' co-star Rebel Wilson said in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph's Insider last week. Pictured as Greek-Australian Toula in Fat Pizza Police in California on Friday said a young black man found hanging from a tree likely committed suicide, stirring outrage among community members who said authorities were too quick to draw conclusions about what could have been a hate crime. The reaction to the death of 24-year-old Robert Fuller showed how high tensions around race and policing are running in the United States after George Floyd died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) was still investigating the death of Fuller, who was found by a passerby hanging from a tree a block from the city hall in Palmdale, around 30 miles north of Los Angeles, at about 3:40 am on Wednesday. Captain Ron Shaffer told a televised community meeting on Friday that it appeared Fuller "died by suicide." That comment drew an angry response and chants of "speak the truth" and "no peace," with audience members demanding to know why LASD called it a suicide when the coroner's report said the case had been "deferred pending additional investigation." On social media, the hashtag #JusticeforRobertFuller trended on Twitter with users calling for a full investigation of what some speculated was a cover-up of a lynching. Palmdale City Manager JJ Murphy said in a statement on Thursday he received confirmation Fuller's death was a suicide. He did not give details but said many people in the community were "suffering extreme mental anguish" during the coronavirus pandemic. A GoFundMe page set up by Fuller's family to cover funeral expenses had raised more than $110,000 by Friday afternoon. A message on it read "Thank you for standing with us during this difficult time." - Pastor Simon Wekesa who presided over the ceremony said believers had missed the lord's supper and most of them were feeling as if they were drifting away from God - The worshippers congregated at the home of one of them where they washed their feet and partook of the lord's supper - Most of them were unmasked and did not practice social distancing as required by health authorities to contain COVID-19 pandemic - Some of the believers were dressed in sacks and stated that they had spent days in the mountains praying for the country - The government is still consulting with religious leaders on guidelines that if implemented, shall set the stage for reopening of places of worship About 100 members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA) have been arrested after flouting measures the government has set to contain the coronavirus pandemic. The worshippers were nabbed on Saturday, June 13, in Mitume, Kitale, Trans Nzoia county at a home where they had congregated to celebrate the lord's supper. READ ALSO: Alcohol exhibit worth KSh 2 billion disappear mysteriously from billionaire Kariuki's warehouse Social distancing remained a distant idea during the service. Photo: NTV. Source: UGC READ ALSO: LSK has no power to discipline attorney general - Otiende Amollo TUKO.co.ke has learnt that some of those who were arrested were among 57 congregants who were nabbed on April 25 and taken into 14 days mandatory quarantine for the same offence. Speaking during the service that lasted about four hours, Pastor Simon Wekesa who presided over the ceremony, said believers had missed partaking of the lord's supper, a development that he claimed made most of them feel separated from God. READ ALSO: Barack Obama's brother Malik endorses William Ruto: "I stand with the Hustler nation" "It's true that the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted our religious calendar. If we stop washing each other's feet and sharing the holy communion, then it basically means we are drifting away from God," he said as unmasked congregants continued singing hymns. Pastor Simon Wekesa. Photo: NTV. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Helikopta ya polisi yaanguka eneo la Kaithe-Kithoka, Meru The SDA Church celebrates the lord's supper after every three months, intervals known as quarters. The second quarter of 2020 began in April and is set to end by the close of June. During the festival, believers wash each other's feet in the same way Jesus did with his disciples after which they partake unfermented wine and unleavened bread. The two (unfermented wine and unleavened bread) are symbolic to the body of Christ and his blood. READ ALSO: Willis Raburu, Joey Muthengi adorably flirt on social media: "See you hun" During the festival, believers wash each other's feet. Photo: NTV. Source: UGC The arrest of the congregants came at a time when the government was still liaising with religious leaders on guidelines that shall be followed for places of worship to be given a green light to reopen. After feet washing, believers partake unfermented wine and unleavened bread. Photo: NTV. Source: UGC According to Destaria Lwangu, one of those arrested in April, their persistence in praying for the country was not wavered even after spending 14 days in quarantine. "We were arrested and locked in quarantine for 14 days. However, after that we proceeded to the mountains where we prayed for three days," said Lwangu whose remarks were echoed by Meshack Kasembeli who insisted people did not need permission from authorities to pray to God. The lord's supper in SDA church is partaken by baptised members. Photo: NTV. Source: UGC The worshippers are being held at Trans Nzoia Police Station. As of Saturday, June 13, Kenya had recorded 3,457 cases of COVID-19, out of which 100 were deaths and 1,221 recoveries. Some of the believers were dressed in sacks. Photo: NTV. Source: UGC Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. The university student hawking water and sweet potatoes to pay fees and feed the poor | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke Condolences poured in from fans and colleagues as news about actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death surfaced. The Chhichhore actor was found hanging at his Bandra home earlier this morning. He was 34. According to initial reports, Rajput was suffering from depression, which might have led him to kill himself. However, no suicide note has been recovered so far. From actors to politicians and fans, Twitterati took to the microblogging site to mourn the death of the actor. Rajput made a name for himself on the small screen with TV series Pavitra Rishta. He later went and starred in popular films such as Kai Po Che!, Shuddh Desi Romance, PK, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy, M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, Raabta, Kedarnath, Sonchiriya, Chhichhore and Drive.His last film was Drive opposite Jacqueline Fernandez. News of Rajput's death comes days after his former manager Disha Salian was found dead. Some of his friends were also at home as per initial reports. Police report says he was suffering from depression for the last 6 months. Born in Patna, Rajput is survived by his elder brother, two sisters and father Dr KK Singh. Fans and colleagues mourned the death of the actor: He loved me so much...I will miss him so much. His energy, enthusiasm and his full happy smile. May Allah bless his soul and my condolences to his near and dear ones. This is extremely sad....and so shocking!! pic.twitter.com/skIhYEQxeO - Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) June 14, 2020 Also read: Actor Sushant Singh Rajput commits suicide Social distancing seating will be in place, along with a range of other measures Only stadiums with a maximum 40,000 capacity have been allowed to open NRL fans in NSW have been officially given the green light to return in round eight after the state's stadiums were given permission to operate at 25 per cent capacity. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Sunday confirmed the state's sporting venues will be allowed to operate with a quarter of the capacity occupied from July 1. The announcement comes just days after the federal government ticked off on crowds of up to 10,000 people social distancing in stadiums. 'If there is any outside organised event outside with ticketing and seating, up to 25 per cent capacity of that venue can be utilised for an event,' Berejiklian said. A Knights fan supports during the round five NRL match between the Newcastle Knights and the Melbourne Storm at Central Coast Stadium on June 13, as coronavirus restrictions ease 'It can be a concert, a music event, a sporting event. 'That is for venues with 40,000 capacity and lower. 'A 40,000 capacity can potentially have up to 10,000 people if it is done with strict guidelines in place.' Social distancing seating is expected to take place, along with a range of other health protocols the NRL will have to adhere to. Only stadiums with a maximum 40,000 capacity have been allowed to open, meaning ANZ Stadium remains unavailable. Spectators look on while social distancing during the Round 5 NRL match between the Parramatta Eels and Penrith Panthers at Bankwest Stadium in Sydney, Friday, June 12 The Sydney Olympic Park site remains unoccupied, with the lease of former tenants South Sydney and Canterbury expiring this month. Both clubs are in talks about a return to the venue after the state government's decision to backflip on plans to renovate the stadium this year. 'The health advice was that no matter how well organised an event is, no matter how well it's ticketed and seated and entry and exit points are considered, it would be extremely difficult to manage an event of more than 10,000 people at this time, which is why that limit was applied,' Berejiklian said. Queensland chief medical officer Jeanette Young is confident the state government will allow fans back into their venues. The NSW Government granted permission for the Parramatta Eels club to have a limited number of corporate partners and members during the round five NRL match between the Parramatta Eels and the Penrith Panthers at Bankwest Stadium on June 12 Suncorp Stadium has a capacity of 52,500. 'I don't know about next weekend but I think it'll be reasonably soon that we should be able to see a return to spectators in our stadiums,' Young said. 'That work's happening as we speak.' It remains unclear whether the Victorian government will open the gates at their sporting venues, including AAMI Park. Melbourne host defending premiers the Sydney Roosters in the opening match of round eight on July 2. The NRL is being played in a limited number of grounds until round nine. That means fans of Canberra, Manly, Gold Coast and the Warriors are likely to have to travel to watch their teams play 'home' games that week. ARL Commission chairman Peter V'landys has identified August 1 as his next goal to remove any limitation on crowd numbers. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has spent a total of 480 crore on tackling Covid-19, since the first case was reported in the city on March 11 till June 1. Major expenditure was towards procuring medical equipment, augmenting health infrastructure and food distribution. Till April 2020, the civic body had spent around 100 crore. Additional municipal commissioner P Velrasu said, We have spent nearly 480 crore as of now. In the past few days, the expenditure has shot up. This is also because we are not getting donations like earlier now. A majority of the expenditure is towards procuring medical equipment and upgrading health infrastructure. The exact bifurcation of the expenditure has not yet been released. According to BMC officials, in terms of medical equipment, the expenditure has been towards purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, N-95 masks, three-ply masks, gloves, face shields, hydroxychloroquine, thermometers, body-bags, protective eye-wear, sanitisers, etc. In the past one month, BMC has spent on various initiatives, from enhancing healthcare in the form of jumbo bed facilities, setting up new Covid-19 Care Centres to expenditure towards hotel bills for accommodation of frontline staff, along with recruitment of new staff on contract basis. The civic body claims its expenditure on community kitchens for migrant labourers has gone down as many have gone back to their hometowns. BMC has been utilising money from its contingency fund. In the 2020-21 budget, BMC had allocated 850 crore towards its contingency fund a reserve of money set aside to cover possible unforeseen future expenses. However, if the expenditure keeps increasing in the coming days, BMC claims it will have to work on managing the finances by reworking the budget for 2020-2021. We are currently spending from our contingency fund of 850 crore, and have not reworked the budget to make a special provision for coronavirus. However, in the coming one month, we may have to work it out. There is no estimation currently on the expenditure in the coming days. According to BMC officials, a majority of their donations are in the form of corporate social responsibility (CSR) or organisations. Although the civic body is yet to calculate the exact quantum of donations in cash, as per its estimates, its expenditure can surge up to 130 crore a month in the coming months, if the donations start drying up. BMC, which is Indias richest civic body, had presented a budget of 33,441.02 crore in 2020-2021. The civic body had, in the budget, allocated a special fund of 2 crore to upgrade the medical facilities at Kasturba Hospital, which was the only hospital treating Covid-19 patients then. Ravi Raja, Congress corporator and leader of Opposition in BMC, said, The administration may have spent around 480 crore, but we are not given any details about the expenditure. They have not even informed or consulted the standing committee of the BMC or the general body before making or ordering purchases. The administration should give proper information about the expenditure to the elected representatives and citizens. A reasoning delivered by a Pakistani cleric for battling the coronavirus pandemic is making the internet as mad as a hatter. In a video, cleric is seen instructing the people to sleep more if they want to keep away from contracting coronavirus. Our doctors always recommend us to sleep more. The more we sleep, the more the virus sleeps. It wont harm us. When we sleep it sleeps, when we die, it dies, the cleric is heard saying in the video clip. The video was shared by journalist Naila Inayat on Twitter. Here are some of the comments on the video: Why he couldnt tell this science before...!! said a Twitter user Indian Mulgi. So, basically itll copy ur actions? Its a Chiese virus, so it will copy. I hope ppl there dont commit suicide after listening to this amazing theory, tweeted @pari_tweets. Sir, which medical or scientific concept can define this logic, said a Twitter user Dr Sarkar. President Donald Trump has postponed by one day a controversial rally scheduled on a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the US, following fierce criticism. The "Make America Great Again" re-election campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma had been due to mark Trump's return to the campaign trail after a months-long absence imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. But he said overnight Friday on Twitter the event had been postponed "out of respect" for the June 19 "Juneteenth" holiday. In a later tweet Trump said the rally would be held the very next day. Critics had slammed Trump's choice of Tulsa -- the site of one of the deadliest race riots in US history -- as anti-racism protests sweep the country following the death of George Floyd in police custody. "This isn't just a wink to white supremacists a he's throwing them a welcome home party," Senator Kamala Harris, who is black, tweeted after Trump first announced the rally. The Republican billionaire announced on Wednesday that he would resume his campaign rallies in four states -- Oklahoma, Florida, Arizona and North Carolina -- even as the pandemic continues to rage in the US. Raucous rallies have been a hallmark of Trump's presidency and a key to energizing his base, which he hopes will turn out in big numbers on November 3. He is currently lagging in the polls against Democrat Joe Biden. Job approval for the president is also down after his widely criticized response to the pandemic and the recent turmoil over police brutality, sparked by Floyd's death during his arrest in Minneapolis. Although the coronavirus remains a threat, his campaign now feels that the crowds at daily street protests have lifted the political pressure on Trump to avoid large gatherings of his own. Trump supporters must, however, sign a waiver promising not to sue if they catch COVID-19 at the event, according to his campaign website. He has recently asked law enforcement agencies to more strictly monitor how the quarantine rules are observed. Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko has been spotted violating lockdown rules. He was seen at a local restaurant, Oxota Na Ovets, in Kyiv's Vozdvyzhenka area after 22:00 Kyiv time; he was accompanied by a man and two young women, according to the Telegram channel "Kyiv Now" ("Kyiv Seichas"). Read alsoKyiv mayor reports 66 new COVID-19 cases, one fatality in past day According to the rules of public catering facilities' work during the coronavirus quarantine, no more than two persons are allowed at one table at the restaurant. What is more, restaurants should close after 22:00. As UNIAN reported earlier, Mayor Klitschko repeatedly called on residents of the city to observe the quarantine rules and stay at home. He also tried to reach out to people with the slogan "Dosyt Shastat" ("Stop Hanging Around"). In addition, he has also asked law enforcement agencies recently to more strictly monitor how the quarantine rules are observed by organizations, companies, and citizens. Seoul urges Pyongyang to honour deal between rival Koreas as Kim Jong Uns sister hints of a break in ties. The sister of North Koreas leader has warned of retaliatory measures against South Korea that could involve the military, in the latest escalation of tensions over North Korean defectors who have been sending back propaganda and food. The threat comes as Seoul said on Sunday that Pyongyang should honour past agreements signed between the two countries. The South and the North should try to honour all inter-Korean agreements reached, South Koreas reunification ministry said in a statement. The government is taking the current situation seriously. On Saturday, Kim Yo Jong, who serves unofficially as one of Kim Jong Uns top aides, was quoted by state news agency KCNA as saying that the North will soon take its next action. By exercising my power authorised by the Supreme Leader, our Party and the state, I gave an instruction to the department in charge of the affairs with [the] enemy to decisively carry out the next action, Kim said. I feel it is high time to surely break with the South Korean authorities. We will soon take a next action. Her statement, which did not say what the next action could be, came days after South Korea took legal action against defectors who have been sending material such as rice and anti-North leaflets, usually by balloon, over the heavily fortified border or in bottles by sea. North Korea said it has been angered by the defectors and, to mark its displeasure, it has during the past week severed inter-Korean hotlines and is threatening to close a liaison office between the two governments. As part of the effort to improve ties with the North, South Korean President Moon Jae-ins administration has sought to discourage the leaflet and rice campaigns, and defectors have complained of pressure to avoid criticism of North Korea. Bullying Seoul Analysts say North Korea appears to be using the leaflet issue to increase pressure on South Korea amid stalled denuclearisation talks. The leaflets are an excuse or justification to raise the ante, manufacture a crisis, and bully Seoul to get what it wants, said Duyeon Kim, a senior adviser at the International Crisis Group, a Belgium-based independent non-profit organisation. Pyongyang feels betrayed and misled by Seouls prediction that the United States would lift some sanctions in exchange for North Korea closing its nuclear reactor site, and is upset that leaflets and US-South Korea military drills continue, Kim said. Theyre upset that Seoul has done nothing to change the environment and is again telling Seoul to stay out of its nuclear talks with Washington, the analyst added. North Korea has a long track record of dialling up the pressure on South Korea when it does not get what it wants from the US. Its threats to abandon inter-Korean agreements came after months of frustration about Seouls refusal to defy US-led sanctions and restart joint economic projects. Experts added that North Korea, which has mobilised people for massive demonstrations condemning defectors, is deliberately censuring South Korea to rally its public and shift attention away from a bad economy, which likely has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 100 people were arrested in London on Saturday over offences including violent disorder, assault on law enforcement and possession of weapons, Scotland Yard said in a statement. As of 21:00hrs more than 100 people have been arrested during todays protest for offences including breach of the peace, violent disorder, assault on officers, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of class A drugs, and drunk and disorder, London Metropolitan Police said on Twitter. Thousands of people rallied against police brutality and racism in European cities on Saturday. During protests, far-right demonstrators also emerged in large groups for the first time -- particularly in London -- leading to sometimes violent confrontations that included attacks on police officers. UK Home Secretary Priti Patel urged citizens not to protest Saturday because of the ongoing coronavirus threat. Well, I think its just stating the facts. We are in a health emergency right now. I think the fact that we have made this clear in terms of people should not gather, they should not protest, the police are saying this every single day as well, really speaks to a very real public health message that we are restating to the British public, she said. Black Lives Matter protestors emerged worldwide following the death of African American man George Floyd in police custody in the US. The worldwide spread of anti-racist protests following the death of George Floyd has led to calls to defund police departments and take down Confederate statues. Virologists rebuke seafood markets becoming suspicious COVID-19 hot spots after cases test positive in Beijing market Global Times By Liu Caiyu and Zhang Hui Source:Global Times Published: 2020/6/13 18:29:51 Beijing's seafood markets have entered the public spotlight after two confirmed cases along with 45 merchants in relation to a local market tested positive for COVID-19, with many discussing the reasoning behind seafood markets becoming hot spots for the novel coronavirus. The COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei Province, was reportedly first detected in the Huanan seafood market in the city, and this new discovery of confirmed cases and quite a many positive nucleic acid tests in Beijing are also closely related to seafood markets. Seafood markets are generally referred to as markets that sell seafood, however such places usually don't sell only seafood but also other meats - beef and lamb, for example. But like food markets, seafood markets are more susceptible to the novel coronavirus due to its humid environment and large flow of customers, Yang Zhanqiu, deputy director of the pathogen biology department at Wuhan University, told the Global Times on Saturday. Similar to the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan, the Xinfadi Market in Beijing also found positive samples for the novel coronavirus, but we cannot draw the conclusion that seafood markets have become hot spots for novel coronavirus, Yang said, as the investigation in Beijing's Xinfadi market is still ongoing. The COVID-19 tests showed that 40 environmental samples collected from Xinfadi Market in Beijing's Fengtai district, the largest food wholesale market in the capital city, came back positive for the virus, and samples collected from other markets and supermarkets were negative. Some of the positive samples are from chopping boards used to process the salmon, some are not, said Gao Xiaojun, a spokesman for the Beijing Municipal Health Commission. Previously, Zhang Yuxi, head of the Beijing Xinfadi Market, had revealed that the novel coronavirus was detected on chopping boards used by a seller of imported salmon at Xinfadi Market. The seller's salmon was from the Fengtai district's Jingshen seafood market. In an inspection conducted by specialists from the Beijing disease control and prevention departments on Friday among local wholesale markets and large supermarkets in the city, a total of 5424 samples such as seafood, meat and the outer environment were collected. As the source of infection in Xinfadi Market still remains unknown, people should not overreact over safety of food markets in the city, experts called. Evidence also showed that Beijing's wet markets usually have clean sanitation and no animals from the wildlife trade, live poultry trade or animals slaughtered on site were found. The outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan also had a close relation with the local Huanan seafood market in the city, as investigation revealed, there had been illegal sales of wild animals. But no evidence showed the Huanan seafood market being the origin of COVID-19. Thirty-three of the 585 environmental samples collected at the Huanan seafood market were found to contain novel coronavirus, the Chinese Center for Disease Control said in January. Samples in the environment regarding chopping boards, gloves, and door stoppers in Wuhan's Huanan seafood market were tested as having the novel coronavirus but the exact source is still unclear, a report by China Newsweek said on Saturday. According to the Beijing government's press conference on Saturday, of the 517 samples taken at the Xinfadi Market, throat swabs from 45 individuals tested positive for the virus. Another person from a local food market in Beijing's Haidian district also tested positive. Merchants in seafood markets are more likely to make physical contacts with contaminated food, either seafood or other meats, meaning they are more likely to be infected than ordinary people, Yang noted. These cases may have come into contacts with the polluted environment in the market or infected people, and the possibility of further cases of COVID-19 cannot be ruled out, officials said at the Saturday press conference in Beijing. Beijing's Xinfadi Market enters the public spotlight after two cases who are colleagues from the China Meat Food Comprehensive Research Center in Beijing's Fengtai District, about 6 kilometers away from Xinfadi market, were reportedly confirmed with COVID-19 on Friday. One of the confirmed cases from the center has been to the market to conduct supervision and another confirmed case reported on Thursday had also been to the beef and lamb trade center of Xinfadi market to purchase food. The beef and lamb trading hall mainly sells beef and mutton, poultry meat, aquatic products and spices. The Xinfadi Market is more of a one-stop-shop where wholesalers in the city would purchase vegetables, meat and seafood hall after hall. The fear regarding salmon and seafood being a source of infection causes a series of aftershocks. But Yang believed there is no possibility that the seafood itself, including salmon, can carry the novel coronavirus, as seafood is usually shipped refrigerated from overseas, but seafood can be contaminated by other means in the outer environment by the process of transportation or packaging. The virus has rarely been transmitted to humans from fish, he said. Jin Dongyan, a professor with the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Hong Kong, also said there is no evidence that the virus can replicate in fish, which means that the possibility of salmon itself being a viral carrier is very small. To ensure food safety, after Beijing closed about six major wholesale food markets to curb the viral spread, the wholesale market center of agricultural products in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province announced to remove salmon from Saturday. A Nanjing restaurant association in East China's Jiangsu Province also issued a proposal to suspend raw seafood supply. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Reacting to a push to remove the controversial sculpture La Jornada from the Albuquerque Museum grounds, the citys Cultural Services Department said Saturday that it will establish a council of artists and community leaders to discuss the issue. The Albuquerque Museum Board of Trustees recently voted to request removal of the statue, which depicts an expedition of Spanish settlers and soldiers, including conquistador Juan de Onate, from the Old Town-area property. Recent calls for altering La Jornada remind us that works of art often challenge communities to debate ideas, pursue empathy, grapple with multiple perspectives, reconcile conflict and interrogate history, Cultural Services Director Shelle Sanchez said in a Saturday news release. The release says the sculpture is part of the citys public art collection and guided by the Albuquerque Arts Board, whose recommendations are not directed by the mayor or city staff. The city said the artist must be given 90 days notice before any public art piece is altered. La Jornada was finished in 2004 to reflect a part of New Mexico history and, simultaneously, a pueblo artist created Numbe Whageh, which honors a place of solace and reflection, in response to La Jornada, according to the release. Those interested in taking part in the community process can email cultureabq@cabq.gov. She is seen as the good-hearted princess who needs to be saved from her rapacious and bullying husband, the vulnerable immigrant swept up in his presidential ambitions who cried the night he was elected, the vapid and shallow model with nothing much to say about the world, the lucky beauty who just happened to be in the right place at the right time, Jordan writes. Yet she is none of those things. FILE PHOTO: People wearing face masks following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak walk under an overpass in Beijing By Yew Lun Tian and Ryan Woo BEIJING (Reuters) - After weeks with almost no new coronavirus infections, Beijing has recorded dozens of new cases in recent days, all linked to a major wholesale food market, raising concerns about a resurgence of the disease. The capital is taking steps to try to halt the outbreak including ramping up testing. On Sunday night Beijing ordered all companies to supervise 14-day home quarantine for employees who have visited the Xinfadi market or been in contact with anyone who has done so. A restaurant chain selling traditional Beijing noodles shut down a few outlets after two employees tested positive. There had been almost no new coronavirus cases in the city for almost two months until an infection was reported on June 12, and since then the total number has climbed to 51, including eight reported in the first seven hours of Sunday. According to the city's health authority, contact tracing showed all the infected people had either worked or shopped inside Xinfadi, said to be the largest food market in Asia, or had been in contact with someone who was there. "Beijing has entered an extraordinary period," city spokesman Xu Hejian told a news conference on Sunday. The market was closed before dawn on Saturday and the district containing the market put itself on a "wartime" footing. The Beijing outbreak has already spread to the neighbouring northeastern province of Liaoning, where the provincial health authority said the two new cases confirmed on Sunday were both people who had been in close contact with confirmed cases in Beijing. At least 10 Chinese cities, including Harbin and Dalian, have urged residents not to travel to the capital or to report to authorities if they have done so recently. Huaxiang, a neighbourhood in the same district as the food market and which has one of China's biggest used car centers, raised its epidemic risk level to high on Sunday, becoming the only neighbourhood in the country to be on high alert. This status means there can be no economic activity until the outbreak is controlled. Story continues As of 3 p.m. on Sunday, 10 neighbourhoods in Beijing had raised their risk levels from low to medium. Like other countries around the world, China is concerned to prevent a second wave from emerging after easing lockdowns that hammered its economy earlier this year. NO 'SECOND WUHAN' "Beijing will not turn into a second Wuhan, spreading the virus to many cities all over the country and needing a lockdown," a government epidemic expert told Health Times on Sunday, referring to the city where the epidemic in China first emerged late last year. Zeng Guang, former chief epidemiologist at Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and currently a senior expert with the National Health Commission, said the outbreak will likely be controlled after the initial spike of a few days, according to the report by Health Times, a paper run by state media People's Daily. An epidemiologist with the Beijing government said on Sunday that a DNA sequencing of the virus showed the latest outbreak in the market could have come from Europe. "Our preliminary assessment is the virus came from overseas. We still can't determine how it got here. It might've been on contaminated seafood or meat, or spread from the faeces of people inside the market," state media quoted Yang Peng as saying. Officials said anyone who had been to or had contact with people who had been to Xinfadi since May 30 will be required to report to their work or residential units and get tested for coronavirus, the Beijing Daily said on Saturday. Long queues for tests formed outside a hospital near the market on Sunday, pictures in the People's Daily showed Beijing health authority spokesman Gao Xiaojun told the news conference on Sunday that anyone in the city with a fever will be given tests for the coronavirus, a blood test and a CT scan. (Reporting by Yew Lun Tian, Ryan Woo, Shen Yan; Editing by Sam Holmes, William Mallard and Frances Kerry) A lieutenant with the New York Police Department who knelt alongside George Floyd protesters apologized for doing so in an email to his colleagues, writing, "The cop in me wants to kick my own a--." In a June 3 email obtained by NBC New York, the officer, Lt. Robert Cattani, said his kneeling with protesters "goes against every principle and value that I stand for." Cattani was among at least four officers who submitted to demonstrators' chants of "NYPD take a knee" during a May 31 protest in Lower Manhattan, according to the New York Post, which first reported the email. The police lieutenant told his colleagues in the email that he had trouble sleeping after he "made a horrible decision to give into a crowd of protesters demands and kneeled alongside several other officers." The symbolic pose gained prominence in 2016 after Colin Kaepernick, then quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, began kneeling during the national anthem before games to protest racial inequality and police brutality against people of color. In his email, Cattani said he knelt to appease protesters. "The conditions prior to the decision to take a knee were very difficult as we were put center stage with the entire crowd chanting," he wrote. I know I made the wrong decision," he added. "We didn't know how the protesters would have reacted if we didn't and were attempting to reduce any extra violence." He said he thought that by kneeling, maybe "one protester/rioter who saw it would later think twice about fighting or hurting a cop." Cattani said he spent the first part of his career working to build a reputation as a good cop and that he "threw that all in the garbage" on May 31. "I know that it was wrong and something I will be shamed and humiliated about for the rest of my life," he wrote. Protesters across the country and around the world have called for greater police accountability since George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes on May 25. Story continues The officer, Derek Chauvin, has been fired and charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. Three other officers involved in the arrest were also fired and face charges of aiding and abetting murder. Cattani was not the only officer in New York City to take a knee with protesters. The city's top uniformed officer, Chief of Department Terence Monahan, joined hands with and knelt alongside protesters in Washington Square Park on June 1. He drew praise from Mayor Bill de Blasio, who tweeted later that day: "We're lucky to have people like Chief Monahan wearing the uniform. He believes in Neighborhood Policing with all his heart." But some others, such as the city's public advocate, Jumaane Williams, have been critical of the gesture by people who have not been active in the racial justice movement. In reference to recently introduced police reforms in New York, Williams said on "AM Joy" on MSNBC this week: "It should not have taken 8 or 9 days of unrest" on these issues we have been speaking about for such a long time. "All of the people who now find it easy to take a knee because of the unrest, many years ago were excoriating people like Colin Kaepernick." Writer Roxane Gay tweeted on June 5: "I need cops and politicians and white people more broadly to stop kneeling. We don't need you to kneel. We need you to stand up for real, radical, sustained change." NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea meanwhile, in speaking directly to officers on Thursday, said they need to listen to public sentiment and understand why people are protesting, NBC New York reported. Ive heard police officials this week talking about how could people feel this way," Shea said. "The quicker we realize that, the quicker we get to a solution." Two NYPD officers have been suspended without pay for conduct during the Floyd protests. One of them, Vincent D'Andraia, was seen in a video shoving a woman to the ground on May 29 at a demonstration in Brooklyn. He was charged Tuesday with misdemeanor assault, criminal mischief, harassment and menacing. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stepped up the pressure today on the main opposition Popular Party (PP) to change its strategy and support the government in the wake of the devastating coronavirus crisis, and back its plans for economic reconstruction. Speaking during a televised address on Sunday, the Socialist Party (PSOE) leader launched veiled criticism of the PP, without mentioning the party by name, after it emerged last week that its European branch was among the parties that are calling for strict controls on the reconstruction funds that the EU will release to help countries such as Spain and Italy that have been particularly hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. These groups want to allow southern European countries less room for maneuver in terms of decision-making once these funds are released. No one should consider gaining an advantage from damaging the interests of Spain and Spaniards PM Sanchez Sanchez called on the PP to support the Spanish and Italian governments strategy, so that the fund is established without such conditions. He also appealed for patriotism, a term that he does not usually employ. No one should consider gaining an advantage from damaging the interests of Spain and Spaniards, he said on Sunday. Im calling on all Spanish parties to actively support the proposal from the European Commission. If Spain wins, we all win. If Spain loses, not only does the government lose, we all lose. Im calling for responsibility, a big vision and patriotism. Sanchez leads a coalition government with junior partner Unidos Podemos, and lacks a working majority in the Congress of Deputies. As such he needs the support of other groups in the lower house of parliament to pass legislation, and is currently seeking backing from the PP to pass the decree setting out the regulations of the new normality i.e. the conditions under which Spanish residents will have to live until the government declares the coronavirus crisis to be over. The prime minister also announced major plans for the automotive sector in Spain, with 3.75 billion of assistance in its transition toward sustainable mobility, and for tourism, with Schengen area borders opening earlier than expected, on June 21. He is hoping to find broad political support for these measures, as was the case with the new guaranteed minimum income scheme, which was passed by Congress last week without any votes against. Im calling for unity among the political parties who are evaluating the measures in the reconstruction plan, he said. Im calling for unity among the regional premiers, we will hold a meeting in person at the end of July, after the Basque and Galician elections. We can make alliances, between companies and workers, between all of the political forces, to achieve the reconstruction of Spain. Since Sanchez came to power in June 2018, he has been unable to pass a new budget through Congress Parliament is, he said, very fragmented. Citizens are calling on us to do deals. There are demands for this, no matter how people vote. And with an unprecedented halt in activity, he continued, we have to get the country moving. And as such, all of us have to do our part. Unity is a lifejacket. If it was ever justified for all of us to do our bit, it is in these circumstances. It would be great news if we could have a budget that is tailored to the situation that we are going through, he said. Since Sanchez came to power in June 2018, he has been unable to pass a new budget through Congress, meaning that Spain is still operating under the financial blueprint set out by the previous PP government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. Sanchez said today that he supported a congressional commission with all parties to analyze the errors that were made during the coronavirus crisis in Spain, so that they will not be repeated. And he admitted that there were problems during the first weeks of the epidemic with the supply of personal protective equipment. A second wave is possible, he said of the virus. But we must avoid it because it would put us up against the wall. Thats why we must learn from everything that we have gone through in order to be better prepared. The virus has not disappeared. English version by Simon Hunter. The sale and storage of hand sanitisers one of the most effective weapons against Delhis war against Covid-19 may soon be monitored by the government. A senior Delhi government official said that the administration may soon bring a rule making it mandatory for those selling and storing sanitisers to apply for a licence. Currently, the production of hand sanitisers requires a license. However, no licence is required for storing and selling them. The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, which regulates the import, manufacture and distribution of drugs in India is soon likely to include a provision concerning the requirement of a licence to store and sell hand sanitisers. Some guidelines are being drafted, an official in the Delhi government said. A senior officer from the governments health department said, because of the current situation and high demand for hand sanitisers, the product has been listed under essential commodities, which also helps them crackdown on black marketing. But better regulations demand licencing for storage and sales, the official added. Hand sanitisers are covered under Schedule K of Drugs and Cosmetics Act. They usually contain ethyl alcohol (a clear, colourless liquid and the principle ingredient in alcoholic beverages like beer, wine or brandy) and methyl alcohol (a light, volatile, colourless, flammable liquid with a distinctive alcoholic odour similar to that of ethanol [drinking alcohol]). The license fee on production of hand sanitisers contributes to the revenue of the Delhi excise department under the category of medicinal and toiletry preparations containing alcohol. In 2018-19, the state government earned around Rs 20.70 crore under the revenues head, for 2019-20, the revised revenue estimate was pegged at Rs 18.95 crore and, in 2020-21, the projected earning under the head is Rs 19.80 crore, budget documents showed. Government officials said, roughly one-fourth of the revenue under the concerned head comes from the production fee levied on hand sanitisers. While they are used round the year in hospitals and clinics, their domestic usage has increased recently. Production has increased. Additional license fee on storage and sales is expected to add to the governments revenue and, hence, a revision in the estimates for 2020-21, said a second senior official. The Delhi government has already asked local producers to keep their production capacity up till at least June 30, and the deadline can be further extended depending on the trajectory of cases in the city. There are high chances that the period post-covid-management would witness a large amount of unsold stock, and that comes with its own risks. Hence, regulations will be necessary, the second official said. Experts believe that high amount of alcohol in a sanitiser may cause accidents if handled carelessly. Professor Ramesh Chandra, head of the chemistry department, University of Delhi, said because the presence of alcohol in sanitisers make them flammable, if stored in large quantity it must be in a regulated manner and with all due precautions. Chandra said there are two kinds of alcohol in a sanitiser - ethyl alcohol and methyl alcohol. A sanitiser must ideally only have ethyl alcohol. Methyl alcohol is harmful if consumed or handled improperly. We also need to strictly regulate the composition of sanitisers when manufactured and Im sure authorities concerned are doing their best, he said. Chandra further said that people must also take precautions while getting their vehicles sanitized. I have heard that recently a man was getting his motorcycle sanitized, with its ignition on, and it caught fire. The vehicle was gutted. However, a bottle of sanitiser left in a car will not catch fire as the temperature inside the car will not go up so high. It will need a direct spark to catch fire, he explained. RISK AND QUALITY Ashish Grover, secretary, Delhi Drug Traders Association, said all roadside vendors, food stall owners and tea sellers have switched to selling sanitisers. In Bhagirath Palace, they are selling it at much cheaper prices, which reflects on its quality. But if it causes some health complications in the future, the traders will be blamed. The government must sell these sanitisers only through authorized stores like Kendriya Bhandar or through license holding drug dealers, Grover said. He also said many of the roadside vendors who have resorted to selling sanitisers because they ran out of business during the pandemic. They are also hoarding sanitisers but are unaware of regulations. Because vegetable vendors and local shopkeepers are not aware of such precautions, it may cause life-threatening accidents, he said. Atul Garg, director Delhi Fire Service, said improper storage of large quantities of hand sanitisers may be dangerous and can lead to fatal fire disasters, especially in residential areas. These days, because of the increased demand all shopkeepers are hoarding large quantities of hand sanitisers. These sanitisers have 70-75% alcohol and have a low flash point (highly flammable). Unaware of its disastrous properties, if someone stores alcohol-based highly flammable sanitisers close to an electric switch, or an air conditioner, or an inverter, a short circuit, which is one of the most common causes behind fires, may fuel the fire, he said. Garg said that sale and storage of hand sanitisers must be regulated. Because most of these shops are in residential or market areas, in case of a fire, it may lead to loss of public life and property. There should be strict regulations on its storage and sales. Only authorised vendors should be allowed to store sanitisers beyond a quantity, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Seoul holds urgent security meeting after the sister of North Koreas leader threatened military action. South Korea has held an urgent security meeting after the sister of North Koreas leader threatened military action. Al Jazeeras Alexi OBrien explains. A political science lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) in the Central Region, Dr Isaac Brako, says the unrelenting protest and resistance by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) against the intended new voter register would affect the partys prospects of winning back power in the December 7 polls. He says it would affect the party, especially their incumbent Members of Parliament as well as parliamentary candidates at orphan constituencies, if attention was not shifted towards mobilising the partys supporters to massively partake in the exercise when it commences. The UEW lecturer made this known in an interview on Thursday. He admonished the partys leadership to desist from disorganising the party supporters against the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) in compiling the new voter register. Dr Brako was commenting on a recent statement made by NDCs National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, at the partys 28th anniversary to the effect that the party is still against the compilation of a new voters register. The political scientist advised the NDC leadership to begin advocating and mobilising the party supporters for the registration exercise instead of persistently telling them not to register their names in the new register and destroying the chances of the party in the upcoming general election. He noted that the country has over the years experienced two parties in power NDC and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) hence the need for NDC to work assiduously in preaching the partys new policies to the general public rather than protesting against the new voters register. Additionally, Mr Brako said the EC is mandated by the 1992 Constitution to compile a new register, which is not the first time it is doing so. He thus called on NDC leadership to advocate and actively engage its supporters from the grassroots in participating in the intended registration exercise, especially at the partys strongholds. Getting the party supporters to fully partake in the exercise, according to him, would enhance the partys chances of winning back all the parliamentary seats it lost to the NPP in the 2016 elections. Source: The Ghanaian Times Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video In this May 15, 2020, file photo, gravediggers in protective suits carry the coffin of a COVID-19 victim as relatives and friends stand at a distance in the section of a cemetery reserved for coronavirus victims in Kolpino, outside St. Petersburg, Russia. The way Russia counts fatalities during the coronavirus pandemic could be one reason why its official death toll is far below many other countries, even as it has reported at least 511,000 infections, behind only the United States and Brazil. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky, File) When Leonid Shlykov's father, Sergei, died in a Moscow hospital last month after 11 days on a ventilator, the death certificate listed the coronavirus as an underlying condition but not the actual cause of death. "Yes, he was suffering from impaired kidney function and diabetes, but if it hadn't been for COVID-19, he would've been alive," the son wrote on Facebook. "If we had known the real number of infections and deaths it would have helped us make the decision to hospitalize (dad) earlier." The way Russia counts fatalities during the coronavirus pandemic could be one reason why its official death toll of 6,829 is far below many other countries, even as it has reported 520,000 infections, behind only the United States and Brazil. The paradox also has led to allegations by critics and Western media that Russian authorities might have falsified the numbers for political purposes to play down the scale of the outbreak. Even a top World Health Organization official said the low number of deaths in Russia "certainly is unusual." Russian authorities have bristled at the suggestions. "We have never manipulated the official statistics," said Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova. Finding the true numbers during the pandemic is difficult, since countries count cases and deaths in different ways and testing for the virus is uneven. In this Friday, May 15, 2020, file photo, gravediggers in protective suits carry the coffin of a COVID-19 victim as relatives and friends stand at a distance in a cemetery reserved for coronavirus victims in Kolpino, outside St.Petersburg, Russia. The way Russia counts fatalities during the coronavirus pandemic could be one reason why its official death toll is far below many other countries, even as it has reported at least 511,000 infections, behind only the United States and Brazil. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky, File) Still, several factors could contribute to Russia's low virus mortality rate, including the way it counts deaths, a tendency among some officials to embellish statistics, its vast geography and the shorter life expectancy of its population. An autopsy is mandatory in Russia in every confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19, with a determination on the cause of death made by a commission of specialists, said Dr. Natalia Belitchenko, a pathologist in the medical examiner's office in the region around St. Petersburg. She deals with coronavirus deaths almost daily, but said only about 20% of them have been attributed to COVID-19. In other cases, the virus was determined to be an underlying condition. "In the vast majority of cases, the pneumonia itself wouldn't have led to death, had the underlying conditions not flared up to a point of becoming fatal," she told The Associated Press. Unlike Russia, some countries' official death count includes those who had COVID-19 but died from other causes, said Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program. In this file photo taken on Tuesday, April 28, 2020, medical workers carry a body from a hospital for coronavirus patients in Kommunarka, outside Moscow, Russia. The way Russia counts fatalities during the coronavirus pandemic could be one reason why its official death toll is far below many other countries, even as it has reported at least 511,000 infections, behind only the United States and Brazil. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File) "It will be important that the Russian authorities review the way in which death certification is done to reassure themselves that they are accurately certifying deaths in the appropriate way," he said. Death counts vary around the world because countries underreported the number of COVID-19 deaths early on, said Ali Mokdad, professor at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. They ascribed virus deaths to other causes due to insufficient testing or initially only counted deaths in hospitals, he added. Some countries also are overcounting by including "presumptive deaths"those who likely died of COVID-19 but were never tested for it, Mokdad said. What sets Russia apart, however, is a habit of obscuring embarrassing truths, said Judy Twigg, a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The way mortality data is recorded in Russia is affected by a Soviet-era tradition of setting future targets for improving public health through efforts to reduce mortality from certain reasons, such as alcoholism or tuberculosis. In this May 15, 2020, file photo, cemetery workers in protective suits disinfect a grave as they bury a COVID-19 victim in a section of the Butovskoye cemetery reserved for coronavirus victims outside Moscow, Russia. The way Russia counts fatalities during the coronavirus pandemic could be one reason why its official death toll is far below many other countries, even as it has reported at least 511,000 infections, behind only the United States and Brazil. (Kirill Zykov, Moscow News Agency photo via AP, File) Health officials "shift the way they code causes of death in order to try to meet those targets," Twigg said. Pathologists told AP there is pressure from hospital administrators to produce better-looking reports. Requests and instructions to obscure certain causes of death in postmortems are "an inevitable part of our job," said a pathologist in Siberia who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters. Data analysts say inconsistencies in Russia's virus statistics suggest manipulation, such as regions reporting similar numbers of new cases for several days in a row, or the number of deaths in regional reports differing from those in federal reports. "I don't trust official statistics, and I believe I have reasons not to," Boris Ovchinnikov, director of the Moscow-based Data Insight research agency, told the AP. "But we don't have any good alternative indicators for assessing the real situation." In this photo taken early Thursday, June 11, 2020, fresh graves have been dug at the Butovskoye cemetery, which serves as one of the burial grounds for those who died of the coronavirus, in Moscow, Russia. The way Russia counts fatalities during the coronavirus pandemic could be one reason why its official death toll is far below many other countries, even as it has reported at least 511,000 infections, behind only the United States and Brazil.(AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov) Among the anomalies: The governor of the Lipetsk region in southwestern Russia was recorded telling subordinates last month that "numbers need to be changed, otherwise our region will be judged poorly." In the Altai region in southern Siberia, a task force posted a daily infection update containing the words "for approval" addressed to the provincial governor. It quickly erased the words after it was reported on social media. Unusual spikes in pneumonia deaths indicate possibility more virus deaths than officially reported by mid-May: St. Petersburg reported 694 pneumonia deaths, with 63 from coronavirus; the North Caucasus republic of Dagestan reported 657 pneumonia deaths and 29 from coronavirus. "Without doubt, there have been manipulations with statistics on the regional level," said Gleb Pavlovsky, an independent analyst and former Kremlin political consultant, adding that it seems they did it "on their own initiative." This photo shows fresh graves at the Butovskoye cemetery, which serves as one of burial grounds for those who died of the coronavirus, in Moscow, Russia. The way Russia counts fatalities during the coronavirus pandemic could be one reason why its official death toll is far below many other countries, even as it has reported at least 511,000 infections, behind only the United States and Brazil. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov) At the same time, he noted that a decrease in cases was a key factor for holding two big events on the Kremlin agenda that were postponed by the virus: a massive Red Square parade for the 75th anniversary of the victory in World War II and a vote on constitutional amendments that could extend President Vladimir Putin's rule until 2036. Citing a slowdown in infections, Putin ordered the parade for June 24 and the vote for July 1. Most regions, including Moscow, also recently lifted tight lockdowns imposed in March even though daily numbers of new infections have remained high, hovering around 9,000. In a bid to dispel claims of underreporting mortality, the government released updated statistics for April showing patients who died of other causes while testing positive for the virus, as well as those who tested negative but likely died of it. If those were counted as coronavirus deaths, mortality would have been 60% higher than announced. Authorities insist they shouldn't be included in the official toll, but even if all extra deaths recently reported by federal and Moscow officials were added, it would still be under 11,000. Russian officials credit early quarantine measures and quick expansion of hospital capacity that prevented the health care system from being overwhelmed. They also cite more than 14 million tests that helped spot asymptomatic cases that account for more than 40% of all recent infections in the country of 146.7 million. In this May 26, 2020, file photo, grave diggers wearing protective suits carry a coffin of a COVID-19 victim for burial in the section of a cemetery reserved for coronavirus victims, outside Moscow, Russia. The way Russia counts fatalities during the coronavirus pandemic could be one reason why its official death toll is far below many other countries, even as it has reported at least 511,000 infections, behind only the United States and Brazil. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File) Officials noted that infections in Russia peaked later than in Europe, and deaths are now climbing more quickly. Experts say Russia's statistical gaps may result from its outdated system of collecting mortality data: In many regions, a death certificate must be delivered by a relative to a local civil registry office. Many of those offices were closed or had limited hours due to coronavirus lockdowns. "So what we're seeing now is insufficient data in many regions," said Alexei Raksha, an independent demographer. He said data from civil registries he studied showed that some regions reported fewer deaths in April than in previous years. Deaths were five times lower in the southern republic of Ingushetia, while in Krasnodar, they fell by about 1,500 from the monthly average, a record low. "Some people just bury their relatives without going to the civil registration office," Raksha said. In this May 15, 2020, file photo, cemetery workers in protective suits disinfect a grave as they bury a COVID-19 victim in the section of the Butovskoye cemetery reserved for coronavirus victims outside Moscow, Russia. The way Russia counts fatalities during the coronavirus pandemic could be one reason why its official death toll is far below many other countries, even as it has reported at least 511,000 infections, behind only the United States and Brazil. (Kirill Zykov, Moscow News Agency photo via AP, File) Researchers expect most of these gaps to be filled in next year, when the Russian State Statistics Service issues its annual report. Raksha said Russia's few virus deaths could also be due to less-frequent travel across the vast country, its low population density and lower social mobility. He said because the country has a much lower life expectancy than the West, it has fewer elderly targets for the virus. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts is defending its plan to have Carnival 2022 events on a limited basis. This as the decision has been met with mixed reviews from stakeholders and members of the public. In a release yesterday, the ministry said: To reiterate, the ministry has proposed a Taste of Carnival which would include specific types of Carnival activities for vaccinated persons only in safe-zone arrangements deemed to pose the least risk from a public health standpoint in the context of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. A worker checks the temperature of a customer outside a supermarket in Valparaiso on Jun 12 as the city went under quarantine. (Photo: AFP/Adriana Thomasa Carballo) The departure of Jaime Manalich was announced by President Sebastian Pinera. The government has said publicly that the health crisis has claimed more than 3,000 lives since the first case emerged in Chile on Mar 3. A report Saturday, however, revealed that Chile had informed the World Health Organization (WHO) that the death toll was actually more than 5,000. The report came from an investigative journalism organization called CIPER which obtained a copy of the health ministry documents sent to the WHO. Manalich had faced mounting criticism over the way the health ministry tallies COVID-19 deaths. Deputy Health Minister Paula Daza explained the difference in the numbers. She said the higher figure presented to WHO includes both confirmed and suspected COVID-19 deaths, while the government's daily report reflects only those cases confirmed by a test based on a nasal swab. On Friday, Chile reported a record for new infections and deaths over a 24-hour period - 6,754 and 222, respectively. "The situation in our country continues to rise, above all in the metropolitan region," health ministry official Arturo Zuniga said Friday. Infections have risen steadily in Chile even though it began taking emergency measures in February - including widespread testing and the closure of borders and schools - making it one of the first Latin American countries to do so. The capital Santiago and its seven million people were placed on lockdown more than a month ago; they were joined on Friday by the cities of Valparaiso and Vina del Mar. Nearly half of Chile's population of 18 million is now under strict confinement. The country initially had imposed selective quarantines on areas with high incidence of the coronavirus. But many poorer Chileans continued going to work - out of economic necessity - and a sharp resurgence in mid-May forced the government to order a strict lockdown. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 14) Lanao del Sur governor is appealing to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to help regulate quarantine protocols for returning overseas Filipinos, due to lack of provincial facilities. Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Bombit Adiong, Jr., who also serves as chairman of the Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force said Sunday more than 1,700 overseas Filipinos have returned to the province of Lanao del Sur since June 7, in line with the government's Balik Probinsya program. "Halos lahat doon, na-test na natin ng rapid [testing] kaya lang, itong na-RT-PCR dumagdag ng 33 [COVID-19 cases]," Adiong said in an interview. [Translation: Almost all of those have been tested using the rapid test kits, but when we did the RT-PCR testing, 33 more people tested positive for COVID-19.] "Kaya ang panawagan natin sa national IATF, medyo bigyang-pansin nila 'yung aming problema dito dahil marami sa facility namin dito ang maximum namin is 100 beds then 'yung mga municipality namin 10 beds ang capacity nila. Kaya kung araw-araw na may papasok sa amin na 100 plus, 200 plus, ma-ooverwhelm 'yung quarantine facility namin." [Translation: So our appeal to the national IATF is that they pay attention to our problem here because many of our facilities here, our maximum bed capacity is 100 then our municipalities have 10 beds. So if every day there are 100 or 200 more who enter, our quarantine facility will be overwhelmed.] Adiong asked the Inter-Agency Task Force to consider requiring the 14 day quarantine period for overseas Filipinos before granting them the travel pass needed to return home to the province. "Ang gusto lang namin mangyari, i-regulate natin. 'Wag lahat ng gustong umuwi dito, bigyan kaagad ng travel pass," Adiong said. "Hindi namin pinipigilan 'yung mga kababayan namin na umuwi, pero kailangan lang natin i-regulate dahil hindi kaya ng provincial government ang dami ng uuwi sa Lanao del Sur." [Translation: All we want to do is regulate. Not everyone who wants to go home should be given a travel pass right away. We are not stopping our fellow Filipinos from coming home, but we have to regulate because the provincial government cannot accommodate the many who are travelling home to Lanao del Sur.] Adiong said the province cannot afford to have local transmission, given their limited capacity and fewer quarantine facilities. He added that local transmission could hamper the rehabilitation efforts in Marawi City, another problem that needs to be addressed as the country reels from the adverse effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Advertisement Crime scene photos reveal how a heavily tattooed Rebels bikie used a two-bedroom unit as a secret drug lab where he cooked up meth in a wok. Drug kingpin John Jamie Tozer, 34, faces life behind bars after the arrest of a hapless errand boy led detectives directly to his western Sydney laboratory. Tozer was arrested at a Muay Thai gym in South Australia in March 2018 after almost a year on the run from NSW Police. He recently pleaded guilty to commercial drug supply and manufacture charges. Pictures released by the New South Wales District Court on Friday reveal how Tozer used Asian cooking implements and what was meant to be a child's bedroom to cook up meth. Crime scene pictures reveal how how a Rebels bikie used what appears to be a child's bedroom as a clandestine drug laboratory - with meth cooking in an electric wok (top left) on a makeshift timber bench While woks are more commonly associated with Asian-style cooking or Masterchef, court facts said they can be used to cook up methylamphetamine by 'boiling away the solvent'. Forensic tests revealed 568 grams of meth above This sieve left soaking into a typical glass Pyrex container contains 71 grams of methylamphetamine, police forensic tests revealed. A detective watches the search in the background Traces of methamphetamine were found on a gas mask (left) at the premises and on an electric fan which had been left running while the meth was cooking (right) John Jamie Tozer, 33, has pleaded guilty to three commercial drug supply and manufacture charges. Tozer is pictured on right after he was arrested at a gym in South Australia and extradited to New South Wales in early 2018 Detectives found the wok, BBQ trays, a chemistry apparatus and two makeshift benches fashioned out of timber boards inside during a raid on April 28, 2017. The Lethbridge Park apartment - which was owned by one of Tozer's friends - was 'untidy and had a strong chemical smell' in the air, an agreed statement of facts said. '(The first bedroom) appeared to be converted into a clandestine laboratory.' All up, Tozer was charged with supplying 1.9kg of meth and 2.8kg of ecstasy, and manufacturing 1.44kg of meth, court facts said. The drug bust came about after one of Tozer's associates was pulled over by police the day prior to the raid, court facts said. The associate was sprung running drugs to Queensland. A Blackberry message from Tozer to the associate spoke of the two plastic containers he was running. 'One container should have a 'key' (that is, a kilogram) and the other two should have 'half a key',' Tozer said. In a police interview, the associate later made full admissions that he regularly performed drug deliveries for Tozer. Police found this sieve in the lab which contained 51.9 grams of methylamphetamine, according to court documents A police sketch of the unit - with bedroom number one the main site of the drug lab A younger John Tozer seen at a holiday apartment '(The errand boy) told police that he delivers packages all over Sydney and usually gets paid $500 per delivery,' the agreed facts said. 'He told police that this was not the first time he had done it and had made about $3800 so far. 'He said he does not know what he is moving because he never looks at it'. Just days before his arrest, Tozer had told the associate to deliver cash to a man at the Ettamogah Pub, in Sydney's north-west. But he got lost and in the end Tozer summoned him back to the unit. Tozer said: 'I've done too much time to f*** me around. 'I'm going to cut your wage and take your money so you're not getting paid for any of this. 'And you owe me three grand'. Tozer declined a police interview when he was finally arrested in March 2018. DNA tests found Tozer 'could not be excluded as the major contributor' to DNA found on gloves and a breath mask at the western Sydney unit. Tozer has been refused bail and will be sentenced on July 10. For many nations, alcohol consumption is part of the culture. In countries like France, known for their vineyards, fine wine is part of everyday life. Anyone who has ever attended Octoberfest knowns Germany is often synonymous with beer consumption. In other parts of the world, the absence of alcohol is rooted in their religious beliefs. European nations top the list of countries with the most alcohol consumption and typically, men consume more alcohol than women. While alcohol is often enjoyed as part of cultural events and celebrations, it is often linked to health-related issues and premature death. Weve put together a list of the top nations consuming the most alcohol worldwide according to Alcohol.org. 1. Belarus Alcohol consumption is an integral part of Belarusian culture. Image credit: Svetlana Lazarenka/Shutterstock.com Belarus is a landlocked country located in Eastern Europe. This nation tops the list of countries consuming the most alcohol world-wide. Citizens of Belarus consume 14.4 liters of alcohol per person, per year. That translates to 48 handles of vodka per person, per year. Though the Ministry of Health of Belarus officially denies these findings, the government has put in place regulations to combat the growing problem. The restrictions include limiting production, availability, and advertisement of alcohol. There is talk of raising the legal age to 21 years old. 2. Lithuania Lithuania is located in the Baltic region of Europe. It sits on the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, just east of Sweden and Denmark. With increased levels of alcohol-related issues since the 1990s, its no wonder Lithuania is the second-highest country for alcohol consumption. Lithuania is also attempting to combat the drinks issue within their country with new policies regarding increased taxation, limited availability, and a decrease in advertising. 3. Grenada Grenada is located in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. It consists of the Island of Grenada in addition to six smaller islands. With an alcohol consumption of 11.9 liters per person, Grenada is not only the third-highest ranked country in the world for alcohol consumption but has the highest rates in the Americas. 4. Czech Republic The Czech Republic is located in central Europe and is bordered by Austria, Germany, Poland, and Slovakia. Most of the Czech Republics annual 11.8 liters of alcohol consumption is in the form of beer. From pubs, eateries, and homes, the Czech Republic is proud of its beer though wine and spirits are also consumed in abundance. Purchasing and drinking alcohol in public places is permitted from the age of 18. Like many countries, the Czech Republic is increasing taxation in an effort to combat the countrys alcohol consumption issue. 5. France France is a top travel destination and known worldwide for its vibrant wine-production. Alcohol consumption is part of the France culture. Wine, along with other alcoholic beverages, are often consumed as part of lunch and dinner. With its widespread use of alcohol, France is among the heaviest consumers of alcohol. 6. Russia Russia is the largest country in the world by area. This transcontinental county spans Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Alcoholism is a major problem in this country with an excessive amount of citizens experiencing alcohol abuse and disorders. Alcohol-related issues are the leading cause of death in Russia. Many restrictions and regulations have been put into place in order to help solve these problems. 7. Iceland A bar in Iceland Reykavik with different kind of viking beer taps. Image credit: Berni0004/Shutterstock.com Iceland is a nordic island country in the North Atlantic. It is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Its listed as the seventh-highest ranked country for alcohol consumption, but from 1915 to 1989, beer was illegal in the country. During that time, to circumvent the prohibition, locals used low-alcohol Pilsner beer which was legal at the time and combined with Vodka to create a drink called Bjorliki, a popular drink to this day. Much of the alcohol consumption in Iceland today is hard liquor and craft beer, though in the rural areas moonshine is made. Moonshine is illegal to sell but legal to make for ones own consumption. 8. Luxembourg Luxembourg is a country surrounded by Belgium, Germany, and France. It is the smallest country in the world. It sells the most alcohol per capita in Europe though the numbers are difficult to track due to Luxembourgs close proximity to other countries. Wine is a popular beverage as is beer in many of the pubs and restaurants. 9. Slovakia Officially named the Slovak Republic, it is a landlocked nation in central Europe. Though ranked ninth on the list, Slovakia is known to have residents as young as 15 experiencing alcohol-related disorders. Many cultural traditions in Slovakia are centered around alcohol. It is easily accessible and affordable due to its low tax which contributes to the growing alcohol consumption issues with the country. 10. Germany Germany is located in central and western Europe. It sits between the Baltic and the North Sea and has the Alps to its south. Only a small percentage of the population abstains from drinking alcohol. Drinking, especially beer, is a big part of Germany's culture. Drinking in public and drinking during the day are common practices within the country. Parliamentary sitting weeks are hectic, gruelling and sometimes bruising affairs. Come Thursday evening, the nation's politicians usually want little more than to fly home and sleep. Their experience of the nation's capital is typically limited to the airport, COMCAR rides between their hotels and Parliament House, and a few favoured restaurants in Kingston. Barnaby Joyce on the campaign trail with candidate Trevor Hicks at the Royal Hotel in Adelong on Saturday night. Credit:Nick Moir But not this time. A quirk in the calendar meant Parliament sat on Friday (a rarity), and because it will sit again on Monday, most MPs are spending the weekend in Canberra. Sacre bleu. For a dozen Labor MPs the festivities began at Narrabundah restaurant La Cantina on Friday night for a dinner hosted by veteran MP Warren Snowdon. (Refiles to add dropped letter in headline) BANGKOK, June 13 (Reuters) - Researchers in Thailand began collecting samples from horseshoe bats to test them for coronavirus amid concerns they may pose a threat to local residents, a government statement said on Saturday. They plan to collect 300 bats over three days from a cave in the Chanthaburi province in the southeast of the country. The bats will be released following the tests. Thailand has 23 species of the horseshoe bat, but there has not been an investigation before. The source of the virus remains a matter of debate after it emerged in China late last year. The World Health Organization (WHO) in April said that all available evidence suggests that it originated in bats in China, but it was not clear how the virus had jumped the species barrier to humans. The research team in Thailand includes Supaporn Wacharapluesadee, who identified the country's first case of COVID-19 in January. The reason we need to investigate the horseshoe bat is because there are reports from China that the COVID-19 virus is similar to the virus found in the horseshoe bat, Supaporn said. Thailand was the first country outside China to record a case of the virus. It has so far reported 3,134 cases and 58 deaths. Researchers from the National Parks Department, Chulalongkorn Hospital and Kasetsart University entered the cave on Thursday evening and re-emerged in the early hours of Friday with samples of bat blood, saliva and feces. Investigators were concerned that villagers in the area could be at risk of infection. Locals have been known to eat bats, Supaporn said, adding adequate education and information programs were needed. Local transmissions have waned in recent weeks with new cases coming from Thais returning from overseas. (Reporting by Jiraporn Kuhakan and Chayut Setboonsarng Editing by Clelia Oziel) Sudhir Suryawanshi By Express News Service MUMBAI: Accusing the Uddhav Thackeray government in Maharashtra of meting out step-motherly treatment, the state Congress unit has expressed its displeasure over power-sharing and other key party decisions. The party has expressed its discontent to the party chief over not getting the due share and respect in the coalition government. Sources in the party said that Sonia Gandhi had conveyed that it is up to the state Congress leaders if they want to part ways with the Thackeray government. Senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan said that the keeping BJP out of power should not be read as weakness of the Congress. He said that the voice of the Congress ministers is not heard in the Thackeray government. I am confident that the chief minister will address all these issues and power will be distributed in a fair and manner among the three-party governments, said Chavan. Sources in Congress said that during the preceding Rajya Sabha polls, the NCP fielded its second candidate Faujiya Khan without consulting with the party. When the nine seats of Maharashtra state legislative council was held, each of the three parties could have fielded two candidates and won. But here also, the Congress was forced to elect only one candidate because chief minister Uddhav Thackeray wanted an unopposed election. We were forced to withdraw the second candidate's name despite the announcement. We ate the humble pie and that time Thackeray had promised the fair and equal share of power, said a senior Congress leader. ALSO READ | Bureaucrats behind rift: Congress' Ashok Chavan admits to 'issues' within MVA He further said that now the twelve state legislative council seats are needed to be filled through the governor quota where each ruling party should get four seats. But we have been told that the Congress will get only three MLC seats while the Shiv Sena and the NCP will get five and four respectively. They are now talking about the partys strength in the assembly. This is completely unfair. The question is how Congress should tolerate this step-motherly treatment in every decision taken by the Maha Vikas Aghadi, he added requested anonymity. Maharashtra Congress president Balasaheb Thorat said that it is true that their ministers are unhappy with the government, but they are not yet walking out of the government. He said that they are confident that the chief minister Uddhav Thackeray will resolve all these issues. Maha Vikas Aghadi is a three-party government and it should not look like it is being ruled by Shiv Sena and the NCP alone. The Congress party should be consulted while taking any policy and major bureaucratic transfer decisions. Without Congress support, this government was not possible that everyone should understand, Thorat warned. The Management of Crime Check Foundation (CCF), an NGO, has presented two industrial sewing machines and an amount of GH 2,600 to Mr Ohene Agyekum, an ex-convict to establish his sewing business. In addition to the support was a donation of GH 4,000 to enable Mr Agyekum to have decent accommodation for himself and purchase a mini container to start his sewing business. Mr Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, the Executive Director of CCF, told the GNA that the support was offered under the Foundation's Ex-Convict Reintegration Project ably supported by Christian Atsu, Black Star Midfielder. The reintegration project is the second phase of the Petty Offenders Fund Project, a resource pool, used to pay court fines of individuals in jail for petty offences. The Foundation seeks to reintegrate the ex-convicts into society by giving them skills training and some financial support to establish their trade, which would enable them to integrate properly. He said the initiative had become necessary because of the huge gap between exiting the prison and finding work for ex-convicts and the massive stigmatization from society. He said Mr Agyekum was released from prison two years ago and whiles in prison, he learned tailoring and got himself a job as a tailor in Koforidua and worked so hard to the admiration of his boss who gave him a place to stay. He said his boss got to know he is an Ex-Convict three days ago and decided to sack him from the job and ejected him from his house. Mr Kwarteng, who is also the Ambassador Extraordinaire of Ghana Prison, said "in a country where Ex-Convicts have all been labelled criminals and have been so much stigmatized is not the best." He said looking at the conditions, Mr Agyekum decided to end his life till he had a change of mind to talk to the Foundation for support. Mr Agyekum expressed gratitude to the Management, donors, and partners of the Foundation for their support to better his living conditions. 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 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... Muzaffarnagar : , June 14 (IANS) Amid a raging controversy over the use of alcohol-based sanitizers at religious places, the well-known Islamic seminary Darul Uloom, Deoband has issued a fatwa saying alcohol-based sanitizers can be used to clean the mosque premises. "There is nothing wrong in using alcohol-based sanitizers in mosques. Even it can be sprayed on mosque's walls and floors to sanitize the place of worship," read the fatwa (edict) issued by Darul Uloom. The fatwa was issued in response to a query put up by a resident of Karnataka. "The alcohol, which is used in medicine and sanitizers, is produced from vegetables, sugarcane juice and, hence, can be used. Even if the sanitizer has a high quantity of alcohol it is also valid. It can be used to sanitize mosques and also after the 'wudu' -- the practice of washing one's face, hands and feet before namaaz. The sanitizer can be applied on hands too," the fatwa read. A senior cleric, Mufti Asad Qasmi, said, "There are two types of alcohol. One is used for making medicines or sanitizers while the other is used to make liquor which is not allowed in any manner." Deoband spokesperson Ashraf Usmani said, "Several mosques are reopening now and the fatwa will dispel doubts, if any." Just three days ago, the Dargah Aala Hazrat - a revered Barelvi shrine -- had asked followers and mosque heads to avoid using alcohol-based sanitizers. "A mosque will become impure if alcohol-based sanitizer is used for cleaning the premises. We cannot make God's home impure. Namaaz cannot be offered at an impure place. I have appealed to Imams of mosques and mosques' committees to refrain from using alcohol-based sanitizer," Mufti Nashtar Farooqi of Sunni Markaz Darul Ifta, Dargah Aala Hazrat had said. Farooqi also asked Muslims to properly wash their hands and mosque campus with soap, detergent powder and shampoo. The government had earlier asked all the religious places to sanitize the premises with alcohol-based sanitizers. Reliance says TPG and L Catterton to invest in Jio Platforms. (PTI Photo) New Delhi: Indian oil-to-telecoms conglomerate Reliance Industries raised a total of 64.4 billion Indian rupees ($847 million) from the sale of two stakes in its digital unit Jio Platforms, the group said on Saturday. Global investment firm TPG will buy a 0.93% stake for $598 million, while private equity firm L Catterton will pick up a 0.39% stake for $249 million, Reliance said. Controlled by Indias richest man Mukesh Ambani, Reliance has now sold just over 22% of Jio Platforms to investors including Facebook Inc, securing $13.72 billion in eight weeks. Jio is a disruptive industry leader that is empowering small businesses and consumers across India by providing them with critical, high-quality digital services, TPG co-CEO Jim Coulter said in a statement. With more than $79 billion of assets under management, TPG is an investor in technology companies including Airbnb, Uber and Spotify. L Catterton, which has a partnership with French luxury group LVMH and investment firm Groupe Arnault, concentrates on consumer-focused brands. The investments in Jio Platforms, which comprises Reliances telecoms arm Jio Infocomm and its music and video streaming apps, give the unit an enterprise value of $67.87 billion, Reliance said. Jio Infocomm is Indias biggest telecoms firm by subscribers, with more than 376 million users. It has forced out several rivals and driven consolidation in the sector since entering the market in 2016 with free voice services and cut-price data. The Jio Platforms deals, along with a $7 billion share sale, will help Reliance meet its target of paying off $21.4 billion of net debt by the end of the year, according to the company. Haiti - Social : Mrs. Odette Roy Fombrun celebrates her 103 years Author of many educational books, a collection on civics and several novels, the former Haitian teacher and feminist activist very well known and respected Odette Roy Fombrun who was crowned "Living National Treasure" in 2009 celebrated Saturday June 13 his 103 years. Note that Madame Fombrun has been particularly noted in recent years by her interventions and public positions in the socio-political life of Haiti. "The Ministry of Culture and Communication pays tribute to a great Lady who, on June 13, 2020, is blowing out her 103rd candle. Certain dates cannot go unnoticed. Odette Roy Fombrun is a national monument that we are proud to have in our society. A model for several generations, which she still inspires, day after day, with her patriotism and her sense of civility. Happy 103rd birthday, Madame Fombrun !" Pradel Henriquez, Minister of Communication Read some of Odette Roy Fombrun's interventions and positions : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29432-haiti-flash-odette-roy-fombrun-102-years-old-takes-position-in-the-file-state-against-sogener.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29324-haiti-flash-message-of-odette-fombrun-102-years-to-the-gravediggers-of-the-motherland.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29381-haiti-flash-the-prosecutor-s-office-issues-warrants-to-bring-in-the-case-state-against-sogener.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26974-haiti-politic-at-101-odette-roy-fombrun-accuses-the-core-group.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22298-haiti-politics-message-of-wisdom-from-odette-fombrun-to-jovenel-moise.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20958-haiti-politics-odette-roy-fombrun-proposes-a-revolution-to-the-pm.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20609-haiti-politics-constructive-proposals-by-odette-roy-fombrun.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20356-haiti-social-odette-roy-fombrun-appeals-against-immorality.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19363-haiti-politics-odette-fombrun-launches-an-appeal-to-presidential-candidates.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19434-haiti-politics-odette-r-fombrun-s-2nd-message-to-the-presidential-candidates.html HL/ HaitiLibre Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 22:25:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A resident receives medical checkup before donating blood on a blood donation vehicle in Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu Province, June 14, 2020. A number of residents donated blood on Sunday, the World Blood Donor Day. (Photo by Xu Cheng/Xinhua) A case was registered against 133 staff members of Ashwini hospital in Solapur for not showing up to work even after notices were served to them, according to the health officer of the Solapur Municipal Corporation (SMC). When the cases started rising in the city, we had asked the hospitals to step in and admit patients. In the case of Ashwini Hospital, they told us that a number of staff members were not showing up. First, the hospital served them notice and then the collectors office had also served them notices to show up, text messages were also sent. Some responded to the notices and showed up. The 133 staff members, who did not show up, were booked. These include doctors, nurses, ward boys, and housemen, said Dr Dnayneshwar Vitthal Sodal, health officer of SMC. Some staff members tested Covid-19 positive in the month of April. Whether the staff members who have failed to show up include these members or not is not yet clear. Ashwini Hospital is in our jurisdiction. We have registered a case against 133 of their staff members. They will all be called to the police station for inquiry. We will see how many of the 133 are in our jurisdiction. This work will be done at a fast pace and a charge sheet will be issued at the earliest, said senior police inspector BP Salunkhe of Sadar Bazar police station. A case under Sections 56, 57, 51 of the National Disaster Management Act along with Sections 188, 269, 336 of Indian Penal Code was registered at Sadar Bazar police station in Solapur. Dr Rajendra Ghuli, medical superintendent of Ashwini Hospital, has been on a sick leave for the past week. I have not tested positive for Covid-19. I was advised to rest for some days and therefore, I have been resting for the past six days. I will join the hospital soon and take stock of the situation, said Dr Ghuli when contacted on his home landline number. Ashwini hospital is a cooperative hospital, the case was registered after an order was issued by the health officer. The 133 people who were on the list include 39 housemen doctors, 2 office staff, 57 nurses, and 35 Class 4 workers. None of these people had tested positive for Covid19, said a spokesperson of the hospital who spoke in lieu of Dr Ghuli. A notice was served by the SMC to four other hospitals in the area. A case was also registered against 13 doctors from another hospital. A case for not showing up was registered against 13 staff members of a hospital in our jurisdiction in the past. We are yet to receive the new notice. When we get it, we shall consider if a new case needs to be registered, said senior police inspector Japhar Mogal of Jail road police station. Two other hospitals named in the notice are in the jurisdiction of Jail road police station. Dr Sodal has claimed that the staff members who have not responded to the notices in the past two weeks will also face police action in the coming days. Police in Idaho have confirmed that the two sets of human remains found at the home of Chad Daybell are those of two children that have been missing since September. In a statement on Saturday, the Rexburg Police Department said the bodies of 17-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua Vallow, known as JJ, had been officially identified. Mr Daybell is married to the mother of the deceased, Lori Vallow, and the official identification of the remains is the latest grim turn in a case that began with the disappearance of the two children in late 2019. "It is not the outcome we had hoped; to be able to find the children safe. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of JJ and Tylee," the police statement said. Mr Daybell was taken into police custody on Tuesday after the discovery of the bodies at his rural Idaho property. He is being held on $1m bond. A prosecutor said then that they belonged to the children and the way one was concealed was particularly egregious. He did not elaborate. Global media attention was drawn to the case due to Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow Daybells doomsday beliefs and the suspicious deaths of their former spouses. The couple married in September 2019, a few weeks after authorities say her children were last seen. Having lied to investigators about the childrens whereabouts they quietly left Idaho for Hawaii, where they were found several months later. Ms Vallow Daybell was arrested in February in Kauai. She has been charged with child abandonment and obstructing the investigation. She is in jail on $1m bond and intends to defend herself against the charges. Joshua "JJ" Vallow and Tylee Ryan, the missing children whose mother Lori Vallow Daybell has been found on Hawaii living with her new husband Chad Daybell (AP) The complex case began with Ms Vallow Daybells brother shooting and killing her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in suburban Phoenix last summer in what he asserted was self-defence. Mr Vallow was seeking a divorce, saying his wife believed she had become a god-like figure who was responsible for ushering in the biblical end times. Her brother, Alex Cox, died in December of an apparent blood clot in his lung. Shortly after Mr Vallows death, Lori and the children moved to Idaho, where Chad Daybell lived. Mr Daybell ran a small publishing company, putting out many fiction books he wrote about apocalyptic scenarios loosely based on the theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He also recorded podcasts about preparing for biblical end times, and friends said he claimed to be able to receive visions from beyond the veil. He was married to Tammy Daybell, who died in her sleep last October of what her obituary said were natural causes. Authorities became suspicious when Mr Daybell and Ms Vallow married just two weeks later. Tammy Daybells body was exhumed in December, but the results of the subsequent autopsy have not been released. Belgian Vincent Gaye drives the Porsche 917 N23 in a vintage-car race at Le Man in 2012. (Photo: AFP/Jean-Francois Monier) "Fifty years ago, we raced at all costs," recalled Richard Attwood, winner in 1970 at the wheel of the legendary Porsche 917. In a torrential downpour, the Briton and his driving partner Hans Herrmann gave the German manufacturer the first of its 19 victories in the race. "It was the only way for us to make money," he recalled in an interview with AFP, looking back at an era before drivers enjoyed fabulous contracts and so had to race every weekend in different categories. This weekend, Le Mans is being run as a virtual race, the "real" one has been postponed to 19-20 September. Porsche will be represented in both events, but is only entered in the GT category in the real race and not in the fastest, and most prestigious, prototype class. In 1970, the German brand entered the legendary 917. The car was a real power monster with a low, sleek silhouette, it is famous for winning at Le Mans in 1970 and a year later and as the car immortalised in Steve McQueen's film "Le Mans". Attwood, who is now 80, took part in both the real race in 1970 and the Hollywood version, shot in September on the same track with the cars that had raced that year. The 1970 race saw a transition away from the famous Le Mans running start, which was blamed for the death the previous year of British driver John Woolfe, who did not fasten his seat belt after climbing into his 917 and lost his life in a first-lap crash. Instead drivers started in their cars which were parked along the side of the track. The following year, Le Mans adopted a rolling start, with the cars following each other in the order in which they qualified. In 1970, Herrmann took the start in the Porsche. "The start was absolutely crazy," said Attwood. "The drivers set off like they were in a Formula One Grand Prix." SQUASHED GNATS After 12 hellish hours, their red and white 917 took the lead which it held until the finish, finishing five laps ahead of another 917. The 917 dominated in 1970 and 1971, before being sidelined by a change in regulations, yet the model had not started its career well. It was designed by the famous engineer Hans Mezger, who died on Wednesday at the age of 90, working with the technology available at the time, which meant no scientific study of the aerodynamics. The early versions were notoriously unstable at high speed, another factor in Woolfe's fatal crash. The problem was solved by a British engineer who noticed that every part of the car was covered with squashed gnats except the tail, which suggested a lack of downforce at the back. "In 1969, the car was a nightmare to drive," recalled Attwood. "I would never want to do that again." "In 1970, it was easy to drive," he said, even though the power of its 12 cylinders meant the car reached 380 kph on the 6-kilometre Mulsanne straight, now interrupted by chicanes. Attwood kept a Porsche 917 in his personal collection for a long time, but not the one in which he won Le Mans. "It was chassis 22, while we won with chassis 23, which also bore the race number 23, but that was a coincidence," he points out. He sold it 20 years ago when the Porsche 917s were already reaching very respectable prices on the collector's market. Now they've become stratospheric. "But I still drive one of them on average once a year" in vintage car races, said Attwood. "I know them well, they're extraordinary cars." Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 16:42:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close FUZHOU, June 14 (Xinhua) -- In the village of Jianghou, some senior citizens are dancing, practicing Chinese calligraphy and reading books. Mao Mingji, 68, enjoys attending healthcare classes and doing some sports. "I feel so energetic these days," she says. "I am healthier than before." The village is located in the county of Shaxian, east China's Fujian Province. Shaxian is known nationwide for delicacies such as dumplings, rice noodles and soup steamed with Chinese herbs. But three years ago, the village presented a completely different picture. Most elderly people felt bored and did not know what to do, Mao says. In 2017, county officials began piloting a senior school program in Shaxian, bringing aging people together to study, dine and give one another company. This has enriched the lives of local empty nesters, whose children have grown up and left home. So far, about 40 senior schools have been established in 12 villages and townships in Shaxian, benefiting more than 10,000 senior citizens in the county, according to official figures. "The senior school program has proven to be an effective way to enrich the lives of the empty nesters," said county official Yang Xingzhong. EMPTY NESTERS AT HOMETOWN OF NATIONAL DELICACIES In Shaxian, there are many empty nesters because young people have left their rural hometowns to seek opportunities in the cities. Many young people work at restaurants selling famed Shaxian delicacies in cities. According to figures released by the Shaxian delicacies industry development center, there are close to 88,000 Shaxian delicacies restaurants in the country, and 32,000 of these are owned by people from Shaxian. While the delicacies offered job opportunities, they also took a lot of young adults from Shaxian to cities, leaving behind their parents and grandparents in villages. Feeling empty and bored, many empty nesters could only spend their days rambling, drinking or even gambling. "All we did all day was just talk, talk and talk under the big trees in the village," says Mao. "Sometimes we simply nodded off." SENIOR SCHOOLS A CLASS ACT To solve the problem, in June 2017, the county introduced the concept of "universities for the elderly" and began piloting a senior school program under which a work team led by the deputy county head integrates resources such as libraries, classrooms and cultural centers. Village officials are put in charge of the schools which train volunteers as teachers to help and educate the aged. Various activities involve the elderly to keep them engaged. The program encourages senior citizens to undertake a variety of courses such as making souvenirs and growing vegetables. It also lets them dine together and talk to one another for emotional support. "They don't really care much about what they eat, but they care about eating together, because they enjoy each other's company," says Chen Yi'an, founder of the Fujian Association for Lifelong Education for All. "They make dumplings and steamed buns together." "The program created a lot of group activities for the senior citizens, and brings relief to their hearts," says Chen. "It helps them walk out of the shadows of loneliness and improves their physical conditions too." The senior school program relieves the burden on families, and lowers the cost of tending the graying population, according to local offical Liao Shanjian. "The program truly created a lot of benefits for the elderly and for our society as a whole," Liao says. Enditem Actor Sushant Singh Rajput was planning to get married in November this year, according to the late actor's cousin. The cousin revealed that the actor was to get married soon, while talking to the news channel IndiaTV. Without revealing name of the girl, he said that the family was gearing up for the wedding. They even planned to visit to Mumbai soon for preparations. The cousin said that it was going to be a private wedding in Mumbai with few family members and friends. Unconfirmed rumours have stated that Sushant was dating actress Rhea Chakraborty, though many insist the two stars were just good friends. Sushant was found hanging in his Bandra residence on Sunday morning by his domestic help. He was reportedly battling depression over the past few months and undergoing treatment for the same. His social media posts from the past couple of months reveal that he even tried yoga and meditation to battle his state of mind. The actor hailed from Bihar and was educated in Patna and New Delhi, before shifting to Mumbai. After establishing himself on the small screen with "Pavitra Rishta", he transitioned to the big screen with film "Kai Po Chhe". He went on to do projects including "Shuddh Desi Romance", the biopic "M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story", "Kedarnath" and "Chhichore", among several others. Update, June 14 at 4:18 p.m.: Lisa Alexander has issued an apology to James Juanillo."I did not realize at the time that my actions were racist and have learned a painful lesson," she wrote in a statement shared by ABC7 on Sunday. Read more here. --- Lisa Alexander, a skin care CEO from San Francisco, is coming under fire after a video posted to Twitter shows her confronting a man for writing "Black Lives Matter" on his front retaining wall. Alexander alleged he did not own the property. The video was uploaded to Twitter by user @jaimetoons later identified as San Francisco resident James Juanillo by social media intelligence agency Storyful on Thursday, and has since racked up over seven million views. "A white couple call the police on me, a person of color, for stencilling a #BLM chalk message on my own front retaining wall," Juanillo tweeted. "'Karen' lies and says she knows that I dont live in my own house, because she knows the person who lives here." For those unfamiliar with the "Karen" meme, Dictionary.com defines the term as "a mocking slang term for an entitled, obnoxious, middle-aged white woman.... often asking to speak to retail and restaurant managers to voice complaints or make demands, and being a nagging, often divorced mother from Generation X." In the video, Alexander and another person identified only as "Robert" can be seen asking Juanillo if he owns the property he's writing the message on. Juanillo says, "If I did live here and it was my property, this would be absolutely fine? And you don't know if I live here or if this is my property?" Alexander is then dared to call the police, with Juanillo stating he "would be more than happy to talk to them." He later told Storyful, "The police came and recognized me immediately as a resident of the house and left without getting out of their patrol car. I didnt even show them my ID." After the video went viral, individuals on Nextdoor identified the woman as Lisa Alexander of Pacific Heights. Alexander is the founder of LA FACE, an independent skin care line that described itself on its now-removed website as an "anti-aging luxury natural and organic VEGAN skincare line [that] is extremely effective for all skin types." A Twitter account under the name of "Lisa C. Alexander" has since tweeted, and deleted the following message seemingly acknowledging Juanillo owns the property: I asked if he lived there because if he had said yes then everything would have been fine as it was his property. Being a good neighbor is important where everyone takes care of each other. It is too bad he took it in a different direction. The fallout has been swift. The "Lisa C. Alexander" Twitter account has since been deleted, as has the LA FACE website. Birchbox, a distributor of the LA FACE line, announced via Twitter it has "officially cut ties with" Alexander. "We condemn the actions of Lisa Alexander," Birchbox tweeted. "We have not worked with LA FACE for several years & as a result of the CEOs actions today have officially cut ties with them. Weve removed their products from our website & will not be working with them in the future." Juanillo also noted that he wrote the message in removable chalk. "When did chalk art become 'defacing' property?" he tweeted. "Cause then I got some kindergarteners outside committing all kinds of crime right now that Karen can heroically bust!" Eric Ting is an SFGATE digital reporter. Email: eric.ting@sfgate.com | Twitter:@_ericting Restaurants and cafes have been allowed to reopen under strict sanitary measures for two weeks now. Business owners in Luxembourg City complain that the reopening is not going well for them. Only a fraction of former customers have returned so far, either because they are afraid of going out or still working from home. If this continues, some businesses may have to close down. One restaurant in Clausen had almost zero customers during lunch hour on Friday. The owner stated that the restaurant served about 15 customers on average since its reopening, two thirds less than usual. The bar on the ground floor is not doing any better. Since businesses also have to close at midnight, they lose out on the most profitable hours on the weekends. Turnover is only a quarter of that in the same period last year. Jean-Claude Colbach, partner of a horeca group, explains: "We have the current rent, the rent from during lockdown, the employer's salary contributions, and running costs. Its simply not doable." A restaurant in upper Luxembourg City is experiencing similar problems. Renzo Ballanima stated that at least some people would come sit on the terrace if the weather is nice. He is currently relying on his savings, but they will not keep him afloat for much longer. "Its very apparent that if the situation does not change over the next weeks or months, it will be very difficult. The risk is there. I am not the only one. I know about ten people who either already had to close down, never reopened, or will never reopen again." The horeca sector stated that business owners have mixed feelings about the reopening. Businesses in Luxembourg City are especially suffering from employees working from home. The general secretary of Horesca, Francois Koepp, stated: "I hope that in August, when the first people will return to their offices, or at least in September, we will have a normal reopening. Its different in the countryside, there we notice that a lot of businesses are actually reporting that they are doing quite well, and that their customers had returned. But its a different clientele than in the capital." He also stressed that it was a good sign that it 10 people were now allowed to sit at the same table. But one cannot deny that more businesses are currently for sale than usual. Selling an establishment also poses its risk at the moment, however. Jean-Claude Colbach pointed out that current state aids are not sufficient for businesses to survive. Further efforts need to be made when it comes to employers contributions, which businesses still need to pay despite the lockdown, and a solution has to be found which would allow for rent to be staggered. He also called for people to visit restaurants and cafes again: "Dont let us die." The Defence Headquarters says the troops of Nigerian Armed Forces successfully repelled an attack by the Boko Haram/Islamic States West Province (ISWAP) terrorists and eliminated 20 of them in Monguno, Borno on Saturday. PREMIUM TIMES reported the Monguno Boko attack Saturday afternoon and efforts by soldiers to repel it. The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, John Enenche, provided details of the battle in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. Mr Enenche, a major-general, said the ground troops of Sector 3 and Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole, inflicted heavy casualties on the terrorists who attempted to breach the town. He added that four gun trucks belonging to the terrorists were destroyed during the counter-attack by the Air Task Force. According to him, the troops also captured some of the terrorists and their equipment. The High Command of the Armed Forces of Nigeria commends the land component and Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole for the dexterity and professionalism exhibited during this operation. The troops are further encouraged to remain resolute and decisive in their ground and air offensives in the theatre, he said. Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, has commended troops of the Nigerian Army for their resilience and bravery against terrorists attack on Monguno town, Borno. Mr Buratai said this in a statement by Sagir Musa, Acting Director, Army Public Relations, in Abuja on Sunday. He said that the troops of Army Super Camp in Monguno repelled an attack by the terrorists on Saturday and inflicted heavy casualties on them. The army chief who urged the troops to remain firm and resolute expressed joy at the number of equipment captured from the terrorists during the operation. Mr Buratai charged the Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole to consistently engage in massive offensive patrols to all identified terrorists locations in the operational area. Let me assure the troops and the people of the North-West region, especially Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara that I am ready to visit the axis soon. We must work together to ensure that the madness of the bandits is properly checked, he said. (NAN) Not every company can start out with the biggest market cap in its industry. But Canopy Growth (NASDAQ:CGC) did. How? It was the first publicly traded Canadian cannabis producer. And Canopy still claims the biggest market cap in the cannabis industry years later. Investors who jumped aboard early on have made a fortune with the marijuana stock. But just how big of a fortune? If you'd invested $5,000 in Canopy Growth's initial public offering (IPO), here's how much you'd have now. Different starts, different fortunes Technically speaking, Canopy Growth didn't begin trading publicly through an IPO. The company, then known as Tweed, first listed its shares on April 4, 2014, on the TSX Venture Exchange through a reverse takeover of a capital pool company. But it's convenient to view that date as Canopy's de facto IPO. Investors who wanted to get in on Canopy from the beginning could have bought shares of the capital pool company at CA$0.85 per share on the day before the reverse takeover completed. Alternatively, you could have bought shares of Tweed at its opening price of CA$4.60. An initial investment of US$5,000 right before Canopy began trading publicly would have been able to purchase 6,448 shares. That same amount invested at the opening of trading wouldn't have gone nearly as far, scooping up 1,191 shares. Fast forward to today. Your initial investment of US$5,000 would have turned into well over $106,000 if you had bought shares of the capital pool company right before Canopy's reverse takeover and held on. If you had waited until the next day to buy and hold, you'd now have around $19,650. Timing is everything, right? There is one other scenario to consider, though. Canopy Growth listed its shares on the New York Stock Exchange on May 24, 2018. An investment of US$5,000 at the opening price of US$30.85 would have netted you 162 shares. If you had held onto those shares, you'd have lost nearly half of your initial investment. Behind Canopy's rise (and fall) Over the four years following its listing on the TSX Venture Exchange in 2014, Canopy Growth enjoyed a remarkable run. The stock skyrocketed close to 1,000%. The company's early gains were driven by Canopy's success in the Canadian medical cannabis market. However, the stock really began to kick into high gear in the second half of 2017, fueled by investors' anticipation of Canada's national legalization of adult-use recreational marijuana. Canadian marijuana stocks were sizzling hot. Canopy Growth quickly became one of the hottest in the industry after adult beverage giant Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) made a big investment. Investors were drooling over how big the recreational pot market would be. And they were looking at the prospects for Canopy and its peers to expand into international markets as other countries moved toward the legalization of medical cannabis. As often happens, reality didn't quite meet up to the early hype. There were some hiccups and speed bumps with the launch of the recreational market in Canada. Cannabis companies, including Canopy, spent a lot more money than they were making. By mid-2019, it was obvious that most Canadian cannabis producers would take longer to reach profitability than expected. Canopy Growth founder Bruce Linton was booted out as CEO. Constellation Brands took a firmer hand in controlling the company after its losses mounted, ultimately naming its CFO, David Klein as Canopy's new CEO. Klein's mission was to implement much-needed fiscal discipline and get the company on a path to profitability. A more important question There's a more important question that investors should ask than how much they might have made by investing early on in Canopy Growth. That question is: How much could you make by buying the stock now and holding for the long term? The global cannabis market will almost certainly grow significantly over the next decade and beyond. However, the most important cannabis opportunity is in the U.S. Until Canopy can legally enter the U.S. cannabis market, it's growth prospects will be relatively limited. Canopy's relationship with Constellation Brands gives it a key advantage, though. And the Canadian recreational marijuana market continues to grow with the recent launch of cannabis derivatives products. While there's no way to know for sure what an investment in Canopy now will become down the road, it's quite possible that the stock will deliver solid returns to patient investors. The event was attended Politburo members: Permanent member of the Party Central Committee (PCC)'s Secretariat Tran Quoc Vuong; Secretary of the PCC and Head of the PCCs Commission for Organsiation Pham Minh Chinh; the Secretary of the PCC and Head of the PCCs Commission for Communications and Education; the Secretary of the PCC and Head of the PCCs Commission for Mass Mobilisation; and the Secretary of the PCC and Head of the PCCs Economic Commission; among others. One hundred and eighty-seven delegates to the conference were journalists who have gained outstanding achievements, contributing to the development of the countrys press. Politburo members Pham Minh Chinh and Truong Thi Mai congratulate delegates to the conference. Speaking at the conference, Politburo member Tran Quoc Vuong affirmed that over the near century under the leadership of the Party, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has developed well. He also said that the press workers have constantly improved their capacity, political quality and professional qualifications and skills. The information shared in newspapers has been increasingly comprehensive and diverse; meanwhile, the political and cultural values in press products have been raised, added the Politburo member. He also noted that many press agencies have been at the forefront of the fight against incorrect views, including Nhan Dan (People) Newspaper, Peoples Army Newspaper, Vietnam Television, Public Security Newspaper and the Voice of Vietnam. Politburo member Vuong emphasised that the countrys renewal cause is entering a new development period with many great opportunities in addition to big challenges as the complicated situation in the region and the world along with the global economic crisis due to Covid-19 pandemic have affected Vietnam. Scientific and technological advances have helped the press to develop but have also created the competition between traditional media and social networks, he said. The Party official asked press agencies, especially journalists to study and follow President Ho Chi Minh, a great journalist and an example on professional ethics and style. Vietnamese revolutionary press should fulfil its task of truthfully informing the public of the situation in the country and the world, in accordance with the interests of the nation and the people. With 850 press agencies of all kinds and over 41,000 press workers, the press must be a pioneering force on the front of protecting Party's ideology and guidelines and the States policies and laws, as well as fighting against wrong and hostile views, especially those spread on the internet and social networks, he added. Politburo member Vuong also requested the media to detect, honour and encourage outstanding examples of good people and good deeds in a timely manner, contributing to building, consolidating and cultivating the bravery, knowledge, culture, morality, spirit and will of the Vietnamese people. He asked journalists to constantly learn, research and improve their professional skills, especially in the strong development of science-technology. The accident took place at around 4:30 a.m. on the Saigon Bridge as the man drove from District 2 to Binh Thanh District in Ho Chi Minh City, police said. He drove straight on into a refrigerated truck driven by 50-year-old Luu Quang Tai. The crash killed the South African on the spot and destroyed the motorbike. It took police until 9 a.m. to clear the scene and for normal traffic to resume on the bridge. Local authorities, who did not release the identity of the dead man, said they were investigating the accident. According to the National Traffic Safety Commitee, Vietnam recorded more than 5,500 traffic accidents that killed 2,667 and injured 3,965 people in the first five months this year. The committee said in most cases, the main reason for the accidents was violation of lane rules. By Frank Partnoy and cross-posted from The Atlantic. After months of living with the coronavirus pandemic, American citizens are well aware of the toll it has taken on the economy: broken supply chains, record unemployment, failing small businesses. All of these factors are serious and could mire the United States in a deep, prolonged recession. But theres another threat to the economy, too. It lurks on the balance sheets of the big banks, and it could be cataclysmic. Imagine if, in addition to all the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, you woke up one morning to find that the financial sector had collapsed. You may think that such a crisis is unlikely, with memories of the 2008 crash still so fresh. But banks learned few lessons from that calamity, and new laws intended to keep them from taking on too much risk have failed to do so. As a result, we could be on the precipice of another crash, one different from 2008 less in kind than in degree. This one could be worse. The financial crisis of 2008 was about home mortgages. Hundreds of billions of dollars in loans to home buyers were repackaged into securities called collateralized debt obligations, known as CDOs. In theory, CDOs were intended to shift risk away from banks, which lend money to home buyers. In practice, the same banks that issued home loans also bet heavily on CDOs, often using complex techniques hidden from investors and regulators. When the housing market took a hit, these banks were doubly affected. In late 2007, banks began disclosing tens of billions of dollars of subprime-CDO losses. The next year, Lehman Brothers went under, taking the economy with it. The federal government stepped in to rescue the other big banks and forestall a panic. The intervention workedthough its success did not seem assured at the timeand the system righted itself. Of course, many Americans suffered as a result of the crash, losing homes, jobs, and wealth. An already troubling gap between Americas haves and have-nots grew wider still. Yet by March 2009, the economy was on the upswing, and the longest bull market in history had begun. To prevent the next crisis, Congress in 2010 passed the Dodd-Frank Act. Under the new rules, banks were supposed to borrow less, make fewer long-shot bets, and be more transparent about their holdings. The Federal Reserve began conducting stress tests to keep the banks in line. Congress also tried to reform the credit-rating agencies, which were widely blamed for enabling the meltdown by giving high marks to dubious CDOs, many of which were larded with subprime loans given to unqualified borrowers. Over the course of the crisis, more than 13,000 CDO investments that were rated AAAthe highest possible ratingdefaulted. The reforms were well intentioned, but, as well see, they havent kept the banks from falling back into old, bad habits. After the housing crisis, subprime CDOs naturally fell out of favor. Demand shifted to a similarand similarly riskyinstrument, one that even has a similar name: the CLO, or collateralized loan obligation. A CLO walks and talks like a CDO, but in place of loans made to home buyers are loans made to businessesspecifically, troubled businesses. CLOs bundle together so-called leveraged loans, the subprime mortgages of the corporate world. These are loans made to companies that have maxed out their borrowing and can no longer sell bonds directly to investors or qualify for a traditional bank loan. There are more than $1 trillion worth of leveraged loans currently outstanding. The majority are held in CLOs An army jawan was killed and two others were injured when Pakistani troops opened fire and shelled areas along the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Sunday. IMAGE: Security personnel during a cordon and search operation, after Pakistan army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by intense mortar shelling and firing with small arms, along the LoC, at Mankote sector in Poonch district. Photograph: PTI Photo The jawan is the third army personnel to die in Pakistani firing and shelling on forward posts and villages in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri this month. Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation on the LoC in Poonch sector on Saturday (night). Own troops responded strongly to the enemy fire and in the incident, Sepoy Lungambui Abonmei was critically injured and later succumbed to his injuries, a defence spokesman said. He said sepoy Abonmei was a brave, highly motivated and a sincere soldier. The nation will always remain indebted to him for his supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty, the spokesman said. The officials said two more soldiers, Sepoy Lienkhothien Senghon and Sepoy Tangsoik Kwianiungar, were injured in the firing and subsequently airlifted to the army base hospital in Udhampur. The three soldiers were injured in Pakistani firing and shelling in Shahpur-Kerni sector during the overnight shelling, the officials said The mortal remains of the deceased soldier were handed over to his unit after postmortem at district hospital Poonch and is being dispatched to his home town in Assam for last rites, they said. They said the casualties suffered by the Pakistani Army in the retaliatory action were not known immediately. On June 4, havaldar P Mathiazhagan fell to the Pakistani firing in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district, while on June 10, Naik Gurcharan Singh lost his life in a similar incident in Rajouri sector. It seems the Italian government has temporarily backed away from a military deal with Egypt. Foreign Minister Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on June 10 that his country had not yet approved it, adding that the government is still weighing political considerations and analyzing the deal. Italys news agency ANSA had reported June 8 that the Italian government approved the sale of two FREMM frigates to Egypt and that the top management of the Italian Fincantieri marine industries company was involved in the sale. Rumors about the approval of the deal came after after a phone call between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on June 7, during which they discussed bilateral relations at the commercial, military and energy levels. According to a statement from the Egyptian presidency, Conte stressed his countrys readiness to boost cooperation with Egypt in various fields. The reports about the deal were met with wide opposition among Italian rights groups and parliamentarians. The parents of Italian student Giulio Regeni, who was murdered in Egypt, said on June 8 they feel betrayed by the Italian governments plan to sell warships to Cairo, as they accuse Egyptian security forces of being behind their sons death. Giorgio Beretta, an analyst specializing in arms deals at the Permanent Observatory on Small Arms in Italy, told Al-Monitor via email that the two frigates are part of a much larger military deal worth more than nine billion euros (about $10.2 billion). This deal, according to Beretta, is currently under discussion and would be one of the largest sales for Italy since World War II. The head of Fincantieri, Giuseppe Bono, revealed on Feb. 18 that negotiations were ongoing to reach a deal on the sale of two FREMM frigates valued at 1.2 billion euros (about $1.3 billion). Speaking June 10 before a parliamentary session, Maio linked the approval of the deal with Egypt to the progress achieved so far in the ongoing investigation into the death of Regeni. Relations between Egypt and Italy were severely affected by the murder of Italian doctoral student Giulio Regeni, whose mutilated body was found in February 2016 on a road on the outskirts of Cairo. After Regenis body was returned to Rome, an Italian autopsy showed he had been hit hard on the back of his head and suffered multiple fractures throughout his body. Italy accused the Egyptian authorities of not cooperating in the investigations that have been ongoing for more than four years into Regeni's death. In January, after Conte visited Cairo and met with Sisi, Egypt formed a new team of investigators to work on the case. The deal includes frigates, missile launchers and Eurofighter Typhoon fighters, Italy's La Repubblica newspaper revealed May 29. The Naval News international website revealed on May 31 that the deal includes two FREMM Bergamini frigates that were originally intended for the Italian navy, in addition to four other frigates that will be specifically built for Egypt. In addition to the six frigates, the deal includes 20 missile launchers, 24 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter bombers, 24 M-346 light combat and trainer jets and a military satellite. Beretta added that such a mega deal must be thoroughly discussed in parliament before its is approved, given its direct effect on Italys foreign and defense policies. The Italian Analisidifesa website reported May 18 that the deal was supposed to be announced in April but was delayed due to pressure by prominent members of the populist Five Star movement, which has a parliamentary majority, on the Italian government. Italy's parliament speaker Roberto Fico as well as parliamentarians Alessandro di Battista and Lia Quartapelle reject the deal due to the murder of Regeni, yet to be resolved, also pointing to Egypt's a poor human rights record. Italian human rights groups are demanding the release of Egyptian researcher Patrick Zaki, who was studying at the University of Bologna and was arrested by the Egyptian authorities upon his return on Feb. 7. Zaki is awaiting trial after he was accused of spreading false news, inciting demonstrations and attempting to overthrow the government. A mural recently painted in Bologna demanded Zaki's release. However, the Italian foreign and defense ministries had no problem approving the deal with Egypt, Alberto Cutillo, director of the Arms Licensing Unit at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said March 3 before a parliamentary committee following up on the issue of Regeni's killing. The committee discussed blocking the deal until the identity of the killers is revealed. On June 3, the Italian civil society organization Rete Disarmo objected to the possible deal and called on the government to back out. Beretta opposes the deal, which he considers violates the laws regulating arms trade in Italy. Criticizing Egypts human rights record, he asked, What country would sell such a massive military arsenal to a repressive [nation] that allowed one of its own nationals to get killed? he said, referring to Regeni. In February, Italian Foreign Minister Di Maio said that the Italian government has yet to make its final decision on the Egyptian deal but hinted that the government will approve it to prevent the competing French side from seizing the opportunity should the deal with Egypt not materialize. In a June 3 phone call, the foreign ministers of Egypt and Italy agreed to continue cooperation between their judicial authorities on the case. Spokesman for the Egyptian Ministry of foreign Affairs Ahmed Hafez said in a statement following the call that the two agreed on the importance of advancing cooperation and coordination between the two countries, especially in the economic field, as well as on ways to intensify efforts to address the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic. Two former Egyptian diplomats told Al-Monitor that the military deal will help improve the bilateral relations that were affected by Regenis death. Egyptian former assistant foreign minister Hussein Haridi told Al-Monitor that the relations between the two countries have improved. A country does not sell weapons of such value to another country unless they are bound by strong relations and common interests, he added. Rakha Hassan, a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, told Al-Monitor that the Regeni incident is painful but should not define the relations between the two countries. He added that investigations into the Regeni case will continue until the identity of the perpetrators is revealed and that cooperation will be ongoing between the two countries. Haridi said that Italy is looking forward to continuous coordination with Egypt to protect its investments in the eastern Mediterranean, represented by ENI, one of its largest oil companies. Italy's Eni is the largest oil and gas producer in Egypt, producing about 40% of Egypt's oil wealth, according to statements by Egyptian Minister of Petroleum Tariq Al Mulla in December 2019. Hassan said that Egypt and Italy both reject Turkey's ambitions in the eastern Mediterranean. In an attempt deemed to be aimed at improving relations between the two countries, Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed accompanied medical aid that Egypt sent to Italy on April 5 in a show of solidarity and support for the Italian government in the face of the coronavirus. On May 29, La Repubblica quoted a source close to the Italian prime minister as saying that despite many difficulties and obstacles, including Regeni's killing, the arms sale will be the deal of the century. The source added that the deal is not only of commercial and industrial importance for Italy, it also reflects Romes desire to build solid relations with Cairo and maintain a political dialogue regarding many issues in the Eastern Mediterranean region. On May 11, Egypt announced an anti-Turkish international coalition including Greece, Cyprus, the UAE and France to counter Turkish moves in Libya and the eastern Mediterranean regarding illegal energy exploration activities. Turkey labelled the coalition as an alliance of evil. Haridi said that the Turkish provocations in the Mediterranean and North Africa affect not only Egypt but all countries on the Mediterranean Sea and threaten security and peace in the region. Haridi added that the talks between Egypt and Italy are mainly focused on maintaining security in the Mediterranean region and combating terrorism. The first laws in Australia to make the deliberate underpayment of wages a crime appear likely to pass Victorias upper house as early as this week. The Andrews governments Wage Theft Bill includes hefty fines and up to 10 years' jail for rogue employers, with a team of new inspectors empowered to police the laws. Tegan Evans says she was underpaid by more than $18,000 in one year. Credit:Scott McNaughton Victorian Trades Hall secretary Luke Hilakari said unions were confident the legislation would pass. Labor has secured the support of at least five of the 10 upper house crossbench MPs (it needs at least three to carry the bill). Greens MP Samantha Ratnam is on maternity leave. Wage theft is everywhere and its harmful. Some people will go to prison for this and they should, Mr Hilakari said. Businesses that are doing the right thing are having to compete against businesses doing the wrong thing. Fashion brands and automobiles have had a major history of creative collaborations - be it Maserati teaming up with Ermenegildo Zegna (2014) or Rover collaborating with Paul Smith (1998) to create the limited-edition Mini. Other key examples are Fiat 500 by Gucci (2011) and Hermes Citroen 2CV6 Special (2008). Talking of automobiles, Vespas have always been the epitome of style and Italian sprezzatura. The very mention of the scooter brings to mind the soul-searing imagery of cult classics like Roman Holiday and The Talented Mr Ripley. The visuals of Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck riding on the hipster two-wheeler in Romes tony lane is hard to erase. Picture Matt Damon ferrying Gwyneth Paltrow on an olive-green Vespa through the cobbled stradine of Mongibello in The Talented Mr Ripley and it instantly puts you in a holiday mood. So all the Vespa fans out there, heres the luxe buzz youve been waiting for. The Italian brand ties up with Dior to create the Vespa 946 Christian Dior. The iconic Vespa in the classic film Roman Holiday A partnership which reconciles French brands savoir-faire with Vespas rakish nonchalance. A visually sumptuous, exclusive scooter with matching accessories which bring to mind the care-free and caviar-soaked holidays spent in the sun-kissed Amalfi and Cote dAzur. The Vespa 946 Christian Dior reimagines the iconic model in a graphically elegant version designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri. Its sleek and elegant design is accented with a top case and helmet kissed with the Dior Oblique motif, an echo of the seats design. These limited-edition creations will be revealed in spring 2021 in the brands boutiques worldwide, and subsequently in a selection of the Piaggio groups Motoplex stores1. Accessories such as the top case and helmet will be available exclusively in Dior boutiques. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Imtaiyazur Rahman, CEO, UTI AMC (File Image) The UTI AMC board, on June 13, appointed Imtaiyazur Rahman as the chief executive officer (CEO). He has been the acting CEO of the company for nearly two years. The decision was taken after the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) had expressed concern on the CEO position which was vacant for quite some time. The post was vacant since Leo Puri completed his five-year term as CEO of UTI AMC. Group President and Chief Finance Officer Rahman was appointed as acting Chief Executive Officer after Puri's term ended in August 2018. Rahman joined the UTI Group in 1998 and has been with UTI since 2003. Working with earlier Chairmen M Damodaran and UK Sinha, he was involved in the transformation of the organisation after the restructuring of the erstwhile Unit Trust of India. He was CFO of the company and has headed diverse functions, including international business. "This appointment brings stability in the top management of the company especially since it is planning to launch its IPO shortly and addresses the concerns of SEBI on the CEO position which was vacant for quite some time," UTI AMC said in a press release dated June 13. On Dec 19, UTI AMC had filed draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the capital market regulator SEBI but the IPO was stuck. Why the delay? Part of dilly-dallying on stake sale is partly because of the rift between UTI stakeholders and T Rowe Price that has been going on for the last six years, back when T Rowe Price wanted a professional CEO to be appointed instead of an IAS on deputation. Leo Puri was appointed CEO in 2013 completing a five-year term in August 2018. UTI MF was operating through interim CEO Imtaiyazur Rahman since then. Industry experts said a delay in appointing full-time CEO delayed the IPO process along with the stake sale of SBI, LIC and BoB In all there are five stakeholders State Bank Of India, Life Insurance Corporation Of India (LIC), Bank Of Baroda, Punjab National Bank and T Rowe Price International. SBI, LIC, Punjab National Bank and Bank of Baroda each hold 18.5 percent stake in the UTI AMC. The remaining stake is held by US company T Rowe Price. On Dec 6, the market regulator directed three public sector financial institutions -- LIC, SBI, and Bank of Baroda -- to dilute their stakes to below 10 percent by December 2021. In the case of non-compliance with directions, the shareholding and voting rights of these entities in UTI AMC and UTI Trustee in excess of 9.99 percent and corporate benefits will be frozen till the time they comply with the orders. The stakeholding of SBI, BoB, and LIC in UTI AMC is in contravention of an amendment to SEBI MF Regulations on March 13, 2018, requiring an asset management company (AMC) to be a sponsor and stakeholder holding 10 percent or more, of only one mutual fund, thereby reducing cross-holding in any other AMC at less than 10 percent. In December 2019, country's largest lender State Bank of India had said it would sell its 8.25 percent stake in UTI AMC through an initial public offering. The stake sale by most selling shareholders is in line with the cross-holding limit rules introduced by the SEBI in March 2018, which says if a shareholder has at least 10 percent stake in a mutual fund house, then it cannot hold a similar-sized stake in another fund house and would also have to give up its board positions. For AMC companies holding more than one mutual fund in a one-year timeline was given to comply. Subsequent to SEBI Regulations enforced on having multiple stakes in AMC, SBI, LIC, and BoB were expected to comply within a year by March 2019 which did not go through. SBI, LIC and BoB defended their status saying divestment needed approval through the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), a government of India body. 'Not Satisfied with the replies', says the SEBI order although looking at facts and circumstances of the case, SEBI now allowed timeline till December 31, 2020, for compliance by SBI, LIC, and BoB. A foremost benchmark of SEBI Mutual Fund Regulations are avoidance of conflict of interest in organising and operating mutual fund operations. This is so since in the asset management business, returns of schemes of one AMC are always competing with returns of schemes of another AMC and for getting investor's corpus. For best governance standards without interest conflicts in the asset management business, it is imperative for each MF player to have one AMC and not duplicate, quoted an ex- SEBI mutual fund department officer who is now an investor. What scrip one AMC may be buying in its long term value oriented scheme, another AMC may be selling in its sectoral equity scheme, such conflicts arise when there is holding in multiple AMCs, added the ex SEBI officer. With the creation of autonomous financial regulators towards setting governance norms and fair play, public sector players are now subject to the same rules and regulations that govern the entire sector. In that line of equality for all MF players, SEBI came up with the aforementioned amendment in MF Regulations, implying that each MF player holds a controlling stake in only one mutual fund. Background UTI Mutual Fund, originally founded as the country's first asset management company in 1964 has had SBI and LIC as its founding members. Later, stakes were taken up by BoB and global asset manager Luxembourg-based T Rowe Price. There has been a buzz for two years of divestment by them in UTI through an IPO process but it did not go through due to differences with T Rowe Price. Meanwhile, Nippon AMC and HDFC successfully launched their IPOs. Else, UTI AMC would have been the first AMC to get listed on the exchanges. Ashwini M Sripad By Express News Service BENGALURU: This MGNREGA worker did not change his shirt for nearly three years. Not because of any superstition. His mission was to get a 21-acre tank sanctioned for his village in Belagavi district. He was so committed that he vowed not to change his shirt to remind him of his mission every single day. After running from pillar to post, he finally succeeded and he changed his shirt only after 1,035 days. Jyotiba Manawadkar (48), the farmer-turned-MGNREGA worker, made it his mission to get the tank which will help irrigate 3,000 acres of land. Currently, farmers in his village depend on the monsoon. Hailing from Handiganur, around 16km from Belagavi. Jyotiba, a tenth passout, has 35 guntas of land where he grows groundnut and potato. He stays with his wife and three children. There are some 350 to 400 MGNREGA workers in his panchayat. It all started in 2015 when the workers in Handiganur were given work for one year in their panchayat limits. These workers would walk and go to their work place. But later, they were given work at Ambewadi and Halaga, which were quite far from their village. They had to spend some Rs 25 to Rs 30 on a tempo to travel to their work place. After working for an entire day, spending our hard-earned money on the tempo was something we could ill afford. I thought the tank project would help MGNREGA workers. Thats when I spoke to our villagers to see if any government land was available in our panchayat limits. After doing some ground work, I got the information that there was 43.3 acres of land, he said. Jyotiba approached Gautam Bagadi, CEO of Belagavi Zilla Panchayat, who suggested a special Grama Sabha. The village body passed a resolution to construct a tank at Handiganur. But later nothing happened. A local officer did not send the resolution copy to the Zilla Panchayat office for further approval. I hired a tempo, along with 25 MGNREGA workers and gave a memorandum and the resolution copies to the Taluk and Zilla panchayats, the Tahsildhar and the Deputy Commissioner. Again nothing happened, he said. And he became the butt of jokes in his village. In March 2017, I decided not to wear a new shirt till the tank work was sanctioned. I would wear the shirt the entire day, wash it in the night and again wear it the next morning. I did this almost for three years. The collar and sleeves were torn and buttons broken. I would patch it up and wear it. I went to government offices wearing the same shirt several times and some employees there would make fun of me and my shirt. I was not ashamed. All All I wanted was to get the work sanctioned, he said. On January 24, I got a call from MLA Satish Jarkiholis office saying that the government has approved to construct a tank in my place. I was having my dinner and along with the plate I started dancing with joy. After a couple of days, I went to Jarkiholis place to thank him. The MLA got me a brand new shirt costing Rs 1,200, the costliest shirt I have, he said. The foundation-laying ceremony was scheduled on March 30, but was postponed due to the outbreak of the pandemic. Bengaluru, June 14 : Domestic returnees and rising infections in contacts of earlier Covid cases in Karnataka made the state's tally touch the 7,000 mark with 176 new cases, an official said on Sunday. "New cases reported from Saturday 5 p.m. to Sunday 5 p.m., 176," said a health official. Like everyday, domestic returnees are the highest number of cases, 88, while 61 contacts of earlier cases also turned positive. Among the domestic returnees, 82 or 93 per cent of the cases had travel history to Maharashtra. There were also six cases with international travel history to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and the Philippines. Meanwhile, contacts of earlier cases turning positive are showing an upward trend with 61 such cases reported on Sunday. Cases spiked in Bengaluru Urban, Yadgir, Udupi, Bidar, Kalaburagi, Dharwad, Ballari, Kolar, Uttara Kannada, Mandya and Daskhina Kannada. Among the new cases, Bengaluru Urban contributed 42, followed by Yadgir (22), Udupi (21), Bidar (20), Kalaburagi (13), Dharwad (10), Ballari (8), Kolar (7), Uttara Kannada (6), Mandya and Dakshina Kannada (5 each), Bagalkote (4), Ramanagara (3), Raichur and Shivamogga (2 each) and Belagavi, Hassan, Vijayapura, Bengaluru Rural and Haveri (1 each). Twelve patients are suffering from influenza like illness (ILI) and five from severe acute respiratory infection (SARI). Meanwhile, five people succumbed to the virus, three from Bengaluru Urban, one from Dakshina Kannada and another from Bidar. Among the new cases, 106 are males and 70 females, including 13 children below the age of 10 years. Of the total cases, 2,956 patients have been discharged, 86 have died while 16 are admitted in the ICU. In the last 24 hours, 312 patients were cured and discharged. On Sunday, the health department tested 7,451 samples out of which 6,835 turned negative. In total, 4.43 lakh samples have been tested, of which 4.27 lakh have returned negative. Currently, Yadgir is leading the state's Covid-19 burden with 536 active cases, followed by Kalaburagi (459), Bengaluru Urban (330) Udupi (312) and Raichur (292) among others. Bengaluru Urban has accounted for 32 deaths, followed by Kalaburagi (10), Dakshina Kannada (7) and Bidar, Vijayapura, and Davangere (6 each) among others. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) For many retirees, leaving work opens up many new opportunities, including the chance to relocate once you're no longer constrained by your job. Surprisingly, a recent report shows that most seniors in America aren't choosing where to live based on the weather or where their families are. Instead, they're actually making a smarter choice by putting financial concerns first. Here's how. Americans are prioritizing living costs when deciding where to relocate According to a report from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, affordability is the driving factor among retirees in deciding where to live. And while local costs may not be the most fun way to decide where to set up house in your later years, it's the right move for any retirees who aren't 100% sure their money will last in an expensive locale. Focusing on affordability is essential because most seniors have a fixed income, and money from savings and Social Security goes a lot further in some places than in others. The price of the basics varies wildly, and the tax treatment of your retirement income differs from one place to the next. The dramatic discrepancy in local living expenses means the price of the essentials for a single senior in the most expensive place in the country, Washington, D.C., is more than $11,000 higher each year than in the cheapest place, Alabama. To generate that extra $11,000 in income while maintaining a safe withdrawal rate of around 4%, you'd need an extra $275,000 in your investment account. And when it comes to paying the tax man, there are 37 states (soon to be 38) that don't tax Social Security benefits at all. But that means there will be a dozen that do. Disparate treatment of both Social Security and pension income means seniors in some locales could lose a big portion of their money to their local government and be left with much less than those just across state lines. With nearly half of all Americans worried about outliving their savings, according to one index, it's not surprising seniors are sensitive to expenses they're committing to take on when they decide where to live. Be smart about how you relocate as a retiree Relocating as a retiree is one of the single best ways to help ensure your savings last, and it's usually smart to do it ASAP if you're worried about money. If you know you can't stick it out in the place with the high cost of living that you now call home or that you've dreamed of moving to, you should likely pick a cheaper place as soon as possible after retirement. Otherwise, trying to cover large expenses could mean you withdraw too much and diminish your nest egg to a dangerously low level. By finding a more affordable retirement site, you can preserve your savings and start settling into your new community while you're still relatively young and have plenty of cash to enjoy it. Artificial intelligence in many of the fascination, but also fear. No wonder, to develop robots in movies like Terminator, RoboCop or Alien but to the chagrin of the people of their own will. Very different Pepper. As the French company Aldebaran Robotics, which was acquired in 2016 by the Japanese company Softbank Robotics up, began him to develop, not wanted to Stoke these Fears. David Kampmann volunteer. F. A. Z. "He should look nice," says Vincent Samuel of the company, Softbank Robotics, in Paris, to serve the European market. "Because the people in front of robots, often still afraid." Pepper should not generate this feeling. The company wanted to build a new humanoid robot that can help humans in everyday things. No one had had the sense to replace human labour by him. "He will not take over the work of the people, but only the very repetitive tasks," says Samuel. In addition, he was the first humanoid robot that can read emotions. 2014 came Pepper in Japan and has since developed steadily. Pepper is 1.20 meters tall, has round black eyes and a Tablet on the chest. Through partner companies it will be distributed in the world, in Germany by the Entrance Robotics in Wuppertal, Germany. Here in Germany, it is used in more and more facilities, including hospitals, Hotels, hardware stores, and since 2019 in nursing homes. One of them is the DRK centre for the elderly brother Konrad in Ebersburg-Weyhers, near Fulda, in Hesse, Germany. He's there for since spring. Markus Otto, the district Association of Fulda, the German Red cross, head of the business area's senior citizens, says he's become by press reports to him. His assistant, Laura, a choice that has to do the most with Pepper to. She is fascinated by the humanoid robot and its capabilities. His Repertoire is admittedly limited. He gives only what he was programmed. He does not know a set, so he said nothing, told choice. She is therefore constantly in order for him to demand new rates can be programmed. In the spring she has programmed him to, for example, the question of whether he was Allergy-free. Pepper then responds: "Yes, I suffer from hay fever. In the spring, the Pollen is making me crazy. Updated Date: 14 June 2020, 19:19 Wikimedia Commons New Delhi/IBNS: After Nepal's Parliament voted on Saturday on a constitutional amendment bill in a special session to revise the country's map, which includes some parts India claims as its own, the Ministry of External Affairs has said the same is not tenable. The House of Representatives of Nepal on Saturday passed the Constitutional Amendment Bill revising the Coat of Arms of Nepal which has included a stretch of land in the mountains that India claims as its own. In response to media queries on the passing of Constitutional Amendment Bill by Nepal, MEA Official Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, "We have noted that the House of Representatives of Nepal has passed a constitution amendment bill for changing the map of Nepal to include parts of Indian territory. We have already made our position clear on this matter." "This artificial enlargement of claims is not based on historical fact or evidence and is not tenable. It is also violative of our current understanding to hold talks on outstanding boundary issues," he said. Out of the 275 members of Nepal's House of Representatives, 258 votes went in favour of the amendment bill, which was passed by a two-thirds majority. Last month, Nepal's ruling party had cleared the map paving the way for friction between the two countries. Now that the bill has been passed, it will be sent to the National Assembly where it will undergo a similar process. The new map of Nepal includes a portion of land on the east of river Kali, which extends out from the northwestern tip of Nepal. The area includes the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand and also Limpiyadhura and Kalapani, which are strategically significant areas for India and the country has been guarding since the 1962 war with China. Earlier, Nepal had condemned India's construction of a new road through the Lipulekh pass in Uttarakhand, that is claimed by the Kathmandu government. Nepal had condemned India's "unilateral act" that "runs against the understanding reached between the two countries... that a solution to boundary issues would be sought through negotiations." SBC could elect Rolland Slade as first black chair of executive committee Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Eight years after electing Fred Luter Jr. as the denominations first black president, the Southern Baptist Convention could soon elect California Pastor Rolland Slade, 62, as the first black chairman of its executive committee. Slade, who is senior pastor of Meridian Baptist Church in El Cajon, California, is expected to be nominated to lead the committee that acts on behalf of the SBCs 47,000 churches between annual meetings next Tuesday, the Houston Chronicle reported. He currently serves as the committees vice chairman and no other candidates have been announced to replace Mike Stone, the present chair. Slade told the publication on Thursday that it would be humbling to become the first black chair of the executive committee. The news comes amid civil unrest over racial injustice sparked by the death of George Floyd and as SBC President J.D. Greear endorsed the black lives matter movement as a Gospel issue to members of the world's largest Baptist denomination on Wednesday. Greear noted that even though the SBC was started by Baptists who defended slavery, the denomination has evolved to become one of the most ethnically diverse religious groups in America today. A lot of people dont know that, but nearly 20% of all Southern Baptist churches are majority non-white and the North American Mission Board tells us that more than 60% of new churches planted recently have been planted and led by people of color, Greear said. Thank God for His grace. Gods grace writes new stories. He lamented, however, that the organizations leadership did not reflect the diversity of its congregations and they were working to change that. Sadly, our leadership does not yet reflect this great gift of diversity that God has given to our membership. So I along with your vice presidents are gonna continue to work on this within our appointments to make that a priority, Greear said. We realize that especially in a moment like this one, we need our brothers and sisters of color. We need the wisdom of leadership that God has written in their community. We know that many in our country, particularly our brothers and sisters of color, right now are hurting. Jared Wellman, the executive committee member who nominated Slade, told the Houston Chronicle that he is the most qualified candidate to chair the committee based on his work with the SBC. The fact that the most qualified person for the job is African American should encourage the SBC in our pursuit of an ethnic diversity that represents the coming Kingdom of God and the people God has called us to reach, Wellman said. Along with continuing to support reforms in how the denomination deals with sexual abuse, Slade also noted that he would work on improving communication between members of the executive committee, which has recently been plagued by infighting and internal disagreements. I know that there are few and far times when we get to be absolutely on the same page, he told the Chronicle. And it is my hope that when we look at what page we should be on, we should look to Gods Word to find that page and not the page of public opinion, news reports or political parties. While the executive committee does not control or direct the activities of the SBCs agencies, it reviews their financial statements and recommends the denominations annual operating budget. It also receives and distributes Southern Baptist funding for denominational ministries, acts as the recipient and trust agency for all SBC properties, and provides public relations and news services. Leah Reynolds, the executive director of Kennett Area Community Services explains the COVID-19 testing process to Kennett Square residents at the Kennett Area Community Services. Many of the people getting tested are workers in the area's massive agricultural industry. Read more Juan Gallardo arrived 90 minutes early at the mobile COVID-19 testing site at Kennett Area Community Service center and he wasnt even the first in line. He said he was eager to take the test, and urgently needed the results. The 68-year-old said his familys livelihood depended on it. Gallardo had been furloughed from his job at a nearby mushroom farm after his bosses learned that his wife had tested positive for COVID-19 a week earlier. Clinicians called to tell him he had tested negative, but without written proof to show his employers, he remained out of work. The issue is that no one knows who has it, said Gallardo, who declined to name his employer out of fear of retaliation, but has spent 26 years working in Kennett Squares mushroom industry. Weeks after affecting the more densely populated areas of Chester County, the coronavirus is now tearing through its agricultural center, with cases steadily rising. The southern tip of the county was home to the highest per capita rates of new COVID-19 cases between May 26 and June 9, according to an Inquirer analysis of county data. And the top three municipalities in that group are Avondale, Kennett Square, and West Grove, the epicenter of the regions mushroom industry. In these communities, where nearly half the population identifies as Latino and most are migrants ineligible for unemployment insurance or benefits, this global pandemic threatens massive upheaval. This virus has taken people living on the edge and just pushed them over, said Leah Reynolds, executive director of Kennett Area Community Service. This health crisis is a hunger and housing crisis." Agricultural workers from varying backgrounds say they initially struggled to get consistent information about the virus. Some were laid off or saw their hours reduced as farms lost money. Others who contracted the virus were thrust into homelessness, turned away from their housing by other workers fearful of becoming sick themselves. About six weeks ago, a patchwork of support groups that serve Kennett Square and the surrounding communities lobbied the county Health Department for aid. Together, they created new infrastructure for testing the population in areas they could access, sometimes on the farms themselves, swabbing workers as they finish their shifts. Groups like La Comunidad Hispana, a nonprofit health clinic, and Kennett Area Community Service are hosting free walk-up testing sites, run by the county Health Department. Reynolds group hosts its testing site next to the food cupboard it runs in Kennett Square, an intentional design that allows families in need to take advantage of both. Since March 13, her group has given food to 5,200 people, twice her yearly normal. Ive heard people say, This is mushroom owners fault. Its not, Reynolds said in a recent interview, as dozens lined up hours in advance for COVID testing. Its not the owners fault, not the workers fault. Its the virus. READ MORE: Chester County coronavirus case numbers could delay move to green reopening phase Jeanne Casner, the director of the Chester County Health Department, said the mushroom farms undoubtedly play a role in this spike but are not the sole contributing factor for increased positive coronavirus numbers. She stressed that the businesses are deemed essential, and, like any large employer that has remained open during the states shutdown orders, have had to deal with the risk of outbreaks. And she commended the farm owners for cooperating with the Health Department to help mitigate the virus spread. But data about the tests being done particularly on the farms are being closely guarded for reasons that arent entirely clear. La Comunidad Hispana tested a total of 271 workers at mobile clinics on three farms in the Kennett Square area between May 25 and June 3, according to data obtained by The Inquirer. Mariana Izraelson, the executive director of LCH, declined to provide specific data about how many of these workers tested positive for COVID-19, or even which farms are hosting the tests, saying that information was protected by the county Health Department. Avondale had 44 positive COVID cases as of Friday, about 3% of its population, according to county data. Kennett Square had 150 (about 2% of the population), and West Grove had 44 (1.5%). County officials, in turn, said they couldnt provide specific data about employees of a certain industry out of privacy concerns. Izraelson said, however, that the majority of that sample had tested negative for COVID-19. 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. Casner, the Health Departments director, said its undeniable that the county is seeing an increase in cases among farmworkers, especially given the close quarters in which they work. She also pointed out that the numbers are rising, in part, because of testing on the farms, which began only recently. Theres a lot going on there, and its not anything wrong, she said. Its just this is how its evolving differently in the uniqueness of this community. Most farm owners took early precautions, according to the American Mushroom Institute, a trade group representing 58 mushroom growers in Chester County. They worked with multiple organizations, including the Mexican Consulate, to create and distribute literature about COVID-19 to their workers, according to Rachel Roberts, the president of AMI. AMI has taken guidance from OSHA and other state and federal resources in protecting against the virus, she said. The network of community organizations has played a vital role, and the testing being done by LCH was welcomed by the groups members. Kathleen Snyder, who sits on the Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs of Kennett Square, said its been difficult to persuade farmworkers to use face masks, as some have the perception that using them makes them seem fragile, vulnerable, and not macho. She added that the communities are flooded with misinformation about the disease. Many place more trust in remedies rooted in cultural medicine, rather than advice from physicians. Some think that COVID is similar to a cold, or that you can avoid it by drinking very hot lime tea or very cold water with vinegar while fasting, she explained. And even within the Latino population, there is a strong language barrier. Most Guatemalans speak a rare indigenous dialect called Mam, for example, and community groups have recruited their bilingual children to help distribute material about COVID. Even with the efforts at spreading information, some workers are struggling under the weight of COVID-19. Martin Reyes, from northern Delaware, visited KACS mobile testing site earlier this month, hoping it would help him return to work on a nearby farm. He and his wife were furloughed for 14 days, after his son tested positive. And though he and his wife had no symptoms, they needed a second test to prove to their employers they were fit to work. The family was thin on savings and living in a tight space, which made their situation more tense. This pandemic is a terrible situation, he said, because family is the only thing one can rely on, and now you cant even trust your own family. Press Release June 14, 2020 Villar supports 'Buy Local' initiative to help Pinoy entrepreneurs recover "Tangkilikin ang sariling atin" rings a different tune nowadays with the call to support local products becoming more urgent in the face of economic losses stemming from the the COVID-19 pandemic. Sen. Cynthia Villar made this statement as an expression of support to the growing movement such as 'Buy Local' and 'Buyanihan' which promotes products and services offered by local entrepreneurs. "Our micro, small and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs) suffered because of the pandemic.It is hightime we give premium to the mantra "Tangkilin ang sariling atin," and really make it a point to buy Filipino products," Villar said. "There is a need to inculcate in each Filipino the wisdom of supporting our very own Filipino made products, and in the process, give due recognition to Filipino producers whose creativity and ingenuity brought us products and services which can be considered world-class," she added. Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Food, Agrarian Reform, Environment and Natural Resources, noted that there is now a growing demand for local products especially on social media and online selling sites. "We have been pushing for a concerted effort on the part of the government and stakeholoders to bring the benefit of this practice to the consciousness of the consuming public. One of the positive things this pandemic brought us is the opportunity to put our very own Filipino products on centerstage," Villar said. Villar also commended MSMEs which have learned to cope with the operational stress brought about by the pandemic. She said online selling enabled local sellers to reach consumers at a time when quarantine measures are in place. Villar noted that MSMEs are a vital component to the development of our nation's economy. In 2017, the University of the Philippines Institute for Small-Scale Industries said MSMEs account for 99.52% of registered businesses in the Philippines and employ over 62.9% of the Filipino labor force. "Therefore, it is imperative that we support our resourceful Filipino entrepreneurs in order to help them quickly recover and also to promote their development and competitiveness in the long run," Villar said. Villar authored Senate Bill 145 designating the month of November as "Buy Pinoy, Build Pinoy Month" to encourage the public and private sectors to prioritize the purchase and untilization of Filipino products, labor and services. The month of November is strategically chosen given the increased consumer spending that occurs during the Christmas season. Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated Juneteenth's relation to slavery. It celebrates the Emancipation Proclamation, but the Emancipation Proclamation didn't apply to all states in the USA. The 13th Amendment brought an end to slavery. On June 19, Americans around the country will celebrate Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the Emancipation Proclamation in the USA. This year, the annual celebration of freedom comes as the country grapples with its long-standing history of systemic racism, as well as the fate of its Confederate monuments, flags and symbols amid nationwide protests against police brutality and racism after the death of George Floyd. "Juneteenth is a unifying holiday. It is the completion of the celebration of freedom in America," said Steve Williams, president of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation. Juneteenth is often celebrated with joyful community and family gatherings, but many of these events will probably go virtual this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Here is what you should know about Juneteenth: What is Juneteenth? On June 19, 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger informed a reluctant community in Galveston, Texas, that President Abraham Lincoln had freed enslaved people in rebel states two and a half years earlier. He pressed locals to comply with the directive. USA TODAY News Fleeing slavery: a life-changing will and escaping down the Mississippi on a Union ship Although Lincoln proclaimed the emancipation of enslaved people, effective Jan. 1, 1863, enslavers were responsible for telling them that they were free, and some ignored the order until Union troops arrived to enforce it, according to Cliff Robinson, founder of Juneteenth.com. Texas was the last Confederate state to have the proclamation announced. Though the story of Texas' emancipation is the most widely known, Williams said, other significant events in the history of emancipation took place on and around that date. He said the first known Juneteenth celebrations began in 1866 and spread across the country as African Americans migrated to new cities. Story continues Civil War reenactors, from left, Lt. James Hayes, Samuel Stephenson and Marvin-Alonzo Greer participate in a Juneteenth celebration June 20, 2014, at the Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum. Today, 47 states and Washington, D.C., recognize Juneteenth as either a state holiday or ceremonial holiday. Juneteenth celebrations have been seen in episodes of television shows such as "Black-ish" and "Atlanta". Activists push for wider recognition, including a designation as a national holiday and an acknowledgment by Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange. "Federal recognition is really what our job is," Williams said. Juneteenth and reparations: Ta-Nehisi Coates, Danny Glover to testify in Juneteenth House hearing on slavery reparations Where does the name 'Juneteenth' come from? Juneteenth is a combination of "June" and "nineteenth," in honor of the day that Granger announced the abolition of slavery in Texas. The holiday is also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day. How do people celebrate Juneteenth ? Juneteenth is typically celebrated with educational activities for children, parades, concerts, beauty pageants and readings of the Emancipation Proclamation, Williams said. At cookouts, he said, red food and drink, such as strawberry soda and red velvet cake, are traditional. Red, white and blue are on the Juneteenth flag. The color red symbolizes that "from the middle passage to George Floyd, our blood has been spilled across America," Williams said. Juneteenth: Twitter and Square will observe Juneteenth as company holiday, CEO Dorsey says How will Juneteenth be different this year ? Williams said many events will be livestreamed online and in lieu of traditional parades, some organizers have planned caravans. As states lift coronavirus-related restrictions, Robinson said, it's possible people will still gather physically this year. He urged people to follow social distancing guidelines and wear masks if they do. Robinson said he believes the nationwide protests after Floyd's death will draw more people. "That certainly will allow and inspire more people to participate in Juneteenth celebrations," Robinson said. "They just have to be made aware that the celebration exists." He noted that more companies have started to recognize Juneteenth amid the protests against racism. Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter and digital payment platform Square, said both companies will make Juneteenth a company holiday this year at all of their offices across the world. Hulu is shifting the premiere dates for two original shows, "Love, Victor" and "Taste the Nation," so as not to detract from Juneteenth. The company announced it is taking action to "fight against the injustice" and support the Black Lives Matter movement by donating $5 million to nonprofit organizations, including the NAACP. What is systemic racism?: What is systemic racism? Here's what it means and how you can help dismantle it "The date represents an important turning point for our nation and for human rights, and we believe that now, more than ever, it deserves to have its own day in the spotlight," the tweet read. President Donald Trump had planned to hold a campaign rally on Juneteenth in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the site of a massacre in 1921 when white men attacked and killed Black residents in a Black business district. Facing backlash over the date, Trump announced Friday night he would move the Tulsa rally one day later. We had previously scheduled our #MAGA Rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for June 19th a big deal, he wrote on his Twitter account. Unfortunately, however, this would fall on the Juneteenth Holiday. Many of my African American friends and supporters have reached out to suggest that we consider changing the date out of respect for this Holiday, and in observance of this important occasion and all that it represents. I have therefore decided to move our rally to Saturday, June 20th, in order to honor their requests. In the media: Netflix curates new collection of 'Black Lives Matter' titles, Hulu honors Juneteenth Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday that he will work with lawmakers to designate Juneteenth an official holiday in the state that was once held the Confederacy's capital. Also Tuesday, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said he would issue an executive order making the day an official city holiday. Was Juneteenth the end of slavery in the USA ? Though Juneteenth marks the day Texas was informed of the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing enslaved people there as it had in other secessionist states, it did not apply to Union states, such as Maryland, where there were enslavers that had not seceded in the Civil War. The Thirteenth Amendment, which was ratified in 1865, freed enslaved people everywhere in the USA. Follow N'dea Yancey-Bragg on Twitter: @NdeaYanceyBragg This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is Juneteenth? Holiday celebrates Emancipation Proclamation Yellow police tape blocking off a crime scene from public access. (Dreamstime/TNS) Read more A 35-year-old woman was listed in critical condition at Temple University Hospital after she was shot twice in the chest while driving on the 1800 block of East Hart Lane in the Kensington section of Philadelphia at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday. The victim was driving a Toyota Camry when she heard gunshots and was hit, police said. The woman drove herself to the hospital. The investigation is continuing. No weapon had been recovered. At Least 17 Killed In Attacks Across Afghanistan June 13, 2020 Afghan officials say at least 17 people have been killed in a string of attacks across the country. There was no claim of responsibility for the series of attacks on June 13. Violence in the country has spiked in recent weeks despite progress toward the launch of direct talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government over a permanent cease-fire and future power-sharing deal. Gunmen killed eight people in the eastern province of Khost, the spokesman for the provincial police chief said. Spokesman Adel Haidar said Abdul Wali Ekhlas, a candidate in last year's parliamentary elections, was among those killed in the Ali Sher district. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. In the eastern province of Logar, a local official said gunmen stormed a house in the provincial capital, Pul-e Alam, killing a woman and her three daughters. In the northeastern province of Badakhshan, the provincial spokesman for the police chief said a pro-government militia commander and three of his men were killed by gunmen. Meanwhile, a cleric was gunned down by gunmen in the northern province of Takhar. On June 12, a pro-government cleric was killed in an explosion in the capital, Kabul. Also on June 12, an official in the central province of Ghor said Taliban militants stormed a police checkpoint and killed 10 police officers. Based on reporting by dpa, AP, and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/at-least-17-killed-in- attacks-across-afghanistan/30668915.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 Test samples collected by people who swabbed their own nasal passages yielded results for the COVID-19 virus that were as accurate as samples collected by a health care worker, according to a small study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The study was published June 12 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The 30 study participants, who previously had tested positive for COVID-19, collected their own samples at a drive-through testing site after watching a short video animation and reading a one-page document instructing them how to perform the swab. The nasal swab for the study is more comfortable to use than the long nasopharyngeal swab currently used to collect samples from the back of the nasal cavity. Allowing people who suspect they may have COVID-19 to collect their own sample has many advantages. Sample-collection kits could be widely distributed, allowing more people to be tested. Those using the kit wouldn't have to travel to a testing site, negating the risk of transmission to health care workers and others with whom they interact in transit. Self-collection would also conserve supplies of personal protective equipment used by health care workers. There is an urgent need to increase our testing capacity to slow the overall spread of the virus. A sample collection procedure that can safely and easily be performed by the patient in their own car or at home could reduce the exposure of health care workers and also allow many more people to submit samples for testing." Yvonne Maldonado, MD, professor of pediatric infectious diseases and of health research and policy Maldonado is the senior author of the study, which was conducted in collaboration with Andra L. Blomkalns, MD, the Redlich Family Professor and professor and chair of emergency medicine, and Prasanthi Govindarajan, MD, associate professor of emergency medicine; senior research data analyst Jonathan Altamirano is the lead author. Providing nasal swab instructions The study participants had tested positive in March at Stanford Health Care for the virus that causes COVID-19. Maldonado and her team contacted each of them by phone at home and provided them with written instructions and a short video about how to collect a nasal swab. They were asked to return to Stanford Health Care for drive-through testing. At that visit, they collected their own specimen by applying a nasal swab to both nostrils. Then, a physician collected two additional samples using a nasal swab and a swab applied to the back of the throat and the tonsils. All three samples were tested for the presence of the virus at the Stanford Clinical Virology Laboratory. Of the 30 participants, 29 received identical results -- either positive or negative for the presence of the virus -- for the three samples. Eleven of the participants were positive, and 18 were negative. One person's self-collected swab at the drive-through site revealed the presence of the virus, whereas the two swabs collected by the physician tested negative. The researchers were also interested in learning how long an infected person would test positive for the virus after they first experienced symptoms. Twenty-three participants reported that they first experienced symptoms between four and 37 days prior to returning for the drive-through test. (The timing of symptom onset was unavailable for seven of the participants.) Of the 12 people who returned within two weeks after symptoms began, seven tested positive; of the 11 people who returned for testing more than two weeks after symptom onset, only two tested positive. "It is critical for us to understand how long an infected person may remain infectious and what the pattern of transmission might be within their household," Maldonado said. "This information would help public health workers craft guidelines as to how long a person with COVID-19 should remain quarantined and when it is likely to be safe to interact again with family members and co-workers. Understanding the timeline of viral shedding will be particularly important for previously infected health care workers who are needed to care for other COVID-19 patients." Flowers and messages are left at a memorial for David Dorn, a 77-year-old retired police captain who was murdered during overnight rioting outside Lee's Pawn and Jewelry, on June 2, 2020 in St Louis, Mo. (Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images) These Are the Police Officers Shot During the Riots At least twelve police officers have been shot in the line of duty as riots and protests rage throughout the country following the death of George Floyd. News of Floyds death prompted many to peacefully protest police brutality and violence, but spurred others to commit acts of looting, rioting, and violence against police officers. Officers killed in the line of duty include retired St. Louis police captain David Dorn, Santa Cruz County Deputy Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, and contract security officer Dave Patrick Underwood. Floyd was a black man who died May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes, video of the incident showed. Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on Floyds neck, has been fired and arrested on second-degree murder and manslaughter charges. News of Floyds death has prompted many to peacefully protest police brutality and violence, but spurred others to commit acts of looting, rioting, and violence against police officers themselves. A number of these police officers have been killed in the line of duty, including retired St. Louis police captain David Dorn, Santa Cruz County Deputy Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, and contract security officer Dave Patrick Underwood. Others, like Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officer Shay Mikalonis, may be forced to reckon with injuries received during the riots for the rest of their lives. David Dorn, a 77-year-old retired St. Louis police officer who served 38 years on the force was shot and killed by looters at a pawn shop early on June 2, 2020, police said. (Scott Bandle, Suburban Journals/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP) David Dorn Retired St. Louis police captain David Dorn died June 2 while attempting to protect a local pawnshop belonging to an old friend of his, Lees Pawn and Jewelry, from suspected looters. Dorn died around 2:30 a.m. in the middle of a street after he was shot in the torso, according to a police incident report, and his killing was caught on a Facebook live video. He had served 38 years in the St. Louis Police Department before he retired. David Patrick Underwood Fifty-three-year-old Dave Patrick Underwood died from gunshot wounds after he was shot by an unidentified subject in a vehicle on May 29 in Oakland, California. The FBI has not yet determined a motive for the shooting and is still investigating the matter. Underwood and another officer, who was injured, were working as contract security officers for the Department of Homeland Security Federal Protective Service (FPS) when they were shot, according to an FBI press release. Oakland police have said that the shooting was most likely an incident targeting uniformed officers, according to the Wall Street Journal. File photo of Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller who was shot and killed in Ben Lomond, an unincorporated area near Santa Cruz, Calif., on June 6, 2020. (Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Office via AP) Damon Gutzwiller Sergeant Damon Gutzwiller was killed Saturday when he and other deputies investigated a suspicious vehicle and were allegeldy ambushed by a suspect using explosive devices and an assault rifle. The suspect shot Gutzwiller, who was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to a statement from the Santa Cruz Deputy Sheriffs Association. Sergeant Damon Gutzwiller served the community of Santa Cruz County since 2006 when he was hired by the Santa Cruz Sheriffs Office, the association said in a statement. During that time he served as a patrol deputy and detective. When he was promoted to Sergeant he performed as the leader that this community needed and deserved. Damon was a beautiful person who cared most about his family, the statement said. He leaves behind a wife who is 3 weeks away from delivering their second child, and the love of his life Carter, their 2 year old son. Las Vegas officer Shay Mikalonis, 29 in a file photo. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department) Shay Mikalonis Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officer Shay Mikalonis was shot in the head while he attempted to disperse protestors last week. His family said Tuesday that 29-year-old Mikalonis will probably remain on a ventilator for the remainder of his life, but that he is awake and appears to recognize his family. Shay is on a ventilator and will be for the foreseeable future or perhaps the rest of his life, the family statement said, according to Fox News. Early reports said that Mikalonis was killed in Las Vegas after being shot in the head, but police later confirmed he was alive and on life support. 4 Unnamed St. Louis Police Officers Four unnamed St. Louis police officers were shot in the line of duty on June 2, St. Louis MPD Public Information Officer Evita Caldwell told the Daily Caller News Foundation. All four are expected to recover: Victim No. 1, a 52-year-old white male with 30 years of service, Victim No. 2, a 34-year-old white male with 12 years of service, Victim No. 3, a 36-year-old white male with 3 years of service, and Victim No. 4, a 28-year-old Asian male with one year of service. The officers were aiding the Civil Disobedience Team at 12:04 a.m. on June 2 when they suddenly felt pain and realized they had been shot. Due to the deployment of munitions by the SLMPD SWAT team, no gunshots were heard, the incident report said. Caldwell told the DCNF that the St. Louis MPD does not provide the names of victims unless they are deceased and the next-of-kin has been notified. Victim #1 sustained a gunshot wound to his leg and was listed in stable condition, the incident report said. Victim #2 sustained a gunshot wounds to his leg and was listed in serious/stable condition. Victim #3 sustained a gunshot wound to his foot and was listed in serious/stable condition. Victim #4 sustained a gunshot wound to his arm and listed in serious/stable condition. Jason Scott And Rashad Martin Officers Jason Scott and Rashad Martin were shot early in the morning on June 2 during an exchange of gunfire near the Manchester Bridge in Richmond, Virginia. Both officers are recovering but have a lot in front of them as far as rehab, a police supervisor said Friday according to the Richmond Times Dispatch. Twenty-five-year-old Scott was shot in the lower torso while 28-year-old Martin was shot in the leg. GoFundMe fundraisers created to assist both officers had raised more than $87,000 as of Wednesday afternoon. Two days before the officers were injured, as Scott left to cover Richmond riots, Scotts fiancee reportedly posted on Facebook, Please, citizens of Richmond, let my officer come home to me safe at the end of the night. The Richmond Police Department did not respond to repeated requests for comment about the officers. 2 Unnamed New York Cops Two NYPD cops were shot and another was stabbed in the neck June 3 in what has been called an unprovoked attack, according to Fox News. I think we are all fed up with what were seeing and many levels. This violence has to stop, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea told Fox. New York police officers have been targeted in multiple instances throughout the riots. Video footage posted June 1 shows rioters ganging up on a police officer only hours before an SUV reportedly plowed through a group of both police officers and National Guard members. The New York Daily News also reported that a different SUV full of suspected looters crashed into an NYPD officer in Greenwich Village. The New York Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the DCNF. Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org. Cranfield-led research has assessed the initial impact of COVID-19 on air transport and found that it is likely to lead to a smaller, consolidated sector in the future. The research -- involving a series of in-depth interviews with senior aviation industry executives along with analysis of flight and air freight data -- provides an early assessment of the medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on air transport for both passenger and cargo traffic. After a rapid geographical spread of the virus with initial manifestation in Asia and a lagged response in the rest of the world, most airlines tried to operate a normal schedule until they were prevented by mobility restrictions such as border closures and lockdowns, translating into sudden drops in flight numbers from mid-March. Data showed that impact has been stronger in international than domestic markets. There was a partial recovery of Asia Pacific domestic markets during March, fueled by China's recovery, turning into a double-dip in April as other Asian countries experienced drops in domestic traffic in line with global trends. Interviewees thought the crisis would lead to consolidation and a significantly smaller industry and were concerned about the possible differences in state aid and how that could affect the level playing field in a post-COVID-19 aviation market. Dr Pere Suau-Sanchez, Senior Lecturer in Air Transport Management at Cranfield University, said: "Along with other sectors of the economy, air traffic is vulnerable to external factors, such as oil crises, natural disasters, armed conflicts, terrorist attacks, economic recessions and disease outbreaks. The findings of this paper represent an early assessment that can help the aviation industry and other related industries like tourism in the preparation for the recovery period. advertisement "We focused on identifying aspects that can structurally redefine the aviation industry in the medium and long term for both passenger and cargo traffic, particularly around supply and demand, traffic resilience, passenger behaviour, health regulations and business ethics. Understanding these structural elements in an integrated way can provide more confidence in efforts to predict the future context. As the views of senior stakeholders might change as the crisis evolves, a record of their early assessments also represents a valuable reference for future analysis." Other COVID-19 consequences highlighted by the interviewees included: Full-service network carriers (FSNCs) are likely to be major losers since the recovery in international markets will be slower and they may face new competition with the potential entry of new airlines in their home hub markets. Regional airlines were identified as possible short-term winners during the recovery period as they could potentially help FSNCs adjust their feeding capacity. Low-cost carriers are expected to concentrate in primary markets with possible entry in hub airports, and a general reduction in frequencies at the route level. Regional and secondary airports are likely to lose out as capacity is freed up in larger markets, attracting airlines and enabling larger hub airports to reinforce their positions. Interviewees were concerned about the recovery of business travel, mainly due to the cancellation of meetings, incentives, conferencing and exhibitions (MICE) events, and the uneven lift of travel bans. Teleworking was seen as a serious threat to demand, with the current context of digital transformation and cloud apps offering better solutions for teleworking than the traditional videoconference. The recuperation of the leisure passenger segment was expected to be quicker but reduced disposable incomes would curtail propensity to fly and require significant support, such as route subsidies. Fear and health concerns were identified as major issues for the leisure traveller, more so than for the business traveller. In regulatory terms, all interviewees believed that new health screening controls would be imposed at airports, translating into higher costs for airports and passengers, but did not consider social distancing to be a viable commercial option for airlines. The interviews also identified areas in which the industry could be transformed towards a more ethical business, for example around supply chains and more responsible consumption. Interviews with 16 managers from across the airline and airport sectors (including major, low-cost and regional carriers, large hub, medium and regional airports, a pilots' union and an aviation insurance broker) were conducted between 19 March and 17 April. Global flight supply and air freight data, including origin and destination airport, time of departure and arrival, number of seats supplied, aircraft type, and day of operation was analysed for the first four months of 2020. The full paper -- "An early assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on air transport: Just another crisis or the end of aviation as we know it?" -- was published in the Journal of Transport Geography, and co-authored with Augusto Voltes-Dorta, University of Edinburgh Business School, and Natalia Cuguero-Escofet, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. Watching the protesters and riots recently on TV gave me flashbacks of my duty in Danang, Vietnam, in 1970. I served as a military policeman in jeep patrols while there. As a small-town, 19-year-old Iowan, I came face-to-face with racism and bigotry for the first time. Part of our police training included riot control. Like now, it included a line of police, armed and with shields, pressing forward to break up the crowd. I encountered several riots in Danang. We (only four to six men) were armed with weapons but unfortunately had only plastic helmets for any protection. One riot occurred at a crossroads outside a well-known base called China Beach. While I was there, gunshots were fired at me from a crowd of over a thousand, and I was knocked to the ground when I was hit by a cement block hurled at me. Meanwhile the crowd chanted and yelled repeatedly: GI go home! As a police officer on a deterrent line, facing hundreds if not thousands of angry people it is extremely intimidating. The visible show of force by a police presence is to create enough psychological fear and intimidation to cause overwhelming amounts of people to disperse. Fear occurs unfortunately on both sides of the line. This causes both rioters and police to lose judgment and demonstrate negative behaviors they may not normally exhibit. That being said, abuse of power by police officers should never be tolerated. I know what power a police officer feels when they don their uniform and weaponry. And a war zone made the power even stronger. Unfortunately I did see abuse by individuals in my unit, but nothing like George Floyd in Minneapolis. Racism and systemic racism do exist within the police community. In Vietnam we dealt with racism toward each other and also toward the people of Vietnam. I served in the military during the race and anti-war protests/riots happening around the U.S. and on military bases in Vietnam. Many times the racial prejudice within an individual could be clearly seen, but other times it was hidden and insidious. One evening several in our police squad had a few beers behind our barracks after our watch. One of our police officers who appeared kind and usually kept to himself joined us. He got very inebriated and we were startled at what he said. This native Georgian, his inhibitions gone, told us how as a child his father would take him to KKK meetings and sometimes to burn crosses in community members yards. He also remembered his dad proudly talking about seeing a lynching when he was a boy and his grandmother telling him to Never forget the Civil War. He continued to tell us that when he got back home his goal was to join the Georgia State Troopers. He finally told us Yankees that if he saw our Northern license plates as we drove through Georgia, we would get a speeding ticket whether we were speeding or not. If this man did join the ranks of the Georgia State Highway Patrol, how many troopers today may still be influenced by this bigoted American? The emotion of anger is the feeling or psychological response we have to the unmet expectation, disappointment, or perceived threat. But hate toward something specific is a learned behavior. As with my Vietnam comrade, he learned it from his family. It then becomes a more specific form of hate called bigotry. Sometimes bigotry is created by being discriminated against, which is a two-way conduit. Therefore we must all eliminate this highly directed form of anger, or it will destroy us and our nation. We have many fine police forces in America, but its time for reform. We need to recognize bigotry, own it, and eliminate it. State and local entities must step up, but we also need a national figure to lead us that direction. Unfortunately millions of citizens demonstrating to eliminate societal inequalities are viewed by President Donald Trump as only civil disorder threatening his re-election chances. Trump is incapable of leading us in any positive direction and will continue to divide our nation as long as he resides in the White House. Steve Wikert is a Cedar Falls resident, Vietnam veteran and retired teacher. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Workmen board up the Lord Baden-Powell statue in Poole - Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images Chief Scout has said that the movement cannot deny its founder Lord Baden-Powell's "failings" but should learn from them. Bear Grylls says Scouting needs to be aware of its past and Baden-Powell's role, and that "history is nothing if we do not learn from it". The adventurer and TV presenter explained: "Baden-Powell may have taken the first step in creating Scouting, but the journey continues today without him. We know where we came from but we are not going back." Grylls' comments come after a row over whether a statue of Baden-Powell should be removed from its place in Poole harbour because of his espousal of some far-Right ideas. The local council planned to remove the monument because of fears it would become a target for anti-racist activists. But protesters, many former Scouts, thwarted the removal by forming a ring around the statue. Writing for The Telegraph, Grylls said the Scouting movement had to acknowledge Baden-Powell's vision in bringing together young people "to learn how to celebrate their differences, to love and protect the outdoor world, to serve communities, and to be empowered with skills for life". But he admitted that Baden-Powell was far from perfect and said Scouting had moved on since it was founded. He writes: "As Scouts, we most certainly do not celebrate Baden-Powell for his failings. We see them and we acknowledge them. And if he were here today we would disagree with him on many things, of that there is no doubt. And I suspect he would too." Grylls says that while being grateful to Baden-Powell, the Scouting movement "must also evolve", explaining that for that reason he supports the protests against racism that followed the killing of African-American George Floyd by a white policeman in Minneapolis. "This is why I wholeheartedly stand beside the righteous anger unleashed by the killing of George Floyd, and together we must all do what we can to right the awful injustices that BAME communities live with every day," he writes. Story continues The statue of Baden-Powell was installed in 2008 and faces Brownsea Island, off Poole, Dorset, where the Scout movement began. Declassified MI5 files revealed in 2010 that Baden-Powell was invited to meet Hitler after holding friendly talks about forming closer ties with the Hitler Youth. He has also been accused of holding racist and homophobic views. Following the toppling of the statue of slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol, the Baden-Powell monument was one of more than 60 that appeared on a "Topple the Racists" hit list. The list says he "committed atrocities against the Zulus in his military career and was a Nazi/fascist sympathiser". Vikki Slade, the leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, said at that time: "While famed for the creation of the Scouts, we also recognise there are some aspects of Robert Baden-Powell's life that are considered less worthy of commemoration." Grylls writes: "This last week, people have expressed much confusion and anger at the possible removal of a statue of Lord Baden-Powell in Poole. "To me, and many Scouts, Brownsea Island (the place that the statue looks out on) is a reminder of that great Scouting vision that has since helped so many young people gain vital, life-enhancing skills. "It's right we take time to listen, to educate ourselves and reflect on our movement's history. "We need the humility to recognise there are times when the views and actions from our Scouting's past do not always match the values we live by today. "We must learn, adapt, and improve." President Donald Trump has bowed to pressure over an election rally scheduled to take place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on the Juneteenth anniversary that commemorates the end of US slavery, and said he was pushing the event back by a day Washington: President Donald Trump has bowed to pressure over an election rally scheduled to take place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on the Juneteenth anniversary that commemorates the end of US slavery, and said he was pushing the event back by a day. Trumps decision to hold his first campaign rally in months on 19 June in a city notorious for a 1921 massacre of its black citizens had prompted fierce criticism, especially in the face of nationwide protests against racial inequality and police brutality against African Americans. Many of my African American friends and supporters have reached out to suggest that we consider changing the date out of respect for this Holiday, Trump wrote on Twitter late on Friday. I have therefore decided to move our rally to Saturday, 20 June, in order to honor their requests. 19 June, known by African Americans as Freedom Day, commemorates the date in 1865 when Texas was forced to comply with President Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation declaring all people held as slaves free - the last of the pro-slavery Confederate states to do so. African American leaders had blasted Trumps decision to resume his campaigning after the coronavirus lockdown in Tulsa, which in 1921 saw one of the countrys worst outbreaks of racial violence when white mobs went on the rampage, massacring black residents and destroying their homes and businesses. This isnt just a wink to white supremacists - hes throwing them a welcome home party, Senator Kamala Harris, a top contender to be Democratic presidential candidate Joe Bidens running mate, wrote on Twitter on Thursday. US Representative Al Green, a Congressional Black Caucus member, denounced the move as overt racism from the highest office in the land. Katrina Pierson, senior adviser to the Trump campaign, said at the time that Republicans, as the party of Lincoln, were proud of the history of Juneteenth, and that Trump had built a record of success for African Americans. Trump, seeking re-election on 3 November, won Oklahoma by more than 36 points in 2016. Referring to his rally, Trump told Fox News in an interview recorded on Thursday and screened earlier on Friday: Think about it as a celebration. Trump, who suspended his political rallies in March due to the pandemic, had earlier denied that scheduling the event on Juneteenth was deliberate. The rally will take place amid protests around the United States sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis on 25 May after a white officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. The officer was fired and has been charged with second-degree murder. Fox News interviewer Harris Faulkner, who is black, later said she was not sure whether Trump was aware of the painful history of Tulsa for African Americans because her questions in the interview focused on the Juneteenth date of the rally. Trump, who this week rejected calls to rename US military bases named for Confederate military figures, said in the interview that what Lincoln had done was questionable, but was cut off before he could elaborate. I think Ive done more for the black community than any other president. And lets take a pass on Abraham Lincoln cause he did good, although its always questionable. You know, in other words the end result, Trump said without explanation. Faulkner then spoke over him saying, But we are free, Mr. President. He did pretty well. We are free. You understand what I mean. Im going to take a pass on Abe - Honest Abe as we call him, Trump responded. The president said during the Floyd protests in which looting occurred in some cities that when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Trump told Fox News he was not aware that this phrase originated with a white segregationist who was Miami mayor in the 1960s. Democrats and other critics have accused Trump of stoking racial divisions. A security guard allegedly bludgeoned another guard to death with a blunt object and burnt his body after pouring liquor on it in the basement of a vacant building in Greater Kailash Part 2 on Friday, the Delhi police said. Police officers privy to the preliminary probe in the case said Imrat Singh, 54, allegedly killed Sarnam Singh, 56, following an argument after eating and drinking together. The two were friends and would often drink together. On Friday, they began drinking at 7 am and were drunk when they fought. Deputy police commissioner (south) Atul Kumar Thakur said Imrat Singh was found at the crime scene when police reached there after being informed about smoke billowing from the basement. He said Imrat Singh initially tried to mislead them saying that he had burnt papers and cardboards to kill mosquitoes. But he broke down when the charred body of the other guard...was found in the basement. He said the two drank together, had chicken and partied before the murder. Around 1.25 pm, a neighbour saw smoke coming out of the basement and called the police. Imrat Singh has been arrested and booked for murder and destruction of evidence. It was unclear yet why the two fought. Lisa Hess and her daughter Lucy enjoy a cup of coffee in San Luis Obispo, California. Shannon McMillen Photography Lisa Hess, owner of Lucy's Coffee, has started the long climb to restoring her business in a post-coronavirus world. But her well of emergency funding is about to run dry. The crisis came at quite possibly the worst time for the San Luis Obispo, California, shop. "We're a college town, and February through June are our busiest months," said Hess, who's operated her cafe for three years. "The timing was terrible: We literally started breaking even three weeks before the shelter-in-place order." She borrowed close to $23,000 from the Paycheck Protection Program in the beginning of May. The federal forgivable loan program, which first opened on April 3, was originally intended to cover eight weeks of payroll expenses, mortgage interest, rent and utilities. Hess used the money to pay her full-time employees but now, as California begins to gradually reopen, she has about two weeks of funding left. Sales are a far cry from what they used to be and Hess doesn't know when things will be back to normal. "There's anxiety about paying the employees going forward," she said. "And with the colleges canceling for the rest of the year and not having students coming back, I'm highly concerned about how things are going to go." The predicament is a familiar one to owners of restaurants, bars and those in areas that depend heavily on tourist travel. Stay-at-home orders mostly forced them to close, and even as restrictions lift, sales and foot-traffic are still down and the pot of PPP cash is nearly dry. "The difficulty is that some of my restaurant clients were also early in line," said Todd Koch, CPA and partner at John A. Knutson & Co. in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. Restrictions have started to lift in the North Star State, with bars and restaurants starting to serve clients outdoors only on June 1. "I'm concerned for these people and that industry," said Koch. "Revenues are way down. "It's difficult just to get started, and now you have this on top of it." Problems with timing andresr Though small businesses were in desperate need of the cash infusion from the PPP, the biggest stumbling block they had faced was the rapidly changing rules underlying the program. For starters, businesses were able to borrow enough to cover eight weeks of payroll, mortgage interest, rent and utilities. For the loan to be forgivable, they had to apply at least 75% of the proceeds toward paying workers, and no more than 25% for other expenses. This created a conundrum for businesses in the hospitality and leisure businesses: Many of their employees were furloughed or laid off and collecting unemployment which might have paid them more due to the $600 a week enhancement the federal government provided. In other cases, employees wanted to come back, but stay-at-home orders kept those establishments from fully reopening. To meet the 75% threshold for forgiveness, employers shelled out hazard pay to employees or paid them to stay home if they couldn't reopen at all. Jennifer George, who manages Mountain Tees in Breckenridge, Colorado, reduced hours for employees but paid them in full after the gift shop received a $140,000 PPP infusion. Restrictions on retail businesses in Colorado began to lift on May 1. Though sales are far from where they would be normally, they have been rising since Breckenridge opened a nearby pedestrian plaza, George said. "I didn't tell people to go on unemployment, but we gave our good employees an end-of-season bonus and asked for their loyalty to come back when the doors opened," she said. The Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law on June 5, relaxed the spending requirements. Firms now have 24 weeks to spend their loan proceeds, and they're eligible for forgiveness if at least 60% of the money goes toward paying employees. Lisa Hess at Lucy's Coffee in San Luis Obispo, California. Shannon McMillen Photography Partial forgiveness is also on the table for those who don't meet this threshold. However, the additional time doesn't do much for businesses that have already spent down a large chunk of money. "The period that's covered by the PPP has been extended, but the amount received doesn't correspond with the extension," said Sheneya Wilson, CPA and founder of Fola Financial in New York. Her clients include a small barbecue restaurant in the city, which is only beginning to reopen. "If a business has low margins, maybe they were able to keep 10 employees on, but can they sustain these employees?" Wilson asked. "Or will they have to let them go?" Not just more time, more money Senator Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., speaks at U.S. Capitol press conference about seniors facing higher prescription drug prices if Obamacare is overturned. Michael Brochstein | SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty Images 14 June 2020 Type Media Article Carbon stored in soils is often called soil organic carbon and it is good for soils. Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and storing it in plant material or soil. Researchers Donal OBrien and Gary Lanigan have more information on carbon sequestration. Why is Carbon sequestration important? There is a lot of talk around carbon sequestration contributing to reductions in agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including in the new EU Green Deal. But what is it and how much can it really contribute? Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the atmosphere and storing it in plant material or soil. Carbon stored in soils is often called soil organic carbon and it is good for soils, improving their workability, water holding capacity, and productivity. Ecosystems that can sequester more CO 2 than they release are termed carbon sinks, while those that emit more than they sequester are termed carbon sources. Forestry is good for sequestering carbon, and agricultural soils can also be carbon sinks (but they can also be sources). Ireland must reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% by 2030 but because agricultural emissions are difficult to reduce, Ireland was allowed to offset 5.6% of national emissions by carbon sequestration. So carbon sequestration can help balance GHG emissions. How much carbon is in our soils and hedgerows and how much are they sequestering? Teagasc has conducted a lot of research investigating carbon sequestration. Grassland soils have been shown to contain large stores or stocks of carbon, approximately 440 t CO 2 /ha or an estimated 1,800 Mt CO 2 across all Irish mineral soils. To put this in context, national GHG emissions are about 60 Mt per year, so our mineral soils store 30 years worth of emissions. Our peat soils store even more per ha, about 4,000 t CO 2 /ha. So there are huge stocks of carbon in our soils, but are we adding to (sequestering) or running down these stocks? The research shows that grasslands are generally a carbon sink, with values for carbon sequestration ranging from 1.5 to 4 tonne CO 2 /ha/yr. However, international accounting rules state that we can only include the additional sequestration that occurs due to management changes made after 2005, so reported figures are much lower (-0.75 to 1.4 tonne CO 2 /ha/yr). Also, there is a lot of variation from place to place and year to year: Figure 1: Schematic of carbon sources and sinks Lighter sandy soils have a smaller C sequestration capacity than heavier clay soils. Croplands have less soil organic carbon as carbon inputs are lower and ploughing increases carbon loss. In a dry year, soils can turn from being a sink to a source. Management, soil fertility and fertilisation, and stocking rate can all affect sequestration. Sequestration is also very difficult to measure as the amount of carbon sequestered (or lost in some cases) each year is tiny relative to the overall stock. All this complexity is not a reason to give up on carbon sequestration. Rather, it is a challenge for scientists and we have other tools to measure it such as computer modelling or flux towers that measure gaseous exchange above the soils. Given its importance to agricultural GHG balances, we need to be able to quantify it. Our hedgerows also contain carbon. Teagasc research has shown that we have 689,000 km of hedgerows, almost double the previous estimates. As with soil, the key thing is are we adding to or taking from the stock of carbon in the hedgerows? We can add to the stocks by increasing the length of hedges or their volume (i.e. letting them get bushier). What contribution could carbon sequestration make to the carbon balance of a farm? Farms emit GHG from livestock, fertiliser, lime, manure and energy use (diesel and electricity). We have carried out a preliminary analysis of how much emissions could be offset by sequestration. Using the average NFS suckler beef farm (stocking rate = 1.36 LU/ha), carbon sequestration could offset 46% of the emissions (Figure 2). Figure 2. Carbon balance per ha on a typical beef farm Note: We assumed an average carbon sequestration in soils of 1.8 t CO 2 /ha/yr, and assumed 0.1 t CO 2 /ha/yr for hedgerow sequestration. Total sequestration = 1.9 t CO 2 /ha/yr (or 0.52 t C /ha/yr). Can we take this further and increase carbon sequestration to make this farm carbon neutral? There are ways to increase carbon sequestration as shown in Table 1. Of course, reducing emissions would also bring this farm towards carbon neutrality. On the other hand, higher stocking rates will increase emissions/ha and make the challenge of getting to carbon neutrality greater. We will go into this in detail and what this typical farm would have to do to get to carbon neutrality in an upcoming series of webinars. Table 1. Ways to increase carbon sequestration Sequestration potential Avoiding soil compaction Increase the proportion of grazing to Improving existing hedgerows (making them bushier) to Improve soil fertility Establish clover/multi species swards Planting extra hedgerows Planting additional woodlands/forests Restoring a drained wetland Drained peat soils In contrast to mineral soil, grasslands on drained organic (peat) soils are a substantial source of CO 2 of circa. 20 t CO 2 /ha/yr. This is due to the fact that they contain very large C stocks (approx. 4,000 tonnes CO 2 per ha) and upon draining, this carbon is rapidly decomposed and released as CO 2 . These soils account for 5-6 Mt CO 2 emissions in addition to the ~20 Mt CO 2 from agriculture. Restoring small areas of peat soils can deliver large CO 2 savings. Where to from here? There is a need for more research on this topic by Teagasc and others to build the evidence base and further enhance soil carbon sequestration in Irish agricultural soils. The Agricultural Catchments Programme and the Signpost farms initiative both include a major focus on soil carbon monitoring. Teagasc is a major partner in a new 80 million programme to improve the management of agricultural soils across Europe, called the European Joint Programme on Agricultural Soil Management. Greater knowledge will help us to manage and safeguard the important carbon stocks in our soils and enhance our ability to sequester even more carbon The Oscar-winning screenwriter who led the calls for Gone With The Wind to be removed from a streaming service has criticised Quentin Tarantino for his painful and infuriating use of the n-word. John Ridley, who wrote 2013 period drama 12 Years A Slave, successfully called on WarnerMedia to temporarily take down 1939 classic Gone With The Wind from its HBO Max platform. He argued its depiction of slavery in the pre-Civil War American South reinforced harmful stereotypes of people of colour. Oscar-winning screenwriter John Ridley has criticised Quentin Tarantino for his use of the n-word in his films (Ian West/PA) Amid the renewed debate on race and culture, Tarantinos work has been cited on social media. The acclaimed filmmaker, who is white, has been criticised in the past for the liberal use of racial epithets in his movies. Novelist and screenwriter Ridley told the PA news agency Tarantino in some ways luxuriates in the word, adding its not used in particular context, its just used to be used. Ridley said: Its painful and its infuriating. But at the same time, I wouldnt sit and say, OK, you can never use that word.' Ridley said that while there needs to be a continual conversation, that does not mean a reappraisal of every single thing in every single space. Tarantinos representatives did not respond to comment, however he has addressed the criticism previously. In 2015, ahead of the release of his film The Hateful Eight, he hit out at critics in black culture and said: You wouldnt think the colour of a writers skin should have any effect on the words themselves. Gone With The Wind was immensely popular upon its release in 1939 but has attracted criticism for its depiction of slavery (AP Photo) Ridleys article in the Los Angeles Times made headlines when Gone With The Wind was temporarily removed from HBO Max. The filmmaker said his intention was not censorship, stressing he does not want the movie locked in a vault in Burbank, and would prefer it was placed in the appropriate context. Story continues And responding to claims he was attempting to erase history, Ridley said: This isnt history, this is historical fiction. Its no more true than science fiction. Just because Spider-Man takes place in New York doesnt make it real. Ridley added: And yes, in Gone With The Wind there was a Civil War and there are plantations, and then theres a big drop off from what was represented to real history. So, if this is a film that cant survive a little context, if it cant survive conversations about what it was, and what it represented, and how it really helped to, in some ways, buttress segregation and Jim Crow here in America, then the film really cant stand up on its own. Ridley, who won the best adapted screenplay Oscar for 12 Years A Slave, also directed the 2017 documentary Let It Fall: Los Angeles 19821992. He said the recent protests sparked by the death of George Floyd feel more significant than the ones triggered by the acquittal of the police officers involved in the beating of Rodney King in the 1990s. He said: These movements we have seen over the last couple of years that have been born out of very, very painful experiences, you just see more and more different kinds of people understanding that if we are not there for each other then nothing really is going to get better. People sunbathe on a beach in Spain - Clara Margais/Getty Images British holidaymakers will be allowed to travel to Spain from June 21 so long as the Covid-19 situation allows, as the government seeks to salvage what's left of the summer tourism market. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Sunday that the country would reopen to tourists from EU countries 10 days earlier than expected. Visitors will no longer need to undergo quarantine from midnight on June 20, when Spains state of emergency is lifted. A government spokesperson confirmed to The Telegraph that the U.K. was considered an EU nation under the announcement, as it remains in the Brexit transition period. British tourists make up the biggest share of visitors to Spain each year. However, this does not mean that there may not be another change if the epidemiological situation in Britain requires this, the spokesperson added. Spain had previously imposed a two-week quarantine period on all international visitors. Its border with Portugal will remain closed until July 1. Mr Sanchez said that EU states were working to draw up a list of third countries whose citizens will also be welcome from the start of July. "We have been able to corner the virus in our country and on the European continent... but the risk has not disappeared," Mr Sanchez told a news briefing after talks with regional leaders. "Tourism is a key sector for the economic recovery," he said. Travel within Spain will also be possible as of June 21. However, it will remain mandatory to wear masks in crowded public spaces until a cure or vaccine for COVID-19 is found. The coronavirus has so far killed more than 27,000 people in Spain but new infections have slowed and the country is now emerging from lockdown. In a small prelude to the wider opening of its borders, Spain will allow 11,000 German tourists to visit its Balearic Islands from Monday as part of a test programme. Also on Sunday, Mr Sanchez announced a 3.75 billion aid package to rescue Spain's automobile sector. Together, tourism and automobiles account for over 20% of Spain's gross domestic product. Parents are becoming increasingly stressed about their childrens welfare as government plans for a reopening of all schools in September remain up in the air. National Parents Council Primary spokeswoman Aine Lynch told the Sunday Independent yesterday: We very strongly feel that children need to be back in schools for their own social and emotional development. The ideal is that they are fully back in September and that is what we should be working towards if it is safe for them to do it. Weve had a lot of parents contacting us in the past few weeks and a lot of their stress comes from feelings that their children are struggling with being out of school so long. She added: Parents are talking to us about their childrens needs, their developmental needs, their emotional needs and then, after that, their educational needs and developmental needs which are connected to their schools. That is the stress parents are talking about, the fact they see the negative impact all of this is having on their children. Parents are very concerned. They are contacting us about children who have special education needs and they feel their children are regressing in terms of their development and that is very worrying for parents. Addressing Education Minister Joe McHughs plan yesterday, Fianna Fail education spokesman Thomas Byrne said: I believe that everybody wants to see a safe return to school for all children, permanently, in September. I believe that we have the time to engage with our public health officials to ensure a safe return for all. The absence from school of children, as a result of the pandemic, has had profound effects on their learning and on their well-being. "Despite incredible efforts by teachers, we cannot easily replace in-person classes - not only for learning but for their socialisation too. "I am calling on the Department to make sure that this long period of absence is properly researched to make sure that we know exactly what 'catch-up' is needed and what well-being measures are needed when schools return." Aine Lynch added that children's needs must be prioritised. "That is why we are supporting the idea of getting schools to reopen," she said. "Children's needs have to be prioritised and see how we can reopen schools fully. "The solution is we all need to work together in partnership and keeping children's needs highest on the agenda. And we need to make sure that staff feel safe coming into schools as well." Current social distancing guidelines of two metres mean at present schools could only partially reopen, but the Government intends to fully reopen schools for all children at the end of August and into September. The Department of Education will work with stakeholders and health authorities in the coming weeks to develop clearer guidelines for how this would work. A bespoke plan, similar to what was developed for the childcare sector, is likely to be published in the coming weeks. Government sources said this would take account of expert views that is not possible for children under the age of 12 to maintain strict social distance and this could mean restricting interaction between different primary school classes and secondary school years. Beijing carried out mass testing for the coronavirus on Sunday after a new outbreak in the city that prompted travel warnings across the country amid fears of a resurgence of the disease. The deadly contagion had been brought largely under control in China through strict lockdowns that were imposed early this year but have since been lifted. But a fresh cluster linked to a wholesale food market in the capital has sparked widespread alarm and raised the spectre of a return to painful restrictions. The National Health Commission (NHC) reported 57 new infections on Sunday, of which 36 were local transmissions in Beijing, all linked to the Xinfadi market. Another two domestic infections were in northeastern Liaoning province and were close contacts of the Beijing cases. The 19 other infections were among Chinese nationals returning from abroad. Liaoning was among several provinces to advise residents against travelling to Beijing due to the new outbreak -- along with cities such as nearby Tianjin and several in Hebei province, which surrounds Beijing. Some local authorities said people entering from Beijing would have to quarantine, state media reported. In the capital, lockdowns have been imposed on a very small part of the city that includes 11 residential estates near the market which supplies most of the city's fresh produce. Officials said Sunday they planned to carry out virus tests on 46,000 residents in the area surrounding the market and had set up 24 testing stations. Everyone who works at Xinfadi also has to undergo testing. So far 10,881 people have been tested in the area with another eight cases diagnosed on Sunday. They were not included in the NHC's tally earlier in the day that covered the previous 24 hours. "I went to Xinfadi market so I want to confirm that I am not infected," a 32-year-old woman surnamed Guo told AFP as she queued in scorching heat at a stadium waiting for a virus test. "We were told that after the tests... if it is positive, we will be taken directly to the hospital." - Lockdowns and closures - One of Sunday's new cases was a 56-year-old man who works as an airport bus driver and had visited the Xinfadi market in early June before later falling ill, state-run People's Daily reported. The meat section of the huge, sprawling market was closed Sunday and AFP reporters saw hundreds of police officers and security personnel plus dozens of paramilitary police blocking access. Efforts to trace those who had visited the market have begun, with companies and neighbourhood communities messaging staff and residents across the city to ask about their recent movements. A vegetable market adjacent to Xinfadi was open Sunday and trucks were arriving to deliver or collect stock. "Afraid? Not really" a delivery driver surnamed Zhang told AFP. "But anyway I have no choice -- I am part of the lowest class of society. So I have to keep working in order to make a living." In nearby streets, residents were under lockdown and restaurants closed. Some people used a wooden stepladder propped against the gated entrance to one community to pass supplies to loved ones. A resident surnamed Chen told AFP he had made several trips with his car to the front gate of his compound to deliver food. "As soon as I finish delivering the supplies to my family members, I will go upstairs to join them," he said. "After that I won't be able to get out." - Food fears - COVID-19 first emerged late last year and one of the first clusters was from a market in the central city of Wuhan that sold wild animals for meat. The latest outbreak in Beijing has turned the spotlight on the hygiene of the city's food supply chain. State-run media reported that the virus was detected on chopping boards used to handle imported salmon, and that major supermarkets had removed the fish from their stocks. Beijing authorities ordered a city-wide food safety inspection focusing on fresh and frozen meat, poultry and fish in supermarkets, warehouses and catering services. One trader surnamed Sun, selling tomatoes and cherries at a central food market, told AFP there were fewer customers than normal. "People are scared," he said. City authorities have closed nine schools and kindergartens near Xinfadi, while sporting events and cross-provincial tour groups have been stopped. The one thing that could send pot stocks soaring in a hurry is the federal legalization of marijuana in the U.S. If and when that happens, it'll not only be possible for cannabis companies to move their products legally across state lines but it could also result in a flurry of mergers and acquisitions. Canadian companies like Canopy Growth (NASDAQ:CGC) are especially eager to tap into the lucrative U.S. pot market. Last year, the company entered into a tentative agreement to purchase multistate cannabis operator Acreage Holdings (OTC:ACRGF) for $3.4 billion -- but only once marijuana becomes legal in the U.S. When that happens is anyone's guess at this point. But Canopy Growth's new CEO, David Klein, believes that day is coming soon. He says that it could happen as early as 2022, and it won't depend on who's elected president in November. Why he thinks it'll happen soon Klein believes it's only a matter of time until the federal government legalizes marijuana. In an interview with Yahoo! Finance Canada, Klein said: Every single state that adds cannabis as a legal product puts a little more pressure on the federal government not to make criminals of people operating legitimate businesses. However, he did concede that it may also take until 2025 before legalization takes place. Legalization by 2022 is a long shot, at best The best-case scenario for the cannabis industry is that the federal government will legalize medical marijuana -- not the recreational market, as Klein projects -- in 2022. There are only 11 states (plus D.C.) that have legalized pot for recreational use compared with the more than 30 that have done so for medical purposes. Legalizing pot for recreational use would involve significant legislative progress on cannabis, and that's just not something we've seen up to this point. Even something as simple as giving cannabis companies access to banking services isn't an easy win. The SAFE Banking Act went nowhere after passing the House last year. Lawmakers recently included it in the HEROES Act, which was deemed "dead on arrival" and had many Republicans wondering why there was so much mention of cannabis in a stimulus bill. If lawmakers from both sides can't even agree on giving cannabis companies access to the banking system, outright legalization can't be anything more than a pipe dream. Federally, marijuana is still a schedule 1 substance along with heroin and ecstasy. It would need to be reclassified out of schedule 1 before legalizing pot could be realistic, and that change is nowhere in sight, either. There hasn't been much movement in marijuana reform at the federal level, and with the COVID-19 pandemic still raging and an economic recession to worry about, it's hard to see a scenario where cannabis reform isn't on the back burner in the coming years. A more realistic target is 2025, but that's by no means a guarantee. Investors should focus on the near future It's tempting to think about the long-term growth opportunities that may exist for Canopy Growth and other pot stocks once marijuana is legal at the federal level in the U.S. But looking too far ahead is what got cannabis investors into trouble in the first place and sent the valuations of many marijuana companies to unsustainable levels before they ultimately crashed to the floor when reality set in. Rather than worrying about what might happen over the next five years, investors should be looking at businesses as they are today and the foreseeable future. Forecasting where a company may be at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is already difficult, let along trying to guess when the federal government will make significant marijuana reforms. Any cannabis stock that will be around when federal legalization takes place will benefit from it, whether it's in the U.S. or in Canada -- that's almost a given. But the key to generating significant long-term returns is getting to that point, and a business needs to be in good shape to take advantage of those opportunities once they present themselves. Canopy Growth is a great example of a company that's in a solid position. It had 1.3 billion Canadian dollars ($95 million) in cash and cash equivalents on its books as of March 31 and it enjoys the involvement of Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ), the alcohol giant that now owns 38.6% of the company. Thus, this pot stock's one of the safer, more stable buys in the industry. And with its deal with Acreage waiting in the wings, Canopy Growth is ready to go once it gets the green light from the U.S. government. Expecting legalization to happen shouldn't be the reason you decide to invest in marijuana stocks. Instead, you should base your decision on the company's financial health and its growth prospects, regardless of whether federal legalization happens or not. Actress Alicia Cole developed flesh-eating disease, sepsis and three life-threatening antibiotic-resistant infections after what was supposed to be a minor surgery in 2006. But for all she went through, Cole recalls details of the racial bias she encountered at the hospital as clearly as the physical ones she suffered. The experiences of Cole and her family over more than a decade of hospital stays turned her into a vocal patient safety advocate and one of the very few people of color in the growing movement. Whether it's unconscious, explicit, institutional or research bias, discrimination in the health care system contributes to the stark disparities seen in how COVID-19 sickens and kills patients of color, health care experts agree. Insurance coverage and access to care, housing, healthy food and transportation all play a role in how diseases affect races differently. When a bias is built-in, Cole said, "People stay away and try to take care of it at home or with a nurse or a doctor at the church." "They want to talk to someone who genuinely cares and is not judging them at the same time," she said. "Thats really important, and not just for Blacks." Ask Black doctors or patients if there's racial bias in the health care system and many laugh at the seeming absurdity of the question. Some of what they point to is anecdotal, but it comes up time and time again. Evidence can be found in the lack of research and innovation in illnesses that mostly affect people of color and in scientific studies that illustrate inequities in health care. A study last October in the journal Science claimed an algorithm used by hospitals miscalculated the care needs of sicker Black patients. A 2018 study in Health Affairs found African Americans were more likely to be involved in studies exempted from requiring informed consent to fully describe the potential risks of the research to participants. Dr. Howard Koh, a professor at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and former Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary, calls COVID-19 a "fast pandemic being fueled by a slower pandemic" of disparities in chronic conditions. Story continues Studies have shown even the most well-intentioned physician or medical professional demonstrate unconscious bias in caring for others, said Koh. Thats why explicit and consistent training and education and commitment to cultural competence is absolutely critical for the future of our health care workforce. Hospitals including Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and Highland Hospital in Oakland, California, are among those focusing on how to rid their systems of both explicit and implicit bias contributing to uneven care based on race. Margarita Alegria, a psychologist and Harvard Medical School professor, heads the disparities research unit at Massachusetts General. She says the way health care is administered perpetuates bias with its push to maximize profit by seeing more patients. Margarita Alegria is a psychologist, Harvard professor and head of disparities research at Massachusetts General Hospital. "There's not enough time not to stereotype patients," said Alegria. This leads to "attributional errors" caused when doctors don't have enough time to get the information they need "to put themselves in the position of the patient," she said. "You attribute peoples characteristics and behavior based on their group," she said. Health care providers doing this might assume a patient doesn't care about their health, when in fact long work hours and long commutes on public transportation make it difficult to do an appointment. If these patients then feel dismissed and stereotyped, they are less likely to go back until they are very ill, said Alegria. "They are not really getting out of health care as much as they need to," she added. "The investment in time when you are low income is very different." Fibroids become focus for change Treatment of uterine fibroids, a common condition that's worse for Black women, is an area where racial bias is especially clear. About 70% of women will have uterine fibroids benign tissue masses in or around the uterus in their lifetimes. Most won't have to do anything and some may not even realize they have them. Black women, however, are far more likely than white women to get both uterine fibroids and to be encouraged to have risky surgeries to remove them. Removing the uterus in a hysterectomy is often recommended, sometimes even for women of childbearing age. If that sounds like echoes of the forced sterilization of many Black women up until 1972, it feels that way to women faced only with the hysterectomy option. Dr. Joy Cooper, an Oakland, California, obstetrician and gynecologist at Highland Hospital, has many Black patients with fibroids and describes herself as a "fibroid survivor." Black women, she said, are "notoriously on record as having them the worst, with the most symptoms, in larger numbers and the worst types." Cooper went through her medical school residency looking like she was six months pregnant before she could finally have her fibroids removed and surgery was the only option. To improve access to doctors who understand them, she co-founded Culture Care to help women of color get second opinions from physicians through telemedicine in California. She hopes to expand nationally. 'We're losing our kids': Black youth suicide rate rising far faster than for whites; coronavirus, police violence deepen trauma Bias is part of the reason Black women's fibroids are often so serious by the time they see a doctor, some physicians say. By the time women get to the Atlanta-area office of Dr. Soyini Hawkins, their "options aren't really options anymore." She asks them when they decided to do something about their fibroids and "thats when I get the stories." Their experiences at physicians' offices are so "disheartening, they don't do anything and don't seek a second opinion." "Patients tell me they do feel dismissed," said Hawkins. "It builds a distrust where they wont go to anyone." Dr. Soyini Hawkins, an OB/GYN outside of Atlanta, learned to perform noninvasive procedures for fibroids after her own difficult surgery. Hawkins' own experience with fibroids missed by her Black male doctor until it was too late for noninvasive surgery prompted her to specialize in such procedures, including one known as Acessa. Hawkins and patient Theresa Heyward, then 44, thought the noninvasive approach was the perfect solution for her, but after approving it, her insurer rejected it the day of her surgery. "I was ready to fight to be able to maintain my uterus and prevent something so life-altering," Heyward said. "But I needed to continue to exist, too." Her fibroids had gotten so bad if she didn't drink enough orange juice or take enough iron pills, she was warned she might pass out while behind the wheel of her car from all the blood loss. "If it affected white women that way, there would be multiple ways to prevent or cure fibroids," said Cooper. "There's just not the same interest in doing research." Sickle cell treatments long ignored Dr. Ted Love knows all about how diseases get ignored when Blacks are the principal victims. Sickle cell disease was discovered more than 100 years ago and the cause has been understood for about 50 years, but investment and innovation have been far behind other so-called orphan drugs. Venture capitalists tapped Love to be CEO of Global Blood Therapeutics, which developed one of two new treatments in 20 years for sickle cell disease because he would be so passionate. "Its going to be personal for Ted," Love recalls them saying. On Thursday, Love spoke at the virtual annual conference of the pharmaceutical trade group Bio on the importance of diversity in clinical trials and COVID-19's disproportionate impact on underrepresented populations. He sees parallels in the growing support for changes in policing policies and the growing interest in health care disparities. "The truth is many people who benefit from the current system have really not wanted to give it up," Love said in an interview. "The thing that gives me hope is that there is a broad cross section of our society saying its wrong. Even people in groups benefiting from it are saying this has got to come to an end." Hertz Nazaire, who has had sickle cell disease since he was six months old, is shown in his art studio Hertz Nazaire, 46, was diagnosed with sickle cell disease when he was six months old. Until he started on GBT's new drug Oxybryta in December, Nazaire and other sickle cell patients' main options for treatment were medication for the symptoms, transfusions or stem cell transplants. GBT's Oxbryta is the only Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment that inhibits the sickling and destruction of red blood cells. The transplants are risky and require a healthy donor who has the same tissue type as the patient. That repeatedly left Nazaire face to face with the health care providers who thought he was exhibiting "drug-seeking behavior" and not in true pain. "People have a stigma and judge you before they even know you," said Nazaire, who lives in Bridgeport, Connecticut. "They might take the last person with the same skin color and you are the same person. They dont treat you like an individual." 'Fear, skepticism and distrust' Alicia Cole, who played a nurse in the 1990s TV series "Beverly Hills, 90210," watched that happen to her brother in 2016 when he went to pick up her morphine prescription after a sinus infection sent her back into the hospital. She had developed flesh-eating disease and sepsis again. Cole said the pharmacy clearly assumed he was looking for drugs because he was Black. The pharmacy refused to let him pick up liquid morphine for her, claiming it wasn't a "legitimate prescription," until the hospital called. Alicia Cole is shown being wheeled out of the hospital in 2006 by parents Ron and Betty Cole. "Even among the patient advocate communities, racism has always been too uncomfortable a discussion to have," said Cole. "Our larger society is just now confronting racism. Doctors do not magically check bias at the hospital door." Cole's first experience with health care bias was in that same hospital in 2006 when she was having two small fibroids removed. For every day of what turned out to be a two-month stay due to hospital-acquired infections, her parents were by her bedside. That prompted one nurse to ask what her parents did for a living and how they could afford to be there so often. A white patient wouldn't have been asked that, Cole said. When her father stepped into the hall while her wound dressings were changed, almost without fail, someone would mistake the retired Ford Motor autoworker and Marine for a low-level hospital worker, she said. They'd try to hand him dirty laundry or trash. There were no apologies. A nurse manager explained simply: "We don't get many African American patients here." Alicia Cole is shown in her role as a nurse in the former TV series, Beverly Hills 90210. Like the diseases that disproportionately affect people of color, the amount and nature of discrimination in health care don't get the focus they deserves. Harvard's Alegria said no one knows how much disparities can be traced to discrimination because no one has studied why there are so many fewer Black and Latino patients in the health care system. "There's not taken enough attention paid to looking at how racism is perpetuated," said Alegria. "There has to be some inward reflection, radical action and a willingness to eliminate this systemic racism." Even conditions that have received significant public attention might have different results based on race. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women, but researchers found Black women are much more likely to get a late-stage diagnosis that makes the disease far more difficult to treat. A 2017 study of 26,331 women with breast cancer in Missouri found Black women had 30% greater odds of being diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer compared to white women. Marya Mtshali, a Harvard lecturer in women, gender and sexuality studies, said health disparities for Black Americans begin before they enter a hospital or doctors office. Black and Latin people are more likely to be uninsured, which makes some wary of seeking care over worries about expensive medical bills or being treated differently. Predominately Black communities are more likely to have fewer health clinics or hospitals that lack key medical services such as maternity wards. And Black moms are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The experience is being clouded by different layers of racism, in some cases sexism, that can make it a very different experience for a person of color going into the health care system, Mtshali said. Researchers reported a U.S. health system commercial algorithm "exhibits significant racial bias" because it calculates health costs rather than health needs. The program misidentified Black patients with chronic health problems as being at similar risk as healthier white patients. In fact, Blacks had fewer means, not less need. The company that created Optum Impact Pro algorithm disputed the study's findings. In a statement, Optum said the algorithm is not racially biased and the study mischaracterized it based on one hospital system's incorrect use. Mtshali said some examples of medical bias can be exacerbated by gender, too. She cited anecdotal reports of Black women with illnesses such as flu or severe stomach pain taking extra time to dress a certain way to be treated with respect. The underlying fear is they will not be treated equally when they seek care at a hospital or doctors office. When somebody is doubled over in pain, they shouldnt have to worry about trying to look presentable, she said. There already is this fear, skepticism and distrust entering an institution that you are not going to be treated the same. Koh said efforts to address medical bias are inconsistent. Hospital, clinic and health care system leaders must adopt standards to ensure facilities are hospitable for people of all backgrounds. Under the Obama administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services adopted policies to address so-called class standards for cultural and linguistic accessibility, Koh said Its an issue that will become increasingly important as diverse populations grow and the United States heads toward a majority-minority nation. Hospitals are still inhospitable to people of color whether they realize it or not, Koh said. We have documented the problem in a very detailed way. The question now is what do we do about it? O'Donnell can be reached on social media at @JayneODonnell or email at jodonnell@usatoday.com. Alltucker is on Twitter as @kalltucker and email at alltuck@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Festering racial bias in health care a factor in COVID-19 disparities Yemeni and Philippine embassies in Riyadh announce emergence of a number of coronavirus cases at diplomatic missions. The Yemen embassy in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, is closing indefinitely due to several confirmed cases of the coronavirus among staff. The embassy made the announcement on Twitter late on Saturday but did not specify how many people had contracted COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The Embassy of the Republic of Yemen in Riyadh announces the suspension of services from tomorrow 14 June 2020 until an indefinite date, as a result of the discovery of a number of new coronavirus cases, said the embassy in its announcement. Similarly, the Philippine embassy announced that from Sunday, its office for labour affairs will close after a number of employees were tested for the coronavirus and six people were confirmed positive. The office is being sterilised and employees were working remotely, according to the embassy. Saudi Arabias coronavirus numbers continue to climb by more than 3,000 cases daily with more than 123,000 confirmed cases and 930 deaths overall. The country of 34 million people recorded its first COVID-19 infection on March 2. On March 16, Saudi Arabia suspended work in all government sectors except health and security as part of efforts to contain the pandemic. The kingdom topped 50,000 cases on May 16. Although the kingdom has eased coronavirus-related restrictions across much of the country, the government announced on June 6 a renewed lockdown in the city of Jeddah. TDT | Manama Aaref Hejres, Chairman of Bahrain Property Development Association (BaPDA), has called for launching a stimulus package to revive the realty market and attract investors amid coronavirus pandemic. He also urged authorities here to review decisions and laws governing the sector to account for the effect of coronavirus situation. The changes, he said, should start with the freezing of the infrastructure fee for at least a year. Realty sector is now less than half the size of what it was in the past, and the fee structure is now hurting more than ever. The law needs a review in consultation with investors and developers in the Kingdom, Hejres said while calling for comprehensive steps and well-integrated revival plan. The Kingdom, he said, is not immune to the economic challenges the world is facing and to survive, we need to adapt and find new income sources. Freezing the infrastructure law will benefit all parties. Increases in building permits, real estate registration and other licensing fees will bring increased revenues to the state coffer. Construction materials sector, support services sector and other related sectors will also reap its benefit, Hejres added. He also expressed optimism in seeing a revival in the sector in light of the new measures announced by the government to stimulate the economy and to cushion the economic pain caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The infrastructure fees, reportedly, increased to BD12 per sqm last year. At that time, Works, Municipalities and Urban Planning Minister Essam Khalaf has clarified that this amounts to only 40pc of the cost involved, with the government bearing remaining 60pc expense involved in developing infrastructure. " " A new study suggests future astronauts on long-haul space missions may be susceptible to a form of dementia called "space brain" caused by galactic radiation. Stocktrek Images/Mark Stevenson/Getty Images If you saw the movie "The Martian" or read Andy Weir's bestselling novel upon which it was based, you know that astronauts who travel to Mars will have to brave some daunting hazards from the planet's inhospitable environment. Exploring and colonizing the Red Planet would mean enduring extremes of heat and cold, ferocious sandstorms and an atmosphere that's too thin for them to breathe unassisted. But even if the astronauts managed to survive all those conditions, a new study published in the journal Nature points out another, even more frightening problem. When the explorers eventually returned to Earth, they might have suffered so much brain damage they'd forget much of what they saw and learned. Advertisement The reason: Exposure to cosmic rays highly-energized charged particles of mysterious origin, which may be the product of ancient supernova explosions could fry their brains, resulting in cognitive impairment, paranoia and Alzheimer's-like dementia that would rewrite or wreck their memories. This form of dementia's been given the catchy name "space brain." This is really, really bad news for Mars-bound astronauts. They'll be bombarded with such radiation for several years during a future mission, explains Charles Limoli, the study's lead author and a professor of radiation oncology at the University of California, Irvine school of medicine. "Exposure to these particles can lead to a range of potential central nervous system complications that can occur during and persist long after actual space travel," Limoli said in a press release, "such as various performance decrements, memory deficits, anxiety, depression and impaired decision-making. Many of these adverse consequences to cognition may continue and progress throughout life." Limoli and colleagues studied the effects of such radiation on rats, and it didn't take long for serious brain damage to set in. After just six months of exposure, the animals showed significant levels of brain inflammation and damage to neurons. As a result, their neural networks malfunctioned, and they performed badly on behavioral tasks designed to test memories and learning ability. The good news is that NASA already is looking for ways to protect astronauts from cosmic rays. Conventional metal radiation shielding won't provide enough protection and would add too much heft to spacecraft and spacesuits. Shielding made from exotic hydrogenated boron nitride nanotubes might be a solution. On top of that, Limoli and his colleagues are working on a different idea drugs that would thwart the chemical processes that cause brain damage and protect astronauts' neurotransmission. Now That's Unlikely In their original comic-book incarnation, the Marvel heroes known as the Fantastic Four gained their superpowers thanks to their exposure to a particularly intense cosmic radiation storm. Prisoners have been gloating on social media about their comfortable lifestyles as they post pictures of TVs, games consoles and food stockpiles in their prison cells. Images posted on social media by a number of inmates on mobile phones, which are banned in prisons, show huge hoardings of luxuries such as boxes of cereal, powdered milk and even a stereo system. Others showcase their supplies of squash, fizzy drinks and tinned tuna. A prisoner poses for a photo in his prison cell alongside his TV and stockpile of toiletries and fizzy drinks. The pictures posted on Facebook by some inmates show their stockpile of food including squash, fizzy drinks and cereal Although mobile phones may be banned, it is not against he rules for inmates to be sent money from outside the prison to purchase additional items for their cells. In a statement, a Prison Service Spokesperson said: We apply common sense to what prisoners can buy and keep in their cells. The Sunday Mirror reports that a prisoner posting on Facebook under the name Chris Hutchinson, claims to have comforts such as a TV, Xbox and a music system in his cell. Chris, who is believed to be serving ten years in HMP Gartree, Leicestershire, compared life in his cell to being in Butlins as he used money sent to him by friends and family to buy products from the Argos catalogue. Adult magazines line a shelf in this prison cell while a TV and music system are also visible in this prison cell In a statement, a Prison Service Spokesperson said: We apply common sense to what prisoners can buy and keep in their cells One officer told the Mirror: Most inmates have extra bits and pieces in their cell but it depends on the nature of the inmate and what regime they are on. Some inmates watch TV or play computer games all day. While some have access to money and outside help, others dont, and it can cause conflict. The pictures on social media also show a selection of adult magazines lining a storage in shelf in on prisoners cell. Another prisoner, whose cell is lined with items of food compared his room to a village shop. One prisoner posting under the name Darcus Marcus said he got an Xbox into his cell the same way he managed to get hold of a mobile phone. The Ministry of Justice said it is unclear where the pictures that appeared on social media were taken or if they are even in an English prison. The legislation was described as historic, and the commentary on multiple occasions matched the significance of the moment. It was a remarkable 90-plus minutes Thursday evening as state lawmakers unanimously approved racial justice legislation. The gravity of the moment did not escape those legislators who spoke about the proposal. The remarks there was no actual debate, at least not in the purest sense of the word were often insightful, introspective, heartfelt and emotional. We covered Thursdays events, including some of the most powerful testimony from state legislators. If you missed that coverage, we encourage you to find it online or in Fridays print editions: its worth the read. But there was so much more than what could fit into that story, so I wanted to share some of that here. I wrote previously that Rep. Ruth Ann Gaines, a Democrat and a black woman from Des Moines, recalled portraying civil rights icon Rosa Parks in a local community theater production. She said one line from that performance has always stuck with her: "Sometimes the Lord chooses us for special things." Gaines said she has been thinking about that line in recent weeks after the death of George Floyd, a Minnesota man who died after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly 9 minutes. Gaines said her faith has led her to believe that perhaps Floyd was chosen by a higher power to serve as a spark for the calls for the advancement of racial justice that have become so prevalent since his death, and helped lead to the legislation that was passed this week in Iowa. "George Floyd has become a special person in death because he, as a symbol of life, is saying, 'We dont have to wait anymore. The time is now'," Gaines said Thursday on the House floor. "As I close, I will say sometimes the Lord chooses us for special things. George Floyd is bigger in death than in life, and I think theres a rhyme and reason to it." Rep. Ras Smith, a Democrat and a black man from Waterloo, described Thursdays events as bittersweet because of the injustices that led to the moment but the significance of the legislation being approved. Smith, like many other lawmakers who spoke Thursday, cautioned that the bill was merely a first step, and that much work ahead remained. "The work ahead is plentiful, but I have so much hope," Smith said. "Im hopeful because this time in Iowa we stepped up and made real change." Rep. Matt Windschitl, the Republican House majority leader from Missouri Valley, described watching Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad participate in the protests in Des Moines and attempt to keep them peaceful while reaching out to the young, black Iowans passionately demanding change. Windschitl recalled watching Abdul-Samad address a young protestor who said he just wanted his voice, his concerns, to be heard. Windschitl expressed his admiration for Abdul-Samads efforts, and had a stirring message to him, the protestors in the streets and the Black Lives Matter protestors who watched Thursdays events from the House and Senate galleries. "Is this a solution to every problem we have, every injustice? No. But its a damn good start. And we can move forward from here, and we can do so united as Iowans, regardless of race, color, creed, or sexual orientation. We can move together as people who care about one another and want the best for our fellow man," Windschitl said. "Rep. Abdul-Samad, Rep. Smith, I have the utmost respect for you and for your colleagues. I appreciate that you have stepped into the fray and tried to help. We also want to help, and were here. And to all the folks in the gallery, anybody who might watch this later, hear this later, to that young man who was talking with Rep. Abdul-Samad: we hear you. We hear you and we want justice for everyone. Everyone." Erin Murphy covers Iowa politics and government for Lee Enterprises. His email address is erin.murphy@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter at @ErinDMurphy. Amateur Radio Exams in South Africa postponed again South Africa holds two amateur radio exams a year in May and October. This year the May exam was first postponed until June 27 and has now been postponed indefinitely SARL News says: Thank you to all those Clubs who responded to the RAE Exam Centre Letter dated 4 June. The majority of Clubs have indicated that they are not willing to go ahead with the RAE under the current Government lock down regulations. The RAE team and the Council have therefore decided to postpone the RAE examination, which is currently set for 27 June, indefinitely or until such time that the relevant regulations permit us to hold the exam. Once the regulations have been relaxed, indicating that it is safe to have small gatherings, we will set a new date for the RAE. We need approximately two weeks to be able to courier all the exam papers to the various centres around the country. Hence, we will give all candidates and exam centres a two weeks notice period. We cannot make any exceptions to this rule so everyone will write the exam on the same day. This will also give each Club more time to complete the HF assessment for their candidates. All exam centres should continue mentoring their candidates, using one of the online platforms such as Zoom and Cisco Webex. We will also have to postpone the October RAE. A new date will be set in consultation with all the invigilators and their respective Clubs. Source SARL News http://www.sarl.org.za/public/_news/read.asp There are two categories of amateur radio licence in South Africa: Class A which requires a pass in a 60 question HAREC compatible exam and permits 1 kW output Class B which requires a pass in a 30 question exam (equivalent to UK Foundation) and permits 100 watts output The Class B licence is only issued to people who are under 21-years-old. It is cancelled when the holder reaches their 25th birthday. An HF Practical Assessment is required for both Class A and Class B licences and there are additional Practical Assessments to be completed for Class B. Exam syllabus and study guides are available at http://www.sarl.org.za/public/licences/rae.asp Dozens of police officers employed at departments throughout Connecticut have lost their law enforcement certifications for violations ranging from making false statements to felony convictions over the past three decades, according to a database published by USA Today. At least 73 police officers in the state lost certification between 1988 and 2017 for misconduct, the database shows. In most cases, cops serving in Connecticut must be certified by the Police Officer Standards and Training Council, though state police and some small agencies are exempted from the requirement, according to the council. The database, originally published last October, resurfaced amid scrutiny police departments both in the state and nationally following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Among the Connecticut police who lost their certifications are David Cari and Dennis Spaulding, two former members of the East Haven Police Department convicted of civil rights abuses in 2014. During Caris trial, evidence showed he had altered an arrest reports 27 times. The list also includes Matthew Macero, a 12-year veteran of the Ansonia Police Department who lost his certificate in 2016 for falsely reporting an incident (conviction), according to the database. In May of that year, Macero pleaded guilty to charges of stealing from the departments evidence room and falsifying records, the New Haven Register reported. The most recent officer to lose their license as reported in the USA Today database is Leighton Gibbs, formerly of the Meriden Police Department, who was decertified in 2017 following a felony conviction for workers compensation fraud. Gibbs was charged in 2016 after authorities claimed he collected around $34,000 in benefits for an injury he sustained outside of work, the Hartford Courant reported at the time. In Connecticut, demonstrators have called for more oversight of disciplinary actions taken against police officers. Floyds death has also prompted several municipalities to review their use of force policies, and Gov. Ned Lamont has pledged to work with the state legislature to ban chokeholds. Correction: an earlier version of this story said David Cari and Dennis Spaulding were members of the New Haven Police Department. Both served in the East Haven Police Department. This story has been updated. New Delhi, June 14 : Javagal Srinath led the Indian pace attack for nearly a decade after the retirement of Kapil Dev. India may posses a prolific fast bowling battery across formats now, but Srinath's career was at a time when they were far more dependant on the spinners to do the job. Srinath said that the dependance was so high that he had to often ask the captain to be given the ball. "I'm not complaining, but that's the way the situation was. In India there were times when we used to play just one fast bowler. Sometimes we played just for the sake of playing a fast bowler. Wickets were absolute rank turners in the initial part of my career," Srinath told SportsKeeda. Srinath made his ODI and Test debut in October and November 1991 respectively under the captaincy of Mohammed Azharuddin. "You need to be a permanent part of the team and to be getting wickets all the time. Three spinners used to do 80 or 90 percent of the bowling, I would sometimes feel awkward like 'what is my role here'. I used to go and ask the captain to hand me the ball, at least let me be satisfied for my inclusion for XI. "That was the case. Indian conditions suit spinners better but at the same time it puts you on a faster thinking mode. So the reverse swing came handy but I never lost hope. I understand that winning is more important," Srinath added. Srinath was almost a lone warrior for India in the fast bowling department for much of his career before Zaheer Khan cemented his place. The situation is in stark contrast to the present era where the likes of Japrit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma are regulars for India in Tests while they also have equally capable back up fast bowlers in the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav. "Spinners used to rule the roost those days; fast bowlers had little role to play but things have changed now. Today you have three fast bowlers operating before the spinners come on. Just like the traditional way of fetching wickets," said the ICC match referee. Most people likely know DJ Envy from hosting one of the most popular radio shows in the country. However, many people dont know that at one time, he and his wife were approached to be reality stars on Bravos Real Housewives franchise. DJ Envy and Gia Casey in 2017 | Sam Wasson/Getty Images for iHeartMedia) Who is DJ Envy? DJ Envy, whose real name is Rashawn Casey, is one of the three hosts of The Breakfast Club radio show with Angela Yee and Charlamagne Tha God. The morning show is based out of Power 105.1 in New York and is syndicated nationwide. The Queens native went to Hampton University and was mentored by DJ Clue. He and Gia Casey got married in 2011. They have five children, Madison, London, Brooklynn, Logan, and Jaxson. The couple resides in New Jersey. Gia McCoy was allegedly recruited for RHONJ In a recent interview on The Breakfast Club with LisaRaye McCoy, DJ Envy brought up the Real Housewives franchise, asking if there was any truth to the rumor that she could be joining the show. She said the rumor was true but she didnt want to join. It was years ago. Thats not my brand. Thats not what I wanna do. Im not interested in that at all. And so I declined, she said. RELATED: The Breakfast Club Morning Show Slammed for Interviewing Uncle Russell Simmons DJ Envy said that the show wanted to add his wife Gia a cast member on The Real Housewives of New Jersey. They wanted my wifeto be honest, one- we didnt need the money, he said. Two, Im not gonna let them dictate whats going on in my house. We have a real black family with things that go on, and youre not gonna try to do fighting and try to create tension in my real household. Like, I got five kids. This is real! Nah, youre not gonna do that. So we just decided to gracefully back out and say, Nah, were good.' Reports first surfaced that Envy and his wife could be joining the show back in 2012. The rumor seemed random but not that coincidental, given the fact that Casey had been seen with cast members Teresa Giudice, Caroline Manzo, and Jacqueline Laurita. On deciding to not join the show, McCoy also said, We got enough going on, and I do believe in TMI. Some things are just too much information. And the way that reality TV is going on, you dont even want your kids to watch it because you dont want it to dictate or rotten their mindset in thinking this is cool to be disloyal, dishonestIm too grown for that. Vladimir Putin has said Russia has handled its coronavirus outbreak better than the US, where he claimed party interests had hampered efforts to manage the pandemic. The Russian president told state TV on Sunday the American response to the virus and recent anti-racism protests were signs of deep-seated internal crises in the country, which has recorded the highest overall death toll from Covid-19 in the world. Mr Putin claimed his country was emerging from its epidemic with "minimal losses" - although the accuracy of government statistics in the country has been questioned. Russia has the third-highest number of coronavirus infections in the world, with 528,964 confirmed cases, behind the US and Brazil, but has only recorded 6,948 deaths. However, Alexei Venediktov, editor of the liberal Echo of Moscow radio station, reported on Tuesday that nearly six thousand more people died in Moscow during May than on average, putting Russia among the worst-hit countries in Europe. In an interview with CNN this week, a Kremlin spokesperson said Russias low death toll was due to effective healthcare in the country but did not offer a clear explanation for what that meant. We are working rather smoothly and emerging from this situation with the coronavirus confidently and with minimal losses but in the US that is not happening, Mr Putin said in his interview with Russia-1. He claimed his country had been more successful in managing the crisis because officials at federal and regional level had worked as one team without disagreements. I can't imagine someone in the [Russian] government or regions saying we are not going to do what the government or president say, he said. It seems to me that the problem [in the US] is that group, in this case party, interests are put above those of society as a whole, above the interests of the people. Mr Putin also criticised examples of violence at US anti-racism demonstrations, which have been predominantly peaceful, in recent weeks, while insisting he supported black Americans protesting over inequality. If this fight for natural rights, legal rights, turns into mayhem and rioting, I see nothing good for the country, he said. Additional reporting by agencies By Patricia Campos-Medina After a rally this weekend, a high-school student asked me to help her find the words to explain to her family why as Latinos, we need to stand up for #BlackLivesMatter. I attended the #BlackLivesMatter rally in my county simply to stand up and fight for the ideals of the country that my immigrant parents believed in; the idea of America as the land of opportunity and the land of justice for all. But throughout history, this dream of equality has been fought for and defended by every generation of Americans. It is now our turn to stand up and fight for justice for Black lives, because if this society continues to treat them as expendable, the lives of my U.S. born American children, are also expendable. As an immigrant activist and labor educator, I have learned that the greatest tool for creating solidarity among immigrant and native workers has always been figuring out how to make connections between our mutual history of struggles for equality and our present fights for economic survival. Our movement for immigrant worker justice is a struggle to reclaim the humanity of immigrant workers in a capitalist economy that thrives on dividing workers by race and nationality. America after all is an experiment in unfettered capitalism and that experiment has been successful because it was built on the forced and free labor of African slaves. African Americans survived 400 years of slavery, reconstruction, Jim Crow, separate-but-equal and, after a long struggle, they finally gained some rights with the Civil Rights Act of 1965. This transformative historical moment changed our society in another significant way that should matter to all of us: it eliminated the quota system of immigration law that gave preference to European migration and created an opportunity for more people in the global south to gain entry into the U.S. by codifying into law the opportunity of immigrants to reunite with their families. It is no wonder then, that as non-European immigration increased, conservative anti-immigrant bias grew to culminate today in the denial of rights and citizenship access to 11.5 million undocumented workers mostly from Mexico and Latin America. President Trump has given voice to this resurgence of anti-immigrant bias; he has emboldened the voices of white supremacy and white nationalism that call for closed borders and mass deportations. He has legitimized the idea that violence against black and brown bodies; he compares Central American migrants to roaches to deny our children their humanity; he attacks Mexicans as rapist and criminals and demonizes them for working in the low-wage job markets left behind after corporations shut-down factories and abandoned white-workers in industrial America. And finally, he denies our Puerto Rican brothers and sisters, who are American citizens by birth, equal treatment and federal assistance after the island suffered one of the most devastating natural disasters in American history. As advocates for immigrant worker justice and as champions of Latino civil rights, we must embrace #BlackLivesMatter because our struggle for #LatinoJustice and #ImmigrantJustice is built upon the same foundation of civil rights. We must lift up the stories of labor leaders like Cesar Chavez, of Puerto Rican Civil rights leader Antonia Pantoja who together with Rev. Martin King Jr. embraced the civil rights movement as a national movement against economic oppression. After all, the American experiment of unfettered capitalism continues to thrive today on the backs of poor Blacks and Latinos who, along with millions of undocumented workers, have become the masses of #EssentialWorkers keeping middle- and upper-class Americans healthy during this pandemic. It is a known fact that African-American and Latino workers are dying at up to three times the rate of white Americans from COVID-19, while simultaneously bearing the brunt of working without guaranteed paid-time off or health insurance, all while being left behind by the lack of direct recovery aid coming out of Washington DC. So, I simply told this young Latina high school student that Latinos we are in the same boat as Blacks and the boat is sinking. Only real solidarity across our movements can secure a safer society for our childrens future. However, to learn to be in solidarity with African Americans, we must begin to address our communitys own learned bias against Blacks. We must acknowledge that our own history of Colonialism ingrained in some of us the belief that proximity to white skin is the marker of superiority. This belief in colorism is a legacy of our own history of cruelty exerted upon our Native American and African ancestors by the white European conquerors. We all must learn the language of anti-oppression, equity and inclusion and begin to dismantle classism and racism in our own Latino families and community. #BlackLivesMatter calls on all of us to engage in the hard work of checking our own bias and to acknowledge that in order for all people of color to survive the weight of endemic poverty in our cities, to dismantle police and ICE brutality in our neighborhoods, and survive the economic devastation caused in our community by COVID-19, we must make this a common struggle and fight together for our common humanity. As a Latina immigrant, a mother, educator and researcher in higher education, I am committed to learning to do the hard work of supporting and healing our leaders across both our movements. As Langston Hughes reminded us in his poem; O, yes, I say it plain, America never was America to me, And yet I swear this oath America will be! Dr. Patricia Campos-Medina is a labor political activist and an extension faculty member at the Worker Institute at ILR Cornell. She lives in Hunterdon County. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. The Star-Ledger/NJ.com encourages submissions of opinion. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Mr Issaka Sampson, 2016 Convention Peoples Party (CPP) Parliamentary Candidate for Odododiodoo Constituency has said the party needs an astute Organizer to lead the processes for revamping it for a meaningful impact in Elections 2020. He said the failure of the CPP in previous elections was mainly based on its inability to organize and mobilize even though we daily sing the slogan organisation decides all. Nkrumahs party was built based on astute organisation, we have lost that vim under the forth republic, but I am ready to rekindle that vim. Mr Sampson who is a Business man told the Ghana News Agency in an interview to declare his intention to contest for the National Organizer slot of the party at its National Delegates Congress. He said the Party needed a National Organiser who had the strength and wherewithal to work with all candidates through the constituencies and regional officers; with the will power to meet boot-for-boot other organizers and sell the partys message to the electorate. He explained that, as a businessman, I will employ corporate strategy to promote the party locally and at the national levels. He said the party needed to reinvigorate grassroot volunteers to help with campaigning; CPP electorate must elect someone with the ability to change our fortune, we cannot continue to record zero at polling stations across the country. It is a disgrace for Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumahs CPP to record zero at polling stations and perform abysmally in national elections under the forth republic. We have sat down for too long, we must come together to work as a solid team to build the legacy of Osagyefo, Mr Sampson stated. He said two key attributes of a party's National Organizer at compatibility and acceptability, these are cardinal skills an Organizer must exhibit to attract others to the specific cause and move them to take actions, I stand for that. Mr Sampson who described himself as a dynamic Youngman stressed that, hard work pays, it's time to honour commitment and loyalty. He urged delegates to use the opportunity of electing National Leaders as the first step towards instilling discipline in the Party; enough is enough we will no longer tolerate acts of indiscipline, which has undermined the internal structures of the Party. He said the gross misconduct and behaviour being demonstrated by some members of the Party had adversely affected the image of the Party. No party can survive on the foundation of weak leadership, we need strong leaders to steer affairs of the party. 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 JD Greear tells SBC its time to retire the Broadus gavel, named after slaveholder Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear has urged that the denomination to stop opening its annual meetings with a gavel that carries the name of John Broadus, a 19th-century Southern Baptist leader who was a slaveholder. When I presided over the Annual Meeting in Birmingham, I was presented with a gavel to use, so I used it, Greear said in a statement. Knowing that it was the Broadus gavel and knowing John A. Broadus views on race, I must admit that while we stood there, I felt a sense of unease. Greear, who has long been a champion of intentional diversity in the SBC, continued, To be fair, John Broadus seems to have changed some of his positions later in life, and for that I am thankful. But the reality is that given the role that slavery played in the formation of the SBC, mixed messages were still being sent. He urged, Southern Baptists, I think it is time to retire the Broadus gavel. While we do not want to, nor could we, erase our history, it is time for this gavel to go back into the display case at the Executive Committee offices. Greear, who leads The Summit Church in the Raleigh-Durham area, quoted his friend O.S. Hawkins, president of Guidestone Financial Resources, as having said: We need to be less about 1845 and more about 2025. The SBC is the nations largest Protestant denomination and was founded in 1845. While the Broadus gavel has been used continuously to open the convention since 1872, others were incorporated as well, said Greear. So at the SBC annual meeting next year in Nashville, Greear said, There are different options that I will consider using. According to The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's 2018 report on slavery and racism in its history, Broadus owned slaves and argued that slaveholding was morally just. He had also drafted resolutions pledging Southern Baptist support for the Confederacy. It was in 1882 when Broadus repudiated American slavery. Following the recent death of a 46-year-old black man, George Floyd, which was caught on a video showing him lying on the ground, handcuffed and restrained by three officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Greear urged Southern Baptists to see racial injustice as a real issue that must be addressed. We realize that especially in a moment like this one, we need our brothers and sisters of color. We need the wisdom of leadership that God has written in their community. We know that many in our country, particularly our brothers and sisters of color, right now are hurting, he said. During an SBC presidential address last week, Greear endorsed the black lives matter movement while denouncing the Black Lives Matter organization that sparked the movement in 2013. Black lives matter, Greear said after acknowledging the SBCs racist past and highlighting the denominations growing diversity, as well as the ongoing civil unrest over racial inequality. I realize that the movement and the website have been hijacked by some political operatives whose worldview and policy prescriptions would be deeply at odds with my own, but that doesnt mean that the sentiment behind it is untrue. I do not align myself with the Black Lives Matter organization, he said. I think saying bold things like defund the police is unhelpful and deeply disrespectful to many public servants who bravely put themselves in harms way every day to protect us. But I know that we need to take a deep look at our police systems and structures and ask what were missing. Where are we missing the mark? And Ill say that we do that because black lives matter. We know that honoring Christ in this moment means listening to those who hurt, lamenting with them, and bearing their burdens. There's no doubt that money can be made by owning shares of unprofitable businesses. For example, although Amazon.com made losses for many years after listing, if you had bought and held the shares since 1999, you would have made a fortune. But while the successes are well known, investors should not ignore the very many unprofitable companies that simply burn through all their cash and collapse. So should Cradle Resources (ASX:CXX) shareholders 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). We'll start by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves in order to calculate its cash runway. See our latest analysis for Cradle Resources When Might Cradle Resources Run Out Of Money? A company's cash runway is calculated by dividing its cash hoard by its cash burn. When Cradle Resources last reported its balance sheet in December 2019, it had zero debt and cash worth AU$1.5m. Looking at the last year, the company burnt through AU$628k. Therefore, from December 2019 it had 2.3 years of cash runway. 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:CXX Historical Debt June 13th 2020 How Is Cradle Resources's Cash Burn Changing Over Time? Because Cradle Resources isn't currently generating revenue, we consider it an early-stage business. Nonetheless, we can still examine its cash burn trajectory as part of our assessment of its cash burn situation. Even though it doesn't get us excited, the 25% reduction in cash burn year on year does suggest the company can continue operating for quite some time. Admittedly, we're a bit cautious of Cradle 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. How Easily Can Cradle Resources Raise Cash? Story continues While Cradle Resources is showing a solid reduction in its cash burn, it's still worth considering how easily it could raise more cash, even just to fuel faster growth. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Commonly, a business will sell new shares in itself to raise cash to drive 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. Cradle Resources has a market capitalisation of AU$8.5m and burnt through AU$628k last year, which is 7.4% of the company's market value. Given that is a rather small percentage, it would probably be really easy for the company to fund another year's growth by issuing some new shares to investors, or even by taking out a loan. So, Should We Worry About Cradle Resources's Cash Burn? As you can probably tell by now, we're not too worried about Cradle 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. Its cash burn reduction wasn't quite as good, but was still rather encouraging! 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. An in-depth examination of risks revealed 2 warning signs for Cradle Resources that readers should think about before committing capital to this stock. If you would prefer to check out another company with better fundamentals, then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt or this list of stocks which are all forecast to grow. Love or hate this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email 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. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. The Victorian Coalition, and a former senior Labor senator, have called for factional powerbroker Adem Somyurek to face a police investigation and expulsion from the Labor Party if allegations of branch stacking and illegal conduct are proven. The Age and 60 Minutes on Sunday night revealed Mr Somyurek, a Victorian cabinet minister, handed over thousands of dollars in secret cash drop-offs and used political advisers to stack branches with fake members in a bid to amass significant political power inside the Australian Labor Party. Premier Daniel Andrews has said he will not be commenting on the scandal until Monday. But senior figures within the Labor Party were on Sunday night already calling for action. The Victorian Opposition called on Mr Somyurek and others involved to stand down, pending an anti-corruption and police investigation. Protesters shut down a major highway in Atlanta on Saturday and set fire to a restaurant where a black man was shot by police. Twenty seven-year-old Rayshard Brooks was shot by the police as he tried to escape arrest at the Wendys. The incident was caught on camera. Images on local television showed the restaurant in flames, with no fire crews on the scene. Other demonstrators marched onto Interstate-75, where they were met by police. Brooks was the father of a young daughter who was celebrating her birthday on Saturday, his lawyers said. His death from a police bullet came after more than two weeks of demonstrations in major cities across the United States in the name of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who died on May 25 under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer. Police were called to the Wendys over reports that Brooks had fallen asleep in the drive-thru line. Officers attempted to take him into custody after he failed a field sobriety test, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Video shot by a bystander captures Brooks struggling with two officers on the ground outside the Wendys before breaking free and running across the parking lot with what appears to be a police TASER in his hand. Anti-racism protesters on Saturday sought to call attention to the death of another black man - who was found hanging from a tree in California. Hundreds of people marched in Palmdale to demand an investigation into the death of Robert Fuller, 24. They marched from where the body was found to a sheriffs station, with many carrying signs that said Justice for Robert Fuller. Authorities said the death appeared to be a suicide, but an autopsy was planned. The city said there were no outdoor cameras that could have recorded what happened. The Atlanta police chief, meanwhile, resigned on Saturday over the incident outside Wendys. By Saturday evening, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced that she had accepted the resignation of Police Chief Erika Shields. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 00:28:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MADRID, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Spain will reopen its frontiers with the European Union (EU) countries -- with the exception of Portugal -- on June 21, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced in a televised press conference Sunday. Sanchez made the announcement after holding a video meeting with the leaders of Spain's 17 autonomous communities. Also from June 21, Spaniards will be able to move freely around their homeland with the expiry of the State of Alarm imposed since March. The prime minister had previously insisted that his country's frontiers would remain closed with a 14-day quarantine imposed on arrivals from abroad until July 1. The frontier with Portugal will reopen on July 1 (at Portugal's request), while Spain will reopen its borders for arrivals from outside the Schengen area from July 11. Sanchez explained the policy change by pointing to the positive evolution of his country's efforts to control the coronavirus. No deaths have been reported in Spain by its Health Ministry for the past six days. "It is a crucial moment that we have been preparing for," explained Sanchez, adding that after July 1, there would be a "scaled" re-opening of the borders for non-EU nations that are in an "equal or better epidemiological" situation regarding the virus than Spain and which are willing to "act reciprocally." Sanchez's announcement came a day before the start of a pilot scheme which will see over 10,000 German tourists visit the Balearic Islands as Spain looks to reopen its tourist industry, which has been hit especially hard by the coronavirus. Enditem Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has made more claims about the shooting incident that happened at the Aso Presidential V... Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has made more claims about the shooting incident that happened at the Aso Presidential Villa, Abuja. Aisha, Zahra, Halima and Yusuf, accompanied by some of her security aides led by the Aide-de-Camp, went to the residence of Sabiu, who is the Presidents nephew, demanding that he self-isolate for 14 days, so as not to endanger the first family. Sabiu was said to have escaped, after gunshots were fired by the First Ladys ADC in an attempt to apprehend the Presidents aide. Fani-Kayode tweeted on Sunday: I have heard the details of what actually transpired at the Villa a couple of nights ago and I am utterly appalled. How can a PA order his men to fire shots in the air in an attempt to intimidate and threaten @aishambuhari and the Presidents children after hurling insults at them? No matter how one feels about @MBuhari this is unacceptable. The First Lady deserves to be respected and protected from this ruthless cabal of primitive misogynists before something terrible happens. You cant shoot guns to threaten someones wife and still claim to love him The insolent and heartless PA who was responsible for this reckless affront and brutal assault ought to be grabbed by the scrotum, dragged to the front gate and thrown out of the Villa. He is a danger to the First Lady, a liability to the President and a disgrace to the nation. AKRON, Ohio Akron police are investigating after a 43-year-old man was found shot to death Saturday near the University of Akron campus. The mans body was discovered about 8 a.m. Saturday by someone walking near the intersection of East Buchtel Avenue and Chapel Drive, near Ohio Route 8 and just east of the University of Akron campus, the Summit County Medical Examiners Office said in a news release. The body was found in a grassy area. The man, identified as Brian Powers, of Akron, suffered multiple gunshot wounds, the medical examiners office said. Akron police have not released any additional details about the investigation. No suspects have been publicly identified. This post will be updated Sunday if more information becomes available. More Akron news: Akron man charged in death of man found fatally beaten, set on fire Goodyear Blimp to fly over Northeast Ohio hospitals beginning Monday to thank health-care, essential workers Summit County Fair downsized due to coronavirus, scheduled for July 29 to Aug. 2 54 Scientists Lose Jobs Amid NIH Probe Into Foreign Ties An ongoing inquiry by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) into grantees failures to disclose foreign ties has resulted in the firings and resignations of 54 scientists. The NIH investigation has investigated 189 scientists for undisclosed foreign ties, with 93 percent of the hidden funding coming from China. Some 77 grantees have been removed from the NIH system as a result of the probe. The numbers were revealed on June 12 in a presentation by Michael Lauer, the NIH deputy director for extramural research. The NIHs effort dates back to August 2018, when the organization warned universities across the nation that some foreign entities have been systematically targeting NIH researchers to divert intellectual property and obtain confidential information. The NIH effort is part of a larger U.S. government campaign to counter the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) infiltration of American academia. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI have made arrests and reached settlements in several cases involving researchers as part of its broader China Initiative launched in November 2018. At the time of the investigation, some 143 scientists in 27 states held active grants worth $164 million. More than 80 percent were Asian, reflecting the CCPs targeting of Chinese researchers. The CCP aggressively recruits foreign researchers as part of its Thousand Talents Program, which is seen by the U.S. government as a cover for obtaining U.S. intellectual property. The NIH inquiry has directly resulted in prosecutions by the DOJ. After the NIH flagged an Emory University professors failure to disclose foreign work on grant applications, the DOJ indicted Xiao-Jiang Li, 63, of Atlanta. Li was sentenced in May to a year of probation and ordered to pay $35,000 to the IRS for the income from China he concealed on his tax returns. One-third of the 189 scientists probed by the NIH were already on the radar of the FBI, according to Lauers presentation. Seven in 10 failed to report foreign grants, and more than half have an undisclosed talents award. The DOJ reached a settlement in December last year with the Van Andel Research Institute. The government alleged that the institute made false statements on grant applications that failed to disclose two grants for the Chinese government. The Van Andel Research Institute agreed to pay $5.5 million to settle the case. In one of the most prominent cases, the DOJ on June 9 indicted Harvard University professor Charles Lieber for making false statements to federal authorities about his participation in the CCPs Thousand Talents Program. India is the fourth worst-hit country in the world behind only the United States, Brazil and Russia, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The number of cases has spiked in recent days and the cumulative numbers are now over 332,000. Italy, Germany, France and the Netherlands signed a contract with the company to supply 400 million doses of the vaccine, according to a Reuters report. AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said the drugmaker is also in talks with Japan, Russia, Brazil and China. China's capital city reported a cluster of new cases over the weekend, raising concerns about a second wave of infections in Beijing. Out of 49 new reported cases in the mainland on Sunday, 36 were in Beijing, according to the National Health Commission. 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 7.91 million Global deaths: At least 433,472 Worst-hit countries: United States (more than 2.09 million); Brazil (867,624); Russia (528,267); India (332,424) and the United Kingdom (297,342). The data above was compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Beijing reinstates some restrictions as coronavirus returns 10:00 a.m. London time: Several areas of the Chinese capital Beijing have reinstated coronavirus-related restrictions amid a spike in cases. Security checkpoints have been set up and schools and sports venues closed after a raft of new cases linked to a wholesale food market, Reuters reported. After nearly two months of no new infections being reported, Beijing officials have reported 79 cases over the past four days, the news agency said. The outbreak has been traced to the massive Xinfadi market, which covers an area equivalent to the size of almost 160 soccer pitches. Holly Ellyatt Doctor warns second wave could stress health-care system 3:28 p.m. Singapore time A second wave of infections has started in the U.S. and people need to remain vigilant or risk stressing out the health-care system again, said William Schaffner, a professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Some states in the U.S. have reported recent spikes in Covid-19 cases as measures are eased throughout the nation, which has the highest number of cases in the world. "Many people are simply not being careful, they're being carefree," Schaffner said, pointing to the lack of social distancing and mask wearing. "That, of course, will lead to more spread of the Covid virus." Abigail Ng Hong Kong Disneyland to reopen on June 18 12:57 p.m. Singapore time Hong Kong Disneyland is opening its doors again on Thursday this week, after closing the theme park on Jan. 26 due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak. During the "initial reopening phase," the park will require all guests to make reservations for their visit ahead of time. "The park will operate with reduced capacity, enhanced health and safety procedures and a new reservation system for all guests," the company said in a press release. As the park prepares to reopen, after nearly five months, most of its attractions, shopping and dining locations will return to operations with "controlled capacity," Disney said. "The park will implement social distancing in queues, restaurants, attraction vehicles and other facilities throughout the park. Character experiences requiring close interaction and close-up photos will be temporarily suspended," it added. Joanna Tan India cases spike despite massive lockdown A woman washes her hands amid the coronavirus pandemic in Old Delhi, India on 14 June 2020. Nasir Kachroo | NurPhoto | Getty Images 12:22 p.m. Singapore time The number of coronavirus cases in India has jumped in recent days despite an extended period of lockdown, raising fears that the outbreak may not be fully under control. India has the fourth highest number of reported cases in the world, with cumulative numbers over 332,000, according to Johns Hopkins University data. "Last two, three weeks have seen a very significant increase in the number of cases every day," Arvind Kumar, chairman of the Center for Chest Surgery at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi, told CNBC last week. The city of Delhi is said to have become a recent hotspot, with accounts of people struggling to get a hospital bed there, according to a Reuters report. Saheli Roy Choudhury (This entry was updated at 3:36 p.m. Singapore time with the latest India numbers from Hopkins.) Beijing reports uptick in cases over the weekend 10:26 a.m. Beijing time A cluster of new Covid-19 cases tied to a major wholesale produce market on the outskirts of China's capital city has raised worries of a second outbreak. Of 49 new confirmed cases in mainland China reported for Sunday, 36 were in Beijing, according to the National Health Commission. That followed another 36 confirmed cases in the city reported for Saturday. The source of the latest cluster of virus cases is sill unclear, according to official statements. Chinese authorities said the latest virus outbreak may have come from the direction of Europe. The World Health Organization said it was following up with Chinese authorities on the cluster of cases. Evelyn Cheng France to reopen restaurants in Paris A member of the photographers family watches French President Emmanuel Macron on an Ipad as he addresses the nation from the Elysee Palace during a televised speech broadcast by French TV channel TF1 on June 14, 2020 in Paris, France. Marc Piasecki 2:50 p.m. ET French President Emmanuel Macron announced in a national address that restaurants will reopen fully in Paris on Monday as the country exits a strict lockdown. France closed restaurants, cafes, movie theaters, nightclubs and other nonessential businesses in March to slow the spread of the virus. The government expects the economy to contract by 11% in 2020, according to Reuters. More than 193,000 people have tested positive for the virus in France and at least 29,401 people have died. Spencer Kimball, Reuters Germany's contact tracing app will go live this week A man wearing a face cover cycles in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on April 10, 2020, amid a new coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. John MacDougall | AFP | Getty Images 2:30 p.m. ET The German government will release its coronavirus contact tracing app to the public this week, Health Minister Jens Spahn told German public television over the weekend. The app uses Bluetooth technology to measure whether users are within two meters of each other for a period of 15 minutes or longer. Every five minutes an anonymous identification number is collected from app users. The place of contact is not recorded by the app. Users who test positive for Covid-19 can enter that information into the app, which then informs all other users who came in close contact with the person. Users install the app voluntarily and it can be deactivated or removed afterward. The app is a joint project of the German federal government, Deutsche Telekom, SAP and two research institutes. Spencer Kimball Convention and events industry is set to make a comeback 1:04 p.m. ET Large, indoor gatherings of thousands of people are set to return faster than you may think, with some facilities getting ready to host events as soon as next month with safety measures like temperature checks, social distancing, reduced capacity and contactless registration. "I'm very excited to be getting groups back," said Mark Tester, executive director of the Orange County Convention Center. Tester said their first event since the shutdown is a 10,000-person high school volleyball tournament in July, CNBC's Contessa Brewer and Katie Young report. The center is aiming to host 12 events in July and August and anticipates a "ramp up" in the fall to its normally busy schedule, Tester added. From March through the end of 2020, 64% of the conferences tracked by the International Association of Exhibitions and Events have been canceled. Chris Eudaily Cuomo threatens to take liquor licenses from bars and restaurants caught violating reopening rules A worker wearing a protective mask gives out hand sanitizer to customers during happy hour at the Oscar Wilde bar in New York, U.S., on Wednesday, June 10, 2020. Nina Westervelt | Bloomberg | Getty Images 12:38 p.m. ET New York has received 25,000 complaints about businesses violating rules of the phased re-opening, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. People, some of whom are not wearing masks, have been gathering in big groups outside of bars and restaurants that are providing to-go services, the governor said at a press conference. Cuomo called the problem "rampant" and said he will take away liquor licenses of bars and restaurants that are caught breaking the law. "It is just disrespectful not to wear a mask," Cuomo said. "It's disrespectful to the health-care workers and essential workers who sacrificed themselves for 100 days, some of whom died and gave their life to crush this Covid virus." Emma Newburger Texas and North Carolina see record hospitalizations The doctor in charge of the COVID-19 unit at United Memorial Medical Center in north Houston, checks on COVID a patient who was hoping to be released this week. Carolyn Cole | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images 12:15 p.m. ET States that are reopening are reporting a rise in daily new coronavirus cases, with some of the hardest-hit states having lifted lockdown restrictions on or before May 8. The daily number of new cases across the country seems to have leveled out, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, but more than 20 states are seeing increasing numbers of new cases recently, the New York Times reports. Texas and North Carolina reported a record number of virus-related hospitalizations Saturday. The surge in cases in some states may be tied to the increasing availability of tests, but there are also reports that residents in reopened states have returned to salons and parks and stopped wearing masks and following social distancing recommendations. Emma Newburger Experts call on FDA to improve Covid-19 testing accuracy A person gets a swab test for coronavirus at a free pop-up testing location, for symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, in Boston's Roxbury on June 10, 2020. David L. Ryan | Boston Globe | Getty Images 11:26 a.m. ET Early in the pandemic, the Food and Drug Administration used emergency powers to clear the way for tests to be quickly put in use, but recently preliminary findings have found potential problems with some tests, the Associated Press reports. "In the beginning, the FDA was under a lot of pressure to get these tests onto the marketplace," said Dr. Steven Woloshin of Dartmouth College. "But now that there are plenty of tests out there, it's time for them to raise the bar." The FDA said it has already asked multiple test makers to do additional accuracy studies and that it is tracking reports of problems. The agency did not say how many of the more than 110 authorized screening tests it has asked for additional studies, according to the AP. Most COVID-19 tests in the U.S. don't currently give data on real-world performance, including how often there are false positives or negatives. That information is lacking for all but a few of the roughly 80 commercial screening tests available, according to an Associated Press review. Many commercial test makers submitted results from 60 samples for initial clearance, the minimum number required, and mostly used lab-produced specimens of the virus. But most actual tests are carried out in hospitals, clinics and even parking lots, which are sometimes imperfect conditions that could throw off test performance. Experts say larger studies are needed to get a true measure of a test's accuracy. Chris Eudaily, Associated Press PPP funding is about to dry up for these small business owners. Here's what's next 10:50 a.m. ET Some entrepreneurs who applied for the Paycheck Protection Program are close to exhausting their funding, which was originally intended to cover eight weeks of payroll, rent, mortgage interest and utilities. It's a particularly scary time for entrepreneurs in the leisure, hospitality and restaurant industries, as they begin to emerge from lockdown and face lower revenues. Lisa Hess, owner of Lucy's Coffee in San Luis Obispo, California, has about two weeks of funding left after borrowing about $23,000 from the PPP. "We're a college town, and February through June are our busiest months," said Hess, who's had her cafe for three years. "The timing was terrible: We literally started breaking even three weeks before the shelter-in-place order." Senate Democrats have proposed legislation that will allow cash-strapped businesses to get more funding from PPP, provided they are close to exhausting their original loan and their revenues have fallen by at least 50%. In the meantime, businesses are preparing themselves for uncertainty. They're looking into grants and other small business loans to get through the months ahead. Darla Mercado UK could ease social distancing rules on July 4 Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson buys a coffee from Freddy Staple, operations manager for Caffe Concerto at Westfield shopping center in east London on June 14, 2020 as visits the centre to see the coronavirus measures in place in advance of the reopening tomorrow. From Monday, non essential shops such as clothes shop will be allowed to open to the public as long as they take Covid safety steps. (Photo by John NGUYEN / POOL / AFP) (Photo by JOHN NGUYEN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) John Nguyen | Pool | AFP | Getty Images 10:30 a.m. ET U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that Britain could ease its social distancing rule requiring people to keep a two-meter distance apart on July 4, according to Reuters. Britain is scheduled to potentially let up on some of its lockdown measures on July 4 as the number of Covid-19 cases decline. "As we get the numbers down, so it becomes one in 1,000, one in 1,600, maybe even fewer, your chances of being two meters, or one meter, or even a foot away from somebody who has the virus is obviously going down statistically, so you start to build some more margin for maneuver," Johnson said. "We'll be looking at that and keeping it under constant review as we go forward to the next step in our plan, which is, as you know, July 4." Lorie Konish, Reuters Kudlow says U.S. economy is in 'recovery stage' Aides wearing masks stand behind White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow as he speaks to reporters about the economic impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the White House in Washington, May 15, 2020. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters 10:02 a.m. ET White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow said that the U.S. economy is now in the "recovery stage" after saying last week that the economy appeared to reach its lowest point. The unemployment rate declined to 13.3% in May from April's 14.7%, a largely unexpected gain as states begin to lift restrictions and people start returning to work. The $600 enhanced unemployment benefits created by the CARES Act to help people who lost jobs during the pandemic are set to end July 31. Kudlow said the extra benefits are a "disincentive" for people who may not want to return to work because the unemployment aid pays more than their regular salary, and mentioned there will be "some kind of bonus" for those who return to work. Emma Newburger Some U.S. industries see improvement amid reopening progress Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards 9:25 a.m. ET Key sectors hit hardest by the coronavirus are seeing improvement as the U.S. makes further reopening progress. Consumers are eating out more at restaurants, buying more homes and even traveling more. To check out charts that illustrate signs of recovery in these sectors, click here. Hannah Miller European countries reopen travel with patchwork of different rules Swimmers on a beach in Palma during the first day of Phase 2, when it is possible to access beaches in the same province, island or territorial unit of reference established in the de-climbing plan, and when the town halls may establish limitations on access, which in any case will be free, and on capacity to ensure that the interpersonal distance of at least two meters between swimmers is respected. Isaac Buj | Europa Press News | Getty Images A former top official in the North Dakota Highway Patrol who once was in charge of security for the governor faces a February trial on a sexua Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput has been found dead at his home in Bandra, Mumbai. He was 34. Early reports indicate that his death was by suicide. Mumbai police confirmed the actors death and have opened an investigation, Variety reports. In an official statement, Rajput's team said: It pains us to share that Sushant Singh Rajput is no longer with us. We request his fans to keep him in their thoughts and celebrate his life, and his work like they have done so far. We request media to help us maintain privacy at this moment of grief. Rajput was a rising star in Bollywood, having made his debut in 2008 with the show Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil. He was then cast in another popular series, Pavitra Rishta, which earnt him a number of Best Actor awards at the Indian Television Academy Awards. He made his film debut in 2013 with Kai Po Che!, a buddy movie produced by former Disney executives Ronnie Screwvala and Siddarth Roy Kapur. At the time of his death, the official Bollywood remake of The Fault in Our Stars, titled Dil Bechara, was supposed to have been released. It was delayed due to cinemas being closed during the coronavirus pandemic. Rajputs former talent manager, Disha Salian, died by suicide last week. Rajput had reportedly been suffering from depression due to this news. Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar tweeted: Honestly this news has left me shocked and speechlessI remember watching #SushantSinghRajput in Chhichhore and telling my friend Sajid, its producer how much Id enjoyed the film and wish Id been a part of it. Such a talented actormay God give strength to his family. Producer Screwvala tweeted: What goes on in our mind to give up on life one will never know really shattering news RIP @itsSSR more than an actor great memories of our recent Kedarnath & Sonchidiya. full of energy always respectful of everyone around him in a Flash and then gone too soon. To talk about anything that is upsetting you, you can contact Samaritans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can call 116 123 (free from any phone) or email jo@samaritans.org. You can also call the Welsh Language Line on 0300 123 3011 (7pm11pm every day). Delhi on Sunday reported 2,224 new Covid-19 cases in the highest ever single-day spike so far and 56 deaths due to the coronavirus infection, taking the national capitals count past the 40,000-mark to 41,182, according to Delhi Health Department data. With 56 fatalities reported in the last 24 hours, the capitals death toll has now climbed to 1,327. There are currently, 24,032 active coronavirus cases in the city. At least, 15,823 patients have recovered from the highly infectious disease and been discharged from various hospitals in the capital. A total of 878 coronavirus patients were cured and discharged in the last 24 hours. ALSO READ | Together we have to make Delhi coronavirus-free: Amit Shah on capitals crisis The total number of containment zones in the national capital to control the spread of Covid-19 now stands at 242, the Delhi government said on Sunday. Out of a total 309 containment zones, the government has de-contained 67 zones. West Delhi and South West Delhi had the highest number of containment zones with 39 each. West Delhi, however, now has 24 containment zones while South West Delhi has 34. The Delhi government has also scaled down measures in 22 other containment zones. On Sunday, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal along with L-G Anil Baijal met Union home minister Amit Shah to discuss the coronavirus health crisis in the national capital. ALSO READ | Amit Shah orders inspection of all Covid-19 hospitals in Delhi Calling his meeting with the home minister as extremely productive, chief minister Kejriwal said the Centre and the Delhi government will fight Covid-19 together in the national capital, which has witnessed an alarming spike in coronavirus cases. According to sources, at the meeting called by Shah, every aspect of the coronavirus situation was discussed by the ministers. However, the issue of lockdown in the national capital did not come up. Extremely productive meeting between Del govt and Central govt. Many key decisions taken. We will fight against corona together (sic), Kejriwal tweeted after the meeting. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON "The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump" By Mary Jordan Simon & Schuster. 341 pp. $28 - - - One of my most treasured possessions is a collection of 14-inch dolls, 36 in all, portraying every first lady from Martha Washington to Jacqueline Kennedy, created by the doll impresario Madame Alexander. My late mother spent years amassing the collection; she was an immigrant, and I've often wondered if this was her way to bond with her adopted country. The dolls have similar looks, build, skin color and facial features. Their distinction lies in what they wear. Each is outfitted in the dress she wore to her first inaugural ball, reflecting and defining a singular historical moment, if only by a swatch of fabric or the length of a hemline. In some sense, the collection represents how first ladies have been regarded through the centuries: built in the same mold, expected to adhere to conventional notions of feminine beauty and behavior, only minor deviations tolerated. Some tried to break the mold and paid dearly for it. Others have been content to promote a worthy cause, project an individual style, protect their man and retain their doll-like composure. For her three years in the White House, Melania Trump has seemed like a doll in my collection: not a hair out of place, wearing her best, saying little, doing what's expected, and sometimes not even that. But as Mary Jordan details in her fine new book, "The Art of Her Deal," this First Lady also has been as willing as her husband to break the mold - and the rules. As Jordan reports, Melania is only the second first lady, and the only one in modern history, to have been born outside the United States. Melania also made the exceptional decision after moving into the White House to retain her dual citizenship with her native Slovenia. Despite reports soon after her husband's election that she was unhappy at the prospect of serving as first lady, Melania had carried the dream with her for decades, even before she married the future president. And she knew what kind of first lady she wanted to be. "I would be very traditional. Like Betty Ford or Jackie Kennedy. I would support him," Melania Knauss told an interviewer in 1999, when her boyfriend Donald Trump was first publicly flirting with a presidential run. The interview took place only months after Trump divorced his second wife, Marla Maples, and more than five years before Melania became wife No. 3. As Jordan writes: "A common narrative about Melania is that she simply wanted to marry a wealthy man, and that she was horrified when Trump entered politics in 2015 and disrupted her comfortable world. But there is ample evidence that from the very beginning, Melania not only accepted and embraced Trump's political aspirations but was also an encouraging partner." It could not have been easy to report and write this book, given the Trumps' disdain for real journalism, their aversion to transparency and obsession with controlling their images. But Jordan, a political reporter at The Washington Post, has assembled a solid narrative, written without embellishment or much editorial comment, allowing the facts to speak for themselves. The Melania she presents is sympathetic occasionally, but not always. She is enigmatic, glamorous, secretive, strategic, a quiet loner and master compartmentalizer who made her deal with the devil and made it work because in many ways, deep down, she and Trump are cut from the same shiny cloth. Truth serves their own purposes, not the other way around. "She works at remaining mysterious," Jordan writes. "In her own way, she is as complex and complicated as her husband. She is also much more like him than it appears." And later: "Both are avid creators of their own history." Unearthing that history took years, Jordan says, her reporting stymied by the Trumps' aggressive attempts to erase her past. It took more than 120 interviews in five countries for this portrait to emerge - and it still leaves much unsaid. Jordan says Melania had "the most unconventional path to the White House in history." I'm not sure that beats being the great-great-great granddaughter of a slave, as was her predecessor, but it certainly was unlikely that when Melanija Knavs was born in a small town in Slovenia 50 years ago, she'd become the second first lady - the other was Louisa Johnson, John Quincy Adams's wife - born outside the United States. Her father, Viktor - who bears an uncanny resemblance to his son-in-law, only five years his junior - was a chauffeur. Her mother, Amalija, worked in a clothing factory. From an early age, Melanija was aware of her beauty, her tall, lithe figure, perfectly erect stature, and startling blue eyes. Thanks to her mother's skill at sewing clothes, she and her sister were always impeccably dressed, unusual in drab, conformist, Communist Yugoslavia. A good student, she began a competitive architecture program at the University of Ljubljana in the fall of 1989. Less than two years later, with the breakup of the Soviet Union, Slovenia declared its independence. But by then, Melanija had dropped out of college to pursue a modeling career; she changed her name to Melania Knauss and roamed through Europe seeking success, leaving few traces behind. She immigrated to the United States with the help of an Italian modeling agent on a visitor's visa and then secured an H-1B work visa, normally reserved for "distinguished merit or ability." (She later received a green card through the elite EB-1 program, designed for those with "extraordinary ability.") Her career was hardly distinguished, and suspicion about her immigration status lingers because the Trumps have never made the documentation public, despite promises to do so. This is a pattern in Melania's life, revealed by Jordan's careful reporting. As late as July 2016, Melania's official biography claimed that she graduated from university; she did not. For decades, she said she spoke five languages, allowing others to point to her fluency as evidence of her intellect. But Jordan could find no evidence that she speaks anything other than Slovenian and English - even when presented with high profile opportunities to use French, Italian or German. On becoming an American citizen in 2006, Jordan reports, Melania kept her Slovenian citizenship and subsequently ensured that her son Barron was also a dual citizen. Both renewed their Slovenian passports after moving into the White House. It is, Jordan notes, "very unusual for members of the first family to be citizens of another country." As a citizen, she was able to petition to bring her parents and sister to the United States, participating in the very "chain migration" that President Trump has repeatedly derided and curtailed. And that's the crux of the matter. Plenty of celebrities exaggerate and even lie about their past; reinvention is an American trope, after all, and it's often accompanied by a rewrite of personal history. But as described in this book, Melania repeatedly stretches and even abandons the truth if it's inconvenient for her, and her alone. She is either unaware of the hypocrisy in such actions - of, for example, championing anti-cyber bullying when her husband is the world's No. 1 culprit - or, to paraphrase the infamous jacket she wore on a visit to the administration's deliberate humanitarian crisis on the Mexican border, she just doesn't care. This would be of prurient interest and not public importance if she weren't, by all accounts, fully complicit in her husband's corrupt, dangerous presidency. Here is where I wish Jordan's book more deeply analyzed the consequences of Melania's behind-the-scenes behavior - whether and how she should be held accountable for supporting an administration that has broken democratic norms, endangered lives and ruined America's standing in the world. Melania Trump has been one of the least visible first ladies in modern times. (She made eight speeches during her husband's first year in office, compared to Michelle Obama's 74.) Jordan says she is growing more comfortable in the White House and genuinely hopes for a second term for the man she praises above all else. No need to #FreeMelania. She is doing exactly what she wants. - - - Eisner is director of academic affairs at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. Protesters and law enforcement joined together in a peaceful rally for racial justice in Gonzales Saturday evening. The protest was the latest in the Baton Rouge area following the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for close to nine minutes. While large protests have been organized in Baton Rouge, local municipalities of all sizes have also shown their support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Demonstrations in St. Francisville, Denham Springs and Walker have also taken place in recent days. In St. Francisville march, residents grapple with racial tensions, plantation legacy West Feliciana Parish residents both black and white marched through downtown St. Francisville on Friday in a March of Solidarity with n +6 Protesters in Denham Springs call for justice in wake of George Floyd death Protesters, both black and white, gathered Tuesday evening in Denham Springs to express their anger at the death of George Floyd. Around 150 people gathered outside of city hall bearing signs, water bottles and masks to march the half mile to the Ascension Parish Courthouse, flanked by Gonzales police. As they walked, demonstrators chanted "Justice for all," and "Love is the key," though some protesters intermittently called out slogans more directly addressing police brutality, such as "Stop killing us!" and "Enough is enough!" "We are out here today marching in the name of justice so that everyone receives the same amount of justice no matter your background, your skin, nothing," said organizer Farrah Mckenzie. "We're here to come together as one. We're all asking for the same thing." At the courthouse, Mayor Barney Arceneaux addressed the crowd alongside Sheriff Bobby Webre, both white men. Gonzales Chief of Police Sherman Jackson spoke about being black while serving in law enforcement during this time of national reckoning on race. "I stand here as a black man, a police officer," Jackson said. "Being both has to stand for something. A man swore to protect and serve, tarnished the badge and placed all of the good work that men and women who believe in service in jeopardy. I march with you all today because I am my brother's keeper." Other officials and religious leaders spoke throughout the evening, and one person led the crowd in a chorus of "Lean on Me." However, although this was billed as a "justice for all" demonstration in coordination with local law enforcement, some demonstrators seemed concerned the message of "Black Lives Matter" would get lost amid calls for unity. 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 +24 'We matter': LSU and Southern University students find common ground in Friday unity rally Students from LSU and Southern University joined together for a "rally for unity" Friday, seeking to reconcile tensions between the predominan After each speaker, and sometimes during certain speeches, several demonstrators shouted the names of black people who died at the hands of police. Some protesters in the crowd loudly demanded representation and concrete accountability of all public officials who spoke, particularly law enforcement. At least one woman interrupted several officials by shouting, "What do we want? Policy change!" She asked why local law enforcement hadn't advertised the rally on their Facebook page and wondered why more of the community didn't show up. Some protesters in the crowd echoed these sentiments. "It's like a kid that scraped their knee. There's two kids. Which are you going to give a band-aid to?" said protester Arielle Francis, who attended the rally with her mother. "The kid that scraped their knee or the kid that's absolutely fine? All lives matter morally, but black lives matter right now." +16 Baton Rouge protesters march to DA's house; Hillar Moore: 'I completely respect their rights' Demonstrators on Thursday evening marched to the home of East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore III to call for accountability in off Organizers encouraged people to register to vote and sign up for the Gonzales chapter of the NAACP. The protest began and ended with a prayer. Just before the end, everyone spent eight minutes and 46 seconds in silence the amount of time the police officer knelt on Floyd's neck. The luxury resort real estate business is expected to continue sliding in the coming months because the number of foreign travelers to Vietnam has yet to recover. Signs of slight recovery have appeared as 493 accommodation establishments, most in Hanoi and HCM City, or 78 percent of 4-5-star hotels and resorts surveyed by Savills Hotels, have reopened with full utilities included. However, accommodation facilities in coastal areas such as Phu Quoc and Quang Nam have been more cautious in resuming business with the reopening proportions of 58 percent and 55 percent, respectively. According to Mauro Gasparotti, director of Savills Hotels Asia Pacific, the operation of reopened hotels is unsatisfactory, with a modest average room occupancy rate of 16 percent in the first weeks of May. The highest occupancy rates were seen in destinations where travelers can go by car, such as Ho Tram, Long Hai, Da Lat and Ba Ria Vung Tau. The room occupancy rate of luxury hotels in large cities has decreased to one digit, while some hotels reported z 5 percent occupancy rate only, because the hotels depend on international travelers and business travelers. Meanwhile, business at other sites was less satisfactory because people are hesitating to travel by air. Gasparotti believes that the business will still be unsatisfactory in the months to come. The room occupancy rate of luxury hotels in large cities has decreased to one digit, while some hotels reported z 5 percent occupancy rate only, because the hotels depend on international travelers and business travelers. Domestic travelers accounted for 83 percent of total travelers in 2019, but the spending of the group of travelers was smaller than international and business travelers. He explained that the group of travelers mostly chooses mid-end hotels and resorts, so they didnt affect the operation of 4-5-star hotels in the cities. Savills believes that 95 percent of reopened accommodation facilities are ready to serve MICE travelers. However, the demand remains low because of strict regulations on the epidemic prevention. Meanwhile, businesses tend to downsize the scale of workshops and events. According to Tran Kim Chung from CIEM, the resort property market will recover in two phases. The first phase would begin when students finish the 2019-2020 academic year, which wull lead to domestic travel and benefit hotels and resorts. The second phase would begin when China, South Korea, Japan and Russia successfully contain the epidemic and international travel resumes. Chung thinks that foreign travelers favor destinations in the south for the second half of autumn and winter, which would bring benefits to tourism real estate markets from Da Nang to Phu Quoc. Duong Thuy Dung from CBRE Vietnam thinks that travel in small groups, small hotel stays, and travel to tourist sites with personal vehicles will be short-term trends. Tourist sites near Hanoi and HCM City are expected to. see fast recovery in 3-6 months. Thanh Lich Resort real estate anticipates quick rebound Resort real estate is one of the segments expected to see the fastest pace of recovery in the post-pandemic times. By West Kentucky Star Staff Jun. 14, 2020 | 09:15 AM | MAYFIELD A Mayfield man is facing attempted murder and other charges after an incident on Saturday.The Mayfield Police Department said officers were dispatched to a disturbance in the 200 Block of North 5th Street. Upon arrival, Officers spoke with a female victim.The woman told police that her son, 29-year-old Trevor Taylor of Mayfield, had entered her apartment, grabbed her and told her he was going to kill her. Taylor then allegedly pushed her outside of her apartment, and tried to throw her over the second story balcony railing. Taylor then fled the scene. Officers began to search for Taylor in the immediate area and found him on North 5th Street. When Taylor saw officers approaching, he reportedly fled on foot. Taylor was apprehended after a brief foot chase. Protesters demonstrate May 30 in Los Angeles in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) A glimmer of hope for bipartisan action on police reform and race relations appeared on Capitol Hill last week. We should savor it before it disappears. Leading Republicans, reacting to public outrage after a police officer strangled George Floyd in Minneapolis, have stampeded to put their party on the right side of history. Were still wrestling with Americas original sin, said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), a man not often given to confession. He promised legislation to respond to the obvious racial discrimination that weve seen. In the House, Republican leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) said he wants to work with the majority Democrats toward bipartisan solutions. Bad cops need to be held accountable, period, he said. McCarthy said he supports a ban on police use of chokeholds on suspects already in handcuffs, as Floyd was before his death. Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Elk Grove) said he agrees with Democrats that police officers should lose their immunity to civil suits. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said he wants to end no-knock searches, which have produced fatal shootings. And several Republican senators joined Democrats in urging the Army to rename 10 bases, all in the South, that bear the names of Confederate generals. This wasnt a wholesale conversion. No one joined Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) in bravely declaring that black lives matter. No one dared name the problem as bluntly as former President George W. Bush, who denounced systemic racism. There was a wide gulf between the mild measures most Republicans supported and the more sweeping actions Democrats proposed, including a complete ban on police chokeholds and provisions that would make it easier to hold officers legally accountable. Still, it was a rare moment of opportunity in a Congress distinguished mostly for partisan gridlock. Rep. Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), perennial optimists, said they believed bipartisan action is possible and that the shared outrage over Floyds death should not be squandered. Story continues Then theres President Trump. He's in a time warp, treating racial inequality as if we were stuck in the 1950s. A traditional president in a crisis like this Republican or Democratic might give a statesmanlike speech seeking to bind the nation together. He might convene a White House panel to hear from Black victims of police brutality and experts in police reform. He might even propose legislation. Trump did none of those things. Instead, he threatened to unleash combat troops against U.S. citizens and denounced governors and mayors who, in his telling, needed to crack down on radical anarchists from "antifa," even though most protests were peaceful. According to Trump, the problem isnt racial discrimination or police brutality. Its law and order or, as he shouts repeatedly on Twitter, LAW & ORDER! (Hes never tweeted JUSTICE & EQUALITY! I checked.) When Trump went to Dallas on Thursday, he told a roundtable that police should "dominate the streets." He only mentioned racial equality in what sounded like an afterthought. We have to work together to confront bigotry and prejudice, he said. I think were going to do [it] very easily. It will go quickly. Precisely how, he declined to say. Nor did he suggest any measures to curb police abuses. Asked later by Fox News if he favors a ban on chokeholds, Trump seemed to take both sides. Generally speaking, it should be ended, he said, unless a police officer is in a bad scuffle. That vague guidance wont help nervous Republicans in Congress who worry about taking a position that the president might suddenly denounce. Trump has drawn a much clearer line in favor of Confederate generals. Although the Pentagon has been open to renaming the 10 Army bases, Trump tweeted that his administration "will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations. That created a wedge issue in his own party. Solidly conservative GOP senators, including Roy Blunt of Missouri and James Lankford of Oklahoma, announced it was time to remove rebels' names from U.S. bases. Trump said hed veto such a bill. Part of the problem is that Trumps reelection strategy rests on energizing white conservative voters, not on expanding his appeal. The president won in 2016 partly by stoking fears of immigrants and Islamic terrorists. Now hes fanning fears of looters and "THUGS," code words often wielded against people of color. If Republicans want police reform laws, McConnell and McCarthy need to convince the president its in his interest to sign the bills. It could determine whether Republicans preserve their Senate majority, where at least three GOP members from swing states are in serious danger. This isn't rocket science. Trump's "law and order" tweets may captivate his base, but polls show a clear majority of Americans also want police reform and racial justice. That creates an opportunity for compromise. Most voters want police accountability, a GOP strategist told me. We get that. If both sides can agree on a few first steps, we could actually change the country for the better. The measures GOP leaders are drafting will never satisfy progressives, but theyd still add up to progress. It wont be easy for Republicans and Democrats to agree. Theyre out of practice, and its an election year. But for them to succeed, Trump needs to get out of the way. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 04:00:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A worker works at a construction site in Clichy, near Paris, France, June 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Gao Jing) "This means a stronger resumption of work and the reopening of restaurants and bars," he said. PARIS, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Starting from Monday it would be possible for France to "turn the page on the first act of the crisis" that had forced France into nearly two months of anti-coronavirus lockdown followed by a gradual and cautious deconfinement, President Emmanuel Macron declared on Sunday. With the exception of Mayotte and French Guiana, the entire map of France will go green, including Ile-de-France, the great Paris region, said Macron in a televised address to the nation, a fourth one since the outbreak of the epidemic. "This means a stronger resumption of work and the reopening of restaurants and bars," he said. "In France and overseas, nurseries, schools, colleges will prepare to welcome, from June 22, all students, in a compulsory manner and according to normal attendance rules," Macron noted. A waiter wearing a mask works at Cafe de Flore at its reopening day in Paris, France, June 2, 2020. (Xinhua/Gao Jing) The second round of the municipal elections will take place on June 28 "in a very supervised manner," he added. Meanwhile, the president stressed that gatherings must be avoided as much as possible because "they are the main opportunities for the spread of the virus." The president also noted that the health crisis has revealed flaws and weaknesses of France, such as dependence on other continents for certain products, cumbersome organization, social and regional inequalities. "Our strengths will strengthen them, our weaknesses, we will correct them quickly and strongly," he pledged. "I want us to learn all the lessons from what we have experienced." For the "reconstruction...our first priority is to rebuild a strong, ecological, sovereign and united economy," said Macron. He announced that he will address the nation again in July to clarify the "new path" and "launch the first actions." A worker works at a construction site in Clichy, near Paris, France, June 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Gao Jing) B oris Johnson is under increasing pressure to take concrete steps to tackle racial inequality in the UK after tweets he sent about Winston Churchill s statue were branded a deflection. More than 100 people were arrested on Saturday at a far-right protest in London, which was condemned by the prime minister as racist thuggery. A 28-year-old was also arrested on suspicion of outraging public decency after a man was photographed apparently urinating next to the memorial dedicated to Pc Keith Palmer, the officer who was stabbed to death in the 2017 terror attack in Westminster. Six police officers suffered minor injuries in violent clashes as several hundred demonstrators, mostly white men, attended the protest organised by far-right groups which claimed they wanted to protect statues such as that of Churchill from vandalism. But the demonstration turned violent after hundreds of self-proclaimed statue defenders took over areas near the Houses of Parliament and Trafalgar Square and hurled missiles, smoke grenades, glass bottles and flares at police officers. A counter-protest with far-right supporters turned violent. / AFP via Getty Images Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said he was extremely disturbed by the completely unacceptable scenes of violence on the streets on Saturday. He said Mr Johnson needs to set out concrete steps to address the inequality and racism that still sadly exists in our country. The Torfaen Labour MP told Sky News Sophy Ridge on Sunday show: The Government needs to show leadership on the inequality and racism that still sadly exists in our country, and by that I mean the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister needs to come forward, show that he understands the hurt and the anguish of the stories that black people in our country have spoken about so movingly in recent weeks, and also to set out the concrete steps that his Government now intends to take to address that. More than 100 arrested as PM brands far-right protests racist thuggery Mr Thomas-Symonds also said there has been a chronic failure of political leadership by the Government in addressing the Windrush scandal. In its first year of operation, it has only compensated 60 people to a total of 360,000," he said. Now of course Im pleased for those 60 people, but were talking about thousands of people who were wronged over generations. That such a small number has been compensated only that number is a chronic failure of political leadership. The Government needs to focus, it needs to step up to the plate and it needs to act, he said. Meanwhile, shadow justice secretary David Lammy said Mr Johnsons tweets about the Churchill statue were a deflection. In a series of eight tweets on Friday, Mr Johnson said to take statues down would be to lie about our history. He tweeted: The statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square is a permanent reminder of his achievement in saving this country and the whole of Europe from a fascist and racist tyranny. Speaking on the BBCs Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, Tottenham Labour MP Mr Lammy said: Boris Johnson sent out eight tweets, I think it was, on Friday on Winston Churchill and statues. Hes never tweeted eight times in a day on coronavirus, hes never tweeted eight times in a day on the Windrush review or what hes going to do about it, or on the review that David Cameron asked me to do on disproportionality in the criminal justice system and what hes going to do about it. This feels to me like a bit of a deflection. Lets get to the action, lets have some substance, lets do something about these historic injustices that still exist in our country. Many of those present in London on Saturday were drinking, and there were a number of clashes with police in riot gear as crowds chanting Tommy Robinson and England while raising their arms and surging towards lines of officers. Outbursts of violence continued around the city after the 5pm deadline had passed, and, by 9pm, more than 100 people had been arrested for offences including breach of the peace, violent disorder, assault on officers, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of class A drugs, and being drunk and disorderly. London Ambulance Service said it had treated 15 people for injuries, including two police officers. Six of these patients, all members of the public, had to be taken to hospital. The violent scenes in Westminster contrasted with peaceful demonstrations that took place at Hyde Park and Marble Arch by anti-racism protesters in support of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. Meanwhile, Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood, who gave first aid to Pc Palmer as he lay dying after being stabbed to death in the grounds of Parliament by Khalid Masood in 2017, said the image of the man urinating next to the memorial was abhorrent. On Friday, statues in Parliament Square including Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi were boarded up to prevent them being targeted by protesters both from the Black Lives Matter movement and far-right groups. President Donald Trump's has defended himself after he appeared to struggle lifting a glass of water and descending a staircase at his graduation speech at West Point. During the speech on Saturday, Trump used two hands to sip from a glass of water, and then gingerly descended a ramp as he looked at his feet and took what appeared to be 'baby steps'. 'The ramp that I descended after my West Point Commencement speech was very long & steep, had no handrail and, most importantly, was very slippery,' Trump said in a tweet. 'The last thing I was going to do is 'fall' for the Fake News to have fun with. Final ten feet I ran down to level ground. Momentum!' But video only shows Trump making two hurried steps at the end of the ramp, rather than running ten feet. Scroll down for video Trump did not address criticism that he drank his water 'sippy cup style' as he delivered the address at the nation's premiere military academy. It is not the first time that Trump has used two hands to sip from a cup of water, an odd tic that has led some to question whether he has a medical issue. 'This is a persistent neurological sign that, combined with others, would be concerning enough to require a brain scan,' Dr. Bandy Lee, a Yale psychiatrist, wrote on Twitter in response to the West Point footage. 'Recent videos make it clear that there is something medically wrong with Trump. The way he walks, how he holds a glass of water, his slurred words, his lapses in thought. What is the White House hiding?' tweeted Jon Cooper, a top fundraiser for Joe Biden. Trump insists he is in perfect health and the White House recently released an annual physical that claimed he is in good shape for his age. He turns 74 on Sunday. Trump's habit of sipping water with two hands has been noted since at least 2017, when he cradled a glass while delivering his national security strategy in front of military service members in Washington, D.C. In another 2017 speech, Trump gulped from a water bottle with two hands while touting a trade deal with Japan. Trump is seen cradling a glass in 2017 while delivering his national security strategy in front of military service members in Washington, D.C. In another 2017 speech, Trump gulped from a water bottle with two hands while touting a trade deal with Japan On Saturday, Trump urged West Point's graduating class Saturday to 'never forget' the legacy of soldiers before them who fought a bloody war to 'extinguish the evil of slavery.' Trump's appeal to remember history came as his own relationship with the military is under strain from the unrelenting criticism he and Pentagon leaders have faced over their response to protests that erupted after George Floyds death in Minneapolis. It also came hours after Trump made what amounted to a rare concession for him: He rescheduled a campaign rally planned for Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 19. The day marks the end of slavery in the U.S., and Tulsa was the scene of a fiery white-on-black attack in 1921. 'What has historically made America unique is the durability of its institutions against the passions and prejudices of the moment,' Trump told more than 1,100 graduates at an unusual outdoor ceremony held during a pandemic. 'When times are turbulent, when the road is rough, what matters most is that which is permanent, timeless, enduring and eternal.' Trump and United States Military Academy superintendent Darryl A. Williams salute alongside graduating cadets as the national anthem is played during commencement ceremonies Trump delivers the commencement address at the 2020 US Military Academy Graduation In the past two weeks, Trump has yelled at Defense Secretary Mark Esper for publicly opposing his call to deploy active-duty troops to quell the protests stemming from the killing of Floyd, who was black, by a white Minneapolis police officer. During the commencement ceremony, protesters denounced the president from boats and kayaks along the nearby Hudson River. Trump also used his first West Point address to remind the newly commissioned officers of the academy's history and storied generals like Douglas MacArthur and Dwight D. Eisenhower. 'It was on this soil that American patriots held the most vital fortress in our war for independence,' Trump said. He said the U.S. Military Academy 'gave us the men and women who fought and won a bloody war to extinguish the evil of slavery within one lifetime of our founding. 'This is your history. This is the legacy that each of you inherits,' Trump continued, adding that it was bought with American blood spilled in battle. 'You must never forget it.' Trump, however, was incorrect to say women had been trained at West Point for the anti-slavery fight; they were not allowed to become cadets until 1976. His remarks also overlooked numerous West Point graduates who served in the Confederacy, including President Jefferson Davis, Gen. Robert E. Lee and Gen. Braxton Bragg. Some are now seeking the removal of Bragg's name from North Carolina's Fort Bragg. In the speech, Trump leaned into his 'America first' brand of foreign policy without uttering the phrase, telling the Army's newest officers their job is 'not to rebuild foreign nations, but to defend and defend strongly our nation from our foreign enemies.' 'It is not the duty of U.S. troops to solve ancient conflicts in faraway lands that many people have never heard of.' He said America is not the 'policeman of the world,' but warned adversaries that it will 'never, ever hesitate' to act when its people are threatened. He thanked those in the military who helped the country respond to the coronavirus, once again calling it an 'invisible enemy' from China. At the end of the ceremony, five hulking helicopters flew low and slow over the field as the graduates tossed their white dress caps into the air Trump applauds as West Point graduating cadets throw their hats in the air after their 2020 United States Military Academy graduation ceremony at West Point The president stressed the unity of a graduating class that came 'from every race, religion, color and creed.' The class also includes citizens of 11 other countries, including Bosnia-Herzegovina, South Korea and Tanzania. Trump highlighted bigger defense budgets under his watch but falsely said he had destroyed 100 percent of the Islamic State caliphate in the Middle East; the group still poses a threat to the U.S. He noted he had directed the killing of two terrorist leaders and had created the Space Force. Trump also remembered a cadet who died in an accident last year and whose father is a Secret Service agent, and noted that both he and the Army share a birthday Sunday. Trump will turn 74, while the Army marks its 254th year of existence. Esper did not attend, but emphasized the principles of duty, honor and country in a video message, saying they will help guide the new officers 'in challenging times and in the face of new and emerging threats.' Trump's appearance at West Point had been criticized as a political move that would put the graduates at risk since the academy is located up the Hudson River from New York City, the epicenter of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak. The Army defended the move, saying the cadets had to return to campus anyway for final medical checks, equipment and training. They had been home since spring break in early March.. For the ceremony, the newly commissioned second lieutenants wore face masks as they marched onto the parade field, but removed them after sitting for the socially distant ceremony required by the pandemic. Instead of shaking hands with the president, they exchanged salutes. Family and friends were not allowed to attend and had to watch online. At the end of the ceremony, five hulking helicopters flew low and slow over the field as the graduates tossed their white dress caps into the air. Pushkar Banakar By NEW DELHI: The Nepal Parliament, in a special session on Saturday, voted in favour of a constitutional amendment Bill to include territories of Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani in Uttarakhand in its new political map and emblem. The Bill, introduced by Nepal Prime KP Sharma Oli on Wednesday in the House of Representatives, or the Lower House of Nepals Parliament, was cleared with a two-thirds majority after all 258 votes went in favour of the amendment. The overwhelming majority was achieved after the main opposition party, the Nepali Congress, decided to back the amendment. The strength of the House of Representatives is 275. India described the development as untenable and violative of our current understanding to hold talks on outstanding boundary issues. The Ministry of External Affairs said: We have noted that the House of Representatives of Nepal has passed a constitution amendment bill for changing the map of Nepal to include parts of Indian territory. We have already made our position clear on this matter. "This artificial enlargement of claims is not based on historical fact or evidence and is not tenable. It is also violative of our current understanding to hold talks on outstanding boundary issues. The Bill will now be sent to the National Assembly or the Upper House, which will be given another 72 hours to debate and clear. Once cleared, it would be sent to the Nepali President for ratification and subsequently included in the Constitution. The House of Representatives unanimously adopted the Constitution Amendment Bill, paving the way for accommodating the updated political-administrative map in the national emblem, Nepali Foreign Ministry Pradeep Gyawali tweeted with a picture of the new emblem showing the territories in the Himalayan nations new map. The Bills introduction had evoked strong reactions from India. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava had described the move unilateral and not based on historical facts. Such artificial enlargement of territorial claims will not be accepted by India. Nepal is well aware of Indias consistent position on this matter and we urge the Government of Nepal to refrain from such unjustified cartographic assertion and respect Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity, he had said last month. The border issue grabbed attention after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on May 8 inaugurated a road in Lipulekh. While Nepal claims it as its own territory under the Treaty of Sugauli, India maintains that the territories are a part of Uttarakhand. A new map was then released a day later, which was endorsed by the Nepal Cabinet. The formal clearance of the new map is likely to close any chances of Indo-Nepal talks on the border issue. The Nepali Congress had, while backing the amendment, insisted on foreign secretary level talks with India to resolve the issue. Prices for treatment of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in private hospitals across Delhi might be capped, with the matter set to come up for discussion in the next meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Tuesday, as per the agenda of the meeting. Fixing price ceiling for treatment by private hospitals as some of them are charging exorbitant price and seeking huge advances, read the agenda of the meeting. The DDMA will also discuss fixing ceiling for charges of private ambulance services. There are 97 private hospitals in the city treating Covid-19 patients as on Saturday, according to the Delhi Corona app. The government had ordered 117 hospitals across the city with 50 beds or more to reserve 20% of their bed strength for the treatment of Covid-19. This has gone up to 80 or 100% beds in some of the hospitals like Moolchand, Fortis Vasant Kunj, and Sir Ganga Ram since. Saroj hospital in north Delhi had come into limelight after an internal communication of charging minimum 3 lakhs for each Covid-19 patient went viral on social media. It has been brought to our notice that an outdated circular is being distributed on social media about the charges of Covid-19 treatment at Saroj Superspeciality hospital. We categorically deny having approved or having billed any Covid-19 patients as per the charges mentioned in the said circular, the hospital had said. The health minister on Saturday said that the government is yet to take a decision on whether the prices for treatment of Covid-19 in private hospitals need to be capped. The government in an order on June 4 had asked private hospitals treating Covid-19 patients to provide a list of prices of the wards and isolation, ventilator support, PPE kits, central line insertion, biopsy, Covid testing, CT scan, MRI, etc. All the hospitals have been asked to share the rates that they are charging for COVID treatments. We will decide on what to do after observing rates of every hospital, said Jain on Saturday. The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to give directions on a plea to prevent overcharging by private hospitals and refusal of treatment due to lack of funds. Minister for Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola has revealed that neighbouring countries begged Nigeria for food during the period of lockdown but were only denied because President Muhammadu Buhari insisted that Nigerians must be fed first. The former governor of Lagos state made this known in an Instagram Live Chat with City People Magazine. A popular Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) chieftain, Reno Omokri has berated the minister for housing, Babatunde Fashola over a comment credited to him wherein he said other neighbouring countries begged Nigeria for food during the lockdown period. Omokri in his reaction queried why Nigeria that could not feed herself without importation before Covid-19 lockdown would be able to feed others during the lockdown period. A former minister for aviation, Fani Kayode has reacted to reports of melee in the presidential villa by saying President Muhammadu Buhari has clearly lost control of his home, official residence, wife, family and country. According to reports, Aisha Buhari and a personal assistant to the presidency were said to have been involved in the altercation. Advertisement President Muhammadu Buhari has said that over N800 billion looted funds have been recovered in the countrys fight against corruption. President Buhari said this on Friday in his Democracy Day speech, adding that the anti-corruption agencies have also secured more than 1400 convictions. The Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) has reacted to reports of security breach within the presidential villa by calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to speak out. Speaking via a statement on its official Twitter handle, the Party described the report as worrisome and unimaginable. The spokesman of the defence headquarters, John Enenche has revealed that the dreaded Boko Haram sect killed no fewer than 81 people in Borno state last week as punishment for revealing their locations to the military. Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Friday, he added that another attack which occurred in Katsina where 40 people were killed was primarily due to the fact that the residents in the areas had informed the military about the location of the sect. Wife of the president, Aisha Buhari has called on the inspector general of police, Adamu Mohammed to urgently release her detained aides from custody to avoid putting their lives in danger or exposure to Covid-19 while in their custody. She made the appeal via a statement on her official Twitter handle on Friday, 12th June. Ibarahim Magu, the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has reacted to the arrest of Instagram big boy, Ramon Abbas, also known as Hushpuppi. This came shortly before the Commissioner of Police (CP) INTERPOL, Garba Umar, confirmed his arrest in Dubai and planned extradition to Nigeria. Syracuse, N.Y. Jakelle Davis stepdaughter stared into a crowd of about 100 people. A protester lowered a bullhorn to her height. Justice for my dad! the girl yelled. The crowd yelled back Davis name. On Saturday, protesters marched for the 15th straight day against police brutality. They focused on Davis, shouting his name outside police department headquarters, outside Upstate University Hospital and throughout downtown Syracuse. Davis was shot by a Syracuse police officer, who has yet to be identified, around 5 a.m. Thursday. Police say he reached for a gun as the officer approached him and the officer shot him in the jaw. Police arrived at the scene on the 100 block of Mark Avenue in response to a shots-fired call. Police then encountered Davis at the scene, Chief Kenton Buckner said Thursday. Buckner has said officers acted appropriately and noted that officers have the right to defend themselves. His family declined to comment, though they said they might share more information in the coming days. His father, Jessie Davis, and brother, Andre Smith, both protested for a short while Saturday. Protesters have been frustrated with the officers lack of body-worn cameras. None who initially arrived at the scene was wearing them. They emphasized that any investigation now has to rely on Davis word against the officers'. Jakelle Davis' family protested with Last Chance for Change on Saturday. His stepdaughter, partner, father and brother all marched. The protesters focused on the availability of body-worn cameras. The department has 105 and needs more to outfit 240 patrol officers, police chief Kenton Buckner and Mayor Ben Walsh have said. Protesters argued that if 105 cameras are available, at least one of the three responding officers should have been wearing one. Protester Hasahn Bloodworth said he knew Davis, who he said goes by the nickname Nickels. Protesters marched from ITC through downtown Syracuse to the Public Safety Building, where Davis stepdaughter and partner joined the protest. Thats when his stepdaughter, dressed in a pink jacket that read Pink Sweeties, khaki pants and black flats got in front of the crowd. Davis stepdaughter held a sign that read Black Lives Matter" with his nickname written in the bottom left corner of the sign. Davis father and brother then showed up as protesters finished their march, joining on Harrison Street. Just before the marchers turned from Harrison Street onto South State Street, they stopped. They listened as Davis father spoke. On Friday night, Davis underwent surgery. According to Curtis Chaplin, one of the protests organizers, the bullet went through Davis jaw. Jessie Davis said his son made it through the surgery and is expected to survive. He put up his fist, Davis said. Im very grateful and I love you guys. Davis passed off the mic and began marching. Jakelle Davis! protesters shouted. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Chris Libonati via the Signal app for encrypted messaging at 585-290-0718, by phone at the same number, by email or on Twitter. The Lafayette Parish School System is developing contingency plans to prevent a budget shortfall should the novel coronavirus pandemic continue to disrupt sales tax collections in the 2021 fiscal year. Billy Guidry, district chief financial officer, made a pitch for two possible shortfall fixes at Wednesdays school board meeting. Both would involve shuffling money between funds and making use of reserve funds and a projected surplus to prevent cutting into budgeted expenses. Predicting exactly what a shortfall may look like is difficult, he said. Much of the potential future impact depends on how well the economy picks up as local businesses reopen during the states phased approach and whether businesses must again close in the future. Its a fluid situation, Guidry said. Tax collections in April, based on March sales, were down $1.2 million and May collections, based on April sales, were down $1.6 million from expectations, according to board documents. Guidry said by phone Friday its important to begin planning now so the district can act from a position of caution and financial stability, rather than reacting after the new fiscal year begins and the district begins to spend its discretionary funds. It gives you more of an opportunity to identify offsets than if you waited further down the road, he said. In the plan presented Wednesday, the district would initiate the transfer of $4.5 million from anticipated surplus revenues to the self-funded construction fund for the rebuilding of Carencro Heights Elementary, Lafayette High and Prairie Elementary before closing out their accounts for fiscal year 2020. Instead of actually being transferred, the money would be idle and be available for use in the event of a revenue drop-off; if the shortfall doesnt materialize, the money could be officially transferred to the construction account or be allocated elsewhere depending on the boards wishes, Guidry said. Here's how the Lafayette Parish School System is using its $10.29 million CARES Act allocation The Lafayette Parish School System is earmarking several million dollars in federal relief funding to purchase computers for students and scho Guidry said based on current projections, he believes, despite the economic downturn, the district could still end the fiscal year with a surplus. The expectation is based on offsets from district schools not operating at full capacity between March and May, sales tax revenues trending higher than budgeted prior to March and stable revenue sources outside sales tax collections, he said. I wont be able to say with certainty until the numbers are final, but what Im basing the assumption on is what I am aware of, Guidry said. In step two of the plan, the district would withhold annual transfers of a combined $5 million from the self-funded construction and capital improvements funds for use in the general fund to cover possible shortfalls. Each fund typically receives $2.5 million annually from sales tax collections to support regular expenditures. Top stories in Acadiana in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up In 2021, the district would take the necessary monies from each funds reserve if the sales tax dollars are indeed needed to cover a shortfall, Guidry said. If theyre not, the annual sales tax transfer would move ahead as planned and the reserves would remain untouched. The self-funded construction reserve stands at $7.16 million and the capital improvements reserve is at $8.6 million, Guidry said. The district likes to have at least $2.5 million in reserve to cover the next years expenses in case of an economic downturn, so both funds are well above the goal, he said. Though recommended, the plan isnt set in stone. The options will be brought back for approval by the school board in August once the final accounts for fiscal year 2020 have been closed out. The goal of putting the plans before the public and board now is to allow time for feedback and redirection if the board wants to take another route, Guidry said. Guidry said he built the plan around revenue projections issued by the Louisiana Legislative Auditors office in consultation with the states Revenue Estimating Conference. The report projected optimistic, moderate and pessimistic scenarios for the school board, ranging from $3.2 million to $9.5 million in lost sales tax revenues, board documents said. Even if theyre off a little, it at least gets us in the right ballpark to where we can manage those adjustments, as opposed to if we dont allow for the $9.5 million thats a lot more difficult to react to. By having that information, I think it allows us to be proactive and it reminds us that we need to be cautious as we move forward, especially if there are any kind of budget increases that come our way for consideration, Guidry said. District 6 board member Justin Centanni said hes pleased with the proposal and thinks its the right way to go. Guidrys proposals were the product of several years of conservative budgeting and tax projections following a midyear shortfall in 2014-2015 that led to budget cuts, he said. Since then, the board and district have worked to prevent similar situations. Having financial options that dont require cuts to personnel or services is a good position to be in, Centanni said. Im happy we have the latitude to take a wait-and-see approach on how we approach the next year, he said. District 1 board member Mary Morrison, current board vice president, echoed Centannis sentiments. She said cuts should be avoidable because the school board took the bull by the horns and reassessed the districts financial condition, but the uncertainty of the current economic situation begs caution before making any final decisions. The last thing we want to do is cut teachers and cut classrooms, but we just have to see what were dealing with, she said. Morrison said shes confident district staff will make measured recommendations, like those presented Wednesday, and work to avoid cuts. WASHINGTON After months away from the campaign trail, President Donald Trump plans to rally his supporters next Saturday for the first time since most of the country was shuttered by the coronavirus. But health experts are questioning that decision. Trump will head to Tulsa, Oklahoma a state that has seen relatively few COVID-19 cases. Yet the Tulsa City-County Health Departments director told the Tulsa World over the weekend that he wished the Trump campaign would move the date back because of a significant increase in our case trends. Im concerned about our ability to protect anyone who attends a large, indoor event, and Im also concerned about our ability to ensure the president stays safe as well, Dr. Bruce Dart told the newspaper. Other health experts also cite the danger of infection spreading among the crowd and sparking outbreaks when people return to their homes. The Trump campaign itself acknowledges the risk in a waiver attendees must agree to absolving them of any responsibility should people get sick. WHAT MAKES THE RALLY HIGH RISK? Trumps rally will be held indoors, at a 19,000-seat arena that has canceled all other events through the end of July. Scientists believe the virus spreads far more easily in crowded enclosed spaces than it does outdoors, where circulating air has a better chance of dispersing virus particles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlines the highest risk events for transmission of the coronavirus this way: Large in-person gatherings where it is difficult for individuals to remain spaced at least 6 feet apart and attendees travel from outside the local area. The CDC recommends cloth masks in places where people might shout or chant. Trumps rallies typically draw tens of thousands of supporters. They usually stand outside in line for hours before passing through airport-style security and cramming into an arena, where they sit side by side or stand shoulder to shoulder. The rallies are typically raucous, with much shouting, cheering and chanting. Some people dance and jeer at reporters. Sometimes protesters are met with violence before they are removed by security. Many attendees are older, which would put them at higher risk of severe complications from COVID-19. Its not unusual for several individuals in the crowd to require medical attention when the temperature rises. The rallies also typically draw supporters from surrounding towns and states. Some die-hard fans travel across the country from rally to rally like groupies for a band. Dr. Ashish Jha, director of Harvards Global Health Institute, called the upcoming Trump rally an extraordinarily dangerous move for the people participating and the people who may know them and love them and see them afterward. Trump supporters coming from neighboring cities and states could carry the virus back home, Jha said. Id feel the same way if Joe Biden were holding a rally. ___ OKLAHOMA CASES LOW BUT RISING In its final phase of reopening, Oklahoma now allows public gatherings of any size as long as organizers consider social distancing. Participants at any large gathering should stay 6 feet (1.8 meters) apart and wear a cloth face covering when distancing is a challenge, the state health department said. The state has a relatively low death rate compared with the rest of the nation, but new cases are rising. In Tulsa, there were 82 new cases reported Saturday, a new high in daily increases for the county. The Tulsa Health Department already was investigating an outbreak linked to an indoor gathering of a large group of people. Citing the spike in cases, Dart said he wished the rally would postponed to a later date when the virus isnt as large a concern as it is today. I think its an honor for Tulsa to have a sitting president want to come and visit our community, but not during a pandemic, Dart said in an interview Saturday with the Tulsa World. Dart said the risk of spreading the virus increases with higher numbers of people congregating for longer periods of time. Oklahoma health authorities said that anyone who attends a large public event should get tested for COVID-19 shortly afterward. Shelley Payne, director of the LaMontagne Center for Infectious Disease at the University of Texas at Austin, said the Trump rally meets every criteria for the riskiest type of event. I would certainly recommend that people wear masks and try to keep as much distance as possible, Payne said. Julie Fischer, an associate research professor of microbiology and immunology at Georgetown University, said the event could have wide repercussions for the country. With a little bad luck, that scenario could end in the seeding of community outbreaks of COVID-19 across the U.S., she said. ___ MASKS AND PRECAUTIONS The Trump campaign has declined to respond to repeated questions about whether it will require attendees to wear masks, socially distance or take other measures to reduce the risk of virus transmission. Trump has made clear that he believes empty seats are bad optics. I cant imagine a rally where you have every fourth seat full. Every every six seats are empty for every one that you have full. That wouldnt look too good, he said in April. Trump also insisted that the marquee event of the Republican National Convention his acceptance of his partys nomination for reelection be moved from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Jacksonville, Florida, after North Carolinas Democratic governor refused to promise he would not impose restrictions. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, a former neurosurgeon, said Trumps rallies will be coordinated with public health authorities to maintain safety. As far as the virus is concerned, we have two choices: we can allow it to dominate us, or we can learn as much as we can about it and we can learn how to live with it in a safe, prescribed manner, he said on Fox News Sunday. And I think the second option is the one thats going to be adopted. ___ WHY NOW? Trump has been eager to resume the rallies that are the centerpiece of his campaign. The president revels in his large crowds. The events let him vent and gauge the kind of rhetoric that will appeal to his ardent political base. They also help his campaign expand its voter databases and will serve as a contrast to Democratic challenger Biden, who has suspended campaign events because of the virus and hasnt attracted the same size of crowds. But the decision to pull the trigger now was driven, in large part, by the mass anti-racism protests that have taken place across the country in the wake of George Floyds death in Minneapolis. Campaign and White House officials say the protests and the limited public health outcry they generated gave them cover. If it was OK for tens of thousands of people to march through the streets, demanding racial justice, why cant Trump rally his supporters, too? Of course, the protests were held outside, with many participants wearing masks. Any large gathering, whether of protesters or ralliers, is dangerous, Jha said. But infection is less likely at an outdoors moving march than at a crowded event in an enclosed space, he said, citing the air flow. ___ THE WAIVER The Trump campaign, in recognition of the risk, has tried to protect itself from lawsuits with waiver language on its registration website. By clicking register below, you are acknowledging that an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present, the campaign advised those signing up for the rally. By attending the Rally, you and any guests voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 and agree not to hold Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. liable for illness or injury. ___ Johnson reported from Washington state. Temperature checks. Bigger lines. Fewer meals. No alcohol. And ultimately, higher prices. Air travel often a headache before the COVID-19 pandemic is set to become even more uncomfortable, experts say, as increased in-flight personal space is offset by longer waits, higher airfares and more sterile environments. Carriers, whose fleets have largely been grounded since mid-March amid global travel restrictions and extremely low demand for travel, now face the dilemma of generating enough revenue to stay afloat while keeping their passengers and employees safe. In an effort to maintain physical distancing, Air Canada and WestJet Airlines Ltd. currently block the sale of immediately adjacent seats in economy class and throughout the entire plane, respectively. Air Canada passengers currently receive complimentary kits that include hand sanitizer, antiseptic wipes, gloves, a water bottle and in line with federal rules as of June 4 face masks. To minimize customer-employee contact, pillows, blankets and alcohol are unavailable, with drink service limited to bottled water. Only travellers on international flights or in business class on journeys over two hours are offered boxed meals no multi-course meals on the menu, even for elite flyers. Infrared temperature checks will soon be required for all international passengers as well as those flying within Canada, with screening stations to be set up at 15 airports by September, Transport Minister Marc Garneau said Friday. Travellers with an elevated temperature 37.5 C in the case of Air Canada, which already conducts screenings will be unable to board the flight, and barred from flying for at least 14 days. Just how effective the checks are at virus detection remains up in the air. Thermography is only good for people who have the beginnings of a fever, or are somewhere along with a fever, said Tim Sly, epidemiologist and professor emeritus at Ryerson Universitys School of Public Health. But we now know this virus is a stealth virus. A recent study at Imperial College London found that the technique would not detect a heightened temperature in about half of those with the virus. Passengers, flight crew and airport workers must wear non-medical marks or face coverings at all times, with exceptions for eating that include dining and children under the age of two, according to Transport Canada. Passengers seated in the back now typically board first and those in the front board last to reduce the risk of transmission. Airports in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary are also encouraging a touch-free baggage check where travellers check in remotely, print bag tags at an airport kiosk and drop off luggage at a designated spot. Physical distancing rules at busy terminals could shrink capacity and cause congestion for arrivals and departures, making it harder for carriers to recoup their recent losses. Meanwhile, enhanced aircraft cleaning procedures will likely mean more time between flights, which combined with fewer passengers could badly dent their bottom lines. Cleaning up, safety procedures that will delay flights. And it will have some level of expenditures, said Jacques Roy, a professor of transport management at HEC Montreal business school. But the most important thing would be to remove the middle seat. That would reduce capacity by one-third. To compensate you have to increase prices. Jim Scott, CEO of ultra-low-cost carrier Flair Airlines, acknowledged that higher fares are likely on the horizon, though not immediately as carriers try to encourage travellers with lower prices. If you want that middle seat empty, probably youre going to have to pay more, he said. In North America, physical distancing on board would push the average fare up by 43 per cent to US$289 from US$202 in 2019 just for airlines to break even, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Eliminating the middle seat will raise costs. If that can be offset that with higher fares, the era of affordable travel will come to an end, industry group director general Alexandre de Juniac said last month. Higher ancillary charges baggage fees, seating upgrades and other options also present a potential path to higher revenues down the road, increasing a trend in place before the pandemic, said Jay Sorensen, who heads airline consulting firm IdeaWorksCompany. While some adjustments may be easier to adapt to ubiquitous disinfectant dispensers and plastic barriers in terminals, for example others may be a little more difficult to accept. Budget carrier Ryanair will require customers to make a special request to use the washroom to avoid what IATA calls a congregation of passengers in the cabin. Nonetheless, the trade group, which counts Air Canada and WestJet among its almost 300 members, raised eyebrows last month when it announced that passenger face coverings have eliminated the need for physical distancing on board washroom queues aside and that aircraft seats serve as a barrier to viral transmission. Airlines may be under pressure to make middle seats available soon as passenger volumes, which have fallen by more than 95 per cent year over year at Canadian carriers, start to rise again. WestJet said in an email it will reassess its no-middle-seat policy at the end of the month, while an Air Canada spokesman said that it is not possible to speculate on the future possibilities. For now, most regulators have not acted on IATAs push for middle seat occupancy, and airlines may find they need to entice passengers with rigorous health and hygiene protocols rather than filling each flight to capacity, said Dr. Paul Pottinger, professor of infectious diseases at the University of Washingtons School of Medicine. The question, I think, is not one of viruses and infection, its one of economics. Is that risk reduction small enough that people would be willing to pay a price in terms of the premium on their ticket? he asked. Ultimately, vigilance in physical distancing and sanitization are critical to containing coronavirus spread, no matter how it alters Canadians flying experience, Pottinger said. It is a layer of protection that I envision for all of us regardless of whether you are squeezed into an aluminum tube or walking down the street. The virus doesnt care, he said. We just need to give each other a little more personal space. Doing it at the airport and on board? Its a real challenge. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2020. Companies in this story: (TSX:AC) Perth luxury apartment developer Blackburne has revealed plans for a $300 million 245-apartment complex on one of Perth's most prized slices of land. Blackburne is seeking development approval for the complex at the historic 15,741-square-metre site of the old Sundowner Hostel aged care facility wedged between Claremont, Cottesloe and Peppermint Grove, which was put up for sale by Amana Living last year. The $300 million complex is on prime real estate. Claremont by Blackburne will be the second major western suburbs hub undertaken by the developer, with its $300 million One Subiaco also progressing. About 60 per cent of the whole project will be used for open space and 40 per cent will be turned into public parks. Atlanta: Hundreds of demonstrators are protesting in the US city of Atlanta following the killing of 27-year-old black man Rayshard Brooks by a white police officer after he was reported for sleeping in his car in a Wendy's drive-through. On Saturday night, protesters blocked a freeway and the Wendy's fast-food restaurant where Brooks was shot dead was set alight. 'RIP Rayshard' is spray painted on a sign as flames engulf the Wendy's restaurant during protests on Saturday, June 13. Credit:AP Meanwhile, in California, hundreds of demonstrators have gathered to demand an investigation into the death of another black man, Robert Fuller, whose body was found hanging from a tree last week. They called for an independent autopsy, challenging the official verdict that Fuller had killed himself. Irish and European holidaymakers holidaymakers can expect to be banned from travelling to the United States for months under coronavirus restrictions, according to America's most prominent public health official. Dr Anthony Fauci, a leading member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said the ban could last until a vaccine is developed, although it may be dropped before that. He said lifting it would be "more likely months than weeks". Millions of Europeans visit the United States in a normal year. The travel ban ordered by Donald Trump in March has some exceptions, including green card holders, those with American spouses, and government officials, but the vast majority of EU citizens are effectively barred. Bans are also in place for China and Brazil. Dr Fauci, America's top infectious disease expert, said: "It's going to be really wait and see. I don't think there's going to be an immediate pull back for those kinds of restrictions. "My feeling, looking at what's going on with the infection rate, I think it's more likely measured in months rather than weeks." During the pandemic Dr Fauci, 79, has become America's most trusted official. Appearing alongside Donald Trump at White House briefings, the bespectacled immunologist emerged as the nation's best source of information in a bewildering time. With infection rates now surging across a host of US states, and protests sweeping the globe, Dr Fauci said the crisis was far from over. "We were successful in suppressing the virus in cities where there were major outbreaks - New York, Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans," he told reporters. "But we're seeing several states, as they try to reopen and get back to normal, starting to see early indications [that] infections are higher than previously. "The question is will they have the capability to do the appropriate and effective isolation, and contact tracing, to prevent this increase from becoming a full-blown outbreak? I'm concerned it's happening. I hope the individual states can blunt that. It [the virus] could go on for a couple of cycles, coming back and forth. I would hope to get to some degree of real normality within a year or so. But I don't think it's this winter or fall. We'll be seeing it for a bit more." He added: "It is not inevitable that you will have a so-called 'second wave' in the fall, or even a massive increase, if you approach it in the proper way." The US has just passed two million cases and 113,000 deaths. Nearly 1,000 people are still dying every day. As all 50 states now move toward reopening, weekly infection totals are rising in 21 of them. More than a dozen, including Texas and Florida, have just reported record daily totals. Oregon announced a one-week pause in reopening. Arizona's intensive care beds are 78pc occupied. In many states protesters have taken to the streets calling for racial justice in the wake of the death of George Floyd and that is fuelling Dr Fauci's concerns, although he sympathised with the need to protest. "The bottom line is there is a risk [in protesting], and of course it's concerning. We know from the experience of all of us, everywhere, that wearing masks works," he said. "We also know that when you congregate in crowds that's a set-up for the spread of infection. "I would say in a perfect world people shouldn't congregate in a crowd and demonstrate. But I know, even though you say that, they are going to go do it. So, if you're going to do it, don't take the mask off when you're chanting, and screaming, and yelling, and doing whatever at a demonstration." As in Ireland, there has been much debate in the US about whether reopening schools could contribute to a second wave. In the US schools will not be returning until September. Dr Fauci said decisions relating to schools should be based on local conditions. He said: "In the US we're a very big country geographically and we have a great deal of heterogeneity. The New York City metropolitan area is strikingly different from Casper, Wyoming. "What we say is to look at the dynamics of the outbreak: what is the level of infection? What direction is it going in any given state, town or county? "There are some places in the US where there is very little infection activity. Under those circumstances you can be much more liberal in deciding to go back to school. It isn't one size fits all - it depends on where you are. Now, I don't know if there's that much heterogeneity where you are. If there is, then I think that would be applicable also." For Dr Fauci the holy grail is a vaccine, and he said there was "good news". Moderna's vaccine will start a phase 3 trial in the first two weeks of July, he said. That is the final stage before potentially being approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. "We have potential vaccines making significant progress. We have maybe four or five," he said. "You can never guarantee success with a vaccine. That's foolish to do so, there's so many possibilities of things going wrong...[But] everything we have seen from early results, it's conceivable we get two or three vaccines that are successful." Those vaccines could be ready for the end of the year, or early in 2021, and provide billions of doses, he said. He hopes there won't be "reluctance" to take them due to the anti-vaccination movement in the US. Dr Fauci added: "This will end. As stressful and devastating as it is, it will end. We are all in it together as a global community, and I do see the light at the end of the tunnel." Telegraph Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] NEW YORK, June 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, addressing the opening plenary of the 2020 AJC Global Forum, reaffirmed the strong U.S.-Israel relationship, condemned rising worldwide antisemitism, and cautioned Iran against threatening Israel and pursing a nuclear weapons program. AJC's signature annual event, originally scheduled to take place this week in Berlin, Germany, was changed to an online meeting due to the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, the secretary's remarks reached an audience of many thousands in the U.S. and around the world. "Since 1948, Israel has proven time and again that it's up to any challenge to the Jewish people's right to govern themselves in their ancestral homeland," said Pompeo. "The United States will always support Israel's right to defend itself." Pompeo noted that he has visited Israel four times as secretary of state. "As a Christian, being in Israel deeply is moving, a very moving experience for me," he said. "The United States and Israel are blessed nations, and we share a very special bond," said Pompeo. "Our bilateral partnership is all the more vital given the rise in antisemitism around the world." On the prospect for advancing the stalled peace process, Pompeo said that "the president's Vision for Peace is the most realistic path to end the conflict for the good of both the Israeli and Palestinian people." Pompeo praised AJC for its leadership in combating antisemitism around the world. "I truly admire the crucial work AJC is doing to fight back," said Pompeo. "With special envoy Elan Carr, you pushed for the adoption and implementation of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. You are confronting the vile BDS movement and textbooks that teach innocent Palestinian children to hate Jews, making peace that much harder," said Pompeo, adding that "anti-Zionism is indeed antisemitism." U.S. support for Israel is clearest, he said, when looking at how the Administration has "handled the number one supporter of antisemitism, the Islamic Republic of Iran." "We will continue to squeeze the regime until Iran starts behaving as a normal nation, stops threatening its own people and its neighbors. The mullahs must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon," said Pompeo. Declaring that "standing against bad actors is at the core of American values," the secretary announced that the State Department Commission on Unalienable Rights, which focuses on human rights, will issue next month a report showing how "shared principles bring us closer to friends like Israel." In conclusion, Secretary Pompeo declared that "with the AJC's help, the U.S. and Israel will proudly honor our shared foundation of freedom and democracy, and confront the challenges of the day." "We are grateful to Secretary Pompeo for speaking to AJC," said AJC CEO David Harris. "He addressed our priority concerns in a powerful and principled way, as he has done in each of our encounters." Secretary Pompeo also addressed the AJC 2019 Global Forum in a conversation with AJC CEO David Harris. SOURCE American Jewish Committee Related Links http://www.ajc.org The boss of British Airways has gone to war with Tory MPs as he launched an impassioned defence of plans to axe 12,000 furloughed staff. Alex Cruz said the airline was 'in a fight to survive' and the national carrier would emerge 'much smaller', as he hit back at comments by MPs sitting on the transport select committee. 'Fight to survive': British Airways boss Alex Cruz said the airline would emerge from coronavirus 'much smaller' Tory MP Huw Merriman said it was a 'national disgrace' that BA was sacking staff whose wages were being covered by the state furlough scheme. Writing in the Mail on Sunday. Cruz said: 'We are in a fight to survive. We know we will emerge from the Covid-19 crisis as a much smaller airline. We will have fewer customers and fly fewer routes for years to come.' Last month Britain's national carrier flew 485 passenger flights, fewer than the number flown in a single morning in normal times, bosses said. Nokia, in the early and late 2000s, made some incredible phones with designs that can be described as iconic. We instantly recognise them even if we saw it twenty years later. However, there were some equally cringe phones launched by Nokia that were just an eyesore. While this is our list of the weirdest phones launched by Nokia in the past, do let us know in the comments whether you liked these phones or have suggestions of your own: 1. Nokia 3650 Wikipedia Commons The Nokia 3650 wasnt particularly an ergonomic phone neither pretty to look at. It was just weird and the phone was supposed to be a business phone as well. It was also very heavy because of the larger battery and had a very weird rounded bottom. The keypad layout is by far the strangest thing weve seen by Nokia that resembled a rotary landline phone. Using this phone wasn't particularly fun nor easy which makes this phone a part of this list. 2. Nokia 3200 Youtube_Adria_n Alco_n Z_urawka Yet another phone that had a strange keypad design and awful colours that didnt really appeal to everyone. The keypad was laid out in a square sequence where two buttons were joined together which wasnt a great idea. Thankfully, you could get rid of the weird colours with an interchangeable cover to make the phone look more presentable 3. Nokia 5510 Wikipedia Commons The Nokia 5510 was meant for people who loved to text and stay connected with their friends and family. It had a QWERTY keyboard that was present all over the phone which, in turn, made it look extremely ugly to look at it. Ergonomically, the phone did not have any grooves or curves for the fingers to rest and was quite heavy to use. Users would also have to hold the phone flat to their face as the ear speaker was placed at the bottom right of the device when holding in landscape mode. 4. Nokia 7600 Wikipedia Commons The Nokia 7600 was particularly an odd phone by the Finnish company as it didnt really adhere to any phone design. The teardrop-shaped phone was more like a small box and make it impossible to use with one hand. Calling was always difficult and the keypad layout was very unconventional. Nokia definitely missed the mark with this one. 5. Nokia N-Gage Wikipedia Commons Although were big fans of the second iteration of the phone, the original N-Gage was a disaster because the phone design was not completely thought through. The phone was targeted towards Gameboy Advance users who wanted a gaming phone. The odd thing about this phone was that the phone had to be held on its 90-degree edge to make calls that made everyone look like an idiot in public. This led to Nokia redesigning the phone and launching the N-Gage QD later on. Heres The Oregonians weekly look at the numbers behind the states economy. View past installments here. African Americans in Portland are more than twice as likely as whites to be stopped and searched by police, according to data from state police agencies. Statewide, African Americans are convicted of felony drug possession at more than double the rate of whites even though national public health surveys show illicit drug use is roughly the same across racial and ethnic groups. Disparate treatment by the criminal justice system sparked the protests in Portland and across the country. The same disparities show up economically. The median household income for African Americans in Oregon was about $46,000 in 2018, according to the latest U.S. Census Data. The median income median income for all Oregon households was $63,000. So African Americans are collectively earning 73 cents for every dollar the median Oregon household earns. The disparities persist regardless of education level. An analysis from Oregon labor economist Erik Knoder last January found that African Americans with a four-year college degree earn $11,000 less than their white counterparts, on average. Charles Rynerson at Portland State Universitys population research center notes the disparities are even more extreme in home ownership just a third of African-American households own their homes, half the ownership rate of white households. Home ownership is one of the key ways Americans build wealth and savings. The coronavirus threatens to exacerbate the situation. Although layoffs in Oregon during the pandemic have been roughly equal across racial and ethnic groups, economists warn that since many African Americans live closer to the edge financially they are more vulnerable to any loss of income. So while the protests that followed George Floyds killing at the hands of Minneapolis police last month have focused on law enforcement, civil rights movements have historically turned back to economic inequalities as a measure of progress or the lack thereof. -- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | twitter: @rogoway | Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. New Delhi: Actress Disha Patani, who turned 28 on Saturday, visited rumoured boyfriend Tiger Shroff at his home in Mumbai to celebrate her special day. Disha was papped outside Tigers home in the afternoon. She looked chic in a cream floral dress. Disha has also shared a glimpse of how she enjoyed her day with Tigers sister Krishna. The duo shares a fabulous bond. Tiger, meanwhile, was pictured in his balcony and posed for the paps from there. Take a look at how Disha celebrated her birthday with the Shroffs. And, heres how Tiger Shroff wished Disha the rockstar. Tigers mother Ayesha Shroff also had a special wish for Deeshu. Disha also shared the picture of her birthday cake - of the cartoon character Naruto - and how she ended her day. Disha and Tiger have been rumoured to dating each other for years now. However, they have never opened up about their relationship status in public. They are almost a fixture by each others side at every event, screenings and family functions. Krishna often hangs out with them and also makes appearances on Dishas Instagram timeline quite often. On the work front, Disha has Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai with Salman Khan, KTina and Ek Villain 2 in the pipeline. MIRAMICHI, N.B.A former provincial ombudsman says the recent police shootings of two Indigenous people in New Brunswick have left him feeling distraught over the lack of police training on dealing with mental health issues, like those presented by the two victims. Ive long felt that police are not really well equipped to deal with these kind of cases, Bernard Richard said in an interview Sunday. In most provinces (including New Brunswick), there are crisis intervention units that are available around the clock to respond to these types of situations. However, there has been no indication whether police sought the help of mental health experts before the deadly shootings in Edmundston and near Metepenagiag Mikmaq Nation, west of Miramichi. That would be one of the first questions I would have to ask, said Richard, who served as the provinces ombudsman from 2004 to 2011 and now advises six Mikmaq First Nations in New Brunswick on child protection issues. I was a bit stunned that, in both these cases, the primary response was police, and they felt it necessary to use lethal force. And in both cases, police were called to deal with people who appeared to be suffering from mental health challenges, Richard said. On Friday night, the RCMP say they received a complaint about an unwanted person at a home near Metepenagiag in eastern New Brunswick. When officers arrived, they were confronted by a man carrying knives, and there were several failed bids to subdue him with a stun gun, police said. Thats when 48-year-old Rodney Levi was fatally shot by an officer. He was declared dead in hospital around 9 p.m. local time. On Saturday, the chief of the Metepenagiag Mikmaq Nation said Levi was attending a barbecue, where he had planned to seek guidance from a church minister. Bill Ward described Levi as a troubled man who was seeking help with his mental health, but the chief insisted he was not violent. He had his demons but he was always very friendly, Ward said Saturday. He never tried to harm anybody ... He wasnt some monster that theyre going to try to paint him to be. On Sunday, Ward issued a statement asking members of his community to refrain from speaking to the media about the Levi case, saying an independent investigation was underway. Ward said he was responding to a request from Levis family. Later in the day, the minister who invited Levi to the barbecue, Rev. Brodie MacLeod of the Boom Road Pentecostal Church, issued a statement saying Levi was a welcomed guest who shared a meal with his family. A spokesman for the New Brunswick RCMP said Sunday no one was available to comment on the case. On June 4, 26-year-old Chantel Moore was shot by an officer with the Edmundston Police Department. The municipal police department later said an officer performing a wellness check allegedly encountered a woman with a knife. Moore, from a First Nation in British Columbia, had moved to the community in northwestern New Brunswick to be closer to her mother and young daughter. The Quebec Bureau of Independent Investigations, an independent police watchdog agency, has been called in to investigate both cases in New Brunswick. The Quebec agency is investigating because no such unit exists in New Brunswick. The bureau issued a statement saying it does not comment on the events it is responsible for investigating. Richard, who also served as the child and youth advocate in New Brunswick and British Columbia, said he took part in a healing walk Sunday in Moncton, N.B., that paid tribute to Moore and also raised questions about the Quebec agencys impartiality. I heard yesterday, loud and clear, folks dont trust the so-called independent review process, Richard said. Theres really not much expectation that the investigation, in each case, will actually meet the expectations of the community. Any reviews of the cases should involve Indigenous expertise, he said. As well, he said he has investigated cases involving police in the past, and he has recommended that police departments should hire plain-clothes social workers to help officers sort our domestic disputes and mental wellness assessments. Hes also called for the use of police body cameras. In Ottawa, the office of federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair issued a statement Sunday saying a timely, transparent and independent investigation into Levis death was essential. This tragic loss comes at a time when people across the country and around the world are having difficult but necessary conversations about systemic racism in our institutions, including policing, Blairs office said in a statement. We know that change will not happen overnight, but that these conversations need to be met with concrete actions. Blair has already spoken in favour of the use of police body cameras and legislation that recognizes First Nations Policing as an essential service. There have been calls for a broader inquiry to examine systemic racism in the provinces policing and criminal justice systems. New Brunswicks minister of Aboriginal affairs, Jake Stewart, has said he supports the call, saying the province has a problem with systemic racism. Read more about: Australian reality star Shay Razaei has reportedly passed away at the age of 33. Shay shot to fame back in 2017 when she appeared on Instant Hotel, originally a Channel Seven show and now on Netflix, which sees homeowners who have transformed their houses into hotels stay overnight in each others homes and judge their experience. Shay Razaei has reportedly passed away. Photo: Instagram The news of her passing was confirmed to Daily Mail Australia by her former co-star Mikey Gelo. Yes, it's true and very sad. She had her funeral last Wednesday, and her death was the week before, he said. Even though we had not spoken for years, I will always cherish the fun times... she had a good heart and would always be the life of the party. The news was confirmed to Daily Mail Australia by her former co-star Mikey Gelo. Photo: Instagram Fans have rushed to Shays Instagram account to post tributes on her latest photo, which was uploaded on May 31. In the selfie, Shay can be seen wearing a fur coat, alongside the caption: I know they hate it, but I can't help feeling blessed... Sorry, no shame here. Also to all my beautiful followers who I may not always reply but your messages are (love heart emojis). You guys blow me away Another of Shays former Instant Hotel co-stars Sturt Hinton commented underneath the photo, writing: Rest In Peace angel girl. Eternal love. The Block auctioneer Stu Benson also commented calling for police to investigate alleged bullying on her page. This was Shay's last Instagram post. Photo: Instagram Just before appearing on Instant Hotel in 2017, Shay revealed in an interview with New Idea that her fiance had died. He went on this trip to Mammoth Lakes in California and his cousin jumped into the river. It was August, so it was summer, but they were in the mountains so there were ice caps the river was below zero, she said. My fiance jumped in, got his cousin out, but he went into hypothermia himself. His family saw it all and watched him drown. There was nothing they could do. Shays former Instant Hotel co-stars Sturt Hinton commented underneath the photo, writing: Rest In Peace angel girl. Eternal love. Photo: Instagram Shay posted a tribute to her fiance on her Instagram page after his passing. The greatest thing to ever happen to me was you. You're forever a part of me and I am so thankful to have been able to share my life with someone as beautiful as you. I hope there's an afterlife so I can see you again and tell you that. Till then a part of me has died with you. Though this pain I carry will not ease I hope that you may Rest In Peace, she wrote. Story continues Shay went on to say that auditioning for Instant Hotel was her way of living through the grief of his passing. The same year her fiance died, Shays stepsister and best friend also passed away. Yahoo Lifestyle has contacted Channel Seven for comment. If you are concerned about the mental health of yourself or a loved one, seek support and information by calling Lifeline on 13 11 14 Mensline on 1300 789 978, or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800 Sign up to our daily newsletter here to get all the latest news and hacks. Or get in touch at lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 12:02:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, June 13 (Xinhua) -- A group of protesters marched onto a highway in Atlanta, Georgia, late Saturday night over a deadly police shooting of an African American man in the city on Friday. According to live images on local media outlets, the protesters held a line on the Interstate 85 and Interstate 75 connector, blocking multiple vehicles, including police cars. Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old African American man, was shot dead after local police were dispatched to respond to complaints that he was asleep in the drive-thru of a fast-food restaurant. Police said they tried to take Brooks into custody after he failed a sobriety test, which led to a struggle between Brooks and the other officers. Police claimed that Brooks, while allegedly resisting, grabbed an officer's Taser and ran off with it. The incident came shortly after the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American, in police custody, which has sparked massive protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and across the rest of the nation. Enditem Amid the current COVID-19 crisis in Maharashtra, a mobile book house is in operation in Mumbais Sion area, which helps students to donate and take books for free. The initiative is by a group which calls itself the Sion Friends Circle has been welcomed by students, most of whom are unable to purchase books due to their unavailability in the market. I gave this mobile store books of class 7 and took from them books for class 9. It is becoming very difficult for us to study as books are not available in the market, shops are shut, said a student. Speaking to ANI, Sarika, a parent said, Classes are expected to resume but stationery shops are shut. I took books from them so that children can study at home. Students are unable to get books amid COVID-19 situation but this mobile book house is very beneficial. Ashok Kurme, a group member of Sion Friends Circle said, We have named this store--free book house. Our group has taken this initiative with the aim of providing books to the people in need amid the current situation. We prepared a mobile book store which does not need any fuel to work, its a handcart. We will move this store across Sion on a weekly basis. A total of 3,427 new COVID-19 cases and 113 deaths were reported in Maharashtra on Saturday taking the total number of cases to 1,04,568 and toll to 3,830, state Health Department said. WATERLOO REGION A five-year-old girl is in critical condition after a near-drowning in Woolwich Township. Emergency services were called to a possible drowning at a pond near Snyder Flats Road on Saturday just after 6 p.m. Waterloo Regional Police said a girl was with a gathering of people when at some point she walked into a pond nearby. The girl was rushed to hospital. Investment fund Baillie Gifford American has an outstanding performance record. Over the past five years, it has turned an investment of 1,000 into 3,500. Among the 118 American funds with five-year records, it has by far the best investment figures and it has also comfortably outperformed the S&P500 Index, the benchmark for the stock market performance of America's leading companies. Yet, it's the future that matters and reassuringly, Gary Robinson one of four managers with an input into the fund says there is no reason why its strong performance cannot continue despite increasing concerns over the headiness of the US market. The fund's focus is on identifying 'exceptional growth' American companies that will deliver upside over a five to ten-year period. They are businesses, Robinson says, that have 'competitive advantage' and 'strong corporate culture'. They are also 'disrupters', creating new services and transforming their industries. The result is a 3.6billion fund with just over 40 holdings and a number of familiar names among its top stakes Alphabet, Amazon, Netflix and Tesla. Robinson's view is that a lot of the returns from the US stock market are generated by a select band of companies and he is determined that the fund has exposure to them. Although some experts believe such growth companies, which have led the US stock market through the coronavirus pandemic, are overvalued, Robinson doesn't agree. He believes the technological revolution still has a long way to go. He says some of these businesses such as Slack Technologies, Wayfair and Teledoc have seen demand for their services boom and he predicts much of this increased interest will stick as the world economy emerges from lockdown. Robinson says: 'Online furnishings business Wayfair has seen its revenues soar during the coronavirus outbreak. It's attracted new customers who have then gone on to reorder again. Of course, its new business growth will not be sustained once we come out of this crisis, but more people are now willing to buy furniture online. It's a trend here to stay.' The same arguments, he says, apply to Slack an online communications platform for businesses and Teledoc which allows people to access medical advice over the phone or via video. 'We're still early in the digital transformation of the world's economy,' adds Robinson. To back his point, he says that just 15 per cent of US retail sales are online-generated. 'Out of necessity, people are being forced more to embrace the digital world. It's a shift that is permanent.' Since the pandemic, a few portfolio changes have been made. A holding in business software company Workday has been built while stakes in industrial conglomerate Fortive and online university education platform 2u have been disposed of. The sales, says Robinson, are not because Fortive and 2u are bad businesses, but more to do with the fact they have not delivered the growth expected of them. 'We set high hurdles,' he says. In analysing companies, the four managers examine a company's culture, mission, its distinctiveness and competitive advantage and most important of all its growth potential. The four do not have to agree for a new business to be bought. 'Consensus is the enemy of upside capture,' says Robinson. 'If one of us has enthusiasm for a stock, and it ticks all our boxes on the analysis front, then we will back the individual's enthusiasm.' The fund is not for income seekers. Its annual charges total a competitive 0.52 per cent. Before being shot to death by an Atlanta police officer in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant, Rayshard Brooks had a cordial conversation about being in the area to visit his mother's grave and to celebrate one of his young daughter's birthdays, according to a series of videos released by officials. The shooting of Brooks, who is black, on Friday night sparked new protests and an arson fire at the Wendy's where the confrontation started and escalated into the use of lethal force. It came on the heels of days of protests in Atlanta and across the nation over the officer-involved killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Initial autopsy results released Sunday evening by the Fulton County Medical Examiner said that Brooks died from two gunshot wounds to his back that "created organ injuries and blood loss," and that the manner of death was a homicide. The fatal episode led to the resignation of Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields on Saturday, the firing of the officer who shot and killed Brooks and the other officer involved being yanked from the streets and placed on administrative leave. PHOTO: Frame grab from police camera footage of the arrest of Rayshard Brookes by Atlanta Police, June 13, 2020. (Atlanta Police Department via Reuters) The encounter unfolded about 10:30 p.m. when officers David Brosnan and Garret Rolfe responded to a call from a Wendy's employee that a man was passed out in his car in the restaurant's drive-thru and was blocking customers. Brosnan was the first officer to arrive. His body camera captured him knocking several times on the driver's window of a white Toyota rental car, trying to awaken the driver. Unable to get the attention of the driver, later identified as Brooks, 27, Brosnan opened the driver's side door and shook Brooks to wake him up. Yo, whats up my man? Brosnan asked Brooks. "You good, you dont need an ambulance or something like that? You just tired?" Brosnan then told Brooks to move his car and take a nap. But when the officer went back to his patrol car, Brooks apparently fell back to sleep, prompting Brosnan to return to the Toyota and wake him again. Story continues Brooks then drove his car a short distance to a parking space. PHOTO: Frame grab from police camera footage of the arrest of Rayshard Brookes by Atlanta Police, June 13, 2020. (Atlanta Police Department via Reuters) The body camera records Brosnan going back to his patrol vehicle a second time, saying to himself, "Do I want to deal with this dude right now?" He then goes over to where Brooks parked and questions him about his groggy condition. "How much did you have to drink tonight?" Brosnan asked Brooks. Brooks responded, "Not much" and then says he had one drink. Brosnan asked Brooks for his driver's license and then radioed a dispatcher that he needed a DUI certified officer to respond to the scene. As Brosnan and Brooks waited, the two men spoke to each other genially. "You here for a visit?" Brosnan asked. Brooks answered, "I'm visiting." When asked who he was visiting, he said, "My mother's gravesite." "I'm sorry to hear that," Brosnan said. "How long has she been passed for." Brooks answered, "It's been probably about a year and a half now. Her birthday's just passed..." PHOTO: Frame grab from police camera footage of the arrest of Rayshard Brookes by Atlanta Police, June 13, 2020. (Atlanta Police Department via AP) When Rolfe arrived at the scene, Brosnan went to speak to him and told him that he found Brooks passed out behind the wheel in the drive-thru line. "It took me a few minutes to wake him up. I kept knocking, opened the door, shook him. Woke up super groggy, kind of smelt ... pretty good smell of alcohol beverage coming out of the car. Eyes are watery and glassy. ... He wasn't sure where he was and he's telling me he had one drink earlier." Rolfe then went to speak to Brooks. In the conversation recorded by Rolfe's body camera, Brooks said he didn't remember being asleep in the Wendy's drive-thru line. When asked if he knew where he was, Brooks stated a location in neighboring Clayton County off the Old Dixie Highway about 10 miles away. MORE: Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigns in wake of fatal shooting Rolfe eventually asked Brooks to take a series of field sobriety tests, asking him to follow his index finger with his eyes and walk a straight line heel to toe. At one point Brooks asked the officers to let him go, saying, "I can just go home. My daughters are there right now. My daughters birthday was yesterday. " But Rolfe asked Brooks if he would take a Breathalyzer test. "I dont want to refuse anything," Brooks said calmly. Rolfe is seen administering the Breathalyzer, which according to the video, registered a blood-alcohol level of .108%, or slightly above the legal limit of .08%. MORE: Ahmaud Arbery was struck by vehicle before he was shot dead; suspect yelled racial slur: Investigator "Alright, I think you've had too much drinks to be driving so can you put your hands behind your back for me," Rolfe ordered Brooks. Until Rolfe began to handcuff him, Brooks was friendly and respectful of both officers, even referring to the officer who would soon take his life as "Mr. Rolfe." But as soon as Rolfe and Brosnan begin to make the arrests, Brooks, without warning, began to struggle and within moments he is seen wrestling with both officers on the ground. "Stop fighting, stop fighting," one of the officers yelled. MORE: 6 Atlanta police officers charged in forceful arrests of college students in car A police dashboard camera video showed Brosnan drawing his yellow stun gun and threatening, "You're going to get tased, your going to get tased" and aiming the device at Brooks' legs. Brooks, according to the video, responded, "Mr. Rolfe, come on, man." He is then seen grabbing hold of Brosnan's stun gun. "Hands off the Taser, hands off the Taser," Brosnan yelled. PHOTO: Frame grab from police camera footage of the arrest of Rayshard Brookes by Atlanta Police, June 13, 2020. (Lizabeth Menzies/Atlanta Police Department/AFP via Getty Images) But Brooks managed to wrestle the stun gun from Brosnan's hands. He scrambled to his feet and ran out of the view of the patrol car camera. Rolfe is seen aiming what appears to be his yellow stun gun and fires, apparently missing Brooks. Rolfe's body camera apparently dislodged and fell to the ground during the struggle but continued to record, capturing three gunshots. Surveillance video taken from the Wendy's showed Brooks running through the parking lot with Rolfe and Brosnan behind him. At one point, Brooks turned and allegedly shot the stun gun at Rolfe who drew his service weapon from his holster and opened fire. The video showed Brooks falling to the ground, and the officers converging on him. L. Chris Stewart, an attorney for Brooks' family, denounced the shooting as an unnecessary use of deadly force and during a news conference on Saturday night said Rolfe could have resorted to less-lethal force to take Brooks into custody. "I've had cases where officers have used Tasers ... and they argue with us that Tasers are not deadly," Stewart said. "You can't say he ran off with a weapon that could kill somebody when you say it's not deadly." Just hours after the shooting, Shields, who had been police chief since 2016, submitted her resignation to Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. After viewing the videos of the incident that resulted in Brooks' death, Bottoms demanded that Rolfe be terminated from the police force "I firmly believe that there is a clear distinction between what you can do and what you should do," Bottoms said in a press conference regarding the officer's actions. "I do not believe this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer." Brosnan was placed on administrative leave as the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the Fulton County District Attorney's Office launched probes of the shooting. "How many times do we have to endure this?" Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard Jr. told ABC News of his reaction of hearing another black person had been shot by a police officer. "And so when I saw that, that it was almost with disbelief that, first of all, it was happening in our country, but also that it was happening here in Atlanta." He said his office immediately started putting together a separate independent investigation of the incident, adding that "justice to me looks like following the facts." "Following the facts, we are going to be examining and reexamining the evidence," Howard said. "We've got a couple of things that we have to confirm with our state investigators, the GBI. And once we confirm those things sometime during this week, we are going to make a decision and we are going to announce it to the public." He said whether charges will be filed will come down to one "critical question." "That critical question came at the very instance of the shooting," Howard said. "So what we have to decide, based upon the prevailing law in this country and in our state, is ... at the time that shot was fired, whether or not it was done to save the life of that officer." This report was featured in the Monday, June 15, 2020, episode of Start Here, ABC News daily news podcast. "Start Here" offers a straightforward look at the day's top stories in 20 minutes. Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, the ABC News app or wherever you get your podcasts. Rayshard Brooks went from telling Atlanta officer about visiting mother's grave to being fatally shot: Video originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Military units of the armed forces of Armenia violated ceasefire 24 times throughout the day in various direction of the front, using large-caliber machine guns, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. Armenian armed forces, located on nameless hills in Krasnoselsk region subjected to fire the positions of the Azerbaijan Army located in Zamanly village and on nameless hills in Gadabay region. The positions of Azerbaijan Army were also fired from the positions of Armenian military units located near the occupied Goyarkh village of Terter region, Taghibeyli village of Aghdam region, Ashaghy Veysalli, Ashaghy Seyidahmadli villages of Fuzuli region, as well as from the positions located on nameless hills in Terter region. As the nation continues to grapple with its racial past, President Donald Trump urged West Point's graduating class Saturday to "never forget" the legacy of soldiers before them who fought a bloody war to "extinguish the evil of slavery". Trump's appeal to remember history came as his own relationship with the military is under strain from the unrelenting criticism he and Pentagon leaders have faced over their response to protests that erupted after George Floyd's death in Minneapolis. It also came hours after Trump made what amounted to a rare concession for him: He rescheduled a campaign rally planned for Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 19. The day marks the end of slavery in the US, and Tulsa was the scene of a fiery white-on-black attack in 1921. What has historically made America unique is the durability of its institutions against the passions and prejudices of the moment, Trump told more than 1,100 graduates at an unusual outdoor ceremony held during a pandemic. When times are turbulent, when the road is rough, what matters most is that which is permanent, timeless, enduring and eternal. In the past two weeks, Trump has yelled at Defense Secretary Mark Esper for publicly opposing his call to deploy active-duty troops to quell the protests stemming from the killing of Floyd, who was black, by a white Minneapolis police officer. Trump also shut down Esper's attempt to begin a public debate on removing the names of Confederate Army officers some of whom trained at West Point from military bases, an idea gaining momentum across the country. Gen. Mark Milley, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, risked Trump's ire Thursday by declaring he had made a mistake by accompanying Trump on a June 1 walk through Lafayette Square. It ended with the president posing with a Bible outside a boarded-up St. John's Church. Milley's comments amounted to an extraordinary expression of regret by Trump's chief military adviser, who said his appearance led to the perception of the military becoming embroiled in politics, which in his view one shared by Esper is a threat to democracy. The events have stirred debate within the military and among retired officers. More than 500 West Point graduates from classes spanning six decades signed an open letter reminding the Class of 2020 of its commitment to avoid partisan politics. The letter, published this week on Medium, also alluded to the problems Esper and Milley encountered at the White House after Floyd's death. Sadly, the government has threatened to use the Army in which you serve as a weapon against fellow Americans engaging in these legitimate protests, they wrote. Worse, military leaders, who took the same oath you take today, have participated in politically charged events. The principle of civilian control is central to the military profession. But that principle does not imply blind obedience. During the commencement ceremony, protesters denounced the president from boats and kayaks along the nearby Hudson River. Trump also used his first West Point address to remind the newly commissioned officers of the academy's history and storied generals like Douglas MacArthur and Dwight D. Eisenhower. It was on this soil that American patriots held the most vital fortress in our war for independence, Trump said. He said the US Military Academy "gave us the men and women who fought and won a bloody war to extinguish the evil of slavery within one lifetime of our founding.'' This is your history. This is the legacy that each of you inherits, Trump continued, adding that it was bought with American blood spilled in battle. You must never forget it. Trump, however, was incorrect to say women had been trained at West Point for the anti-slavery fight; they were not allowed to become cadets until 1976. His remarks also overlooked numerous West Point graduates who served in the Confederacy, including President Jefferson Davis, Gen. Robert E. Lee and Gen. Braxton Bragg. Some are now seeking the removal of Bragg's name from North Carolina's Fort Bragg. In the speech, Trump leaned into his America first brand of foreign policy without uttering the phrase, telling the Army's newest officers their job is not to rebuild foreign nations, but to defend and defend strongly our nation from our foreign enemies. It is not the duty of US troops to solve ancient conflicts in faraway lands that many people have never heard of. He said America is not the policeman of the world, but warned adversaries that it will never, ever hesitate to act when its people are threatened. He thanked those in the military who helped the country respond to the coronavirus, once again calling it an "invisible enemy from China. The president stressed the unity of a graduating class that came from every race, religion, color and creed. The class also includes citizens of 11 other countries, including Bosnia-Herzegovina, South Korea and Tanzania. Trump highlighted bigger defense budgets under his watch but falsely said he had destroyed 100 percent of the Islamic State caliphate in the Middle East; the group still poses a threat to the US He noted he had directed the killing of two terrorist leaders and had created the Space Force. This sitting was broadcast live by Radio the Voice of Vietnam, the Vietnam Television and the NAs TV channel. Most opinions agreed with the Governments report on the matters and the verification reports of the NAs Economic and Finance-Budget Committees, especially the assessment of the state management and operation and COVID-19 prevention and control work. They said that the reports stressed achievements the country has obtained as well as challenges facing the country, and proposed solutions for economic recovery. Regarding solutions and tasks for the remaining months of the year, deputies agreed with the nine groups of solutions for socio-economic recovery and development outlined in the Government's report. To maintain the achievements, they suggested effectively implementing such measures as facilitating production and business to promote growth; combating corruption, wastefulness; improving the quality of vocational training and high-quality human resources; enhancing the effectiveness of judicial work and law enforcement; devising support policies for education-training establishments affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in rural areas; focusing on forest protection and development, and promoting domestic tourism. During the discussion, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong, Minister of Culture, Spots and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien explained the deputies opinions. The NA will continue the discussion on June 15. The sitting will be broadcast live by Radio the Voice of Vietnam, the Vietnam Television and the NAs TV channel. Listen to the experts on COVID-19, not conspiracy theorists I am proud to have dedicated my career working to help others in the medical field. During these times, I often think of those on the front lines and wish we could give them more resources in this fight. As the United States exceeds 100,000 deaths due to the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trumps constant push of inaccuracies and conspiracies against the advice of medical experts, scientists, and public health officials has put the lives of Americans at risk. We are living through an era where medicine has become partisan. We have doctors, nurses and other essential workers risking their lives, and researchers working around the clock to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. On the other hand, we have President Trump, who has chosen to spread false information and cause division. By refusing to wear a face mask and taking hydroxychloroquine, to going on national television and suggesting dangerous methods with UV lighting and bleach, it is clear that we need to listen to the medical experts, public health professionals, and scientists as we combat this pandemic. Not Trump. The United States role in innovation has made us a global leader. We must fight to maintain that role by not turning our backs on science, continuing to invest in research, and providing a system that promotes innovation. It can take at least 10 years for a new drug to enter the market, which costs approximately $2.6 billion. Currently, the United States invests roughly $90 billion annually in the research and development of new medicines. As we battle the current pandemic, there are seeds of hope. Thanks to the private and public sectors working together, the FDA approved the emergency use of remdesivir for COVID-19, and there are 90 distinct vaccines at various stages of development. Researchers are now more equipped than ever and are using different avenues like DNA vaccines, antibodies from survivors, gene therapy, and more to find a vaccine for COVID-19. Iowas positive cases are still rolling, with more 20,000 people and climbing having tested positive. We will get through this, but to do so quickly and safely our leaders need to listen to the scientists, medical experts, and health professionals who are using evidence-based science to fight this virus head-on. It is also critical that we support and invest in the research necessary for scientists to innovate. Jill Fender Glenwood Statement from the Pottawattamie County Democrats After watching the recent video of George Floyd being murdered in Minneapolis, we were outraged and disturbed. No person of conscience can hear Floyds cries for help and not understand that something is deeply wrong in America. The Pottawattamie County Democrats stand in solidarity with our black and brown community in their fight against racial disparities and injustices. We work to ensure the pursuit for diversity, inclusiveness and equality within our organization and beyond. We stand with the peaceful protesters who are trying to make real change in Iowas and our nations systemic race injustices. Clearly there is a systemic problem with some law enforcement and the judicial system in Iowa and our nation. It is real that some officers have killed, assaulted, and harassed members of the black and brown community without provocation and they need to be prosecuted and held accountable for their actions. We are also disturbed by the recent recruitment of militia members to protect our Council Bluffs streets. We all pay taxes to hire and employ highly trained police and deputies who protect and serve our county. Private citizens should not be acting as law enforcement. Its a dangerous and slippery slope that brings a greater risk of violence to both those who are armed, and unarmed. We saw an example of this in the death of James Scurlock in Omaha. Iowans need action from our leaders on racial justice. Scott Punteney Pottawattamie County Democrats chair Council Bluffs Sad about fate of old St. Patricks Church I just cant believe that the old St. Patricks church at 132 Baughn St. in Council Bluffs is going to be demolished by the YMCA to make way for a parking lot. Im a member of the YMCA and appreciate what they do for the community. But the destruction of this beautiful old building is not whats best for Council Bluffs; weve already lost so much of our history to the wrecking ball. St. Patricks church was built in 1925 from the old paving stones that once paved Broadway, and was attended by many of the prominent early residents of the city . Its something unique and it should be saved. I would hope that if enough interested people contact the YMCA leadership and also the city council members maybe the building could be saved. If you care let them know. Tom Cristo Council Bluffs 500 ventilators Come on down! Weve got an intensive care bed and ventilator with your name on it. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has cited the broad availability of hospital beds and ventilators as one reason that she feels comfortable lifting restrictions that were intended to stop the spread of the virus, which causes respiratory illness. Never you mind, that scientists are starting to discover possible life-long lingering symptoms such as weakness, joint pain and covid-brain (foggy thinking) from the virus. Lee Hazer Council Bluffs USS Fitzgerald En Route to San Diego Navy News Service Story Number: NNS200613-01 Release Date: 6/13/2020 1:26:00 PM From Naval Sea Systems Command Public Affairs PASCAGOULA, Miss. (NNS) -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) departed Huntington Ingalls Industries, Ingalls Shipbuilding division's Pascagoula shipyard June 13 to return to her homeport in San Diego The sail away reflects more than two years' worth of effort in restoring and modernizing one of the Navy's most capable warships after it was damaged during a collision in 2017 that claimed the lives of seven Sailors. "Today the 'Fighting Fitz' is returning to the Pacific Fleet as one of our nation's most capable warfighting platforms, marking a significant step in her return to warfighting readiness," said Rear Adm. Eric Ver Hage, director, Surface Ship Maintenance and Modernization and commander, Navy Regional Maintenance Center. "The Fitzgerald sailors, our Navy project teams and the men and women of Ingalls put forth a tremendous effort to restore the ship to fighting shape and did so on schedule. To restore the impacted spaces to full operations and functionality, various Hull, Mechanical and Electrical (HM&E), Combat System (CS) and Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C5I) repairs were completed. These repairs ranged from partial to complete refurbishment of impacted spaces, to replacement of equipment such as the radar and electronic warfare suite; the ship also received HM&E, Combat System and C5I modernization upgrades. Due to the extent and complexity of the restoration, both repair and new construction procedures were used to accomplish the restoration and modernization efforts. Throughout this restoration period, the U.S. Navy made it a priority to ensure Fitzgerald returned to a peak state of warfighting readiness to contribute to an agile and dynamic fleet. The Fitzgerald crew completed multiple training and certification events, such as Navigation Assessment and Light Off Assessment (LOA), to ensure the crew was at peak readiness to operate the ship as it returns to homeport. "Completing repairs and upgrades to Fitzgerald was only possible because of the outstanding teamwork between the government and industry teams over the last 2 1/2 years. My thanks go out to everyone involved in making sure the ship is ready, and I'm especially proud of my crew's hard work ensuring we are trained and prepared to take our ship back to sea," said Cmdr. Scott Wilbur, commanding officer of Fitzgerald. Prior to departing Pascagoula for San Diego, Fitzgerald's crew began a pre-movement sequester on May 23 in accordance with U.S. Navy pre-deployment guidelinescompliance with Navy and CDC guidance is critical to minimize the spread of COVID-19. DDG 62 is assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 1 and upon return to her homeport in San Diego, crew training and certifications will commence in support of Basic Phase Training. Naval Sea Systems Command is the largest of the Navy's five systems commands. NAVSEA engineers build, buy and maintain the Navy's ships, submarines and combat systems to meet the fleet's current and future operational requirements. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Mrs Queenstar Pokuaa Sawyer, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Agona East has been interrogated by Agona Swedru Divisional Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service over removal of Professor Kwesi Yankahs posters at Mankrong-Junction. A source close to Agona Swedru Divisional Police Command told Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the case was transferred from Mankrong-Junction Police Station to Agona Swedru for further investigations. It would be recalled that Mr Seth Arhin, Agona East Constituency Treasurer of New Patriotic Party(NPP) on April 20, reported to the Mankrong-Junction Police about the removal of Prof Yankahs posters at the market in the town. According to the source, the complainant said the MP on reaching Mankrong-Junction market, while on her usual rounds to distribute food items to supporters of NDC saw posters of Professor Kwesi Yankah who is the NPP Parliamentary Candidate for the Area and President Akufo-Addo pasted on pillars of the market. It said Mrs Sawyer got down from her car and walked straight to the Market and allegedly removed the posters with an explanation that the edifice was built with her own funds and supporters of NPP had no right to paste posters on the pillars. The source said the MP delayed in responding to the invitation extended to her to report to the police and offer her statement about the matter. The delay compelled the Swedru Divisional Police Command to through the Central Regional Police Command write to the Speaker of Parliament to request for the release of Mrs Sawyyer. According to the Source, it took about a month before the request made to the Speaker of Parliament was granted to enable Mrs Sawyer to report to the Swedru Police. The MP had so far offered her statement to the Police and in full cooperation and pledged to respond to any further invitation concerning the case. According to the Source, the MP told the police in her statement that her opponent had allegedly also removed her posters and pasted Prof Yankahs poster on a billboard erected at Agona Bewadze. The docket on the case has been sent to the Attorneys General Office in Cape Coast for advice, it 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 Every year, mothers across the country are celebrated on the second Sunday of June. The origins of Mother's Day can be traced back to the worshipping of the goddess Rhea in Ancient Greece, with similar practices later being upheld by the Romans. Several women's movements were launched in Europe in the 1860s, which fought for women's rights and better education for girls. Later in the 1890s, the international women's council was founded, which advocated for the recognition of mothers. In its current form, Mother's Day was mostly influenced by English and US American women's movements. Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis founded the movement "Mothers Friendship Day" in 1865, which was an occasion for mothers to exchange. Her daughter Anna Marie Jarvis created what is now known as Mother's Day in honour of her deceased mother on 12 May 1907. Authorities officially recognised the day for the first time in 1908. In Luxembourg, Mother's Day was first celebrated in 1927 after an initiation by the "Ligue Luxembourgeoise du Coin de Terre et du Foyer". Riverdale co-stars Cole Sprouse and Madelaine Petsch had a blast as they enjoyed dinner with Margaret Qualley and her older sister Rainey on Saturday night. The daughters of actress Andie MacDowell were the picture of style as they made their way to the restaurant in West Hollywood. For her outing, the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood actress, 25, cut a casual figure in a striped long sleeve, surgical mask and light-wash jeans. Friendly outing: Riverdale co-stars Cole Sprouse and Madelaine Petsch were all smiles as they enjoyed dinner with Margaret Qualley and her older sister Rainey on Saturday night Rainey, 30, flaunted her fabulous street style in a floral crop top, which she layered under a furry lilac coat and paired with a short plaid skirt. The F the Prom actress, 25, sat across from the lookalike siblings and flashed a bright smile with her signature flame-colored hair in a sleek bun. Sprouse, 27, appeared in high spirits and lit up during the night's conversation, as his outing comes in the wake of his recent breakup with on-again, off-again Lili Reinhart. Sister act: The daughters of actress Andie MacDowell were dressed to impress, while navigating themselves over to their pals' table at a restaurant in West Hollywood The Disney Channel alum has recently been spotted out a number of times with Madelaine and Margaret, including at a Black Lives Matter protest last weekend. Also joining them in their rally against racial inequality and police brutality was his longtime friend Kaia Gerber, 18. Sprouse and Reinhart, 23, both spoke out against the rumors that he cheated on the Hustlers actress with Gerber at the end of April. Dinner: The F the Prom actress, 25, sat across from the lookalike siblings and flashed a bright smile with her signature flame-colored hair in a sleek bun 'I tolerate a lot of rumors and slander from people online claiming to be my fans,' the Five Feet Apart star wrote about certain supporters who cross the line. His social media rant came after Reinhart first sparked rumors they had split up after she deleted most of their photos together from her Instagram and Gerber appeared to be sharing photos in the same location as Cole. But Sprouse made it clear he wasn't tolerating the trolling any longer, telling fans to stop 'attacking his friends.' Moving on: Sprouse, 27, appeared in high spirits and lit up during the night's conversation, as his outing comes in the wake of his recent breakup with on-again, off-again Lili Reinhart 'When I first stepped into a public relationship this was one of the foreseeable consequences,' he said. 'And while I never truly intend to indulge any part of my private life to the ravenous horde, its cleared my restraint in updating them has allowed them to push their own agenda onto my habits and lifestyle.' Lili and Cole were largely private about their relationship, which began back in 2017. The former lovebirds briefly split in 2019, only to reunite months later. TEL AVIV Israel's government approved funding on Sunday for a new settlement in the Golan Heights that will be named after President Donald Trump. The country's cabinet approved 8 million Shekels (about $2.3 million) in funding in order to take practical steps to start building the Ramat Trump or Trump Heights as a gesture of gratitude for Trump's decision to ditch decades of U.S. foreign policy and recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights on March 25 of last year. "The initiative to establish a new Golan Heights settlement to be named after President Donald Trump expresses gratitude for his work for the State of Israel and the Golan Heights," the cabinet said in a statement. It is important to advance the decision to establish the settlement at this time to strengthen the political ties between Israel and the United States, the statement added. Image: President Donald Trump Welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu To The White House (Drew Angerer / Getty Images) Currently known as Bruchim, the settlement is over 30 years old and has a small population of about 10. But after construction begins in three weeks time, Israel is hoping the rebranded "Trump Heights," will encourage a wave of residents to vastly expand it. Haim Rokach, the head of the Golan Heights council, said around 20 families are expected to move in over the next few months. Plans for the new settlement have been in the works for over a year. In 2019, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he intended to introduce a resolution to have a new Jewish settlement named after Trump in gratitude for his decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the area. His comments came after Trump broke with years of precedent and signaled a major shift in U.S. policy when he said it was time to recognize Israels sovereignty over the strategic territory that the Jewish state captured from Syria in 1967. Many of Israels neighbors condemned the abrupt decision. The Golan Heights is a 700-square-mile area overlooking the Jordan Rift Valley that is home to some 40,000 people many of whom are not Israeli. The majority are Syrian Druze, a sect of Shiite Islam, as well as a small Alawite community the sect of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Story continues Israel annexed the area in 1981, although most of the international community does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over it. Netanyahu also congratulated Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday for their recent decision to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The tribunal makes absurd charges against the state of Israel, including the scandalous claim that the existence of Jews in the heart of our homeland constitutes war crime, he said. Trumps sanctions against the ICC which prosecutes war crimes and genocide authorized economic sanctions against officials investigating or prosecuting U.S. personnel without Washingtons consent. Paul Goldman reported from Tel Aviv and Isobel van Hagen from London. A 28-year-old has been charged after a man was photographed apparently urinating next to the memorial dedicated to Pc Keith Palmer, the officer who was stabbed to death in the 2017 terror attack in Westminster. On Sunday evening, Scotland Yard said Andrew Banks, from Stansted, Essex, had been charged with outraging public decency and remains in custody. The image of a man was widely shared on social media on Saturday as violent clashes between far-right protesters and police took place in central London. The man in the photo was widely condemned by politicians including MP Tobias Ellwood, who gave first aid to Pc Palmer as he lay dying after being stabbed to death in the grounds of Parliament by Khalid Masood in 2017. Police are confronted by protesters in Whitehall near Parliament Square, London, during a protest by the Democratic Football Lads Alliance against a Black Lives Matter protest.(Jonathan Brady/PA) Saturdays far-right demonstration took place after thousands of anti-racist protesters marched in multiple events sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of white police officers in the US last month. Mr Floyds death has prompted weeks of discussion and outrage about racism and colonialism in the UK. On Sunday, Boris Johnson announced plans for a cross-government commission to examine all aspects of racial inequality in Britain in the wake of two weeks of Black Lives Matter protests. Writing in The Daily Telegraph, the Prime Minister acknowledged that the country had much more to do to deal with the issue. He said the commission on race and ethnic disparities would look at all aspects of inequality in employment, in health outcomes, in academic and all other walks of life. Mr Johnson told broadcasters: What I really want to do as Prime Minister is change the narrative so we stop the sense of victimisation and discrimination. We stamp out racism and we start to have a real expectation of success. Thats where I want to get to but it wont be easy. Black Lives Matter protesters have highlighted racism in the UK (Danny Lawson/PA) The Prime Ministers announcement comes after a statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square was boarded up due to vandalism during an anti-racist protest. Story continues Members of Saturdays far-right demonstration, which was attended by several hundred mostly white men, claimed to be guarding the statue of Churchill as well as the cenotaph. However, the event turned violent after hundreds of self-proclaimed statue defenders took over areas near the Houses of Parliament and Trafalgar Square and hurled missiles, smoke grenades, glass bottles and flares at police officers. A total of 113 people were arrested and the protest was condemned by Boris Johnson as racist thuggery and described as mindless hooliganism by police. The Prime Minister has previously been urged to show leadership in dealing with racism in the UK, as multiple tweets he had previously sent about Churchills statue were branded a deflection by shadow justice secretary David Lammy. Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said he was extremely disturbed by the completely unacceptable scenes of violence on the streets on Saturday. On Sunday morning, he said Mr Johnson needs to set out concrete steps to address the inequality and racism that still sadly exists in our country. Despite all that's gone on in 2020, it's important not to lose sight of the fact that we're now less than five months away from Election Day. We'll see voters choose who'll be president of the United States for the next four years, and could even witness the current political makeup of Congress shift. But one of the more interesting stories for 2020 is going to be which states "go green." Currently, two-thirds of all states have legalized medical marijuana, with 11 of those states allowing for the consumption and/or sale of adult-use marijuana. With Election Day approaching, a dozen states have at least one ballot initiative devoted to cannabis, three states of which are guaranteed to have residents voting on those measures in November. While there are a handful of states that look like near-certainties to legalize marijuana in November, there are just as many surprising disappointments. The following four states, which on the surface would look to have a good shot at legalizing adult-use cannabis in 2020, will have to wait until next year, or perhaps even 2022, to get their chance to go green. Florida Maybe the biggest surprise of all is that residents of the Sunshine State won't be heading to the polls in 2020 to vote on a recreational cannabis measure. After legalizing medical pot in 2016, the expectation had been that 2020 would be the target for adult-use weed. However, the Make It Legal Florida campaign was postponed in January 2020, pushing out any shot at recreational legalization till probably 2022. Why suspend the campaign? Despite having the support of certain medical cannabis dispensaries in Florida, including MedMen Enterprises, and having gathered in excess of 700,000 signatures to put the constitutional amendment on the ballot, the time frame with which to verify signatures and refine the language of the proposed constitutional amendment simply wouldn't have worked for the 2020 ballot. A minimum of 766,200 verified signatures were due by Feb. 1, 2020, and there were already clear objections to the proposed constitutional amendment by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R), as well as members of the state's legislature. It's also worth pointing out that, as a constitutional amendment state, a 60% "yes" vote is required for passage. Given the Sunshine State's notable retiree population, and the fact that seniors have a less favorable view of marijuana than young adults do, passage was no guarantee, even if an amendment made it to the ballot. Interestingly, this isn't the worst news for Trulieve Cannabis (OTC:TCNNF), which dominates medical marijuana market share in Florida and has 48 of its 50 operational dispensaries in the Sunshine State. By keeping its costs close to the vest, Trulieve has done an excellent job of building its brand without driving up its marketing expenses. If recreational weed is legalized, Trulieve may have to go to bat to defend its market share in the recreational space against a larger number of competitors. New York Nearly half of all U.S. states don't have the initiative and referendum process, which is a fancy way of saying that any changes made to cannabis policy need to occur within a state's legislature. Though New York, one of those states lacking the initiative and referendum process, would appear to have a relatively good shot at legalizing recreational marijuana, it's not going to happen in 2020. At the end of March, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced that marijuana legalization was "not likely" to be included in the state's fiscal budget. This was confirmed by revised budget bills that excluded would-be revenue from legalization, as pointed out by Marijuana Moment. Cuomo primarily blamed the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic for complicating budget discussions and making cannabis legalization too much of a chore, for the time being. Of course, this isn't the first time that New York's recreational cannabis discussions have been derailed. Legislators looked to be on the cusp of legalizing adult-use weed during the first quarter of 2019, but lawmakers ultimately disagreed on social equity factors that were brought into the equation, such as the expungement of previous convictions for cannabis possession. Once these social factors became a sticking point, the measure stalled in the legislature. If and when New York gets its act together (probably 2021, by my guess), Curaleaf (OTC:CURLF) will be a happy camper. Curaleaf already has more operational dispensaries than any other U.S. multistate operator, and it would undoubtedly see a boost in sales from the four New York dispensaries that are currently open. Curaleaf's deep pockets, relative to other U.S. pot stocks, would certainly help it add to its presence in a state that should eventually yield more than $1 billion in annual pot sales. Ohio Whereas it's a take-it-to-bank guarantee that Florida and New York aren't legalizing in 2020, there's technically still a sliver of hope for the Buckeye State. Ohio has two recreational marijuana initiatives on the table for addition to the 2020 ballot. Unfortunately, neither of these measures is likely to wind up in front of voters come November. The biggest issue looks to be the impact from COVID-19. Nearly 453,000 verified signatures need to be collected before regulators can even consider putting a recreational weed initiative on the state's ballot. However, gathering those signatures has proved virtually impossible because of social distancing measures and stay-at-home orders tied to the pandemic. These signatures are due in less than three weeks. Then again, before proponents even get the green light to gather signatures, the language associated with the measure to regulate cannabis like alcohol (the perceived-to-be more popular of the two initiatives) will need some fine-tuning. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R) rejected the measure's ballot language back in March. Again, with the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, addressing Yost's concerns and getting the go-ahead to gather 453,000 valid signatures would be a tall task. As the icing on the cake, few of Ohio's medical cannabis licensees were supportive of the adult-use ballot initiatives. This makes Ohio a longshot to vote on adult-use cannabis in 2020. Missouri Lastly, the Show-Me State is going to have to "show" America that it has what it takes to legalize recreational marijuana in 2021 or perhaps 2022, because it's not happening in 2020. In mid-April, the Missourians for a New Approach campaign to legalize recreational cannabis came to a grinding halt. According to the Springfield News-Leader, signature collection proved to be virtually impossible on a broad scale because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign did attempt to persuade officials to allow online signature gathering, rather than in person, but Missouri regulators rejected the idea, thereby dooming any chance at gathering the roughly 170,000 signatures needed to put the initiative on the ballot. Although Missouri legalized medical marijuana in 2018, and two-thirds of those polled nationally (not just in Missouri) favor legalizing adult-use weed, it's not clear that a recreational measure would pass in the Show-Me State or be implemented effectively. As a case in point, Marijuana Business Daily points out that, despite Missouri voters passing a medical marijuana initiative in November 2018, the state's medical pot industry still hasn't gotten off the ground. Disputes and challenges arising from rejected license applicants have overwhelmed regulators and brought progress in establishing a medical pot industry to a complete standstill. If Missouri can't even get its medical marijuana program off the ground in 20 months, then perhaps not voting on recreational weed in 2020 isn't so bad, after all. Hertz won court approval for its plan to raise cash by selling new shares that the bankrupt car-rental company concedes could end up being worthless. Judge Mary Walrath ruled during a bankruptcy court hearing that Hertz can go ahead with the offering, which the company has said could bring in as much as $US1 billion ($1.5 billion). It's seeking to take advantage of the recent improbable rally in its shares to help resolve the massive debts that forced it into bankruptcy. The company says the sale could bring in as much as $US1 billion. Credit:Bloomberg Hertz based its request to the court on a nearly tenfold increase in its stock from 56 cents on May 26 to $US5.53 on Monday. The stock has slid since then, closing at $US2.83 on Friday after the ruling. Hertz attorney Tom Lauria said the company will seek to begin the sale as soon as possible before the opportunity slips away. "We are trying to move very swiftly," he said. After filing a complaint alleging voter suppression and intimidation in a state representative race in Lehigh County, the challenger now wants a special election to fill the seat. Enid Santiago made the demand Friday afternoon outside the Lehigh County Government Center in Allentown, calling on residents to call and email the county election office about holding a special election. We will not allow our voices to be silenced. We will not allow this to continue in our community. We will not allow your vote to be unheard," she said. Santiago ran against incumbent state Rep. Peter Schweyer for the Democratic nomination for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives 22nd Legislative District, which covers part of Allentown. Schweyer won the primary by 57 votes, according to unofficial election results that have not yet been certified by the county. Santiago has not conceded the race. Schweyer is not facing a Republican challenger for November. Barring a successful write-in campaign, he is set to keep the seat again in the fall. It was very tight race. It was tighter than a lot of people thought, he said. Schweyer said emotions run high in campaigns and he lost his first bid in 2002. Its never fun, he said. I hope people are able to look back at what she did as pretty great. She brought a whole lot of new people to the polls, who are typically not voting. ... She definitely helped increase turnout and thats a good thing." Schweyer said he had no ill will toward Santiago, but that he and his campaign were moving forward with him as the Democratic nominee. Lehigh County Chief Clerk for Registrations and Elections Tim Benyo said his office and the board of elections do not have the power to grant a special election in the race, and that was explained to Santiago. Last week Santiago filed a complaint with Lehigh County election officials, and she made an amendment to the complaint on Friday, Benyo said. The campaign said they received reports of voters with multiple or hyphenated last names being turned away from polls and not offered provisional ballots; improperly filed election results in one ward that had no provisional ballots; unprofessional judges of election; and claims that some provisional ballots did not have Santiago listed as a candidate and voters were told to write their candidates names on the back of their ballots. How can we ever know how many people actually came out to vote, when they were turned away? ... We have no way of knowing this, Santiago said. I will make sure that every single act of voter suppression is brought to light. A formal complaint like Santiagos is presented to the election board at its meetings; Benyo said they are trying to schedule the next election board meeting for the week of June 22. Another route would be to contest the race results in court, after the results are certified. Benyo said his office was still counting provisional ballots as of Friday, and Santiago also demanded the election results are not certified until an investigation is completed into her complaints. While he did not receive formal complaints about Santiago, Benyo said he did receive multiple verbal complaints about Santiago on Election Day. Santiago was at the polling place in the government center and was asked to leave, Benyo said. A majority of her formal complaint focused on that incident, he added. Our voices will not be silenced, Greg Edwards, a pastor and community leader, said at Santiagos news conference. We will be back. We might be back in November. We will be back." Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatened military action against South Korea as she bashed Seoul on Saturday over declining bilateral relations and its inability to stop activists from floating anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border. Describing South Korea as an enemy," Kim Yo Jong repeated an earlier threat she had made by saying Seoul will soon witness the collapse of a useless" inter-Korean liaison office in the border town of Kaesong. Kim, who is first vice department director of the ruling Workers Partys Central Committee, said she would leave it to North Koreas military leaders to carry out the next step of retaliation against the South. By exercising my power authorized by the supreme leader, our party and the state, I gave an instruction to the arms of the department in charge of the affairs with enemy to decisively carry out the next action," she said in a statement carried by the Norths official Korean Central News Agency. If I drop a hint of our next plan the (South Korean) authorities are anxious about, the right to taking the next action against the enemy will be entrusted to the General Staff of our army," she said. Our army, too, will determine something for cooling down our peoples resentment and surely carry out it, I believe." Kim's harsh rhetoric demonstrates her elevated status in North Koreas leadership. Already seen as the most powerful woman in the country and her brothers closest confidant, state media recently confirmed that she is now in charge of relations with South Korea. The liaison office in Kaesong, which has been shut since January due to coronavirus concerns, was set up as a result of one of the main agreements reached in three summits between Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in 2018. Moons government had lobbied hard to set up nuclear summits between Kim and President Donald Trump, who have met three times since 2018. At the same time, Moon also worked to improve inter-Korean relations. But North Korea in recent months has suspended virtually all cooperation with the South while expressing frustration over the lack of progress in its nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration. Over the past week, the North declared that it would cut off all government and military communication channels with the South and threatened to abandon key inter-Korean peace agreements reached by their leaders in 2018. They include a military agreement in which the Koreas committed to jointly take steps to reduce conventional military threats, such as establishing border buffers and no-fly zones. They also removed some front-line guard posts and jointly surveyed a waterway near their western border in an unrealized plan to allow freer civilian navigation. In an earlier statement last week, Kim Yo Jong said that the North would scrap the military agreement, which is hardly of any value," while calling North Korean defectors who send leaflets from the South human scum" and mongrel dogs." Her comments on Saturday came hours after a senior North Korean Foreign Ministry official said that Seoul should drop nonsensical" talk about the Norths denuclearization, and that his country would continue to expand its military capabilities to counter what it perceives as threats from the United States. In response to North Koreas anger over the leaflets, South Koreas government has said it would press charges against two defector groups that have been carrying out border protests. The South also said it would push new laws to ban activists from flying the leaflets across the border, but theres been criticism over whether Moons government is sacrificing democratic principles to keep alive his ambitions for inter-Korean engagement. For years, activists have floated huge balloons into North Korea carrying leaflets criticizing Kim Jong Un over his nuclear ambitions and dismal human rights record. The leafleting has sometimes triggered a furious response from North Korea, which bristles at any attempt to undermine its leadership. While Seoul has sometimes sent police officers to block the activists during sensitive times, it had previously resisted North Koreas calls to fully ban them, saying they were exercising their freedom. Activists have vowed to continue with the balloon launches. But its unlikely that North Koreas belligerence is about just the leaflets, analysts say. The North has a long track record of dialing up pressure on the South when it doesnt get what it wants from the United States. Its threats to abandon inter-Korean agreements came after months of frustration over Seouls refusal to defy U.S.-led sanctions and restart joint economic projects. Some experts say North Korea, which has mobilized people for massive demonstrations condemning defectors, is deliberately censuring the South to rally its public and shift attention away from a bad economy, which likely has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its unclear what kind of military action the North would take against the South, although weapons tests are an easy guess. Kim Dong-yub, an analyst from Seouls Institute for Far Eastern Studies, said North Korea could also be planning something" near the countries disputed western maritime border, which has occasionally been the scene of bloody clashes over the years. Nuclear talks faltered at Kim Jong Uns second summit with Trump in Vietnam in February last year after the United States rejected North Koreas demands for major sanctions relief in exchange for a partial surrender of its nuclear capabilities. Trump and Kim met for a third time that year in June at the border between North and South Korea and agreed to resume talks. But an October working-level meeting in Sweden broke down over what the North Koreans described as the Americans old stance and attitude." On the two-year anniversary of the first Kim-Trump meeting, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Son Gwon said Friday that the North would never again gift Trump with high-profile meetings he could boast as foreign policy achievements unless it gets something substantial in return. 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 Rishi Sunak has opened up about the racism he experienced as a child, revealing the pain of being abused in front of his younger brother and sister. The Chancellor, 40, appearing on Sophy Ridge on Sunday, said he wanted to 'protect' his younger siblings from the abuse he received while growing up in Southampton. Mr Sunak's grandparents were born in Punjab, India, and emigrated from East Africa to the UK in the 1960s. He is the eldest of three siblings. Speaking on racism amid a wave of Black Lives Matter protests across the world following the killing of George Floyd, he said: 'The things that stung me the most are when I've been with my younger siblings, when I was younger. 'It's one thing when they're happening to you on your own, it's difficult enough, but when I had my younger brother and sister with me, it was particularly upsetting 'I didn't want them to have to deal with it, I wanted to protect them from it. 'It may just be words but actually they sting in a way that other things don't. People call you different names for different reasons but there's something about that [racism] that cuts to your core.' Rishi Sunak's grandparents were born in Punjab, India, and emigrated from East Africa to the UK in the 1960s. Here he is pictured with his parents The Chancellor insisted that he hadn't suffered any abuse for many years and said that Britain was a far more tolerant country now than it had been in the past. However, he acknowledged that there was still more to do to combat racism in society. The comments come just days after an interview in which Mr Sunak opened up about his experience of racism in the UK. Speaking to Sky while discussing the BLM movement last week, he said: 'As a British Asian, of course I know that racism exists in our country, and I know people are upset, they're angry and they want to see change. '[But] Let's take a moment to recognise the enormous change we've made in this country from the time that my grandparents first arrived here, from the time that I was born and grew up.' The chancellor today joined Prime Minister Boris Johnson in condemning 'racist thuggery' after clashes between far-right yobs, Black Lives Matter supporters and riot police erupted in central London yesterday after a 5pm curfew set by police. Police chiefs imposed the 5pm curfew on all demonstrations in a bid to quell the unrest seen throughout the day as the anti-racist rally and a far-right counter-protest descended into hooliganism driven by a hard core of violent activists. While a small number of pro-statue military veterans in uniform made their point peacefully, their protest was hijacked by others intent on confronting police and BLM supporters. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has opened up on his experiences of racial abuse while growing up in the UK About an hour later, the first of several pitched battles erupted as police in riot gear tried to hold back crowds chanting 'Eng-er-land' and raising their arms in apparent Nazi salutes. Time and again, the drunken mob lunged at police lines, which blocked them from moving down Whitehall towards Trafalgar Square, where some BLM supporters were gathered. One small group of right-wingers did manage to find their way into Trafalgar Square to fight with BLM groups, but police contained the violence. Similar running battles occurred later in Hyde Park and at Waterloo station as rival groups clashed. Several far right protesters were left bloodied after being being beaten by BLM activists. Labour's shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said today that he was 'extremely disturbed' by the violence yesterday After the groups were driven out of Trafalgar Square at 5pm, the clashes spilled over to Waterloo station where a group of BLM activists were filmed beating a lone white man accused of being a member of a far right group. Labour's shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said today that he was 'extremely disturbed' by the 'completely unacceptable' scenes of violence on the streets. Speaking to Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday show, Mr Thomas-Symonds said: 'I want to say a particular word as well about that awful scene of someone urinating next to PC Keith Palmer's memorial. 'Absolutely despicable behaviour and I hope that individual is identified and brought to justice.' Patna: Scholars, researchers and noted personalities from around the world will congregate on Thursday for a three-day global conclave to celebrate the legacy of Sikhism and Sri Guru Gobind Singh ahead of the grand 350th birth anniversary of the tenth Sikh Guru. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will inaugurate the event at the Sri Krishna Memorial Hall which would be followed by a visit to the gurudwara in Patna Sahib, the birthplace of Sri Guru Gobind Singh. The International Sikh Conclave is being held from September 22-24 as a precursor to the impressive ceremony lined up by the Bihar government in January to mark the 350th year of the birth of the tenth Sikh Guru. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Union minister S S Ahluwalia, former chairman of National Commission for Minorities Tarlochan Singh and New Zealand MP Kanwal Singh Bakshi are among the personalties scheduled to attend the programme. Besides, some Sikh ministers in Canada have also been invited, a senior official told PTI. Patna Sahib gurudwara or Taht Shri Harmandir Sahib, located in the old city in east Patna, is considered one of the holiest places in the world by the Sikh community, and with the grand anniversary celebrations next year, Bihar is also seeking to reposition itself on the global tourist map by leveraging his iconic legacy. This conclave also is to spread the word about the grand event to be held on January 5, preparations for which are in full swing. We want to present Bihars best and all departments are working in tandem to execute it successfully, the official said. The conclave to be attended by around 200 delegates would also have scholars of Sikhism, who would present papers on different aspects of the religion. On September 23, three panel discussion are lined up Sri Guru Gobind Singh: A spiritual saviour and crusader of rights, Sri Guru Gobind Singh: A poet par excellence and Sikhism: A faith of love and humanity. On the last day, a discussion would be held on the topic of Contributions of Sikhs to the Nation, he said. Cultural programmes would be an added attraction to the global event. Musicians like Rabbi Shergill and Diljit Dosanjh would also be performing, he said.A coffee-table book on Sri Guru Gobind Singh would also be launched on the occasion. The event would be closed by Governor Ram Nath Kovind. This would be an important event as Bihar gears up for the mega Prakashotsav (festival) next year, he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. (left to right) Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan and Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe, arrive at Government Buildings to discuss outstanding issues, as leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party are set to formally agree a draft programme for government between their parties later (Niall Carson/PA) The final Programme for Government is expected to be signed off on Monday as government formation talks concluded on Sunday night. The leaders of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Green Party will meet on Monday after failing to sign off on the programme following hours of discussions on Sunday. Leaving Government Buildings on Sunday night, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said he was confident the final Programme for Government document would be fully signed off by then. Expand Close Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin speaking outside Government Buildings in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin speaking outside Government Buildings in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) He said: A lot of people are working long hours over the last couple of weeks and still tonight. We should be in a position to sign off tomorrow morning. I think the work represents a significant departure in terms of Irish politics and also in terms of the type of society we will have in the future. We have very challenging times ahead of us. Fine Gael Minister Paschal Donohoe said he was hopeful the deal could be done. There is a lot of work going on to be in a position I hope tomorrow to bring this to a conclusion. I am satisfied that the issues that are important for my party are contained within the programme for government. We are in a situation where there are thousands of people waking up tomorrow who dont have a job and we have challenges in relation to how we deal with housing and health. There are still some outstanding issues between the parties that need to be resolved. Fianna Fail has insisted that the pension age should not be increased to 67 until next year while Fine Gael has said taxes should not be increased for workers as the country faces a deep recession. Expand Close Paschal Donohoe (Niall Carson/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Paschal Donohoe (Niall Carson/PA) Mr Donohoe said income tax is a key issue for Fine Gael. It is one of a number of issues we were working on this evening and it is really important to my own party that in terms of issues related to the economy, we have full agreement between the three leaders of the parties. Party members will have the opportunity to see the programme for Government and then vote on it. He said he is confident a Government can be in place for June but it will be dependent on party members ratifying it. He said: I believe its very possible that tomorrow we will have a programme for government, that is capable of leading our country to the great challenges that we now face. It will also get the balance right between what we heard on February 8 (when the general election took place) and the reality of where we are here today. The programme for government could run to more than 100 pages. If agreed, it will then have to be put to the membership of each of the three parties for consideration. If members pass it, a government could be in place for the end of June or early July. The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has raised concerns about extensive sand and boulder mining projects in Uttarakhand and their impact on river ecology and wildlife. As per the minutes of an NBWL meeting on June 11, it has recommended a study of the cumulative impact of the mining for consideration of future projects. There are over 100 sand mining leases operational in the state, according to its geology and mining department. NBWL had received three proposals for sand mining along the Asan Wetland Conservation Reserve and five along the Rajaji National Parks boundary near Haridwar. NBWL considered the five proposals for the collection of sand, sand gravel (bajri) and boulders in the private lands located 1.5 to 9 km from the boundary thrice. But it decided against clearing the projects until they complied with Union environment ministrys Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines, 2016, and the National Tiger Conservation Authoritys conditions. Few proposals may not have serious impact on ecology, ground water recharge and wildlife disturbance, but when several dozen miners work in the river beds around the Park, and hundreds may be thousands of trucks move every day for transport of the material, the anthropogenic pressure and ecological degradation would be serious, said HS Singh, member NBWL, according to the minutes. The environment ministrys Forest Advisory Committee has deferred the renewal of forest clearance for mining of minor minerals from 64 ha of forest land along river Song in Mussoorie forest division that Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation had applied for. The state government shall conduct a study to ascertain the impact of mining in upstream and downstream. The study shall come out with clear recommendations as how such mining is useful in maintaining the natural flow of the river and health of adjoining forests. It should cover the impact of mining in the area for last ten years. The study may correlate satellite imagery of last ten years, FAC observed. It added the government should also quantify how much sand and boulder can be mined annually. According to the corporation, there are 10 leases that are being worked now, four on the Gaula river, the rest on Kosi, Dapka and Nandhaur, Sharda, Malan and Kotawali rivers. Our permit for mining on Rawasan river expired in March. We have requested NBWL to grant us permission to mine on Rawasan for a few more months until we can renew the clearance. We also have forest clearances to mine sand on the Ganga and its other tributaries but we some court cases are pending against them, said Monish Mullick, the Corporations managing director. Dinesh Kumar, deputy director, geology and mining, Uttarakhand, said they do not do any mechanised mining. There are very few in wildlife dominated areas. We will not proceed on those without NBWL nod. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Cairo (AFP) - Egypt said Saturday that tripartite talks with Ethiopia and Sudan over a controversial mega-dam on the River Nile were deadlocked because of Addis Ababa's "intransigence". The Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam (GERD) has been a source of tension in the Nile River basin ever since Ethiopia broke ground on it nearly a decade ago. Ethiopia sees the dam as essential for its electrification and development, while Sudan and Egypt view it as a threat to essential water supplies. Mohamed al-Sebaie, spokesperson for Egypt's Water Resources and Irrigation Ministry, said he "is not optimistic about the prospects of achieving a breakthrough during the ongoing negotiations" on the dam in a press release posted to the ministry's Facebook page. This was due to "Ethiopia's intransigence which, once again, became abundantly clear during the ongoing meetings of the ministers of water resources of Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan", he added. The strongly-worded statement follows days of negotiations over the project amid heightened urgency to reach a deal ahead of Addis Ababa's plans to start filling the dam in July. "Ethiopia's positon is that Egypt and Sudan should either sign a text that would make them hostages to Ethiopia's will and whim or accept Ethiopia's decision to unilaterally fill the GERD," Sebaie's statement said. Talks between the irrigation and water ministers from the three Nile basin countries resumed Tuesday after a four-month hiatus along with three observers from the United States, European Union and South Africa. After several rounds of failed negotiations, the United States and the World Bank sponsored talks from November 2019 geared towards reaching a comprehensive agreement, after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi put in a request to his ally US President Donald Trump. But the process ran aground after the Treasury Department urged Ethiopia to sign a deal that Egypt backed as "fair and balanced". Story continues Ethiopia denied a deal had been reached and accused Washington of being "undiplomatic" and playing favourites. Ethiopia's water ministry criticised Egypt on Thursday for detailing its grievances over the dam in a May letter to the UN Security Council. The 6,600-kilometre-long (3,900-mile) Nile is a lifeline supplying water and powering electricity in the 10 countries it traverses. Its main tributaries, the White and Blue Niles, converge in the Sudanese capital Khartoum before flowing north through Egypt to drain into the Mediterranean Sea. The new boss of building materials giant Boral says he aims to make decisions on the company's portfolio and strategy by October, saying nothing was off the table in his plan to restore shareholder value to the troubled giant. The former Brambles chief financial officer Zlatko Todorcevski will take over the $4.3 billion ASX-listed company from long-serving chief executive Mike Kane on July 1. Zlatko Todorcevski will succeed Mike Kane as CEO of building materials giant Boral on July 1. Credit:Peter Braig "There is nothing that's off the table at the moment in terms of how we think about the strategy, the business, our organisation moving forward," he said, in an interview with The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. "We will assess every part of the business and think about what's appropriate for us ... to create the maximum amount of shareholder value we can," he said. Photo Illustration by the Daily Beast/Boko Haram Handout/Sahara Reporters via REUTERS If you recognize the term Wahhabi or Wahhabism, the conservative state religion of Saudi Arabia, its probably because of 9/11. It was in the wake of that attack that institutions like Freedom House began to publish reports about Wahhabi ideology that seemed to provide some intellectual context for a senseless event. The same goes for Salafism, for which there wasnt even a standard spelling in 2001: The Guardian went with Salafee in one post-9/11 article. Trump Administration Preps New Weapons Sale To Saudi Arabia The terms still tend to be tossed around by non-Muslims, with renewed vigor after the rise of ISIS, as examples of a fundamentalist Islam promoted by Saudi Arabia, which vaguely corrupted the Muslim world and was often embraced by jihadi terrorists. But understanding Saudi religion, and what it did abroad, requires considerably more nuance. Its true that, for decades, the Saudis used their austere religious vision as a tool of soft power to promote their interests around the world among Arabs and also in Indonesia, in Nigeria, in Kosovo and almost anywhere else with a sizeable Muslim community. But over the course of six decades, the faith the Saudis spent so lavishly to spread had unpredictable effects on the ground, and its most violent apostles actually turned against the kingdom. The Saudi brand started to deteriorate during the Gulf War of 19901991, when non-Muslim U.S. troops were accepted on the holy soil of Arabia in order to protect it from Saddam Hussein. That move, and the perceived hypocrisy of the Saudi clerics who greenlit it, dented Saudi Arabias cultivated image as a leader of Muslims everywhere. And it ended the golden age of Saudi dawa, which means literally the call or invitation to Islam, and refers more generally to proselytizing. But 9/11 was something else. Fifteen out of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals and popular opinion about the kingdom quickly soured. Just six months after the attack, 54 percent of Americans agreed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a state that supports terrorism. The Gulf War was a blow to Saudi Arabias bid for leadership of the Muslim world, but 9/11 brought it to its knees. Story continues The 838-page-long joint inquiry by the House and Senate Intelligence Committees into the 9/11 attacks published in 2002 contains a long-suppressed 28-page section on Saudi financing that was only declassified in 2016 and found that some of the hijackers were in contact with, and received support or assistance from, individuals who may be connected to the Saudi Government. Something else happened while Saudi Arabia was in the spotlight: it experienced a 9/11 of its own. Al Qaeda, led by the ex-Saudi national Osama bin Laden, attacked major targets inside the kingdom, destroying a housing compound in Riyadh in 2003 and then Saudi oil fields in 2004. The stunned Saudi government set up a joint task force with the U.S. to investigate terrorist financing, and in May 2003, introduced banking regulations that temporarily stopped all private charities from sending funds abroad. These shock waves would be felt around the Muslim world, where Saudi charity had become an integral part of education and development. In 2003, the kingdom briefly considered recalling its religious attaches, diplomats under the Saudi Ministry of Religious Affairs, Dawa, and Guidance who oversaw dawa activities in about two dozen foreign countries. In 2004, a royal decree was issued to centralize all Islamic charities. Thus, 9/11 briefly imploded the transnational Saudi dawa apparatus. So when we talk about Saudi money today, its essential to keep this dynamic in mind; it is no longer accurate to refer to some kind of all-powerful, centralized, ideologically coherent global project. We need to appreciate it at face value: piecemeal, diluted, opportunistic. DEFINING DEFINITIONS Saudi Arabias mid-century ambitions to define orthodoxy in the Muslim world, fight revolutionary ideologies coming from Iran and Egypt, and support besieged Muslim minorities abroad stretched its global campaign, by the 1990s, into a project that frankly outpaced its capacities. For the eminent Saudi scholar Madawi al-Rasheed, who lives in self-imposed exile in London, the phenomenon of jihadis like Bin Laden, a Saudi citizen by birth, perfectly encapsulates the tension between the kingdoms rhetoric to obey their current rulers at home while at the same time fostering the spirit of jihad abroad. That gets to the heart of why Saudi dawa has such chaotic effects outside the kingdoms borders. Wahhabism is an ultraconservative religious movement founded by the fiery 18th-century Arabian preacher Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. It focuses on removing idolatry and deviations in Islam, and after Ibn Abd al-Wahhab signed a pact with the royal House of Saud, it became the official religion of the family and their successive attempts to consolidate a state on the Arabian peninsula, the last of which came together in 1932 and is modern-day Saudi Arabia. Salafism, meanwhile, is a revivalist Sunni Islamic movement that seeks to return to the traditions of the salaf, the first three generations of Muslims in the seventh and eighth centuries. It came out of late 19th century Egypt, chiefly as a reaction to Western colonialism. In practice, Salafis and Wahhabis have a lot in common. Both religious currents tend to promote personal austerity as well as intolerance of other beliefs, not only those of Christians, Jews, Buddhists, but of Muslims who have not embraced what they consider the true faith. Shia Muslims are a particular target. Wahhabism is highly linked to Saudi royal authority, which makes little sense outside the Gulf, so Saudi dawa tends to create Salafi communities abroad. Inside Saudi Arabia, as proved most recently by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans brash moves to modernize civil society, the state can rein in the excesses of the Wahhabi clerics if it thinks that is necessary. Outside, Saudi-promoted Salafi movements are much harder to control. Does Saudi dawa actively create terrorists? Sometimes, but in very specific conditions, like the Afghan jihad, when it sponsored people including Abdullah Azzam and Osama bin Laden. Has Saudi dawa inspired terrorists, jihadists, and extremists? Much more broadly, yes. But they are a subset of a broader universe. Salafi-jihadism, the strain of violent Salafism that includes al Qaeda, Boko Haram, ISIS, and others typically draws from a larger pool of nonviolent Salafis in a given region, and those broad communities often have direct connections to Saudi dawa. The most infamous Salafi-jihadist group, ISIS, rose to global prominence claiming to be the worlds true Wahhabi state, and it set up its own printing press in Mosul in 2014 to publish Ibn Abd al-Wahhabs texts, much to Saudi Arabias chagrin. The surprisingly widespread phenomenon of hardline Muslims destroying ancient holy sites, from Palmyra to Timbuktu, also follows a distinctly Wahhabi logic of eliminating occasions for idolatry and polytheism by razing shrines and tombs. ISIS is the worst offender, but non-jihadists do this, too: in Bale, Ethiopia, Saudi-affiliated fundamentalists destroyed more than 30 Sufi shrines in the early 2000s. The worlds growing anti-Shia rhetoric, too, speaks in the distinctly Wahhabi language of deviance and polytheism. And even blasphemy convictions often echo the Wahhabi logic of takfir, excommunicating improper Muslims. Even if Saudi officials occasionally decry the violent effects of past dawa, they are in an awkward position, given that these actions are completely in accordance with the ideas of the most famous Saudi preacher of all time. Nigeria is an instructive example. PRESERVING VIRTUE In December 2015, Abdullahi Muhammad Musa crammed into a sedan with six relatives for the five hour drive from Nigerias capital, Abuja, to the northern state of Zaria to celebrate Quds Day, the international expression of solidarity with Palestine. Abdullahi, 32, made it back to Abuja alive. But all the rest in that car, and at least 340 other civilians, were gunned down by the Nigerian military in what is now known as the Zaria Massacre. All were followers of an outspoken Shia group, the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, that has long been under attack by Sunnis, Salafis, and the state. As in many other parts of the Muslim world, this anti-Shia sentiment was fueled by Saudi-oriented Salafis. But in Nigeria, its taken an especially deadly turn. Its estimated that roughly half of Nigerias 191 million people are Muslim, although religious demographics are so contentious that the question has not been posed on the census since 1963. The country is a huge arena for global contests over Islamic dogma, and in such a volatile religious climate, the rise of Saudi-affiliated Salafism stirred things up, and then spiraled in unpredictable directions. Saudi Arabia started its outreach to West Africa shortly after Nigeria won independence from British rule in 1960. Within a decade, a generation of Salafis emerged in northern Nigeria, whose Muslims had, until then, been predominantly Sufi or non-denominational. Salafis created the Izala movement for preserving virtue and were influential in deciding the shape of sharia, Islamic law, which was implemented across the north of Nigeria starting in 1999. The most infamous Nigerians to identify as Salafis are the members of Boko Haram, the Salafi-jihadist group responsible for hundreds of terror attacks and the kidnapping of thousands of schoolchildren since 2009. At one point, in 2015, Boko Haram even surpassed ISIS as the worlds deadliest terror group. But it did not emerge in a vacuum. The founder of Boko Haram, Muhammad Yusuf, studied with the most prominent Saudi-educated Salafi in Nigeria, Jafar Mahmud Adam, and even briefly sought refuge, like many Islamists under fire, in Saudi Arabia itself. The Salafi-jihadism of Boko Haram, although an extreme fringe, emerged from the rich Salafi tapestry that was woven in Nigeria over the previous half century. Since the 1960s, Saudi outreach cultivated deep personal contacts in the postcolonial nation and seeded opportunities to study in the kingdom. The resulting Salafis have clashed with both the reigning Sufi orders and the parallel, Iran-affiliated Shia movement. Some have been mainstreamed into government positions, while others laid the ideological groundwork for Boko Haram. BOKO HARAM In April 2014, Boko Haram boldly kidnapped 276 female students from their school in Chibok, in the northeastern state of Borno. The event horrified observers inside Nigeria and around the world, who were stunned at the inability of the state to protect the girls or to negotiate effectively with the terrorist group (112 of the 276 girls are still missing). In more recent incidents, Boko Haram has kidnapped over 1,000 children since 2018 and, as recently as 2018, abducted 110 more girls from the town of Dapchi. Even during one of my visits in May 2019, a handful of staffers were kidnapped from a girls school in Zamfara State. Easily the most infamous Islamic movement in northern Nigeria today, Boko Haram also has contributed to a devastating regional famine by preventing farmers from planting crops and blocking access to Lake Chad. Since Boko Haram styles itself as a Salafi-jihadist group, it begs the question of how closely it is linked with the greater Salafi movement in the region, and of whether that Salafi movement would have flourished in northern Nigeria without Saudi dawa. In a word, the answer is no. Saudi proselytizing has been integral to Salafism in northern Nigeria, and Boko Harams ideology directly springs from the Salafi corpus spread there by Saudi-educated Nigerian preachers. But in an ironic twist, the majority of mainstream Nigerian Salafis oppose the jihadi group and have even tried to wage public debates with its leaders, albeit to little effect. The resulting situation is typical of what Saudi proselytizing often looks like in the wild, rife with unstable by-products. Boko Haram has praised al Qaeda and it pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2015, but it remains more a localized insurgency than a transnational jihadist group. In fact, it existed for six years as a nonviolent fundamentalist group and only turned violent in 2009, when its founder was killed. Its context is deeply local to Maiduguri, the northeastern state where it is headquartered. And Salafism would never have entered Maiduguri were it not for a preacher named Jafar Adam, the most popular and charismatic Saudi educated Salafi in modern Nigeria. He founded a group called Ahl Al-Sunna, which considered itself more purely Salafi, and less tainted with politics, than Izala had become by the new millennium. And Adams star student was a young man named Muhammad Yusuf. Adam even appointed him to lead Ahl Al-Sunnas youth wing. But just as Adam branched off from Izala in a more hardline direction, so Yusuf did to Adam, whom he rejected as insufficiently Islamic. In 2007, Yusuf published the foundational manifesto of Boko Haram: This is our creed and method of proclamation, which mostly consisted of quotations from Saudi Salafi texts. Boko Haram was not his own name for the group. He called it Jamaat Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Dawah wal Jihad, the Group of the People of the Sunnah for Preaching and Jihad. Nigerian media came up with the shorter cognomen, which captured Yusufs central idea that Western education, or Boko in Hausa, was forbidden. This newer, even more charismatic breakaway movement drew hundreds of young people. Everyone in Maiduguri knew Yusuf and vice versa. Once I met him in a gas station and he instantly recognized me and asked whether I was still part of the army of Satan, one resident told me. Yusuf eventually attracted thousands of followers across the northeastern states and even from neighboring Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. But within a few years, this volatile Salafi coterie headquartered in Maiduguri became an ouroboros, the snake that eats its own tail. In 2007, Jafar Adam, the most influential Saudi-educated nonviolent Salafi preacher of the decade, was assassinated under mysterious circumstancesmost likely on the directive of Boko Haram. And then, in 2009, Boko Haram clashed with the Nigerian military amid allegations it was building bombs. One thousand people died, 700 in Maiduguri alone. Among them was Muhammad Yusuf, who was interrogated by police and then executed. The heavy-handed military confrontation was the proximate cause for Boko Harams turn toward violence, but in the bigger picture, its obvious that Boko Haram could not have formed as a group, nor attracted its popular base across multiple states without its ideological background and the charismatic Salafi preachers at its core. Boko Harams material links to Saudi and Gulf actors are basically opportunistic. Around 2002, Osama bin Laden reportedly sent an aide to Nigeria with $3 million to distribute among local groups including Boko Haram. In 2015, Boko Haram switched allegiance to the Islamic State and restyled itself as the Islamic State in West Africa. Its worth noting that, in its current, violent iteration, Boko Haram considers Saudi Arabia to be a state of unbelief. Under the leadership of Abubakar Shekau, who took over from Yusuf in 2009, Boko Haram declared its enmity toward literally every other Islamic group and entity imaginable, including the Sufis, Shia, Izala, the Nigerian government, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In a video message filmed in December 2014, Shekau, holding a rifle that he periodically shot off to punctuate his address for emphasis, screamed, The Saudi state is a state of unbelief, because it is a state that belongs to the Saud family, and they do not follow the Prophet the Saudi Arabians, since you have altered Allahs religion, you will enter hellfire! Saudi Arabia was the site of an attempted negotiation between Boko Haram and the Nigerian state in 2012 to 2013. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the peace talks held there did not make much headway. Given the persistent rifts and splintering among Nigerian Salafis, its not surprising that Boko Haram experienced its own internal split in 2016, where a rival named Abu Musab al-Barnawi made a bid for leadership over Shekau and linked his faction more closely with ISIS. Theres no chance Saudi Arabia foresaw any of these chaotic effects back in 1965, when its dawa outreach to Nigeria started. Indeed, its likely that every successive splintering of Nigerian Salafism became more and more distant from the original Saudi soft power project, which was formed on close personal contacts between Nigerian and Saudi leaders, but became more localized over time. Spreading such a charged ideology abroad was like opening a can of worms. Its why so many jihadist groups today prize Wahhabi theology and revile the kingdom itself. Thus the central paradox today: even if Saudi Arabia is embarrassed by its reputation for spreading extremism and the unsavory effects of its campaign, its not really a problem the Saudis can solve anymore. This excerpt is adapted from The Call: Inside the Global Saudi Religious Project, by Krithika Varagur. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. The German government has "noted with regret" a U.S. proposal to expand sanctions over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany. "New sanctions would constitute a serious interference in European energy security and EU sovereignty," a statement by the Foreign Ministry said on June 14. A group of bipartisan U.S. senators early this month submitted legislation to stop Russia from completing the controversial natural gas pipeline along the floor of the Baltic Sea. The United States already has taken steps to halt the $11 billion project. A bill passed late last year allowed Washington to impose sanctions on any vessel that helps Russia complete the pipeline, forcing Western-owned ships to stop work. To get around the legislation's impact, Russia has sent its own vessel to the Baltic Sea to lay the remaining 160 kilometers of pipeline. The new proposed legislation widens the sanctions in the existing law to include any entity that provides insurance, port facilities, or tethering services for the project as well as any company that certifies Nord Stream 2 for operation. Senator Ted Cruz (Republican-Texas), sponsor of the bill introduced on June 4, said there was bipartisan consensus that the Nord Stream 2 pipeline "poses a critical threat to America's national security and must not be completed." The United States opposes Nord Stream 2, claiming it undermines Ukraine and strengthens Russia's grip on Europe's energy industry. The pipeline would enable Russia to reroute natural-gas exports to Europe around Ukraine, depriving Kyiv of billions of dollars in transit revenue. Moscow has accused Washington of using sanctions to open the door for more U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to Europe. Based on reporting by dpa While some parts of the world have been terrorized by "murder hornets" or locusts, Siberia is facing a historic battle against a tiny but sometimes deadly arachnid -- the tick. In a vast Russian region that is frequently hit by flooding and wildfires and has not been spared from the coronavirus, ticks and the diseases they transmit are shaping up as another major challenge this year. "I was just walking along a paved path when a tick bit me," says Tatyana Redko, a resident of Krasnoyarsk, a regional capital and the third-largest city in Siberia. "They say they are everywhere in the grass. We have a lot of ticks this year. Not only in the parks and the forest, but even on city streets." Reported tick bites in the sprawling Krasnoyarsk region, which stretches up from the lands north of Mongolia to the Arctic shore, are up 400 percent over the same time last year and the tick season is only just getting under way. According to government statistics, 1,925 people reported bites in the week of May 22-28 in the region, and more than 10,000 bites have already been reported in 2020. Cases of ticks found to be infected with tick-borne encephalitis have been identified in 57 of the region's 61 administrative districts. The problem is equally prevalent in other regions of Siberia and the Russian Far East, as well as parts of western Russia. Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain that is caused by a number of viruses, many of which can be transmitted to humans by ticks. Without timely diagnosis and treatment, it can cause permanent damage or even death. "We are seeing a high level of activity of naturally occurring tick-borne infections," the press service of the Krasnoyarsk branch of Rospotrebnadzor, the state consumer-protection agency, told RFE/RL. "The number of ticks is significantly greater than average." The cause, the officials said, was the region's unusually mild winter followed by the early onset of spring. "The weather conditions enabled the main hosts for ticks -- forest-dwelling rodents -- to survive the winter well," the agency said. "Their numbers have grown and the number of ticks has increased correspondingly. As a result, the 2020 season has seen an active outbreak of tick-borne encephalitis." Medicine Shortage Ticks are a perennial problem in many parts of Siberia. Many locals have grown used to purchasing annual "tick insurance," a policy sold by the insurance company Rosgosstrakh. The policy is supposed to guarantee treatment with immunoglobulin, an antibody that is believed to prevent encephalitis infection if introduced soon enough, usually within three days. But many policyholders say they are being turned away, told that there is no immunoglobulin in Russia at all this year. "My brother was bitten by a tick on a Friday evening," Redko says. "He couldn't find anyone to help him, so he removed it himself. We began calling around. We called the ambulance service and they directed us to a clinic. They gave us the wrong phone number, but I found another number on our insurance policy. They told me that they didn't have any immunoglobulin." The clinic took the tick that bit Redko's brother for analysis, confirmed the absence of immunoglobulin, and sent him home. Earlier, Redko's aunt faced the same problem and was given an antiviral medication, an antibiotic, and an antihistamine. None of those treatments was covered by the Rosgosstrakh policy, so she ended up paying 7,000 rubles ($100) out of pocket. Tatyana Fyodorova, who heads a Krasnoyarsk nongovernmental charity, says her daughter was bitten by a tick on May 24 during a camping trip. Rosgosstrakh sent her to a local clinic called Santem. "The manager of the clinic said that they didnt have any immunoglobulin and that they wouldn't have any for at least two months," Fyodorova recalls. "I wrote an angry post on Facebook that was noticed by some journalists." She says she continued to badger Rosgosstrakh. "They told me that there is no immunoglobulin in Russia and that I was to blame myself, for taking my daughter to the forest," she told RFE/RL. In the end, Fyodorova was sent to another clinic. She saw a specialist there on May 27, after which she was able to speak with the regional management of Rosgosstrakh. She was told the company had "found" some immunoglobulin for her daughter, who was given an injection the same day. Fyodorova is certain she achieved success only because she was "raising a stink," was in contact with journalists, and threatened a lawsuit. "No one in the city knows about the lack of immunoglobulin, but they are still selling these policies," she says. "They don't tell people anything and articles only started appearing in the press after my case." The press service of Rosgosstrakh did not accept calls for comment for this article for three days. The medicine has been hard to find in other regions as well. In Khabarovsk, a city near the Pacific coast, resident Inna Aslamova says that she was unable to find any when she was bitten. "The doctors said there was none in the city or in the whole region," Aslamova says. "I searched all the pharmacies and they didn't have any." In Novosibirsk, the biggest city in Siberia, the head doctor of City Hospital No. 3, Aleksandr Asadchy, told journalists last month that there was no immunoglobulin in his city either. "We have sent two orders to the Novosibirsk region Health Ministry, but without any results," he was quoted by local media as saying. Natalya Shekhodanova, director of the Nadezhda private insurance firm in Krasnoyarsk, however, explains why there is no immunoglobulin. "It is missing for two reasons," she says. "First, it simply was not produced and certified in time because of the coronavirus pandemic. Second, commercial clinics have not purchased it because it is expensive." "Who could have predicted we would have such a year?" she adds. "No one knew. Insurance companies signed agreements with private clinics that promised to buy immunoglobulin. So, who didn't fulfill their obligations?" Avoid 'Natural Places' Yelena Averyanova, a doctor and lecturer at Pskov State University in western Russia, says it is a mistake to focus on the cost of immunoglobulin. "The government is not taking into account the likelihood of people being disabled for life or the costs of rehabilitating patients," she says. "They only talk about the price of the immunoglobulin, but the miser pays twice.... It is illogical that we win tactically while losing strategically in the battle against this small but dangerous tick." To make matters worse, scientists of the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences say they have they are tracking a relatively new tick that is a hybrid of the common taiga (Ixodes persulcatus) and Far Eastern (Ixodes pavlovskyi) ticks. The hybrid tick seems to be capable of transmitting to humans all the parasites of both the more common types, including four types of the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, encephalitis, Kemerovo tick-borne viral fever, and Siberian tick-borne typhus (Rickettsia). In addition, experts believe the hybrid tick might be more adaptable to various environments and capable of vastly expanding its geographical range. In a post on the official website of the governor of the Pskov region, local resident Olga Kolesnikova wrote that she had waited in a long line of children and adults suffering from tick bites to see the city's only specialist. "There is no immunoglobulin in the hospitals or in the pharmacies," she wrote. "There are no substitutes either. How can this be? How can I protect my child? The consequences of a tick bite are no less frightening than those of the coronavirus. But we are not prepared for this threat." The head of the regional Health Committee, Marina Garashchenko, responded by saying, "At present, there is no immunoglobulin for the prevention of tick-borne encephalitis in the Russian Federation." Citizens, she wrote, had been repeatedly advised "to refrain from visiting natural places not treated against ticks." Written by Robert Coalson based on reporting by Lyudmila Savitskaya of the Siberia Desk of RFE/RL's Russian Service A woman ward member in Odishas Nayagarh district has been living inside a toilet with her family members for over two and a half years after failing to get a house under either Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana or Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana. Banita Senapati, a ward member of Thanapallipatna village of Surkabadi gram panchayat of Nayagarh district, about 85 km southeast of the capital Bhubaneswar, claims she has been forced to live in a toilet with her husband, mother-in-law and two children after their house which was damaged during cyclone Phalin in 2013, became completely unlivable two and half years ago. The family shifted to the toilet that had been constructed under Swachh Bharat Mission. Their plight came to light following social media posts. Senapatis husband, Ramesh Senapati, a daily labourer tried hard to get a house under the government scheme, but his name never appeared in the list. He met local BDO as well as other officials pleading for sanction of a house, but all that he got was empty promise, said Banita. The family has spread out a tin sheet on the toilet floor to cover the pan. The toilet also doubles up as a kitchen as they cook food in one corner and keep clothes in another corner. While the ward member, her daughter and mother-in-law sleep inside the toilet, her husband and son sleep outside. My getting elected as a ward member has not helped me in any way. While the government talks about empowering panchayati raj institutions, this is how the elected PRI members are forced to stay, she said. Sarpanch Minati Sahu also expressed her helplessness saying she had personally requested officials to add her family in the PMAY list, but without any result. The government says it is not aware of her plight. Project director of the district rural development agency in Nayagarh, Subash Ray said the administration was not aware of the problem of the ward member. We will conduct an inquiry and do whatever necessary to help the family, he said. In December last year, a 72-year-old widow in Mayurbhanj district was found to be living in a toilet for over three years after failing to get accommodation from the state government. The woman, Draupadi Behera slept inside the toilet while her family, including grandson and daughter, slept outside. In March this year, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said his government would provide 20 lakh concrete houses to the poor in the next four years. Patnaik said that the state government has already provided 25 lakh concrete houses to the people. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The white police officer who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks could be charged with murder by Wednesday according to the Fulton County district attorney. Paul Howard told CNN that his office will decide by the middle of the week whether it will be filing charges against Garrett Rolfe, the officer who killed Mr Brooks on Saturday. [Brooks] did not seem to present any kind of threat to anyone, and so the fact that it would escalate to his death just seems unreasonable, Mr Howard said. If that shot was fired for some reason other than to save that officers life or prevent injury to him or others, then that shooting is not justified under the law, he added. The DAs office could decide to charge Mr Rolfe with murder or felony murder. Mr Rolfe was immediately fired after the incident, and a second officer present at the scene, Devin Brosnan, has been placed on administrative duties while an investigation is carried out. Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields has resigned, having led the force since 2016. She is being replaced by deputy chief Rodney Bryant. Ms Shields will reportedly stay in the citys employ in a role yet to be determined. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said she did not believe Mr Brooks death was a justified use of deadly force. While there may be debate as to whether this was an appropriate use of deadly force, I firmly believe that there is a distinction between what you can do and what you should do, she said. The incident began when, according to authorities, Mr Brooks fell asleep in his car in the drive-thru lane of a Wendys fast food restaurant on Friday night. Police said they attempted to arrest him after he failed a sobriety test. A video of one part of the incident shows a struggle on the ground between two officers and Mr Brooks, during which he manages to break away with one of the officers Tasers. He is then seen running away from the scene, being pursued by the officers. Three gunshots are then heard. Mr Brooks was taken to a local hospital, where he died after surgery. A father of three girls, aged one, two and eight, and stepfather to a 13-year-old boy, Mr Brooks has spent time with his oldest daughter ahead of a birthday party planned for Saturday. His death comes as protests continue across the nation and around the world about police brutality towards the African American community in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. After news of the Mr Brooks death broke, a protest at the site escalated, and the Wendys restaurant was set on fire. It burned for more than 45 minutes before a fire crews could extinguish the blaze. Authorities are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the people who started the fire. Elsewhere, protesters marched onto Interstate-75, halting traffic, until they were cleared by police. Three dozen people were arrested on Saturday night. Civil rights groups have called for a deescalation of the police response to the protests which included tear gas, flashbang grenades and rubber bullets. G Subhash Chandra By Express News Service DEVANGERE/CHITRADURGA: With restrictions in place due to Covid-19, it is a difficult time for those who have decided to tie the knot, especially for those who have family members living elsewhere. Hence to make sure that everyone in the family, friends and well-wishers get to witness the marriage ceremony and bless the couple, the parents of the bride and the bridegroom are capturing the marriage live on Facebook. The Facebook Live has been announced in the invitation card itself and Nand Kishore's user ID will be used on Monday morning. With the government permitting only 50 members to attend marriage ceremonies, these two families have taken this decision. Bride Ranjitha and groom Naveen from Bengaluru are going to get married in the presence of 50 close family members at Kannikaprameshwari temple in the city. The marriage will begin at 9.30 am and the live streaming will end by 1 pm. Both the families have requested their relatives above 60 years of age not to attend the event but rather bless the couple from their houses. Speaking to TNIE Naveen Chintala, who is the bridegroom said, "As a law-abiding citizen, I could not invite my extended family which is very big, and hence decided to take up Facebook Live and all my relatives are happy with the innovative idea." My relatives are not only from Karnataka but also from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Some of my friends live in various parts of the world and will be able to witness the marriage live, he said. "Both Chintala and Venkadri families are very big and it would have been difficult for us if we missed anyone for our marriage, hence this FB Live has come handy," he added. Little Rock, Dyess AFB demonstrate agile combat airlift during JFE exercise By Senior Airman Kristine Gruwell, 19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs / Published June 13, 2020 LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. (AFNS) -- Little Rock Air Force Base and Dyess Air Force Base launched 19 C-130J Super Hercules aircraft in support of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School's Joint Forcible Entry exercise at the Nevada Test and Training Range, June 6. The exercise, known as JFE Vul, is a large-scale air mobility exercise designed to simulate the joint forcible entry of paratroopers into a contested battlespace. Although Little Rock and Dyess had separate mission planning cells, both were able to join each other's formation and head to the simulated JFE drop area. "Training in a joint-base exercise is very realistic," said Maj. Darshan Subramanian, 317th Airlift Wing chief of tactics. "The ability for multiple mobility bases to synchronize effects from distributed locations is a critical component of future air mobility conflicts." In total, the exercise featured approximately 75 aircraft who engaged in an intricate airdrop operation in a simulated enemy environment where sophisticated Integrated Air Defense Systems were employed. JFE showcased that we as a military are able to maintain readiness on a national scale even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, said Capt. Patrick Waters, 61st Airlift Squadron pilot and 19th Airlift Wing planner for the Little Rock AFB-based aircraft. "The C-130 community pulled together 19 tails, which is huge, especially amidst the pandemic," Waters said. "Airmen were brought in to launch, fuel and load the aircraft along with anything else we required to get off the ground and participate in this training." Waters noted that the integration of forces in this particular exercise provided participants with a joint perspective on how to best support airdrop operations and assess air threats, surface-to-air threats and ground threats. "Our main mission was to get Soldiers on the ground," Waters said. "This formation had many layers to ensure the paratroopers were able to start their descent bomber aircraft cleared the airspace, fighter aircraft protected the C-130Js, and C-17 Globemaster IIIs dropped equipment the Soldiers needed to complete their mission." Subramanian echoed Waters' sentiment, adding that the JFE allows us to practice the planning and muscle movements required to achieve mission success in a contested environment. "The ability to airdrop the Army deep into enemy territory via C-130s while supported by the Combat Air Forces is a critical option for the national command authority when viewing options to project American strength," he said. Air Mobility Command also dual-purposed the JFE construct by utilizing it as a testing ground for a tactical data link experiment intended to increase aircrew situational awareness of the threat environment before and during the mission. The experimentation involved new computers aboard two C-17s, enabling high-speed data transfer via commercial satellites to the entire formation. The commercial satellite link and new computers are intended to dramatically increase connection and refresh speeds, providing much more up-to-date information about the threat environment. Also, the network bandwidth allows for multiple users to connect, whereas the current capability becomes dramatically slower as users join the network. "Pilots have used tactical data links to communicate through satellites for some time now," Waters said. "But instead of communicating as normal, the C-17 pilots used a new network band to communicate confidential information across the formation on a secure and rapid system." Waters continued to say that investing in this level of communication allows for accelerated operations that will ultimately overwhelm adversaries with simultaneous challenges from every domain. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Rebekah Jones alleged Florida was undercounting the number of COVID-19 cases, so she started her own portal. Florida's Community Coronavirus Dashboard/Rebekah Jones, Florida's COVID-19 Data/Florida Department of Health Rebekah Jones, the Florida woman who operated the state's COVID-19 data portal who was fired in May by the state Department of Health, launched her own portal with data about Florida COVID-19 cases, The Washington Post reported. Jones' new portal Florida's Community Coronavirus Dashboard pulls data from the Florida Health Department as well as state hospitals and an organization that locates COVID-19 testing facilities, according to the report. Jones was fired from the Florida Health Department after she alleges she refused to resign after she said she was asked to modify data to make certain regions appear like they had met requirements to reopen. On Saturday, Florida reported 2,581 new COVID-19 cases within the previous 24 hours an all-time high. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Rebekah Jones, the 30-year-old woman who was fired from the Florida Department of Health after she said she was asked and refused to modify the state's COVID-19 data, launched her own personal data portal for the state on Thursday, The Washington Post reported. Her website, titled Florida's Community Cornavirus Dashboard, was launched Thursday. The portal relies on data from the FDOH, Jones told The Washington Post, though she said it aggregates the data and portrays it in a way that appropriately contextualizes it. Additionally, Jones said her portal also pulls data from state hospitals and an organization that maps COVID-19 testing locations. "I wanted to build an application that delivered data and helped people get tested and helped them get resources that they need from their community," she told The Washington Post. "And that's what I ended up building with this new dashboard." According to the report, Jones alleges that her managers at the FDOH requested she delete data that showed Florida residents had tested positive for COVID-19 as early as January, which is seemingly odds with Gov. Ron DeSantis' March claims there had been no reported community spread in Florida. Story continues Jones said she was asked to alter data to make it appear that certain counties, which had not yet met needed federal criteria, were ready to begin the process of reopening closed businesses and institutions. Jones said the Florida website undercounts the infection total and overcounts the number of people who have been tested, according to the report on Saturday. The Florida Department of Health did not immediately return Insider's request for comment on Saturday. Helen Aguirre Ferre, the communications director for DeSantis previously told Business Insider that Jones was fired for "repeated course of insubordination" and her "blatant disrespect for the professionals who were working around the clock to provide the important information for the COVID-19 website." A spokesman told The Washington Post on Saturday that the January dates Jones mentioned could represent when someone came into contact with a COVID-19-positive person or when the person visited the place they may have contracted the novel coronavirus. "Epidemiologists collect information that informs the Department of Health of an individual's symptoms, contacts, and location of where they may have acquired COVID-19," the spokesperson told The Washington Post. "The first date of entry in answer to any question, COVID-related or not, is designated the event date." Jones said the state tally of the number of COVID-19 tests administered is inflated because it represents the number of samples that have been taken and not the number of individuals who have been tested. A total of 1,371,401 people have been tested, according to the state's portal. About 300,000 fewer people 1,078,088 have been tested in Florida, according to Jones' calculation. According to Jones' portal, 81,269 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Florida since the beginning of March. The official portal reports 73,552 have been so far infected by the virus. Jones told The Washington Post her portal accounts for positive antibody tests, whereas the state portal only counts people who test positive for the virus at the time they are tested. On Friday, DeSantis attributed the rising number of COVID-19 infections and deaths to agricultural workers in the state, though as local10 reported, it's unlikely that farmworkers and the state's prison population are to blame for the entirety of the 1,902 new cases on Friday the single most of any day so far in Florida until Saturday. On Saturday, the state reported 2,581 new cases and 48 new deaths since Friday, according to the Miami Herald. Read the original article on Insider French President Emmanuel Macron is to head to London on 18 June to commemorate the 80th anniversary of former French president Charles de Gaulle's appeal to the French to resist the Nazi occupation during World War II. The trip will be Macron's first visit abroad since he travelled to Naples for a French-Italian summit on 27 February, weeks before Europe's borders closed to help halt the spread of the coronavirus. Macron will award the Legion of Honour to London, making it the seventh city to be decorated with France's highest order of merit, after Algiers, Belgrade, Brazzaville, Liege, Luxembourg and Volgograd. The French president will be received by Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, who will be the first members of the royal family to leave lockdown to hold a major event. Charles contracted Covid-19 and was forced to self-isolate at his mother's sprawling Balmoral estate in northeast Scotland. France and Britain have been heavily hit by the pandemic, officially reporting 70,000 deaths between them. Britain this week introduced a mandatory 14-day quarantine for most travellers coming from abroad. The measures are designed to prevent new infections from abroad. But the French leader will be exempt, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman told reporters on Friday. "As we set out in the guidelines when they were published, the French delegation will fall within the exempted category of representatives of a foreign country or territory travelling to undertake business in the UK," Johnson said. (with AFP) Mumbai, June 14 : Well known Bollywood actor Sushant Singh was found dead at his Bandra residence here in Sunday morning, police sources said. He was found hanging at his home and a domestic help alerted the police. A team of Bandra Police has rushed to investigate and details are awaited. Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Brisbane Greens Councillor Jonathan Sri was arrested for ignoring police orders during protest demanding refugees be released. Mr Sri was arrested at the rally in Kangaroo Point, in Brisbane, on Saturday and charged with contravening a police direction. 'I've just been released from the Roma St watch house after being wrongfully arrested while peacefully protesting against the unlawful indefinite detention of refugees,' the 32-year-old wrote on Facebook on Saturday night. 'I'm safe and unhurt, but the reports I've heard of police using violence against other protesters are deeply concerning. Mr Sri said he will provide a full statement to the media on Tuesday after seeking legal advice. Brisbane Greens Councillor Jonathan Sri (centre) was arrested at the rally in Kangaroo Point, in Brisbane, on Saturday and charged with contravening a police direction Mr Sri was arrested at the rally (pictured) in Kangaroo Point, in Brisbane, on Saturday and charged with contravening a police direction Queensland's chief health officer Dr Jeanette Young said she was thankful to see protesters make an effort to social distance It's the second gathering of protesters in as many weeks in Brisbane after some 30,000 gathered in support of the Black Lives Matter movement last weekend. This time though there were only a few hundred demonstrators. Queensland's chief health officer Dr Jeanette Young said she was thankful to see protesters make an effort to social distance. 'I wasn't there at the protest but I understand the numbers were much smaller than the weekend before and if they did attempt to spread out a bit more it is very good to see, ' Dr Young said. 'I mean it would be very unfortunate that all of the fantastic work done by over five million Queenslanders to date would be undone by a small group.' About 200 protesters gathered outside Kangaroo Point Central Hotel where the government has housed some refugees for medical reasons. Supporters vowed to continue preventing authorities from accessing the hotel. They demanded the government cease transferring the asylum seekers and return people who've already been moved. 'The reason they are transferring them is because they have caused so much noise,' protest spokeswoman Ruby Thorburn told reporters on Saturday. Mr Sri said he will provide a full statement to the media on Tuesday after seeking legal advice 'I've just been released from the Roma St watch house after being wrongfully arrested while peacefully protesting against the unlawful indefinite detention of refugees,' Mr Sri wrote on Facebook on Saturday night About 40 men held signs reading 'Where Is Justice' and 'Refugees Are Without Crime' while standing on the hotel's balconies. Some of those at the hotel have been in detention for years after coming to Australia for medical treatment. The organisers also demanded the men be granted freedom of movement. Mr Sri, who works for Brisbane City Council representing The Gabba Ward, has lived aboard a five by three metre houseboat since 2017. The 32-year-old bought the cramped boat for $30,000 despite earning a $157,000 salary. Mr Sri revealed at the time he donated half his wages to charity, and lives well below his means. 'I get about $150,000 a year. If I was keeping that I could afford to live in a much nicer place,' he said. 'Until ordinary workers are paid better and Centrelink is much more reasonable I don't think it's fair for politicians to be afforded much higher pay.' Mr Sri had previously been living in an illegally crowded share-house containing seven other flatmates. In November 2018, Mr Sri made headlines for calling on residents to graffiti advertising at bus shelters to hit back at 'corporate brainwashing.' 'I'm not surprised when I hear that disgruntled residents are vandalising advertising on bus shelters across the city, in fact I wish it happened more often,' Mr Sri said at the time. He said council spent $3.5million on graffiti removal every year and that many vandals smashed the glass panels that displayed ads. 'Not only does this come at a cost, but it also creates a potential public safety hazard,' Mr Schrinner said. New Delhi, June 14 : With Union Home Minister Amit Shah calling an all-party meeting on Monday morning to "review management of Covid-19 situation" in Delhi, the political signalling was unmistakable. While Shah as the Home Minister stepped in only after the apex court's unambiguous rap, calling the handing of the situation "horrendous, horrific, pathetic", this all-party meeting comes after the one convened by Lt Governor Anil Baijal. According to sources, the Delhi unit of the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will be represented at the meeting. Senior officials of the Delhi and the central governments will also be present. Politically, it sends out a signal that Shah has taken charge of the situation in the national capital that has come under severe criticism from many quarters. Interestingly, Monday's meeting comes within 24 hours of the Centre attaching six Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officials to the Delhi government to help in Covid-19 management. The officials attached to the Delhi government are S.C.L. Das, S.S. Yadav, and Awanish Kumar and Monica Priyadarshini from Andaman and Nicobar, and Gaurav Singh Rajawat and Vikram Singh Mallik from Arunachal Pradesh. The Union Home Minister has also instructed immediate transfer of Kumar, Priyadarshini, Rajawat and Mallik. Politically, it's a signal to suggest that who is in charge to undo the "horrendous, horrific, pathetic" situation that was allowed to happen under the AAP government. To further muddy it for the AAP, Delhi Congress chief Anil Kumar said, "The question that needs to be asked is why did Arvind Kejriwal not take the initiative like the ones taken by the L-G and the Union Home Minister." Kumar has sought suggestions from Delhiites that he will present to the MHA on Monday. Meanwhile, after Sunday's first meeting, the Centre decided to double the number of tests in the city in the next two days. The exercise will soon start at polling stations in containment zones. "To prevent corona infections in Delhi, testing will be doubled in the next two days. The testing will be increased to three times after six days. Also, after a few days, testing will start at every polling station in the containment zones," Shah tweeted after the meeting. Delhi BJP chief Adesh Kumar Gupta, who will be representing his party at the meeting, "thanked" Shah for stepping in to halt the "deteriorating situation in Delhi". On Sunday evening, Shah called another meeting of all Mayors of Delhi to formulate a municipal-level strategy. As the Covid-19 tally crossed 38,000 in the city, going strictly by the optics, the Delhi Chief Minister seems to have taken a back seat while the Union Home Minister has taken it upon himself to salvage the situation. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) This was a colossal staff failure, said the former official, who has been briefed on internal deliberations and spoke on the condition of anonymity to be frank. Im sure that it was well-intentioned by people who were aware that there was a need and desire for the president to project strength and to counter the hiding-in-the-bunker narrative that was so frustrating to him. . . . But it was very poorly executed, and as a result clearly did more harm than good, for the president and for the country. The body of a 20-year-old man with multiple stab injuries was found lying at Chhath Pooja Park in Delhis Vijay Vihar area, police said on Sunday. The deceased, identified as Suraj, was an e-rickshaw driver and stayed in Rithala village, they said. The body was spotted by the guard of the park who then informed police around 11.15 pm on Saturday, police said. Police suspected involvement of at least two-three people in the killing and said according to preliminary investigation, it seemed that the accused fled after stabbing the man to death. The victim sustained severe stab injuries on his neck, stomach and chest. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared brought dead, Pramod K Mishra, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini), said. A case was registered at the Vijay Vihar police station in this regard and an investigation is underway to identify the culprits and ascertain the motive being the killing, he said. The family of the deceased, however, has not made any allegations so far, Mishra added. The body will be handed over to the family after post-mortem, police said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON BRIDGEWATER, N.J. - President Donald Trump didnt know the significance to Black Americans of the date and location he chose for his first campaign rally since the coronavirus pandemic more than three months ago, key Republican supporters of the president in Congress said Sunday. Trump had scheduled the rally for June 19, known as Juneteenth because it marks the end of slavery in the United States. Tulsa, Oklahoma, the location for the rally, was the scene in 1921 of one of the most severe white-on-Black attacks in American history. Black community and political leaders denounced the move and called on Trump to reschedule. He resisted until late Friday when, in a rare turnabout, Trump tweeted that he had moved the rally to this Saturday, June 20, out of respect for the view of supporters and others who had asked him to. Theres special sensitivities there in Tulsa, but Juneteenth is a very significant day, so my encouragement to the president was to be able to pick a day around it, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said Sunday. Lankford said he was among several people who had spoken with Trump. Lankford said he had called Trump on an unrelated matter and that Trump broached the issue. He said Trump told him he was thinking about rescheduling and asked Lankfords opinion. I suggested, Yes, I think that would be a great idea. It would be very, very respectful to the community, Lankford said. He said Trump immediately said he didnt want to do anything that would show disrespect to the Black community. He didnt see it as disrespectful to be able to do it on Juneteenth, Lankford said. Other people interpreted it differently and so he moved the rally date. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said he was thankful that Trump rescheduled the rally. The president moving the date by a day once he was informed on what the Juneteenth was, that was a good decision on his part, said Scott, the only Black Republican senator. Housing Secretary Ben Carson said he was pleasantly surprised at how much Trump knew about Juneteenth by the time they talked about it. He said its probably good the rally was rescheduled. Carson, who is Black, suggested Trump was considering delivering remarks to acknowledge what had happened there and why we dont want that kind of situation to ever occur in this country again. Scott said it wasnt clear to him that Trumps planners understood the significance of June 19. But Trumps campaign was aware, according to two campaign officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose internal discussions. When the date was discussed, it was noted that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden had held a fundraiser in 2019 on Juneteenth. Although selecting June 19 was not meant to be incendiary, some pushback was expected, the Trump campaign officials said. But they were caught off guard by the intensity and, in particular, the link to the 1921 massacre. Trump had been under pressure over his response to civil unrest following the death of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white Minneapolis police officer at the time his return to campaign rallies was announced, including tweets that were interpreted as insensitive to African Americans. Scott also said hes open to making Juneteenth a federal holiday to help raise public awareness. Trump and the Republican Party are also facing criticism for arranging for Trump to formally accept his partys nomination for reelection in Jacksonville, Florida, on Aug. 27 a day remembered as Ax Handle Saturday in the city. On that day 60 years ago, a group of young Black men and women had just dispersed from a peaceful protest in downtown Jacksonville when a mob of whites began indiscriminately clubbing African Americans. The anniversary will be commemorated in a public square across from City Hall on the same day as Trumps televised address. Lankford was interviewed on CNNs State of the Union, Scott appeared on CBS Face the Nation and Carson spoke on ABCs This Week. ___ Associated Press writer Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report. Click here to read the full article. LONDON In the wake of a landmark decision to consolidate the business under one London-based umbrella, Unilever is swiveling its gaze back to climate change, pledging 1 billion euros to a new Climate and Nature Fund, and promising to be carbon neutral by 2039, more than a decade ahead of the 2050 Paris Agreement. The consumer giant will on Monday set out a new range of measures and commitments which it hopes will improve the health of the planet, and protect and regenerate nature. Unilever said it will achieve net zero emissions from all of its products by 2039 and eventually communicate to end-consumers the carbon footprint of every item it sells. To achieve its carbon-neutral goals, Unilever said it will work with a new generation of farmers and smallholders, driving programs to protect and restore forests, soil and biodiversity. It also plans to work with governments and other organizations to improve access to water for communities in water-stressed areas. The Climate and Nature Funds projects over the next decade are likely to include landscape restoration, reforestation, carbon sequestration, wildlife protection and water preservation. Unilever said the new initiatives will build on work that is already underway at its various brands, such as the Ben & Jerrys initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from dairy farms; Seventh Generations advocacy work around clean energy; and Knorr supporting farmers to grow food more sustainably. While the world is dealing with the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and grappling with serious issues of inequality, we cant let ourselves forget that the climate crisis is still a threat to all of us. The planet is in crisis, and we must take decisive action to stop the damage, and to restore its health, said Alan Jope, chief executive officer of Unilever. Climate change, nature degradation, biodiversity decline, water scarcity all these issues are interconnected, and we must address them all simultaneously. In doing so, we must also recognize that the climate crisis is not only an environmental emergency; it also has a terrible impact on lives and livelihoods. We, therefore, have a responsibility to help tackle the crisis: as a business, and through direct action by our brands. Story continues Jope also pointed to Unlievers plan, announced last year, to tackle plastic packaging, with targets that include halving its use of virgin plastic, and collecting and processing more plastic packaging than it sells. It recently committed to ensuring that 100 percent of its plastic packaging is fully reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. Unilever has been at the forefront of sustainability moves in the consumer goods sphere: Ten years ago, it set its Sustainable Living Plan in motion to help more than a billion people improve their health and well-being; halve its environmental footprint and enhance the livelihoods of millions. Unliever characterized its latest goals as its most ambitious yet. Until now, its target has been to have no carbon emissions from its own operations, and to halve the GHG footprint of its products across the value chain, by 2030. In response to the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, the company said it was additionally committing to net zero emissions from all of its products by 2039, ranging from the sourcing of the materials it uses, through to the point of sale. It said that to achieve this goal, it will work jointly with its partners across the value chain, to collectively drive lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions. We will, therefore, prioritize building partnerships with our suppliers who have set and committed to their own science-based targets, the company said. We believe that transparency about carbon footprint will be an accelerator in the global race to zero emissions, and it is our ambition to communicate the carbon footprint of every product we sell. To do this, we will set up a system for our suppliers to declare, on each invoice, the carbon footprint of the goods and services provided; and we will create partnerships with other businesses and organizations to standardize data collection, sharing and communication. This is similar to the work that Kering does with some of its brands, creating a environmental profit and loss account, which records the environmental damage of sourcing, production and distribution as a loss, and sustainable moves as a profit. Stella McCartney was the first brand to audit itself this way when it belonged to Kering. Unilever said it was also calling on all governments to set ambitious net-zero targets, as well as short-term emissions reduction targets, supported with enabling policy frameworks, such as carbon pricing. The company said that 89 percent of its own forest-related commodities are certified as sustainably sourced in line with globally-recognized standards, but that was not good enough to end deforestation. Going forward, it said it wants to have visibility on exact sourcing locations, and no longer wants to rely on old systems of measuring carbon offsets. Unilever said it will achieve a deforestation-free supply chain by 2023 by increasing traceability and transparency via emerging digital technologies such as satellite monitoring, geolocation tracking and blockchain. It also plans to accelerate smallholder inclusion and change its approach to derivates sourcing. The company said it wants to work with the industry, NGOs and governments to look beyond forests, peatlands and tropical rainforests. It wants to protect other important areas of high conservation value and high carbon stock, which are under threat of conversion to arable land with potentially devastating impact on the natural habitats. It also plans to work with farmers and smallholders on issues including land rights, access to finance and financial inclusion, and restorative practices. It plans to introduce a Regenerative Agriculture Code for all of its suppliers. The new code will build on Unilevers existing code, and it will include details on farming practices that help to rebuild critical resources. Marc Engel, Unilevers chief supply chain officer, said that in most parts of the world, the economic and social inclusion of farmers and smallholders in sustainable agricultural production is the single most important driver of change for halting deforestation, restoring forests and helping regenerate nature. In the end, they are the stewards of the land. Water preservation is also on the agenda, with Unilever planning to set up water stewardship programs for local communities in 100 locations by 2030. The international consumer giant said it would take lessons from its Prabhat program in India, which tackles water quality and supply challenges related to factories. To further protect its water resources, Unilever said it wants to make its product formulations biodegradable by 2030, to minimize their impact on water and the aquatic ecosystems. Although some of the ingredients that we currently use have no viable biodegradable alternatives, we will work with partners to drive innovation and find solutions to help us reach our ambition, the company said. Unilevers latest commitments come just days after the company announced that it was unifying its group legal structure under a single parent company, Unilever plc, that will be based in London. Unilever will maintain its multiple public listings on the Amsterdam, London and New York stock exchanges and will keep open its substantial operations and offices in the Netherlands. Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. As Saudi Arabia recovers from the pandemic, the good news for technology professionals is that IT spending in the kingdom is forecast to rise this year, and digital transformation efforts in private companies and government entities are expected to accelerate. IT spending In Saudi Arabia will rise 4.2% this year to reach $11.1 billion, according to IDC. This is a continuation of the steady growth the IT sector has experienced over the years. IT is a key pillar of the countrys digital transformation efforts outlined in its Vision 2030 strategy to diversify its economy and enhance public services. Despite economic turmoil caused by oil market turbulence and the coronavirus pandemic, technology jobs especially those related to core digital transformation efforts such as migration to cloud services are still in demand. Saudi Arabias vision for a smart economy relies heavily on digital transformation initiatives, an area the government has always focused on and heavily invested in long before COVID-19. The ongoing pandemic has validated the countrys strategic direction, acting as a catalyst to spur the adoption of emerging technologies said IDC regional director for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Hamza Naqshbandi, in a press release on the Saudi market. Though Saudi Arabia has been feeling the effects across some sectors including aviation, retail and construction, the overall picture looks positive. The Kingdoms General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) revealed in January that unemployment among Saudis reached 14.9% in the third quarter of 2020, down from 15.4% in the second quarter, while the overall unemployment rate for both Saudis and foreigners in the country dropped to 8.5%. To further bolster the nations employment figures, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) launched a new program in January, aimed to increase employment among Saudi citizens. The program partners with private sector organizations to provide job opportunities for 115,000 Saudis. As Saudi moves to digitise much of its government service portfolio, the need for robust cybersecurity continues to increase. According to a study released by Markets and Research in May of this year, the Saudi Arabian cyber security market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 12.4 percent during 2020-2026 in spite of a predicted overall economic downturn due to COVID and the falling price of oil. Roles that support cloud infrastructure and data analytics are in particular demand, according to Tom Turpin, senior manager for IT & Digital at recruiting firm Hays. This is likely due to the continued adoption of cloud computing solutions and proliferation of regional data centres throughout the GCC, including one of Oracles latest regions, opened in Jeddah in early 2020. More than a quarter of enterprises in the Kingdom plan to use a combination of on-premises and dedicated private cloud systems, public clouds and legacy platforms, according to IDCs annual Saudi Arabia CIO Survey. In fact, reliance on multiple workloads and remote working seen during the coronavirus crisis may be bolstering demand for technologies that Saudi has been investing in for years, including government service portals and emerging technologies. Increased demand may mean good news for IT professionals entering the job market in Saudi, or looking for another job in the country. Below are some of the most in-demand IT roles in KSA. Information has been gathered from a variety of sources, and salaries are provided in SAR, and in approximate U.S. dollar equivalent on a per-month basis. Security Engineer SAR 18,000 30,000 per month (US$4,800 $8,000) As the Saudi cybersecurity market continues to grow, so too does the demand for qualified IT security personnel. Security engineers are required to maintain networks and manage end-point communication. Engineers are also needed to manage device security and monitor and investigate system breaches and other critical events. Security Architect SAR 30,000 45,000 p/m ($8,000 $12,000) Security architects, like security engineers, are needed in the country as the government and private enterprises move forward in their digital transformation efforts. Security architects are responsible for designing, building, testing and implementing security systems. As the backbone of IT security within an organization, security architects are expected to have an ecosystem-wide understanding of IT systems, the latest security standards and authentication protocols. Network Engineer SAR 15,000 20,000 ($4,000 $5,000) Network engineers oversee enterprise networks for data, voice, video and wireless services. They are responsible for installing and configuring network systems as well as performing disaster recovery operations and data backups, investigating faults or administering firewalls and other security technology. Depending on the enterprise, some duties overlap with those of the security engineer investigating faults or administering firewalls and other security technology. Network engineers may also be involved in planning networks, though a more senior-level engineering role focused on the design of networks across an enterprise may fall into the job category of network architect. [For the sorts of certifications often required for a network engineering job, see 9 top certifications for network engineers in Saudi Arabia.] Cloud Engineer SAR 15,000 20,000 p/m ($4,000 $5,500) Cloud engineers are needed in the Kingdom, particularly as cloud offerings in the region continue to expand. Cloud engineers are tasked with creating and maintaining cloud services, including design, planning, management, maintenance and support. Job requirements usually include familiarity with one of the major cloud providers services. Cloud Architect SAR 25,000 40,000 p/m ($7,000 $11,000) Cloud architects have higher-level responsibilities that include leading overall cultural change for cloud adoption, as well as developing and coordinating cloud architecture. Tasks also may include cloud application designs, cloud approval plans, and management of systems required to manage cloud storage. Those with a cloud engineer background are best suited to move up to the role of cloud architect. Data scientist SAR 27,000 40,000 p/m ($5,000 $11,000) As users generate enormous pools of data, data scientists are needed to analyse and pull value out of that data. Data scientists take information from various sources and validate and analyse that data in a way that can give businesses powerful insights into performance and processes. A data scientist advises the business on the potential of data through the use of statistical analysis, data mining and data visualization techniques. Black smoke billows from the stainless plant inside POSCO's steel mill in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, Saturday. / Yonhap By Jun Ji-hye Police and fire authorities are investigating a fire at POSCO's steel mill in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, officials said Sunday. The blaze, which engulfed a stainless steel production plant at 12:30 p.m., Saturday, was extinguished about two hours later, after destroying part of the 500-square-meter factory. No casualties were reported as employees left the site immediately. "We are working on finding the cause of the fire and scale of damage," a police official said. Police and fire authorities believe the fire started when sparks from welding machines ignited nearby inflammable materials, officials noted, adding that they were questioning people in charge of the factory. After the fire was reported to the fire station, authorities sent about 30 fire engines and 400 firefighters, as well as ambulances, to the scene. A POSCO official said, "The fire did not cause any disruption to our overall production as the factory where the fire broke out was under maintenance." The nation's top steelmaker has been embroiled in controversies over frequent industrial accidents at its steel mills. On Jan. 25, 2018, four contract workers suffocated after a nitrogen leak at an oxygen plant inside the Pohang mill. The accident happened while the workers were replacing material used at the facility. After the accident, the company vowed in May that year to allocate 1.105 trillion won ($919 million) to its safety budget for the next three years to improve safety. The measures included setting up a department in charge of workers' safety and strengthening safety education. But deadly accidents have continued, including the death of a worker who was stuck in a crane on Feb. 2 last year. POSCO operates steel mills in Pohang in North Gyeongsang Province and Gwangyang in South Jeolla Province. Last December, at least five employees were injured in explosions at the Gwangyang plant. There were two explosions within five minutes, and the resulting fire was extinguished about 20 minutes later. A day after a man from Bihars Sitamarhi district was shot dead and three others injured when Nepals police guarding its border with India opened fire, the neighbouring country on Saturday released another man who it had been taken into custody. Body of Vikesh Yadav (25), who was shot dead by soldiers of Nepals Armed Police Force (APF) on Friday, was consigned to flames amid tight security. Meanwhile, Ramlagan Rai, a resident of Jankinagar village, was released unconditionally. Rai said he had gone to meet his relatives in Nepal. I was accosted by APF men so I started walking back. I had hardly travelled 100 metres into Indian side when they caught me by my neck and dragged me back. They beat me up when I refused to write in their register that I had entered Nepal for smuggling purposes, he said. Bihar shares over 750-km-long border with Nepal. Of late, the porous border has been witnessing skirmishes. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Major Suman Gawani is the first female army officer to receive the UN Military Gender Advocate of theof the Year Award Every girls first role model is her father and Indian Army Major Suman Gawanis story is no different. The first woman of the Indian Defence Forces to receive the prestigious United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award, was awestruck by her now-retired fathers firefighter uniform that he wore with pride every day. And when it came to her own career, she chose the Armed Forces. Major victory Gawani received the award from the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at an online ceremony on the occasion of International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. She was selected to attend specialised training on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) in Nairobi and also participated in various UN forums to demonstrate how a gender perspective can help in protecting civilians, especially from CRSV. During her UN Mission in South Sudan from November 2018 to December 2019, Gawani was the focal point of contact for gender issues and trained about 230 Military Observers on conflict-related sexual violence. During the mission, she encouraged participation in joint military patrols to maintain gender balance, irrespective of the hardships under extreme field conditions. Additionally, she also strived to integrate the gender perspective into planning and military activities. Serving under the Blue Helmet and wearing the Indian flag in a UN peacekeeping mission is considered an absolute honour and I am proud of that, she says, adding that the selection criteria for being an ambassador of India and its Armed Forces is very stringent. It is a dream for most of the soldiers to serve in a peacekeeping mission. Apart from professional satisfaction that it brings along, the vast exposure that we get in an international operational environment is unmatchable, says the Major. Presently, India is ranked as the third-largest troop contributor to the UN peacekeeping missions. Breaking the glass ceiling Hailing from Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, Gawani and her two siblings an older sister and a younger brother who now serves in the Indian Air Force grew up with having many soldiers around who would share their tales of bravery that inspired her to don the Army uniform. She joined the Indian Army in 2011 and since then, there has been no looking back. It has been an enriching journey serving in the army. I have been fortunate enough to serve in the North East and the Northern areas of India, she smiles. Apart from combating serious threats to global peace and security as well as gender issues of armed conflicts, Gawani, during the mission, extensively worked towards protecting civilians from the issues such as sexual violence and abuse that require a comprehensive response from military, police and civilian factors to tackle it effectively. Gender does not mean only women, it covers men too, but women, being more vulnerable, are worst affected. If there is more participation and knowledge about the issue, the crimes will automatically reduce, explains the officer and adds that sensitising people about gender will help them understand their rights and duties too. When asked if deploying women in peacekeeping missions helps communities in conflict zones open up about their issues, Gawanis answer is affirmative. Women can play a very big role in peacekeeping. Local populations in host countries often feel more comfortable liaising and sharing information with military troops that include women alongside men. And by obtaining better information, we can protect these communities better, observes the officer and opines that women have a natural instinct which makes both men and women more comfortable while communicating. Twitter users have officially bestowed the title hard guy on Nana Appiah Mensah, popularly called NAM 1, following his bold appearance in public after failing to refund the millions of cedis owed Menzgold customers. NAM 1 has been the talk of the town after a video footage of him at the unveiling of the latest signee of Zylofon Music, Tisha on Friday, June 12, 2020, at the premises of Zylofon Media. Twitter users who rather seem agitated questioned why NAM 1 still hasnt been brought to book after leaving his customers in poverty. Some people also questioned whether the laws in Ghana still exist considering the fact that NAM 1 still walks freely after impoverishing several Ghanaians. "It is a real disgrace that @GhPoliceService are prosecuting @ernestoyeboah1 over a vigil for #GeorgeFloyd while NAM who defrauded thousands in Ghana is still walking free under our human-rights-activist-lawyer president @NAkufoAddo," Nana Ama Asante wrote on Twitter. In July 2019, a group called the 'Aggrieved Customers of Menzgold' revealed that 23 of their colleagues have died out of frustration as a result of their locked-up monies. In reaction to NAM 1s appearance, one twitter user also wrote, Nam 1 go ahead dey sign artists then things while people demma money still lock for in side. Ei Na this man he no the heart ache he Tf ske give squad?? Ghana we dey NAM-1 being given the space to assemble new artistes and operate right here in Ghana should tell you one thing, that scam never go end for this world inside because there're always foolish people to be scammed. and oh, the laws and citizens of this country are a joke!, another wrote. Below are some comments from Twitter users: Nam 1 is the hardest guy i know herh. I'm sure we can trace his ancestry to Judas in the biblepic.twitter.com/rhjNn0BO9G DEN (@dEo_nN) June 13, 2020 Nam 1 go ahead dey sign artists then things while people demma money still lock for in side. Ei Na this man he no the heart ache he Tf ske give squad?? Ghana we dey KALYJAY (@gyaigyimii) June 13, 2020 We dey here make NAM 1 come revive Zylofon Music dey sign new artistes. Today he unveil the first one; Tiisha. Emome Ghana paa #BLM (@AbeikuLytle) June 13, 2020 Spot the difference Me: their hairstyle So I heard Nam 1 is back pic.twitter.com/2wyPT7RjUT Amasah Nathaniel (@Amasahnath) June 13, 2020 Its about to go down . Allow nam 1 who owes Ghanaians too walk freely and keep Ernesto who fights for human rights. People move to demonstrate and cause all lots of problems like is happening in other countries , I bet thats the plan @PulseGhana #Nam1 #Ghana KING (@sonofbruno_) June 13, 2020 It is a real disgrace that @GhPoliceService are prosecuting @ernestoyeboah1 over a vigil for #GeorgeFloyd while NAM who defrauded thousands in Ghana is still walking free under our human-rights-activist-lawyer president @NAkufoAddo. Nana Ama Agyemang Asante (@JustNanaAma) June 13, 2020 You can arrest Ernesto Yeboah for protesting peacefully but NAM1 who stole money from citizens can do a photo op at an event without even following social distancing protocols + no masks ???? @GhPoliceService @NAkufoAddo Gorilla Grip Super Soaker (@kimbaakop3) June 13, 2020 Nam 1 has hoarded moneys and is walking freely. Let Kweku Abeeku go steal 100 cedis, them go jail am 10 years.. Heeerrrhhhh ohia y fkin.. All this be Adwowa Amponsah's fault Ekurase Bga (@S3_Asa_) June 13, 2020 Source: ghanaweb Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A six-week old baby was tragically mauled to death by his family's dog in South Dakota, local law enforcement have announced. The newborn boy was attacked by his family's Belgian Malinois on Thursday afternoon at a home in the 900 block of Trojan Avenue, in Hartford, about 15 miles northwest of Sioux Falls. The Minnehaha County Sheriffs Office said in a statement that first responders found the boy with several bite wounds. The baby was flown by helicopter to a hospital for emergency treatment but he later died of his injuries, the sheriff's office said. Emergency services responded to a 911 call in the 900 block of Trojan Avenue, in Hartford, about 15 miles northwest of Sioux Falls The newborn boy was attacked by his family's Belgian Malinois (breed shown in file photo above) on Thursday afternoon at home The identity of the boy and his parents has not been publicly disclosed. The Sioux Falls Area Humane Society has taken custody of the dog. 'It's a very sad situation,' Sheriff's Sgt. Zachary Cegelske told KELO-TV. It's a very tragic loss for the family and friends. Neighbors watched in somber silence as emergency crews responded to the home. Sheriff's investigators are working on determining what caused the dog to bite. Most dogs and cats bite out of fear, Sioux Falls Animal Control Lead Officer Milo Hartson said. They're just scared of their environment, what's happening. Sioux Falls Animal Control officials say they typically see an increase in dog bite calls during the holidays and recommend pet owners keep dogs in a kennel or separate room if people are visiting over the Fourth of July. Since I was about 10 years old, I have been active in a fight for racial equality, social justice and police brutality before I truly even knew what these things meant. Now, as a young adult, I realize why having a voice matters so much. These last couple of weeks, I have helped organize and spoken at close to 10 marches throughout Connecticut to help empower my peers to speak up and to never remain silent. Seeing youth coming together to demand justice definitely sends a clear message that we are here and we want change. We shouldnt have to be afraid to be black ... in America! George Floyds death wreaked havoc on so many people of colors lives as we watched a man cry out for help, ask for his mother and declare he couldnt breathe. Every black mother, black son, black father and black daughter felt his pain in that very moment. We will never forget hearing of or witnessing the death of Breonna Taylor or Michael Brown; we will never forget even after the system has forgotten. There are so many names to be said, however, we, as people of color, will not stop marching. We will continue to fight for policy change and we will continue to run for office to make sure black voices are heard and black lives are saved. I will continue to use my platform to empower my peers and those that will come after us with the tools to know what to do after all the marching seems to be done. We will continue to equip our young peers of color on how to write reflective policy to change how police police even after the media has moved on to another story. We will put pen to paper! Because I truly believe, when we fight, we will win! Bobbi Brown is a Bridgeport resident and CEO and creator of Lets Talk Brown Network, #100GirlsLeading. A note from James Walker: As a guest editor overseeing some of the content you will read as the nation grapples with the deaths of unarmed black people, I want to give a voice to the people of Connecticut at this crucial time in Americas history. I hope the voices from our neighbors -- young and old and ethnically diverse -- will open the door to constructive and honest conversations on systematic racism and what we, as Nutmeggers, can do about it. This is part of a national conversation taking place after the death of George Floyd sparked riots and protests and former officer Derek Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder for causing his death. This series includes the voices of 11 people from some of our communities around the state. These are their experiences and thoughts on what is taking place in the country today. I would also like to know your thoughts -- because all voices are needed regardless of point of view. Add your voice to the discussion by emailing me at realtalkrealpeoplect@gmail.com. The most popular musical act of the 1940s was a trio of ladies named Patty, LaVerne, and Maxene, collectively known as the Andrews Sisters. Their patriotic tunes are particularly nostalgic for me, a child of the Reagan era who had a special appreciation for the Abbott and Costello movies in which they sometimes appeared. Bud and Lous first starring roles came in the comedy film Buck Privates, and it remains one of their most popular. The movie released in early 1941, prior to Americas entry into World War II, and amidst the backdrop of the first peacetime conscription in American history, the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940. The Andrews Sisters featured prominently in its musical interludes. The most famous tune from the movie was probably Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B, but in recent weeks, Ive been reminded of another of their popular songs from the film, because the spirit of the song serves as a time capsule which could not exist in starker contrast to the spirit of the country today. Consider the opening verses of a tune that they sing as a reminder to the American everyman, Youre a Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith: Youre a lucky fellow, Mr. Smith, To be able to live as you do. And to have that swell Miss Liberty gal Carrying the torch for you. Youre a lucky fellow, Mr. Smith, Do you know just how highly you rate? You should thank your lucky stars, and I mean You should thank all 48. Man, youve really got a family tree, With Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Lee. Youre lucky to have ancestors like that, Dont you know you were born with a feather in your hat? Youre a very, very wealthy gent. I dont care if you havent a cent. Youve got your American way, And, brother, that aint hay. The song was clearly meant to stir Americas patriotic sap, including later references to our freedom of speech and our great Constitution, but perhaps you noticed that interesting line in the third verse referencing Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Lee? Theres no mystery about the inclusion of Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln, but you might be surprised about the songs inclusion of one Mr. Robert Edward Lee. Though you might not know it in todays American cultural landscape, Robert E. Lee was broadly revered as an example of an American hero until about five minutes ago, when ignorant adult children and their Marxist instructors reimagined him as an irredeemable villain and began tearing down his many monuments. Just one of many presidents to have spoken reverently about the man is Dwight D. Eisenhower, who explained why Lees portrait was among the four great Americans that hung in his office. He said that Lee was: one of the supremely gifted men produced by our Nation selfless almost to a fault noble as a leader and as a man, and unsullied as I read the pages of our history. From deep conviction I simply say this: a nation of men of Lees caliber would be unconquerable in spirit and soul. Public domain photo Indeed, for the vast majority of Americas history since 1865, Robert E. Lee has been known as one of the greatest Americans to have ever lived, which is quite a feat when one considers that the most famous aspect of his life occurred as a military leader in rebellion to the United States government. But this son of a Revolutionary War hero, Light-Horse Harry Lee, had over three decades of valorous service to his country under his belt before being asked to lead the Union against his home state of Virginia in 1861. He refused, which some might say was the honorable choice. Anyone who can appreciate the contextual nuances of history should be able to understand that, in Lees time, there was an as yet unresolved question in America as to whether ones final allegiance should be owed to ones own state, or to the United States government. James Buchanans Secretary of State, Lewis Cass, summed the conflict up thusly: I speak to Cobb, and he tells me he is a Georgian; to Floyd, and he tells me he is a Virginian; to you, and you tell me you are a Carolinian. I am not a Michigander; I am a citizen of the United States. Like Thomas Jefferson, whose gravestone refers to his Virginian heritage more prominently than his identity as an American, Lee believed his loyalty to Virginia as more central to his identity than his loyalty to the Federal Union of the states. And rather than taking up arms against his home state, Lee reluctantly served the Confederacy to defend his family and neighbors with his considerable military prowess. After the Civil War, he sought and was granted amnesty in order to lead other former Confederates to do the same, and thus unify the nation in the aftermath of their failed war for independence. For those reasons and much, much more, Robert E. Lee has been viewed almost universally as a great man for much of our nations history. But today, historical revisionists have reduced his storied legacy to one damning feature that can be fit in a protest sign -- he was a slaveowner. Therefore, like the Soviet politburos and Taliban iconoclasts before them, they are working tirelessly to destroy or rename all streets, parks, schools, and monuments that bear his name and/or visage in order to expunge his legacy from the collective mind. But theres a problem with all of this, which President Trump wisely predicted. If our culture commits to cancelling Lee because he did not subscribe to modern moral understanding about the questions of slavery and race relations, then we certainly have to cancel Washington and Jefferson, who both owned slaves, and fought to create a nation in which slavery would be legal. All of the other gifts that these men have given to the world must be reduced to that one fact, progressives demand. And as you should have expected, Jefferson and Washington are also having their monuments destroyed by ignorant vandals, and SJWs are winning Pulitzers for inventing fictional and nonsensical tales about how Washington and Jefferson were actually fighting to keep the British from taking their slaves away back in 1776. So, Lee is cancelled, and were headlong into the process of permanently cancelling Washington and Jefferson. Among those American ancestors that we were so lucky to have, as the Andrews Sisters ditty went, only Lincoln remains. But for how long? You see, Lincoln was indeed an abolitionist, but you will find very little information that he was in favor of making equal citizens of the slaves that he wished to be free prior to 1863. What you will find, however, is evidence that he was more than willing to sign a law making slavery irrevocable to avoid the prospect of civil war (see: 1861 Inaugural Address) and that he favored the colonization option for freed slaves, supporting a $600K Congressional expenditure to ship the freed slaves away from American shores, and openly suggested that blacks in America were selfish to not submit to being shipped off to a distant land. So, Lincoln may not be canceled just yet, but is it really hard to believe that progressive revisionists wont be tearing down his statues soon, too? Especially when they hear that he told Stephen Douglas, while debating in favor of abolition, that he would never intend to make "voters or jurors of negroes" and that he, "as much as any man" among the populace he entreated, was "in favor of having the superior position" among the races "assigned to the white man?" This slippery slope in our current culture shouldnt be too difficult to identify. If this formula persists, all Americans throughout history who didnt subscribe to the most modern and radical progressive doctrines will soon be cancelled, and their legacies destroyed like countless memorials to the great Robert E. Lee, in an effort to raze the very foundations of Western civilization, and to replace them with whatever might suit these Marxist reformers better. All of humanity is flawed, but for most of our nations history, weve been able to understand that men like Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Lee were great men in spite of their flaws, and reason demands that we view their unique challenges in appropriate context. As Thomas Sowell wrote in his 2002 column titled Twisted History: In 1862, a ship carrying slaves from Africa to America, in violation of a ban on the international slave trade, was captured. The crew were imprisoned and the captain was hanged in the United States -- despite the fact that slavery itself was still legal in both Africa and the U.S. at the time. What does this tell us? That enslaving people was considered an abomination but what to do with millions of people who were already enslaved was not equally clear. That question was finally answered by a war in which one life was lost for every six people freed. Maybe that was the only answer. But don't pretend today that it was an easy answer -- or that those who grappled with the dilemma in the 18th century were some special villains, when most leaders and most people around the world at that time saw nothing wrong with slavery. These American leaders represent America, and they are worthy of our reverence. And while we should recognize the flaws of our leaders (they are not exalted kings or Soviet Premiers, after all), we should certainly appreciate their considerable contributions in creating the freest nation the world has ever known -- one which we are now watching being burned to the ground in a violent tantrum by their ignorant, weak-minded, and petulant national descendants whove done nothing but selfishly reap its material fruits. Protests against police brutality following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis are planned throughout New Jersey over the next several days. There have been hundreds of protests against police brutality in New Jersey over the past two weeks, as rallies and marches over Floyds death have continued to spread across the nation. The four police officers at the scene of Floyds death have been fired, and one, Derek Chauvin, is charged with second-degree manslaughter and second-degree murder in the case. Three other officers were charged with aiding and abetting. In New Jersey, all 21 N.J. county prosecutors offices have called images of Floyds death deeply disturbing and said police are not exempt from law. State PBA President Pat Colligan also condemned Chauvin and the four officers at the scene, saying "nobody in law enforcement can look at that video and justify the actions of those officers. Gov. Phil Murphy joined protests in two towns last Sunday, June 7. He marched with protesters in Hillside and spoke at a rally in Westfield. Among the protests, marches and rallies planned in New Jersey this week: SUNDAY, JUNE 14 A protest will be held at Panther Park in Cedar Grove at 12 p.m. There will be a protest held at Warinanco Park in Roselle. Demonstrators are asked to gather at 1 p.m. as the program, coordinated by community leaders, will begin at 2 p.m. A protest will be held in Cresskill at 5 p.m. Participants will meet at the Cresskill Fire Department and march together to the Cresskill Police Station. The Cranbury Candlelight Vigil will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Cranbury Heritage Park at 57 S. Main St. The event will feature a musical performance as well as speeches from Cranbury Township Mayor Matthew Scott, Rev. Bob Moore of the Coalition for Peace Action and many more. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 A protest will be held in Westampton at the Burlington County Library Amphitheater at 4 p.m. FRIDAY, JUNE 19 A county-wide Juneteenth protest will be held in Bergen County. The demonstration will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the Teaneck High School track and the group will march to the Teaneck Public Library. There will be a joint Juneteenth march in Jersey City at 2 p.m. Friday. Demonstrators will meet at Mary McLeod Bethune Center at 140 MLK Drive and march to the public safety complex at MLK Drive and Kearney Ave. There will be a Juneteenth/protest march held in Somerville. Demonstrators will meet at the Somerset County Courthouse at 3 p.m. and walk down Bridge St. toward routes 22 and 206 and kneel for eight minutes, 46 seconds before walking back to the courthouse. There will be a protest in Manalapan at 6 p.m. The protest will begin at the Manalapan Police Department and end at the Englishtown Police Department. NJ Advance Media staff writer Caroline Fassett contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Andrew Koob may be reached at akoob@njadvancemedia.com.. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. Sara Sampaio stole the show as she stepped out in a cleavage-baring black dress on Saturday night in West Hollywood. With a revealing thigh-high slit her stylish frock added an extra touch of sophistication to an already glamorous night at celebrity hotspot Catch. The 28-year-old Portuguese model accessorized her elegant look with a simple silver chain, a pair of statement earrings and chunky white pumps. All legs: Sara Sampaio stole the show as she stepped out in a cleavage-baring black dress on Sunday in West Hollywood She also carried a white Hemincuff purse to complete the ensemble. 'Missed dressing up,' the bombshell captioned a mirror selfie on her Instagram Story, which showcased her gorgeous gams and a sleek braided updo. Later in the evening, she returned to the app to share footage of the restaurant's signature 'Hit Me' chocolate cake. The dessert made of brownie, cake, ice cream and a liquid Klondike bar oozed melted chocolate after she smashed the top with a spoon. Busty display: With a revealing thigh-high slash her stylish frock added an extra touch of sophistication to an already glamorous night at celebrity hotspot Catch Stunner: The 28-year-old Portuguese model accessorized her elegant look with a simple silver chain, a pair of statement earrings, chunky white pumps, and a Hemincuff purse In the video, she could be fawning over the sweet treat and cheered, 'Yay!' Upon her departure from the eatery, she flashed a bright smile and looked radiant. Like many LA residents, Sampaio is slowly returning to businesses and reopened restaurants, which have been closed during California's coronavirus lockdown. 'Missed dressing up,' the bombshell captioned a mirror selfie on her Instagram Story, which showcased her gorgeous gams and a sleek braided updo Indulging: Later in the evening, she returned to the app to share footage of the restaurant's 'Hit Me' chocolate cake, made of brownie, ice cream and a liquid Klondike bar Additionally, she's been spotted participating in the Black Lives Matter protests in Los Angeles, following the police killing of George Floyd. The Victoria's Secret Angel took to Instagram with photos of herself carrying a sign that read: 'Racism is small d*** energy.' She wrote in the caption: 'I hear you, I stand with you, I walk with you, I fight with you!' Showing her support: The model was spotted participating in the Black Lives Matter protests in Los Angeles, following the police killing of George Floyd 'Beautiful peaceful manifestation in Los Angeles! Together we can create change! #blacklivesmatter' This week, the natural beauty also enjoyed a little getaway with a road trip to Joshua Tree, posting a scenic snap on Friday. Sampaio sat in a hammock against a beautiful sunset, writing: 'Loved every minute of Joshua tree.' Local officials and protesters call for an independent investigation into the death of Robert Fuller, 24, in Palmdale. Amid protests against racial mistreatment and injustice across the United States, the family of a 24-year-old Black man found hanging from a tree in Palmdale, California have called for answers over his death. On Saturday, hundreds of people marched in Palmdale following the death of Robert Fuller, who was found hanging from a tree near City Hall early on Wednesday. During the demonstration, Los Angeles Supervisor Kathryn Barger formally called for an investigation into the death by the states attorney general. Authorities initially said Fullers death appeared to be a suicide, but are awaiting the results of an autopsy. Community members have questioned how they came to that determination so quickly. Everything that theyve been telling us has not been right, Fullers sister, Diamond Alexander, who was among the protesters, said, the New York Times reported. Weve been hearing one thing. Then we hear another. And we just want to know the truth. My brother was not suicidal. He wasnt, she added. Protesters have taken to the streets regularly in small and major cities across the US since the May 25 death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died after an officer in Minneapolis kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes. The four officers involved in the death have since been terminated and criminally charged. The Friday night killing of Rayshard Brooks, who was shot during a tussle with police in Atlanta after they were called on him for falling asleep in a fast food drive-through restaurant lane, has further stoked the unrest in the country. We have a history with nooses The city of Palmdale, in a statement on Saturday, said it joined the family and the communitys call for justice, which includes a full investigation into [Fullers] death. The City will settle for nothing less than a thorough accounting of this matter, the statement said. In her statement on Saturday, Los Angeles Supervisor Barger said an independent investigation will lend additional expertise and oversight into this important investigation and provide the community with the answers they deserve. The responses come after community members confronted city officials during a Friday night news conference, according to local media. During that meeting, many asked why authorities were so quick to label the incident a suicide given the lack of video cameras in the area to capture the death, according to the Los Angeles Times. Some community members also detailed examples of what they described as racism in the city, including the presence of Confederate flags, the newspaper reported. We have a history with nooses. We dont like ropes around our necks, said one man, according to the newspaper, referencing the practice of white mobs committing extrajudicial killings of Black people, often by hanging, that existed prominently in the US throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Fullers death has also brought attention to the death of another Black man found hanging from a tree on May 31 in Victorville, a desert city 72km (45 miles) east of Palmdale. A sheriffs spokeswoman told the Victor Valley News that foul play was not suspected in 38-year-old Malcolm Harschs death, but the mans family have also cast doubt on the findings and expressed fears the death would be too quickly labelled a suicide. In its most serious manifestations, it can cause death because of coronary artery aneurysms, and it is a leading cause of acquired heart disease in children. Kawasaki disease is most prevalent in children of Asian descent, perhaps because of certain genetic markers. The greatest risk is among young children, but it can occur as late as the teen years. With President Donald Trump's rally in Tulsa, Okla., less than a week away, health experts warned that the indoor venue and potentially large crowd could help spread the coronavirus, putting attendees and others at risk. "I'm concerned about our ability to protect anyone who attends a large, indoor event," Bruce Dart, director of the Tulsa city and county health department, told the Tulsa World. "And I'm also concerned about our ability to ensure the president stays safe as well." The scheduled rally comes as new infections are trending upward in at least 21 states across the South and the West, prompting some governors to rethink reopening plans and renewing concerns that the country could be a long way from containing the pandemic. Alabama, Oregon and South Carolina are among the states with the biggest increases. Alabama saw a 92 percent increase in its seven-day average, while Oregon's seven-day average was up 83.8 percent and South Carolina's was up 60.3 percent. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious-disease expert, warned that waves of infection could come "back and forth" for months. Fauci said in an interview published Sunday that the coronavirus will linger in the country for months and that it will be about a year before things return to normal. Fauci also told the British Telegraph newspaper it probably will be months before travelers from Britain and the European Union are allowed in the country and the real end of the crisis will only come with the development of a vaccine. "I would hope to get to some degree of real normality within a year or so. But I don't think it's this winter or fall, we'll be seeing it for a bit more," he said, expecting the virus to go back and forth in the United States through a few cycles. Fauci also noted that while the virus has been suppressed in major cities like New York, Chicago and New Orleans, cases are spreading elsewhere. "We're seeing several states, as they try to reopen and get back to normal, starting to see early indications (that) infections are higher than previously." This spread will probably mean the bans on visitors from Britain, the European Union, China and Brazil will remain in place for the time being. "I don't think there's going to be an immediate pull back for those kinds of restrictions. My feeling, looking at what's going on with the infection rate, I think it's more likely measured in months rather than weeks," he said. Fauci was, however, optimistic about the development of the vaccine, with several good candidates under development, that could be ready by the end of the year. "We have potential vaccines making significant progress. We have maybe four or five," he said. "You can never guarantee success with a vaccine, that's foolish to do so, there's so many possibilities of things going wrong. (But) everything we have seen from early results, it's conceivable we get two or three vaccines that are successful." The indoor venues and large crowds anticipated for Trump's rally Saturday in Tulsa and the Republican National Convention in August could help spread the coronavirus, putting attendees and others at risk, infectious-disease expert Michael T. Osterholm told Fox News. Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said in an interview with Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday" that chanting and shouting can help aerosolize the virus, exposing the thousands expected to attend both events. "Would I want my loved ones in a setting like that? Absolutely not," Osterholm said. "And it wouldn't matter about politics, I wouldn't want them there." The venue for Saturday's rally, the BOK Center, has a capacity to seat more than 19,000, but Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale tweeted Sunday that 800,000 have signed up. When registering for tickets, attendees were required to acknowledge a disclaimer that they would not hold the Trump campaign or the venue liable if they got sick. Osterholm said he also anticipated that the nationwide protests in the past few weeks over police brutality could increase the risk of transmission of the coronavirus, especially with police using tear gas and detained protesters being held in cramped jails. Several National Guard members in Washington and Nebraska have tested positive, but Osterholm warned that what happens in the next two weeks will be "telling," especially as many states also are reopening. Osterholm added that it is nearly impossible to predict the impact of these large gatherings and reopenings. "We're not driving this tiger, we're riding it," he said. Even if cases continue to decline in the summer, Osterholm said the worry remains: Like influenza, the coronavirus could return with a vengeance in the fall. Osterholm said the virus won't slow its spread until it has infected 60 percent to 70 percent of the country. He estimated that the coronavirus has infected about 5 percent. As he cheered the reopening of the economy during an appearance on CNN, Larry Kudlow encouraged people to keep being smart about venturing out into the world. "Social distancing guidelines must be observed," Kudlow, the president's top economic adviser, said Sunday. "Face-covering in key places must be observed." But when asked whether that meant that Trump's supporters should don face masks at his upcoming rally, Kudlow demurred. "Probably so," he said. On Sunday, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., was asked on the same CNN program whether he would wear a mask to the rally. He said he "hadn't decided on that." "You see actually very few masks in Oklahoma now," Lankford said. He added that his state was "far ahead of the rest of the country" in terms of having controlled the threat of the virus, even though cases in Tulsa and across the state have spiked in the past week. - - - The Washington Post's Karoun Demirjian contributed to this report. MRT file The following is the petition to change the name of Robert E. Lee High School in Midland. The time has come for a new era in Midland, TX. Midland Lee High School has, for nearly 60 years, provided a first-class education to the students that were blessed to walk its halls. Alumni have gone on to find success around the globe. They have served our country in the military, become scientists, doctors, and lawyers, become community leaders, created jobs by opening small businesses, and have been mothers and fathers to the next generation. However, not all alumni had the same experience while attending the school. There can be no doubt community leaders chose the name Robert E. Lee High School in 1961 as a response to the ongoing Civil Rights Movement of the mid-20th century. For many, the name of the school, the mascot, and the Confederate symbols used to celebrate success have caused pain for decades and continues to do so. Today, we are all aware of what these symbols represent and the part they play in systemic racism. History cannot be erased but it must be properly acknowledged. How fortunate it is that a new future can be written. The time has come to change the name of Midland Lee High School. As this beloved school heads towards its Diamond Jubilee, what better gift can be given than a recognition of the pain of the past, an opportunity to heal as a community, and a chance for current students of the school to choose a name that enables the best possible learning experience for all future alumni. Please sign this petition to let the Midland School Board know that the time for change is now. By signing you add your voice to the message that the current students and citizens of Midland should be allowed to chart a new path of inclusion and support for all. (Alliance News) - A deal on a programme for government could be reached on Sunday after negotiators from Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party met until the early hours of the morning. The leaders of the three parties are expected to meet again later to discuss outstanding issues. Green Party TD Ossian Smyth, who is part of his party's negotiating team, tweeted at 4.30am on Sunday: "The three negotiating teams agreed most of a programme for government this morning. A small number of issues have been left to the party leaders to decide later today. A lot of good stuff in there!" On Saturday, Green Party deputy leader Catherine Martin raised hopes of the process concluding this weekend. "I think an agreement can be reached some time this weekend. It is hard to judge and I can't give an exact hour or a day but I think it will be this weekend," she told RTE News. "There are a number of issues that need to be ironed out. I have to respect the confidentiality of the process so I'm not going to name those items but there a number of items that still need to be teased out." The programme for government could run to more than 100 pages and the detail of that will be worked out by party leaders on Sunday. It will then have to be put to the membership of each of the three parties for consideration. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said on Friday that he thinks a government could be in place by the end of June or early July if members accept the deal. By Aine McMahon, PA source: PA Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. An artist who has spent decades capturing life in rural Vietnam on Sunday unveiled his latest photo book offering snapshots of his favorite subject the rural boats that ferry passengers across rivers. Sang Song (Across the River) is the name of the unpublished photo book by Nguyen Huu Tuan, a Hanoi-born cinematographer who has been awarded the title of Peoples Artist, the countrys top artistic honor for a living artist. Having spent more than 40 years traveling to the rural parts of Vietnam to photograph local life, Tuan humbly admitted it was only his personal passion and considered himself merely as a 'passer-by' of the villages in his photos. During such photo trips across the various Vietnamese rural villages, the places that always caught his attention were the ferry boat piers. Stopping for drinks at beverage stands that are often a fixture next to each pier presented Tuan with the opportunity to contemplate the river scenes and listen to many life stories of the locals. Behind each of the photos taken on his trips is a story ready to be told. Artist Nguyen Huu Tuans handwritten notes are seen on a page from his unpublished photo book Sang Song in this supplied photo. "Over the many years when I went to the countryside to take photos, I was always asked what my purpose was in photographing my subjects. I often felt too embarrassed to answer as I couldn't say that I only want to capture what I see, Tuan recalled. But in fact, its the rice paddies, the people, the sound of water, and the smell of hay that all made me feel overwhelmingly emotional and compelled me to capture the moments. I took the photos not because of anything else or to satisfy anyones expectation. In 1995, Tuans photo exhibition Nguoi Di Qua Lang (The Village Passer-By) in Hanoi was a hit that brought him into the spotlight of the local photography scene. He has been invited to stage similar exhibitions in France and Denmark. People and vehicles get off a ferry boat in rural Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Huu Tuan A book launch event for Sang Song was held on Sunday morning at the O Kia Ha Noi art space at 360 De La Thanh Street in the Vietnamese capital. Some never-before-seen photos from the book will be on display as part of a week-long exhibition at the venue. Nguyen Huu Tuan is known for his role as the cinematographer for many classic Vietnamese films. He also served as a location scout for acclaimed French films Indochine and L'Amant, both released in 1992. He was the second-unit cinematographer for the 2002 American movie The Quiet American, which was shot in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Ninh Binh, and Hoi An. A group of women wait for a boat to ferry them across a river in a rural Vietnamese village in this supplied photo. Photo: Nguyen Huu Tuan A group of women in rural Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Huu Tuan Two men sit inside a small store in the vicinity of a ferry boat pier in rural Vietnam as a woman looks on from the doorway in this supplied photo. Photo: Nguyen Huu Tuan A woman rides a bicycle past a ferry boat in rural Vietnam in this supplied photo. Photo: Nguyen Huu Tuan Artist Nguyen Huu Tuans handwritten notes are seen on a page from his unpublished photo book Sang Song in a supplied photo. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Tam Yiu-chung (L), one of the organizers of the United Front Supporting National Security Legislation, hands the petition in support of the national security legislation for Hong Kong to Luo Huining, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, in south China's Hong Kong, June 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Gang) HONG KONG, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Moving into an office in Admiralty, a sought-after location right at the center of Hong Kong's most thriving business district, should have meant a career boost for Lucy Wu. Instead, it has made her a reluctant witness of violence and vandalism. Exactly one year ago on June 12, the businesswoman was discussing the design of their newly-rented office in a building when she saw a growing number of black-clad protesters surrounding the Legislative Council (LegCo) building across the street. As the situation evolved, rioters began to charge police cordon lines, set fires and use violent measures to repeatedly storm the LegCo complex. "That was the first time I had ever seen such crazy vandalism with my own eyes," she said, adding that violence and vandalism continued to escalate in Hong Kong since then, even making daily commuting a difficult task and almost putting a halt to her company's operation. Wu said she noticed that Hong Kong's social order is "recovering somewhat" since the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, adopted a decision last month to institute Hong Kong national security laws. "I feel more and more Hong Kong residents are regaining confidence in Hong Kong's future." Organizers of the United Front Supporting National Security Legislation and guests attend a press conference in south China's Hong Kong, June 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai) Nearly 2.93 million Hong Kong residents have signed a petition in support of the national security legislation for Hong Kong during an eight-day campaign starting from May 24. The large number of people signing the petition fully demonstrates that the national security legislation is an essential move that meets the aspirations of Hong Kong residents, Luo Huining, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said while receiving the petition from organizers. Luo said the legislation will prevent, stop and punish acts and activities endangering national security, maintain Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability and better protect the legitimate rights and interests of Hong Kong residents. Leung Fong-yuen, chairwoman of the Hong Kong Tourism Industry Employees General Union, is among those who felt the pains caused by the disturbances most acutely. "In the worst hit sectors such as tourism, retail, catering and hotels, many people are struggling with scarcely any hope for business in the coming year," she said. "That's why my colleagues and I fully support the national security legislation for Hong Kong." Leung was one of the around 25,000 people who volunteered to collect public signatures for the petition at the more than 5,400 street stands set up across Hong Kong during the campaign. She recalled one day when she was appealing to passers-by, saying loudly that the violent incidents have resulted in a loss of 120 billion Hong Kong dollars (about 15.5 billion U.S. dollars) to Hong Kong's services sectors. Hearing her words, many people came up to sign in support of the national security legislation. "It's because it really hit a nerve for many people," she said. Rioters attempt to break into the Legislative Council building in south China's Hong Kong, July 1, 2019. (Xinhua) Since June 2019, vandalism, arson, assault on police officers and passers-by and activities connected to home-grown terrorism have become rampant in Hong Kong. Felix Chung, a LegCo member representing the business sector, said the unrest has resulted in a series of social problems and has scared visitors away. "There is no peaceful environment for us to do business here," he said, adding businesses in Hong Kong generally understand and support the central authorities' decision to enact national security laws for Hong Kong and expect the legislation to bring back stability to the community. Some big international companies have also joined local people, voicing support for the national security legislation for Hong Kong. HSBC Chief Executive Peter Wong, also chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (HKGCC), said businesses recently surveyed by HKGCC are largely positive about the impact of the legislation over the long run and agree that it will help Hong Kong maintain its status as a global financial hub. Hong Kong's GDP slumped 8.9 percent year on year and 5.3 percent quarter on quarter during the January-March period this year, both the largest for a single quarter ever on record. The labor market also worsened in the first quarter, with the jobless rate up to 4.2 percent, the highest in more than nine years. Zhang Xiaoming, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, said at a webinar this week that the decision to establish and improve Hong Kong's legal system and enforcement mechanisms at the state level to safeguard national security demonstrates the central authorities' determination and will bring Hong Kong back on track. Photo taken on June 12, 2019 shows roads after a riot in Admiralty area of Hong Kong, south China. (Xinhua) The more the bottom line of national security is consolidated, the greater the space will be for Hong Kong to leverage its advantages under "one country, two systems," he stressed. Zhang's remarks were echoed by people from all walks of life in Hong Kong. Chow Man-kong, deputy director of the China Economic Research Program of Lingnan University, said the enactment and enforcement of national security laws will help Hong Kong out of the current predicament. Despite efforts by successive HKSAR chief executives, the deep-seated problems in Hong Kong society have not yet been resolved due to obstruction by the opposition and external forces, he said. "Hong Kong cannot move forward if 'one country, two systems' is not consolidated." In the eyes of Dan, an Australian who has been living in Hong Kong for nearly 22 years and operates a consulting business, the national security legislation is of paramount importance to Hong Kong at present. "It is a fantastic opportunity to restore peace and order back to Hong Kong society," he said, adding that by creating a foundation of safety and trust "we can get on and start building a better and healthier future together." Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said that the Covid-19 crisis will not last long and that scientists and experts are trying day and night to arrive at a vaccine for coronavirus. The corona crisis will not last long. Our scientists and scientists in other countries are working day and night to develop the vaccine. I am confident that we will get the vaccine very soon, Gadkari said while addressing the Gujarat Jan Samvad rally via video conference today. Also read: Article 370 an old stain, done away in a blink of an eye - Rajnath Singh The corona crisis will not last long. Our scientists & scientists in other countries are working day and night to develop the vaccine. I am confident that we will get the vaccine very soon: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari at 'Gujarat Jan Samvad' rally via video conference pic.twitter.com/NwGbSRLACB ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2020 The minister said that India wants peace and non-violence. Pakistan is on one side of our country, China on the other side. We want peace and non-violence. We never tried to snatch the land of Bhutan or Bangladesh. We dont want the land of Pakistan or China either. The only thing we want is peace. he said. Gadkaris virtual rally comes shortly after Union defence minister Rajnath Singh addressed Jammu Jan Samvad virtual rally earlier in the day. Also read: Fate of J&K will change - In Rajnath Singhs address, a hint on PoK Pakistan is on one side of our country, China on the other side. We want peace & non-violence. We never tried to snatch the land of Bhutan or Bangladesh. We don't want the land of Pakistan or China either. The only thing we want is peace: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari pic.twitter.com/Mk0fqg224K ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2020 Singh said that the Modi government is committed to the development of Jammu and Kashmir and will take it to such heights that the people of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) will wish they were part of India. Just wait, soon people of PoK will demand that they want to be with India and not under the rule of Pakistan, and the day this happens, a goal of our Parliament will also be accomplished, he said. Gadkari and Singhs virtual rallies follow a series of virtual addresses by Union home minister Amit Shah in the past couple of weeks. James Bond bosses are reportedly planning a spin-off based on the spy's recently-discovered daughter, penned by Killing Eve's Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Sources claimed bosses have approached Phoebe to pen a franchise documenting how the offspring of 007 becomes an agent herself. It comes following reports that Bond is set to to have daughter in the long-awaited film No Time To Die, which will be released in November after its premiere was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Plans: James Bond bosses are reportedly planning a spin-off based on the spy's recently-discovered daughter (Daniel Craig pictured in 2012's Skyfall) A source told The Sunday Mirror: 'Bond bosses are very excited about 007 having a daughter and creating a new franchise around her. 'It is likely to feature Bond conflicted over having to train her up as an assassin combined with Waller-Bridge's trademark black humour, shown in Killing Eve. 'She may just offer ideas and co-produce as roles are yet to be decided, but bosses are keen to give her a big part in the film's production.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for Universal Pictures and Phoebe Waller-Bridge for comment. New series? Sources claimed bosses have approached Killing Eve's Phoebe Waller-Bridge to pen a franchise documenting how the offspring of 007 becomes an agent herself Following the reports that James Bond will have a five-year-old daughter in the sequel No Time To Die, former star Britt Eklan admitted she doesn't believe 007 should be a dad. The actress, 77, appeared in The Man With The Golden Gun opposite Roger Moore's iteration of the iconic spy in 1974, and said she didn't agree with the decision as 'everyone wants to be' him. Britt explained: 'Well, I think that Bond should probably be a little more untouchable. He's a fantasy, Bond. Everyone wants to be Bond.' Unhappy: Former star Britt Ekland admitted on Tuesday she doesn't believe 007 should be a dad When asked if it ruined the fantasy, she added: 'I think so, I personally think so. Barbara [Broccoli, longtime producer of the Bond franchise] and Michael [G. Wilson, who is also a producer at EON Productions] know better than me. 'It would be wonderful if they turned back in time to the traditional, older bachelor.' Bond will reportedly be a doting dad to Mathilde, his daughter with love interest Dr Madeleine Swann, played by French actress Lea Seydoux. Thoughts: Of why she didn't like the new plot, Britt said: 'I think that Bond should probably be a little more untouchable. He's a fantasy. Everyone wants to be Bond' (pictured, Daniel Craig) Candid: When asked if it ruined the fantasy, she added: 'I think so, I personally think so. Barbara [Broccoli, longtime producer of Bond films] and Michael [G. Wilson] know better than me' Last week The Mail on Sunday confirmed rumours that the notorious womaniser spy is father to a five-year-old daughter in the forthcoming film No Time To Die. The rumours emerged last week when call sheets the daily schedules that tell actors where they are needed for filming for the 150 million film, the 25th in the 'official' Bond series, went up for sale on online auction site eBay. The schedule describes a scene shot in southern Italy last September, which featured Dr Swann alongside Lashana Lynch's Nomi who this newspaper previously revealed will be the first black female 00 agent and a child called Mathilde, played by five-year-old Lisa-Dorah Sonne. Starring role: The actress appeared in The Man With The Golden Gun opposite Roger Moore's iteration of the iconic spy in 1974 (pictured) Parents: Bond will be a doting dad to Mathilde, his daughter with love interest Dr Madeleine Swann, played by French actress Lea Seydoux (pictured) 'Scene #235', as the schedule calls it, details where 'Nomi pilots Madeleine and Mathilde to safety with the island in the background'. Paparazzi photographs taken during filming show a young girl wearing blue dungarees with the actors and crew on the set, but it is not known if she is Mathilde. A film insider last night said: 'Yes, it's true. Bond is a dad. Daniel wanted to make this Bond film the most surprising and entertaining yet. 'Daniel is older and his Bond is maturing and looking at life through the prism of fatherhood. But there's a lot more to it than that.' Making a change: A film insider said: 'Yes, it's true. Bond is a dad. Daniel wanted to make this Bond film the most surprising and entertaining yet Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge was brought in to rewrite the script after original director Danny Boyle was replaced by Cary Joji Fukunaga. The film is now packed with 'woke' references and the insider said making Bond a dad had 'opened up a whole avenue of powerful moments and jokes', adding: 'It's the one thing fans would never expect. 'Bond has always managed to charm his way into the hearts and beds of hundreds of beautiful women, seemingly without any consequences. 'Making him a father opens up a whole new world in terms of drama and story development.' New role: Allegra Shettini, who 'stood in' for Lisa-Dorah Sonne during a sequence on the new Bond film is pictured Romance: No Time To Die is set five years after the last Bond film, Spectre, which saw the secret agent fall in love with Dr Swann, a French psychologist (pictured) In the new film, which was due to open in April but was pushed back to November because of the coronavirus pandemic, Bond is shown enjoying retirement in Jamaica, having hung up his Walther PPK pistol in favour of a quiet life. No Time To Die is set five years after the last Bond film, Spectre, which saw the secret agent fall in love with Dr Swann, a French psychologist. Spectre ends with Bond driving off with her into the sunset in his old Aston Martin DB5. The insider said: 'Without giving too much away, the new film is filled with twists. 'Bond appears to be happy in his new domestic life but then, of course, he gets dragged back in to save the world.' No Time To Die opens with new Bond villain, Safin, played by Oscar-winner Rami Malek, chasing a girl across an ice-covered lake in Norway. Plot: No Time To Die opens with new Bond villain, Safin, played by Rami Malek (pictured), chasing a girl across an ice-covered lake in Norway who is believed to be Dr Swann The scene is a 'flashback' of a young Madeleine Swann fleeing for her life. 'Daniel wants to tie up lots of loose ends in his final film. 'Everything is interwoven,' the insider said. 'Bond finding out he is a father is integral to the plot.' Pictures have emerged of an Italian child, Allegra Shettini, who 'stood in' for Lisa-Dorah Sonne during a sequence. She told a TV interviewer: 'I just had to sit on a rock and play with a stick.' The new movie involves Bond saving the world from a biological pandemic. 'It's not quite Covid-19, but it's similar', said the insider. 'It's very timely.' Her ex-boyfriend recently admitted that he cannot face dating again following their messy split. But Maura Higgins put the drama aside as she headed out to dinner at Sheesh in Chigwell, Essex, on Saturday, where she sat outside with her Love Island pals for a takeaway meal. The reality star, 29, kept it casual in a pair of black figure-hugging leggings that accentuated her toned pins. Understated: Maura Higgins kept it casual as she headed out to dinner at Sheesh in Chigwell, Essex, on Saturday She finished the dressed down look with a long-sleeve crop top, thick-soled trainers and an over-sized handbag. Maura wore her brunette tresses in a messy bun and clambered into a car with fellow Love Islander and best pal Chris Taylor before driving to the restaurant. The star enjoyed the takeaway, sitting on tables outside the restaurant with a group of friends including Chris, Michael Griffith, Jordan Hames and Danny Williams. Chic: The reality star, 29, slipped into a pair of black figure-hugging leggings that accentuated her toned pins Dynamic duo: Maura wore her brunette tresses in a messy bun and clambered into a car with fellow Love Islander Chris Taylor before driving to the restaurant Happy: The star enjoyed the takeaway alongside others from the show including Michael Griffith, Jordan Hames and Danny Williams They all looked to be in good spirits as they shared videos from the picnic table to showcase the array of dishes on offer. Before meeting up with Maura, the boys had been house-hunting. Jordan, who already shares a house with Michael and Chris, shared a video to his Instagram story as he spoke to fans about the situation. He said: 'So me and the boys are house hunting today because we've got to leave the gaff for unforeseen circumstances. But we've signed man-like Danny on a free transfer.' The TV personality then gave a guided tour of the lavish house, which he branded 'the new HQ'. Fitness: Maura gave a cheeky glimpse of her very toned midriff as she went braless in the long-sleeve crop top Beaming: She looked to be in good spirits as she headed to the restaurant before sharing videos from the picnic table Heartache: The outing comes just days after her ex Curtis admitted that he cannot face dating again following their messy split It comes after Maura's ex Curtis admitted that he cannot face dating again following their messy split. The Love Islander, 24, has said that he is not looking for another relationship after he and his former co-star broke up in a series of blazing bust-ups and public rows. Speaking to The Sun about the split, Curtis said: 'It hurt. I wasn't ready for everyone to know we had split up I wanted some time. 'It was a shock to see that she had announced it on social media hours later.' Moving: Before meeting up with Maura, the boys had been house-hunting. Jordan shared a video to his Instagram story as he spoke to fans about the situation Toned: Maura has been keeping her followers up to date with her intense workouts on her social media which has helped sculpt her physique Turmoil: Maura rubbished claims linking her to Dancing on Ice partner Alexander Demetriou after he separated from his wife of four years, Carlotta Edwards, last month He insists that he is now content to remain single and will not be signing up to online dating platforms anytime soon. The TV personality added: 'I'm very old-fashioned. I don't actually like talking to people over a mobile phone or laptop. I'm a very sociable person. I like to be with somebody and talk to them.' However, it comes after Maura herself said that she would consider going back onto Love Island because she 'needs a man'. Candid: Her ex Curtis Pritchard has said that he is not looking for another relationship after he and his former co-star broke up in a series of blazing bust-ups and public rows (pictured in January) The brunette beauty took to Instagram last month to discuss her love life with fans. She rubbished claims linking her to Dancing on Ice partner Alexander Demetriou after he separated from his wife of four years, Carlotta Edwards, last month. Maura said during the Q and A: 'It doesn't bother me. We're in 2020 and a man and woman cannot just be friends...' She then zoomed in on her face and said: 'Pure sh*** you know.' A widower who believes that his wife starved to death in a care home after he was prevented from visiting her due to the coronavirus outbreak is demanding an inquest. Retired architect Shaikh Rehman would spend six hours a day feeding and caring for his wife Rosemary, who had suffered a stroke and had dementia. But he was told in early April he could no longer enter Castlemead Care Centre in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, because of restrictions aimed at cutting the risk of Covid-19 infections. He bought his own extensive personal protective equipment (PPE) which he says was superior to that worn by staff but was refused entry. Retired architect Shaikh Rehman would spend six hours a day feeding and caring for his wife Rosemary, who had suffered a stroke and had dementia, but was told he could no longer visit Without her husband and despite the best efforts of the home, Rosemary, 75, began refusing to eat or drink and died on April 23. Mr Rehman, 81, claims a doctor wanted to record Covid-19 as the cause of death, but he objected because she had no symptoms. In the end, her death certificate stated that she died of the frailty of old age, which Mr Rehman also disputes. On Saturday night, he told The Mail on Sunday: The true facts need to come out here. By the time I was finally allowed to see Rosemary, just before she died, she was a bag of bones. 'She starved herself to death. Her death was due to the pandemic but she didnt die from the virus itself. It wasnt coronavirus, or the frailty of old age. It was death due to a refusal to eat. He said his wife lost the will to live in her final two weeks, adding: An inquest is needed to investigate if this could have been avoided. Leigh Day solicitor Emma Jones, who is acting for Mr Rehman, has written to the Milton Keynes coroner to request an inquest. She said there had been no issues regarding Rosemarys health in the months prior to lockdown but given her dementia, she would have found it difficult to understand why her husband could no longer visit. Castlemead Care Centre in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire (file picture) Mr Rehman accepts care staff could not force her to eat, but criticises the decision to deny him entry when he had full PPE. Ms Jones said national guidance makes clear that old age or frailty should be stated as the sole cause of death only in very limited circumstances, including when the doctor had personally cared for the deceased over a long period and was not aware of any identifiable disease or injury that contributed to the death. Excelcare, which runs Castlemead, said its infection control procedures were in place to protect those under our care and the people who look after them. We hope Mr Rehman was able to take some comfort from the time he was able to spend with his wife in her final stages. Kingfisher Surgery in Newport Pagnell, whose GP wrote the death certificate, said it was a legal requirement for a doctor to determine the cause or causes of death in accordance with the patients clinical presentation. An aristocrat whose ancestor has been condemned as a racist by Black Lives Matter campaigners has hit back - claiming his forefather should actually be praised for his role in ending slavery. Bobby Dundas, the 10th Viscount Melville, says that far from being a racist supporter of the slave trade, his seven-time great-grandfather Henry Dundas played a key role in ending it. Henry Dundas, whose statue towers 150 feet above Edinburgh, has been blamed for amending William Wilberforces 1792 abolition bill to ensure a gradual end to slavery. Detractors argue he delayed a ban on human trafficking for 15 years which saw more than 600,000 people transported into slavery. Bobby Dundas (left), the 10th Viscount Melville, says that far from being a racist supporter of the slave trade, his seven-time great-grandfather Henry Dundas (right) played a key role in ending it However the present Viscount argues that as the bill had already been rejected by the House of Commons, slavery would not have been ended at all without Dundas intervention. He sees Dundas as a pragmatist who realised the only way to pass the bill and ban slavery was to add the word gradually. The Viscount said: Henry Dundas was an abolitionist. He was for the abolition of the slave trade. That has been written about by countless people. But you have to understand in the current climate, what was UK politics and the British Empire. There was one failed attempt to get it through Parliament and the realistic and pragmatic approach that Dundas took was the only way - which many historians have written about - to make sure that the vision and final goal was achieved. The current Viscount, a professional polo player, entrepreneur and friend of Prince Harry who once rowed 3,000 miles across the Atlantic in a tiny boat, says those who claim the 1st Viscount supported slavery do him a profound injustice. He intervened as debate rages on whether the subjects of some of the countrys most prominent statues were heroes or racists. The neoclassical Melville Monument, which sits in St Andrews Square, is a key target for campaigners, who want to see it removed. The present Viscount argues that as the bill had already been rejected by the House of Commons, slavery would not have been ended at all without Dundas intervention It was funded by voluntary contributions from officers, petty officers, seaman and marines. The column was erected in 1821, with the statue placed on top in 1827. The present Viscount admits Dundas an MP and Scottish Lord Advocate was a contentious figure, who both defended and expanded the British empire, imposing colonial rule on indigenous peoples. He said: He certainly wasnt a saint and was a very controversial figure. But currently there is only one side of the man being shown. And fundamentally he was a politician and in the Admiralty quelled all-out war and kept Scotland in the Union. So theres a lot that Scots do not know about a man whose done a lot, I think, for Scotland. What Ive always been in favour of is a wider conversation and education on it. Its so important for people to be educated to form an opinion - the two sides of a coin and two sides of a debate. Viscount Melville said: After one failed attempt already made by Wilberforce to get the abolition bill through parliament, and with so much power and financial interests involved in the West Indian plantations and the slave trade as a whole, the only way to get it abolished and a majority vote through parliament was to insert the word gradual into the legislation. Had it not been for Henry Dundas amendment to the legislation, the slave trade could have been about for decades to come. Asked how Dundas would view the current protests, the Viscount said: I genuinely think he would be on the streets. One hundred per cent. All lives matter. I think this was a man who would say all lives matter. I think its absolutely horrific what happened to George Floyd. I think racism is systematic and its institutional within politics and culture, our social environment in the 21st century. A statue of Henry Dundas, the 1st Viscount Melville, can be seen towering over Edinburgh I think its great whats going on and its great that its being shown. Whats not great is the thuggery and extremism that takes to spray cans and vandalism. There is currently very little information on the monument a column topped by Dundas statue to say who it commemorates and why. Three years ago plans were drawn up to put up a plaque with more information but the controversy around Dundas role in ending slavery delayed its addition. However the current controversy led to a breakthrough with a plaque approved by the council last week which dedicates the monument to the memory of more than half a million Africans whose enslavement was a consequence of Henry Dundass actions. Viscount Melville said the wording contained historical inaccuracies. Dundas Street is named after Henry Dundas 1st Viscount Melville. His detractors say he delayed the abolition of slavery He added: In particular, it is untrue that the postponement of the ban on the slave trade to 1807 was the result of any executive action by Henry Dundas notwithstanding the fact he left government in 1801. He had no personal involvement in the slave trade and when asked by William Pitt to support the abolition it was his motion that is the reason millions were spared a part in a horrific trade and dark period in UK history. Any attempt to inscribe words on the statue giving people the idea he was in favour of slavery would be a profound injustice to a man who did his utmost to ensure that progressive politics were realistically promoted in a uniquely difficult period of British, European and global history. To retain public respect for its own decision in the matter, the City of Edinburgh Council should not ignore such plain facts but make sure the inscription respects them. MONTREAL - Opponents of Quebec's controversial secularism law vowed Sunday to keep up the fight to see it rescinded ahead of the first anniversary of its passing. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 14/6/2020 (586 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. People protest against Law 21 outside Quebec Premier Francois Legault's office in Montreal, Sunday, June 14, 2020, on the one year year anniversary of the controversial bill. The COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada and around the world. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes MONTREAL - Opponents of Quebec's controversial secularism law vowed Sunday to keep up the fight to see it rescinded ahead of the first anniversary of its passing. Some of those opposed to the legislation gathered in front of Premier Francois Legault's office in downtown Montreal to denounce Bill 21 as it is known, a law they associate with systemic discrimination. The legislation which is the subject of several legal challenges bars some public-sector employees deemed to be in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols while at work such as turbans, kippas and hijabs. That group includes teachers, police officers and judges. Organizers noted the anniversary comes in the midst of a pandemic creating an unprecedented health, social and economic crisis as well a major call to denounce the racism and violence within institutions. They called on the Quebec government to move away from policies that divide and move to unite the population for the challenges to come. "It's one year too many," said Hanadi Saad. For activists who took the microphone on Sunday a large number of them women the law is first and foremost another symptom of the systemic racism that exists in Quebec society. "Law 21 does not protect Quebec's identity, it was created to make religious and racial profiling, particularly towards women, especially Muslim women," Saad said. Ehab Lotayef, the co-ordinator of a campaign against Bill 21, made a link with Legault's recent assertion that while racism does exist in the province, systemic racism does not. "The premier denies the existence of systemic racism and at the time he is legalizing systemic discrimination," Lotayef said. "The fight of rights and equality is not for a certain group and not against a certain group, we are not equal unless we are all equal." The Coalition Avenir Quebec government has previously defended the secularism law, saying it enjoys strong support among Quebecers and has described it as moderate. The government invoked closure to adopt the secularism law on June 16, 2019. A plaintiff in one of the legal challenges spoke Sunday. Ichrak Nourel Hak wears a hijab, is about to get her teaching degree and wants the right to work in her profession of choice. The National Council of Canadian Muslims and Canadian Civil Liberties Association took up her cause, but the courts declined to grant a stay of the symbols provision and she's waiting for the case to be heard on the merits later this year. "I can't believe that in 2020, I'm here before you trying to make you understand that my rights are being violated," she said. "I cannot believe that I still have to fight to make it clear that I won't abandon my dream to allay false fears." Another activist called on those gathered not to give up the fight. "I want you to join together against this bill, not because you it directly impacts you but because we must have common cause," said Idil Issa, who spoke out against the bill during parliamentary hearings. "We don't all believe the exact same things, whether you're a Muslim, a Jew, Sikh, atheist I want you to pull from your traditions, the tradition of justice and come together against this bill and any other unjust law." This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2020. Only the worst disasters completely upend normal patterns of death, overshadowing, if only briefly, everyday causes like cancer, heart disease and car accidents. Heres how the devastation brought by the pandemic in 25 cities and regions compares with historical events. Demographers call these mortality shocks sudden spikes in the total number of people dying not seen in the weeks before an event, and not likely to last once it is over. Theyre often found during natural disasters, severe flu seasons, famines or wars. We compared deaths in the worst months of the outbreak to past years, a measure often used to assess a disasters severity. Death during the outbreak is often less visible than death from a terrorist attack or a natural disaster. Many people have died quietly, in nursing homes or at home. And some die without being tested and are excluded from official death counts. These estimates include all deaths, offering a more complete accounting of the outbreaks toll than official tallies. They include people who died directly from the coronavirus and those who died from other causes as hospitals have been stretched and people avoid seeking medical care. Heres how the devastation brought by the coronavirus pandemic in 25 cities and regions compares with historical events. While national figures can broadly show the situation in each country, they can also obscure acute crises in densely populated cities, like Boston, where the virus spread rapidly before officials told people to stay home. If youre looking at the total impact of the pandemic across an entire country, it may not seem like much is going on, said Robert Anderson, chief of the mortality statistics branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions National Center for Health Statistics. If you really want to know whats happening, you need to look at states, cities and local areas. This is not an exhaustive list of disasters. Many wars, famines and other events in the last century have caused even greater increases in death. The coronavirus is unlikely to kill as many people as the Spanish flu did, but in the modern history of natural disasters, it will have few rivals. Allison McCann, Jin Wu and Josh Katz c.2020 The New York Times Company The number of infected is higher than the picture we have, Mr. Haidari said, adding, In Kabul, it is likely more than a million people. Mohammed Dawood Danish, the head of one of the two government hospitals in Kabul that has been dedicated to coronavirus treatments, said that many patients died before they could be tested. Last week, on average, we had eight deaths a day at our hospital, Mr. Danish said. Maybe two of them would be tested, while six others who had symptoms died before testing. Over the past two decades, Afghanistans health system has been largely dependent on subcontracting services to small nongovernmental organizations and reliant on foreign donations for health spending of roughly $5 per person. The Afghan government sought to make the fight against Covid-19 a demonstration of its competence. Amrullah Saleh, one of the country two vice presidents, said in April that his government had been a role model of management in the third world and that it did not need W.H.O. to come show my nation how to wash their hands. But hospitals across the country were soon overwhelmed. In Kabul, there were widespread complaints of a lack of oxygen cylinders. In Herat, the center of the countrys first outbreak, front-line medical workers resigned en masse, saying that they had not been paid for months. An international team of pharmacy experts has researched the effectiveness of hand sanitisers in the fight against CoViD-19 and warned the public to beware of sub-standard products. They have also provided detailed "recipes" for the manufacture of effective hand sanitising gels and explained the science behind them. There is a real risk, they write in a new article, that consumers are obtaining and using hand cleaners with low or inadequate concentrations of alcohol. These might appear similar to hand disinfectants, but purchasers are often unaware that such products cannot ensure disinfection and are not fit for use amid the pandemic. Awareness campaigns The authors -- including the UK's Dr Hamid Merchant, who is Subject Leader in Pharmacy at the University of Huddersfield -- set out ways to minimise the risks. They discourage the public from buying hand sanitiser from unknown or unreliable e-commerce sites. They also state that pharmacists and retailers should advise customers over the selection of appropriate products for CoViD-19 infection control, and there should be awareness campaigns to educate the public on how to differentiate between products that are fit for general hygiene and cleansing and those that are not fit for coronavirus infection control. advertisement The experts also urge regulatory bodies to revisit their current rules on hand sanitisers. The new article -- a collaboration between eight pharmacists based at universities in the UK, Italy and Jordan -- appears in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics. Freely available online, it is titled Hand sanitisers amid CoViD-19: A critical review of alcohol-based products on the market and formulation approaches to respond to increasing demand. The authors chart the massive spike in demand for hand sanitisers around the world, as purchasers stocked up their "pandemic pantries." This led to stocks rapidly vanishing from the shelves, with even hospitals and other healthcare facilities running out. The researchers also believe that that current awareness of the importance of hand disinfection means it will remain an integral part of people's hygiene routine, even post-CoViD-19. They investigate the scientific basis for hand cleansing and analyse when washing with soap and water -- which can remove virtually all types of pathogens -- is preferable to using alcohol based hand-rubs (ABHR), which are less effective when hands are extremely greasy or dirty. advertisement "However, handwashing facilities are not readily available at work or public places. Moreover, in instances where hand sanitisation is needed more frequently, such as during frequent contact with individuals or products, the ABHRs are the most effective and convenient infection preventive measure," states the article. But the authors add that it is important to emphasise that ABHRs only work when used correctly. "Considering that not all ABHR formulations are the same, appropriate labelling is important to clearly state the alcohol concentration and instructions to direct the correct dose/amount needed to achieve an adequate sanitisation. The choice of container, closure and dispenser is also vital in dispensing the correct amount of the sanitiser on each use." Substandard products Substandard products are available in certain markets. If the alcohol content is not high enough, the risk for consumers is "mainly a reduced perception of product quality and attractiveness, and reduced ease of use; while overall product efficacy is maintained." Many products in the market do not seem to comply with alcohol type and concentrations recommended by the World Health Organisation. But much more worrying is the market presence of "hand cleaners containing substandard and/or unknown concentrations of alcohol that are not meant to be sold or used as disinfectants." The article includes detailed scientific data on the types and proportions of alcohol used in ABHRs and the added substances that are used to combat excessive skin dryness and to increase the viscosity of gels, because purely liquid formulations can be far less effective due to rapid evaporation of alcohol. Dr Merchant suggested that a standardised pharmacopoeial monograph with tightly-controlled specification may be a way forward. There are also charts and descriptions that provide detailed instructions for the production of effective alcohol-based sanitisers. This will aid pharmacists and also manufacturers in fields such as brewing and perfume who have switched to making ABHRs, in response to the surge in demand. Most of the analytical research for the article was carried out in Italy by Professor Marco Cespi's team. The University of Huddersfield's Dr Hamid Merchant was invited to help with the project by one of the article's authors, the Italian scientist Dr Alberto Berardi, now based at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the Applied Science Private University in Amman, Jordan, with which the University of Huddersfield's Department of Pharmacy has recently formed a special collaboration. A 16-year-old boy was brutally beaten, stripped naked and had his face blackened in Rajasthans Jhalawar district by three men, who accused him of stealing a goat, police said on Sunday. Lakshman Singh, the station house officer (SHO) of Kotwali police station, said the incident was reported from Balgarh village where the three men accused the boy of stealing a goat and demanded Rs 1 lakh from him at around 10.30pm on Friday. When the victim denied that he had not stolen the goat, he was beaten by the accused. Later, he was stripped and his hairs were chopped off. When the victim reached home and his family members came to know about the incident he was taken to a local hospital for treatment, said Singh. Singh said that his family members informed the police on Saturday morning after which the victims statement was recorded. The accused were arrested under section 342 (wrongful confinement), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 327 (hurting to extort money from sufferer) and 34 (illegal act done by several persons) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Their allegation has not been found to be true so far. However, an investigation is on, Singh said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON By Bob Smythe Times Guest Columnist When our nation faces challenging times, it is amazing how our citizens rally together to support those on the front lines or in need. We saw it in the outpouring of support during World War II for our military personnel. We saw it in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks when Americans rallied in support of New York City and the families of our fallen first responders. Now, as our nation faces an unparalleled threat from the COVID-19 pandemic, people across the country are once again coming together again. Across the country, Americans are showing support for our doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals through letters of appreciation and delivering them take-out food from local small businesses. As a volunteer captain in the Springfield Fire Department, I have seen first-hand the outpouring of support for another group of men and women who continue to put themselves at risk every day. I am referring, of course, to our first responders our law enforcement, firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical service personnel. While first responders inherently understand the risks, they face every time they respond to an emergency, these are uncertain, unprecedented times. As COVID-19 began its rapid spread, as a captain in the Springfield fire department, I had some concerns. Would we face staffing shortages due to a spike in volunteers staying home to care for their children due to school closures? Would volunteers refrain from coming to the firehouse to avoid exposure to the virus? It would be hard to blame our unpaid volunteers since exposure would also put their families at risk. Having served as a firefighter for 15 years, I should have known better. Instead of stepping back, our volunteers stepped up like never before. In the initial days of the quarantine, we found that nearly all of our members as many as 30 people were showing up at the station. They wanted to be there to help our community in any way possible. To manage the level of engagement, we established four-six person crews of volunteers tasked with covering designated four-hour shifts at the station. This approach had the added benefit of helping to mitigate the possibility that our entire department would have to self-quarantine if one individual was exposed. This resiliency, dedication, and commitment from our first responders is not unique to Springfield. We are seeing it in Morton, Radnor, Marple and other communities throughout Delaware County. In communities across the country, men and women have readily stepped up to serve their fellow Americans at our hospitals, ambulance corps, police departments, and fire companies. It is a reminder that what makes America great is not which political party controls Congress. It is not our technology and it is not our wealth. No. It is the people of America and their hearts and resiliency that make our nation great. I was reminded of this last month when the Springfield Country Club and volunteers held a drive-thru hoagie fundraiser to support the Springfield Fire Co. and the Springfield Ambulance Corps. No one knew what to expect and organizers set the lofty goal of raising $5,000. In the end, the effort raised double that amount more than $10,000. The results are a testament to the generosity of local residents, especially since many are facing financial challenges of their own. On behalf of my fellow members of the Springfield Fire Company, I want to thank our community for their financial support and, more importantly, the message it sends to first responders. It spoke volumes about how our efforts are appreciated and valued by our friends, neighbors, and community. I know these are challenging and stressful times. But based on the way the American people have stepped up and come together, I am confident that we will emerge from this more unified and stronger than ever before, both as a community and as a nation. A volunteer captain with the Springfield Fire Department and a special education teacher in the William Penn School District, Bob Smythe is a Republican candidate for state representative in the 165th Legislative District, which includes portions of Springfield, Marple, Morton, and Radnor. Photo credit: Lauren Jones / Getty Images - Getty Images From Esquire February On a cold Tuesday morning inside a Tottenham studio up the stairs and turn left crammed with nearly-finished new-season samples, shelves of books, beaded rugs, incense and rails of beautiful clothes, Nicholas Daley is spinning a lot of plates. There are the buyers, over from Japan to catch-up on orders; the PR agency, who are calling in regular updates on samples needed in time for a presentation to the LVMH Prize judges in Paris theres a train leaving from St Pancras early tomorrow morning. An assistant scrambles between rooms tying it all together. And me, asking him what its like to be a designer on the cusp of all of this? His phone rings, Sorry, just a sec. What was your question again? How did I get started? Photo credit: Finlay Renwick Five years into starting his eponymous label, Daleys clothes are now stocked in Goodhood, Browns, Mr Porter, Dover Street Market and around the world. Hes big in Japan. His London show part catwalk, part jam session, with an open bar and sticky floors, hosted in live venues and town halls, where if you know you know musicians let loose in full looks has become a fashion week highlight. There are ongoing collaborations with Fred Perry and Adidas, with whom he has designed special edition Superstar trainers and baker boy hats made out of deadstock track pants. He's also garnered a nomination for the LVMH prize: the ultimate accolade for a young designer. Theres a lot of smoke and mirrors in this industry, he says, with a smile and flat, Midlands vowels. Then, an easy laugh. Huh-huh-huh. When I was 16, I started working in a shop called Well Gosh in Leicester. Im not from the city, so I used to get a bus for an hour and a half, through all the villages. It was like making the pilgrimage. They were the only shop with brands like Stussy, Carhartt and some of the Japanese labels. I was in the stock room putting away trainers, out behind the till. I used to love all that. Story continues With a Jamaican father and a Scottish mother, Daleys clothes are a way for the 30-year-old to explore Britishness through fabrication. He remembers his uncles in three-piece suits, trilby hats, cravats and Clarks. I never saw my grandad out of a suit. This idea of the West Indian community looking church smart. His father, an ex-military man, used to iron massive creases into his Evisu jeans. My mates would look at me like I was mad. I guess all those little things: why we wear clothes and how we wear them. Sub-cultures. How things intertwine, thats what got me interested in designing. My mum still knits all my hats. She calls herself the Head of Knitwear'. Its great to have her involved." What could seem parochial is, in reality, just another example of Daley's dedication to craftsmanship. "With one of my coats, the buttons will be hand-made in Gloucester, he says. The tartan is from Scotland. Theres always a tartan in the collection. Ive got to be able to go back and see my aunties up there. I like working with brands like Trickers because theyre a traditional Northamptonshire shoemaker Ive got to rep the Midlands. Then theres my love of live music, plus my appreciations for other cultures, especially Japan. His moodboard features cut-outs of characters from Dragon Ball Z, pinned next to photos of Jimi Hendrix and a poster for the artist Frank Bowling's 2019 Tate Britain exhibition. A plush figurine of Totoro, of the cult Studio Ghibli animation, sits on the bookshelf, staring towards the window. Ive been going [to Japan] every year for a while now. After London, Tokyo is my favourite place in the world." Along with the likes of Grace Wales Bonner, Martine Rose, Samuel Ross, Bethany Williams and Paria Farzaneh, Daley is at the forefront of a new generation of young, cool fashion designers who are gaining traction for their version and vision of contemporary British style. Before starting his own label, Daley interned at Paul Smith, as well as on the shop floor of Dover Street Market, and he was mentored by Claire Malcolm at Hardy Amies on Savile Row. I was trying to absorb as much as possible into my fashion vocabulary, if you can call it that. As a designer Nicholas is supremely talented," says Joe Brunner, junior buyer of Next Gen at Browns, however what draws me to him is the 'feel-good' fashion factor, breaking down primitive industry barriers which, personally, is something thats been missing for such a long time. Its evident in all his shows, from the music and the encouragement to dance. He wants you to enjoy yourself, and not take fashion too seriously. Photo credit: Stuart Wilson/BFC From the beginning I was pretty focused and clear on what I wanted says Daley. The models for the first show were all my friends and I reached out to Don Letts: DJ, producer, cultural icon, whatever you want to call him. I just asked if he wanted to make a mix and walk in the show as he was one of the muses for the collection. That idea of referencing a character. Even using Irish linens and handmade items from the UK. Christies, who make the baker boys for me now, did some Panamas for my first collection. The foundations from my grad show are still present in what I do." Daley graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2013. Beams Harajuku, the Tokyo brand, store and institution, bought his first collection and has continued to do so ever since. There were these brands like Loewe, JW Anderson and then they had Nicholas Daley. I was so overwhelmed. At the time Id just graduated and was working for Nigel Cabourn during the day and then I was only making clothes for Beams, so that it was manageable. It was me and one or two machinists and that was it to start with. Chris New, Daleys tutor from his time at Central Saint Martins, remembers his early forays into making clothes. Nicholas always stood out as a good designer, New tells me over email. At college, students are often very conceptual, producing almost art pieces. Nicholas, however, was able to combine originality and fresh ideas with a level of credibility and believability designing and making garment that you could actually imagine men wearing. His work encompassed tailoring, workwear and military, but also influences from his own mixed heritage background. The way he launches new collections is also very clever, through staging music events where the artists are wearing his collection. People go along and stay an hour or more, listening, enjoying and looking at the clothing. That would never happen at a fashion show which is over in minutes. Photo credit: Getty Images Determination? Hard work? Daley is listing off what it takes to make it as a designer today. How many people go to CSM? How many creatives are there? I have sacrificed a lot. My friendships have gone wooosh." He makes a narrowing gesture with his fingers. "Im serious! I don't want to do Excel spreadsheets on a Monday. I was here until 11.30 last night and in at 7.30 this morning. But this is how it is. Because it is an industry which just pound, pound, pounds you, which sounds terrible, but its true. He laughs and reaches for a tired eye, before thinking better of it. The Japanese buyers pop their heads through the door. Bye, see you soon. Daley waves them out. Hes put on one of his Adidas baker boys and adjusted the numerous pins on his vest. We talk about holidays. Me and my girlfriend bought a National Trust card, its great. Stately homes, get out the city. We also discuss the coronavirus, which has recently made increasingly frantic headlines. Well be OK, though, wont we? I hope so. Well see. He shows me to the door, Ive taken up karate recently, I cant get enough of it," he says, as he shows me out. "Everyone needs a sport to take their mind off things." We descend the stairs, him chopping thin air. One last chop, and then Daley disappears behind the heavy studio door. We make plans to catch up in May, to see how the new collection has progressed. Photo credit: Tristan Fewings/BFC The original concept for this story was to trace Daley as a designer on the up, from winter, to spring, culminating in his June show and inevitable celebration. A portrait of a young designer through six months of work. Unless youre Jared Leto off his rocker in Joshua Tree, youll know that, from March onwards, most of the worlds plans ended up somewhat scuppered. LVMH decided to split the prize between the eight finalists. He had to postpone his summer show and pare back the collection as the fashion world entered into something of a financial and existential crisis; the long-held notions of designing, shopping, manufacturing, showing and consuming having all been brought under intense scrutiny. What, in a world riven by pandemic, do clothes mean? Dries Van Noten called for a revamp of the whole fashion calendar. Gucci announced that it was going seasonless with Creative Director Alessandro saying, I think these are stale and underfed words clothes should have a longer life than that which these words attribute to them. Cult brands like New York's Telfar lamented the missed opportunities, just as things were looking stable. May A lot has happened since we last spoke, hasnt it? Daley, wearing a tie-dye camp collar shirt, beams in from that same Tottenham studio via video link. "Its been really disappointing. I think I had some good momentum, things were progressing in the right way, so its added a bump. A big bump. Its terrible about the life lost, thats the most important thing. This is the reality now, what might have been us backstage is now over Zoom. He laughs sardonically. Instead of a summer moment in London and Paris, Daley has had to settle for a playlist that hes created for the British Fashion Councils first ever digital fashion week. Im still working on the Spring 21 collection, Im aiming to have that wrapped up by July. Obviously, the collection itself is a lot smaller and tighter. I guess as a designer the temptation is always to do a little bit more or add that extra jacket, rather than stepping back a bit, so maybe thats something good that has come out of this? Perspective and all that. Over the last few peculiar months it has, much of the time, been just Daley, working alone in his studio, planning runs to Wilko for antibacterial supplies and signing for other peoples deliveries. Ive become the sort of de facto postman, they all know Im here. All of this is worrying, but its been good to see that the likes of the BFC and Adidas are still open to working with us, theyve havent shut up shop and vanished. Photo credit: Tristan Fewings/BFC Of course I wouldnt say that Im relieved that Im not showing, he adds, but that last show: physically, mentally and financially, it took it out of me. It was my first proper runway in the biggest space possible. I was super proud of the team, it was amazing. At the same time, doing that all over again? Especially how I approach it, its like doing a fashion show and two events on the same night. Its a lot. When I think back to when I had my own label in the early Eighties, it was far easier, says Chris New, Daleys old tutor. Menswear in particular at that time was pretty basic, or very traditional. If you walked down Oxford street it was hard to find anything of any value, so it was easy to do something different and be successful. Today Its not enough to design and make beautiful things, you need people to see it and to be able to buy it to be successful. In fact, for a small designer starting from zero, you need a range of skills: design, marketing, production, accountancy. For his next collection Daley has made about 70 per cent of the clothes with Japanese manufacturers and is working on his next collaboration with Fred Perry, as well as a shopping function on his own website. Ive also been nailing the karate. So thats been good. "I think it has highlighted the sheer, mad scale of the modern fashion cycle. I think were oversaturated at the moment. I guess theres currently a lot of debate about it, isnt there? Its given us lots of time to think. What is essential? What do people want from clothes now? Thats a positive to end on, isnt it? Thats positive. I think were well positioned to deal with things. We'll handle it. A countdown clock appears on our Zoom screens, ticking away the last minutes of our conversation. Daley disappears back to the realities of his studio and designing a first collection for our brave new world. The Nicholas Daley fashion party, with its music, dancing, noise, colour, free bar and free jazz isn't cancelled. It's just been put on hold for a while. You Might Also Like In addition to its diverse achievements as the worlds largest social welfare programme, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) has the unique accomplishment, which has got highlighted in the wake of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), of getting new putative fathers and mothers, new ownership and inventorship claims, and the twin triumphs of wisdom by hindsight and selective amnesia. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s ministers and eminent functionaries are living down the Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modis jibe of monumental failure against his present jewel in the crown, the MGNREGS, by semantic hair-splitting that he meant to improve and enlarge it. Still others are characterising the current MGNREGS debate as a desperate attempt by Sonia Gandhi to claim false ownership. They forget that the same monumental failure jibe was repeatedly recast by todays ruling powers of today, and members and chairperson of the erstwhile National Advisory Council (NAC), which conceptualised MGNREGS, were called jholawallahs. Why should those who are derisively classified by the current political masters as urban Naxals, Left-leaning armchair socialists/communists, the Khan Market gang or Lutyens elite, not take credit for something which neither the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) nor the BJP, nor even the Congress thought of for six decades, is beyond comprehension. Some government critics tend to use words that suggest that the Congress and NAC claims to it are akin to admitting to a crime. The scale of MGNREGS is huge. As of March 31, this legally guaranteed provision of work upon demand (a singularly innovative concept in itself) to anyone in designated rural areas, has, from inception, touched the lives of 120 million people, provided 1,200 crore of person days of employment, paid out wages aggregating thousands of crore, spread over 1.46 million diverse items of rural work, of which 60% are complete, up and running. It is not surprising, because for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and NAC, programmes such as the Right to Information, the mid-day meal scheme, the National Rural Health Mission, the food security Act, among others, were articles of faith, not opportunistic ploys. Equally amusing is the reference by the eminence grises of the government to ownership claims of platforms such as the Jan Dhan Yojana as the reason for MGNREGSs success. They omit the affectionate terms of endearment their own leaders used for the seminal Aadhaar scheme, which has been operational since 2009. Despite Aadhaar being the heart and soul of the Direct Benefit Transfers (DBTs), it was termed by BJP legislator Meenakshi Lekhi as a fraud programme in 2012, adding: This is a dangerous programme to regularise the illegal stay of migrants in the country. Is Bharat Mata so open to illegal migrants? The late Ananth Kumar argued: If you illegally enter other countries, you are shot at or put in jail. But if anyone illegally enters India, he is given citizenship. This is the contribution of Aadhaar....Aadhaar is the biggest fraud in the country. Such opportunistic political gaffes, whether qua MGNREGS or Aadhaar or the Goods and Services Tax will continue to haunt their authors, despite the fragility of institutional memory. Individual opportunism apart, institutional memory cannot efface the admitted fact that DBT was started in January 2013, and was formally announced in the budget of 2013. Fact checkers who trashed the BJPs claims of authorship of DBT were ignored, and in 2017 PM claimed: We started direct benefit transfer scheme. This resulted in money reaching to its rightful owner. We successfully eliminated middlemen. The government has rightly allocated an additional Rs 40,000 crore as a Covid-19 fiscal stimulus to MGNREGS. Indeed, this is one of its main fiscal, Covid-19 components, while 90% of the remaining is misleading monetary policy, supply side announcements, clumsily camouflaged as being a fiscal stimulus. The UPA government kept increasing allocations every year to MGNREGS since its inception. In FY 2009-10, Rs 16,000 crore was allocated to the scheme. The next year, it was increased by 150% to Rs 39,100 crore. This governments apologists who are misleading the national discourse should point out a single year of such significant increase by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the last six years. It appears that Modi 1.0 and 2.0 have averaged an annual 12.8% increase in MGNREGS allocation, which is much less than the lowest increase by UPA 1 and 2. American author Maxine Kingston rightly said: In a time of destruction, create something. The original parents of such beneficial social welfare schemes have no problem if their success spawns new parents and new ownership. But during the destruction wrought by the virus, why is this government maintaining a strategic silence regarding the increase of MGNREGS from 100 days to 200? Why are we not at least attempting to move closer to universally paying minimum wages under MGNREGS? Why is the government not clearing its dues of Rs 16,000 crore, which reduces its actual claimed MGNREGS package of one lakh crore rupees to Rs 84,000 crore? Why are ministers hiding the fact that instead of 100 days, the ground reality suggests the fulfilment of barely 75 days in many cases, even 50 in some? Why can the government not enhance the boundaries of this successful scheme to six months or to the end of the pandemic? Why has this fear of fiscal deficit and/or the terror of downgrades by rating agencies paralysed this government, which does not seem to be aware of elementary concepts such as monetising debt to liberally fund lifeline schemes such as MGNREGS? It is only when you achieve, even partially, the above imperatively urgent reforms to MGNREGS that the nation will at least consider recognising you as adoptive, not biological, parents of the scheme. Abhishek Manu Singhvi is a third-term sitting MP; former Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee; former additional solicitor general, senior national spokesperson, Congress, and a jurist. The views expressed are personal On May 29, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, Inc. PFE said that a vaccine to treat COVID-19 could be ready by the end of October 2020. Pfizer is working with German firm BioNTech SE BNTX for several possible vaccines in Europe and the United States. Although treatment for COVID-19 is yet to be found, a large number of drugmakers and biotech companies have made remarkable progress in developing a vaccine over the past couple of months. Of these, many have also started their clinical trials and are expecting preliminary results over the next few days. Also, some have started ramping up production of their vaccine candidates, anticipating huge demand if they prove successful. Pfizer Hopeful About Early Vaccine Pfizers CEO Albert Bourla said that a COVID-19 vaccine could be ready by October 2020, according to a The Times of Israel report. Bourla also said that the company has enough evidence of safety and efficacy for the FDA to feel comfortable about a vaccine on time. Pfizer is conducting clinical trials in the United States and Europe for the BNT162 vaccine program to prevent COVID-19. The report also quoted the AstraZeneca boss who said that the company, which is working in collaboration with the University of Oxford, expects at least one vaccine by the end of this year. All Focus on COVID-19 vaccine Clinical trials of non-COVID-19 drugs and vaccines have taken a backseat as most drugmakers and biotechnology companies are speeding up development of a vaccine for the novel coronavirus. On May 29, former FDA chief Scott Gottlieb said that clinical trials of drugs not related to coronavirus could get delayed as most of the agencys staff is focus on work related to COVID-19. Of more than 100 labs across the world working toward a vaccine against the deadly virus, 10 have made to the clinical-trial stage. Also, many big companies have joined forces to develop a vaccine. However, the World Health Organization has said that to increase chances of success, it is critical to test all candidate vaccines until they fail. Story continues Our Choices Although the FDA is yet to approve a drug or treatment for the novel coronavirus, it would be prudent to invest in companies focused on developing a coronavirus vaccine or treatment. Each of our picks has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Amgen, Inc. AMGN is one of the biggest biotech companies in the world, with a strong presence in the oncology/hematology and cardiovascular disease, neuroscience. In April, Amgen and Adaptive, Inc. ADPT collaborated to work on antibodies that can be used to prevent or treat COVID-19. Amgen also plans to test Otezla as a COVID-19 therapy treating respiratory distress in late-stage patients in the coming days. Amgens expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 5.1%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 0.2% over the past 60 days. BioNTech SE collaborated with Pfizer in March to develop a vaccine for coronavirus. The 360 patients in the U.S. trial started to receive the first doses of the four vaccine candidates included in the study as of May 5. Dosing in 200 participants in the German trial began on Apr 23. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 15.8%. Shares of BioNTech SEhave jumped 4.3% over the past 30 days. Gilead GILD earlier this month received an emergency-use authorization from the FDA based on preliminary results from two clinical trials of its experimental coronavirus drug remdesivir. Results showed that patients taking the drug had a median recovery time of 11 days compared with 15 days for those taking placebo. The companys expected earnings growth rate for next year is 3.1%. Its shares have rallied 19.8% year to date. GlaxoSmithKline plc GSK has announced a string of wide-reaching collaborations during the pandemic, most notably with Sanofi. The company expects to launch clinical trials in the second half of the year. The expected earnings growth rate for next year is 1.4%. Its shares have gained 3.4% in the last three months. Zacks Single Best Pick to Double From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each picked their favorite to gain +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Zacks Director of Research, Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all. This young companys gigantic growth was hidden by low-volume trading, then cut short by the coronavirus. But its digital products stand out in a region where the internet economy has tripled since 2015 and looks to triple again by 2025. Its stock price is already starting to resume its upward arc. The skys the limit! And the earlier you get in, the greater your potential gain. Click Here, See It Free >> 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 Pfizer Inc. (PFE) : Free Stock Analysis Report Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) : Free Stock Analysis Report GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) : Free Stock Analysis Report Amgen Inc. (AMGN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Adaptive Biotechnologies Corporation (ADPT) : Free Stock Analysis Report BioNTech SE Sponsored ADR (BNTX) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research 11-year-old Breanna Collazo organized her own Black Lives Matter march in her New York neighborhood. (Photo: Courtesy of Jeff Zohn) An 11-year-old girl from New York City organized a Black Lives Matter march all by herself, mobilizing her neighborhood to join in. Breanna Collazo, a fifth grade student at The Lexington Academy in East Harlem, has been learning about the George Floyd demonstrations in virtual school, a tragedy that hurt her heart. She said it was so unfair [to discriminate] on the basis of skin color, Breannas mother Leslie Collazo tells Yahoo Life. This week, the girl asked her mom to drive her to the store for art supplies, then went into her bedroom. Suddenly, she came out with signs that said Black Lives Matter and George Floyd, says Leslie. It was shocking to me that she put so much thought into it. Breanna wanted to join a local demonstration, but Leslie hesitated for her daughters safety. A few days later, teacher Jeff Zohn called Leslie to ask if he could attend Breannas protest which her mom knew nothing about. All alone, the girl was planning a Friday march through her neighborhood to honor Floyd and others who had lost their lives. Leslie knew she had to take her daughter seriously, so on Thursday, she brought Breanna to an area protest so she would know what to expect. On Friday, Breanna gathered her signs and a megaphone, and with Leslie, Zohn, drama teacher Fernando Alvarez and roughly 30 other people, marched through the neighborhood shouting, No justice, no peace! Alvarez also streamed the march through Google Meet so Breannas friends could watch virtually. The New York educational nonprofit Chalkbeat New York had previously reported on this story. Breanna gave a speech from her heart it was very emotional, Zohn tells Yahoo Life, adding that passing cars honked in support. According to Alvarez, people walking by also joined the march. From her prepared notes, Breanna spoke of the racist people in our world. She said, It matters who we are on the inside, it doesnt matter who we are on the outside adding, If we dont speak up today, there will be no tomorrow. Local station News 12 Bronx filmed her speech. Story continues Leslie says her daughter now understands injustice, telling Yahoo Life, I am glad she knows to treat people for who they are. Read more from Yahoo Life: Want daily wellness, lifestyle and parenting news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Lifes newsletter. Actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found hanging at his Mumbai residence on Sunday. He was 34. It is a case of suspected suicide. The news of his death comes just days after his former manager Disha Salian reportedly died by suicide. Sushants colleagues from the film industry paid tributes to him with social media posts. Actor Akshay Kumar tweeted, Honestly this news has left me shocked and speechless...I remember watching #SushantSinghRajput in Chhichhore and telling my friend Sajid, its producer how much Id enjoyed the film and wish Id been a part of it. Such a talented actor...may God give strength to his family. Honestly this news has left me shocked and speechless...I remember watching #SushantSinghRajput in Chhichhore and telling my friend Sajid, its producer how much Id enjoyed the film and wish Id been a part of it. Such a talented actor...may God give strength to his family Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) June 14, 2020 Actor Abhishek Bachchan wrote, This is just so shocking. A wonderful talent. RIP Sushant. Actor Sanjay Dutt wrote, At a loss for words.. So shocked to hear about #SushantSinghRajputs demise. My condolences with his family. Also Watch | Actor Sushant Singh Rajput commits suicide at Mumbai residence Union minister Smriti Irani remembered him from his television days and wrote, I have no words , no understanding of why you left the way you did. From a bright young kid who came to Balaji to a star who made the Nation swoon.. you had come a long way and had many more miles to go. You will be missed #SushantSinghRajput gone too soon .. This is just so shocking. A wonderful talent. RIP Sushant Abhishek Bachchan (@juniorbachchan) June 14, 2020 At a loss for words.. So shocked to hear about #SushantSinghRajputs demise. My condolences with his family. Sanjay Dutt (@duttsanjay) June 14, 2020 I have no words , no understanding of why you left the way you did. From a bright young kid who came to Balaji to a star who made the Nation swoon.. you had come a long way and had many more miles to go. You will be missed #SushantSinghRajput gone too soon .. Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) June 14, 2020 Also read: Actor Sushant Singh Rajput found hanging at home, suicide suspected Actor Riteish Deshmukh wrote, Shocked beyond words !!!! #SushantSinghRajput no more .... deeply saddened!! Shilpa Shettys husband and businessman Raj Kundra tweeted, In complete shock! #RIP. Absolutely gutted and heartbroken for Sushant and his loved ones and family. Really cant believe his journeys ended on this untimely, devastating note.Praying for his soul...gone so soon.Yet another horrendous jolt for our industry. So deeply tragic...#RIPSushantSinghRajput, actor Nimrat Kaur wrote. This is a tough tough profession, hard on even the most resilient .. And this time is also very difficult .. Hope you are in a better place #RIPSushantSinghRajput, actor Tisca Chopra wrote. Actor Aftab Shivdasani wrote, Sushant nooo!! thats the most disturbing news!!! so so so sad.. why? Why end such a young and beautiful life that too suicide??!! So so heartbroken.. #sushantsinghrajput. Just heard some terrible news about #sushant Singh Rajput . Still hoping its not true. Dino Morea (@DinoMorea9) June 14, 2020 Absolutely gutted and heartbroken for Sushant and his loved ones and family. Really cant believe his journeys ended on this untimely, devastating note.Praying for his soul...gone so soon.Yet another horrendous jolt for our industry. So deeply tragic...#RIPSushantSinghRajput Nimrat Kaur (@NimratOfficial) June 14, 2020 .... ?....? Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) June 14, 2020 Shocked..Heartbroken...Bhai..no words...wish this was not true sonu sood (@SonuSood) June 14, 2020 Shocking to hear about @itsSSR . RIP Bipasha Basu (@bipsluvurself) June 14, 2020 Cant believe this news ... Cant believe whats happening... why did he have to do this ... ??? Shaking and sinking ... Neha Dhupia (@NehaDhupia) June 14, 2020 Its so so sad ! @itsSSR Gauahar Khan (@GAUAHAR_KHAN) June 14, 2020 OH MY GOD. Extremely disturbed hearing the news of @itsSSR this is so sad . God give him peace Neil Nitin Mukesh (@NeilNMukesh) June 14, 2020 Shocked beyond words !!!! #SushantSinghRajput no more .... deeply saddened!! Riteish Deshmukh (@Riteishd) June 14, 2020 Sushant was a popular face on television and starred in the show Pavitra Rishta before he made a successful transition to films. He made his Bollywood debut with Kai Po Che in 2013. He has also starred in films such as PK, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, Kedarnath and Sonchiriya. Follow @htshowbiz for more Eleven weeks after the last easyJet passenger flight touched down, Britains biggest budget airline is to resume flying. The carrier has not flown passengers since 29 March 2020, when an easyJet plane brought stranded holidaymakers home from Tenerife to Gatwick airport. Since then, the airlines entire fleet of 344 Airbus jets has been grounded. But from 15 June the airline is resuming operations on routes where it believes there is sufficient customer demand to support profitable flying. They are mainly domestic links. Gatwick, the biggest base for easyJet, is the departure point for the first flight operated in the new normal era of the coronavirus crisis. Flight EZY883 is scheduled to depart at 7am on Monday morning, arriving at Glasgow 90 minutes later. While rail passengers are urged to travel only if their journey is essential, easyJet is making no such stipulation. But services are much less frequent, and flights more expensive, than before the Covid-19 pandemic. When The Independent bought a Gatwick-Glasgow ticket six days in advance, the basic one-way price for the 370-mile journey was 175. During the coronavirus crisis, easyJet has been losing 5m per day. Passengers on the pioneering flight have been phoned individually in advance and asked if they still plan to travel. A spokesperson for easyJet said: We just want to ensure customers are aware the flights are going ahead as we havent flown for many weeks. The airline is telling passengers: Do not travel or go to the airport if you have Covid-19 symptoms. Face masks must be worn at the airport, at the gate when boarding the aircraft, and during the flight. You will not be permitted to board if you arrive at the gate without one. Only children under the age of six, and those with a valid medical reason supported by a letter from a medical practitioner are exempt. In accordance with Department for Transport (DfT) advice, easyJet is urging passengers to check larger pieces of luggage into the hold. The aim is to accelerate boarding and reduce the amount of waiting in the airport aisle. An easyJet spokesperson said: We are allowing passengers to bring hand luggage on board but asking them to try and minimise this and advising them they will be required to stow it themselves in the overhead lockers. Ryanair has attacked the policy, saying it will increase the amount of handling and therefore possible risk. The airlines chief executive, Michael OLeary told The Independent: Were recommending passengers do exactly the opposite: maximise carry-on bags and minimise checked-in bags. Even though, clearly, we make more money out of checked-in bags. On easyJets Gatwick-Glasgow flight, checking in a bag weighing up to 15kg costs 25.49, taking the cost of the one-way flight above 200. During the flight, cabin crew will not sell meals or drinks, though drinking water will be available on request. Passengers must ask cabin crew for permission to use the on-board lavatory. The airline says: Our crew will be managing use of the toilet facilities. To reassure passengers about the journey, easyJet says: Our aircraft are already fitted with Hepa [high-efficiency particulate air] filters, the same as those used in hospitals, replacing cabin air every three to four minutes. The cabin is thoroughly disinfected daily, which provides surface protection from viruses that lasts for at least 24 hours. The Glasgow departure will be the first flight to or from Gatwicks North Terminal since March. While the Sussex airport has kept some flights operating, they have all used the South Terminal. Gatwicks opening hours, too, are being extended from Monday. Since the collapse in aviation, the opening hours have been restricted to 2pm-10pm. The airport will now open from 6am. Other UK airports on the initial easyJet network are Belfast International, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Inverness, the Isle of Man, Liverpool and Newcastle. Key continental locations include seven French airports: Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Nantes, Nice, Paris CDG and Toulouse. Barcelona, Geneva and the two biggest Portuguese cities, Lisbon and Porto, will also be served. Notable omissions include Luton where the airline is based and Manchester. From 1 July, easyJet will resume a much wider range of routes, though it will operate only 30 per cent of its originally planned services during the summer. The airline says: As Europe begins to reopen, were doing everything possible to reunite you with the loved ones and destinations youve missed, in the safest way we can. But the UKs new quarantine law, requiring new arrivals and returning holidaymakers to spend 14 days in self-isolation, is stifling bookings. The Hattie Creek subdivision Fire is seen Saturday, June 13, 2020. Alaska State Troopers closed Old Murphy Dome Road to all but firefighting personnel and asked the public to stay away from the area. Residents of the area have also been issued a Stage 1 evacuation alert. Jim Anderson/News-Miner To win the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic calls for joint action of mankind. Chinas State Council Information Office recently released a white paper titled Fighting Covid-19: China in Action, calling on all countries to act promptly, demonstrate solidarity, strengthen cooperation on all fronts, and fight the pandemic together. China will always uphold the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind and shoulder its responsibility as a major country, to contribute Chinese strength and wisdom to the building of a global community of health for all and make unremitted efforts to forge a powerful synergy against the epidemic. Chinas ideas, proposals and actions on the global battle have won wide respect and high recognition from the international society. Upholding science and rationality, strengthening unity and cooperation, and promote multilateral coordination, China has fully demonstrated its sense of justice in the battle against the Covid-19 epidemic. In phone calls or meetings with foreign leaders and heads of international organizations, Chinese President Xi Jinping explained Chinas tactics and achievements in fighting the virus, and emphasized Chinas open, transparent and responsible approach towards releasing information and sharing its experience in virus control and the treatment of infected cases. He expressed empathy for the difficulties faced by other countries, saying that China would do all it can to help them. He called on all parties to build a global community of shared future, strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and support international organizations in order to work together to meet the challenge. President Xi delivered a speech at the G20 Extraordinary Leaders Summit on Covid-19 on Chinas experience. In a call on the international community to rise to the challenge and act swiftly, he put forward a series of cooperation initiatives and four key proposals launch an all-out global war against Covid-19, establish a collective response for control and treatment at the international level, support international organizations in playing their roles, and strengthen coordination of international macroeconomic policies. He has injected important energy into promoting global anti-epidemic cooperation and boosting market confidence. On May 18, he addressed the opening of the 73rd World Health Assembly. Raising a series of important initiatives on the height of building a global community of health for all and announcing a package of major measures to be rolled out by China to support the global battle, he fully demonstrated Chinas sense of responsibility as a major country. Bounkong Syhavong, Minister of Health of Laos remarked that by practicing the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind with concrete actions, China has showcased its cooperation spirit to jointly seek common welfare for mankind. China has shared information and experience with the international community, provided humanitarian assistance to the international community, tried every possible means to provide support to all countries in purchasing protective materials, and carried out international exchanges and cooperation on scientific research. It has shared diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control solutions with over 180 countries and more than 10 international and regional organizations. As of May 31, China had sent 29 medical expert teams to 27 countries, and offered assistance to 150 countries and 4 international organizations. From March 1 to May 31, China exported protective materials to 200 countries and regions, among which there were more than 70.6 billion masks, 340 million protective suits. The country has always acted responsibly when the world is in need of mutual assistance. A foreign dignitary commented that the huge efforts made by China to reinforce global pandemic response are obvious to all and have injected confidence and strength to other countries battle against the virus. Such evaluation reflected the high recognition of the international society on Chinas contribution. In this major public health crisis, we should not manufacture political disputes, seek isolation, pursue unilateralism, or destabilize the foundation for multilateralism. All countries must act responsibly to promote solidarity for the common interests of mankind. Unfortunately, some politicians in certain countries are paying no respect to facts and science, in an attempt to politicize the disease and stigmatize China. Indeed, they aim at diverting public attention and ducking responsibilities. It must be made clear that China is a victim of the virus, and also a contributor to the global fight against the virus. It shall be treated fairly rather than with accusations. China firmly opposes the slandering and rumors related with Covid-19, as it safeguards facts and acts with a keen sense of responsibility for lives, the world and history. China calls on the international community to draw lessons from this pandemic, reflect carefully, and turn crises into opportunities. Countries should show extraordinary political vision and a strong sense of responsibility by doing the following: embracing a philosophy that puts life above everything else, regards the world as a whole, and stresses equality, mutual respect, cooperation and mutual assistance; establishing sound mechanisms for international cooperation, including a long-term financing mechanism, a monitoring, early warning and joint response mechanism for threats to public health, and a mechanism for reserving and allocating resources; creating an efficient and sustainable global public health system for all; fortifying defenses for the lives and health of all; and building a global community of health for all. It is universally recognized that China's proposals will enable the world to learn lessons and remedy weaknesses, and minimize both the imminent and potential threats of the virus. President Xi pointed out that mankind is a community with a shared future. Solidarity and cooperation are the most powerful weapons available for the international community to defeat the pandemic which concerns the safety of people in all countries. Preventing and controlling the spread of the virus has become a fight to safeguard global public health, to secure the wellbeing of humanity, to maintain world prosperity, and to enforce morality and conscience on the international community. It calls for the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, as well as cooperation and solidarity. Facing the common enemy of mankind, countries should make practical actions, shoulder responsibilities and fight the virus. Solidarity means strength, the white paper stressed, and the world will win this battle. (Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by Peoples Daily to express its views on foreign policy.) Stormzy called for answers in response to the Grenfell Tower fire during a virtual memorial service held by pressure group Grenfell United on the three-year anniversary of the tragedy. Sunday marked three years since a kitchen fire on the fourth floor in the high-rise covered in dangerous cladding turned into the most deadly domestic blaze since the Second World War, claiming 72 lives. In a powerful video message, the grime icon, 26, branded the reaction to the disaster as 'the greatest injustice I've ever seen' and urged others to 'never ever forget about Grenfell'. 'This is the greatest injustice I've ever seen': Stormzy called for answers in response to Grenfell Tower fire on the three-year anniversary of the tragedy on Sunday Stormzy, real name Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr., vowed to 'speak from his heart to stand in solidarity' with the survivors and bereaved from the fire. The MC - who recently pledged 10 million to organisations fighting racial inequality in the UK over the next 10 years - said: 'Yo what's going on people, it's Stormzy here. Today marks the third anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire. 'I said I was just going to talk from my heart instead of preparing this. To all the people of Grenfell, we're still mourning with you. Let's use today to stand in solidarity.' The media personality went on to recognise the Grenfell community's ability to 'turn a dark tragedy into triumph'. Bold: During a virtual memorial service held by pressure group Grenfell United, the grime icon, 26, branded the reaction of the disaster as 'the greatest injustice I've ever seen' Powerful: Stormzy, real name Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr., vowed to 'speak from his heart to stand in solidarity' with the survivors and bereaved from the fire Moving: People visited The Grenfell Memorial Community Mosaic at the base of the tower block, which was illuminated in green The musician explained: 'When the powers that be have turned their back on you, remember we're here. 'Unless you had someone in the fire that you directly lost, our lives have moved on, but that is still a dark reality for these people. 'I'm so upset that this pandemic is the reason we can't be together, but what I've seen for myself is that I've watched the community take a dark tragedy and turn it into triumph. 'Whenever I'm around the Grenfell lot, I'm filled with so much love and joy. This is one of the remarkable and amazing things I've ever seen. I love you guys, never forget what happened.' Making a statement: The award-winning artist highlighted the authorities response to Grenfell, describing the catastrophe as a 'constant stain on British society' 'You lot inspire me as you've remained so resilient': The media personality went on to recognise the Grenfell community's ability to 'turn a dark tragedy into triumph' 'You lot inspire me as you've remained so resilient in the face of the most darkest tragedy that people should not experience. I don't know how we have the mental, emotional threshold for that, you're legendary. I'm always here, God bless.' Moments later, the award-winning artist reappeared to highlight the authorities' response to Grenfell, describing the catastrophe as a 'constant stain on British society'. The Gang Signs & Prayer star said: 'It's our duty to never ever forget about Grenfell, and that we constantly remind ourselves, our people and the world about that day. 'I still can't fathom how that many lives were lost and there is no justice, no one behind bars due to this. On a mission: The Vossi Bop star has frequently used his platform to criticise the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire 'We had a community who were screaming out, taking all the proper routes, crying to the councils saying that the cladding was unsafe, and they were constantly denied and ignored. 'What that left us with is the greatest tragedy we've seen, which I'll also say is the greatest injustice I've ever seen. 'The council, authorities and Governments ended up destroying lives. Let this be a constant stain on British society. There has not been any justice.' The Vossi Bop star has used his platform to criticise the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, performing a freestyle rap at the Brits in 2018 in which he called out then Prime Minister Theresa May. Sunday marked three years since a small kitchen fire on the fourth floor in the high-rise turned into the most deadly domestic blaze since the Second World War. A total of 72 residents lost their lives and a further 74 sent to hospital with non-fatal injuries. Firefighters battled for nearly 24 hours before the inferno was eventually brought under control at 1.14am on June 15. In tribute to each victim who died in the blaze, bells of London churches will toll 72 times and green lights will glow from tower block windows. Faith leaders conducted sermons and reflections online throughout Sunday and from 10.30pm, people in homes across the UK are asked to shine a bright green light from their screens to show solidarity with the bereaved and survivors. Tragedy: Sunday marked three years since a small kitchen fire on the fourth floor in the high-rise turned into the most deadly domestic blaze since the Second World War (pictured) The public inquiry into the disaster was paused in March because of the pandemic and is due to restart on July 6. Fixing all serious fire safety defects in high-risk residential buildings could cost up to 15 billion, a parliamentary committee recently warned. Nearly 2,000 residential buildings are still covered in cladding, with thousands of homeowners sleeping in potential fire-traps every night, according to the report by the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee (HCLGC). What the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee (HCLGC) is calling for, three years after the devastating Grenfell fire The parliamentary committee report into high-risk residential buildings, which is titled, Cladding: Progress of Remediation, calls for: The Government to ensure all buildings of any height with ACM cladding to be fully remediated of all fire safety defects by December 2021. Buildings with other fire safety defects, including non-ACM cladding, should be remediated before June 2022. The Building Safety Fund to be increased to address all fire safety defects in every high-risk residential building, potentially costing up to 15 billion. Any residential building where works have not commenced by December this year to be subject to a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO), with a new national body created to step in where councils are 'unable or unwilling to act'. Advertisement But the Government's new 1 billion fund to remove certain types of cladding will cover just one-third of the highest-risk blocks in England, it adds. Moreover, it says: 'Stringent rules on applying to the fund, including a short application window and restrictions against social housing providers, risks leaving many unable to access vital funding.' The report calls on the Government to pay the 'exorbitant costs' of temporary safety measures currently being footed by blameless leaseholders, before preparing to take legal action against building owners who have dragged their heels. It suggests a hard line should be taken against slow-moving building owners, including an extensive use of Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPO) to take direct ownership of the freehold of buildings with serious fire safety defects. The report, Cladding: Progress of Remediation, states: 'Residents are facing life-changing bills for more than just combustible cladding. 'If the Government doesn't provide additional funding, let us be clear: it means tens of thousands of residents sent massive bills for problems that aren't their fault, and which, in many cases, will be a financial burden from which they will never recover. 'It means thousands fewer affordable homes, as councils and housing associations are forced to divert funds to remediation projects; and worst of all, it will mean that some works are never carried out.' The Government has so far committed 200 million for the removal of ACM cladding from private residential blocks and 400 million for social sector blocks. In the spring budget, Chancellor Rishi Sunak set up a 1 billion fund for the removal of unsafe non-ACM cladding for residential blocks 18 metres or taller. But the committee said this would cover only around 600 of the 1,700 buildings, saying the Government is 'clearly trying to find ways to fit a 3 billion liability into a 1 billion funding pot.' Moreover, building owners only have between June 1 and July 31 to apply for funds, which are to be allocated on a 'first come, first served' basis, and any works commenced before March 2020 will not be covered. MailOnline has contacted the Kensington and Chelsea TMO and the Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council for further comment. Courtesy Photo As the past chairman of the board of trustees of the hospital, a current member of the board of governors and co-chair of the Say Yes! to Healthcare campaign, I am intimately aware of the upcoming challenges faced by the Midland County Hospital District (MCHD). I am also aware of how fortunate we are to have such a well-run hospital in our community that has built up excellent health-care services over the last 20 years. The ongoing pandemic has made it difficult, but we have been using our best efforts to get the message out concerning the vital upcoming sales tax election. We have conducted numerous virtual presentations and held as many face-to-face meetings as possible. Based on these interactions, we have fielded reoccurring questions that I would like to share with you. If this election is successful, will it raise my property taxes? No, this is not a property tax. It is a sales tax and will apply only to the purchase of taxable goods and services in Midland County, regardless of where the buyer lives. This provides an opportunity to spread the cost of Midlands health-care infrastructure to everyone who benefits from it, including residents of the rural counties around us. In the view of the Baghjan Oil Field Fire, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, along with Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday visited the relief camps to review the situation. Taking to Twitter, the Union Minister stated that they met the families who are affected by the fire and reiterated the commitment to their safety and well-being. Further, the ministers have also assured all possible assistance. Met families affected by the Baghjan gas well fire at the relief camps set up by @OilIndiaLimited. I along with Hon. CM Shri @sarbanandsonwal reiterated our commitment to their safety and well-being and also assured them of all possible assistance in restoring their livelihoods. pic.twitter.com/NUoDkWuxQm Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) June 14, 2020 ' - , , The people & society are our guiding parents. I kneel before their anger, grievance, command and blessings at #Baghjan. pic.twitter.com/VihlD8wplH Sarbananda Sonowal (@sarbanandsonwal) June 14, 2020 Read: Assam to conduct 50,000 COVID-19 tests in Guwahati; may reimpose lockdown if cases surge Meanwhile, Former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the Baghjan oil well blowout in Assam that has caused extensive commercial and ecological damage. He blamed the "lapses and gross negligence" of Oil India Limited for the tragedy. Read: Tinsukia Gas Tragedy: Petroleum Min Dharmendra Pradhan meets Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal The Baghjan Oil Field Fire The blowout at Baghjan well in Tinsukia occurred on May 27 when two simultaneous operations servicing of the top portion of the well and testing new sand in the well were going on. A massive fire on June 9 engulfed the damaged Baghjan oil well which has been emitting gas uncontrollably for the last two weeks in Assam's Tinsukia district. As per reports, the blaze at the Oil India Ltd's well was so massive that it could be seen from a distance of more than 30 kilometres with thick black smoke going up several metres high, endangering the local biodiversities. Reportedly, two firefighters have lost their lives while containing the massive fire. At least one dolphin and a variety of fish died as the residue of gas condensing after coming in contact with water spread to a distance of 5 km in the nearby areas. While the army was deployed in the area and a team has also arrived from Singapore to tackle the situation, at least 4,000 people have been evacuated and placed in relief camps. On June 10, PM Modi spoke to the Assam CM and assured him all possible support from the Centre. Read: Former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi calls for CBI probe in Baghjan oil well blowout Read: Tinsukia Gas Tragedy: Assam CM assures all possible help being extended to contain fire - Raila Odinga said a COVID-19 certificate was becoming an important document as the country fought the invisible enemy - The former prime minister took a COVID-19 test at KEMRI in Mbagathi earlier today, Sunday, June 14 - This came as the number of cases hit 3,594 after the government announced 137 new cases of coronavirus Former prime minister Raila Odinga has taken a COVID-19 test at Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) at Mbagathi. The former premier shared pictures on social media as a medic was taking samples from his nose for testing for the virus which has infected 3,594 Kenyans since March 13. READ ALSO: Coronavirus update: COVID-19 cases hit 3,594 as 137 test positive Raila Odinga urged Kenyans to take the COVID-19 test in order to win the war against the virus. Photo: Raila Odinga. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Kisumu man who overcame abject poverty to become dentist builds elderly mom new house The Africa Union High Representative for Infrastructure stayed put in the process that was seemingly uncomfortable going by his frowned face in the snaps shared on Twitter. Raila took the opportunity to urge Kenyans to willingly present themselves for COVID-19 testing as the country grappled with the invisible enemy. "I took the COVID -19 test at Kemri in Mbagathi earlier today. I took the opportunity to appeal to all Kenyans to go for testing," he said. READ ALSO: Waigwa Wachira: Akorino man marries mzungu lover in US The ODM leader said a COVID-19 certificate was increasingly becoming an important document which every citizen should strive to own. "A COVID-19 certificate is becoming an important document as we continue battling the pandemic," Raila wrote. This came as the country recorded 137 new cases of coronavirus after testing 3,167 samples. READ ALSO: Raila Odinga denies meeting Waiguru at night in discussion to save her from impeachment Speaking earlier today, Sunday, June 14, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe urged Kenyans to adhere to containment measures in order to break the chain of the disease. Among other measures, the CS he urged citizens to adhere to was frequent washing of hands and wearing of facemasks. "We must all continue to observe high standards of hygiene which include, washing of hands, wearing facemasks and observing social distance. In case you see a person without a mask then avoid them like a plague since they could be carrying the virus," he said. In the global arena, COVID-19 has infected 7.8 million people, claimed the lives of 432,894 people while 4,057,511 others have so far recovered from the respiratory disease. Do you have an inspirational story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Follow us on Telegram: Tuko news Source: TUKO.co.ke Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 23:45:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sunday left for Turkey's Istanbul for talks on bilateral relations and international issues, official IRNA news agency reported. A high-ranking delegation accompanies Zarif during his one-day trip to the Turkish largest city, IRNA said. Zarif is expected to meet his Turkish counterpart to discuss the current relations amid the anti-coronavirus efforts as well as major regional and international issues. Iran and Turkey are considering reopening borders and resuming the flights which have been suspended since March over the COVID-19 pandemic. On Monday, the Iranian foreign minister will fly to Moscow to review mutual and international issues with the Russian officials, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi said Thursday. Zarif's visit to Turkey and Russia would be his second diplomatic trip after a recent slowdown in the COVID-19 epidemic. Zarif visited Syria last month and discussed cooperation amid the impacts of the coronavirus and mounting western sanction pressure on Syria. Enditem An ambulance arrives at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Ga., on Oct. 15, 2014. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) 2 Dead, 5 Injured in Drive-By Shooting in Atlanta: Police Two people were killed and at least five others were hurt during a drive-by shooting in Atlanta, Georgia, said officials. The shooting occurred on Saturday after 5 p.m. local time after shots were fired at a crowd in the Edgewood neighborhood, authorities told Fox5. The incident unfolded along Mayson Avenue and Hardee Street. All five who were injured were taken to nearby hospitals, said officials. A police spokesman told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the five are in stable condition. We believe there could be several more victims, Atlanta police spokesman Officer Anthony Grant told WSB-TV. The circumstances leading to the shooting are not clear. A suspect or suspects have not been arrested in the case. Police released a photo of a dark-colored truck that is said to be involved in the shooting. The photo shows what appears to be a person with a hat and a mask aiming a pistol. A description of the gunman was not immediately available. The identities of the slain victims were not released. Anyone who sees the truck should call 911, and those with more information or know who might be behind the shooting can call anonymously to Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-TIPS (8477). Informants could be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000. Other details about the case were not provided. Atlanta police are searching for this vehicle believed to be part of a drive-by shooting. (Atlanta Police Department) The shooting comes as the Atlanta Police Department fired one officer and placed another on administrative duty for the fatal shooting of a black man who resisted arrest after failing a field sobriety testa death that rekindled fiery protests in the city and also caused the police chief to resign. People watch as a Wendys burns following a rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta, Ga., on June 13, 2020. (Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters) Body camera footage released early Sunday by Atlanta police showed 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks appearing good-humored and largely cooperative with the two white officers after being found sleeping alone in a car blocking a Wendys drive-thru lane. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Brooks wrestled a Taser from one of the officers and ran. The GBI released security camera footage from the restaurant that showed a running Brooks turn and point an object in his hand toward an officer a few steps behind him. The video shows the officer draw his gun and fire as Brooks continues to run, then falls to the ground in the parking lot. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The coronavirus pandemic has taken a heavy toll not only on the physical health of many people, but also on the mental health of countless individuals as well. A New Jersey-based mental health group has launched a new texting line to help New Jerseyans deal with those emotional strains. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the non-profit Mental Health Association of New Jersey is now providing a free texting option for New Jersey residents to access emotional support from trained specialists. The new text line, and the already available phone line, are provided through the New Jersey Hope and Healing Crisis Counseling program. New Jersey residents can text NJHOPE to 51684 or call 866-202-HELP (4357), for emotional support, education and referrals from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. The program also allows New Jersey residents to opt in for a care messaging service intended to help people cope with emotional stress on a long-term, ongoing basis. Any texts received during off-hours will be answered the following day. The emotional needs of New Jersey residents have increased and intensified. Many people find it hard to take that first step to ask for emotional support," said Carolyn Beauchamp, president of the Mental Health Association of New Jersey. The ability to text or call enables each person to choose the communications medium that is most comfortable for him or her. This can make a huge difference for some folks who are hesitant to ask for help. A free emotional support service offered by the non-profit Mental Health Association of New Jersey. Crisis counseling and several virtual support groups, which are available through both the text and phone services, are also offered in the program, which is funded by a FEMA/SAMHSA grant and through a collaboration with the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services within the New Jersey Department of Human Services. This text line is an important new tool for people to use in seeking emotional support during these times, said Carole Johnson, commissioner of New Jersey Human Services. As many options as we can provide for this free, confidential help, the better we can help those in need. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Mak Ojutiku may be reached at oojutiku@njadvancemedia.com. With restrictions easing, Australias residential rental property market is beginning to show signs of life. Find out which cities are providing the most affordable rents post-pandemic. The economic impact of the coronavirus crisis has been felt throughout Australias property market. The surging unemployment rate, compounded by the uncertainty surrounding the countrys job market, has brought unprecedented challenges to the residential rental property sector. However, signs of life are emerging as restrictions begin to ease. In general, we're starting to see renters return to the market across Australia, said Greg Bader, chief executive officer of rental property website Rent.com.au. We are coming through a period of increased supply, so there's still a slight softening in terms of prices. Australias rental property market post-pandemic The outbreak has prompted the government to impose border closures and travel bans, which restricted the flow of foreigners including international students creating a void in Australias residential rental property market. Additionally, the employment situation in the current economic climate may motivate some tenants to find flatmates or move back with their families to save money, resulting in an oversupply of rental properties. Rent.com.aus latest rental market snapshot revealed that increases in property supply, along with market changes caused by COVID-19 restrictions, have led to a slight drop in rental prices. The report showed that emerging signs of higher vacancies in capital cities such as Sydney and Melbourne have caused rents to fall in some areas. This rise in property supply has also created an opportunity for tenants who are fortunate to still be in a secure financial position to negotiate for a rent reduction. Renters are out there, but not in the same volumes as the time pre-corona, Bader said. There's no doubt that demand remains impacted by the continued restrictions on domestic and international travel. Cheapest cities to rent an apartment Sydney is among the cities most affected by the limitations on international travel. The citys rental market is likely to see conditions weaken as student demand and migration rates drop. Apartment rents in Sydney have already dipped by 3.8% in May, dropping the median rent to $500 per week. Melbourne is another capital heavily reliant on overseas migration. The citys apartment median rents were also down 4.8% last month to $400 weekly. Despite the decrease, these cities, along with Canberra, remained the most expensive locations to rent an apartment. Adelaide led all metro areas for apartment tenants in terms of affordability. Median rent at the South Australian capital is $310 a week. Darwin, which registered the biggest drop in median price in May, followed at $335. Perth, the only city to post an increase, came next at $340. Hobart and Brisbane rounded the list, with weekly median rents of $350 and $380, respectively. Cheapest cities to rent a house Perth posted the lowest median home rents among Australian cities at $375 a week. Adelaide, Melbourne, and Brisbane ranked next in terms of affordability, with renters needing to fork over a median $390, $420, and $430 per week, respectively. Median home rents were highest in Sydney ($600 per week) and Canberra ($550 per week). Hobart and Darwin tied for third, with median rents costing $450 a week. Cheapest cities to rent a room According to Rent.com.au, the price per room metric provides an alternative way at looking at the cost of renting for people planning to share a home and save money. Bader said that given most property data available has been developed for the property owner (i.e. dwelling price), it was important to have individual measurements that looked at room price breakdowns. Our price per room metric is a different way to look at the cost of renting, he said. Its a more accurate representation for people wanting to share a home with others. Considering this metric, Perth held the title as the cheapest metro area to rent a room, with a median price of $130 per week. Despite slight increases in room rents in May, Adelaide, Darwin, and Brisbane ranked next at $138 (up 1%), $150 (up 4.6%) and $156 (up 1%), respectively. Hobart rates remained stable at $165 weekly, good for fifth place. Meanwhile, Sydney was the most expensive city for renters looking for individual rooms, costing $275 a week, despite the price dropping 3.1%. Canberra came next, with median rent of $220. Melbourne followed at $182, an 8.1% rise from April to May. How to attract renters Bader emphasised the importance of having a great online presence in wooing quality tenants. If you have an investment property and need to find a tenant, then nothing has changed today. You're competing against other properties, so be clear in your description, provide high-quality photos and highlight the positives, he said. He also explained that in setting prices, there were many factors to consider. Is your property close to everything, or is parking available? Set a reasonable price and check out the market in your local area, Bader said. Remember, if a property's showing online, it means it hasn't been leased yet. The homes you can't see are those people have already taken. More than 90% of renters in Australia are searching online, so ensure you make an excellent first impression, he said. HOLLAND, MI -- With sunny skies and warm temperatures expected next week, beach-bound people planning to visit Holland State Park beach are likely to be disappointed. The state Department of Natural Resources has announced plans to close the beach parking lot and day-use area from June 15 through June 19 during daytime hours. Crews will be working to move sand from parking lots and back to the beach. Its work that could not be done earlier this year because of the coronavirus-related stay-at-home order and budget restrictions. Prior to Memorial Day, about 40 percent of the normal beach parking area was not usable because of drifting sand. The project that begins Monday includes the following: -- Removing snow fence. -- Relocating drifted sand back to the beach. -- Leveling sand across several areas to allow staff to place picnic tables, the brock dock and swim buoys, as well as open the modern beach campground. Work will be done during the daytime and the day-use area will open again from 6-10 p.m. each day to allow for sunset viewing. A day-use area and trails along Lake Macatawa will remain open. If the project wraps up ahead of time, the day-use area will be opened earlier. DNR officials encourage the public to check Michigan.gov/Holland for any updates. " " Those people are hanging out over a model of interferon gamma, an immune system protein, that researchers recently manipulated to change how mice interacted with other mice. George Clerk/Laguna Design/Getty Human brains are built for socialization. They evolved to support and thrive on the complex interpersonal behaviors required for species survival. Exactly how that came about is still unclear, but social neurologists generally believe the benefits of pair bonds and two-parent child-rearing drove the process. In a curious twist, it now seems germs may have been involved, too. Advertisement According to recent research, our immune-system responses may directly control some aspects of our personalities. In a study published in the journal Nature in July, neuroscientists from the University of Massachusetts' medical school and the University of Virginia medical school's Kipnis Lab discovered they could control socialization behavior in mice by manipulating immune activity in the rodents' brains. Like Flipping a Switch To determine the social effects of disabling a particular immune response, the researchers timed how long mice spent checking each other out under both normal and immune-deficient conditions. "Normal mice are very social and will always have a preference to investigate another mouse," Jonathan Kipnis, co-author on the Nature paper and chair of UVA's department of neuroscience, writes in an email. That inquisitive behavior changed when they genetically blocked the signaling pathways of interferon gamma (IFN-), a protein secreted by immune-system cells to battle pathogens. Mice without IFN- spent less time checking out other mice. When the researchers reopened the pathways, the mice returned to their normal levels of social interest. The findings raise the possibility that humans are, as Kipnis told UVA Today, "just multicellular battlefields for two ancient forces: pathogens and the immune system." The Neuro-immune Connection To fully grasp the significance of the discovery, it helps to know that until last year, science thought the immune system didn't reach the brain. According to anatomy textbooks, the mammalian brain has no lymphatics, the vessels that carry infection-fighting molecules almost everywhere else in the body. In 2015, UVA scientists found the brain's lymphatics. (So did a research team from the University of Helsinki, around the same time, in a totally separate study, using a different method.) The news was revolutionary. For many, it was like finding a missing link. Immune activity can have profound impacts on the brain, as in multiple sclerosis, a brain disorder caused by a malfunctioning immune system. And scientists have long seen a connection between behavior and immunity. Geriatric psychologist William Matteson notes that multiple sclerosis is often misdiagnosed as a mental illness due to the personality changes that can accompany it. Brain disorders like autism, Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia, which have strong behavioral components, present with immune dysfunction. Anxiety disorders and depression have immune features, too. In the search for effective treatments, if immune dysfunction is a cause and not a symptom, it changes everything. An Evolving Relationship Anthony J. Filiano, a neurology fellow in the Kipnis Lab and lead author of the latest study, says research from multiple sources is starting to bear out a causal relationship, especially in behaviors like learning and memory. "A lot of the action of the immune system is initiated in a tissue's draining lymph node," Filiano explains in an email, "and we published a study in 2014 showing that surgically removing the deep cervical lymph nodes in mice caused memory impairment." If immune activity enables normal socialization, as well, it could have dramatic implications for disease research. It suggests immune responses and social behavior evolved in tandem, which makes sense: Social species can't survive if socialization spreads disease. IFN- may serve to protect people from pathogens while they interact with others, in which case the immune system has some control over how we socialize and a malfunctioning immune system could disrupt the brain activity that regulates healthy social behavior. The New Neuroscience While the findings are exciting, Kipnis is cautious. "Determining if the immune system 'controls' human social behavior can only be speculated," he writes. "However, we know that directly manipulating the immune system in mice results in social deficits." If the findings do translate to humans, it points to countless new, neuro-immune avenues of research for myriad brain conditions that feature both immune and social dysfunction, including autism, Alzheimer's and a slew of psychiatric disorders. It also highlights what Kipnis sees as a disconnect in his field. "Unlike what is thought by some neuroscientists," he writes, "[the] brain's health and proper function is dependent on many cells, including the immune cells." Focusing on neurons alone, Kipnis says, is inhibiting our understanding of the brain. Filiano agrees. "We should train the future generation of neuroscientists to be open-minded," he writes, "and to realize that there are more than neurons to neuroscience, no matter how important the neuron is as the functional unit." The lab is currently exploring a role for the newly discovered brain lymphatics in multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. Now That's Direct A 2016 study out of Harvard found a particular immune response can produce the types of brain plaques seen in Alzheimer's disease. A visitor walks in front of a sign showing the distance to the North Korean city of Gaeseong and the South Korean capital of Seoul near a wire fence decorated with ribbons written with messages wishing for unification of the two Koreas at the Imjingak Pavilion in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. / AP-Yonhap Kim Yo-jong warns Pyongyang will take next step' against Seoul By Kang Seung-woo Rather than celebrating the 20th anniversary of the first-ever inter-Korean summit that pledged increased dialogue and cooperation between the two Koreas, bilateral ties are now reverting almost to the situation before the historic event. There has been a buildup of tense confrontation and the possibility of war after Pyongyang recently threatened to end its relationship with Seoul and take military action. The development comes after Kim Yo-jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's powerful sister and first vice department director of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee, issued a statement Saturday night following hostile rhetoric from two other senior officials against the Moon Jae-in administration, all within a 24-hour period. Experts believe that the North's recent announcements are not just its traditional bluffing and that the joint liaison office may be the first victim in its mounting hostility toward the South in accordance with a long-arranged roadmap. They added that inter-Korean ties are expected to remain chilly for the time being with few signs of reconciliation. "I feel it is high time to surely break with the South Korean authorities," Kim said in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Saturday, two days before the 20th anniversary of the June 15 Joint Declaration, a result of the first inter-Korean summit in 2000, that sought mutual understanding and development of South-North relations. "Before long, a tragic scene of the useless South-North joint liaison office completely collapsed would be seen," she said. The liaison office, located in the North's city of Gaeseong, was one of the key achievements from an inter-Korean summit between Moon and Kim Jong-un on April 27, 2018, with the office opening five months after the talks. Previously, Kim Yo-jong threatened to shut the office, angered by the South's "failure" to stop North Korean defectors and activists from sending anti-North leaflets across the border tethered to balloons. To protest this the North cut all communication channels with the South, June 9. In her latest statement, Kim has presented her direst threat to the South, saying the North "will soon take the next action" that would be carried out by its military. "If I drop a hint of our next plan the South Korean authorities are anxious about, the right to take the next action against the enemy will be entrusted to the general staff of our army. Our army, too, will determine something for cooling down our people's resentment and surely carry it out." Her warning was backed up by Kwon Jong-gun, director-general of the North Korean foreign ministry's American Affairs Department who hinted at the country expanding its nuclear capabilities. I am not the formulator of the slogan "Black Lives Matter". However, I clearly get the import of the mantra and the subsequent solidarizing international public protests aimed at achieving the purpose of the slogan. "Black Lives Matter" is all about sending a clear message to the world that "All Lives Matter" so black people should not killed merely for the abhorrence of their skin colour by the so-called superior white race as may overtly or covertly be sanctioned by the government. From the way the Black Americans, thus the African Americans, are maltreated in the United States of America (USA), and to be more precise killed, by White police officers at the least or no provocation, having committed or not committed any crime, resisting or not resisting arrest, goes to confirm to any sensible human being that the lives of black people are valueless to the white police officers in the USA. For so many years, many African Americans' lives have been unlawfully extinguished by the clearly racist white supremacist police officers with impunity. Whenever they kill them, nothing happens to the obvious murderers in police uniform. The murderers are not punished hence their propensity to continue to take the lives of black people at any least opportunity they get. Following the gory murder of George Floyd, a forty-six year old African American in Minneapolis on 25 May 2020, by one Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, coupled with so many such unlawful murders of black people with the obvious assassins in police uniform going scot free, the black community in America embarked on both peaceful and violent public protests to draw the attention of the international community and the government of America to the fact that black people have been singled out to be killed more because of their colour than their allegedly criminal actions. To stop the discriminately killing of black people in America, because black people are human beings who must live equally as the white people even if they are inferior in the eyes of others, they coined the slogan, "Black Lives Matter". Without embarking on public protests, how could their message and suffering reach the American authorities and the worldwide public? It is unfortunate that their protests have at times, out of bitter emotions that cannot be controlled and should not be controlled until justice is done to them, spilled out of control into violence. This, in my view, does not make them criminals because when you are pushed into a tight corner for far too long, you will by instinct fight back for your sheer life. Look at the many videos on YouTube showing instances where the white police in America have killed black people for no apparent reasons but just that they are blacks. There is even a video where a white police officer was telling a white driver he had stopped to check her car documents not to be afraid because they kill only black people. There are other videos where some white police officer have come out to confess the training given to them where they are asked or authorised to kill black people and how to do it. Therefore, it is utterly erroneous for some African immigrants in America, note, not the African Americans, and some white people in America and elsewhere, to say that it denotes racism on the part of those subscribing to the slogan "Black Lives Matter" because every life matters, thus, "All Lives Matter". Yes, that is exactly the objective of the protests and the slogan, "Black Lives Matter". The protestors are in effect telling the world that "All Lives Matter" so don't kill black people for the fact that they are black. Are there no laws in America to deal with criminals? Are police officers empowered to kill others at whim without the officers' life firstly established to be threatened or in dire danger? Was the life of police officer Derek Chauvin in danger when he arrested George Floyd? No! Why then should he kneel on his neck to kill him while two of his white racist police officers were pinning George Floyd down with the fourth officer of Chinese descent standing there doing nothing, but in the inside, was consenting to the cold murder of George Floyd? I am disgusted to see in a video of a black woman in America, and African immigrant by her ascent, castigating the protestors of "Black Lives Matter". She was condemning them saying there is no white racism in America and that no white police officer was killing any black person and if anything at all, the black people are lazy and must go and look for jobs to do and stop the unnecessary protests. No wonder that black people will forever be taken for idiots. Here are white police officers glaringly killing black people for no offence committed by the murdered yet, here is a black woman from Africa living in America talking rubbish to compound the suffering of the black people in America. She was saying, my country America is peaceful, I work, and the African Americans had better find job to do and stop their crap. She goes on to ask, what happens or how do you classify it if black people kill their fellow black people? Is it racism, she queries? To this woman of little mind and a disgrace to the black race because of her inferiority complex, the fact that black kill themselves does not mean that the white racist police officers institutionally indoctrinated to be racist to kill black people are right. Both killings must be condemned in equal strength and manner. The slogan and the protests are about calling for the lives of black people to be respected same as those of the whites'. It is not about the lives of black people being more important than that of the whites'. No! There was a white head of a department in a reputable international company. In a meeting with his subordinates, he told them point blank, "I have had my fair share of black people in this job so I don't want any more blacks employed in the department". However, the ratio of the employees was 5:1 in favour of the whites. This was complete racism but no any "positive discrimination" since the whites were already by far more than the blacks in that department. Please, let us understand the problem. Let us fight in solidarity to get rid of it while at the same time advising the African Americans to pursue higher education, find jobs to earn decent living, save money and invest as well as voting en bloc at general elections as a bargaining chip for their collective welfare. They must be selfless, visionary and stay out of the harm's way. To those rubbishing the slogan and the protests, how do you find the following videos? Is it right for the police officers to kill George Floyd for allegedly presenting a US$20 bill to pay for his packet of cigarettes? Assuming he was printing counterfeit American dollar notes for use, why did they not take him to his house to search him if he had got piles of the notes hidden there to find out how and why? Had they the right to take the laws into their own hands to kill him in public in broad daylight the way they did? Could the supposed fake dollar note not have been given to him as a change for something he had previously purchased without noticing? This is a common occurrence for one to be given a fake note or coin in change for something you have bought from a shop without noticing. When you happen to take say a fake banknote (money) among other genuine ones to the bank for deposit and they discover it, they don't arrest you but the bank official removes and withholds that note from you. They neither kill nor call the police for you. To save precious lives, don't let ignorant people misunderstand or misinterpret the slogan "Black Lives Matter" for it means "All Lives Matter" so don't kill black people because of the colour of their skin. Rockson Adofo Sunday, 14 June 2020 Say their names: Jonny Gammage. Tamir Rice. Sandra Bland. Philando Castile. Eric Garner. Michael Brown. Laquan McDonald. Breonna Taylor. George Floyd. There are too many to name; the roll call of black men and women who died at the hands of the authorities stretches back four centuries. So does the indifference of white Americans to their suffering, our individual and collective failure to confront racism, and the failure of our institutions to hold police to account for killing people of color. The dam is breaking, and its about time. It took the murder of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, and the righteous anger of millions of protesters across our city, county, state and nation. But change is finally coming. New York is leading that change. In three days last week, after years of inaction, the New York state Legislature passed 10 sensible police reform bills. The main one repeals the law that kept secret the results of disciplinary actions taken against police and other law enforcement. Other provisions create a special prosecutor to investigate deaths in custody, ban police from using chokeholds and require more robust reporting of arrests and police shootings. Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the bills Friday in the presence of mothers whose sons died at the hands of police. Further, Cuomo said he would issue an executive order requiring police departments across the state to reinvent and modernize themselves, on the pain of losing state aid. Well reserve comment until we see the details. But the governors impulse to force the issue now is proper. Weve had enough. Enough of police officers who kill people of color with impunity. Enough with district attorneys who fail to lodge charges (or fail to make them stick). Enough with police unions that protect bad cops, and the elected officials who wont stand up to the powerful unions. Enough with the secrecy and excuses over police discipline (or lack of it). Enough with the military gear and the military attitude of police departments that regard citizens as the enemy and neighborhoods as battlespaces. Enough with the over-policing of minority communities. Enough of the us vs. them culture fed by officers who do not live in the communities they serve. Now is the time to redefine the mission of the police or, more precisely, to hold them to their motto, to protect and serve. Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and Police Chief Kenton Buckner have made some progress: revising the use of force policy, instituting body-worn cameras and taking a harder line on discipline. There is a long way to go, and entrenched policies and a department culture that frustrate accountability at every turn. We also should adjust our expectations of what the police should be doing. Policy choices made over the years laid a ton of problems at their feet: homelessness, mental health issues, drug and alcohol addiction, domestic violence. Rather than defund police, lets fund mental health treatment, affordable housing and violence and sexual assault prevention, and anti-racism training. After George Floyd, white Americans can no longer say they dont understand the Black Lives Matter movement. They cant pretend that all lives matter after seeing with their own eyes what official disregard for a black life George Floyds life looks like. It looks like a police officer with his knee on a handcuffed, subdued mans neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, and three other officers watching him die. Somehow, Floyds senseless murder feels like the last straw but then we remember all the other last straws that came before him. Weve been here before. Momentum for police reform could well stall. Police unions will push back. Elected officials, accused of being soft on crime, could lose their nerve. Or we simply could move on to other crises. Dont let it happen. Keep the pressure on. Loading About Syracuse.com editorials Editorials represent the collective opinion of the Advance Media New York editorial board. Our opinions are independent of news coverage. Read our mission statement. Members of the editorial board are Tim Kennedy, Trish LaMonte, Jason Murray and Marie Morelli. To respond to this editorial: Submit a comment through the Google form above, or submit a letter or commentary to letters@syracuse.com. Read our submission guidelines. If you have questions about the Opinions & Editorials section, contact Marie Morelli, editorial/opinion leader, at mmorelli@syracuse.com DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Ive had what I think is burning mouth syndrome for about two months, and its getting worse, not better. Are there any at-home treatments that will make it less uncomfortable? ANSWER: Before you try any treatments, I recommend you first get a thorough evaluation from a health care provider who is familiar with burning mouth syndrome. Its important to rule out underlying medical conditions that could be contributing to your symptoms. Then, if the condition truly is burning mouth syndrome, a wide variety of treatment options are available, including self-care steps that may reduce discomfort. Burning mouth syndrome is a persistent feeling of burning in the mouth that is not due to mouth abnormalities or other health issues. About 2% of the population is affected by it. The burning sensation often is felt on the tip, sides and top of the tongue; the roof of the mouth; and the inside of the lips. However, it may occur anywhere in the mouth. It also can cause you to experience a bitter or metallic taste, as well as tingling, stinging or numbness. These symptoms may come and go, increase gradually as the day wears on, or be constant. Some people have the feeling of dry mouth. Burning mouth syndrome that cant be linked to an underlying medical condition is referred to as primary burning mouth syndrome. This is thought to be caused by dysfunction of the nerves that control pain and taste. Secondary burning mouth syndrome means your health care provider has found an underlying cause of your discomfort. Some of the potential triggers of burning mouth syndrome include hormonal changes, dry mouth, and nutritional deficiencies especially vitamin B deficiency. But it also can be caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease; allergies; or reactions to foods, flavorings, fragrances or dyes. Psychological factors, such as anxiety, depression or stress, and some oral habits, such as tongue thrusting, biting the tip of your tongue and grinding your teeth, also can contribute to discomfort. Many medications can cause dry mouth. That, in turn, can lead to a burning feeling. For example, dry mouth is often a side effect of antihistamines, diuretics and tricyclics. If a medication is suspected to be the cause of your symptoms, your health care provider may be able to recommend an alternative. If you have secondary burning mouth syndrome, treating the underlying cause should eliminate or at least greatly reduce symptoms. Effectively treating primary burning mouth syndrome is more complicated. Research has yet to prove or disprove the effectiveness of available treatments. Still, that doesnt mean these treatments cant provide relief. Although there is no cure for burning mouth syndrome, there are treatments that may reduce your symptoms and make the condition easier to handle. First, you can try a number of self-care steps at home. They include using mild toothpaste, sipping water throughout the day, chewing sugarless gum, sucking on sugarless candy and avoiding mouthwash. You also may want to try over-the-counter products intended for dry mouth relief, as they also can help ease burning mouth syndrome. In addition, you should avoid spicy foods and carbonated beverages. They can make burning mouth syndrome worse. Acidic foods also may aggravate your symptoms. These include foods that are tomato-based or vinegar-based, as well as citrus fruits and foods that contain citric acid. Some people with burning mouth syndrome find it helpful to avoid chocolate, too. Your health care provider also may recommend a prescription medication that may help with burning mouth syndrome. Options include topical medications that are used just in the mouth, as well as medications taken in pill form. Both can help with pain relief. An approach to managing painful chronic conditions called cognitive behavioral therapy can be useful for people with burning mouth syndrome. This involves working with pain management specialists to learn techniques that help make daily pain less disruptive. Although symptom improvement may be gradual, one-half to two-thirds of people with burning mouth syndrome notice at least some improvement in their symptoms within a few months of treatment. Work with your health care provider, who can help you develop a treatment plan to minimize your symptoms and control burning mouth syndrome. Rochelle Torgerson, M.D., Ph.D., Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesnt replace regular medical care. E-mail a question to MayoClinicQ&A@mayo.edu. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.org.) Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 'It is right that we review and we interpret what is there,' is Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle's opinion about those statues in Parliament that some people might consider to be 'offensive'. But Labour MPs jumping on the bandwagon should be careful. A large bust of their party's founder, Keir Hardie, adorns the corridors of power, but does he pass the woke test? In 1887, Hardie railed against Russian immigrants, contemptuously arguing that they either 'teach men how to live on garlic and oil, or introduce the Black Death'. In 1887, Labour founder Keir Hardie railed against Russian immigrants, contemptuously arguing that they either 'teach men how to live on garlic and oil, or introduce the Black Death' 'It is right that we review and we interpret what is there,' is Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle's (pictured) opinion about those statues in Parliament that some people might consider to be 'offensive' In another unbrotherly rant, he claimed immigrants were 'a batch of men sent from their homes into our midst for the purpose of bringing you down, if possible, to their level', also noting their 'filthy habits'. In the same vein, he said: 'It would be much better if foreigners be kept out. Dr Johnson said, 'God made Scotland for Scotchmen', and I would keep it so.' And Hardie's party newspaper antisemitically stated: 'Wherever there is trouble in Europe you may be sure that a hooked-nosed Rothschild is at his games somewhere near the region of the disturbances.' Is it time for Hardie to fall? Obviously awkward for Sir Keir Starmer, whose parents named him after the Labour founder. Tricky, too, for ubiquitous Leftie smarty-pants Owen Jones, whose cat is called Keir. The bubbles burst for Sadiq's man With staff at London's City Hall struggling to deal with police officers being attacked, social unrest on the streets, knife crime cases soaring daily and let's not forget an ongoing pandemic, was it really wise for Mayor Sadiq Khan's deputy, Rajesh Agrawal, to plaster photos of himself quaffing champagne all over social media last week? 'It's good to see where Sadiq and team's priorities lie,' says a source close to Tory mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey. Mayor Sadiq Khan's deputy, Rajesh Agrawal (pictured), plastered photos of himself quaffing champagne all over social media last week By Trudy Rubin What began in Minneapolis with the murder of George Floyd did not remain in America. His death has not only shaken this country but has reverberated far beyond U.S. shores. And I'm not just referring to demonstrations from London to Berlin to Chile to Lebanon, Syria, and beyond protesting racism and inequality in America and within their own countries. America's allies and enemies are closely watching how well the United States handles the mass political protests for racial justice as well as a continuing COVID-19 debacle. Until the last few days, the imagery provided rich fodder for Russian and Chinese propaganda (ignoring their own racism and coronavirus failures). "The example the United States sets at home and the image it projects abroad can either magnify American power or detract from it," wrote Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, in a trenchant essay published last week in Foreign Affairs. If other nations were only observing President Donald Trump's political efforts to stoke racial division, they could rightly assume that America had lost any allure as a democratic role model. They might conclude that the U.S. had become so dysfunctional, it could no longer provide an effective bulwark against Russian mischief or Chinese aggression. Yet, there are positive signs in recent days that America is getting its democratic mojo back. Before getting to the good news, it is important to understand the damage done to America's image by Trump's handling of the coronavirus crisis and by scenes of police violence against protesters. The president's slow response to COVID-19 and foot dragging on testing undermined the onetime U.S. image of competence and technological prowess. As Asia moves back to normality and European nations emerge from lockdown, most with stable or declining caseloads or even defeat of the virus, U.S. caseloads and deaths continue to rise even before a feared fall resurgence. At the present rate, some epidemiologists predict the U.S. could reach a total of 200,000 deaths by fall. What astonishes foreign observers is the continued White House refusal to devise and promote a national strategy for testing and contact tracing, unlike every other industrialized country. States and cities can't do it by themselves. And around the country contrary to Trump's lies nursing homes and front-line workers still often lack equipment, or tests, or the means to pay for tests. Yet the president has silenced his scientific advisers, pretends all is well and publicly invites disdain for masking and social distancing, which are critical for reopening. This will deeply undercut any economic revival. America the incompetent has become the new image of the U.S. in the coronavirus era. Until a vaccination is found, this country will pay for Trump's mistakes in American lives and lost reputation. Of course, as the world has observed, that indifference to lives, in this case black lives, has also been the hallmark of Trump's response to George Floyd's murder. The president's refusal to address a wounded country on race and police, his indifference to Floyd's family, his unwillingness to meet with black leaders, are all pure Trump. So is his decision to hold his first open political rally after the pandemic began in Tulsa, Okla., the site of a horrific massacre of black Americans 99 years ago. And what is the world to make of Trump's tweet promoting a conspiracy theory that the 75-year-old peaceful demonstrator knocked to the pavement and grievously injured by Buffalo, N.Y., police was really an extremist provocateur? This is total fabrication. Meantime, foreign allies and enemies alike can watch the video of a gray-haired senior lying bleeding from the head as police march by. What makes this kind of tweet even more egregious is Trump's gift to Russian and Chinese propagandists. The president cited as his source a tiny fringe news network he promotes, known as OANN. But the Russian-born "reporter" who narrated the segment previously worked for the Kremlin-controlled Russian news network Sputnik, which puts the worst face on U.S. news. So where do I find my optimism that America may be regaining its democratic mojo? First, in the overwhelming public support shown by polls for two weeks of multiracial demonstrations for racial justice, which after a violent start have been impressively peaceful. Second, in the strong stance by the Pentagon, including many top retired brass and now the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark A. Milley, in rejecting the president's efforts to use the military for political purposes. Milley apologized Thursday for appearing alongside Trump in Lafayette Square. Third, in the swift movement of many cities toward restructuring police departments and regulations, as well as a start to congressional efforts on legislation to curb police violence. While Democrats are in the forefront, even some GOP legislators understand the risk of standing still as the president pulls the country backwards. If, at this historic moment, the country can make real strides towards racial justice despite Trump, it will demonstrate to the world that America's innate democratic strengths remain despite his efforts to shred them. And it will provide impetus toward a change in the White House in the fall. Trudy Rubin (trubin@phillynews.com) is a columnist and editorial-board member for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Her commentary was distributed by Tribune Content Agency. Navi Mumbai Police will soon launch a phone application for its personnel to monitor their health on a regular basis. Police commissioner Sanjay Kumar confirmed the development and said every staff member will update their health on the app when it goes live. The applications need was felt to keep the constabulary staffs health in mind. As they interact the most with the public, they are largely at risk even as precautions are put in place for their safety. Around 45 police personnel have been infected with Covid-19 in line of duty until Sunday. The application will be used by everyone including the constabulary staff and officers alike. On the app, the staff will update their temperature and oxygen levels. We will launch a dashboard which I will monitor along with the deputy commissioners of police, said Kumar. Officials said the application may help them detect symptoms of flu on a timely basis and prevent any accidental spread of the virus in case someone is infected. The police have also provided oximeters and temperature screening devices across 20 police stations in the city. Dashboard to update beds launched The Navi Mumbai municipal corporation recently launched a dashboard to update the beds available at Covid-19 hospitals in the city. The dashboard, which can be accessed on www.nmmccovid19.in also shows the list of confirmed positive cases along with active and cured cases and number of deaths. The dashboard is equipped with details of 17 Covid Care Center (CCC), seven Dedicated Covid Health Center (DCHC) and eight Dedicated Covid Hospital (DCH) with the number of beds available at each facility. Currently, the functional CCCs have a total of 4,706 beds, DCHCs have 1,685 beds while DCHs have 852 beds. The link also shows how many beds are available at each facility. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Trenton Diocese That was a shocking story about at least 10 sexual abuse lawsuits filed against the Diocese of Trenton. The accusers are reported to be seeking damages, in the aggregate, in the neighborhood of $50 million. This is certainly a sad day for the Catholic Church, as there appears to be no end to sexual abuse cases affecting Catholic dioceses across the United States, and around the world. While it is possible that settlements will be reached to prevent the 10 cases from going to court, one thing is clear the amount of each settlement is very likely to be staggering. On top of that, which your story did not mention, the Trenton diocese has probably already spent a fortune in legal fees. Hamilton Reader Sad day for the Catholic Church? How about its a sad life for all of those survivors of child sexual assault. No amount of money is going to make those people okay. The amount theyve spent on legal fees is something they wont disclose and since they are not a government agency, we cant just OPRA that. Also, it would be a lot lot less if they had done the responsible thing and turned pedophile priests in to face charges instead of transferring them and pretending the problem didnt exist. Ed Note Shopping help I would like to know if you or someone can tell me where I could buy an oral thermometer. I havent been able to get one month in month. So I was wondering maybe you know, you were some of your readers knew where I could buy one an oral thermometer. A reader I dont know about stock at the local pharmacies, but I checked a couple of places online and you could have one delivered in a couple of days from most of them. Ed Note Advertisement While most of the world has been focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, the White Island volcano disaster continues to consume the lives of everyone who survived. Horrific burns and the loss of loved ones mean the events of December 9, 2019, will forever live with those who were lucky enough to make it out alive. The eruption - which happened off the coast of Whakatane on New Zealand's North Island - saw tourists trapped on the island, unable to outrun the plumes of acidic gas and ash that surrounded them. When the volcano erupted there were 47 people on the island. Only 26 would survive the blast. Some saw their entire families wiped out, others suffered excruciating burns to nearly all of their bodies and many have undergone dozens of surgeries or spent time in comas. More than six months on, these are the stories of the White Island survivors. The White Island volcano erupted on December 9, 2019, with 47 people trapped on the island. The disaster would claim the lives of 21 people Stephanie Browitt (left) survived the White Island disaster, but her sister Krystal (right) and their father Paul were both killed instantly After more than six months of treatment in hospital Stephanie, 23, returned home last month to the excitement of her much loved pet dog STEPHANIE BROWITT Stephanie Browitt's return home from hospital last month was a bitter sweet moment for her and her mother. While it was a major step in the 23-year-old's recovery, it was a tough reminder that the home she once knew will never be again. The volcano eruption not only left her with third-degree burns to 70 per cent of her body and without part of her fingers, but it also claimed the lives of her father and younger sister. Krystal Browitt, 21, was killed in the blast, while her father Paul died of his injuries in hospital. In an emotional post on the day she returned home, Stephanie told her friends and family how she wished she could have been with her father and sister in their last moments. The volcano eruption not only left her with third-degree burns to 70 per cent of her body but also without part of her fingers Stephanie Browitt (left, right), 23, told friends earlier this month that time has not made the White Island volcano eruption any easier 'Honestly, every time it's the ninth of each month I can feel my heart racing and my body tense as the memory of it floods back in my mind,' she wrote on Instagram. 'I get anxious. I hate it so much, it does not get easier. It just hurts more and more when I think about how much time has passed since I was last with my dad and sister. 'My heart hurts and aches for them everyday. Six months already and it still feels like it happened just yesterday. Time feels weird now. I just hope every other victim and myself "manage", because that's all we can do.' IVY AND RICK REED The ability to open a two-litre bottle of soft drink was a momentous occasion for Rick and Ivy Reed on their road to recovery. The American couple's injuries were so severe they remained in New Zealand for two months before doctors deemed them stable enough to journey back to the U.S. The ability to open a two-litre bottle of soft drink was a momentous occasion for Rick and Ivy Reed on their road to recovery Six months on from the disaster, Mr and Mrs Reed provided an update on their lives to the hundreds of donors who helped raise $41,000 through a GoFundMe page. They told how with summer in the U.S approaching they need to be careful in the sun, with the burns making their skin extra susceptible to UV. 'The events of that day still feel unreal, yet the effects of that day are felt daily,' they said. 'People talk about a new normal after catastrophic events happen. I can't say we have adapted to the new normal, I can say we have made adjustments where necessary and we are working through OT, PT, therapy and upcoming surgery to make the very best of our situation.' Just minutes before the volcano erupted the couple had smiled happily for a camera, excited about the adventure they were set to embark on. Mrs Reed posted that photo to Instagram not long after she and her husband were released from hospital, titling it: 'The moment our lives changed forever'. 'It takes a lot for me to cry, but the outpouring of support from around the world has had me shedding a lot of tears,' she said. The American couple's injuries were so severe they remained in New Zealand for two months before doctors deemed them stable enough to journey back to the U.S Jesse Langford (front) was the only member of his family to survive the White Island tragedy. He watched on from his hospital bed as his parents Anthony and Kristine, and sister Winona, were laid to rest in January JESSE LANGFORD As his mother, father and younger sister were laid to rest, Jesse Langford watched on from his hospital bed. The 19-year-old suffered burns to the majority of his body, but was somehow the only member of his family to survive the disaster. As more than 700 people packed into a Sydney school hall to farewell Anthony, 51, Kristine, 46, and Winona Langford, 17, a eulogy written by brave Jesse was read out. Winona, whose body was never recovered and is believed to have been washed out to sea, was remembered as a vibrant teen with a love for music and animals. 'She was a member of the (Willoughby Girls High) school band and played the flute, taking huge delight when the band toured the USA in 2016,' the memorial booklet at the funeral read. Those gathered heard how Kristine and Anthony - who had booked the cruise for Mr Langford's birthday - were loving and dedicated parents to their two children. Jesse has been released from the burns ward but requires regular treatment at Royal North Shore Hospital. Jesse (back) with his father Anthony (left) and sister Winona (right), whose body was never recovered from the island A memorial service for Anthony, Kristine and Winona Langford was held in Sydney in January Mourners embrace during the memorial service at Marist College North Shore JAKE MILLBANK Teenage tour guide Jake Millbank was finally released from hospital in April, after 25 surgeries and two weeks in a coma. Having bared the brunt of the 300C gas that erupted from the volcano Mr Millbank said it was the things he had once taken for granted that were now most special to him. While he can't raise his arms over his head or touch the ground his parents and sister have been by his side to support him throughout his recovery. White Island tour guide Jake Milbank spent four months in hospital after the devastating eruption, including two weeks in a coma, with burns to 80 per cent of his body Mr Milbank in happier times inside the crater of the White Island volcano before the eruption 'Things like putting your socks on and off, you don't think of that being a very big thing until you can't do it,' he told Newshub. 'Having to have someone else there to put your shoes on and off is a lot different to what you're used to.' Mr Milbank was rescued on tour boat The Phoenix after the eruption and remembers concentrating on staying awake to keep himself alive on the journey to the mainland. He said he remembers 'basically everything' from getting to the wharf in Whakatane. 'Of course I was frightened a little bit... but it all came down to that fight or flight kind of thing,' he said. 'You know what you've got to do to survive and that was all I was really thinking about doing at the time.' Mr Millbank said he remembers 'basically everything' beginning from the time he arrived back on the wharf in Whakatane KELSEY WAGHORN Kelsey Waghorn was wearing only a t-shirt, shorts and hiking boots when the plumes of skin searing gas and ash began raining down across White Island. After being carried from the island by rescuers she spent 65 days in hospital - five of those in a coma - and required 14 different surgeries. During those operations Ms Waghorn, 26, required 28 blood transfusions. In total, the White Island survivors have so far received blood from 751 donors, and it is those people - as well as the first responders - who she credits with saving her life. 'I want to say a heartfelt thank you to all blood donors you saved my life', Ms Waghorn told The New Zealand Herald. After being carried from the island by rescuers, Kelsey Waghorn (pictured) spent 65 days in hospital - five of those in a coma - and required 14 different surgeries Ms Waghorn this week thanked the blood donors who helped her survive during the months of treatment she required 'I'm only here today because of their selfless act of donating. I'll always be thankful to everyone who dropped what they were doing to "just donate blood". 'It means so much more to the people who need it, and their loved ones, than I think anyone else realises.' MATT AND LAUREN UREY It should have been the happiest time of their lives, but Matt and Lauren Urey's honeymoon turned to disaster on December 9. The American couple were with a tour group exploring the island when ash silently mushroomed from the volcano's crater. Matt and Lauren Urey's honeymoon turned to disaster on December 9 when they were on the island when the volcano erupted As they huddled behind a rock in the hope it would provide shelter, the couple could feel their skin 'peeling' off (pictured ) Within seconds the couple were fleeing for their lives. As ash and debris rained down, Ms Urey gripped her husband's hand and told him she loved him. She admits she thought they would die. As they huddled behind a rock in the hope it would provide shelter, the couple could feel their skin 'peeling' off. 'It was the darkest, most terrifying thing I've ever seen in my life. You couldn't see your hand in front of your face,' Mr Urey told Nine News. 'You could just feel your skin burning, sizzling. You could feel rocks pelting down on your hard hat. 'If I grabbed something, my hand just slid off because my skin was peeling off.' Lisa Dallow, 48, (centre) survived the eruption but her husband Gavin, 53, (left) and daughter Zoe Hosking, 15, (right) never made it off White Island alive on December 9 LISA DALLOW After two months in a coma, Lisa Dallow woke to the horrible news that her daughter and husband were dead. The 48-year-old blacked out shortly after the eruption and was placed in an induced coma, before being eventually transported to The Alfred hospital in Melbourne. Her husband Gavin, 53, and daughter Zoe Hosking, 15, were killed on the island. 'It took a while for it to sink in and then she just kept saying she cant believe they had died,' a family spokesperson said in the days after Mrs Dallow woke up. Mrs Dallow can only remember flashes of the horrifying day. 'She remembers it exploding and then telling everyone to run,' a close friend said in the aftermath. 'She then recalled how rocks were falling everywhere and hitting her on the back.' Ms Dallow missed her husband's funeral as she was in an induced coma in hospital recovering from her injuries Gavin Dallow, 53, (left) and his step-daughter, 15-year-old Zoe Hosking, (right) died when the volcano erupted on White Island in December John Cozad (right) managed to make it off White Island alive, but his son Chris was killed in the eruption. Mr Cozad's wife Beverley - who chose not to go on the tour - had not idea what had occurred until she received a call from her daughter back in Australia asking if everyone was OK Mr and Mrs Cozad's son Chris (pictured) did not survive JOHN COZAD Tragedy also struck for John Cozad, who managed to make it off White Island alive but lost his son Chris in the process. Luckily, his wife Beverley had chosen not to go on the tour, and instead shopped on the main island. Incredibly Mrs Cozad had no idea what had happened until she received a call from her daughter back in Australia, asking if everyone was OK. 'It all went downhill from there,' Mrs Cozad told The Canberra Times. 'We didn't know who'd been involved. We just didn't know. We didn't know anything. Just that they hadn't come back.' Over the months that followed the Cozad family were faced with the grim reality of having to farewell their son Chris, while still not knowing if Mr Cozad would survive. Thankfully the 72-year-old was transported from intensive care to the burns unit in January - a major step on his way to recovery. Education experts have warned against the expansion of student loans to the vocational education and training sector, saying it would saddle many poorer students with a lifetime of debt. The federal government is considering Productivity Commission proposals that include expanding student loans. The commission acknowledged exploitation of the VET Fee-Help scheme by some unscrupulous private providers but proposed tighter regulation to safeguard students. Richard Bell was among vulnerable students in Sydney who unwittingly signed up for student loans they could not afford to repay. Credit:Kate Geraghty Education policy researcher Peter Hurley from the Mitchell Institute at Victoria University said the commission had presented student loans as a way to make the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system more efficient and provide more choice for students. "But there is a big difference between the type of students you have in the VET sector versus those in universities," he said. "They often end up in jobs that don't pay as much, or that have lower socio- economic status, so the idea of an income-contingent loan is problematic because you might just be consigning them to debt that they may not be able to pay back. Getting online quotes and comparing prices is the only way to ensure that you still pay a fair amount of money on car insurance, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. Compare-autoinsurance.org has released a new blog post that explains 3 surprising reasons why some people pay really expensive car insurance premiums. There are huge discrepancies between car insurance costs, based on the risk group one person may be placed. While it makes sense to have the costs influenced by driving experience, age, driving history, and car model, some factors may be quite surprising. For more info about this topic, check https://compare-autoinsurance.org/why-does-my-car-insurance-cost-a-fortune/ Bad credit score. At first glance, a persons creditworthiness should not affect how much he or she pays for car insurance. Under the FICO credit system, a person has a poor score if the score is below 580. A person with a bad repayment history is considered high-risk for insurance companies. That person is more likely to miss payments or drop coverage mid-term. Creating car insurance lapses will negatively impact the insurability score. If possible, improve the credit score using one-time payments, keeping a low credit utilization rate and balance transfer credit cards. Always talk with an expert about this delicate matter. Small or inexistent loyalty bonuses. Loyalty should be a top focus for many companies. Many companies offer really tempting incentives to their safe drivers, in order to keep them loyal. These come usually under the form of a generous discount. However, there are companies that offer really small discounts or they do not offer at all. In this case, staying with the same carrier will damage the policyholders budget in the long term. Price optimization. This is another prime example when loyalty hurts the policyholders finances. Some companies practice this so-called price optimization. They gradually increase a policyholders premium upon renewal because that person is less likely to check the insurance market and switch carriers. 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. For more information and free quotes, please visit http://compare-autoinsurance.org Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter, and mainstream media are falling all over themselves with censorship and spin jobs to get the narrative back under control as mass protests continue to sweep across America. In 2017, representatives of Facebook, Twitter, and Google were instructed in a US Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that it is their responsibility to quell information rebellions and adopt a mission statement expressing their commitment to prevent the fomenting of discord. Civil wars dont start with gunshots, they start with words, the representatives were told by cold warrior think tank denizen Clint Watts. Americas war with itself has already begun. We all must act now on the social media battlefield to quell information rebellions that can quickly lead to violent confrontations and easily transform us into the Divided States of America. Stopping the false information artillery barrage landing on social media users comes only when those outlets distributing bogus stories are silenced silence the guns and the barrage will end, Watts added. Those words rattle around in the memory now as America burns with nationwide protests demanding an end to the police state, and as narrative control operations ramp up with frantic urgency. Wikipedia formally censors The Grayzone as regime-change advocates monopolize editing@BenjaminNorton on how a cabal of editors got us listed as a "deprecated source" entirely on the basis of our political views and in violation of Wikipedia guidelines https://t.co/GlO7bvATgk The Grayzone (@TheGrayzoneNews) June 11, 2020 The Grayzone reports that it has been blacklisted as a source on Wikipedia following a concerted campaign by a suspicious-looking group of editor accounts, many of whom appear to have ties to the right-wing opposition in Venezuela. Wikipedia, whose co-founder once told the US Senate that the online encyclopedia project may be helpful to government operations and homeland security, has added The Grayzone to a very short list of outlets that are never to be used under any circumstances, claiming on apparently no basis whatsoever that it publishes false information. In fact, in its more than four years of existence, including its first two years hosted at the website AlterNet (whose use is not forbidden on Wikipedia), The Grayzone has never had to issue a major correction or retract a story, Grayzones Ben Norton says in its report on the matter. Norton documents how the Wikipedia editors are unable to cite any actual false information in any of the outlets publications in their arguments, leaving only their objection that Grayzone doesnt parrot US government-approved narratives like The New York Times, Bellingcat, and Wikipedias other designated reliable sources. Norton also notes how Wikipedia has designated the leak publication outlet WikiLeaks an unreliable source despite its nearly 14-year record of authentic publications. Wikipedia designates WikiLeaks as generally unreliable, making the utterly baseless claim that there are concerns regarding whether the documents are genuine or tampered. The internet encyclopedia has become a deeply undemocratic platform, dominated by Western state-backed actors and corporate public relations flacks, easily manipulated by powerful forces. And it is run by figures who often represent these same elite interests, or align with their regime-change politics, Norton writes. Nortons breakdown of the ways Wikipedia is slanted to consistently favor pro-establishment narratives is comprehensive, and well worth reading in its entirety. This short Mintpress News article by Alan MacLeod on the way this same monopolistic editing dynamic has seen Mintpress, teleSur English, and Venezuela Analysis blacklisted from Wikipedia in the same way is also worth a look. Wow. Twitter deleted 170,000 accounts for "spreading narratives favorable to the Communist Party of China". To identify accounts, Twitter "worked with" @ASPI_org a "think tank" funded by the US and Australian governments + numerous weapons manufacturers.https://t.co/8Ocy43yTaK Ajit Singh (@ajitxsingh) June 12, 2020 Facebooks new double standard, a clear sign who calls the shots (US government). They added labels on Chinese and Russian funded media as state-controlled (which isnt accurate) but no label on British & US funded media like BBC and Radio Free Europe. So fair. pic.twitter.com/gSYiU1LeFM Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) June 11, 2020 This all comes out as we learn that Facebook is attaching warning labels to posts from outlets sponsored by governments which have not been absorbed into the US-centralized empire like RT and CGTN, but attaching no such label to outlets funded by imperial governments like BBC and Radio Free Europe. There is not any discernible difference in the degree of bias shown in state media from unabsorbed nations like Russia and China than there is in state media from the US and UK (or oligarchic media from the US and UK for that matter), but Facebook causes its 2.6 billion active users to look at one with suspicion but not the other. This also comes out at the same time we learn that Twitter has deleted over 170,000 accounts for spreading geopolitical narratives favorable to the Communist Party of China. CNN reports (in an article which also cites the analysis of the scandal-ridden narrative manager Renee DiResta) that the accounts were determined to be tied to the Chinese government by experts who we learn later in the article are none other than the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), a think tank geared explicitly toward fomenting anti-China sentiment in Australia. Former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr has slammed ASPI for pushing a one-sided, pro-American view of the world, while the former Australian ambassador to China Geoff Raby added that ASPI is the architect of the China threat theory in Australia, journalist Ajit Singh noted on Twitter, adding, Australian Senator Kim Carr has slammed ASPI for seeking to promote a new cold war with China in collaboration with the US. In February, Carr highlighted that ASPI received $450,000 funding from the US State Department in 201920. This blatant imperialist narrative manipulation operation are the experts Twitter consulted in determining which accounts were tied to the Chinese government and therefore needed to be silenced. Twitter meanwhile continues to allow known fake accounts like the MEK propaganda operation Heshmat Alavi to continue inauthentically posing as real people, even when their propaganda is publicized by the President of the United States, because such accounts toe the imperialist line against empire-targeted governments. This pro-imperialism slant is standard for all Silicon Valley tech giants. Donald Trump just quoted an account belonging to a fake persona made up by the MEK terrorist group (https://t.co/c3O0D4Wxtm) in a tweet. 2020 is amazing. https://t.co/KzLHUXLNhZ Ali Ahmadi (@AliAhmadi_Iran) April 22, 2020 America's foreign adversaries have flooded social media with content meant to show division and discord in the wake of George Floyd's death, according to U.S. government intelligence bulletin obtained by @ABC News. https://t.co/To79ais0dT ABC News (@ABC) June 11, 2020 This also comes out at the same time the mass media are warning us that Russia, China and Iran are employing state media, proxy outlets, and social media accounts to amplify criticism of the United States related to the death of George Floyd and subsequent events. As protesters hit the streets in cities across the country, Americas foreign adversaries have flooded social media with content meant to sow division and discord in the wake of George Floyds death, according to a U.S. government intelligence bulletin obtained by ABC News, we are told by the Disney-owned ABC. These actors criticize the United States as hypocritical, corrupt, undemocratic, racist, guilty of human rights abuses and on the verge of collapsing, the bulletin reads, which to anyone whos been paying attention is obviously true. This is a news story about people from other countries saying true things about the United States of America. This is yet another indicator that Russia is using the combination of overt propaganda and covertly disseminated disinformation to sow discord across our populace, expand the cracks in our society, and undermine the credibility of the U.S. government, former senior Department of Homeland Security official and current ABC News contributor John Cohen informs us. Ahh, okay. Cool. Thank you for the information, former senior Department of Homeland Security official and current ABC News contributor John Cohen. Man it sure is a good thing America doesnt have state media. Think about how bad the disinformation would be. Civil wars dont start with gunshots, they start with words social media companies will be first battlefield between Americans before spilling onto our streets. We must address #TechHearing #Senate https://t.co/XxsX9dtNYO pic.twitter.com/vnwpErlymi Clint Watts (@selectedwisdom) November 1, 2017 Social media outlets were told that they need to censor their platforms to prevent the fomenting of discord, but obviously they didnt move quickly enough, because the discord has been well and truly fomented. And now they are in a mad scramble to prevent Americans from hearing what people in foreign nations have to say about that, still apparently laboring under the delusion that this is anything other than homegrown, purebred, cornfed, American-as-apple-pie discord. The most distinctive feature of the last four years has been expanding consciousness. Expanding consciousness of media corruption, of DNC corruption, of government corruption, of the excessive amount of power wielded by the US presidency and the absurd esteem people used to have for that position, of the abuse of immigrants, of police militarization, of unhealed racial wounds, etc. This is encouraging, because you cant fix something you havent made conscious. This is true of our own unresolved psychological issues, and its true of our unresolved collective issues as well. The first step toward a healthy world is expanded consciousness. This is why increasing government opacity, internet censorship, and the war on journalism are so dangerous. Corruption and abuse thrive in darkness, and corrupt abusers want to keep that darkness intact. They want to keep things as unconscious as possible. Its beginning to look like that cats out of the bag, though, and I would be very surprised if they ever manage to get that sucker back in there. What an exciting time to be alive. * * * 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 tip jar 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 Children of parents suffering from mental illness have a higher risk of suffering physical abuse than other children, according to a study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. gettyimagesbank By Bahk Eun-ji When a woman found a nine-year-old girl at around 6:20 p.m. on the street in Changnyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, May 29, the girl had severe wounds such as bruises around her eyes and blisters on her fingers. Some of her fingernails were missing, and there were cuts on her head. It was also reported that the girl was wearing thin pajamas and large slippers that adults would wear. The woman immediately contacted the police when the girl showed her burned hand to the woman, saying "My father put my hands on a frying pan to remove my fingerprints so that police cannot bring me back when I run away from home." "It was because my daughter didn't listen to me," the stepfather said during a police investigation, admitting to some of the abuse, but denying habitual violence. The girl has been hospitalized and treated at a hospital in the province and is under the protection of a child shelter. It was later revealed that the girl's mother had been receiving treatment for schizophrenia at a neuropsychiatry clinic since 2016, but had stopped taking her medication for the past year. Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe mental disorder in which hallucinations, delusions, and behavioral abnormalities occur. It affects the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality, and relates to others. Patients may experience fear and paranoia, and can appear to have lost touch with reality. While the disease can't be cured it can be controlled with proper treatment. Research findings announced by the College of Pharmacy at Yeungnam University noted that schizophrenia is known to be the most extreme of all mental illnesses and often leads to serious obstacles and risks in daily life. It is estimated that 0.3 to 0.7 percent of the world's population is affected by schizophrenia. According to statistics of the World Health Organization (WHO), the lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia is generally reported to affect around 1 percent of the world's population. Other data from Statistics Korea indicated that the lifetime prevalence rate of schizophrenia in both men and women in Korea stood at around 0.5 percent in 2016. Impact on children According to a study published by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, parental mental illness is associated with an increased risk of injury among children up to 17 years of age with risks peaking during the first year of life. The findings highlight the need for parents with mental illness to receive extra support around child injury prevention measures as well as early treatment of mental illness among expecting parents. Their findings are based on 1,542,000 children born in Sweden between 1996 and 2011 to 893,334 mothers and 873,935 fathers. "Our results show there is a need for increased support to parents with mental illness, especially during the first year of life," said Alicia Nevriana, PhD student at the Department of Global Public Health and the study's corresponding author. Stopping treatment causes symptoms to come back Medical experts say it was possible to fully predict the nine-year-old's case, considering the typical symptoms of schizophrenia, with a little attention paid by people surrounding her such as teachers, neighbors, doctors and public officers. "Patients with schizophrenia tend not to seek help from people around them and usually don't want to get treatment voluntarily," said Koh Young-hoon, a professor of psychiatry at Korea University Ansan Hospital. "Most patients stop treatment due to moving or financial difficulties, and those only worsen the disease," he said. According to the Changnyeong Police Station, the family of the nine-year-old had lived in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, before moving to Changnyeong in January this year. The biological mother had been suffering from schizophrenia, but she stopped treatment last year and her symptoms became more severe. Police said that the mother started to abuse her daughter when they moved to Changnyeong. Despite the tendency of violence in patients with schizophrenia, medical experts say the symptoms can be improved through treatment. Koh said the lack of understanding of schizophrenia and the indifference of people around them are the most serious causes of worsening symptoms. "Schizophrenic patients often stop treatment thinking they don't have mental problems. A major difference between schizophrenia and other mental illnesses is that schizophrenia patients have been found to have a higher overall mortality rate, two to three times as high as the general population, particularly when untreated." he said. At least two years of treatment are generally recommended after the first onset, and long-term maintenance is needed for at least five years if schizophrenic episodes recur. The expert also explained that prejudice toward the schizophrenic person from people around them makes it difficult to detect the illness early and get proper treatment. "It is not right to think that patients with the disease are very different from us or are strange people," said Ahn Seok-kyun, a professor of psychiatry at Severance Hospital. The pace of improvement in treatment varies from patient to patient, but with proper treatment, one-third could recover to near-daily levels, Ahn said. In addition to medication, rehabilitation treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, and occupational therapy are performed at the same time. "In order to treat schizophrenia, understanding from family and people around the patient is the most important thing," he said. "At first glance, patients seem to have lost their personality, but they have a lot of pain and frustration inside, so people around them need to understand this well and treat them with dedicated affection to improve their symptoms." (CNN) When the world looked to Asia for successful examples in handling the novel coronavirus outbreak, much attention and plaudits were paid to South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. But there's one overlooked success story -- Vietnam. The country of 97 million people has not reported a single coronavirus-related death and on Saturday had just 328 confirmed cases, despite its long border with China and the millions of Chinese visitors it receives each year. This is all the more remarkable considering Vietnam is a low-middle income country with a much less-advanced healthcare system than others in the region. It only has 8 doctors for every 10,000 people, a third of the ratio in South Korea, according to the World Bank. After a three-week nationwide lockdown, Vietnam lifted social distancing rules in late April. It hasn't reported any local infections for more than 40 days. Businesses and schools have reopened, and life is gradually returning to normal. To skeptics, Vietnam's official numbers may seem too good to be true. But Guy Thwaites, an infectious disease doctor who works in one of the main hospitals designated by the Vietnamese government to treat Covid-19 patients, said the numbers matched the reality on the ground. "I go to the wards every day, I know the cases, I know there has been no death," said Thwaites, who also heads the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Ho Chi Minh City. "If you had unreported or uncontrolled community transmission, then we'll be seeing cases in our hospital, people coming in with chest infections perhaps not diagnosed -- that has never happened," he said. So how has Vietnam seemingly bucked the global trend and largely escaped the scourge of the coronavirus? The answer, according to public health experts, lies in a combination of factors, from the government's swift, early response to prevent its spread, to rigorous contact-tracing and quarantining and effective public communication. Acting early Vietnam started preparing for a coronavirus outbreak weeks before its first case was detected. At the time, the Chinese authorities and the World Health Organization had both maintained that there was no "clear evidence'' for human-to-human transmission. But Vietnam was not taking any chances. "We were not only waiting for guidelines from WHO. We used the data we gathered from outside and inside (the country to) decide to take action early," said Pham Quang Thai, deputy head of the Infection Control Department at the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Hanoi. By early January, temperature screening was already in place for passengers arriving from Wuhan at Hanoi's international airport. Travelers found with a fever were isolated and closely monitored, the country's national broadcaster reported at the time. By mid-January, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam was ordering government agencies to take "drastic measures" to prevent the disease from spreading into Vietnam, strengthening medical quarantine at border gates, airports and seaports. On January 23, Vietnam confirmed its first two coronavirus cases -- a Chinese national living in Vietnam and his father, who had traveled from Wuhan to visit his son. The next day, Vietnam's aviation authorities canceled all flights to and from Wuhan. As the country celebrated the Lunar New Year holiday, its Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc declared war on the coronavirus. "Fighting this epidemic is like fighting the enemy," he said at an urgent Communist Party meeting on January 27. Three days later, he set up a national steering committee on controlling the outbreak -- the same day the WHO declared the coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern. On February 1, Vietnam declared a national epidemic -- with just six confirmed cases recorded across the country. All flights between Vietnam and China were halted, followed by the suspension of visas to Chinese citizens the next day. Over the course of the month, the travel restrictions, arrival quarantines and visa suspensions expanded in scope as the coronavirus spread beyond China to countries like South Korea, Iran and Italy. Vietnam eventually suspended entry to all foreigners in late March. Vietnam was also quick to take proactive lockdown measures. On February 12, it locked down an entire rural community of 10,000 people north of Hanoi for 20 days over seven coronavirus cases -- the first large-scale lockdown known outside China. Schools and universities, which had been scheduled to reopen in February after the Lunar New Year holiday, were ordered to remain closed, and only reopened in May. Thwaites, the infectious disease expert in Ho Chi Minh City, said the speed of Vietnam's response was the main reason behind its success. "Their actions in late January and early February were very much in advance of many other countries. And that was enormously helpful ... for them to be able to retain control," he said. Meticulous contact-tracing The decisive early actions effectively curbed community transmission and kept Vietnam's confirmed cases at just 16 by February 13. For three weeks, there were no new infections -- until the second wave hit in March, brought by Vietnamese returning from abroad. Authorities rigorously traced down the contacts of confirmed coronavirus patients and placed them in a mandatory two-week quarantine. "We have a very strong system: 63 provincial CDCs (centers for disease control), more than 700 district-level CDCs, and more than 11,000 commune health centers. All of them attribute to contact tracing," said doctor Pham with the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology. A confirmed coronavirus patient has to give health authorities an exhaustive list of all the people he or she has met in the past 14 days. Announcements are placed in newspapers and aired on television to inform the public of where and when a coronavirus patient has been, calling on people to go to health authorities for testing if they have also been there at the same time, Pham said. When the Bach Mai hospital in Hanoi, one of the biggest hospitals in Vietnam, became a coronavirus hotspot with dozens of cases in March, authorities imposed a lockdown on the facility and tracked down nearly 100,000 people related to the hospital, including medics, patients, visitors and their close contacts, according to Pham. "Using contact-tracing, we located almost everyone, and asked them to stay home and self quarantine, (and that) if they have any symptoms, they can visit the health centers for free testing," he said. Authorities also tested more than 15,000 people linked to the hospitals, including 1,000 health care workers. Vietnam's contact-tracing effort was so meticulous that it goes after not only the direct contacts of an infected person, but also indirect contacts. "That's one of the unique parts of their response. I don't think any country has done quarantine to that level," Thwaites said. All direct contacts were placed in government quarantine in health centers, hotels or military camps. Some indirect contacts were ordered to self isolate at home, according to a study of Vietnam's Covid-19 control measures by about 20 public health experts in the country. As of May 1, about 70,000 people had been quarantined in Vietnam's government facilities, while about 140,000 had undergone isolation at home or in hotels, the study said. The study also found that of the country's first 270 Covid-19 patients, 43 percent were asymptomatic cases -- which it said highlighted the value of strict contact-tracing and quarantine. If authorities had not proactively sought out people with infection risks, the virus could have quietly spread in communities days before being detected. Public communication and propaganda From the start, the Vietnamese government has communicated clearly with the public about the outbreak. Dedicated websites, telephone hotlines and phone apps were set up to update the public on the latest situations of the outbreak and medical advisories. The ministry of health also regularly sent out reminders to citizens via SMS messages. Pham said on a busy day, the national hotlines alone could receive 20,000 calls, not to count the hundreds of provincial and district-level hotlines. The country's massive propaganda apparatus was also mobilized, raising awareness of the outbreak through loudspeakers, street posters, the press and social media. In late February, the health ministry released a catchy music video based on a Vietnamese pop hit to teach people how to properly wash their hands and other hygiene measures during the outbreak. Known as the "hand-washing song," it immediately went viral, so far attracting more than 48 million views on Youtube. Thwaites said Vietnam's rich experience in dealing with infectious disease outbreaks, such as the SARS epidemic from 2002 to 2003 and the following avian influenza, had helped the government and the public to better prepare for the Covid-19 pandemic. "The population is much more respectful of infectious diseases than many perhaps more affluent countries or countries that don't see as much infectious disease -- Europe, the UK and the US for example," he said. "The country understands that these things need to be taken seriously and complies with guidance from the government on how to prevent the infection from spreading." This story was first published on CNN.com, "How Vietnam managed to keep its coronavirus death toll at zero." In another recording, Mr Somyurek said: Theyre all saying that Im going to kill people I did call in Robert Mitchell and told him that he needs to think about his future. I told Mitchell hes got to retire I said when are you going? In comments made after Mr Somyurek, as local government minister, sacked a council earlier this year, he boasted about removing Mr Hill from Parliament. Im looking forward to this, actually. In between sacking councils and stuff, Ill be sacking Julian, he said. Mr Somyurek claims he is "protecting" Labor MP Anthony Byrne, who he claims has a "terrible reputation". Credit:Alex Ellinghausen However, Mr Somyurek insists he is protecting Anthony Byrne, the member for Holt and deputy chair of the federal Parliaments Intelligence and Security Committee. Anthonys got a terrible reputation; everyone thinks hes a waste of space. I dont. I protect him. I had to stop articles talking about Anthony Byrne going. I said 'hes got my protection, hes going nowhere'. He boasts about toying with Ms Ryan, whom he is also trying to topple. "Shes [Joanne Ryan] always going on about me," Mr Somyurek said. The extensive recordings captured over a year raise serious questions about Mr Somyureks conduct and capture him boasting about his power within Labor and denigrating many state and federal colleagues, including Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. F--- the Premier, he said on one tape while in another he says he will be running Victoria if Mr Andrews steps down. I'll be just running the joint ... It's who I say is going to be the f---ing Premier. Mr Somyurek, the head of the moderates Labors dominant Right faction in Victoria has declined requests for an interview but emphatically denies he is involved in branch-stacking the unethical process of harvesting members among people who have no intention of joining a political party. Branch-stacking allows political powerbrokers to control the numbers in a grassroots branch, which help decide the candidacy of local federal and state members of Parliament. ALP rules prohibit the practice of paying for other peoples membership and require members to sign a form declaring they have paid for their membership. Im more powerful than all of them put together, he said in one tape, referring to other Labor powerbrokers. In another recording, he says, our people have been putting like industrial-scale numbers, you know, just f...ing masses for a year before describing plans to launch a big f...ing stackathon in Melbournes south-east. The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes have seen copies of the membership forms used by Mr Somyurek in his branch-stacking operations and have spoken to several of the new recruits. Some admitted they did not pay for their memberships while others were unable to name the premier of Victoria. Adem Somyurek is captured on covert recordings withdrawing wads of cash to pay for fake memberships. Credit:60 Minutes Mr Somyurek has also been captured on camera handing a folder containing $2000 and dozens of party membership forms to Nick McLennan, an adviser working for Marlene Kairouz, another Andrews government minister. Mr McLennan used the money Mr Somyurek withdrew from an ATM on May 13 to pay for new members. A month earlier, the pair made a similar cash drop-off. Mr Somyurek is captured on tape after the April 13 drop-off saying: Well if he [Mr McLennan] gets caught on the street he'd better not say he's doing f...ing this stuff. Mr McLennan declined to answer questions, while Ms Kairouz did not respond to questions about branch-stacking. Political staffers are funded by taxpayers and meant to assist MPs on policy, media or electorate work that benefits the community. The abuse of public resources for political purposes was made unlawful after the red shirts scandal that engulfed the Andrews government in 2015, leading to an ombudsman inquiry and police raids. Geoffrey Watson SC, a barrister and director of the Centre for Public Integrity, said using taxpayer-funded parliamentary staff to branch stack could be a criminal offence. If that was proved, it would be a strong case for criminal offences, and multiple criminal offences, Mr Watson said. I mean, it is a diversion of public money for an ulterior or improper motive and thats just misconduct in public office, a very serious offence which carries a hefty jail term, he said. Mr Somyurek was appointed Minister for Local Government by Mr Andrews in 2018 despite a patchy record. His previous stint in cabinet, in the first term of the Andrews government, was cut short in 2015 following an allegation of bullying when he was small business, innovation and trade minister. When he was a backbencher in 2009, he lost his job as chair of the Electoral Matters Committee for a driving offence. Paying for fake members to branch-stack is a "horrible, dirty tactic", former Labor Senator Sam Dastyari says. Credit:James Brickwood Former NSW senator Sam Dastyari said the incentive to recruit a legion of members was very high, and described the practice of paying for other peoples membership as a horrible, dirty tactic. The stakes, when it comes to winning in a Labor Party, are incredibly high, Mr Dastyari said. Youre talking about seats in federal Parliament, seats in state Parliament, who the local mayors going to be, premiers, prime ministers the stakes couldnt be higher. And when the stakes are that high there is always going to be a perverse incentive, pushing people to go too far. Mr Somyurek has boasted about his influence in federal Parliament and is dismissive of Mr Albanese's authority. "I'm having discussions with people who are close to Albo," Mr Somyurek said. "Who's going to protect Albo?" Former prime minister Kevin Rudd said Mr Somyurek was a kingpin and Frankenstein of the ALP and called on Mr Albanese and Mr Andrews to expel him from the party if he was shown to be involved in misconduct. NYPD officers block the entrance of the Manhattan Bridge in New York City on June 2, 2020. (Scott Heins/Getty Images) Hundreds of Officers Injured Amid Weeks of Rioting, Police Union Says More than 700 officers in 25 states were attacked, most of them likely injured, amid riots across the nation over the past few weeks, according to an incomplete tally by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the countrys largest police union. Most of the attacks involved rioters throwing bricks and rocks at officers, while officers were hit with bats or had Molotov cocktails thrown at them. At least nine officers were shot, one fatally, and one stabbed and slashed, according to the tally. The motive in the fatal shooting remains unclear and may not be related to the riots. The riots broke out after a black man, George Floyd, died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes while Floyd was handcuffed on the ground. Despite a quick arrest of the officer and pending second-degree murder charge, the incident sparked widespread protests that have, in many cases, turned violent, including many instances of arson and looting. The FBI and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have placed the brunt of the blame for the violence on anarcho-communist group Antifa, though Attorney General William Barr said theres a witchs brew of extremist groups that are trying to exploit this situation on all sides. At least 81 people have been charged with federal crimes as of June 12 since late May, when the protests began, The Epoch Times learned. About 40 were arrested for committing acts of violence including using Molotov cocktails, setting fires, damaging property, and looting. The New York City Police Department (NYPD), the nations largest municipal department, had nearly 200 officers injured. The Chicago Police Department, the second-largest, had over 130 injured. The most serious officer injury directly related to the protests may be the shooting of Shay Mikalonis, 29, on June 1 in Las Vegas. The bullet struck him in the back of the head, paralyzing him from neck down, his family said. Edgar Samaniego, 20, was charged with attempted murder of Mikalonis along with other crimes. A police video shows him, walking by, taking out a gun and firing at officers, a judge handling the case said at a June 5 hearing, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Two lawyers were charged with allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at an empty NYPD vehicle. They were indicted for use of explosives, arson, and other federal charges, and face a life sentence in prison. The barrage of attacks is accompanied by demands by the protesters that police forces be defunded or disbanded completely. The men & women of #LawEnforcement will continue to put themselves in harms way for their communities despite the calls from virtue-signaling politicians to #DefundThePolice and those in the media who are hell-bent on vilifying our officers & smearing the entire profession, the FOP said in a June 11 tweet. Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the number of states where law enforcement officers were attacked, according to a tally by the Fraternal Order of Police. The correct number is 25. By Adam Borowski A language mentor does not necessarily have to be a teacher. It can be anyone who has mastered a given language. A linguistic black belt owner. As English is the global language, you have undoubtedly come across self-proclaimed experts who are convinced there is only one way to speak ''proper English.'' Funnily enough, these people usually don't practice what they preach. If your English is not graciously classified as proper, you can expect rudeness and condescension. In my experience, people who constantly criticize the language of others suffer from an inferiority complex and they make caustic comments about others to avoid talking about themselves. Adults can choose who they want to listen to. For obvious reasons, children usually don't have the same luxury. They must adjust to a particular learning environment. As long as a teacher has an open mind, that's fantastic. Unfortunately, many students are going to be taught by someone who is fixated on the idea of proper English. Any mention of improper English, as defined by the teacher, is going to be ridiculed and ignored. This kind of judgmental mindset seriously limits the potential of the students who see the teacher as an authority figure. Judgmental teachers also tend to bully their students. Imagine a student who lived in the USA before moving to South Korea. It is logical to assume he is going to have an American accent. An envious teacher might accuse that student of speaking improper English, even hiding his identity by speaking like an American. When teachers say hurtful things in the classroom, these words reverberate in the students' minds, causing untold psychological damage. In extreme cases, this kind of psychological bullying can lead to apathy and self-harm. Hopefully, an astute adult is going to notice something is wrong. Sadly, psychopathic teachers are good at hiding their bullying mind games by presenting themselves as victims. International schools are usually safer, as everything is more closely monitored and there is more exposure to language diversity. Good language mentors are aware of what I call an "emotional charge'' in language learning. It is a psychological condition where a student does not like a particular language for historical reasons. It blocks the learning process. A student may feel it is unfair his own language is not nearly as popular as English. Polish children who refuse to learn German and Russian for historical reasons are a perfect example of the emotional charge. Then again, some Polish children are taught it is beneficial to speak the language of the enemy. It is an example of a polarizing, if not downright absurd, mindset. As far as I can tell, this kind of thinking in Poland is not nearly as common as it was twenty years ago. If I had adopted that mindset, I certainly wouldn't have learned Russian and German. Are there South Koreans who are unwilling to learn Japanese for historical reasons? Probably. English is always evolving, and having a mentor who understands it is fantastic because you are going to develop the habit of studying English not just in the classroom but wherever you are. And then, you are going to be your own mentor. Adam Borowski (adam.borowski1985@gmail.com) is a technical Polish-English translator and an international relations aficionado. He is the author of a novel titled: ''Perfect lives. Perfect selves.'' ArcelorMittal ArcelorMittal Group is planning to invest Rs 2,000 crore in Odisha, its Group Chairman and CEO LN Mittal said on June 13. Mittal said this while interacting with Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik through a video conference. ArcelorMittal Group is the world's largest steel maker. "We already have a Rs 2,000 crore investment plan in Odisha which is already going on with support of your administration, your people and your guidance. "You have a great experience and you have managed the COVID crisis very well which is a good news," Mittal told Patnaik during the interaction. Referring to his company's investment plan, Mittal said if it so happened that the "company could not produce in Hajira, the full production, we would produce in Odisha and export pellets". "But, what we like is that we have a lot of ideas to continue our expansion in Odisha. We are working on two mines - Sagasai and Thakurani," he said. Mittal also said that of these two mines, one mine the company has already got through auction, which was organised in a very transparent manner. "So, I see that this auction process which you designed is one of the best auction processes. The people have seen the transparency in governance. That is the most important thing as an international company. We see this as very important for us," Mittal said. Patnaik assured Mittal of all support from the state government. He said the Chief Ministers Office will interact with the ArcelorMittal office so that your (Mittals) project gets headway very soon. The chief minister also advised the steel magnate to add value to the mineral resources procured from Odisha in the state itself so that it will help creation of employment opportunities and enhance the development of the state economy. Meanwhile, a statement released by the Chief Ministers Office said that the company is planning to expand its pellet plant at Paradip and increase its production capacity from 6 MTPA to 12MTPA. The company is also planning expansion of its iron beneficiation plant at Baduna in Keonjhar district from 5 MTPA to 16 MTPA. Essar steel has been acquired by ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel. The Essar plant has 6 mtpa pellet plant at Paradip. ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) is the new name of Essar Steel India after it was acquired by a joint venture between ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel Corporation. With the acquisition of Essar Steel at a cost of more than Rs 50,000 crore, as much as USD 7 billion has been invested in India, which is considered as one of the biggest foreign direct investment (FDI), the CMO statement said. The Dalai Lama will mark his 85th birthday next month by releasing an album that combines music with Buddhist teachings. The album, called Inner World, has been in development for the past five years. It will include 11 different pieces of music mixed with spiritual teachings and mantras spoken by the Dalai Lama. The leader of Tibetan Buddhism will turn 85 on July 6, the day the album will be released. The idea for the album came from a Buddhist musician from New Zealand, Junelle Kunin. She told The Associated Press that, years ago, she had searched for music that included teachings from the Dalai Lama. Kunin thought such music could help calm her and make it easier to deal with the pressures of life. But she could find nothing. So, Kunin decided to propose her idea directly to The Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Her proposal was turned down. Kunin said she makes trips to India and usually gets the chance to meet the Dalai Lama during her visits. On one trip, she decided to present her idea in a letter. She gave the letter to an assistant to the Tibetan spiritual leader. This time, she said, her idea was accepted. Kunin got to sit down with the Dalai Lama in 2015. She recorded discussions with him based on a list of subjects she thought would be good for the project. On the album, the religious leader speaks the mantras of seven Buddhas. He discusses things such as wisdom, courage, healing and children. One of the pieces, called Compassion, has already been released online. It is based on one of the most famous Buddhist prayers. Kunin said the Dalai Lama was very excited to take part in the project. She said he expressed his feelings about the importance of music for the world. She said he told her, Music can help people in a way that he cant - it can transcend differences and return us to our true nature and our good heartedness. When Kunin returned home, her husband, Abraham - a musician and producer - helped her create music and sounds to support the Dalai Lamas messages and powerful words. Other musicians were also invited to perform and take part in the project. Kunin said that although the project began five years ago, she thinks the album is being released at a purposeful time. She said she thinks it can help all kinds of people. Its not a Buddhist project, its to help everyday people like myself, even though I am a Buddhist, Kunin said. The messages couldnt be more poignant for our current social climate and needs as humanity. Money earned from the album will go to non-profit organizations that the Dalai Lama supports. One of the organizations is SEE Learning, an international education program developed by Americas Emory University and the Dalai Lama. Im Bryan Lynn. The Associated Press reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story spiritual adj. relating to deep feelings and beliefs, especially religious beliefs mantra n. a word or phrase that is repeated often courage n. the ability to do something without being afraid transcend v. to rise above or go beyond the limits of something poignant adj. painfully affecting the feelings Carlsbad police have joined the ranks of San Diego County agencies using body-worn cameras to document daily law enforcement activities. Police say the new technology which officers started using Monday adds another dimension to evidence collection, improves interactions with residents, and has the potential to change the way officers do their jobs. People should expect almost any encounter with an officer to be recorded. We are encouraging officers to get out in front of it, and tell people they are being recorded, said Carlsbad police Lt. Jason Jackowski. Police Department employees who will be using the cameras everyone from non-sworn community service officers to the chief of police underwent four days of four-hour training classes in late October, Jackowski said. Advertisement Other police agencies in the county already using body cameras include Sheriffs Department and the San Diego, Chula Vista, Coronado and Escondido police departments. No one in the Carlsbad department has objected to the cameras so far, Jackowski said. The handful of officers who used them during a two-month pilot program earlier this year all wanted to keep using the devices when the program concluded, he added. Each camera also comes with a smart phone that allows officers to review the video while its still in the camera. When the officer finishes a shift, the camera is placed in a docking station to recharge and to download its video for long-term storage. The citys 11-page policy for using the cameras states that employees should activate the device anytime they believe it would be appropriate or valuable to record an incident, including all anticipated enforcement actions and investigative contacts. It also states that anyone being recorded should be told in advance, but employees are not required to advise the public of a recording when it would be contrary to the mission of the department. Routine stops with no anticipated enforcement action do not need to be recorded. Also, the policy states that victims of sexual assault, child abuse, or who are partially clothed or nude should not be recorded. Most officers wear the camera mounted on a magnetic plate attached to the front of their shirt. Motorcycle and K-9 officers have the option of using a different style camera that can be attached to a helmet or eyeglasses. Cameras can be useful in many everyday situations, Jackowski said. A volunteer community service officer issuing a parking ticket, for example, may find the camera can be a valuable tool by showing a No Parking sign, painted lines on curbs, and the clear location of an illegally parked vehicle. Body cameras are just part of the future, Police Chief Neil Gallucci said Tuesday. They are a phenomenal resource, really, The cameras are a good example of how technology is changing police work, Gallucci said. Drones are likely to be the next high-tech addition to police work, he said. The remotely controlled aircraft are a faster, cheaper and often safer way to do whats now handled by officers in helicopters. You can search a wide area in a short amount of time with a drone, he said. Voice recognition software is another technology helping to reduce some of the drudgery in police work. Officers soon will be able to dictate their incident reports without manually writing them, Gallucci added, freeing them from one of their more tedious and time-consuming duties. Robots are another often cited example of rapidly advancing technology. SWAT teams and bomb squads have been using robots for years in high-threat situations, and the devices are constantly improving. Carlsbad officers are still learning all the ways they will use their new body-worn cameras. Officials from law enforcement agencies across San Diego County agreed earlier this year on a shared policy to guide the public release of videos from officer-involved shootings. The policy strikes a balance between the publics desire to know and the due process everyone is entitled to, San Diego County Assistant Sheriff Mike Barnett said, when the policy was announced in August. Videos will not be released if criminal charges are filed in the case, the policy states. Individual cities also have their own policies on the general use of police body cameras. Carlsbads policy was developed based on the departments own pilot program and using regional and national examples. It became effective Aug. 1. It outlines how the cameras will be used, how long the video will be retained, who will have access to the recordings, when the use of cameras is prohibited, and more. The City Council approved a contract June 7 to pay $156,409 annually for the Taser Axon Flex Camera system, along with training, maintenance and storage of the video data. The city also paid $19,503 to install the hardware and will continue to pay $14,873 annually for a separate internet connection to a secure, cloud based storage system. philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @phildiehl Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 14) After a recent surge in COVID-19 cases, the Department of Health Region 8 confirmed the local transmission of the coronavirus in three areas, all in the province of Leyte. DOH-Eastern Visayas Director Minerva Molon said the affected areas were the municipalities of La Paz and Hilongos, and Tacloban City, where recent confirmed cases have no recent travel history nor had contact with COVID-19 patients. Among the new cases are healthcare workers in La Paz and Tacloban City, and a resident in Hilongos who was exposed to a Severe Acute Respiratory Infection patient. Given the situation, Molon called for the enhancement of the regions contact tracing procedures, while batting for the mandatory isolation of those entering the region. Molon added that the testing laboratory at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center is now better prepared for the expected rise in the number of specimens coming from the regions different provinces. On Saturday, DOH-8 reported 66 new cases, with the province of Eastern Samar recording its first case a 30-year-old male from the municipality of Mercedes. Ormoc City, meanwhile, tallied 30 new cases, its highest increase in a single day. Most of the region's new cases are locally stranded individuals, returning overseas Filipino workers, healthcare workers, and residents with exposure to COVID-19 patients. READ: Eastern Samar records its first COVID-19 case Sponsors are being sought for the annual Fourth of July fireworks show in Fulshear. The 2020 Fulshear Fireworks Show is scheduled to be held starting at 9 p.m. at Fulshear High School, 9302 Charger Way in Fulshear. Gates are scheduled to open at 7:30 p.m. Reminders about social distancing, along with music, will be broadcast leading up to the fireworks show, which is expected to end at 9:30 p.m. For more information, contact the Fulshear-Katy Area Chamber of Commerce via email at amy@fulshearkaty.com or by calling 832-600-3221. Chamber chat With an eye on social distancing during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Fulshear-Katy Area Chamber of Commerce is still hosting events and welcoming new businesses to the area. From 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 16, the chamber will host its weekly Chamber Chat. This weeks featured speaker is Kristina Luong Skok of Sweet Three Nail Lounge. To join in on the chat, go to www.facebook.com/fulshearACC. For more information go to www.fulshearkaty.com or call 832-600-3221. Rope cutting The Fulshear Katy Area Chamber will hold a rope-cutting ceremony for The Perfect Latte from 11 a.m. to noon Friday, June 19. The Perfect Latte is located at 7417 West Grand Parkway South, #130 in Richmond. The Perfect Latte is a family-friendly coffee shop. For more information call 832-222-2550 go to http://theperfectlatte.com. Webinars The Katy Area Chamber of Commerce has a pair of webinars scheduled for this week. The first is titled Back to Business Bringing Back a Confident Workforce presented by Kevin Troutman, a partner and co-chair of the national healthcare practice group of Fisher Phillips, a national law firm that focuses its practice exclusively upon representing management in employment matters, according to the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce. The webinar is scheduled for 2 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 16. To connect to the free Zoom presentation go to https://tinyurl.com/y9razmnj. On Wednesday, June 17, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the chamber will host its Webinar Wednesday with a focus on Transitioning to Microsoft 365 Easy as Pie. To access the free webinar on Zoom, go to https://tinyurl.com/y7zke6la. For more information on the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce, go to www.katychamber.com. College transfers The University of Houston-Victoria at Katy will host a virtual information session for those who want learn about transferring to the college. The event is scheduled for 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 16. To register go to http://bit.ly/uhvtransfer. rkent@hcnonline.com The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has named four new Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators. The recipients of this prestigious three-year award are outstanding early-career physician-scientists conducting patient-oriented cancer research at major research centers under the mentorship of the nation's leading scientists and clinicians. Each will receive $600,000 to support innovative research with the potential to impact cancer diagnosis, prevention and treatment. In addition, Damon Runyon will repay an awardee's medical school debt up to $100,000. The Foundation also awarded Continuation Grants to two Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators for an additional two years of funding, totaling $400,000 each. The Continuation Grants are designed to support Clinical Investigators who are approaching the end of their original awards and need extra time to work on a promising avenue of research or a clinical trial. This program is possible through the generous support of the William K. Bowes, Jr. Foundation. The quality of research proposed by our new Clinical Investigators is exceptionally strong. We are thrilled to be funding brave and bold physician-scientists who are taking risks to experimentally address the most important questions in cancer research and then translate them into improving patients' lives. We are helping to launch the careers of tomorrow's brightest cancer researchers." Yung S. Lie, PhD, Damon Runyon President and Chief Executive Officer The Clinical Investigator Award program was designed to help address the shortage of physicians capable of translating scientific discovery into new breakthroughs for cancer patients. Through partnerships with industry sponsors and its Accelerating Cancer Cures initiative, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has committed over $72 million to support the careers of 108 physician-scientists across the United States since 2000. 2020 Clinical Investigators Todd A. Aguilera, MD, PhD, with mentors Robert D. Timmerman, MD, and Yang-Xin Fu, MD, PhD, at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas There is a critical need for new therapeutic approaches to treat advanced stage rectal cancer, which has increased incidence in younger people and poor prognosis. Working with a multidisciplinary team, Dr. Aguilera is leading a randomized clinical trial that combines an anti-CD40 agonist immunotherapy with radiation and chemotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer. The drug aims to activate the protein CD40 on dendritic cells which plays a critical role in generating T-cell immunity. As part of the study, Dr. Aguilera is investigating the factors that influence a patient's immune response to this combination treatment with the goal of optimizing therapy for difficult gastrointestinal cancers. If the proposed treatment is successful, it could become a new therapeutic standard that lowers the risk of metastasis, improves survival, shortens the treatment course and potentially avoids the need for surgery. Anusha Kalbasi, MD, with mentors Antoni Ribas, MD, PhD, and Christine Brown, PhD, at University of California, Los Angeles Immune checkpoint inhibitors, a standard of care for metastatic melanoma, release the brakes on a patient's T cells, so they can attack a tumor. Some patients, however, relapse when resistance to treatment occurs. Dr. Kalbasi will lead a clinical trial to test a new immunotherapy treatment approach for patients with this deadly skin cancer, who did not respond to standard therapies. He will identify patients whose melanoma tumor cells express a protein called IL13Ra2. He will then collect the patient's immune T cells, engineer them to identify tumor cells that express the protein and reinfuse the T cells to kill tumor cells inside the patient. In contrast to immune checkpoint inhibitors that require regular intravenous doses, these engineered chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells are a one-time treatment that theoretically protect the body for life. This clinical trial may also offer insights on how CAR T therapy overcomes tumor resistance mechanisms to treat patients with metastatic melanoma. Birgit Knoechel, MD, PhD, with mentors Kimberly Stegmaier, MD, and Catherine J. Wu, MD, at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston Cancer cells harboring many genetic changes in their DNA often express novel proteins called neoantigens that activate the immune system to recognize and attack the tumor. Based on this mechanism, researchers are developing novel treatments to stimulate the immune system's response against a tumor, but this approach may not work for pediatric cancers that carry few genetic mutations. Dr. Knoechel's research is investigating alternative ways neoantigens can be generated, such as splicing or epigenetic changes, which occur frequently in leukemia and pediatric cancers. She is focusing on T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), an aggressive blood malignancy in children and young adults that frequently stops responding to treatment causing relapse. Her research aims to identify mechanisms of immune "exhaustion" when T-cells stop fighting a tumor, define neoantigens generated by non-genetic mechanisms, and develop novel strategies to target non-genetic neoantigen expression. This research may lead to novel immunotherapy strategies for pediatric tumors. Yvonne M. Mowery, MD, PhD, with mentor David G. Kirsch, MD, PhD, at Duke University, Durham Head and neck cancers usually begin in the squamous cells that line the mucosal surfaces inside the mouth, nose and throat. Even with aggressive treatment including surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, these tumors often recur with poor prognosis. Dr. Mowery will use patient samples and mouse models to investigate why these cancers are resistant to radiation treatment and to test new therapeutic approaches to improve outcomes for patients. She will also conduct a Phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of using a combination of a radiation sensitizer (a drug that makes cancer cells more vulnerable to radiation therapy), radiation therapy and immunotherapy to treat patients with recurrent head and neck cancer. In addition, the Committee recommended funding two Continuation Grants: Vinod P. Balachandran, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York "Recombinant interleukin-33 immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer" with mentors Steven D. Leach, MD, and Jedd D. Wolchok, MD, PhD Piro Lito, MD, PhD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York "Modeling responses to targeted ERK signaling inhibition at the single-cell level" with mentors Neal X. Rosen, MD, PhD, and Charles M. Rudin, MD, PhD Pak rejects Rajnath Singh's remarks about situation in PoK India pti-PTI Islamabad, June 14: Pakistan on Sunday rejected Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's remarks about the situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and alleged that it was an attempt to divert attention from Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing a virtual Jan Samvad rally for Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said on Sunday that when people of PoK will want to be freed of Pakistan's occupation and be part of India, then this will lead to the fulfilment of Parliament's resolution that the region is an integral part of the country. "Let's wait for what happens in future. There will be demand from PoK to be freed of Pakistan's occupation and to live with India. When this happens, then Parliament's resolution will also be fulfilled," Singh said. PoK will wish to be part of India; will lead to fulfilment of Parliament's resolution: Rajnath Singh Parliament has also earlier passed resolution that PoK is part of India. Reacting to Singhs remarks, the Foreign Office said that his statement is "another desperate attempt to divert attention from Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan has been unsuccessfully trying to drum up international support against India for withdrawing Jammu and Kashmir's special status on August 5 and bifurcating it into two Union territories. 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. DES MOINES, Iowa Democrat Theresa Greenfield leads Republican incumbent Joni Ernst by 3 percentage points in Iowas hotly contested U.S. Senate race, a new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows. According to the poll, 46% of likely voters say they would back Greenfield if the election were held today, and 43% say they would back Ernst. This is definitely a competitive race, said J. Ann Selzer, president of Selzer & Co., which conducted the poll. She said the poll contains other warning signs for Ernst and noted that this is the first Iowa Poll conducted since Ernst first ran in 2014 in which she has trailed her general election opponent. Symbolically, that's certainly meaningful, even if Theresa Greenfield's lead is not commanding, Selzer said. The poll, which was conducted June 7-10, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points for questions asked of the 674 likely voters in the 2020 general election and plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for those asked of 801 Iowans. Worried Republicans: Pandemic, George Floyd death has once-confident Senate GOPon defense in November election Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, left, and Democrat Theresa Greenfield. Republicans, Democrats already spending millions The results come at the start of a general election cycle likely to be shaped by social and economic turmoil wrought by a global pandemic, nationwide protests around racial justice and a volatile incumbent president seeking reelection. Both parties have already invested heavily in Iowa, underscoring its political importance as Republicans seek to defend their narrow 53-47 seat majority in the U.S. Senate. Democrats have charted a path to the majority that includes taking on vulnerable incumbents in Arizona, Colorado, Maine and North Carolina. As Democrats work to defend their own endangered incumbent in Alabama, theyre hoping to expand their opportunities by investing heavily in Iowa, where they see Ernst as beatable. The senators job approval rating among all Iowans began to drop earlier this year, according to Register polling, falling to 47% in March from 57% a year before. This poll shows that rating has changed little, now at 49%. Another 39% say they disapprove of the job she is doing, and 13% are unsure. Story continues Ronda Hennings, a 61-year-old Bonaparte resident and poll respondent, said she didnt vote for Ernst but had high hopes for her when she took office. I wanted her to get out there and really talk about the people that put her in office, Hennings said. And all I can see from her she's a yes player. She just goes along with whatever the party says, and she puts her votes in, and she says, Yes. Hennings, who is disabled and benefits from Social Security payments, said she appreciates that Greenfield talks about the importance of that program in her advertising. Greenfields first husband died in a workplace accident, leaving her a single mother who relied on Social Security benefits to get by. I know that shes gone through the system and knows how it works, Hennings said. And a lot of people dont. Greenfield is viewed favorably by 41% of Iowans and unfavorably by 20%. Although she is substantially better known today than she was in March, a large group remains 39% who say they dont know enough about Greenfield to form an opinion. Forty-five percent of Iowans have a favorable view of Ernst, and 40% say they have an unfavorable view. Those numbers have dipped during the past year. In February 2019, 56% said they had a favorable view of Ernst and 29% had an unfavorable view. Ernst appeals to the 'heart' of Iowa's GOP base Ernst does well with many of the demographic groups that also backed Republican President Donald Trump in the 2016 election. She earns 67% of the evangelical vote, compared with 22% for Greenfield. Fifty-six percent of likely voters living in rural parts of the state back her over Greenfield, who earns 32%. And men are more likely to favor Ernst 53% of men support her, compared with 37% for Greenfield. And white men without a college degree back her 59% to 30%. That's the heart of the Republican base in Iowa, Selzer said. Ernst has occasionally distanced herself from some of Trumps more controversial comments, including his call to ban transgender Americans from serving in the military. And she called it racist when the president issued tweets calling on four Democratic congresswomen of color to go back to the countries they came from. Still, Ernst has defended the president on numerous occasions, including during his impeachment hearings, and she frequently attends events with him and touts his praise of her. On Thursday, the president tweeted his support for Ernst, saying Few people have ever fought as strongly for Iowa as she has. Few people have ever fought as strongly for Iowa as Senator @JoniErnst! A combat Veteran, her service to Iowa and our Country is remarkable! Joni is Strong on Crime, our Military, Vets, Low Taxes and will protect your #2A at all times... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 11, 2020 Trump carried Iowa by 9 percentage points over Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, but Democrats made gains in 2018 by flipping two congressional seats. Darwin Vice, a 59-year old Libertyville resident and poll respondent, said he plans to vote for both Ernst and the president in the fall. Hes particularly concerned about rising health care costs associated with the Affordable Care Act and the influence of money and corporations on politicians. I just want them to do what they say they're going to do, Vice said of elected leaders. I'm tired of all these years of being lied to. He said he couldnt see himself voting for a Democrat, because he hasnt seen them condemn the violence associated with protests after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd, a Black man, died after a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Women supportive of Greenfield Greenfield leads 71% to 19% among likely voters who do not have a religious affiliation and 55% to 34% with those who live in cities. She earns a plurality or majority of the vote in every congressional district except the 4th, which is the most Republican-leaning in the state. Women choose Greenfield by 20 percentage points, 54% to 34%. White women without a college degree choose Greenfield by an even larger margin: 60% to 29%. Selzer said the gender gap for each candidate is striking. More women typically vote in elections than men," she said. "And so if there is this kind of gap, this kind of lead with the majority of voters, it's very difficult to overcome that. Except that recently the division is strong on both sides. While Ernst leads 47% to 41% among those ages 35 to 54, Greenfield leads with those younger than 35 (46% to 40%) and those 65 and older (50% to 42%). Each candidate is firmly backed by members of her own party. Ninety-five percent of Democrats say they will vote for Greenfield, and 90% of Republicans say they will vote for Ernst. But independents are more likely to back Greenfield, with 42% saying they would support her and 38% saying they would support Ernst. Terry Dvorak, a 49-year old Norwalk resident and independent, said he voted for Ernst in 2014. He said he remembers her advertising that she would make em squeal in Washington, D.C., by cutting government waste, but he said hes been dissatisfied with her performance. It seems she's playing to the political lobbies of big corporations instead of the everyday Iowan, he said. I think she has slipped right into the corrupt Washington base. I mean, the whole administration is that way. She fits in with Trump, which I don't like either. That whole crowd is getting worse and worse to me. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Poll: Theresa Greenfield leads Joni Ernst in tight Senate race Precautions to take as you step out to work, why a homeopathic defence against Covid-19 is no defence at all, and will a lockdown help Chennai contain the pandemic? a roundup of articles in Indian news publications on how India is dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. INTERVIEW As Indians step out to work, some precautions you could take: India is easing lockdown restrictions in phases, with some restrictions set to continue till the end of June 2020. But work is resuming, and people are getting back to work in measured ways, and it is getting crowded. As cases continue to ... Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington says she will "not be bullied by backroom boys" of the LNP who are believed to be orchestrating a coup against her leadership. Ms Frecklington, who has led the state LNP since its 2017 election defeat, has hit out at members of her party after internal polling was leaked to News Corp on Saturday. Deb Frecklington (centre) and her deputy Tim Mander (right) walking in to a 2017 party room meeting that saw their elevations. Credit:Dan Peled/AAP The polling found Ms Frecklington was trailing Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in 18 attributes including likeability and optimism. "I've got one message here today. I will not be bullied by the backroom boys of the LNP," Ms Frecklington said on Sunday. What some Western countries could learn about fighting pandemics in the community Countries that successfully kept COVID-19 infections and deaths down not only acted early but in a more community-centred way, says a public-health physician who aims to improve preparedness for the next wave and beyond. Dr. Saverio Stranges chairs the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at Western University's medical school in London, Ont. In a recent commentary in the International Journal of Health Policy and Management, he examined some of the reasons why places like South Korea, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Germany curbed community transmission of the novel coronavirus early on compared with Italy, France, Spain, the United Kingdom and the U.S. Based on epidemiological indicators such as the number of new cases and mortality rates, Stranges, colleague Mostafa Shokoohi and co-author Mehdi Osooli of Lund University in Sweden said that what counts is a strong community health response. "From our Western arrogance, sometimes we believe that our systems are the best and there is nothing to be learned from other countries, especially, if you like, from the Asian continent," said Stranges, who has worked in Europe, Canada and the U.S. "But in these systems, I think there is a lot that can be learned in terms of emergency preparedness for either a second wave or even for the next pandemic." What works? A community-centred approach means testing people outside of hospitals quickly to find cases, tracing their contacts and containing infections in a timely and efficient fashion. The paper's authors gave successful examples, such as: South Korea's rapid expansion of diagnostic capacity and innovative drive-through and walk-in screening. Quarantine of suspected cases and mass masking in Vietnam. Germany's extensive testing policy to identify milder cases, including in younger people. Yara Nardi/Reuters Stranges initially focused on his birth country, Italy, and why the northern Lombardy region was so hard hit that deaths spiked when hospitals and intensive care units were overwhelmed. Hospitals also transferred patients to other regions, spreading the virus. Story continues The early timing of the pandemic in Italy, which has the world's second-largest share of people aged 60 and older after Japan, and a health-care system overly focused on chronic diseases and hospital care are some potential contributing factors, he said. "Our [Western] health-care systems are not necessarily designed to tackle pandemics in the community in the first place." Stranges said compared with most other Western countries, he thinks Canada benefited from preserving public-health infrastructure after the SARS virus killed 44 people in this country in 2003. But Canada's response to COVID-19 hasn't been ideal, he said. More than 8,000 people in Canada have died of COVID-19, with outbreaks among vulnerable long-term care residents, prisoners, food-processing plant workers, people in shelters and migrant workers living in cramped quarters. WATCH | Tips to navigate crowded spaces As the economy gradually reopens, people need to continue to stay home when sick, practise physical distancing of two metres or more, keep up impeccable hand hygiene and wear face coverings measures that when combined reduce transmission, Stranges said. 'Reopening does not equate with safe' Dr. Samantha Hill, president of the Ontario Medical Association, said reopening society needs to happen in a balanced, slow fashion that lets the evidence on measures like infection rates catch up before governments proceed to the next phase. "My personal perspective on [face coverings] has always been that I don't know when someone else is going to be in my six-foot bubble. So any time I walk out of the office or out of the house, I'm wearing a mask, as are my children," Hill said. "We all have a responsibility to each other to remember that reopening does not equate with safe, and that we have to do the necessary things to protect the most vulnerable." During the pandemic, Canada hasn't focused on community health care, such as family medicine or diagnostic imaging like X-ray clinics outside of hospitals. Not overwhelming the health system remains a goal of gradually reopening. But securing reliable supplies of personal protective equipment to care for the backlog of patients needs to happen first, Hill said. A meeting between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan with Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal began here on Sunday to discuss the spike in novel coronavirus cases in the national capital, presently pegged at 38,958 cases. According to the the Home Ministry officials, members of the State Disaster Management Authority are also attending the meeting at the Ministry office here. During the meeting, Shah and Vardhan will take stock of the Covid-19 outbreak, which has so far claimed 1,271 lives in Delhi. The Home Ministry Office announced these meetings through tweets on Saturday amid a worrying spike in corona infections in the city, where 2,137 new cases were reported in a 24-hour period on Friday evening. These meetings come in the wake of the Supreme Court's criticism of the "horrendous, horrific and pathetic" situation in the city and said coronavirus patients were being treated "worse than animals". The court had also asked the government to explain the fall in testing, which had "gone down from 7,000 to 5,000 a day when Chennai and Mumbai have increased...." On June 10, Shah and Kejriwal had discussed the COVID-19 spike in Delhi, a day after the Chief Minister tested negative for the virus. Coleg Cambria and LEAF Education launch annual search for innovative schools across North Wales This article is old - Published: Sunday, Jun 14th, 2020 LEAF Education has launched a search for the Innovation School of the Year in Food, Farming and Environment 2020 Leading farm education charity, LEAF Education in partnership with Coleg Cambria Llysfasi have launched the annual National Competition in Food, Farming and Environment. The competition, which is open to all secondary schools across the UK, is quick and easy to enter and asks teachers to explain why their students and school would benefit from winning an exclusive weekend experience on a real working farm at Coleg Cambria Llysfasi in October, subject to restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Teachers can enter the competition between 8 June 3 July. The competition, supported by Waitrose & Partners, looks to engage young people with farming, food production and the natural environment. Selected schools will go through to the final prize weekend in October at Coleg Cambria Llysfasi, in the Vale of Clwyd, North Wales. Students will be immersed in practical farm activities such as milking cows, handling sheep, using drone technology, seeing agro-forestry in action and tractor driving. They will also compete in a debate around the competitions theme Will farmers continue to be the guardians of our land and environment? where they will cover a range of educational topics, such as climate change and natural capital and compete in answering a hypothesis during the weekend. At the end of the two days, the winning school team will be crowned the Innovation school of the year 2020 in food, farming and environment. Now in its third year, the competition has had a significant impact in engaging and inspiring young people about farming and food production and highlight the many career opportunities available in the sector. In its first two years, of the 33 students who took part, 12 went on to apply to study at land-based colleges, with all students reporting that it had positively changed their perception of the farming industry and that it had helped them with their studies back at school. LEAF Education Director, Carl Edwards explained:There has never been a more critical time to harness the strength of feelings our young people have for the future of their planet. This competition addresses issues they care most about sustainability, environmental protection, health and nutrition and climate change. By providing young people with first-hand experience of farming, food production and opportunities for deeper level, critical analysis around a current farming issue, our aim is to raise their awareness of the importance of farming in their everyday lives and its role in addressing the climate and ecosystem emergency. New for 2020, regional competitions are also being run by the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society and Embleton Hall Dairy, County Durham which will feed into the national competition. Schools in Jersey and the North East of England are encouraged to enter their regional competition to win a secured place at the national competition. The regional element will expand the profile and reach of the national competition as well as help drive wider industry support. Iain Clarke, Head of Llysfasi added: The importance of sustainable farming has never been so important in mitigating against climate change. Young people feel strongly about the future of their planet and farming is under an intense spotlight; this competition provides a fantastic opportunity for students to gain first-hand experience of farming as well as consider how it is also part of the climate crisis solution. Speaking from Waitrose & Partners, supporters of this years competition, Caroline Silke, Social Impact Manager, said: Young people are the consumers and decision makers of tomorrow. They are passionate about the future of their planet and farming is key to driving forward positive change. Strengthening connections with farming can help promote healthier lifestyles, drive demand for sustainably produced food and nurture an interest in the natural world. We are delighted to support this important initiative. The 2020 Food, Farming and Environment competition is for students aged 14 to 16-year olds. Secondary schools wishing to apply should enter the competition here. A Saharanpur court near here has freed 57 overseas Tablighi Jamaat members after setting off their month-long sentences against the imprisonment already undergone by them during trial. The 57 Tablight Jammat members, who were ordered to be released, include 21 from Kyrgyzstan, five from Thailand, four from Indonesia, two from Malaysia and one each from Syria and France besides some other countries. Read: HC grants bail to nine Tablighi members from central Asia Saharanpur Chief Judicial Magistrate Anil Kumar sentenced all 57 Tablighis to a month in jail on Saturday after convicting them under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code for disobeying public servants orders issued under section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. CJM Kumar, however, set aside the prosecution charges under stricter IPC sections 269 and 271 for committing negligent acts likely to spread infections of dangerous disease and violating quarantine rules respectively. The court also acquitted them of violating section 14 of the Foreigners Act for allegedly overstaying in the country beyond the permission granted to them, saying this charge has not been made out against the accused. The court convicted the accused of the two penal offences after they pleaded guilty for them but claimed trial on others, claiming innocence. Also Read: MHA blacklists 2,550 foreign Tablighi Jamaat members, bans entry into India for 10 years The court convicted and freed them after setting off their sentences in a trial held through video conferencing. After the courts ruling, all 57 Tablighi Jammat members were released and have been kept in a resort in Saharnapur, said officials. They all have evinced keen interest in going back to their respective countries, the officials added. In fact, two diplomats from Kyrgyzstan embassy in India had earlier also visited their 21 nationals and had met them in jail on May 31, they added. The diplomats had also told Indian authorities that they would send their citizens back to Kyrgyzstan as soon as judicial process is over here. An Atlanta police officer shot and killed a 27-year-old African-American male, Rayshard Brooks, Friday night. Already, the Atlanta police chief has resigned, protests are underway, and fires have been set. Here is the Washington Posts account of the facts of the shooting: The Atlanta Police Department was dispatched Friday night to a Wendys on a complaint about a man parked and asleep in the drive-through. . .Atlanta police performed a sobriety test on the man, later identified as Brooks. When Brooks failed the test, officers attempted to put him in custody. The response escalated when Brooks grabbed an officers stun gun. According to a Wendys surveillance video released by the GBI on Saturday afternoon, Brooks ran from the officers. In the video, the officer is seen chasing Brooks. After running the equivalent of six or seven parking spots, Brooks turns back toward the officer and appears to point the stun gun at him, at which point the officer draws a weapon from his holster and fires at Brooks. Brooks falls to the ground as other cars in the lot pull aside, and both officers stand over him. An ambulance later arrives and takes Brooks away. Brooks was taken to a hospital, where he died after surgery. I dont know whether the police officer was justified in discharging his weapon at Brooks. However, if the Posts account is accurate, Brooks was shot and killed because he pointed a weapon at the police officer. This is not a case of being shot for sleeping while black, as the execrable Stacey Abrams is suggesting. Indeed, Brooks could have avoided violence simply by complying with what appear to be reasonable orders by the police. But this doesnt mean his killing is justified. We need to know more before reaching a conclusion on that question. Unfortunately, with a ready-made narrative in place, many seem disinclined to wait. JOHN adds: Here is the video, with Candace Owens comments: Any person demanding justice for #RayshardBrooks is representative of the absolute vermin of American society. There should be protests DEMANDING that the police chief be reinstated and that mayor @KeishaBottoms RESIGN for placating CRIMINALS. IVE HAD ENOUGH. #BackTheBlue pic.twitter.com/8ITJgZ0PaM Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) June 14, 2020 I will leave it to experts in the use of force to debate whether this shooting was justified, but it certainly wasnt unjustified in any normal sense. It is outrageous that the officer was immediately fired and Atlantas Chief of Police has resigned. It will be impossible to maintain an acceptable level of public order if miscreants like Rayshard Brooks are lionized and those who have to deal with them are demonized. All excavation tools must be disinfected regularly, while the number of workers is not to exceed 30 people in open-air sites and four people inside each tomb or burial shaft Egypt's tourism and antiquities ministry has issued new regulations and precautionary measures for archaeological missions to resume excavations, a statement by the ministry read on Sunday. Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that to ensure hygiene safety during excavations, archaeological missions must provide the necessary disinfectants before the start of work, and masks and gloves must be worn during work hours at all times. All excavation tools must be disinfected regularly, while the number of workers is not to exceed 30 people in open-air sites and four people inside each tomb or burial shaft, among them the archaeological inspector. Physical distancing must be observed during work hours and the head of the mission and the inspector must regularly remind workers and mission members of the dangers of the coronavirus and the precautionary measures that have to be taken. Temperatures of workers and members of the mission must be taken each day before work, and everyone must follow health and preventive regulations and bring their own personal items. Eating and drinking utensils may not be shared. Search Keywords: Short link: The US and Iraqi governments announced that the United States "will continue to reduce" its military presence in Iraq "in the coming months."In addition, the United States noted that it does not need permanent bases in Iraq.For its part, Baghdad promised to defend the bases in which the American troops are located after the groups loyal to Iran launched a series of missile attacks from the end of last year.Since October 2019, about 30 attacks have been committed in Iraq against the military and diplomatic interests of the United States. A judge told a woman she must have cooked a bad evening meal for her partner after he failed to show in court last week for a no insurance charge following a night of vomiting. Judge Seamus Hughes made the remarks after Gareth Kenna, of 2 Drumheath Grove, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15 was not in attendance at last Tuesdays District Court sitting and instead was represented by his partner. Mr Kenna had been due to answer a charge of no insurance following an incident at Townspark, Longford in February. The woman, who did not give her name, said Mr Kenna had been unable to travel to court and was instead being treated in hospital. He collapsed yesterday and started getting sick and stuff, said the woman. He didnt want to go to hospital but they ended up keeping him in. Judge Hughes, at that juncture poked fun at what may have been behind Mr Kennas sudden bout of illness. You must have cooked a bad evening meal, he told the woman. The case was adjourned to next Tuesdays (June 16) District Court sitting. A memorial ride paid tribute to Officer Mike Mosher, who was killed in the line of duty on May 3rd. The ride through Overland Park started and ended at Johnson County Community College. It was a chance for the community to show their support to his family and his police department.The ultimate sacrifice was honored by the community Officer Mike Mosher served. The Chandigarh municipal corporation has set six-month deadline for doubling the citys water storage capacity. Tenders are to floated within a week, said officials privy to the development. The allotment of work will be done soon, said MC commissioner KK Yadav, adding that a six-month target has been set to ensure that by the next summer, the additional water storage capacity becomes operational at the Sector-39 waterworks reservoir. The move is important for ensuring continuous water supply to the city. At present, the Sector-39 waterworks, which receives supply from the Kajauli waterworks and takes care of the citys demand, has underground water storage capacity of only half a day. While water stored in the morning is supplied to the city in the evening, the evening storage is supplied in the morning. With the peak water demand in summers touching 120-125 million gallons per day (MGD), the current availability of 90-95 MGD was found inadequate, as it led to low water pressure. The supply is also hit if there is any disruption in supply from the Kajauli waterworks due to pipe leakages or maintenance works. The long-pending work got the go ahead after Chandigarh Smart City Limited (CSCL) on June 10 agreed to give Rs 11 crore to the MC for the purpose. The MC had approved Rs 38 crore for the project, but with only Rs 27 crore available for it, the project hadnt taken off. Workers removing the statue of a Confederate president from the Kentucky state capitol found a bottle of alcohol and a newspaper dated from the day it was first erected. On Saturday, a statue of Confederate president and politician Jefferson Davis was formally removed from the Kentucky State Capitol Building in Frankfurt. 'After calling for its removal and urging the Historic Properties Advisory Commission to act, today I pressed the button to bring it down,' Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear wrote on Twitter. 'Now, every child who walks into their Capitol feels welcome. Today we took a step forward for the betterment of every single Kentuckian.' A statue of Jefferson Davis, a former president of the Confederate states, was removed from the Kentucky State Capitol building on Friday Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky praised the statue's removal on Twitter after the The Kentucky Historic Properties Advisory Commission held a vote on Friday The Jefferson Davis statue is the latest confederate monument to be removed amid ongoing protests over police brutality, systematic racism and the death of George Floyd. But it's the items workers discovered hidden inside the base of the statue that caught everyone's attention: a bottle of Glenmore Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and a copy of the State Journal newspaper from October 20, 1936. WLKY reports that there was a piece of paper found inside the bottle, but others said the bottle was empty. The Kentucky Historic Properties Advisory Commission voted on Friday to remove the statue from the capitol building to a state park in Davis' birthplace of Fairview, Kentucky. Workers removing the statue discovered a bottle of Glenmore Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and a copy of the State Journal newspaper from October 20, 1936 - the day the statue was erected Heres a look at what Governor Andy Beshear pulled out from the hole after the Jefferson Davis statue was moved to ground level of the Rotunda @SpectrumNews1KY pic.twitter.com/2Bjp8g9SLR Michael Cadigan (@michaelcadigan) June 13, 2020 There's an empty bottle of Glenmore with a note found as Confederate monument Jefferson Davis was removed from its base. Gov. Andy Beshear pushed the button to lift the statue. More: https://t.co/OJV5VRUSl6 pic.twitter.com/iCGCu47ouW Matt Stone (@mattstonephotog) June 13, 2020 The commission met via teleconference and voted 11-1 to take down the 15-foot marble statue of Jefferson Davis that stood for 84 years. He was placed in the Kentucky State Capitol Building at the request of the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1936 - a time characterized by the Jim Crow laws of the South. A statute of Abraham Lincoln, who opposed slavery culturally and politically, will still stand in the capitol building. Critics attempted to have the statue removed in 2017 - in response to the violent white supremacist rally Unite the Right - but the Historic Properties Advisory Commission voted to keep it. The Jefferson Davis statue stood for 84 years in the Kentucky capitol building (pictured), as well as a statue of US President Abraham Lincoln Members of the Kentucky Historic Properties Advisory Commission argued that Davis' past, which includes slavery and racism against African-Americans - should not be included within the government building They instead removed a plaque that dubbed Davis a 'war hero.' Davis was born June 3. 1808 and graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point in 1828. He later served in the Mexican-American war, as well as represented Mississippi in the US Senate and House of Representatives. But his overarching career as a politician is marred by a history of racism, slavery and fierce opposition to African-American civil rights after the Confederacy fell. 'African slavery, as it exists in the United States, is a moral, a social and a political blessing,' Davis once said. Calls to remove the statue from the capitol building's Rotunda, which sees thousands of visitors annually, have been voiced by politicians on both sides of the aisle for years. Nemes: 'We honor our history the good and the bad but in this room is what we want to celebrate. And I think it's a wonderful thing that we don't want to celebrate Jeff Davis anymore' The Jefferson Davis statue has been removed from the Kentucky capitol building and will be transferred to a park in the senator's birthplace Republican Rep. Jason Nemes, of Louisville told The Courier-Journal: 'Today is a symbol we are moving ahead. It's a recognition of the sins of our past.' 'We honor our history the good and the bad but in this room is what we want to celebrate. And I think it's a wonderful thing that we don't want to celebrate Jeff Davis anymore.' Cathy Thomas, of the historic properties panel, argued for the statue's removal. 'He enslaved human beings, he rebelled against the United States of America,' Thomas, who is African-American, told the commission. 'He is a symbol of the Confederacy that might still have me in chains.' Other commission members argued removing the statue was giving way to a 'cultural movement' that would eventually expel other historical figures. Some commission members argued that removing the Jefferson Davis' statue will open up a 'Pandora's Box' and led to more statues of historical figures being removed Wilson:'I believe Gov. Beshear is politicizing this as a weapon, using our board as a weapon to get his agenda over' 'I believe Gov. Beshear is politicizing this as a weapon, using our board as a weapon to get his agenda over,' said Brandon Wilson, who alone voted to keep the statue as is. Wilson attempted to pass a motion that would stop the removal of all statues, including the Abraham Lincoln Statue, but was overruled. Commission panelist Jon Park cast a 'reluctant' vote to remove the statue, but was conflicted over potentially opening a 'Pandora's Box' that could prompt more statue removals. Park said not all of Davis' life should be overshadowed by his racist behavior. 'His early history, he was the things that were on that plaque that was removed by this commission hero, statesman, patriot he was those things,' Park told The Courier-Journal. 'He took a bad career choice. He did something he shouldn't have done.' During his life, Davis owned at least 113 slaves and was a proponent of expanding slavery into neighboring states. Pictured: A caged statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis is strapped to a truck after being removed from the state capital in Frankfort, Kentucky Pictured: Workers hoist a statue of Jefferson Davis after removing it from the the Kentucky state Capitol in Kentucky This Jefferson Davis statue is one of many Confederate monuments that has been removed in recent weeks amid protests against police brutality and violence In 1848, the then-senator proposed an amendment to annex part of Mexico where several southerners wanted to expand slavery. He supported the US seizing Cuba to 'increase the number of slaveholding constituencies,' as well as resigned from the Senate in protest after Mississippi seceded from the Union in 1861. Davis was later captured and charged with treason after the Civil War, but was pardoned by President Andrew Johnson. He refused to take an oath of allegiance to regain citizenship and died in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1889. Davis' American citizenship was restored posthumously in 1978 by Congress. Amid protest related to George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man who died in police custody, several other Confederate monuments have been downed over their connection to slavery and racism. Cell phone footage showed Floyd pleading 'I can't breathe' while a white officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. He later died. On Wednesday, another Jefferson Davis statue was torn down by protesters in Richmond, Virginia. A police officer stands near the toppled statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, as a person takes images of the statue along Monument Drive, Wednesday night The statue in the former capital of the Confederacy was toppled shortly before 11 p.m. and was on the ground in the middle of an intersection, news outlets reported. Richmond police were on the scene and videos on social media showed the monument being towed away as a crowd cheered. A large crowd gathered around and sang as crews removed the statue from the road and drove away. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam last week ordered the removal of an iconic statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, which is four blocks away from where the Davis statue stood. 'In Virginia, we no longer preach a false version of history. One that pretends the Civil War was about state rights and not the evils of slavery. No one believes that any longer,' Northam said. 'And in 2020, we can no longer honor a system that was based on the buying and selling of enslaved people.' Checkpoints, the rain, and even the threat of Covid-19 didn't stop hundreds of protesters from attending the so-called 'Grand Mananita' at UP Diliman in Quezon City. The gathering was organized to call for the scrap of the controversial Anti-Terrorism Bill. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commended the various clans of Ada in the Greater Accra Region for coming together to address the bottlenecks that have hindered the development of the salt industry in the area. With this development, the President said the salt potential of Ada was ready for rapid development for the benefit of the country and the people in the area. In a meeting with traditional leaders from Ada at the Jubilee House in Accra yesterday, President Akufo-Addo noted that the considerable salt deposits in Ada could support the growth of Ghanas petrochemical industry. Aside that, he said there was a huge global market for salt, and cited Nigeria as an example of a neighbouring country that imports salt from Brazil, when there was considerable salt deposits in Ghana. Salt is a crucial ingredient in all the petrochemical products that we hope to develop out of our oil fields, he said and added that the commodity can also be a source of foreign exchange earnings. The development of the Ada salt industry, the President observed would bring enormous benefits to the state and create employment for the local people in the area. So long as there is understanding among you, the sky is a limit, he said, adding, we are ready on our part to assist you to ensure that Ghana benefits from it. On the erosion in the area, he said the Ministry of Works and Housing would construct sea defence walls in the area. All the four landowners in Ada in the Greater Accra Region came together to address the bottlenecks that had hindered the development of the salt industry in the area. The Paramount Chief of the Ada Traditional Area, Nene Abram Kabu Akuaku III, in an address read on his behalf, said the traditional leaders had settled their differences for rapid development of the salt industry. The capacity for salt production is 2.2 million metric tons produced in six communities including Ada. However, out of the 2.2 million, the production level is about 250,000 metric tons, only 11.4 per cent of our potential. At a time that we want to maximise revenue for our communal development, we have noted that for Ada alone, the capacity is stated as 1.2 million metric tons, representing about 54 per cent of the production capacity, he said. The Paramount Chief said the landowners were ready to partner the government to exploit the commodity in the area. Send your news stories to [email protected] and via WhatsApp on +233 55 2699 625. Source: The Ghanaian Times Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn and Rep. Adam Schiff are endorsing Rep. Eliot Engel, the pair of Democratic heavyweights offering their full support as the embattled New Yorker fights to hold on to the seat hes represented for more than three decades. Clyburn, the No. 3 House Democrat, and Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, have considerable influence within Democratic politics. Both men praised Engel for his longtime service to his Bronx district and tenure as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in statements exclusively obtained by POLITICO on Sunday. Let me be blunt: We need leaders in Congress with proven records of standing up for civil and human rights, said Clyburn (D-S.C.), the highest-ranking African American in Congress. Eliot Engel is not new to the fight for justice and equality he's been in the fight his entire life, and I have worked with him on these issues for almost three decades. Clyburn's support comes as Democrats prepare to move a police reform bill through the House this month, sweeping legislation thats been offered in response to the national outcry over the police killing of George Floyd. Engel is an original sponsor of the police reform bill. Schiff, the lead prosecutor in President Donald Trumps impeachment trial, said Engels leadership as Foreign Affairs Committee chairman was invaluable during Democrats investigation into whether the president abused the power of his office. House Majority Whip James Clyburn of S.C., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill Thursday, April 30, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Ever since Trump took office, Eliot has helped expose the abuses of his administration, and hold this lawless president accountable, Schiff continued. Eliot is a dedicated and talented public servant who knows how to get things done for the people of his district, while working diligently to protect our democracy. He has my full support for his reelection. Their endorsements come one day after another prominent lawmaker, House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), announced he was endorsing Engel as well. Jeffries served alongside Schiff as an impeachment manager. Story continues But its unclear whether the cadre of powerful Democrats will be enough to save Engel, who faces off against middle school principal Jamaal Bowman on June 23. The support of Clyburn and Jeffries, two senior members of the Congressional Black Caucus, is especially notable after the CBCs political arm came under fire for supporting Engel, who is white, over Bowman, who is black. Senior members of the CBC have defended the decision, citing Engels longtime tenure, representing his district for 31 years. The CBC is a fierce defender of seniority within the House Democratic Caucus and has in the past endorsed white incumbents over black primary challengers. During the South Carolina primary several months ago, I endorsed our party's presumptive nominee, Joe Biden for President, because of his long and distinguished record of standing with us, Clyburn said in a statement. The same goes for Eliot Engel. But Bowman has racked up his own string of high-profile endorsements, including from progressive leaders like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), whose district borders Engels. The New York Times Engels hometown newspaper endorsed Bowman over the weekend, another blow to the longtime lawmaker. And Engel has had multiple missteps in recent weeks, drawing unwanted attention to himself and giving his opponent plenty of fodder in the run-up to the primary. Engel came under fire last month after the Atlantic reported he was hunkered down in his Washington-area home as the coronavirus pandemic ravaged his district particularly New Rochelle, one of the hardest-hit areas in the country and ground zero for the outbreak in New York. Engel has since traveled back to his district. But two weeks ago, Engel triggered another round of bad headlines when he was caught on a hot mic as he pressed to speak at a press conference in his district. After being rebuffed by Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz Jr., Engel tried again, saying, If I didn't have a primary, I wouldnt care. Jeffries defended Engel in his endorsement over the weekend, telling the New York Daily News that an inartful statement shouldnt undo Engels three decades of committed compassionate on-the-ground service to the community." The race has become something of a proxy war between the Democratic establishment most of which is lined up firmly behind Engel and insurgents like Ocasio-Cortez and Justice Democrats, a progressive group that is backing Bowman. Ocasio-Cortez shot to fame after unseating Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.), then the House Democratic Caucus chairman, in a stunning upset in 2018. Ocasio-Cortez was also backed by Justice Democrats, which has drawn the ire of senior Democratic lawmakers for its practice of targeting longtime incumbents. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who could face his own progressive challenger in 2022, declined to endorse Engel earlier this week. But most Democratic leaders, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have publicly supported Engel in recent weeks. Chairman Engel is the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. He also has unique privilege, which is unique and it wouldnt happen again ... he is also not only the chairman of Foreign Affairs, he is a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Pelosi told reporters last week. That wouldnt happen again thats a lot of power, Pelosi added. The Tech Launcher Wireless Access Point For Home In Need Of High-Speed Internet Tired of snail-paced wireless connections slowing down productivity? Enjoy The Tech Launcher\-\-s rapid wireless connection on your devices with Arubaas new Wireless Access Point router.?Aruba has announced the launch of its newest product, a 1.20 Gbit-s Wireless Access Point (WAP/AP). 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When Ms Ellis derided the "fake news media" as "peddlers of false information," Mr Stelter interrupted her with a plea to her future self not to use such terms. "You understand that, like, some day you're going to regret this, right? Some day you're going to regret this, when your kids and your grandkids look back at this time, and you use slurs and smear us as fake news to hurt news outlets," Mr Stelter said, as he and Ms Ellis talked over one another. "I think in 10 or 20 years if we just sit down and talk about this, you're going to realise how damaging it was. How damaging it was to use terms like 'fake news,' to attack journalists who are trying to do their jobs," Mr Stelter said. Ms Ellis, who has worked for Mr Trump's reelection campaign since last November, shot right back at Mr Stelter, saying he and his colleagues are not journalists, but activists with poorly hidden motives. "You're not trying to do your job you're not a journalist, Brian. You're an activist. That's the problem. You have an agenda, and your agenda is anti-Trump," Ms Ellis said. "The American people see through that, and they are very grateful that this president is finally holding the fake news media accountable because you're activists. You're not reporting fact and truth," she said. For years, Mr Trump and Republicans have co-opted the term "fake news" to describe news coverage they view as tinged with liberal bias, even if the stories they're denouncing have factual merit. The 2016 presidential election saw a proliferation of fake news and disinformation, facilitated by social media, that many Democrats believe swung the election in Mr Trump's favour. While US intelligence agencies have unanimously agreed Russia, led by President Vladimir Putin, ordered a sweeping disinformation campaign to interfere in the 2016 US election, they have said they cannot determine what effect, if any, the interference campaign had on the actual results. The Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee concluded in 2018 that Mr Putin wanted Mr Trump to win, though Mr Trump's allies are quick to point out that he was also the victim of many fake news stories that went viral online. Most recently, Mr Trump chided "the Fake News" after people who watched him gingerly descend a ramp after delivering the commencement address at the US military academy at West Point questioned whether he was healthy. "The ramp that I descended after my West Point Commencement speech was very long & steep, had no handrail and, most importantly, was very slippery," Mr Trump tweeted on Saturday. "The last thing I was going to do is fall for the Fake News to have fun with. Final ten feet I ran down to level ground. Momentum!" the president wrote. The Deputy Governor of Osun State, Benedict Alabi, has said that the distribution of relief items for residents during the coronavirus pandemic is not a statutory government duty but a form of gift. The deputy governor in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES at his office also spoke on the state governments fight against the coronavirus, the coalition between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the alleged rancour between the Gboyega Oyetola administration and former governor, Rauf Aregbesolas administration, as well as why some of the latters policies are being reviewed. Mr Alabi also addressed questions on prosecution of arrested illegal miners, the educational sector and the agonies of pensioners, among others. Excerpts: PT: How is Osun State managing the spread of Ccronavirus, especially in rural communities despite the high number of returnees from francophone countries with the disease. Alabi: The secret of the success is that when the pandemic was discovered in Nigeria, the State of Osun took proactive actions by setting up a committee to combat the virus including the likes of Professor Isaac Adewole, former Minister of Health and others. We started very early and we took it seriously by engaging in community risk communication about the virus. The governments strategy was to allow the people in the state to own it as their fight and it made everybody conscious. The case of returnees from Ivory Coast was a blessing in disguise because we observed that their coming made our people realise that the virus truly exists. 127 returned and 18 were tested positive for coronavirus. The protocol of the NCDC at that time was that only people with symptoms should be tested but the State of Osun government insisted that since they were all returnees, they should be tested. This did not make us have community transmission. PT: Even though the state government said it has done the needful to enforce interstate travel ban, we have it on record that hundreds of persons still find their way into Osun on a daily basis and we are aware of all irregularities that happen at borders. We trust the government cannot pretend not knowing about the breaches? Alabi: Thanks for your observation. The thing is that our people are so defiant. They want to get to anywhere despite government directives. Some people even follow the bush path with their vehicles. So, what we did was that we barricaded all the bush paths. When we realised that we were still having issues curtailing this, the Oyetola government further took the steps of being the first to launch the Amotekun (South-west security operatives) to also curtail interstate movement and it generated results. I can tell you that yesterday (Sunday), over 100 people were arrested. We cant win the battle when it comes to human movement but the state government is trying all its best to encourage our local government chairmen, Amotekun and formal security operatives to help reduce the influx to the barest minimum. PT: When the federal government ordered total lockdown, Osun State did the same and during that period, the government boasted that they were dishing out palliative to different wards. However, some residents raised alarm that the government shared expired or spoilt rice to them. The response that followed then from the government was that the source of the rice would be investigated. Till this moment, Osun residents are yet to know how it ended. Alabi: Palliative is a gift and not a statutory duty of government to give to its people but because there was lockdown and workers may not have access to earnings, the government did the necessary to give their people palliative. However, out of 332 wards in the state of Osun, only two wards have the problem (spoilt rice). Being a listening government, we replaced the rice for them and also tried to investigate the suppliers who were thereafter sanctioned. PT: We recently published a report on the challenges of nurses and midwives attending to coronavirus patients and many who spoke with us said there was no special plan for health workers combating coronavirus. Is that true? Alabi: Before the issue of coronavirus, State of Osun government paid health workers as at when due and when coronavirus started, those identified to work with us were put on special allowances being paid weekly. Sometimes, when they are not paid for a week, they get double payments the following week. Im proud to tell you that health workers in this state are insentivised to do their works. We didnt also stop at that, we also did N3.5 million insurance each for the health workers. Later we increased the insurance to two. Now, they have double insurance. One with Leedway Insurance and the other with Lasaco. This include the drivers, nurses and all other people who are frontliners. So, health workers are properly renumerated in the fight against coronavirus. PT: Some days ago, Governor Oyetola said this administration would provide 15,000 jobs for Osun residents after COVID-19. So, tell us how you plan to achieve this? Alabi: For every disappointment, there is always a blessing. We understand that there are a lot of people who want to go into craftsmanship and this, we are working alongside with Bank of Industry to ensure that anybody who wants to learn a new trade has the opportunity of doing this. We want to make state of Osun a hub for craftsmanship and we are sure that when this is done, people will have opportunities of engaging those who are well trained in their various trades and there will be opportunities of livelihood. One of the major factors that mitigate against SMEs in Nigeria is funding and that is why we are working the talk with Bank of Industry to ensure that our citizens interested in all these trades have financial resources. PT: So, lets speak more on governance. We recalled that when your administration came on board, there was a coalition agreement between the APC and SDP. As of the time we are speaking, is the coalition still effective or dead? Alabi: Im sure we havent heard anything from the SDP against us. The SDP joined us not because of election but because they saw value in our government and the people coming on board. They supported us because they knew we meant well for the state of Osun. The relationship is still there. I may also have to tell you that most of the SDP people have fused into APC because of being satisfied with the performance of the government and understanding that what matters most is services and not about party linings. A lot of them have joined us. Definitely, we have some people who may still want to remain where they are. PT: There has been report that the current administration is working silently to rubbish the legacies of the previous administration of Rauf Aregbesola and that was what led to reversal of some of his controversial policies. How true is this? Alabi: That cannot be true. In anything that is progressive, first thing is review of anything you are doing. The management theory tells us that at best performance, there is need for improvement. So, the present government is a government of continuity. That is, whatsoever we are doing today, some people can come tomorrow to review and improve on it. The former government did very well for the state of Osun and they achieved a lot that hadnt been achieved before. So, how can you want to throw away what is good? Advertisements What we have done is to strengthen all policies in place before, because some are five-six-seven years policies. So, anybody insinuating that review is to rubbish former government needs better understanding of leadership and management. PT: You will agree that change of name was also part of the policies of the previous government. Between last week and now, the judgement of a High Court is trending that State of Osun is not legalised in Nigeria. The argument is that Nigerias constitution only recognises Osun State. So, do you want to continue with the illegal name, State of Osun, or review that as well? Alabi: It was a state high court that made that decision, not the Supreme Court. We cannot at the moment tell you the decision of the state until we have a final judgement. PT: Aside changing uniform and reversal to 6-4-4, what other thing is the current administration doing towards basic education in the state? Alabi: We had engaged primary schools present and former heads as well as secondary schools former and present principals and also to the tertiary institutions level. They are to help appraise what is present on ground. How can we strengthen the sector. We will go down to the root to make sure state of Osun becomes one of the best hubs for education in Nigeria. PT: Our platform recently published a piece on the agonies of pensioners. While your administration is proud to say you arent owing workers, many are still being owed. What is your reaction to this? Alabi: This government has run for 18 months and we have paid consistently full salaries to workers as at when due and even pensioners. The problem is that when you have arrears, you cant pay it in a single day. The government is not only to pay salaries of workers and pensioners alone, we are to take care of the welfare of our people. Salary is there, security is there, health is part of it, and also economy development is part of the mandate of the government. We are balancing all these but we know that salary is important and pension payment is important. We started from where are and weve been following through. It isnt being selective. Mind you, I havent seen anybody contesting saying when I get there, I will use my money to run the government. The civil servants are the ones to do the job and will increase IGR and income. But despite the fact that our IGR has not really increased, we are still paying. The thing you should ask is knowing how we have been able to pay and what we are doing which is, we are trying to be financial engineers and reduce expenses to the barest minimum. PT: Residents of Osun State have consistently accused this administration abandoning the project of the past government. For instance, the damages at Olufi market and abandonment of major roads in Gbongan. Alabi: The easiest thing to do is to criticise. They are talking about what has to be done but did not talk about those that have been done. Gbongan to Osogbo road keeps attracting our attention. It was started by the former government and we are working on it. We are also doing new ones even at local government. We cant do everything together but we are doing all that are necessary to make life bearable for all and sundry. If you look at the few roads weve done, they are roads that can stand the test of time. They are not roads that leave with us when we are leaving the government. PT: In December, a PREMIUM TIMES report exposed how illegal Chinese and local miners carry out their activities in the state with the support of the police. The government then set up a task force against illegal mining. Amotekun recently arrested some of them. Why have the illegal miners not been prosecuted? Alabi: Governance is about strategy and processes. If you arrest somebody thats executive. Prosecution is done by the judiciary. The judiciary also have their ways and processes. The same way it took us to carry the arrest is the same way the judiciary will take time for prosecution. Nobody will do what we have done, arrest foriegners and throw them back to the society. That should not come to anybodys mind. It is not done that way. PT: An average Nigerian sees the office of the deputy governor like a spare tyre. The former governor, Mr Aregbesola, assigned the role of commissioner for education to his deputy governor. Has Mr Oyetola given you any (additional) role? Are you a spare tyre? Alabi: The Nigerian constitution has specific roles for the office of the deputy governor and the governor on his own could add to it for his deputy. Like you know, every manager has their own style and strategy. The strategy of Mr Oyetola is that we run the government together. All his duties are my duties. All his responsibilities are mine and as such I dont need to wait for his permission. Im not limited. I think what we are doing now is far better than assigning roles. We run the government together. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-13 05:10:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIRUT, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Nationwide protests in Lebanon left 11 people injured on Friday evening, LBCI local TV channel reported. Two protesters were injured in Beirut's Downtown and transported by the Lebanese Red Cross to the hospital while nine others were injured in protests in Tripoli, north of Lebanon and sent to a local hospital. Nationwide demonstrations resumed on Friday evening in Lebanon against the dire living conditions in the country. Protesters set on fire a famous office building in Beirut's Downtown, and destroyed shops in the same building which caused heavy damage. Riot police used tear bombs in an attempt to disperse protesters and stop them from destroying properties in the area. Demonstrations have also resumed in other regions of the country where protesters cut off roads and burned tires. Enditem The fate and picture of Jammu and Kashmir will change in the years to come under PM Modi's leadership, said defence minister Rajnath Singh said while addressing the 'Jammu and Kashmir Jan Samvad rally' via video conference on Sunday. He further said that soon people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) will demand that they want to be with India and not under the rule of Pakistan, and the day this happens, a goal of our parliament will also be accomplished, adding that under PM Modi's leadership, Jammu and Kashmir will touch great heights. Speaking on the change in scenario after the abrogation of article 370, Rajnath said that earlier in Kashmir, protests demanding 'Kashmir azaadi' were held and flags of Pakistan and ISIS were seen, but now we see Indian flags here. While addressing the rally Singh also paid tribute to Sarpanch Ajay Pandita, who died in a cowardly attack and also Mohd Makbul Sherwani of Baramulla. He said, ''I pay my tribute to Sarpanch Ajay Pandita, who died in a cowardly attack and also Mohd Makbul Sherwani of Baramulla, who in 1947 hoisted the Indian flag in Kashmir valley.'' Talking about the government's future plan, Singh said that the BJP-led government has decided that the import of goods from abroad should be stopped. He said, ''Our country should not be known as an importing country in the world, but India should be known as an exporting country.'' Singh also bought up the China issue and said that talks between the countries are underway at diplomatic and military levels, adding that China too expressed wish to resolve this issue via talks. He further targeted opposition and said, ''I would like to inform opposition that our govt won't keep anyone in the dark. I assure you that we won't compromise with national pride in any situation.'' (With ANI input) By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 06/14/2020 ADVERTISEMENT [ spoilers warning: This report contains spoilers revealing if Tania and Syngin are still together and married, as well as the latest on the : Happily Ever After? couple's relationship]. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT So are Tania and Syngin still married and together despite their differences, or has the couple split since viewers saw them last? ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. couple Tania Maduro and Syngin Colchester will be starring on the fifth season of : Happily Ever After?, so what will unfold on the new season? Is the couple, who frequently argue over their differences, still together?TLC announced in May that Tania from Connecticut and Syngin from South Africa had joined the cast of Season 5 of : Happily Ever After? in a promo that aired during an episode of : Self-Quarantined."From she shed to big digs, guess who's back!" TLC teased in the promo."I drink a lot, so for me to say that he drinks a lot, he drinks a lot," Tania told the cameras."I don't drink that much!" Syngin argued. "I will have a f-cking beer at 10AM if I feel like having a beer at 10AM.""Exactly," Tania said.Tania's mother also expressed concern that neither her daughter or Syngin were working."All of the responsibility right now falls on [Syngin]," Tania's mother said.Tania and Syngin starred on Season 7 of , which wrapped in February.Tania and Syngin met in South Africa when Tania took a spontaneous trip there to meet another guy whom she had met on a dating app.After her date disappointed, Tania ditched him in the middle of the night and headed to a bar, where she met Syngin the bartender.Tania and Syngin spent the night together after first meeting, and then Tania's trip to South Africa extended into a two-month stay before she returned to the United States.Tania and Syngin continued their relationship long distance, and after Tania visited South Africa once more, she returned to America and applied for Syngin's K-1 visa.Once Tania and Syngin had a romantic reunion in a New York airport, they explored the city together and spent a couple of nights in a hotel. Tania and Syngin then moved into the "she shed" behind her mother's home in Connecticut.Tania and Syngin got off to a rough start, as they had a lot of work to do in order to fix up the shed, and the couple disagreed over a timeline for starting a family.Tania told Syngin that she'd be willing to wait three years to have their first child, but Syngin wanted to wait 7-10 more years. Tania also said she wanted to pump out one kid after the next, so Syngin had his fair share of doubts about getting married.Syngin wanted to travel and have fun before settling down, but Tania's friends believed he'd end up doing what Tania wanted to do since she allegedly wore the pants in their relationship."I couldn't be with someone who doesn't want to have kids. I live to have kids, but I also know that I get my way," Tania said in a confessional on 's seventh season.Tania said she'd love to do it all with Syngin but he needed to be "down with it" or else she'd have to move on."It's almost like you wrote the story and I'm just a character in it," Syngin complained, later pointing out Tania had a "controlling personality."Tania then traveled to Costa Rica for three weeks in order to learn herbalism. She took a month-long course about natural medicine and natural remedies so she could start her own business with Syngin.Syngin was left alone with Tania's mother and found himself incredibly bored while his fiancee was away, and Tania and Syngin often fought about Tania's lack of communication and refusal to call him after a night out of partying.Syngin said he felt "a little abandoned" and didn't think Tania's actions showed that she loved and cared for him, but Tania countered by saying she couldn't meet all of Syngin's demands and needed more breathing room."I came here. I have changed my whole life around. You have not changed much about your life at all," Syngin said over FaceTime. "Do you want a boyfriend who doesn't care?""You're not my father," Tania complained. "I love that you care... but I can't give you everything that you need."Once Tania returned home, she and Syngin fought about how he wasn't actively working to pursue his many goals for a life in the United States.Syngin said he didn't have the money to take classes yet, but Tania wanted the self-proclaimed free spirit to be more focused considering he had dreamed of being a fireman, policeman or even a woodworker.Tania grew concerned Syngin acted like more of a kid than a responsible adult, but Syngin felt unnecessarily attacked.The pair also later fought when Tania confessed she didn't feel like Syngin was her soul mate. Tania believed her first love was actually her soul mate, unless a person can have more than one, and Syngin was left feeling sad, stressed out and depressed."I don't even really know what I'm doing here right now. I feel bad," Syngin told Tania of being in America, adding that he worried they weren't "compatible."But Tania apologized and understood her man needed some time to heal. She said she was sure about her love for him and didn't want to be with anyone else.Syngin and Tania therefore decided to go through with a wedding in Connecticut. They had rented an Air BnB with a big backyard and set up chairs, candles and flowers.Since Tania loves "breaking boundaries," she decided to wear a black lace wedding dress over pink satin instead of a traditional white gown, and Syngin said his bride "looked absolutely stunning" and the emotional ceremony felt "surreal."In his handwritten vows, Syngin told Tania that he always knew she was going to be more than just a one-night stand to him when they met in South Africa. Syngin told Tania that he loved and respected her and she brought out the best in him.In reply, Tania promised to call Syngin as often as possible when drunk and tell him how much she loves him. Tania vowed to be patient, softer and more vulnerable, and she said she'd continue breaking down her walls for him.The pair symbolically connected their love through matching tattoos instead of rings. They both had the Sagittarius symbol tattooed on their left hand's ring finger to represent travel and the power of their relationship.Tania's mother said she couldn't have asked for a better man to marry her daughter.And Tania was so happy to start a life with Syngin, who said in a confessional, "It's completely insane to ever think meeting that girl and her sliding her number to me would lead to all of this. We did it! I love you... babe."In a trailer released in late May for : Happily Ever After?'s fifth season, Tania is showing telling Syngin, "If we have kids, I definitely want to raise them out here in the states.""You want me to come here and build a family but you don't even recognize me as your soul mate," Syngin replies.Tania has shared a photo with Syngin as recently as May 25, showing they're still a couple.Tania and Syngin were camping and she dubbed themselves "nature lovers.""After being here for a day, walking around some, no one recognized us and felt kinda good. Then.. late at night we hear 'Good night Tania and Syngin!' We just laughed yelled back good night {insert random names}! So weird, random, and dont think we'll ever get used to it," Tania captioned the picture.Three days earlier, Syngin teased the couple's upcoming appearance on : Happily Ever After?'s fifth season, hinting they're still in love by writing hashtags such as "#crazylove" and "#sexycouple.""To all the ups and downs and to the next round hahaha. Here we go season 5 of happily ever after, or is it happily ever after. Are you ready???" Syngin wrote."I can tell you that there has been a lot of changes and soooo much has happend, its kinda crazy so stay tuned to see what happens..14th of june 8pm ET... #crazylove #gingerhair #goodtimes #filming #couples #sexycouple #instagood #love."On April 22, Tania posted photos of herself tubing with Syngin, and they clearly had a great time together."When we went tubing and we... put champagne in a ginger beer bottle, lost each other for a while, I fell off at the drop and thought I was gonna drown, brought my phone in a ziplock bag inside of a travel liquid clear bag that survived being submerged more times than I could count," she recalled in her post."Oh the fun we had that day!!!...#LazyTubing #90dayfiance #Tubing #SummerFun #FunInTheSun #Summertime #LazyRiver #ItWasntLazy #ItWasWork #synginandtania."One week earlier, Tania gushed about her husband when posting throwback, pre-quarantine photos of their time in New York together."One of my favorite things is to watch Syngin experience something for the first time (well really anytime but firsts are special). He doesnt hold back joy, excitement, amazement, or glee!" Tania explained."It brings me so much joy watching him in pure wonder. Him seeing the NY skyline at night like this, was one of those times...#CapturedMoments #MakingMemories #Passion #Love #90dayfiance #Polaroid #taniaandsyngin #NewYorkCity #NYC #TBT #BQ Before Quarantine."And she also posted a picture with Syngin on March 6 in which they were enjoying a nice dinner out together in New York. She added hilarious hashtags such as "#givemeyoursperm" and "#isaid3years."And back in late February, Tania shared photos from their wedding with a caption that seemingly came straight from her heart."The day my human and I said 'I do.' From other lives to this life, I'm so happy our spirits met. I'm excited to explore this realm and planet with you in these human bodies," Tania gushed."You have brought me so much joy and laughter, adventures and memories, and I couldnt be more greatful for the wonder of it all. I love you alot alot."Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage! Abby Huntsman, former co-host of The View, left the show earlier this year to focus on running her fathers political efforts. The TV journalist is supporting Jon Huntsmans campaign for governor in the state of Utah. However, they received a setback just weeks away the state is supposed to hold its primary. Jon has tested positive for COVID-19, and Abby feared she had it as well. Abby Huntsman | Paula Lobo/ABC via Getty Images Abby Huntsman gets coronavirus test results The former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman is running for office once again. Ahead of the primary contest, he has learned he tested positive for COVID-19. After a second try, test results came back positive for COVID-19, Huntsman tweeted on June 10. Have been experiencing classic symptoms..like so many others, my goal is to keep my family safe. Though isolated temporarily, weve never been more energized in this important race for Governor. The work goes on! Abby has been in close proximity to her father as their political efforts continue. She recently updated her followers about the results of her coronavirus test. What a week its been for our family, she tweeted. My test from last week finally came back negative but will go back for another test today after living in the same house as my dad. Hoping the state can figure out its testing complications as this is too important to get wrong. What a week its been for our family. My test from last week finally came back negative, but will go back for another test today after living in the same house as my dad. Hoping the state can figure out its testing complications as this is too important to get wrong! #utah https://t.co/ov5pR9RCH2 Abby Huntsman (@HuntsmanAbby) June 10, 2020 Abbys former ABC talk show co-host, Meghan McCain, added words of encouragement during this nerve-wracking moment. Stay safe girl, McCain tweeted. In another tweet, Abby said as of now her father was the only one that had tested positive after getting a negative test result the first time. Thanks to so many for [the] prayers and well-wishes, Abby wrote. So far, only Jon Huntsman has tested positive, [the] rest of our house is negative. Still all at risk after being exposed unnecessarily when dad got [a] false negative and then four out it was opened and thrown out. Staying positive. Thanks to so many for prayers and well wishes. So far only @JonHuntsman has tested positive..rest of our house is negative. Still all at risk after being exposed unnecessarily when dad got false negative and then found out it was opened and thrown out. Staying positive #Utah Abby Huntsman (@HuntsmanAbby) June 11, 2020 Abby Huntsman quits The View At the beginning of 2020, Huntsman announced she was quitting the show. The news took many by surprise after rumors she had a fall out with McCain, who later confirmed there had been a tiff between them. However, Huntsman downplayed the gossip that was being reported about the show. People go nuts with rumors on this show and this week has been no exception, Huntsman said during her final episode, I just want to be as clear as I possibly can, this has been a dream come true, this has been an incredible job, I do love everyone at this table. I just want to make it as clear as day, with everything that has been written about this place. I am leaving so thankful for all the new friends that I have here, for the friends I had before and still have and for the opportunity because this place has changed my life for the better, Huntsman added. RELATED: The View: Sunny Hostin Quietly Shades Meghan McCain for Proposing Stupid Conversation Published on 2020/06/14 | Source The Ministry of Justice said Wednesday it wants to crack down on a perceived increase in child abuse by banning physical punishment of children even by their own parents. Advertisement Korea's civil law stipulates that parents or those acting in loco parentis may, "in order to protect or educate their children, take necessary disciplinary actions". But the ministry says "disciplinary" and "necessary" allow for too wide an interpretation that could include physical punishment. A new clause is to be inserted that forbids it. The ministry hopes the revised law will eliminate any legal basis to justify egregious child abuse in the name of discipline. The initiative was prompted by a recent case that shocked the nation recently when a nine-year-old boy died after his stepmother locked him in a suitcase for seven hours because he had been "disobedient". The ministry is wary of scrapping the old clause that gives parents the right to discipline their children since it also encompasses the authority to educate and protect them -- a swift smack may be the only way to prevent a toddler from reaching for a hot plate. But the revision will make it illegal to physically punish children under nearly all circumstances, and a parent who resorts to violence stands to lose any future custody battles. The question for legal experts is where the line is to be drawn. Does making a child stand in the corner or on the "naughty step" constitute physical abuse? Children's rights group welcomed the plans, but some feel that they are excessive meddling by the state and even infringe the rights of parents. Critics say that the state is taking away an effective tool parents can use to guide their children in the right direction, while exposing mothers and fathers to an almost infinite responsibility for the misdeeds of their kids if they cannot restrain them. By law, parents are liable for any damage caused by their children, so that provision positively enjoins parents to discipline their children. How are they to do that if a very wide interpretation is put on physical punishment? One lawyer said, "We need a lengthy debate over proper disciplinary measures for children". According to the Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children, 58 countries including Germany, France and Japan prohibit physical punishment of children by parents, and more are following suit. Sweden became the first country to outlaw it in 1979, followed by Finland in 1983 and Norway in 1987. Japan prohibited physical punishment of children by parents in April this year. But many countries including the U.S. continue to allow it. The U.S. Senate has rejected the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child claiming that it could counter state regulations allowing it. In 1965, the U.S. enacted a law endowing parents with rights to implement "adequate physical force" against their children if necessary and to confine them. As a result, the District of Columbia and other regions exclude "rational punishment" from other regulations prohibiting physical abuse of children. There is little evidence that countries that ban corporal punishment by parents have seen a significant upsurge in juvenile delinquency as a result. The Western Regional Command of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), has expressed worry about public interference during fire operations, warning that such occurrences were a danger to public safety and security. The Command, therefore, cautioned the public to stay away from such scenes and also desist from the practice of siphoning and scooping fuel from tankers or bulk road vehicles involved in road accidents. The Service in collaboration with the Ghana Police will team up to strictly enforce adherence to the recommended safety distances for incident scenes, and offenders shall be arrested and prosecuted,the Western Regional Fire Commander, Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) Gaddiel Ebonyi gave the warning at a press briefing last Thursday. He noted that, during their response to fire incidents, the Command was faced with the challenge of a teeming crowd who either tried to catch glimpses of the incidents or attempted to help extinguish the fire. He said: While we appreciate their efforts to assist and acknowledge the importance of such interventions, we wish to advise the public to stay away so as not to endanger their lives and health. The Regional Commander recommended the minimum safety distance of 100 metres for fires at domestic and light commercial premises where the fire might be classified as medium. For fires at heavy commercial and industrial premises or involving highly inflammable fuels, ACFO Ebonyi explained that the recommended minimum safety distance is five hundred meters. He mentioned that Fire Service responded to road traffic collision incidents, other hazardous goods incidents such as during leakage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and fuel tankers/bulk road vehicle (BRV) spillage of fuel as a result of road accidents. However, in responding to such incidents, the Command was faced with people who go on scene to scoop some of the spilled fuel. This particular practice must be condemned outright. Liquid fuels/petroleum products by their nature are highly inflammable and quickly form explosive vapours which can easily ignite from the least amount of heat energy, such as that which can be generated when the item being used to scoop the fuel scrapes the road surface or any hard surface, and even lead to explosions, he noted. ACFO Ebonyire recalled that in a recent incident which occurred near the Takoradi Container Terminal (TACOTEL) involving collision between a fuel tanker and a locomotive, there was a rather disheartening rush for the spilled fuel by the public, including women who had babies strapped to their backs who trooped to the scene to scoop some of the fuel. This was without any regard for the recommended physical distancing as required by the COVID-19 containment measures, he added. He assured that the Service would continue to perform its duties with the utmost efficiency and effectivenessto reduce fire incidents to the barest minimum but argued that, this could be achieved with the cooperation and support of the public, who adhered to fire safety precautions and prevention education. From January 2020 to date, a total of 189 fire incidents had been recorded and out of this, five persons lost their lives and three persons sustained various degrees of injuries. The region has also recorded a total of six (6) road traffic collision (RTC) incidents, with one (1) person sustaining injuries. Source: The Ghanaian Times Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video By Philip Weiss and James North June 14, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - Sheldon Adelson, the Israel-loving, Iran-war-craving casino baron, talks to Donald Trump all the time, and for good reason, he and wife Miriam are the biggest Republican donors, poised to give as much as $200 million this year. Now that the White House appears to be lying down for the Israeli government as it moves to annex portions of the West Bank despite a growing chorus of international condemnation, the focus should be on Adelson. He has always been a strong supporter of Israeli expansion, a man who says, Theres no such thing as a Palestinian. So far, the Adelsons have gotten everything theyve wanted from our transactional president: tearing up the Iran deal, moving the embassy to Jerusalem, defunding Palestinians, recognizing the Golan annexation, treating settlement expansion as legitimate, even a presidential medal of freedom for Miriam, etc. Right up to yesterday a Trump attack on the ICC in the name of Israel. As Trump once said when a Republican rival was getting Adelsons money, Adelson wanted a perfect little puppet. Most important, the Adelsons got the Trump peace plan, which paves the way for annexation of the West Bank. When Trump announced his vision, there they were in the front row. Especially if Trump loses in November, as appears more and more likely this is the Adelsons last chance to get annexation. They speak to Trump all the time, Dan Raviv reported on i24 News. Look at it from Trumps point of view. He doesnt care about peace in the Middle East or Palestinian human rights. He wants one thing, to win in November, and he needs money. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Why would the Adelsons risk $200 million on a loser? Well, because its not a losing cause; they get their payback now. They figure that Israeli annexation is permanent no matter what happens to Trump. Facts on the ground is the Israeli way of expansion. The embassy move will never be reversed by a Joe Biden. So lets annex. Today, Sheldons Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom is promoting annexation. [A]nnexation is Israels right, and. . . it poses no threat to the interests of either the United States or the Jewish state. That paper is an important rightwing voice in Israel, and the Adelsons have been big supporters of Benjamin Netanyahu. So they may also play a role in Netanyahus zeal to annex, when he had a lot of opportunities to dismiss that policy. The Guardian said in February that insiders expect the Adelsons to donate between $100 and $200 million to Trumps reelection hopes this year. If that seems like a big lift, look at their track record: The Adelsons gave more than $100 million to Republican causes in 2016 and another $123 million during the 2018 election cycle. McClatchy reported last year that the Adelsons were putting off their big donations in 2020 until as late as possible, so as not to excite negative publicity. And heres another tell, as we say in poker. Sheldon Adelson is a funder and board member of the Republican Jewish Coalition; the RJC calls Trump the most pro-Israel president ever and, big coincidence, the RJC is launching a lobbying effort on Capitol Hill to rally support for Israeli annexation, according to Jewish Insider. Says the Guardian: The RJC is chaired by the ex-senator Norm Coleman. . . who is said to have strong ties to Adelson that benefit the RJC and other Super Pacs and dark money outfits where Coleman is a big player. Coleman helps lead fundraising for a Super Pac, the Congressional Leadership Fund, and a dark money outfit, the American Action Network, that respectively back Republican House members and their policies and have received seven-figure checks from the Adelsons in recent elections. The Adelsons have seemed to have their way on annexation so far. Annexation of large parts of the West Bank are greenlighted in Trumps deal of the century. Just look at this incredible map in the plan: As the global hub of the Islamic Economy, Dubai is well placed to lead the sectors contributions to revitalising the regional and international economy in the post-COVID-19 phase. This observation came from Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai and General Supervisor of the Dubai: Capital of Islamic Economy Initiative, a WAM report said. He noted that the rising role of Islamic Economy in the broader national commercial and financial system is the result of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who laid the foundation for the solid growth of the sector. Anticipating its potential early on, he called for the development of an innovative economic system that aligns with the ethics and principles of Islam, and actively contributes to Dubais GDP, while strengthening the emirates position as a global economic hub. With its focus on protecting social and human wellbeing, the Islamic Economy can contribute significantly to mitigating the economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the revival of the global marketplace. The Islamic Economy ecosystem based out of Dubai can help the sector play an important part in the economic response to the COVID-19 crisis, he further said. Sheikh Hamdan said Islamic Economy sectors contributed AED41.8 billion to Dubais GDP in 2018, registering a growth of 2.2% over the previous year. He noted that these results are testament to Dubais position as the global capital of Islamic economy, in line with the wider objectives of the Dubai: Capital of Islamic Economy initiative. He added that the increased contribution of the Islamic economy to Dubais GDP is an organic outcome of Dubais expertise, advanced infrastructure, strategic geographical location, and its commitment to becoming the preferred investment destination for various Islamic economy sectors. Furthermore, H.H. Sheikh Hamdan pointed out that the recent accomplishments of the Dubai: Capital of Islamic Economy initiative will encourage all the stakeholders of the Islamic economy to keep up their exemplary efforts. He called on the strategic partners of the initiative to enhance awareness of the pivotal role that Dubai and the wider UAE are playing in innovative policy making to accelerate the performance of Islamic economic sectors, and of the practical solutions Islamic economy offers to global financial and economic challenges. For his part, Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre (DIEDC), noted that despite the unprecedented circumstances the world finds itself in today as it combats the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UAEs ability to control the spread has come in for praise. He noted this is an example of the vision and ability of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in dealing with crises, mitigating their economic repercussions, and transforming challenges into opportunities. Chairing the DIEDC board meeting that was recently held virtually, Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri said: "The Islamic economy is a pillar of the diversified national economy. Being a more just and transparent economic system, it strikes the required balance between wealth accumulation and distribution, while supporting comprehensive long-term growth. Its ethics and principles play a crucial role in its high uptake and enable the nations of the world to achieve sustainable development even during challenging times." Sultan Al Mansouri added: "Since 2013, when His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced the Dubai: Capital of Islamic Economy initiative, we have been taking significant strides in positioning Dubai as the global capital of Islamic economy, and as a destination for diverse industry stakeholders. It is encouraging to note that the executive plans of the initiative are witnessing incredible progress due to the close collaboration and team spirit between DIEDC and its strategic partners spanning the public and private sectors." The Minister said: "The increase in the contribution of the Islamic Economy to Dubais GDP reinforces the confidence of international investors in the UAEs flexible and enabling business environment. These factors, combined with its strong legislative framework, and advanced technological infrastructure have helped the UAE to maintain its status as a preferred investment hub on the global landscape." During the board meeting, Abdulla Mohammed Al Awar, CEO of DIEDC, outlined the planned phases in developing a unified global legal and legislative framework for the Islamic finance sector, within the context of a strategic partnership between DIEDC and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB). He highlighted the significance of the project that once complete, will bring much anticipated standardisation to the Islamic finance sector, reduce discrepancies in practices across the globe, and eventually translate into positive outcomes for the Islamic Economy as a whole. According to the Dubai Statistics Centre, a strategic partner of DIEDC, the Islamic economy contributed AED41.84 billion ($11.39 billion) to Dubais GDP in 2018, marking a 2.2% increase from AED40.95 billion in 2017. In terms of percentage growth, the Islamic economy contributed 9.9% to Dubais GDP in 2018. Of the total amount, AED10.7 billion (26%) came from the financial sector, AED7 billion (17%) from the hospitality and F&B sectors, AED17.9 billion (43%) from the retail and wholesale sectors, while the manufacturing sector contributed AED6.2 billion (14%). -- Tradearabia News Service Currently Reading PHOTOS: Wilton High School Class of 2020 arrives at graduation ceremony in caravan parade If the last few years have been wearing on efforts to rejuvenate downtown Brandon, the next few years could be even more problematic. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/6/2020 (589 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. If the last few years have been wearing on efforts to rejuvenate downtown Brandon, the next few years could be even more problematic. On Tuesday, no fewer than five provincial MLAs three of them ministers decided to fly the Tory government flag for a $22,000 provincial contribution to the renovation of the heritage Fraser Block, part of a $15-million endowment fund created by the province and the Winnipeg Foundation. The money going to the Fraser Blocks renewal is one of more than 80 grants the province is making from that fund this year. While we have to wonder why five Tory MLAs decided to show up to a relatively minor funding announcement perhaps they had COVID-19 cabin fever? it is, of course, good to see Sneath Group renovating the historic building, one of several such structures that characterize Brandons downtown. But its really a drop in the proverbial bucket of what kind of investment and development is actually needed downtown. And you only have to take stock of what has essentially been abandoned and left to rot to see what we mean. The Town Centre Mall is a shadow of its former self. With few tenants and many empty spaces to lease, it is a rather large and sprawling problem that has no easy fix. Across from the Sun building on Rosser Avenue, construction of the new beer vendor that will replace the one that burned in 2018 continues apace, but the dilapidated gas bar just down the street remains a constant eyesore that will be expensive to remove. And in the past year, we have witnessed the TD Bank move out of downtown to a new location on 18th Street, the McKenzie Seeds buildings go back up for sale after years of attempts to develop the aging towers by Resland Development Group, and a continued lack of occupation for the former Westoba Credit Union building at 10th Street and Princess Avenue. Meanwhile, there is a decided lack of action down at the 70,000-square-foot parcel of land owned by Brandon University, though thats not for a lack of trying. Back in March 2019, the university announced it would be considering three proposals for downtown development one from the Sneath Group, one from VBJ Developments and a third from Wheat City Revitalization Partners. BU issued a request for expressions of interest to private developers in July 2018, after members of the board of governors expressed concerns about the estimated $103 million that would be needed to build the downtown campus. But there has been no word of a choice made or any plan to move forward, and as it has for several years now, the future of the land and its development remains in limbo. All of these factors aside, walking down Rosser Avenue can be dispiriting, with many storefronts empty and change for the better inching forward at a snails pace, if not at a standstill. And the COVID-19 situation will not improve the lot of downtown. With the Prairie Firehouse the most high-profile victim of the economic damage being inflicted on our business community by the necessary restrictions placed upon our society, we have to wonder how long the business community can continue in this situation particularly retail businesses that were already tipping precariously on the edge before the pandemic ever hit. That there are still government grants being issued for businesses in Westman communities is not a bad thing. There are yet structures and history worth saving in our community, and we hope these kinds of initiatives will continue for worthy projects. But Canadas economy is facing strong headwinds in the wake of the pandemic, and they will take a toll on private investment in our community. The private-public partnerships that Sneath Group CEO Robyn Sneath advocated in her prepared speech on Tuesday may be difficult to maintain should businesses start feeling the pinch not to mention the continued pain of taxpayers who pay for all of these government initiatives. Government and private dollars need to be used even more wisely and strategically when economic downturns sap investment funds. We are at a stage now where our city council, our province and our federal government need to make encouraging plans and wise choices to mitigate the deleterious effects of what will at best be a very hard recession. And if Brandons plans for downtown have been slow to show success over the last few years while economic conditions were strong, continuing on with piecemeal solutions under the present economic conditions will only hasten further deterioration. It may be time for a new plan for old Brandon. A 19-year old school boy Isaac Amoah, has been sentenced to 21 years imprisonment in hard labour for defiling a three-year old girl. The convict pleaded guilty to the charge of defilement by a Circuit Court in Cape Coast, presided over by Mrs Dorinda Arthur Smith, which convicted him on his own plea. Prosecuting, Chief Inspector John Asare Bediako told the Court that the complainant, Madam Comfort Amissah, mother of the toddler, lives in the same vicinity as Amoah at Breman Asorefie in the Assin Darmang District of the Central Region. He said on Monday, May 4, the girl's parents left her in the care of one Joyce Mensah and went to their farm. At about 1200 hours whilst the toddler was playing with some friends, the accused beckoned her into his room under the pretext of giving her food left by her parents. Amoah undressed the girl, inserted his erected penis into her vagina and later released her to go and play, but one of her friends who heard the cries of the girl informed the guardian, prosecutor said. The girl narrated her ordeal to the guardian and on realising that he had been exposed, Amoah went to Assin Anyinabrem Police Station and reported the incident. He was arrested and a medical form was issued to the parents of the girl for examination and treatment. GNA Helena Christensen was seen heading home to her New York City apartment on Saturday. The Victoria's Secret model stepped out for some groceries, and was seen heading back with two full paper bags in hand. The 51-year-old Danish model looked youthful and chic in a denim mini skirt and a purple graphic tee that read 'hang on to each other,' along with purple Converse sneakers. Chic look: Helena Christensen looked youthful and chic in a denim mini skirt and a purple graphic tee that read 'hang on to each other,' along with purple Converse sneakers Keeping cool, Helena pulled her brown locks up into a sleek bun. Most of her famous face was covered in a pair of large metal frame ombre-sunglasses and a grey reusable face mask amid the coronavirus pandemic. Carrying one bag in each hand, she also carried a blue and white vertical stripe tote and her shoulder. Helena recently wowed in a vintage for a special campaign with British Vogue to raise funds for the NHS Charities Together and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Her look: The 51-year-old Danish model looked youthful and chic in a denim mini skirt and a purple graphic tee that read 'hang on to each other,' along with purple Converse sneakers 'History is in every thread, and it oozes an elegance and glamour that hardly exists anymore,' the bombshell wrote on British Vogue's Way We Wore auction site, earlier this month. She added: 'I felt as if I were playing the part of a very cool, chic character wearing it.' Her treasured frock is being auctioned off in a project with 23 of the world's most beautiful women, including Gigi Hadid, Joan Smalls, Kate Moss, Adut Akech and Ashley Graham. The virtual event, entitled 'The Way We Wore,' corresponds to Vogue's July 2020 issue, where each model donned their selected piece in a socially distanced picture. Good cause: Helena Christensen cut a glamorous figure as she struck a series of sultry poses near her Upstate New York home for British Vogue's Way We Wore project 'History is in every thread, and it oozes an elegance and glamour that hardly exists anymore,' the bombshell wrote of her vintage Christian Dior wrap dress Christensen's mirror selfie was taken at her Catskills home, two hours from her apartment in New York City. The Nineties icon frequently shares pictures of her property, where she is able to unwind from big city life. The Copenhagen native has been isolating with her pal Camilla Strk and her 20-year-old son named Mingus, whom she shares with Norman Reedus. Since the start of her modeling career, the model has also become an accomplished photographer and was a co-founder of Nylon magazine that published from 1999 to 2017. Bhagalpur: The Examination Board of Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University (TMBU) in Bihar on Wednesday recommended cancellation of the law degree of former Delhi Law Minister and AAP MLA Jitender Singh Tomar, who was arrested on charge that his degree was fake. The Examination board of the university found true the findings of an interim committee constituted earlier on Tomar's degree and recommended cancellation of the degree, Pro Vice Chancellor A K Rai told PTI. The Board's recommendation would now go to University Senate for necessary action, Rai said. If due to any reason the Senate, whose Chairman is state's Governor Ramnath Kovind, fails to meet, then the recommendation would go to Syndicate and then to the Chancellor, he said. The interim committee in its report a few months ago had found the migration certificate of the former Law Minister of the Arvind Kejriwal cabinet wrong and on the basis of it had recommended cancellation of the Law degree. The controversy relates to the acquisition of Law degree by Tomar on the basis of a doubtful enrollment at Biswanath Law College in Munger in the academic session 1994-95. He had claimed to have passed the law examination in 1998-99. Tomar was arrested and later released on bail last year in the Law degree issue and had to resign from the Kejriwal ministry. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Newly-released access-to-information documents reveal details about a shipment of deadly pathogens last year from Canada's National Microbiology Lab to China confirming for the first time who sent them, what exactly was shipped, and where it went. CBC News had already reported about the shipment of Ebola and Henipah viruses but there's now confirmation one of the scientists escorted from the lab in Winnipeg amid an RCMP investigation last July was responsible for exporting the pathogens to the Wuhan Institute of Virology four months earlier. Dr. Xiangguo Qiu, her husband Keding Cheng and her students from China were removed from Canada's only level-4 lab over what's described as a possible "policy breach." The Public Health Agency of Canada had asked the RCMP to get involved several months earlier. The virus shipments are not related to the outbreak of COVID-19 or research into the pandemic, Canadian officials said. PHAC said the shipment and Qiu's eviction from the lab are not connected. "The administrative investigation is not related to the shipment of virus samples to China," Eric Morrissette, chief of media relations for Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada wrote in an email. "In response to a request from the Wuhan Institute of Virology for viral samples of Ebola and Henipah viruses, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) sent samples for the purpose of scientific research in 2019." 'It is alarming' However, experts are concerned. "It is suspicious. It is alarming. It is potentially life-threatening," said Amir Attaran, a law professor and epidemiologist at the University of Ottawa. WATCH | Deadly viruses were sent from Canada to China, documents show: "We have a researcher who was removed by the RCMP from the highest security laboratory that Canada has for reasons that government is unwilling to disclose. The intelligence remains secret. But what we know is that before she was removed, she sent one of the deadliest viruses on Earth, and multiple varieties of it to maximize the genetic diversity and maximize what experimenters in China could do with it, to a laboratory in China that does dangerous gain of function experiments. And that has links to the Chinese military." Story continues Gain of function experiments are when a natural pathogen is taken into the lab, made to mutate, and then assessed to see if it has become more deadly or infectious. In Canada, gain of function experiments to create more dangerous pathogens in humans are not prohibited, but are not done because they're considered too dangerous, Attaran said. "The Wuhan lab does them and we have now supplied them with Ebola and Nipah viruses. It does not take a genius to understand that this is an unwise decision," he said. "I am extremely unhappy to see that the Canadian government shared that genetic material." CBC Attaran pointed to an Ebola study first published in December 2018, three months after Qiu began the process of exporting the viruses to China. The study involved researchers from the NML and University of Manitoba. The lead author, Hualei Wang, is involved with the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, a Chinese military medical research institute in Beijing. All of this has led to conspiracy theories linking the novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19, Canada's microbiology lab, and the lab in Wuhan. The RCMP and PHAC have consistently denied any connections between the pandemic and the virus shipments. There is no evidence linking this shipment to the spread of the coronavirus. Ebola is a filovirus and Henipa is a paramyxovirus; no coronavirus samples were sent. CBC The ATIP documents identify for the first time exactly what was shipped to China. The list includes two vials each of 15 strains of virus: Ebola Makona (three different varieties) Mayinga. Kikwit. Ivory Coast. Bundibugyo. Sudan Boniface. Sudan Gulu. MA-Ebov. GP-Ebov. GP-Sudan. Hendra. Nipah Malaysia. Nipah Bangladesh. PHAC said the National Microbiology Lab routinely shares samples with other public health labs. The transfers follow strict protocols, including requirements under the Human Pathogens and Toxins Act (HPTA), the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, the Canadian Biosafety Standard, and standard operating procedures of the NML. CBC News has not been provided with some of the paperwork involved with the transfer, as information was redacted under sections of the Access to Information Act dealing with international affairs, national security and other issues. Confusion, concern over shipment The ATIP documents provide details about the months leading up to the shipment including confusion over how to package the deadly viruses the lack of decontamination of the package before it was sent, and concerns expressed by the NML's director-general Matthew Gilmour in Winnipeg, and his superiors in Ottawa. They wanted to know where the package was going, what was in it, and whether it had the proper paperwork. In one email, Gilmour said Material Transfer Agreements would be required, "not generic 'guarantees' on the storage and usage." He also asked David Safronetz, chief of special pathogens: "Good to know that you trust this group. How did we get connected with them?" Safronetz replied: "They are requesting material from us due to collaboration with Dr. Qiu." Karen Pauls/CBC News Meanwhile, it appears the NML's shipper initially planned to send the viruses in inappropriate packaging and only changed it when the clients in China flagged the problem. "The only reason the correct packaging was used is because the Chinese wrote to them and said, 'Aren't you making a mistake here?' If that had not happened, the scientists would have placed on an Air Canada flight, several of them actually, a deadly virus incorrectly packaged. That nearly happened," Attaran said. The package was routed from Winnipeg to Toronto and then to Beijing on a commercial Air Canada flight on Mar. 31, 2019. The next day, the recipients replied that the package had arrived safely. "We would like to express our sincere gratitude to you all for your continuous support, especially Dr. Qiu and Anders! Thanks a lot!! Looking forward to our further cooperation in the future," said the heavily redacted email, which does not provide the name of the sender. John Woods/Canadian Press Nearly one year after the expulsion of Qiu, Cheng, and her students from the NML, there are still no updates on the case from the RCMP or PHAC. At the time, Public Health Agency spokesperson Morrissette said the department was taking steps to resolve this case as quickly as possible. On Thursday, he said the investigation has not yet concluded. "Administrative investigations are impartial, thorough and in-depth. They are also procedurally fair and respect the rights of individuals," he said. Gordon Houlden, director of the China Institute at the University of Alberta, said he welcomes scientific collaboration and exchanges with China, "but there has to be a framework of rules in place" and Canada's intellectual property must be protected. Houlden, a former diplomat, has many unanswered questions about this particular shipment. Terry Reith/CBC A vacuum of information is always a problem, especially in a situation of heightened tension with China over the arrest of a Huawei executive in Canada, the seemingly retaliatory arrest of two Canadian men in China and questions over the origins of the coronavirus, he said. "There's also a danger if you don't provide information that people will jump always to the worst conclusion," Houlden said. Current NML head Matthew Gilmour was not made available for an interview. He is leaving as of July to work for the U.K.-based Quadram Institute Bioscience. His medical adviser, Dr. Guillaume Poliquin, will take over until a permanent replacement can be found. Qiu could also not be reached for a comment. Advertisement The world's biggest container ship has arrived in the UK for the first time after concluding its journey from China to Essex. HMM Algeciras travelled via South Korea, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. Preparations for the ship's arrival began more than six months ago with the Port of London Authority modelling its arrival on a simulator to ensure it could be carried out safely. The world's biggest container ship HMM Algeciras has arrived in the UK for the first time after concluding its journey from China to Essex HMM ALGECIRAS Height: 109 feet Length: 1,312 feet Width: 200 feet Weight: gross tonnage of 228283 Year built: 2020 Max. speed: 12.9 knots Average speed: 10.9 knots Capacity: 23,964 TEU Flag: Panama Advertisement The 1,312 feet long and 200 feet wide ship is delivering a variety of goods at DP World London Gateway in Thurrock. HMM Algeciras will depart tomorrow, carrying UK exports on her return journey to China via Singapore. Peter Livey, managing director for Britain at shipping company HMM, which owns the vessel, described its maiden voyage as a 'major milestone'. He said: 'Ships of this size give us the capacity and flexibility to get our customers' goods to the right place at the right time.' DP World UK chief executive Ernst Schulze said the commitment of his staff has been 'critical' to London Gateway remaining open throughout the coronavirus lockdown. It travelled at a maximum speed of 12.9 knots and an average speed of 10.9 knots. It has a gross tonnage of 228283. This extra-large vessel can store 24 transverse rows of 24 containers and stands at 109 feet high. DP World UK tweeted: 'This weekend DPWLG prepares for the arrival of HMM Algeciras. At 23,964 TEU she is the largest container vessel in the World. 'Vessel size has increased faster and more comprehensively than imagined.' TEU is a unit measured by 20-foot containers. The ship was built this year and is currently travelling under the flag of Panama. People line the sea wall to watch as HMM Algeciras passes Canvey Island as she heads to DP World London Gateway port in Tilbury, Essex This extra-large vessel can store 24 transverse rows of 24 containers and has a maximum capacity of 23,964 TEU HMM Algeciras will depart later from Essex today, carrying UK exports on her return journey to China via Singapore It travelled via South Korea, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium and is delivering a variety of goods at DP World London Gateway in Thurrock The Port of London Authority modelled the ship's arrival on a simulator to ensure it could be carried out safely Two people watch HMM Algeciras from the beach as it passes Canvey Island while one takes a picture on his phone The ship was built this year and is currently travelling under the flag of Panama. It's maiden voyage has been described as a 'major milestone' The ship could be seen sailing past Southend-on-Sea pier on the river Thames before docking at DP World London Gateway The HMM Algeciras went via Hamburg in Germany on June 10 on its journey from China to England where it arrived today A review has been ordered to see whether the two-metre social-distancing rule should be reduced to help businesses survive when they reopen . There have been calls to scrap the rule so premises such as restaurants and pubs to re-open sustainably when lockdown is eased further. The review, ordered by Boris Johnson, would effectively take control of social-distancing guidelines out of the hands of the Governments scientific advisers, who have been deeply reluctant to countenance relaxation, the Mail on Sunday reported. The move comes as thousands of non-essential shops in England are set to re-open on Monday for the first time since the coronavirus lockdown was imposed in March. With many people thought to be nervous about going out again after nearly three months in lockdown, Business Secretary Alok Sharma sought to reassure the public that measures had been put in place to ensure their safety. Writing in the Sunday Express, he said: We need to get Britains economy firing again, while at the same time making sure we keep people safe and avoid a second peak of the disease. And Chancellor Rishi Sunak told the Sun on Sunday: I am very conscious that there will be anxiety. For some time, many people have not been inside a shop and, in a way, we all have to relearn the behaviours we took for granted. Boris Johnson has ordered a review of the 2m rule / AFP via Getty Images Weve been living with anxiety now for 12 weeks but the good news is that weve made enormous progress. Bit by bit, that confidence will come back and the anxiety will reduce. But its not going to happen overnight. There have been warnings that any maintaining of the two-metre rule, along with a closing of the furlough scheme, could be a horrendous situation for the hospitality sector. Richard Caring, chairman of Caprice Holdings which runs the Ivy, accused the Government of killing the country in the Mail on Sunday. Some pupils and teachers across England returned to classrooms on June 1 / Getty Images He said: There are estimates saying we could have up to five million unemployed. Its not going to be five million its going to be more. I dont think weve seen anything yet. The Government is actually killing the country right now and the hospitality industry is in the front line of the disaster. Meanwhile, the Government is set to mount a fresh push to have more primary school children back into the classroom ahead of the summer break. With most children in England set to remain at home until September, ministers have been accused of putting retail before pupils education. London Zoo ready to reopen with social distancing measures A No 10 source said Mr Johnson was acutely aware of the impact the extended closure was having on pupils and was working with Education Secretary Gavin Williamson on a major catch-up plan. Currently primary schools in England which closed following the coronavirus lockdown in March are opening to pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6. However, ministers will this week reaffirm schools can take children from other year groups provided they have the capacity to do so safely. It means limiting class sizes to just 15 while ensuring protective measures are in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. UK Schools begin to reopen during Coronavirus lockdown ease 1 /28 UK Schools begin to reopen during Coronavirus lockdown ease Harris Academy Primary School Jeremy Selwyn Parents drop off children at Queen's Hill Primary School, Costessey, Norfolk, as pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, begin to return to school as part of a wider easing of lockdown measures PA Harris Academy Primary School Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Parents and children arrive at Watlington Primary School as some schools re-open Reuters Lessons with reduced class sizes at Queen's Hill Primary School, Costessey, Norfolk, as pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, begin to return to school as part of a wider easing of lockdown measures PA Parents and children arrive at Watlington Primary School as some schools re-open Reuters Parents drop off children at Queen's Hill Primary School, Costessey, Norfolk PA Parents drop off children at Queen's Hill Primary School, Costessey, Norfolk, as pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, begin to return to school as part of a wider easing of lockdown measures. PA Parents drop off children at Queen's Hill Primary School, Costessey, Norfolk, as pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, begin to return to school as part of a wider easing of lockdown measures. PA The details came as the Childrens Commissioner for England Anne Longfield issued a fresh warning that the failure to re-open schools risked undermining childrens basic right to an education. It has taken 200 years of campaigning to get children into the classroom, ensuring that education was a basic right for all children, she told the Observer. We seem for the first time to be prepared to let that start go into reverse. And I think that is a very, very dangerous place to be. We heard from the Prime Minister back in April that education was one of the top three priorities for easing lockdown, but it seems to have been given up on quite easily. Boris Johnson says two-metre social distancing rule must be kept under 'constant review' With most children not now due to return until September, it will have been nearly six months since they have been in a classroom by the time they get back. The Prime Minister was said to be particularly concerned about the impact on disadvantaged children who lack the same support at home and access to remote learning as others. A No 10 source said: The PM is acutely aware that school closures will have a disproportionate impact on all children, and particularly the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children. He appreciates the consequences of months out of school, and this package will be focused on providing extended support for children. The PM is so grateful for the hard work of teachers, parents and schools to keep educating children throughout this difficult period. On Indonesias Sumba island, the motifs displayed on traditional textiles produced by its weavers often depict animals, including the areas famed Sandalwood breed of horses. But in the village of Hamba Praing in East Sumba, scores of horses and cattle have died in recent years as extreme drought withered the grass, leaving behind bones and carcasses scattered over the scrubby landscape. East Sumba, about 1,200 miles east of Jakarta, last year reportedly had 249 days in a row without rain, with some experts blaming climate change for more frequent drought-inducing weather patterns, forcing people to adapt to survive. Nowadays, we no longer plant things, says local farmer Thomas Tay Ranjawali, referring to the peanut and corn crops typically grown by villagers. As well as trying to keep his animals alive, the father of six is now learning how to weave, a practice normally reserved for woman, to get extra funds for food. A cow runs past graves in Hamba Praing village (Reuters) A horses skull lies forgotten in the grass (Reuters) Dimas and his cousin Simon bathe Buru-Buru (Reuters) Sumba is in Indonesias third poorest province of East Nusa Tenggara, which is also the driest region of the archipelago. Indonesias meteorology agency says conditions are being made more extreme by the strongest Indian Ocean dipole the difference in sea temperatures across the ocean in a century that can cause drier weather in southeast Asia and Australia. The increase of temperatures in Indonesia is proof of global warming, says agency official Supari, who uses one name, noting Sumba is one of the most vulnerable areas. Maria Babang Noti and her husband Thomas Tay Ranjawali prepare to hand weave a traditional Sumba Ikat textile (Reuters) Andreas Windi Mbaku Rawa rests with his children at his parents weaving house (Reuters) As the drought ravages the village, Ranjawali and his wife, Maria Babang Noti, are forgoing seeds to buy more yarn for the lengthy process of weaving intricate Sumba Ikat textile. Dembe Laka spreads betel nuts over graves in a traditional act of offering (Reuters) Another farmer Ndelu Ndaha is now spending more time trying to catch fish. Ndelu Ndaha carries his net through the sea as he fishes on Puru Kambera beach (Reuters) Julkarnaen Mansyur, a fisherman from Waingapu, carries his net back to the shore (Reuters) Eighteen of his horses and seven cows recently died, and to keep the remaining animals alive grass has to be brought in from other villages. The horses easily get ill. They dont have anything in their stomach. Every year, there are always deaths, says Ndaha. Writing by Stanley Widianto, Reuters Le Thi Thoa, senior officer of the Climate Protection through Sustainable Bioenergy Markets in Vietnam project under the GIZ Energy Support Programme. What is the current development status of biomass energy in Vietnam? As an agricultural country with favourable geographical conditions, Vietnam has a great potential for biomass which can be exploited for energy production. Biomass resources in the country include firewood, rice husks, coffee husks, straw, and bagasse. Though the potential is huge, only 350 gigawatt hours was produced from bagasse in 2019. According to the revised Power Development Plan VII (PDP7) and Renewable Energy Development Strategy, Vietnam aims to raise the share of biomass energy in electricity production to 2.1 per cent by 2030 and 8.1 per cent by 2050. The revised PDP7 also sets the goal for biomass electricity production of 1,200MW and 3,000MW in 2025 and 2030. In order to encourage biomass electricity projects to generate electricity from bagasse from sugar production for self-consumption and for the national power grid (if available), in 2014, the government issued a feed-in tariff (FiT) for biomass electricity projects. However, the tariff was not attractive enough to investors. Vietnams sugar industry development plan until 2020 with a vision to 2030 targeted the utilisation of the by-products of the sugarcane industry for electricity generation so as to raise the value added to the sugarcane industrys value chain, and improve the efficiency of the industrys production, business and competitive capacity. To realise this, many sugar-producing firms have separated their electricity production from sugar production and made additional investment in new steam boilers to enhance the efficiency of bagasse-fired electricity production. According to a report by the National Load Dispatch Centre under Electricity of Vietnam, only 175MW of biomass electricity generated by three sugarcane factories were feeding in through 2019. Thus, biomass electricity has only achieved about 26.5 per cent of the 2020 goal. What barriers do you see for biomass energy, including bagasse, as only a quarter of the 2020 target has been achieved? To promote the development of biomass electricity projects, the revision of the FiT was necessary in accordance with Decision No.24/2014/QD-TTg on a support mechanism for biomass power projects. Item 1, Article 14 of Decision 24 stipulated a 5.8 US cents per kilowatt hour FiT for bagasse-fired co-generation heat power projects. In 2014, in the calculation for bagasse-fired co-generation power projects, bagasse was considered a redundant material from sugarcane factories, while sugarcane factories were not required to develop their infrastructure for sugarcane production, or to buy bagasse as they could use it from sugarcane production itself. On the other hand, since their establishment, sugar-producing companies considered sugar their flagship. Therefore, these companies have invested in suitable machines to ensure their sugar products would meet market demand. In order to achieve the goals set by Vietnams sugar industry development plan until 2020 with a vision to 2030 and the revised PDP7, it was important to adjust the FiT for biomass electricity to attract investors. The prime minister had issued Decision No.08/2020/QD-TTg dated March 5 amending and supplementing several articles of 2014s Decision 24. The current FiT for co-generated biomass electricity sits at 7.03 US cents per kWh and 8.47 US cents for other types of biomass electricity. The revised decision, which took effect on April 25, will increase the FiT for biomass power projects. How would you evaluate these changes? This is a positive signal for biomass energy development in Vietnam. The calculation of the revised rate is based on the levelised cost of energy, investment cost, operation cost, and financial cost. The newly-issued tariff was calculated to ensure proper profit for investors, promote biomass energy development, and ensure affordability. The revised FiT is expected to be an incentive for sugar-producing companies to develop and expand their bagasse-fired co-generation power projects. The electricity generated by biomass plants during the rainy season will be an additional resource helping to dispel power shortages, which may lead to the mobilisation of oil-fired and gas-fired power at high prices for ensuring the national energy security. Besides the FiT, what barriers do you see left for Vietnams ambitious plan for biomass power? After Decision 08, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoIT) should review, adjust, and write new circulars to regulate the development of biomass energy projects and their power purchase agreements to better instruct biomass energy investors. Besides, the success of a biomass energy project riles on biomass inputs. Therefore, the government should have a clear strategy and direction for the sugar sector, which is in line with the provinces socio-economic development. It should also build focused supply areas and apply state-of-the-art technologies so the plants can gain high yields, quality, and efficiency. GIZ has been also working with the Electricity and Renewable Energy Authority of the MoIT to implement the Climate Protection through Sustainable Bioenergy Markets in Vietnam project. What results have been achieved so far? Working in Vietnam since 2009, the MOIT/GIZ Energy Support Programme has implemented several projects to support the government in developing renewable energy, including biomass. Among the achievements, GIZ has supported five sugar companies to prepare feasibility/pre-feasibility study; developed biomass energy project development guidelines; analysed the potential co-generation project from bagasse and wood residues; planned on biomass power development in the Mekong Delta provinces; and studied on the FiT mechanism for solid biomass generation. These results are the prerequisite for our current implementation of the Climate Protection through Sustainable Bioenergy Markets in Vietnam and the EU-Vietnam Energy Facility initiatives. Does GIZ have any further plans to support biomass energy in Vietnam? Via the Climate Protection through Sustainable Bioenergy Markets in Vietnam project, part of the International Climate Initiative and funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, as well as the EU-Vietnam Energy Facility which is co-financed by the EU and Germany, GIZ continues to deploy activities to improve the preconditions for sustainable use of biomass for electricity and heat generation in the country. Key activities include supporting regulatory adjustments to planning and licensing biomass energy projects; improving the private sectors capacity to develop biomass ventures and enhance financial institutions capacities to finance such ventures; and facilitating technological co-operation between Vietnamese and international enterprises, research institutions, and universities on the use of biomass for electricity and heat generation. Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai residence and his team has now issued a statement, confirming the actors death and requesting fans to cherish and celebrate his work and life. It pains us to share that Sushant Singh Rajput is no longer with us. We request his fans to keep him in their thoughts and celebrate his life, and his work like they have done so far. We request media to help us maintain privacy at this moment of grief, the statement said. Also read: Actor Sushant Singh Rajput found hanging at home, he was 34 While the police have confirmed that he has died by suicide, no note was found from his residence. Sushant Singh Rajput has committed suicide, Mumbai Police is investigating, DCP Pranay Ashok, spokesperson Mumbai Police said. Expressing shock at his death, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap tweeted, Wtf .. this is not true. Akshay Kumar wrote, Honestly this news has left me shocked and speechless...I remember watching #SushantSinghRajput in Chhichhore and telling my friend Sajid, its producer how much Id enjoyed the film and wish Id been a part of it. Such a talented actor...may God give strength to his family. Wtf .. this is not true .. https://t.co/RzYSkegt4i Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) June 14, 2020 This is heartbreaking....I have such strong memories of the times we have shared ...I cant believe this ....Rest in peace my friend...when the shock subsides only the best memories will remain.... pic.twitter.com/H5XJtyL3FL Karan Johar (@karanjohar) June 14, 2020 Filmmaker Karan Johar tweeted, This is heartbreaking....I have such strong memories of the times we have shared ...I cant believe this ....Rest in peace my friend...when the shock subsides only the best memories will remain... Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The chair of Parliament's finance committee has warned Australia's big banks against backing new Chinese national security legislation aimed at stamping out dissent in Hong Kong in order to keep their licences in the financial hub. ANZ, National Australia Bank, the Commonwealth Bank, Westpac and Macquarie all have a presence in the former British colony, which has been beset by more than a year of unrest over Beijing's clampdown on pro-democracy protesters. London-based multinationals HSBC, Swire Group and Jardine Matheson, which are heavily exposed to the market, backed the laws last week after pressure from Beijing. HSBC has been heavily criticised for backing the new law on stifling dissent in Hong Kong. Credit:Bloomberg Liberal senator James Paterson, who has been highly critical of the Chinese Communist Party, said Australian companies should be very wary about succumbing to pressure to back Beijing's push into the global financial hub. "They risk serious brand damage at home if they do so," he said. "And once they start on that slippery slope they might find it hard to get off it. Michael Flor battled with coronavirus for 62 days at Swedish Issaquah, making him the longest coronavirus patient at the hospital. Washington: A 70-year-old man in the US, who nearly died from the coronavirus, received another shock after he was given a whopping USD 1.1 million (over Rs 8.14 crore) bill for his medical expenses, according to a media report. Michael Flor was so sick from COVID-19 that his wife and kids called him to say good-bye. But he managed to pull through while being treated at Swedish Medical Center in Issaquah, the Seattle Times reported. I opened it and said holy [bleep]! Flor says. The total tab for his bout with the coronavirus: USD 1.1 million. Michael Flor battled with coronavirus for 62 days at Swedish Issaquah, making him the longest coronavirus patient at the hospital. Flor has a Medicare Advantage insurance policy that normally covers all charges after the roughly USD 6,000 deductible, the paper reported. Special financial regulations enacted by Congress for COVID-19 patients, however, might keep Flor from paying one red cent, the Seattle Times said. Flor said he was surprised by his own reaction to beating the coronavirus. I feel guilty about surviving, he said. Theres a sense of, why me? Why did I deserve all this? Looking at the incredible cost of it all definitely adds to that survivors guilt. GREATER NOIDA: Gautam Budh Nagar district courts bar association has requested the administration for sanitisation to be carried out in advocates chambers at the district court located i Greater Noida. There are around 900 advocate chambers inside the court complex. One entry of visitors is through the gate near the chambers and majority of visitors entering the courts use this gate. Though administration takes up sanitization of chamber lanes, the same has not been done inside the chambers. We have requested that at least once, all advocate chambers should be sanitized. Thereafter, advocates will keep it sanitized, Sanjeev Verma, president, district bar association, said on Sunday. Further, the association has appealed to advocates to keep mini sanitization machines at their chambers. All visitors should be sanitized before being allowed to enter chambers. Further, with the machine, the advocates will be able to keep the chambers sanitized themselves. This will help check the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) disease into their chambers, said Verma. Advocate Ravindra Sharma, who has a chamber at the court, said he his chamber is in lane 1 and hence requires more sanitization as it is near the entry gate. I have, in the meantime, decided to buy a mini sanitization fogging machine for my chamber. I request the administration to get all the chambers sanitized at least once. Court authorities, however, said all areas of the court are being sanitised in coordination with the health department. When contacted, Mujeeb Rehman, the court nazir , said, As per high court guidelines, we are sanitizing the court campus. Sanitization is being done in coordination with the health department and authority teams. In advocates, chambers we are sanitizing the lanes through fogging machines. Chamber shutters too get sanitized. Regarding sanitization inside the chambers, Rehman said, It is not possible as during the sanitization in the morning, the chambers remain closed. Moreover, there is no guidelines to sanitize inside the advocate chambers. In residential or commercial areas, authorities sanitize the lanes and shutters or gates only. Sanitisation of inside area of shops or houses is done by owners themselves. According to bar association president Sanjeev Verma, Advocates are offering their full support in the fight against COVID-19. We appreciate the efforts of all advocates who are contributing their efforts and support. When contacted, district chief medical officer Dr Deepak Ohri said, The sanitisation is done under the supervision of the authority. If the association requests the authority, then we can do it with their help. An authority official said on condition of anonymity that upon getting a request they will seek approval from seniors and sanitize the chambers. A day after the son of BJPs Ambala unit president Jagmohan Lal Kumar was arrested with drugs, the opposition on Sunday demanded strict action in the case and raised questions over the state governments claims of controlling the drug menace. On Saturday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders son, Amit Kumar, along with an accomplice, was arrested with 60-gm heroin from near home minister Anil Vijs residence. The duo was allegedly coming from Delhi at the time, the first information report stated. They were presented before the court on Sunday afternoon and sent to two-day police remand. While Jagmohan Lal Kumar didnt respond to calls, texts and WhatsApp messages for the second consecutive day, the opposition intensified its attack on the saffron party. KUMAR SHOULD RESIGN ON MORAL GROUNDS: SELJA Haryana Congress chief Kumari Selja said, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders are competing against each other to violate the law. One of their leaders was recently found thrashing a government official with slippers and now another leaders son has been arrested with drugs. They are giving assurance of a fair probe but they always cover up such cases. She further said that the Ambala unit chief should tender his resignation on moral grounds as this is not the first time his son has been caught with drugs. Amit Kumar had been caught by the Mohali crime investigation agency (CIA)-2 near Derrabassi with 30-gram heroin in March last year. He was allegedly selling drugs in the area. HAPPENED UNDER VIJS NOSE: CHITRA SARWARA Haryana Democratic Front leader Chitra Sarwara said, All this is happening right under Haryana home minister Anil Vijs nose. The fact that Amit Kumar was arrested from near Vijs house raises a red flag. Sarwara further said, This is for the second time that Amit Kumar has been arrested in a drug case, which means he was let off easily the last time. When asked if the incident calls for the Ambala unit chiefs resignation, Chitra said, The matter is bigger than that. A resignation is not a remedy. The question is that when the government claims to be taking action against the drug menace, how are those in the political echelons shamelessly peddling drugs. BARALA REFUSES TO COMMENT BJPs state unit chief Subhash Barala refused to comment, saying that he was busy with the virtual rally and that the party will decide on the next course of action later. The issue has come to my notice, but we are busy with the virtual rally being held to mark one year of the BJP government at the centre. Ill gather more details and see what has to be done, Barala said. Meanwhile, Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) leader Digvijay Singh Chautala, who had demanded Kumars resignation when his son was arrested last year, is keeping mum this time. After repeated attempts to reach him through phone calls and messages, his personal assistant said Digvijay was busy in a meeting with his brother and deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala. Senior JJP leader KC Banger also refused to comment on the issue, saying, Im out of state and unaware of the development, so I cant comment on the issue. Senior ministers fear the top scientists advising the Government could quit over plans to ease the two-metre rule. Professor Chris Whitty, the popular Chief Medical Officer, and Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance have made it clear they believe the current guidance on safe distancing should stay. But Boris Johnson will tomorrow pave the way for it to be relaxed amid fears it could spark millions of job losses, with hospitality particularly badly hit. And Chancellor Rishi Sunak said ministers are 'urgently' looking at whether it can be relaxed to boost shops and allow more pubs and restaurants to reopen. He said it would be a decision for ministers rather than scientists as to when the change comes. The Sunday Times claims Downing Street is concerned at the scale of opposition among scientists, who far it could lead to a second spike in coronavirus infections. "The worry is that Whitty and Vallance could resign,' a source told the newspaper. 'It is getting to the stage where they are threatening to minute their opposition to moving from two metres. Those minutes get formally released.' It came as senior Tories have compared Boris Johnson to his predecessor Theresa May, accusing him of being 'paralysed' by uncertainty over coronavirus. Senior party figures including a Cabinet Minister have rounded on the under-pressure Prime Minister, accusing him of presiding over 'flip-flopping and malaise' at the heart of Government. It comes as a new poll by ORB International shows that a majority of voters (52 per cent) thinks the Government is handling the pandemic badly, although that number has fallen. Scientists including popular Chief Medical Officer Professor Christ Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance, the Chief Scientific Adviser and Sage chairman, are against the move on public health grounds. Senior party figures including a Cabinet Minister have rounded on the under-pressure Prime Minister, accusing him of presiding over 'flip-flopping and malaise' at the heart of Government There is also anger after plans to fully reopen primary schools before summer had to be scaled back because there is not enough space in classrooms. The Sunday Times today cites three top Tories, a former and ex-Caninet minister and a former No10 aide, as comparing Mr Johnson to his predecessor, who was booted out after floundering for months over Brexit. The aide told the paper: 'Back in the day, people said Theresa was paralysed and couldn't make a decision it's like that with Boris. 'This flip-flopping and malaise comes from the very top. The likes of Rishi and Matt [Hancock, the health secretary] are pulling their hair out.' It came as Mr Sunak said ministers are 'urgently' looking at whether the two metre social distancing rules can be relaxed to boost shops and allow more pubs and restaurants to reopen, Rishi Sunak said today. A new poll by ORB International shows that a majority of voters (52 per cent) thinks the Government is handling the pandemic badly, although that number has fallen since last week In a clear sign he would like the rule eased the Chancellor admitted he could see the 'positive impact' of reducing it to 1.5metres or one metre, citing other nations which have already made such a change. It came as the UK's high streets prepare to come back to life from tomorrow, with non-essential retailers allowed to open their doors for the first time since March. The Chancellor told shoppers it was safe to go out and said it was important to save people's jobs. He told Sky's Ridge on Sunday: 'It's the difference between three quarters and maybe a third of pubs opening. So it is importantly that we look at it.' The Sunday Times today cites three top Tories, a former and ex-Caninet minister and a former No10 aide, as comparing Mr Johnson to his predecessor, who was booted out after floundering for months over Brexit. The Sunday Times alleges that Mr Johnson agreed to move faster in restarting the economy after a meeting with the Chancellor, only to row back hours later after a heated discussion with aides. There was also anger over the schools reopening debacle, with a source telling the paper: 'There is zero chance of social distancing in schools. You either accept that or you go and find alternate locations, just as we did with the Nightingale hospitals. There seem to be zero plans for that. 'We have a majority of 80, you can hire whoever you want. You can spend any amount of money. You can hire management consultants, specialists, pay Amazon to come in and deliver tests. There are no excuses.' Meanwhile the PM is also facing anger for failing to chair a meeting of the Cobra emergencies committee in more than a month. Critics alleged in the Observer that it has been dropped because its members include the leaders of the UK's devolved administrations, who are at loggerheads with the PM. The insistence of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (Sage) on maintaining the two-metre rule has caused an intense political backlash, with Tory MPs and the Treasury joining forces to express concern about the economic damage it is wreaking. Figures released last week showed the economy suffered a 20 per cent drop in GDP in April, the largest ever monthly collapse. Chancellor Rishi Sunak told the party's backbench 1922 Committee last week that three-quarters of pubs could open if the distance was cut to one metre, and cited the fact that 24 countries had introduced the flexibility to reduce it. The infection rate in the community has dropped to just 0.06 per cent, while a further 181 people died in the UK in the last 24-hour period to be announced after testing positive for Covid-19. Researchers found that there is a 1.3 per cent chance of contracting the virus when standing two metres away from an infected person; a figure that only increases to 2.6 per cent when separated by one metre. The current 'R' rate is between 0.7 and 0.9: any number below 1 means that the spread of the virus is decreasing. Mr Johnson's new review will take advice from a range of experts, including the Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance but also behavioural scientists and economists. It will operate in addition to a rolling review of the guidance being carried out by Sage. Prof Whitty has public spoken of the importance of the two-metre rule. He has said social distancing - as well as hand washing, 'good cough etiquette', the use of face coverings - will be in place 'for as long as this epidemic continues'. Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, has said there was 'relatively little room for manoeuvre' in easing the lockdown measures. A source told the Sunday Times that they were worried the scientists would 'minute' their opposition to any change, meaning it would be published in records of Sage meetings. The leaders of Somalia and breakaway state Somaliland met Sunday in a bit to renew dialogue, with Somaliland calling for a two-state process and defending its right to independence. The meeting took place in Djibouti, chaired by the countrys President Ismail Omar Guelleh, and was attended by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Abiy, who is leading a drive for peace and integration in the troubled Horn of Africa region, first called an impromptu meeting between the two leaders in February in a bid to revive talks which broke down in 2015. We know that not of all the problems will be solved here today but we also have to remember that just being open to discussions and be willing to get the men and women you lead closer together is the ultimate goal, Guelleh said in his speech, posted on Facebook. Somalias President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, nicknamed Farmajo, is committed to all efforts to bring about fruitful talks with Somaliland, said presidential spokesman Abdinur Mohamed Ahmed in a statement. Somaliland president Musa Bihi in his speech laid out the background of the dispute, from Somalilands independence from Britain in 1960 to its voluntary joining with Somalia just days later. He cited the oppression of Somalilands people under Mogadihus rule, and widespread war crimes committed against it. Peaceful co-existence Somaliland declared independence in 1991, and while anarchic southern Somalia has been riven by years of fighting between multiple militia forces and Islamist violence, Somaliland has enjoyed relative peace. However it has never achieved the international recognition it desires. Somaliland remains committed to a peaceful co-existence with Somalia. However, Somaliland insists in that the dialogue should be a two-state process with a substantive agenda that addresses the core issues of the dispute, said Bihi. We cordially propose that a serious mediation mechanism and a guarantor should be in place for this new round of dialogue. Prior talks between the two collapsed in 2015 and relations have deteriorated, with clashes erupting between Somaliland forces and those in neighbouring Puntland a semi-autonomous region of Somalia, in 2018. Tensions also deepened in 2018 after the Dubai-based DP World struck a deal giving Ethiopia a 19-percent stake in Somalilands Berbera port. Somalia saw this as a violation of its sovereignty. Both sides in 2018 took measures to hinder travel between their territories, according to the ICG report. Somaliland stamped Somalia passports with a visa, on the grounds that Somaliland was a separate country, while Somali officials began confiscating passports with these stamps. In 2019, Somalia lodged a protest with Kenya after it referred to Somaliland as a country following talks between the two. Omar Mahmood, senior Somalia analyst with the International Crisis Group, said the timing of the talks was odd given Somalia was in the process of organising elections. It is hard to see what can be achieved. The positions are so entrenched and so diametrically opposed, he said. He pointed out that when the two leaders met in February, Bihi faced a significant backlash at home, highlighting the difficulty facing any mediation process. Abiy has pushed hard to resolve outstanding areas of conflict in the region. The Ethiopian premier received the Nobel Peace Prize last year for his efforts to resolve a long-running conflict between Ethiopia and its neighbouring foe Eritrea. He has also stepped in in conflicts in South Sudan, Sudan, between Somalia and Eritrea, and Djibouti and Eritrea. str-fb/pvh DP WORLD Mumbai, June 14 : Composer Sachin Sanghvi, of the popular duo Sachin-Jigar, turns a year older on Sunday, and he will celebrate his special day with family. According to a source, he loves spending his birthday at home enjoying a good homecooked Gujarati meal with his family. "I like celebrating my birthday with my family and we will be doing the same this year. The silver lining about this lockdown is that we got a lot of time to spend with our families. I hope the situation improves and we get back to our normal lives soon," said Sachin. Sachin-Jigar's hits scores include films such as "ABCD" franchise, "F.A.L.T.U.", "Badlapur" and "Stree". Authorities Call for Investigation Into Death of Black Man Found Hanging From Tree City officials in Palmdale, California, have called for an investigation after a man was found dead and hanging from a tree. Robert Fuller, 24, was found dead on June 10 at around 3:40 a.m. local time in the Southern California city, officials told CBS Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Sheriffs Department initially said that Fuller died in a suicide, but Fullers family said they believe he was lynched and are seeking an investigation into his manner of death. The City of Palmdale later announced on Saturday that it is officially supporting the call for an independent investigation and an independent autopsy of Mr. Fuller. The City has already reached out to Mr. Fullers family, offering help and support, and will do everything possible to assist Mr. Fullers family during this difficult time as a complete vetting of his death is investigated, the citys statement said. We join with our community and Robert Fullers family in mourning his tragic death. Over the weekend, Black Lives Matter protests were held in Palmdale following his death. Sheriffs block marchers from continuing down E. Palmdale Boulevard after a demonstration in Palmdale, Calif., on June 13, 2020. (David McNew/Getty Images) Although the investigation is ongoing, it appears that Mr. Fuller has tragically died by suicide, Capt. Ron Shaffer of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department said last week, according to CBS LA. His family members said he wasnt suicidal. He was not suicidal and he had no mental illnesses. We do not want that to be implied, said Pernisha Theus, a cousin, adding that Fuller had returned from visiting family members in Arizona and showed no signs of distress. She then claimed his death was a lynching. Mayor Steve Hofbauer of Palmdale said that a preliminary impression was from the Coroner and the investigators that were out there determined that his manner of death may have been suicide. The city manager and I have been working the phones to talk with other investigative agencies that may be able to assist us in this process, he said. State Sen. Scott Wilk, Assembly Member Tom Lackey, and Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor Chair Kathryn Barger announced their support for an investigation into Fullers death. According to CBS LA, city officials said there were no working cameras in the area. A GoFundMe was set up for Fullers family. Words cant describe how my family is feeling. We grew up there in the Antelope Valley, we have so many friends, families that loved Robert. Please help with whatever you can. We greatly appreciate everyone. Thank you for standing with us during this difficult time, the page said. The nationwide protests over police racism and brutality have forced city officials in the historic city of Fort Bragg to face up to the ugly history of its namesake, Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg, who enslaved more than 100 people. The City Council in the rugged coastal hamlet agreed to consider scheduling a vote next week on a name change after 50 to 60 requests came in over the past two weeks accusing the Mendocino County enclave of glorifying a racist traitor by using his last name. The idea is likely to cause a ruckus at the citys first live public meeting since the COVID-19 shelter-at-home order was lifted. Tabatha Miller, the Fort Bragg city manager, said an item will be placed on the June 22 agenda in the next couple of days asking council members whether they want to place the issue on the November ballot. If the council agrees, they will be asked to come up with a list of three alternative names, she said. Certainly, if you are going to consider changing the name of a city that has existed for 135 years, you want to involve the public in what a new name should be, said Miller, noting that city action was necessary because the deadline for a citizens initiative has passed. Alternate names, like Glass Beach and Pomo Bluffs, have been brought up. River City and Noyo, which is what American Indians called the area, have also been suggested as more appropriate monikers. The idea was last brought up five years ago by the California Legislative Black Caucus and state Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, who called the name Bragg an insult to African Americans. The demands came that time during a backlash against symbols of the rebel South caused by the massacre in June 2015 of nine worshipers inside a black church in Charleston, S.C. The white man who committed the crime, Dylann Roof, was photographed holding the Confederate battle flag. Roof was sentenced to death by a federal jury in January 2017. But Fort Bragg locals didnt embrace the notion of changing the citys name and the City Council quickly tabled it. The latest calls were sparked by the nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd, the African American man who died in Minneapolis after a police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes. In recent days, statues of Confederate generals have been torn down amid nationwide demonstrations against police brutality and against systematic racism. Similarly, a statue of colonizer Christopher Columbus was torn down, set ablaze and thrown into a lake in Richmond, Va. NASCAR recently announced it would ban the Confederate flag from all of its events and properties. California banned public display by the government of the Confederate flag six years ago. South Carolina and Alabama also removed the flag from their capital buildings. Other symbols of racism have recently been removed in the Bay Area. The UC Berkeley School of Law agreed to stop using the name Boalt in 2018 because lawyer John Boalt inspired the infamous Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and spoke derisively about Native Americans and people of African descent. The same year, Stanford University decided to erase the name of Serra from two dormitories because Father Junipero Serra, the 18th century leader of the California missions, helped destroy native culture in the state. Fort Bragg was established in 1857 when Horatio Gates Gibson, a lieutenant serving at the Presidio of San Francisco, set up a military post to keep control of the natives confined to the newly established Mendocino Indian Reservation. He named the camp after Braxton Bragg, his former commanding officer. The town was incorporated in 1889. The remainder of the old fort, a small building painted white, stands next to city hall. 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. Bragg looked a lot like Abraham Lincoln, judging by a portrait of the old general kept in a dusty room at the Guest House Museum. But the resemblance was only skin deep. He was indisputably a turncoat, serving as a general in the Confederate army during the Civil War. To make matters worse, he enslaved 105 African Americans. Bragg, who never visited the town that bears his name, led many bloody battles against the Union army, the black caucus said in its letter, which urged the community to end its association with such a disgraced and treasonous figure in our nations history. Fort Bragg was a lumber town until the Georgia Pacific mill closed in 2002. It is now a mostly blue-collar salmon port, tourist destination, and gateway to redwood forests and the Lost Coast. A historical marker on Main Street mentions Bragg, but there is very little about him in the museum nearby. Miller said the Civil War had not occurred when Braggs name was attached to the town, and few of the 7,200 residents identify the name with the confederacy or the general. She said the vast majority of the requests for a name change have been lodged by people from out of town. A name change, she said, would affect some 30 local businesses that use the name of the town, including Fort Bragg Electric and Fort Bragg Plumbing. So it does get a little bit tricky for folks (and) I am certain that this would be a very emotional issue for people, she said. I dont think anybody dismisses the current climate and most people recognize that reform is probably necessary, but folks have lived in Fort Bragg for many, many generations, so the idea of changing the name of a town they have lived in for so long is difficult to grasp. Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Editor's Note: This is the second of a two-part op-ed series examining Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his regime. The first part of the op-ed series, "Khamenei's final act: Persecuting Iran's religious minorities," can be read here. The U.S. Approach toward the Mullahs President Obama Unfortunately, President Obama decided to take a conciliatory approach toward the occupying regime in Iran and deal with the mullahs through negotiation. He surrounded himself with people that included some sympathizers of the regime in Iran. His advisor for Iran policy was Vali Nasr, whose approach was to placate the regime in Iran through negotiations and the exchange of concessions, ignoring the mullahs state-sponsored international terrorism and egregious and blatant human rights violations in Iran. Additionally, President Obamas Secretary of State, John Kerry, was and is a close friend of Khameneis foreign minister, Javad Zarif. Recently, Mr. Kerry, in clear violation of national security laws and against a sitting Presidents policies, advised Zarif to endure President Trumps first term in office at any cost in the hope of a different President being elected in four years. Apart from the signaling of support this provides to the Iranian regime, this is arguably an act of Treason that has not been addressed as of yet. During the uprisings of 2009 (commonly known as the Green Revolution), the Iranian nation rose to oppose Mr. Ahmadinejads reappointment by Khamenei, which was disguised as a free election, and nearly overthrew the regime, which was caught off guard and unprepared to handle the situation. One of the primary slogans of the protesters was Mr. Obama, are you with them or with us? Sadly, Mr. Obama decided to side with Khamenei. At the height of the protests, he sent a warm letter to Khamenei wishing him a happy Persian New Year and expressing hopes for warm relations between the two nations. This simple act diffused the movements momentum as Iranians realized that they must confront not just the Russians, Europeans and Chinese for their support for Khamenei, but the U.S. as well; it was too much to bear. Later on, after the signing of the Nuclear Deal, President Obama released Irans frozen funds into the hands of Khamenei, which were in turn funneled into Khameneis terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and many more. Tragically, President Obamas misguided policies toward Iran have added years if not decades to the life of this regime. The U.S. Approach toward the Mullahs President Trump Immediately after taking the Oath of Office of President, President Trump took a drastically different approach toward the mullahs: no negotiations until the occupying regime in Iran changed its behavior and started to act like a civilized member of the nations. As such, he abandoned the Nuclear Deal the so-called hallmark of President Obamas administration and imposed economic sanctions on the mullahs regime and any entity dealing with them. The results are spectacular. Without sacrificing a single American life, President Trump has managed to bring this evil regime to its knees. In the 40 years since its inception, the occupying regime in Iran has never been this weak and vulnerable. The lifeline to its existence and its terrorist activities has been cut off. Khameneis top terrorist, Ghasem Soleimani, has been eliminated and the world is a better and safer place for it. EU, Russia, and China The EU, and France, Germany, and the UK in particular, have been maintaining a policy of double standards to maximize concessions and benefits from both the occupying regime in Iran and from the U.S. On the one hand, they proclaim to be defenders of human rights and condemn Khameneis regime for its constant gross human rights violations, and on the other hand, they obtain lucrative and often one-sided contracts from the occupying regime in Iran in exchange for their silence. In this capacity, the EU has consistently attempted to sabotage President Trumps policies towards the mullahs and constantly attempts to circumvent the U.S. sanctions against Iran. Instances of such betrayals abound from perpetually turning a blind eye to the numerous assassinations of prominent Iranian opposition leaders all across Europe, to French President Macrons secret attempts to broker a deal between the U.S. and Iran on behalf of Khameneis regime, to Chancellor Merkels repeated attempts to send bales of cash to the mullahs in the most desperate time of their existence and all these acts of complicity have been rewarded with the profitable contracts EU nations have for Iranian resources. From the inception of the regime, the Soviets have played a prominent role in its creation and survival. Through a series of bombings in the early days of the regime, all the prominent Ayatollahs who could potentially pose a threat to Khomeinis authority, as well as all the possible candidates who could overshadow Khamenei a low level cleric with no prominence or regard among senior Ayatollahs were eliminated. After Khomeinis death, with the crucial help of Rafsanjani and Russian agents such as Ayatollah Koeiniha, Khamenei was appointed as the next Supreme Leader of Iran. Khoeiniha is the primary architect of the invasion of the U.S. embassy in Tehran, where Americans were held hostage for 444 days and all the shredded embassy documents were reconstructed and handed off to the Soviets. Upon taking the position of Supreme Leader, Khamenei amended the Constitution with laws that enabled him to retain this position with absolute power, indefinitely. According to reports by Soviet and Russian media (Nov. 25, 2003 by Kommersant and Feb. 5, 2010 by Russia Today reporting on the 50th anniversary of the Patrice Lumumba University or the Peoples Friendship University of Russia), Khamenei is a graduate of Patrice Lumumba University. Therefore, it is not difficult to see why and how Iran has become a pathetic colony of Russia, Irans worst enemy in the past two centuries. Iranian military bases are routinely used by the Russian military to conduct its policies in the region. It is Iranian soldiers IRGC and Basij who are conducting the war in Syria and advancing Russias interests, at great human and financial cost to the Iranian nation. Over a year ago, Khameneis delegates abdicated practically all of Irans rights to the Caspian Sea (Iran holds a 50% interest in Caspian Sea) in return for Russian support of the occupying regime in Iran. Khamenei and Putin recently signed a security pact allowing the Russian military to enter Iran in the event of a military conflict, which basically allows Russia to occupy Iran as in the time of Stalin during and after WWII. The Chinese government is a relative newcomer to the scene. As with Russia, they have been granted huge contracts and concessions by Khamenei in return for their strategic and technological support. All the fishing rights of the Persian Gulf have been granted to the Chinese with devastating environmental impact. Chinese tech giant Huawei provides to Khameneis regime most of the technology needed to spy on and control the Internet and wireless communication devices. China also actively circumvents the U.S. sanctions on Iran and provides financial support to the regime, with the objective of surviving President Trump. Additionally, both the Chinese ruling government and the occupying regime in Iran have used COVID-19 to their fullest advantage China against the world and the U.S. in particular, and Khamenei, tragically, against the Iranian population in order to quell the previously nascent mass uprisings in Iran. China intentionally withheld the truth about COVID-19, knowing full well that its containment in open democratic societies will be much more difficult and its potency and harm much more severe. Through a strict widespread quarantining of almost 800 million people, possible only under a totalitarian rule, China managed to contain the spread of COVID-19 early on and provided fabricated reports to the World Health Organization and the rest of the world, downplaying the dangers and contagiousness of the disease. The Chinese ruling party knew full well that the democratic societies would pay a much heavier price both in human lives and economic terms, and would suffer through a much longer period of recovery. In Iran, through several critical intentional decisions coupled with a lack of will, resources and expertise to contain the spread of COVID-19, Khamenei has managed to spread the virus to every corner of the land in a very short amount of time. His regime has also been the primary source of the spread of the virus all across the region and most of Europe, to a point that all the neighboring countries closed their borders to Iran soon after. The role of these two governments in contributing to the COVID-19 pandemic is an issue that the international institutions of justice should address and hold them accountable for. What is Next? By the next presidential election in Iran in about a year, Khamenei will have his ultra-hardliner thugs at the helm of all three branches of the government and, together with the IRGC, will rule with an iron fist where even the slightest hints of dissent are crushed violently and harshly. In the event of further pressures from the U.S., which have been devastating for Khamenei, the next step will be to start a regional war by first attacking the U.S., Israeli, and Saudi sites, with full support from Russia and China in the background, to drag them into a long and never-ending war that will provide the time needed to develop his atomic bomb, the ultimate guarantee of his regimes survival. If and when Khamenei obtains an atomic bomb, it will be a tragic and catastrophic day for humanity. It means that the world will have to face constant state-sponsored terrorism as a new norm. It means that the survival of Israel will hang by a thread. It means that nowhere will be safe from the reaches of this evil. It means that the assassinations of dissidents outside of Iran will continue as it has in the past four decades. It means that this evil regime cannot be held accountable for any of its crimes. That is a frightening reality that I, and I am sure others, would very much prefer to avoid. The ruling regimes in China and Russia, in their current form and structure, will always be enemies of the U.S. and its ideals freedom and democracy. It is the Europeans that have to change their policies and old ways hypocritical cross-dealings and valuing economic interests over human lives and ideals to side with the U.S. in confronting this growing and malignant monstrosity that threatens all of humanity. American College of Education (ACE) and iteach today announced a partnership that will enable iteachTEXAS students to seamlessly transition into ACE graduate programs. Upon completion of the iteachTEXAS certification programs, students will be able to apply up to 12 credits toward American College of Education graduate programs. For those who complete iteachTEXASs teacher certification program, ACE will accept up to 12 credits for a variety of masters degree programs. For completers from iteachTEXASs principal certification program, ACE will accept up to 9 credits for graduate programs. In addition to accepting credits, ACE is offering tuition grants to iteachTEXAS program completers. iteach is well known in Texas, and their national accreditation by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) made them a strong partner for us, said Conna Bral, Assistant Provost, Education Professions for American College of Education. iteachs courses, mission and students fit well with ACEs graduate programs for educators. Dr. Diann Huber founded iteachTEXAS in 2003 to help talented people become teachers while avoiding the high costs and time commitments of traditional educator preparation programs. The model she created was so successful at preparing great educators on a large scale that iteachs program is now approved in 7 states across the nation. iteach provides a fully online, self-paced curriculum which provides flexibility and accessibility to its students. In addition, 90% of the program costs are deferred until the teachers are hired. The iteach model aligns with ACEs mission to deliver high-quality, affordable and accessible online programs. Andrew Rozell, Director of Business Development at iteachTEXAS is thrilled with the new partnership, Working with ACE, iteach can give our program participants the opportunity to start a graduate degree and leverage the high quality work they completed in our program. Rozell continues, Together, iteach and ACE are combining forces to train professionals to deliver effective, high-quality education to todays youth. About iteach iteach helps talented people become teachers. Through rigorous, research-based training, iteach combines the convenience of online learning with the support of face-to-face mentorship while removing the barriers of high costs and time commitments of traditional teacher preparation programs. Having initially certified over 13,000 K-12 educators, iteach is working to solve the teacher shortage and enhance student achievement throughout the United States. Learn more at http://www.iteach.net. About American College of Education Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Indianapolis, American College of Education is a regionally accredited, completely online college specializing in affordable programs in education, leadership, healthcare and nursing. ACE offers more than 50 programs for adult students to pursue doctorate, masters or bachelors degrees, along with micro-credentials and graduate-level certificate programs. It is the #3 conferrer of masters of education degrees in the country. Learn more at http://www.ace.edu/iteach. MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday said Zimbabwe was facing an implosion due to a multi-layered crisis and only a transitional mechanism can rescue the country. Chamisa told The Standard in an exclusive interview that President Emmerson Mnangagwas government had run out of ideas to address the many problems facing the country. We are in a disaster, he said. There is no income, no foreign investments, no jobs, nothing and it is a tinderbox, it is an explosion, everything is going southward. The centre can no longer hold. More than eight million people are facing starvation and this situation does not require a business-as-usual approach. Chamisa said Zimbabwes problems could only be addressed when all citizens are involved in finding solutions. We need a transitional mechanism to soft-land the crisis, he said. We need nation building and consensus to extricate ourselves out of this problem in the country. With service delivery collapse, economic collapse, corruption flourishing, human rights abuses on the increase, victimisation of lawyers, attacks on human rights defenders, attacks on journalists, diplomats and non-governmental organisations, everyone seems to be under attack. Its a state that seems to be in a difficult position and they are seeing enemies everywhere. Security chiefs last week claimed there were rumours that some people were plotting a coup against Mnangagwa. Home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe, who addressed a press conference flanked by army, police and intelligence bosses, accused former Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere and MDC Alliance vice-chairperson Job Sikhala of being behind the rumour-mongering. Chamisa said the transitional mechanism must be a creature of a national consensus and a comprehensive settlement anchored on reforms. Thats what is going to save this country and the sooner we achieve that the better, he said. The country cannot proceed like this; the environment is too toxic, let us detoxify our environment. We must have a legitimate state, not a contested state. Organs of the state must be out of partisan politics. They must not be deployed for partisan acts. We now have a culpable state. M ore than 100 people have been arrested during Saturdays far-right protest in London, Scotland Yard has said. People were arrested for offences including violent disorder, assaulting police officers, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of class A drugs, being drunk and disorderly and breach of the peace. Six police officers and at least 13 other members of the public were injured during the protests. Six of people were taken to hospital, the ambulance service said. It came after around 200 breached the 5pm curfew with most congregating around the statue of Churchill in Parliament Square. This was despite the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan urging people to leave by the deadline, which was set by the Metropolitan Police under the Public Order Act. Police clash with protesters in Westminster / PA Six officers suffered minor injuries after pockets of violence were directed towards the Metropolitan Police, the force said. In a statement, Met Commander Bas Javid said: Thousands have travelled to London despite being asked not to and some of those have been intent on causing harm. We understand why people want to express their concerns and have worked hard to keep people safe. Police by the Cenotaph in Westminster / Getty Images Many people have complied with these conditions, and have listened to officers during the day, and have behaved as we have requested in order to keep them safe. A number of people have not followed these conditions, putting officers, and others safety at risk. Five arrests were made and six police officers were injured / AP There have been pockets of violence directed towards our officers. This is completely unacceptable and I condemn those involved. Meanwhile, earlier officers flooded Waterloo Station after witnesses said that flash bags and flares were thrown. Scuffles between far-right and BLM protesters reportedly erupted outside the front of the station later in the evening. AFP via Getty Images By 7pm, police blocked off two pedestrian bridges between Embankment and Waterloo in London as Black Lives Matter protesters had been on them attempting to get north in the capital. Officers also marched anti-racism protesters across Westminster Bridge, preventing anyone from passing their cordon. Other police stayed with a small crowd at the Churchill statue in Parliament Square, which had shrunk to fewer than 50 people by 6:15pm. Back in Parliament Square, police officers entered the crowd to disperse leftover demonstrators. A police helicopter continued to fly overhead a police on horseback were deployed as more officers arrived to bring the chaos under control. Police lead an injured man away after clashes between protesters / Getty Images By 6.45pm officers began herding the final far-right protesters away from Parliament Square in London. Around 40 officers approached the demonstrators near the statue of Churchill, and began moving them across the green space and onto a road. The police were with shouting and resistance from the final small group, but some of the demonstrators are moving away from the cordon. A group of men carry an injured man away after he was allegedly attacked by some of the crowd of protesters on the Southbank near Waterloo station / Getty Images All but a few protesters were emoved from Parliament Squareby 7pm, and the majority of the police officers pulled back. However, moments after the square was cleared, a group of black men began to chase a white man. One man attempted to kick the chased man, but was unable to before police intervened. Elsewhere, MPs and police chiefs have condemned a man for peeing urinating by the memorial to Pc Keith Palmer. Senior Tory MP Rob Halfon described the behaviour as "horrific". Mr Halfon, the chair of the Commons Education Committee, said he hoped the perpetrator was tracked down and jailed. Protesters on Saturday in London / PA This is just so horrific. I hope they find this individual and lock them up and throw away the key, he said. This is not the kind of country we are. I feel every possible good wish to the family of Pc Palmer, who did so much to keep us safe. The Metropolitan Police Federation chairman Ken March even said he should be sent to prison. He also condemned the disorder and unruliness witnessed at the far-right protests in London on Saturday. He said: Its horrendous. The man urinating next to Keith Palmers memorial is disgusting. How can a human being behave like that? I dont get it, its beyond belief. A faction of people today [Saturday] only had one intention to be violent and unlawful, they didnt come here to protect the statues, its just disorder and unruliness. I suggest serious custodial sentences in relation to assaults on police and others, criminal damage and urinating next to the memorial of heroes. The Democratic Partys coordinated effort to stir up racial hatred and bully the rest of us into giving them back the White House under the guise of anti-racism can only be seen as the most recent stage of the Democrats attempt to nullify the 2016 election. James Kunstler comments pungently: [H]ow much of the response to the public killing of one George Floyd has been an engineered operation by the Democratic Party and its allies in the propaganda industry? Id say, an awful lot, considering the presentation of events in The New York Times and other organs of the perpetual Resistance that have been luxuriating in existential woe surrounding the indecencies of whiteness, culminating in the fake abject ritual of contrition put on by Ms. Pelosi and Chuck Schumer taking-a-knee in their Kente cloth prayer shawls. Within a few more days, at least four cops around the country were ambushed and shot in the head, but there were no public displays of mourning for them. *** The Democratic Party Resistance apparently believes that all this mayhem, and the false sanctimony excusing it, works to their advantage in the coming national election. They may be disappointed about how that works out, as theyve been disappointed in three years of previous gambits to overthrow the government and seize power by any means necessary. The picture of them is resolving into the party of bad faith, foul play, coercion, and tyranny. Even the corona virus scare carries a taint of Resistance manipulation. One moment the populace is hustled into an economically devastating lockdown; and then suddenly, on a fine spring day, theyre incited to mix in moiling mobs of street protests with the predictable result of a fresh spike in virus contagion and the possibility of a second lockdown. Like many activities in our national life lately, its another hostage racket, and, guess what, youre the hostage. Their most transparent artifice is the utterly false elevation of Joe Biden as their candidate for president. Everybody knows hes incapable of performing the job, and probably even of functioning through a campaign. His inchoate utterances on events and policy make Donald Trump sound like Ralph Waldo Emerson. Hes left behind himself an evidence trail of financial crimes running to at least nine digits of grift. And, of course, if you believe all women, hes a sexual molester. Everything about his public presentation is false, including his hair, teeth, and soul. Lets pause on that thought. It is remarkable that the goal of all the machinations, all the hysteria, is to elect Joe BidenJoe Biden!president. In his best days, which are decades behind him, Biden was an incompetent hack. Now, I dont suppose that any informed person considers him capable of serving as president in any meaningful sense. Hence the interest in his vice-presidential selection process. Hardly a day goes by without another contribution to the file on Bidens dementia. Here is one for today: "I don't know": Joe Biden gets lost reading his own noteshttps://t.co/PThNnab6Vr pic.twitter.com/c2O3Efc4sB RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 11, 2020 You could say there is irony in Biden accusing President Trump of an inability to focus, but we are far past the stage where irony is of interest. 2,000 Ceasefire Violations in Six Months by Pakistan Astonishing: India's Defence Spokesperson Sputnik News 12:43 GMT 13.06.2020 New Delhi (Sputnik): On Saturday, India alleged that Pakistan has violated the ceasefire violation for the second consecutive day along the Line of Control in the Kamalkot sector of Uri in Baramulla district. A woman was killed in an exchange of fire between the two countries on Friday. India has alleged that Pakistan violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir 2,000 times in six months. Defence Spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand has said: "2020 figure for ceasefire violations is astonishing, in less than six months there have been more than 2,000 violations. If we compare with past years, there weren't as many violations throughout 2018". The relentless firing between the troops of India and Pakistan continued along the de facto border on Saturday. A woman was killed and two sustained injuries in the ceasefire violation on Friday. "In 2019, a big spike in ceasefire violations was seen after the abrogation of Article 370. The number of violations has increased continuously since then," he said. The Indian government had revoked Article 370, stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its special status. The move was strongly condemned by Pakistan, which also claims all of Kashmir and administers only part of it. Calling it a major violation of international agreements, Pakistan has been trying to take up the matter in international platforms. Last month, Pakistan's foreign ministry had claimed that India had violated the ceasefire 957 times this year. India and Pakistan have been at odds over Jammu and Kashmir since independence in 1947 and have fought three wars over the restive region. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Looking for more of the best deals, latest celebrity news and hottest trends? Sign up for Yahoo Lifestyle Canadas newsletter. Image via Getty Images. As lockdown restrictions in certain areas of Canada begin to lift, a new study reveals that 85 per cent of womens service providers anticipate an increase in gender-based violence as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Canadian Womens Foundation (CWF), there is evidence that links an increase of violence against women, girls, trans and non-binary people whenever a public crisis or disaster occurs. This includes not only physical, sexual and emotional violence, but also child and elder abuse. As public health directives instructed Canadians to stay home, Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses (OAITH) reported that 20 percent of the 70 shelters it represents experienced an increase in calls for help. ALSO SEE: Anxiety, depression will likely surge during coronavirus pandemic here's how to combat it In a statement to Yahoo Lifestyle Canada, Andrea Gunraj, vice president of Engagement for the CWF, explained how COVID-19 has exacerbated what was already considered a high-risk climate for women. Image via the Canadian Women's Foundation. Rates of gender-based violence were high in Canada, even before the pandemic: on average, every six days, a woman is killed by her intimate partner, Gunraj said. Social isolation may mean that abusers are in close proximity around the clock and other people arent around to see the signs of violence and intervene. ALSO SEE: 'I have to stay and help': Family of doctor who died by suicide says she was 'tormented' by COVID-19 Despite more people relying on social media, text messages and video calls to stay in touch, quarantine provides ample opportunity for abusers to carefully monitor womens digital devices and conversations. In April, the CWF launched a new campaign called Signal For Help to provide victims of abuse to non-verbally communicate to family and friends that they are unsafe and in need of assistance, without leaving a digital trace. Story continues In an instructional video, the CWF instructs anyone who receives a signal for help from a friend or loved one not to react. Changing the conversation to address the signal can put your loved one at further risk, instead, remain calm and carry on the conversation as best as you can. How can you help if you receive the signal? If you received a signal, the CWF advises you to try reaching out in a manner deemed safe. Phoning the person who signalled for help and asking yes or no questions like, Would you like me to call 911?, Do you need me to call a shelter? or Do you want me to look into services to help you? are ways to intervene without putting your loved one in further danger. Image via Getty Images. The CWF also advises using text messages, email, WhatsApp or social media to check in, which can reduce the risk of the persons device or conversation being monitored. Additionally, to help support the person in need, ask if they would like you to check in on them regularly or what you can do to help support them. How to get help The CWF recommends calling 911 and notifying local authorities if you or someone you know is in immediate danger. Websites like Shelter Safe can help you locate a shelter within your area, and provides access to valuable resources that can help you develop a safety plan for you and your family. Image via Getty Images. Many womens shelter pages, like Shelter Safe, recommend women seeking help view their page in privacy mode (also called incognito mode or private window) to avoid having the website saved in your browser history. If you dont know how to go into privacy mode, Shelter Safe provides instructions depending on your browser to navigate safely and delete your browsing history if you suspect you are being monitored. They also have a Hide Page button, which will immediately take you away from the website if you become unsafe and need to hide what you are doing quickly. If you need to make a phone call to a shelter, it is recommended that you use a friends phone or a public phone away from your partner or abuser. For additional resources, click here. Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram and sign up for our newsletter. LONDON (Reuters) - "That's not what we do!" Reuters photographer Dylan Martinez heard the words ring out during chaotic scenes in London on Saturday, when mostly peaceful anti-racist demonstrations turned into violent scuffles with counter-protesters in the area. Then he saw the man who had uttered them - a black protester emerging from the melee carrying an injured white man in a 'fireman's lift' over his shoulder. The picture he took has gone viral on social media and featured in news bulletins, capturing a moment of high drama that jars with the broader narrative - of anti-racist and far-right protesters fighting each other. "I saw a skirmish and someone falling to the ground," Martinez recalled of the moment near Waterloo Bridge, in central London, as he covered anti-racism protests that have flared up in the city. The two men then appeared through the crowd. "The crowd parted right in front of me. I was in the right place at right time, and incredibly lucky from that point of view. He came towards me walking briskly." Martinez said the man being carried had injuries to his face, and Reuters journalists at the scene said he had been beaten in a skirmish with anti-racism protesters. Some people in the crowd shouted out that the assault victim was a member of the far-right. Reuters was not able to identify the victim or his political leanings. Police said they were aware of the incident and the photograph, but made no further comment when Reuters asked for details of the men's identity and what happened. Protests have erupted across British cities and around the world after a black man, George Floyd, died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25. In some cases they have sparked counter-demonstrations by people who do not agree with all of their aims and methods, and these have included people from far-right groups. British media identified the black man as Patrick Hutchinson, a personal trainer. On his social media account, he wrote: "We saved a life today". Story continues Reuters spoke to the partner of Hutchinson's best friend, who confirmed it was him. Hutchinson did not reply to calls to his mobile phone. He told British Channel 4 News on Sunday it was a "scary" scene. "It was pretty hectic, it was almost like a stampede. "...The guys went in there, they sort of put a little cordon around him to stop him receiving any more physical harm. His life was under threat. "So I just went under, scooped him up and put him on my shoulders and sort of started marching towards the police with him whilst all the guys were surrounding me and protecting me and the guy I had on my shoulder." In a statement on Sunday police said 113 people had been arrested over the weekend and 23 officers were injured in the violence, none of them seriously. The reaction on social media to the picture and events it portrayed has been largely positive. "Amid all the ugliness, a beautiful moment of humanity," wrote British journalist Piers Morgan in a Tweet accompanying the photograph. Martinez, a veteran photographer who is Reuters' picture editor for the United Kingdom and Ireland, said the protests in London on Saturday had been fluid and unpredictable. After witnessing sporadic, minor clashes between demonstrators and police in Trafalgar Square, Martinez said he switched attention to nearby Waterloo Bridge, where several hundred anti-racism protesters had gathered. "They took over the whole of the bridge," he said. "There was a traffic jam going from south to north, but the vibe was good - cars were honking and people were celebrating." The mood quickly turned ugly when they encountered a group of counter-protesters and clashes broke out, Martinez said. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge, Paul Sandle and Mike Collett-White; Writing by Mike Collett-White) Police are investigating an early-morning shooting downtown Saturday that left a man dead. Jose Santos Parra Juarez, 26, was found by officers on the sidewalk near 10th Street and Capitol Avenue. Juarez was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center, where he died, police said. Officers arrived downtown at 1:55 a.m. after an off-duty Bellevue police officer working security in the area called in a report that shots had been fired. Officers also located the shooting suspect, who police said had been shot and wounded by the off-duty Bellevue officer. The suspect was also taken to the Nebraska Medical Center, where he was treated and is in police custody. The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is encouraged to call Omaha Crime Stoppers at 402-444-STOP, at www.omahacrimestoppers.org or on the P3 Tips mobile app. System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28: 29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951 /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. 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New South Wales police were alerted to graffiti on Cook's statue in Hyde Park in the central district of Australia's largest city just after 4 a.m. (2000 GMT on Saturday) before the two women in their late 20s were arrested. The women were found with a bag containing a number of spray-paint cans, the police said in a statement. They were refused bail and will be charged with the destroying and damaging property, it said. Anti-racism protesters, who have taken to the streets following the death of African American George Floyd in police custody, are demanding that the legacies of some of the architects of Europe's empire building be revisited and their statues be torn down. [nL8N2DN5HZ] From Cecil Rhodes in England to Christopher Columbus in the United States and King Leopold II in Belgium, statues of empire builders have been under attack in recent weeks around the world, sometimes from the descendants of those they once colonised. Cook's statute was promptly cleaned by Sydney council workers on Sunday morning, a police spokeswoman said. Police in the neighbouring state of Victoria are also investigating the weekend defacing of the statues of two former Australian prime ministers at a Ballarat park. In New Zealand, thousands marched the streets of Auckland and Wellington chanting, "I can't breathe" - a phrase the handcuffed Floyd repeated before dying as a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Protesters in Auckland carried Black Lives Matter signs and marched through the city's central district towards the U.S. consulate, chanting "Shame", while Maori community members danced outside the building, the news website Stuff reported. (Reporting by Paulina Duran in Sydney; Editing by William Mallard) (Newser) Saying they feel battered by protests, a state investigation, the media and city leaders since the killing of George Floyd, at least seven Minneapolis police officers have quit. Another half-dozen are in the process of leaving their jobs, the Star Tribune reports. In their exit interviews, they pointed specifically to a lack of support from police and city leaders. Officials said the departures won't cause any problems in policing the city. "People seek to leave employment for a myriad of reasons," a spokesman told WCCO. "The MPD is no exception." At least 75 officers are eligible to leave anytime now with retirement benefits, while job applicants are at a 25-year low. Officers also left after the killing of Jamar Clark in 2015 and the protests that followed. A federal report said they felt like "they were left to deal with the occupation on their own." story continues below Rep. Ilhan Omar argued Sunday for dismantling the police department and starting over, per the Hill. "You can't really reform a department that is rotten to the root, what you can do is rebuild," the Minnesota Democrat said on CNN's State of the Union. "And so this is our opportunity as a city to come together and have the conversation of what public safety looks like." Another needed step, protesters and city officials have said, is removing Lt. Bob Kroll, head of the police union, per NPR. "The Police Federation is a clear barrier to change," said Lisa Bender, the city council president. "And that is the crux of any short-term changes within our department that they have opposed for years." An activist leader told a rally last week: "I want you to understand that Bob Kroll did not come out of thin air. Bob Kroll was voted in by the people who are supposed to protect us." (Read more Minneapolis stories.) A group of experts have said India should rethink and revise its One China policy and exploit the geographic, ethnic, and economic fault lines within the Asian giant, such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Tibet, and Xinjiang. At a webinar jointly organized by Law and Society Alliance and Defence Capital on the topic "Revisiting 'One China' policy: Economic and Political Options for India: Hong Kong, Tibet, Taiwan, and Xinjiang", the experts said Indias non-interference when Tibet was annexed by China 70 years ago, thereby changing its geographical boundaries, has come back to haunt India since 1962. The experts at the webinar were Arvind Gupta, former deputy national security adviser of India and now director of Vivekananda International Foundation; Jayadeva Ranade, former additional secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat and present day President of Centre for China Analysis and Strategy; Seshadri Chari, secretary-general of Forum for Integrated National Securityand Abhijit Iyer-Mitra, senior fellow at Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies. In his remarks, Arvind Gupta said what One China policy was considered as a reciprocity to the One India policy. However, India gave up its influence on Tibet in the 1950s and accept its annexation by China. This situation as far as Tibet is concerned continued till date. However, India has taken a flexible approach in the past few years on Tibet, Gupta said and pointed out to the 2010 India-China joint statement that didnt mention the One China policy, then external affairs minister Sushma Swarajs statement in 2014 on the reciprocity on the unity and sovereignties of each other, and the invite to the Taiwanese representative to join the 2014 Narendra Modi oath taking ceremony. He expressed his concerns about not taking a dynamic approach and said that we have not moved very much in revising policy and taking forward what was said in the statements. On Tibet, Gupta suggested that India should be supporting the effort of the Tibetans to have self-rule and should give the Dalai Lama more recognition and position in diplomatic engagements, apart from visibility in Indias political circles. Along with this, India must begin economic and technological engagements with Taiwan, besides supporting it politically. He also recommended garnering Indias support to the democratic movement in Hong Kong, even if we do not join the western countries joint efforts at isolating China in geopolitics. He also recommended Indian support to the voices against human rights violations in Xinjiang at global fora. Gupta also stressed the need to build Indias capacity on dealing with China and be ready to anticipate the Chinese intentions and mind when we begin to revise our One China policy. Jayadeva Ranade stressed the need to build up Indias own capabilities in countering China - not only on the border, but on all fronts. He predicted that the tensions between the US and China will certainly either put India in a sweet spot or in a delicate position in the days to come. He said that the government should provide scholarships to those wanting to learn Madarin from Taiwan instead of China, where the visitors are brain-washing into becoming slaves of Chinese supremacy. On Hong Kong, Ranade favoured greater engagement by India on democracy issues and human rights. On Taiwan, he wanted India to provide equal stature and opportunities to their businesses like it is currently being done for China. Why should we deny the same opportunities to and from Taiwan as compared to China? We can benefit from Taiwan by shifting their chip building and shipping companies here in India. It will tackle unemployment in India and help businesses to grow. On Tibet, Ranade noted that the Dalai Lamas old age meant India needed to expand its Buddhist links with the Tibetans and strengthen the relationship. China does not have a good track record on Buddhism. We need to build up our own Buddhist religious sites as it is one of the fastest-growing religions of the world, thereby, bringing all the Asian countries to India. We should also try to link Lumbini with Gaya and Sarnath, and other Buddhist sites in India. We need to prevent China from building the Buddhist circuit connecting Lumbini with China through aerial connectivity. Sheshadri Chari argued that India should never accept the One China principle as propounded by Beijing. On Xinjiang, Chari pointed out that the region was annexed by China because of which it created borders for itself with Central Asian nations, Afghanistan, and India. Chinese admit themselves that it is not their land. In 1955, they converted the new province into the Autonomous Region. Saifuddin Azizi was the chairman of the autonomous territory and opposed Mao Zedongs terminology of Xinjiang, which was later named Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). He said, By occupying Tibet, China occupied an additional landmass and got borders with India, Bhutan, and Nepal, which they didnt have. Because of occupation of Xinjiang, they got direct borders with India (Aksai Chin), Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia, Pakistan, Tibet, Afghanistan, and Kazakhstan. It was an important strategic move by China. The development of Urumqi-Kashgar road, an all-weather road, China will get access to South Asia. Thus, China will be making a road in Indian territory to dominate the region, he added. In a changing world order, we have rejected the offer to join the RCEP. We should tell the RCEP authority that if Hong Kong and Taiwan are made members of the RCEP, it would be more suitable for India to join it. Abhijit Iyer-Mitra began by classifying three major problems of India with China - cutting off the Pakistan-China nexus, the need for a problems free border, and Chinas veto power at UNSC. Over 650 crew members from India, stranded on board a ship in the United Kingdom (UK) since the lockdown began in March, are set to return home. Of these stranded passengers, 259 crew members will be brought to Mumbai and 280 Indians to Panaji on Monday morning in two charter flights from Gatwick airport. The remaining crew members on Marella Explorer cruise liner will return in the coming days. On June 12, Nallasopara legislator Kshitij Thakur, wrote to Union external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, requesting him to make arrangements to fly the crew members back to the country. Some of those stranded on the ship, now anchored at Southampton, are from my constituency and sought my help. Most of the crew members are depressed from the past few weeks, Thakur said. In his letter to the minister (a copy of which is with HT), Thakur wrote, Earlier, there was some efforts made to fly the crew back home, but due to some document requirements, the flights were cancelled. Taking cognisance of the matter, the external affairs ministry directed the Indian High Commission in London to intervene, after which two charter flights were arranged for 259 stranded Indians to Mumbai and 280 Indians to Panaji, which will leave from the UK on Sunday night. One of the stranded crew members on the ship Rajesh Gawde thanked Jaishankar, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and Thakur for taking efforts to bring the crew back home. Armenian police have arrested more than 90 protesters in Yerevan after National Security Service (HAAT) officers searched the home and office of an opposition leader over alleged economic crimes. Armenian police spokesman Ashot Aharonian said that more than 90 people were briefly detained. Mass gatherings are currently banned in Armenia due to a state of emergency imposed over the coronavirus pandemic. The arrests took place after clashes between police and protesters outside HAAT headquarters after its officers conducted the searches as part of a criminal investigation of the Prosperous Armenia party's leader. The HAAT said it had searched the home of opposition politician Gagik Tsarukian and offices of his Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) as part of an investigation into "financial crimes." The businessman is suspected of conducting unlicensed gambling activities that have deprived the government of tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue. Tsarukian claims the allegations are politically motivated and aimed at silencing his criticism of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. BHK, which has 25 of 132 seats in the Armenian parliament, is the largest opposition party. Hundreds of supporters of Tsarukian gathered outside the HAAT's headquarters, shouting, "Pashinian, step down!" The HAAT said in a statement cited by AFP that Tsarukian has been summoned for questioning. As a member of parliament, however, he has immunity from prosecution. Armenia has a fast-growing outbreak with 16,667 cases on June 14 and 269 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Armenia began relaxing its strict lockdown rules in mid-April at a time when new infections were rising sharply. Pashinian warned on June 13 that the spread of the coronavirus in his country was "bad" and said the latest figures upset him. He made the comment the day after the government decided to extend the coronavirus state of emergency until July 13. With reporting by AP and AFP The names of some of the most dedicated civil servants in the justice system will never appear on a ballot, nor will their pictures be in the newspaper. Most of them will spend decades on the front lines with little public recognition for the tremendous work they do to ensure the wheels of justice run smoothly so defendants, victims and litigants have their day in court. Their reputation for working hard and their dedication to the job allow them to weather the political storms of election seasons and the partisan sweeps at the polls that cost their bosses their jobs. RELATED: Padilla: No way to treat a respected, hardworking associate judge While loyal to the elected officials they work for, their stronger allegiance is to the criminal justice system. Some have civil service protections, but many are at-will employees, which means they can be dismissed without cause at the whim of elected officials. That there are many county employees who have spent decades working in the system for elected officials on both sides of the aisle speaks volumes about their commitment to their jobs and the quality of their work. Bob Owen /San Antonio Express-News Pat Garza, who recently retired as an associate juvenile court judge, is one of those unsung heroes. Garza began his legal career as an assistant district attorney and worked his way to head of the juvenile prosecution section in the Bexar County District Attorneys Office. After a short stint in private practice, he began receiving appointments as a juvenile court referee to help elected judges with their overwhelming caseloads. In 1997 when the county created a permanent appointed juvenile court judge for the 386th District Court, Garza was named to the post. He served in that capacity until May 15, when he was forced to retire. On ExpressNews.com: Garcia: San Antonio judge has forfeited her right to another term Why did Bexar County lose an excellent judge and true public servant? Garzas associate judge position was abolished by 386th District Judge Arcelia Trevino with only two weeks notice. Trevino let him know through an email sent by the juvenile court judges staff attorney. She never discussed the move with Garza prior to the email and has not spoken to him since. Trevino, a first-term judge, will not be returning to her bench in January. She lost her bid for re-election in the March Democratic primary, but remains in office through the end of the year. She will not be missed much. Trevino never fully engaged in the job, preferring to maintain a high profile presence on social media, frequently posting selfies while often absent from court. William Luther /Staff photographer She came to the job with minimal juvenile court experience and had to ask for directions to the court on her first day. It was no secret Garza, who is board-certified in juvenile law, was doing all the heavy lifting in the 386th District after Trevino assumed the bench. Eliminating a county staff position, especially one that is filled, in the middle of a budget year is highly unusual. There will be belt-tightening in the next fiscal year that might affect the number of associates judges and could have resulted in the elimination of Garzas job. We get that. But we dont approve of the timing or process. What Trevino did in eliminating Garzas job on short notice was unwarranted. She used him to maintain court statistics through her bid for re-election, and when voters did not buy the ruse, she decided she no longer needed his services. That is no way to treat someone whose hard work served the public. We wish Garza the best in retirement. But our juvenile justice system is the worse for losing him. A tradie who lost his job because of coronavirus turned to drugs and stole hundreds of dollars worth of baby formula to fund his addiction. The man managed to smuggle $647 worth of milk powder out of stores across Melbourne between April 13 and May 3. A court was told the construction worker relapsed into using meth after losing his job due to the COVID-19 crisis, Whittlesea Leader reported. On seven occasions the man managed to walk out of Coles in South Morang, Taylors Hill (pictured) and Caroline Springs with several tins of baby formula A tradie who lost his job because of coronavirus turned to drugs and stole hundreds of dollars worth of baby formula to fund his addiction On seven occasions he managed to walk out of Coles in South Morang, Taylors Hill and Caroline Springs with several tins of baby formula. The construction worker was caught by police driving with a disqualified licence in a car with suspended registration on May 30. He was arrested and taken into custody where police discovered he was on bail at the time of the offences. The construction worker appeared at Heidelberg Magistrates' Court on Thursday where he pleaded guilty to all charges. After losing his job due to the coronavirus pandemic the construction worker relapsed into using methamphetamine (stock image) The court heard he was a father to a six-year-old boy who lived with his mother. Magistrate Livingstone sentenced him to a community corrections order and disqualified his licence for six months. The man spent 12 days behind bars in the lead up to his court appearance on Thursday. Click here to read the full article. After Rolling Stone first spotted a June 2nd Fox News video report where the network selectively edited out police overreacting with guns drawn and handcuffing the wrong people in Los Angeles, now the network has been busted doing the same with photos. According to the Seattle Times, on Friday Fox News website published digitally altered and misleading images to make the largely peaceful demonstrators in Seattles Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) look violent and dangerous. More from Rolling Stone One of the altered photos featured a man holding a military-style rifle in front of a smashed out storefront. But according to the Times, the image was actually two different photos one from May 30th and the other from June 10th and the armed man was superimposed in front of the broken window. In another digitally altered image, Foxs website used the same armed man and spliced his image with a photo of a sign that read: You are now entering Free Cap Hill to make it appear as though gunmen are standing at the zones entrance. The Times also noticed a fiery photo of a person running in Minnesota from May 30th that was used in a story about Seattles CHAZ with the headline on that read: CRAZY TOWN. No disclaimers explaining that the photos were altered or from another city appeared on Fox News website. They also used a fiery photo from Minnesota as the centerpiece on a package of stories about Seattle. https://t.co/RBF0ttg2ku pic.twitter.com/bElH94RgYW Gina Cole (@Gina_Cole_) June 12, 2020 When the Times asked Fox News to comment, again the network couldnt get their story to align with the facts. Story continues A Fox News spokeswoman said in an email: We have replaced our photo illustration with the clearly delineated images of a gunman and a shattered storefront, both of which were taken this week in Seattles autonomous zone. But again, the altered photos were a mash of Getty images from May 30th and June 10th. And their statement does not address the misuse of a St. Paul, Minn. image on a story about Seattle. As Akili Ramsess, executive director of the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), told the Times: For a news photo that is supposed to be of the moment, it is completely egregious to manipulate this the way they have done. Update: On Saturday, Fox News released an editors note seemingly attempting to minimize their altering of images by calling them a collage and added the note to three published stories, saying they regret these errors. Editors Note: A FoxNews.com home page photo collage which originally accompanied this story included multiple scenes from Seattles Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone and of wreckage following recent riots. The collage did not clearly delineate between these images, and has since been replaced. In addition, a recent slideshow depicting scenes from Seattle mistakenly included a picture from St. Paul, Minnesota. Fox News regrets these errors. See where your favorite artists and songs rank on the Rolling Stone Charts. Sign up for Rolling Stones Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh continues to witness a steady rise in number of Coronavirus cases daily as it recorded 186 fresh cases and two deaths from Krishna on Saturday, taking the total number of cases to 4,588 and the death toll to 82. The state health department reported that 14,477 samples were tested for Covid-19. Of them, 186 cases were found with confirmed infections in the last 24 hours. Of 4,588 total confirmed infections, 1,865 are in hospital while 2,641 were discharged. The total number of positive cases from foreign returnees was 202. Of them, 180 are active. The total number of positive cases from other states was 1,068. Of them, 546 are active. In Kurnool district, 53 new Covid-19 cases were reported. Of them, 27 were from Adoni division. Kurnool municipality also reported 20 new cases. Adoni revenue authorities said that they had clamped a total lockdown in the town and the general public would be allowed to access groceries and other emergencies only between 5.00 am and 10.00 am daily. The district medical and health officer (DMHO), Dr. Rama Giddaiah, said that guest workers who returned from Mumbai and also from other states were a great concern to the district administration as some of them were carrying the virus. He added that out of 8,069 guest workers who returned from other states, 236 were tested positive to Covid-19. Similarly, of 3,337 guest workers who returned from Mumbai, 314 tested positive to the virus. Dr. Giddaiah said that they were going to conduct special drives to identify vulnerable people in the age group of 60 years and above and subject them to testing for Covid-19 in containment zones. In Kadapa district, 12 new cases were reported, taking the tally to 340. Among new cases, three were from Porumamilla, two from Pulivendula and one each from Kadapa, Obulavaripalli (Y.Kota), Proddutur, Yerraguntla (Chilamakur) and Chennur. Two cases were from those who returned from other states. So far, 129 Covid-19 patients were discharged. In Nellore district, 22 new cases were reported, taking the tally to 407. Of the new cases, 10 were from Nellore city, six were from Sullurpeta, two each from Kavali and Seetharamapuram and one each from Venkatachalam and Rapur mandals. Meanwhile, nine Covid-19 patients were discharged after recovery. They include two persons: a 74-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman from Sullurpeta and seven from Vinjamur, Atmakur, Dagadarthi, Jaladanki and Nellore rural mandals. In Guntur district, 14 new Covid-19 cases were reported. Of them, four each were from Mangalagiri and Navuluru and three from Tadepalli, two from Bapatla and one from Narasaraopeta. In East Godavari district, 42 new Covid-19 cases were reported taking total number of cases to 494. Of the new cases, eight were from within the district while 34 were from outside. District authorities reported the death of a Covid-19 patient taking the death toll to five. Beijing's major wholesale market suspended after personnel, surroundings test positive for COVID-19 People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 15:00, June 13, 2020 BEIJING, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Xinfadi, the largest wholesale market with fruit, vegetable and meat supplies in Beijing, was suspended on Saturday for disinfection after personnel working there and the surroundings have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. All personnel who had close contact with the market since May 30 will undergo nucleic acid testing, Gao Xiaojun, a spokesman with the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, told a press conference. According to Gao, the city now has 98 qualified institutions for nucleic acid testing, with the daily testing capacity exceeding 90,000. To ensure the market supply, special sections have been set up for sales of vegetables and fruits with close-off management, according to a statement jointly issued early Saturday by the market regulation bureau and the health commission of the district. Covering a total area of 112 hectares, the Xinfadi market has some 1,500 management personnel and more than 4,000 tenants. Beijing reported six confirmed COVID-19 cases on Friday. Together with another case reported on Thursday, all of them are connected to the market or their close contacts. Inbound cargo flights and imported freight will be closely watched and every effort will be made in the epidemiological investigation and source tracking related to the Xinfadi market, according to the conference. Chen Yankai, deputy head of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Market Regulation, said the city will strengthen inspections of food markets with fresh products, frozen pork, beef, mutton and poultry as key products to be screened. Supermarkets, convenience stores, food shops and venues providing food and drink services will also be primary targets of inspections, Chen said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Prime MinisterBoris Johnson, exhausted and looking increasingly forlorn, appears to have a few short weeks to salvage his reputation and save his Government from ridicule, says Tom Bower. Pictured: Mr Johnson UK Biocentre in Milton Keynes It pains me to say this but Boris Johnson, exhausted and looking increasingly forlorn, appears to have a few short weeks to salvage his reputation and save his Government from ridicule. Still recovering from his near-death experience with Covid-19, the Prime Minister faces unprecedented obstacles to prevent Britain slipping into a deep recession. With so many cards stacked against him, our sallow-faced and hollow-eyed leader has squandered much of the goodwill he accumulated after his landslide Election victory in December. Even his friends whisper that there is no captain on the bridge steering the ship. According to a YouGov poll, Johnsons handling of the virus is rated as the worst of all world leaders. Many will discount the criticism as unfair. Contrary to predictions of doom from the Left, the NHS has performed brilliantly. Eight million workers have been protected by the Chancellors 80 billion furlough package. Most of the country is becoming free of Covid. Despite our economy shrinking by 20 per cent in April, it still ticks over. Johnsons misfortune is that those achievements have been drowned out by the impression of defeat. Hampered by Downing Streets cack-handed communications, Johnson is mischievously blamed for orchestrating a shambles. Some believe his seeming impassivity, sporadic public appearances and blustering press conferences are proof hes still suffering the after-effects of Covid, combined with sleepless nights with a six-week-old baby. GDP plummeted by more than a fifth in the first month of lockdown, and has now contracted by 25 per cent since February. In this chart, 100 on the vertical axis represents the size of the economy in April 2016, showing the extent of the fall compared to previous changes since 1997 Some of his harshest critics have boldly stated that if he had still been married to Marina, his long-suffering ex-wife who was unafraid to dispense home truths, Johnsons life would be more stable than with a fiancee 23 years his junior. Such censure, though, ignores Boriss strength. Over the years, he has successfully compartmentalised his private and public lives. And since there is no obvious leading Tory who might put themselves forward as an alternative Prime Minister, his supporters are convinced that not all is lost. Just as his hero Winston Churchill led Britain out of its Darkest Hour in 1940, Johnson needs to summon the courage, ideas and energy to enthuse the nation with a blueprint that will stop us coming out of lockdown in tatters. Just as his hero Winston Churchill led Britain out of its Darkest Hour in 1940, Johnson needs to summon the courage, ideas and energy to enthuse the nation with a blueprint that will stop us coming out of lockdown in tatters. Pictured: A worker cleans graffiti from the plinth of Churchill statue at Parliament Square on Monday He also needs to fire failing Ministers of which there are several and Civil Service time-servers on whom he has mistakenly relied. The fact is he has little time. No later than July 1, just 18 days away, Johnson needs to address Parliament and then the nation on TV to give the country confidence to believe that his Government machine is firing on all cylinders. We all need to be reassured that we can rely on the Prime Minister to restore normality as quickly as possible. Johnsons priorities must be to revive the economy; reopen all schools; launch a major resurgence of Britains cultural institutions such as cinemas, museums, concert halls and theatres; encourage pubs and restaurants to reopen; and finally, to rebuild his Government with inspiring and gifted politicians. It is exactly five weeks ago that Johnson lost his halo. His disastrous TV address changing the slogan from Stay Home to Stay Alert was confusing, vague and greeted by widespread irritation. Accused of confusing the message, Johnson lost a huge amount of public goodwill. Until then, many had tolerated the failure to provide NHS staff with sufficient protective gowns, for example, blaming the global shortage. Many also understood the crisis in privately owned care homes was not politicians fault. But Johnsons reputation took a second battering. His apparently flippant dismissal of the allegations against Dominic Cummings for breaking the spirit of the lockdown was a self-inflicted disaster that exposed a gross misunderstanding of the national mood. In the past, he had listened to the advice of loyal friends outside the Downing Street bunker. Suddenly, to avoid criticism, he is shunning their calls. In explaining his plan to relax the lockdown, the PM needed senior civil servants to deliver a clear, common-sense scheme. But they failed. In truth, Johnson has been let down by Whitehalls perennial bunglers. Then he refused to identify and remove the guilty parties. By character, Johnson has an aversion to confrontation. To date, he has accepted all the scientists advice. That must end. Unwisely, Johnson allowed Home Secretary Priti Patel (picturedto announce a 14-day quarantine on travellers entering the UK something that is unenforceable and has been widely ridiculed We now know that their advice until mid-March was muddled or even wrong. We also know that the scientists now disagree on the best course forward. Johnson, in his DNA a libertarian and free-marketeer, must follow his instincts and unshackle himself from the scientists chains. He should gamble that the risk of a few extra deaths is outweighed by the urgent need to reopen the country. Admittedly, confrontation often ends in bloodshed but this is the only way for Johnson to restore his credibility. Simultaneously, he must change his way of governing. Until now, he has delegated most critical decisions to Ministers. Unwisely, he allowed Home Secretary Priti Patel to announce a 14-day quarantine on travellers entering the UK something that is unenforceable and has been widely ridiculed. Similarly, he relied on Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary, but he has blundered embarrassingly over the reopening of schools. And, most alarmingly, he has depended on Health Secretary Matt Hancock to mastermind the war against Covid. It is shocking that Britain is third in the world death league from the virus despite only having the 21st largest population. The public has lost trust in Hancock, of whom retired Supreme Court judge Lord Sumption wrote last week: With his hectoring manner, authoritarian assumptions and snarling threats, [he] has resembled nothing so much as the petulant headmaster of a third- rate school. Its not just ministerial incompetence. No 10 is staffed by people of mixed ability. At its heart is Sir Mark Sedwill, the Cabinet Secretary. Having trained in the Home Office, his specialism is security, which means hes been poorly equipped to mobilise the Whitehall machine to tackle Covid. He also neglected to point out to Johnson the dysfunctional performance of senior officials in Public Health England, the Department of Health and hospital trusts. Johnson should ignore his benign instincts and fire Sir Mark, replacing him with a thrusting agent of change. At the same time, he should replace the senior civil servants at health, education and defence. All have failed to deliver. Whitehall needs to be revolutionised to get Britain back on its feet. ts not just ministerial incompetence. No 10 is staffed by people of mixed ability. At its heart is Sir Mark Sedwill, the Cabinet Secretary (pictured) A litmus test of whether the medicine is working will be when we hear the screams of protest by the Luddite civil service trade unions. Just three months ago, pre-Covid, the Johnson Governments first Budget spelled out an exciting One Nation vision. Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled a visionary 30 billion plan to rebuild our infrastructure and finance a huge expansion to reboot Britain. The Government should double that investment. Ministers must learn that we over-relied on the power of globalisation and on China. Of course, that will need an army of experts so, in the short term, Britain should recruit from around the world. Spending money to rebuild is easy compared to the parallel task of winning the political battle. Covid aside, Boris Johnson is under attack by those in denial that the Tories won a landslide Election victory just six months ago and who want to reverse Brexit. Defeating those enemies requires courage and conviction. No one doubts that Johnson had both these qualities before his illness, but now there are worrying signs he is lacking the energy to fight simultaneously on many fronts. Indeed, his enemies smell blood. Militant teachers have seized the upper hand and shown that their selfish interests are more important than the education of the nations children. Anarchist mobs have hijacked the Black Lives Matter protests. Michel Barnier, the EUs Brexit negotiator, thinks he can bully Britain over our exit deal. The BBC has become a mouthpiece for anti-Tory criticism. Barnier, the EUs Brexit negotiator, thinks he can bully Britain over our exit deal. Pictured: Barnier holding documents gives a news conference after Brexit negotiations, in Brussels, Belgium, June 5 Wales, run by Labour, and the Nationalist government in Scotland, are defiantly following different policies from those pursued in London. Boris Johnson, an acute student of history, will recall he has experienced a similar hiatus. Six months into his time as London Mayor, in 2008, his administration was mired in chaos. Key appointments were exposed as disastrous. After their swift dismissal, the arrival of a new chief of staff, Simon Milton, transformed Johnsons mayoralty. Now, to up his game, its not City Hall that Johnson must rejuvenate, but his Cabinet and Downing Street team. On a personal level, too, Johnson needs to change gear. He must show he is in charge. He must offer a vision and a big strategy. Above all, it is imperative that the man who has been seen for years as a great communicator actually communicates better. At least, for the present, he knows that whatever his critics and they are growing in number daily throw at him, he is the only politician with the capacity to unify and lead Britain. But even that certainty can quickly disappear. New Delhi, June 14 : A meeting between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan with Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal began here on Sunday to discuss the spike in novel coronavirus cases in the national capital, presently pegged at 38,958 cases. According to the the Home Ministry officials, members of the State Disaster Management Authority are also attending the meeting at the Ministry office here. During the meeting, Shah and Vardhan will take stock of the Covid-19 outbreak, which has so far claimed 1,271 lives in Delhi. The Home Ministry Office announced these meetings through tweets on Saturday amid a worrying spike in corona infections in the city, where 2,137 new cases were reported in a 24-hour period on Friday evening. These meetings come in the wake of the Supreme Court's criticism of the "horrendous, horrific and pathetic" situation in the city and said coronavirus patients were being treated "worse than animals". The court had also asked the government to explain the fall in testing, which had "gone down from 7,000 to 5,000 a day when Chennai and Mumbai have increased...." On June 10, Shah and Kejriwal had discussed the COVID-19 spike in Delhi, a day after the Chief Minister tested negative for the virus. Mirtes Santana weeps when she remembers finding her son dying on the pavement outside the luxury seaside apartment block where she worked in north-eastern Brazil. I cant bear it, said the 33-year-old domestic worker. It breaks my heart. It was Tuesday 2 June, and Santana, who is black, had just returned from taking her wealthy white employers dog out for a walk when she saw her five-year-old on the ground. Miguel Otavio Santana da Silva had plunged nine storeys after being left alone in a lift by his mothers boss. He died soon after in hospital. She killed my dreams, Santana said. She ended my life. Miguels shocking, avoidable death in the city of Recife has stunned Brazil. In widely aired CCTV footage of Sari Gaspar leaving the boy alone in the lift, many saw not only the unacceptable neglect of a black child, but also an ugly reminder of Brazils deeply rooted racism and slave-owning past. The death of five-year-old Miguel could have been avoided if there had been empathy with a black child, which there wasnt, said the black rights activist Deise Benedito. Related: Black lives shattered: outrage as boy, 14, is Brazil police's latest victim As anti-racism protests sweep the world following George Floyds killing, Brazilian protesters have also taken to the streets to demand justice for Miguel in a series of marches decrying racism and police violence against Brazils black youth. Related Video: Brazilian Black Lives Matter Protests Hit the Streets Brazil is unequal, totally unequal, his mother said. For four years, Santana worked for Gaspar, 29, and her politician husband Sergio Hacker in their apartment, cleaning, cooking and taking care of their children, along with Miguels grandmother, Marta. On the day of Miguels death, Mirtes was working alone and was asked to take Gaspars dog out, since her employer was having a manicure. Exactly what happened in the minutes leading up to his death remains unclear. But CCTV footage shown on Brazilian television shows the boy in the lift outside the familys fifth-floor apartment and Gaspar at its door. Story continues She appears to try to persuade him to come back into the apartment before in exasperation either hitting or pretending to hit the button for an upper floor and walking away. Other images show that Miguel pressed more lift buttons and got out on the ninth floor. He seems to have clambered through a window, before plummeting 35 metres to the ground. His mother, like many Brazilians, blames Gaspar. She exposed my son to danger, said Santana. There is no excuse. Gaspar was arrested for culpable homicide, a crime similar to manslaughter, where there was no intention to kill, and released on 20,000 reais (3,200/$4,000) bail. If it was the other way round, I wouldnt be [bailed], because Im poor, said Santana. I dont have 20,000 reais. In a letter published by Brazilian media, Gaspar asked Santana for forgiveness and said the courts would clarify the truth. Her lawyer, Pedro Avelino, said she would explain her version of events to police when formally interviewed. She did not imagine at any moment that this tragedy would happen. This is the key point. Luciana Brito, a history professor at the Federal University of Reconcavo da Bahia who specializes in slavery, said the case exposed inequalities that have persisted since abolition in 1888. Related: Vogue Brazil director resigns over birthday photos evoking slavery Richer white Brazilians still employ black domestic workers. Mirtes worked six days a week. When Gaspar and her husband spent two months isolating from the pandemic in their beach house in nearby Tamandare where he is mayor she and her mother lived there to serve them, and took Miguel with them. This is our form of white supremacy, Brito said. This is what made Sari abandon Miguel in the lift. She did not see the boy as a person like her own children. On 5 June, demonstrators protested outside the building from which Miguel had fallen, lying face-down on the floor to remember the position in which he was found. Santana said the rallies had given her strength. My pain is their pain, she said. The images and the impunity create this revulsion. Poland accidentally invaded the Czech Republic in late May and briefly occupied its neighbour's territory, the Polish military admitted, while terming the incident a "mistake." The Czech foreign ministry told CNN that the Polish soldiers had accidentally crossed the country' s border with the Czech Republic last month. In the incident, soldiers patrolling parts of the now shut Polish-Czech border amid the coronavirus pandemic began asking Czech churchgoers, who were trying to visit a church in the area, to go back. This resulted in the Czech embassy in Warsaw taking "immediate action" and informing the Polish embassy about the situation, an official from the Czech government was quoted as saying by CNN. The official, however, added that Poland was yet to issue a formal explanation about the incident. The incident took place near Pielgrzymow, a tiny village in southern Poland that is situated opposite to a scantily populated area of the Czech countryside. A quaint road in the area acts as the boundary point between the two European countries. A foreign ministry spokesperson told CNN that their Polish counterparts had, through unofficial channels, affirmed that the incident was simply a misunderstanding which was created by the Polish military with no "hostile intention." The spokesperson said that they are still expecting a formal statement from the Polish side, but added that the Polish soldiers had retreated and Czechs could "freely" visit the spot again. On Friday, Poland's Ministry of Defense also admitted to the short annexation and said that the incident was a misunderstanding and not a deliberate act. "It was corrected immediately and the case was resolved also by the Czech side," it told CNN in a statement. Within the "Schengen" area, borders are invisible under normal circumstances between 26 EU and other European countries. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, many European nations have closed off the borders, preventing the entry of foreigners in order to check the spread of the Covid-19. 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That was Gwen Brennan's reaction at 5pm on March 16, 2011 when her husband John told her he had bought Dromquinna Manor in Kenmare. What fuelled her anger was that at 11am that morning at Cork University Hospital he had been diagnosed with an incurable if treatable form of cancer. On being informed that he had non-Hodgkins lymphoma, John asked himself: "How long do I have? What do I want to do in that time?" "It was a bittersweet day," recalls John, who then drove to Tipperary to film RTE's At Your Service with his older, and slightly more famous, brother Francis. "The journey there was quiet; I had too much head time". For a second in that head time John thought about driving the car to the Cliffs of Moher. "That day, you always think the worst. Cancer is not a nice word. But it doesn't have to be not a nice word; a lot of people live with it and I am one of the lucky ones who has a type of cancer that can be treated. But when you are told you have cancer on day one, you don't know any of the experiences that I have had since. So you think the worst. And of course, all those things go through your head, but having said all that, I wouldn't let them enter into my brain for too long. There is too much to live for, there is too much good to be got out of the world." When John got to Tipperary, he told Francis the news, "and then the director shouted, 'Come on we have a schedule', so that was that." John had his first treatment in April 2011. He had the last of his chemotherapy sessions in the Dunmanway unit in Cork University Hospital on January 24 this year. You can tell a lot about a person from how they answer a question asking them to describe their last chemo. John is all smiles. "I suppose you never view it as your last as hopefully there will be more," John begins. "However, there is a great sense of joy thinking you can travel for a long period without a hospital appointment and you will get some form of hair growth. Of all the things that annoyed me about hair loss, it was eyebrows. The head didn't bother me at all but without eyebrows ,you look sick no matter how you feel." He adds that his consultant Mary Cahill and the team in the Dunmanway are "superb, always upbeat and full of life. It is just a shame that every time I meet them they drug me!" More seriously, John continues, "I am very aware not everyone was or is as lucky as I am regarding cancer. While I have a very strong attitude to it, some people are so sick, attitude has no bearing on them and I just feel there are many angles to cancer. On first hearing, the word cancer was numbing, but it very often is not as bad as first feared." How is he feeling now? "I am 100 per cent," he replies. "Thankfully no energy loss or lack of drive. I'm opening a new pizza restaurant in Dromquinna. So it is all go." "There was never a bother on me," he says. "I have cancer. There is no doubt about that. Actually, physically and mentally I never suffered anything. I've been very, very lucky. I never had symptoms. I had gallstones which were removed and then they detected the cancer. So I kind of went through the back-door, because sometimes with cancer it takes you six months to a year to be diagnosed but I was straight in for treatment." Does John ever get depressed because of his illness? "Never," he says, "I rarely get down over anything. The one thing that does get me down is bad weather if I was planning a boating trip." Despite his wife's initial - and understandable - misgivings, the purchase of Dromquinna Manor focused John's mind. He had other things to occupy him when cancer might have dominated his thoughts, he says. "That was as good a treatment as you can ask to have. There is no question that positive thinking is a huge part of it. "None of us thinks we are here for ever. Yet most of us think we are going to live until we are 95." "Well, the genes are good, because our mother lived until 97!" interjects Francis. "I got an awful fright as he had no symptoms prior," Francis says of his reaction when John first told him the bad news nine years ago. "My immediate thought was for his children [Adam and Ruth], that God would allow him see them through secondary school and their teens." The eldest and youngest of five children of Maura and Tom, John and Francis are the brothers grin - two icons of Irish hospitality both on TV and in their hotel, The Park in Kenmare. "He would be much more 'excitable' than I am," John says. "Francis is much more like our mother than I am. He would talk for Ireland and then move on to Wales! The less excitable brother adds that having cancer gave him a philosophy which ensures he literally lives with it. "That's life and you get on with it," he goes on. "There is nothing you can do except take the best advice and medication. It happens many people and I am just one of them." Asked what he thinks he inherited from his parents, John says: "Work, honesty and an ability to tell a story." He has other traits, too. "Tell John a secret and he will tell no one," Francis says. I ask John to explain Francis's remark. "Being the youngest of five with the next sibling eight years older than me, I had no one to tell anything to!" John laughs. "It was good training!" "As there is 13 years between us, we didn't grow up together. When I started school at five, Francis started college and then went to work in Sligo and Kerry so we were never really together until I moved to Kenmare." What are their first memories of each other? Francis: "Getting dressed in Holles Street for his baptism." John: "Francis coming back to operate my father's shop when he got ill [of emphysema; he died in 1988]." And their earliest childhood memories? Francis: "Making my Confirmation." John: "Escaping from my mother's hand on a very narrow path on Dundrum Hill and running onto the road. I was about four years of age and everyone screamed, except me." Tell me a funny story about them that might surprise people, I say. Francis: "I love Tayto." John: "I have an ability to pull off a stunt or set up on people without anyone knowing." He gives an example. John once arranged a birthday party for Francis in Dublin. He had a friend of theirs invite Francis to a made-up 25th wedding anniversary. Francis was all excited to be going. It was a Saturday evening and he wanted to spend as much time in The Park before departing for Dublin "I was trying to push him out the door as I had to leave after him and get to Dublin first," explains John. "It all worked out and when he arrived at the hotel in Dublin, he saw Mum and all the family and said: 'Hi. I can't talk now as I am going to a party.' It never dawned on him that it was all for him and he couldn't understand how it all happened." What is the biggest misconception people have about them? John: "That I am the quiet one." Francis: "That I am always very organised." What is the dynamic like in their relationship? "I do the planning," says John, "and he does the analysis. Francis is honest, loyal and has a heartfelt interest in family and friends. What you see is what you get, 90 per cent of the time." Francis: "John is full of vigour and go. He is very hard-working." The coronavirus lockdown has had an impact on Francis's famous fastidiousness around the house, however. He hasn't been cleaning the house morning, noon and night, he says. "I have been very disappointed with my output. I started out fantastic. I washed 18 sweaters. I washed all the floors. I did all sorts of things the first week," he says. "The second week I was going to clear drawers. That was the plan. I opened the first drawer and took out six lovely antique spoons in a box. I was throwing things out in my mind. I couldn't throw them out. Then I took out another set of spoons and then candle-holders from America. Sure, I closed that drawer again as I couldn't throw any of them out. "I've put on the weight, because I'm not using the adrenaline," adds Francis who came back from lockdown in America on March 15. "I was in 19 airports the month before." He flew home on "an empty Aer Lingus flight from Boston. There was only three people on it." After his last chemo, John and Gwen and family went to Spain. "The plan was to go for the month of March. We were there ten days. We were the last people to walk the prom in Marbella, then we got a packed flight home. We were very lucky to get out." Francis adds "I have only come out of the house once a week since the trouble. I always put on gloves and a mask, even when I don't have to. I go shopping in Kenmare. I go at 3.15 on a Sunday. There is nobody there but me. In and out, perfect. If I get coronavirus I'll have to ring God to know where did I get it because I am not near anybody. I'm very careful." Has Francis customised his prayers since the coronavirus struck? "No. My relationship with God is marvellous. I'm thanking him every day for the nice weather." Francis lives in Tahilla and John in Templenoe, both a 10-minute drive or so from the centre of Kenmare. John: "Kenmare is special as about 60 per cent of the population have moved to the area, like me. As a result it has a very cosmopolitan atmosphere which is lovely to experience. I would find it hard to live anywhere else." Francis: "I travel a lot but I'm always happy to return to Kenmare. I love the sense of community, and the location is stunning." Francis once told me that he talks to his Aga. Has he had any conversations with it during the lockdown? "I talk to my Aga every day as the whole goal is to cook dinner with no pots and pans!" As cleanliness is next to godliness, is Francis washing his hands morning, noon and night because of Covid-19? "I live in the middle of nowhere. When I get back to my house, I'm not washing my hands morning, noon and night, because I'm on my own. Nobody's coming or going." Does he ever get lonely on his own? "Never. Radio and music is my lifeline. I'm very happy on my own." Would he ever prefer a nice woman to share the big house with him? "No." Could he see himself ever getting married? "Never say no! As I cannot predict the future, I may meet someone someday and get married. Nothing unusual about that," says Francis, who told me in 2014: "I'm a great waltzer at weddings. All the women say I'm a great dancer. But there's nowhere you can dance these days, really, except at weddings, is there?" What kind of women does Francis find attractive? "Happy women who get on with it." Who is the woman of his dreams? "Faye Dunaway." What has Francis watched on the television during the lockdown? "I watched Normal People. I thought it was fantastic. "I loved Normal People for the honest portrayal of life. The lack of conversation and silence at times were beautifully handled, and the lighting man should get an Oscar." Francis wasn't shocked by the nudity and the sex? "Not at all, no. Who ever had sex without being nude?" Francis laughs, asking one of the greatest rhetorical questions of all time. "Did you see them on the pier in Sandymount the other day?" laughs John. " Look that up on YouTube. They were having a great time and the Guards arrived." "I hadn't read the book," Francis goes on, referring to Sally Rooney's novel, "but I just thought the end of Normal People was beautiful. I thought at 9.50pm - I was watching it on the BBC - 'How is it going to end?'. I wanted to tidy up. Then it just stopped and it was just beautiful." Is there any romance of his own for Francis? "For me?" he splutters - spectacularly. "Sure, I'm locked away! I haven't seen a woman for 10 weeks. No woman has called to the house for 10 weeks, apart from my niece who has brought me out bread and milk." Park Hotel Kenmare www.parkenmare.com welcomes guests from July 10. Luxury Camping and The Potting Sheds at Dromquinna Manor welcomes guests from July 3. www.droquinnamanoror.com No walk in the Park: 'I was turned down by 14 Irish banks' Expand Close Francis Brennan welcomes a Rose of Tralee contestant to The Park Hotel Kenmare / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Francis Brennan welcomes a Rose of Tralee contestant to The Park Hotel Kenmare Francis Brennan bought The Park in Kenmare 40 years ago, and recalling the purchase he is his characteristic hilarious self. He remembers going to so many banks in Cork looking for a loan that he would change his coat because he didn't want people on the Mall to think it was weird to see the same 24-year-old going into banks every day. "I'd change my beige coat for a grey one sometimes!" he laughs. "I was turned down by 14 Irish banks. They all told me that I was too young! And that it was the wrong time for the hospitality sector. "It was very difficult. No banks in Ireland would touch me." Francis adds: "I was surprised but delighted I got the deal over the line against many odds. I borrowed the money in Switzerland through a guest in the hotel, a banker from Geneva. The Park Hotel Kenmare is my best purchase ever. The 40th anniversary reveals a lifetime of creating happy memories for many." What was the highlight of those four decades? "Winning the Egon Ronay award - the highest award for the hotel industry in the UK and Ireland at the time - in 1988. We beat England!" What was the recession like in 2008? "It proved a big challenge but we got through it with careful management. Business fell 60 per cent, so quite a challenge," says Francis, pictured outside the hotel with Leitrim rose Erin Moran. Coronavirus cases soared in Chile Tuesday as soldiers were deployed to back up riot police in Santiago following clashes with demonstrators angry about food shortages and job losses. Soldiers in armored vehicles and wielding automatic weapons were deployed to the working class neighborhood of El Bosque, where on Monday residents armed with clubs and stones clashed with riot police. Overnight Monday to Tuesday rioters looted a neighborhood gas station, while downtown a mob set a bus ablaze. Residents in both poor and middle-class neighborhoods banged pots and pans in protest. Soldiers were deployed to parts of Santiago one day after rioting erupted over the COVID-19 restrictions and the lack of government aid for the unemployed / AFP The military deployment came as Chile recorded 3,520 new coronavirus cases, its biggest daily increase, for a total of almost 50,000 infections. The South American country, with a population of some 18 million people, also reported its largest number of single-day deaths with 31, bringing the total to more than 500. The pandemic is focused on Santiago, and with 90 percent of the intensive care hospital beds taken in the capital authorities are shipping patients to other cities. "We're in a complicated moment, very difficult, with a lot of worried citizens," said Health Minister Jaime Manalich. "People don't have work, they don't have money and they don't have food," said Monica Sepulveda, a 46-year-old unemployed security guard from El Bosque. Sepulveda complained that promised government help hadn't arrived. Santiago began a total lockdown on Friday as Chile strives to contain its coronavirus outbreak. "We're seeing what we call a social pandemic," said Manalich. "It produces job losses, a lack of resources and the worst, it produces hunger." He said President Sebastian Pinera was taking measures to tackle the lack of food. "The health and social crisis we're going through has no precedent in Chile," Manalich said. Claudia Pizarro, the mayor of the Santiago suburb of La Pintana, criticized Pinera for making "spectacular announcements" but failing to deliver on aid. Pinera announced on Sunday that bags with food staples would be given to the poorest people, but didn't explain when or how distribution would take place. In April Pinera announced a family allowance worth $317 for 4.5 million of the most vulnerable Chileans, but that has yet to be put into action. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- If you didnt know better, that is, if you listened to President Donald Trump and a few conservative media outlets, you would think that Seattles downtown was aflame, with lawless anarchists running amok. Law and order, its not. But the presidents tortured portrait of a four-square block area in the city known as the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone mostly made Seattleites chortle. Capitol Hill is a quirky, densely populated residential neighborhood with small businesses, funky restaurants and gay clubs. It is not downtown, as a Fox News report claimed. After many nights of protest, the police briefly abandoned their precinct in the center of the zone in an effort to de-escalate tensions with protesters who had gathered after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The move largely worked. And the autonomous area -- CHAZ, as it sometimes called -- is more street fair in the rain with tarps and soggy food than a place given over to ISIS-like mobs, as the lieutenant governor of Texas bizarrely suggested. Some police officers have returned to work at the precinct but not at full capacity, according to a mayoral spokeswoman. On a walk through the neighborhood last week, I ran into Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins, who frequents the area and is greeted warmly by protesters and passersby. He is worried about the place; his department provides medical support on the periphery, but not so far inside the zone. Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan was there as well, talking to organizers, trying to find a way, her spokeswoman says, for Seattle to lead the nation on criminal justice and police reform. Durkan, who earlier in her career was a U.S. attorney who led the charge for Seattle to reform its police department, is in some political hot water for her handling of the current unrest. Protesters are unhappy, for example that she promised during one night of dissent last week to discontinue the use of tear gas for crowd control, only to turn around and allow it two nights later. Story continues Then came the Trump tweet: Radical Left Governor @JayInslee and the Mayor of Seattle are being taunted and played at a level that our great Country has never seen before. Take back your city NOW. If you dont do it, I will. This is not a game. These ugly Anarchists must be stooped IMMEDIATELY. MOVE FAST. What a gift ( typo included) for a mayor eager to change the subject. Needless to say, she quickly joined the tweet battle. Make us all safe. Go back to your bunker, she tweeted. Could a mayor of liberal Seattle invent a better foil? Inside the autonomous zone, the mood is primarily peaceful. Mothers can be overheard schooling teenagers in the art of public protest. Half the people carry coffee cups. Most are wearing masks. Businesses seem largely supportive, with Black Lives Matter signs in most windows. There is a van providing free medical care and a tented speaking area where people can hear poems. Everyone is filming everybody. Eltana bagels, advertising itself as Hole Foods, closed during part of the day so workers could hand out free bagels at a nearby protest. Mostly, the zone is filled with a diverse group of people, with different issues and grievances. A man leaning against a plastic barricade identified himself as Sunbeam Virtuous, age 38, a recent arrival from Portland. Im so honored to be here, he said. We have been begging on our knees for change. Please dont kill our black brothers and sisters, please dont kill black trans women, please dont kill the poor. At another spot in front of the police precinct, a man calling himself J.D. who slept outside the night before, discussed whether the Black Lives Matter message was getting lost in too many other movements. The coronavirus may not be one of the issues on these peoples minds, but cases are creeping upward again in many states, including Washington, although not enough time has passed to determine if the protests themselves prompted a spike. This is obviously a time of great disequilibrium for many people. But things realigned for a lot of Seattleites at least for a moment when the president and his off-the-wall description brought them together, a solidarity that grew even more pronounced when they learned that Fox News had hyped its coverage with digitally altered photos of their city. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Joni Balter is a longtime Seattle columnist and writer who contributes to local NPR and PBS affiliates. 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. M adeleine McCann may still be alive, despite the police working on the assumption she was dead, a German prosecutor has revealed. The investigation into her disappearance from Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2007, has attracted renewed attention after authorities announced they were investigating a 43-year-old convicted German child sex offender. The suspect is currently serving a prison sentence in connection with a different matter. Hans Christian Wolters, a spokesman for the Braunschweig public prosecutors office, said on Monday that prosecutors had some evidence Madeleine was dead but did not have enough for a trial. But speaking to the Sunday Mirror, he appeared to go back on this. The suspect's house in Portugal at the time of the three-year-old's disappearance / PA Because there is no forensic evidence there may be a little bit of hope (that she is alive), he told the paper. We dont want to kill the hope and because there is no forensic evidence it may be theoretically possible. I know its important for the British people when I say she is dead, but I did not know it was so important. The suspect was living a short walk away from the family's hotel / PA Mr Wolters added that in Germany it was more normal to have a murder investigation in similar cases. Separately, speaking to The Sunday Times, Mr Wolters said prosecutors were investigating whether a hotel employee may have helped the suspect target the McCanns apartment knowing they were at a nearby restaurant. The possible abductor is known to have lived on the Algarve coast and his Portuguese mobile phone received a half-hour phone call in Praia da Luz around an hour before Madeleine, then three, went missing on May 3 2007. Her mum and dad have not given up hope after more than a decade since she went missing / AFP via Getty Images There is no suggestion the member of staff knew about Madeleines kidnap in advance, and Mr Wolters said: The phone call made by the suspect could be between him and a member of staff who told him when to break into the McCanns apartment. He added that police had not interviewed the current suspect about Madeleines murder at the time as they had not traced the person who called him. Mr Wolters told the paper: The person he spoke to could put the phone in his hand (by confirming that it was definitely the suspect with whom he spoke to), which would mean he was in the area at the time. This is the evidence we want before we issue an arrest warrant and then interview him for the murder. It would help the case against him but we would also need more evidence. In the days since the renewed appeal, Scotland Yard said it received nearly 400 tips to its Operation Grange team. Operation Grange refers to the forces active investigation, which is still classed as a missing person inquiry because there is no definitive evidence whether Madeleine is alive or dead, a police spokesman said. Madeleine vanished soon before her fourth birthday while her parents were eating dinner with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant, and would have turned 17 last month. Tesco has been praised for sharing the phone number for the Domestic Abuse helpline on its receipts. A picture of a bill from the supermarket was shared on Twitter by journalist Scott Bryan, and was lauded as incredibly helpful and brave by social media users. A message at the bottom of their receipts reads: 'Help is available if you're experiencing domestic abuse. Call the National Domestic Abuse helpline on 0808 200 247. Download the Brightsky App.' It comes as reports of domestic violence has surged since the start of lockdown. A picture of a bill from the supermarket was shared on Twitter by journalist Scott Bryan , and was lauded as incredibly helpful and brave by social media users 'Such a discreet and clever idea Tesco. So important to get support for people who need it' one Twitter user wrote. 'Clever and unfortunately needed' added another. 'Brilliant idea Tesco' said a third. 'Good on you Tesco' write a fourth. Social media users shared the receipt saying it was a 'great idea' and 'brilliant initiative' Discussing the initiative, a Tesco spokesman said: 'Domestic abuse affects one in three women and one in six men during their lifetime. 'By using our till receipts to provide information on where victims of domestic abuse can access support, we hope that more people will be able to get the help they need.' It comes as Morrisons opened safe spaces for domestic violence victims to seek help in lockdown. A message at the bottom of their receipts reads: 'Help is available if you're experiencing domestic abuse. Call the National Domestic Abuse helpline on 0808 200 247. Download the Brightsky App.' Last month, the supermarket will opened consulting rooms in their pharmacies across 117 stores in the UK where victims will be able to get advice from specially trained consultants. The shop is working with the charity Hestia which has launched the UK SAYS NO MORE campaign as victims of domestic abuse are forced to isolate with perpetrators during lockdown. Information about the safe spaces and where to get help will also be shared on posters and till receipts in all 494 Morrisons stores. It comes as Morrisons opened safe spaces for domestic violence victims to seek help in lockdown The move comes as the National Domestic Violence Helpline has reported a 25 per cent increase in calls and online requests for help since the lockdown began. Lyndsey Dearlove, Head of UK SAYS NO MORE at Hestia told FEMAIL: 'By offering access to help through their supermarkets Morrisons is offering a lifeline to many victims of domestic abuse. 'Supermarket trips are part of a routine that, even during lockdown, provides a vital opportunity to seek help without raising the suspicions of an abusive partner or household member. The expansion of safe spaces into supermarkets could save lives.' Domestic abuse reports sent to British police forces by Crimestoppers have surged by nearly 50 per cent during the coronavirus lockdown. Figures show the charity sent 120 reports to forces in the week beginning April 6 - after restriction of movement rules came into force. What to do if you can't speak on the phone in an emergency Calling from a mobile It is always best to speak to the operator if you can, even by whispering. You may also be asked to cough or tap the keys on your phone in response to questions. If making a sound would put you or someone else in danger and the operator cannot decide whether an emergency service is needed, your call will be transferred to the Silent Solution system. You will hear an automated police message, which lasts for 20 seconds and begins with you are through to the police. It will ask you to press 55 to be put through to police call management. The BT operator will remain on the line and listen. If you press 55, they will be notified and transfer the call to the police. If you dont press 55, the call will be terminated. Pressing 55 does not allow police to track your location but will be transferred to your local police force. If you are not able to speak, listen carefully to the questions and instructions from the call handler so they can assess your call and arrange help if needed. Calling from a landline Because its less likely that 999 calls are made by accident from landlines, the Silent Solution system is not used. If, when an emergency call on a landline is received: there is no request for an emergency, the caller does not answer questions, only background noise can be heard and BT operators cannot decide whether an emergency service is needed, then you will be connected to a police call handler as doubt exists. If you replace the handset, the landline may remain connected for 45 seconds in case you pick it up again. If you pick up again during this 45 seconds and the BT operator is concerned for your safety, the call will be connected to police. When 999 calls are made from landlines, information about where youre calling from should be automatically available to the call handlers to help provide a response. Source: policeconduct.gov.uk Advertisement Syrian artist Aziz Asmar said he wanted to send a message of solidarity through his mural Protests against racism triggered by the death of African American George Floyd have inspired art around the world, from murals in Syria and Pakistan to graffiti in Nairobi. At the Berlin Wall, a large portrait of Floyd is seen alongside yellow block letters spelling "I CAN'T BREATHE," words he repeated before dying as a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. The May 25 incident, captured on video, prompted widespread protests across the United States and in other countries. The case was ruled a homicide by medical examiners, and Derek Chauvin, the white officer was charged with second-degree murder. Syrian artist Aziz Asmar said he wanted to send a message of solidarity through his mural. "After witnessing the increased racism against black people in the United States, and because it is our duty to stand with all humanitarian causes around the world, we painted today on a wall destroyed by Assad planes in Idlib," said Asmar, referring to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Asmar said the images of Floyd reminded him of those of Syrian children killed by suspected chemical attacks in Damascus and Khan Sheykhoun. In Afghanistan, a blast wall in Kabul was the canvas for Mehr Aqa Sultani, of arts activist group ArtLords. "George Floyd is a global figure now and he was killed in the United States because of the blackness of his skin," he said. "We want to say 'no' to discrimination because discrimination has no benefit for us." In Paris, street artist Dugudus depicted U.S. President Donald Trump as a police officer pressing his knee into Floyd's neck while holding a Bible. The mural referred to Trump's photo op in front of St John's Church in Washington last week, after police forcefully removed protesters in a nearby park to clear the area for him. In Pakistan, where elaborately painted trucks are a common sight, Karachi-based artist Haider Ali, 40, painted Floyd on the wall of his house - until he can return to his usual moving canvas. "I painted these candles and I made these flowers as garland around his neck to pay him tribute," said Ali, who is raring to paint on trucks again to spread the message of Floyd's death. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture Search Keywords: Short link: The Centre has decided to step up implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to stick to its target and provide employment to migrant workers who returned to their villages due to the Covid-19 lockdown and do not want to immediately return to the cities, people familiar with the development said on Sunday. The mission targets supply potable drinking water through piped connections to 15 crore rural households by 2024. We have asked state governments to scale up implementation of the mission. This will ensure that the mission, which was halted due to the lockdown, will not miss deadlines. It will also help states provide employment to workers at the grassroots, a government official said. The official said Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had started reaching out to chief ministers. As the prime minister often underlines, we are determined to turn this challenge into an opportunity, he said. Officials said the Centre had asked states to use funds from MNREGA {Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act} to dig trenches for laying pipes and funds from the Jal Jeevan Mission to lay the pipes and carrying out other specialised activities. The government is expected to spend Rs 3.6 lakh crore - Rs 2.08 lakh crore is the central state - to achieve its 2024 target of supplying 55 litres per capita per day. Officials said the government had already released the first tranche of the first installment to all states who needed funds. For 2020-21, a provision of Rs 23,500 crore has been made for the mission. Nearly 163 million Indians lack access to clean water, the highest number for any country, according to WaterAid, a non-government organisation. According to data from the Jal Shakti ministry, in states like Bihar, Odisha and Jharkhand, fewer than 5% of rural households have piped water. That compares with 99% of rural households that have piped water supply in Sikkim. An Australian mother has bought a small collection of Fitbits for kids at the bargain price of $20 each, causing a mass frenzy of shoppers to visit their closest Target store. The woman, who is based in Queensland, shared a post on social media addressing the cheaper Fitbit Ace - which was developed for children - with other keen smart watch fans. 'Kids Fitbits are on sale for $49 and scanning up at $20 at Target,' she said. The woman, who is based in Queensland, shared a post on social media addressing the cheaper Fitbit Ace - which was developed for children - with other keen smart watch fans 'Kids Fitbits are on sale for $49 and scanning up at $20 at Target,' she said (the woman purchased two from this store) 'On Friday I spent the day hunting some down. I went to three Target stores to get them. We needed 11 and I managed to get 11.' She said the original price for one Fitbit was $95 so decided it was an 'awesome score', although she was only able to get ones with a purple band. 'I'm going to buy different colours off eBay for the kids,' she said. Hundreds of Australians were inspired by her post and hurriedly drove to Target to find the few remaining in stock. The Fitbit Ace's are no longer available to buy on the retailer's website. 'Thank you to the person who shared this, I got the last two Fitbits for my son and step daughter for $20.00, winning!' Said one woman from Mildura in Victoria (pictured) The Fitbit Ace 2 (pictured) is currently stocked in Target for $129 with blue and pink bands, and is the second generation version of the Fitbit Ace 'Thank you to the person who shared this, I got the last two Fitbit's for my son and step daughter for $20.00, winning!' Said one woman from Mildura in Victoria. 'My nine-year-old loves hers and she uses it daily,' said another. The Fitbit Ace 2 is currently stocked in Target for $129 with blue and pink bands, and is the second generation version of the Fitbit Ace. Many have said that adults with smaller wrists would be able to wear these as well. It tracks your steps and encourages children to do 60 minutes of moderate exercise a day. Fox News coverage of the Seattle protests has taken another hit after the news organisation quoted a Reddit Monty Python joke as real for its viewers. Martha MacCallum, host of Fox News The Story, was covering Seattles Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) for her viewers, which included claims from the cable news channel that there were leadership problems within the organisation. To illustrate this point, Fox News shared a screenshot of a Reddit post entitled I didnt vote for Raz. Raz Simone, a rapper, is the alleged unofficial leader of CHAZ. I thought we had an autonomous collective, Ms MacCallum said, reading the Reddit post. An anarcho-syndicalist commune at the least, we should take it in turns to act as a sort of executive officer for the week. What Fox News failed to realise was that this post was a joke that played off a popular scene from the 1975 comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail. In the scene, King Arthur approaches two peasants who are mud-farming out on the land and announces himself as their king. But Dennis, one of the peasants, informs the dumbfounded king that he and his cohorts have established their own form of government which results in a debate about who actually is in charge. We take it in turns to act as a sort of executive officer for the week, but all the decisions of that officer have to be ratified at a special bi-weekly meeting by a simple majority in the case of purely internal affairs, but by a two-thirds majority in the case of purely external affairs, Dennis says, a nearly verbatim quote used in the Reddit post. The Reddit user even went as far as to later include the quote where Dennis says the king cant simply expect to wield supreme executive power just because someone threw a sword at him. This portion of the post was not read aloud by Ms MacCallum to viewers but it was shown in the screenshot aired. Although Fox News did not recognise the joke, people on Twitter did and the moment quickly went viral. But this type of misinformation from Fox News is notable, specifically because it is Americas most watched cable news channel. Spreading this misinformation could skew viewers perspectives about what is actually going on inside CHAZ. Opinions have differed about the police-free occupation. People with the movement overtook multiple blocks of Seattle, including the area surrounding a now-abandoned police precinct, last week. President Donald Trump and Fox News have called the people involved with CHAZ anarchists and claimed they're involved with Antifia, a far-left militant group. But the area has actually remained rather peaceful and morphed into a festival of sorts, with people camping, drinking, and playing music for others. CHAZ formed as a police-free settlement in support of the Black Lives Matter movement following the killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other black Americans at the hands of police. Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan has vowed to protect the settlement's First Amendment rights of speech, but the occupation has sparked conversations on if the area should be dispersed. Fox News coverage, including the moment wrongly quoting a Monty Python joke as reality, has largely criticised the settlement. The conservative site also had to remove doctored pictures on Friday that pushed misleading information about CHAZ after the Seattle Times reported that the photos used were inaccurate. A spliced 10 June picture of an armed man at the Seattle protests was combined with two other pictures: One also from 10 June of a sign reading: You Are Now Entering Free Cap Hill, and another image captured on 30 May of a shattered storefront. Coverage on Fox News' site then labelled Seattle as CRAZY TOWN in a headline while displaying a banner image of a city block on fire. The picture used actually came from protests in St Paul, Minnesota. Fox News took down the pictures following the Seattle Times report and released an editors note addressing the mistakes. A FoxNews.com home page photo collage which originally accompanied this story included multiple scenes from Seattles Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone and of wreckage following recent riots. The collage did not clearly delineate between these images, and has since been replaced. In addition, a recent slideshow depicting scenes from Seattle mistakenly included a picture from St. Paul, Minnesota. Fox News regrets these errors, the note read. Fox News declined to comment about the Monty Python error when contacted by The Independent. Inside Hook For the last few months, some of the most scenic locations in Europe have seen a dramatically reduced amount of visitors. The reason for this is understandable: travel restrictions to limit the spread of COVID-19. Nonetheless, its led to some surreal sights, such as the normally crowded streets of Barcelona looking far more stark. Now, as countries across Europe reduce their earlier travel restrictions, many businesses and governments are waiting to see what will come next. Will tourism return or will hotels and restaurants that had come to rely upon that sector be forced to face difficult decisions about their own futures? I learned a lot from Richard Nixon, President Donald Trump declared recently, speaking of the only US president ever to resign in disgrace. I study history. It was a bold assertion from Trump, not least because he and Nixon share the dubious distinction of facing impeachment after being accused of abusing the power of the presidency. But if the president has indeed studied the Nixon years a period characterized by widespread social unrest that has parallels in the turbulence of today it is not clear, historians say, whether he understands what lessons to draw from them. Trumps walkabout outside the White House earlier this month as demonstrations swirled around him invited a direct comparison with Nixon because Nixon made a similar trip. It was May 9, 1970, and it felt like the country was on fire. Violence was erupting on college campuses over the bombing of Cambodia. Tens of thousands of people were gathering on the National Mall to protest the war in Vietnam and the killing of four students by the Ohio National Guard at Kent State University. The White House was fortified with extra troops. Wracked by doubt and self-flagellation, unable to sleep, Nixon slipped out of the building just after 4:35 am with a handful of aides and Secret Service agents and traveled to the Lincoln Memorial. There, he tried to explain his Vietnam policy to a group of student demonstrators. I know probably most of you think Im an SOB, he told them. But I want you to know that I understand just how you feel. At times, Trump seems to be borrowing from a playbook that is a half-century old, without seeing how profoundly the country has changed. He is betting on the resonance of a message that served Republicans well for decades, when dog whistles about crime and lawlessness were effective at stoking the anxieties of white suburban voters. But that messaging may be less effective at a time of growing awareness of racial injustice, especially among educated suburban voters who lean Republican but are put off by Trumps tendency to foment division and inflame racial tension. One clear way to see what Trump has in fact not learned from Nixon is to look closely at those two encounters 50 years apart. Trumps photo op began with Nixon on his mind. Just before he marched across Lafayette Square, his path cleared by law enforcement who violently dispersed peaceful protesters, he declared himself your president of law and order. It was a conspicuous appropriation of the catchphrase that Nixon deployed to sell himself as the candidate for Americans weary of the tumult of the 1960s. Then when Trump reached St. Johns Church, he held a Bible aloft for the cameras. But there are plenty of reasons that messaging might be a harder sell today. The world has moved on, said Rick Perlstein, author of the book Nixonland. Maybe the last laugh is on Donald Trump, he continued, the guy who had signs at his rallies saying silent majority and who uses phrases like law and order, and thinks he can run the same kind of script in a different act. Right now there appears to be no silent majority at least in the sense that Nixon meant, when an actual majority of Americans resented the more vocal, left-leaning protest movements of the day. Polls today show strong support for the demonstrations sparked by the killing of George Floyd, who died in police custody after a Minneapolis police officer held his knee on Floyds neck for nearly 9 minutes. A Monmouth University poll released this month found that 57% of Americans thought that the anger that set off the current protests was fully justified. And 76% said that racial and ethnic discrimination is a big problem. A separate PBS/NPR/Marist College poll found that 62% of Americans believed the protests were mostly legitimate. Inconceivable in 1968, Perlstein added, when more Americans were on the side of the police. And the protesters across the country and the world seem to represent a far larger segment of society than those in the Nixon era. You look at the protests and that was a far more representative cross-section of America out on the streets peacefully protesting who felt moved to do something, former President Barack Obama said recently. Beverly Gage, professor of American history at Yale University, said Nixons impromptu outing to meet protesters face-to-face was a spontaneous expression of the kind of inner turmoil that Trump does not seem to share. It was an anguished Nixon, and in many ways it was a very human moment, she said. The similarities between the circumstances the two faced as president seem almost eerie. So can their similarities of character. These include a hatred of the news media; a sense of grievance at the enemies, real or imagined, they believe stand in the way of reelection; and a desire to present themselves as law-and-order bulwarks against the forces of chaos. Soon after delivering his famous speech in the fall of 1969 in which he beseeched the great silent majority of Americans for patience as he dealt with the war in Vietnam, Nixon declared war on the press. He dispatched his vice president, Spiro Agnew, to deliver a series of broadside attacks on the major newspapers and networks for what he saw as overly critical coverage of him. Trump likewise dislikes any news outlet he considers critical of him. But he is in the difficult position, critics say, of attempting to promote himself as a law-and-order candidate when the failings of law and order are being exposed on his watch. The city is burning, and Trump is Nero, said Timothy Naftali, who teaches history at New York University and is a former director of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library. Nixon was able to capitalize on law-and-order sentiment during the 1968 election, benefiting from the presence of the segregationist George Wallace on the right to present himself to voters as the candidate of mainstream stability, while also representing order to those who saw lawlessness all around them. Public opinion was on his side. After Chicago police officers brutalized a group of demonstrators protesting outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention, Gallup reported that 56% of Americans said they approved of the way law enforcement handled the matter. Patrick Buchanan, a Nixon speechwriter, recalled how divergent views of the events one in the media that sympathized with the protesters; another in the heartland that supported efforts to quell the unrest helped elect Nixon. The press was all in on a police riot, while Middle America supported the Chicago cops, as I urged Nixon to do, Buchanan said. Nixon then campaigned in the streets of Chicago to underscore his tough stance. But there was more to him than that. Although Nixon said and did horrible things in private speaking disparagingly of members of minority groups, never mind orchestrating a criminal conspiracy to win reelection he believed that the presidency was a dignified office and there were things he did not want to be publicly associated with, Naftali said. In contrast, he added, Donald Trump doesnt believe in the concept of being on your best behaviour and seems to believe that the office is an extension of himself. Nixon tied himself in knots to do things secretly. Trump just does them in the open, Naftali said. The two men met a handful of times. According to their mutual friend, Roger Stone, Nixon was immediately impressed. After Trump appeared on the Phil Donahue Show in the 1980s, the former president wrote Trump saying that his wife, Pat, was especially blown away. She predicts whenever you decide to run for office you will be a winner! Stone recalled in his book The Making of the President 2016. As traumatic as Watergate and Nixons disgrace and resignation proved to be for America and as ugly as Nixons programs to infiltrate and engage in surveillance against his enemies were historians credit him for his understanding of governance and his many accomplishments in office. These include the opening of China, the signing of the first SALT arms-limitation treaty with the Soviet Union, the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the signing into law of the Endangered Species Act. With Trump you get all the dark side of Nixon and none of the good, said John A. Farrell, author of the 2017 biography Richard Nixon: The Life. Theres not one record of accomplishment to take to the voters no foreign policy triumph or domestic accomplishment. This makes reelection trickier as Trump faces multiple crises and can no longer point to the brightest spot of his presidency: the once-strong economy. If youre going to be a president who runs on and profits politically from dividing the country and making Americans hate each other, Farrell added, you better have a set of accomplishments as a counterweight or else history will not be kind to you. History, of course, has been generally unkind to Nixon. But even he managed to pull the country together as the election approached, in a way that seems all but impossible in the singularly difficult year of 2020. In 1972, Nixon won reelection with one of the biggest landslides ever, carrying 49 states. Sarah Lyall and Jeremy W. Peters c.2020 The New York Times Company During my third year teaching in primary school I used to arrive back to my one-room flat in Ranelagh, Dublin, at around three o'clock each day. How I was going to fill the time until social life began in the evenings was a problem. I started writing a story about a female who discovered, by accident, that she had been adopted as a baby, and the unhappy consequences that followed, when her birth mother refused to meet her. From an early point she took over the story herself. I used to wonder on the way home from school "where will she take me today?" as the copybooks piled up. It was exhilarating to create such a real individual. When after 18 months or so, it came to an end, I was sad, and felt that I must get it typed in order to show it. I chose to send it to a London publisher, Michael Joseph of Bedford Square. Several months passed until I received it back from Raleigh Trevelyan, the editorial director. His letter read: Dear Mr Jordan, I am very sorry to have to tell you that we cannot make an offer for WAS IT FOR THIS THE CLAY GREW TALL. I think the best thing I can do is to give you a photocopy of part of a report, which includes some fairly direct comments. What I suggest is that you find somebody who will help you edit the book. If you feel like it after this, I would be glad to reconsider the MS. I presume you must really be a woman. If so, why use the name Anthony? Sorry to have kept you waiting, Yours sincerely, Raleigh Trevelyan That last sentence about being a woman was reward enough for me. I had indeed created a character, a real person - or rather maybe she had created herself? The reader's report read: "This book is something of a freak. In the first place, I find it incredible that it has (apparently) been written by a man. The assumption of a female person - not to my mind, a particularly attractive one - is totally convincing. In the second place extreme vividness of observation is allied with some amateurishness of execution. Yet the story does grip. "It might be worthwhile to edit it drastically in collaboration with the author. It needs cutting by a third - there is a lot that is trivial in it. The book is best when the narrator relates flatly what happened to her; it is worst when she tries to draw philosophical or moral conclusions." I put the manuscript away and did not attempt an edit then. The memory of what had happened earlier to John McGahern - in the same parish in which I then taught, Clontarf - was still fresh in my mind. He had published a novel - The Dark - that contained direct references to sexuality. When his teachers' union, due to a technicality on his membership, did not defend him he lost his job. The Irish National Teachers' Organisation decided strategically that it did not want to risk a confrontation with the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin John Charles McQuaid. I could not take such a risk. I was married, had a mortgage and we were again starting a family. I then became a principal teacher and my writing ceased temporarily. Some years later, through the influence of one of our past students, Christy Brown, I began to write biographies. I finished one on Major John MacBride and it was published by Westport Historical Society. I then wrote one on his son Sean MacBride. It was due to be published by a reputable firm, Glendale Press, which had it typeset and edited before "ceasing to publish". Several publishers then made offers. I chose John O'Connor of Blackwater Press who offered me a two-book contract. Books on Conor Cruise O'Brien and Winston Churchill followed, the latter self-published. Thereafter, because it was a hobby, I remained content to self-publish biographies on WT Cosgrave, WB Yeats, Jesus and James Joyce and many others. In 2010 I had published an autobiography called The Good Samaritans and I told the story of the unpublished novel there. A good friend, Patrick O'Keeffe, enquired as to the location of the manuscript. I did not know. He told me he had it! He returned it - and I put it away again. In 2016 I was organising my archive for donation to the National Library of Ireland and rediscovered the manuscript. I read it and relived the excitement it created for me those years earlier. A friend digitised it for me and I commenced the edit that Raleigh Trevelyan suggested all those years earlier. The book now has a different name and is shorter. Surprisingly, the issues it deals with remain entirely contemporary: adoptive persons' rights, Catholicism, female alienation, abortion and the Samaritans. It was to appear later this year but Covid-19 has upset that schedule. I feel, however, that at last I will have been faithful to the lady I last encountered at the entrance to the South Wall at Dun Laoghaire Harbour in south Co Dublin. Anthony J Jordan's novel is called Tell My Mother That I... It may be published by Westport Books in the autumn Editor's note: The Raleigh Trevelyan referred to by Anthony Jordan was a noted writer himself, whose best-known work was a biography of Sir Walter Raleigh. He died in 2014, aged 91. Is tech entrepreneurship in rude health or in dire danger in Ireland? Which is representative? The bit that's raised 100m in various cash deals over recent lockdown weeks? Or the section that's warning of a collapse in new funding? It appears to be both. In the last eight weeks, almost 100m has been scooped up by a number of Irish tech entrepreneurs in disparate funding arrangements. That doesn't even include the usual pharma deals that sometimes give the figures an inflated feel. Nor is it one outsized megadeal flattering the sector. In fact, in the last week alone, we've seen announcements from Drop (12m), Ethyca (12m) and Keelvar (16m). In the weeks before that, there have been big deals involving Evervault (14m), Workvivo (15m), Silvercloud (15m), Soapbox Labs (6m) and a handful of smaller announcements. What's especially buoyant about this is that funding deals announced in May or June probably reflect a deal closed in March. These were the darkest, doomiest days of the Covid-19 lockdown, when global prospects were at their worst. But it didn't seem to matter. At the same time, there are dark clouds. Warnings of a substantial slowdown in early-stage deals are coming from institutional bodies, investors and young companies themselves. "When you drill down into the results, there has been a collapse of over 40pc in funding in the under 5m range," said Neil McGowan, director of MML Growth Capital Partners Ireland and chairman of the Irish Venture Capital Association (IVCA) in the IVCA's last funding roundup. "This is all the more alarming as the impact of Covid-19 on funding did not fully arise until mid-quarter." Those results were sombre for start-up hopefuls. The value of deals in the 1m to 5m category fell 44pc from 68.8m in the first quarter of 2019 to 38m this year. The number of deals also fell from 30 to 18. Those in the under 1m range fell 39pc from 13.8m to 8.4m with the number falling from 36 to 22. Is this just something cyclical? Venture capital allocations can ebb and flow, even if the overall trend in Ireland over the last five years has overwhelmingly been a maturing growth curve. And it's not like venture investors aren't looking for clever deals to make themselves and their portfolios seem inspired. But they may be distracted, as one well-known venture partner told me last week. "For the last few months VCs, who normally love doing new deals, have had to prioritise their existing portfolio companies," McGowan said. "VCs might have plenty of capital but they have limited investors and time, so new deals suffer." This may be what we're seeing: companies that are a few years old with millions already coming in as revenue and which need extra capital to hire or expand quickly. At the very top, there's no question things are mind-blowingly good. In mid-April, John and Patrick Collison's Stripe announced an astronomical $600m funding round, about as much as the entire indigenous tech sector here raises in two years. But in tech terms, that's like lending money to Germany or the US. Stripe has all the hallmarks of a one-way ticket, unless the world is about to enter an era of less online spending. There's no lack of confidence in tech as a sector regardless of the pandemic. Last week, Apple hit a staggering $1.5tn (1.3tn) market valuation, the first time any US company has done so. Microsoft ($1.4tn) Amazon ($1.28tn) and Google ($970bn) are also flying. An economist might point to many other reasons why such companies (and markets) are up. But it still looks like a gilded sector. If venture funding for the little guys takes some sort of a sabbatical, will other sources come to the fore instead? A curious case is state-organised arrangements. Other than the usual Enterprise Ireland schemes and matching funding programmes, recent attempts to marshal emergency Covid-19 intervention funds appear to have been poorly adapted. "Very few applicants are successful," according to Scale Ireland, a lobbying organisation that speaks for high-growth startups and tech companies. "Under EU legislation a company is deemed ineligible for state aid if it is an undertaking in distress, if the net assets of the company are less than half their issued share capital. Most Irish high tech companies investing up front in innovation fail this unreasonable test. "Take the example of a company that has raised 1m in equity and has invested in developing its product with limited sales to date and is hence currently loss-making. If this company has cumulative losses of 700k, but has 300k in cash, it is deemed to be an 'undertaking in distress' even though it is performing to plan. This is typical of an early stage high-tech company and one that should qualify for support." According to a survey it undertook, Scale Ireland claims a proportion of Ireland's 1,500 indigenous tech firms "believe they will require Government support over the next nine months in order to survive the impact of Covid-19". "We now find ourselves in a situation where many companies are in urgent need of bridge financing but still have not had access to necessary liquidity, are not likely to return to viability, and face imminent closure with the resultant loss of jobs," the lobby group concludes. Reasons to be cheerful are based mainly on the large pool of money that will eventually get restless and start looking for a home. "The reason I'd expect it to recover is that there's still plenty of capital out there and much of it is locked up in funds," one senior Irish venture capitalist told me. "The fund money is legally committed so it has to be invested. Once investors and entrepreneurs get their bearings back, deals will start to happen again. Early-stage deals are less price sensitive." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Riza Roidila Mufti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, June 14, 2020 10:12 587 fc6853813033f564188675f8bde7dd6c 1 Business tourism-industry,Bali-tourism,Wishnutama-Kusubandio,COVID-19,Jokowi,reopening,foreign-tourists,Tourism-and-Creative-Economy-Ministry,tourist-arrivals Free Fears over virus transmission have cast a shadow on the governments plan to reopen tourist destinations across Indonesia, especially as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to climb despite the authorities health protocols for the so-called new normal. The head of the Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies Association (Asita) in Bali, I Ketut Ardana, said on June 2 that the tourist industry on the resort island was still vigilant, since local transmission of the coronavirus was still happening. The government should carefully decide on whether or not to reopen tourist destinations. If we take the wrong step, the impact can be severe for Bali, he said. That is why we must be really careful [in making the decision] and wait until the situation has improved. Bali has recorded 695 positive COVID-19 cases as of Friday afternoon, with five deaths and 448 recoveries. The figure is relatively small compared to more than 36,400 cases and 2,048 fatalities nationwide. However, the Bali provincial administration has reported an increasing number of local coronavirus transmissions recently, particularly in the four regencies of Badung, Denpasar, Klungkung and Tabanan. If the virus transmission curve were flattening, we may be prepared for reopening. Right now, however, local transmission is still happening, and of course that is one of our considerations, Ketut said, adding that visitors trust in Balis safety was key for a recovery in the industry. Asita Bali has drafted health and hygiene protocols that will be applied by its members in the new normal. President Joko Jokowi Widodo called on the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry in late May to prepare special strategies to revive domestic tourism in regions safe from COVID-19 for the transition to the new normal. However, he asked the ministry not to rush to open tourist areas, urging it to gradually identify areas that were ready based on COVID-19 basic reproduction rates. Tourism is one of many sectors severely battered by the outbreak, as people stay at home to contain the virus spread. Foreign tourist arrivals dropped 87.44 percent year-on-year (yoy) to 160,000 in April, the lowest in recent history, as countries around the world have imposed different degrees of lockdowns or physical distancing measures. Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Wishnutama Kusubandio said his ministry had prepared standard operating procedures (SOPs) for various segments within the tourist industry and the creative economy and was synchronizing the plan with other ministries, institutions and task forces. No exact date for reopening has been announced until the time of writing. We are still focused on handling COVID-19, Bali Tourism Agency head I Putu Astawa told The Jakarta Post on June 4. Reopening Balis tourism will depend on the development of the pandemic, he said, adding that the reopening would be done gradually and selectively. Similarly, the Southeast Maluku in Maluku province is aware that reopening tourism too soon could increase the risk of virus transmission in the regency, which has so far maintained a green zone status for COVID-19 and intends to keep it that way. The regency is known for its white sand beaches and Kei Islands. For the time being, I still cant imagine seeing tourists from outside our region come to our area, said Regent M. Thaher Hanubun on June 4. Perhaps, if tourism is reopened, we will limit the visits to local people within the regency first, because for now, opening the airport and seaport still entails a high risk. The Tourism and Creative Economy Ministrys COVID-19 Task Force spokesperson, Ari Juliano, said on June 1 that the ministry was preparing the tourism SOPs, so they could be implemented when the country reopens. The protocols require all stakeholders to enforce social distancing, to make sure people wear masks and wash their hands frequently and to avoid the formation of crowds. While waiting for the governments decision and the SOP for the reopening, regional administrations and associations have worked on initiatives to improve their readiness to embrace the new normal. Banyuwangi in East Java, for instance, had verified and certified all restaurants, hotels and homestays in the regency to ensure they comply with cleanliness and hygiene standards, said Banyuwangi Tourism Agency head Yanuar Bramuda on June 3. Bali is also preparing its new normal protocols by lowering the capacity of tourists by up to 50 percent and delaying the reopening of nightclubs, among other things. Meanwhile, the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) has issued an SOP on health and hygiene to all its members. The [decision] to reopen tourism must come with risk mitigation and prudent considerations for each destination, said Muhammad Baiquni, a tourism expert from Gadjah Mada University, on June 3. Meanwhile, the chairwoman of the Indonesian Travel Agents Association (Astindo), Elly Hutabarat, said the reopening required discipline in obeying health protocol. Strict supervision at the destinations main entrances, such as airports, will be key for the tourist industry during the new normal to minimize the virus risk, she said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 14) The Department of Social Welfare and Development will start rolling out the first and second tranche of the government's social amelioration program (SAP) to the five million waitlisted families nationwide this week, the agency's spokesperson said Sunday. "This week, we will start with the distribution ng first tranche and second tranche para doon sa mga waitlisted o yung mga additional beneficiaries na hindi po nakatanggap ng ayuda mula nung una tayong nagpahatid ng SAP," Social Welfare spokesperson Irene Dumlao told CNN Philippines' Newsroom Weekend. [Translation: This week, we will start with the distribution of the first tranche and second tranche for those who are waitlisted or the additional beneficiaries who did not receive aid since we started the SAP.] The DSWD said that the list of beneficiaries provided by local government units have undergone validation as part of the guidelines in the implementation of the aid. "This is to ensure that the names listed in the certified list have not been recipients of other social amelioration programs implemented by other government agencies," Dumlao said. The department started the rollout of the second tranche of COVD-19 cash aid last week with the 1.3 million Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino cash card holders. Dumlao noted that they are targeting completion within June after tapping the online cash system ReliefAgad to speed up the distribution of financial aid. "Well, before po matapos itong buwan na ito, tinitiyak po ng DSWD na matatapos ang distribution po ng second tranche," she said. [Translation: Well, before the month ends, the DSWD assures that we will finish the distribution of the second tranche.] The Bayanihan to Heal as One Act authorized Duterte to provide an emergency subsidy of 5,000 to 8,000 each to 18 million low income families once a month for two months. Malacanang announced last month the inclusion of five million more low-income families who were left out in the distribution while most parts of the country were still under the modified enhanced community quarantine. Some 98 percent of the beneficiaries were able to receive the first tranche of cash aid, but implementation was marred with delays and corruption allegations. Member of Parliament for Tema West and Deputy Minister of trade, Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, has called on disgruntled members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), to remain resolute and rally behind the agenda to re-elect President Akufo-Addo in December 2020. In a rallying call, he urged members across the country to abandon all acrimony for the party to work together as one unit with a common purpose. Where we are now, victory is clearly ours; but we have to be careful that we ourselves do not sabotage our own chances. The vibes emerging from the party over the disqualification of some Parliamentary aspirants gives cause for concern, Mr. Ahenkorah said. According to him, it is imperative that we let our political maturity and in fact, our humanity, show now. Let us forgive one another and unite behind our leader as we belong to the same family. The MP said he w setting the tone to deodorize the party of all the acrimony by forgiving first. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Sunday Mr Ahenkorah said I have said it and I will say it again, I forgive all those who have wronged me; those who planted negative stories about me in the media and those who detracted me publicly. I forgive all of them. Let anybody that I have wronged too forgive me. We are human beings and cannot run away from mistakes. In fact, no one is a perfect human being, but as Christians and Muslims, our actions must mirror the characteristics mentioned in the Bible and the holy Quran. His admonishment is coming as the ruling party's Parliamentary primaries for the 2020 election on June 20, enters the homestretch. As part of the build-up, there are many disqualified aspirants who have accused the leadership of the party of unfair treatment. Supporters of most of the disqualified aspirants recently took to cursing the leadership of the party by invoking voodoo spirits on them for the disqualifications. The party's leadership has in turn also suspended the aggrieved supporters. According him, the acrimony was not in the interest of the ruling party and that the earlier all sides smoked the peace pipe, the better. After all, why are we all fighting for people that we have faith in to be Parliamentary Candidates; is it not because we want to ensure another victory for our party in December 2020? Since the party's victory is our priority, what is the point in being at loggerheads? I know that in our party, every single one of us loves President Akufo-Addo and would want to retain him. We must realize that when we fight amongst ourselves, we do not prove our love for him. A house divided against itself, can never stand. The upcoming Parliamentary primaries is a family contest and nothing else. Carlos Ahenkorah said ---GNA The presidency has released the statement below confirming reports that a shot(s) was inappropriately fired at the State House recently. Rather than outrightly say that shot(s) was wrongly fired, Garba Shehu, President Muhammadu Buharis spokesperson, said some armed guards came short in the handling of their weapons. Mr Shehu, however, said the president is not, and was not at anytime in any form of danger arising, either from deadly infections or the reported incident by security personnel which is currently under investigation. PREMIUM TIMES reported the clash between aides of the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, and a presidential aide, Sabiu Yusuf, in the State House. The clash reportedly occurred after Mr Yusuf refused to embark on 14 days self-isolation as directed by Mrs Buhari having just returned from a trip outside Abuja. Mr Yusuf reportedly said he had been directed by the president not to embark on the self-solation, a process recommended by health agencies to ensure a traveller is not carrying the coronavirus. An altercation between Mr Yusuf and Mrs Buharis security details led by her Aide De Camp, Usman Shugaba, led to a shot being fired, allegedly by Mr Shugaba. The police have since arrested Mr Shugaba and other police security details attached to the first lady, a move condemned by Mrs Buhari who called for their release. I call on the IGP to release my assigned Staff who are still in the custody of the Police in order to avoid putting their lives in danger or exposure to Covid-19 while in their custody, Mrs Buhari wrote on Twitter on Friday. In his statement on Sunday, Mr Shehu said the incident happened outside the main residence of the President. Armed guards and other security personnel assigned to the State House receive the necessary training of especially weapons handling and where they come short, their relevant agencies have their rules and regulations to immediately address them. Having authorised the proper investigation to be carried out into this unfortunate incident by the Police, the President has acted in compliance with the rule of law, he said describing the incident as minor occurence. Read Mr Shehus full statement below. STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE PRESIDENCY STATEMENT ON THE SECURITY INCIDENT IN THE STATE HOUSE ON THURSDAY The Presidency wishes to acknowledge concerns expressed by several members of the public regarding the recent incident among the occupants of the State House which escalation led to the arrest of some staff by the police. This is to assure all and everyone that the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Muhammadu Buhari, is not, and was not at anytime in any form of danger arising, either from deadly infections or the reported incident by security personnel which is currently under investigation. This particular incident happened outside the main residence of the President. Armed guards and other security personnel assigned to the State House receive the necessary training of especially weapons handling and where they come short, their relevant agencies have their rules and regulations to immediately address them. Having authorized the proper investigation to be carried out into this unfortunate incident by the Police, the President has acted in compliance with the rule of law. That a minor occurrence is being used by some critics to justify attacks on the government and the person of President Muhammadu Buhari beggars belief. In this particular instance, the President says the law should be allowed to take its course. Garba Shehu Advertisements Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity) June 14, 2020 The Italian flag, or Il Tricolore, is one of the most recognisable flags in the world. With its trio of green, white, and red splashed across Italian restaurant signs all over the world and printed on T-shirts in tourist kiosks across the country, the Italian flag is an icon of Italy and Italian culture. But stripes of greed, white, and red werent always synonymous with Italy Where do the colors green, white, and red in the Italian flag come from? Originally designed under Napoleon's rule, the Italian flag was heavily influenced by another Tricolore-- the French flag. Though the national Italian flag would go through many different iterations before becoming what it is today, the colors green, white, and red have been a recurring pattern throughout its history.Oddly enough, there is no clear answer to what the symbolism is behind the three colors. There are multiple theories regarding Italys Tricolore. One is that the colors carry idealistic significance: green for freedom, white for faith and purity, and red for love. Others believe that the colors have religious significance, representing the three theological virtues: Green for hope, white for faith, and red for charity. Another theory is that the colors represent Italys geographical landscape and history. Green for the countryside, white for the snowy Alps, and red for the blood of the Italian people shed over the course of Italys history. How long has the Italian flag existed? The Italian flag precedes Italys unification. Before unification in 1861, each republic in Italy had a different flag.When Napoleon began conquering Italian states after the French Revolution began in 1789, he changed the landscape of Italy, creating new republics and destroying former territories. Following Frances call for national unity, many Italians formed political and military groups to focus efforts on creating unity within their republics. Also read: The colors green, white, and red were originally taken from the civic militia in the Transpadane Republic, an unofficial government in Milan. Militia members wore the colors on their uniforms.In 1797, the Cispadane Republic in Modena, established by Napoleon, designed its flag with the trio of colors in horizontal stripes and a central emblem. When the Cispadane Republic merged with nearby regions to create the new Cisalpine Republic, the stripes were rotated counterclockwise to the vertical stripes they are today, with green on the left, white in the middle, and red on the right. However, this was not the final form of the Italian flag. Later, the short-lived region known as the Italian Republic, located in the north of Italy, also had a green, white, and red flag, but organized in a geometric pattern. The geometric pattern mirrored patterns from Napoleonic military flags. When the Italian Republic became the Kingdom of Italy, with Napoleon as its emperor, the flag design was slightly altered, and a golden Napoleonic eagle was placed in the center. When did Italy get an official Italian flag? From 1798 to 1848, the Tricolore was an unofficial symbol of ununified Italian nationalism.When Napoleons rule ended in 1814, a new chapter of Italian history began. Italy was geographically united as one country in 1848, and the Tricolore became a celebrated symbol of Italy. Many regions began adopting flags that reflected elements of the Tricolore, adding to a sense of national unity. On 23 March 1848, the flag was used by Italian troops in battle against the Austrian army, making it an official symbol of Italian confederation. The following month, the flag was adopted by the Kingdom of Sardinia. In 1861, it became the official flag of the Kingdom of Italy. When Italy was officially united as a monarchy under the rule of the Royal House of Savoy in 1861, a shield, cross, and crown were added to the center of the flags three stripes. What is the flag of Italy used for in Italy? The shield and cross represented the House of Savoy, and the crown symbolised the monarchy. In 1946, when Italy changed from a monarchy to a republic, the flag returned to the simple, vertical Tricolore.Finally, the flag legally represented all of Italy, geographically, politically, and historically. As well as being a symbol of national unity and pride, the Italian flag is a cherished symbol of Italys history and the complicated road to becoming the Italian Republic.Also read: As in many countries, it is illegal to disrespect the Italian flag. Any form of vandalisation or destruction to an Italian flag is considered a crime, and perpetrators risk being fined up to 5000 euro or potential imprisonment.The Italian flag can be seen hanging outside of government buildings, or being flown on holidays and ceremonial occasions. A man was shot in the leg during a drive-by shooting Saturday night, Houston police said. Police said the man was standing outside a store in the 6100 block of Glenmont Drive in the Gulfton neighborhood when he was shot in the leg from a car driving by. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 18:12:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close -- As heavy rainfall continues to batter flood-hit south China, Chinese authorities devote all-out efforts to combat rain and flooding. -- Based on the early warnings of geological disasters triggered in the flood season, pre-disaster measures were taken to protect people's lives. -- In regions affected by flooding and waterlogging, post-disaster reconstruction has been carried out in an orderly fashion to help the flood-stricken return to normal life. by Xinhua writers Guo Yifan, Huang Yaoteng, Yao Yulin, Xu Ruiqing BEIJING, June 14 (Xinhua) -- As heavy rainfalls continue to batter flood-hit south China, Chinese authorities have mobilized dramatic rescue efforts to fight the floods and protect people's lives and property. More than 20 people were killed or remained missing after torrential downpours unleashed floods, mudslides and landslides in south China, according to a count based on local official reports. The rain-triggered floods affected some 2.63 million people in 11 provincial-level regions as of Tuesday, said the Ministry of Emergency Management. The heavy rains also forced relocation of about 228,000 people, destroyed over 1,300 houses and brought direct economic losses of over 4 billion yuan (about 566 million U.S. dollars), according to the ministry. TIMELY RESPONSE By 5 p.m. on Friday, floods and geological disasters reported in 66 county-level regions in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region had affected nearly 1.6 million people, according to the local department of emergency management. Aerial photo taken on June 8, 2020 shows the flooded Lijiang River in Yangshuo County of Guilin, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Lu Boan) A total of 3,000 emergency relief tents and 3,000 foldable beds were allocated to Guangxi on Thursday to support local disaster relief work and to ensure the basic livelihood of flood-stricken people, said the Ministry of Emergency Management. The extreme weather has also dealt a hefty blow to the region's tourism sector, which is still reeling from the COVID-19 epidemic. In Yangshuo, a popular tourist destination known for its karst mountains and picturesque rivers, the water levels of the rivers rose sharply and trapped residents and tourists in the floods as torrential rain had been pouring since the early morning of June 7. A rescue team rushed to the scenic spot of Darongshu and spent nearly eight hours piloting rubber boats from door to door to search for flood-trapped residents and tourists. All the 62 stranded people were evacuated in time. "When people are in need, it is our duty to step forward in time," said Fang Yang, a member of the rescue team. First response team members prepare for a rescue task after a flood in Yangshuo County of Guilin, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, June 7, 2020. (Xinhua/Lu Boan) EARLY WARNING Based on the early warnings of geological disasters triggered in the flood season, pre-disaster measures were taken to protect people's lives. In the city of Guilin, Guangxi, the local government organized on June 7 two early evacuations involving 661 people threatened by landslides after the early warning system forecast potential geological hazards. In Hunan Province, since the main flood season started on June 1, the persistent rain has affected 321,000 people in 21 counties and cities. Before the rain came, officials in Zhongba Village, Shuitianhe Township, conducted a thorough investigation to clear up hidden dangers, launched an emergency response and warned villagers not to fish in nearby rivers. Staff members check the electric-powered drainage system at a pump station in Jiangxiang Township of Nanchang County, east China's Jiangxi Province, June 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Peng Zhaozhi) After the heavy rain, no one was trapped or injured in the village owing to the early preparation, according to Long Anxie, deputy head of the township. POST-DISASTER RECONSTRUCTION In regions affected by flooding and waterlogging, post-disaster reconstruction including restoring power and repairing water supply facilities has been carried out in an orderly fashion to help the flood-stricken return to normal life. Agricultural technicians in Baojing County, Hunan, rushed to help save crops in the flood-drowned fields. In a watermelon greenhouse of Ganxi Village, agronomists showed the farmers how to maintain the seedlings. In the city of Pingxiang, Jiangxi Province, one of the hardest-hit areas, the local government helped farmers clean up the silt and damaged crops for subsequent replanting. Staff members patrol a dyke along the Ganjiang River to make sure it is safe from floods in Jiangxiang Township of Nanchang County, east China's Jiangxi Province, June 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Peng Zhaozhi) Torrential downpours are expected to enter the central regions of China in the near future, according to the National Meteorological Center. The center advised local governments to remain alert for possible flooding, landslides and mudslides caused by heavy rain and recommended outdoor operations be halted in hazardous areas. (Video reporters: Yu Gang, Zhang Zhaoqing, Cheng Ji'an, Peng Lingxiang, Zhang Yujie; Video editors: Zhou Saang) Customise Your Own KitKat in Sydneys New Chocolatory As the country comes out of a lockdown due to the pandemic, an exclusive KitKat Chocolatory will be opening in Sydney next month to provide just the break people need. KitKat Chocolatory Head Chocolatier, Connie Yuen, told The Epoch Times that guests will be able to create custom bars, watch chocolatiers make them on the chefs table, and dine-in at the chocolate cafe. The chocolatory is already taking bookings online through OpenTable, with a maximum of ten seats per reservation, starting on July 7. Were offering a personalised and premium chocolate experience that allows guests to explore their creativity and make combinations with our luscious chocolate and batch-baked wafers handcrafted by our onsite chocolatiers, Yuen said. It will be one of Australias two boutique stores, second only to the food capital of Melbourne. Sydney will have a fresh take on the Melbourne store, with new experiences and flavours exclusive to the store. The chocolatory is offering both a creative base and a ready-made selection. Yuzu Ganache, Peanut Butter & Raspberry, and Wasabi Creme are amongst the 12 new KitKat flavour creations. The introduction of KitKat Chocolatory is all about the demand for more luxury, premium confectionery, and the opportunity to personalise a product which is a trend that continues to grow and grow, Nestle CEO Stefano Agostini said. The Sydney store will also offer a chocolatory chocolate train, coffee bar, and a chance to interact with the chocolatiers. We are happy to answer any questions our guests may have about KitKatwe love that interactive experience, Yuen said. As for her recommended treat of choice, Yuen said the KitKat Cocoa Podan item that satisfies her desire to return to the basics, to celebrate the cocoa podis her pick from the menu. Related Coverage Please Respect Health Orders: NSW Premier The chocolatorys opening date had been pushed back with the global outbreak of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus. We had planned to open a little earlier, but we really wanted to make sure that we had everything perfect before we opened. It has given us extra time to work on what we need to and make sure that when we do open its completely safe for everyone to return, Yuen said. The chocolatory will be opening at The Mid City Sydney on July 6, a day ahead of World Chocolate Day. The largest Japanese automakers Honda, Mitsubishi, Toyota, and Nissan will suspend work on their plants against the backdrop of the Covid-19 coronavirus infection pandemic. This was reported by NHK. In particular, Honda announced that next month it would suspend production at two plants in Saitama Prefecture and in Mie Prefecture for several days.At the same time, Mitsubishi decided to suspend the plant of its subsidiary in Gifu Prefecture (from June 2 to 30) and the plant in Aichi Prefecture (from June 2 to 15 and from June 23 to 30).According to NHK, Toyota and Nissan also have plans to suspend the assembly line.One of the world's largest car rental companies - Hertz filed for bankruptcy against the backdrop of strangling the economic situation due to the Covid-19 pandemic.The company survived the Great Depression, the suspension of US automobile production during World War II, and numerous oil price shocks. The modern-day America-Germany treaty of the automotive industry was announced a few years ago, but things slowed down for a while. Now, things are back on track and the alliance between Ford and Volkswagen is expected to be finalized by the end of June. A lot of products and technology will be shared amongst the two brands, and the latest news is about a Ford-built Volkswagen . According to a press release, Ford will be building a truck for Volkswagen, and it will go on sale in 2020 as the new Amarok. Is this a big win for the German automaker or what? This will be game-changing for the Amarok as it could rise to prominence and increase its market share LISTEN 07:09 The Ford-based Volkswagen Amarok Could Become Relevant Again The new Amarok is due in 2022 and this is perfect timing for Volkswagen. Theres news surfacing about the 2022 Ranger featuring a plug-in hybrid system, so all these new technological advances could benefit the VW as well. The press release mentioning this read: Volkswagen will produce a medium pickup truck engineered and built by Ford, for sale by Volkswagen as the Amarok starting in 2022 within the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles lineup. Volkswagen released a media statement as well which read, As lead partner, Ford will in future produce the new version of the Amarok for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles based on the Ranger. The Amarok successor will then be made as of 2022 at Fords Silverton plant in South Africa. A sketch of the future Amarok was also teased and it looks very sporty, courtesy of the large wheels and the sharp, aggressive face. Its too early to comment on the aesthetics for now, but we could see some developments in this regard very soon. What Can We Expect From The New Amarok? So, we do know that the Amarok will be underpinned by the Rangers platform, but what will power it? According to CarAdvice, the new Amarok will receive two of Fords powertrains 2.0-liter, four-cylinder, twin-turbo diesel, and the 3.0-liter, V-6 turbodiesel. Both these engines will be mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. An executive from the German brand also said that 2022 Amarok might be a Ford at heart, but it will have a unique appearance inside out. This is a big win for Volkswagen because the Ranger holds the fort in trucks segment in the European nations. The same cant be said for the Amarok, though, which has been struggling to get a decent share of the pie. The German automaker sold 88,950 copies of the Amarok in 2018 and 68,010 copies in 2019 globally. A Ford-pinned and powered Amarok could see the sales numbers rise significantly. A rebadged product may not have worked, but for a truck that is said to have unique aesthetics with Fords tried-and-trusted mechanicals; it may have success written all over it. Another representative of the company said, Ultimately it is our customers who will benefit, as without the cooperation we would not have developed a new Amarok. Not wrong there. What Could Go Wrong With A Ford-Based Amarok? Although there are a lot of positive to take from this, there are some cons as well. The current Amarok may not be the best of the lot, but it sure has some features that are not present in the Ranger and the 2022 Amarok could lose them as well: The V-6 Amarok comes with a permanent all-wheel-drive layout. This could change in the Ford Amarok. Ford Ranger comes with rear drum brakes, whereas the Volkswagen Amarok features disc brakes even at the rear. Will this change to keep the costs in check? The Amarok has the most spacious truck bed. If underpinned on the Rangers platform, this could be shortened in length as well as width. What Powers The Current Volkswagen Amarok? The 3.0-liter, V-6 turbodiesel mill is the most popular option in the Amarok. In Australia, you can have it in four different states of tune. 221 horses in the base form, which can be pumped up to 241 horses with Overboost, and 255 horses on the higher trims, which can be jacked up to 268 ponies with the Overboost. They produce 428 pound-feet of torque as standard. It can be paired to either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic. The Amarok is also offered with a not-so-popular four-cylinder mill as well. The Alliance Has Big Plans For The Commercial Market As Well The alliance is also working on strengthening the commercial-vehicles businesses of both the brands and the result of this could be seen next year itself. It would be a city delivery van based on the latest Caddy model thats developed and built by Volkswagen. Later on, a one-ton cargo van developed by Ford will be added to this fleet. This could be a replacement for the Ford Transit. The alliance is expecting to produce eight million copies of the truck and commercial vans combined in its lifetime. The news of an electric Ford vehicle based on Volkswagens MEB platform also came to news a couple of weeks back and the same was reiterated in the press release as well. This Ford EV will be meant for the European markets and the companies are looking at building around 600,000 examples of the same every year. Apart from this, Ford and Volkswagen will also work together with Argo AI, a self-driving vehicle startup. Volkswagen recently got on board and struck a deal worth $2.6 billion with the startup. The alliance has plans to deploy a self-driving system in its commercial vehicles for the U.S. as well as the European markets. Final Thoughts The companies have big plans together, but they were quick to note that they are still competitors and will go up against each other in all the markets that they are present in. The Volkswagen/Ford alliance does not include cross-ownership between the companies, which will remain competitors in the marketplace. Its quite interesting that both these companies fit in together like a jigsaw puzzle. Ford has a strong foot in the truck market, but lacks the vigor in the EV segment; and, vice versa for Volkswagen. We could expect some disruptions in the market trend and preference once these alliance-products launch. The current-gen Amarok is built in Argentina. Youd expect the Ford-based Amarok to be built in Thailand alongside the Ranger, but Volkswagen said it will instead be built at Fords Silverton plant in South Africa. Theres no word on where the Ford EV will be built, though. I have a lot of questions. Does this mean trouble for the Toyota Hilux? Will we see an Amarok-Raptor as well? How will they coexist in the same markets? Will both the trucks be priced lower as the manufacturing costs could reduce and take on the competition together? I hope we get the answers soon. What are your expectations from the Ford-Volkswagen alliance? Share them with us in the comments section below. PHILADELPHIA Students across the greater Philadelphia area participated in a virtual forum Friday morning to take a stand against racism and discuss a path forward to accomplishing change. I just want to make sure that when the history books are written, Im on the right side of that, and the right side of that is making sure people can have justice in the world, said Kramoh Mansalay, a student at Academy Park High School in Sharon Hill. PCCYs Teen Town Hall: Race and Racism, was broadcast on Zoom and streamed live on Facebook. It was sponsored by the Public Citizens for Children and Youth. The event opened with a Youtube video showcasing the Chester Childrens Chorus powerful rendition of I Still Cant Breathe. The panel discussion included teens, moderators as well as state and federal lawmakers. We have a moment here in American history that were living through that is unlike any moment of its kind at least in the last 50 years, said U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA). Its a moral moment, and each of you is part of this, and each of you can contribute to it. U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-4th Dist., recalled 6-year-old Gianna Floyd saying that her daddy changed the world, referring to the Memorial Day death of George Floyd while a Minneapolis police officer held a knee to his neck for nearly nine minutes. The video of Floyd gasping for breath has sparked racial protests around the world. I think her daddy did change the world because were all talking about it. Whatever the color of our skin, whatever place we came from, whatever our religion, were recognizing in this country we are struggling with systemic racism, she said. I think George Floyd is going to change the world. Floyds death has prompted a dialogue about racial injustice, speakers acknowledged. Racism is not only systemic, it is generational, said Harry Cotter, a student at Ridley High School in Folsom. Kelly Meinert, a student at Central Bucks High School East in Doylestown, admitted to ending friendships over this very topic. It can be a hard conversation to have, but if its a hard conversation to have its probably a conversation worth having, Meinert said. Others, like fellow Ridley High School student Kayla Cocci, have dealt with these issues firsthand. I am a product of the love that we lack in todays society. My skin color is the outcome of the unity between white and black love. I have also been put in an awful position by my own brothers and sisters, Cocci said in a statement released by PCCY following the virtual forum. I watch mortified with the reminder that my black brother could be Trayvon Martin, I cry with tears of frustration that my white grandparents who have raised me stare at their own race with anger, and with fear of the evil that they could do to women and men who look like their granddaughter and grandson, she continued. My skin is one color, but my heart is divided because of society. Alexis Bamford, a 2020 graduate of North Penn High School, used her time to ask a question to a local leader: Val Arkoosh, chairwoman of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. What is the most common pushback or opposition you encounter when trying to implement changes related to cultural sensitivity or diversity, and how do you overcome that? Bamford asked. Arkoosh replied she received dissent from some based on fear, and urged continued actions to further notions of education, empathy and overall cultural sensitivity. Those are the things that we have to really promote because there is no question that our communities are so much stronger because of our diversity, and we just have to keep promoting that, standing up for it and defending it, Arkoosh said. Thirteen-year-old Gabe Peay attends school within the Norristown Area School District. He posed a striking question to panelists: Why are police killing unarmed black men and getting away with it? State Rep. Jordan Harris, D-186th Dist. said there needs to be revamping of legislative language involving force. So we need to change the way we do our laws in Pennsylvania to actually address use of force, which is the amount of force a person can apply when theyre trying to arrest a person, Harris said. We also need to address the types of force that a person can use when theyre trying to arrest a person. Arkoosh acknowledged the inherent structural racism in society. I think there is just inherent structural racism and bias that so many white people carry around, and that can translate to having a much more aggressive response to a person of color than a white person by the police, Arkoosh said. Paris Thompson, a student at Springfield Township High School in Erdenheim, also raised concerns about transparency within area police departments. I was researching my township police department and I realized that Pennsylvania doesnt reveal the disciplinary records on the police officers, and I feel like Id be a lot more comfortable in my township or just in general if things like this were released, Thompson said. Nearly three weeks after Floyds death, protesters across the country have called for widespread police reform. Arkoosh added that Montgomery County has mobile task forces dedicated to dealing with issues involving mental health in homelessness. These professionals can be called in lieu of law enforcement for certain crisis situations. Those teams are prepared and trained to de-escalate and work with individuals who are not criminals. They just need some help, Arkoosh said, referencing Peays initial question. And so we hope that by doing some of those things we can eliminate what youre talking about, which is brutal violence to particularly black men, who are almost always unarmed. Dean emphasized the importance of allocating financial resources for a number of underfunded areas including addiction, mental health and education. We have to go away from police officers as warriors and back to what they should be, which is guardians, Dean said. Harris agreed. So with regard to our schools, Im one that believes that we dont need more armed police officers in schools, Harris said. What we need is more social workers in our schools, we need more folks who live in our communities to be in our schools. We cannot criminalize childhood activities and childhood behavior. Additionally, U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans (D-03) noted that change starts with having these conversations with different people. When we talk about policies you need other people to raise challenges about racial discrimination other than African-Americans. It cant be that all of a sudden only African-Americans see it that way. It has to be [that] others see it that way, Evans said. Is that person woke about what is happening in the world today? And if that person is not woke, you can educate them, he continued. Casey noted that H.R. 7120: The Justice in Policing Act of 2020 was introduced in Congress last week. The sweeping piece of legislation deals with a wide range of policies and issues regarding policing practices and law enforcement accountability. Elected officials including Dean said that legislative actions are just one piece of the puzzle. Its not just dealing with policing, Dean said. It is dealing with how we spend our money In addition to modernizing and reimagining how policing should be done, we have to invest in our communities. We have to invest in education, making sure it is equitable. We have to invest in housing, making sure its available, humane, safe and affordable, she continued. And we have to invest in jobs so that everybody has an equal shot at all of these opportunities. Tawanna Jones Morrison, a school psychologist and nonprofit founder, concluded the forum by expressing her gratitude to the students for their time, dedication and participation as younger generations continue to push for change. Some adults might not tell you this, but we are learning from you. You are leading the way, Morrison said. You identified the issues, and acted on them, and I encourage you to keep pushing, keep talking, keep marching toward the world that you want to live in. With co-opted Congress icons as well as inhouse idols under its belt, the Aatmanirbar Bharat initiative provides BJP the opportunity to leave a lasting impact on the economy. PTI Photo On July 23, 1991, erstwhile PM PV Narasimha Rao called a Cabinet meeting to discuss the new industrial policy. Knowing it would face great opposition, Jairam Ramesh, then an OSD in the PMO, linked the new policy to the ideas of the Congress, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. Moreover, Rao, in a CWC meeting later that day, said that the new policy would reverse Indiras leftward tilt in 1969 and take India to the flexible 1956 resolution of Nehru. Vinay Sitapati, who writes about the incident in Raos biography, Half Lion, noted that the ploy cleared the path for economic reforms. Raos trick wasnt new and has been a feature of Indian politics where politicians and political parties often claim a legacy to seek legitimacy and people's goodwill. But no other party in the 21st Century has been as adept at it than the BJP From bringing party titans like Shyama Prasad Mookerjee and Deen Dayal Upadhaya into the mainstream to co-opting Congressmen like Sardar Patel and Mahatma Gandhi. Historifying Aatmanirbhar Bharat In its recent edition, Kamal Sandesh, the official mouthpiece of the BJP, has focused on the first year of Modi Sarkar 2.0 and its newest project to make India economically Aatmanirbhar (self-reliant). Two articles, in particular, indicate that the BJP could seek to establish a historical link to Aatmanirbhar Bharat through its inhouse and co-opted icons. Anirban Ganguly, director of the RSS-affiliated Shyama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation, writes that Mookerjee had spoken of making India self-sufficient in consumer goods through the widespread development of small-scale and cottage industries He further writes that the Jan Sangh the BJPs predecessor had vowed to take steps to reawaken the national conscience in favour of Swadeshi. Not just the Jan Sangh founder, Ganguly also refers to Upadhayaya, who he claims had spoken about the need for self-reliance in his speeches. He also calls Upadhayaya as one of the leading intellectuals favouring national self-reliance. Interestingly, Gangulys brands Aatmanirbhar Bharat as a continuation of BJPs core economic policy, adding that its 1985 economic resolution had spoken of self-reliance being forgotten. In another article, Vikash Anand, an associate editor of the magazine, stresses on the idea of Village Swaraj of Mahatma Gandhi. Village Swaraj had been his idea of a self-reliant Indian village. While not mentioning aatmanirbhar Bharat anywhere, Anand nevertheless spells out various initiatives of the Modi government for to create a foundation for a self-reliant village. Curiously, Anands mention of Village Swaraj is in line with BJP ideologue Seshadri Charis recent argument that the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative is the same as Gandhis Swadeshi economic model. Gandhi/Mookerjee/ Upadhyaya versus Nehru The pitch for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat sits perfectly well with the BJPs repulsion for Nehrus ideas in this case, Nehruvian socialism. It has always been argued that the Gandhian variety of socialism runs contrary to Nehrus large industry-centric socialism. By reclaiming Gandhis economic ideals as its own, the BJP not only widens the ideological gap between him and Nehru, it also reiterates its self-professed commitment to Gandhian socialism. A recap: Atal Bihar Vajpayee, the first BJP president, had proclaimed Gandhian socialism as one of the central tenets. However, after LK Advani took over in 1986, Hindutva took precedence over everything. Mookerjee is an interesting personality here. He served as the industries minister in the first Cabinet and introduced the 1948 industrial policy, which laid the foundations of a mixed economy for self-sufficiency. Later, when he formed the Jana Sangh, Mookerjee tempered the idea of mixed economy and added, private property will be observed and private enterprise will be given a fair and adequate play, subject to national welfare. In addition, it is believed that Mookerjee was opposed to the Soviet-style of economic planning. Mookerjees idea of self-sufficiency is a perfect foil for the Nehruvian idea of self-sufficiency, although many may argue both have more in common. Linking Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative to the Mookerjee variety helps BJP to reiterate the idea of economic self-sufficiency as its own, while severely undermining the alien Nehruvian version. The last of the trio Upadhayaya has been the torchbearer of BJPs economic ideology Integral humanism, which places a persons well-being at the centre. Upadhayaya had opposed Nehruvian socialism as uncritically Western and materialistic. Packaging the Centres pet initiative as an extension of Upadhayayas philosophy will help the BJP fulfil its commitment towards the Sangh and further the Hindutva base. After spending four decades on the fringes, the BJP has seen an upswing in its fortunes after 2014. With co-opted Congress icons as well as inhouse idols under its belt, the Aatmanirbar Bharat initiative provides BJP the opportunity to leave a lasting impact on the economy like the Congress under Rao did in 1991. But will it succeed? That has to be seen. International students made up almost 40 per cent of the population of some Melbourne suburbs last year, contributing billions to neighbourhood economies. But those numbers have shrunk by a quarter since the coronavirus forced the suspension of most international travel, bringing predictions the economic recession will be deeper in suburbs where the foreign student boom was concentrated. The boom in international students has transformed Australia's cities. Credit:Wayne Taylor Research by Victoria Universitys Mitchell Institute has revealed that international students made up more than 10 per cent of the population in 11 Melbourne suburbs in 2019, including three suburbs where they made up between 34 and 39 per cent, the highest concentration in the nation. Melbournes CBD had 19,511 resident international students last year, more than double that of any other suburb in Australia. The Confederation of All India Traders has approached Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and urged them to shut markets in Delhi. IMAGE: A Delhi bazaar sees brisk business. Photograph: Shahbaz Khan / PTI Photo. With Covid-19 cases rising rapidly in the national capital, a majority of Delhis traders said they favoured shutting down all markets. In an online poll conducted by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) of 2,800 associations and members representing over 1.5 million traders in Delhi, over 88 per cent favoured closure of markets to stop Covid-19s spread among traders and customers. CAIT has now sought the governments view on this. The move comes after a large number of Delhis traders and trade associations voiced concerns over the rise in cases in the city. According to CAIT, a whopping 99.4 per cent were concerned about the pandemics spread, and 96.6 per cent said they were worried about the spread at marketplaces. The Delhi-headquartered organisation has approached Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and urged them to shut markets in Delhi. According to Vipin Ahuja, president of CAITs Delhi chapter, the association will take a call on the matter on Sunday. The current situation of in Delhi is very alarming and closure of markets is a big and important issue and as such, a consultation is needed with all market associations and CAIT is willing to join hands with the government to combat Covid-19 in an effective manner, he said. While stores selling essential commodities were open through the more stringent phases of the lockdown -- between late March and mid-May -- a majority of outlets opened only after May 17. However, CAITs survey revealed that most markets in Delhi were seeing only 5 -10 per cent of normal business as customers stayed away and there was a shortage of staff. Closing down markets in the capital has huge implications not only for local traders, but it also sets a precedent for other cities. Thus, we want to take a final call only after consultation with the authorities. We hope to hear from them before we hold our meeting tomorrow (Sunday), Praveen Khandelwal, national secretary general of CAIT, told Business Standard. However, the economic impact of such a closure remains a concern. In a representation to the Delhi government, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), suggested several measures, including an economic package worth Rs 87,500 crore or 10 per cent of Delhis gross state domestic product. For worst hit industries, including trade and hospitality, it sought reduction of stamp duty to 0.5 per cent for the next 4 months, automatic renewal of licences for a year, a six-month extension of all state levies and taxes without attracting any interests and soft loans for small businesses. Referring to the Delhis Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodias recent statement that around 530,000 residents of the city are expected to be Covid-19 positive by July end, CAIT stressed the need for measures to break the chain. Such a statement has caused a huge stir and immense fear and panic among the markets and citizens of Delhi. The Supreme Court has also expressed concerns over the horrendous, horrific and pathetic state of affairs in Delhi. The apex court has also taken serious cognizance of reduction in number of tests being performed daily, Khandelwal said in the letter to Baijal. He also raised the issue of scarcity of beds in Delhi hospitals. In the wake of this, traders have become more fearful than before. This compelled CAIT to carry out a survey of Delhi traders representing various markets and trade associations. The results of the survey seem to be completely one sided as over 90 per cent of the respondents have expressed utmost fear, insecurity and uncertainty, he informed the LG. Haiti - FLASH : Generalized increase 4,165 cases, 70 dead The Ministry of Public Health informs that 224 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Haiti (previous report : 145), for a total of 4,165 cases throughout the national territory (40.4% women and 59.6% of men) since the first case (March 19, 2020 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30319-haiti-health-origin-of-the-first-2-cases-of-covid-19-in-haiti.html ). Deaths : 6 new deaths have been recorded: 1 in Artibonite, 1 in the North and 4 in the South, bringing the national total to 70. Healings : Active cases : (less death and recovery) 4,071 (+ 5.66%) +218 in 48 hours (previous report: +139) Number of suspected cases investigated since March 19 : 8,488 cases +407 in 48 hours (previous report: +175) All the details in our daily report of 11am See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31018-haiti-covid-19-daily-report-june-13-2020.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31004-haiti-flash-increase-of-cases-in-8-departments.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30319-haiti-health-origin-of-the-first-2-cases-of-covid-19-in-haiti.html S/ HaitiLibre Britain is facing an unemployment crisis in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, with up to 4.5million people left without jobs, Boris Johnson has reportedly warned cabinet members. The Prime Minister has told cabinet members to brace for a spike in unemployment figures, which could reach the highest number since records began, according to reports in The Sunday Times. It comes after a poll revealed how a third of companies in the UK are poised to make workers redundant due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. It also comes as the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, this week warned Rishi Sunak warned school closures are a 'tragedy' amid claims he has told MPs they are as damaging to the economy as the 2008 credit crunch. He has privately told colleagues that the impact of keeping millions of pupils at home is the same scale as the financial crisis, which required nearly 140billion in taxpayer bailouts, according to the Telegraph. Britain is facing an unemployment crisis in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, with up to 4.5million people left without jobs, Boris Johnson has reportedly warned cabinet members Boris Johnson has told cabinet members to brace for a spike in unemployment figures, which could reach the highest number since records began, according to reports in The Sunday Times GDP fell by more than a fifth in the first month of lockdown, and has now contracted by 25 per cent since February. In this chart, 100 on the vertical axis represents the size of the economy in April 2016, showing the extent of the fall compared to previous changes since 1997 His concern comes following reports that the UK economy contracted by more than a fifth in the first full month of lockdown, as shops and factories closed and workers were sent home. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that economic activity was down by 20.4 per cent in April - the largest drop in a single month since records began in 1997, and worse than many experts were forecasting. Today, a survey by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), revealed how 34 per cent of managers are set to make staff redundant due to the impact of coronavirus. As many as 26 per cent are expecting to make the cuts this year, the survey shows. Tomorrow, the economy is set for a major boost when many high street retailers throw open their doors for the first time since draconian lockdown measures, put in place to stem the spread of coronavirus, were introduced. But senior government ministers are bracing for a spike in unemployment figures, which are set to be released in two days. The last month's figure of 1.3million unemployed could rise to two million, government chiefs fear, while, according to The Times, ministers fear it could rise to 4.5million over the next year. In a bid to breath life back into the pandemic hit economy, Boris Johnson will tomorrow pave the way for the abolition of the two-metre separation rule by taking personal control of the decision to axe it. His crucial intervention comes as one of the countrys leading restaurateurs warns that if it is not scrapped, the hospitality sector will be hit by millions of job losses. In a bid to breath life back into the pandemic hit economy, Boris Johnson will tomorrow pave the way for the abolition of the two-metre separation rule by taking personal control of the decision to axe it The Mail on Sunday can reveal that the Prime Minister has commissioned a comprehensive No 10 review which will effectively wrest control of Covid-19 social distancing guidance from Government scientists and, critically, allow the devastating economic impact of the measure to be taken into account for the first time. One Government source said the move was recognition that there is more to life than the R number the term for the rate at which the infection spreads. Last night, Tory MPs predicted that the review to be run by Downing Streets newly appointed Permanent Secretary, Simon Case would provide a road map for the two-metre rule to be relaxed in time for the reopening of pubs on July 4. It comes as Richard Caring, whose empire includes the The Ivy chain, say that expecting people to stay more than two metres apart is 'killing the country' It comes as Richard Caring, the businessman whose empire includes the J Sheekey restaurant in London and The Ivy chain, tells this newspaper that expecting people to stay more than two metres apart is killing the country. In a rare interview, Mr Caring accuses Mr Johnson of weakness and indecision, and said Ministers had grossly underestimated the permanent damage being done to Britains 26,000 restaurants. Unless the rule is relaxed, Mr Caring warns, as many as 50 or 60 per cent of the four-million hospitality workers in Britain could be laid off when the Governments furlough scheme comes to an end in the autumn. Mr Caring, a Tory Party donor, adds: This volcano, unless we wake up to it now, its going to be horrendous. Its just going to explode, spewing out unemployed people. The pain and suffering it is going to cause is horrific. There are estimates saying we could have up to five million unemployed. Its not going to be five million its going to be more. I dont think weve seen anything yet. The Government is actually killing the country right now and the hospitality industry is in the front line of the disaster. The insistence of the Governments Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (Sage) on maintaining the two-metre rule has caused an intense political backlash, with Tory MPs and the Treasury joining forces to express concern about the economic damage it is wreaking. This picture shows a Wetherpoon pub in south London when it was still open. The graphic shows the rules that could be in place in many pubs across the country when they reopen The graphic shows what rules could be in place in pubs across the country when they reopen One Government source said the move was recognition that there is more to life than the R number the term for the rate at which the infection spreads. Officials warned that the virus's reproduction rate has risen to higher than 1 in the South West of England, to 1.1 Figures released last week showed the economy suffered a 20 per cent drop in GDP in April, the largest ever monthly collapse. Chancellor Rishi Sunak told the partys backbench 1922 Committee last week that three-quarters of pubs could open if the distance was cut to one metre, and cited the fact that 24 countries had introduced the flexibility to reduce it. The infection rate in the community has dropped to just 0.06 per cent, while a further 181 people died in the UK in the last 24-hour period to be announced after testing positive for Covid-19. Researchers found that there is a 1.3 per cent chance of contracting the virus when standing two metres away from an infected person; a figure that only increases to 2.6 per cent when separated by one metre. The current R rate is between 0.7 and 0.9: any number below 1 means that the spread of the virus is decreasing. Mr Johnsons new review will take advice from a range of experts, including the Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance but also behavioural scientists and economists. It will operate in addition to a rolling review of the guidance being carried out by Sage. It comes as today, hundreds of business leaders, charity bosses and city mayors called those out of work are given support, such as training, in what is being described as an 'opportunity guarantee'. Those including the bosses of Heathrow and healthcare giant Bupa signed the letter printed in today's Sunday Times. University of Ghana (UG) branch of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has initiated impeachment proceedings against the national UTAG president for misrepresenting the groups position on the Public Universities Bill 2020. They alleged that the national president, Prof. Charles Ofosu Marfo, is not serving the interest of UTAG members, hence, their plan to remove him from office. The plan to impeach the national president, according to UG-UTAG, is in line with Article XXIV Clause I and Article XXV Clause 1 of the UTAG national constitution. President of the association, Dr. Samuel N. Nkumbaan, in a press release noted that At this emergency meeting held on Thursday, June 11, 2020, the University of Ghana branch of UTAG (UG-UTAG) resolve to initiate impeachment proceedings against the national president of UTAG for consistently misrepresenting and sidelining UG-UTAGs position on the Public Universities Bill 2020 in his public engagements. Dr. Samuel N. Nkumbaan explained that the proposed Public Universities Bill 2020 when passed will give room for 'unnecessary' government interference in the affairs of public universities. UG-UTAG has therefore dissociated itself from the position taken by the national president to get the bill passed into law. Read below UG-UTAGs statement below; Source: ghanaweb Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Boris Johnson's team has reportedly ditched the Gender Recognition Act. (AP) A charity has hit out at Boris Johnson over his plans to ditch a new law allowing people to self-identify as a different gender. Theresa May's government drafted the Gender Recognition Act, which would have enabled transgender people change their birth certificate without a medical diagnosis. But the plans have now been shelved by Number 10 with ministers now set to announce a ban on "gay cure" therapies, in what was described as an attempt to placate LGBT people, according to The Sunday Times. LGBT charities criticised the move after it was revealed on Sunday, with Nancy Kelley, chief executive of Stonewall, describing it as extremely disappointing. The attempt to ditch the new laws were revealed on Sunday. (Getty) The report in todays newspapers, that the government looks set to drop plans to make it more straightforward for trans people to get legal recognition of their gender, is extremely disappointing if accurate, Kelley said. These reforms would have made many trans people's lives much easier, as we know from the changes already made in Ireland five years ago. The majority of the public responses to the consultation on reforming the Gender Recognition Act supported these changes. This is another blow to our community during a difficult time. According to The Sunday Times, the acts reversal was reffered to in a leaked paper which being slated for publication by the equalities minister Liz Truss at the end of July before MPs break for the summer. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK The paper is said to be part of a public consultation which found that of the 100,000 respondents, 70% were in favour of allowing people to self-identify as a man or a woman. However, officials were said to believe that the results had been "skewed" by an "avalanche" of responses generated by trans rights groups. A Government Equalities Office spokesperson said: "We will publish our response to our consultation on the Gender Recognition Act this summer. "The minister for women and equalities has also made clear that she will be bringing forward plans to end conversion therapy shortly." JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is one of many U.S. corporate executives to issue statements on race in recent weeks. But do policies at the companies making the statements reflect the sentiments of their messaging? (J. Scott Applewhite / AP) Sitting on my friends front porch the other day, I was surprised to see Jamie Dimon, chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, peering at me from my phone as he took a knee. The photo, now circulated widely, shows the gray-haired honcho alongside a rainbow platoon of rank-and-file workers at one of his companys bank branches, kneeling in what appears to be a gesture of racial solidarity. Days earlier, I had noticed a viral tweet from Adidas announcing, Together is how we move forward. Together is how we make change. Not to be outdone, Reebok Instagrammed its own timely message, We are not asking you to buy our shoes. We are asking you to walk in someone elses. Nike, Citigroup, Disney and many other commercial behemoths have all sent their own messages challenging racism. We are seeing, in other words, an epidemic of virtue signaling, a term coined in 2015 by James Bartholomew, a British financial journalist. He used the phrase to describe public acts intended to align the signaler, at very little personal cost, with the righteous side of a timely cause. Companies analyze risks versus benefits when deciding to make political statements, so maybe it is encouraging to find so many of them believe the tide is in favor of publicly speaking out on race. On the other hand, the schmaltzy signals theyre sending telegraph only vague sentiments. Should we really have to applaud the fact that Disney stands against racism or that CBS condemns racism, discrimination and senseless acts of violence? Shouldnt those companies have made their positions apparent, before a spate of killings by police and impassioned protests across 75 towns and cities? The virtue-signaling invites cynicism over whether it is actually just a new means of advertising to Gen Z and millennials, two consumer groups deeply invested in issues of gender, sexuality and race. It also raises questions about whether the companies actions match their words. More often than not, all the kneeling and Instagramming is but a pale shadow of the street protests dynamism and dissent. And the messaging can never compensate for glaring failures on the companys part regarding economic or racial equity. Story continues For his part, Dimon might be publicly performing his social goodwill given his own questionable high perch in the midst of 30 million jobless people and a horrific epidemic that is scorching working-class and Black consumers. Hes particularly feather-bedded as CEOs go. Dimon got paid $31.5 million in 2019. JPMorgan Chase hasnt said whether Dimon knelt with employees as a direct sign that he supports the protests, but the company certainly hasnt minded the publicity. Dimon also issued a memo to staff saying the company is committed to fighting against racism and discrimination wherever and however it exists. The signaling is all well and good. But less than two years ago, JPMorgan coughed up $24 million to six current and former Black employees who alleged discrimination, uniform and national in scope. The company, the plaintiffs said, assigned Black financial advisors to poorer, understaffed bank branches and failed to include them in lucrative programs aimed at cultivating wealthy clients. The previous year, the company paid $55 million to settle a suit brought by the U.S. Attorneys office alleging widespread discrimination on the basis of race and national origin in its mortgage lending. And in February of this year, the company was sued once again by employees alleging widespread discrimination. JPMorgan does decently on overall workforce diversity, with a staff that is 49% percent white and 51% nonwhite. But only 4% of the banks nearly 3,000 top-level execs are Black. And only one of JPMorgans 10 directors is a person of color. Other banks, too, have rushed forward in recent days with assurances that they stand firmly against racism. Bank of America even went so far as pledging $1 billion to combat racial and economic inequality. This is the same bank that paid $335 million, the largest fair-lending settlement in history, in 2011 after the U.S. Department of Justice concluded that the banks Countrywide Financial unit discriminated against Black and Latino customers in the lead-up to the 2008 foreclosure crisis, charging them higher rates and steering them into subprime loans. On balance, its better to have corporations vying to appear to be the most woke than it would be to have them totally ignore whats happening in the streets. But in the end, all the kneeling and Instagramming in the world cant conceal or compensate for glaring failures by a company on issues of economic or racial equity, and its incumbent on all of us to look beyond the messaging to the actualities. Its not just JPMorgan that has so much work left to do. Rich Benjamin is a fellow at the Economic Hardship Reporting Project and a contributing writer to Opinion. His reporting is supported by the Economic Hardship Reporting Project. BOSTON The state is urging communities with a townmeeting form of government as their legislative body to convene those gatherings outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The state posted a notice online outlining best practices to curb the spread of the disease. There are two forms of town meeting in the commonwealth of Massachsusetts. Open town meeting, in which all registered voters can debate and vote on a municipalitys budget and bylaw changes that includes zoning amendments, by attending the meeting. Participation requires attendees the towns legislators to sign in with the town clerk when it is verified an individual is a registered voter and thus eligible to vote during the meeting. Representative town meeting operates with voters electing town meeting representatives, usually more than a hundred or two hundred, who are vested with all the authority that all registered voters possess in communities with the Open Town Meeting system. Unlike open town meeting guidance, the states town meeting guidance for representative town meetings allows option to convene the representative body remotely, should the representatives agree prior to conducting business. The June 11 guidance that apply to both open and representative town meetings says that municipal officials are encouraged, to the extent feasible, to hold meetings virtually or outdoors and to ensure that attendees are spaced at least 6 feet apart. It says that if outdoor meetings are not feasible, towns are advised to abide by social distancing, and use a facility with very good ventilation such as open windows allowing breezes to keep air refreshed inside. Promote ventilation for enclosed spaces where possible. For example, open windows and doors to allow airflow. Lines at microphones for questions or comments should be taped to keep people six feet apart. Microphones should be disinfected after each speaker, the guidelines state. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 14 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: The trade turnover between Turkey and Georgia in April 2020 dropped by $71.6 million compared to the same month of 2019, having stood at $79.3 million, Turkish Trade Ministry told Trend. In April 2020, Turkeys export to Georgia made up $66.8 million, and import from Georgia - $12.5 million, the ministry said. In the first 4 months of 2020, trade turnover between Turkey and Georgia decreased by $27.7 million compared to the same period of 2019, amounting to $478.4 million. From January through April 2020, Turkeys export to Georgia amounted to $401.2 million, while import from Georgia $77.1 million, said the ministry. Turkey's foreign trade turnover in April 2020 amounted to over $22.5 billion. In the reporting month, Turkey's export dropped by 41.4 percent compared to the same month of 2019, having stood at $8.9 billion. Meanwhile, import of Turkey went down by 25 percent over the year and amounted to $13.5 billion. In the first 4 months of 2020, Turkeys trade turnover exceeded $120.8 billion. From January through April 2020, Turkish exports decreased by 13.7 percent compared to the same period in 2019, reaching $51.6 billion. Turkish imports grew by 1 percent compared to the same period in 2019, having amounted to $69.2 billion. The foreign trade turnover of Turkey in 2019 made up $374.2 billion. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu I Abolished and Rebuilt the Police. The United States Can Do the Same.The former president of Georgia explains how to restore public trust and beat corruption. Source: Georgias Ex-President Explains How He Abolished Police and Brought Down Crime Bless his Little Pea Pickin Heart My favorite Puppet Dictator (Saakashvili) is helping the hand that feeds him and given advise how to get it all under control That is why he is my favorite Puppet Dictator under USA control and payroll I like this guy. A day without Sassy, is a waste of a day ~~ WtR Like its counterparts in many countries, the Australian labour movement has faced considerable challenges over recent years. Reflecting the long-term trend of membership decline, union density in 2018 was just 14.7 per cent of the workforce. From mid-March, as businesses such as cafes, restaurants, cinemas and other public venues closed in response to government measures to contain the novel coronavirus, the Australian Council of Trade Unions and key unions became central players in the adjustment of the national economy. Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter and ACTU secretary Sally McManus have been talking regularly through the coronavirus pandemic about how to deal with workers and jobs. Credit:James Brickwood/Joshua Morris The ACTU went from having no direct dialogue with the federal government to a position where its secretary, Sally McManus, was in daily contact with Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter. US sanctions against ICC officials widely criticized Global Times Source:Xinhua Published: 2020/6/13 21:55:40 The international community has bashed US sanctions against some International Criminal Court (ICC) officials investigating possible war crimes committed by US forces in Afghanistan. The White House said Thursday that US President Donald Trump has authorized economic sanctions against ICC officials "directly engaged with any effort to investigate or prosecute United States personnel without the consent of the United States," as well as the expansion of visa restrictions against these officials and their family members. Later on Thursday, the ICC said in a statement that the US attacks "constitute an escalation and an unacceptable attempt to interfere with the rule of law and the Court's judicial proceedings." Noting that the US sanctions represent "an attack against the interests of victims of atrocity crimes, for many of whom the Court represents the last hope for justice," the ICC, which has 123 member states, vowed it would stand firmly by its staff and remain "unwavering in its commitment to discharging, independently and impartially, the mandate bestowed upon it by the Rome Statute and the States that are party to it." The United Nations (UN) human rights office said Friday that it is deeply concerned over the United States' planned sanctions. "The independence of the ICC and its ability to operate without interference must be guaranteed so that it can decide matters without any improper influence, inducement, pressures, threats or interference, direct or indirect, from any quarter or for any reasons," Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, told a briefing here. "Victims of gross human rights violations and serious violations of international humanitarian law and their families have the right to redress and the truth," he added. The German Foreign Ministry on Friday expressed its deep concern over the US decision. "We have noted with great concern the US statement that gives the secretary of state the opportunity, in some cases, to introduce additional visa restrictions and additional economic sanctions against officials of the International Criminal Court," the ministry said in a statement. Noting Germany is one of the strongest supporters of the ICC, the ministry said: "We have full confidence in its work. It is an indispensable institution in the fight against impunity for international crimes, and it is needed today more than it has ever been." "We reject any attempts to put pressure on the independent court, its staff, and those who work with it," the ministry stressed. The French Foreign Ministry on Friday urged the United States to refrain from implementing measures targeting ICC officials. The US decision "represents a serious attack on the Court and the States Parties to the Rome Statute, and beyond that, a challenge to multilateralism and judicial independence," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement published on the ministry's website. France reiterated its full support for the court, which bashed the US sanctions later on Thursday. "The Court is the only permanent international criminal court with a universal vocation," Le Drian said. Noting the court plays a vital role in the fight against impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes, Le Drian said "France will strive to ensure that the Court is able to fulfill its mission in an independent and impartial manner." The ICC in March authorized an investigation into possible war crimes in Afghanistan, including those that may have been committed by the US military and the Central Intelligence Agency, which could lead to the indictment of US military and intelligence personnel. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address It was through those recordings that the Berg became, on balance, my favorite string quartet. Part of it was simply that many of its albums were the ones my parents had around the house when I first became serious about classical music as a teenager. Its true, those first impressions tend to endure. But for whatever combination of reasons, if not for every composer, era or style all that luxurious sound often smothered Mozarts dramatic energy this was the group I sought out first and returned to most often. Some listeners I know heard in the Berg little more than technical perfection, judging its work admirable but sterile. Almost always, though, I heard something else: an approach to quartet playing that held ensemble acuity, a grasp of musical architecture, inner tension and sheer beauty in a kind of miraculous balance. The Berg became for me the quartet that seemed able to do so many things right simultaneously: balance four voices without losing sight of individual lines; create an exquisite sound while avoiding sentimentality; convey the structure of a piece but not a sense of dullness or didacticism. It was through recordings that I came to know and love the Berg; the group toured regularly but not widely, and almost never where I was. The two occasions on which I saw them, however a Bartok-Mozart program in London and a gripping Schubert concert at Carnegie Hall are highlights of my musical life. Those performances also confirmed that the Berg sounded just as immaculate live as on record. A life of listening always leads you to seek out new and unexpected approaches to music you know. Yet what you return to most often, I find, are those performances that are not only familiar but also have an uncanny sense that what you are hearing is a pieces direct, unfiltered essence. The many hours I spent with the Bergs mammoth 50th-anniversary set were a reminder of how rare and rewarding that experience can be, and how often these performers provided it. Five essential recordings SCHUBERT Quartet No. 15 in G (D. 887); String Quintet in C (D. 956), with Heinrich Schiff, cello Few groups have the Bergs grasp of the intimate link between innocence and terror in Schuberts late works. Over and over in these masterly performances, nostalgic beauty leads to anguish and back again ideally paced and executed. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More A proclamation banning all non-immigrant visas including H-1B in the US is more than likely at the back of rising unemployment due to COVID-19. This is not a good news for Indian IT firms or the US tech industry. For a prolonged ban will impact the talent supply chain and could potentially change the way the entire industry works, even in the post COVID-19 world. What will the new proclamation change? The new executive order, going by reports, will ban H-1B and other immigrant visa holders such as J1, H-2B and L1 from entering the US till October 1. However it is unlikely to impact those already in the US with valid visas. This is important because Indians are one of the biggest beneficiaries of H-1B and L-1 visa in the US. There are about four lakh India H-1B holders and close to a lakh L-1 visa holders in the US. 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 How will it impact the talent supply chain? According to a recent report by Kotak Institutional Equities, likely suspension of H-1B and L-1 visas by the Trump administration beyond September could impact the talent supply chain for IT services and US technology firms. Though the companies have been stepping up their localisation efforts, sudden ban will impact their ability to deliver projects and close deals due to talent crunch. This will also affect the US firms that employ significant Indian tech workers. The ripple effect is not on just the tech companies and consulting firms, it will actually impact federal to state governments to companies across the US that are relying on these H-1B workers to help engine their products, said Sheela Murthy, founder, Murthy Law Firm. In terms of IT firms such as TCS, Infosys, Wipro and Cognizant continue to be top H-1B employers and any set back will impact them. Among the technology firms, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Apple and Intel are one of the top H-1B employers with an approval rate of more than 96 percent. Amazon, Microsoft and Google alone have close to 20,000 petitions approved in FY19, a report revealed. They are followed by Facebook and Apple at more than 7,000 approved visas. How will it change the ecosystem going forward? This would, in course of time, force companies to look at other operating models apart from onsite-offshore mix. We are already seeing it happening. Most IT firms now have close to 60 percent of their workforce in the US as locals. TCS, in its FY20 annual report, said that - with remote working becoming a norm - it was looking at lesser dependency on visa and travel as meetings move virtual. Milind Lakkad, Chief Human Resources Officer - TCS, said in the report that - with teams working from home - in-person interactions were replaced with virtual collaboration and has made physical location irrelevant. In addition, the last few years has seen the company bring down the use of work visas by stepping up its localisation efforts. The company had hired close to 20,000 employees in the last five years. For short-term projects, the company has been using subcontractors. All this has brought down our use of work visas to a small fraction of what it used to be five years ago, de-risking our business significantly, Lakkad said. This would mean that traveling to onsite locations, particularly for initial transitions and knowledge transfer, will further reduce in the coming years. Similar initiatives can be seen from other organisations as well. As for the US tech firms, analysts whom Moneycontrol spoke to pointed out that companies would rather set up shops in places like India rather than going through the onerous H-1B process in the future. India is already one of the largest captive centres for the overseas companies and this would be a huge opportunity for India. Captives employ about eight lakh people in India. However, stringent measures could put backfire on the US. Murthy from Murthy Law Firm stated it would hurt the US economy. Reports suggest that an increase in H-1B visas could create an estimated 1.3 million new jobs and add around $158 billion to US GDP by 2045. With less job prospects It would also make the US less desirable for higher education among Indians, who are one of the largest student diaspora in the US. There are about two lakh students studying in the US. These students spend close to Rs 50 lakh to study in the US and without a job guarantee, not many can afford this. London, June 14 : UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has commissioned a review into the incumbent 2-metre social distancing rule imposed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, following calls to scrap it, it was reported on Sunday. The review will aim to be completed by July 4, when pubs and restaurants could open at the earliest in England, the BBC reported. Currently, the UK government advises people to stay 2-metre apart from others to avoid spreading the coronavirus. This is further than the World Health Organization's recommendation of at least 1 metre, and some other countries like France and Denmark. However, there are widespread concerns about the impact of the rule on the UK economy, which is already suffering from the pandemic. Businesses and some of Johnson's own MPs have also warned that large parts of the hospitality industry will not be viable with the 2-metre coronavirus rule in place. ome bars, restaurants and pubs say they will be unable to make a profit if the 2m guidance is still in place when they reopen. Tourism firms have also warned of tens of thousands of job losses unless the distance is shortened. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of the industry body UK Hospitality, has said that with a 2-metre rule, outlets would be only able to make about 30% of normal revenues, whereas 1m would increase that to 60-75 per cent. Richard Caring, chairman of Caprice Holdings which runs the Ivy, told the Mail on Sunday the government was "killing the country". "There are estimates saying we could have up to five million unemployed," the BBC quoted Caring as saying to the newspaper "It's not going to be five million - it's going to be more. I don't think we've seen anything yet." Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 committee made up of backbench Conservative MPs, welcomed the review and said a move to 1-metre would be "essential". The review announcement comes as the COVID-19 cases in the UK has increased to 295,828, with 41,747 deaths, the highest in Europe. Jordan writes that Melania was renegotiating her prenuptial agreement during the 2016 campaign, and her husbands Access Hollywood debacle almost surely gave her leverage. These negotiations, Jordan says, and not the need to remain in Manhattan for their son Barrons schooling, were why Melania and Barron delayed moving to the White House. There is news on the tensions between Melania and Ivanka Trump. Melania has been overheard referring to Ivanka as The Princess, Jordan writes. Ivanka, when younger, called Melania The Portrait because she spoke as often as one. Jordan underlines how fiercely Melania embraces her Slovenian roots. She spends much of her time with Barron and her parents. Barron speaks Slovenian and, like his mother, is a dual citizen he carries a Slovenian as well as a United States passport. Trump has complained to others, Jordan writes, that he has no idea what they are saying. About Melanias own visa and citizenship issues, and how she brought her parents and sister to the United States while her husband railed about chain migration, there is much we dont know. It irks Melania to be considered fragile, Jordan writes. She encouraged Trump to run for president; she was not merely a leaf sucked along by the wind. Shes been an influential adviser to him on certain issues, such as choosing Mike Pence as his running mate. She encouraged Trump to back down from the zero tolerance policy that had separated many children from their parents at the Mexican border. Shes not always been a voice for moderation. She joined her husband in his birther attacks on Barack Obama. She has impugned the integrity of women who have accused her husband of sexual harassment and worse. Woe to anyone, the author suggests, who crosses her. While she was growing up, Melanias father was a trained mechanic who sometimes worked as a chauffeur. Her mother was a seamstress who clothed her daughter impeccably from the day she was born. Melania briefly studied in the prestigious architecture program at the University of Ljubljana before dropping out. Before you say these businesses should have known what they were getting into, I would proactively tell you there is no way that they could have. When they applied for the program, the forgiveness process was not yet defined. For some of the earliest applicants for these loans, the forgiveness process was outlined a full six weeks after the borrower received loan proceeds. The Treasury and SBA have performed a monumental task in implementing the PPP. However, it would be difficult even for officials of those agencies to deny that the goal posts have shifted several times throughout the implementation. As president and CEO of the states trade association of community banks, I have talked to many of our states financial institutions that made loans as small as $300 to $1,000. The idea that these businesses, which are simply trying to make ends meet in a difficult and stressful operating environment, would have their lives consumed by PPP forgiveness calculations is simply unacceptable. They simply cannot do it. Community banks are concerned for the viability of their small business customers. They know that many businesses do not have the time or sophistication to follow the process as it has been prescribed. The border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, which is more of a series of barriers erected by a succession of U.S. presidents, is currently 657 miles long. In February 2019, Trump declared a state of emergency to access billions of dollars for more construction. One year later, the White House extended it in order for the administration to continue using the funds taken from the budgets of various agencies. CBP data indicates that more barriers are set to be built. (Graphic: David Foster/Yahoo Finance) Jim Carroll, the director of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), explained why he is in favor of building more barriers. What a wall does is its a force multiplier, Carroll told Yahoo Finance in an interview. Because if youre down there, you see these wide open stretches. As a result, Border Patrol has to be all along there. By building the wall, what were doing is following people to a certain area. View of the metal fence along the border in Sonoyta, Sonora state, northern Mexico, between the Altar desert in Mexico and the Arizona desert in the United States, on March 27, 2017. (Photo: PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images) In early 2016, then-candidate Trump asserted that his wall is going to be a real wall, its going to be a high wall, its going to be a beautiful wall, that it would cost maybe $10 or $12 billion, and that "Mexico will pay for the wall 100%! However, this turned out not to be the case. Instead, the Trump administration requested funds through the 2020 defense spending bill but received less than what was asked for. Eventually, the demand for the border wall led to a 35-day shutdown from Dec. 22 to Jan. 25, until Congress approved an additional $1.4 billion for border building. About 44% of Americans agree with the idea of building a wall along the border, according to a December 2019 Fox News poll. U.S. President Donald Trump calls up Blake Marnell, wearing a jacket with bricks representing a border wall, to the stage during a 'Make America Great Again' campaign rally in Montoursville, Pennsylvania. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images) I just want to know whats being brought in the U.S. President Trump has repeatedly argued that his wall would help stem the flow of both illegal immigration and illegal drugs. Carroll noted that at this point, now that Trump-era policies significantly reduced immigration from Mexico, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is primarily focused on the flow of drugs into the country. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer instructs an asylum seeker to wait in line on the international bridge from Mexico to the United States on December 09, 2019 next to the border town of Matamoros, Mexico. (Photo: John Moore/Getty Images) Theyre no longer working to provide humanitarian relief, Carroll said. They can get back to the mission of stopping the flow. The flow is not changed What we need to do now is secure that border to be able to know exactly what is coming in. Someone else can worry about who is coming in. I worry about what is coming in. Thats my mission. CBP seized 2,545 pounds of fentanyl, 5,427 pounds of heroin, 68,585 pounds of methamphetamine, 89,207 pounds of cocaine, and 289,529 pounds of marijuana at lawful points of entry in the 2019 fiscal year. At unlawful points of entry, 266,882 pounds of marijuana, 14,434 pounds of methamphetamine, 226 pounds of fentanyl, 808 pounds of heroin, and 11,682 pounds of cocaine were seized that same year. Story continues Drug seizures increased for all but cocaine in the 2018 fiscal year. (Chart: Congressional Research Service) These areas include high intensity drug trafficking areas, known as HIDTAs. There are currently 33 throughout the country. According to the ONDCP, the HIDTA program dismantled nearly 3,000 drug trafficking organizations, removed $16.5 billion in the wholesale value of drugs from the street, and made nearly 99,000 arrests in 2018. We want to make sure that we continue to research, but we also make sure that we have the ability to go after and prosecute traffickers, Carroll said. Carroll stressed that the best approach towards people with addiction is treatment, not incarceration. However, he also believes that drug traffickers should face justice. The Southwest border is a major spot for drug trafficking. (Map: ONDCP) The people who are trafficking, who are selling this, who have an addiction to greed and are just lining their wallets, those people need the full force, weight, and justice of the American system to come after them, Carroll said. Those people who are preying on the victims of the disease of addiction have no right to be able to remain free. Those are not the people for diversion courts. They have an addiction to greed. Those people are traffickers and those are the people that need to be held accountable. He continued: Drug traffickers ... are vastly different than someone on the street who is feeding an addiction by saying, I bought this for $10. Give me $5 and we can share it. Were talking about true traffickers. The traffickers have no barriers, no regulation, and they have finance, they have money. Theyre willing to use any method they can to be able to do this. Director of Office of National Drug Control Policy Jim Carroll speaks during a news briefing at the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House January 30, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images) China was becoming the drug dealer of the world Carroll noted that U.S. actions led China to reduce the flow of deadly fentanyl from China to Mexico, thereby reducing the amount of fentanyl into the U.S. Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. And according to the National Institute of Health (NIH), synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, are now the most common drugs involved in drug overdose deaths in the United States. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl accounted for nearly 70% of all drug overdose deaths in 2018. Fentanyl deaths have spiked over recent years. (Graphic: David Foster/Yahoo Finance) Back in November 2019, China cracked down on its fentanyl manufacturers by convicting nine people of smuggling the drug into the U.S., which ONDCP described as a positive step. All we have to do is look at the results and see that the work we have done in China on this issue is paying off, Carroll said. We talk about a dramatic reduction in the amount of drugs that are being seized coming from China. Its easy to focus on pounds. Its easy to talk about the number of incidents. We have to remember were talking about our peoples lives. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), one of the co-sponsors of the Fentanyl Sanctions Act, called China the worlds largest drug dealer back in April 2019. Carroll said that the Chinese government expressed dismay when he travelled to the country and said if they dont stop, China was becoming the drug dealer of the world. An officer from the US Customs and Border Protection, Trade and Cargo Division finds Oxycodon pills in a parcel. (Photo by JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images) The first meeting we had, which was in the airport, didnt even make it to the hotel, Carroll said. They said that they knew I had made that statement publicly and they disagreed with it. They wanted to show how they are taking steps not to do it. Like I said, I think the Chinese heard us loud and clear. That certainly was their future. That was the direction they were heading. But I do believe on this issue China has realized the importance of coming to the table. Counterpoint: Very little effect on the flow of drugs Jack Riley, a 32-year veteran of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), previously told Yahoo Finance that border barriers would only have some effect on illegal immigration. Its going to have very little effect on the flow of drugs, Riley said, adding: It just doesnt make business sense for cartels to move high volume amount of drugs through desolate, isolated, unwell areas it just doesnt when they can use ports of entry with sophisticated traps and all types of vehicles, where literally thousands of people in vehicles go back and forth every day. Right now, were probably searching and X-raying maybe 20% of the vehicle traffic coming across. He noted that Mexican drug lord El Chapo mostly smuggled drugs into the U.S. through legal points of entry. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents check pedestrians' documentation at the San Ysidro Port of Entry on October 2, 2019 in San Ysidro, California. (Photo by SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP via Getty Images) If youre sitting on a mountain in Sinaloa as Chapo did, he would say Today Im going to shotgun 10 vehicles with 10 kilos each across the border. I got about a 60% to 70% chance of getting that much through, Riley said. You only got to bat .300 to get in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Its a good business move. Sheila Vakharia, the deputy director of the Department of Research and Academic Engagement at Drug Policy Alliance, echoed a similar sentiment, stressing that theres only so much a wall can do to stop the flow of drugs. What we know is that most drugs come into the country through legal ports of entry, and theres very little evidence that its just the wall that could obstruct it, Vakharia told Yahoo Finance. But the other thing is that it doesnt take a lot of fentanyl to have the intended effect. And so, a little bit of fentanyl could go a long way. A border wall isnt going to stop a small brick of fentanyl crossing the border, even if it comes over that border. A Border patrol unit (behind the fence) and a Mexico's federal police guard near the US-Mexico border fence (Photo: GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP via Getty Images) Vakharia argued that the focus should shift towards harm reduction, since there wouldnt be as many drugs coming in if there wasnt such a demand for it. Instead of focusing on harsher penalties, we need to focus on how to keep people alive and getting people access to naloxone, getting them on treatments like methadone and buprenorphine, getting them into treatment, and having safer consumption sites, she said. These are the kinds of things that are actually going to reduce our overdose deaths, and thats what we should be focusing on the death. Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that President Trump said a full border wall would cost "maybe $10 or $12 million" when he actually said "maybe $10 or $12 billion." We regret the error. Adriana is a reporter and editor for Yahoo Finance. She can be reached at adriana@yahoofinance.com. Follow her on Twitter @adrianambells. READ MORE: Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, SmartNews, LinkedIn, YouTube, and reddit. Your browser does not support the audio element. Its just after 11:00 pm in Hanois Old Quarter. The steady rhythm of plastic being stacked on plastic, of cheap tables and chairs being hastily packed away, echoes through the dark and crowded streets. In the distance, the red and blue lights of a police truck throw silhouettes up against the aging colonial buildings. A sharp, authoritative whistle pierces the sticky Hanoian air, again, and again, and again. This is the end of another Friday night for Hanois Bia Corner and the message is clear: you dont have to go home, but you cant stay here. For the bia hoi joints on Bia Corner, it has not been a busy night. Not what it would have been before the novel coronavirus laid waste to Vietnams tourism industry and the foreign clientele it brought with it. Bia hoi is a kind of Vietnamese fresh beer brewed every day, matured for a short period of time, and enjoyed at roadside bars in Hanoi. This slowdown, however, is only temporary. By most estimates, Vietnamese borders will reopen soon and tourists will return. There is a more permanent threat lurking in the shadows: a rising income and changing taste. The alcohol market, once monopolized by Hanois bia hoi, is changing. The market is diversifying and the variety of alcohol available and the different types of establishments that dispense it are increasing. On the other side of Hoan Kiem, in the shadows of St Josephs Cathedral, the Pasteur Street Brewing Company (PSBC) is also closing up for the night. But there are no kid-sized plastic chairs at PSBC. This is a classy establishment with hardwood bench tops, sleek metal stools, and a whole range of craft beers on tap. As expected, PSBC is markedly more expensive than bia hoi. The price of a good quality craft beer can run anywhere from VND100,000-200,000 (US$4.3-8.6) whereas its usually less than VND10,000 at a bia hoi place. PSBCs premium prices, however, were not enough to protect it from the impacts of COVID-19, says CEO Alex Violette. Less than a month after coronavirus restrictions were lifted, he says, trade has returned to about 70 percent of pre-COVID 19 levels. This might seem unusual. Craft beers are generally considered the purview of expats and tourists, many of whom have left Vietnam. Violette claims that while this may once have been the case, it is no longer true. Over the past five plus years, we've seen a steady increase in the amount of locals coming in and discovering craft beer for themselves, he remarks. I see this trend continuing over the next few years, he goes on, and we're actually incorporating that into our expansion plans. This supplied photo shows a crowded beer joint in Hanoi. PSBC has five locations in Vietnam, three in Ho Chi Minh City, one in Hanoi, and one in Hoian. They also run a thriving wholesale trade and Violette says there are signs here that demand is rising, too. We've opened a lot of wholesale accounts not necessarily in city centers, but in some outlying neighborhoods where a lot of locals hang out -- near their offices and their houses, places where few expats or tourists are generally inclined to go. Its not just local demand that is driving growth in Vietnams craft beer industry. William Hicks, in The Bangkok Post, noted back in May that hefty regulations in Thailand were pushing craft brewers abroad. Notably many were choosing Vietnam as a reliable second option. Increasingly, brewers are moving to Vietnam to contract the brewing of their beers with local organizations that can offer competitive prices for small batches, he said. Vietnam is offering the best mix of price, quality, and logistical options. Violette estimates that craft beer in Vietnam has well below one percent market share." It could, therefore, be a long time before it reaches anything near the 13 percent market share it commands in the worlds number-one craft beer market, the United States. This is not a reflection on the quality of the craft beer being produced in Vietnam. Craft beer produced in Vietnam is world class, according to Brett Simmonds, who founded the social group Appreciating Beer in Vietnam (ABV). ABV is A club for beer lovers in which members get to appreciate some of the amazing brews Vietnam has to offer and seek out new breweries, craft bars and the occasional standout bia hoi along the way. Simmonds, with years of experience working in the hospitality industry, thinks that ranking Vietnams craft brews in relation to those produced in other parts of the world is not an easy task. A beer lover appreciates their beer differently from the next beer lover, its an individual taste preference, he says. I personally go for an IPA but its hard to decide when I walk into breweries like Turtle Lake, Pasteur Street or Heart of Darkness dont make me choose!!! Despite his taste for craft brews, Simmonds also has a penchant for local bia hoi. He says, however, that bia hoi and craft beer cannot be compared. Bia hoi is a way of life for the people of Hanoi, Simmonds reckons. Light, fresh, and way too easy to drink at times, he elaborates, adding it is a product unique to Hanois drinking culture, which craft beer cant, and wont try to, match. This sentiment is shared by many Hanoians and if craft beer were the only threat to bia hoi in the capital then Hanoi could rest easy. But coupled with the COVID-19 economic downturn and a crackdown on drinking and driving, the beverage market is moving into unchartered territory. In this light, these factors combined could be detrimental to the survival of bia hoi. The company has already concluded an agreement with the governments of the countries of the region Open source AstraZeneca company has signed a contract with European governments to supply the region with its potential vaccine against the coronavirus, the British drugmakers latest deal to pledge its drug to help combat the pandemic. This is reported by Reuters. The contract is for up to 400 million doses of the vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford, the company said, adding that it was looking to expand the manufacturing of the vaccine, which it said it would provide for no profit during the pandemic. The vaccine is still in clinical trials. If the trial results convince regulators the vaccine is safe and effective, deliveries would be expected to start by the end of 2020. The deal is the first contract signed by Europes Inclusive Vaccines Alliance (IVA), a group formed by France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands to secure vaccine doses for all member states as soon as possible. This will ensure that hundreds of millions of people in Europe will have access to this vaccine, of course, if it works and we will know that by the end of summer, the companys chief executive, Pascal Soriot told journalists. He said he has good hope that it will work, based on initial data. The alliance will work together with the European Commission and other countries in Europe to ensure everybody across Europe is supplied with the vaccine, he said. We have a very self-sufficient supply chain for Europe with manufacturers lined up in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and Italy, among others, he said. The vaccines are for all EU member states. The four nations that agreed the deal will pay for the total amount, which has not been disclosed, and the scheme allows other countries to join it under the same conditions, a source from the Italian health ministry said. China, Brazil, Japan, and Russia have also expressed interest, he said. The British Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved the start of Phase III trials of the vaccine after studies showed sufficient efficacy and safety, Soriot said. At a meeting of EU Health Ministers on Friday, IVA agreed to merge its activities with those of the EU Commission, Germanys Health Ministry said. The deal is the latest by AstraZeneca to promise to supply its vaccine to governments who have scrambled to agree on advance purchases of promising coronavirus immunization treatments. The Ministry of External Affairs has responded to the passing of the constitutional amendment bill in Nepals Parliament to update the countrys political map including the areas that come under the Indian regime. The Ministry said that artificial enlargement of the map is not based on historical facts, hence it is not tenable. The Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava stated, We have noted that the House of Representatives of Nepal has passed a constitution amendment bill for changing the map of Nepal to include parts of Indian territory. We have already made our position clear on this matter. This artificial enlargement of claims is not based on historical fact or evidence and is not tenable. It is also violative of our current understanding to hold talks on outstanding boundary issue: Ministry of External Affairs https://t.co/tW9jfddhwW ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2020 He further added, This artificial enlargement of claims is not based on historical facts or evidence and is not tenable. It is also violative of our current understanding to hold talks on the outstanding boundary issue. Nepal passed amendment bill including Indian areas of Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani in the updated map Nepals lower house of parliament on Saturday passed an amendment to update the countrys map including Indian areas of Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani in the constitution of the country. The bill was supported by all the 258 lawmakers present and voting. The move came on the heels of the endorsement extended by Nepals House of Representatives on June 10 to have a proposal seeking consideration of the constitution amendment bill for change of countrys map following a long discussion. Nepal had earlier offered India to have diplomatic discussions to resolve the territorial disputes between the two countries. India, in her defense, claimed that it already cleared her position on the matter and it deeply values its civilizational, cultural and friendly relations with Nepal. Mr Raab and Foreign Office officials are fighting a legal challenge from the family of the 19-year-old motorcyclist (pictured) Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab faces embarrassing courtroom disclosures this week as he battles to keep his handling of the Harry Dunn case secret. Mr Raab and Foreign Office officials are fighting a legal challenge from the family of the 19-year-old motorcyclist who was killed in a crash with former US spy Anne Sacoolas last August. She fled Britain, claiming diplomatic immunity. The FO's decision that Ms Sacoolas, 42, was above the law is subject to a judicial review. The Dunn family's legal team will face Government lawyers in the High Court for the first time on Thursday, as they seek a judge's order for the FO to hand over potentially devastating documents and emails concerning its handling of the affair. Ahead of the case, Mr Raab wrote to Harry's parents to claim he had no idea that Ms Sacoolas had fled the country until after she had returned to the US last September, despite his officials telling the US Embassy it should 'feel free' to put her on the next plane after the crash. She fled Britain, claiming diplomatic immunity. The FO's decision that Ms Sacoolas, 42, was above the law is subject to a judicial review. Pictured: Mr Raab The Dunn family's legal team will face Government lawyers in the High Court for the first time on Thursday, as they seek a judge's order for the FO to hand over potentially devastating documents and emails concerning its handling of the affair But last night Harry's family poured scorn on the claim after revelations in The Mail on Sunday that Mr Raab's private office was made fully aware in writing of the situation and diplomatic complications on August 30 last year, three days after the crash outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire, a US spy base. Family spokesman Radd Seiger accused the FO of being in a 'total state of disarray', adding: 'It is utterly inconceivable that Mr Raab was unaware of Harry until after Mrs Sacoolas had gone.' Harry's mother, Charlotte Charles, said: 'Why has the FO left it to the 11th hour to say the captain of the ship was off somewhere else while the ship was burning?' Faced with criticism from all sides and a direction from theTelangana high court to boost testing for Covid-19, the state government on Sunday decided to step up testing for the Sars-Cov2-virus in Hyderabad and surrounding districts in the next 10 days. After a high-level review meeting with senior officials, chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao directed that the medical and health department conduct tests on 50,000 people in 30 assembly constituencies falling under Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Vikarabad, Medchel, and Sangareddy districts in next one week to 10 days. For the first time, the state government also decided to allow private hospitals and private laboratories, approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), to conduct Covid-19 tests and provide treatment to those who test positive. Last month, the high court had directed the state government to allow authorised private labs in the state to conduct Covid-19 tests and private hospitals to treat such patients. KCR instructed the officials to prepare guidelines for the private hospitals and labs to conduct Covid-19 tests, offer treatment and the fee to be paid strictly following the central guidelines. On Sunday, Telangana reported three deaths and 237 fresh cases of Covid-19, including 195 cases in Hyderabad alone. Among those who tested positive were TRS MLA Bajireddy Goverdhan from Nizamabad, an official working in the health ministry as Officer on Special Duty for health minister Eatala Rajender and 23 journalists working for various media houses. Telanganas Covid-19 tally has now gone up to 4,974 including 2,412 active cases. There have been 185 casualties so far. An official release from the chief ministers office (CMO) said KCR had directed that strict measures be taken to contain the spread of Covid-19 Hyderabad and its surrounding areas. He directed that tests be conducted for detection of Covid-19 aggressively by utilising the services of the private labs and hospitals in this regard. Offer home quarantine for those who test positive but have no serious symptoms, he said. He asked the people not to panic and follow the personal hygiene and precautions. The government is ready to offer treatment to the Covid-19 patients whatever may be their number. Test Kits, PPE Kits, ventilators, ICU beds, beds, masks are available with the government adequately, he said. A consortium of British businesses led by manufacturing giant Rolls-Royce has submitted proposals to Ministers to accelerate the building of a new fleet of mini nuclear reactors in the North of England. The plans, circulated in Whitehall 'in the last few weeks', could see construction of high-tech factories to build the small reactors begin by next year. The consortium which includes UK construction and engineering firms Laing O'Rourke, Atkins and BAM Nuttall would use British intellectual property to build the reactors. It would work with partners from the US, Canada and France. Grand plans: It has been estimated that exporting small nuclear reactor technology could be worth 250billion to the UK if the programme is successful It has been estimated that exporting small nuclear reactor technology could be worth 250billion to the UK if the programme is successful. Sources told The Mail on Sunday that the plan is 'starting to resonate' in parts of Government because it could boost the economy as the country recovers from the destruction wrought by the pandemic. Figures last week showed the economy contracted by 20.4 per cent in April and job losses in the travel, hospitality and retail sectors are mounting. Sixteen Rolls-Royce-backed reactors, each able to power a city the size of Leeds, could be built by 2050. The project would employ 40,000 people. Hundreds of related jobs would be created this year if the Government gives the green light. The plan to deliver British-made nuclear reactors would help the Government to meet the UK's commitment to shift to clean energy by 2050. It would also appeal to Tory MPs keen to reduce Britain's reliance on China. Chinese firms are currently appointed to build large nuclear reactors in Britain at locations including Sizewell in Suffolk and Bradwell in Essex. However, there are growing concerns among senior Tories about Chinese influence over critical infrastructure in the UK. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has indicated his intention to distance the UK from China economically, amid talk of phasing out Huawei's involvement in Britain's new 5G mobile internet network. Meanwhile, Chancellor Rishi Sunak is under pressure to announce measures to boost the economy in his mini-Budget next month and in his full-blown recovery Budget pencilled in for the autumn. Formal backing from the Government would propel the project into activity, says Tom Samson, interim chief executive of the consortium. He told The Mail on Sunday: 'We could be looking at locations and beginning to build factories as soon as next year with modules [to build the reactors] starting to come out of the factories by 2024 or 2025. 'We've got over 100 people today working on the programme. It could generate hundreds more jobs even this year. As soon as we get the signal we'll be able to start ramping up our activities on engineering, planning and project management.' The so-called small modular reactors (SMR) would be manufactured piece by piece in factories before being transported to approved sites for assembly. The production line process allows reactors to be built more cheaply. It is understood that the cost of building each one will fall to 1.8billion after the first handful are constructed. The rollout plans submitted to officials require 500 million of funding with the Government putting up half. That investment would follow an initial outlay of 36 million made last year, with half provided by Government. Samson said the plan 'could deliver near-term economic benefits as part of the economic recovery'. He said: 'We can do a number of things in parallel. We can develop the technology, we can be preparing sites to host the SMR across the UK, we can also look at where the factories could be and start to look at what commitments are needed to commence construction.' Most of Britain's eight large-scale nuclear power plants are due to close within a decade. The sites under consideration for the new project include Moorside in Cumbria and Wylfa in North Wales, where plans for future large reactor projects were recently shelved. Samson said: 'We want to become a champion of that clean energy space and I think, equally compelling, is the potential to connect the SMR programme to the production of industrial heat applications, synthetic fuels and aviation fuels being deployed in our engines, not just to provide energy into the grid. 'It's not unrealistic for us to be focusing on bringing on the first unit by 2029. 'We need the commitment to signal to the supply chain to get ready, invest and maximise the opportunities for the UK supply chain for equipment, vessels and components from a UK source if we can.' A LITHUANIAN man who was seriously injured when he was shot in the head by a garda almost four years ago, will be sentenced later this month for his role in several military-style burglaries. Tomas Mikalajunas, 39, who has an address at Cluain Arra, Gortboy, Newcastle West spent several months in hospital after he was injured when a firearm was accidentally discharged following a high-speed pursuit between Ardagh and Shanagolden on June 28, 2016. During a sentencing hearing, Limerick Circuit Court was told he was part of an international crime gang which had carried out a series of skillful and impressive burglaries at commercial premises. Mr Mikalajunas has pleaded guilty to a burglary charge relating to the theft of luxury clothing, with a retail value of around 240,000, from Isobel, Main Street, Adare in the early hours of June 21, 2016. He has also pleaded guilty to burglary and criminal damage charges relating to a break-in at a pharmacy in Kinsale, County Cork in the early hours of January 13, 2016. During a sentencing hearing, Detective Garda Michael Brosnan said 50,000 worth of designer cosmetics and perfumes were stolen from the pharmacy. Around 10,000 worth of damage was caused to the premises when an Audi car, which had been adapted, was driven into the front of the premises. The gang operated with military precision, he said, explaining that CCTV footage obtained by gardai shows they wore miltitary fatigues, gloves and head lights. They were highly sophisticated, (they were) in and out in six minutes, he told Lily Buckley BL, instructed by state solicitor Aidan Judge. Judge Tom ODonnell was told the cosmetics were subsequently shipped to Lithuania where they were sold in local markets. Detective Garda Brosnan said a major investigation was carried out and that gardai liaised with with several other agencies including Europol and Interpol. Mr Mikalajunas, he said, flew back to Lithuania a number of days after the Kinsale incident and returned to Ireland on June 16, 2016 five days before the burglary in Adare. While the high-end dresses, which had cost 80,000 to purchase, were recovered at a logistics company in Cavan, they were not resalable and Kay Mulcair the owner of Isobel later told gardai she did not have insurance. John OSullivan BL, instructed by solicitor Michael ODonnell, said his client who was arrested and charged after he was discharged from hospital had made the most forthright of admissions when questioned by gardai. He said the case against the married father-of-two was circumstantial and Detective Garda Brosnan agreed there was no forensic or video evidence placing Mr Mikalajunas inside either premises. We dont have any forensic evidence. His admissions are of critical importance, he submitted adding that any trial would have taken up considerable court time given the number of witnesses. Mr OSullivan asked the court to note his client had been fully complying with the conditions of his bail and that he has suffered considerably as a result of the injuries he sustained when shot. Detailed medical reports were submitted and Mr OSullivan confirmed that separate civil proceedings relating to the shooting have commenced. The matter was adjourned to June 23, for sentence. Two women have been arrested after a Captain Cook statue in Sydneys Hyde Park was defaced. Police were alerted to the vandalism about 4 a.m. on June 14 and arrested two women aged 27 and 28, nearby on College Street in the CBD, New South Wales Police said in a statement. The women were allegedly found with several spray cans in a bag. They have been taken to Day Street police station where they are expected to be charged. It comes as Victorian police are also investigating the defacing of statues in Ballarat. The statues of former Australian prime ministers Tony Abbott and John Howard were sprayed with red paint on Saturday morning. They have since been covered and fenced off and a conservator will assess the damage on June 15. A Captain James Stirling statue in Perth, Western Australia was on Friday also defaced and a 30-year-old man has been charged with criminal damage or destruction of property. A photo on Twitter by Perth Live 6PR shows the statues neck and hands were painted red and an Aboriginal flag was painted over the inscription at the base. Historical monuments across the world have been toppled over the past two weeks as Black Lives Matter protesters march through the streets to call out racism following the death of American George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police May 25. In Australia, people have defied public health warnings amid the Chinese Communist Party virus pandemic and turned out to protest indigenous deaths in custody and to rally in support of the BLM movement in Sydney, Perth, Darwin, Adelaide and Melbourne. Yikeshu, which literally means one tree in Chinese, is an incorporated village in Huamachi township, Yanchi county of Wuzhong, Northwest Chinas Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. According to a septuagenarian villager, there was indeed only one tree in the village growing on the desert alone when he was little. Unfortunately, it disappeared in the 1980s, leaving the village with nothing but the bare desert. The past century witnessed the loss of the only tree in the village. However, a woman named Bai Chunlan, together with her husband Mao Xian, has brought drastic changes to the village in terms of vegetation since the 1980s when the couple and other 10 households in the family started making efforts to fight desertification, turning the One Tree Village into a home of over 100,000 trees nowadays. In fact, quite a lot of people had joined the couple in the past years, but ended up quitting due to the harsh conditions. Bai and her husband chose to stay, and turned the village into a sea of green with unremitting efforts in the past 40 years. In the 1970s and 1980s, 75 percent of Yanchi countys residential areas and farmland were located in desert where ecological environment was fragile. Sand storms encroached the arable land of the villages surrounded by sand dunes, making the environment uninhabitable. We barely filled our stomachs back then, for no matter what we sowed in the land, nothing grew out of it. Therefore, I was down with the call of the county officials to plant trees no matter how hard it could be, as it could solve our hunger problems, Bai recalled. In 1980, when Bai was 27 years old, she and her husband headed to Yikeshu village, carrying their young children and saplings on a wooden cart. They all call this place One Tree village. Yet when we arrived here, we saw nothing green but infinite yellow sands, said Bai. Back then, she had to walked 16 kilometers every day between her home and the planting site, while her husband often spent the nights in desert taking care of the saplings they planted during the day. The newly planted samplings were delicate, so it was hard for them to survive. To take care of them, my whole family were digging the sand for water all day. We always brought corn pancakes with us to fill our stomachs, she told Peoples Daily According to Bai, the heavy sand storm in the One Tree Village had once blown away her younger daughter, but she didnt notice it as she was concentrating on working. The little girl was in a coma when found. Fortunately, nothing bad happened to her. Even till today, Bai still feels regretful about the incident, as she said the mistake would be almost irretrievable. Nevertheless, most of her memories about Yikeshu village are sweet. In 1984, Bai planted 6,000 square meters of wheat and harvested four sacks of grains the next year. What made her happy was not only the first harvest, but the evidence that the village was able to plant trees and crops. Bai only attended primary school, but the past 40 years of farming turned her into an expert of agriculture. Desertification control requires not only hard work, but also scientific and technological guidance. Bai and her husband were inexperienced at the very beginning. In the early spring of 1984, Bais family was awarded with a bundle of superior-variety grape seedlings by the science and technology commission of the Yanchi county. Bai treasured the seedlings very much and planted them in the sand. All those seedlings died soon, due to the drought, something that Bai later learned from the experts. Yanchi county is located in an arid zone in central China, where the soil lacks viscosity because of the large evaporation. Since then, Bai has always tried to join technical training. Learning that an experiment station established by Lanzhou Institute of Desert Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is not far from Yikeshu village, Bai invited the stations experts to teach them how to fix sand with grass grids and help them select saplings that are able to grow in sandy soil, such as salix mongolica, hedysarum leave maxim, and hedysarum scoparium. In 2005, she set her sights on tourism. By integrating planting, breeding and tourism, she became a bellwether in getting rich. The agritainment farm she runs is now a well-known tourist site of the county. Bai is 67 years old this year. Shes healthy and is still planting trees, joined by more and more people. Planting trees are the source of my happiness. Ive chosen a job that I love and have a fulfilling career, she said. China's coronavirus travel ban is wreaking havoc among foreign companies and international schools, with many fearing for their future as executives, teachers and students are left stranded in their home countries. A ban on most foreigners entering the country was implemented in March as the outbreak gathered pace overseas -- leaving families separated and firms struggling without key employees. Even those with valid residence or work permits, or who run businesses, have been shut out, and there was further doubt about when the restrictions would be lifted after a new cluster of infections was detected in Beijing over the weekend. Jessie Lim, the founder of Frequency Advertising & Event, has been stranded in Singapore since travelling there in January. "(The ban) really shocked me," she told AFP, adding that her Chengdu-based firm earned nothing in the first three months of the year as the virus put a stop to gatherings and events. Lim had been due to return in February when a 14-day quarantine on arrivals was imposed -- so she delayed in the hope that measure would be lifted. Instead, she was stunned when the ban was announced and she was unable to return at all. Business is expected to pick up in the coming months but Lim is unable to meet clients, and worries she will suffer further losses if she stays away much longer. Although China set up "fast-track" channels with some countries for key business personnel to return, the process is still complicated and requires an invitation letter and approval by the foreign ministry. One Beijing-based Middle Eastern restaurant told AFP the founders are looking for new owners for their downtown eatery after being stranded in Israel, and were considering making the move home permanent. St. John Moore, chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce in China, called this week for a system allowing British nationals who live in China to return with their families. "An increasing number of British businesses make China their regional hub and base executives in China with roles across the region. In this current environment, it is not possible to continue that," he said. Story continues An American Chamber of Commerce survey in May found that 90 percent of 109 member companies had business operations hit by global travel disruptions, which was a top concern. More than half said being unable to return expatriate staff to China was another worry. Joerg Wuttke, president of the EU Chamber in China added it is "recruitment season" now, when companies move as many as 100 staff members to new roles or appointments. "But it could be very difficult now (to keep workers in China) because many family members are separated... many people may just cut their stint short, go home and stay home," he told AFP. "How can we make China a good place to live when flights are not operating, quarantine conditions are unfavourable and it's hard to get visas?" - Classroom challenges - International schools have also seen students and teachers stranded overseas. The British Chamber's Moore said a "significant number of British teachers remain outside China", presenting challenges for schools to resume in-person classes. "If this is not resolved, in making China a place where international families with children can continue to work... we will see a reduction in the attractiveness of China as a place for long-term engagement," he said. Some parents have called for refunds on hefty tuition fees with classes unable to resume, adding to the schools' financial woes. "The crisis happened just at the moment when we were supposed to pay the second term," said Karim Vincent Berrada, whose child attends the French International School in Beijing, adding some parents were angry at being made to pay despite there being only online classes. International schools have made huge investments in China in recent years -- hoping to tap demand from expats and wealthier Chinese families seeking an international-standard education for their children. The number of foreign independent brand campuses has rocketed from seven in 2012 to 74 this year, according to ISC Research. International schools had already been facing challenges because of falling numbers of expats living in China in recent years. Sam Fraser, head of field research at ISC Research, warned some schools "might not be in a position to offer refunds or discounts or bear any financial loss". Funds for other projects may have to be put on hold if cash is redirected to keep the school running, he said, and "we think it is inevitable that some schools will be forced to close". Ever since the UK government imposed a coronavirus lockdown, many of us have been surprised to discover that its the little things not the extravagant or the particularly earth-shattering that weve missed the most. The Independent lifestyle desks new essay series, Life After Lockdown, is an ode to everything we took for granted in the pre-Covid world and the things we cant wait to do once again when normality eventually resumes. *** Ive inadvertently found a new hobby during lockdown: I spend every Sunday night staring at my computer in tears. Its not my intention to cry. I havent turned to some new form of therapy in these times of crisis that requires me to let it all out via my eyeballs. But it cant be helped: a familiar face pops up on the screen, says a few words, and I find myself blubbering like a baby. I dont sob when I see my friends over video call; I dont weep when I ring my mum; I dont even lose it when I Zoom with my little nieces, aged one and four, and clock their gummy smiles and chubby limbs that, by rights, should be flung around me in a cuddle right now. Yet for some reason, every Sunday night at church the new livestreamed, digital version I attend from my bedroom I cannot contain my emotion. It just comes pouring straight out of my tear ducts like a burst pipe. It might seem a bit unusual for a millennial to cop up to being a Christian and a practising one at that in these days of secularism. Its often a talking point with new acquaintances: you really go to church? Like, every Sunday? Im not in the least offended by the curiosity or tone of surprise, but the unfamiliarity of religion for many means its hard to communicate just what an important community church can be for those of us who do subscribe to the whole God thing. The relationship is distinct from friendship, for a start. Of course, there are plenty of friendships that grow out of it, deep, abiding friendships that Ill cherish for the rest of my life. But theres a reason youll sometimes hear it referred to as someones church family; a reason the cringe-sounding term brothers and sisters in Christ gets batted around. Its because a family is what the often ragtag bunch of individuals that make up a congregation most closely resembles with all the dysfunction that entails. Theres the church equivalent of your mad uncle, who youre always vaguely worried youll get stuck talking to by the refreshment table; theres the incarnation of your brothers overly earnest new girlfriend, who keeps banging on about why shes boycotting Whatsapp until you want to rip your own ears off; and then theres the calming presence who is most like a wise older sibling, the one who tells you to breathe deep and let it all wash over you. But its not just this last person in the line-up that you appreciate. You dont love your church family in spite of the people who occasionally rub you up the wrong way. You genuinely love it because of those people. Youd never have met them otherwise. Never have got to know them. Never have come to accept and, well, even embrace their quirks. Never have become an infinitesimally better person just by learning to love someone you dont always like. Singing weedily along to the hymns and songs alone in my room, when I remember being enveloped in a cacophony of rich, joyful harmony, leaves me flat Thats why its like a family: you love them even when you hate them. And you know, deep in your bones, that those who are far from being kindred spirits have likewise learned to appreciate you, too. Theyve got your back in an unspoken, unparalleled way; theyre not expecting you to be anyone but yourself. And thats the most reassuring feeling of acceptance imaginable. I didnt quite realise the magic of this mish-mash of bonds before lockdown started. As everyone quickly became aware after life transformed into something unrecognisable, theres so much we used to take for granted. Church was just something I did on a Sunday night, unthinkingly, unappreciatively. It was only once I couldnt sit in a room with those people, sing with them, pray with them, laugh with them after the service only once everything was stripped away and I felt a gnawing hole in my gut that I started to fully understand the scope of those relationships. And so I cry on Sundays now. 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 The technology is stellar, and allows a service leader, musician and the vicar to lead the whole shebang from their respective homes, livestreamed on Facebook via Zoom. Its incredible how quickly weve all adapted and moved online. But seeing a close friend opening the service with a funny story and knowing she cant see me catch her eye and laugh, hollows me out. Singing weedily along to the hymns and songs alone in my room, when I remember being enveloped in a cacophony of rich, joyful harmony, leaves me flat. At some point it all becomes too much perhaps simply acting as a cathartic outlet for all the emotions provoked by this overwhelming Brave New World and I feel my cheeks get damp once again. Recommended Why some people are hesitant to see friends as lockdown eases Churches in the UK have been shut since lockdown began on 23 March, with all baptisms and weddings also cancelled. Although Boris Johnson announced that churches would be allowed to open for private worship from 15 June, they may not be operating normally again until next year, the Rt Rev Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London, has warned. Even when they do reopen more fully, there are likely to be prohibitive new rules around communion and singing, both high-risk activities when it comes to spreading the virus. This is as it should be protecting our communities is more important than anything else right now, and rushing to reopen would be utter madness. But knowing that doesnt make it any easier. There are so many things to look forward to once lockdown is properly over: long, lazy brunches with good friends; the burst of delight in picking up my niece and swinging her around in the park; the tingle of anticipation as the curtain lifts at the theatre and you see the stage. I cant wait for it, all of it. Theyve got your back in an unspoken, unparalleled way; theyre not expecting you to be anyone but yourself But the thing I cant wait for most is that first normal service back with my church family, in all their dazzlingly diverse, brilliant (and very occasionally infuriating) glory. That first time I step inside the building which feels so much more than just a building and catch each eye, and grin, and maybe even hug. The first time we lift our voices high, so high the music swells up and bursts out of the doors and onto the street, for all to hear. Because we are here, and we are alive, and we have missed each other desperately and been missed in return. So much so that, when I inevitably get stuck talking to the mad uncle by the refreshment table afterwards, I will simply listen and smile and thank God we are finally all together again. Axone Director - Nicholas Kharkongor Cast - Sayani Gupta, Lin Liashram, Vinay Pathak, Dolly Ahluwalia, Tenzin Dalha Axone, pronounced Akhuni, is a particularly pungent ingredient used in Naga cuisine. In the opening scene of Axone, the film, our protagonists procure some of it to use in a special pork dish that theyre going to prepare for their best friend, whos getting married. The film spans a single stressful day in the lives of a group of 20-somethings, whore made to leap over one obstacle after another in their mission to cook the dish. Through the day, theyre forced to deal with bigoted neighbours, an uncooperative gas cylinder and interpersonal drama. Watch the Axone trailer here When their loud Punjabi landlord aunty forbids Chanbi (a Manipuri girl played by Lin Laishram) and her Nepali best friend Upasna (played by Sayani Gupta) from cooking at home, the girls are forced to commandeer cramped kitchens and deserted community halls, consistently at the mercy of others. Old wounds are reopened and new ones are inflicted as Chanbi and Upasna, joined by a well-meaning neighbourhood kid Shiv, go on a race against time to get the job done, pin-balling from one house to the other, and bumping into colourful characters played by actors such as Vinay Pathak and Dolly Ahluwalia. Axone is a small film with big ideas, deftly directed and delicately performed. By identifying themselves as North Eastern a collective term that is used to confine millions of people the characters form a sort of an alliance that feels more of a survival mechanism than a deliberate choice. It is a title that has been given to them; one that they have come to accept. And thats tragic. Having graduated from a relatively multi-cultural school, I was in for a bit of a shock when I enrolled at Delhi University. Thirteen years of not knowing one caste from the other, and being unaware of the deep-rooted differences among our people had left me unprepared for the wild ride that would be life in DU. At any given moment, you could spot clusters of kids, invariably from the same cultural background, huddled together. The Tamilians would chill with other Tamilians; the Bengalis would hold intense discussions with each other under the same tree; and the North Easterns would always eat with other North Easterns. This was an alien world for a kid whose first ever group of friends included a Malayali, a half-Bengali, and, like director Nicholas Kharkongor, a Khasi. The same North Eastern kids whod huddle up in college, utterly uninterested in mingling with others, would move into areas of the Capital reserved especially for their people. Take, for instance, the Humayunpur village, located bang in the middle of one of South Delhis most affluent neighbourhoods. Its often been described as the Capitals very own North East outpost, brimming with Chinese and Tibetan restaurants, and teeming with youngsters some of them fresh-faced, others more weary whove arrived in the big city dreaming of a better life. Its where Axone is set. Sayani Gupta and Tenzin Dalha in a still from Axone. But over time, Delhi can beat the dreams out of anybody. Especially if youre an outsider. There are many colonies like Humayunpur scattered all across the city Laxmi Nagar is known as mini Bihar, Chittaranjan Park is where thousands of Bengalis live, and Punjabi Bagh, as the name suggests, is home to the Punjabis. Dont get me started on the religious segregation. The truth of the matter is this -- regardless of how vehemently we pretend to believe in our countrys cultural diversity, were a nation in which it is possible for people to take pride in the streets that they were born in, and hold grudges towards those who werent. And Axone, the film, treats us more gently than we deserve. Despite being on the receiving end of casual racism on virtually an hourly basis the film begins with a rather harrowing public confrontation barely any of its characters seem to hold a grudge against their tormentors; theyve almost become immune to it. At one point, one character, having survived the unthinkable, cries into his girlfriends arms and says, I hate this city. And you understand why. Also read: Paatal Lok review: Anushka Sharmas show is Amazons black-hearted yet brave answer to Sacred Games The film doesnt feel the need to overdramatise its social commentary, simply witnessing the tremendous difficulty that these characters are forced to endure, just to be able to celebrate a happy occasion, is enough to get the point across. Theyre constantly made to feel like they dont belong, to the extent that it is almost ingrained in them that theyre second-class citizens imagine being forced to ask for permission for something as basic as being able to cook in your own home. Kharkhongors command over perspective is particularly impressive, given the ensemble nature of the film. Theres an effortless fluidity with which he moves from one character to another, sometimes in the span of a couple of seconds, having conveyed just the right amount of information about them. Axone is almost like a Richard Linklater movie in this regard minimalist, grounded, and lived-in. And barring a couple of tonally off scenes, the performances of its young cast are splendid. These people feel like real people; they dont have unbelievable ambitions, nor do they find themselves embroiled in an overly dramatic plot. All Upasna wants to do is settle down, and all Chanbi wants is a little bit of respect respect, that she ultimately discovers, will be difficult to find in Delhi. But kindness, as hard as it may be to come across, is certainly not impossible to discover. Follow @htshowbiz for more The author tweets @RohanNaahar This year, Mr. Li announced plans to merge Volvo Cars with his companys subsidiary Geely Auto, creating a new global company and, in essence, swallowing the business whole. In Sweden, it triggered a national debate, with a swirl of rumors in its wake. As yet, it isnt clear what changes will come if Volvo is no longer allowed to operate independently inside the larger company. But already there are concerns in Sweden that a merger could mean moving the headquarters of Volvo to China, perhaps with a listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange; or that parts might be fabricated more centrally for both brands, meaning a potential loss of work for Swedish subsidiaries. And there are rumors that Mr. Li might rename the company Volvo-Geely, using the Volvo name to add prestige to a less established brand. We want the innovation power to remain, said Anna Margitin Blomberg, the head of the engineers union at Volvo, who is preparing for talks with the Chinese owners. And also the critical thinking, and that is typical of the engineering. Her major worry, she says, is that there will be people sitting at the top making decisions, and that we cant be a part of those decisions. Mr Bernard Mornah, the spokesperson for the Interparty Resistance Against the compilation of a new voter register, has said the 1992 Constitution in article 6, spells out clearly as to who is a Ghanaian, which must not be ignored. He said nothing makes citizens more Ghanaians than their birthright from their parents and that it was wrong for the EC to attempt compiling a register at a wrong time using an only passport and Ghana Card IDs as proof of citizenship. He said it was not wrong for the EC to compile a register of any form but the autocratic criteria including timing with the tendency to deny a lot of Ghanaians their birth and Constitutional right to vote was a grave concern for well-meaning Ghanaians. "We are completely against the EC to compile a new register but if they are adamant to listen to the wisdom of other civil society organisations who are also kicking against it for obvious reasons then they must make it possible for all Ghanaians to register", he explained. Mr Mornah who was speaking at Tumu Kuoros palace in Tumu at the weekend during a courtesy call to Kuoro Richard Babini Kanton VI said it was sad the EC was using criteria that will deny many people the right to vote. Mr Mornah who is also the National Chairman of the Peoples National Convention (PNC) claimed that the ruling NPP might suspect they will lose the 2020 elections if they do not temper with the voters register with the connivance of the EC to favour them. He said the EC and the leadership of the NPP must think of Ghana first and either stop compiling a new register or make it possible for all to register by accepting the existing voter ID since Ghana was bigger than any political party. Mr Mornah said the closing of the countries borders due to the Covid-19 pandemic will further deprive many Ghanaians of the opportunity to participate in the registration process, which would deny them their fundamental human right to vote. Other members of the group who accompanied Mr Mornah included the Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Peter Boamah Otokunor, PNC Parliamentary Candidate for Sissala East Constituency, Mr Kingsley Kanton and other NDC big wigs in the Upper West region to canvass support against the compilation of the new voters register scheduled to commence June 30, 2020. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A man will face court over spray-paining the Captain James Stirling statue in Perth's CBD on Friday afternoon. The statue had its neck and hands painted red, and an Aboriginal flag was painted at the bottom. The statue following the vandalism on Friday. Police responded swiftly after reports a man had spray-painted the statue about 2pm before running away. He was apprehended by police and the statue was cleaned immediately afterwards. Police said a 30-year-old man from North Beach has been charged with criminal damage and will face Perth's Magistrates Court at a later date. MANISTEE COUNTY District Health Department No. 10 reports 403 positive cases of coronavirus in its 10-county region as of Sunday. Fourteen patients are pending test results at Munson Healthcare Manistee Hospital for the coronavirus as of June 12, according to Munson Healthcare. Manistee Hospital has tested 445 patients with 418 of them returning negative, according to the hospitals website. Thirteen patients tested positive, however, the latest update from the state shows Manistee has 11 total cases of COVID-19 and no deaths as of press time on Sunday. That number has been steady in the county since April 16. Residents who test positive are added to the total count for the county in which they live. According to the District Health Department #10, all 11 positive cases in Manistee County are listed as recovered as of May 17. Here are some quick facts from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) report as of press time Sunday. There were 59,990 cases and 5,770 deaths in the state during the pandemic This was an increase of 189 cases and 3 deaths statewide since the previous update. Case counts are cumulative and are not reduced due to recoveries. Most cases in the northern Lower Peninsula could be found in Otsego County where there have been a steady 102 cases and 10 deaths. Manistees neighboring Grand Traverse County reported 35 cases and five deaths. Wexford County reported 13 cases and three deaths. Benzie County has seen five cases. Lake County has six cases. Mason County has 32 cases. All counties in the state except Ontonagon in the Upper Peninsula have reported cases of COVID-19. According to the states tracking of personal protective equipment and hospital beds, the Munson Health System, which Munson Healthcare Manistee Hospital is a part of, lists two COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit and a 57% bed occupancy. Manistee County is considered part of region 7 for this tracking by the state. Region 7 includes: Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Benzie, Leelanau, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Crawford, Oscoda, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Emmet and Charlevoix counties. The region is the only in the state to not have any elastomeric respirators or the accompanying filters. The region has three COVID-19 patients in critical care and two on a ventilator as of press time Sunday. According to the Michigan State Police COVID-19 Summary dashboard online, there have been 44,964 recoveries from COVID-19. This information was published by the state June 13. State recovery numbers are updated every Saturday. The average age of people who died is 75.4 years of age, according to the state police COVID-19 dashboard. According to the dashboard, 42% of all COVID-19 deaths were attributed to people older than 80 years of age and the next highest age group was the range from 70 to 79 years of age, which was listed as 27% of COVID-19 deaths in the state. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the first confirmed case in the U.S. was reported Jan. 22. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. leads the globe by far in number of cases total and deaths. The latest numbers from the CDC as of press time Sunday show the U.S. reported 2.06 million cases and 115,271 deaths from COVID-19. The U.S. is followed by the United Kingdom for the number of deaths and followed by Brazil for the highest case counts globally. According to reporting by the Associated Press, most people with COVID-19 have mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. Older adults and people with existing health problems are among those particularly susceptible to more severe illness, including pneumonia. According to the CDC, anyone who develops any of these emergency warning signs for COVID-19 should get medical attention immediately: Trouble breathing Persistent pain or pressure in the chest New confusion or inability to arouse Bluish lips or face This is not an all inclusive list. The CDC says to consult a medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning. According to the CDC, call 911 if there is a medical emergency and Notify the operator that you have, or think you might have, COVID-19. If possible, put on a cloth face covering before medical help arrives. Preeti Talreja, a resident of Vivek Vihar, had to shuttle between two hospitals before she could arrange for her four-year-old daughters blood transfusion after the thalassemia unit at Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital closed. The hospital was declared a designated coronavirus disease (Covid-19) hospital on June 2. Her daughter Mahi was admitted to an emergency ward at Swami Dayanand hospital as her haemoglobin levels were low. It was a struggle to first get her admitted and then arrange for blood. After we got the bed at Swami Dayanand Hospital for the transfusion, we had to go to GTB Hospital to arrange for the blood. Most thalassemia patients who are being treated at government-run facilities in the city are facing the same problem. Of the 13 government hospitals offering thalassemia care in the Capital, three Lok Nayak, GTB and Hindu Raowere designated as Covid-19 hospitals on June 14. Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that causes the body to have less haemoglobin, which enables red blood cells to carry oxygen. Thalassemia patients have to undergo blood transfusion monthly to maintain haemoglobin levels. The blood disorder is listed as one of the 21 disabilities in the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. Ever since GTB Hospital was designated a Covid-19 hospital, close to 300 thalassemia patients have been struggling to get their blood transfusion done. Yash Gupta (25), a resident of Bulandshahr, and Soman Madan (32), a resident of Delhi, have been undergoing blood transfusion at GTB Hospital since 1999. Gupta said that he managed to get his transfusion done at Swami Dayanand Hospital after checking with two other hospitals, Madan got his done at a private hospital. But, like Talreja, both had to go to GTB Hospital to get the blood. Madan said, Its a lot of hassle, as we have to first find a hospital which will do the transfusion. We then have to take the blood sample for cross-matching to GTB Hospital, collect blood from the blood bank and then go again to the other hospital for a transfusion. Why cant the government streamline the process so that we dont have to do the running around? The Delhi government has issued clear instructions along with the list of hospitals where patients can go for transfusion. As per the instructions, hospitals have to inform patients where they can go; hospitals will have to coordinate to arrange for blood for transfusion; patient have to get a donor along with them but in case they dont have one or emergency, hospitals cant deny treatment, etc. The list includes All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Safdarjung, RML, Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalya, Hindu Rao, Swami Dayanand, Kasturba Gandhi etc. But most patients HT spoke to said they had to go to GTB Hospital to arrange for blood. A senior doctor at GTB Hospitals blood bank said that most thalassemia patients are coming to the hospital to collect blood. Most of our patients are coming here to collect blood for transfusion. We are not able to organise big camps for blood donations during these times. Now that our hospital has become a designated Covid-19 hospital, we cant ask people to donate blood in-house. We are organising camps once a week outside the hospital to meet the requirement. According to NGOs working with thalassemia patients, there are close to 2,500 of them being treated at various hospitals, especially in government facilities, in Delhi. They are now demanding that the government should ensure that people dont have to run around to arrange blood. JS Arora, general secretary of the National Thalassemia Welfare Society, said, In these testing times, patients and their relatives have to run from one hospital to another to check for beds and arrange blood. The government should either have dedicated hospitals where these people can go or put in place a system so that they dont have to suffer. These are high-risk patients and need a transfusion for survival. Arora said that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, especially during the lockdown, arranging for blood has been a challenge for families of thalassemia patients and NGOs as not many large-scale blood donation campsJune 14 is Blood Donation Daycould be organised. Patients families said that they couldnt arrange for donors either, as people are scared to go to the hospital. Shobha Tuli, the secretary of Thalassemics India, said, Patients are confused right now. The government should have divided all the patients area-wise and told them which hospitals to go to. Patients shouldnt have to run around for arranging blood. In case patients get transfusions done in a private hospital, then the government should pay for them. When contacted, Dr SK Arora, additional director, Health, Delhi government, admitted that there were problems initially, but now things were streamlined and he was personally monitoring the situation. We are issuing repeated instructions to all hospitals to accommodate thalassemia patients registered at Lok Nayak and GTB hospitals without any resistance, along with instructions regarding the availability of blood. It will be the responsibility of the hospitals nodal officers to see to the availability of blood for a particular patient before sending an attendant to arrange it. We have created a WhatsApp group of all the nodal officers of all hospitals for the coordination and solve the day to day problems of patients. We issued similar instructions when Hindu Rao Hospital was declared a dedicated Covid-19 hospital, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Peel police have identified a 21-year-old man killed in a shooting in Mississauga on Friday morning. Abdulaziz Dubet, of Toronto, was found in a vehicle outside a hotel in the area of Dundas Street East and Wharton Way. He was suffering from apparent gunshot wounds and pronounced dead at the scene. In a news release issued on Saturday, police said they believe, based on an initial investigation, that the shooting happened around 4 a.m. on Friday. Officers at the scene told reporters that Dubet was found in the driver's seat of the vehicle. It was riddled with bullet holes. "Investigators are asking anyone who may have been in the area at that time, or anyone that has any dashboard camera footage to contact them," police said in the release. Police said investigators from its homicide and missing persons bureau have taken over the investigation. Const. Danny Marttini, spokesperson for Peel police, said on Saturday that investigators believe the shooting was targeted. One person was taken into custody after the shooting but has been released unconditionally. "It is believed to be an isolated incident," Marttini said of the shooting. Dubet in wrong place, wrong time, GoFundMe page says On a GoFundMe page for Dubet, however, he is described as an innocent victim who was killed for no reason. The page says he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. In a description of his short life, the page says he changed his first name to Adan at the age of eight and then changed it legally later. "Adan just finished celebrating his 21st birthday this week. He went to Ryerson University and had future plans of becoming a lawyer one day. Adan worked a full time job at the airport, was planning on getting married this summer, and he was planning on moving out of The Westmall area in Etobicoke, ON to build his own family in a safer neighbourhood," it reads. "Adan was more goal orientated, mature, and capable than people twice his age, while remaining kind and humble in the process. He had the biggest heart and would offer his help to anyone without being asked." Story continues His death has devastated his family and community, the description says. "Anyone who has ever met him knows the light he carried, and the even brighter future he was capable of achieving," it reads. The page says Dubet had donated $2,000 in May from his savings to build a shelter over a school in Halimale, Somalia, the birthplace of his mother. The page says the family wants to finish building the school in his honour. John Carl D'Annibale As an oncology nurse who works in a county with higher lung cancer rates than the New York state and United States averages, I feel its time the New York State Cancer Services Program makes a policy change by offering low-dose computed tomography lung screenings for individuals that meet screening protocol, based on American College of Chest Physician guidelines. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a Cancer Research Initiative in 2017 that targeted four regions due to high cancer rates. In 2019, the state Department of Health was expected to use results from these executive summaries to enhance community prevention and screenings across the state. As a nurse, I will do my part to educate these individuals on the risks and benefits of lung screenings. Johnson is speaker at Northern State event Monday U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson will speak at the grand opening of Northern State University's Center for Public History and Civic Engagement. Make no mistake, tourists are back in Venice. The lagoon city is already welcoming visitors back to its splendours as Italy relaxes the restrictions that halted the flow of visitors. On Saturday a long queue of tourists built up outside St. Mark's cathedral, one of the most famous monuments in the city Staff checked people's temperatures as they entered. On Friday (June 12) the famed Cafe Florian reopened after more than three months Boss Marco Paolini said he hoped the reopening will be a big success and that the worst is now in the past. Venice has been one of the world's most popular destinations, attracting more than 1 million visitors from China alone last year. But visitor numbers are still just a fraction of what they would be at this time of year. Vietnamese Trade Counsellor to Germany Bui Vuong Anh. (Photo: VNA) The Vietnamese National Assembly's ratification of the EVFTA marked a fairly good start but it is more important for Vietnamese companies to explore ways to optimise benefits from the trade deal to boost exports to Germany, according to Anh. The EVFTA supplements the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Anh told the Vietnam News Agency's correspondents, adding that Vietnam and Germany have basically completed required procedures to set up a joint committee for economic cooperation this year. Germany plays a vital part in the EU and it is a major importer of most of Vietnams key products shipped to the EU, he said. Germany has become one of Vietnams leading trade partner in recent years, with the two-way trade exceeding 15 billion USD in 2019, of which exports to Germany hitting nearly 11 billion USD. The trade counselor urged domestic producers to enhance productivity and use of advanced technology in production while adding values for their products and meeting Germanys health and food safety requirements. They should bring into full play the special mechanism from both the EVFTA and the Vietnam Germany joint committee for economic cooperation to gain broader access to the German as well as EU markets, he added. If you want to read some good ghost stories Google Haunted Old South Pittsburgs Hospital. If you want to personally experience the intrigue and possible paranormal (supernatural) activity of the abandoned hospital in South Pittsburg you will want to schedule a tour and possibly an overnight stay that can be arranged by the current owners. The hospital was built in 1959 by four physicians and closed in 1998, allegedly because it had been replaced by another hospital and was surplus property. Others claim that the facility was beset with supernatural happenings that included many acts of malpractices, murder and strange goings on involving shadowy spirts performing unusual and sinister acts in the abandoned medical facility located at 1100 Holly Avenue, South Pittsburg. The haunted hospital has been featured on the Travel Channel on Destination Fear and several other television shows. The literature promoting tours and overnight stays at the premises described it as one of the most haunted places in Tennessee. Descriptions of what you will encounter at the hospital included contact with the Naughty Nurse in the basement who delights in touching and groping individuals on private parts of their anatomy and who also likes to whisper sweet words in their ears if they are brave enough to visit the ghost in her chosen domain. If you would like to have an experience with a less sensuous spirit you might be fortunate enough to meet the reincarnation of the two-year-old toddler known as Buddy who is active and seems to enjoy playing or urging the visitors to play with him on the third floor. Other spirits that have been observed in this vacant hospital include a male described as a doctor and a janitorial spirit and another female nurse. There have also been reports of a man approximately seven feet tall that may be one of the past surgeons that practiced in this medical facility. Witnesses have allegedly reported that this spirit warns the visitors to get out or leave the premises. Other attendees have stated that this ghost does not want to be associated with the living. With these comforting remarks, ghost busters or fans of the paranormal world are invited to participate in an overnight ghost hunting adventure for the strong and brave patrons of the life after death crowd. Within the past few years new owners have taken over the facility after buying the property from the Internal Revenue Service and, according to South Pittsburg City Administrator Gene Vess, have corrected the problems incurred with the former owners and appear to be running a good business as reflected by the increasing sales tax revenue to the city. In an article listed in ghosthunterfans.com the earlier problems with the presence of mold and improper zoning have been corrected and out-of-town ghost seekers are regularly visiting the old facility that previously served as the hospital for South Pittsburg and the surrounding area. Overnight tours and lodging are available for fans of the supernatural. A large number of spirit seekers have been coming up from Atlanta. If you are brave enough to risk meeting the resident ghosts travel I-24 west to the South Pittsburg exit and turn right at Moss Motors. The hospital is located between 10th and 12th Streets on Holly Avenue up against South Pittsburg Mountain. For more information or bookings contact: Old South Pittsburg Hospital Paranormal Research Center, 1100 Holly Avenue, South Pittsburg, Tennessee 37380, (423) 228-7082 or check them out on Facebook. * * * 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 Crosses were removed from over 250 state-sanctioned churches in China's Anhui province between January and April as the Communist Party's years-long crackdown on church crosses continues, according to the Italian-based magazine Bitter Winter. "All Christian symbols are ordered to be removed as part of the government's crackdown campaign," a provincial employee from Ma'anshan city told Bitter Winter, a publication produced by the Center for Studies on New Religion which covers human rights issues in China. The magazine reported on Tuesday that the 250 crosses were removed from churches affiliated with the Three-Self Patriotic Movement in cities that include but are not limited to Lu'an, Ma'anshan, Huaibei and Fuyang. One of the churches that had its cross removed from outside its building is The Gulou Church in the center of Fuyang city, a Protestant church that dates back over a century. The church had its cross taken down on April 2 after over 100 congregation members tried to stop authorities from removing the cross from the church the previous day. One congregation member told the magazine that local officials told the church members that the cross' removal was done in accordance with a national policy requiring the removal of all religious symbols, not just Christianity. "We support the state and comply with its regulations," the congregation member was quoted as saying. "We can have a dialogue with the government if it thinks that we have done something wrong, but they can't persecute us this way. Officials did not show any documents, fearing that people would implicate them with anything in writing. They only conveyed verbal orders and forced us to obey them." In the city of Lu-an, over 183 churches had crosses removed during the first four months of 2020, reports Bitter Winter. The report states that in March, a church leader in the city was threatened with imprisonment and the closure of his church if the church's cross was not removed. An elder from a Three-Self congregation in Hanshan county told Bitter Winter that there were two government-convened conferences so far in 2020 to discuss the national government's demand for the removal of religious symbols. Allegedly, provincial government officials criticized Ma'anshan officials for not removing crosses at a quick enough pace. Since mid-April, 33 churches in the county have reportedly not had their crosses removed. "The fact that all church crosses in the county have been taken off makes us very sad because the cross [is] the primary symbol of our faith," the unnamed elder from Hanshan county added. "But we don't dare to disobey central government orders: little fish don't eat big fish." The magazine also noted that crosses were removed from at least 22 churches affiliated with the Three-Self Patriotic Movement in four different cities last November and December. China's crackdown on religion and religious minorities has drawn scrutiny from international actors such as the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, rights groups and the U.S. State Department. In its 2020 annual report, USCIRF noted that not only have authorities removed crosses from churches across the nation but they have also banned youth under the age of 18 from participating in religious services. Reports have also indicated that authorities have required that some churches remove pictures of Jesus and the Virgin Mary inside of their buildings and replace them with images of President Xi Jinping. Past reports have also indicated that some churches have begun replacing the singing of hymns with songs that praise the communist regime. In September 2018, Chinese Christian activist Bob Fu, founder of China Aid, told members of U.S. Congress that the Chinese government is supervising a five-year plan to make Christianity more compatible with socialism, an effort that includes a "rewrite" of the Bible to make socialist ideas seem more divine. China ranks as the 23rd worst nation in the world when it comes to Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USA's 2020 World Watch List. China has been named by the State Department for years as a "country of particular concern" for engaging in systemic and egregious violations of religious freedom. In April, USCIRF expressed concern about China's selection to the United Nations Human Rights Council Consultative Group, which is tasked with screening applications and making recommendations for independent U.N. experts. "The Chinese government is one of the worst abusers of religious freedom and other human rights," USCIRF Commissioner Gary Bauer, a longtime conservative activist, said in a statement. "The Chinese Communist Party should not have any influence over appointments of the UN Human Rights Council's independent human rights experts." Courtesy of The Christian Post By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 06/14/2020 ADVERTISEMENT [ spoilers warning: This report contains spoilers revealing if Paul and Karine are still together and married, as well as the latest on the : Happily Ever After? couple's relationship]. ADVERTISEMENT So what happened between Paul and Karine after they moved to America together? Is the couple still together? ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. couple Paul Staehle and Karine Martins will be starring on the fifth season of : Happily Ever After?, so what will unfold on the new season? Is the couple, who frequently threaten each other with divorce, still together?TLC announced Paul and Karine will be part of Season 5 of : Happily Ever After? in a teaser promo video posted to 's official Twitter account in late May."After living as a family in Brazil, Paul and Karine are starting over in the states! Follow their journey on the new season of #90DayFiance: Happily Ever After, premiering Sunday June 14 at 8/7c," the show tweeted.In the promo video, TLC teased, "From running wild to baby steps. Guess who's back!"Meanwhile, Paul was shown saying, "Me and Karine have been through a lot. In a lot of ways, it brought us closer together. We decided to go back to America to start a new life there."The couple was then shown looking for a place to live, as Paul apparently brought Karine to a trailer park.After looking at one messy trailer in particular, Karine complained to the cameras, "This place is gross."Afterward, Paul asked his wife, "So what do you think?"Karine made a face of disgust and rolled her eyes, which prompted Paul to say, "She's just not being receptive to anything I'm showing her so far."Paul and Karine appeared on Seasons 1 and 2 of : Before the 90 Days and then also returned for a new spinoff, the debut season of : The Other Way, which wrapped in late October 2019.Paul and Karine fell in love in Brazil and married in 2017, but their wedding didn't air until the following year on Season 2 of : Before the 90 Days.After two devastating miscarriages, Paul and Karine had another shot at parenthood when they happily announced in October 2018 they were expecting a baby. Later that month, Paul revealed Karine was pregnant with a baby boy.Right before the couple's son Pierre was born on March 22, however, Karine threatened to file for divorce from Paul because of his ongoing trust issues.Karine hated how Paul lost his temper during arguments, and the pair's dire financial situation always put more stress on them and created tension.Karine wanted to feel loved, supported and taken care of, but Paul repeatedly insisted he was doing everything he could to provide for his family and be a good father and husband."I really want a divorce. I am tired of what Paul does to me," Karine said in a confessional during one episode of the series."He lives in the past and too many fights make a relationship fall apart. There's no more hope. I'm thinking of my son now."The : The Other Way season even showed Karine and her mother leaving Paul behind in Tonantins and traveling to Manaus to file to divorce shortly before Pierre was born.Paul and Karine have had a tumultuous relationship ever since meeting in person, with multiple breakups and makeups along the way.However, Karine ultimately decided to give Paul another chance when he stepped it up in the delivery room and was very supportive when she gave birth to Pierre.In a trailer released in late May for : Happily Ever After?'s fifth season, Paul tells the cameras, "Me and Karine decided to move to America. I'm hoping things go positive, but then again, things could go terribly wrong."A few months after Karine gave birth to Pierre, she obtained a CR-1 spousal visa and moved to the United States to live with Paul in Louisville, Kentucky.Karine and Paul documented their time together in America over the course of several months, and they appeared to be a happy family last summer.But speculation the couple's volatile relationship was once again on the rocks first began in early September when Paul had made an Instagram Stories posting claiming Karine was threatening him with divorce -- again."Doing a poll strictly out of curiosity. For someone I know very well...... Should a wife divorce her husband over his mother buying gifts daily spoiling their son?" he wrote in the Instagram Story."Should a grandmother be banned from seeing her grandchildren over spoiling them. And a husband be divorced for defending his mother's actions?"Although Paul seemingly tried to play it off like the scenario was happening to some other couple, most of his Instagram followers knew better as the couple's social-media postings openly showed they were living near Paul's mother in the Louisville at the time with Pierre.As a result, it appeared Karine was angry with Paul's mother for "spoiling" her son as well as Paul for taking his mom's side.Things seemed to go back to normal until late September, when Paul suggested, once again, the couple's marriage was ending and Karine had initiated a divorce.According to the comments, Karine told Paul that she didn't want him in her life anymore and had retained a divorce lawyer.Paul revealed the news in a pair of since-deleted Facebook postings from September 27, according to screenshots captured by his followers."Karine asked me to remove our photos. And let everyone know that she doesn't want me in her life," he wrote in his first Facebook posting.Paul then also wrote a subsequent posting in a mix of Portuguese and English."Karine advogado de divorcio me ligou. Guess I need a lawyer," he wrote.Translated to English, the Portuguese text states, "Karine's divorce lawyer called me."Shortly afterward, Paul deleted both postings and removed most photos of Karine from his page.In October 2019, however, Paul and Karine put on a united front when Paul asked fans on Instagram for great haunted-house recommendations in the spirit of Halloween.In addition to revealing he was trying to plan a date for his wife, Paul posted a photo at the time of Karine and himself smiling.Paul and Karine celebrated their second wedding anniversary in early November 2019, but then they openly discussed filing for divorce that same month.Paul claimed Karine had "started divorce proceedings in Manaus," and Karine told Us Weekly on November 12 that she was "looking for a lawyer."It wasn't the first -- or even the second time -- Karine had threatened Paul with divorce."Over the course of our Christmas dinner Paul and Karine broke up, got back together, broke up, got back together, broke up and this just in -- are back together. Stay tuned for more on this developing story," Instagrammer John Yates posted on December 25.In December 2019, Paul alleged Karine had taken off with their baby and was with a new man named Blake. He also said Karine was demanding a divorce again at the time.Although Paul and Karine have broken up and gotten back together numerous times throughout the course of their relationship, it appears they are still married and living together in Kentucky.Paul just posted an Instagram video on May 19 of a bike he had purchased and was putting together for Karine.Paul is nowhere to be seen on Karine's Instagram account in recent months, but it's likely he's been the one taking most of her photos.Paul also took to Instagram in early May to announce Karine is pregnant with the couple's second child It appeared Karine was already several months along into her pregnancy at the time.It wouldn't be surprising, however, if Karine wanted to keep her pregnancy under wraps for the first few months of her pregnancy considering she has a history of miscarriage and could be superstitious.The baby's gender and due date have yet to be announced.Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage! The US embassy in Seoul draped a huge Black Lives Matter banner on its mission building and tweeted a picture of it in support of an anti-racism campaign across America. The US Embassy stands in solidarity with fellow Americans grieving and peacefully protesting to demand positive change. Our #BlackLivesMatter banner shows our support for the fight against racial injustice and police brutality as we strive to be a more inclusive & just society, the embassy tweeted on Saturday, along with the picture of the banner in black and white. . #BlackLivesMatter . pic.twitter.com/mWgJvgyaqE U.S. Embassy Seoul (@USEmbassySeoul) June 13, 2020 US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris retweeted the message, adding USA is a free and diverse nation... from that diversity we gain our strength. Black Lives Matter protests are being held across the globe as part of campaigns focusing on social injustice following the death of George Floyd in police custody, but the banner is seen as a rare, open support for the protest by an appointee of President Donald Trump after Trump linked violent protests to thugs. No comment was immediately available from the embassy on Sunday. The embassy also made some waves last year when it displayed a rainbow banner in support of the LGBTQ community. Harris, a 40-year veteran of the US Navy who started in Seoul in 2018 after Trump appointed him, has privately said that he is planning on exiting his position before the end of the year. Today is shaping up negative for Mayfield Childcare Limited (ASX:MFD) shareholders, with the covering analyst delivering a substantial negative revision to this year's forecasts. Both revenue and earnings per share (EPS) estimates were cut sharply as the analyst factored in the latest outlook for the business, concluding that they were too optimistic previously. Following the downgrade, the consensus from solitary analyst covering Mayfield Childcare is for revenues of AU$34m in 2020, implying a small 4.9% decline in sales compared to the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are anticipated to plunge 31% to AU$0.073 in the same period. Before this latest update, the analyst had been forecasting revenues of AU$38m and earnings per share (EPS) of AU$0.13 in 2020. Indeed, we can see that the analyst is a lot more bearish about Mayfield Childcare's prospects, administering a substantial drop in revenue estimates and slashing their EPS estimates to boot. View our latest analysis for Mayfield Childcare ASX:MFD Past and Future Earnings June 13th 2020 The consensus price target fell 30% to AU$0.95, with the weaker earnings outlook clearly leading analyst valuation estimates. Of course, another way to look at these forecasts is to place them into context against the industry itself. We would highlight that sales are expected to reverse, with the forecast 4.9% revenue decline a notable change from historical growth of 30% over the last three years. Compare this with our data, which suggests that other companies in the same industry are, in aggregate, expected to see their revenue grow 13% next year. So although its revenues are forecast to shrink, this cloud does not come with a silver lining - Mayfield Childcare is expected to lag the wider industry. The Bottom Line The most important thing to take away is that the analyst cut their earnings per share estimates, expecting a clear decline in business conditions. Unfortunately the analyst also downgraded their revenue estimates, and industry data suggests that Mayfield Childcare's revenues are expected to grow slower than the wider market. Given the scope of the downgrades, it would not be a surprise to see the market become more wary of the business. Story continues Worse, Mayfield Childcare is labouring under a substantial debt burden, which - if today's forecasts prove accurate - the forecast downgrade could potentially exacerbate. You can learn more about our debt analysis for free on our platform here. We also provide an overview of the Mayfield Childcare Board and CEO remuneration and length of tenure at the company, and whether insiders have been buying the stock, here. Love or hate this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email 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. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. Chief Scout Bear Grylls said the movement he leads must learn from founder Lord Baden-Powell's failings Chief Scout Bear Grylls said the movement he leads must learn from founder Lord Baden-Powell's failings after his statue became a target for Black Lives Matter activists. Mr Grylls, 46, spoke out amid a row over whether or not the statue of Powell, in Poole, Dorset, should be removed because of his alleged espousal of some racist and homophobic views. His statue had appeared on a 'topple the racists' list compiled by Black Lives Matter activists and was boarded up for its own protection after a wave of anti-racism protests which have swept across the UK. But Mr Grylls said Baden-Powell, who founded the scouting movement in 1907, was 'part of our history.' He wrote in the Telegraph: 'As Scouts, we most certainly do not celebrate Baden-Powell for his failings. 'We see them and we acknowledge them. And if he were here today we would disagree with him on many things, of that there is no doubt. And I suspect he would too. 'But we also recognise that Baden-Powell is part of our history, and history is nothing if we do not learn from it.' Those campaigning for the monument to Baden-Powell to be removed highlighted his associations with the Nazis and the Hitler Youth programme, as well as his actions in the military. Mr Grylls, 46, spoke out amid a row over whether or not the statue of Powell, in Poole, Dorset, should be removed because of his alleged espousal of some racist and homophobic views. Pictured: The statue was boarded up to protect it He fought in the Second Boer War for UK forces in South Africa. Mr Grylls did not comment on whether or not the statue in Poole should be removed but instead only wrote that he hoped 'Scouting statues in the future' would be there. His comments come after the statue of Baden-Powell was boarded up by council workers. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council had announced that the statue would be temporarily taken down after it was put on a target list. But the removal, due to take place on Thursday, was delayed after a crowd of people - some wearing Scout uniforms - gathered around the statue and vowed to protect it. More than 36,000 people have signed a petition calling for the statue to remain in place. Mr Grylls said Baden-Powell, who founded the scouting movement in 1907, was 'part of our history' Mark Howell, deputy leader of the council, said on Friday: 'The safest thing and most protective thing would be to lift it out and put it into secure storage. 'It has become clear that some people feel that is giving in to protesters and we should just leave it to be vandalised, which is ridiculous because our obligation is to protect it for the future. 'The more valid point that people have been raising is that the council might not put it back in there. 'My assurance is that it would go back but I am not going to be at the council forever. 'So it gives people more security for the long-term future if we board it up.' Mr Howell said scaffolding panels would be erected around the statue, which overlooks Brownsea Island, where Baden-Powell held his first experimental camp in 1907. He acknowledged that it would not be 'as secure' as placing the monument into storage. 'It is a response by us to concerns that have been widely expressed that people don't want to see it physically taken out of the ground, so we are trying the best we can to protect it and keep it in situ,' Mr Howell said. Mr Grylls wrote: 'As Scouts, we most certainly do not celebrate Baden-Powell for his failings'. Pictured: Scouts and locals arrived to defend the statue of Baden-Powell The statue appeared on a target list that emerged following a raft of Black Lives Matter protests, sparked by the death of George Floyd in the US city of Minneapolis last month. Dorset Police confirmed that it had been 'identified as a potential target' but said officers had not advised the council to remove it. Dan Davies, 37, from Poole, set up his tent next to the statue after hearing about the potential threat. 'I have been camping out like Scouts do - I was a Scout for all the years that I could,' Mr Davies said. 'It is something that is close to my heart. When I saw this happening, I set my tent up and I've been here since. Mr Grylls did not comment on whether or not the statue in Poole should be removed but instead only wrote that he hoped 'Scouting statues in the future' would be there 'I don't think people understand the good of the Scout movement. People are failing to see the goodness. 'It is a risk that it is on the list of statues. We are taking the threat seriously.' Mr Davies said people at the statue were happy to talk to campaigners who felt it should be removed and 'have a conversation'. 'Poole is a tourist town - we are not looking for trouble,' he added. 'We are just doing what we think is right and what we believe in.' The World Organisation of the Scout Movement (WOSM) said it was following reports about the possible removal of the Baden-Powell statue. Dorset Police confirmed the statue had been 'identified as a potential target' but said officers had not advised the council to remove it In a statement on Friday, the organisation said Baden-Powell, who was born in 1857, had lived 'in a different era with different realities'. It said the movement he set up more than 113 years ago now has 54 million Scouts in 224 countries and territories. 'Scouting offers an inclusive environment to bring young people of all races, cultures and religions together, and creates opportunities for dialogue about how to promote peace, justice and equality,' the WOSM said. 'The movement that was founded in 1907 on Brownsea Island stands strong in its promotion of diversity and inclusion which are cornerstones of Scouting's values, while denouncing all forms of racism, discrimination, inequality and injustice.' It said Scouts across the world attached 'historical value and symbolism' to the birthplace of the movement. By SA Commercial Prop News The report reviews the current economic and social state of Cape Towns central business district (CBD), and sets a benchmark for tracking its future development and growth. The Central City Improvement District of Cape Town (CCID) launched the first edition of the State of Central City Report that reviews the current economic and social state of Cape Towns central business district (CBD). Released on Wednesday, the report reviews the current economic and social state of Cape Towns central business district (CBD), and sets a benchmark for tracking its future development and growth. The document has a particular focus on the CBDs status as world class business city. This years is the first edition of what will be an annual publication. Rob Kane, Chairman of the CCID, says the report is intended to be an authoritative guide for investors, business decision makers and government officials, who are looking for current information on the economic state of the Cape Town CBD. The report shows that the CBD has the highest concentration of economic activity in the metro pole. The CBD contributes to more than R216 million each year, money that not only supports the continued growth of the CBD but contributes heavily to service provision and government investment throughout the rest of the metro-region. Kane says, The CBD contributes 24.5% of business turnover into the larger Cape Town metro region. This world class business district is strategically placed as an investment link to the rest of South Africa and a gateway into the African continent. The CBD provides in excess of 30% of the citys entire payroll and I believe its continued growth through tough economic times is largely due to our ability to attract and retain businesses. Its economic importance cannot be overstated. The CBD hosts 90% of Cape Towns international events (both business and leisure), and 75% of major local events, which are key drivers of economic activity. By bringing people from far and wide into this area, these events generate a significant GDP contribution in excess of R1.5 billion. The bottom line is that the CBD is open for business and is beyond doubt a globally competitive business hub. This report illustrates the best that the CBD has to offer, but most importantly points towards an industrious world class city, says Kane. Some of the other findings revealed in the report are: Investment in property over the past three years amounts to R4.6 billion; The total current value of property in the CBD is more than R21 billion; Retailers occupy 380 000m2 of retail space with over 1200 retail shops; Over 500 legal service offices are located in the CBD making it one of the largest legal hubs in the country; Medical health and cosmetic services is the second biggest sector after legal services. It is followed by the financial services and banking sector; The CBD boasts over 32% of the citys total AAA and A grade office space; The expansion of the Container Terminal Port at the harbour edge of the CBD will double its cargo handling capacity to over R14 million units. Imports and exports include oil, vehicles, chemical products, grains, amongst many other products; It holds 47% bed space in the city, making it an economic gateway for domestic and international visitors; Users of the CBD (87%) feel that Cape Town has one of the safest CBDs in the country and 82.6% feel safe on the street. Close to 80% believe the CBD looks clean and orderly. The review also reveals findings from an independent survey to assess the perceptions of the district as a place to work, live, play and conduct business. The survey sought the opinion of businesses and the general public. Key results of the business survey reveal that: 81% of businesses experience an overall level of satisfaction about being located in the CBD; 78% said they are likely to remain in the CBD; 97% believe Cape Town has proved itself as host of world-class events; 89% believe Cape Towns CBD is a well-governed city; 80% of Cape Town businesses believe that the CBD is the safest CBD; 88% believe that the Integrated Rapid Transit system is a solution for making the CBD more accessible for the 300 000 people who people who commute in and out of the CBD each day. Kane says, From corporates to creatives, the CBD brings together a diverse collection of people who have and continue to build our economy. Cape Towns CBD and the people who live, work and play within are set to create some of the most unique and exciting economic activity in the world. Freshman GOP Rep. Denver Riggleman was defeated in his bid for renomination at a district party convention Saturday. He lost to former county supervisor Bob Good, who challenged Riggleman from the right. While most nominees are chosen in a traditional primary process, Virginia allows district party committees the option to instead choose their nominees at a party convention. The state's regular primaries are scheduled for June 23. The 5th district is the state's largest by land area, stretching from the exurbs of Washington D.C. southward through the central part of the state to the North Carolina border. Riggleman was elected by 6.5% in 2018 after his predecessor Tom Garrett (R) did not seek reelection. Donald Trump won the district by 11 points in 2016. The general election had been seen as Likely Republican, but this nomination may put it more on the competitive radar. Sabato's Crystal Ball is expected to move their rating to Leans Republican. The Crystal Ball may move #VA05 from Likely R to Leans R, depending on the convention results today. Republicans would still be favored there because of VA-5's trend. In 2017, Gov. Northam did almost 3% better overall than Obama in 2008, but VA-5 got 6% redder. pic.twitter.com/FlwQAAxu8v J. Miles Coleman (@JMilesColeman) June 13, 2020 Riggleman is the third House member to lose renomination Fellow Republican Steve King (IA-2) and Democrat Dan Lipinski (IL-3) were ousted in traditional primaries earlier this year. This brings to 39 the total current members retiring from the body at the end of 2020. Mel Monroe, a 32-year-old nurse practitioner in Los Angeles, is suddenly widowed, and decides to take a job as the only nurse and midwife in Virgin River, an unincorporated village of 600 in the mountain forests of Northern California. Will she stay? Its no idyll. While she connects with the hunky Marine veteran who owns the town bar, Mel finds that she cant escape the drugs, violence, economic struggles and health care problems of Los Angeles. Rural California has all those same problems, too. You wont find Virgin River on any map. The town is the fictional setting for Robyn Carrs series of 20 romance novels that have sold more than 13 million copies since 2007. While Carrs geography is vague, Virgin River appears to be in Trinity County (population 13,000), one of only four California counties still considered fully rural. Im no fan of the romance genre, but during the COVID-19 shutdown, I started streaming the new Netflix series Virgin River, which is based on Carrs books. Despite the predictable plots, I kept watching Virgin Rivers portrait of rural California is unconventional and timely, particularly as the uprising against police violence spreads to rural communities. Conventional wisdom is that California is divided between two separate universes, the rural and the urban. Under COVID-19, our media obsessively notes the differences between how urban and rural counties respond to the pandemic. And political narratives, by dwelling on the alleged chasm between blue urban regions and red rural places, polarize us and spread the self-fulfilling prophecy that the country is too divided to be governed. These narratives are dangerously wrong. In California, Americas most urban state, our data, our experience, and, yes, Virgin River suggest that city dwellers and rural residents should stop sniping and instead embrace each other as partners in addressing our many common problems. The Virgin River novels, like Netflixs series, are about the union of urban and rural. In the plots, a struggling city person moves to Virgin River to seek a new beginning. Among them are a Sacramento prosecutor nearly killed by a criminal; a twice-divorced Los Angeles Police Department officer shot in the line of duty; and a San Francisco sous-chef whose career has collapsed. In Virgin River, these arrivals find attractive local residents hungering for heterosexual coupling. But they also cant escape the problems of the urban environments they left behind. The plots emphasize domestic violence, post-traumatic stress, housing, health care failings, addiction and criminality in the marijuana industry. Virgin River is mostly white, but there is growing diversity, just like in the real rural California. Carr, a former California resident who now lives in Las Vegas, has said that Virgin River could be a community anywhere. Shes got a point. Our constant talk of urban-rural divides has obscured the real story: the convergence of urban and rural, particularly as Californians, priced out of mega-regions, move to less populous places. Californias biggest challenges now transcend region. Poverty rates are similarly high in Californias most populous and least populous places. Pre-COVID-19, unemployment rates were nearly identical under 5% in both rural and urban California. California jobs, both rural and urban, are heavily skewed to health care, retail, tourism and government. In both rural and urban California, civic leaders worry about decaying infrastructure, housing affordability, health care costs and a lack of skilled workers. Cities, once seen as centers of crime, have become safer, while urbanizing remote places have fallen in health and safety rankings. And police misconduct, now dominating the news in cities, also plagues Californias small towns, which have seen George Floyd-inspired protests. The mixing of urban and rural is actually quite Californian. Most people in counties that are considered remote, from Inyo to Humboldt, live in urban clusters. And 32% of Californias rural population lives in the far-flung corners of large counties that are at least 91% urban. Our winner-take-all politics obscure how mixed-up we really are. In 2016, Trinity County, which appears ruby red on political maps, saw 49% of its voters cast ballots for someone other than Trump. Meanwhile, polling shows that blue L.A. County has a few million supporters. Virgin River, especially in the Netflix version (which was shot in British Columbia), testifies to the lack of borders between rural and urban. The old country doctor with whom L.A. nurse practitioner Mel Monroe tangles was once a medical hotshot from Seattle. Mels love interest, that outdoorsy barkeep, grew up in Sacramento and spent his military career in the Middle East. Small towns can be nice, the hunk, Jack Sheridan, says. And they can have their own brand of drama. And danger. Virgin River is not so far away from the rest of California after all. Joe Mathews writes the Connecting California column for Zocalo Public Square. North cannot solve problem with military action North Korea has continued to ratchet up tensions with South Korea by threatening military action against the latter. This threat came Saturday after Pyongyang decided to cut off all communication channels with Seoul, June 4. Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, made the decision, lambasting the South for failing to stop defectors from sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border. But she has not stopped ramping up her harsh rhetoric against the South, although Seoul promised to legislate a ban on the leafleting. She even called the South her country's "enemy." Kim, first vice department director of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party, said Saturday that the North would take its next step against the South. "I feel it is high time to surely break with the South Korean authorities. We will soon take the next step," she said in a statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. She did not specify what the next action would be. But she hinted that it would be by the military, saying, "the right to take the next action against the enemy will be entrusted to the General Staff of our army." Such action may include tests of ICBMs and other strategic weapons. Yet no one can rule out of the possibility of other military provocations against the South. That is why Chung Eui-yong, director of the National Security Office at the presidential office, held an emergency meeting through videoconferencing Sunday to discuss responses to the recent threats. The government and military should closely watch the tense situation and step up preparedness for any possible military action by the Kim regime. The authorities should first figure out why Pyongyang has kept making threats against Seoul. As security experts point out, the North is expressing its deep frustration over a lack of progress in nuclear talks with the U.S. which have been deadlocked since the February 2019 Hanoi summit between Kim Jong-un and President Donald Trump. The summit ended in failure mainly due to the North's demand for "major" sanctions relief in return for "partial" denuclearization. Since then Pyongyang and Washington have done little to narrow their differences. The North has also test fired a series of short-range ballistic missiles. The Kim regime is apparently trying to apply more pressure on Seoul to call for sanctions relief. It is also trying to take its people's anger with the deteriorating economy amid the coronavirus pandemic out on the South and other "external forces." Nevertheless, we can hardly understand why the Kim regime is attempting to sever ties with Seoul and take military action. The North should not try to turn the clock back and return to the "fire and fury" situation in a nuclear showdown with the U.S. It must realize that its outdated brinkmanship tactics will only lead to catastrophe. The only viable solution to the problem is a return to dialogue not only with the South, but also with the U.S. We urge the North to stop repeatedly going too far in raising tensions on the peninsula. Kim should abandon his nuclear ambitions and take the path to peace, coexistence and co-prosperity. The Vietnam Fisheries Society (VINAFIS) has voiced its condemnation and objection after a Chinese coast guard ship had rammed a Vietnamese fishing boat and taken the fishers belongings while they were operating in Vietnamese waters. VINAFIS expressed its opposition in a document submitted to the Government Office, the Partys Commission for Foreign Relations, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday. Reports from the fisheries society in the central province of Quang Ngai showed that the incident happened at around 10:00 am on Wednesday. Fishing boat No. QNg 96416 captained by 42-year-old Nguyen Loc with 15 crew members were operating about eight nautical miles southwest of Linh Con Island in Vietnam's Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago when a Chinese coast guard vessel approached. The Chinese ship began attacking the Vietnamese fishing boat and forced the fishers to sign some documents written in Chinese with their fingerprints. The Chinese coast guard officers then took a large volume of seafood, fishing tools, and equipment worth approximately VND500 million (US$21,450) from the fishermen. The fishing boat returned to the mainland on Friday and reported the incident to local authorities. The fishermen are now in quarantine in Quang Ngais Binh Son medical center in accordance with COVID-19 prevention regulations, according to the Vietnam News Agency. China has been repeating such actions for many times, causing insecurity and discontent among Vietnamese fishermen and resulting in serious economic losses for the victims, the VINAFIS asserted. The actions violate Vietnam's maritime sovereignty as well as international law. The fisheries society condemned and objected to the inhumane actions of the Chinese coast guard as it had endangered the Vietnamese fishermen while they were legally operating in Vietnamese waters. The VINAFIS asked Vietnamese authorities to take assertive measures to prevent similar incidents from recurring, while demanding Chinese compensation for the victims losses. Maritime patrols and protection must be strengthened to ensure the safety of local fishermen as well as their property, the society underscored. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! This mistake has undoubtedly tripped up others, so dont let it happen to you. Mike Berlin, who lives in the East Mountains, says he nearly threw out his Economic Income Payment from the federal government because it looked exactly like a credit card solicitation. The so-called stimulus payments come in the form of prepaid debit card or paper check. The Internal Revenue Service says about 4 million Americans are getting the debit cards, which arrive in a plain envelope from Money Network Cardholder Services. It looked very much like a typical credit card solicitation, including getting my name wrong, Berlin says. He complained to the state Attorney Generals Office, which has gotten other complaints as well, says spokesman Matt Baca. On the debit card, the Visa name will appear on the front. The back says the issuing bank is MetaBank, N.A, (national association.), according to the Internal Revenue Service. Included with the card is information explaining that this is your stimulus payment from the government. Those who get the cards can use them, without fees, to make purchases anywhere Visa is accepted, They also can be used get cash from in-network ATMs and to transfer money to a personal bank account. Card balances can be checked online, by app or by phone, the IRS says. The agency is also warning about payment-related scams using email, phone calls or texts. The IRS will not send unsolicited electronic communications asking people to open attachments, visit a website or share personal or financial information, the IRS says. For more information about the cards, go to www.irs.gov/eipfaq. Heres a twist on the many scams invoking Public Service Company of New Mexico. Customers have gotten calls claiming to be from the utility, threatening fines and/or termination of service if they failed to make arrangements to have a new meter installed. Customers are given a phone number that they must call for meter installation if they want to avoid the consequences. PNM saw 17 reports of this scam, or similar ones, at the end of May in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Belen, Bernalillo and Silver City, spokeswoman Shannon Jackson said. Jackson said of the threats, It is never part of PNM procedure, in any circumstance, to take that action. More unproven coronavirus treatments to be aware of: intravenous vitamin C and D infusions, supposed stem cell therapy and immunity-boosting shots. The FTC says there is no evidence that these treatments work against the virus and that they violate truth-in-advertising laws. The agency so far has sent more than 160 warning letters to companies and individuals regarding questionable coronavirus-related marketing. Contact Ellen Marks at emarks@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3842 if you are aware of what sounds like a scam. To report a scam to law enforcement, contact the New Mexico Consumer Protection Division toll-free at 1-844-255-9210. Google Maps A suspect in a west Houston burglary was shot and killed Sunday morning, and the man who shot him is recovering at a nearby hospital as Houston police look for two other burglars who tried to steal jewelry from an apartment. An elderly woman living at The Crossing at Old Farm apartment complex at 2500 Old Farm Road woke up to her dogs barking around 5 a.m., and found a man standing next to her bed. Egypt reported on Sunday the highest single-day rise in coronavirus deaths with 91 fatalities. The death toll stands now at 1,575 nationwide, the country's health ministry announced. Figures from the health ministry's daily bulletin showed that 1,618 new cases have been detected over the past 24 hours, down around 50 cases from Saturday, bringing the total case tally to 44,598 since the outbreak began. The statement said that 402 patients have been discharged after recovering from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 11,931. Health ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said that the number of people who have retested negative, including the 11,931recoveries, has now reached 13,332. He added that the governorates of Cairo, Giza, and Qalioubiya, the three governorates over which the city of Greater Cairo is spread, have recorded the highest rate of coronavirus cases, while the governorates of the Red Sea, Matrouh and South Sinai have recorded the lowest rates. Megahed appealed to all citizens to abide by the necessary preventive measures and observe social distancing, particularly in governorates with high rates of infection. Search Keywords: Short link: For two weeks now, outrage has convulsed America: pundits, preachers, protesters, and at least one severely conservative GOP senator all raising their voices to condemn police brutality. Yet, heres the startling truth: No one has made a stronger case against the police than the police. There is not space enough to talk about it all the disoriented man tasered for no apparent reason in Fairfax County, Va.; the Kansas City cops who pepper-sprayed a crowd and threw a man to the street after he yelled at them; the Denver police who unleashed a hail of pepper balls on a car after the driver told them his passenger was pregnant but one incident stands out. Youve seen the video by now. A 75-year-old man, Martin Gugino, approaches a phalanx of Buffalo, N.Y., police Thursday night in front of City Hall. Two of them shove him. He flies backward and tumbles to the pavement. Then it gets worse. The old man lies still, blood pooling beneath his head. One officer pauses as if to check on him only to have another pull him away. The officers who shoved Gugino are now facing criminal charges. In response, all 57 members of the citys riot squad quit the unit, displaying a petulance so infantile it would not be out of place in a preschool sandbox. And heres the kicker: On Saturday, the police union in Brevard County, Fla., offered to hire the 57 Buffalo cops, promising on Twitter that in Florida theyd find no spineless leadership, or dumb mayors rambling on at press conferences. Plus we got your back! Consider it all a middle finger lifted to the idea that cops are answerable to the communities they serve. Consider it a microcosm of what is wrong with modern policing. How can you look at this sort of behavior, which is happening everywhere, and not read in it a sense of invulnerable arrogance, of authority unquestioned and unquestionable? Power without accountability is tyranny, plain and simple. Yet how tempting tyranny must be when you are shielded in your malfeasance by the deference of courts and politicians, by unions that make it nearly impossible to get rid of, or even meaningfully disciplined, lawless cops, and by the infamous blue wall of silence, a code of omerta that would do Tony Soprano proud. So shall we defund the police, to quote what has become a liberal rallying cry? Well, the slogan is obviously designed less to foster consensus than confrontation. But the idea behind it seems self-evident. Namely, that we must tear down the old model of policing and, as Camden, N.J., did to great success seven years ago, build something better in its place, something that actually does protect and serve and uphold and improve our communities. And here, someone wants me to note that not all cops are bad. Hearing that, Im reminded of a young man to whom I made that argument maybe 20 years ago. The man, who had been punched in the face while handcuffed, responded that he saw not a lot of difference between the cops who did bad things to him and those who allowed it by looking the other way, more loyal to one another than to what is right. How, he demanded, can they be called good cops? Its a question that resonates as you watch that Buffalo officer who started to help an injured man allow himself to be pulled away instead. Required in an instant to choose between being human and being a cop, he chose the latter, and they walked on by. How can they be called good cops? I could not answer the young mans question back then. And I still cant answer it now. Pitts is a columnist for The Miami Herald. T he expectation that Earth will always be a safe home is a mistake. But nature has given us a decent chance for the first attempt to populate space planet Mars. This currently rates as the best option for a space base for colonisation. The prospect of flying to Mars has never been closer. This idea once seemed like a fantasy, but literally in an instant it has now become quite feasible. Even so, this will not just be a nice pleasure outing or some kind of space tourism for the sake of a couple of cool-looking Instagram posts, even if we understand that we can do nothing today without social media. The conquest of Mars will not be easy, but it will involve an incredibly exciting process of creation and technological improvement in order to ensure the settlement of humanity in space. Konstantin Chaykin is certain that the conquest of Mars necessitates the thinking over of many different aspects in advance, including the development of a specialised mechanical watch that is reliable and capable of functioning autonomously both in space and on Mars. Thats why in 2017 this expert watchmaker and inventor launched his own Mars programme Mars Time. Among the watches that have been created and are due to be released in the framework of this project, you will not find just an ordinary watch with a Mars design. Design is an important but far from essential element in the Mars Time project strategy, which is based on Konstantin Chaykins typical creative methods. As he states: When I start a new project, I am guided by my three creative principles first, an idea is born, be it philosophical, technical or artistic, which captures all my thoughts. Then I come up with the design which will most completely and adequately express this idea. Finally, I construct a movement that brings everything to life. The Mars Time project has really captivated this Russian master, as witnessed by the flurry of creative sparks he has generated while working on it. Some of these inventions are already familiar to those who truly appreciate the art of watchmaking thanks to the first watch in the Mars Time project the conceptual prototype Mars Conqueror Mk1. In this prototype Konstantin Chaykin invented and implemented an impressive array of functions, with nine additional complications and features. Among these are a unique complication with synchronised Earth and Mars times, a Mars date display using the Mars calendar, with the possibility of it being used as a way of showing the duration of the mission in sols (Mars-days), a function showing the relative positions of the Sun, Earth and Mars, and a planetary opposition and superior opposition complication. All these factors place this timepiece in the category of supercomplicated mechanical watches. However, the number of complications is not as important here as the fact that Chaykin has developed a new set of cosmic complications, specially invented for wristwatches. These cosmic functions allow the watch to be used and put into practice not only on our planet, but also in space in this case, on Mars. Mars is calling: A new Mars Conqueror The Mars Conqueror Mk3 Fighter watch, developed by Konstantin Chaykin with the necessity and inevitability of humanitys colonisation of the red planet in mind, points to the future hence its futuristic design, seasoned with a clearly tangible militaristic touch. That being said, this watch still retains some details which link to the past, and the history of the Konstantin Chaykin Manufactory. In 2009, during the development of his vintage style aviator watch project, he invented and subsequently patented a construction controlling the function of the winding crown. That 2009 aviator wristwatch has a unique design featuring two vertical crowns, one of which is used for winding the movement and setting the time, while the other is used for switching modes (invention of Konstantin Chaykin, Patent RU2518300). The source of inspiration for creating this device was the dials of the dashboards of Soviet aircraft, and now in a modernised form it is used in the Mars Conqueror Mk3 Fighter watch, where the crown is used to switch between three modes manual winding of the movement, setting the UTC time zone indicator (with a clockwise rotation) or setting MCT (with an anticlockwise rotation), and setting local Earth time. In order to make these functions more convenient, the indicators operated by the crown are intelligently set on the dial of the Mars Conqueror Mk3 Fighter watch, the wheel train for which, with two steel levers, is set directly under the dial at the bottom part of the movement. The terrestrial time is shown by three hands hours, minutes and seconds supplemented in this watch by the 24-hour time zone indicator hand, while the Konstantin Chaykin-invented Martian wheel movement (Patent RU2685764) provides the precise indication of Martian time with two hands, showing hours and minutes, without requiring an additional watch movement. The basic watch movement is the tried and tested Swiss-made Eta 2893-2, modified by Konstantin Chaykin by the addition of a functional module entirely created in Russia by Konstantin Chaykin Manufactory. The complexities of the watch mechanics of the Mars Conqueror Mk3 Fighter are shown by the fact that the functional module is made up of 125 separate parts, each meticulously processed and finished by hand in full accordance with the traditions of haute horlogerie. The first Martian aviator watch in history Konstantin Chaykins Mars Time project allows us to look into the future, to a new world, which today we might think of as just a fantasy. Watchmaking is akin to the ancient Roman god Janus, with one face looking to the future in search of new technologies, constructions and designs, and the second face looking to the past in order to preserve and develop traditions and past achievements. The Mars Conqueror Mk3 Fighter watch looks to the future, which is why one can find in its design the futuristic forms of the Martian space fleet as imagined and designed by Konstantin Chaykin. In the brutal yet at the same time ergonomic case of a dynamic, trapezoidal design, which is dominated by triangular edges, there is a bezel fixed to the case by 24 functional screws, resembling the mooring lock of a spacecraft docking system. In the first Martian aviator watch in history, Konstantin Chaykin has decided not to use hands of a traditional design, preferring instead to invent his own Mars hands. He was guided during this process by the requirements of watch hands in the military, with the hands needing to be large enough to be clearly distinguishable on the dial and covered with a luminous paint composition. The Mars conquerors will head to the red planet in heavy launch vehicles, therefore Konstantin decided to give the hands the characteristic shape of such a rocket, naming them Starship Hands. The hands of the terrestrial time indicator are marked with blue-green luminophore, while the Mars time hands are marked in orange. The numbers of the hours scale, and the minutes scale, of the dark brown dial are made of the innovative monolithic luminophore, the technology for which was developed by Konstantin Chaykin. These elements, which start to glow in twilight and darkness, have a three-dimensional shape, giving this new watch an incredibly attractive look. The futuristic design and functionality of the Mars Conqueror Mk3 Fighter watch is complemented by a narrative of the value of the traditions of mechanical watchmaking. The first edition of this new Conqueror watches Konstantin Chaykin decided to make from titanium, traditionally perceived as an aircraft and space material, which is in the best way consistent with the purpose and functionality of the new watch. Only 8 pieces will be released. The conquest of Mars and its terraforming is a necessary step in the development of mankind, as far as can be seen at the moment. The great English watchmaker John Harrison invented marine chronometers in order to help the admiralty avoid a recurrence of the Sicily Isles disaster. Konstantin Chaykin has invented Mars conquerors which can be useful for future settlers of Mars, and at the same time developed a new direction in cosmic complications for traditional watch mechanics, a direction which no other watchmaker has paid enough attention to before. A cacophony arose from the John Paul Jones Arena parking lot Saturday as a couple hundred people began to march in a push for police defunding. Led by a group of local black women, community members gathered in the parking lot as part of the Defund the Police Block Party and Noise Demo. According to organizers, the noise was intended to draw attention to the need to defund the Charlottesville, Albemarle County and University of Virginia police departments. A few minutes after the marchs 6 p.m. start time, a man arrived with a small Confederate flag. Im going to burn it, he declared to the crowd gathered around him. As the flag caught fire, the crowd erupted in noise. The clang of repurposed pots, the shrill sounds of whistles and the rattle from shaken cans filled with rocks permeated the large parking lot. The crowd of protesters kept up the noise for nearly 20 minutes, stopping occasionally to listen to one of the organizers. Under direction of organizers, participants took to the street, filling Emmet Street and heading toward the Barracks Road Shopping Center. Unimpeded by the steady drizzle of rain, the protesters marched, passing a small police presence that appeared to be blocking off traffic. After reaching the intersection of Emmet Street and Barracks Road, the protesters stopped, filling the intersection. Led by organizer Zyahna Bryant, protesters chanted no justice, no peace before transitioning to, you about to lose yo job, a nod to a viral arrest video. Were here to inconvenience some people and show them that, yes, these issues do affect them too, Bryant said. Youth from the crowd were invited to speak, drawing attention to the police-involved deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others. Some people talk about the system being broken, but the system is working exactly as it was intended to, one of the speakers said. Other speakers asked the protesters to sustain the movement and not to let attention drop from issues of inequality. In a news release about the event, organizers cited a recent report commissioned by Charlottesville and Albemarle County that indicated local African American residents are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system and face disparity on nearly every level. The report, which studied a time period from 2014 to 2016, indicates that police reform does not work, according to the release. In addition to defunding the local police departments, organizers are calling on the community to: fully end the school resource officer programs in the Charlottesville and Albemarle County school divisions; end pre-trial detention; divert those funds to programs that support public health and safety, such as the Food Equity program, the Region Ten Community Services Board and the Charlottesville Free Clinic, among others; and construct frontline social support services administered by social workers, mental health professionals, EMTs, nurses and other health professionals. The release also contained statements from various activists and organizers. Althea Laughon-Worell, a student activist, wrote that the problems extend beyond police brutality. Its about creating a world, a society, where the education and opportunities that are provided are equitable and give fair and unbiased access to all people but that will never happen until black lives matter, Laughon-Worell wrote. Later in the protest, former Charlottesville City Councilor Wes Bellamy spoke, advocating for defunding the police. A lot of older people wont be able to get past the word defund, thinking it means we want to abolish the police, Bellamy said, before he was interrupted and drowned out by calls to abolish the police. Protesters occupied the Emmet-Barracks intersection for about two hours before heading back to JPJ. 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. Tear gas was reportedly deployed in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 13 as crowds gathered near a Wendys a night after police fatally shot a black man in the restaurants parking lot. The restaurant was gutted by fire after a series of blazes were seen burning in and around the business. Protesters had gathered to call for an end to police brutality in memory of Kendrick Johnson and 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks, who was shot by police the previous night. Police said Brooks had resisted an arrest for DUI just after 10:30 pm on June 12 and had taken an officers taser before fleeing. Disturbing video captured the encounter at the Atlanta fast-food restaurant. The Atlanta Police Department (APD) requested that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) carry out an investigation into the incident. The GBI said the APD had responded to a complaint of a male in a vehicle parked in the drive thru asleep, blocking other cars. A protest that began as a call for justice over the 2013 death of Kendrick Johnson evolved into a protest for Brooks. These videos show the Wendys outlet where Brooks was shot with some fires still burning inside the building following large blazes in and outside the restaurant. The Georgia NAACP called for the immediate resignation of Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields following the shooting. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced Shields resignation hours later, saying the police chief would be reassigned to another role. The officer who fatally shot Brooks was fired on June 13 and a second officer placed on administrative duty. Credit: Sean Keenan, freelance journalist via Storyful WASHINGTON - The U.S. Secret Service corrected its previous claim that its agents hadn't used tear gas to disperse protesters in Lafayette Square on June 1, revealing in a statement Saturday that "one agency employee" had used pepper spray on one demonstrator. "After further review, the U.S. Secret Service has determined that an agency employee used pepper spray on June 1, during efforts to secure the area near Lafayette Park," the statement reads. "The employee utilized oleoresin capsicum spray, in response to an assaultative individual." A few days after the incident in which those demonstrating against police brutality were forcibly cleared some 30 minutes before President Donald Trump visited a nearby church for a photo op, the agency said it found no evidence its personnel had used tear gas or pepper spray. The U.S. Park Police, as well as the White House, also denied the use of tear gas, contradicting accounts from protesters and reporters covering the event who described being hit with gas that burned their eyes and projectiles, like rubber pellets, that left welts on their skin. The Park Police later acknowledged that while officers didn't use some common forms of tear gas, the pepper balls they did deploy shoots a powder that burns and makes it difficult to breathe. The tension over law enforcement and the Trump officials initially trying to refute the protesters' experience, some of which was documented in photos and videos, led to muddled and inconsistent explanations about what happened that evening, some of which remains unknown. The Park Police has said it cleared the streets around the White House because officers were being hit with water bottles and other objects and not because Trump planned to walk through the area. But U.S. Attorney General William Barr was seen outside talking to officers around 6 p.m. A Justice Department official told The Washington Post that the order to clear the area came from Barr. Around 6:30 p.m., police in riot guard moved on the protesters and aggressively pushed them back, using irritants that left smoke lingering in the air, according to one Reuters video. At 7 p.m., Trump and an entourage walked through the area where the protesters had been, delivered brief remarks and posed with a photo outside the nearby St. John's Episcopal Church, which had been vandalized the night before. Mercedes Benz (China) Ltd. will recall 4,653 imported vehicles from the Chinese market due to incorrect child-safety lock labels, according to the country's top quality watchdog. The recall, set to begin on June 19, will involve imported G-class sedans manufactured between Feb. 14, 2018 and Sept. 24, 2019, said a statement on the website of the State Administration for Market Regulation. The embossed lock symbol for the child-safety lock on the rear doors of the involved vehicles may indicate the incorrect lock status of the child-safety lock, increasing a child's risk of injury in the event of the door opening unexpectedly. The auto company will install a label on the rear doors with the correct operating directions free of charge to eliminate risks, according to the statement. Draconian says Mamata Banerjee on draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020 India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, June 14: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed outrage over the draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020, describing it as "inhuman" and an attempt by the Centre to "destroy" the country's federal structure. In a strongly-worded letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Banerjee said the move by the Centre to amend the Electricity Act, 2003 was "completely unjustified" amid the socio-economic crisis brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic. "I feel constrained to inform that the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020 has been drafted without any consultation with the states, despite the fact that 'electricity' as a subject is on the Concurrent List. This is a clear and blatant violation of the constitutional provisions, the spirit of cooperative federalism and our democratic values. "The government of India should have held consultations with the states before the bill entered the legislative process," Banerjee said in the letter sent to the prime minister on Friday, a copy of which is available with PTI. She also expressed concern over the proposed bill having an adverse impact on consumers in terms of increased electricity tariff. "At present in every matter, attempts are being made to take away the powers of the state governments. This proposed bill is yet another attempt of the centre to destroy the federal structure as enshrined in our Constitution. "With regard to the proposed amendments, the bill is very much anti-people, anti-farmer, anti-unorganised sector, anti-consumer and more or less inhuman to the common people living in semi-urban and rural areas...as it proposes to completely end subsidies and cross-subsidies extended to consumers," Banerjee said. The chief minister said comments on the bill have been sought by the central government in a very hurried manner, "unfairly restricting" the scope of pre-legislative scrutiny on the part of the states and other stakeholders. She also took exception over the proposal that the electricity tariff is to be determined by a government-appointed commission, following the mandate of a centrally-determined tariff policy, which may be "tweaked to the whims and fancies" of the Centre. "This tariff determination by a central government-appointed authority will divest the state of its powers to the detriment of people's interests, and will adversely affect the ability of the state to discharge the onerous responsibility of improving the lives of its common people," Banerjee said in the letter. The Trinamool Congress chief opposed plans of setting up the Electricity Contract Enforcement Authority (ECEA) to adjudicate on matters relating to performance obligations under electricity contracts, when other regulatory bodies already exist. " The proposed creation of the ECEA clearly indicates the ulterior motive of the central government to snatch away full powers of the states and demolish its constitutional obligations," the chief minister said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, June 14, 2020, 8:14 [IST] Olivia Culpo has made it known on Instagram that she is head-over-heels for her nephew Remi. And the 28-year-old actress put herself in the running for 'Aunt Of The Year' by presenting her now two-year-old nephew with an impressive volcano cake at his birthday party on Saturday. Culpo showed off her confectionary creation to her 4.7million followers, which included fondant lava flow and plenty of colorful - and edible - dinosaurs. Volcanic surprise: Olivia Culpo put herself in the running for 'Aunt Of The Year' by presenting her now two-year-old nephew with an impressive volcano cake at his birthday party on Saturday Detailed: Culpo showed off her confectionary creation to her 4.7million followers, which included fondant lava flow and plenty of colorful - and edible - dinosaurs Olivia made sure to thank Celebrations In The Kitchen for providing her with the decorating kit needed to bring Remi's Jurassic dreams to life. She appeared eager to show off her cake to party attendees after she pulled it out of the fridge that she had 'left it in overnight' and meticulously smoothed out the green frosting. Culpo shared plenty of clips and videos to her Instagram Story that not only showed off the cake, but her nephew and sister Aurora's sweet reaction to it. Once the cake was cut into, a delicious rainbow interior was revealed. Priceless: Culpo shared plenty of clips and videos to her Instagram Story that not only showed off the cake, but her nephew and sister Aurora's sweet reaction to it Flower child: For Remi's birthday shin dig, Olivia wore a stunning sunflower print jumpsuit and a pair of black open toed heels For Remi's birthday shin dig, Olivia wore a stunning sunflower print jumpsuit and a pair of black open toed heels. Her hair was neatly slicked back into a bun and she wore gold chainlink earrings. On Friday evening, the former Miss Universe documented the cake creating process on her Instagram Story, where she could be seen assembling each individual piece. Eager: She appeared eager to show off her cake to party attendees after she pulled it out of the fridge that she had 'left it in overnight' and meticulously smoothed out the green frosting Impressive: Culpo showed off her confectionary creation to her 4.7million followers, which included fondant lava flow and plenty of colorful - and edible - dinosaurs Olivia returned to Los Angeles with boyfriend Christian McCaffrey, 24, on Wednesday after spending a total of 90 days quarantining in Colorado. The pair - who have been dating since May of last year - were far and away from their California home as it underwent a substantial remodel. Culpo made sure to share plenty of 'before and after' photos on her Instagram Story. The process: On Friday evening, the former Miss Universe documented the cake creating process on her Instagram Story, where she could be seen assembling each individual piece Auntie: Olivia Culpo has made it known on Instagram that she is head-over-heels for her nephew Remi; Olivia and Remi seen on Instagram in 2020 Upon arriving to her renovated residence, Olivia was seen on social media giving her beloved cello some much needed TLC. Culpo - who has been playing cello since the second grade - effortlessly grazed the bow against the instrument's strings, while donning a white bra and panty set. Meanwhile, Christian stripped off his shirt to enjoy a leisurely swim in their gorgeous backyard pool - which Olivia captured on video. Back home: Olivia returned to Los Angeles with boyfriend Christian McCaffrey, 24, on Wednesday after spending a total of 90 days quarantining in Colorado; Christian and Olivia pictured on Instagram on June 7 At least five persons were arrested for allegedly killing a youth in the state capital, police said on Saturday. The incident took place on Friday at Noonmati area of Guwahati when an altercation at a home furnishing shop over a petty issue turned ugly and some of the employees allegedly killed their former colleague in broad daylight by stabbing him in the neck, police said. He was taken to a private hospital by police, but doctors declared him brought dead. The deceased has been identified as Rituparna Pegu (26), who was working as an Uber cab driver. Meanwhile, Guwahati Police in a tweet said that five persons were arrested for the alleged murder and a case has been registered at Noonmati police station . During the day some locals gathered in front of the police station and demanded strict action against the culprits. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal ordered a fast track investigation into the case and handed over the investigation to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Assam Police. CM Shri @sarbanandsonwal has directed @AssamCid to investigate into the murder of Rituparna Pegu at Noonmati in Guwahati. It is informed that within 24 hours, five persons have been arrested, the Chief Ministers Office tweeted. Under orders of the CM, a fast-track investigation is underway to bring to justice perpetrators of the dastardly murder of #RituparnaPegu and ensure strictest punishment to the guilty, the CMO said in a separate tweet. Assam Police Additional Director General (CID) L R Bishnoi said his department has already begun probing the murder and tweeted that CID, Assam will ensure that the case is investigated properly & expeditiously. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 14 By Elnur Baghishov - Trend: Iran exported $2.36 billion worth of products to Afghanistan in the last Iranian year, (March 21, 2019 - March 20, 2020), Spokesman for Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) Rouhollah Latifi said, Trend reports citing IRICA. According to Latifi, the weight of exported products was 6.38 million tons. Latifi added that in this regard, Iran ranks first in the export of products to its eastern neighbor. China ranks second in Afghanistan's imports with $1.16 billion, Pakistan ranks third with $1.08 billion in funds. The official said that the exported products from Iran to Afghanistan were mainly construction materials, fuels items, detergents, medical supplies, food and household items. "There are great opportunities for investment between Iran and Afghanistan. Given that Afghan investors are investing heavily in Turkey and the UAE, it is hoped that they will be interested in investing in Iran as well," he said. The leaders of Fianna Fail, the Green Party and Fine Gael have expressed confidence that they will today sign off on the draft agreement of a programme for government. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said that if the programme for government is signed off later, it will represent a new departure for Irish society. The leaders of the three parties are at Government buildings to formally agree a draft programme for government and to discuss outstanding issues. Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar went into Government buildings without a word for the press. Thankfully the rain has started to ease off. pic.twitter.com/XRFS696Wf9 Aine McMahon (@AineMcMahon) June 14, 2020 Speaking on his way into Government buildings, Mr Martin said that although there are outstanding issues to be resolved, he is hopeful a deal can be signed off today. He said: I think we can move this forward and it can represent a new departure for Irish society. It will bring transformative change to how we do things and prepare the country well for the next decade and prepare us for the economic situation that Covid-19 has created that will take centre stage. Asked if the deal would be signed off this evening, he said: That would be our intention, yes. If a programme for government is finally agreed, it will go to our parliamentary party first and then there will be a vote by the membership. Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar did not speak to the press on his way into the meeting. Simon Coveney arrives at Government Buildings ( Niall Carson/PA) Speaking on the way into the talks, Mr Coveney, leader of the Fine Gael negotiating team, described the text as good for the country. We did a lot of good work last night and we effectively have a text for a government with a need for the leaders to finalise a very small number of issues, he said. Negotiating teams have done their job. I think the text that will be going to the leaders today is good for the country and I hope and I am confident that the three leaders will be able to sell it within their parties and to the public. Negotiators from the parties met until the early hours of the morning. The three negotiating teams agreed most of a programme for government this morning. A small number of issues have been left to the party leaders to decide later today. A lot of good stuff in there! Ossian Smyth TD (@smytho) June 14, 2020 Green Party TD Ossian Smyth, who is part of his partys negotiating team, tweeted at 4.30am on Sunday: The three negotiating teams agreed most of a programme for government this morning. A small number of issues have been left to the party leaders to decide later today. A lot of good stuff in there! Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said a coalition government deal needs to be done today Green Party leader Eamon Ryan is questioned as he arrives at Government Buildings (Niall Carson/PA) We are conscious that laws around the Special Criminal Court have to be looked at at the end of June. There is also an economic imperative to try and get the recovery going with a government that has a mandate to do that. Health Minister and Fine Gael TD Simon Harris said the public are eager for a government to be in place soon and he is hoping for a breakthrough. I think there is a clear expectation that this agreement can be brought to finality. It has been a long few, intense weeks of negotiations 127 days since the general election, he told RTEs Week In Politics Programme. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he thinks a government could be in place by the end of June or early July (Photocall Ireland/PA) The programme for government could run to more than 100 pages and the details will be worked out by party leaders on Sunday. It will then have to be put to the membership of each of the three parties for consideration. Mr Varadkar said on Friday that he thinks a government could be in place by the end of June or early July if members accept the deal. Issues remaining include those around the pension age, Occupied Territories Bill, pensions, a ban on fracked gas imports, income tax cuts and carbon tax proposals. A Green Party source said a ban on fracked gas imports would likely see deputy leader Catherine Martin backing the deal, which could help to persuade two-thirds of its party members to approve the agreement. The Green Party has the highest bar as their rules say two-thirds of their 2,700 members must support the deal. Karl Stefanovic's younger cousin Katarina has been hired by Channel Nine as a reporter in Cairns, Queensland. She is now the fourth member of the family to be employed by the network, after Karl and his brothers, Peter and Tom. The talented journalist, who hails from Wollongong and is in her mid-twenties, joined Nine News Far North Queensland in late 2019. Welcome to the family! Today host Karl Stefanovic's younger cousin Katarina (pictured) has been hired by Channel Nine as a reporter in Cairns, Queensland Katarina had previously worked as an executive producer at Sky News Australia and a reporter at 2GB in Sydney. She is a graduate of the University of Wollongong. On March 4, Katarina revealed on Instagram she had been stationed in Cairns for two months and had no regrets about the 'daunting' career move. Debut: On Friday, Karl mentioned on air that he was related to Katarina while introducing her report on the financial impact of Queensland's border closure on the tourism industry in Cairns Media career: The talented journalist, who hails from Wollongong and is in her mid-twenties, joined Nine News Far North Queensland in late 2019. Pictured reporting from Cairns last week Qualifications: Katarina is a graduate of the University of Wollongong. Pictured at her graduation with family members on November 5, 2016 She uploaded a photo of herself reporting on a Transport Workers' Union protest at Cairns Airport, and wrote: 'Two months up in FNQ already. A scary, daunting decision but one of the best career moves I've made.' The post was liked by her cousin Peter Stefanovic, the co-anchor of Sky News' politics-focused breakfast show, First Edition. She shared another Instagram post on February 16 from Palm Cove Beach, about 30 minutes' drive from central Cairns. 'Still can't believe I live here now,' she wrote in the caption. 'Nothing but blue skies and beaches full of irukandji jellyfish.' Road to Channel Nine: Katarina had previously worked as an executive producer at Sky News Australia and a reporter at 2GB in Sydney. Pictured on Sky News on September 27, 2019 Signing off! Katarina is pictured on her last day at 2GB radio on October 6, 2018, before she left for Sky News Beat: She is pictured left interviewing a police spokesperson while a reporter for 2GB in 2018 On Friday, Karl mentioned on the Today show that he was related to Katarina while introducing her report on the financial impact of Queensland's border closure on the tourism industry in Cairns. 'Struggling businesses in Far North Queensland facing a loss of up to $6million a day from interstate travel alone say the time in now [to reopen the border],' he said. 'And as my cousin and Nine reporter, Katarina Stefanovic, reports, the uncertainty is killing tourism operators.' It's believed this was the first time Karl had disclosed his relation to Katarina on air. Tradition: She's now the fourth member of her family to be employed by Nine, after her cousins Karl, Peter and Tom Stefanovic. Pictured delivering a live cross from Cairns on March 14 'Two months in FNQ already': On March 4, Katarina revealed on Instagram she had been stationed in Cairns for two months and had no regrets about the 'daunting' career move New start: She shared another Instagram post on February 16 from Palm Cove Beach, about 30 minutes' drive from central Cairns. 'Still can't believe I live here now,' she wrote in the caption Sightseer: Katarina visited Kellys Falls in Stanwell Tops, NSW, on November 7, 2019 Social butterfly: Katarina is seen here with a friend at a Sydney bar Interestingly, the young journo pronounces her famous surname - which is of Serbian origin - differently to Karl. Karl prefers the anglicised 'Stef-un-oh-vick', whereas Katarina goes by the more traditional 'Stef-ahn-oh-vitch'. She also includes the accented 'c' at the end of her surname, unlike Karl. Is it pronounced 'Stef-un-oh-vick' or 'Stef-ahn-oh-vitch'? The surname Stefanovic is of Serbian origin, but its pronunciation varies (even within families, as Karl and Katarina demonstrate). Karl prefers the anglicised 'Stef-un-oh-vick', whereas Katarina goes by the more traditional 'Stef-ahn-oh-vitch'. Indeed, she was introduced by her cousin as Katarina 'Stef-ahn-oh-vitch' during her segment on the Today show last week. Her other famous cousin, Peter, also prefers the European pronunciation. Point of difference: Katarina pronounces her surname 'Stef-ahn-oh-vitch', like her cousin Peter (left, with Allison Langdon). Karl, on the other hand, prefers the anglicised 'Stef-un-oh-vick' Peter, who is now the co-anchor of First Edition on Sky News, had, like Karl, been raised to pronounce his surname 'Stef-un-oh-vick'. But he adopted the European way of saying it while living overseas for five years as Nine's foreign correspondent. It's believed Karl and Peter's father, Alex, encouraged them to use the pronunciation that sounded more Australian. Advertisement Pals: Katarina (right) is pictured with a lookalike friend in December 2017 Social life: She is pictured right with another friend in January 2018 Katarina is the fourth Stefanovic to be employed by the Nine Network, not including those related by marriage. As mentioned, her cousin Karl works as a co-anchor on the Today show and also hosts segments for 60 Minutes. Karl's brother Peter, who left the network 18 months ago, is a former foreign correspondent and hosted Weekend Today from 2016 to 2018. Another of Katarina's cousins, Tom, used to be a cameraman for Nine News. 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. Srinagar: Security forces today busted a militant hideout in Tral area of Pulwama district in Kashmir, seizing a large cache of arms and ammunition. Army along with Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF have busted a terrorist hideout in Tral unearthing a large cache of warlike stores, an army spokesman said. Based on intelligence inputs, security forces launched a joint operation in the Kamla forest near Tral which led to the hideout. The forces recovered one AK-56 rifle, a sniper rifle, a machine gun and an under-barrel grenade launcher (UBGL) besides a large quantity of ammunition, the spokesman said. The recovery of warlike stores and destruction of the hideout close to the sensitive area of Tral has delivered a blow to the nefarious designs of terrorists attempting to reorganise themselves after the elimination of key militants, he added. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The summer weather will bring even more people outside to enjoy time around the country's natural hotspots. The organisation Natur & Emwelt has now written an open letter to several institutions demanding that something be done about the pollution of nature across Luxembourg. The pictures can be considered alarming, documenting the careless dumping of waste without any consideration. Authorities have even registered traces of plastic gloves in fox urine, proving once more how human behaviour can stain the eco system. Natur & Emwelt therefore request that people be educated on how to move around Luxembourg's wildlife sanctuaries: "Nature needs to be respected, one cannot simply stomp around and destroy everything and disrupt animal wildlife. Our message to people is clear: enjoy, observe, and respect nature." Different rules apply in wildlife sanctuaries, which are therefore always depicted on signs around the respective area. While hiking through the Minett region, Jan Herr noticed the remains of a camp fire, even though there was a sign close by clearly indicating that this was prohibited: "People often view nature as a place for relaxation, but often forget that these picturesque landscapes are the homes of countless plants and animals." Natur & Emwelt now wants to cooperate with the national forest administration to increase awareness of the issue. Watertown, NY (13601) Today A mix of clouds and sun early, then becoming cloudy later in the day. High 21F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Periods of snow. Low near 15F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 80%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches. The medical device sector took a hit this spring when patients were forced to postpone elective surgical procedures due to the coronavirus pandemic, and Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) and Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) fell harder than most in their sector. Year to date, Medtronic's stock is down 17.85% and Boston Scientific's stock fell by 21.85%. That's well below the drops across the medical device industry, as demonstrated by the iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF (NYSEMKT:IHI) which is down just 4.4% over the same period. But both companies are poised to make strong comebacks once hospitals begin re-scheduling non-emergency procedures. Since their share prices have fallen, Medtronic and Boston Scientific have low price-to-earnings ratios compared to the industry average, indicating they could be good long-term buys now. While both companies have withdrawn full-year guidance, their management teams project confidence in a rebounding market. The question is, as people begin going back to the hospital for non-coronavirus reasons, which of the two healthcare stocks is a better buy today? The case for Medtronic Medtronic is a larger company that brought in $28.9 billion in revenue in the 2020 fiscal year, which was down 5.4% from 2019. It's divided into four segments: The cardiac and vascular group is the largest, followed by minimally invasive therapies, restorative therapies, and diabetes. Thus, it enjoys the edge of having built-in diversification. The company was founded in 1949, and its co-founder Earl Bakken made the first battery-operated pacemaker. It has been slowly but steadily building revenue until this past year. Its fourth-quarter revenue was $5.9 billion, down 26.4%, year-over-year, with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) earnings per share (EPS) falling 44.8% to $0.48. Its falling share price didn't stop the company from raising its quarterly dividend 7% to $0.58 a share, with a forward yield of 2.50%. The company is a Dividend Aristocrat, with 43 consecutive years of dividend increases. Medtronic's CEO Geoff Matha set an optimistic tone at a conference last month: At a time -- a time when a lot of people in MedTech, a lot of our competitors, even the bigger competitors in MedTech are raising capital, we're raising our dividend. And I think that speaks to two things; the strength, our financial health and our strength of our balance sheet as well as our commitment to shareholders. The case for Boston Scientific Boston Scientific's first quarter ended March 31, so its numbers didn't yet show how fully it would be impacted by the pandemic shutdown. The Massachusetts-based company had first-quarter revenues of $2.54 billion, a 2% jump year over year. Its expenses were way up, however, so the company's net income was down 94.4% to $11 million, compared with $424 million in the first quarter in 2019. Boston Scientific has bought more than 20 companies the past five years and completed two key acquisitions last year that are already paying off. It purchased British interventional medicine company BTG for $4.2 billion, improving the company's oncology division with therapies for liver and kidney cancers. Boston Scientific also spent $465 million to buy Vertiflex, which developed the Superion Indirect Compression System to help patients with lumbar spinal stenosis, which is when the spinal canal narrows and compresses the nerves and blood vessels. Last year, Boston Scientific's sales increased to $10.7 billion, up 11% from 2018, and net income was $4.7 billion, up 181% in the same time period. It doesn't pay a dividend. "We continue to balance short-term adjustments to our plans while strengthening our long-term strategy to serve our customers and deliver high performance," said Boston Scientific CEO Mike Mahoney in the first-quarter release. Boston Scientific should have the bigger bounce Medtronic and Boston Scientific should both see nice long-term growth, along with the general market for neurostimulator devices and pain-management devices as both companies market products for deep brain therapy and pain therapy through neuromodulation. But of the two, I believe Boston Scientific has higher short-term growth potential. Boston Scientific's price-to-earnings ratio of 11.58 shows the stock may already be a better buy than Medtronic, which has a P/E of 26.11, though both are better than the sector's average of 29.59. The difference in optimism has to do with Medtronic's dividend, which rewards cautious investors, making it a more popular stock, particularly when the market has seen wild swings. However, it's easy to see that there may be more growth in Boston Scientific's future, as the company has had more consistent growth in the past five years. Medtronic's revenue growth the past four years has been fairly flat, while Boston Scientific's has averaged 8% or better over the past four years. Boston Scientific's cardiovascular division is particularly strong, with improved sales of 9.3% last year. Many of the procedures involving both companies' devices were only postponed, not canceled, because they are fairly inelastic. A patient who needs a pacemaker can put off the inevitable for only so long. Healthcare investors looking to capture upside from the bounce of a stock worth holding for the long-term would do well to scoop up shares of Boston Scientific today. By Trend In the context of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, Armenia is left alone, said spokesperson for Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva in response to the media question on the statement by the Armenian Foreign Ministry regarding the former Shaumyan region of Azerbaijan, Trend reports. The statement by the MFA of Armenia on the alleged occupation of the former Shahumyan region of Azerbaijan clearly demonstrates that the groundless territorial claims of Armenia against Azerbaijan are not limited to the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the seven adjacent regions of Azerbaijan, which are currently under occupation of the armed forces of Armenia. The former Shaumyan region of Azerbaijan was first created in 1930 in the form of an administrative unit, that is, the Shaumyan rural region, which included the territories of the former Ganja district, mainly inhabited by Armenians. This area has never been part of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region. In 1991, by the decision of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan, it was abolished and included in the Kasim-Ismailov region, and later, its historical name of Goranboy was returned to the area. The fact that the MFA of Armenia accuses Azerbaijan of occupying its own internationally recognized territories equally causes laughter and, to say the least, bewilderment. We recall that in the 30th paragraph of the decision of the European Court of Human Rights regarding the case Sargsyan v. Azerbaijan of 2015 the Court noted that the former Shaumyan region (Goranboy) was declared by the NKR as part of its territory .... Having considered the evidences presented, the Court in paragraphs 134 and 139 determined that the region is an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan and thus rejecting Armenias claims. This statement by the MFA of Armenia, aimed at distracting the international community from the fact that it is Armenia that bears full responsibility for the military occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and the adjacent areas, and the violation of the fundamental rights of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis forcibly expelled from these territories, is a manifestation of dirty practice of falsification of facts by Armenia. This statement of the occupying country once again demonstrated to the whole world how, in fact, the Armenian leadership is preparing its population for peace. In general, I would like to note that the latest statements by the MFA are aimed at escalating the already tense situation. It is difficult to say whether they are doing it consciously or from hopelessness, since today it is obvious that in the context of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, Armenia is left alone. There is not a single country in the world who not only support, but even sympathize with the position of the Armenian side. Perhaps the difficult internal political situation in the country puts pressure on the latest statements and comments by the Armenian Foreign Ministry, and in this way they want to show their toughness. Although it would be more logical to sit down with us at the table and conclude negotiations in accordance with the proposals that have been repeatedly discussed at all levels, said Abdullayeva. COVID-19 update: The total number of coronavirus cases has reached 32,0922 with the death toll at 9195. Moreover, India has recorded highest single-day spike of 11,929 cases with 311 deaths in the last 24 hours COVID-19 update: The total number of coronavirus cases in India has reached 32,0922 with the death toll at 9195. India has reported total of 1,49,348 active cases with more than 162378 people cured and discharged from the hospital after suffering from the virus. According to the latest data shared by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India has recorded the highest single-day spike of 11,929 fresh COVID-19 cases with 311 deaths in the last 24 hours. Moreover, this is the second consecutive day that the nation has registered more than 11,000 fresh cases. Further, India is now ranked at fourth worst-hit countries by the coronavirus pandemic after the US, Brazil, and Russia. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reviewed steps to contain the spread of the pandemic in India. In a review meeting, the PM also discussed subjects like the number of testing facilities and beds required to match up with the rising number of coronavirus cases. According to the state-wise data, Maharashtra, which is the worst-hit state, has 1,04,568 cases with 51392 active cases and 49346 cured and 3830 deaths, followed by Tamil Nadu with 42687 cases and Delhi with total 38958 COVID-19 cases. Further, ICMR has reported that over 55 lakh coronavirus tests have been conducted till June 13, and a total of 1.43 samples are taken in 24 hours. Also Read: Coronavirus outbreak: Amit Shah, Harsh Vardhan to review COVID-19 situation in Delhi 311 deaths and highest single-day spike of 11,929 new #COVID19 cases reported in the last 24 hours. Total number of cases in the country now at 3,20,922 including 1,49,348 active cases, 1,62,379 cured/discharged/migrated and 9195 deaths: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare pic.twitter.com/fMJWr5vPMk ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2020 The total number of coronavirus cases globally has crossed 77.6 lakh cases with the death toll above 4.29 lakh. Further, China also reported its highest daily total of fresh Covid cases in 24 hours. China reported 57 new cases of coronavirus, which is the highest since April. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Amid the surge in coronavirus COVID-19 cases in Mumbai. speculations are rife that local train services would resume in the financial capital of the country for people involved in essential services. Sources told Zee Media that a final decision in this regard is expected by Sunday (June 14) It may be recalled that on Thursday (June 11), Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope had urged Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan to restart Mumbais local trains in order to help in the movement of people involved in essential services. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has already made similar request to the Centre in the past. A number of employees from essential service sector are working against the novel coronavirus, such as those working for the municipal corporations, police, hospital employees and others. It is important to restart the local train service for them, Tope told Harsh Vardhan during a video-conference on Thursday. Local trains are called the life line of Mumbai and in normal days around 80 lakh people commute daily through local trains in different parts of the city. The local trains services is divided into three lines: Western line runs from Churchgate to Virar, Central line is from CST to Kalyan and the third line is Harbour Line. When will the coronavirus disease peak in India? Thats the Rs 20-lakh crore question. Some experts have said the disease is expected to peak in India in July. Theres a study funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research that is doing the rounds that expects the peak to happen in November. But I think we are asking the wrong question. Infections caused by the Sars-CoV-2 virus that causes the coronavirus disease largely appear in concentrated clusters (at least, thats been the trend everywhere in the world), which may make it pointless to try and answer the original question at the country-level for a nation as large as India. A better way of framing the question would be when will the coronavirus disease peak in Delhi? Or Chennai? Or Mumbai? Or Ahmedabad? Or even Indore? Around the world, people have measured this simply by looking at the number of daily infections and deaths. At some stage and this has happened in Chinas Wuhan; Italy; Spain; even New York City the numbers of daily cases and daily deaths start to decline consistently. It doesnt just happen for a day or two but dips steadily and consistently over time. The bad news for Indian cities and states being ravaged by the coronavirus right now is that the trend line is still pointing north not due north (that would be alarming), but north all the same. The numbers of new cases and deaths continue to rise, and, worryingly, so does the positivity rate, the proportion of those testing positive. And at least in these states and cities, no matter what anyone claims, there is clear community transmission (which actually isnt that big a deal; many of the countries that have flattened the curve did see community transmission). Events over the weekend indicate that India is clearly stepping up its response to the pandemic but it would still help to know when the disease will peak across states and cities. At one level, this can help administrators plan ahead. At another, it gives everyone something to look forward to. An infection wanes under two conditions: it has run its course (which means enough of the population has been exposed to the pathogen and is, therefore, immune); or its chain has been broken either through a cure (or a vaccine), or by physically removing chances of an infection. For instance, across Europe, especially Western Europe, which was ravaged by the disease, the trend lines of daily cases all indicate a clear decline (even in the UK, which saw 1,425 new cases on June 13, well off its peak of 6,000-plus). Now, did this happen because the virus ran its course? Limited blood tests of the population in many of these countries do not indicate widespread immunity (it is accepted that 60-65% of the population will have to be infected to achieve what scientists call herd immunity). No country is close to that. Or did it happen simply because these countries managed to break the chain by testing, tracing, isolating and treating the affected, and by persuading the rest of the population to take adequate precautions (masks, hand-washing, social distancing)? This appears more likely. In effect, the experience of most countries lets ignore smaller ones such as New Zealand that have crushed the curve (because they can) shows that they havent worn the virus down; they have just managed to learn to live with it, minimising both infections and deaths as they wait for a possible cure. The 68-day lockdown in India may have deferred the peak, giving time for governments to strengthen their health care infrastructure but if the cases in India are continuing to rise rise (the country saw 12,081 new cases on Saturday, and 11,423 on Sunday), its because we have not done a good enough job of testing, tracing, and isolating the infected. And its because at least some of us have been lax in taking precautions. The country now seems to be stepping up its game on the first. People now have to step up theirs on the second. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Ministry of Trade and Industry has implored automobile dealers to dialogue with the ministry over the Customs (Amendment) Act, 2020 rather than demonstrating. The dealers say, the act, if not amended, will halt the importation of second-hand cars of more than ten years old, as well as salvage cars, locally referred to as accident cars. This move, they believe will lead to a collapse of their businesses and cause massive loss of jobs. But in an interview with Citi Business News, the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Prince Boakye Boateng, called for an amicable settlement. For their threat of demonstration, its their constitutional right. However, I believe we need to resort to dialogue if we are unable to resolve our issues with dialogue then people can consider demonstrating. Our doors as a Ministry are always open to all stakeholders. And its important to note that the law in its current form does not take effect immediately. Parliament in March this year, passed the Customs (Amendment) Bill, which the President later assented to. The ban on importation of accident and 10-yr old used cars take effect from October 2020. The government says the benefits largely outweigh the losses as the new amendments will boost the Ghana Automotive Manufacturing Programme which has attracted several car assembling plants into the country. Source: ghanaweb Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Sharps appointed attorney, Bradley G. Pollock, said Sharp is a tenant of the Salyerses with his baby and the babys mother, and Sharp understood that they had permission to bring a refrigerator to the dumpster. Sharp said when confronted by McCray, he and Amanda Salyers, who is of no relation, returned the refrigerator to the Salyerses property two doors down, Pollock said. Sharp said he stayed there and didnt have anything further to do with anything else, his attorney said. The daily number of deaths attributed to Covid-19 spiked above 100 in Iran for the first time in two months amid signs of a resurgence of the coronavirus following an easing of lockdown measures. Over the last 24 hours, at least 107 people in Iran died with the disease, the highest number since 13 April, according to official statistics provided by the health ministry in Tehran. Iran is the Middle Eastern country that has been worst affected by the pandemic, with a total death toll of 8,837. After implementing lockdown and curfew measures to combat the outbreak, which flooded hospitals with sick patients and killed medical personnel and senior politicians, Iran brought down both the rate of deaths and reported new cases in May. However, despite warnings from some public health officials of a second wave of cases, Iranian authorities chose to reopen public and commercial life. 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 Irans economy is under intense pressure because of United States sanctions that target almost any company or country that does business with Tehran, and the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, said he was eager to allow economic activity. Officials have warned that the capital, which is the centre of Irans commercial and cultural life, remains a high-risk area, and they have begun to criticise residents of the city of 8.7 million for ignoring social distancing guidelines. The ministry of health has also warned of incremental growth of the coronavirus in rural provinces, and that a second wave of the disease may soon begin. The observance of health protocols has declined to 20 per cent from 80, which causes us concern, Mr Rouhani said in a speech on Saturday that was broadcast on television, urging the public to wear masks and regularly wash their hands. Irans handling of the coronavirus crisis has come under intense scrutiny, especially in the first weeks of the pandemic. Some international public experts, domestic critics and exiled activists have questioned the governments official numbers and decisions. Controversial moves included holding parliamentary elections in February, declining to quarantine shrine cities, and allowing passenger flights to and from China, even after most countries had barred them. On 9 June, Irans health ministry replaced spokesperson Kianoush Jahanpour two months after he came under fire for a social media post in which he publicly questioned Chinas official coronavirus statistics as a bitter joke. Iran has reported more than 187,000 cases of coronavirus, with at least 2,000 new infections reported daily since 27 May as it continues to ramp up testing. Neighbouring Turkey, with a population of similar size and demographics to Iran, has reported more than 176,000 cases and 4,792 deaths. In a speech on Sunday, Mr Rouhani addressed the task of balancing economic needs and public health. The honourable people of Iran know that while we are dealing with the economic effects of the coronavirus, our country is under the most severe and inhumane sanctions, he told government officials in a speech posted to his website. Although economic experts believe that the economic effects of the coronavirus are more permanent and more harmful than the coronavirus itself, the government has tried to prevent serious complications and damage to the people and to the countrys economy. While studies have shown that men are more prone to dying from COVID-19 than women globally, an analysis of case fatalities in India suggests that females may have a higher relative-risk of COVID-19 mortality in the country. Scientists, including Abhishek Kumar from the Institute of Economic Growth in New Delhi, used crowdsourced data to provide early estimates for age-sex specific COVID-19 case fatality rate (CFR) for India. The study, published in the Journal of Global Health Science, presented an age and sex specific view of mortality from the disease using the measure of CFR, which is the ratio of confirmed deaths in total confirmed cases. In the research, the scientists evaluated adjusted-CFR to capture the potential mortality among the currently active infections. According to the study, the CFR among males is 2.9 per cent, while that for females it is 3.3 per cent in India. The researchers said as of May 20, 2020, males shared a higher burden (66 per cent) of COVID-19 infections than females (34 per cent) but the infection is more or less evenly distributed in under-five as well as elderly age groups. Males are at a greater disadvantage than females, they said, adding that it is unclear whether males experience a higher risk of mortality throughout the age-spectrum, or if there are sex-related differences in survival risk. While males have a higher overall burden (66 per cent) of COVID-19 infections than females, the infection is evenly distributed in the under-five age group and, to some extent, even among the elderly age groups (particularly 70+ years), the scientists wrote in the study. The World Health Organization (WHO) world standard population structure standardized CFR for India is 3.34 per cent while the adjusted-CFR is estimated to be 4.8 per cent, the study noted. While early evidence indicated that males have higher overall burden across the world, females have a higher relative-risk of COVID-19 mortality in India, the researchers said. According to the scientists, elderly males and females both display high mortality risk and require special care when infected. Citing the limitations of the study, the researchers said the analysis is based on crowdsourced data with considerable gaps in reporting of age-sex specific information of all the COVID-19 infections and deaths. The scientists said the number of confirmed cases in India depends upon the testing facility and capture of the data on age-sex specificities of COVID-19 cases, which they added has been inadequate. Based on the results, the researchers emphasised the need for data collection and sharing of age-sex specific COVID-19 cases and mortality data to develop robust estimates of COVID-19 case fatality to support policy decisions. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Melania Trump was so uncertain of herself in the aftermath of husband Donald's shock election victory that she told staff not to use her new title, a new book has claimed. 'She said, "Stop calling me first lady,"' one of the people who worked with her after the election told author Mary Jordan. Jordan writes that neither Melania nor her husband expected to win in November 2016, with Donald musing about spending the post-election weeks licking his wounds in Scotland, and instructing the pilot of his private jet to 'fuel up the plane'. Melania Trump and her husband, with Barron looking on, in the early hours of November 9, 2016, when the election result was called. All around Trump were reportedly shocked Melania Trump delayed her move to Washington D.C. after Trump became president in part to use the time to renegotiate her pre-nup agreement; the first couple are seen on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2017 'The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump,' by Washington Post reporter Mary Jordan, 'draws an unprecedented portrait of the first lady' based on interviews with more than 100 people in five countries. Out on Tuesday, excerpts from the 286-page book appeared in The Washington Post on Friday. The book details how Melania was reluctant to embrace the role, partially out of a dislike of media scrutiny and public performance, and partially out of anger at the stories during the campaign of her husband's numerous infidelities. Trump has denied any cheating. Reports of his affair with Stormy Daniels appeared in October 2018 and, after they appeared, Melania abruptly canceled her plans to join Trump in Davos for its annual conference. She spent the first six months of Trump's presidency in New York, at home in Trump Tower with their son, Barron, who was 10 when his father was inaugurated. Jordan writes that Melania used that time to negotiate a better pre-nup for herself and to ensure, in writing, that Barron would be treated equally with his much older siblings Don Jr, Ivanka, Eric and Tiffany. Melania Trump wanted her son Barron to have the same treatment as the eldest Trump children - Eric, Ivanka and Don Jr; the Trump family together in February 2015 to celebrate Donald Trump's show 'The Celebrity Apprentice' She also wanted Barron to remain in New York, with his existing friends and finish his school term. She was forced to reconsider, Jordan writes, when it became clear how costly and disruptive Barron's school routine was for the city. ' The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump ,' by Washington Post reporter Mary Jordan, is out on Tuesday 'Simply getting Barron to his classes unleashed massive traffic problems around his school, Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School on Manhattans Upper West Side,' Jordan writes. 'Many of the other parents were busy, wealthy people and some began to seethe over the disruption and inconvenience, including delayed drop-offs and pickups and being told to hold for Melania and Barron. 'Parents also worried about the safety of their own kids, even with the constant presence of the Secret Service. 'Not to mention that many of them were progressive New York Democrats who had voted for Hillary Clinton and couldnt stand Trump.' Security costs for Melania and Barron were running at $125,000 a day, the New York Police Department said. Melania's office has described the book as 'fiction.' 'Yet another book about Mrs Trump with false information and sources,' said Stephanie Grisham, the first lady's chief of staff, in a statement to DailyMail.com. 'This book belongs in the fiction genre.' The New York Police Department estimated it costed $127,000 to $146,000 a day to protect Melania and Barron at Trump Tower in New York and the Secret Service requested extra funding to protect them Jordan describes Melania as focused, ruthless and ambitious - leaving friends behind once she had moved on to a new portion of her life, whether that was a modeling career that led her from Milan, Italy to New York City or her marriage to the business mogul that took her to the White House. She 'would seize an opportunity and put great effort into it. Then she would move on and never look back,' Jordan notes. Melania, the nation's second immigrant first lady - the first was Louisa Adams - has kept a low profile during her tenure compared to other women who have occupied the role, particularly in modern times. She has done few sit-down interviews and her signature initiative, Be Best, uses existing government and business structures to promote its pillars of kindness, well-being and online safety. She keeps her East Wing staff small and her portion of the White House is famous for its lack of leaks and the loyalty of her staff. Melania Knauss with her boyfriend Donald Trump in September 1998 - a new biography of the first lady casts doubt on the official story of how the couple met During the coronavirus pandemic, she reacted faster than her husband to contain it, ordering her staff to telework and to wear masks when inside the complex. She has encouraged Americans to keep up social distancing and wear face masks. She worn one herself on Marine One although she has not been photographed wearing one openly in public. But she has had her share of controversies, including the time she wore a jacket that read 'I REALLY DON'T CARE, DO U?' in June 2018 on her way to Texas to visit migrant children separated from their families. She also underwent surgery for a benign kidney condition in May 2018, disappearing from the public eye for nearly a month, sparking many rumors and speculation about her health. Melania has said her role model is Jackie Kennedy, another famously shy first lady, known more for what she wore than for what she said. On June 11, 2017, Melania Trump tweeted she had moved into the White House A new biography of the first lady reveals details on her prenuptial renegotiation and claims she's lied about her age and had plastic surgery The new bio reveals one of Melania's top priorities is her son Barron, 14, was taken care of; the first family is seen on the South Lawn of the White House in January 2020 But friends tell Jordan the Trumps genuinely love one another and have a strong marriage, despite sleeping in separate bedrooms and keeping separate schedules. Melania Knauss and Donald Trump married on January 22, 2005 at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Florida. They held their reception at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. It was Trump's third marriage and her first. His marriage to Ivana Trump lasted 15 years and his marriage to Marla Maples last six years. Melania has outlasted them all. An assault on a black man by a 27-year-old white suspect in Texas was added to a growing list of crimes against people of color as a result of George Floyd's killing. Suspect Montana Amburn, according to police, was reportedly making racially offensive statements before he was kicked out of a bar. Amburn was taken into custody after the incident on Wednesday evening at Mickey's Pub in Mineral Wells. A press release specified that according to police, the suspect was indicted with "aggravated assault with a deadly weapon." Meanwhile, the unidentified 33-year-old victim was confined in a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to investigating officers. Racist Comments The incident started just before midnight when police in Mineral Wells received a call, reporting a huge fight and stabbing at a bar. Amburn had already escaped when the officers arrived. Also, according, as indicated in the press release, some witnesses at the scene were able to give the suspect's name and description to the officers. It specified as well, that witnesses referred to Amburn, making some racist remarks As the bar's manager escorted the suspect out, the authorities said in the press release, and they got into an argument. And once he was outside, Amburn reportedly continued berating other customers that included the victim and his wife. At one instance during the incident, police said, Amburn confronted the wife of the victim and, based on the witnesses' statements, stabbed the victim after he interfered in the confrontation. Not a Hate Crime Amburn was located at a home a few hours after the incident and brought to the hospital with an injury in his head. Reports said he was later apprehended "and booked into the Palo Pinto County Jail." It was not clear, though if the suspect had a lawyer. According to the Mineral Wells Police Department, it has been being questioned why Amburn has not been indicted with "a hate crime." In addition, police said in the press release it issued that, the designation of a committed offense due to prejudice or bias is decided during the criminal trial's innocent or guilt phase and not during the time of apprehension or arrest. Hate Crimes Defined Also known as a "bias-motivated crime," hate crime impacts an individual's safety and security, as well as that of his society and community in general. Essentially, hate crime is a criminal act driven by prejudice or bias towards specific groups of individuals. For an occurrence to be considered a "hate crime," first, an act must institute a felony under criminal law; second, the particular act must have been driven by bias. Hate Crime may comprise of property damage, assault, threats, murder or any criminal act done with the motivation of prejudice and bias. This kind of crime does not just impact individuals from particular groups. Even property or people simply connected with or believed to be part of a group, sharing a shielded characteristic like places of worships or human rights advocates to name some, can be targets of hate crimes, as well. Check these out! A Colombian businessman indicted by U.S. authorities as the chief money launder for Nicolas Maduro's regime in Venezuela has been detained in the African island archipelago of Cape Verde. Alex Saab was detained on June 12 as his San Marino-registered jet made a refueling stop in Cape Verde on its way from Caracas to Iran. U.S. Justice Department spokeswoman Nicole Navas Oxman said on June 13 that Saab was arrested in Cape Verde on an Interpol red notice. Maria Dominguez, Saab's U.S.-based attorney, confirmed his arrest. The United States has no extradition treaty with Cape Verde and it was not immediately clear what would happen next. The U.S. government accuses Saab of being the front man for a vast network of money laundering and corruption in Venezuela through shell companies in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Hong Kong, Panama, Colombia, and Mexico. The U.S. Justice Department in July 2019 indicted Saab and another businessman for bribing Venezuelan officials and diverting some $350 million to overseas accounts. The U.S. Treasury Department has also put sanctions on Saab for running a vast corruption network for a food-aid program that lined the pockets of the Maduro regime, which has overseen the economic collapse of the oil-rich country. U.S. officials say the food scheme also includes Maduro's stepchildren as well as 13 companies in various countries. "Saab engaged with Maduro insiders to run a wide-scale corruption network they callously used to exploit Venezuelas starving population," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in July 2019 while announcing the sanctions. "They use food as a form of social control, to reward political supporters and punish opponents, all the while pocketing hundreds of millions of dollars through a number of fraudulent schemes." More recently, Saab is suspected of getting involved in the oil business by helping Maduro buy fuel oil and supplies from Iran in exchange for gold in order to get around U.S. sanctions on both countries. In May, Iran sent Venezuela several tankers of fuel oil that the U.S. government and Venezuelan opposition say were purchased with gold and by shell companies controlled by Saab. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza denounced the "arbitrary and illegal detention" of Saab, who he said was acting on behalf of the Venezuelan government to procure food, medicine, and other supplies to help the country against the coronavirus pandemic. The Venezuelan opposition, headed by Juan Guaido -- who is recognized by dozens of countries including the United States as Venezuela's interim president -- welcomed Saab's arrest. "Colombian boss Alex Saab is the main figurehead of the dictatorship; he manages opaque [Venezuelan state oil company] PDVSA businesses, gold, food, alliance with Iran, relations with cartels, and protects ill-gotten money from Maduro and [Maduro's wife] Cilia Flores," Julio Borges, a top opposition figure close to Guaido, said on Twitter. "His capture is a hard blow to the structure of the regime, it shows that Venezuelans are not alone and that there is no future with Maduro, not even for those who support him," he said. With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters Isolation facility not mandatory for flyers testing positive on arrival from at-risk countries: Check guidelin Development trajectory: PM to interact with DMs of various districts today Kerala man builds a shrine for 'Corona Devi' to ward off COVID-19 pandemic India oi-PTI Kollam, June 14: As the coronavirus spread causes distress worldwide, a man in Kerala is worshipping the deadly pathogen as a Goddess and praying for the well being of frontline warriors,with his move drawing flak on social media. A thermacol replica of of SARS CoV2, the virus that has affected millions worldwide and over three lakh in India, with red protrusions as seen in pictures, finds a place in the large puja room in the house of Anilan at Kadakkal here. "I am worshipping the coronavirus as a goddess and doing daily pujas for the safety and well being of health professionals, police personnel and scientists, who are toiling to discover a vaccine, fire force and media personnel and others engaged in the battle against the virus, he said. Unfazed by the trolls against him in the social media, Anilansaid people ridicule him for offering prayers to Corona Devi. "This is my way of creating awareness,"he told PTI. Many in the social media have questioned his motive, while others have said he was doing it just for publicity and some said it was just superstition. Anilan, who is against the governments decision to open places of religious worship, including temples, said people can sit in their homes and pray. At this juncture, when the virus has not been contained, allowing people to go to religious places will create havoc, he said. "There are 33 crore Hindu gods and I am worshipping the virus as a goddess as part of the fundamental right guaranteed under the Constitution", he said. Anilan does not encourage devotees to come to his house to offer prayers and give money to Corona devi. Asked for his reaction to prayers being offered to the idol,well known writer, critic and orator Sunil P Elayidom said "At one end, our society and its people are well known for their knowledge and degrees and have become teachers, professors, technical experts, scientists and professionals. India reports highest single-day spike of 11,929 new coronavirus cases, total tally at 3.20 lakh But on the other side, we still hold close to our heart such blind beliefs and communal expressions. We carry the extreme ends of both worlds. We never feel anything wrong in it. This worship is just a crude expression of that phenomenon", he said. Many parts of Rural India in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal Bengal has seen people worshipping Corona Devi to ward off the pandemic. Women in parts of Assam have also offered prayers to please Corona Devi, according to media reports. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, June 14, 2020, 18:01 [IST] The financial deal underpinning the relocation of the Powerhouse Museum could be in doubt with Parramatta City Council and the Berejiklian government in dispute over the costs to expand the nearby Riverside Theatres. Parramatta Council's chief executive Brett Newman last week disclosed plans to build a performing arts centre across the river from the Parramatta Powerhouse came with no guarantee of government funding. The Riverside Theatres in Parramatta. The admission surprised councillors who had expected the government's arts agency, Create NSW, to contribute to the theatre redevelopment under an agreement to create a cultural precinct along the river. Some councillors now want government to return the $100 million that had been set aside for the theatre renovations on its behalf out of the proceeds from its 2017 sale of the new Powerhouse Museum site. During our current Looney Tunes time of American history, President Donald Trump has tweeted he will not even consider changing the names of American military bases that honor Confederate generals who violated their oaths to defend the U.S Constitution and defend the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. At least these generals felt strongly enough about their convictions on the retention of slavery that they were willing to personally face the horror of Civil War combat to fight for their cause. This is a dedication to cause that President Bone Spurs may have trouble relating to. May I humbly suggest instead that he rename two military installations for two Americans guided by reasons Trump can relate to -- bruised egos and financial gain. I expect to shortly see President Trump endorsing Fort Benedict Arnold and Fort Aaron Burr. James Sabat, Twinsburg If you really want to honour him, implement his inclusive ideology: SC Bose's grandnephew Plan to contain the spike, PM Modi says during high level meet with senior ministers India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, June 14: While flagging concerns over the rising number of COVID-19 cases, Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted that it was important to get the capital back on track and also devise a plan to contain the spike. PM Modi made the remarks at a review meeting with senior ministers and top officials. The high level meeting was chaired to discuss the national coronavirus situation. The meeting comes in the wake of the meeting to be held between Union Home Minister, Amit Shah and Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal. There was a need to draw up a plan to slow down and also arrested the spread of the virus in Delhi, the PM said at the meeting. Sources tell OneIndia that the PM also said that there was a dire need to contain the spread and also ensure that the hospitals in the national capital are not overwhelmed. Modi also suggested that Shah and Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan meet the Delhi LG and CM in the presence of senior officials of the Centre. The source cited above said that when Shah meets with the Delhi CM and others, he would plan a comprehensive response to handle the rising cases. Further the current situation, projections for the near future and also measures to be undertaken would be discussed. WASHINGTON In 2014, President Barack Obama signed into law legislation that required police departments and other law enforcement agencies to report to the federal government the death of any person who died in their custody. Six years later, the U.S. Department of Justice has still never begun collecting that data although it's mandated to do so by law. If implemented, the Death in Custody Reporting Act would have produced a national database of instances when people died while being incarcerated, arrested or detained by police or other law enforcement entities circumstances that encompass the death of George Floyd on May 25 in Minneapolis. No such government database currently exists, although the Federal Bureau of Investigations collects vast amounts of other crime data. "The DOJs failure to implement compliance guidance for the Death in Custody Reporting Act ... is another example of President Trumps disregard for transparency and accountability," U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said Friday. "It is unacceptable that six years after the program was signed into law, the DOJ has neither formalized a process for state data collection nor held states accountable for failing to comply with the laws requirements." The state Legislature passed bills this week to create an office of special investigations for police-involved deaths, as well as a new office to examine police misconduct. Previously, police departments in New York reviewed many of these cases internally, determining on their own if there was any wrongdoing and keeping the outcomes secret. The unbuilt national database generated from the Deaths in Custody Reporting Act would include more information about deaths in prisons and deaths of individuals in police custody where direct force from an officer was not involved. The law requires that states report quarterly and federal agencies report annually the name, gender, race, ethnicity and age of the deceased person as well as details about the death: location, date and time, and the circumstances surrounding the fatality. In order to ensure cooperation, the law authorized DOJ to withhold up to 10 percent of a specific federal grant from states that did not comply with reporting. The harrowing video of George Floyds death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers underscores what many Americans already know: that others have suffered the same fate, but their death has gone unrecorded and those responsible were not held to account, Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., who introduced the legislation in 2013, wrote to U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Tuesday, urging him to immediately start amassing the data. Congress and the Executive branch must know the depths of the problem in order to eliminate avoidable deaths and criminal police behavior in our justice system, Scott said. Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-New York City, and Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., wrote to the DOJ Inspector General in January to request an investigation into why the agency had not yet adopted procedures to collect the data or published any reports. The DOJ Inspector General first investigated the matter in 2018. It found DOJ had considered and abandoned three different reporting mechanisms to collect the data from states since 2016. At the time, DOJ said it expected to begin collecting the data around October 2019. DOJ did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding whether data collection has actually begun. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Although the Inspector General found in 2018 that most federal law enforcement agencies had started reporting the deaths in their custody to DOJ, at the time DOJ had no plans to make the reports public. The law gave DOJ two years to analyze the data, determine how and if it could be used to reduce the number of such death and file a report to Congress. The law required that such a report be submitted to Congress no later than two years after Dec. 18, 2014, the inspector general wrote. Despite the failed history of data collection under the Deaths in Custody Reporting Act, Democrats in Congress are now pushing to gather more information on police encounters, as weeks of protests against police brutality and racial injustice continue across the nation. The Justice in Policing Act would require state and local law enforcement to report to DOJ data on use of force, broken down by race, sex, age, disability and religion. New York police departments have recently started reporting use of force data to the state. "The Department of Justices inaction is nothing short of a dereliction in duty and further shines a spotlight on the need for stricter laws, tougher oversight, and the urgency to pass the Justice in Policing Act with all due speed," said Allison Biasotti, spokesperson for U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y. According to researchers at the organization Fatal Encounters, 19 individuals have died in police interactions in New York so far in 2020, in addition to 51 in the past five years, based on media reports and some government records. One hundred and one people were fatally shot by police in New York since Jan. 1, 2015, according to a Washington Post database. Forty-six were black, 35 were white, eight were Hispanic, one was another race and 11 peoples race were unknown. CLEVELAND, Ohio Two men were injured in a shooting Saturday evening that could be related to an earlier incident involving the suspected shooters dog, police say. Few details about the shooting were made available Sunday morning. The shooting happened about 5 p.m. Saturday at a house on the 500 block of East 123rd Street in Clevelands Glenville neighborhood, department spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said. Two men were injured in the shooting, Ciaccia said. Neither their ages nor the extent of their injuries were provided. The men hurt in the shooting told police that they knew who shot them, Ciaccia said. Information given to police indicates that the victims and the suspect were involved in an incident earlier Saturday with the suspected shooters pitbull. The bullets sprayed during the shooting also damaged several homes in the area, Ciaccia said. This post will be updated Sunday if more details about the shooting are provided. More local crime news: Woman, baby shot in possible road rage incident on Clevelands East Side Man dies after shooting in East Cleveland, police say 'Im going to Cleveland to riot: Pennsylvania men indicted on conspiracy charges involving Cleveland demonstrations Inside Hook What are the advantages of owning an electric car? The most obvious answer to this has to do with fossil fuels namely, that with an electric car you wont be using any gasoline. But thats not the only benefit that comes from driving an electric car. In a new report at InsideEVs, Tesla accessory supplier EVANNEX offers another take on the benefits of electric vehicles one which provides a very different perspective on EV ownership. This article begins by citing the environmental impact of coronavirus quarantines around the globe, which briefly offered observers a vision of what a healing planet could look like. As quarantines have let up around the world, however, pollution levels have risen back to what they were before. There was a point when Kelso senior Mayci Bloomfeldt wanted to throw the charcoal sketch that won first place in the Southwest Washingtons Congressional Art Competition off a bridge. When youre the one creating the art you look at it more than anyone else, so it gets distorted in your brain, Mayci said late last week. With that piece I stared at it for so long ... I thought it wasnt going to work. But it did, and the picture of Mayci and her little sister titled Sissy Selfie will hang in the U.S. Capitol building for the next year, along with art from congressional district winners across the nation. Maycis art teacher TJ Frey said she was proud of Mayci and had suggested she enter the drawing because it illustrated the state of the world today: Communicating with selfies or over video chats instead of in person. Look what she did. And all the while she was doubting herself, Frey said. Two more Kelso students placed in the contest Kylana Hegnes tied for second with Lungs of Nature and Miah Montgomery won third place with Running Wild. Kylanas and Miahs work will hang in Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutlers office at Fort Vancouver for the next year. Miah also had a piece of her art advance to the statewide educational art show this year. The contest is held each spring by the Congressional Institute, according to the House of Representatives website, to recognize and encourage artistic talent. The competition began in 1982 and to date more than 650,000 high school students have participated. Every year I marvel at the talent and creativity displayed by our Southwest Washington students, Herrera Beutler said in a prepared statement. This year was no different, and the judges had a difficult decision in choosing our winners. Typically, first place winners are flown out to the nations capital for a ribbon cutting ceremony. Herrera Beutlers press release said due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Congressional Art Competition reception has been rescheduled for the fall. All three students said winning was a confidence boost. Winning definitely helps to validate your work in a way, Miah said. We create art and everyone tells you its good, but as an artist you always have that part that says its not. You see all the flaws in it. But with a winning outcome, Miah said it helps you accept that youre allowed to think your art is good. And Kylana added that it helps artists remember that the flaws that stick out to them might not be as glaring as they seem. To a viewer (the flaw) may not mean anything. They may not see the flaws because its a different perspective, she said. I would say it builds confidence in showing your art has worth. The inspiration for each of the pieces came from very different places. For Mayci, it was a favorite photo and a medium she had never tried. I only did charcoal because Mrs. Frey forced me to. Id never done charcoal before, Mayci said. And I was going through my camera roll and thats my favorite picture of me and my little sister. Frey said she recommended that Mayci choose a personal photo to help motivate her to try a challenging art style. Mayci was a little worried about the charcoal because it is very intimidating. You cant erase mistakes, Frey said. I was like, I absolutely know you can do this. I want to you to do it. Dont take the easy way out. Pick something personal so youll be more invested into wanting to do it. And even though Mayci had to work hard to get it done, Frey said she finished it with heart and soul. For Miah, Running Wild came about from an assignment to do a drawing inspired by the Pacific Northwest and an old picture she saw in the archives of the art room. That piece was ultimately my inspiration. I changed all the animals to be native, and then Im also Native American so the piece is meant to be me and symbolize my native heritage, Miah said. Frey said shes impressed by how willing Miah is to take risks and put herself into her artwork, then put her artwork out into the world. She always jumps into it 110% and she never takes the easy way out, Frey said. Kylana also wanted to push her artistic boundaries with Lungs of Nature, she said. She had never used watercolor pencils before, and she tends to prefer anime to realism. But she wanted to put a twist on the piece. Its almost realism, but in my own style, she said. Kelso had turned out several other first-place Congressional Art Competition winners, Frey said, and three Kelso students placed last year, including Miah. She placed third last year, too, and two Kelso students tied for second. But Frey said she doesnt focus on winning when she encourages students in her class. Im never one to go youre going to win, but I do like getting them exposure as artists and showing their commitment to their art, Frey said. And also its really encouraging their originality. She said just entering a show is an honor, and winning should add to the celebration, not take away from it. While Mayci and Miah have graduated and are moving on to college, Kylana said she plans to take more art classes at Kelso and keep developing her dreams of being a comic book artist. Mayci plans to enroll at Lower Columbia College before transferring to Western Washington University to become a kindergarten teacher. But she doesnt plan to leave art behind. I definitely wont stop doing art. Although its super frustrating for me, it makes it all the better when you finish, she said. And Miah plans to purse art at Western as well. She was planning on majoring in psychology and fine arts, but lately has changed her mind. Now, she might study fine arts and education, she said, so she can be an art teacher like Mrs. Frey. As the year is ending and the more I come closer to moving, on the more I realize how much Mrs. Frey and art has influenced me to be who I am, she said. I want to be that person for someone else. Love 4 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. The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] The top court said that Vinod Dua will have to join the investigation and there shall be no stay on the ongoing probe undertaken by the Himachal Pradesh Police. New Delhi: In a relief to journalist Vinod Dua, the Supreme Court in a special hearing on Sunday restrained the Himachal Pradesh Police from arresting him till 6 July in a sedition case lodged against him in the state over his YouTube show. The top court said that Dua will have to join the investigation and there shall be no stay on the ongoing probe undertaken by the Himachal Pradesh Police. A bench of Justices UU Lalit, MM Shantanagoudar and Vineet Saran issued notices to the Centre and the state government and sought their responses within two weeks. Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for Dua, not only sought staying of the FIR rather demanded its quashing, saying the fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression of the journalist has been taken away by filing of the sedition case. Singh said that if such charges are slapped against individuals then many of them may fall within the ambit of sedition charges. He said that petitioner is willing to show the video clip of the show to the court. Granting interim relief, the bench said that it was not going into the details of the matter and will also not stay the probe. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the state government, accepted the notice and said he would file the reply in two weeks. The Delhi High Court had earlier stayed an investigation into another case against Dua in connection with his show on YouTube. The police in Shimla had summoned him for questioning over a sedition complaint by a local BJP leader. Like the complaint lodged in the National Capital, the FIR registered against the senior journalist in Shimla is also over his YouTube show on communal riots in Delhi earlier this year. According to the complaint, he had accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using "deaths and terror attacks" to get votes. Dua has been charged under sections 124A (sedition), 268 (public nuisance), 501 (printing matter known to be defamatory) and 505 (statements conducive to public mischief) on the basis of a complaint last month by BJP's Mahasu unit president Ajay Shyam. On Thursday, Dua was sent a notice asking him to appear before the police in Shimla. Himachal Pradesh police personnel had arrived at his Delhi home on Friday morning to serve the notice. In his reply to the notice, Dua said he cannot visit Kumarsain police station because of his health, age and the COVID-19 protocol for travel and quarantine. BJP leader Ajay Shyam had complained that Dua made bizarre allegations on his 15-minute YouTube show on 30 March . The BJP leader alleged that Dua had instigated violence against the government and the prime minister by spreading false and malicious news. On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court had stayed till 23 June an investigation into a similar case filed by BJP spokesperson Naveen Kumar. The court had said there was an unexplained delay of nearly three months in filing the complaint. In James Joyce's Ulysses, Leopold Bloom, on Thursday, June 16, 1904, calls into Sweny Chemist Druggist, on Lincoln Place, to buy his wife Molly her favourite face cream. Drawn to the sweet wax smell, he buys a cake of Sweny's lemon soap: " and I'll take one of those soaps. How much are they? "Fourpence, sir." Mr Bloom raised a cake to his nostrils. Sweet lemony wax He strolled out of the shop the coolwrappered soap in his left hand." Inspired by that sensuous and memorable moment, artist Elizabeth Cope created this painting. "Joyce will always be a huge boulder beside me," she says. She began Ulysses 40 years ago, in her early 20s. "I read until Bloom is described going to the loo", but "we began to listen to Jim Norton's audio version with the children, in the car, at every opportunity. You can pick up at any stage along the way because of the stream of consciousness. "On the other hand, Joyce is numerative. He reams off information, the price of the cinema - tuppence for an adult, penny for a child. His grasp of modernity, opera, languages, his knowledge of farming, food, his understanding of the ecosystem, is so up to date. He is also annoying, as every artist should be sometimes, and full of himself." For this painting, Cope who lives in Shankill Castle in Kilkenny, chose the light, cerulean background to suit the objects and "also as the sky was this colour in April". The white rusty soap dish on top, "still hanging on a nail beside the Belfast sink in the butler's pantry, in Shankill Castle", contains a well-used lemon soap, "possibly hanging there since the time Ulysses was written." Video of the Day The empty, flat, white, blue-trimmed, squeaky-clean enamel dish beneath it matches Joyce's choice of Greek-flag colours for the book's cover. And then, the famous bar of lemon soap wrapped in brown paper with Sweny's logo. Painted in these strange times, Cope says: "Artists should not be fazed by the lockdown, by anything, as we live in the now; our everyday lives are chaotic, we are calm in an emergency. The way to deal with the crisis is to be practical. I rang the undertaker to discuss funeral arrangements. I already had my coffin which I've been lying in, in the graveyard, for seven years during the annual Hallowe'en Shankill Scarefest, so I have plenty of practice. "And the moth-eaten wedding dress is ready. It hangs on the door in our bedroom. Though I said to the undertaker that, most likely, I'll be in a body bag if I get the virus. Thank God Leo is a medical doctor. Two friends have died, two survived including a first cousin, a nun, Sr Mary Tansey, aged 90, who said people in the 1940s and '50s used to say 'Let's open a pot of jam and have a party!'" Sweny's, founded in 1847, is now, post-lockdown, open again for business, and to mark the connection between literary giants TS Eliot and Joyce, who met in Paris in 1920, and who both published masterpieces in 1922, the TS Eliot Estate is gifting 5,000 every Bloomsday to Sweny's. Writer and Joyce enthusiast Christine Dwyer Hickey will be in Sweny's on Tuesday to 'unveil' Elizabeth Cope's painting and to pick up some lemon soap. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, advisor to six presidents including Donald Trump, says that Covid-19 means there will be no more shaking of hands. As for kissing, forget it. A fan once asked Joyce, "May I kiss the hand that wrote Ulysses?" only to be told, "No, it did lots of other things too." This Bloomsday, buy a cake of lemon soap at Sweny's in Lincoln Place. Wash Your Hands. Sweet lemony wax. Smell it. Compass Gallery & Cyril Jerber Fine Art mail@compassgallery.co.uk 0044 (1) 41 2216370; elisabeth@elisabethcope.com As churches, mosques in the country reopen, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has issued new guidelines The guidelines were contained in a statement from the NCDC on Saturday, stating that they were developed following a review of the recent restriction by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19. There should be no entry without facemasks. All attendees and religious leaders must wear a face mask. People who are sick should not go to places of worship. There should be temperature screening on entry. Hand washing facilities and hand sanitizers should be provided at points of entries and strategic points. Advertisement Read Also: COVID-19: Patients To Be Discharged Without Testing Negative NCDC Attendance at religious settings should not exceed 1/3 of sitting capacity. Religious centres should be clearly marked such that people sit and maintain two metres distance from each other. There should be no form of direct contact, practices such as handshakes as peace signs are discouraged. Practices that require sharing of materials should be limited, for example, ablution should be performed at home, Religious centres should be disinfected routinely, before and after worship. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 18:25:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Firefighters work at the site of a tank truck blast near the Liangshan Village in Daxi Town of Wenling City, east China's Zhejiang Province, June 14, 2020. The death toll from a Saturday tank truck blast in east China's Zhejiang Province rose to 19, local authorities said Sunday. A total of 172 injured people, including 24 seriously injured, were receiving medical treatment in hospitals, according to a press conference. The accident occurred at around 4:40 p.m. Saturday when a tank truck loaded with liquified petroleum gas exploded near the Liangshan Village in Daxi Town under the city of Wenling on a section of the Shenyang-Haikou Expressway. Rescue and search efforts are underway. The cause of the accident is under further investigation. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi) HANGZHOU, June 14 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a Saturday tank truck blast in east China's Zhejiang Province rose to 19, local authorities said Sunday. A total of 172 injured people, including 24 seriously injured, were receiving medical treatment in hospitals, according to a press conference. The accident occurred at around 4:40 p.m. Saturday when a tank truck loaded with liquified petroleum gas exploded near the Liangshan Village in Daxi Town under the city of Wenling on a section of the Shenyang-Haikou Expressway. A second blast soon followed. The explosions caused the collapse of nearby residential houses and factory workshops. "I was standing at the window when the second blast happened. Fortunately, there was a curtain to protect me, otherwise the glass would have cut my face," said Lu Zhenghui, whose house was several hundred meters away from the explosion site. Lu said as he picked up his daughter and ran downstairs, he saw broken glass, shattered aluminum doors and windows scattered along the way. Xinhua reporters at the site saw many collapsed houses and factories. Nearby windows were shattered; roadside cars were warped while some were still smoking, filling the air with a pungent smell. The First People's Hospital of Wenling has admitted 79 injured people, including 17 who were critically wounded. Cai Haijun, deputy head of the hospital, said those in critical condition were mainly suffering from explosion injuries and extensive burns. So far, more than 2,660 rescuers, 151 rescue vehicles and over 30 large rescue machinery and equipment had been sent to the site for rescue, said Zhu Minglian, vice mayor of Wenling, at the press conference. More than 630 medical workers were treating the injured, said Zhu. Zhou Pengjian, one local firefighter, said many rescuers suffered dehydration and heatstroke as they braved high temperatures to pull residents out of the debris. Local environmental protection authorities carried out real-time monitoring of the air and water around the accident site. No obvious pollution had been found so far, said Zhu. Rescue and search efforts are underway. The cause of the accident is under further investigation. Enditem Three major police unions in California introduced a reform agenda Sunday to improve outcomes between police officers and their communities and root out any racist individual from their ranks. The San Jose Police Officers Association, the San Francisco Police Officers Association and the Los Angeles Police Protective League outlined the plan in a full-page advertisement published Sunday in The Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, Los Angeles Times and Washington Post. The proposal comes amid sweeping calls for police reform, weeks of protests and heated debates over police brutality after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd was killed May 25 during an encounter with four police officers now charged in his death. No words can convey our collective disgust and sorrow for the murder of George Floyd, the police unions said in the ad. We have an obligation as a profession and as human beings to express our sorrow by taking action. The plan outlines action items aimed at holding law enforcement officers accountable during their interactions with community members, including: A national database of former police officers fired for gross misconduct that would prevent other agencies from hiring them. A national use-of-force standard that focuses on de-escalation, intervening when officers witness use of excessive force or misconduct, appropriate responses to dangerous incidents and stronger accountability provisions, following a model by the Los Angeles Police Department. A warning system to identify officers in need of additional training and mentoring, modeled after the San Francisco Police Department. A public website that would allow people to track use-of-force incidents, similar to a model adopted by the San Jose Police Department. Frequent crisis intervention and de-escalation training. We believe that each of our departments has made tremendous strides in strengthening accountability, transparency and adopting policies that reduce the number and severity of uses-of-force, said the police unions said in a joint statement Sunday. However, we can do more. Tony Montoya, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, said the plan and the decision to publish it in major newspapers is a bold move that he hopes will show police are willing to engage in difficult conversations on race and policing. We cant keep saying, Oh, this is one bad apple, Montoya said. We need to be honest, we need to be candid. Yes, there are racist police officers. He added, By launching this campaign, we want to let the public know, let the legislators know, let elected officials know, were willing to roll up our sleeves and get to work. 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. Critics said more meaningful change still needs to happen. AM Chung, an attorney and policy researcher with JusticeLA, a coalition for justice reform, said the police unions proposal misses the point of why around the country people are pushing to defund the police. All of these things ongoing training, use-of-force standards this is all in existence, Chung said. Now Playing: Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, local artists and community members paint over boarded-up storefronts in Downtown Oakland. The grassroots project responds to the civil unrest over police violence and systemic racism, sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Video: Caron Creighton Pointing to policies in the 8CantWait initiative, designed to reduce police violence, Chung said some police departments have many such policies already, and yet it has not stopped the brutality from happening. The proposed database of former officers fired for misconduct, for example, might not solve problems with the system, Chung said. "You can kill and commit misconduct but you dont get fired. ... A lot of the misconduct and a lot of the killings and the brutality that many police agencies and corrections officers have (committed) have really gone largely uninvestigated or without any sort of usual due process, Chung said. So who would be on that list, right? San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Matt Kawahara contributed to this report. Tatiana Sanchez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tatiana.sanchez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TatianaYSanchez A Federal High Court in Benin, Edo State, has given an interim order restraining the Nigerian Police and Dangote Group from the contentious mining fields at Obu, Okpella in Edo State, operated by BUA International Limited. The judgement delivered May 28 followed a suit numbered FHC/B/CS/101/2017 instituted in 2017 by BUA Group following the crises leading to the shutdown of the mining sites. Respondents in the suit are the Inspector-General of Police, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Dangote Industries Limited and Dangote Cement PLC. In the judgment delivered by Demi Ajayi, the court granted the prayers of the complainant and directed that all four respondents stay away from the site. The judge affirmed that it has the jurisdiction to entertain the suit. An order of interim in junction hereby granted against the 1st and 2nd respondents (the Police) and the 3rd and 4th respondents who are hereby restrained from interfering in any manner whatsoever with the said mining lease site pending the hearing and determination of the two pending suits, the judge ruled. Commenting on the judgment on Sunday, BUA Group said the judgement is one major step towards the final vindication of our rights over the mining sites and in line with BUAs position that it holds the legal mining leases to the disputed sites. The company also said it has resumed operations at the Obu-Okpella mines as ordered by the court. The New Mexico Legislature is just days away from holding a long overdue special session to address the largest budget shortfall since the Great Depression. This massive budget shortfall of $2.4 billion is due to historically low oil prices and a foundering economy brought on by a nearly three-month closure of businesses across the state. This years budget problems are just the beginning. State economists are predicting that next year will be an even greater challenge. Unfortunately, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and her allies in the Legislature plan to put a Band-Aid on the budget and kick this ticking time bomb down the road. Their plan to avoid fixing our budget problems until after the election is purely political. New Mexico is at a critical point: Thousands of New Mexicans have lost their jobs, hundreds of small businesses have closed forever, mental health problems are skyrocketing, and on top of it all is a level of social unrest that is dividing our population. During stressful and uncertain times people look to government leaders for reassurance. Policymakers must come together and put partisan agendas aside and focus on solutions. However, this is an election year, and winning elections is apparently more important than bringing peace, soothing fears, saving jobs, fixing our economy and repairing the budget. As the saying goes, never let a good crisis go to waste. I predict the governor will try to further divide New Mexico citizens by exploiting current racial and social justice issues to further a partisan agenda, and she will do this with little concern for the long-term damage it will do to our state. For the governor to take this moment to capitalize on the fear and uncertainty facing our state by forcing divisive issues is disrespectful to every New Mexican. Until the governors press conference June 10, we had no idea she planned on hijacking the legislative process and forcing the consideration of partisan issues. Rather than focusing on forging bipartisan agreements on the dire problems we are facing, she is more interested in advancing her national political standing. The governors plan to change election law is an indication political advantage rather than solutions is the actual goal of the upcoming special session. Im not surprised the governor plans to use COVID-19 fears to make changes to election laws that will weaken the integrity of our voting systems in the November elections. It was reported more than 1,300 absentee ballots arrived too late to be counted in the June primary. Now the governor is wanting to expand our voting system to an all mail-in election, opening us up to an even greater level of voter disenfranchisement. Creating a voting system that relies on the postal services timeliness will result in ballots not being legally tallied. Theres one surefire way to know your vote is counted: Go to the polls. Its important to note the governor has not been telling the truth when she makes statements she is working with leaders in both parties in the Legislature or her decisions have bipartisan support. For that matter, she has barely spoken with Republican leaders at all during the last three months. Even the speaker of the House claims the governor has not communicated to him what she has planned for the special session. It is fair to say the special session will be dominated more by partisan considerations than efforts to solve the unprecedented problems we are facing. This lack of leadership is a tremendous disappointment. New Mexico deserves better. How safe is your pension? As COVID-19 shutdowns hobble the U.S. economy, the question has taken on more urgency. While risks associated with underfunded pensions for state and local government employees have been known for years, a new concern has arisen, pension rights advocates say. It centers on the growing trend of insurance companies taking over pensions for employees of private companies. This is what weve worried about when companies sell off their pension plans, said Karen Friedman, policy director at the Pension Rights Center, a nonprofit focusing on workers retirement security. Is it safe to transfer money out of pension plans insured by the [government-backed] Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to insurance companies where the protections for consumers are scant? Pension obligations are costly and companies have been eager to jettison them in recent years. Insurers have been happy to take on their assets such deals have totaled $110 billion since early 2015. But pensions taken over by private insurers are not protected from default by the government-backed PBGC, which protects the pensions of most private company employees. In addition, insurers are regulated by the states, not the federal government, and some are now affiliated with private equity firms, whose focus is often on short-term profits which can conflict with insurers' long-term obligations. Insurance company Athene Holding, a relative newcomer to the arena, has vaulted to the number-two position in pension buyouts. Created in 2009, Athene is affiliated with Apollo Global Management, the publicly traded private equity giant co-founded by billionaire Leon Black. Athene, whose stock trades publicly, is Apollos biggest investment. Apollo has $330 billion in assets under management, with over $100 billion related to Athene, its filings show. The insurer pays significant fees to Apollo each year Athene's investment management fees to Apollo accounted for 27 percent of Apollo's total such fees in 2019. Story continues Athene has acquired $12 billion in corporate pension obligations recently, including those of Bristol-Myers Squibb, Dana Corp. and Lockheed Martin Corp. Today, roughly 178,000 people rely on Athene for pension benefits, the company says. The entity taking most of the obligations is Athene Annuity & Life Co. Athene Holding has performed well, but in the first quarter of 2020, it reported a $1.1 billion loss, in part reflecting financial market turmoil. Some $300 million of that loss came from Athenes 7 percent stake in Apollo. Financial markets have recovered since March 31, shoring up Athenes Apollo holding. Still, the loss raises questions about risks in Athenes investments. Researchers at the Federal Reserve Board published a paper in February warning of risks among a handful of insurers that are structured like Athene. The study, which cited Athene as an example, concluded, Life insurers have become more vulnerable to an aggregate shock to the corporate sector. Trading On The Floor Of The NYSE As U.S. Stocks Extend Gains While Crude Oil Advances (Michael Nagle / Bloomberg via Getty Images file) Joseph M. Belth, professor emeritus of insurance at Indiana University and a longtime authority on the industry, told NBC News that he thinks private equity firms like Apollo are not well-suited to partner with insurance companies. I think private equity firms are in it for the quick buck and that is what troubles me, Belth said. Policyholders are pawns in the hands of people like Black. Asked to respond, Joanna Rose, a spokeswoman for Apollo and Black said in a statement that Athenes and Apollos interests are closely aligned. Athene was founded with long-term capital from blue-chip insurance investors, not from a private equity fund, she said. "Athene does not invest in Apollos flagship PE funds, nor does it lend to Apollos PE portfolio companies." Athene's spokeswoman, Karen Lynn, said in a statement: "Athene strongly disagrees with various characterizations of our business asserted in this article. We are highly rated, disciplined and financially strong as one of the best-capitalized businesses in the financial sector." 8.6 million Americans About 8.6 million Americans over 65 are receiving pension payments from a private company plan, and millions more who are still working are paying into private plans. Most of those plans are insured through the government-backed Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. PBGC says it protects around 40 million workers in 23,400 pension plans. When a company defaults on its pension obligations, PBGC pays the pension, in most cases. Some 84 percent of participants in private company plans taken over by the PBGC received all their vested benefits, a 2019 study showed. The remaining 16 percent saw their benefits fall by an average 24 percent. As of 2019, PBGC has assumed the pension obligations of almost 5,000 plans and more than 900,000 retirees. When private insurance companies take over pension plans, they typically offer participants a group annuity that pays the same amount as the private plan. An annuity is an insurance contract that can provide lifetime monthly income. The U.S. Department of Labor, which oversees enforcement of pension rules, has not objected to these takeovers. However, those pensions are no longer backed by the PBGC. They are backed by the insurers, which must be disclosed when the transfer takes place. Insurers are not regulated by the federal government. That task falls to each state in which the companies do business. Athene Holding is based in Bermuda, while its unit Athene Annuity & Life Co. is in Iowa. In April, the New York insurance overseer accused Athene Holding of failing to register its pension takeover business there. Athene Holding paid $45 million to settle the matter, neither admitting nor denying the allegations. State insurance regulators require insurers to file annual reports detailing their investment portfolios and the assets they have to cover policyholders claims. The key figure surplus is the difference between an insurers assets and liabilities. The bigger the cushion, the better. Athene Annuity & Life, the insurer backing most of the pension obligations, has $54 billion in assets, filings show. And a $1.2 billion surplus which is roughly $1 billion above the level at which the regulator overseeing the company would have to move in to protect policyholders. If an insurance company gets into trouble, its assets are sold to pay policyholders' claims. If insufficient, policyholders must rely on state guaranty funds financed voluntarily by other insurers. Unlike the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which has a pre-funded insurance pool protecting depositors against bank failures, state guaranty funds raise money only after a failure occurs. States impose limits on how much policyholders can receive in a failure. In Alabama, Colorado and Iowa for example, the most annuity holders can receive is $250,000. When Athene Annuity & Life takes over a pension, it receives assets backing those obligations from the company that formerly ran it. Athene sends 80 percent of those assets and liabilities to an affiliated reinsurer in Bermuda, the companys filings say, and keeps the remaining 20 percent in U.S. entities. Thomas Gober, a certified fraud examiner in Virginia who analyzes insurance companies and has worked as a consultant to and witness for the U.S. Department of Justice, questioned Athenes heavy reliance on related companies to reinsure or backstop its policyholder obligations. Thomas Gober, CFE. (Courtesy Thomas Gober) A strong group of independent, well-capitalized reinsurers can strengthen an insurers financial backbone, said Gober. In a typical reinsurance or coinsurance arrangement, an insurer will pay an unrelated company to provide a backstop to cover the initial insurers obligations if necessary. Under such an arrangement, the initial and secondary insurers share profits and losses based on a preset ratio. Athene Annuity & Lifes most recent regulatory filings show 95 percent of its reinsurance and coinsurance deals were with affiliates $54 billion of $57 billion. This defeats the purpose of a backstop, Gober said. New York Life Insurance Co., which carries the highest ratings from Moody's and Standard & Poor's, has zero reinsurance or coinsurance deals with affiliates. One affiliated reinsurer is Athene Re USA IV, which provided a $1.4 billion backstop to Athene Annuity & Life as of 2019. The reinsurers risk-based capital falls well below mandatory levels, under National Association of Insurance Commissioners rules, filings show. Thats because one of the assets it uses to compute its capital letters of credit for $137 million is not admitted per the NAIC. Its rules dont allow letters of credit as assets because they represent the risk of a bank, not the insurance company, said David Provost, deputy commissioner of the captive insurance division of the Vermont department of regulation. Vermont regulators, where Athene Re is domiciled, did allow the letters of credit to be included as an asset. We are making a regulatory judgment that this is acceptable, said Provost. He did not disclose the identity of the banks backing them. Karen Lynn, a spokeswoman for Athene, said its Bermuda-based reinsurers are strong and have capital consistent with a AA-rated company. (An AA rating is considered high quality; AAA is the highest.) But outsiders can't analyze the reinsurers' books because Bermuda doesn't require extensive public disclosures. Athenes annual Bermuda filings consist of 5 pages and few details, versus the Iowa subsidiarys over 1,000-page annual state filing. And policyholders can typically collect only from the insurer that wrote their policies, which is why the $1.2 billion in surplus held by Athene Annuity & Life Co. should be the focus, according to Gober. Key Speakers At The Bloomberg Invest Summit (Demetrius Freeman / Bloomberg via Getty Images file) Policyholders who are unfortunate enough to get caught up in an insurance company failure face another challenge: litigation can drag on for decades. In January 2020, for example, a federal appeals court ruled on a case involving money owed on an annuity written by Executive Life. That company failed in 1991. After Executive Life collapsed, many of the insurers assets were picked up at significant discounts by Blacks firm, Apollo. Special and symbiotic The relationship between Apollo and Athene, the subsidiary that backs pensions, is special and symbiotic, Black told investors in March. For Apollo, the arrangement is lucrative. Over the past three years, Athene has paid Apollo $1 billion in management fees. For Thomas Gober, however, the relationship between the companies is problematic. There is nothing illegal about Athene's practices, but Gober sees problems with the company's relatively thin surplus, the quality of Athenes investments, and the habit of Athene of investing in Apollo-related entities. Apollo owns 35 percent of Athene, and Athene owns seven percent of Apollo. The Federal Reserve researchers also expressed concerns, concluding that private-equity backed insurers may test the ability of the insurance industry, and the financial system more broadly to withstand direct and indirect shocks to the corporate sector." The Athene spokeswoman said the Fed report did not provide "comprehensive insight into how we manage our business. We have maintained, and will continue to maintain, very strong liquidity within our diversified investment portfolio, and we take great care to invest behind predictable, surrender charge protected, long-dated policyholder obligations." In a corporate pension buyout, a company, say Bristol-Myers, hands its pension assets and obligations over to Athene. To meet these obligations, insurers typically invest policyholders money in corporate bonds, government obligations, and mortgages. When an insurance company sells a policy or annuity, it agrees to pay the holder a set amount under certain circumstances. To meet these obligations, insurers typically invest policyholders money in corporate bonds, government obligations, and mortgages. With Apollo guiding Athenes portfolio, the insurer has invested heavily in Apollo-related entities, regulatory filings show. Athene Annuity & Life holds $4.1 billion in stocks, bonds and mortgage loans of its "parent, subsidiaries and affiliates," up from $172 million in 2015. Compared with the insurers surplus of $1.2 billion, this is a troubling concentration of assets, said Gober. Thats too many eggs in one basket and an affiliated basket, he said. If the insurer gets into trouble, the question would be whether the affiliates bonds would be collectible because the affiliates are so dependent upon the insurer for revenues. By comparison, Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corp. has total assets of $54 billion and surplus of $6.4 billion roughly the same assets as Athene but five times the surplus. Its investments in parent, subsidiaries and affiliates total just $231 million. NBC News asked Lynn, the Athene spokeswoman, how its policyholders can be sure these investments are good for them and not just good for Apollo affiliates. Because Apollo owns 35 percent of Athene, she said it is "completely aligned with all Athene stakeholders to find the highest quality risk-return assets for Athenes balance sheet as possible." She also said Athene's investment in Apollo shares would not be used to pay insurance policyholders claims, including pension benefits. Bill Wheeler, Athene's president, said in a statement: "The premise of your story contains the assertion that an affiliation with Apollo means more risk. This is clearly untrue." Moreover, all of its pension takeovers "have been vetted and selected by plan fiduciaries and committees whose sole responsibility is to consider the interest of participants and beneficiaries." Asked how Athene shareholders and policyholders can assess whether amounts paid in investment management fees to Apollo are fair, Lynn said Athenes relationship with Apollo has fueled the insurers high performance in recent years. To manage the conflicts of interest arising from Athenes ties to Apollo, Lynn said the companys board has a committee that approves the deals. The transactions are also vetted by disinterested directors at Athene, with both groups advised by independent legal and financial advisers. The conflicts committee is comprised solely of directors who are independent of Apollo, she said. But the Athene proxy filings show all three conflicts committee members are or were directors of Apollo affiliates, including Apollo Residential Mortgage Inc., Apollo Tactical Income Fund and Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. Asked about these affiliations, Lynn said Athenes governance practices adhere to requirements set out by the New York Stock Exchange, where its shares trade. Athene declined to make the directors available. While corporate bonds dominate Athenes investments, it is also a big buyer of commercial mortgages and securities that bundle debt together, known as collateralized loan obligations. The company also holds securities backed by aircraft leases, retailers, oil companies, car rental companies and hotels, all hurt by COVID-19 closures. Gober studied thousands of pages in regulatory filings of Athenes major subsidiaries comparing risks in their investments with the cushion the companies have to pay policyholder claims the surplus. The biggest problem with the investment portfolio is it is high risk and illiquid, Gober told NBC News. Given how thin their surplus margins are, its relevant to compare how much more they have in risky stuff. Lynn disputed the view that the companys policyholders face risks. There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that any of our subsidiaries are inadequately capitalized, she said, when considering the strength and accessibility of capital across our consolidated business. Athene has more than $12 billion of consolidated statutory capital supporting $112 billion of policyholder reserves, reflecting a ratio which is meaningfully higher than other A+ and AA- rated insurers, as well as other fixed annuity providers." The quality of Athenes investments raises questions as well, said Gober. Its most recent filings show more than one-quarter of the securities it intends to sell before they mature were either nonrated or rated below investment grade by agencies such as Moodys Investors Service and Standard & Poors. Asked whether policyholders should be concerned about these holdings, Athene says it prefers to use the ratings method put forward by NAIC. Under this system, only 5.7 percent of the securities are rated below investment grade, its filings say. Athenes filings also warn that many of our invested assets are relatively illiquid, meaning potentially difficult to sell. The company relies on Apollo for risk management support, its filings say. The spread of the novel coronavirus has impacted the entire global economy, devastating economic sectors from foodservice and hospitality to energy. In response to this economically fraught moment as we linger on the precipice of a yearslong recession, some developing countries are taking a politically perilous task by removing limits and subsidies on gas and electricity prices. Energy subsidies are particularly important in developing countries with less robust social service programs and tax systems since they are an easy way to provide an impoverished populace with more access to essentials like affordable electricity and fuel. Removing these subsidies now could be a short-sighted solution with harsh implications for the future. Governments are caught in a dilemma, Jim Krane, an energy expert at Rice University told the New York Times. Do they want to protect the poor who may have lost their jobs and incomes, or do they want to take action against the pernicious long-term cost to their budgets? This week the New York Times compiled a list of some of the notable examples of developing countries that are taking part in the subsidies-slashing trend: Nigeria and Tunisia have lowered fuel subsidies in recent weeks, and India has raised taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel. Sudanese officials plan to replace some subsidies with direct cash payments to the poor. Venezuela, where the economy was collapsing before the pandemic, has partly reversed decades of gasoline subsidies. And the state-owned electric utility in Dubai is seeking to raise rates for the first time in a generation. Related: OPEC+ Panel To Discuss Compliance With Oil Production Cuts But so far these leaders are not receiving the political backlash for these decisions that they would likely receive in less extraordinary times. There are a few reasons for this. A large part of the reason that the removal of fuel price subsidies hasnt been met with outrage is that fuel prices are shockingly low. Globally, oil prices still have not yet recovered from the massive oil price crash that took place at the end of April, when the West Texas Intermediate crude benchmark plunged to nearly $40 a barrel below zero, and it looked like Brent could be soon to follow. One factor that led to the massive downturn in oil prices, low demand for oil, also persists, as driving, flying and industrial activity have dropped off sharply. Just because there hasnt been backlash yet, however, certainly does not mean that its not coming, and coming soon. Industry experts are in dispute about when energy markets will bounce back, but the consensus is that they will do so, and the effects of the easing of energy subsidies and price limits will be felt sharply. Energy subsidies are often taken for granted outside the halls of power, reports the New York Times. But they constitute vital policy choices that weigh on government budgets and economic development. When energy prices do recover, however, and the populace in these developing countries are faced with rising and inaccessible prices for essentials like cooking oil and petroleum, these governments are looking at potentially severe social unrest. Any price increase hurts people earning subsistence wages, warns the New York Times. And cuts in subsidies have prompted political protests, riots and strikes from Iran to Indonesia. There are, however, plenty of detractors to the idea of energy and fuel subsidies, and economists at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have long advised countries to ease off these subsidies. One critique is that these policy measures dont, in fact, do much of anything to help the poor that they claim to protect, but instead are a boon to higher-earning families who own cars and have electricity in their houses and are therefore more affected by the targets of the subsidies. Furthermore, these measures can be seen as political populism, a flag waved by politicians and activists to win votes. The money devoted to these measures also takes money away from other government initiatives like social services, healthcare, and education, and experts say government spending on fuel and electricity makes it harder for officials to spend on health care and education. It also encourages people to use more energy than they need, increasing air pollution and traffic congestion. While there are many good arguments for getting rid of energy subsidies in developing countries, once they are in place, it is politically fraught to take them away. And doing so on the eve of a yearslong recession, with soaring rates of unemployment and civil unrest, seems like a particularly risky move. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: One in ten care homes could go bust under the pressures of coronavirus forcing thousands of older people to move, experts warned last night. Hundreds of care homes are facing a collapse in income as well as soaring costs for PPE and agency staff. Now experts fear more than a thousand homes could shut, with residents moved miles away from their loved ones if no closer places can be found. Nick Hood, senior adviser at Opus Business Services, told the Mail that 1,200 care homes could collapse due to the impact of Covid-19 a tenth of the UKs 11,293 homes for older people. One in ten care homes could go bust under the pressures of coronavirus forcing thousands of older people to move, experts warned last night. Pictured: Nicola Richards, who runs Palms Row Health Care in Sheffield, said she lays awake at night worrying about what will happen to her 180 residents if they have to close Hundreds of care homes are facing a collapse in income as well as soaring costs for PPE and agency staff. Pictured: Sandra Tzannes Kastritis, 55, who has run The Grange Residential Home in Hove for ten years, says it has already lost more than 40,000 due to coronavirus My guess is its more likely to be double or triple that, he added. I dont think theyll ever open their doors again. Mr Hood, who specialises in restructuring debt for care homes, said: The vast majority of homes dont make money at the best of times. Nobody has been through a situation like this where an entire business model collapses. 'Nobody knows how much further the Covid-19 deaths will go in care homes and how long it will be before people feel confident putting their elderly relatives into care homes. My firm is hanging by a thread The owner of three care homes says her business is hanging by a thread after 19 residents died from the virus. Nicola Richards, who runs Palms Row Health Care in Sheffield, said she lays awake at night worrying about what will happen to her 180 residents if they have to close. The mother-of-two has seen numbers in the home drop while her costs have skyrocketed over PPE and agency staff payments. Miss Richards, who has worked in care for 20 years, said : I cant put it into words its the most stressful time Ive ever experienced. If theres no change, we will close. 'This is real, this will happen. Homes will close on mass its a ticking timebomb. The 46-year-old added: If were not around, I fear where will these people go? If I let myself think about it I wouldnt get up in the morning. Advertisement A Care and Quality Commission report warned providers could go out of business because of a shortfall of income due to resident deaths and increased costs. Empty beds across the sector have left a huge hole in income for providers, with many too scared to take in new residents for fear of another outbreak. Families are also reluctant to put their loved ones into care homes over concerns they are ticking timebombs. Friary Lodge in north London was forced to close its doors this month because of ongoing staffing issues and operational difficulties due to Covid-19 and asked 14 residents to move while it temporarily shut down. MPs and charities last night warned that the national disaster of care home closures would see older people decanted between facilities. Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, warned: I cant imagine how distressing it would be for any older person who suddenly found the place they call home is folding, and for families forced to scrabble around to fix other arrangements in a huge rush. Its also obvious that if lots of care homes collapse at once it would be impossible to find enough other places for older people to go. Mr Hood added: You cant just put them into a flat in the East End of London or the nearest Premier Inn. They could be put in care homes 90 to 100 miles away from where their families are theyve got to go somewhere. William Laing, founder of healthcare analyst LaingBuisson, said the sector was facing its biggest-ever challenge, adding: Theres never been such a big hit to occupancy. Never ever. Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, warned: I cant imagine how distressing it would be for any older person who suddenly found the place they call home is folding, and for families forced to scrabble around to fix other arrangements in a huge rush. Its also obvious that if lots of care homes collapse at once it would be impossible to find enough other places for older people to go The Government has given 3.2 billion to local authorities to deal with the cost of coronavirus with an extra 600million earmarked specifically for infection control in care homes but some providers claim they have struggled to access it. Councils have been accused of sitting on the cash instead of passing it on. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said the Government was doing everything we can to ensure the adult social care sector in England is getting the support they need to tackle the unprecedented pandemic on the frontline and continue to deliver quality care to our most vulnerable. Thirty residents have died of coronavirus at a single care home, in one of the worst outbreaks of the infection in Britain. The grim death toll at Chadderton Total Care Unit in Oldham was revealed by health bosses in the area. President Donald Trump shrugged off an accusation from Joe Biden that he would try to steal the election, saying if he doesn't win he'll "go on and do other things." "Certainly if I don't win, I don't win. I mean, you know, go on and do other things," Trump said during a Fox News interview that aired Friday afternoon. "I think that would be a very sad thing for our country," he added. Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, predicted during an interview on "The Daily Show With Trevor Noah" on Wednesday that Trump "is going to try to steal this election." Biden called it his "single greatest concern." The former vice president said in the same interview that he was confident the military would escort Trump out of the White House if he lost yet refused to leave. Asked about that, Trump mocked Biden's mental acuity. In previous interviews Trump has said he will accept the results of the 2020 election - win or lose. "You will accept the results?" Chuck Todd, host of NBC's "Meet the Press," asked Trump during an interview in the past year. "100 percent. Sure," Trump said. "And you will accept whatever happens in 2020?" Todd pressed. "Sure," Trump replied. But some Democrats are still worried that the president will try somehow to interfere or undermine the outcome, pointing to Trump's allegation that there would be massive voter fraud through mail-in voting (without presenting much evidence to show that's true). Trump has railed against states shifting to a broad absentee-ballot system to accommodate voters uncomfortable going to their polling places while there is a global coronavirus pandemic. This isn't the first time Biden has suggested Trump would seek to tamper with the election. Biden cautioned a few months ago that Trump would try to delay voting over the coronavirus threat - which the president doesn't have the authority to do. - - - The Washington Post's Matt Viser contributed to this report. New Delhi, June 14 : The young starlet is on a winning streak and even the lockdown can't dampen her spirits. To spread her cheer, European denim brand ONLY launched a campaign with 'Student of the Year 2' star as it's brand ambassador. The campaign 'ONLY at Home' has been shot entirely at Panday's home and captures Ananya's lockdown diaries. It motivate girls to dress-up at home and to have fun with their style and looks even while indulging in various daily activities and while pursuing new hobbies from home. IANSlife spoke to Vineet Gautam, CEO and Country Head, Bestseller India, to learn more about the campaign and the brand's expansion plans in India. Excerpts: What is the concept behind the campaign and how did it all come into being? Gautam: We were driven by the endeavour to stay connected with our consumers and to engage with them during these times. While we have been bracing ourselves for a gradual recovery, to stimulate relevant brand visibility, we developed an innovative campaign for our womenswear brand ONLY that caters to stylish millennials. The concept stemmed from a thought to encourage consumers to conquer these unique times with utmost joy, self-care and creativity. To reflect the same, we partnered with Ananya Panday to create a variety of looks to motivate girls to dress-up and to experiment with their style, practice new hobbies to break the dull monotony of the lockdown period. How is Ananya the perfect choice for your brand/campaign? Gautam: We signed Ananya as ONLY's brand ambassador last year. She embodies the the label's spirit of being trendy and edgy, not only with her fashion sense but also with her personality and attitude. This makes her the perfect fit to communicate our philosophy. With this campaign, we wanted to capture the canvas of Ananya's lockdown diaries to spread a message amongst millenials that even though the world is striving to adjust to the new normal, some things like self-love and self-care will never go out of style! While marketing goes virtual in the pandemic era, how does this campaign stand out? Gautam: The pandemic has put onus on brands to think innovatively and reimagine certain things like never before. I am proud of how well our company has adapted itself, given the circumstances. In this regard, it is pertinent to note that shooting a brand campaign is a rather complex and highly nuanced procedure which involves a larger team looking after each and every element. As attention to the minutest of the details is a priority to deliver a sought after product, each element is carefully woven together in creative heaven. Brands have always been accustomed to shooting campaigns outdoors or in a studio set-up, therefore, the industry has had to quickly change course as working from home and social distancing became the new norm. Similarly, it also became important to remain connected and strengthen our bond with the target audience now more than ever-keeping them updated on new developments at the brand's end or even just to spread a message of hope and positivity during these difficult times. In times like these, nothing takes more precedence than to embrace oneself wholeheartedly and with our campaign, we set out to spread that message with the help of Ananya. Must have been tough to execute the campaign? Gautam: Once we finalised we wanted to portray the new reality of the world, from the ONLY Girl Ananya Panday's perspective, we immediately got to work. The thought was to create a canvas of looks with Ananya to motivate girls to dress-up at home and to have fun with their style and looks even while indulging in various daily activities and while pursuing new hobbies from home. Of course, shooting with a large number of people was out of the question. We collaborated with Cosmopolitan India, to further innovate and execute our idea. Ananya was quick to adapt to the new ways of shooting at home. It was a challenge to pull this off - however it was very hearting to see the whole team come together on this campaign while working from home - exemplifying ultimate creativity and adaptability. This was a completely different process and rewarding experience for everyone, and one that Ananya and the entire team thoroughly enjoyed! She has also been thrilled to see the positive response the campaign has been garnering on social media. Being a European brand, how do you see the Indian market? Gautam: India as a market has always been interesting for us. To rightfully capture the market sentiment, we did localise our operations in the country - from production to sampling. Even our designs are tailored for the market - as per what the Indian consumer desires and needs while keeping our European DNA in check. While we have released India specific collections, we have also collaborated with like-minded people who marry the brand philosophy with what the youth wants. We're definitely motivated and filled with hope for the future. We will continue to set more trends, bring in more innovation and focus on forging an inimitable bond with our customers. Any expansion plans in the coming months? Gautam: As of now, all expansion plans for the next 6 to 9 months are on hold. We will continue to monitor and evaluate the situation. Currently, we are focusing on our Phygital retail model. As and when we deem fit, we will resume expanding. (Puja Gupta can be contacted at puja.g@ians.in) Latest updates on Lockdown diaries -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text In the lake country 200 miles (320 kilometers) northwest of Detroit, hundreds danced, prayed and demanded racial justice in Cadillac, a Michigan town that was long home to a neo-Nazi group. It was not an isolated scene. In eastern Ohio, even more demonstrated in rural Mount Vernon, a town with its own current of racial intolerance, just as others did in Manheim, Pennsylvania, a tiny farming town in Lancaster County, with its small but active Ku Klux Klan presence. The protest movement over black injustice has quickly spread deep into predominantly white, small-town America, notably throughout parts of the country that delivered the presidency for Donald Trump. Across Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, more than 200 such demonstrations have taken place, many in cities with fewer than 20,000 residents, according to local media, organizers, participants and the online tracking tool CrowdCount. Thats whats so striking, that these protests are taking place in rural places with a white nationalist presence, said Lynn Tramonte, who grew up near Mount Vernon and is monitoring the Black Lives Matter demonstrations around Ohio. The protests in these Republican-leaning areas offer a test of the presidents ability to reassemble his older, white voting bloc. If he cannot replicate that coalition, it would leave Trump with few options, especially since he continues to lose support in suburbs. If President Trump cannot hold onto white, working-class voters in rural, small-town Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Ohio, I dont know how he wins the election, said Terry Madonna, director of the Center for Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Can you rule out he wont have that same level of enthusiasm? No, you cant. Trump carried Pennsylvania by about 44,000 votes in 2016, in part with overwhelming support from a patchwork of rural, white counties. The pattern also played out in Michigan and Wisconsin, where he won by even fewer votes. In Ohio, that coalition propelled him to an easy victory. Trumps reelection campaign is working chiefly through online outreach to hold onto his largely white base and to identify new voters in rural areas as a defense against inroads by presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Some polls suggest that, while white voters without college degrees are still a strong group for Trump, they could be more open to supporting Biden than they were to supporting Democrat Hillary Clinton four years ago. Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh did not directly address the protests taking place in counties won by the president, but said more generally in a statement to The Associated Press, President Trump expressed disgust and shock over what happened to George Floyd and praised the peaceful demonstrations, but also knows that Americans cannot live with riots and lawlessness in cities nationwide. But the pace of change over racial justice after Floyds death last month by police in Minneapolis has quickened and has sparked protests in hundreds of communities in every state, on a scale rarely, if ever, seen before. It is not that Biden will necessarily win rural counties that Trump carried easily, but he may be able to cut into Trumps margins enough to bring those states back to the Democratic column. In Cadillac, branch home of the National Socialist Movement among the nations prominent neo-Nazi groups as recently as 2007 black organizers were undeterred in staging their event at a lakeside pavilion even as armed opponents associated with the white nationalist group Michigan Militia parked nearby as a show of force. Trump won Wexford County, home to Cadillac, with 65% of the vote, similar to neighboring counties in the lightly populated region, where unemployment has run higher than average in Michigan. In neighboring Grand Traverse County, which Trump won by a smaller margin, more than 2,000 packed Traverse Citys Lake Michigan shoreline park to hear protest organizer Courtney Wiggins. The 38-year-old black woman listed demands, including that police in the 95% white town of 14,000 end racial profiling, as armed protesters affiliated with the far-right Proud Boys dotted the perimeter. Though similar events popped up in exurban Cedarburg and Grafton, keys to Ozaukee County in the GOP-leaning suburbs of Milwaukee, far more have materialized many miles from the major metropolitan areas in these four pivotal states, according to organizers and advocates who have tracked the protests. In Mount Vernon, Ohio, the seat of Knox County where Trump received 66% of the vote, 700 people turned out on June 6 despite threats from opponents, who staged an impromptu rally later that day. Its the same small town where two years ago the local Christian college was vandalized when leaders put on a racial justice program, and where the Ku Klux Klan had been active in the area over the past century. Dozens of protests have taken place in counties in these four battleground states that Trump flipped from Democrat to Republican. Among them were Macomb County outside Detroit, Portage and Mahoning counties in northeast Ohio, and perhaps most notably Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, where voters swung dramatically from President Barack Obama in 2012 to Trump four years later. Still, the vast majority have taken place in more than 200 small cities and towns across these four states, like Oconto, Wisconsin, Marietta, Ohio, and Meadville, Pennsylvania, all with populations under 20,000 and in counties Trump carried with at least 60% of the vote. And while the battle for the White House will likely be waged most intensely in these states diversifying suburbs, where Democrats made gains in 2018, even a slight uptick among Democrats or a softening of Trump support in the vast spaces between could be enough to alter the election. If Biden carries every state Clinton did in 2016 and reclaims Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, he would win a majority of the Electoral College votes. Of those states, none was as close as Michigan, which Trump won by 10,704 votes out of more than 4.7 million ballots cast. A little more than 11,000 voters backed Obama in 2008 and either didnt vote or supported Trump in 2016 in Grand Traverse County and the five counties surrounding it, including Cadillacs home in Wexford County, according to state voting records. These marginal numbers, a few extra votes here and there, were talking, like, a handful of votes per county, and they exist in my six-county region, said Betsy Coffia, a Democratic Grand Traverse County commissioner. This can make a difference. Oakland County forming study group to ensure safe and secure elections during pandemic Waterford group remembers soldiers who never returned home Rick Snyder endorses Mike Kowall for Oakland County Executive Oakland County Clerk: GOP lawsuit claiming sloppy voter rolls is baseless President Donald Trump is presented with the cadet saber of the U.S. Military Academy Class of 2020 at the West Point commencement ceremony in West Point, N.Y., on June 13, 2020. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images) Trump Addresses Speculation After Walking Down West Point Ramp Amid widespread speculation about walking down a ramp at West Point, New York, on Saturday, President Donald Trump responded on Sunday. The ramp that I descended after my West Point commencement speech was very long and steep, the president wrote on Twitter, had no handrail and, most importantly, was very slippery. He added, The last thing I was going to do is fall for the Fake News to have fun with. Final ten feet I ran down to level ground. Momentum! A video posted on the social media website showed the president gingerly walking down the ramp. It prompted speculation about his health. President Donald Trump Arrives at the commencement ceremony for army cadets in West Point, N.Y., on June 13, 2020. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images) Trump turned 74 on Sunday, and he was the oldest person to ever assume the presidency. During his West Point speech, the president congratulated cadets and recognized the contributions of the U.S. military to American society at large. This premier military academy produces only the best of the best, the strongest of the strong and the bravest of the brave, Trump said in his address on Saturday. West Point is a universal symbol of American gallantry, loyalty, devotion, discipline, and great skill. President Donald Trump and U.S. Military Academy superintendent Darryl A. Williams salute graduating cadets during commencement ceremonies at Plain Parade Field at the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., on June 13, 2020. (John Minchillo-Pool/Getty Images) U.S. Military Academy cadets attend the 2020 graduation ceremony at West Point, N.Y., on June 13, 2020. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP) To the 1,107 cadets who today become the newest officers in the most exceptional Army ever to take the field of battle, I am here to offer Americas salute. Thank you for answering your nations call, he continued. Photos of the event showed the cadets adhering to social distancing guidelines, while some were seen wearing masks. The White House earlier this month released the results of Trumps annual physical, saying he remains healthy. Trump physician Sean Conley confirmed that Trump also took anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine in combination with zinc to prevent contracting the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. Some Democrats who have spoken with Biden said they have not been given an indication that he is leaning toward any specific candidate. Biden said at a May 27 virtual fundraiser that he hoped to name his vice-presidential pick around Aug. 1. Were in the process of deciding the basic cut about whether or not they really want it. Are they comfortable? he said that day. The sitter continued talking to the officer. Hes 14 no, 13, she told him, flustered. He has autism. She said shed informed the store as well. When the officer finished with his questions, he asked the store managers who were waiting in the background if they felt a case should be pursued. There was a long silence as they mulled it over. I wont list the many black people, including children, who have been killed at the hands of self-described vigilantes or police officers its all the news has been talking about since George Floyds killing in Minneapolis. That list feels interminable, especially when developmentally disabled people are added to it. Last year, an off-duty police officer shot and killed a developmentally disabled man, and wounded his parents, in a California Costco. A few years earlier, Charles Kinsey, a black health care aide, was shot in the leg by the police while trying to help a 26-year-old with autism, Arnaldo Rios Soto. In that case, the policeman missed his target the bullet was intended for the young autistic man who sat in the street playing with his toy truck. The fact that our sitter is white is never lost on me when I think of that day at Target, and I suspect it offered some layer of protection for my children. The managers finally told the police officer to just let them go, but before our tearful sitter got back into the car, the officer checked in to see how she was doing. I have often wondered why he didnt also ask about my children, as if they werent vulnerable or fragile, as if a part of their innocence hadnt been shattered, as if it were impossible for terror to simmer beneath their young skin. That afternoon, after I heard what had happened, I watched my older son play one of his original compositions over and over again on the piano, searching for residual cracks in his being. He is sensitive, perhaps more so than neurotypical folks. He can hear sounds at decibels most humans cant, and his deepest feelings operate on frequencies many cant detect. Before bed, I hugged him as long as he needed. I cuddled my 10-year old as he shared with me how scared he was for his brother, how there were parts he couldnt describe because he was too afraid to watch, how it made him nervous to see his sitter cry. Reliance Industries has raised Rs 64.4 billion ($847 million) from the sale of two stakes in its digital unit Jio Platforms, making them the tenth deals in less than two months. The oil-to-telecoms conglomerate said on Saturday global investment firm TPG will buy a 0.93% stake for Rs 4,546.80 crore ($598 million), while private equity firm L Catterton will pick up a 0.39% stake for Rs 1894.50 crore ($249 million). Reliance, which is controlled by Indias richest man Mukesh Ambani, has now sold just over 22% of Jio Platforms to investors including Facebook Inc, securing $13.72 billion in eight weeks. Also read: L Catterton to invest Rs 1,894.50 crore in RILs Jio Platforms With this investment, Jio Platforms has raised Rs 102,432.45 crore from leading global technology investors including Facebook, Silver Lake, Vista Equity Partners, General Atlantic, KKR, Mubadala, ADIA, and TPG since April 22, 2020, RIL said. Here how the deal book opened for RILs Jio Platforms: * Facebook picked up a 9.99% stake in the firm that houses Indias youngest but largest telecom firm on April 22 for Rs 43,574 crore. * Silver Lake, the worlds largest tech investor, bought a 1.15% stake in Jio Platforms for Rs 5,665.75 crore on May 4. * US-based Vista Equity Partners bought 2.32% stake in Jio Platforms for Rs 11,367 crore on May 8. * Global equity firm General Atlantic on May 17 picked up 1.34% stake in Jio Platforms for Rs 6,598.38 crore. * This was followed by US private equity giant KKR buying 2.32% for Rs 11,367 crore on May 22. * Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment picked up 1.85% in Jio Platforms for Rs 9,093.60 crore on June 5. * On that day, private equity fund Silver Lake invested another Rs 4,546.80 crore for additional 0.93% stake in Jio Platforms. * Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) has taken a 1.16% equity stake in Jio Platforms. Black Lives Matter protesters marching in New Zealand have claimed police officers in the country 'hunt Maori people like it's a sport'. The claims by one angry protest leader were met with cheers from some among the crowd that took to the streets of Auckland, on the nation's north island, on Sunday. It is estimated that in total more than 20,000 people marched across New Zealand, with some 5,000 taking to the streets of Wellington, the nation's capital. The protests - which follow similar gatherings in Australia and the rest of the world in the wake of George Floyd's death - were the biggest across the nation in a decade. More than 40,000 took to the streets in 2010, angry at plans to mine protected land. Black Lives Matter protesters have marched on the streets New Zealand just days after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern returned the country to level one COVID-19 restrictions One leader at the protest in Auckland (not pictured) claimed police in New Zealand 'hunt Maori (people) like a hunting sport' It is estimated that in total more than 20,000 people marched across New Zealand, with some 5,000 taking to the streets of Wellington, the nation's capital Emilie Rakete, co-founder of Arms Down, a group that advocates for police not to be armed, told the crowd gathered in Auckland there she believed Maori people were unfairly targetted by police. 'The cops in this country hunt Maori (people) like a hunting sport,' Ms Rakete told the crowd, according to Stuff.co.nz. 'When the cops say hands up, we say arms down.' The Arms Down group claims Pacific people in are three-times more likely to be the subject of police violence then white people. Speakers at the march led protesters in a chant of: 'Ain't no power like the power of the people because the power of the people won't stop!' The Auckland protest ended at the gates of the United States consulate general. Leaders of the Ethiopian and Somalian communities were among those to address the crowd, in addition to prominent Maori speakers. Camille Nakhid, an academic who studied police discrimination against the African community in New Zealand, likened racism to the 'knee on the neck' of its people. Thousands took to the streets of Auckland, on the north island, and Wellington, on the south island, on Sunday in support of the Black Lives Matter movement A picture of George Floyd, whose death at the hands of police in Minnesota spark rallies across the world, is held aloft at the protest in Wellington on Sunday A placard with the names of people who have died during run-ins with police was carried aloft at the Wellington protest Protesters carry a large Black Lives Matter banner at the front of the march on Sunday 'Everything is talking and thinking about the murder of George Floyd in the US and the knee that was on his neck,' Ms Nakhid said, The New Zealand Herald reports. 'But I want to talk about the knees on our neck, the black indigenous people of colour in Aotearoa. 'We have to remain awake because we need to get those knees off our neck.' The marches in New Zealand come just days after the country returned to normal after weeks of no new COVID-19 cases. There are currently no patients being treated for COVID-19 in New Zealand hospitals. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern returned her nation to 'level one' restrictions this week meaning citizens could go about life as normal, while continuing to social distance. A week after tens of thousands of people flooded capital cities across Australia, the planned protests for Sydney this weekend were deemed illegal by the NSW Supreme Court. Despite the ruling, hundreds of protesters - who were campaigning for the improved treatment of refugees - still turned out, however organisers were fined by police. Restaurants and bars that attract too many customers at one time as New York reopens businesses risk losing their liquor licenses, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said today. The reminder came after the state has received 25,000 complaints about reopening violations in recent days. Most of those complaints were about businesses in Manhattan and the Hamptons, Cuomo said. Still, Cuomo said, the State Liquor Authority is out looking for businesses that are violating the rules as businesses slowly begin operating amid the coronavirus. Currently, indoor service is available at 50% capacity at restaurants and bars in Central New York. State liquor authority inspectors are out, he said. You can lose your liquor license. And that is a big deal for a bar or restaurant. We are not kidding around about this. Customers caught drinking alcohol on sidewalks or streets can also be ticketed for violating open container laws, he said. Cuomo said its also the responsibility of local governments to monitor compliance of reopening guidelines. Mayors, county executives, you have to do your job, he said. If the crowds get out of hand, and if local officials dont address them, Cuomo said he would reverse reopening phases in those areas. That is what is going to happen here, he said. I am warning today, in a nice way. After seeing large crowds at restaurants and bars on social media, Cuomo said he personally called a couple of businesses. I said to them, Youre playing with your license, Cuomo said. 'You are responsible for the people in your establishment.' The governor also repeated his call for police and protesters who are advocating for law enforcement changes to wear masks. New York now has the lowest rate of Covid-19 transmission in the nation, Cuomo said. But among 22 states that have reopened, the virus is spreading more rapidly. That is a concern for all, including in New York, he said. Not New York, not yet," he said. But that is a serious caution for us. Got a story idea or news tip youd like to share? Please contact me through email, Twitter, Facebook or at 315-470-2274. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 22:07:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TASHKENT, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Uzbekistan will open its borders on Monday for people of certain categories and resume some international flights, the country's special commission to combat coronavirus said on Sunday. Diplomats and their family members, representatives and specialists of foreign companies, students, and those seeking medical treatment can enter or leave Uzbekistan, the commission said. Uzbekistan will mark the inbound flights with red, yellow and green, according to the level of severity of the country-of-departure's epidemic situation, it said. Visitors with the green flights, for example those from Japan, South Korea, China and Israel will not be placed under a 14-day quarantine upon arrival, according to the commission. And passengers with the yellow flights -- from the EU countries, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore -- will be put under home quarantine. Uzbek authorities also said that passengers on red flights -- those from the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Russia and other Commonwealth of Independent States countries -- will be put under a 14-day quarantine. Uzbek students and those seeking medical treatment from abroad can enter the country, it said. So far, Uzbekistan has confirmed 4,966 COVID-19 cases, with 19 deaths and 3,910 recoveries. Enditem Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin arriving at Government Buildings as leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party are expected to sign off on the draft agreement on a programme for government after negotiations concluded. Photo: Mark Condren A JOBS stimulus package to help the recovery from the massive economic impact of the coronavirus crisis, fresh efforts to reform the insurance sector and new payments for farmers are included in the draft coalition deal that may be finalised as early as today Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin and Eamon Ryan of the Green Party have arrived at Government Buildings for a meeting with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar of Fine Gael. They will trash out the remaining outstanding issues like the pension age and plans for income taxes. The three leaders are also to discuss how the new government will operate, including issues like the communications between the parties. Independent.ie understands that the majority of the proposed Programme for Government has been agreed. Details filtering out this evening include plans for a jobs stimulus plan in July and a National Recovery Plan in October in a bid to speed recovery from the massive economic hit caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The jobs stimulus plan will be focused on measures to help the hospitality sector and small and medium enterprises and has been pushed by both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. The National Recovery Plan will be more broad, taking in additional sectors. Both plans would also be 'regional proofed' due to the impact Covid-19 has had on the economy in rural areas. There is to be a Cabinet committee dedicated to insurance reform given the challenge to businesses of rising premiums in recent years. There are also plans for an insurance unit within the Gardai to tackle fraudulent claims. A new system of REPS payments for farmers who engage in environmentally friendly practices is to be put in place as early as next year. This will be funded with ring-fenced money from carbon taxes. There will also be a new Food Ombudsman to look at the chain of production and the prices farmers are getting for their produce. The Green Party has secured a commitment for a 7pc-a-year reduction in carbon emissions. A detailed carbon budget is to be prepared by the end of the year outlining the areas where thats going to be achieved over the course of a five-year government. In education there will be a major focus on preparing for schools to reopen as the coronavirus crisis continues. Funding will have to be assessed to meet new costs like cleaning that arise as a result. Education reforms are also to include a renewed focus on apprenticeships including training people to retrofit homes for energy efficiency. The draft Programme for Government, which has been seen by Independent.ie, also states: In relation to new transport infrastructure, the Government is committed to a 2:1 ratio of expenditure between new public transport infrastructure and new roads over its lifetime. This ratio will be maintained in each Budget by the Government. In the event of an under-spend on roads, this will not impact on public transport spending, it adds. Key to this pledge will be major investment in the delivery of Metrolink, LUAS and other light rail expansion, DART expansion along with a new routes interconnector and the continued roll out of the Bus Connects projects. Expand Close OUTLIER: Eamon Ryan outside Government Buildings on Friday. Photo: David Conachy / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp OUTLIER: Eamon Ryan outside Government Buildings on Friday. Photo: David Conachy The next government will also review public transport fares and introduce incentives for off peak travel. And they will introduce a national integrated public transport system with an integrated timetables and a one tag-on ticketing system with coordination between bus and rail operators. In terms of housing the draft Programme for Government is said to include an ambition to deliver 50,000 social homes over the course of the government. It includes a goal of ramping up the building of affordable housing on State-owned land - including homes for purchase and cost rental. The Land Development Agency LDA would be involved in delivering this. The Green Party had concerns over LDA controlled land being given to private developers. Fianna Fail has pushed for an emphasis on affordable and social housing. A source said that under the draft programme the focus for the LDA will be delivering social and affordable homes on State-owned land. The cap on the amount local authorities can spend on social housing developments without getting the sign off from central government is to treble from the current 2m to 6m. This is intended to speed up the process of such developments getting shovels in the ground and it would give councils autonomy to build larger developments. The Part V section of planning laws would also be amended so that developments would have to include at least 10pc affordable housing as well as the existing requirement for 10pc Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Green Party are expected to sign off on a programme for government today. Expand Close Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar with Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar with Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire The document says the new government will commit to an allocation of up to 10pc of the total transport capital budget for cycling projects, and up to 10pc for pedestrian infrastructure. The Government commitment to cycling and pedestrian projects will be set at up to 20% of the 2020 capital budget (360 million) per year for the lifetime of the Government, it says This commitment will deliver a five-year, multi-annual funding programme linked with a specific target of new separated cycling and walking infrastructure which will be delivered or under construction by end 2024, it adds. Separately, every local authority will be mandated to adopt a high-quality cycling policy, carry out an assessment of their roads network and develops cycle network plans. There is also a commitment to dramatically increase the number of children walking and cycling to primary and secondary school by mandating the Department of Transport to work with schools across Ireland, local authorities, the Green Schools programme and local initiatives, including Cycle Bus and School Streets. The government will also ramp up the Cycle Right programme which sees children given cycling lessons in primary school They will also widen the eligibility of the Bike to Work scheme and increase the use of e-bikes. They will also move to significantly reduce emission targets by decarbonise our transport fleet with a particular focus on cards and light goods vehicles. The document says this includes a commits to legislate a ban on the registration of new fossil-fuelled cars and light vehicles from 2030 onwards and phase out diesel and petrol cars from Irish cities from the same year. On aviation, the document says the new government recognises that connectivity is essential to our economic development and adds that they recognise the huge value of our aviation sector in supporting economic development, international connectivity and tourism via our airports. It says they will deliver capital programmes required to support services and ensure safety at our State and regional airports. The government will also support EU and international action to reduce aviation emissions in line with the aims of the Paris Agreement and the UNFCCC. Government formation negotiations between the three parties continued until almost 4am this morning. There is a number of "outstanding issues" that remain to be decided upon. They have been identified as issues relating to tax, pensions and social welfare. Further contacts may happen between party spokespersons and the three party's deputy leaders before the draft document is sent to the three leaders. Read More Fianna Fail's Micheal Martin, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar of Fine Gael and the Green Party's Eamon Ryan are on standby to meet today. Tanaiste Simon Coveney said "a lot of good work" was done last night and the three parties "effectively have a text" for a Programme for Government. Expand Close Simon Coveney. Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Simon Coveney. Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins Mr Coveney - who led the Fine Gael negotiating team - said he believes the plans in the draft document are "good for the country". Speaking to reporters as he arrived at Government Buildings he said there are a "very small number of issues" for the three leaders to finalise. He said he hopes and is confident that the three parties will be able to sell it to their members as well as the Irish public. Should they sign off on the document it will be the first time a coalition government deal has been agreed between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael whose divisions date back to the Civil War. One of the Green Party's negotiators, Ossian Smyth tweeted at 4:34am: "The three negotiating teams agreed most of a programme for government this morning. "A small number of issues have been left to the party leaders to decide later today. A lot of good stuff in there!" One source involved in talks yesterday said there had been "a very good atmosphere" where "people were determined to get a deal done". Fine Gael's demand for a commitment that there be no increases in income tax or USC is understood to be one issue that is to be thrashed out by the party leaders. Fine Gael want a guarantee income tax and USC won't be raised in the next Budget and that it they could even be reduced when the economy recovers. Another major issue is the qualification age for the State pension. Fianna Fail wants the rise in the pension age to 67, due to happen next year, to be delayed. During the talks this has been resisted by Fine Gael, which has been insisting on it being increased in line with a long-running strategy aimed at reducing State pension costs albeit with a transitional payment for people until they reach 67. Other outstanding issues include the details of a Fine Gael-proposed jobs and stimulus package for July to help recover from the massive economic hit caused by the coronavirus crisis. The party is also seeking a 'New Care Deal for Ireland' which includes increased State support for childcare, parental leave and home help services for older people. And the final details of new REPS payments for farmers to ecourage environmentally friendly practices is also outstanding. Individual chapters of the draft Programme for Government are said to have been agreed by the negotiating teams and the full document will run to more than 100 pages. Any deal will have to be approved by Oireachtas members in the three parties and ultimately their wider membership. The Green Party has a high bar for approving any deal. More than two-thirds of its 2,700 will have to be in favour of the agreement for the party to go into coalition. Fianna Fail need a simple majority of its more than 15,000 members. Fine Gael have an electoral college system which gives the greater weight to its elected represenatatives than the wider membership. Green Party TD Malcolm Noonan said he believes there is enough in the draft deal for his party members to be "very happy with". He told RTE's The Week in Politics he hopes the Greens' parliamentary party will unanimously sign off on the deal as early as today before it goes to the wider party. Health Minister Simon Harris said his party is hopefull that there will be a "final breakthrough" today. Fianna Fail TD Mary Butler her party's priority is "abosutely not" getting Mr Martin installed as Taoiseach and avoiding facing the electorate. She said the party has been "very strong" in the area of housing during the talks and insisted Fianna Fail has been "to the fore" in pushing for a statutory home care deal. Speaking as he was leaving the talks, Fianna Fail leader Mr Martin said: "The three leaders will be meeting again in the morning and should be in a position to see this through then." He was asked if there has been agreement on the issue of the State pension age but did not answer directly. Mr Martin said: "Tomorrow we'll be publishing the full document ... we made good progress today and I think we should be in a position tomorrow morning to sign off on the document." He added: "We're nearly there - a lot of progress made." Worried over the Janata Dal (United)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) combine having seized the first-mover advantage ahead of the assembly elections in Bihar, Congress leaders have urged the central leadership to chalk out a poll strategy to oust the ruling coalition from power in the state, according to people aware of the developments. While both the JD(U) and the BJP have kicked off their preparations for the assembly elections scheduled for October-November this year, the opposition Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) are yet to firm up their election plan. Senior BJP leader and Union home minister Amit Shah recently addressed a virtual rally to launch the partys Bihar election strategy. The other smaller constituents of the mahagathbandhan or grand alliance, too, have demanded clarity on the issues of leadership and distribution of seats, a Congress functionary said on condition of anonymity. The RJD has sought to project Tejashwi Yadav as the chief ministerial candidate of the grand alliance, but Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief and former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi is against the move and has flagged lack of consultation in the opposition grouping. Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) president Mukesh Sahani have demanded the formation of a coordination committee to sort out the differences in the mahagathbandhan. Kushwaha and Sahni made the demand after meeting twice last week. Bihar Congress leaders, too, want the party high command to initiate steps to spell out the future course of action vis-a-vis the alliance, letters written by regional leaders and reviewed by HT show. In their communications to the central leadership, state Congress leaders have expressed concern over the opposition having ceded its space in the midst of the coronavirus disease outbreak despite what they describe as the failure of the ruling coalition in containing the pandemic coupled with massive anti-incumbency against the government. They also pointed out to repeated jibes taken at Tejashwi Yadav by the ruling JD(U)-BJP leaders for his absence from the state after the outbreak of Covid-19. In his series of letters to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, senior party leader Kishore Kumar Jha urged him to hold a virtual rally and target the JD(U)-BJP combine for their handling of the migrant workers crisis. He also requested Gandhi to direct the state leaders to step out of the partys Sadaqat Ashram headquarters in Patna and reach out to the masses across Bihar. The Congress has identified 60-70 of the total 243 seats where it is in a position to give a tough fight or even register a win against the ruling alliance, a senior leader overseeing party affairs said, asking not to be named. However, it remains to be seen if the RJD and other constituents are willing to agree to the Congress partys demand for an increase in the number of seats over the ones it contested in the 2015 assembly elections. The Congress then contested on 41 seats and won 27. The JD(U), which was then a part of the grand alliance, and the RJD fought 101 seats each. While the RJD won 80 seats, the JD(U) won 71 and the BJPs tally stood at 53. JD(U) leader and chief minister Nitish Kumar later exited the grand alliance and once again joined hands with the BJP to form a coalition government in 2017. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A passenger on board Air Indias AI 906 from Lagos (city in Nigeria) to Mumbai died on Sunday morning. Airline officials said that despite trying hard to revive him, the 42-year- old passenger could not be saved. The passenger was declared dead by an onboard doctor. However, the doctors of airport operator, Mumbai International Airport Ltd. (MIAL) attended him after the flight landed at Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), at 3.45 am. After completing all the standard operating procedure, the body was sent to Vile Parle based Cooper hospital. An airline official said that the passenger was unwell and was seen to be restless before he collapsed. Mumbai airport sources said that the passenger seems to have died of a cardiac arrest. An Air India spokesperson said, A male passenger aboard AI1906 on June 13, 2020, from Lagos to Mumbai passed away due to natural causes today. A doctor on board along with our crew, who are trained to handle such medical emergencies, made an all-out attempt to revive the person, aged 42, who had suddenly collapsed, through resuscitation but all their efforts went in vain. He was declared dead on board by the attending doctor. Air India said that they had informed about the incident to the relatives of the deceased. After completing all the procedures, the aircraft was taken for complete fumigation as per norms, added the spokesperson. WATERLOO The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley needs help with the following: The University of Northern Iowa Office of Community Engagement is seeking an AmeriCorps member. The member will focus on capacity building for student community engagement opportunities and develop new programs that enhance student civic awareness. Responsibilities include content development, marketing, and event planning. Help Friends of the Family with their Point in Time Count on July 31. Volunteers work in teams of two or three with staff members to count the number of people experiencing homelessness within a nine-county area. Teams will travel to parks, businesses, and other identified areas to look for people who might be experiencing homelessness. Do you have a desire to work in the counseling field? Become a remote crisis chat volunteer with the Community Crisis Services and food bank. Volunteers would assist with supporting people who utilize the Iowa Crisis Chat. Volunteers will be trained on how to handle a variety of topics and conversations they will have with others. Become a build site volunteer with Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity. Volunteers will help with all tasks related to constructing homes. Depending on the stage of construction, volunteers may be framing walls, siding, painting, or anything else in between. Shifts are 3 hours long from 8:30-11:30 a.m. and 12:30-3:30 p.m. For more information, call the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at 272-2087, or go to www.vccv.org. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: An army man was killed and two others were injured as Pakistani troops resorted to firing and mortar shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in the border district of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. An army official said Pakistani troops breached border ceasefire along in Shahpur and Kerni sectors along the LoC in Poonch district yesterday evening. He said Pakistani soldiers fired from automatic weapons and resorted to heavy mortar shelling on army positions and civilian areas. The official said army men deployed along the LoC returned the fire with similar calibre weapons and targetted the Pakistani positions. While three soldiers sustained injuries in the cross-border firing and mortar shelling, one of them succumbed to injuries. It is the third casualty in armed forces due to Pakistani shelling in Jammu region this month. Meanwhile, heavy exchange of gunfire and mortar shelling was going on between Indian and Pakistani troops in Rampur sector of Uri in Baramulla in north Kashmir Defence spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said Pakistani troops violated border ceasefire in Rampur sector in Baramulla in the morning today by resorting to firing and mortar shelling. He said the army men deployed along the LoC are giving befitting response to Pakistani troops. On Friday, a 40-year-old woman was killed and two civilians injured and over a dozen houses damaged in Pakistani troops shelling in Rampur sector of Uri. Indian and Pakistani troops have been exchanging near daily gunfire and mortar shelling along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. Photo: The Canadian Press Quebec provincial police say a manhunt for an armed suspect in Stanstead, Que., ended with an arrest late Saturday. Just before 11 p.m., provincial police said officers intercepted a 42-year-old suspect on Hackett Road in the town near the Quebec-Vermont border. Officers say there were no injuries during the police operation. Residents told the Canadian Press earlier in the evening they had noted a major police presence and buildup earlier Saturday evening after reports of shots being fired. Around 8 p.m., Stanstead put out a message on Facebook asking residents of the town of just over 2,700 people to stay indoors as a precaution. Police say the suspect will be interrogated by investigators in the coming hours. In February, I declared, somewhat winkingly, that Twitter is real life. My argument was not that what happens on that social media website is broadly representative of popular opinion but that what happens on Twitter is a good barometer of enthusiasm around movement-building and fandoms. And that elites tend to undervalue or dismiss what happens on the platform, suggesting that those loud voices making them uncomfortable arent accurate indicators of lived experiences. Since, Ive received a steady stream of gloating emails about how wrong I was. After all, I cited Senator Bernie Sanderss online movement for the Democratic presidential nomination, powered in large part by Twitter, as a primary example of this insurgent force and referred to the candidate as arguably now the Democratic front-runner. Not two weeks later, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar dropped out of the race and endorsed Joe Biden, effectively cementing him as the Democratic Partys nominee. If Twitter was actually real life, surely it would be Mr. Sanders doing virtual town halls from his basement campaign headquarters, not Mr. Biden. The power of online movements has been at the front of my mind the past two weeks as Americans have gathered by the tens of thousands to protest police and state violence against black people. Millions, too, have followed along on their screens, amplifying protest messages, sharing donation links and expressing solidarity. Online platforms, especially Twitter, have become like security camera grids, each with images of a dystopia, my Times colleague Jenna Wortham wrote last week of the images of police violence against peaceful protesters. Those images appear, at last, to be having a sweeping effect on our public consciousness of racial inequality and injustice, especially in regard to police violence. The most urgent filmmaking anybodys doing in this country right now is by black people with camera phones, Wesley Morris, a Times critic at large, wrote last week. New Delhi, June 14 : Two security guards were allegedly beaten up with canes by a group of unidentified miscreants in national capital's Narela area, the police said on Sunday. "The said incident took place in the wee hours of Sunday. The two guards succumbed to their injuries in the hospital where they were undergoing treatment," police officials said. The two deceased guards -- Amit (22) and Sunil (24) were on night duty when the alleged incident took place. They were thrashed on the second floor of a building by a group of men. Upon hearing the noise, other guards also reached at the spot but it was too late as the miscreants managed to escape from the scene of the crime. The two victims were immediately rushed to MV hospital from where they were referred to BSA hospital where they succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment, said Gaurav Sharma, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer-North). Sharma also said that the intention of miscreants was not to kill as the victims did not sustain any apparent injury on head and other vital parts of the body, but they did have fractures in their limbs. A case has been registered and the investigation in the matter is underway along with efforts to nab the culprits. Preliminary probe has suggested the involvement of known persons including those who were deployed at the same building, however, the cops aren't ruling out the involvement of outsiders. The 2020 edition of the border stand-off seems to have been defused, with the armies of both India and China preparing a roadmap to return to peace positions. The two armies, of course, reflect the views and strategies of their respective political establishments in New Delhi and Beijing. The question is whether the two countries will be able to go back to peace positions. The last time the two armies came close to conflict was in Doklam in 2017 at the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction, located strategically between Tibets Chumbi Valley in the North, Bhutans Ha Valley in the East and Indias state of Sikkim in the West. The conflict zone was dangerously close to Siliguri Corridor, the small strip of land that bridges Indias North-East with the rest of the country. Three years after Doklam and after two informal summits, China is once again flexing its military muscle in yet another strategic area, Ladakh. Throwing a spanner in Chinas PLA-operated strategy, India, stepping up on decades-old border road construction plans, built an important all-weather road near the Pangong lake and another road connecting the nearly 255-km long Darbuk-Shayok-Daulat Beg Oldie road in Galwan Valley. This road will allow the Indian Army to easily access its post in the Karakoram Pass which oversees Chip Chap River, Trig Heights and Depsang Plains. Beijings larger strategy is to force the Indian Army out of this area and then build its proposed road connecting Tibet with Gilgit-Baltistan. If implemented, this plan of China will weaken Indias position in the Siachen Glacier. This road will finally join the Karakoram Highway (KKH) running from Kashghar to Islamabad via Khunjerabh Pass and Gilgit in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). The success of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a key component of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Chinas ambitious global strategy and Xi Jinpings personal signature project, requires unrestricted entry for China in PoK. China therefore is compelled to protect its assets in PoK to ensure unimpeded passage to Gwadar in the Indian Ocean. China is aware that given Pakistans situation, any Indian action on PoK will seriously jeopardise Beijings game plan. Partition has been one of the key debilitating factors in Indias socio-economic progress and accomplishment of its strategic objectives since 1947 when we began our tryst with destiny. Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and Tibet have remained core issues in our engagement with the two neighbours who never ceased to harbour ill will against us despite the olive branch approach of successive governments in New Delhi. Even after Chinas Doklam misadventure, India went out of the way to accommodate Chinas wish list and decided to play down the Tibet card. The President of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) Lobsang Sangay (not yet officially recognised as the Government of Tibet in Exile) and the Trade Representative of Taiwan, Chung-Kwang Tien, who were officially invited to Narendra Modis swearing-in ceremony in 2014, were not included in the guest list for the 2019 swearing-in ceremony. All this resulted in facilitating a cordial atmosphere in the first informal summit between the two top leaders in April 2018 at Wuhan, now better known as the original epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both leaders agreed to provide strategic guidance to their respective armies to improve local communication and decided to seriously implement the existing mechanisms to prevent another Doklam-like conflict. After a few incidence-free months, both countries seem to have entered a sphere of mutual suspicion and mistrust. The COVID-19 epidemic has added to the simmering tensions. The pandemic has prompted many countries to seriously consider floating a global anti-China platform. The shape of things to come is not clear but it is certain that any such global platform will expect New Delhi to be an active supporter of the anti-China action plan, whatever it may be. Domestically, too, there is a huge anti-China sentiment sweeping the country, and for some valid reasons. While the Wuhan spirit seems to have completely evaporated, the Mamallapuram trade agreements are also not moving towards their logical conclusion. In such circumstances, the Ladakh stand-off should come as an opportunity for New Delhi to push the reset button and reconsider options other than those the two informal summits have offered. New Delhi has to seriously consider taking a lead in forging a new regional trade forum to include commercial centres like Hong Kong and Taiwan and other countries that look to the new Indo-Pacific architecture as more than a security umbrella. If that amounts to revisiting the One China Policy, it is time to bite the bullet. In a span of about 120 years, from the Boxer Revolution in 1900 to the border dispute in 2020, China has exhibited its strengths and weaknesses, experienced fall and rise, expanded in geography and fell apart again, and has experimented with various economic models. A strong military and economy alone do not add up to make a country a Superpower. As an ancient civilisation, China needs to wake up to the current global realities. The world is not yet ready to accept China as a rule-maker and a hegemon, and probably will never be. Where are you going for your summer holiday? No idea? Still struggling to work out what an air bridge is, or a travel corridor? If the quarantine rules apply to all countries, or not necessarily to France? Or, maybe, youve read the runes, considered the prospect of social distancing at Stansted and concluded that this year youre going on a holiday much closer to home. If youre lucky enough to live in staycation country (anywhere with a view/nearish the sea), it may be that you end up staying exactly where you are (a Stayputation?). Or maybe youll get the tent out of the attic and head for the Lake District, or find an Airbnb on the South coast, or head for the Highlands in your rented motorhome. British fashion expert Shane Watson, shared her advice for effortless staycation style this summer. Pictured: 60, boden.co.uk Either way, you will still need a summer holiday wardrobe, albeit one thats different in several key respects to the one you packed away back in September. Youll need clothes you would never take on a summer holiday abroad (Im thinking of a warm fleece) and you wont need half of the stuff you normally pack without thinking: pom pom trimmed wraps and poolside kaftans, slinky Missoni-style trousers and cork wedges. But its not as simple as practical versus escapist; Breton stripes instead of hibiscus prints. You need clothes that guarantee that gear change, so your staycation doesnt feel like just another bank holiday. We need to flick that switch in order to make this holiday great, and we need to be realistic too. So, perfectly timed with the shops reopening today, your Great British Staycation wardrobe starts here... ONE-PIECES BEAT BIKINIS Less of the bright acqua bikini more of the polka dot one piece. There is no rule as to what colour your staycation swimwear can be, but in the same way that muted colours look gloomy in brilliant sunlight, ultra brights hurt the eyes on your average British summer day, and look a bit out of place when the sun dips behind a cloud. The best bet for home are darker colours and instead of tropical prints go for stripes and dots. You also probably want a bit more cover when theres a boogie board and a breeze involved, and for my money staycation means a great one piece. A good place to start for one pieces is Boden, which seems to have cracked the swimwear sweet spot and has a selection of flattering, fun, just-covered-enough-without-tipping-into-frumpy swimwear. Good bets include its terracotta and white spot one piece (65, boden.co.uk) and my favourite, the ultra flattering Santorini, a halterneck style with a built-in supportive shelf and body sculpting lining (60, boden.co.uk) which comes in several colours, including colour block slimming panelling. Honestly its like dropping a dress size. If you want to spend more and ramp up the Bond Girl vibe a few points then Heidi Klein has a great low cut halterneck khaki one piece (220, heidiklein.com) or a red suit with slim straps and a scalloped edge (240, heidiklien.com). Bear in mind the advantage of a swimsuit is you can wear it as a body during the day with shorts or a skirt on top. A SUNDOWNER TOP Shane recommends pairing jeans or skirts with a pretty pumpkin sleeved top. Pictured: Top, 12.99, hm.com A pretty top, maybe with a print and those pumpkin sleeves weve been meaning to wear, is the secret to switching up your jeans or skirts on a staycation evening. On holiday you might slip on a swishy dress (and youll want a dress or two, see below), but on staycation weve got to allow for the possibility of a brisk breeze and much cooler evenings than you get in Mykonos. A wrap top with foofy sleeves, like Reserveds one in a petrol blue print (39.99, reserved.com) or Michelle Keegans sun yellow wrap top (35, very.co.uk) plus jeans or white trousers is your staycation evening sorted. Reserved also does a great jade green, puffed sleeve blouse (19.99, reserved.com). Wear with a cashmere wrap on standby. STAYCATION DRESSES When is a dress a staycation dress? When its easy, pretty and summery, but also wearable in Blighty. Forget lacey crochet halternecks and metallic thread. Forget fancy and fitted. These dresses need to have holiday spirit and look good under a sweater if necessary. My favourite holiday dresses are simple V-neck bias cuts like the pink checked dress by Faithfull The Brand (172, net-a-porter.com) or wraps with a bit of frill - the brighter the better. Worth a look are Aspigas wrap dresses in pink and orange or white and grey leopard print (95, aspiga.com). Otherwise midi shirt dresses by Zara always work: the bright blue and white floral print is the hot buy of the moment (49.99, zara.com) or French Connection does a good yellow with purple leaf print, short sleeved shirt dress (125, frenchconnection.com). And if you want something fresh and crisp, Ganni does an ice blue, long sleeved, striped cotton shirt dress with a sash belt that will be as useful as a boyfriend shirt (178, farfetch.com). Relaxed, wrappy, zipless and lining free is the way to go. And always keep it bright or light. You might take a black dress on holiday to Majorca, not Cornwall. GOOD WHITE TROUSERS Shane explained that good white trousers can inject a bit of South Of France. Pictured: Blazer, 59.99, top, 25.99, trousers, 35.99 mango.com Its important that these trousers are the good end of the spectrum; the bad end (skinny and stretchy or see through) do you no favours and good white trousers (slightly cropped, straight legged) have excellent staycation potential. Theyll keep you covered on a cool midgey evening or inject a bit of South Of France glamour for day. For cool evening trousers, wide legged, waisted and slightly cropped, try Massimo Dutti (59.95, massimodutti.com). The White Company does a good lightweight cotton straight leg jean in ecru (89, thewhitecompany.com) and Jaeger does a neat slightly tapered pair (79, jaeger.co.uk) or you could go for straight leg jeans from the denim brand that works best for you. FLATTERING SHORTS Shane recommends roomy denim shorts that aren't too short or too long. Pictured: Shirt, 59.99, and shorts, 17.99, hm.com Many of us who wouldnt be seen dead in shorts in regular circs, live in them on holiday, for ease and because theyre leg revealing without the risk of feeling exposed (a short skirt is an entirely different proposition, and a lot less practical). Still its hard to get shorts right. You dont want anything starched and tailored, too short or too long, which is why I stick with an old roomy denim pair (for denim shorts try Gap or H&M). And Other Stories does a pale stripey pyjama style pair (45, stories.com) that could look good with a boyfriend shirt and H&M has a floral loose-in-the-leg belted pair (17.99, hm.com). For something more structured, check out Coss longer line checked shorts (59, cosstores.com). MAYBE A MAXI Shane said a maxi dress can be worn with a cropped cardigan on warm evenings. Pictured: Dress, 161, tedbaker.com Cast your mind back to those Dave and Sam Cam staycations in Cornwall and what was she wearing for the relaxed photocalls? A long skirt and a black vest one year, a yellow maxi dress the next; just dreamy enough and also surprisingly versatile. Mango has a really pretty floral ankle length sundress with frilly straps and a tiered hem (note: tiers are OK on holidays) that would look equally cute with a turtleneck on top (49.99, shop.mango.com) and a ruched sleeved, pink on white floral floaty maxi (79.99). J Crew do an icecream striped three-tiered maxi sundress, which could be fun on a warm evening with a cropped cardigan (98, jcrew.com). My favourite, Seventies style, with a tiered skirt and billowy three quarter sleeves (sleeves always get my vote) is Feather & Finds purple parrot print maxi dress (299, aspiga.com) and youll find plenty of print maxi skirts at pinkcityprints.com. DITCH THE FANCY SLIDES For a regular holiday abroad were used to packing decorative mules, slides, slingblack wedge sandals, the works; none of those are required. Happily the staycation footwear rules (keep it simple and all-weather friendly) are very much in line with current footwear trends. So, you will need Birkenstocks (currently the most popular shoe on the market) either the standard two strap Arizona (125, birkenstock.com) or the coveted yellow equivalent, which for some reason will cost you another 185 (310, matchesfashion.com). Or there are similar styles in white from Geox (55, geox.com) or raffia from Marks & Spencer (22.50, marksandspencer.com). Otherwise, some other variation on a flatform sandal is the fashionable and practical choice for now, with shorts or dresses, with everything in fact (Makenna, 129, kurtgeiger.com). Youll probably need some trainers or plimsolls, and espadrilles always cheer me up and make my feet feel theyre on holiday. Try Penelope Chilvers or Dune. AND DONT FORGET YOUR HAT - AND MASK! A good hat is a summer essential and a good straw hat is the default summer cover up, but the better bet for a staycation looks good in all weathers is a canvas hat. Toast is my go to shop for summer hats. It does a good wide brim cotton canvas hat in navy or cream with a straw trim (95, toa.st); or a fun wide brimmed straw hat (69, toa.st) if thats your preference. And why not? You dont have to fit it into the overhead locker. Otherwise 2020 is the summer of the quirky floral hat - wide brimmed or bucket shaped. I like the pretty yellow print from Lack Of Color (95, lackofcolor.com). On a final note, if you want a set of three non-medical masks which will make others smile (even if you cant see it), Aspiga do sets of three in blue or pink indian block print or striped kikoy (14, aspiga.com). What you might call making the best of a bad job. When Leo Varadkar dusted off his stethoscope and volunteered for medical service during the Covid-19 pandemic, one of his most striking encounters was not in the efficiently prepared hospitals or impressive testing centres that rolled out ahead of the expected surge. It took place in a squalid rented house in the north inner city of Dublin, where families lived together in overcrowded conditions and with no place to self-isolate. Of course, the Taoiseach has seen disadvantaged communities as a politician, the Traveller halting sites in his west Dublin constituency. But as for overcrowded inner-city living, he said, it was a first. "I had never been in one of those very crowded, unofficial rented houses, which was packed with people from all parts of the world. Some Roma, some from Asia and some from Africa. That was an interesting experience," he said. "It really is that kind of marginalised community. Their health care needs can be quite high and they were among the at-risk populations we were worried about at the very start." The Taoiseach came across the scene while volunteering one Friday with Safetynet, a medical charity that provides health care for marginalised people in our society. Read More Throughout the pandemic, the group was involved in swabbing homeless and disadvantaged people who otherwise are overlooked for the virus. Jack Lambert, the Mater hospital consultant, and SafetyNet had been pushing for a dedicated community assessment hub for vulnerable populations, particularly drug users and Roma communities. "They were keen to have that. It was probably stuck in the system but I was able to get that moved on and it was opened in the grounds of the Mater hospital," he said. In an interview with the Sunday Independent, Mr Varadkar revealed he has temporarily hung up his stethoscope after volunteering his medical services to the Health Service Executive every Friday for the past two months. Expand Close ON DUTY: Among Leo Varadkars medical work was a stint at a housing complex in Dublin West recently / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp ON DUTY: Among Leo Varadkars medical work was a stint at a housing complex in Dublin West recently In contrast with his British counterpart, Boris Johnson, who managed to catch the virus, the Taoiseach was busy helping to treat it. SafetyNet was just one of his assignments. Most Fridays, from home, he worked for the HSE's occupational health service in the south of the country. His job was giving health care workers in the HSE South area their test results over the phone and advising them how to take care of themselves. He also spent a stint at the Citywest, the hotel complex in Dublin West contracted by the HSE as an isolation centre for those unable to self-isolate at home. "It didn't take long for people to recognise me or recognise my voice," he said. Even if they didn't, he always introduced himself as Dr Leo Varadkar, he added. "Some would pick up on it but then if you're anxiously waiting for test results, you're not really paying attention to the doctor's name," he said. So what did he learn? "It was very interesting. You know, these are all health care workers who had been tested. So doctors, nurses, home helps, health care staff. "It gave me a good sense of what was happening on the ground, you know in terms of where the clusters were, how quickly tests were coming back and sometimes how quickly they were not coming back," he said. "It gave me a sense of what was happening, what the everyday experience was for health care staff that you don't always see when you get a written brief from an official." One of benefits was "me being able to say to an official, 'You might tell me that the test turned around in two days on average'. It probably gave me a bit more credibility in dealing with my officials, who were all doing their best." With nursing homes emerging as the biggest crisis of the pandemic, the Taoiseach was well placed to hear directly of the problems besetting the centres from staff who worked there. "I wouldn't have been talking to private nursing home staff but I was talking to staff in HSE nursing homes or community nursing homes and there were a lot of outbreaks there so I was very aware of that," he said. "One of the things that emerged from those talks was the efforts staff had gone to keep the virus out. "Some people may believe that, you know, it was good nursing homes kept the virus out, bad nursing homes didn't It really wasn't like that, you know. It really wasn't that simple." His last stint was at Citywest last Friday week. With the curve flattened, demand has dropped considerably. "There isn't as much for me to do as there was at the start and there's a bit going on in trying to form a new government and so on. I've hung up the stethoscope for a little while but am still on the register or if there is a second wave or if the virus comes back I'll be available again." He paid tribute to fellow health workers. "In the early days, I was probably holding them up rather than speeding things up, but hopefully I made a contribution in the end. I want to thank them for facilitating me and the phenomenal work they've done." The last time Emily Graslie was in Albuquerque was for a conference for paleontologists. Although her time was taken up by the conference, she was able to learn about the natural history of the area. By day, Graslie is the chief curiosity correspondent at the Field Museum in Chicago. For the last seven years, shes been the driving force behind the YouTube series, The Brain Scoop. Starting at 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 17, Graslie will take viewers on a journey in the series, Prehistoric Road Trip, which airs on PBS. I am thrilled that I get to share my love of nature, history, paleontology, and in general really old, really dead stuff with the PBS audience, says Graslie. And this is an incredible opportunity for me to revisit my home state of South Dakota, where I grew up exploring the great outdoors as a kid. The three-part series takes viewers through dinosaur country to search for mysterious creatures and bizarre ecosystems that have shaped Earth as we know it. Graslie travels thousands of miles to visit some of the most active and dynamic fossil sites in the world. She hit the road through the heart of Americas fossil country the Northern Great Plains for a fun and fascinating journey to explore 2.5 billion years of our planets history. Crossing the Dakotas, Montana, Nebraska and Wyoming, she examines the fossils of diverse prehistoric creatures and plants and introduces some of the people who helped bring these ancient discoveries to light. Each episode turns back the pages of the past to examine different eras along Earths geologic timeline, focusing on the geology, ecology, and environment. On this immersive adventure, Graslie uncovers and discovers the history of North American dinosaurs and other fascinating prehistoric creatures, including ancient fishes, mammoths, and early mammals. All of this shows how you can have great geological diversity, she says. I wanted to drive from the oldest sites through time. One of the fascinating things about the show for Graslie is breaking down how difficult it is for a fossil to be found. When you think about how long the fossil sat there untouched for millennia, she says. What are the chances of this thing surviving for millennia and then youre the first human eyes to see the evidence. Its amazing. During her time filming the show, she also thought about what scientists would think about society today. If we can look a million years in the future and wonder what people would be excavating, what would they find, she asks. They are going to find these huge garbage dumps and iPhones. The amount of technology that we toss aside will be on top of so much of the past. We are leaving a footprint on the planet and its overwhelming. When Graslie was approached for the series, she took the opportunity to head back home to South Dakota. One thing that stuck out to me is the weird, off-chance that my familys ranch is located five miles away from where they found the most complete T. rex, she says. Everybody knows that impacted me when I was little. Theres even a picture of me with a T. rex to when I was three. Its like I was coming full circle. Graslie hopes to return to New Mexico in the near future, whether its for the show or for her own work. Theres so much dinosaur history in that area, she says. Id love to get back there and go see the Bisti Badlands. I bet theres so much to discover still. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says he won't step in to save an Australian actor sentenced to death in China despite his cosy relationship with the Communist Party. Husband and father Karm Gilespie, 56, a Victorian actor with a recurring role on the television show Blue Heelers, was sentenced to death in China on June 10 for drug smuggling in a case which friends and supporters say was 'a set up'. When asked about Mr Gilespie, the Victorian Premier said diplomatic representations to China regarding the death penalty were for the Federal Government and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews visiting Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 2015. Mr Andrews said he won't interfere in Mr Gilespie's case even though he has close ties with China after Victoria became the only state to sign on to Beijing's Belt and Road initiative Mr Gilespie (right) had a recurring role on popular 1990s drama Blue Heelers before moving into property investing and financial motivation, which led him to spend time in China His friend Roger Hamilton (left) posted a statement on Facebook telling of how he had last seen Mr Gilespie (second from left) in 2013 at a financial forum before he disappeared Mr Andrews said he did not want to interfere with the sensitive process or with the work of senior officials already working on the issue. 'I'm not commenting about a specific case, because one thing I know is that there will be very senior officials working extremely hard to try and deal with this particular issue,' he said on Sunday. Victoria is the only Australian state to have signed up to Beijing's controversial Belt and Road initiative, despite warnings from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and national security agencies. Having signed the initial agreement in 2018, the Andrews Government significantly deepened it with a new agreement in October last year. Mr Gilespie's friends said they looked for him for years, unaware he had been imprisoned in China. They said they have never seen him drink or smoke. Pictured: Karm Gilespie International trade deals are more commonly handled by Australia's Federal Government than by individual states and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews was widely criticised for signing the deal. Critics fear China is using the trillion-dollar Belt and Road, which provides loans and investment in infrastructure projects from the Chinese government, to buy undue influence through debt diplomacy across critical trade choke points around the world. Mr Andrews said on Sunday that many governments have strong trading ties with countries whose policies they don't agree with. 'We obviously oppose, deplore and condemn the death penalty wherever it is applied,' he said. 'You don't have to agree with everything in order to have a partnership.' Karm Gilespie was arrested with more than 7.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in his check-in luggage in December, 2013. Karm Gilespie (pictured) was described as a supportive, kind and encouraging friend who was 'always there for others'. He has just 10 days in which to lodge an appeal in China He was about to board an international flight from Baiyun Airport in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou at the time. Friends of Mr Gilespie told of how they had been trying to find out information about his whereabouts since 2013 without luck. The television actor had moved into property investment and wealth motivation, and had been an active and supportive member of the Wealth Dynamics community before suddenly disappearing. American entrepreneur Roger James Hamilton said his group had spent a few years trying to find out what had happened to him. 'Today I heard the news of what had happened to him. He has been in a Chinese jail for 7 years and has now been sentenced to death,' he wrote on Facebook on Sunday. 'This is an Australian citizen who has been kept secretly in jail by a foreign government for 7 years before being sentenced to death with no due process.' Mr Hamilton said he believed that Mr Gilespie had unwittingly been set up. 'Knowing Karm, and knowing the love he had (and has) for his wife and his children, this is not a man that deserves to lose his life.' Friends of Mr Gilespie told the Sydney Morning Herald they had never seen the motivational speaker drink or smoke, and were shocked at the sentence. A lawyer in China told The Australian on Sunday that the death sentence handed out to Mr Gilespie after seven years in prison was connected to China's diplomatic and trade attacks on Australia in the wake of Australia's push for an international investigation on the origins of the coronavirus. Pictured: China's President Xi Jinping. China's Belt and Road is said by critics to be an expansion of Chinese influence that traps smaller countries into debt for political leverage 'It is not a coincidence,' the lawyer said. The lawyer, who did not want to be named because of the political sensitivity of the case, said China had been 'prudent' in considering diplomatic relations with other countries when handing out sentences to foreigners. China's media, controlled by the ruling Communist Party has linked a recent 80 percent tariff on Australian barley and beef import bans to Australia's push for an independent coronavirus investigation. China has since warned its citizens form travelling to Australia because of 'racism'. This came weeks after China itself was criticised by Human Rights Watch for kicking African migrants out of their accommodation onto the streets in the southern city of Guangzhou, and refusing them service in hotels, shops and restaurants. China's strategic Belt and Road initiative which Victoria signed up to despite opposition from both the federal government and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Trade Minister Simon Birmingham told Sky News on Sunday that the sentence was not due to the deterioration in diplomatic relations between China and Australia. 'Over the last decade China has carried out death sentences in relation to citizens from the Philippines, from Japan and from other parts of the world,' Senator Birmingham said. 'Now, we will continue to work on behalf of this Australian citizen to argue against the use of the death penalty and to support him through these circumstances. It's not our legal system, it's not our justice system, but we can make those sorts of representations.' Foreign Minister Marise Payne told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday that she was saddened and deeply concerned over Mr Gilespie's sentence. A scene from 1990s television show Blue Heelers, in which Mr Gilespie (left) had a part 'We will continue to provide Mr Gilespie with consular assistance. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.' Senator Payne said Australia's opposition to the death penalty had been consistent. 'We regard it as undermining shared human dignity and inconsistent with principles of criminal justice that allow for rehabilitation. The irrevocability of it allows for no errors of fact or law to be corrected,' she said. 'It is no more effective as a deterrent against serious crime than lengthy imprisonment. We advocate consistently for the abolition of the death penalty worldwide, via every diplomatic avenue available to us.' Neither Senator Birmingham nor Foreign Minister Marise Payne have been able to speak to their Chinese counterparts since the start of this year. Mr Gilespie now has a 10-day window in which he can lodge an appeal through China's complicated judicial system. Pictured: Karm Gilespie in Blue Heelers. He was sometimes credited as 'Craig Gilespie' A spokesperson from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday that the department is providing consular assistance. 'We are deeply saddened to hear of the verdict made in his case,' the spokesperson said. 'Australia opposes the death penalty, in all circumstances for all people. We support the universal abolition of the death penalty and are committed to pursuing this goal through all the avenues available to us. 'Owing to our privacy obligations we will not provide further comment.' Amnesty International has estimated more than 1000 people are executed each year in China although the actual number is secret. More than 100 Australians are believed to have been under arrest in China as of the end of 2019, most on charges of drug trafficking or fraud. American soldiers are not responsible for rebuilding foreign nations, but their job is to defend the country from foreign enemies, President Donald Trump said on Saturday as he prepares to wind down troops from war-ravaged Afghanistan and reduce the number of troops from countries like Germany. Trump's speech before the graduating class at the US Military Academy comes amidst escalating tension between the White House and the military since nationwide protests began over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was pinned by the neck by a white police officer for several minutes despite saying he couldn't breathe. A number of officials, including Defence Secretary Mark Esper and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, have distanced themselves from actions Trump has taken in response to protests in the wake of Floyd's death in police custody, including deploying National Guard troops and discussing the activation of troops to quell demonstrations. We are restoring the fundamental principles that the job of the American soldier is not to rebuild foreign nations, but defend -- and defend strongly -- our nation from foreign enemies, Trump said at West Point Graduation Ceremony. We are ending the era of endless wars. In its place is a renewed, clear-eyed focus on defending America's vital interests, said the president, addressing the future leaders of the US military. It is not the duty of US troops to solve ancient conflicts in faraway lands that many people have never even heard of. We are not the policemen of the world, he said. But let our enemies be on notice: If our people are threatened, we will never, ever hesitate to act. When we fight, from now on, we will fight only to win. As MacArthur said: In war, there is no substitute for victory, he said. To ensure the US soldiers have the very best equipment and technology available, Trump said his administration has embarked on a colossal rebuilding of the American Armed Forces, a record like no other. After years of devastating budget cuts and a military that was totally depleted from these endless wars, we have invested over $2 trillion dollars in the most powerful fighting force, by far, on the planet Earth, he said. The US is building new ships, bombers, jet fighters, and helicopters by the hundreds; new tanks, military satellites, rockets, and missiles; even a hypersonic missile that goes 17 times faster than the fastest missile currently available in the world and can hit a target 1,000 miles away within 14 inches from centre point, he asserted. For the first time in 70 years, we established a new branch of the United States military: the Space Force. It's a big deal. In recent years, America's warriors have made clear to all the high cost of threatening the American people, he said. In front of more than 1,000 socially distanced cadets donning white face masks, the president highlighted the diversity of West Point's graduating class and appealed for America's newest officers to uphold the country's core values. RTHK: Kim Jong-un's sister talks tough in leaflets row The sister of North Korea's leader has warned of retaliatory measures against South Korea that could involve the military, in the latest escalation of tensions over defectors from the North who have been sending back propaganda and food. Kim Yo-jong, who serves unofficially as one of Kim Jong-un's top aides, issued the warning in a statement carried by state news agency KCNA. "By exercising my power authorised by the Supreme Leader, our Party and the state, I gave an instruction to the... department in charge of the affairs with (the) enemy to decisively carry out the next action," Kim said. Her statement, which did not say what the next action could be, came days after South Korea took legal action against defectors who have been sending material such as rice and anti-North leaflets, usually by balloon over the heavily fortified border or in bottles by sea. North Korea said it has been angered by the defectors and in the past week severed inter-Korean hotlines and threatened to close a liaison office between the two governments. As part of the effort to improve ties with the North, South Korean President Moon Jae-in's administration has sought to discourage the leaflet and rice campaigns, and defectors have complained of pressure to avoid criticism of North Korea. On Sunday, South Koreas National Security Council meeting was held with security and diplomatic chiefs in attendance, "to examine the current situation of the (Korean) peninsula," the presidential Blue House said, without elaborating. South Korea's Unification Ministry and Defence Ministry each released statements asking the North to honour inter-Korean agreements reached in the past. "The South and the North should try to honour all inter-Korean agreements reached," the Unification Ministry said in a statement. The Defence Ministry said the military is ready to respond to "all situations," and added it is closely monitoring moves by the North Korean military. The escalation of tension comes a day ahead of the 20th anniversary of the first inter-Korean summit in 2000, which pledged increased dialogue and cooperation between the two states. In 2018, the leaders of the two countries signed a declaration agreeing to work for the "complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" and cease "hostile acts." Analysts say Pyongyang appears to be using the leaflet issue to increase pressure on Seoul amid stalled denuclearisation talks. "The leaflets are an excuse or justification to raise the ante, manufacture a crisis, and bully Seoul to get what it wants," said Duyeon Kim, a senior advisor at the International Crisis Group, a Belgium-based independent non-profit organisation. Pyongyang feels betrayed and misled by Seouls prediction that the United States would lift some sanctions in exchange for North Korea closing its nuclear reactor site, and is upset that leaflets and US-South Korea military drills continue, Kim said. "Theyre upset that Seoul has done nothing to change the environment and is again telling Seoul to stay out of its nuclear talks with Washington," she added. (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2020-06-14. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. There are more reasons to be aware of coronavirus transmission especially the asymptomatic kind, which is a looming threat for the general population. According to the World Health Organization, asymptomatic coronavirus carriers have vast differences compared to normal carriers, as reported by Market Watch. Maria Van Kerkhove said that asymptomatic carriers are very rare according to WHO. She also added that the actual number of asymptomatic carriers are yet to be determined, according to Stat News. For starters, let's go over these 5 reasons to consider the possibility of catching the virus from someone who does not know they have the infection in the first place. 1. High concentration of COVID-19 might be found in upper respiratory tract One study at the University of California revealed that in the upper respiratory tract, a higher viral content of SARS-CoV-2 is present, including patients who are presymptomatic. Presymptomatic get the ARS-CoV-1 in the lower respiratory tract. SARS-CoV-1 viral loads will reach its apex at 5 days later than SARS-CoV-2, but symptoms of SARS-CoV-1 should be easier to detect. Compared to influenza, anyone with the asymptomatic disease has a decreased viral load in their secretions, for upper to lower windpipe, but will give off virions in a shorter time. 2. Asymptomatic joggers leaves a long trail of virions behind them The asymptomatic transmission was a debated topic but now it is settled, and the best way to prevent transmission is to wear a mask according to CDC. There is a higher chance to infect others with COVID-19 if they are asymptomatic with no mask. Gregory Poland said that asymptomatic runners can spread the coronavirus behind, in a 30-foot distance via virions as he breathes out. The will aerosol types that will be farther than big droplets that hit the ground, and the aerosolized virions will float thirty minutes in the air, according to NXG News. Also read: Coronavirus Reinfection: Will Recovered Patients Survive the Second Time? 3. Not all masks are effective when it comes to filtering virions Wearing a mask in public is your best guard against the virus, but keep in mind that a mask does not protect anyone 100% percent. Even social distancing can be so limited as a means to lessen transmission. Experts claimed that even if a vaccine is invented, or coronavirus antibodies are gain, it is no reason to let our guard down, because the coronavirus has many peculiaritie which are not yet fully understood, according to CBS News. 4. A very thorough contact tracing system is important If we truly want to control the COVID-19 pandemic by tracing asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections, there should be an effective way to find out who has it or not. Factors like mass testing and asymptomatic isolation might be considered. Aspects of coronavirus immunity need to be investigated as well. This is specially true for factors of immunity, reinfection, or why an asymptomatic person does not get sick yet he infects others. 5. Presymptomatic and asymptomatic is a deadly combo for transmission A strong indication is that asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 is more prevalent, which keeps researchers from stopping COVID-19. William Petri stated in The Conversation that most asymptomatic carriers are from 5% to 25% for influenza. According to Petri, there will be about 10% to 43% COVID-19 carriers with symptoms based on any test group. Carlos de Rio, a professor of global health and epidemiology, said that states coming out of lockdown must consider stricter regulations to prevent transmission. Relate article: Coronavirus Outbreak Second Wave? Recovered Wuhan Patients Testing Positive Again @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. World War II veteran, Private Joseph Hammond, has been thrown into the world of ecstasy after receiving a complimentary letter from Prince Harry of the British Royal family. The letter came after Private Joseph Hammond, 95, set a charity walk mission for himself to raise funds for frontline workers in the coronavirus fight and has so far raised 35,054, an equivalent of GH254,166. The war hero was inspired by Captain Tom Moore, who raised more than 30million for the UK health service amidst the pandemic. Prince Harry, who met Private Hammond at a ceremony last year, has praised the veterans mission in a letter he personally wrote to him. Reacting to the letter in a video clip, the war hero reads an extract and says "Wow, it is marvellous." He gives a thumbs up and says "this is a surprise for me, the Queen's own palace. I will show it to my niece." Private Hammond aims to raise 500,000 through his Just Giving page. Like hundreds of thousands of Africans, he fought for Britain in the Second World War. Below is the video; I received a letter from Prince Harry today.This is such a wonderful surprise. It is absolutely marvellous and I will hold this in my heart forever. I will like to thank Prince Harry for this amazing gift. @RoyalFamily @TheRCSAfrica @GUBAFOUNDATION @forceshelpafri1 @UKinGhana pic.twitter.com/2LBXlLnq3L pte.hammond (@pte_hammond) June 12, 2020 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 Job performance. That is the only basis on which an employer should judge employees. For reasons hard to understand, some supervisors terminat Sitamarhi (Bihar) [India], June 14 (ANI): BJP MLA Gayatri Devi and some Congress leaders on Sunday visited the home of the person, who was killed in firing by Nepal's security forces along the India-Nepal border, at Janki Nagar village in Bihar's Sitamarhi district. An unprecedented incident of firing on Indians took place on Friday morning when some locals were going to Nepal as their daughter in law was there. Nepal security personnel started firing on them in which one person died. According to the DG, three persons were injured during the firing. "A total of three persons have suffered injuries. Another person named Vikesh Yadav succumbed to injuries. Two others who were injured have been identified as Umesh Ram and Uday Thakur," DG SSB Kumar Rajesh Chandra had told ANI. Following this, Lagan Kishore, who was detained by Nepal's security personnel yesterday after firing near India-Nepal border, returned to Sitamarhi district after being released by them. "We ran to return to India when they started firing, but they dragged me from the Indian side, hit me with a rifle butt and took me to Nepal's Sangrampur. They told me to confess that I was brought there from Nepal. I told them you can kill me but I was brought there from India," Lagan Kishore had told ANI. (ANI) Maharashtra government is set to sign a dozen memorandum of understanding (MoUs) with major companies across the globe as a part of the Magnetic Maharashtra 2.0 - the second instalment of the global investors summit, held in February 2018. The MoUs will be inked with companies from the US, China, South Korea, Singapore and India on Monday is expected to bring in an investment of 16,000 crore to the state. Industries department officials said that the state government will unveil its plan for Magnetic Maharashtra 2.0 roadmap. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, industries minister Subhash Desai and global business leaders, Country missions and Bilateral investment agencies will participate via video conferencing. The investments represent a diversity of sectors including - Engineering, Automobiles, Food Processing, Electronics System & Design Manufacturing (ESDM) sector, IT/ITeS and many others, industries department officials said. An official said that the states push to revive economic activities aims to convey its readiness for a post-pandemic world. Some of the features of the roadmap include the plug and play infrastructure, an earmarked landbank of more than 40,000 acres, flexible rental and pricing structures, automatic permissions in 48 hours, specialized labour protection guidance and an Industry employment bureau for local skill and capacity matching for industries, a statement from the chief ministers office said. Maharashtra has so far reopened over 60,000 industries after the relaxations from lockdown were granted and have employed close to 15 lakh people in these units across the state. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Protesters tore down a bust of a slave owner and then took the remains to the Mississippi River and rolled it down the banks into the water. The destruction of the John McDonogh bust is part of a nationwide effort to remove monuments to the Confederacy or with links to slavery as the country grapples with widespread protests against police brutality toward African Americans in the aftermath of George Floyd's death. Police said in a statement Saturday that demonstrators at Duncan Plaza, which is directly across the street from City Hall, dragged the bust into the streets, loaded it onto trucks and took it to the Mississippi River where they threw it in. Two people who were driving the trucks transporting the bust were apprehended by police, authorities said. Their names were not given in the statement. Black Lives Matter protesters use a chisel, rope, and a skateboard to tear down the bust of John McDonogh in the Duncan Plaza section of New Orleans on Saturday Video on social media showed dozens of people surrounding the bust which sat on a pedestal while some people pulled on a rope tied to the bust and another hit it with what appears to be a skateboard The image shows the moment McDonogh's bust is pulled off its foundation in Duncan Plaza The above undated file photo shows the bust before it was forcefully removed from its foundation in the Duncan Plaza section of New Orleans The bust on Saturday was replaced with Black Lives Matter signs and a LGBTQ rights placards But arrest records indicate that Caleb Wassell, 27, and Michaela Davis, 30, each face multiple charges, including inciting a riot, according to WWL-TV. Wassell is white and Davis is black. Wassell has been charged with illegal possession of stolen property, inciting a riot, theft under $1,000 and inciting a felony. Davis faces charges of battery of a police officer, being a principal to theft, possession of marijuana, inciting a riot, inciting a felony and aggravated flight from an officer. This is the first arrest for both individuals in New Orleans. They were reportedly booked into Orleans Parish Jail early Sunday morning. Local reports indicate that they were also questioned by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Authorities allege that Wassell and Davis were the two who drove the toppled bust to the banks of the Mississippi River, where it was eventually thrown into the water. Caleb Wassell (left), 27, and Michaela Davis (right), 30, each face multiple charges, including inciting a riot. Authorities say Wassell and Davis hauled the bust away and drove it in a truck to the river New Orleans police also released surveillance images of a person of interest who is alleged to have vandalized the bust before it was torn down Police also released images of a person of interest that is alleged to have spraypainted the statue and used a hammer to damage it. Authorities are asking for the public's help in identifying the individual. Video on social media showed dozens of people surrounding the bust which sat on a pedestal while some people pulled on a rope tied to the bust and another hit it with what appears to be a skateboard. As the bust tilts and then crashes to the ground the crowd cheers. Another video posted on social media shows a crowd watching as the bust is rolled down the rocky banks of the Mississippi River and into the water. Mayor LaToya Cantrell said in a tweet that the city 'rejects vandalism and destruction of City property. It is unlawful'. When he died, McDonogh left a large portion of his money to New Orleans and Baltimore for schools, and many schools in New Orleans are named after him. The McDonogh Day celebration in which schoolchildren across the city laid flowers at a different monument to McDonogh became the subject of boycotts in the 1950s. The ceremony was racially segregated, and African-American children would have to wait for hours for white children to lay their flowers first. The image above from another angle shows a rope tied to the bust on Saturday Protesters cheer as the bust crashes to the ground in Duncan Plaza in New Orleans on Saturday Some of the demonstrators kick and stomp on the broken bust in celebration in Duncan Plaza in New Orleans on Saturday Several statues of controversial figures who lived during America's pre-Civil War era have been taken down either by citizens or local governments in recent weeks following the police-involved death of George Floyd McDonogh owned slaves while building his wealth, but he also freed them after his death and left part of his fortune to cities so that they can build public schools New Orleans took down four Confederate-era monuments in 2017 after a months-long process of contentious public meetings and demonstrations. But other controversial symbols remain. The city has started a process to discuss renaming streets named after Confederate figures. New Orleans police said that after the bust was toppled, it was then loaded onto a truck and taken to Jax Brewery The bust was then rolled down the bank and thrown into the Mississippi River New Orleans police said they have arrested two people who threw the bust into the river Gary Ballier saw a Facebook post Saturday that the bust had been pulled down and wanted to see for himself so he drove to the square. McDonogh's name is still etched on the pedestal but underneath it, demonstrators wrote 'racist.' Ballier remembers school ceremonies when he was growing up honoring McDonogh and while he was in the military he served at bases named after Confederate generals. He noted the number of streets across the city named for Confederate figures, such as Robert E. Lee Boulevard. It's long past time for those to go, he said. 'Our real history is known now and people who are supposed to be heroes are not heroes. They're traitors, and they should be gone,' he said. A slave-owning slumlord who built schools: The complex legacy of John McDonogh A statue of John McDonogh is seen above in Lafayette Square in New Orleans John McDonogh was at one point in his life the largest landowner in the United States. He made his home in New Orleans after moving there from his native Baltimore in 1800. In Louisiana, McDonogh focused his attention on acquiring property, including many enslaved African Americans. Early on in his career, he became successful after building a merchant shipping business. But he began amassing vast wealth in the real estate business. In 1807, he started buying up large tracts of land in West Florida which he purchased at the time from the Spanish government. McDonogh then hatched a scheme to expand his real estate portfolio. He would rent out his properties to brothel owners. This, in turn, prompted the families who lived nearby to move away. McDonogh then bought these abandoned properties at affordable sums. McDonogh then evicted the brothels and rented the properties to reputable families. In New Orleans, McDonogh earned a reputation as a slumlord for not maintaining his properties. After his death in 1850, McDonogh wrote in his will that he wished to donate $2million to both Baltimore and New Orleans so that they can build public schools. His will also ordered the freeing of his slaves. McDonogh also made arrangements to send some of the enslaved people he owned back to Africa. McDonoghs past as a slave owner made him a controversial figure. In total, the money that he left behind built 30 schools in New Orleans. But in the 1980s and 90s, many of the schools names were changed because he owned slaves. McDonoghs remains are interred at McDonoghville Cemetery in the Algiers Point section of New Orleans. Source: New Orleans Historical McDonogh left part of his fortune to the city of New Orleans, which built 30 schools in his name. The above image shows a drawing of McDonogh School No. 5 Advertisement The toppling of McDonogh's bust in New Orleans is the latest instance in which protesters have removed statues commemorating controversial figures from American history. Protesters pulled down a century-old statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis in the former capital of the Confederacy on Wednesday, adding it to the list of Old South monuments removed or damaged around the US in the wake of George Floyds death. The 8ft bronze figure on Richmonds grand Monument Avenue had been all but marked for removal by city leaders in a matter of months, but demonstrators took matters into their own hands Wednesday night, tying ropes around its legs and toppling it from its stone pedestal onto the pavement. A crowd cheered and police looked on as the monument - installed by a Confederate heritage group in 1907 - was towed away. There were no immediate reports of any arrests. The toppling came on the same day NASCAR banned Confederate flags - a common sight for decades in a sport steeped in Southern tradition - at its races. Also this week, the streaming service HBO Max temporarily removed the 1939 movie Gone With the Wind, criticized for romanticizing slavery and the Civil War-era South, to add historical context. In the weeks since Floyds death under a white Minneapolis police officer's knee set off protests and sporadic violence across the US over the treatment of black people, many Confederate monuments have been damaged or taken down, some toppled by demonstrators, others removed by local authorities. Authorities in Alabama got rid of a massive obelisk in Birmingham and a bronze likeness of a Confederate naval officer in Mobile. In Virginia, a 176-year-old slave auction block was removed in Fredericksburg, and the United Daughters of the Confederacy took down a statue in Alexandria. The movement has extended around the world, with protesters decrying monuments to slave traders, imperialists and explorers, including Christopher Columbus, Cecil Rhodes and Belgiums King Leopold II. The Davis monument was a few blocks away from a 12-ton, 61ft-high equestrian statue of the most revered Confederate of them all, General Robert E. Lee, that the state of Virginia is trying to take down. Democratic Governor Ralph Northam last week ordered its removal, but a judge on Monday blocked such action for at least 10 days. The spokesman for the Virginia division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, B. Frank Earnest, condemned the toppling of 'public works of art' and likened losing the Confederate statues to losing a family member. 'The men who served under Robert E. Lee were my great-grandfathers or their brothers and their cousins. So it is my family,' he said. 'What if a crowd of any other group went and found the symbols of someone they didnt like and decided to tear them down? Everybody would be appalled.' He added: 'I dont know why its acceptable, why people who are descended from the Confederate Army and the Confederate soldiers, its accepted in this country that you can do anything to us you want.' Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney had recently announced he would introduce an ordinance in July to remove the Davis monument and statues of other Confederates, including Gens. Stonewall Jackson and J.E.B. Stuart. A new state law that goes into effect this summer undoes protections for Confederate monuments and lets local governments decide what to do with them. A caged statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis is hoisted out of the state capital in Frankfort, Kentucky on Saturday Stoney tweeted Thursday that he will push to quickly dismantle the other monuments. Both he and the governor asked protesters not to do it themselves. 'For the sake of public safety, I ask the community to allow us to legally contract to have the remaining ones removed professionally, to prevent any potential harm that could result from attempts to remove them without professional experience,' Stoney said. While it wasnt clear what would happen to the toppled Davis statue, the mayor indicated it is gone for good. 'He never deserved to be up on that pedestal,' the mayor said, calling Davis a 'racist & traitor.' At the monument site on Thursday, Stacy Burrs said: 'It shouldnt have taken this long to get to where it is now.' 'If it were me, the whole thing would just be razed,' said Burrs, a black man who served on a mayoral commission a few years ago that recommended taking down the statue. Longtime Richmond resident Karen Mizrach, who is white, suggested replacing the statues along Monument Avenue with fountains, gardens or parks, saying: Its ridiculous that these monuments are such a focal point of the city. 'I think it is part of history. But I think we can leave it in history,' she said, 'and we need to move forward and do something different with our streets and our monuments.' Also Wednesday night, protesters in Portsmouth, Virginia, about 80 miles away, knocked the heads off the statues of four Confederates and pulled one of the statues to the ground after the City Council scheduled a hearing on the monuments fate for the end of July. Mayor John Rowe said police didnt intervene because that could have escalated the situation. On Thursday Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced he will remove the historic bronze statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E Lee from Monument Avenue in Richmond, where it's stood for decades, 'as soon as possible'. Protesters pictured at the defaced monument on Thursday Massive crowds gathered for days around the monument demanding it be brought down Protesters pictured piling on top of the monument during a George Floyd demonstration on Tuesday Rev. Robert W. Lee, IV, center, the fourth great nephew of Confederate General Robert E. Lee., speaks to protesters at the foot of the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue on Thursday. He previously supported the removal of the statue A protester was hit in the head and knocked unconscious as the monument fell. He was hospitalized with what police said were life-threatening injuries. James Boyd, the Portsmouth NAACP chapter president, said that 'people are just tired of being sick and tired' and that the monument represents more than 400 years of oppression. On Tuesday, protesters in Richmond tore down a statue of Columbus, set it on fire and pitched it into a lake. Supporters of Confederate monuments have argued that they are important reminders of history, while opponents contend they glorify those who made war against the US to preserve slavery. The Davis monument and many others across the South were erected decades after the Civil War during the Jim Crow era, when states imposed tough new segregation laws, and during the Lost Cause movement, in which historians and others sought to recast the Souths rebellion as a noble undertaking, fought to defend not slavery but states rights. Janet Mendez started receiving bills soon after returning in April to her mothers home from Mount Sinai Morningside hospital, where she nearly died of Covid-19. First, there was one for $31,165. Unable to work and finding it difficult to walk, Ms. Mendez decided to put the bill out of her mind and focus on her recovery. The next one was impossible to ignore: an invoice for $401,885.57, although it noted that the hospital would reduce the bill by $326,851.63 as a financial assistance benefit. But that still left a tab of more than $75,000. Oh my God, how am I going to pay all this money? Ms. Mendez, 33, recalled thinking. The answer came to her in about a second: Im not going to be able to pay all this. Ms. Mendez is optimistic that her insurance company will cover a large part of the costs, but only after receiving a series of harassing phone calls from the hospital about payment. Bosky Khanna By Express News Service BENGALURU: Despite Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar announcing that no online classes will be conducted up to Grade 5, schools are still continuing with it because they have not yet received the government order. Private schools affiliated to CBSC and ICSE are using this as an excuse to continue with classes and the delay by the state education department in implementing the orders is only helping them. The departments delay in issuing the circular is making parents question the governments intent. Sources in the government said the minister had issued stern directions to the department to speed up the process, but still there is laxity. The day the announcement was made, the Primary and Secondary Education Department was told to release the orders and submit a report within 10 days regarding the formation of a committee for video link classes, the next step. But the first phase of the orders have not yet been issued, a source said. When The New Sunday Express contacted the officials, most of them reasoned that it was a Second Saturday and a holiday. School is continuing with online classes even after the minister announced otherwise. When questioned, the management said they had not yet got the government orders. They also said they were following Central Government guidelines issued in May to continue with online classes, said Poornima M, a parent of a Grade-2 student studying in a CBSE school. Parents said that schools were arm-twisting them to pay the fees at the earliest and also purchase books as online classes had started. Dr K G Jagadeesh, Commissioner for Public Instruction, said: Orders are being prepared by the secretariat and would be released by Monday or Tuesday. There is no delay. Even normally, after announcements are made, it takes time to issue government orders because many legal aspects have to be looked into. With issues like these, orders have to be drafted in such a way that it covers all boards.Sources in the department said: The draft prepared by the education department is the same as what the minister had announced. The only addition the department has made is a statement as per the provisions of the education act and it took three days to include this. Despite repeated attempts, S R Umashankar, Principal Secretary, Primary and Secondary Education Department, was not available for comment. Photo: The Canadian Press People hold up signs during a demonstration outside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's constituency office in Montreal, Saturday, June 6, 2020, where they called on the government to give residency status to migrant workers as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada and around the world. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes A group supporting migrant workers held a virtual rally Sunday that called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and MPs to immediately extend full immigration status for all non-permanent residents. The event, sponsored by the Migrant Rights Network, featured a series of farm workers, caregivers, construction workers and others who expressed the difficulties of living through the COVID-19 pandemic without the government support given to Canadians. "We are raising our voice because the COVID-19 virus has laid bare the crisis caused by capitalism, racism, climate change and war," spokeswoman Sarom Rho said during the one-hour event. Rho said the majority of migrants are paid low wages, and face many other challenges. "Canada's corporations profit off of the intentional temporariness caused by a two-tiered immigration system," Rho said, adding that the novel coronavirus has hit migrants and poor the hardest. "Without access to emergency income supports, migrants have been working through the crisis without basic labour rights or health and safety protections. We are going hungry, we are homeless, we have lost our lives." Without emergency income supports provided to Canadian workers, she says, migrants are going hungry as they struggle to survive. Rho said migrants are calling on Trudeau to live up to his promise to do better to fight racism. "So today we say to him, Prime Minister Trudeau do better by ensuring full immigration status for all." That would provide health services including hospitalization and access to doctors, worker protections against discrimination and abuse along with access to permanent wage increases and paid emergency leave. It wants access to community supports such as food banks, emergency shelters and other services and an immediate moratorium on detentions and deportations. The activist group launched the one-day event by supporting efforts to defund, disarm and dismantle police over racist policies following recent deaths at the hands of police, including George Floyd and several Canadians, such as Rodney Levi, an Indigenous man in New Brunswick. "We are in the midst of a massive anti-racist uprising against police and anti-Black police violence, a groundshifting rebellion led by Black women and youth." French nuclear submarine on fire as another sub test-fires ballistic M51 SLBM missile Iran Press TV Saturday, 13 June 2020 8:15 AM Fire has broken out and still raging onboard a French nuclear submarine docked at the Mediterranean port of Toulon, home to France's largest naval base, while another French submarine test-fired a strategic ballistic missile amid the new US-initiated nuclear arms race. Local authorities also insisted that the fire was under control, according to the report, which further said dozens of firefighters -- assisted by specialized teams and a firefighting ship deployed from Marseille -- responded to the incident on the Perle, which was docked at the naval base for repairs. "The fire is under control. It will not spread, but it has not yet been put out," said a spokeswoman for the Mediterranean prefecture on Friday as quoted in a Reuters report, further noting that no one was harmed by the fire and that no nuclear materials or weapons were on board the vessel. However, no reason has yet been cited for the blaze on the 74-meter-long nuclear submarine that was launched in 1990 and began active service in 1993. Meanwhile, a French defense ministry source was also cited as saying that Defense Minister Florence Parly would soon visit the Toulon naval base, which also hosts France's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and the nuclear submarines as well as other warships that escort it on its global missions. Nuclear submarine test fires huge M51 ballistic missile The French Ministry of Armed Forces said the Navy Le Triomphant-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) "Le Temeraire" test-fired an M51 submarine -launched ballistic missile (SLBM). "The nuclear-powered Le Temeraire successfully fired an M51 strategic ballistic missile off Finistere," Defense Minister Parly announced on Friday in a Twitter post. The launch was carried out without a nuclear warhead off France's Western coastal region of Brittany. The missile was tracked throughout its flight phase by radars and by the missile range instrumentation ship Monge (A601), landing several hundred kilometres away in the North Atlantic. The M51 which replaced the M45 in 2010 weighs 52,000 kilograms with a 12-meter length and a diameter of 2.3 meters. Its operational range is reported to be 8,000 to 10,000 kilometres with a speed of Mach 25. The three-stage engine of the ballistic missile is directly derived from the solid propellant boosters of the European Ariane 5 space rocket. Moreover, the M51 carries six to ten independently targetable (Multiple Independently targeted Reentry Vehicle) TN 75 thermonuclear warheads which, since 2015, have been replaced with the new Tete nucleaire oceanique (TNO or oceanic nuclear warhead) warheads. The new warheads are reportedly maneuverable (Maneuverable Re-entry Vehicle) in order to avoid potential ballistic defenses. The TNO also possesses an explosive yield that is estimated to be greater than or equal to the yield of the TN 75 warhead, 150 kilotons of TNT (kt) with a CEP (circular error probability) of 150 meters. US leading nuclear arms race This comes amid a recent report that showed the world's nuclear-armed nations spent a record $73 billion on such weapons last year, with the US spending nearly as much as the eight other states combined. The new spending figures -- reflecting the highest expenditure on nuclear arms since the height of the cold war -- have been estimated by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), which argues that the coronavirus pandemic underlines the wastefulness of the nuclear arms race. The nine nuclear-armed countries spent a total of $72.9 billion in 2019, a 10-percent increase compared to the previous year $35.4 billion of which was spent by the Trump administration, which accelerated the expansion of the US arsenal in its first three years while cutting expenditure on pandemic prevention. The report came out just days prior to remarks by US President Donald Trump that his country intends to out-spend its military rivals across the globe, including Russia and China, with what he described as "super-duper missiles." Following Trump's remarks, the Pentagon reluctantly acknowledged that it is developing hypersonic weapons with the defense department's chief spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman stating in a Twitter post that the "Department of Defense is working on developing a range of hypersonic missiles to counter our adversaries." Back in 2018, Trump also directed the Pentagon to establish the Space Force the first new US military branch in 72 years calling for his country's "dominance in space." In another move that further sparked fears of another global arms race, the American president pulled out the US from the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) with Russia. The deal was signed in 1987 to ban all land-based missiles with the range of up to 5,500 kilometres. Russian nuclear-powered sub enters service amid arms control fears Russia placed its new most-advanced nuclear-powered submarine into service on Friday at a time of rising nuclear weapons race between Moscow and its Western rivals. Russian defense ministry announced during Russia Day celebrations that it had enrolled into the navy the Knyaz Vladimir (Prince Vladimir) - designed to carry Bulava intercontinental nuclear missiles. The development came amid the persisting rift between Moscow and Western powers over Ukraine and fears of an escalating arms race following the demise of the INF after the US in August 2019 abandoned the accord that banned the deployment of short and intermediate range missiles. The last major nuclear arms control treaty between Moscow and Washington known as the New START treaty, which is due to expire in 2021, limits the number of strategic nuclear warheads the world's two biggest nuclear powers can deploy. The Russian Borei-A (Boreas) class submarine is the first upgraded 955A model and one of the centerpieces in President Vladimir Putin's plans to upgrade the nuclear-powered fleet. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A local BJP leader and another person were arrested in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh on the charges of being Maoist supporters, police said on Sunday. The accused, identified as Jagat Pujari and Ramesh Usendi (32), were arrested on Saturday after they procured a tractor to allegedly deliver it to a hardcore Naxal, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava told PTI. Pujari, a native of Barsoor village, is the vice president of BJPs Dantewada district unit, he said. After receiving inputs that senior cadres from Abhujmaad area had handed over money to Ajay Alami, militia commander-in-chief, active in Indravati area committee of Maoists, for procuring some things, police swung into action, he said. Based on the mobile phone intercepts, police kept an eye on some suspects, including Pujari, in the area, he said. "On Saturday afternoon, police intercepted a newly-purchased tractor-trolley on Barsoor-Chitrakot route and rounded up Usendi, a native of Orchha area in neighbouring Narayanpur district, when he was allegedly going to deliver the vehicle to Naxals," he said. During the interrogation, Usendi revealed that Maoist leader Alami had given him Rs 4 lakh to procure a tractor and told that Pujari will help him in the entire process, he said. Later, Pujari was nabbed from Barsoor. He confessed to his involvement in supplying various materials to the senior Maoist cadres in the region in the past, he said. Apart from the tractor-trolley, some other agriculture equipment meant for Naxals were also recovered from the possession of the two accused, he said. "Mobile phone intercepts of Pujari also suggest that he had been in contact with Maoists since the last several months," the SP said. They were booked under provisions of the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, 2005, Pallava said, adding that further investigation into the matter is underway. The SP said that Maoists have been facing a crisis of ration and other essentials since the coronavirus-induced lockdown was imposed in March this year, which hit their supply chain. They might have decided to cultivate paddy in interior forests and therefore, had planned to procure tractor and other farm implements, he added. Meanwhile, BJP's district president Chaitram Attami said that party's senior state leaders have been informed about the development and they will decide on the action to be taken against Pujari at the party level. Pujari had been appointed as the district vice-president around five years ago. However, as no fresh appointment to the post was made after completion of his tenure, he was still holding the position, he said. Rayshard Brooks had been celebrating his daughter's eighth birthday on Friday before police in Atlanta, Georgia shot him then spent more than two minutes collecting shell casings from the ground before even checking his pulse. Brooks and his little girl had a father-daughter day where he took her to get her nails done and for something to eat and they were due to continue the celebrations on Saturday. But investigators say Brooks, 27, fought with Officers Garrett Rolfe and Devin Bronsan after they reported to the scene outside a Wendy's restaurant where the father-of-four had fallen asleep in his car and people were having to drive around him. They were filmed on police body cameras having a polite conversation. Brooks underwent a sobriety test before cops went to arrest him, and he began to resist. Rayshard Brooks took his eight-year-old daughter (left) to get her nails done and for something to eat on Friday before he was killed in police custody (right) Brooks' family lawyers say the cops kicked and flipped him over after gunning him down and claim they didn't even check his pulse before collecting bullet casings Brooks' body appears to be on the pavement on the far right side of the image above After the officers threatened to tase him, Brooks took one of their Tasers before fleeing and pointing it at Rolfe. As he ran away, Rolfe shot at him and video footage shows the officers scrambling around him after he was gunned down. It's unclear what they are doing but the dead man's family attorney said they didn't attempt to save his life and Brooks just 'lays there dying'. 'One kicks him and flips him over,' attorney L. Chris Stewart said at a press conference on Saturday. 'We counted 2 minutes and 16 seconds before they even checked his pulse. And people wonder why everyone's mad.' 'They appear to be caring more about covering their tracks than providing aid. Aid that could have saved his life if allegedly he was taken to the hospital and died in surgery. But they didn't give that to him.' Other drivers are filmed moving their cars after Brooks was fatally injured. Various clips of video have been obtained from the scene that the lawyers have reviewed. Officer Garrett Rolfe (left) was fired from the force after firing the shots that killed Brooks on Friday night, while Officer Devin Bronsan (right), who was also present but did not fire, has been placed on administrative leave Flames were seen inside and outside the Wendy's at around 10pm on Saturday night after arsonists set it ablaze A Wendy's burns following a rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks A person holds a sign as a Wendy's restaurant burns Saturday in Atlanta after demonstrators allegedly set it on fire Some demonstrators link arms after getting onto I-75 and shutting down the interstate in Atlanta on Saturday Crime Stoppers of Greater Atlanta is offering a $10,000 reward for information that will lead to the arrest and... Posted by City of Atlanta Police Department on Sunday, June 14, 2020 Outrage about what happened has sparked protests and Brooks sister Crystal Brooks joined demonstrators on Saturday. 'He wasn't causing anyone any harm,' she said. 'The police went up to the car and even though the car was parked they pulled him out of the car and started tussling with him. He did grab the Taser, but he just grabbed the Taser and ran.' Wendy's restaurant was also burned down and covered in graffiti following the killing. Atlanta fire officials said that they were unable to send trucks through the crowds of protesters blocking the roads around the Wendy's, in fear of endangering both the firefighters and the protesters. Brooks' family attorney Stewart said on Saturday his legal team watched the children 'play and laugh and be oblivious to the facts that their dad was murdered' the day before As the fire grew, fears mounted that it could ignite a neighboring gas station, but by midnight the fire had burned out without spreading further. Demonstrators also shut down all lanes of Interstate 75 near the Wendy's for more than an hour. Police in riot gear were seen advancing on the protesters and making arrests at around 10pm. Traffic was restored on the northbound lanes of the interstate by around 10.30pm. Cops are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrests of arsonists who set fire to the fast food eatery. 'Are you not tired of cases like this happening?' he asked. 'People are sick of watching black men murdered,' attorney Stewart said on Saturday. He said the 'one thing that nobody can disagree with' is that 'it shouldn't have happened.' The family attorneys revealed how his daughter doesn't yet know why her father didn't show up to her birthday celebrations on Saturday. 'She had her birthday dress on because she was waiting for her dad to come pick her up to take her to go skating,' attorney Justin Miller said. 'While we were over there they had a birthday party for her eighth birthday today with cupcakes ... while we were sitting there talking with her mom about why her dad's not coming home.' Attorney Stewart said they watched the children 'play and laugh and be oblivious to the facts that their dad was murdered'. 'People are sick of watching black men murdered,' attorney Stewart said on Saturday after Brooks was killed by police in Atlanta Rolfe was fired from the force after firing the shots that killed Brooks on Friday night. Rolfe had been a member of the department since 2013. Officer Devin Bronsan, who was also present but did not fire, has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. Bronsan joined the department in 2018. The shooting led to the resignation of Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields. Just two weeks earlier, Shields had drawn nationwide praise for how she engaged with demonstrators in the wake of George Floyd's death. Days later, Shields fired two officers and benched three others caught on video May 30 in a hostile confrontation with two college students whose car was stuck in traffic caused by the protests. Body camera footage shows a group of Atlanta police officers confronting 22-year-old Messiah Young and 20-year-old Taniyah Pilgrim in a car in downtown traffic caused by protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd. Throughout the confrontation, the couple can be heard screaming and asking what they did wrong. The officers shouted at the pair, fired Tasers at them and dragged them from the vehicle. When prosecutors charged six officers with crimes in the incident, however, Shields openly questioned the timing and appropriateness of the charges. Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned on Saturday following the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks Six Atlanta police officers face criminal charges after video showed they used Tasers to arrest two college students - Messiah Young (left) and Teniyah Pilgrim (right) - for breaking curfew Shields, the ousted police chief, said in a statement: 'For more than two decades, I have served alongside some of the finest men and women in the Atlanta Police Department. Out of a deep and abiding love for this City and this department, I offered to step aside as police chief.' 'APD has my full support, and Mayor Bottoms has my support on the future direction of this department. I have faith in the Mayor, and it is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve,' Shields continued. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced Chief Shield's resignation, saying the city's top cop offered to 'immediately step aside as police chief so that the city may move forward, with urgency, in rebuilding the trust so desperately needed throughout our communities.' Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vic Reynolds said his agents worked through the night interviewing witnesses and reviewing video. 'You can't have it both ways in law enforcement,' Stewart added about the use of force. 'You can't say a Taser is a nonlethal weapon but when an African American grabs it and runs with it, now it's some kind of deadly, lethal weapon that calls for you to unload on somebody.' During the incident where Brooks died, the interaction starts off cordially, but Brooks seems visibly intoxicated, and is unable to correctly identify the city he is in, saying he is in Forest Park, an Atlanta suburb about 10 miles away from the Wendy's. As the bodycam footage shows, Brooks cooperates with the officers initially, agreeing to be searched for weapons and to complete a field sobriety test. Brooks then insisted that all he'd had to drink was 'one and a half daiquiris.' The officers then administer a breathalyzer test, as Brooks continues to insist that he is fine to drive home. The breathalyzer reading comes back as .108. About 30 minutes into the interaction, Rolfe tells Brooks that he believes he is too drunk to operate a motor vehicle and that he is being placed under arrest. As the officers begin to handcuff him, Brooks begins to struggle, knocking the body camera to the ground. Little else is seen of the interaction, but the officers are heard shouting 'stop fighting, stop fighting,' a Taser is heard being deployed, and three shots are heard seconds later. Video from other angles has already shown that Brooks swung punches at the officers, stole a Taser, and fled, turning to point what appears to be the stolen Taser at Rolfe before Rolfe unholsters his gun and shoots Brooks. New surveillance video released by GBI shows Brooks (circled, right) fleeing towards the right hand side of the image as he is pursued by two officers. Both Brooks and the officer immediately behind him are seen holding police Tasers with illumination Police attempt to control protesters outside a Wendy's restaurant Saturday in Atlanta State troopers were seen advancing on the protesters and making arrests at around 10pm, and traffic was restored Demonstrators also shut down all lanes of Interstate 75 near the Wendy's for more than an hour The shooting came at a time of heightened tension over police brutality and calls for reforms across the U.S. following the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Atlanta was among U.S. cities where large crowds of protesters took to the streets. A crowd of demonstrators gathered Saturday outside the Atlanta restaurant where Brooks was shot. Gerald Griggs, an attorney and a vice president of Atlanta's NAACP chapter, estimated there were 150 people protesting at the scene as he walked with them Saturday afternoon. 'The people are upset,' Griggs said. 'They want to know why their dear brother Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed when he was merely asleep on the passenger side and not doing anything.' 'In a circumstance like this where an officer is involved in the use of deadly force, the public has a right to know what happened,' Reynolds said of the decision to quickly release the restaurant surveillance footage. Atlanta Deputy Police Chief Timothy Peek told reporters late Friday that both officers deployed their Tasers in an attempt to subdue the suspect but were unable to 'stop the aggression of the fight.' Reynolds said his agents will turn over results of their investigation to Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, whose office will decide whether criminal charges are warranted against either of the officers. Howard said Saturday his office had already gotten involved. 'My office has already launched an intense, independent investigation of the incident,' Howard said in a statement, saying members of his staff 'were on scene shortly after the shooting, and we have been in investigative sessions ever since to identify all of the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident.' A woman holds up a sign which reads 'Justice for Rayshard Brooks' during a demonstration in Atlanta on Saturday Ashley Brooks speaks as protesters gather on University Ave near a Wendy's restaurant on Saturday A woman holds a sign which reads 'We must dismantle white supremacy now' during a demonstration in Atlanta on Saturday Protesters hold signs which read 'Defund the police' as they walk past a mural of George Floyd in Atlanta on Saturday Stacey Abrams, the Georgia Democrat who gained national prominence running for governor in 2018, tweeted Saturday of the shooting that 'sleeping in a drive-thru must not end in death.' 'The killing of #RayshardBrooks in Atlanta last night demands we severely restrict the use of deadly force,' Abrams' tweet said. 'Yes, investigations must be called for - but so too should accountability.' Atlanta, like scores of other major American cities, has been roiled by protests following the May 25 death of George Floyd. Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department after one officer, Derek Chauvin, was seen kneeling on his neck for almost nine minutes, cutting off his air supply. Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Three other Minneapolis police officers have also been charged with aiding and abetting. RIP Rayshard: Clean up begins outside the Wendy's restaurant which was destroyed "All Black Lives Matter" is painted on Hollywood Boulevard in front of TCL Chinese Theatre on Saturday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) "All Black Lives Matter" was painted in a rainbow of colors along a stretch of Hollywood Boulevard in front of the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Saturday, one of the latest moves in ongoing protests over police brutality and the killing of George Floyd. Hollywood Boulevard has been the scene of numerous protests in the last two weeks, including one last Sunday that drew more than 20,000 people. Another is planned this morning. The All Black Lives Matter march, organized by a Black Advisory Board made up of Black LGBTQ+ leaders and organizations, is set to take place in West Hollywood. On the events website, the board posted a statement announcing a protest in direct response to racial injustice, systemic racism, and all forms of oppression." Additional protests were scheduled across Los Angeles for Sunday the latest actions in a weekend of demonstrations. Protesters paint the "All Black Lives Matter" message on Hollywood Boulevard near El Capitan Theatre on Saturday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) On Saturday, more than a hundred congregants and friends of the Cochran Avenue Baptist Church marched through Mid-Wilshire protesting the treatment of Black people across the country. At one point, Pastor Charles Johnson asked the marchers to take a knee. He then led them in prayer. We pray for a public witness to all the injustice thats in our community, he said. The marchers headed along San Vicente Boulevard, winding through residential streets with a stop in the neighborhood of Little Ethiopia. They were heading to the La Brea Tar Pits. Antoinette Jordan, 50, marched alongside her boyfriend, Quinn. Jordan, who attends Cochran Avenue Baptist Church, said it was her third protest march. Throughout them, shes been thinking of her adult sons who are medical caregivers, she said. The last few months have been hard for them. You got COVID you gotta worry about," she said, "and then you gotta worry about being a Black man. These demonstrations help give people a voice, she said. I learned: The louder you sing, the more audible you are, the better your message comes across. Another march for racial justice took place in Echo Park on Saturday afternoon and drew more than 500 people. Dhaka, June 14 : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has decided to bring the countrys worst coronavirus-hit areas under lockdown aimed at checking its further spread. While paying glowing tributes to lawmaker Mohammed Nasim and State Minister for Religious Affairs Advocate Sheikh Md Abdullah, who both died recently, she hoped that her government would make Bangladesh poverty- and hunger-free as dreamt by the nation's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, overcoming all hurdles, including COVID-19. Bangladesh has reported 32 more fatalities from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in a daily count. The death toll from the pandemic reached 1,171.The tally of infections has also surged to 87,520 after 3,141 new COVID-19 cases were detected in the last 24 hours. A tearful Hasina said, " Its so painful to tell about a great loss of any family member. Nasim Bhai was very efficient as a political leader. He always stood beside me since I was trying to reorganise the Awami League with members of the families of martyrs after my return to the country in 1986." Sheikh Hasina, also president of the ruling Awami League said, "This is a war (for us). In such a time, we have lost two veterans (Mohammed Nasim and Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah) of the party, who played significant roles in each of the democratic movements and struggles. It is a matter of sorrow to loss them. We have lost them in a day." The prime minister said Nasim and Abdullah continued to work till their death for the betterment of the country and the people by upholding the ideology of Mujibur Rahman. Mentioning that the fear arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic has reached terrible extent, she said, "We couldn't allow death of people in starvation due to the panic. We have to take measures as their lives and livelihoods can continue." She said, "Every country, rich in terms of money and arms or poor, is now facing similar situation due to the coronavirus." The prime minister said the attack of COVID-19 came at such a time when the country was progressing rapidly as the Awami League government was able to reduce the poverty rate to 20 per cent from 40 per cent while the GDP growth was on the rise. Noting that due to the virus the entire world is now going through a crisis, which none witnessed earlier, she said. In this context, the prime minister recalled some phone calls that requested her not to go to the Jatiya Sangsad in this situation resulting from the pandemic and said she could not restrain herself from joining the parliament as she lost two of the frontline fighters of the party. She also mentioned that she has faced many life-threatening attacks, like grenade attacks. Mohammed Nasim passed away at in Dhaka on Saturday morning at the age of 72 while Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah died at Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka late last night. Later, it was learned that Abdullah had contracted coronavirus infection. 33 Bangladeshi doctors and medical officials have died due to coronavirus, sources said. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Protests were held in Belfast and Londonderry earlier this month following George Floyds death (Rebecca Black/PA) Northern Ireland should be declared a racism-free zone following the murder of George Floyd, an expert group which advises Stormont ministers said. Protests were held in Belfast and Londonderry earlier this month following his death. A coalition of representative groups for ethnic minority communities said institutional racism within police forces in the UK and US should be unequivocally condemned in the strongest possible way. The murder of George Floyd and over 50 other black men in recent years represents a callous disregard for human life in general and specifically of black people Racial Equality Sub-Group There is anger, fear and frustration and a strong sense of urgency that our local government, political parties, community leaders and all sections of our society must coalesce, not only around the principles of racial equality but the actions associated with the elimination of racial prejudice in all of its forms. It added: The murder of George Floyd and over 50 other black men in recent years represents a callous disregard for human life in general and specifically of black people. In 12 months from July 2018 to June 2019 more than 1,000 racist incidents were recorded in Northern Ireland, a slight increase on the previous year, police said. Mr Floyds death in Minneapolis has roiled the US with mass protest and in the UK has focused on the commemoration of significant figures from Britains history in the slave trade. An online petition has called for a statue of pro-slavery Irish patriot John Mitchel in Newry, Co Down, to be taken down. Mitchel championed the Irish peasant during the Famine as part of the Young Ireland movement. The Racial Equality Sub Group includes a number of ethnic minority organisations and advises Stormont. It urged the Executive to address the reality of inequality and institutional racism. It said that was shown by adverse outcomes for people from black and ethnic minority backgrounds in the health, justice, education, economy and other sectors. It urged ministers consult on declaring Northern Ireland a racism-free area and to make the necessary legislative changes to underpin that. Expand Close Stormont has said it is committed to building a society in which racial equality and diversity is supported (Liam McBurney/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Stormont has said it is committed to building a society in which racial equality and diversity is supported (Liam McBurney/PA) The Executive Office has said it is committed to building a society in which racial equality and diversity is supported, understood, valued and respected, where people of minority ethnic backgrounds have a sense of belonging which is acknowledged and valued by people from all backgrounds. The Minority Ethnic Development Fund (MEDF) provides support for voluntary and community organisations working with minority ethnic people and groups. It has been terminated due to the unprecedented situation arising from the coronavirus pandemic. PASADENA California, the novelist Wallace Stegner wrote, is like the rest of America, only more so. That truism has played out in recent days in scenes of triumph, anguish and incongruity, a mirror of the country seen through a distinctly California lens. Peaceful demonstrators were clubbed, sprayed, injured with rubber bullets, zip-tied and detained for hours on charges that have already been dismissed. In the Peoples Republic of Santa Monica, the National Guard patrolled the streets. After a three-hour debate about civil liberties, a divided Berkeley City Council extended the citys curfew; a week later, the Council banned the use of tear gas in demonstrations. The overwhelming images were of young, multiracial crowds that multiplied by the day. Freeways that had just begun to see traffic again after weeks of eerie emptiness filled with protesters. In the tiny Gold Country city of Sonora, hundreds rallied for hours, dispersing only after the sheriff and police chief took a knee in solidarity. On the sixth day of demonstrations in Oakland, when protesters defied the curfew, the tear gas and stinger ball grenades of previous nights gave way to dancing in the streets. Just as events have shattered assumptions about American exceptionalism, the pandemic and protests have exposed fault lines that render California more similar to the rest of America than many might prefer to believe. For all its claims to exceptionalism, California has an anything-but-exceptional history of institutional racism, fueled by decades of redlining, exclusionary zoning, criminal justice policies that disproportionately hurt black and brown men and failing public schools. Black people are far more likely than white people to die at birth, to be stopped by the police, to be homeless, to be in jail or prison. In what is already one of the most turbulent years in Washington, Congress could soon be staring down another crisis the possible deportation of 700,000 Dreamers. The Supreme Court is expected to rule in the coming weeks on the fate of an Obama-era program to shield undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, delivering a jolt to Washington amid a global pandemic and historic unrest over the killing of African Americans at the hands of police. A Supreme Court decision necessitating Congress to act would add another monstrous task to its to-do list this year, while also thrusting lawmakers into one of the thorniest political debates just months before they, and President Donald Trump, are on the ballot. Many lawmakers from both parties say they support the popular Dreamers program, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which has been in legal limbo since Trumps attempt to ax it in 2017. But they are also openly skeptical that Congress could, on top of everything, finally clinch a deal on immigration reform. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who has long advocated immigration reform, predicted Congress would do nothing if the high court struck down the program. That would make hundreds of thousands of people in the DACA program subject to deportation if the White House and Trump dont step in. "Not with this McConnell Senate. It's unlikely that we will do anything to help these young people, Durbin said, referring to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has said any DACA fix should be accompanied by broader reforms. It could hardly be a busier election year for Democrats and Republicans, and theres no sign of it letting up. In the coming weeks, Congress agenda includes a potential police reform bill and negotiations over the next and potentially final major coronavirus relief package. Thats on top of funding the government and approving a must-pass defense spending measure. Weve had a lot of stuff thrown into our lap since Ive been here, said Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), who has supported border wall money but said he needs to study DACA more. I think there was a thing called impeachment and then the coronavirus and then police reform so, I guess we can handle this as well but I think it would really be a big issue thrown among many others. Story continues The Supreme Court could leave Congress with a wide range of options. It could overturn the protections for Dreamers immediately, phase it out over time, or perhaps require additional regulatory steps from the Trump administration. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., talks to reporters as he walks to attend the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) If the court sends the issue back to Congress to fix with a deadline, many lawmakers say it could actually force party leaders to come to the table. "Were hoping for the best, but with the court, they can obviously come down either way. Were prepared whatever the decision is," Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus said in an interview, pointing to the Democrats' existing legislation. But, he added, the politics won't be pretty: "The White House tries to use everything as leverage, tries to exploit any situation. We expect that." I have learned in my time in Congress, Congress always does best when theres a deadline, added retiring Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas), a centrist House Republican who has spent years fighting for a DACA fix. The pressure for swift action, Hurd argued, would be immense if the court does knock out DACA. Recent polling by CBS showed that 85 percent of people support allowing immigrants brought to the U.S. as children to stay, including 73 percent of Republicans. If the Supreme Court decides that DACA is unconstitutional, what happens to those 700,000 young men and women? What happens to them, and how much time does Congress have to try to create a permanent legislative fix? said Hurd, whose majority Hispanic district borders Mexico. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) conceded in an interview that broader immigration reform is a reach, particularly in an election year. But Graham, who has long supported overhauling the countrys immigration laws, said Congress can still act on issues like border security and visas in the near term, and emphasized that DACA recipients need certainty. I dont think youre going to get comprehensive immigration reform, but I think theres a mini-deal to be had and people are looking for outcomes, Graham said, who has not recently spoken to the White House about the issue. Im hoping we sit down with the president and find a mini-package ... Im willing to try, but its going to take everybody else willing to try and time will tell. House Democrats say theres a simple solution for the Senate to take up their bill from last June to permanently extend the program. That bill, approved largely along party lines, was the most significant immigration bill to pass either chamber in six years, though it has since languished in the upper chamber. Senate Republicans have said theyre willing to consider a legislative fix, but many in the caucus are also calling for a serious effort to crack down on unauthorized immigration more broadly. And they want to see reforms to visas for foreign workers. I do believe it would be important for us to resolve the DACA issue for those young people that are facing continued uncertainty, said Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who belongs to the Senate GOPs moderate wing. I also believe that we need to decide how were going to deal with the 11 million or so that are here illegally and I hope that we improve our legal system of immigration. But Romney added: Whether were going to pass something in an election year on that topic is I think an unlikely scenario. The task of reaching consensus is made more difficult by Senate Republicans' insistence that Trump give his blessing before any bill goes forward. The Trump presidency has had several flirtations with Congress on immigration policy including two government shutdowns related to the subject but so far nothing has come to fruition. And Democrats are still stinging over Trumps rejection of bipartisan legislation in 2018 that would have provided $25 billion for border security in exchange for protecting DACA recipients and their parents. Last year, Jared Kushner, a senior adviser to the president and his son-in-law, tried and failed to find a bipartisan deal on asylum laws with Durbin and Graham. During a March meeting, Trump told a group of GOP senators at the White House he wanted to wait until after the Supreme Court ruled on DACA before pursuing additional immigration reform. Since then, Trump has publicly and privately suggested that if the court does rule in his favor, he plans to dangle the fate of the DACA program in front of Democrats in hopes of striking a broader immigration deal this summer. "I hope that Lindsey, who actually worked with Dick Durbin to come up with a bipartisan bill, ... would be able to marshal the commitment to support the DACA participants," said Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii). "However you never know with the Republicans." House Democrats say theyre already bracing for a scenario in which theyll be forced to bargain with Trump. Im hoping the Supreme Court does the right thing, but if not, then we have to work with the Trump administration, said Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), whose southern Texas district borders Mexico. But Cuellar also acknowledged that Congress already has a lot on its plate, rattling off spending bills, coronavirus relief, a defense policy bill and a surface transportation bill. The calendar is so full, Cuellar said, adding that the Houses new voting procedures to protect members health in the ongoing pandemic has dramatically slowed down the process of voting. It just takes a long time to get things done. Melanie Zanona contributed to this report. Atlantans take to streets to protest officer's killing of Rayshard Brooks Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment In a new wave of protests, Atlantans on Saturday hit the streets, blocked traffic and set fire to a Wendys restaurant, the site where a 27-year-old black man was shot and killed in a struggle with the police following a field sobriety test, according to reports. Another Black Man was Killed in Your Neighborhood, said a sign held by one of the protesters at Wendys, which was later burned down by a crowd expressing anger at the death of Atlanta resident Rayshard Brooks, according to The Associated Press. Demonstrations in Atlanta came at a time when nationwide protests and riots sparked by the killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, were beginning to simmer down. Floyd died on May 25 while he was lying on the ground, handcuffed, and restrained by three officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey recently said the city would need well over $55 million in state and federal aid to rebuild more than 1,000 buildings damaged or destroyed in the riots. That number has since been increased to over $500 million. Atlantas police chief, Erika Shields, announced her resignation Saturday. Out of a deep and abiding love for this city and this department, I offered to step aside as police chief, Shields said in a statement released Saturday evening. It is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the shooting took place when officers were responding to a complaint that a man was sleeping in a car blocking the Wendys drive-thru lane on Friday night. Brooks failed a field sobriety test and resisted his arrest. Security camera video released by the GBI shows a man running from two white police officers. The man is seen holding an object in his hand which he raises toward an officer behind him. The officer takes out his gun and fires. The man who is running falls to the ground in the parking lot. The GBI said Brooks had grabbed a Taser from an officer and pointed it at the officer. At a press conference Saturday, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said the incident didnt warrant the use of deadly force. I have called for the immediate termination of the officer, she said, according to The Washington Times. L. Chris Stewart and Justin Miller, the attorneys representing the Brooks family, also held a press conference Saturday evening. In Georgia, a Taser is not a deadly weapon, Stewart said. Thats the law. Thats what the cops are trained to do. Ive had cases where officers have used Tasers on victims, and they argue with us in court that Tasers arent deadly. Thats the case law here. He continued, You cannot have it both ways. Stewart suggested that the confrontation could have easily been avoided. Talk to him. Talk. Hey Buddy, you fell asleep in line, you OK? Why dont you pull your car over there and call an Uber. And then you walk over, and then you leave. Why is that so hard for police officers? A conversation. He wasnt doing anything crazy or violent or harming anyone. Hey buddy, I think youve had something to drink ... pull over there, call an Uber. I guarantee you that happens hundreds of times a night in college towns with young white kids or other places in America. But we dont get that benefit of the doubt. According to an analysis of available data, done by The Washington Post, although half of the people shot and killed by police are white, black Americans are shot at a disproportionate rate. They account for less than 13 percent of the U.S. population, but are killed by police at more than twice the rate of white Americans, the report says. However, Heather Mac Donald, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute and the author of The War on Cops, argues in an op-ed, published in The Wall Street Journal, that while the use of excessive force needs to be held accountable, theres no evidence of widespread racial bias. In 2019, Mac Donald writes, police officers fatally shot 1,004 people, most of whom were armed or otherwise dangerous. African-Americans were about a quarter of those killed by cops last year (235), a ratio that has remained stable since 2015. That share of black victims is less than what the black crime rate would predict, since police shootings are a function of how often officers encounter armed and violent suspects. The author points out that in 2018, African Americans made up 53% of known homicide offenders in the U.S. and commit about 60% of robberies, though they are 13% of the population. The brutal history of Europes colonisation of Australia has left enduring marks on the nation some still visible, others far less so. Among the reminders of these times are the innocuously-named Boundary Streets on the southern and northern edges of Brisbanes city, in West End and Spring Hill respectively. I learnt about this a number of years ago and have always been slightly horrified, a Queensland woman wrote on Facebook this week. While some Queenslanders understood the meaning behind the name, many who commented on the widely shared post admitted they did not. The streets mark the spot of a bygone perimeter on the edge of town where indigenous and other non-white people were not permitted to enter during the evenings and on Sundays. The racial borders were common in Queensland settlements and were typically displayed by a wooden post, known as boundary posts. Mounted troopers would ride about Brisbane after 4pm cracking stockwhips as a signal for Aborigines to leave town, notes one historical recounting of the boundary posts being enforced. The street points to a dark past of Brisbane. Source: Facebook Aboriginals excluded from townships after 4pm The emergence of the formal segregation was explained in Brisbane: The Aboriginal presence 1824-1860, edited by Rod Fischer. For whites in Queensland's colonial towns, the problem remained of keeping Aborigines at a sufficient distance to contain them as a perceived social and moral liability, whilst maintaining them near enough, as a cheap expendable labour force, it said. In solving this problem the metropolitan police became a vital ingredient allowing Aborigines into the township for desultory and dirty labour by day, then driving them out at 'curfew' times each evening. The blanket exclusion of Aboriginal people through border curfews was largely a Queensland practice, says historian and author of True Gurt, David Hunt. It certainly wasnt used widely throughout Australia, he told Yahoo News Australia. Queensland has a more vexed racial history. Story continues In other settlements like Van Diemen's Land, now Tasmania, indigenous people who didnt live in the townships would still be forced out after certain times but not those working in town as servants. In Van Diemen's Land the law tended to apply to Aboriginal people who were not already living in the city the tribal blacks rather than the house blacks, he said. It wasn't until about the 1870s the boundary line became rigorously policed. Source: State Library of Queensland While the bounday posts are thought to have popped up around the 1840s, after Brisbane was settled as a penal colony in the 1820s, the discrimination continued long after policing of the curfew waned. Throughout Australia, even where Aboriginal people entered towns, they would have been refused service in bars, shops, hairdressers, Mr Hunt said. Those forms of exclusion, from businesses and public places like swimming pools, lasted well into the 1960s. Changing the name wouldnt change history In 2016, there was a push to change the name of Brisbanes Boundary Streets, but its not an idea that is necessarily endorsed by the indigenous community. Then Lord Mayor Graham Quirk reportedly considered changing the street names, potentially to Boundless Street after they were changed by a street artist. Changing the name wouldnt change history, says Aunty Heather Castledine, a community elder and co-chair of Reconciliation Queensland Incorporated. But its acknowledging it and letting people know, this is what happened, she told Yahoo News Australia. This is part of the history of this colony. A petition in 2016 called for the street to be renamed Boundless. Source: Change.org In August, Ms Castledine led a walk from Boundary Street to Boundary Street in the Brisbane city to raise awareness of the historical significance embedded in the name. Its something she began the year after the national apology to the stolen generation by then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in 2008. If people were told about it and [you] let them know, it would make a big difference, she said. But when you dont know how can you change it? The walk is about not letting it become a hidden history. Debate rages over whitewashing Racial inequality, stemming from an uncomfortable history of slavery and oppression in centuries gone by, has been thrust into the public consciousness as the Black Lives Matter movement surges in cities around the world. Across the US and Europe, as well as in New Zealand, the anti-racist protests have resulted in the removal of a number of statues depicting historical figures due to their links to slavery. Workers remove a controversial statue of Captain John Fane Charles Hamilton from Civic Square in Hamilton, New Zealand, on June 12. Source: Getty It has sparked heated debate, one that has also seen media companies remove content now deemed too racially insensitive. But when it comes to something like renaming Brisbanes Boundary Streets, historian David Hunt thinks it would result in the loss of profound reminders and important historical context. I think if you start erasing bits of our history, then people no longer have this sort of segregation in their consciousness, he said. In attempting to whitewash or blackwash the past, you actually erase the knowledge in contemporary Australians that these sorts of incredibly racists policies existed. 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. China Daily Paid American Media $19 Million to Publish Its Propaganda Honest News Straight to Your Home. Try the Epoch Times yourself, and get a free gift. According to documents submitted by the U.S. Department of Justice, Chinese state-run media, China Daily, paid American newspapers and media nearly $19 million for advertising and printing expenses over the past four years. LONDON (AP) Authorities in London boarded up monuments including a war memorial and a statue of wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill in anticipation of rival demonstrations by anti-racism and far-right protesters, as the citys mayor urged protesters Friday to stay home because of the coronavirus pandemic. Monuments have become major focuses of contention in demonstrations against racism and police violence after the May 25 death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee to his neck. A statue of slave trader Edward Colston was hauled from its plinth by protesters in the English port city of Bristol on Sunday and dumped in the harbor. Several other statues have been defaced during mass protests around the country, including Churchills, which was daubed with the words was a racist. Police now fear far-right groups plan to seek confrontation with anti-racism protesters under the guise of protecting statues. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who cites Churchill as a personal hero, said it was absurd and shameful that his statue was at risk of attack by violent protesters. Churchill, who was Britains prime minister during World War II and again during 1951-55, is revered by many in the U.K. as the man who led the country to victory against Nazi Germany. But he was also a staunch defender of the British Empire and expressed racist views. In a series of tweets, Johnson said that Churchill sometimes expressed opinions that were and are unacceptable to us today, but he was a hero, and he fully deserves his memorial. He said tearing down statues would be to censor our past and lie about our history. Johnson also claimed that anti-racism demonstrations had been hijacked by a growing minority of extremists who wanted to cause violence. Johnson has repeatedly declined to apologize for his own past offensive hiatements. He has called Papua New Guineans cannibals, used the derogatory term piccaninnies to refer to members of the Commonwealth and compared Muslim women who wear face-covering veils to letter boxes. Story continues Anti-racism protests in Britain have been predominantly peaceful, though small groups have scuffled with the police and thrown projectiles near Parliament and the prime ministers residence in London. Hundreds of anti-racism activists gathered Friday in Londons Hyde Park, but the demonstration was much smaller than gatherings the previous week. The toppling of Colstons statue in Bristol has reinvigorated calls for the removal of other monuments to figures associated with imperialism and racism. Authorities this week removed a statue of slave owner Robert Milligan from its perch in Londons docklands, and campaigners in Oxford are pressing for a likeness of Victorian imperialist Cecil Rhodes to be withdrawn from view at Oxford University. At Cambridge University, environmental protesters from Extinction Rebellion defaced a memorial window honoring geneticist and statistician Ronald Fisher, a proponent of eugenics, with the words Eugenics is genocide. Fisher must fall." In Poole, southern England, authorities revised plans to remove a statue of Robert Baden-Powell to protect it from attack after supporters of the Scouts founder objected. It was boarded up instead. Baden-Powell has been accused of racism and Nazi sympathies. The New Zealand city of Hamilton on Friday removed a bronze statue of the municipality's namesake, John Hamilton, a British naval officer accused of killing indigenous Maori people in the 1860s. The city of Camden, New Jersey, took down a statue of Christopher Columbus on Thursday, joining others of the 15th-century explorer that have been removed across the U.S. With more demonstrations expected in London over the weekend, a protective plywood screen was erected around Churchills statue outside Parliament. Authorities also fenced off other statues in Parliament Square, including memorials to Nelson Mandela and Abraham Lincoln, as well as the nearby Cenotaph, a memorial to Britains war dead. A Black Lives Matter group in London said it was calling off a planned protest on Saturday because the presence of far-right activists would make it unsafe, though some anti-racism demonstrators are still likely to gather. Authorities have urged protesters not to gather because of the continued risk of spreading the coronavirus. Gatherings of more than six people are currently barred in England, though police have allowed previous demonstrations to take place. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was extremely concerned that further protests in central London not only risk spreading COVID-19, but could lead to disorder, vandalism and violence. He said far-right groups planned to provoke violence, and their only goal is to distract and hijack this important issue. Staying home and ignoring them is the best response this weekend. System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
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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(0x7f0486ce8a88)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f0486cf2098)', '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(0x7f0486ce8a88)') 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(0x7f0486cf2098)') 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(0x7f0486e2cb88)') 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(0x7f0486cf2098)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f0486cf2098)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f04868fd340)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f0486e14f20)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f0486e14f20)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 23:10:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NUR-SULTAN, June 14 (Xinhua) -- China's participation in the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) has promoted dialogue, mutual trust and coordination in the region, an expert has said. In a recent interview with Xinhua, Kazbek Maigeldinov, director of Center for Research and Analysis at the Institute for Eurasian Integration in Kazakhstan, recalled Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech at the fifth CICA summit held in Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe in June 2019. In his speech, the Chinese leader called on CICA members to build an Asia featuring mutual respect and trust, stability and prosperity, openness and inclusiveness, as well as cooperation and innovation. To pursue that end, Xi proposed exploring a security and development path that fits Asian reality and the common interests of countries. China has been actively participating in the CICA process, promoting security and stability in Asia and strengthening regional cooperation in the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism, he said. Against the backdrop of rising trend of unilateralism and protectionism, Asia is also facing increasing uncertainty in regional landscape, highlighted by its array of traditional and non-traditional security challenges. A strong and prosperous China helps safeguard the security and stability of the region, since China's economy has been deeply integrated with the global one, said the expert. Maigeldinov also voiced his support for China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), saying it is conducive to the peaceful development and prosperity of the entire region. The BRI is based on mutual benefits and plays an important role in facilitating exchanges on politics, trade, finance, infrastructure and people-to-people communication among participating countries, said Maigeldinov. The CICA, initiated by Kazakhstan and established in 1992, is a pan-Asian multilateral cooperation mechanism that seeks to promote peace, security and interaction in Asia. It now has 27 member states and 13 observers. Noting that the CICA members have various development paths and different visions on regional and global issues, Maigeldinov said the mechanism has provided a multilateral platform to conduct dialogue, strengthen cooperation and cope with common challenges and security threats. "Security problems of each Asian country, as well as the entire Asia, are closely interconnected with the international security," said Maigeldinov, adding that the CICA seeks to become a bridge for communication and open up a more peaceful and prosperous future for Asia. Enditem COHOES Hundreds of people peacefully marched on Cohoes City Hall Saturday, demanding justice for black people who have died in police custody and additional accountability for law enforcement agencies in the Capital Region and across the country. The rally is the latest protest that has taken place in the region since the killing of George Floyd, a black man whose death after begging for breath under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer in May angered and galvanized the country into demanding the fair treatment of people of color, especially black people, at the hands of police. The march began in Berkley Park, where about 200 people gathered. As the march snaked through Cohoes, several hundred additional protesters joined, chanting "Gay, straight, black, white, people of the world unite," "The people, united, will never be divided," and "Education, not deportation." Organizers made a point of telling the crowd they were there to deliver their message peacefully to City Hall. They also recited the names of Floyd and several other black men and women who have died at the hands of police or vigilantism, including Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and Trayvon Martin. Toward the beginning of the march, the group came upon a house flying several American flags, blaring 'You're a Grand Old Flag,' and displaying a large Thin Blue Line flag painted on a wooden pallet. "All lives matter when black lives matter!" the group chanted at the home's residents. One of the residents, Sam Gendron, jumped on his truck, displayed another wooden pallet with the words, "Blue Lives Matter," painted on it. Some protesters formed a human chain between Gendron and the rest of the group. "My family's been here since 1926 and we'll be here when you leave," Gendron told the crowd. "... Calm the (expletive) down. I have little kids in the house. I have to explain this (expletive) to a (expletive) 7- and 8-year-old." The exchange was passionate but nonviolent. The overwhelming majority of residents, however, appeared to support the marchers and their message. People gathered on their stoops and front lawns, holding their fists up in solidarity. The phrase "black lives matter," dotted the protest route in chalk, and some young, budding entrepreneurs even set up a very lucrative lemonade stand along the route. "Come outside! Walk with us!" the group chanted at those residents. A few appeared to oblige. The group would sporadically pause in intersections and kneel. They also celebrated the repeal of 50-a, a New York law that kept police disciplinary records private. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Myra Rose, who owns an online business, stood in front of Holy Trinity Parish and said she hopes the movement spurs the crowd into supporting black life and business beyond a hash tag, and not just after a black person's death goes viral. She was happy to see the crowd validating the feelings she had growing up mixed race. "The next time this happens, I feel like I have a voice to say, 'Hey, that's not right,'" Rose said. "We've finally been given the microphone." At City Hall, Cohoes Mayor William T. Keeler thanked the crowd for coming out and keeping the march peaceful. "Let's see what (Keeler) does about it," one organizer told the crowd. "Now we know who you are." Prior to the march, organizer Jay Nova urged protesters not to speak with reporters who had not been pre-screened and credentialed by organizers to cover the public rally, citing unspecified "misrepresentations" that Nova said were made by media outlets about recent protests. Several protesters heeded the demand and declined to comment when approached by the Times Union. Nova declined to comment when asked which specific reforms and policy changes the group was advocating for locally. Michael.Williams@timesunion.com The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, visited his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike, on Sunday in Port Harcourt. Photos of the visit have been posted on Twitter via Mr Wikes personal Twitter handle @GovWike. The embattled Edo governor wore a white long-sleeve shirt on blue trousers, with a face cap that has the inscription Obaseki 2020. He was personally received at the Rivers Government House by Mr Wike. The purpose of the visit is unclear, for now. Governor Obasekis spokesperson, Crusoe Osagie, initially said he was not aware of the visit when PREMIUM TIMES contacted him on Sunday evening. Mr Osagie later called PREMIUM TIMES to say Mr Obasekis visit to Port Harcourt may be related to the passing of a popular Nigerian event planner, Ibidun Ighodalo. The Ighodalos have been very close friends to Governor Obaseki and his wife, Mr Osagie said. He said Mr Obaseki may have decided to stop by to see Mr Wike out of courtesy. I believe too since they are politicians, they would discuss political issues, he added. There have been speculations that Governor Obaseki would defect to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State after he was disqualified by his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) from contesting the APC governorship primary in the state. Mr Wike, who is doing his second term as Rivers governor, could very well be said to have experience in political battle, having successfully fought a fierce election battle against the APC to win a re-election in 2019. Apart from being one of the most influential governors in PDP, Mr Wike publicly said he funded the election of the Bayelsa governor, Douye Diri. If Mr Obaseki secures Mr Wikes support, it would certainly be a good start for his next political moves for the September governorship election in Edo. APC election committee a gathering of jesters Obaseki Meanwhile, Mr Obaseki has described the APC Primary Election Appeal Committee as a gathering of jesters. The governor in a statement issued on Sunday by his spokesperson, Mr Osagie, said the committee cannot uphold the verdict on a matter that was never appealed. Mr Obaseki said, The charade of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and his puppet screening committees seems to know no end and their commitment towards the destruction of what is left of the smoldering integrity of our great party under Oshiomholes watch appears assured. Mr Obaseki in the statement kept referring to APC as our great party. He assured the APC members of good governance through the leadership of Governor Obaseki, from 2020 to 2024. By ANI NEW DELHI: Reacting to actor Sushant Singh Rajput's sudden demise on Sunday, filmmaker Karan Johar took the blame upon himself for not keeping in touch with the late actor over the past year. Sharing a lovely throwback picture with Sushant, the director wrote on Instagram: "I blame myself for not being in touch with you for the past year...I have felt at times like you may have needed people to share your life with...but somehow I never followed up on that feeling." Johar further called Sushant's demise as a huge "Wake up call" and assured to himself that he would never make that "mistake" again. "Will never make that mistake again...we live in very energetic and noisy but still very isolated times ...some of us succumb to these silences and go within...we need to not just make relationships but also constantly nurture them....," the 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' director wrote. He added: "to my level of compassion and to my ability to foster and protect my equations.....I hope this resonates with all of you as well....will miss your infectious smile and your bear hug ...." Sushant Singh Rajput committed suicide by hanging himself on Sunday, Additional Commissioner of Police Manoj Sharma confirmed. However, no suicide note has been recovered from Rajput's residence, as per the police and further investigation is underway. The body of the actor has brought to Dr RN Cooper Municipal General Hospital from his residence in Bandra. Actor Sushant Singh Rajputs death has sent shockwaves across India. His death at the young age of 34 has been mourned by fans and his colleagues alike. Joining in grief were a host of South stars including Mahesh Babu, Jr NTR, Prithviraj Sukumar, Khushbu Sundar among many others. Taking to Twitter, Mahesh Babu wrote: Shocked beyond words to learn about #SushanthSinghRajputs untimely demise. A powerhouse of talent... Too young to go... May his soul find peace and light. My deepest condolences and strength to the family to cope with this tragic loss. Shocked beyond words to learn about #SushanthSinghRajput's untimely demise. A powerhouse of talent... Too young to go... May his soul find peace and light. My deepest condolences and strength to the family to cope with this tragic loss. Mahesh Babu (@urstrulyMahesh) June 14, 2020 Jr NTR said, Shocked to hear the news of #SushantSinghs demise. An incredible talent gone too soon. Rest in Peace. Shocked to hear the news of #SushantSingh's demise. An incredible talent gone too soon. Rest in Peace. Jr NTR (@tarak9999) June 14, 2020 Ram Charan wrote on Twitter, Shocked to hear that Sushanth Singh Rajput is no more. An incredible talent who was destined to scale many heights is gone too soon. Rest in peace. My prayers and strength to his family. Shocked to hear that Sushanth Singh Rajput is no more. An incredible talent who was destined to scale many heights is gone too soon. Rest in peace. My prayers and strength to his family. Ram Charan (@AlwaysRamCharan) June 14, 2020 Malayalam actor Prithviraj, sharing a picture of Sushant, wrote: Rest in peace Sushant. Rest in peace Sushant. pic.twitter.com/uMSs8yKdJ4 Prithviraj Sukumaran (@PrithviOfficial) June 14, 2020 Khushbu Sundar said on Twitter, I didnt knw u in person. have never met u but yet I feel the pain. Wish u had reached out to somebody,anybody..to talk,to cry,to speak,to share,reach out to seek help. But u didnt. Instead u chose a path tat will leave ur friends,family n fans heartbroken forever #RIP #Sushant. I didn't knw u in person. have never met u but yet I feel the pain. Wish u had reached out to somebody,anybody..to talk,to cry,to speak,to share,reach out to seek help. But u didn't. Instead u chose a path tat will leave ur friends,family n fans heartbroken forever #RIP #Sushant pic.twitter.com/fKIXRi4TXq KhushbuSundar (@khushsundar) June 14, 2020 Also read: Actor Sushant Singh Rajput, 34, found dead at Mumbai home Rakul Preet Singh expressed her shock: Im speechless , shocked , trembling . Its extremely difficult to digest this terrible news. Such an amazing soul :( you shall be remembered forever .. #ripsushant #gonetoosoon I didn't knw u in person. have never met u but yet I feel the pain. Wish u had reached out to somebody,anybody..to talk,to cry,to speak,to share,reach out to seek help. But u didn't. Instead u chose a path tat will leave ur friends,family n fans heartbroken forever #RIP #Sushant pic.twitter.com/fKIXRi4TXq KhushbuSundar (@khushsundar) June 14, 2020 Im just unable to process this loss. Always such a happy cheerful person. Super talented , passionate about multiple things.. I just cant .. CANT :( really devastating Rakul Singh (@Rakulpreet) June 14, 2020 Im just unable to process this loss. Always such a happy cheerful person. Super talented , passionate about multiple things.. I just cant .. CANT :( really devastating. Shocked and heartbroken A young, talented actor gone too soon. Rest in peace #SushantSinghRajput Tamannaah Bhatia (@tamannaahspeaks) June 14, 2020 Tamannaah Bhatia wrote: Shocked and heartbroken A young, talented actor gone too soon. Rest in peace #SushantSinghRajput. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Kate Garraway attends The Prince's Trust and TKMaxx & Homesense Awards at The London Palladium on March 11, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images) Piers Morgan says his colleague Kate Garraway is in a unbearably, gut-wrenchingly sad situation as her husband Derek Draper remains critically ill in hospital. Last week saw Garraway give an emotional update during an appearance on Good Morning Britain where she shared that while her spouse was now "COVID free", the virus had wreaked extraordinary damage on his body as he is still unresponsive. Morgan addressed the interview in his Mail column as he described it as "incredibly moving". Read more: Kate Garraway in tears as she claps for carers Garraway and Draper who share son Billy, 10, and daughter Darcey, 14, had made plans to renew their vows this summer before the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic which led to him becoming unwell. Kate Garraway, alongside her husband Derek Draper and two children Darcey, 13, and Bill, 10, arrives back at Heathrow Airport after the 2019 series of I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! (Photo by Steve Parsons/PA Images via Getty Images) Morgan said the possibility of his co-star not knowing if "she'll ever get Derek home again, let alone to renew those vows" was "unbearably, gut-wrenchingly sad". "Kate has been told he may never wake up, and all there is left to be done is wait and hope for a miracle," he wrote. "For all of us who know and care about Kate, this has been a desperately sad time," Morgan added. 'I'm just so grateful he is still here.' Kate Garraway's husband Derek Draper has been fighting for his life against coronavirus for nearly 10 weeks. She talks to Ben and Ranvir about his situation. We're sending all of our love and support pic.twitter.com/VmdrDBhRG3 Good Morning Britain (@GMB) June 5, 2020 Garraway said in her GMB interview that it was not clear if and when her husband could recover as he remains unconscious after being taken out of an induced coma. She said: The doctors talk in double negatives. You have to take comfort from the double negatives. They say We cant say he cant recover, we don't know if he can recover and we dont know how long it will take. Story continues So from that you take terrible uncertainty and have to find good in it. You say to yourself, There is hope and possibility. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UKs Up Close and Socially Distant Australian man Karm Gilespie had not been heard of since December 2013, when he was arrested at a Hong Kong airport with more than 7.5kgs of methamphetamine in his luggage An Australian actor sentenced to death in China for drug smuggling moved to Asia to 'go into business' with a Thai woman he fell in love with, his long-time pen-pal says. Most of Karm Gilespie's friends and family members had no idea where he had been for the past seven years until it was revealed last week he was languishing in a Chinese jail. The now 56-year-old was arrested in December 2013 at a Hong Kong airport with 7.5kg of meth in his luggage, before being sentenced to death by the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court on June 10 this year. A friend of Mr Gilespie says the former TV actor fell head over heals for a Thai woman before leaving his life in Australia behind to be with her. He told his Facebook friends he was in a new relationship on July 20 2013, just months before his contact with his loved ones suddenly stopped. American woman Jill Parris, who had been pen pals with Mr Gilespie since they were 13, said the last time she spoke to him in 2013 he was gushing about his new partner. 'I received a phone call from Karm and he was over the moon in love with a new woman, he was so excited about going on a business trip with to Thailand,' she wrote. The former actor notified his friends on Facebook that he was in a new relationship just months before he vanished 'I was reserved with my concerns as I didn't want to rain on his excitement-parade.' She said the phone call was mysterious and had worried her. Over the phone Mr Gilespie told Ms Parris how 'fabulous, smart and wise' his new girlfriend was. Ms Parris made her friend 'promise to get in touch' when he got to Thailand. 'The man never not called or wrote to me in the 38 past years of our lives... so when he didn't get back in touch I was immediately scared it was due to something beyond his control,' Ms Parris said. 'It just was not in his character to not communicate with me nor was he found anywhere on the internet. 'He vanished.' Mr Gilespie had been married twice before running off to Asia to be with his new girlfriend. The second wife and his two children are believed to make up the small group who were informed about his arrest in 2013. His friend Roger Hamilton (left) posted a statement on Facebook telling how he had last seen Mr Gilespie (second from left) in 2013 at a financial forum (pictured), before he 'disappeared' Australian man Karm Gilespie has been sentenced to death in China for drug smuggling, almost seven years after he was arrested A government source told The Australian before Mr Gilespie's fate was made public, no family or friend had looked into it since he vanished. Ms Parris said from her home in Stockton, California, that her pen pal was always searching for a better life. Throughout high school he dreamed of being a professional AFL player before moving into acting, but after 20 years he grew tired of not being taken seriously. Mr Gilespie had a recurring role on popular 1990s drama Blue Heelers before moving into wealth and financial management in 2009. The new career path led him to spend more time in Asia, away from his hometown in rural Victoria. Friends expressed their shock at the news and told how they had been trying to fin him since 2013 without luck. American entrepreneur Roger Hamilton posted a statement on Facebook telling how he had last seen Mr Gilespie in 2013 at a financial forum, before he 'disappeared'. 'This is a photo of Karm Gilespie (in the red shirt) graduating from our WD Masters 7 years ago. Soon after, Karm disappeared,' Mr Hamilton wrote. The news comes at a time when diplomatic ties between Australia and China are at an almost all time low, after Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured with foreign minister Marise Payne) called for an inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic Mr Gilespie (right) had a recurring role on popular 1990s drama Blue Heelers before moving into wealth and financial management, which led him to spend an increased amount of time in Asia, away from his hometown of Melbourne 'He had been an active member of our community, encouraging others to be the best they could be. He was always there for others, which was why it was so strange that he suddenly disappeared. 'He had been an active member of our community, encouraging others to be the best they could be. He was always there for others, which was why it was so strange that he suddenly disappeared. 'Today I heard the news of what had happened to him. He has been in a Chinese jail for 7 years and has now been sentenced to death. 'This is an Australian citizen who has been kept secretly in jail by a foreign government for 7 years before being sentenced to death with no due process.' Ms Parris said she cannot believe her former pen pal had ended up in jail in China. 'I am in total emotional pain,' Ms Parris wrote to Facebook when she found out about the fate of her friend. 'I have been secretly searching for my childhood friend who suddenly vanished from existence During the Christmas time of 2013!' Trade Minister Simon Birmingham says the sentencing of an Australian to death in China for drug smuggling should not be linked to the ongoing friction between the countries. Chinese President Xi Jinping was angered by the calls for an inquiry into his nation's handling of the virus, which is believed to have originated in Wuhan 'This is very distressing for Mr Gilespie and his loved ones, and our government will continue to provide consular assistance,' Senator Birmingham told Sky News' Sunday Agenda program. Asked whether he thought the sentence was linked to the ongoing political row between China and Australia he said: 'We shouldn't necessarily view it as such.' Senator Birmingham said Gilespie still has a ten-day window to appeal the verdict. He said Australia condemns the death penalty in all circumstances across all countries. 'This is a reminder to all Australians ... that Australian laws don't apply overseas, that other countries have much harsher penalties, particularly in relation to matters such as drug trafficking,' the minister said. Senior Labor frontbencher Chris Bowen said Mr Gilespie's sentence was 'deeply concerning'. Mr Bowen said drug smuggling was a serious crime, 'but the death penalty is never the right answer'. The Guangzhou (pictured) Intermediate People's Court handed down the sentence on June 10 Mr Bowen said both sides of politics opposed the death penalty. 'The government will have our full support ... and we trust and expect they are making the appropriate representations quietly behind the scenes,' he told reporters in Sydney. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told Daily Mail Australia they were providing consular assistance. 'We are deeply saddened to hear of the verdict made in his case. Australia opposes the death penalty, in all circumstances for all people,' a spokesperson said. 'We support the universal abolition of the death penalty and are committed to pursuing this goal through all the avenues available to us.' As the United States eases coronavirus restrictions and reopens for business, big hotel companies are competing on cleanliness. At the end of May, hotel stays in the U.S. were down 43 percent compared to May of 2019, reported market research business STR. As more people travel, hotels consider increased cleanliness measures in an effort to make visits more appealing to the public. The companies also see a chance to get back business from competitors, such as the home-sharing company Airbnb. Larry Yu is a professor at George Washington Universitys School of Business in Washington, D.C. He said some hotels are stricter about cleanliness than others. But stronger measures for cleaning operations are happening everywhere. Everybody is doing it, because it is now expected by consumers, he said. David Whitesock recently moved from Colorado to New York. He stayed in hotels in Iowa and Ohio along the way. I felt like it was a safe place to be, that they had done the best that they possibly could given the circumstances, he said. A lot of it comes down to: do you trust the hotels and the people who you are going to come into contact with there? Albert Ko says visiting hotels is still risky even if they have established more protective measures. Ko is a professor of epidemiology and medicine at Yale Universitys School of Public Health in New Haven, Connecticut. Hotels can bring together people from states and countries where disease rates are higher, for example, and many people may not show signs of infection. Thats the kind of thing that were worried about in terms of public health, he said. These settings can be the cause of outbreaks. Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky thinks guests will prefer separate homes to hotels filled with people. Airbnb will continue to expand and improve its cleaning measures, he said. Health and cleanliness are going to be one of our biggest focuses, Chesky said. But Yu said hotel companies can make sure their sites are meeting cleanliness requirements through their normal auditing process. That could be more difficult for Airbnb. Yu noted that the company has rules on cleanliness in place, but might have more trouble than hotels in making individual Airbnb operators obey those rules. Im John Russell. John Russell adapted this story for Learning English from the Associated Press news reports. Caty Weaver was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story strict - adj. complete or thorough consumer -- n. a person who buys goods and services circumstances n. [plural] : the way something happens : the specific details of an event focus -- n. a main purpose or interest; a subject that is being discussed or studied audit -- v. to check the financial records of (a business or person) : to perform an audit on (a business or person) Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson said on "Fox News Sunday" that the fatal police shooting of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta was not clear-cut like the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, noting that Brooks was resisting arrest and that an investigation is necessary in order to make a judgment. Why it matters: Brooks' death sparked a new wave of protests in Atlanta on Saturday night, with demonstrators setting a fire at the Wendy's restaurant where the 27-year-old was shot and blocking off a nearby highway. Atlanta's chief of police has resigned and the officer who killed Brooks has been fired. What they're saying: "I think this is a situation that is not clear-cut, you know, like the callous murder that occurred in Minnesota," Carson said. "It really requires some heads of people who actually know what should be done under these circumstances to make judgement." "We don't know what was in the mind of the officer when someone turns around and points a weapon at him. Is he absolutely sure that's a non-lethal weapon? This is not a clear-cut circumstance. Now could it have been handled better? It certainly in retrospect, there are probably other ways to do things." "But, again, we don't know. We, the public, don't know. Is there a reason they don't use, you know, night sticks or those expandable clubs to subdue somebody who's resisting? We don't know the answer to that. There are qualified officers who would know the answer to that." The big picture: Carson said he taught his son the same lesson his mother taught him: "We should always respect the positions of authority like the police." "I've never had a problem; they've never had a problem. Does that mean there are no racist cops? No, it does not mean that. Does that mean that we need to get them out of our system? It absolutely means does." "And we need to look at appropriate reforms, and this is probably a good time to shine a spotlight on it and get them done." What's next: Carson did not say whether Trump will support the House Democrats' proposed police reforms, which include banning chokeholds and no-knock warrants and removing qualified immunity for police officers. "Obviously, we do not want to create a situation where the police are under the microscope and that they don't want to do their job because they're afraid," Carson said. "That is not going to be useful." Go deeper: Atlanta police officer fired after fatally shooting Rayshard Brooks Nurses work in the front lines, dealing with the challenges presented by COVID-19. They have the knowledge and skills necessary to respond to this public health emergency. During the COVID-19 pandemic the outlook on nursing as a profession is as positive as it has always been, said Elda Ramirez, PhD, ENP-C, professor of nursing and head of the emergency/trauma nurse practitioner program at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth in Houston. Ramirez said that nursing is the cornerstone of healthcare whether it is testing patients, evaluating them in the emergency department (ED) or keeping them alive in the ICU. Specifically, in the ED, the nurses have been the first to adapt to the new model of practice. They have been faced with the fear of exposure and bringing the virus home yet have never faltered, said Ramirez. We have abraded our faces and washed our hands more times than can be counted. We have been the only ones able to talk to and comfort our patients in this time of social distancing. We dont like to be considered heroes because our careers are based on the only constant being change. Sadly, nursing is being affected dramatically by the hit health care systems are taking with the abrupt alteration in revenue streams related to non-acute health care needs. Many nurses and nurse practitioners have been furloughed or have had their hours reduced. The areas in which nurses are being utilized are testing centers, emergency departments and intensive care areas. When asked what incentives hospitals are offering to attract top talent, Ramirez said that many hospital systems offer internships for onboarding nurses. These internships specialize in areas such as medical-surgical nursing, emergency intensive care, and womens health. Through the internships the onboarding rotates the nurse though different areas and identify fit and educate to the systems culture in parallel. Another incentive is offering bonuses to nurses who recruit. The profession has received an enormous amount of support during this time from the general public and has appealed to those individuals who have a desire to help others and support society during times of great upheaval. This support has come from local, regional, and national levels. It has taken all levels of acute care nursing to accomplish caring for this population, from our emergency centers, through acute care, critical care, and post-acute care (rehab, skilled nursing, etc.), said Catherine Giegerich, VP & Chief Nursing Officer, Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center. The COVID-19 pandemic has not materially changed the short-term outlook for the nursing profession. We continue to have a need for baccalaureate-level nurses just entering the profession and those with general and specialized experience, as well as with leadership experience. Giegerich said that in the acute care arena, nurses are needed across the continuum of care. Traditionally, new nurses enter the profession in the medical-surgical areas and move into specialty areas such as emergency centers, ICUs, and procedural areas. Historically, the most difficult to recruit include emergency department nurses; critical care nurses; and procedural nurses (operating room; cath lab; interventional radiology; etc.). With the bulk of our nursing pipeline currently in new graduates, it places a premium on specialty nurses, said Giegerich. The pandemic has not necessarily impacted those needs, only magnified them. Therefore, the specialty areas are the areas that need our focus at this time. Specialty nursing areas, nursing support roles, case management, and home health nurses are all in high demand. Giegerich said that at Memorial Hermann they offer competitive pay and benefits, flexible schedules, float pool opportunities, housing stipends for contract assignments, career growth opportunities, fellowship programs, and college tuition support. It also offers loan repayments for completed clinical and non-clinical bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Cloudy. A few flurries or snow showers possible. High 29F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Cloudy with periods of light snow after midnight. Low 18F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 60%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. By Express News Service VISAKHAPATNAM: The State government has decided to monetise 13.83 acres of land in survey No 1011 resumed by APIIC after cancellation of deal with LuLu Group in the city. The land in Harbour Park area will be sold as part of Build AP Mission after developing residential/commercial built-up areas, according to a GO issued by the government. The government has decided to develop 30 lakh sqft commercial space and it will be sold at Rs 6,800 per sqft. It also decided to monetise three acres of revenue land in survey No 8 and 11 acres of land in survey No 39 belonging to the Health department where regional eye hospital, Health and Family Welfare Institute, training centre, DMHO office and Leprosy Institute are existing in Seethammadhara. About 7.35 lakh sqft space will be developed in survey No 8 and it will be sold at the rate of Rs 6,000 per sqft and 27 lakh sqft space will be developed in survey No 39 and it will be sold at Rs 5,500 per sqft. For land parcels requiring investment for development for residential and commercial usage and meant for ultimate sale, with or without rehabilitation, DPRs will be prepared by the NBCC. The previous government had entered into an agreement with Lulu group for constructing a mega mall on 13.83 acres. However, the YSRC government cancelled the agreement and resumed the land stating that there were discrepancies in the agreement. While 10.65 acres of land belongs to APIIC, 3.4 acres of land was acquired from CMR Group. The government also issued a GO earlier to monetise 6.57 acres of land at two places in Chinagadili, one place in Aganampudi, three places in Fakirtakia and one place in Seetammadhara through e-auction. Sale of land decried Meanwhile, former Union energy secretary EAS Sarma, in a statement here on Saturday, said the decision to sell such valuable urban land was highly imprudent as it was against the public interest. The State government is only a trustee of the public properties on behalf of the people and, in principle, it has no right to alienate the ownership of those properties to private persons or institutions, he said. Land in survey No 1011 measuring 13.83 acres originally proposed to be leased out to the Lulu Group. It has a logistic advantage being close to the beach and, in my view, should be allowed to continue as an open space for the public of Visakhapatnam. Moreover, the land in question is ecologically sensitive and a portion of it is covered by CRZ restrictions. Going ahead with the sale of such a land constitutes a breach of the public trust and contempt of the court order.The GO also covers 11 acres of highly valuable land in Survey No 39 in Seethammadhara where several important government institutions are located, he said. YEREVAN. Markos Harutyunyan and Armen Nersisyan, opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) members of the Yerevan Council of Elders, as well as Davit Khajakyan, head of the opposition Luys Faction of the Council, were apprehended by the police from in front of the National Security Service (NSS) building. To note, the police had announced that if the rally outside the NSS did not stopped within 15 minutes, its participants will be held accountable, recalling that gatherings are prohibited during the current state of emergency in the country. According to the latest information, PAP leader, MP, and business tycoon Gagik Tsarukyan is still in the NSS, he is being interviewed as a witness, although the media have already reported that a political decision has been made to arrest him. Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Numerous faith leaders and elected officials will gather tonight in the NRG Stadium parking lot for an event called Prayer, Reconciliation and a Call for Criminal Justice Reform in the wake of weeks of nationwide protests over police brutality. Organized by the Rev. James Dixon of Community of Faith Church and to be attended by Mayor Sylvester Turner and other civic leaders, the event will begin at 6:30 p.m. Attendees should enter the parking lot at Gate 5, 1770 South Loop West. A white make up designer who called the police on a man for writing Black Lives Matter on a wall in front of his own house is facing backlash from businesses who partner with her brand. Lisa Alexander, who owns LA Face Skincare, was dubbed a 'Karen' after a video circulated Friday showing her accusing a man of illegal action for chalking the phrase onto a wall on his San Francisco property. The man, identified as Jaime Toons, said Alexander lied and said she knew who lived in his home. Alexander has since deleted all her social media accounts and websites and at least one beauty business has cut all ties with her company. Lisa Alexander, pictured, accused Jaime Toons of defacing private property of a person she knew but he had really only written on the wall of his own San Francisco home Toons posted the video of his run-in with Alexander to Twitter explaining: 'A white couple call the police on me, a person of color, for stenciling a #BLM chalk message on my own front retaining wall. '"Karen" lies and says she knows that I don't live in my own house because she knows the person who lives there,' he adds. The video starts with Alexander asking, 'Is this your property?' as a white man with her named Robert stands apart and also films the interaction. 'I'm asking you if this is your property?' she says again. 'Why are you asking that?' Toons responds. 'Because this is private property, sir,' the man with Alexander responds. 'So, are you defacing private property or is this your home? You're free to express your opinions but not on people's property.' Alexander continues to stand in front of Toons and says, 'It's just respect'. 'Your sign is good. This is just not the way to do it,' she adds, referring to the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests. As the couple don't appear to believe that Toons could live in the home, he asks, 'If I did live here and this was my property this would be absolutely fine? And you don't know if I do live here ...' Alexander interrupts to say 'we actually do' know the people that live there. Toons had chalked Black Lives Matter onto the wall in front of his house Make up designer Lisa Alexander stopped on the street to approach a man who she believed was writing on private property. Jaime Toons recorded the interaction in which he was berated by Alexander and a white man named Robert as they claimed he didn't own his house Alexander was joined by a man named Robert who also recorded the interaction Jaime Toons wrote Black Live Matter on the small black wall in front of his house 'That's why we're asking. We know the person who does live here,' she states. 'I'm not disagreeing.' Toons then suggests that Alexander calls the person who she believes lives there or to contact the police instead. 'Your options are to call the police if you believe I'm committing a crime,' he says. 'I'll be more than happy to talk to them.' The pair continue to argue over who is in the wrong and exchange first names before Alexander walks away and Toons tells her he'd wait there until the cops arrived. 'And that people is why Black Lives Matter,' he says, showing his chalked front wall as the couple leaves and Alexander can be seen on her phone. 'That's Karen and shes calling the cops and this is gong to be really funny because she knows the people who live here "personally".' Alexander is seen calling the cops as she walked away from the house Jaime Toons posted the video to Twitter on Friday and Alexander was identified He added that he managed to outsmart Alexander in the interaction The man who recorded the video, Jaime Toons, claimed the cops didn't even get out of the car when they arrived after make up designer Lisa Alexander called in the complaint Toons later added on Twitter that the cops did arrive after Alexander called them but left 'without even getting outta the car'. 'Don't be mad that a POC outsmarted TWO WHITE PEOPLE,' he wrote. 'The discussion went exactly as I thought it would. 'Why do you think I started recording? So, I could record a pleasant conversation with a racist who wouldn't believe I lived in a big old house?' Alexander has been harshly condemned for her actions but is yet to make a comment on the video. She was identified online by the anonymous beauty collective and Instagram account Estee Laundry. And beauty brand Birchbox has already said it has severed all ties with the LA Face brand. 'We have not worked with LAFACE for several years & as a result of the CEO's actions today have officially cut ties with them,' it said in a statement, according to Metro. 'We've removed their products from our website & will not be working with them in the future.' Alexander is just the latest in long string of 'Karens' to be identified and widely shared on social media this week. The name 'Karen' has been used to describe entitled middle-aged white women. Representative image China has reported 66 new coronavirus cases, the largest since the disease was controlled in its first epicentre Wuhan in April, prompting the authorities to go into a "wartime" mode to stem the spread of COVID-19 in the capital Beijing which has seen a sudden spike in the number of infections, health officials said on June 14. The officials of the China's National Health Commission (NHC) said that 57 new confirmed COVID-19 infections, including 38 domestically transmitted, were reported on June 13. Also on Saturday, nine new asymptomatic cases were reported, it said. Currently, 103 people with asymptomatic symptoms are kept under quarantine. Asymptomatic cases, also known as silent spreaders, pose a problem as the patients are tested COVID-19 positive but develop no symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat. However, they pose a risk of spreading the disease to others. Of the domestically transmitted cases, 36 were reported in Beijing and two in Liaoning Province, the NHC said in its daily report. 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 Beijing has reported 46 cases in the last few days, taking the officials by surprise. As of June 13, the overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 83,132, including 129 patients who are still being treated, with one in severe condition. Coronavirus LIVE updates Altogether, 78,369 people have been discharged after recovery and 4,634 people have died of the disease, the NHC said. Beijing has tightened COVID-19 control measures after the newly confirmed cases by local transmission. Given the new cases, the city has suspended a major wholesale food and vegetable market and strengthened control measures to resolutely contain the spread of the epidemic. With 46 people testing positive for the novel coronavirus in the last three days in Beijing after a period of lull, officials in the Chinese capital have initiated "wartime" measures, focusing on a wholesale food market where the new cluster of infections were reported from. The new cases at Xinfadi wholesale food market has raised concern among the people as it supplies 90 per cent of the capital's vegetables and meat products catering to about 20 million people. Along with the Xinfadi market, six other markets were closed on Saturday. Officials in Beijing found the coronavirus strand on a chopping board of imported salmon at the Xinfadi market following which the fish stocks were removed from Chaoshifa market, Carrefour and Wumart stores in the city. Forty environmental samples collected at the Xinfadi market also tested positive. Testing of some 10,000 people who had connections to the market began after six confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported on Friday, following a single new confirmed case on Thursday. The new cases have brought a sense of disquiet in Beijing which in the last two months was being projected as safe. The government went ahead with its ten-day Parliament session and officially relaxed the guard with the municipal council recommending the people to do away with masks. In response to the emergency, Fengtai district has been put on "wartime" activity with close management of the 11 residential areas around Xinfadi market. Officials are manning the area at all hours, according to a media report. The official media here has reported that China Southern flight from Dhaka to Guangzhou was suspended for 4 weeks, after 17 passengers tested positive for the coronavirus. Follow our full coverage on COVID-19 here Prospas own performance was impacted significantly by COVID-19 throughout April and May, partly due to the relief measures implemented for customers across Australia and New Zealand. 5,501 Prospa customers currently remain on relief packages including reduced repayments, and short-term payment deferrals. CEO Greg Moshal says Prospa was in a solid financial position going into the crisis, with the March quarter producing $122.8 million total loan originations, and $37.4 million in revenue. Im really proud of how quickly the team dedicated themselves to providing the highest level of support to our customers and partners during COVID-19, while also dealing with the impacts on their own lives, Moshal said. As our third quarter results demonstrate, Prospa was in a strong position going into COVID-19 which allowed us to react quickly and adapt to the new operating environment. As a company we continue to closely monitor conditions and our data for evidence of the recovery and were encouraged by the green shoots were seeing with our customers as they get back to business, he continued. ANANDA The fabulous Ananda at the Dundrum Town Centre is always out of this world and head chef Karan Mittal's stunning fare is to die for. Currently, they are offering a Dine at Home Menu, with lots of great dishes. Or, for a real treat, check out the Taster for Two offer (65), which changes weekly, but has included mouth-watering selections like Goan seafood curry, butter chicken and their gorgeous gulab jamun. Collection or delivery available from Wednesday to Monday. Tel: (01) 296-0099, or see anandarestaurant.ie CLIFF TOWNHOUSE They are giving it full welly at Cliff Townhouse on St Stephen's Green, going so far as to wipe your car boot clean when you collect a meal from their new takeaway menu. Feed the whole family with a fish-pie meal for four (57), which includes salad and a bottle of Cliff white wine. They're also doing Heat at Home kits at 32.50 per person, offering a three-course meal with dishes selected from their great takeaway menu, including lobster bisque and beef sirloin cafe de Paris butter and there's a half lobster with a 7.50 supplement. Pre-order up to 24 hours beforehand for collection or delivery (limited distance) Friday to Sunday. Tel: (01) 638-3939, or see clifftownhouse.ie DAX Located on Pembroke Street Upper, Olivier Meisonnave's little bit of France, and the winner of Best Restaurant in Dublin with Graham Neville (also Best Chef in Ireland) has some truly fine at-home dining for you to enjoy. Their Very Dax collection service has a fantastic menu at 43 per person. The menu changes weekly, but think smoked Challans duck or seared yellow-fin tuna to start, followed by Dublin Bay prawns raviolo, or slow-cooked Irish beef in red wine. Collection available from Thursday to Saturday. See dax.ie GLOVERS ALLEY Andy McFadden's Glover's Alley on St Stephen's Green has a Make at Home Kit with three courses at 38 per person, including tasty dishes like Irish Hereford Beef short rib, with spring vegetables and wild garlic. Starters and desserts come pre-prepared, requiring little at-home assembly, while the mains take around 10 minutes to complete in your own kitchen. Not feeling your inner Nigella? Then check out their Instagram page for step-by-step tutorials. Collection available from Thursday to Saturday. See gloversalley.ie LIATH In the southside 'burbs of Blackrock, Damien Grey's Michelin-starred Liath has had avid foodies scrambling for a table ever since it opened. It was first in on the at-home experience, with his superb value Liath To Go menu, pictured, at 33 per person, which is posted at 10am on Friday mornings for the following week. Grey's menus are always exciting, and include delights such as Squid-Onion-Saltwater; Beef Short Rib-Kelp-Sea Vegetables and Dark Chocolate-Preserved Raspberries. Collection available from Thursday to Saturday. See liathrestaurant.com OSTERIA LUCIO With a superb range of antipasti, pasta and wood-fired pizza, Michelin-starred chef Ross Lewis' second restaurant, Osteria Lucio on Clanwilliam Terrace, is perfect for an evening of delicious contemporary Italian food. Currently, they are offering a brilliant three-course menu at 30 per person. Think Italian treats such as meatballs alla puttanesca, nduja-marinated chicken wings and home-made tiramisu for dessert. Collection available from Thursday to Sunday. Deliveroo also. See osterialucio.com PEPLOE'S Barry Canny's bastion of good food and fun on St Stephen's Green, with superb chef Graeme Dodrill manning the stove, has a top notch Home Dining a la carte menu (8-30). Starters include the likes of pan-fried gambas or Baily & Kish smoked salmon, while the mains has hearty offerings like monkfish and prawn spaghettini or short rib of JJ Young beef. Look out for great specials too, like the west Cork lobster thermidor. Collection available from Wednesday to Sunday. Tel: (01) 676-3144, or see peploes.com POTAGER Cathal Leonard's newish Potager in Skerries has raised the bar in north County Dublin dining. His At Home A La Carte (4.50-18) has some real treats, such as confit duck leg with braised barley and chorizo, black truffle dressing or maybe warm home-smoked salmon with crushed pink fir apple potatoes. For dessert, try the sheep's yoghurt panna cotta with rhubarb gin jelly, lemon curd and meringue. Call from Monday to Wednesday, 10.30am-3.30pm to pre-order for collection from Thursday-Saturday. Tel: (01) 802-9486, or see potager.ie RASAM Nisheeth Tak's Indian restaurant in Glasthule in South County Dublin has long been a popular haunt for famous faces. Among these fans of Rasam are the likes of Chris de Burgh, Miriam O'Callaghan, and moi! Its fab At Home menu has delicious dishes, from tiger prawns in a sweet and tangy mango sauce to Chettinad Chicken with curry leaves, stone flower and fennel, to an Old Delhi butter chicken dish in an exotic fresh tomato sauce. Try the Rasam Platter (16.95), featuring a little bit of almost everything from their starters selection. Collection or delivery from Tuesday to Sunday. Tel: (01) 230-0600, or see rasam.ie VOLPE NERA Barry Sun's absolute jewel in Blackrock, south County Dublin, only opened in November, and has adapted with aplomb to a superb click-and-collect service. Their At Home menu (52) feeds two people, and includes six courses. Most of the work is done for you, all you have to do is reheat/assemble, with the simple instructions included. Think black-olive fettuccini with spicy lamb shoulder, peas and asparagus and black-olive crumb. Collection available from Friday to Sunday. Tel: (01) 278-8516, or see volpenera.ie lucindaosullivan.com The Methodist Church, Ghana, on Sunday officially re-opened its Church premises for services after putting all necessary measures in place to safeguard congregants from contracting and spreading the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). At the St. John Methodist Church in Tantra Hill, the Ghana News Agency observed that stickers were placed at various entrances directing congregants to wear face masks before entring, wash hands right after entry, get temperature taken and have palms sanitized before getting into the main church auditorium. Stickers were also placed on pews, directing congregants on where exactly to sit. Pews that used to take four individuals on a row, took two while those that took six individuals took three with significant spacing between each other. The Ghana News Agency also observed that profiles congregants made up of, names, residential address, contact numbers and temperature before being allowed entry were taken. Due to the 100-member per service directive from President Akufo-Addo, the Church held three services from the 0700 to 0800 hours, 0900 to 1000 hours and from the 1100 to 1200 hours, with not more than 100 persons. The GNA also observed that lectern and microphones at the Church were sanitized after every single use, while childrens service was unavailable. The Most Reverend Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana, while addressing the Church, commended it for strictly adhering to the COVID-19 protocols and encouraged other churches to emulate their example. He said it was important for all Christians to thank God for making it possible for the Church to be able to congregate again, even though the citizenry were affected greatly psychologically, socially, religiously and physically. He also commended government for its efforts in the management of the COVID-19, saying, Although the numbers of COVID-19 cases keep rising, we want to put on record the sterling leadership by the government in the management of the respiratory disease with its consistent approach to control the spread and reduce its impact of the citizenry. The Presiding Bishop appealed to the public not to dispute the existence of the COVID-19 especially in the country, saying it is real, and advised them to comply with the safety protocols to stay safe and healthy. Most. Rev. Boafo said although the Methodist Church had officially began operations, some of the branches were yet to open as they had not put in place all the safety measures to fully protect their congregants. He commended front line health workers for their support at the forefront of the COVID-19 fight. The Right Reverend Professor Joseph M. Y. Edusa-Eyison, the Diocesan Bishop of the Church, delivering a sermon on the theme, Reward for Being Hospital as taken from Genesis 18: 1-15, called on Christians to show love and compassion to all including; strangers, especially in the COVID-19 period when times were challenging. He encouraged all to be hospitable to persons in need through various means such as giving them a beautiful smile, words of encouragement and offering of support. 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 - Senator Kiko Pangilinan learned about the growing tension between Frankie and Ben Tulfo - He was able to read the intense response of his daughter to the veteran broadcast-journalist - The lawmaker immediately took to social media his honest reaction to what Frankie said - He also gave a heartwarming message to her child after going against a big personality PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Senator Francis Kiko Pangilinan has finally reacted to the viral response of his daughter Frankie to veteran broadcast-journalist Ben Tulfo. KAMI learned that the young lady and the prominent host exchanged arguments over the issue on women being taught how to dress to avoid abuses. Ben reminded girls to wear appropriate dresses because they might invite the beasts or the so-called offenders. PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! The daughter of the lawmaker then responded that a womans outfit should never bet treated as an opportunity for offenders to commit crime. Senator Kiko then took to social media his honest reaction after reading the intense words of his child against the popular personality. Ngayon alam ko na ang naging pakiramdam ng Tatay ko nung isa akong nagmamartsa, nakikibaka at lumalaban na lider estudyante sa UP Diliman nung 80s nung panahon ng Diktadura, he quipped. Pasensya na Daddy, ikaw din ang nagturo sa akin na mahalaga ang pagiging lider nung bata pa ako. Go ahead then, Frankie. As my Father, your Lolo Dony, sought to understand what I did then despite the risks, so it is with me and you, he added. PAY ATTENTION: Shop with KAMI! The best offers and discounts on the market, product reviews and feedback In a previous article by , the other details about Frankie and Bens much-talked-about exchange of arguments were reported here. Francis Kiko Pangilinan is an incumbent Senator of the Republic of the Philippines. He is married to actress Sharon Cuneta. He was known for being a student activist in 1985. POPULAR: Read more news about Kiko Pangilinan! Please like and share our Facebook posts to support KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinion about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts! Source: KAMI.com.gh The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are being 'watched closely' by senior royals including the Queen and Prince Philip, royal author Tom Quinn has claimed. Speaking in Channel 5's William & Kate: Too Good to Be True?, which aired last night, the expert said the Queen, 94, and Prince Philip, who just celebrated his 99th birthday, were monitoring second-in-line to the throne Prince William, 37, and Queen-in-waiting Kate Middleton, 38. Explaining that The Firm was anxious the Cambridges wouldn't 'repeat mistakes made by other young royals', Tom said they 'didn't want that to happen again'. The documentary also shone a light on the love story uniting Kate and Prince William, who met while studying at St Andrews in 2001 and married in 2011, revealing that the Prince had 'tripped over' in his haste to meet Kate at university. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are being 'watched closely' by senior royals including the Queen and Prince Philip, royal author Tom Quinn has claimed (Kate Middleton and Prince William pictured attending a reception in Dublin on March 3 2020) Speaking on the programme, Tom said: 'The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, will be watching very carefully, especially given that younger royals in the past have got things very badly wrong and they don't want that to happen again'. Kensington Palace have not commented on the documentary when approached by Femail. Prince William is second in line to the throne, following his father Prince Charles. The Queen, 94, is the longest reigning British monarch to date, having reigned for 68 years. Her Majesty will turn 95 next year - the same age at which her husband Philip withdrew from his public duties - and there is talk among courtiers that she may use the milestone to effectively hand over day-to-day control of the monarchy to Charles. Meanwhile Kate, mother of Prince George, six, Princess Charlotte, five, and Prince Louis, two, has been stepping up and taking on more responsibilities to assist the Queen in her reign in recent years. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh have kept a close eye on Kate's progress, to make sure she strayed from royal faux-pas (pictured on June 1 at Windsor Castle) Romance between Prince William and his future wife first blossomed away from the cameras in Scotland, as the future king fell for the History of Art student. Tom Quinn revealed love-struck William was so eager to introduce himself to Kate in 2001, he tripped over and fell. 'One of the funny stories is he was so desperate to meet her that as he walked towards her, he apparently tripped and said, "Oh that's a terrible start, you're going to think I'm a complete clot".' The documentary also recalled how, as a St Andrews graduate, Kate was already making space in her life for her relationship with 'high profile' William. The young woman was working as an accessory buyer in Jigsaw, having asked to work part-time due to her relationship with a very 'high profile man,' the same documentary revealed. Before their wedding in 2011, Kate and William were trying to navigate their relationship. Kate Middleton took a job at Jigsaw in 2005, and demanded it was part-time due to her 'relationship with a high profile man' royal commentator Rebecca English said Kate took the job a year after leaving St Andrews, Daily Mail royal commentator Rebecca English recalled. 'Kate did get a job. She worked as an accessories buyer but interestingly, someone at the firm told me at the time she went to the boss and said to them, "I need a job, but it needs to be part-time so I can work it around my relationship with this very high profile man".' Noting the decision to work part-time was 'unusual for a modern woman,' English went on to say Kate could only entertain the job for a short period of time. 'She did that job for a while, but unfortunately the attention of photographers following her to and from work became too much.' The future king was so eager to meet Kate during their university days at St Andrew's that he tripped in front of her, the documentary revealed (Kate and William, pictured in 2005 at St Andrew's in Scotland) William and Kate have stepped up in recent years, becoming more involved in royal duties, especially during the coronavirus pandemic where they had countless video calls with charities. In fact, royal experts have said the couple felt it was their responsibility to 'comfort people' during the lockdown. Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, told The Sun in May that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were determined to use their influence to benefit the royal family during the health crisis. As the couple celebrate their ninth wedding anniversary today, she also said that mother-of-three Kate seems to be the driving force between the couple, and 'wears the trousers' in the relationship. Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, told The Sun in May that Kate and Prince William were using their influence in order to benefit the royal family during the coronavirus health crisis. Pictured: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children, Prince George, six, Princess Charlotte, four and Prince Louis, two, take part in the BBC Children in Need and Comic Relief's 'Big Night In' an clap for the NHS from their home of Amner Hall on April 23) Since the start of the nationwide lockdown on 23rd March, the The Duke and Duchess have held multiple Zoom calls with frontline workers, joined the weekly Clap For Carers, and William proved himself a good sport by joining in a comedy sketch for the BBC's Big Night In. They have also launched a mental health initiative, Our Frontline, to help keyworkers coping with the stress of the pandemic. Ingrid Seward, which has years of experience commenting on royal affairs, said: 'They feel almost wholly responsible as they are the only influential ones young enough to be out there at the moment, apart from Sophie and Edward and The Princess Royal. 'They have the highest profile and want to use it to the benefit of the monarchy, which has to be seen as being a comfort to people at this time.' Before retreating to their home of Anmer Hall, near Sandringham in order to isolate with their children, William and Kate visited the London Ambulance Service 111 control room in Croydon and thanked the staff for their service. The Northern Elders Forum, NEF, has raised the alarm over the rising insecurity of communities and properties in the North. NEF no... The Northern Elders Forum, NEF, has raised the alarm over the rising insecurity of communities and properties in the North. NEF noted that the recent escalation of attacks by bandits, rustlers and insurgents had left the only conclusion that the people of the North were now completely at the mercy of armed gangs who roam towns and villages at will, wrecking havoc. The convener, Northern Elders Forum, Professor Ango Abdullahi, observed, It would appear that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and governors have lost control over the imperatives of protecting people of the North, a constitutional duty that they swore to uphold. The situation is getting worse literally by the day. Bandits and insurgents appear to sense a huge vacuum in political will and capacity which they exploit with disastrous consequences on communities and individuals. The statement explained that it was no exaggeration to say that the people of the North had never experienced this level of exposure to criminals who attack, kill, maim, rape, kidnap, burn villages and rustle cattle, while President Buhari issues threats and promises that have no effect. The situation under which our communities from Kogi to Borno States, from Sokoto to Taraba States live is no longer tolerable. As a responsible body, the Forum has joined millions of others in prayers and in giving advise and encouragement to all authorities that have responsibility to protect our communities. It is now time to say, enough is enough. Our people are known for their patience and respect for constituted authorities, but all governments must be aware by now that all Northerners have been pushed to the wall, the forum said. The forum said that it was aware that some citizens were contemplating peaceful protests, which were their constitutional rights, to draw attention of President Buhari and all levels of authority to the plight of people of the North. The forum urged all citizens to conduct themselves in peaceful and responsible manner It equally asked governments to respect the rights of citizens to express their opinions peacefully. It said it is also consulting other groups and organizations which share its goals and concerns to lend their voices to the demands for action and relief from what the forum described as unremitting assaults on our lives and livelihood as Northerners. The Forum reminded President Muhammadu Buhari that provision of security and pursuit of economic welfare of citizens were the only two constitutional responsibilities of the state which all leaders must achieve. Our current circumstances in the North clearly demonstrate that President Buharis administration has woefully failed to achieve either. This is unacceptable.We demand an immediate and comprehensive improvement of our security in the North, the statement added. The statement explained that the people were tired of excuses and verbal threats which criminals laugh at, saying that the citizens see such as a clear failure of leadership. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday, June 14 said that the Centre has taken a decision to stop the import of goods from abroad and make India a self-reliant country. While addressing the 'Jammu Jan Samvad rally' via video conferencing the Defence Minister asserted that "Our country should not be known as an importing country in the world, but India should be known as an exporting country". READ | 'The weather has changed in PoK, Pakistan is now under massive pressure': Rajnath Singh Our Government has decided that the import of goods from abroad should be stopped. Our country should not be known as an importing country in the world, but India should be known as an exporting country: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. #AtmaNirbharBharat pic.twitter.com/9R3l0t8QJ7 ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2020 READ | Rajnath Singh holds review meeting with CDS Bipin Rawat, LAC stand off discussed Rajnath Singh further spoke about the massive crackdown on terror in the Union territory saying that the rights of the people had been strengthened after the abrogation of Article 370. "After the abrogation of Article 370, we have started a major crackdown on terrorism in Kashmir. Our citizens in PoK who had no rights are now being integrated into the system. The rights of the people in J&K are being consolidated, our Panchayati system has been strengthened," said Rajnath Singh. "Earlier in Kashmir, protests demanding 'Kashmir azadi' were held and flags of Pakistan & ISIS were seen, but now only Indian flag is seen there," he added. He also added that the corruption in Kashmir had been controlled post the removal of article 370. "For a long time, Congress carried forward this temporary provision of Article 370. From 2014 onwards we have given over 2 lakh crores to Jammu & Kashmir for its development. Corruption was rampant here. Where the money would go, everyone knows. With the removal of this article these people struggling to stay afloat", Singh said. READ | Will not allow India's pride and self-respect to be hurt: Rajnath on eastern Ladakh row Watch the full address here: #WATCH Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addresses 'Jammu Jan Samvad rally' via video conferencing. https://t.co/vjEIYTYeNA ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2020 READ | PM Modi lays down 'Aatma Nirbhar Bharat' as India's plan to battle Coronavirus crisis Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Over a month back PM Narendra Modi emphasised on the need for 'Aatma Nirbhar Bharat' i.e. Self-Reliant India as the only way forward amid the Coronavirus pandemic which has gripped the entire world today. The Prime Minister had highlighted that the world looks upon India to lead in this battle and that the 21st century should be the century where India shines. (With inputs from agency) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Yunindita Prasidya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, June 15 2020 Thirteen financial institutions including mobile payment service providers and peer-to-peer lending platforms have been granted access to the governments civil registry data to expedite data verification as well as to prevent fraud and accelerate financial inclusion. The institutions signed memorandums of understanding (MoU) with the Home Ministrys Population and Civil Registration directorate general (Dukcapil) on Thursday that affords the institutions access to civil registry data, including citizenship identification numbers (NIK) and e-ID card (e-KTP) details. The 13 distribution channels include privately owned Bank Oke Indonesia, financial technology (fintech) peer-to-peer lending companies PT Digital Alpha Indonesia (Uang Teman) and PT Ammana Fintek Syariah, e-wallet OVO, multifinance firm PT Astrido Pasific Finance and foundation Yayasan Dompet Dhuafa Republika. 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 Indian equity benchmarks ended in the green on the last trading session on Jue 12, enduring bouts of volatility. The Sensex ended Friday's session with a gain of 243 points, or 0.72 percent, at 33,780.89. The Nifty settled 71 points, or 0.72 percent, higher at 9,972.90. However, on a weekly basis, Nifty retreated 1.67 percent while Sensex slipped 1.48 percent. "It all started with the US Fed statement that the US economy would take longer than expected to recover which impacted the sentiments world over. However, the recovery in the market shows that participants are still buoyant on the growth prospects. Considering the present scenario, we advise not to go overboard and maintain a balanced approach," said Ajit Mishra, VP - Research, Religare Broking. The volatility index India VIX climbed nearly 4 percent to end at 30.82 levels on Friday. Although we have seen some spike in volatility index, it is still hovering at lower levels, thus not hinting at any major downside move in the near-term. 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 the Nifty is placed at 9,679.48, followed by 9,386.07. If the index moves up, the key resistance levels to watch out for are 10,131.18 and 10,289.47. The Nifty Bank closed 0.63 percent higher at 20,654.55. The important pivot level, which will act as crucial support for the index, is placed at 19,871.23, followed by 19,087.87. On the upside, key resistance levels are placed at 21,092.83 and 21,531.07. Maximum call OI of 20.7 lakh contracts was seen at 10,000 strike, which will act as crucial resistance in the June series. This is followed by 10,500, which holds 19.43 lakh contracts, and 10,200 strikes, which has accumulated 11.12 lakh contracts. Significant call writing was seen at the 9,700, which added 3.18 lakh contracts, followed by 9,900 strikes that added 3.11 lakh contracts. Call unwinding was witnessed at 10,500, which shed 70,125 contracts, followed by 10,300 strikes, which shed 21,675 contracts. Maximum put OI of 29.42 lakh contracts was seen at 9,500 strike, which will act as crucial support in the June series. This is followed by 9,600, which holds 24.28 lakh contracts, and 9,900 strikes, which has accumulated 23.61 lakh contracts. Significant put writing was seen at 9,600, which added 1.54 lakh contracts, followed by 9,700 strikes, which added 1.27 lakh contracts. Put unwinding was seen at 9,900, which shed 2.13 lakh contracts, followed by 10,500 strikes, which shed 1.82 lakh contracts and 10,000 strikes, which shed 1.81 lakh contracts. A high delivery percentage suggests that investors are showing interest in these stocks. Based on the OI future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which long build-up was seen. 7 stocks saw long unwinding An increase in OI, along with a decrease in price, mostly indicates a build-up of short positions. Based on the 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 a short-covering. Based on the OI future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which short-covering was seen. Bulk deals (For more bulk deals, click here) Results on June 15 Tata Motors, Ashoka Buildcon, CSB Bank, JK Tyre, Narayana Hrudayalaya, Pfizer, Satin Creditcare Network, Shilpa Medicare, Shoppers Stop, Action Construction Equipment, Can Fin Homes, CCL Products, Electrosteel Castings, Intellect Design Arena, Meghmani Organics, Tamilnadu Petroproducts Stocks in the news Aarey Drugs: Elara India Opportunities Fund sold another 1,50,000 shares in the company at Rs 17.26 per share. IDFC: BNP Paribas Arbitrage acquired 1 crore shares in the company at Rs 18.45 per share. Cox & Kings Financial: Dharm Prakash Tripathi bought 7,35,300 shares in the company at Rs 0.65 per share. Cadila Healthcare: Zydus signed a non-exclusive licensing agreement with Gilead Sciences Inc., to manufacture and market Remdesivir. Castrol India Q1: Profit at Rs 125.2 crore versus Rs 185 crore in the year-ago period, revenue at Rs 688 crore versus Rs 976.2 crore. IOL Chemicals Q4: Profit at Rs 90.26 crore versus Rs 101.65 crore in the year-ago period, revenue at Rs 441.46 crore versus Rs 422.3 crore. Godrej Properties: ICRA assigned 'AA/Stable' rating for the proposed Rs 1,000 crore NCD programme of the company. Fund flow Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold shares worth Rs 1,311.49 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth Rs 1,945.15 crore in the Indian equity market on June 12, provisional data available on the NSE showed. Five stocks - Adani Enterprises, BHEL, Vodafone Idea, Just Dial and PVR - are under the F&O ban for June 15. 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. The three municipal corporations in Delhi on Sunday offered all their community centres, schools and health facilities to the Delhi government to ramp up health care infrastructure to deal with the rising cases of Covid-19 in the national capital. This comes on a day when the Delhi government declared the north civic bodys Hindu Rao Hospital a dedicated Covid-19 facility. The leaders of the three municipal corporations north, south, east made the offer during a meeting chaired by Union home minister Amit Shah and attended by Union health minister Harsh Vardhan, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, mayors and deputy mayors and commissioners of the three civic bodies, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director Randeep Guleria and other senior officials. It was the second high-level meeting held on the day in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis in the Capital. The city reported 2,224 cases on Sunday, taking the total number of infections to 41,182. As many as 1,327 people have died due to the disease in Delhi. Shah held the first meeting with Baijal, Kejriwal, Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, and senior officials of the Union home and health ministries and the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). The home minister stressed the need for mutual coordination to fight the pandemic and make the national capital Corona-free. He directed the Centre, the Delhi government and the municipal corporations to ensure proper implementation of the decisions taken in the first meeting, such as house-to-house survey and increased Covid-19 testing, according to the statement issued by the home ministry. With Hindu Rao hospital now a dedicated Covid-19 facility, north corporation Mayor Avtar Singh said, We have extended our support to the Delhi government to fight this pandemic. There are other hospitals and our staff is working hard to provide the best possible care. Hindu Rao hospital has about 980 beds including 17 ventilators, eight intensive care unit (ICU) beds, and four high dependency unit (a step-down from the ICU). Another 250 beds have oxygen support on them, according to the north civic body. There are 209 patients currently being treated in the hospital, and they will be moved to Kasturba Hospital, Rajan Babu Hospital, and Giridharilal Hospital. Modifications will be made in terms of manpower deployment, infrastructure and facilities related to patient care and health care workers, said north civic body spokesperson Ira Singhal. The three corporations together run eight hospitals with over 2,800 beds. The south and east corporations have offered their community centres, schools and hospitals, which they said can be turned into Covid-19 facilities as and when the government needs. The two corporations have 71 and 95 community centres respectively. All our community centres are completely air-conditioned. It was also discussed that efforts should be made to ensure that there is no delay in cremating those who have lost their lives to Covid-19, said Rajdutt Gahlot, deputy mayor of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation. While the corporations have extended their support to the Delhi government, the east and north corporations raised the issue of funds shortages. East Delhi mayor Anju Kamalkant said, We requested the government to pay us 470 crore so that we can effectively carry out Covid-19 management work. With GTB hospital in east Delhi being designated a dedicated Covid-19 hospital, east Delhi mayor said the load on Swami Dayanand hospital has increased. The body has sought permission from the Delhi government to increase the beds in the hospital from 370 beds to 500. I have evaluated countless refugee cases. The oppression Black Americans face in the US would qualify as persecution. Refugee protection is less about vulnerability and more about oppression. This is at least what I have long believed, having worked in the field for more than 15 years. When we speak of refugees, we often speak of their vulnerabilities and the responsibility to safeguard their rights. There is truth in that, but in real terms, people become refugees because they are oppressed. Their rights are violated because of discrimination. The 1951 Refugee Convention defines a refugee as someone who has left their country due to a well-founded fear of persecution on the basis of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group, and due to that fear is unable or unwilling to seek protection from their country. By no means do I advocate for Black Americans to leave the United States, but assuming a Black American were to seek asylum abroad, the social and political unrest that has rocked the country just these past few weeks alone would add to a trove of evidence to support any claims of well-founded fear for this persons safety and wellbeing at home. I have heard countless refugee claims during protection and resettlement interviews I have done for the US government and the United Nations Refugee Agency, and read through many pages of information about the countries of origin that substantiated the testimonies of claimants. I can tell you what we all collectively witnessed in the murder of George Floyd, the subsequent numerous acts of police brutality in the ensuing protests and systematic state treatment of Black Americans could certainly qualify as a legitimate basis for most asylum claims. The stories I have heard from refugees who were racially or ethnically profiled, subjugated to systems of targeted oppression, who feared imprisonment and were jailed, sometimes repeatedly, facing mistreatment and torture by police and prison guards are quite similar to the stories of so many Black Americans. Their persecution was on the basis of race. And their persecutor was the state or agents of the state, thus rendering the authorities unwilling or unable to offer protection. Sound familiar? The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called out disproportionate and unnecessary violence by police during the protests following the murder of George Floyd, as well as the more than 200 attacks on journalists and infringements on the right to freedom of expression. In a bold and rare display of unanimity, 47 UN human rights experts issued a statement on systemic racism that produces state-sponsored racial violence, and licenses impunity for this violence in the US. Perhaps nowhere is American racial inequity laid barer than in its criminal justice system. A searing report from The Sentencing Project to the UN found the US in violation of Article 2 and 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights for pursuing policies that allow racial disparities in its criminal justice system. In 2016, 27 percent of arrests in the US were of Black Americans double their share of the population. Black minors, who are 15 percent of the child population, accounted for 35 percent of juvenile arrests. Unsurprisingly, the US governments own findings reveal racial disparities in sentencing as well, with Black prisoners sentences nearly 20 percent longer than those of white prisoners. Even when progress is supposedly made, it is dubious at best. Statistics from 2018 show a 34 percent decrease in the imprisonment rate for Black Americans since 2006, but they only accounted for inmates sentenced to a year or more in state or federal prison and excluded shorter sentences and inmates held in local jails. Even with varying theories accounting for the decrease and factoring for differences in data, the lower imprisonment rates in 2018 did not depict a less oppressed race. Black Americans remained the most incarcerated population making up 33 percent of the sentenced prison population in 2018, despite being only 12 percent of the adult population. Proportionally, this means Black people are nearly twice as likely to be imprisoned as Hispanic people and five times more likely than white people. One in 10 Black children spends part of their childhood with one parent behind bars. Racial disparities in the juvenile justice system are heading in the wrong direction. Between 2003 and 2013, the rate of Black youth incarceration jumped from being 3.7 times higher than that of white youth to 4.3 times higher. The Guardians database of police killings in the US revealed that the number of young Black men killed in 2015 was five times higher than that of white men of the same age. In 2014, the UN expressed concerns when the US failed to bring to trial the police officers responsible for the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. The Special Rapporteur on Human Rights said the decision lent to a pattern of impunity where excessive force is used on Black American victims. In 2016, following the deaths of Philando Castille in Minnesota and Alton Sterling in Louisiana, the UN body on human rights said excessive use of force by police in America against African Americans was becoming an everyday occurrence. After an official visit in January 2016, the UN observed alarming levels of police brutality and excessive use of lethal force by law enforcement officials committed with impunity. Among its recommendations were calls to improve investigations of extrajudicial killings by police forces. As noted in the 1968 landmark report by the Kerner Commission, convened after the 1967 unrest in Detroit, racial disparities in the US criminal justice system go hand in hand with culturally embedded forms of racial discrimination in Black communities seen in inadequate housing, high unemployment, voter suppression and access to upward mobility. Today, Black Americans are twice as likely to be unemployed than the rest of America. What accounts for mistaken links between race and crime is more an outcome of urban poverty and racialised policing, which forces individuals into a vicious cycle of crime and incarceration. At the same time, racial bias implicit and explicit causes white Americans to overestimate crime committed by Black people, contributing to racial profiling. The fact that African Americans are victims of crime disproportionately more than other groups is usually overlooked. Social mobility is denied in numerous ways to Black citizens and Black communities, which are deprived of social services. Redlining policies which limit access to means of upward mobility such as banking, insurance, better schools and housing, through the practice of districting neighbourhoods although banned, still affects Black communities. The landmark 1988 Atlanta real-estate investigation, which revealed wide lending disparities between white and Black neighbourhoods of similar income levels, essentially highlighting racist practices that denied Black Americans access to bank loans and thus better housing and schools, is one of the numerous examples of how institutional oppression affects present and future generations. Systemic income inequality has made white Americans 20 times richer than Black Americans. Black communities face stark inequalities in both healthcare and education. Implicit bias and racial disparities cause Black Americans to receive lower-quality healthcare than white Americans. In schools in minority and Black communities that are chronically underfunded, Black students are suspended and expelled from school at a rate three times higher than white students and school policing makes Black students more vulnerable to the criminal justice system and higher dropout rates. The voting rights of Black communities are diminished in half the country or even suppressed in some states. Recent state elections in the US highlight failures such as poll worker shortages, long lines and processing delays that are designed to disproportionately impact Black Americans and people of colour. White nationalism, on the rise since the election of Donald Trump, extremism and hate groups are further threats to Black Americans and minority groups. In 2018, the US Commission on Civil Rights found a lack of civil rights protections across the country on the basis of race. In 2019, 90 civil society groups urged the US to invite a fact-finding mission from the UN Special Rapporteur on racism. The last such UN mission in 2008 found that the historical, cultural and human depth of racism still permeates all dimensions of life of American society. The US is party to the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and yet it lags behind in implementation and its long-overdue periodic report to the UN on its obligations to uphold those commitments is perhaps emblematic of the problem. It should be clear that leaving ones country is one of many requirements that must be met by anyone seeking refugee status, and I am by no means whatsoever, advocating for Black Americans to do that as this country belongs equally to them. Rather this article is meant to illustrate that should Black Americans seek international protection, they could very well receive it given their countrys disastrous human rights record and the pervasive institutional discrimination they suffer. That should give each of us pause, the country pause and hopefully pause, if not halt, any questions about whether the US has a racism problem. The US may pride itself on being a bastion of human rights, but it is clear Black Americans are not receiving their fair treatment, access or share. The country needs to undertake major policy reforms immediately if it is to wipe this shameful stain from its democratic reputation. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 13) The Department of Justice is expected to submit to Malacanang the results of its review on the controversial anti-terrorism bill by June 17. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra in a statement on Saturday said the department "has been requested to submit its comments on the anti-terror bill to the Office of the President by Wednesday, June 17." "We'll review the proposed anti-terrorism bill as independently and objectively as possible, with only the security of the nation and the civil and political rights of the people in mind," Guevarra said. The DOJ's review began on June 6, during which time Congress had not yet sent the bill to President Rodrigo Duterte for enactment. But Guevarra had said that the DOJ "will already start its own review" of the proposed measure, which has drawn much criticism for the constitutionality of some of its provisions. On June 9, Congress submitted the enrolled bill to the Palace despite calls fo lawmakers to reconsider their decision. Duterte now has 30 days to either sign or veto the bill before it lapses into law. The bill, earlier certified by Duterte as urgent, will repeal Human Security Act of 2007, giving more surveillance powers to government forces. Critics of the measure say it relaxes safeguards on human rights. One of its contentious provisions is allowing the detention of suspected terrorists for up to 24 days even without a warrant of arrest. Once enacted, law enforcers can conduct surveillance on suspected terrorists for up to 90 days. Under the current law, detention without warrant of arrest should only be up to three days, while surveillance is up to 30 days only. Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said they are ready to challenge the constitutionality of the measure before the Supreme Court, arguing that it poses threats against progressive groups, who previously experienced "red-tagging" from state forces. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Thursday said red-tagging is not a policy of the Duterte administration, refuting observations made by the United Nations' Human Rights Office. He said the anti-terrorism bill will be subject to review, but noted that it is at par with the laws of other countries and does not automatically brand critics as terrorists. A little more than a week ago, one Santa Cruze County sheriffs deputy was shot to death in an ambush, and another seriously injured. On Sunday, the injured man, Alex Spencer, stood up from his wheelchair and walked out of a hospital to the cheers of fellow officers. Spencer who was shot, hit with shrapnel from an explosive device and struck by the suspects fleeing car pumped his fist, hugged colleagues and returned to the sheriffs office in a parade of law enforcement vehicles while wearing a knee brace on his leg, according to a video published on the sheriffs office Facebook page. A statue of Confederate Adm. Raphael Semmes, removed overnight on June 5, will be relocated permanently to the History Museum of Mobile, according to Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson. Stimpson, in an email sent by his spokesman George Talbot on Sunday, said the museum staff will develop a plan to protect, preserve and display the Semmes statue within the museum. The statue has been in storage within a city facility since it was removed from its perch of 120 years at Royal and Government streets in downtown Mobile. I have no doubt that moving the statue from public display was the right thing to do for our community going forward, Stimpson said. The values represented by this monument a century ago are not the values of Mobile in 2020. Said Stimpson, As a community, we should strive to understand the characters, culture and circumstances that have shaped Mobile and brought us to this crucial moment. And while we learn from our past, we should not allow the decisions of yesterday to cloud a bright tomorrow for our children. Over 300 years, there are chapters of darkness and light that weave together to form the Mobile story. The most important chapter is the one we write next. Stimpson said that Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshalls Office was aware of the citys plans. This step was taken following extensive research by a team of lawyers, historians, and city officials, said Stimpson. This included conversations with (Marshalls) office as well as members of the Mobile City Council and others with a vested interest in the statue. We believe this action to be consistent with the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act. The 3-year-old state law, instituted by the Alabama Legislature, is aimed at protecting monuments over 40 years old. The unlawful removal of a statue could place the city liable to a $25,000 fine. Marshalls office hasnt provided an immediate response. The Attorney General, in a June 5 letter, requested Stimpson provide a rationale for the removal of the statue and clarification on whether it was meant to be temporary or permanent. Marshall is pursuing legal action against the city of Birmingham for the removal of a massive Confederate monument from Linn Park. In a statement last week, Marshall spokesman Mike Lewis said the office "will enforce the law consistently against all violators, Said Lewis, In cases where the public entity acknowledges that the law has been broken, enforcement occurs more swiftly than when fact-gathering is required to proceed. We will evaluate each case as it arises and take action in accordance with the law. The state law provides exceptions for a city to temporarily relocate a monument for emergency repairs provided that the monument is returned to its prior location or condition, or both and no later than one year after the completion of repairs. Marshall, in his June 5 letter, said the Legislatures plain intent was to protect and preserve monuments such as the Semmes memorial. Permanent removal is therefore not an appropriate measure that the city may take under state law, regardless of its reasons for doing so. Confederate monuments are a flashpoint following the death of George Floyd on Memorial Day in Minneapolis. A white police officer, who has since been arrested for murder, killed Floyd after kneeling on his neck for over eight minutes while other police officers watched. The removal of the Semmes statue comes as protests continue nationwide against police violence and racism. In many cities, Confederate symbols and monuments have become the target of protest groups demanding changes. The sandstone base of the Semmes statue in Mobile was vandalized on June 1, occurring around the same time as Birmingham paid contractors to remove the monument to the Confederacy in Linn Park. Mobile officials had red graffiti removed from the monuments base. Mobiles statue: Who was Confederate Adm. Raphael Semmes? The history behind Birmingham monuments damaged during George Floyd protest More voices say take down Madison County Confederate monument; group offers to pay fine Dubai Investments has enhanced its sustainable reporting by voluntarily publishing the 2019 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report highlighting its sustainable practices. The move is in line with Dubai Financial Markets (DFM) guideline encouraging proactive reporting aimed at increasing transparency among listed companies. This years report, themed Committed to a Sustainable World, provides a transparent and an in-depth overview of the companys sustainability initiative and framework of management practices, built upon the foundation of integrity and ethical behaviour, and focuses on seven key pillars of sustainability: Governance and Economy, Operations, Customers and Suppliers, Workforce and Environment and Corporate Social Responsibility. The report captures Dubai Investments sustainability approach and procedures as a holding company, with an emphasis on implementation within and across the companys five key subsidiaries - Dubai Investments Park (DIP), Emirates District Cooling Company (Emicool), Al Mal Capital, Emirates Glass, and Emirates Float Glass -that have significant impacts on key Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues. With sustainability evolving to becoming a strategic priority to seize opportunities, reduce costs and build a competitive edge, implementing a sustainable approach is a fundamental commitment embedded in Dubai Investments strategies and daily operations, said Khalid Bin Kalban, Vice Chairman and CEO, Dubai Investments PJSC. Marking our 25th anniversary this year, there was no better time to showcase our implementation of best practices of corporate governance, disclosure and transparency as well as environmental and social commitment and be an active contributor leading to the ESG ranking index as outlined by DFM recently. With our proactive efforts and initiatives, guided by a holistic view and directed towards eliminating negative impacts, are aimed at contributing towards creating environment friendly and socially sustainable societies. Dubai Investments ESG Report 2019 has been prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards. The report serves to highlight the Company's focus on building a more sustainable enterprise committed to improving performance, adopting a sustainable business model, strong governance practices, and a talented workforce giving it the ability to create long-term value for its shareholders and contribute to a low carbon economy. By incorporating ESG factors into the Companys reporting, Dubai Investments is directly contributing to the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) providing a roadmap of measures and commitments facilitating alignment with and the accomplishment of the SDGs. The report presents Dubai Investments efforts to support international frameworks and national visions and objectives, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Vision 2021 and Dubai Plan 2021.The report is published on Dubai Investments website. TradeArabia News Service The green hydrogen export market could be worth $300 billion yearly by 2050, creating 400,000 jobs globally in renewable energy and hydrogen production, according to a new report by Strategy&Middle East, part of the PwC network. The global demand for green hydrogen, produced with minimal carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, could reach about 530 million tons (Mt) by 2050, displacing roughly 10.4 billion barrels of oil equivalent (around 37 percent of pre-pandemic global oil production). Rapidly declining renewable energy costs and technological advances would enable hydrogen to become the medium of choice for transporting cheap clean energy across the globe. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the trend toward decarbonisation by reducing hydrocarbon demand substantially. According to the Strategy&report, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries can ramp up production to boost domestic industries and utilise green hydrogen for export purposes. While other countries are also seeking to invest in green hydrogen, the export prospects of GCC countries are limited by large domestic demand that will probably consume most of their production. However, GCC countries can export much of their green hydrogen and still have adequate, low-cost renewable energy. Dr Raed Kombargi, Partner with Strategy&and the leader of the firms Energy, chemicals, and utilities practice in the Middle East, said: Given the current situation and the decline in demand for hydrocarbons, GCC countries need to act decisively to capture this market with a three-phase plan. They should launch a commercial-scale pilot in partnership with leading electrolysis operating companies to build capabilities and start research and development. Second, they need to develop the right policies and regulations that will enable them to boost the domestic market. Finally, they need to build necessary export infrastructure and secure supply agreements with key export markets. Strategy&outlines a three-phased approach for GCC countries to capture the potential of green hydrogen: *Invest in commercial-scale pilots: Collaborate with leading electrolysis companies to develop a pilot project that pairs an electrolysis plant, a renewable energy plant, and a single source of domestic demand. The commercial-scale pilot will help policymakers develop domestic technical capabilities, identify local environmental challenges, and initiate R&D activities to develop potential mitigation measures all in the context of real-world applications rather than theoretical scenarios. *Set national policies to boost domestic consumption: Once the pilot has shown that the technology is commercially viable, local governments can develop a comprehensive green hydrogen policy that includes: *Establishing ambitious and realistic capacity targets that take into account domestic and global market trends; *Defining governance and institutional frameworks; *Identifying key regulations that the government should develop to properly integrate hydrogen into the energy system; and *Creating relevant funding models. *Transition to exports: After production starts to exceed domestic demand, GCC governments can build the necessary infrastructure to export hydrogen as a cheap, clean power source. With the right markets established, governments can then build the export terminal and infrastructure for shipping and pipeline channels. Developing that infrastructure will take time, so initial exports may take the form of energy-intensive intermediate commodities like ammonia and direct reduced iron. Over time, exporting countries can then shift to higher-value-added commodities. Eventually, however, the green hydrogen company should then take the lead in signing supply agreements with key green hydrogen export markets. These should be based on an understanding of regional imbalances in hydrogen and which export markets are most accessible from the GCC compared to other exporters. Dr Shihab Elborai, Partner with Strategy&Middle East added: With the challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic and concurrent steep decline in oil prices, GCC countries need to act boldly now to catch up and overtake countries such as China and Australia, who are exerting significant amounts of effort in hydrogen. For instance, the province of British Columbia in Canada is developing plans to produce approximately 1.5 Mt of Blue and green hydrogen by 2050 and generate export revenues of $15 billion. There is clearly an opportunity for GCC countries here. With modern technology, the cost of producing green hydrogen will lead to benefits in a range of industries and advance the goal of making countries and companies more environmentally sustainable. This will apply to current applications of green hydrogen and new ones. As a result, the demand for green hydrogen is projected to grow significantly by 2050. Dr Yahya Anouti, Partner with Strategy&Middle East said: Advances in electrolysis technology and the falling cost of renewable energy are enabling the mass production of green hydrogen, which is more environmentally sustainable. These developments have altered the calculus for hydrogen and created a significant opportunity for countries to boost economic growth and move away from fossil fuels. There are several countries that have ambitious plans for green hydrogen, however, GCC states have unique advantages that could allow them to lead the hydrogen economy. They also have an incentive to move away from fossil fuels. By seizing the green hydrogen opportunity, GCC countries can lay the foundation for economic growth in a decarbonised world and ensure their continued influence in the energy market, concluded Ramzi Hage, Principal with Strategy&Middle East.-- Tradearabia News Service RAMALLAH, June 13 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese medical team on Saturday visited the West Bank city of Bethlehem, the epicenter of COVID-19 in Palestinian territories. The team met with Kamel Hmeid, governor of Bethlehem, at the governorate headquarters, where they were briefed on the overall management of the crisis and how the highly touristic district dealt with the outbreak of the pandemic. Hmeid explained that the Bethlehem district managed to move promptly right after the first cases of COVID-19 were discovered. "When we started 100 days ago with the first cases in Bethlehem ... it was a big challenge. We had a strong determination and high spirits, but we did not have high financial or medical capabilities," said the governor. "Nevertheless, we managed to get ready and started our preparations hours after the first cases were confirmed in the Bethlehem district," he added. In early March, the first coronavirus cases in Palestine were recorded in Bethlehem. "We noticed through your presentation that an emergency team was formed under the leadership of the government, which is very similar to the system run in China," said Hu Peng, head of the Chinese team. "We have the same mechanism, where we had multi-disciplinary teams for the health sector, the security and the logistics. It is a very strong guarantee for fighting the pandemic," Hu added. The team of experts also met with doctors and staff of the Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem and visited the COVID-19 testing lab. The team, which arrived in Palestine on Wednesday, was put together by China's National Health Commission with the members selected by the Chongqing Municipal Health Commission. It is composed of experts from various fields, such as respiratory and infectious diseases, traditional Chinese medicine, epidemiology and nursing. They are scheduled to hold a series of meetings with Palestinian counterparts until June 17. Enditem By Lee Min-hyung Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki The Ministry of Economy and Finance is under growing political pressure whether or not to back the government and ruling party's possible request to initiate the second anti-coronavirus emergency disaster relief fund to the public despite the nation's rapidly-worsening sovereign debt. The pressure comes amid calls that the government's unprecedented cash payouts to all households here were insufficient enough to help rev up the sagging economy. In May, the government gave the financial assistance to the public here with households receiving up to 1 million won ($815) depending on the number of family members. For now, the finance ministry is not considering offering a second round of cash payouts, citing the nation's weakening fiscal soundness after the government formed a third expansionary budget to help the virus-hit economy bounce back earlier than expected. Minister Hong Nam-ki recently said the finance ministry has not reviewed any plans for a second disaster relief fund. Bank of Korea Lee Ju-yeol But the discussion on the need for a second round of cash payouts is gaining momentum after Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung said the government needed to provide 200,000 won to all South Koreans here which surpass 51.84 million as part of a second round of disaster relief funding. Lee submitted a proposal to the government, saying the authority needs to establish a budget of 10.37 trillion won to execute the drive. "It is likely that the economy will continue to deteriorate for a considerable amount of time, so the government needs to offer the funds at least twice or three times for the public," Lee said. According to a recent poll by the Gyeonggi provincial government, six out of ten residents were in favor of the second emergency disaster relief fund. The poll was conducted on 1,000 randomly selected residents of the province. About 38 percent of the respondents, however, disapproved of the establishment of a second fund. Rep. Ko Min-jung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea Franklin Templeton received an interest payment of Rs 102.71 crore from Vodafone Idea Ltd on June 12, the fund house said in a press release. This amount will be distributed to investors in proportion to their holdings in the plans of the segregated portfolios. There are six schemes Franklin India Ultra Short Bond Fund, (No. of segregated portfolios -1), Franklin India Low Duration Fund(No. of segregated portfolios - 2),Franklin India Short Term Income 7.01 Plan (No. of segregated portfolios -3), Franklin India Credit Risk Fund (No.of segregated portfolios - 3) and Franklin India Dynamic Accrual Fund (No. of segregated portfolios -3), Franklin India Income Opportunities 3.88 Fund (No. of segregated portfolios -2) had investments in Vodafone Idea. The payout shall be processed by extinguishing proportionate units in the plans of the segregated portfolio of respective schemes. After the payment, the number of units outstanding in the investor account under said segregated portfolio of the scheme would fall to the extent of payout and statutory levy (if applicable), the press release said. For units held in physical/statement of account mode, the partial payment of the outstanding unitholding as on 12 June 2020 will be extinguished and will be distributed to unitholders by June 17. In February, following the Supreme Court ruling on the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) matter, which resulted in a due of Rs 53,000 crore on the telco, Franklin Templeton MF marked down its investment value to zero, resulting in a correction of up to 7 percent in net asset value for six of its schemes. Franklin Templeton had the highest exposure to the telco at Rs 2,074 crore out of the total Rs 4,500 crore, which Vodafone India Limited owed to the MF industry as a whole. It appears that someone has prevailed upon Seattle Mayor Jenny Summer of Love Durkan to bring to an end the glorious revolutionary commune that is Seattles Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (aka CHAZ). Many of us would have liked to see this race-based, criminal-friendly, socialist experiment last a little longer. Still, even during its short time as an independent nation within America, CHAZ provided useful insights into what happens when you abandon both the framework of civil society and the free market. Heres the sad news for those of us enjoying Seattles Revolutionary Commune Reality Show: The Seattle Police Department has announced that it intends to reclaim the Capitol Hill neighborhood that Black Lives Matter had claimed for its own just a few days ago: Sundance notes the irony in Mayor Jennys response to this plan: However, its more than a little funny to see Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan saying her administration is determining when it would be safe for the Seattle Police to move in there considering she was just claiming last night on CNN the occupation was merely a small group of festive citizens having a block party. CHAZ, we hardly knew ye! So, before it goes, let this post stand as a retrospective to the wonder that was CHAZ. Who can forget the walls, identity checkpoints, and race-based deportations that CHAZs free citizens put in place? Suddenly the left believes in wall and understands you need a border to have a country. #CHAZ #chazseattle pic.twitter.com/osa77FS84i Ryan rechnitzer (@RyanRechnitzer) June 12, 2020 anyone who lives in CHAZ merely has to show the guards his or her identity papers to go to and from their homes or places of work The Irony is, I presume, entirely lost on them! https://t.co/GzVR9sH1YO Sheila Walker (@sheilawalker73) June 13, 2020 It seems as if it was just yesterday that the same political cohort behind CHAZ insisted that walls are immoral, that checking peoples identity is racist, and that no person should ever be deported. We also shouldn't forget CHAZs progressive embrace of overt segregation. Its fitting considering that Woodrow Wilson, who segregated the federal workforce, was also a progressive Democrat. Still, I have to say that its still weird for the BLM crowd to be just as dogmatic about segregation as the KKK, also known as the Democrat partys paramilitary arm, ever was: It was brave of CHAZs citizens truly brave to reject entirely the sordid capitalism that underlies the American way. Still, as Dan Crenshaw pointed out, they did seem a little unclear on the fact that the opposite of capitalism isnt begging: I just want to remind all that when you create an autonomous zone, you dont get to demand a long list of supplies from the orderly capitalist society that you are rebelling against. Kind of defeats the meaning of autonomous.#SeattleAutonomousZone pic.twitter.com/XhK9I3BwoO Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) June 13, 2020 Some of us, I admit, were a little troubled when the new nations denizens used chokeholds you know, the kind of thing that killed George Floyd to silence a religious voice. However, CHAZ made it clear that a revolutionary new nation has no time for all that God talk about morality, individual worth, and all people being made in Gods image. Pfui! The anarchists in CHAZ didn't appreciate the presence of a Christian preacher so they choked him out. pic.twitter.com/R59cFdTqw8 Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) June 13, 2020 BREAKING: Group of Antifa holds down a street preacher as he screams Youre choking me in Seattle Autonomous Zone pic.twitter.com/1ZfjHe9V3n Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) June 13, 2020 And those do it yourself reparations, where white people are required to hand over random sums of money to black people? Thats great, as long as you ensure that every white person who never had anything to do with slavery is on board with having his or her money forcibly taken by black people who also never had anything to do with slavery. The Second Amendment might factor into the white response: All white people must pay black people $10 Says a non-black person to all white citizens of #CHAZ ...the newest country in North America pic.twitter.com/ej5Y8PGL9N Kalen From Scriberr (@FromKalen) June 13, 2020 Speaking of guns, did you happen to notice how quickly the people with guns managed to gain power? While the Antifa types have always been about violence, it might occur to the peaceniks that guns spread throughout a free population can be a bulwark against tyranny. Its certainly something for them to think about: CHAZS WARLORD, RAZ, SEEN HERE WITH SEMI AUTOMATIC GUN SECURING HIS BORDERpic.twitter.com/srRzdeYy2A The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) June 12, 2020 Considering all we have learned from this little experiment, it seems a shame that the Tennessee governor has vowed to prevent any autonomous zones and that the police instantly dismantled an attempt to create an autonomous zone in Asheville, North Carolina. I, for one, always enjoy seeing people choke on their own misguided (and, in the case of Marxism, downright evil) principles. P.S. Some citizens of CHAZ might want to start looking over their shoulders when they leave their utopia. Word on the streets is that the Department of Justice is on the move, having arrested over 80 people for violent conduct during the past weeks riots. Villagers in rural Peru have freed eight technicians from broadband provider Gilat Peru who were held over fears they were installing 5G technology, which locals claim is responsible for the coronavirus, police said Saturday. The eight-member maintenance crew had been held since Wednesday by villagers in Acobamba province, more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) southeast of the capital Lima, "All of them have been released," Leni Palacios of Huancavelica police told AFP, adding that the workers said they were in good shape. Palacios said the workers' release came after a meeting between locals and a commission made up of officials from the Ministry of Transport, the regional government and Gilat Peru. Transport Ministry spokesman Jose Aguilar told RPP Radio that Peru has no 5G antennas, and that regardless, they are not linked to COVID-19. Locals in Chopcca had told the repair crew they would not be allowed to leave until they took down existing antennas in Acobamba. With 33 million people, Peru is the second-worst affected country in Latin America after Brazil, with more than 214,000 confirmed cases and over 6,000 deaths. The province of Acobamba, which rises to nearly 4,000 meters above sea level, has one of the lowest infection rates in the country. Workers installing a 5G antenna in Orem, Utah in November 2019 I knew it couldnt be a simplistic treatment, but it was a challenge, Herbert said. There was so much information. Waco Mayor Kyle Deaver said the marker and its placement at City Hall would represent an important step in Wacos acknowledgement of its past. Its important for us to do this for future generations who will be learning the story, Deaver said. For people who travel to Waco to learn about the 1916 lynching, marker near its location would also ground that story and lessons learned from it, he said. Its important for the city to confront racist acts in our past and (which) occur now, he said. Peaches Henry, president of the Waco NAACP and a McLennan Community College English professor, agreed that a community must recognize what has happened in its history. Knowing that not only African Americans, but Mexican Americans and Native Americans have been lynched in our county is important for our history and is especially important at this time, Henry said. Its always a good thing when a community recognizes the truth. 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. President Akufo-Addo is encouraging Ghanaians to pay serious attention to their health as coronavirus spreads across the country. He urged them to seek immediate medical service if they start to experience certain health conditions, including cold, high temperature, as well as sore throat. He noted that there is nothing shameful to testing positive. He reiterated his call on Ghanaians to eat healthy food. He particularly urged residents of Greater Accra, and Ashanti Region to pay serious attention to their health. Our survival is in our own hands, he said. He noted that overcoming the virus will require each and every Ghanaian taking responsibility of their health and respecting the safety protocols of the coronavirus. Daily Guide Jordana Brewster and her husband Andrew Form "quietly separated" earlier this year after 13 years of marriage, a source tells PEOPLE. The Fast and the Furious actress, 40, and the film producer, 48, decided to part ways in what was an "amicable" split, according to the source. "They have the utmost respect for each other," the source tells PEOPLE. "They remain committed to lovingly co-parent their two children as a team." Brewster and Form share sons Rowan, who turns 4 this month, and Julian, 6 years old. Reps for Brewster and Form have not commented. RELATED: All the Celebrity Couples Who've Called It Quits in 2020 The couple tied the knot in May 2007 in a private ceremony on Nevis Island, two years after meeting on the set of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, which Brewster starred in and Form produced. We started dating in secret you know, hanging out in my trailer because it would have been unprofessional otherwise, Brewster told InStyle Weddings ahead of their wedding. "But every day, Andrew wore these work boots to the set, and if I was lying down in the shot or there was equipment in the way, Id look for his shoes. It was comfortable just to know he was nearby," she said at the time. BACKGRID The two remained inseparable after filming wrapped in the fall of 2005 going together to a Bahamas resort for Christmas and then her moving into his Hollywood Hills home after that. I was always the girl who said Id never move in with someone before I got married, and then I just did it, Brewster previously said. Im the biggest hypocrite ever! I had been dating him for only a little over a month, but I never went back to living in my apartment. Form proposed on their one-year anniversary, giving her a 3.2-carat emerald-cut diamond and platinum ring. RELATED: Jordana Brewster Says Explaining Surrogacy Makes Motherhood 'More Challenging' as Sons Get Older Story continues In March 2019, Brewster brought PEOPLE into her Los Angeles home, where she was living with her two children and husband. When the Lethal Weapon star and Form first decided to move to their 8,000-square-foot home in Brentwoods Mandeville Canyon, she turned to her longtime interior design collaborator, and childhood pal Chiara de Rege for help. But her parents also played a big role in the homes decor, offering to let Brewster take whatever she wanted from their New York City apartment. The mother of two went on to explain how important it was to her that the family home also be comfy enough so the kids are snuggled up with a book whenever they want to be. And even though their home is filled with plenty of her own memories, Brewster said Form was just as thrilled with the abode as she was. There are days Andrew walks in and says, I cant believe I live in this house! she remarked. It means so much to have an appreciation for and a love of where you live. Sitamarhi (Bihar) [India], June 15 (ANI): Days after one person was killed in firing on the India-Nepal border, horrified locals here expressed shock and dismay over the incident and the behaviour of Nepal security personnel. Several residents of Jankinagar, whom ANI spoke to termed the incident as unfortunate. A person who identified himself as Ajit Kumar said he was perplexed as to why Nepal Police behaved that way. "There was no problem earlier. We don't understand what happened to Nepal Police that day. The firing is unfortunate. If this continues, how will people in the border area live?" he questioned. Kumar stated that such an incident has taken place for the first time. "People from here go to work there in fields and vice versa. This has happened for the first time. 80 per cent people here are married in Nepal," he said. Expressing anguish over the incident, Kumar said: "Nepal government should be ashamed." Another person, named Nitish Kumar, said several hundred people gathered after the incident there. An unprecedented incident of firing on Indians took place on Friday on the India-Nepal border when one person was killed after Nepal security personnel opened fire on them. Lagan Kishore, who was detained by Nepal's security personnel yesterday after firing near the India-Nepal border, returned to Sitamarhi district of Bihar on Friday after being released by them. (ANI) Loving Loving Day: How Richard and Mildred Loving Paved the Way for Interracial Relationships-Including My Own By Kelcie McKenney On June 12, 1967, the Supreme Court decision on Loving v. Virginia struck down 16 state bans on interracial marriage. The case was centered on the couple Mildred and Richard Loving. Mildred was an Indigenous Black woman and Richard was a white man. The Pitch is slowly turning into a blog and most of their content is targeted toward social media sharing without much into on local life . . . HOWEVER, this was a fascinating story with a bit of history and personal insight mixed in . . . Checkit: When the coronavirus crisis hit New York, many of the city's wealthiest families went elsewhere. Without knowing what the fall will look like, some are debating if they will return to New York at all, which could open up an unprecedented number of spots at even the most elite institutions, according to Emily Glickman, president of Abacus Guide Educational Consulting. "In my 21 years of practice, I have never seen anything like this in terms of extreme levels of churn and uncertainty," she said. More from Personal Finance: Students still don't know what to expect this fall College-bound students to miss out on billions in financial aid As college classes move online, don't expect a tuition discount Up until now, competition has been notoriously fierce at Manhattan's top schools, with families going to extreme measures to jockey for an edge in admissions. But as they hunker down indefinitely in affluent enclaves such as Greenwich, Connecticut; Westchester County north of New York City; and the Hamptons area of Long Island, some city parents are seeking out suburban schools instead. Life outside the city promises a lower risk of infection and often a substantially lower cost. Not only are suburban private schools less expensive but, for those who own a second home, enrolling in public school for a year or longer is an increasingly attractive option. https://www.aish.com/jw/id/Captives-of-Hamas.html Bereaved families rally to bring their sons home. Six years ago this August 1, 23-year-old Hadar Goldin, a second lieutenant in the Givati Brigade commando unit of the Israel Defense Forces, was abducted by Hamas fighters two hours into a humanitarian cease-fire during Operation Protective Edge, the third Gaza war in six years. At 9:15 am on that Friday morning, soldiers of the IDF headed toward a house in Rafiach in the Southern Gaza Strip which served as an entrance to a tunnel that reportedly led into Israel. As the IDF troops advanced, a Hamas fighter emerged from the tunnel and opened fire. Major Benaya Sarel, 26, and Staff Sergeant Liel Gidoni, 20, were killed. Hadar Goldin was captured and it was unknown if he was dead or alive. After Hadar was reported missing, the IDF used the highly controversial measure known as the Hannibal Directive and they fired at the area where Hadar had last been seen in an attempt to prevent Hamas from taking him captive. Hadars twin brother Tzur was serving in Gaza at the same time. He was commander of the rescue force that evacuated soldiers who had been wounded or killed. Tzur had received the call to rescue Hadar but was called back when it was realized that he was Hadars brother. The day after this incident, the Chief Rabbi of the IDF, Brigadier General Rafi Peretz, declared the death of Lt. Hadar Goldin. This decision was made by a special board, headed by Rabbi Peretz which examined the details of the incident and related to both Jewish law and medical considerations. The Goldin family then announced to the large crowd standing silently outside of their home that they had accepted the decision of the board. They thanked everyone for coming and asked the public to attend the funeral of their son. A funeral was held for Hadar using a few sparse remainstissue on clothing found by the Israeli military in the Hamas tunnel. It is a torment for the Goldin Family not to be able to inter his body according to Jewish law. One of the people that Hadar left behind was his fiance, Edna Sarusi. At his funeral she said, I so wanted to be your bride, Hadar. She described how proud she was of him when witnessing Hadar awarding berets to his soldiers at a military ceremony. I saw that they are your children and you are so proud of them, and how much they love you. I stood there and cried and burst with pride. Or Cohen, who served in the same army unit as Hadar, also spoke at the funeral. He became my commander and he was also my friend. I would seek his advice on everything. This is the guy who was willing to wait while others ate first, or if I wanted to talk to my girlfriend, he would let me use the phone first. Hadar was the person that everyone wanted as a friend and as a commander. In The Washington Post his parents wrote, Hadarwas a gifted young man, a teacher and artist with a winning smile. He was also a budding Talmudic scholar whose notebooks were published posthumously. The death of ones child is the most painful loss and finding true comfort will never be possible. But our loss has been made even more devastating because Hadars body has not been returned. Oron Shaul Twenty-year-old Staff Sergeant in the Golani Brigade, Oron Shaul, fought with his unit in a brutal battle over the Gaza City neighborhood of Shejaiya on July 20, 2014. He had left his Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) in order to repair a broken part. Hama militants started firing on the APC and took Oren prisoner. At first, Oron was designated as Missing in Action (MIA). On July 25, 2014 his death was formally confirmed by Rabbi Peretz based on evidence from the scene. The family was told that he was designated a fallen soldier whose place of death is not known. Twelve other IDF soldiers were killed in the fierce battle. The press reported that Herzl Shaul accepted the armys conclusion about Oron. But his mother, Zehava, believes that he is still alive. She says that Oron is being held captive by Hamas like Gilad Shalit, who was held by Hamas for five years. He was returned in 2011 in a hotly debated prisoner swap that allowed more than 1,000 Arab prisoners to go free. How can you determine death when hes in the hands of Hamas? I want Oron. The government and the defense minister sent him to this operation. They need to bring him back. Its the hardest thing, said Zehava. Theres nothing harder than uncertainty. Every day the hole in my heart gets bigger. Every day I say when I get up in the morning, What have I done to bring back Oren? Theres no one to talk to. Herzl Shaul passed away on September 2, 2016 from colon cancer at the age of 54. The night before, he bade his firstborn son, Aviram, to promise his father that he will do everything in his power to have Orons body returned to Israel. Before Herzl passed away, he penned a letter to his son Oron, showing that he had never lost hope that his son would return alive. I cannot give up because I want to make it to the moment I have been dreaming of since the day you were taken. The moment when the Prime Minister and IDF Chief of Staff call me and say, Herzl, Sergeant Oron Shaul of the Golani Brigade is coming home from the war tonight. My beloved Oron, if you see this letter when you return, they will certainly tell you the difficult times that we suffered until you returned from captivity but my request is that you bear no grudge or anger. Do you know why? Because there is no nation on earth like the Jewish people. I am certain that this wonderful nation will not allow your mother and your brothers to be lonely for a moment, even if I do succumb to this disease. Do not ever forget this. You should be proud of this nation, and I expect when you return that you will help and give in every possible way to others who need help. Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed Hamas is holding two additional Israeli citizens an Ethiopian Jew and a Bedouin who have mental health issues. Avera Mengistu of Ashkelon crossed into Gaza by foot on September 7, 2014. Hisham al-Sayed, from the southern town of Hura, entered the Gaza Strip on April 20, 2015. Avera is the fourth of ten children born to Haili and Agumesh Mengistu. He made aliyah with his family at the age of five. He grew up in a low income neighborhood in Ashkelon. His mother cleaned houses and his father became chronically unemployed. In 2011, Avera began to experience mental health issues following the death of his older brother Masrashau. His parents divorced in 2012. Averas mother , with a pained voice and a visibly tear-stained face, said in a video, I just want my son back so I can see him. I want to see him alive. Even if he is dead I want to see his body. Who can I turn to? I am broken. The oldest of eight, Hisham al-Sayed was born and raised in the Bedouin village of al-Sayed, which became part of the town of al-Hura in the Negev desert. His father, Shaban al-Sayed attempted unsuccessfully to involve his son in his construction business. Hishams mother, Manal, described him as someone who was never content with his life. The bereaved parents of Oren, Hadar and Avera have expressed repeated frustration with the Israeli governments efforts to negotiate the return of their children. Hadar was abducted during a ceasefire that was violated by Hamas. Any other ceasefire that the Israeli government reaches without returning the soldiers is the continued abandonment of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin and Sergeant Oren Shaul in the hands of the enemy, the Goldins said. All humanitarian aid which will ease the suffering of the Gazan civilians and the treatment of all Hamas officials who are sitting in our prisons should be conditional upon our sons being brought to, and buried in, Israel, Professor Goldin stated. The June 11, 2019 United Nations Security Council Resolution 2474 concerning people reported missing in armed conflict is a step in the right direction. Combatant groups are required to return remains, and member states and international organizations should observe the resolutions directives. The resolution stipulates that accountability for missing persons can be among the components of the design and implementation of peace negotiations and agreements and peace-building processes. Hamas has sent out feelers about arranging a hostage exchange. In the past, all of their demands have been unrealistic. According to Israeli negotiator Yaron Blum, Hamas does not seem to understand that the Israeli public has changed and there will not be a second Shalit deal. As much as they are campaigning to get Hadar and Oron back, the Shauls and the Goldins are fighting for something more basic they just want Israelis to pay attention to their plight. Prof. Goldin calls for a return to basic values of not leaving the fallen, wounded or kidnapped behind. Hadar would say, You can do one of two things in life, You can be busy with yourself or you can help others. Each of us can do something to help these four families, whether it be sending letters of support to family members, lobbying your countrys government to have Hamas abide by the UN 2474 Resolution, financially backing them (oversea trips to speak with various governments is a financial burden), publicizing the plight of the families and praying that this nightmarish situation ends. For more information visit https://www.hadargoldinfoundation.org/ Actor Anushka Sharma has urged everyone to respect the privacy of actor Sushant Singh Rajputs family. Sushant died of a suspected suicide on Sunday. Actor Vikrant Massey also expressed his anger at inappropriate pictures of Sushant being televised by a news channel, while Sonu Sood requested his friends in the media to let him go in peace. Amid reports of Sushants parents being harassed at their home, Anushka wrote on Twitter about her co-star in PK, At this time of immense tragedy, I would request the media to be sensitive towards Sushants family and friends. I urge everyone to respect their emotions and let them grieve. At this time of immense tragedy, I would request the media to be sensitive towards Sushants family and friends. I urge everyone to respect their emotions and let them grieve. Anushka Sharma (@AnushkaSharma) June 14, 2020 Also Watch | Sushant Rajput no more: PM Modi, Shah Rukh Khan, Virat Kohli, others pay tribute She had previously condoled Sushants death, and had written, Sushant, you were too young and brilliant to have gone so soon. Im so sad and upset knowing that we lived in an environment that could not help you through any troubles you may have had. May your soul rest in peace. Sushant, you were too young and brilliant to have gone so soon. I'm so sad and upset knowing that we lived in an environment that could not help you through any troubles you may have had. May your soul rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/RzLrdJ4keX Anushka Sharma (@AnushkaSharma) June 14, 2020 Vikrant, sharing a photo of a live telecast, wrote, Can you please f**king stop this ridiculous thing you call journalism??? You make me sick in the gut...Youre actually showing pictures of #sushant lying dead in his bed? Sonu Sood wrote on Twitter, Today we lost a friend, a colleague & this loss is irreparable.I request my friends from the media not to sensationalise this,I request everyone not to share images.A boy who came to this city with dreams in his eyes and achieved so much has left us forever.Let him go in peace. While the police have confirmed that he has died by suicide, no note was found from his residence.Sushants team shared a message for his fans: It pains us to share that Sushant Singh Rajput is no longer with us. We request his fans to keep him in their thoughts and celebrate his life, and his work like they have done so far. We request media to help us maintain privacy at this moment of grief. Others who paid tribute to the young actor, known for delivering acclaimed performances in films such as Kai Po Che, Kedarnath, Shuddh Desi Romance, MS Dhoni: The Untold Journey, and Detective Byomkesh Bakshy, were Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh and others. Also read: Actor Sushant Singh Rajput, 34, found dead at Mumbai home Sushants last film was Netflixs Drive, and before that the ensemble dramedy Chhichhore, directed by Nitesh Tiwari. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Iran Continues Harassing Minorities Says US Religious Freedom Report Radio Farda June 13, 2020 In its annual report on religious freedoms, the United States has once again accused Iran of widespread violations of the rights of religious minorities, including Baha'i and Sunni citizens. The report has focused on the Islamic Republic's Constitution which is based on Sharia and paves the way for the heavy punishment of those who have abandoned their Islamic faith for another. The punishment in some cases could be the death penalty. The report has also highlighted the charge of so-called "waging war against God", which, for example, led to "the execution of two Sunni minority prisoners in Fajr prison, in Ahvaz, the capital city of the oil-rich province of Khuzestan Province, southwest Iran. Meanwhile, the annual report raises concern that according to human rights organizations, executing members of the Sunnis, including Kurds and Baluchis is still underway in the Shiite clergy-dominated Iran. In 2019, the report says, the Iranian regime continued harassment, interrogation, and detention of Baha'is, non-Armenian Christians, especially new converts, and other religious minorities, to the extent that it tried at least 65 Baha'is in a short period of six months across the country. The report says since 1999, and based on the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act, Iran has been listed among the countries of "special concern" where freedom of religion is drastically repressed. Speaking to reporters after presenting the annual report, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stressed that "in Iran, 109 members of minority religious groups remain in prison for simply being religious minority practitioners. And last year the government executed a number of individuals on charges of enmity against God." Meanwhile, Pompeo praised President Donald Trump's administration in a tweet, asserting "This Administration has made religious freedom its top priority. We will not stand idly by while abusers of this first American freedom persecute, discriminate against, and revile people because of their beliefs." The annual Report to Congress on International Religious Freedom the International Religious Freedom Report describes the status of religious freedom in every country. The report covers government policies violating religious belief and practices of groups, religious denominations and individuals, and U.S. policies to promote religious freedom around the world. The U.S. Department of State submits the reports in accordance with the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/30667952.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 President Donald Trump shakes hands with Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel during a bilateral meeting at the sidelines of the NATO summit in Watford, Britain, December 4, 2019. It's time to take urgent measures to head off the danger of "transatlantic decoupling," a strategic shift that would risk more than seven decades of gains in democracy, open markets and individual rights. With all the recent attention to the ongoing economic and technological decoupling of the United States and China, far too little attention has been paid a slower moving, dangerously growing transatlantic divide. Unaddressed, the result could be a tectonic, strategic shift away from the trans-continental relationship that built and defined post-World War II Europe and shaped the last 75 years globally. At a time when the global balance of power is shifting in China's direction, transatlantic failure could be a decisive geopolitical factor. The damage would be far-reaching for America's worldwide interests, for European unity and influence, and for the most significant community of democracies and open market economies the world has ever known, accounting for nearly half of global GDP. "The challenges that we face over the next decade are greater than any of us can tackle alone," said NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg this week at a virtual event staged by the Atlantic Council and the German Marshall Fund. "Neither Europe alone, nor America alone. So, we must resist the temptation of national solutions." He launched a significant, if insufficient, first step in addressing this transatlantic danger, NATO 2030. Its aim would be to ensure that, while the alliance remains militarily strong, it would become stronger politically and globally ensure its relevance in the face of a more assertive China and a global pandemic. "The rise of China is fundamentally shifting the global balance of power," he said. "Heating up the race for economic and technological supremacy. Multiplying the threats to open societies and individual freedoms. And increasing the competition over our values and our way of life." New tensions have highlighted the dangers of transatlantic decoupling. The most recent were triggered by President Trump's decision last week, though not yet implemented, to withdraw 9,500 troops from Germany, afterward capping them at 25,000. It was less the decision that irked allies than the timing and apparent failure to have consulted allies. The withdrawal announcement came just days after German Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision not to attend in-person the G7 meeting that President Trump had hoped to host this month. At the same time, differences are festering between European countries and the United States about how best to manage an increasingly assertive China, particularly as Beijing-Washington tensions grow. European concerns about China have also deepened, but Washington's rapid moves to punish China for its move to limit Hong Kong's autonomy contrast with Brussels' more muted response and determination to avoid sanctions. Alongside the launch of NATO 2030 this week, another promising idea to better coordinate responses to China has emerged from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He has suggested employing a "D-10" of ten leading democracies to tackle their increasing concerns about supply chain vulnerabilities and 5G mobile communications. That would augment the G-7 membership by adding Australia, India and South Korea. This isn't a new idea, with regular meetings of ambassadors and policy planners among those countries convened for some years by the Atlantic Council , but the coronavirus has given the idea new impetus. Tensions aren't new in transatlantic relations. The reason to act more decisively now is the historic moment, a new era of major power competition that will define the years ahead. During the Cold War, the nature of the Soviet threat and a divided Europe also acted to unify transatlantic allies more than the current Chinese challenge, which most Europeans don't believe is military in nature. What's increasingly clear is that China considers Europe a crucial factor in its effort to gain global influence. Far less clear is where Europe will land as the new geopolitical pieces fall into place and what kind of Europe it will be. The array of possible outcomes is dizzying. In the best of all worlds, the United States would "re-couple" with Europe, and Europe would unify and align with Washington. In the face of the China challenge, the transatlantic community would cooperate not in in a zero-sum competition with Beijing but to better manage the future together while defending democratic values. A middle case scenario would have an increasingly divided Europe floating untethered among major powers. U.S. global influence would continue to decline, and Europe would alternate between playing off major powers and being played by them. That's a recipe for volatility. A third scenario would be that Europe, divided or not, aligns itself more closely with an authoritarian China, compromising its values out of economic interest. It would also be more compromising with Russia, due to its military weight and geographic proximity. The outcome would be a strategic transatlantic decoupling, with uncertain consequences. There are countless other iterations, with as great or greater a potential to define the global future as jockeying in Asia. So, what to do? Clearly, much depends on the preferences of a re-elected Trump administration or the priorities and vision of a Biden alternative. Until then, here are five ideas to get started: 1. Embrace and put meaning into NATO 2030's nascent efforts to provide the alliance a stronger political and global dimension. Without such efforts, NATO's relevance could recede faster than its advocates understand. 2. Embrace, as well, Boris Johnson's D-10 format as a base for cooperation among global democracies. If it works to manage urgent 5G and supply side issues, it could become a platform for other matters. 3. Build further on the foundation of the Three Seas Initiative, a forum of twelve European Union states in Central and Eastern Europe. The U.S. this year committed $1 billion, through its International Development Finance Corporation, to a fund that would finance the group's energy, transport and telecommunications projects. 4. Revisit the decision to withdraw US troops from Germany, which in any case is facing deep opposition among Republicans in Congress. Slow any moves until Congress and allies have weighed in and US interests have been thoroughly examined. 5. Revive government and privately supported people-to-people exchanges, from students and scholars to soldiers and artists, that bonded previous generations. Two world wars have taught us where transatlantic neglect can lead, while the history of the past 75 years underscores the value of common cause. We forget those lessons at our peril Frederick Kempe is a best-selling author, prize-winning journalist and president & CEO of the Atlantic Council, one of the United States' most influential think tanks on global affairs. He worked at The Wall Street Journal for more than 25 years as a foreign correspondent, assistant managing editor and as the longest-serving editor of the paper's European edition. His latest book "Berlin 1961: Kennedy, Khrushchev, and the Most Dangerous Place on Earth" was a New York Times best-seller and has been published in more than a dozen languages. Follow him on Twitter @FredKempe and subscribe here to Inflection Points, his look each Saturday at the past week's top stories and trends. For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter. Austria has nearly doubled its borrowing plans in order to help cushion its economy from the worst of the coronavirus crisis, the latest sign of the drastic funding needs being drawn up across the continent. The country will now raise about 60 billion euros ($68 billion) from debt operations in 2020, an all-time high, according to the Treasury. That compares to a prior estimate of just over half that. At least 35 billion euros will be by way of government bond offerings. Also, Austria will conduct a further one to two syndications this year, which has been a popular way for nations to raise large amounts of cash. European countries have ripped up their initial spending plans after the coronavirus forced millions of citizens to stay at home, closing shops and factories across the region. Even frugal Germany has unveiled a landmark stimulus package to help its economy weather what is set to be the steepest recession since World War Two. The European Central Bank's 600 billion euro boost to its pandemic bond buying program will roughly match the additional debt supply by euro zone nations, Treasury Managing Director Markus Stix said in an interview. "Supply and demand are matching again and that means rates should remain relatively stable," he said. Ten-year bond yields remain below 0%, due to their status as one of the safest assets to hold in Europe. That means that the government is effectively paid to borrow out to a decade. Given that market volatility has risen, the Treasury will announce auctions two days later than they used to from July, said Stix. Demand for longer-dated bonds, especially those in the 30-year part of the curve, has returned, he added. Austria has already completed over 40% of its borrowing needs so far this year, the Treasury said. Italy saw record demand this week for 10-year bonds at a syndication, receiving over 100 billion euros of orders. Unlike conventional auctions, they are typically used for new issues or to mobilize a large amount of money. But borrowers must pay a premium to banks that underwrite the sale and the pricing is often attractive to investors. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak. Photo: PA Video/PA Images via Getty Images UK prime minister Boris Johnson has ordered a review of the two-metre social distancing rule after backlash from the hospitality industry, with chancellor Rishi Sunak admitting an easing could have a significant impact on the sectors reopening. Earlier, government scientists told ministers that halving the two-metre rule could be done if coupled with other measures, such as getting workers to sit side by side. But some, including chief medical officer for England Professor Chris Whitty, had signalled they were reluctant about such a move, as the number of COVID-19 cases in the country continues to rise. Sunak noted it will be ministers rather than the governments scientific advisers who make the final decision, and they will consider advice from economists as well as scientific and medical experts. READ MORE: UK economy slowly recovering, says Bank of England chief Ministers are under intense pressure from Conservative MPs, who see the easing of the two-metre rule as crucial to the further reopening of the economy, which shrank a record 20% in April. Sunak acknowledged the decision will have a major impact on the hospitality sector, with the government stating restaurants and pubs can start opening next month. In an interview with Sky News, he said: You are right to highlight the impact it has on business it is the difference between maybe three-quarters and a third of pubs opening, for example, so it is important the we look at it. Obviously many other countries around the world use a different rule. We have seen a couple of countries recently Norway and Denmark have moved from two metres to something less as well. It is important that we look at it comprehensively, in the round, and that is what we will do urgently. The interview comes as all shops in England prepare to open on 15 June for the first time since the lockdown was imposed in March, and amid fears of a new wave of job losses as the government starts to wind down its furlough scheme. Story continues Sunak acknowledged further redundancies were inevitable and said that it underlined the importance of getting the economy going again. Labours shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds has said the two-metre social distancing rule should only be relaxed if the science backs such a move. Earlier this month, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) and UK Hospitality said venues such as pubs and restaurants will not be able to make enough money as the two-metre regulation reduces the number of patrons they can host at one time. READ MORE: UK hospitality sector wants two-metre distancing rule to be revised Former President John Dramani Mahama has asked government to with immediate effect withdraw the Public Universities Bill which is currently before Parliament. Government must listen to the concerns of key stakeholders and withdraw the Public Universities Bill, Mahama urged in a statement. If government refuses to adhere to his call and goes ahead to pass the Bill into law, John Mahama says he will repeal it in case he wins the 2020 polls. I want to, however, assure the people of Ghana and the academic community that should government proceed and pass the Bill into an Act of Parliament, I will not hesitate to initiate steps for its immediate repeal, as a matter of priority, if God willing I assume office as President in January 2021, he said. The NDCs flagbearer insists that The Bill, as it stands, does not only risk undermining academic innovation and ingenuity; it will also jettison decades of scholarly excellence and adversely affect Ghanas position as the prefered destination for international scholarly collaboration. About the Public Universities Bill According to the framers of the Public Universities Bill, it seeks to harmonize the finances, administration and governance structure of public universities. The Bill, when passed, will give the government power to appoint the majority of members of the University Council. The Council then has the power to appoint and fire public university officials. The Bill also gives the President the power to dissolve the University Council which will now have the power to appoint a chancellor. It also gives effect to the University Council to control the finances of the university and determine the allocation of funds. In addition, there is a proposal to rename four public universities after various personalities. Other calls for the withdrawal of the Bill The draft Bill has so far attracted wide public criticisms from many people including former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Ivan Addae-Mensah. The Dean of the University of Ghana School of Law (UGSL), Professor Raymond Atuguba has also called for the withdrawal of same, saying its country's laws. The Minority in Parliament has kicked against it with the Ranking Member on the Education Committee of the House, Peter Nortsu saying the draft in its current form undermines the authority of universities. A former Deputy Education Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in an article also said the Bill, if allowed to pass, could become a crude attack on the sacred principles of academic freedom. In the most recent development, the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS) has also rejected the government's proposed Public Universities Bill, claiming that the Bill accords the government and its agencies too much power to meddle in the affairs of public university administration and also serve as grounds for the sabotage of schools by the government. Below is the full post: Withdraw Public Universities Bill- JM What our universities need is partnership. A partnership that fosters academic freedom, enhances their efficiency and also invests in research and development. The KNUST-INCAS COVID-19 rapid test kit innovation is one such outcome that is begging for support. Our academics and students need support to focus on their core mandates of creating and sharing knowledge, not a Public Universities Bill that seeks to control and undermine the independence of our intellectuals and other researchers in state-owned universities. The Bill as it stands does not only risk undermining academic innovation and ingenuity; it will also jettison decades of scholarly excellence and adversely affect Ghana's position as the preferred destination for international scholarly collaboration. As has been stated already by the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, University Teachers, some former Vice-Chancellors, individual academics in the universities among many other stakeholders, there is absolutely no need for the Public Universities Bill. It must be immediately withdrawn from parliament. In its current form, it is unclear what problems or challenges in higher education the Bill seeks to resolve. What is certain however is that, the Bill seeks to colonise public universities in the country, undermine academic freedom, stifle scholarly initiative, and subject research and researchers to needless and unproductive government control. Government must listen to the concerns of key stakeholders and withdraw the Bill. I want to, however, assure the people of Ghana and the academic community that should government proceed and pass the Bill into an Act of Parliament, I will not hesitate to initiate steps for its immediate repeal, as a matter of priority, if God willing I assume office as President in January 2021. Let me also renew the commitments I made during my meeting with the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) in Kumasi that as President, I will work with our universities to develop a comprehensive policy framework that promotes high quality research and rewards scholarly excellence. Let's respect the academic autonomy of the universities. John Dramani Mahama Cantonments- Accra Sunday, June 14, 2020 ---citinewsroom Blitz: Trump Will Smash the Left and Win David Horowitz Humanix Books 272 pages Were I asked to write a book of around 200 pages of text that details President Trump's major domestic and foreign policy accomplishments, provides compelling information about the Deep State coup against the president, includes little-known aspects of the House impeachment effort, and delves meaningfully into the depths of Trump Derangement Syndrome, I'd say you were asking for the impossible. That book would necessarily skim the surface of these issues or leave most of them out. David Horowitz, however, pulls off this incredible feat and offers readers in Blitz a solid description of Trump achievements while exposing the depths of Deep State treachery and its anti-democratic motivations. Along the way, we get incisive tutorials on (among other topics) the modern history of Israel, the Democratic "Terror Caucus," K Street's lobbyist betrayal of America, and the totalitarian Green New Deal. The bulk of Horowitz's analysis concerns the left's virulent opposition to Donald Trump that started during his candidacy via Clinton- and Obama-sponsored foreign actors the exact type of foreign intervention in America's election that Democrats accused Trump of employing. Horowitz covers the salient and often unknown aspects of this conspiracy with a concision that allows him to paint a single jaw-dropping portrait of the breadth and depth of Democrat and media mendacity directed against the president. This portrait includes in its components the partisan Mueller probe, numerous media lies (including the "good Nazi" libel against Trump), the New York Times' America-hating "1619 Project," and jaw-dropping changes in whistleblower standards that allowed Congressman Adam Schiff to fabricate a baseless presidential "Impeachment by Hearsay," employing, as Alan Dershowitz noted, Stalinist legal standards: "Show me the man, and I'll find you the crime." As a long ago distinguished member of the New Left (cf. his autobiographical Radical Son), Horowitz is intimately aware of leftist tactics and networks. His firsthand knowledge of their defame-and- destroy strategy is on full display as he presents, seriatim, the blizzard of lies employed to take down candidate and President Trump. Horowitz notes that Democrats have regularly employed charges of racism against their GOP opponents (George W. Bush, John McCain, and even Mitt Romney), but Trump, the brash outsider, represented a huge threat to the "fundamental transformation" of America begun under Obama. Stigmatizing Trump as a racist was an important way to defeat him in the election and, later, to prevent him from puncturing the Democrats' hold on ninety-percent-plus of the black vote. As a popular figure with a mostly liberal reputation prior to his entry into politics, Trump might actually be able to convince a substantial number of black voters that they have "nothing to lose" if they abandon a party that gave them decades of inner-city "corruption, crime, and poverty." The left's obvious conclusion: Trump (and even his "deplorable" supporters) must be destroyed! The utter duplicity of this strategy is exposed as Horowitz reviews not only Al Sharpton's vicious history as a racist con man whose ring all Democratic presidential aspirants must kiss, but also relevant information about Congress's anti-Semitic "Squad." How many folks know, for example, that Ilhan Omar's father, "Nur Omar Mohamed, was a party propagandist for Siad Barre, the Marxist-Stalinist dictator who ruled Somalia from 196991 and murdered thousands of unarmed Somali civilians"? Omar's family fled to Kenya and later migrated to the United States only after Barre was toppled. Horowitz's detailed compilation of Trump's accomplishments brought together in a short space (primarily in the book's next-to-last chapter) creates a compelling portrait lost on folks who've been inundated under an avalanche of media-inspired crises. Beyond the obvious employment and stock market records that existed prior to the COVID shutdowns, Horowitz provides, for example, a comparison of the growth in U.S. median income during George W. Bush's eight years ($400) and Obama's two terms ($1,000) with the growth in median income in just three years under Trump ($4,144). The author adds that this impressive figure "increases by about $1,400 when the tax cuts are factored in." Horowitz also touts in his litany of presidential accomplishments, among them the firing and replacement of thousands of Veterans' Administration employees, actions that led to a near 90% satisfaction rating for the organization. This transformation was made possible by ditching regulations that made firing bad employees all but impossible. Another Trump success story was his massive deregulation crusade that included America's oil and gas industries and resulted in achieving the country's long declared goal of energy independence. Trump also began renegotiating flawed trade deals and succeeded in bringing back to the U.S. 499,000 manufacturing jobs in just 30 months all without the aid of that "magic wand" Obama derisively said was the only way to accomplish this impossible dream. On the judicial front, Trump's appointment of two conservative Supreme Court justices and hundreds more judges to the federal judiciary helped reverse Obama -era attacks on the freedom of religion that targeted even so benign a group as the Little Sisters of the Poor for their conscience-based opposition to Obamacare birth control and abortifacient mandates. In foreign policy, Trump quickly destroyed the ISIS caliphate and later undid America's self-defeating commitment to the Paris Climate Accord. The president also strengthened the country's defenses while nixing Obama's nuclear deal with Iran. Finally, Trump moved the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem a long promised but always postponed transfer that was accomplished without the predicted Arab uprising. After reading Horowitz's detailed summary of Trump successes in economic, social, and foreign policy, one would think the president's re-election in 2020 is all but certain, especially given the collapse of the Democrats' collusion and impeachment charges. The fact that 2020 success was far from certain even before the COVID shutdowns and recent race-based riots is a testament to the power of leftist media and their Deep State supporters. Given this new economic and social landscape, it's even less certain that Trump "will smash the left and win" in November, as Horowitz's subtitle states. It's worth mentioning, however, that the book never directly addresses this titular prediction a prediction that would be much more likely were several million independent voters and disenchanted Democrats to peruse Horowitz's eye-opening pre-COVID masterpiece. Richard Kirk is a freelance writer living in Southern California whose book Moral Illiteracy: "Who's to Say?" is available on Kindle. Democrats are caught between two very different responses to the horrific images of George Floyds murder that have dominated national TV screens. Both are wrong. The call by many marchers and progressives to defund the police refuses to acknowledge the need that will always exist to protect the public against criminal wrongdoing. The counter by centrist Democrats, including 2020 presidential nominee Joe Biden, to reform police by actions such as outlawing choke holds is equally off the mark. The repeated efforts by cities and states to reform policing and to appoint reform champions as police chiefs (see Minneapolis and Portland) have consistently failed. The real villain here, which Democrats have not showed the courage to attack, is the police union. Police unions across the country have showed time and again that they are more powerful than their city councils and their police chiefs, even if the latter two are working together to promote reform. For Democrats to create real police reform, they will have to attack what has been a sacred cow of Democrats for decades a public-sector union, in this case the police union. David Dickson, Portland A Wendy's restaurant, background, burns Saturday, June 13, 2020, in Atlanta after demonstrators allegedly set it on fire. Ben Gray/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via Associated Press Protesters in Atlanta set fire to the Wendy's where police fatally shot Rayshard Brooks on Friday. They also shut down a highway earlier in the night. The unrest followed weeks of anti-racism and anti-police brutality protests. The fatal shooting occurred after police received a complaint that Brooks was asleep in his car at the drive-thru, according to the George Bureau of Investigation. Brooks struggled with two officers and grabbed one of their Tasers, then ran away and pointed the Taser at an officer before he was shot. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Outraged protesters in Atlanta set fire to the Wendy's where police fatally shot 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks one night earlier. Activists also shut down traffic on a nearby highway in response to the fatal police shooting, and police used tear gas and a flash bang to disperse the crowd, CNN reported. The unrest on Saturday night came on top of existing tension between police and the Black community in Atlanta. Protests have raged throughout the city and across the country for weeks in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. A Wendy's restaurant, background, burns Saturday, June 13, 2020, in Atlanta after demonstrators set it on fire. Demonstrators were protesting the death of Rayshard Brooks, a black man who was shot and killed by Atlanta police Friday evening following a struggle in the Wendy's drive-thru line. Ben Gray/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via Associated Press Less than 24 hours after Brooks' death, Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said at a press conference earlier on Saturday she did not believe Brooks' killing was justified. She called for the officer involved to be fired. The officer had opened fire on Brooks after a struggle in which Brooks grabbed an officer's Taser. Brooks had been running away when the officer began shooting, but he had pointed the Taser at the officer behind him, according to surveillance footage. It's unclear if Brooks fired the Taser or merely pointed it. The deadly encounter began after police received a complaint that Brooks was asleep in his car at the drive-thru, according to the George Bureau of Investigation. Story continues The GBI said officers initially conducted a field sobriety test, and tried to arrest Brooks after he failed the test. But lawyers representing Brooks' family said the GBI's account was false. One of the attorneys, L. Chris Stewart, said witnesses had told him that officers had not conducted a field sobriety test instead, they appeared to be having a civil conversation with Brooks before they suddenly tried to arrest him. Stewart also said Brooks had not been blocking the drive-thru line when he was asleep in his car. Stewart said officers should merely have had a conversation with Brooks if they suspected he had been drinking, and avoided escalating the situation. "Why was he even under arrest? You want to know how this could have been avoided?" Stewart said. "Talk to him. 'Hey, buddy, you fell asleep in line, you okay? Why don't you pull your car over there and call an Uber.' And then you walk over and then you leave. Why is that so hard for police officers." Stewart continued: "He wasn't doing anything crazy or violent or harming anyone." Read the original article on Insider But Australia is an especially revealing example because its early approach to the pandemic set up what could have been a transformational moment. Most Australians had to blink twice when their conservative prime minister, Scott Morrison, moved to protect the early childhood education sector in April. The cost of care for children under 5 had been surging for years without much interest from Parliament, and Mr. Morrison has often been criticized for his macho rugby bloke manner. He was scorned last year after saying that women should rise at work only if their gains didnt come at the expense of men. And yet, as he turned to scientists for the countrys public health response to the virus, Mr. Morrison the father of two school-age daughters yielded to crisis logic for an industry in which 91 percent of the workers are women. As parents pulled their children out of child care centers, the government agreed to cover half of the fees, included child care in its national wage subsidy program and declared care would be free for all. The decision meant that many doctors, nurses and other essential workers could put in extra hours. Working parents nationwide, including Fernanda Fain-Binda, 37, a freelance writer in Melbourne, let out sighs of relief. When the child care fees became free, it was this incredible weight off our mind, said Ms. Fain-Binda, who has a 5-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son. The moment the lockdown started, we actually increased my sons days because we knew we needed that. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is eligible to receive pension benefits during his retirement years even if he's convicted of killing George Floyd, according to the Minnesota agency that represents retired public workers. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter in the May 25 death of George. Video of the arrest shows Chauvin, who is white, using his knee to pin down the neck of George, who was black and handcuffed, for several minutes as Floyd pleaded for air and eventually stopped moving. George's death has sparked protests around the world. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attends the opening of the Human Rights Council's main annual session in Geneva on Feb. 24, 2020. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images) Missiles Used in 2019 Attack on Saudi Oil Facilities Of Iranian Origin: UN NEW YORKCruise missiles used in several attacks on oil facilities and an international airport in Saudi Arabia last year were of Iranian origin, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council in a report seen by Reuters on Thursday. Guterres also said several items in U.S. seizures of weapons and related materiel in November 2019 and February 2020 were of Iranian origin. Some have design characteristics similar to those also produced by a commercial entity in Iran, or bear Farsi markings, Guterres said, and some were delivered to the country between February 2016 and April 2018. He said that these items may have been transferred in a manner inconsistent with a 2015 Security Council resolution that enshrines Tehrans deal with world powers to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. Irans mission to the United Nations said there were serious flaws, inaccuracies and discrepancies in the report. Iran categorically rejects the observations contained in the Report concerning the Iranian connection to the export of weapons or their components that are used in attacks on Saudi Arabia and the Iranian origin of alleged U.S. seizures of armaments, the mission in New York said in a statement. Washington is pushing the 15-member council to extend an arms embargo on Iran that is due to expire in October under the nuclear deal. Council veto-powers Russia and China have already signaled their opposition to the move. Read More Trump Questions Irans Denial of Saudi Oil Attack Involvement Guterres reports twice a year to the Security Council on the implementation of an arms embargo on Iran and other restrictions that remained in place after the deal. The U.N. chief said the United Nations examined debris of weapons used in attacks on a Saudi oil facility in Afif in May, on the Abha international airport in June and August and on the Saudi Aramco oil facilities in Khurais and Abqaiq in September. The Secretariat assesses that the cruise missiles and/or parts thereof used in the four attacks are of Iranian origin, Guterres wrote. Guterres also said that drones used in the May and September attacks were of Iranian origin. He also said the United Nations had observed that some items in the two U.S. seizures were identical or similar to those found in the debris of the cruise missiles and the drones used in the 2019 attacks on Saudi Arabia. The Security Council is due to discuss Guterres report later this month. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Kelly Craft has said she will circulate a draft resolution to extend the arms embargo on Iran soon. If Washington is unsuccessful, it has threatened to trigger a return of all U.N. sanctions on Iran under the nuclear deal, even though it quit the accord in 2018. Diplomats say Washington would likely face a tough, messy battle. Iran has breached parts of the nuclear deal in response to the U.S. withdrawal and Washingtons reimposition of sanctions. I call upon all Member States to avoid provocative rhetoric and actions that may have a negative impact on regional stability, Guterres wrote in the 14-page report. By Michelle Nichols France 24.com reported that, Ivory Coast had suffered its first terrorist attack since 2016, with at least ten (10) dead on its border with Burkina Faso. In response to the recent terrorist attack on Ghanas neighbour, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration for Ghana, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, at the first meeting of the international coalition of the Sahel extended her condolences to the Government and the people of Cote DIvoire. In her address to the coalition, the Minister revealed that the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a surge in the security and developmental challenges of the ECOWAS sub region, because international and domestic actors have turned their attention and resources to the fight against the coronavirus. She noted that this phenomenon has created the opportunity for violent extremists to exploit the situation. Terrorist and acts of violence by extremists in the Sahel Sahara region have become trans-border threats with the potential to escalate to coastal states in West Africa. These acts have unfortunately assumed worrisome proportions over the past several months, she added. For example, the Minister stated that under the Accra Initiative, Ghana is cooperating with a number of West African countries in the fight against terrorism. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has also launched the 2020-2024 action plan to end terrorism in the region with a general framework, strategy, funding mechanism and priority areas to maintain the momentum in the fight against terrorism. While these measures have been put in place to fight terrorism in the region, the Minister commented there are few concerns that needs to be addressed. First and foremost, she called for a unified front in the fight against terrorism as she observed the uncoordinated and unstructured operations of multiple actors with different interest within the region. She advised then that, the response to these enduring security and development issues calls for integrated and multi-sectorial solutions, promotion of human right, humanitarian actions, good governance and resilient institutions. Also, she encouraged all members to commit to the rules and collaborate with the Sahel countries, ECOWAS and the African Union while keeping in mind that the solution must be a regional one and that the problem needs not be made complex. In her concluding remarks, she expressed her conviction that the rules of engagement and operations will help us to effectively and holistically deal with the security, development, economic and environmental challenges that confront the Sahel and nearby countries. The International Coalition of Sahel is a collaboration of over twenty-five (25) countries across the globe to discuss matters of security and the general affairs of each nation. The countries include the United States of America (USA), Canada, Netherlands, Germany, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia and other member countries. 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 PORT LOUIS, Mauritius, June 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ Doo Holding Group Limited is pleased to announce that its subsidiary, Doo Prime Mauritius Limited (Doo Prime) has received approval for the Investment Dealer Licence on 26 May 2020. Doo Holding Group Limited Subsidiary Doo Prime Mauritius Limiteds Received Mauritius Financial Services Commission Approvals Doo Holding Group Limited Subsidiary Doo Prime Mauritius Limiteds Received Mauritius Financial Services Commission Approvals The licence is granted to Doo Prime by the Mauritius Financial Services Commission (FSC). The FSC regulates the development of financial institutions and capital markets in Mauritius by ensuring fairness, efficiency and transparency of the financial industry. Doo Prime has been granted the Licence pursuant to Section 29 of the Securities Act 2005, Rule 4 of the Securities (Licensing) Rules 2007 and the Financial Services (Consolidated Licensing and Fees) Rules 2008. The licence represents a significant step in Doo Holding Group Limiteds continued international expansion and proves our dedication in complying with the higher standards of practice in the online trading industry. Doo Holding Group Limited will strictly comply with the regulatory requirements set forth by the FSC. We strive to provide a regulatory-compliant, transparent, and high-quality trading environment to our investors. With the market and regulatory access provided by the FSC, Doo Holding Group Limited is further empowered to provide enhanced products and trading services, allowing its investors to experience a trading environment with a higher degree of flexibility. Doo Holding Group Limited and its subsidiaries continuous evolving trading technology and data have driven the development of transactional systems, enabling clients to trade with pioneering, innovative technology in the fluid financial markets. Website: www.doo.hk Story continues Photo https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200611/2827520-1?lang=0 Related Links : http://www.doo.hk/ The post Doo Holding Group Limited Subsidiary Doo Prime Mauritius Limiteds Application for Investment Dealer Licence Approved by Mauritius Financial Services Commission appeared first on UNTV News. The 8.74 million college graduates in China are facing a different graduation season this year, as the COVID-19 epidemic is moving everything online, from graduation photo shooting, to job seeking, and to thesis defense. To ensure on-time graduation, Chinese graduates must overcome a series of challenges. Meanwhile, they are gaining more experiences and growth. Facilitated by a slew of measures rolled out by both the countrys education ministry and local governments, they feel the meticulous care from their schools and the society. "We can still recognize ourselves in the photo, right?" Said Zhao Mengmeng, who's about to graduate from Central China Normal University (CCNU), pointing to a cartoon-version graduation photo created by an application in which she and her schoolmates were smiling brightly in "hand-painted" bachelor uniforms at the gate of their university. Finishing the online graduation photo "shooting," Zhao came to the very end of her college life to go back to the campus for the graduation checkout. As COVID-19 cases subsides in China, students from multiple universities in Wuhan, including the CCNU, are allowed to go back to schools in batches after June 8. They can live in the dorms after their health codes and nucleic acid test results are verified, and each room accommodates one student. Zhao's thesis defense, interview of postgraduate entrance exam, as well as job interviews were all completed online. She spent most of her time during the past over four months in front of a computer. She said she had been worried before the online thesis defense, but it went very well. The "cloud thesis defense," in which teachers and students were separated by the screens, according to Zhao, were somewhat warming. To help students better finish their theses, guarantee the quality of theses and defense, as well as ensure on-time commencement, the CCNU established an online thesis platform and opened multiple electronic data bases. So far, all of the university's 4,400 undergraduates have completed online thesis defense. Apart from defending the thesis, Zhao had to prepare for the interview of postgraduate entrance exam and online job interviews. "I applied for about 70 jobs, and received 5 offers," Zhao told the People's Daily. However, thanks to the enrollment expansion of postgraduate students this year, she has been admitted to the South China Normal University. Zhao is only one of the 317,000 college graduates in Wuhan facing the special graduation season. The COVID-19 pandemic forced many to postpone their plans to study abroad, and also exerted huge pressure on those seeking a job, Zhao said. Wang Lu, an instructor with the CCNU's School of Fine Arts, facilitated 195 students with their graduation affairs. "I totally understand your worries, anxiety, helpless and hesitation. But I firmly believe that these feelings are temporary, and you will be able to cope with them," Wang, a qualified psychologist and senior career planner, told her students in a letter, as she deeply knew the importance of psychological guidance. To relieve the pressure of the students, she also offered online consulting service for them. "To ensure on-time graduation of the students is our achievement in combating the COVID-19 epidemic," she said. Seeing the outstanding performance of the grid-control measures in epidemic response, Wang established a four-party grid on online platforms involving instructors, student leaders, liaisons and students, so as to have a timely grasp of the students' situations and difficulties they faced. Learning that the father of a student in poor economic status was diagnosed with COVID-19, Wang immediately help the student apply for a special subsidy to the university. https://www.aish.com/tp/i/sacks/What-Is-Going-On.html The story we tell affects the decisions we make. Get the story wrong and we can rob an entire generation of their future. Get it right, as did Joshua and Caleb, and we can achieve greatness. In March 2020, whilst launching a new book,1 I took part in a BBC radio programme along with Mervyn King, who had been governor of the Bank of England at the time of the financial crash of 2008. He, together with the economist John Kay, had also brought out a new book, Radical Uncertainty: decision-making for an unknowable future.2 The coronavirus pandemic was just beginning to make itself felt in Britain, and it had the effect of making both of our books relevant in a way that neither of us could have predicted. Mine is about the precarious balance between the I and the we: individualism versus the common good. Theirs is about how to make decisions when you cannot tell what the future holds. The modern response to this latter question has been to hone and refine predictive techniques using mathematical modelling. The trouble is that mathematical models work in a relatively abstract, delimited, quantifiable world and cannot deal with the messy, unpredictable character of reality. They dont and cannot consider what Donald Rumsfeld called the unknown unknowns and Nicholas Taleb termed black swans things that no one expected but that change the environment. We live in a world of radical uncertainty. Accordingly, they propose a different approach. In any critical situation, ask: What is happening? They quote Richard Rumelt: A great deal of strategy work is trying to figure out what is going on. Not just deciding what to do, but the more fundamental problem of comprehending the situation.3 Narrative plays a major role in making good decisions in an uncertain world. We need to ask: of what story is this a part? Neither Rumelt nor King and Kay quote Amy Chua, but her book Political Tribes is a classic account of failing to understand the situation.4 Chapter by chapter she documents American foreign policy disasters from Vietnam to Iraq because policy-makers did not comprehend tribal societies. You cannot use war to turn them into liberal democracies. Fail to understand this and you will waste many years, trillions of dollars, and tens of thousands of lives. It might seem odd to suggest that a book by two contemporary economists holds the clue to unravelling the mystery of the spies in our parsha. But it does. We think we know the story. Moses sent twelve spies to spy out the land. Ten of them came back with a negative report. The land is good, but unconquerable. The people are strong, the cities impregnable, the inhabitants are giants and we are grasshoppers. Only two of the twelve, Joshua and Caleb, took a different view. We can win. The land is good. God is on our side. With His help, we cannot fail. On this reading, Joshua and Caleb had faith, courage and confidence, while the other ten did not. But this is hard to understand. The ten not just Joshua and Caleb knew that God was with them. He had crushed Egypt. The Israelites had just defeated the Amalekites. How could these ten leaders, princes not know that they could defeat the inhabitants of the land? What if the story were not this at all? What if it was not about faith, confidence, or courage. What if it was about What is going on? understanding the situation and what happens when you dont. The Torah tells us that this is the correct reading, and it signals it in a most striking way. Biblical Hebrew has two verbs that mean to spy: lachpor and leragel (from which we get the word meraglim, spies). Neither of these words appear in our parsha. That is the point. Instead, no less than twelve times, we encounter the rare verb, la-tur. It was revived in modern Hebrew and means (and sounds like) to tour. Tayar is a tourist. There is all the difference in the world between a tourist and a spy. Malbim explains the difference simply. Latur means to seek out the good. That is what tourists do. They go to the beautiful, the majestic, the inspiring. They dont spend their time trying to find out what is bad. Lachpor and leragel are the opposite. They are about searching out a places weaknesses and vulnerabilities. That is what spying is about. The exclusive use of the verb latur in our parsha repeated twelve times is there to tell us that the twelve men were not sent to spy. But only two of them understood this. Almost forty years later, when Moses retells the episode in Devarim 1:22-24, he does use the verbs lachpor and leragel. In Genesis 42, when the brothers come before Joseph in Egypt to buy food, he accuses them of being meraglim, spies, a word that appears seven times in that one chapter. He also defines what it is to be a spy: You have come to see the nakedness of the land (i.e. where it is undefended). The reason ten of the twelve came back with a negative report is not because they lacked courage or confidence or faith. It was because they completely misunderstood their mission. They thought they had been sent to be spies. But the Torah never uses the word spy in our chapter. The ten simply did not understand what was going on. They believed it was their role to find out the nakedness of the land, where it was vulnerable, where its defences could be overcome. They looked and could not find. The people were strong, and the cities impregnable. The bad news about the land was that there was not enough bad news to make it weak and thus conquerable. They thought their task was to be spies and they did their job. They were honest and open. They reported what they had seen. Based on the intelligence they had gathered, they advised the people not to attack not now, and not from here. Their mistake was that they were not meant to be spies. They were told latur, not lachpor or leragel. Their job was to tour, explore, travel, see what the land was like and report back. They were to see what was good about the land, not what was bad. So, if they were not meant to be spies, what was the purpose of this mission? I suggest that the answer is to be found in a passage in the Talmud5 that states: it is forbidden for a man to marry a woman without seeing her first. The reason? Were he to marry without having seen her first, he might, when he first saw her, find her unattractive. Tensions would arise, and says the Talmud we are commanded, Love your neighbour as yourself. Hence the idea: first see, then love. The same applies to a marriage between a people and its land. The Israelites were travelling to the country promised to their ancestors. But none of them had ever seen it. How then could they be expected to muster the energies necessary to fight the battles involved in conquering the land? They were about to marry a land they had not seen. They had no idea what they were fighting for. The twelve were sent latur: to explore and report on the good things of the land so that the people would know it was worth fighting for. Their task was to tour and explore, not spy and decry. But only two of them, Joshua and Caleb, listened carefully and understood what their mission was: to be the eyes of the congregation, letting them know the beauty and goodness of what lay ahead, the land that had been their destiny since the days of their ancestor Abraham. The Israelites at that stage did not need spies. As Moses said many years later: You did not trust in the Lord your God, who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go (Deut. 1:32-33). God was going to show them where to go and where to attack. The people needed something else entirely. Moses had told them that the land was good. It was flowing with milk and honey. But Moses had never seen the land. Why should they believe him? They needed the independent testimony of eyewitnesses. That was the mission of the twelve. And in fact, all twelve fulfilled that mission. When they returned, the first thing they said was: We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit (Num. 13:27). But because ten of them thought their task was to be spies, they went on to say that the conquest was impossible, and from then on, tragedy was inevitable. The difference between the ten and Joshua and Caleb is not that the latter had the faith, courage and confidence the former did not. It is that they understood the story; the ten did not. I find it fascinating that a leading economist and a former Governor of the Bank of England should argue for the importance of narrative when it comes to decision-making under conditions of radical uncertainty. Yet that is the profound truth in our parsha. Ten of the twelve men thought they were part of a story of espionage. The result was that they looked for the wrong things, came to the wrong conclusion, demoralised the people, destroyed the hope of an entire generation, and will eternally be remembered as responsible for one of the worst failures in Jewish history. Read Amy Chuas Political Tribes, mentioned earlier, and you will discover a very similar analysis of Americas devastating failures in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq.6 I write these words while the Coronavirus pandemic is at its height. Has anyone yet identified the narrative of which it and we are a part? I believe that the story we tell affects the decisions we make. Get the story wrong and we can rob an entire generation of their future. Get it right, as did Joshua and Caleb, and we can achieve greatness. Shabbat Shalom NOTES Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times, Hodder, 2020. John Kay and Mervyn King, Radical Uncertainty, Bridge Street, 2020. I referred to this book in Covenant and Conversation Emor. Richard Rumelt, Good Strategy/Bad Strategy, Crown Business, 2011, 79. Amy Chua, Political Tribes, Penguin, 2018. Kiddushin 41a. A more positive example would be to contrast the Marshall Plan after World War 2 with the punitive provisions of the Treaty of Versailles after World War 1. These were the result of two different narratives: victors punish the vanquished, and victors help both sides rebuild. CONNECT WITH THE CHIEF RABBI Download the Chief Rabbis new iPhone and iPad app via www.chiefrabbi.org for mobile access to his video study sessions as well as his articles and speeches. Alternatively, search for Chief Rabbi in the App Store on your iPhone. SUBSCRIBE TO COVENANT & CONVERSATION To receive Covenant & Conversation and other news from the Office of the Chief Rabbi direct to your inbox each week, please subscribe at www.chiefrabbi.org. The water between us remembers, so we wear our history on our skin, long for a sea-bath and hope the salt will cure what ails us Deborah Jack (St. Martin) 2016 Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) and the National Council for Arts and Culture have condemned the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in the United States, and police brutality, and racial discrimination against Africans in the Diaspora. Mr. Floyd's death more than a fortnight ago has triggered a global wave of activism that has spread to more than 50 countries, including Nigeria and other African countries. During a memorial service for Mr. Floyd held on Wednesday in Abuja, the duo of NiDCOM Chairman, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and the Director-General, NCAC, Olusegun Runsewe, called for justice for Mr. Flyod and other blacks (especially Nigerians who are the largest African ethnic group in the U.S.) against racial discrimination and police brutality. "This gathering is against violence, brutality and racial discrimination. We call for respect and dignity for all races. Never again should we be made to witness what we saw on the streets of Minneapolis, the slow murder of an individual by a uniformed police officer," Mrs Dabiri-Erewa said. My name is George AbdulChukwudi Balogun Floyd...do you know me, I doubt very much. So let me make introduction, however first please kindly lets share some known facts. Americans are racists, same people who voted a black Obama, with Kenyan blood and still wanted to see his birth certificate. British people are not any less guilty of the crime of racism, they were the doyens of slave trade, its the country where 8 out of 10 men are likely to be stopped and searched because they are black but they have a mayor of London whose of Indian heritage. Come to George AbdulChukwudi Balogun Floyds contraption, our problem isnt far from the Mayor of London is Muslim and Islamization is taking place, we are more concerned that Trump is a Christian or the anti-Christ depending on ones persuasions. So before I stray in godly vexation, do you know Ngozi George Floyd, shes from Imo state and shes 26. Residents of Ondo State expressed mixed feelings over the appointment of a 26-year-old non-indigene as Special Assistant on Gender, Research and Documentation to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu. According to some of the residents who expressed shock and disappointment over the development, the appointment of Miss Ngozi Ugochi-Igbo was a slap on hard working indigenes of the state, as well as loyalists of the ruling All Progressives Congress in the State. Ordinary SA, shes not a resident, shes not an indigene, shes not APC, but no one is asking is she qualified? How about George Chukwudi Floyd he was kicked out of job from Abia state because hes from Imo state. Abia was carved from Imo state. I know Pam George Floyd, his friend is George Mamuda Floyd, who is also friends with Veror George Floyd, and three of them are from Plateau, Nasarawa and Benue. Yet no one of them can be accepted amongst each other because one is Christian and Berom, the other is Muslim and Eggon, and the other is Tiv and Christian and not Idoma. The three of them tell me that black lives matter, and that racism is a problem, but ethnic jingoism is allowed. What hypocrisy, to imagine they were once all part of one Benue-Plateau. Do you know George John Floyd; hes from Southern Borno, his sin? Hes Christian minority and there are levels of aspirations he cannot dare dream because his state is run by George Ibrahim Floyd. The irony of smelling yeye that makes us criticize the same things we are guilty of. When our George Floyds of the top steal us deaf, dumb and blind, we have no ethnic challenges but when infrastructures and the juice of office are squeezed we see info-graphs, diagrams and data of which zone got more or less. Talking about George Floyd, I am George Dickson Floyd, and I cant breathe because nearly everyday I frisked about; where do you come from, why are your names only English, do you have a native name, you dont have an accent. You are fair like Igbos or you have small Fulani blood, I saw your Muslim post, are you Christian? I keep a dreadlock too and wear hand beads... So here I am, Igbo heritage by paternal rights, Plateau descent by maternal lines. Lagos breed, proudly buttered in Plateau and shaped by Western ideologies and framed in Africanism. I am a great Josite and importantly a full-untribalised Nigeria. I pay taxes in my home state Plateau. Yet I am not an indigenous person, nor am I an Abian. I am not fit for political office in the south nor the north but I am a citizen and yet I dont belong. The Floyds in my household cannot breath, as their father doesnt belong, neither does their 4th generation Arewa Kaduna born Lagos mother with Muslim heritage. Its a long list of racial, tribal, and ethnic and faith based profiling that haunts and hunt many Nigerians like me. You are reading this vexatious outburst and its likely you are either a George one thing something or you are guilty of local racism, when you see the name George Andooaka Floyd, if you are not blurting out, you unconsciously mutter hes from Benue, like people tell me all the time Dickson is a riverside name, you must be from Bayelsa or Rivers where they bare names such as manager or builder. Yet build and manage nothing. To imagine that Nigerian Georges carried placards to protest racism, when Nigerians are dying of a general lack of identity is ridiculously bemusing. You are Yoruba; wahala. You are Hausa; more wahala, and then you are Ibo then you must be Biafran or IPOB. Let me not add the Hausa/Fulani narrative, a supposedly educated Nigerian expressed shocked that there were Fulani Christians or that loads of Fulanis were pagans, because in our version of racism we loud the volume of WAZOBIA where WA is a mix of everything, ZO is Islam, and Bia is Christian, forgetting the Nupes, Anagutas, Idomas, Ijaws and Itsekiris who are neither WA-ZO nor BIAs. We have not dealt with how Governor Floyd or Senator George has failed in dealing with poverty, or the non-existing financial literacy amongst our women in the North, growing rape or domestic violence across the nation. Boko Haram killed 81 George Floyds, in a Borno village. Kidnappers or what do we call them terminated the lives of more Floyds in the presidents home state of Katsina...and who cares about those lives, really those lives dont matter. The Nigerian construct has so many layers of profiling and consequences to those profiling, in cases you suffer nepotism, in other cases, you are a victim of ethnic parapoism, at times you are a spectator in the movie titled favoritism thats if you are not maligned for being a Christian or being in Muslim in state that prides herself as being secular yet in a breath they have both Hajj and Christian Commissions for pilgrimage but wont create a Babalawo cum Dibia or Boka commission or at least recognize the nations witches and wizards. So we held a memorial service for Mr. Floyd in Abuja, calling for justice for Mr. Flyod and other blacks against racial discrimination and police brutality. Blatant, heartless hypocrisyas MANY GEORGE FLOYDS HAVE DIED IN KATSINA, SOUTHERN KADUNA, BORNO, PLATEAU, TARABA, ADAMAWA, MANY FLOYDS RAPED, OTHERS VICTIMS OF POLICE BRUTALITY AND MILLIONS STILL DYING AND NO MEMORIAL SERVICES WHATSOEVER, a nation that derides and makes light the lives of her citizen is no nation, how long would we continue like theseOnly time will tell. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said the government will at an appropriate time come out with details about what he described as the tussle and dispute with China. The government will not keep anyone in the dark. At an appropriate time we will disclose all the details. Let me make it clear that we will not make any compromises with the sovereignty of the nation, Singh said during BJPs outreach program, Jan Samvad, for the Jammu region. BJP has planned over 75 rallies across the nation on the occasion of the completion of the first year of its second successive government at the Centre. Addressing his partys cadre in Jammu along with Jitendra Singh, MoS PMO and Lok Sabha MP from Jammus Udhampur seat, Singh said, There is an ongoing dispute with China and time to time we have been disseminating information about it. We are talking to China through military and diplomatic channels. China has also said that it thinks that the solution to the dispute can be found through talks. Singh also chided Pakistan and claimed that such was going to be the progress in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir that people of Pak Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) would soon demand to be brought under Indias control. There is already a sense of change you can see about how India is dealing with Pakistan. News channels have started reporting temperatures of Muzaffarabad and Gilgit. This has caused some heartburn in Islamabad (Pakistans capital) and led them to some cross-border action. But we are responding to their provocations appropriately, he said. On the subject of national security, he said the delivery of the first batch of Rafale jets was due in July. We are getting these jets not to intimidate anyone. But to add to our own defence capability, Singh said. Jitendra Singh also addressed his partys cadres and, talking about the oppositions reaction to the revocation of article 370, said that many had claimed earthquakes would come and volcanoes would explode if this act was done away with. It has been nearly a year since then but it has been quite contrary to the expectations of the opposition, been quite a peaceful year during which no untoward incident has happened, Singh said. He also said that many people had claimed, during previous years that Kashmir was getting the lions share of development projects and centres money when compared to Jammu. That is not the case today. When Rs 2,500 crore was announced under PMGSY, Rs 1,500 crore from it went to Jammu. Two AIIMS hospitals are about to be operationalised in Jammu and work on AIIMS in Kashmir hasnt even started. Two biotech parks are about to be started in Jammu, work on biotech park in Kashmir hasnt started. First foreign investment after the abrogation of article 370 has happened in Jammu through a Canadian firm, Singh said. He also commented on the murder of a Kashmiri Pandit sarpanch in South Kashmir. When Ajay Pandita was killed in cold blood a lot of opposition parties raised the issue. The BJP has always stood with the Pandits. Congress has politicised the issue. Why were they silent when Kashmiri Pandits were forced to flee from their homes? Singh asked. Colin Keane and Ger Lyons rounded off a weekend they will never forget when landing both Listed prizes at Leopardstown today. The Glenburnie operation registered a maiden Classic success in thrilling style courtesy of Siskin in Friday nights Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh and they were at it again courtesy of two more brilliant acts of navigation by Keane. It got even better for the Meath pilot as he clocked up a treble by claiming the penultimate mile Leopardstown Handicap on Athlumney Hall (12/1) for her father Gerry, thanks to another magnificent ride from a widest draw. Earlier, Keane opted not to get Nickajack Cave (12/1) involved in the strong gallop set by Oriental Eagle in the Saval Beg Levmoss Stakes and the eye was drawn to the grey Kendargent gelding owned in partnership by David Spratt, Sean Jones and the trainers wife Lynne prior to the turn in. They started to make their move from three out and collared Twilight Payment a furlong and a half from home. The 15/8 favourite battled hard as the pair pulled well clear of Falcon Eight but could not repel Nickajack Cave, who had one and a half lengths in hand at the line. Colin was brilliant on him said Lyons brother and assistant Shane to PA. He was drawn wide and said hed drop him in as he always felt there was going to be pace in the race and let him enjoy himself. For the first couple of furlongs he thought the ground was going to be a bit quick for him but hes warmed up into it lovely. He latched on three furlongs out and Colin said he felt like a really good horse. A tilt at the Ebor in York, a million-pound race won by Keane and Lyons with Mustajeer last year, is not in the offing for Nickajack Cave. Heliac justified 5/2 favouritism to make off with the Noblesse Stakes. Again, Keane was patient and moved to challenge just after the two pole. Fresnel proved a doughty opponent who did not yield easily but Heliac, owned like Siskin by Khalid Abdullah, edged in front to gather the spoils by a neck with Loveisthehigherlaw only a half-length back in third having done most of the donkey work. It has been a lean week for Dermot Weld since racing resumed in Ireland but the Rosewall House maestro got on the scoresheet in the opening Leopardstown Maiden for three-year-old fillies courtesy of the talented Eldama (2/1f). Oisin Orr settled the Siyouni debutant in behind the pace-setting Satin And Silk and She Loves A Night and once he pressed the button, she had far too many gears for the opposition, Bearberry coming home best of the rest. Shes a nice filly said the trainers son and assistant Kris. Our horses are a little bit behind because they are looking at the grass and saying, Thats for eating and not necessarily for galloping on! The Curragh has been in drought since the last week of March, so training them hasnt been the easiest. Shes done well from two to three physically and well try to get her black type. It has been a bumper week for Aidan OBrien and he produced the ultra-smart Napa Valley (11/8f) to win the Leopardstown Maiden for three-year-old colts and geldings. Although a half-brother to former champion two-year-old filly Tiggy Wiggy, the son of Galileo did not appear as a juvenile but clearly knew his job in the, bouncing out of the stalls and scooting clear off the front when asked to do so by Seamie Heffernan for a decisive win, with Aztec Parade running a big race three and a quarter lengths back. That was a 14th winner for Ballydoyle since last Sundays Newmarket fixture, a tally that includes two 1000 Guineas heroines Love and Peaceful. Dollar Value (18/1) was tremendously gutsy to record victory in the Holden Plant Rental Handicap under Niall McCullagh. The five-year-old made all in the 12-furlong contest and though Sicario threw everything at him, the Tom McCourt-trained grey kept pulling out more and concluded a half-length winner. Moll (9/4f) was another winning favourite, obliging on her handicap debut and first appearance for trainer Paddy Twomey in the Leopardstown Handicap for three-year-olds. Billy Lee steered the Camelot filly down the outside to lead at the furlong marker and she quickly established a sufficient gap to ensure that she was still a half-length clear from the fast-finishing Marchons Ensemble at the lollipop. Lee completed a double in the lucky last as Confidence High (11/8f) rewarded the astute placing of trainer Andy Oliver to land his second prize in five days at the Foxrock venue in the seven-furlong Leopardstown Handicap. One of the most beautiful passages in the New Testament is the Canticle of Mary, also known as the Magnificat, found in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 1: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. It is about Mary, the mother of Jesus, and also for anyone who feels lifted up by God. George Floyd, who died tragically in police custody in Minneapolis, was ordinary by most standards. He grew up in a large, loving family and became the father of several children. His life was not perfect and he struggled, probably never realizing that one day he would be lifted up. What the world saw was that he was never shown mercy, and now millions protest for justice. Because of the protests, Warner Bros. has made its film Just Mercy free for the month of June through On Demand, YouTube, Google and Amazon Prime Video. I saw it in the theater when it opened earlier this year. It tells the true story of Bryan Stevenson, a black, Harvard-educated lawyer who bypasses a lucrative career to represent death row inmates in Alabama and the rest of the South starting in the 1980s. I watched it a second time earlier this month, and it is even more poignant since Floyds death. Newark native and actor Michael B. Jordan plays Stevenson with a deliberateness that reflects his determination to help black people railroaded onto death row and also suffering many indignities. But Stevenson experienced some himself. In one humiliating scene, when he visits death row for the first time, he is forced to strip for a search, which lawyers normally do not have to do. You can see Jordans body almost explode in anger, which he suppresses so he can start his mission among blacks who were often unjustly convicted after poor or hardly any legal representation. Stevenson attended the Prospect African Methodist Episcopal Church in Delaware, where as a child he played piano and sang in the choir. His strong faith believing that people are celebrated for standing up after having fallen down helped clarify his vocation. He also learned from church that "each person in our society is more than the worst thing theyve ever done. The first time he visits a death row inmate in Georgia, he meets a young black man his age who also belonged to a church choir. They share their experiences growing up in relative poverty. The film chronicles the beginning of Stevensons Equal Justice Initiative but mostly focuses on the case of Walter McMillian, also known as Johnny D, framed for the murder of an 18-year-old white woman even when he was among a score of family and friends at home, far away from the crime scene. Stevenson discovers that the key and only alleged witness to the womans murder was forced to lie to save his own skin. Southern racism is systemic, but Stevenson is dogged in his quest to have McMillian released after six years on death row. When Stevenson loses an appeal, almost dooming McMillian, his attendance at church gives him the will to regroup. Stevensons book by the same name is probably one of the 10 best I have read in my life. Reading it, there were times I could not believe the atrocities Stevenson unveiled. Back in 1944, 14-year-old George Stinney told police he had seen two white girls who were later found murdered. On that admission alone, he was sentenced to death and electrocuted all 52, 92 pounds of him 82 days after being approached by the young girls in South Carolina. Stevenson fought not only for the rights of children but also for those who were mentally challenged and could not advocate for themselves. In one telling story at the end of the book, Stevenson comes across the case of Jimmy Dill, an abused and broken man close to his execution, but he cannot save him. Stevenson reached him by phone shortly before he would die. Dill, who stuttered, did so even more when he was anxious, which brought back a childhood memory for Stevenson. He was with his friends and his mother when they came across a boy who stuttered and they laughed at him. His mother ordered him to go back, apologize, hug the boy and tell him he loved him. Stevenson reluctantly did and the boy, without a stutter, said, I love you, too. Stevenson cried at the time, and he cried on the phone with Dill, who was finally able to thank him and tell him, I love yall for trying to save me. Just mercy can heal many hurts. God called George Floyd home so society would try to show to all people, especially people of color, just mercy. The Rev. Alexander Santora is the pastor of Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph, 400 Willow Ave., Hoboken, NJ 07030. Email: padrealex@yahoo.com; Twitter: @padrehoboken. To learn more ... The 2019 Warner Bros. film "Just Mercy'' is rated PG-13. It was directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and stars Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx and Brie Larson. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, by Bryan Stevenson; Random House, 2014. $16. The Way of Mercy, edited by Christine M. Bochen; Orbis Books, 2016. $18. Weve been watching Little People, Big World for years and fans know Roloff Farms just as well as they know the Roloff family. Roloff Farms has long been a staple on the show, as its where Matt and Amy Roloff raised their four kids. Not only that, but fans can visit the farm during pumpkin season and meet all their favorite folks from the show. Matt and Amy seem to live quaint lives, and they seem to adore the effort that goes into making Roloff Farms as big and beautiful as its become. And it seems their hard work is paying off. Sources note the farm is worth millions now. Amy Roloff sold her half of Roloff Farms to Matt Roloff Amy Roloff and Matt Roloff appear on NBC News Today show | Peter Kramer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images RELATED: LPBW: Zach Roloff Definitely Misses Amy Roloff Taking Part in Roloff Farms Pumpkin Season While Matt and Amy used to take care of Roloff Farms together, Amy made a major decision for herself a few years post-divorce. She decided to sell her half of Roloff Farms to Matt, as she made plans to find a new place and move completely off the farm property. And she made a serious profit by doing so. Radar Online notes Amy sold her half of the farm to Matt for over $600,000, and her new house only cost her around $588,000. Now, Amys made serious progress in her move. And her new place isnt far from the farm, so she can still take part in major family events that happen there. While fans think Amy and Matt are completely through with working together on matters having to do with Roloff Farms, that isnt quite the case. I dont own the whole thing, Matt told a curious Instagram follower. Amy and I still co-own the North side. (Original farm with big house). I only own the south parcel. Hope that helps. I know its confusing. Matt might sell Roloff Farms to one of his sons Amy might still have some involvement with Roloff Farms, but the bulk of it all is clearly still on Matts shoulders. And hes made it known hes getting tired of taking care of it all by himself. While Matt and his girlfriend, Caryn Chandler, reside on the farm together, they also have a place in Surprise, Arizona and that seems to be their ideal location currently. So, what would happen to Roloff Farms if Matt is ready to give it all up? It looks like his son, Jeremy, might be ready to buy it and take over with his wife, Audrey. And Jeremys twin, Zach, is also ultra-helpful during pumpkin season. Theres a chance the brothers could care for it together. The ultimate scenario for me is that the twins would take over the farm and work together but nobody likes to run that pumpkin patch like I do, Matt told his Instagram Live viewers. Roloff Farms is worth nearly $2 million today Despite all the controversy thats occurred with Roloff Farms property, its still the Roloff familys major moneymaker aside from LPBW. Distractify notes Zillow assessed the farm property to be worth $1,657,830 back in 2018 and it could be worth even more now. We know Matt is continuing to build on the property, and hes sharing his progress with his Instagram fans. With the current coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, fan visits to the farm might look a lot different than usual, though and it could affect the farms bottom line. Hopefully we can open. Just heard our governor @oregongovbrown say things that dont sound promising for events such as ours, Matt shared with Instagram. No fairs or large events. We run on a tight margin so we would have to double our prices to meet all the restrictions. Were going to wait a few weeks and see if things are better. But sounds grim as of today. Were hoping Roloff Farms survives during these trying times! Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook! The All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council (AISSC) on Sunday "strongly" condemned the provocative action of the Chinese forces in eastern Ladakh and criticised Nepal for passing a bill to redraw its political map, which features areas that India maintains belong to it. These "unfortunate and provocative actions" of the neighbouring states are taking place at a time when the entire world is busy in combating COVID-19 and India in particular is busy in helping the world in stopping the spread of the virus and offering its resources for its cure, he said. "The selfish designs of the government of Nepal has blindfolded themselves from the vision of true friendship and very unfortunately is treading on the roses of friendship carefully spread by the people of these two countries," AISSC founder chairman Syed Naseruddin Chishty said in a statement. He said "this provocative act of the Nepalese government is against the principles of bilateral relations and guiding principles of SAARC". Chisty hoped that good sense will prevail upon the government of the respective neighbouring countries and they immediately desist from these "highly objectionable and provocative actions". On Saturday, the lower house of Nepalese parliament unanimously voted to amend the Constitution to update the country's new political map, laying claim over the strategically key areas of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura along the border with India. In Ladakh, the Indian and Chinese armies are engaged in a standoff in Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley, Demchok and Daulat Beg Oldie. A sizeable number of Chinese Army personnel even transgressed into the Indian side of the de-facto border in several areas including Pangong Tso. Whilst I was away walking the GR5 trail through the Alps my book on a previous long walk, the Scottish Watershed, was published. Now I... Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 23:25:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, June 14 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. - - - - DOHA -- Qatar's health ministry on Sunday announced 1,186 new infections of COVID-19, increasing the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 79,602, official Qatar News Agency reported. Meanwhile, 1,646 people recovered, bringing the number of recoveries to 56,898, while three more died, raising the death toll to 73, according to a ministry statement. - - - - ACCRA -- The number of people infected by the novel coronavirus in Ghana has jumped to 11,422, with 304 more cases confirmed as of Sunday morning, according to data from the Ghana Health Service. The number of recovered cases increased to 4,156, with 177 further recoveries recorded as all provinces in the country had confirmed infections from the pandemic. - - - - RIYADH -- Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday a project to vaccinate children at their homes as part of the precautions against coronavirus, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. The health ministry signed an agreement with the Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City, a rehabilitation hospital and medical center, to commission the hospital to provide necessary vaccinations for children, SPA said. - - - - MUSCAT -- The Omani Ministry of Health announced on Sunday 1,404 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number in the country to 23,481. All new cases, including 400 Omanis, are related to community contact, according to a ministry statement. Meanwhile, 924 more patients have recovered from the virus, bringing the total recoveries to 8,454, while five new fatalities were reported, raising the death toll to 104, the statement said. - - - - BEIJING -- Eight new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Beijing from midnight Saturday to 7 a.m. on Sunday, according to a press conference. Seven of the new cases were confirmed to be related to Xinfadi, a large wholesale market of fruits, vegetables and meat, while one case is currently under epidemiological investigation, said Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the Beijing center for disease control and prevention. - - - - TOKYO -- The Tokyo metropolitan government on Sunday confirmed 47 new cases of COVID-19 infections, only a few days after Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike lifted "Tokyo alert" over the pandemic to allow all business to reopen. This is the first time since May 5 that the daily count for Tokyo has risen above 40 as fears grew over a possible second wave of infections in the capital. Enditem A recent medical school graduate, Dr Maryam Shabeeha was thrilled when she saw an advertisement calling for doctors at a government hospital in Mangaluru which has been designated for Covid-19 since April. According to a report in the Times of India, the 25-year-old interviewed for the position and secured the job soon after. She has been working at Wenlock Hospital ever since, but all through, Shabeeha kept this news a secret from her mother. Shabeeha told ToI that she decided against telling her mother about her job due to the stigma associated with coronavirus and the fear of contracting the disease. She managed to keep it a secret for a month. But finally, her father decided that it was time her mother knew. Sabeeha says that now, her mother is concerned about her health, but is proud of what she's doing. She graduated from Yenepoya Medical College last year. Her father is a businessman and her mother is a homemaker. Shabeeha says she feels blessed to serve the people during a pandemic and adds that the challenge is to treat patients who are depressed, even though many of them are stable or asymptomatic. "I am touched when they ask me to come for rounds everyday. Initially, we had very few patients, but now we have around 90 patients," Shabeeha was quoted as saying by ToI. A small silver lining has emerged for her as her 12-hour shift has now been reduced to six hours. Her colleagues include Dr Muzammil M Mohammed, who was employed at a cooperative hospital in Kasargod. Mohammed used to commute to Kerala for work daily but was forced to quit after the border was closed during the nationwide lockdown. Mohammed explains that like Shabeeha, his family too was also worried about his health and it took some time to persuade them. Defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday that the central government is engaged in talks with the Chinese side at diplomatic and military levels to resolve the border standoff. He also took a jibe at the Opposition parties, saying the government will not compromise with the national pride. Talks are underway with China at diplomatic and military levels. China too has expressed wish to resolve this issue via talks. Id like to inform Opposition that our government wont keep anyone in the dark, Singh said while addressing the Jammu Jan Samvad rally via video-conferencing. I assure you that we wont compromise with national pride in any situation, he added. His comments came a day after Army chief General MM Naravane said that disengagement of Indian and Chinese forces is taking place in a phased manner along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC). I would like to assure everyone that the situation along our border with China is under control, said General Naravane. Both sides are disengaging in a phased manner. We have started from the north, from the area of the Galwan river, where a lot of disengagement has taken place, he had further said. The disengagement began after a meeting between Lieutenant General Harinder Singh, commander of Leh-based 14 Corps, and Major General Liu Lin, commander of the Peoples Liberation Army in South Xinjiang region, on June 6. Army delegations from India and China, led by major general-rank officers, on Friday held discussions in eastern Ladakh to resolve the standoff between the border troops. This was the fifth meeting between the two major generals to break the stalemate that began with a violent confrontation between rival patrols near Pangong Tso on the night of May 5. Also read: Decoding Chinas playbook | HT Editorial Last months violent confrontation triggered a military build-up on both sides of the LAC that stretched from Ladakh to Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. The Opposition parties had attacked the government with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi leading the charge. He had questioned if the Chinese troops have entered Indian territory. Rajnath Singh had replied to his commentd, with a stinging attack on the Congress party. Later, the Trinamool Congress also attacked the government on the LAC standoff. Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of chief minister Mamata Banerjee and TMCs youth wing chief, asked Union minister Amit Shah if the Chinese have occupied the Indian territory. The tweet was ahead of Shahs virtual address to the people of West Bengal where he stung the state government on issues related to political violence, corruption, politics of appeasement, politicisation of peoples welfare and other administrative failures. New Delhi, Jun 14 (UNI) Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said India wants peace and believes in non-violence and had never tried to seize the land of any country. 'Pakistan is on one side of our country and China on the other side. We want peace and non-violence. We have never tried to seize the land of Bhutan or Bangladesh. We do not even want the land of Pakistan or China. The only thing we want is peace,' said Mr Gadkari and senior BJP leader at the 'Gujarat Jan-Samvad' Virtual rally, a part of the BJP's plan to mark one year in power of their second term at the Centre. He said Pakistan can never win a face-to-face battle. 'Therefore, it fights a proxy war with the help of terrorists, but Pakistan will have to face defeat every time. 'Today, the terrorists also know what will happen if they do something in India. A powerful and capable regime that can crush terrorism, is possible under the BJP government,' he insisted. In the wake of tensions between India and China escalated after Chinese troops moved into sensitive areas along the eastern Ladakh border, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the government would never compromise with national pride and it will speak only at an appropriate time. Addressing a Jammu Jan Samvad virtual rally, he said, 'The government will not keep anybody in dark. Whatever dispute has arisen between India and China, at this time the talks are going on at the military level. China has also expressed the desire that this should be resolved through discussion. Our efforts are also to resolve this through military and diplomatic discussion.' Mr Gadkari said during Corona pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a step forward and laid the foundation of self-reliant India with a package of Rs 20 lakh crore. He said under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the Government has resolved all the old problems of the country whether it is a matter of abolition of Sections 370 and 35A, abolition of triple divorce and construction of Shri Ram Temple or implementation of CAA. Mr Gadkari said, 'Crisis and problems have arisen due to Corona but we will not be afraid of it. We will also defeat Corona, win the economic battle and take India forward. 'Under the leadership of Mr Modi, we will make the country self-sufficient, make the country a super economic power.' Lashing out at the Congress, he said the principal opposition gave the slogan of 'Garibi Hatao' for 70 years but the poverty of the working poor did not go away. However, the poverty of Congress workers and leaders has definitely gone away, he added. UNI RSA SHK2101 A significant site of damage during COVID-19 infection is the lungs. Understanding how the lungs' immune cells are responding to viral infections could help scientists develop a vaccine. Now, a team of researchers led by Salk Professor Susan Kaech has discovered that the cells responsible for long-term immunity in the lungs can be activated more easily than previously thought. The insight, published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine on June 11, 2020, could aid in the development of universal vaccines for influenza and the novel coronavirus. "Inside our lungs exist long-lived killer T cells that recognize specific viruses and protect us against re-infection, should we encounter the virus again. Our results have elucidated the manner by which these cells 'see' the virus upon re-infection and provide rapid immunity," says Kaech, director of Salk's NOMIS Center for Immunobiology and Microbial Pathogenesis. "It also may help us understand long-term immunity as it relates to coronavirus." When we are first exposed to bacteria or viruses, such as influenza, one type of our immune cells, known as killer T cells, destroy infected cells to prevent the spread of the disease. Once the pathogen is cleared, these experienced killer T cells (also called killer "memory" T cells) remain in our body long-term, and "remember" previous invaders. These killer memory T cells enable our immune systems to more rapidly respond to a second attack and effectively provide long-term protective immunity against the invader, a fundamental concept behind vaccination. Scientists know a lot about how killer memory T cells get activated in lymphoid organs (such as lymph nodes). Immune messenger cells called dendritic cells present fragments of the virus to the killer memory T cell, similar to a handler presenting a scent to a hound, to license their killer function. But prior studies had not examined this interaction in vital organs, such as the lung. The lung is a frequent entry site for pathogens such as influenza and coronavirus, so the team set out to confirm whether this long-held dogma applied to killer memory T cells that reside in the lungs. advertisement Kaech and then-graduate student Jun Siong Low, first author of the paper, assumed that dendritic cells would be required to reactivate killer memory T cells to fight a second viral attack. So, they deleted various types of messenger cells one at a time in mice to see if the killer memory T cells would still recognize a second influenza infection. The researchers used a green florescent reporter protein to make the killer memory T cells glow if they recognized the virus. However, each time the researchers deleted a specific cell type, the killer memory T cells in the lungs continued to glow. "At first, our results were disappointing because it didn't seem like our experiments were working; the killer memory T cells in the lungs continued to recognize the virus after the deletion of many different messenger cell types," says Low, now a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) at the Universita della Svizzera Italiana, in Switzerland. "Soon, we realized that these lung-resident killer memory T cells were special because they were not reliant on any single type of messenger cell. Instead, they could 'see' the second influenza infection through a variety of different messenger cells, including non-immune cells like lung epithelial cells, which was a remarkably exciting finding." In contrast, when the researchers examined the killer memory T cells in the lymph nodes -- glands that swell during infections -- they found that the killer memory T cells needed dendritic cells to recognize the second viral attack. This suggests that the anatomical location of the killer memory T cells dictates how they get reactivated, challenging the long-held dogma that killer memory T cells require dendritic cells for reactivation. The results help to reshape the paradigm of killer memory T cell activation. Because lung-resident killer memory T cells can be quickly reactivated by nearly any cell type at the site of pathogen entry, identifying vaccines that can create these lung-resident killer memory T cells will likely be critical for superior immunity to viral infections of the lungs. "We will take this knowledge into our next study, where we will examine whether lung-resident killer memory T cells form after a coronavirus infection," says Kaech, holder of the NOMIS Chair. "Since not all infections induce killer memory T cells, we will determine if these cells form after a coronavirus infection and whether they can be protective against future coronavirus infections." Other authors included Yagmur Farsakoglu of Salk; Esen Sefik, Christian C.D. Harman, Ruaidhri Jackson, Justin Shyer, Xiaodong Jiang, and Richard A. Flavell of the Yale University School of Medicine; Maria Carolina Amezcua Vesely of the Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, in Argentina; Joseph B. Kelly of Stony Brook University and Linda S. Cauley of the University of Connecticut Health Center. The work was supported by the NOMIS Foundation; the National Institutes of Health (R01 AI123864, R37 AI066232, S10 OD020142, P30 CA106359-39); A*STAR National Science Scholarship PhD; a Swiss National Science Foundation Early Postdoc Mobility Fellowship (P2BEP3_178444); a George E. Hewitt Foundation fellowship; the Howard Hughes Medical Institute; the Yale Center for Research Computing; the Yale Center for Genome Analysis; and the Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Core at Salk Institute for Biological Studies. More than 1900 students of Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT) and also hundreds of students of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) have made pleas to institutes authorities and also district administration, Bhopal to save their career as students hostels on these institutes campuses have been acquired by the district administration in Bhopal to be used as Covid care centres and quarantine centres, said several students who are on agitation for more than a week now. Apart from students a section of the teaching faculty staying on the campuses too is concerned over the risk of their contracting Coronavirus or their aged parents staying with them being affected by the disease. The students are protesting against, what they alleged, locks of their hostels and rooms broken in their absence in June first week. The MANIT students in a memorandum addressed to the institute director Dr Narendra Singh Raghuvanshi with their names, e-mail ids, scholar numbers, years and branches mentioned, have expressed their apprehension that given the worsening Covid situation in Bhopal apart from other parts of the country there was no likelihood of the institute campus being able to resume the academic activities for at least six months. The students who were asked to leave hostels in March at the time of lockdown restrictions were put in place say in the memorandum, There is likelihood that total eradication and containment from COVID-19 may take several months. If whole campus of MANIT, Bhopal is turned into COVID-19 quarantine centre, we dont foresee our classes being commenced in near future at least within six months. As per MANIT students and administration out of 11 students hostels only two have been spared- one girls hostel and the other where NRIs staying. However, as of now, one one of hostels is being used as a quarantine centre. A 4th year engineering student from MANIT said, The administration could have acquired various other government buildings in the city or hotels, lodges, marriage halls etc and if our institute couldnt have been spared some other buildings like library, two new hostels and other buildings. But our pleas have so far gone unheard of by authorities. The IISER director Siva Umapthy in a communique dated May 25, 2020 to the students said, the collector and district magistrate, Bhopal under the powers conferred by The Madhya Pradesh Epidemic Diseases, Covid-19 Regulations 2020 published under Epidemic Diseases Act has acquired all the buildings of the institute to use some of them as Covid care centres/quarantine centres. The district administration will thus only convert some of the hostels as Covid care centres temporarily. Anand Goleit, a student of IISER said, The institute administration had told us that before removing the belongings it would inform us at least four to five days in advance but we came to know on June 6 that the locks of our rooms were broken and our belongings stuffed in almirahs in the rooms and mattresses elsewhere. Now, we are concerned about our documents including passports and other valuables like laptops etc. Prof Raghuvir Singh Tomar, dean of students affairs, said, We ourselves were not taken into confidence by the administration before breaking the locks. We are concerned about our health too. But we didnt lodge our protest as the district administration took its decision given the pandemic situation. Dr JL Bhagoria, dean students welfare of MANIT said, There is no likelihood of belongings of the students lost as we formed a committee to supervise the whole process but, of course, we have submitted a memorandum to the district administration to exempt our campus from being used as a quarantine centre. There is no response so far. Collector, Bhopal Tarun Kumar Pithode could not be reached for his comments. He didnt take calls and respond to message. However, commissioner, Bhopal division Kavindra Kiyavat said, Given the pandemic situation the district administration took its decision what it considered the best having taken into consideration all the aspects. A restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City has been offering its diners an off-the-beaten-path experience, with blind or deaf people serving the meals. The name speaks for itself. Noir. Dining in the Dark, located on Hai Ba Trung Street in District 1, has diners enjoy their meals in a pitch-black surrounding. Every facet of daily life depends on sight. How would your other senses react to being in complete darkness? the restaurant explained the concept on its website. You will embark on a sensory journey into a different world and savor exquisite tastes and textures in complete darkness. This multi-sensory dining experience will stimulate your senses and open your mind. Visiting the place, diners will be guided by visually impaired staff who have been specially trained to assist and reassure sighted guests who are in complete darkness." The restaurant is part of a series of recreational venues established in the hope of creating jobs for people with vision or hearing impairment. The chain, including a restaurant, a coffee shop, and a spa, currently employs nearly 60 people with either visual or hearing impairment. Vu Anh Tu, owner of Noir. Dining in the Dark, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that people with impairment often face difficulties in finding jobs, so what he does simply offers them more chances at doing honest work. Vu Anh Tu (right), owner of the Noir. Dining in the Dark restaurant in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, communicates with his hearing-impaired staff in sign language. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre At Tu restaurant, staff use sign language, body language, and facial expressions to communicate with diners. Employees are also taught foreign languages as the restaurant has become increasingly popular with foreign tourists and expats living in the city. Every new recruit goes through two-month training before starting their job. Diners coming to the venue are required to put their phones and anything that emits light into a locker before being led by staff into a world of darkness. At first I was worried whether I could do the job. Now I love my job as it helps me meet many people and build up my self-confidence as other staff members and customers are very friendly, Tuan Linh, a 30-year-old employee who has hearing loss, told Tuoi Tre. Tuan Linh, 30, is one of the hearing-impaired staff members at the Noir. Dining in the Dark restaurant in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre Trang (left), an employee at the Noir. Dining in the Dark restaurant on Hai Ba Trung Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, introduces diners to a completely dark room at the venue. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre A diner puts his phone into a locker before entering the pitch-black dining room at the Noir. Dining in the Dark restaurant on Hai Ba Trung Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre Instructions on basic sign language to help customers communicate with staff at the Noir. Dining in the Dark restaurant in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre A staff member greets customers at the Noir. Dining in the Dark restaurant in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre Staff at the Noir. Dining in the Dark restaurant in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam use sign language to communicate with each other. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre Thuy Duong, 28, and Thi Binh, 23, enjoy their moments at work at the Noir. Dining in the Dark restaurant in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre Vision or hearing impaired staff at the Noir. restaurant, coffee shop, and spa chain in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam say they are respected by their customers. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Executive Director of Urbanet, a local based non-governmental organisation (NGO), Mr Zakari Abdul Rashid, has suggested that small-scale farmers in the country should be included in the central governments COVID-19 stimulus package to support entities that have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. That, he said, would enable them to sustain their farming activities in this global pandemic period to save the nation from food insecurity after the COVID-19. Mr Rashid made the suggestion when Urbanet, in collaboration with Actionaid, presented some personal protective equipment (PPE), hygiene and handwashing facilities to the Central Gonja District Assembly and some selected stakeholder institutions in the district at Buipe, the district capital, in the Savannah Region last Tuesday. Beneficiaries/Items The other beneficiary institutions are the departments of Agriculture, Gender/Social Welfare, District Police Command, District Hospital, Association of People Living with Disability (PWDs) and two civil society organisations (CSOs). The items included a quantity of Veronica buckets, liquid soap, hand gloves and disinfectants to support in the fight against the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Similar donations were also made to the Mion, Gushegu and Kpandai district assemblies and other key stakeholder institutions in these districts in the Northern Region. Poverty reduction The gesture forms part of the contributions of Urbanet and its partners, Actionnaid and Tree Aid, implementing the Northern Ghana Integrated Development Project in the Central Gonja, Mion, Gushegu and Kpandai districts towards the fight against COVID-19. The four-year project, funded by the European Union (EU), is aimed at reducing rural poverty through promoting agricultural practices thus contributing to a green economy, creating opportunities for income generation, the agricultural value chain development, enhancing access to social protection services and promoting decent work in agriculture. Stimulus package/support Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Mr Rashid said his call for the inclusion of small-scale farmers as beneficiaries of the government stimulus package for the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) was to help boost food production in the country for post COVID-19 and to ensure food security. He said the support to the small-scale farmers would go a long way to assist them in their farming activities at this time that the pandemic has impacted negatively on all sectors of the economy, including agriculture. He stated that the gesture was to contribute towards the governments effort to contain the virus in the country. We are donating these items to the district office and other bodies which are directly dealing with the public every day because where people visit regularly is prone to the virus , hence the decision by Urbanet and its partners to resource these centres with the PPE and the other items to protect the public from being infected by the virus," he said. Beneficiaries The District Coordinating Director for Central Gonja, Mr Baba Abukari, who received the items on behalf of the assembly commended Urbanet and its partners for the timely intervention to help the district with the PPE and the items to combat the spread of the COVID-19 in the district. 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 Travel Oregon Assists Over 100 Tourism Organizations Published 06/13/2020 at 7:43 PM PDT By OREGON TRAVEL DAILY STAFF (Salem, Oregon) Oregon's tourism and hospitality industries are in a whole new world of hurt these days because of the states travel bans and pandemic shutdowns. The state had been on track to see an 11th year of record growth in the tourism business in 2020 when COVID-19 hit early in the year. While tourism destinations around the state are making their first steps back into accepting visitors, the budget shortfalls are enormous and many key lodging properties, tour operators, guides and outfitters, federally recognized tribes and destination marketing organizations (DMOs) have been in great need. Its not simply a matter of being able to stay in business for themselves but to provide badly needed jobs at this time. The Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon, has awarded $800,225 to local Oregon businesses to support job retention and stabilization through a newly created COVID-19 Emergency Response Grant Program. The agency redirected its standard scheduled competitive medium grant cycle and reallocated this funding to help support operational costs for local, small tourism businesses with the goal of maintaining jobs and the ability to keep doors open when travel resumes. Travel Oregon came to the rescue of some 121 organizations in the region: from the coast to eastern Oregon; north to south and the central parts of the state. In total, 332 applications were submitted with 121 awarded in 30 Oregon counties. More than 90% of the funds are awarded to businesses in Oregon communities with fewer than 35,000 residents and more than 70% of the funds are dedicated to cover some portion of payroll expenses. Our hope is that these grant dollars help keep businesses and organizations from shuttering permanently, said Todd Davidson, CEO Travel Oregon. As Oregon gradually positions itself to begin to welcome visitors, it will be these marketing organizations, small lodging properties, guides and outfitters and the like that will be providing and sharing legendary Oregon experiences with them, Public health has to remain a priority for our state as we help Oregon communities that rely on tourism to stabilize during this time of transition. Long-term, it is these businesses that will be crucial to the states economic recovery. Among the tour operators / guides that received money included Crater Lake Zipline LLC in Klamath Falls, Gray Line of Portland and Cog Wild Bicycle Tours in Oakridge. Hotels / lodgings that received help included Columbia Gorge Vacation Rentals, Rovers RV Park in Waldport, Itty Bitty Inn in North Bend, Newberts Le Puy, A Wine Valley Inn, Newberg, Seaside Oceanfront Inn, Painted Hills Vacation Rentals LLC in Mitchell and Mountain Getaway Lodging, Enterprise, Timbers Motel in Eugene, Dufurs Balch Hotel, Aspen Inn at Fort Klamath, Newports Embarcadero Resort Hotel & Marina, and Crater Lake Country Suites in Medford among many others. Visitor centers that received money include Clackamas County Tourism & Cultural Affairs in West Linn, Dallas Area Visitors Center, Heppner Chamber of Commerce, and those in Redmond, Pendleton, Sisters along with plenty along the Oregon coast. These grant projects will be completed by the end of the year. For more information on Travel Oregons grants program visit: industry.traveloregon.com/grants. Fifteen migrants crammed into a small dinghy were escorted by the French navy into British waters this week, as people continue to risk their lives in search of asylum in the UK. The migrants' small dinghy was escorted by the French navy boat Abeille Languedoc and was intercepted by UK Border Force in the English Channel against the background of the White Cliffs of Dover. On Thursday 44 migrants were picked up in small boats off the Kent coast on Thursday, taking the year's total number of illegal crossings to almost 2,000 this year. This eclipses the estimated 1,850 people who landed in Britain in the whole of 2019. After signing a joint action plan in January of that year, French authorities are now obliged to intercept migrant vessels making the life-threatening journey and bring them to the closest safe port. The narrow Strait of Dover is the busiest shipping lane in the world and can feature dangerous conditions. Fifteen migrants crammed into a small dinghy were escorted by the French navy into British waters on Sunday, as people continue to risk their lives in search of asylum in the UK. Above, the migrants' small dinghy escorted by the French navy boat Abeille Languedoc Fifteen migrants crammed onto the small dinghy to make the perilous journey to the UK The number of migrants making the perilous journey to the UK in search of asylum has now stretched to almost 2,000 this year. Above, UK Border Force intercept the migrants' dinghy in front of the White Cliffs of Dover Aboard the recent vessel were men, women and children who told officials they were from Iran, Afghanistan and Syria, the Sunday Mirror reported. Chartered skipper Matt Coker of the fishing catamaran Portia said: 'We often see French vessels escorting migrant boats as far as English waters. 'They stick close to make sure other vessels are aware, but they allow them to continue to the British side for our Border Force to pick up. At least 1,518 migrants have crossed to the UK in small boats since the coronavirus lockdown was announced. This is despite the continuing Covid-19 crisis and repeated warnings of the dangers of crossing the English Channel in small vessels. Migrants taken to Dover are issued with masks and are assessed for symptoms of Covid-19, but are not routinely tested. Fifteen migrants crammed into a small dinghy are intercepted by UK Border Force, above and below Migrants taken to Dover are issued with masks and are assessed for symptoms of Covid-19, but are not routinely tested It comes after another 44 migrants were picked up in small boats off the Kent coast on Thursday. They were rescued in three boats this morning and were seen being taken into the Port of Dover by the Border Force vessel Seeker around 11am. One vessel is thought to have been carrying 13 refugees, another 15 and the third was holding 16. The migrants were mostly men. A breeze and a drop in temperatures at sea mean they would have been very cold as they made the trip across the perilous Dover Strait shipping lane. On Wednesday, four migrants were dramatically rescued three miles off the French coast - after they tried to paddle across the Channel on two windsurf boards tied together with rope and using shovels as oars. The group, who were picked up by a French patrol boat at 6.35am after attempting the crossing in a make-shift vessel, had used shovels as oars. Some 44 migrants were rescued in three boats on Thursday morning and were seen being taken into the Port of Dover by the Border Force vessel Seeker around 11am They were picked up around three-miles from the Calais coast after being spotted in difficulty by the crew of cross-channel ferry Dunkirk Seaways. The latest crossings will nudge this year's tally closer to the 2,000 mark. Of the figure, 1,525 have illegally made it to Britain since lockdown began in March. Last month 741 reached the UK - a record for a single month. The staggering milestone is a body blow to Home Secretary Priti Patel, who has repeatedly vowed to clamp down on crossings since taking up her post last year. The Home Office has pumped millions of pounds into security measures to prevent migrant crossings from France, funding drones to patrol the country's coastline - but the crisis has continued to worsen. Four Huntsville business leaders as well as a prominent attorney have joined the call for the Confederate monument outside the Madison County Courthouse to be removed. The five men, in statements volunteered last week to AL.com, said they stand opposed to the monument for an array of reasons ranging from making Huntsville a more inviting place to simply being "on the right side of history." The future of the monument -- first erected in 1905, then part of it replaced after being accidentally damaged in 1966 -- is uncertain. The Madison County Commission, which has control of the monument, unanimously voted last week to submit an application to a state review committee for a waiver to a 2017 law that prohibits its removal. The next day, the Huntsville city council unanimously approved a resolution in support of that effort and to work with the commission on the monuments relocation. The Alabama attorney generals office, in a statement to AL.com last week, said the law provides no authority to remove any historical structure that has been in place for more than 40 years. The review committee which, as of December 2019, had yet to receive its first request for removal since its creation in the historical structure law is designed to consider only those structures that have been in place for 20 to 40 years. The law mandates a $25,000 fine for removing or relocating historical structures without permission and a grassroots organization, Tennessee Valley Progressives, said they have raised more than enough money to cover that fine. Confederate monuments this month have been removed without state permission in Birmingham and Mobile. The recent protests over the death of George Floyd while in custody of Minneapolis police last month has reignited ongoing community conversations in recent years about the future of the monument which is largely obscured by a magnolia tree on the west side of the courthouse. At multiple protests in Huntsville, the statue was jeered and protesters chanted "take the statue down." Protesters in Huntsville at #GeorgeFloyd protest calling for Confederate monument outside courthouse to be torn down. Police are lining at the top of the steps of courthouse. pic.twitter.com/zqfzobMdGf Paul Gattis (@paul_gattis) June 1, 2020 Influential organizations such as the Committee of 100, Downtown Huntsville Inc., the Historic Huntsville Foundation and community faith leaders have called for the statues removal in recent days in additional to the votes by the county commission and city council. To that group is now added more voices from Huntsville's business community. Emerson Fann, a managing partner with Eastside Partners, a venture capital firm: "I am one of a large group of Huntsville business leaders that support moving this statue. This is the right thing to do. Economic development isnt as important as doing the right thing, but its still extremely important for Huntsville as we are recruiting people from all over the country to do important work for the whole world such as creating new diagnostics and therapeutics for disease, coming up with new missile defense technologies and creating the next generation of space vehicles." Matt Fowler, a vice president with FBS: "We want the Confederate monument moved because it's the right thing to do. It is important that Huntsville takes a stand against the legacy of racism where and whenever possible. To show the world that we have always been a part of Alabama, but set apart from its past by our actions. We defied Gov Wallace by desegregating Huntsville City Schools, against orders from Montgomery, beating State Troopers by opening a day early. Where is that leadership today? A monument celebrating the Confederacy by which citizens must pass to vote, on County land, is a travesty and not compatible with the New South. Because it is right, and because we cannot expect to prosper by looking backwards, we have to move to a more appropriate place." Danny Windham, chief operating officer at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology: I want Huntsville to be viewed as the innovative and forward-thinking city that I know it is. For this reason, I support moving the monument." Bill Roark, founder and former CEO of Torch Technologies: " A Martin Luther King quote hangs in my office. I see it everyday when I walk in. He said, The time is always right to do what is right. Huntsville has always led the way in Alabama, even with challenges such as going to the moon or shooting down a missile attacking our troops out of midair. It is time for us to lead again. I believe it is the right time to move this statue from the courthouse as soon as possible. Let us be on the right side of history. Separately, Huntsville attorney Jerry Barclay shared a letter with AL.com that he emailed to each member of the county commission. Barclay told the commission that he is a member of the Historic Huntsville Foundation board of directors and a past board member of the Huntsville Pilgrimage Association. "I provide this information to demonstrate that I am have a strong background in advocacy for historic preservation," Barclay's email said. "I do not take lightly the thought of removing a monument that has been a part of Huntsvilles downtown for over a century." But the time has come, Barclay said, to remove the monument. "It represents to many a symbol of oppression, not just as related to the Civil War and the stain of slavery on Americas soul, but also as a reflection of the eras in which it was erected, and then re-erected," the attorney said. "The harsh reality of the Jim Crow era and the marginalization of African Americans in our society was part of the social fabric when the original monument was erected in 1905. That reality was little changed when a replacement monument was erected in the 1960s, after the original monument was accidentally destroyed during construction of the current courthouse. A case may be made that the intention of those who placed both versions of the monument was not just to honor the confederate dead, but also to provide an enduring symbol of racial superiority. Such a symbol should not exist outside the doors of the courthouse, Barclay said. Whether the monument is moved to (city-owned) Maple Hill Cemetery, as some have suggested, or elsewhere, it no longer belongs outside the larger monument to equal justice under the law, our courthouse, Barclays email said. Oregon became a state in 1859 as the United States was hurtling toward civil war. Slavery, the issue that was tearing the young nation apart, was banned in the new state. Many of Oregons leaders believed they had a better model. They wouldnt allow black people at all. Oregon consistently goes blue in presidential elections, and conservative commentators invoke the name of its largest city as a shorthand for hyper-liberalism. But Oregon is also one of the whitest states in the country -- originally by design. The effects of that history of racism are still felt today. The authors of Oregons constitution declared that no black people could reside in the state or hold real estate. They relied on precedent for this decree. The territorial legislature had passed a black-exclusion law in 1844 -- dictating regular public lashings until lawbreakers left the territory -- and followed it up with another such law five years later. The states founders sought to create nothing short of a white utopia, says Oregon author and scholar Walidah Imarisha. An idealized racist white society. The first inside page of the original Oregon State Constitution (The Oregonian)LC- THE OREGONIAN This objective was spurred by the U.S. Congress 1850 Oregon Donation Land Act, which granted land for free to every white settler in the Oregon Territory and explicitly excluded people of color. (Abrogating Native American tribal land rights, the Oregon Territorys U.S. House delegate Samuel Thurston told Congress, was the first prerequisite step before Oregon could join the union as a state.) The land grants, the black-exclusion laws, the restrictions on voting (the Oregon Constitution barred not just blacks from voting but also Chinese): these actions -- and many more -- sent the clear message to anyone who wasnt white that youre not welcome in Oregon, says Kerry Tymchuk, executive director of the Oregon Historical Society and the former chief speechwriter for 1996 GOP presidential nominee Bob Dole. It helps explain why so few moved here, which has repercussions to this day. Discriminatory laws in Oregon continued through the decades after statehood. In 1883, an attempt to amend the state constitutions prohibition of black suffrage failed, even though the ban had been mooted by the U.S. Constitutions 15th Amendment. In 1923, the Legislature passed laws that kept Japanese Americans from owning property and allowed cities to deny them business licenses. (Twenty-two years later, during the last days of World War II, and with some 4,000 Oregonians of Japanese ancestry held in federal internment camps, the Oregon House pushed a resolution calling on Congress to deport immediately after the war, all alien Japanese and all Japanese of American citizenship who have indicated dual citizenship) Then there were the everyday customs that carried forward the goals of the states fathers, such as redlining -- where real-estate agents and bankers followed industry mandates to keep out of neighborhoods members of any race or nationality whose presence will be detrimental to property values. Redlining affected jobs -- opportunity -- and education and health care and more, says Tymchuk. And the ripples continue. Indeed, the process offered a predictable churn: In Portland, the black neighborhoods at first were largely left on their own to sink or swim; then priorities changed, and the police moved in en masse, says Imarisha. Young white professionals looking for affordable housing came next. Gentrification is a process of violence, Imarisha adds. The ripples now come from the aftershocks of over-policing, which is an intimate part of how gentrification happens. White folks tend to sanitize it. To be sure, this viewpoint makes many white Oregonians uncomfortable. Their Portland, their Oregon, is a peaceful, inclusive place. This history is hidden purposely, Imarisha says. And the ability to not know about it is a privilege. Tymchuk can attest to this aspect of Oregons history making some Oregonians uneasy, even angry. When the Experience Oregon exhibit opened at the Oregon Historical Society last year, showcasing the good, the bad and the ugly of the states history -- including a pointy white Ku Klux Klan hood worn by an Oregon member of the notorious racist group -- the museum heard from a smattering of visitors that the exhibit made them feel guilty as a white person, Tymchuk says. Wed hear, Every other state had this issue as well, so why bring it up? This sign is part of The Historic Black Williams Project, which highlights what was the heart of the black community in Portland through much of the 20th century. The surrounding neighborhood has been impacted by gentrification. (The Oregonian)LC- Tymchuks answer: Because were not the chamber of commerce. And because that uncomfortable history lives on. The black-exclusion clause in the Oregon Constitution never had a concomitant enforcement law, but three years after statehood was achieved, Oregons legislature placed an annual tax on every African, Chinese, Hawaiian and light-skinned black Oregonian. The states founders were building a system, one with an unmistakable racial hierarchy. After a while, the system became self-perpetuating and didnt necessarily need explicit laws anymore to be maintained, historian Carmen P. Thompson wrote in a recent Oregon Historical Quarterly edition devoted to white supremacy. This system, she wrote, encourages those of European ancestry to internalize their top-ranking -- that is, to embody White supremacy -- and that embodiment of expectation, conscious or otherwise, is Whiteness. Thompson argues that, in the United States, Whiteness is bound up in some of the countrys most cherished concepts (such as Manifest Destiny) -- and it quickly became entrenched in Oregon. The system operating as usual, offers Imarisha, is perpetuating inequality. From the Oregon Historical Society's exhibit, "Experience Oregon." (The Oregonian) For a long time, this perpetual inequality machine wasnt at all subtle, with private and governmental forces working together. In 1921, the Portland Telegram published a photograph of Oregon Ku Klux Klan leaders outfitted in full regalia (including white hoods) posing with Portland city officials during a meeting about law and order. Among those standing with the Klansmen: Mayor George Baker, Police Chief Leon Jenkins and District Attorney W.H. Evans. At this meeting with the police chief and district attorney, one of the Klansmen, Luther I. Powell, said: There are some cases, of course, in which we will have to take everything in our hands. Some crimes are not punishable under existing laws, but the criminals should be punished. There has been much progress since that chillingly mundane meeting at the Multnomah Hotel in downtown Portland. Most of the states clearly racist laws long ago were scrubbed from the books. Tens of thousands of Oregonians across the state, as ongoing protests against police brutality indicate, want justice for black Americans. Thats where the conversation starts to become really difficult. Progressive white Americans might reject racism and insist theres no place for it in todays society, but that doesnt mean they want to give up the advantages its provided them. Institutionalized racism created intergenerational wealth for some and not others; it shaped the geography of the cities and towns we traverse every day. I consider this a living legacy, Imarisha says. The reality lives with us every day. Its part of the fabric of this society. And recent events -- such as Jeremy Christians 2017 racism-sparked murder of two men on a MAX train in Portland -- show that the echoes from the past can still pack a very real wallop. Imarisha says were all taught that society heads in only one direction -- forward, embracing progress -- but that its important to show the cyclical nature of history. At best history is a spiral. When we look around and find ourselves thinking, Weve been here before, she says, its because we have. Thats why, she insists, reforming the system -- governmental, corporate, cultural -- isnt enough. Weve been offered kinder, gentler reform [in the past] and its landed us in the same place, Imarisha says. We need deep, institutional, transformational change. -- Douglas Perry @douglasmperry Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Sophie Monk has revealed what her next career move will be - and she's headed for the small screen. The 40-year-old told The Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday that she's on her way to landing her own comedy gig. The Love Island Australia host disclosed: 'I am in talks with a production company about a scripted comedy show; if I were to act again it would have to be comedy.' Giggles: Sophie Monk (pictured) has revealed what her next career move will be - and she's headed for the small screen. The 40-year-old told The Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday that she's 'in talks' to star in her own comedy show Sophie, who has lately been making comedic videos on Instagram, added that she takes inspiration from viral online comedian Celeste Barber. She told the paper: 'I'm a big fan of Celeste Barber; she's been in the industry a long time and it's great to see how she's managed to capture an audience.' The former member of girl group Bardot said that she hasn't counted out returning to her pop career, admitting, 'I miss music'. Funny girl: Sophie, who has lately been making comedic videos on Instagram, added that she takes inspiration from viral online comedian Celeste Barber She told the paper: 'I'm a big fan of Celeste Barber; she's been in the industry a long time and it's great to see how she's managed to capture an audience.' Celeste is pictured right On the home front, Sophie recently set the record straight on speculation she will get married and have children with her boyfriend, Joshua Gross. The star admitted to the Sun Herald that while he's The One, she is just 'going with the flow' at the moment. 'I know I want to be with Josh forever,' she said, not confirming if the couple have put a time frame on a potential engagement. Sing it sister: The former member of girl group Bardot said that she hasn't counted out returning to her pop career, admitting, 'I miss music'. Pictured on stage in 2002 Happy: On the home front, Sophie recently set the record straight on speculation she will get married and have children with her boyfriend, Joshua Gross (left) She then shot down rumours about the couple planning on having a baby soon, as she said they weren't actively trying for a family. 'I'd love to have a family one day, but we're not trying yet. You just never know with the timing. I am just going with the flow,' she added. Sophie added that Josh 'tolerated' her and her mess during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Even the most devout should worry that the Ohio legislatures June 11 passage of a student religious expression bill will deteriorate the secular education foundation of Ohios public schools (Student religious liberties act clears legislature, June 12). Once church and state are intermingled, its only a matter of time before those in charge dont share the faith of their constituents, and then have an open door to impose religious practices on others. State Rep. Tim Ginter, a Salem Republican, has called House Bill 164 a clarification [of] what students can and cannot do, but it endangers scientific integrity in public schools by requiring the acceptance of assignments influenced by faith that dismisses science. This can erode the foundations of our common understanding of knowledge that make the classroom a productive space for learning. Faith should not be an excuse to dismiss the consensus of scientists and what can be proven time and time again. As is true for the rest of the nation, Ohios students are welcome to express their faith, to pray individually or in groups, as long as they do not disrupt classroom business. Ginters bill will open the door for further religious interference in a space meant to be secular, not sacred. Roy Speckhardt, Washington, D.C. Roy Speckhardt is executive director of the American Humanist Association. Filmmaker Spike Lee has apologized for defending his 'friend' Woody Allen, just 24 hours after he had talked up Allen's directing talents, while criticizing the concept of cancel culture. A number of actors have said they will never work with Allen again, amid renewed scrutiny of claims by his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow that he molested her when she was a child. Allen has strenuously denied the allegations. Lee, 63, told New York radio station WOR 710 on Friday: 'I'd just like to say Woody Allen's a great, great filmmaker. And this cancel thing is not just Woody.' 'I think that, when you know, we look back on it, we're gonna see that, I don't know if just short of killing somebody, I don't know you just erase somebody like they never existed. So, Woody's a friend of mine, a fellow Knick fan, so I know he's going through it right now,' Lee said. But by Saturday afternoon, Lee had second thoughts over his remarks. 'I Deeply Apologize,' the director tweeted. 'My Words Were WRONG. I Do Not And Will Not Tolerate Sexual Harassment, Assault Or Violence. Such Treatment Causes Real Damage That Can't Be Minimized.-Truly, Spike Lee.' Spike Lee is walking back his support for friend and fellow director Woody Allen 'I Deeply Apologize. My Words Were WRONG. I Do Not And Will Not Tolerate Sexual Harassment, Assault Or Violence,' director Spike Lee Tweeted on Saturday Defense: On Friday, Lee said, 'Woody is a friend of mine, a fellow Knick fan, and I know he's going through it right now.' He also said people shouldn't be canceled 'short of killing somebody'. Allen is pictured on set in 2017 The mea culpa came as Lee took a break from basking in the positive reviews for his new film Da 5 Bloods. In Friday's original comments, Lee spoke in defense of the treatment Woody Allen, 84, had been receiving of late. Allen's adopted daughter Dylan Farrow accused him of molesting her in 1992 when she was seven, and the allegations received renewed public attention beginning in 2014. Farrow, who is now 34, says the abuse too place at the home of her adoptive mother, Mia Farrow. Allen has long denied the allegations but Farrow has continued to doubled down on them. Among the actors who have vowed never to work with Allen again are Colin Firth, Greta Gerwig, Michael Caine, Rachel Brosnahan, Peter Sarsgaard, Timothee Chalamet and Evan Rachel Wood. But Lee provided a full-throated endorsement of Allen and his art while on the radio show with hosts Len Berman and Michael Riedel. Following his early career as a comedian, television writer and occasional actor, Allen branded himself a leading man and a director starting in the late 1960s. He was acclaimed for his comic abilities, as well as his style's absorption of high-brow European art films. His 1977 classic Annie Hall won four Oscars, including Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay and Best Actress for Diane Keaton. Other highlights from his filmography include Manhattan, the Oscar-winning Hannah And Her Sisters and the pitch-black dramedy Crimes And Misdemeanors. His theory: In a recent Guardian interview, Allen defended himself and said the allegations were cooked up by his ex partner Mia Farrow after he began a relationship with her then 21-year-old adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn; pictured with Previn in June 2019 In an interview with The Guardian from last month, Allen disputed Farrow's allegations, though he adopted a resigned tone. 'I assume that for the rest of my life a large number of people will think I was a predator,' he said, adding, 'Anything I say sounds self-serving and defensive, so it's best if I just go my way and work.' The Sleeper director contended in the interview and elsewhere that the molestation allegations were cooked up by his ex Mia Farrow, whom he was with from 19801992, though they never married and they maintained separate residences throughout the relationship. Allen began a relationship with Farrow's adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn, who was 21 at the time. Contrary to popular belief, the director was never an adoptive parent to Previn. No show: Allen's newest film A Rainy Day In New York stars Timothee Chalamet, Selena Gomez and Elle Fanning. Amazon refused to distribute the film in the US; shown in October 2017 The Guardian article references a custody hearing from July 1992, a month before he was alleged to have molested Dylan Farrow, in which Mia Farrow called him a 'child molester.' Allen and Previn would go on to marry in 1997. The director's most recent film, A Rainy Day In New York, was completed in 2018, but its distributor Amazon refused to release the film due to the renewed controversy surrounding Allen. Riding high: Lee has been experiencing a career resurgence after his 2018 film BlacKkKlansman was embraced by critics and viewers and won him an Oscar; pictured in 2019 Lee's film fortunes have been brighter in recent years as he experienced a critical resurgence thanks to the success of his film BlacKkKlansman. The film earned six Oscar nominations, including Lee's first for directing, and won the award for Best Adapted Screenplay, which went to Lee and his three collaborators. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, his new film, Da 5 Bloods, bypassed its planned theatrical exhibition and was released directly to Netflix on Friday. The movie is about four Black Vietnam veterans who return to the Southeast Asian country to find the remains of the slain leader, along with a treasure they buried years before, though they'll be forced to confront the trauma they experienced while in combat. So far, the movie has a sterling 91 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Construction workers unions in the city have implored the Delhi government to speed up the process of registering workers, so that they may be eligible for financial benefits they were assured during the Covid-19 lockdown. The Delhi government has received 29,759 applications a month after it started registering construction workers in the Capital, but only 537 less than 2% of them have been issued registration certificates till June 10, a senior Delhi government official said. Officials have said the slow pace of registrations is because few workers have been able to appear for the physical verification process. The Delhi government had in April said it will disburse Rs 5,000 to all registered construction workers in the city. The government has disbursed two instalments of the relief amount so far. Construction workers in the unorganised sector can register themselves with the state government, to be renewed on a yearly basis. The process is online, and helps registered works avail government benefits of welfare schemes such as those regarding loans and pensions. The Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (DBOCWWB), under the Delhi government, had started the registration process on May 15. As per a notice issued by the board on June 10, it had received 28,828 applications till June 9, of which 25, 040 were for fresh registrations and 3,788 for renewal. The Delhi government kicked off the registration process after a plea in the Delhi high court by social worker Sunil Kumar Aledia, filed through advocate Shiven Verma, sought directions to the government to provide relief to workers and labourers, including those who had registered in the last two years, who would have otherwise been ineligible. Of the applications for fresh registrations, the board granted certificates to 442 construction workers till June 9, and of the 3,788 renewal applications, just 74 certificates were issued. Aledia said, The numbers are very low, and the government should expedite the registration process. A senior Delhi government official, who asked to stay anonymous, said, While we started receiving applications online from May 15, not many construction workers could come in for physical verifications, due to the lockdown. We started the physical verification from June 1. Till June 10, we had received 29,759 applications, of which 537 workers have been issued the certificate. We are calling 100 people to the various centres each day for the verification process, but few are able to come. We are trying to speed up the process. In the June 10 notice, the board stated, Few applicants i.e construction workers are coming for physical verification which may be due to reverse migration to native places or else. Thaneshwar Adigaur, secretary of the Delhi Asangathit Nirman Mazdoor Union, said, More construction workers should have benefited from the governments scheme. But the process to issue registration certificates is moving at a snails pace. The board is calling very few people for verification, and at this pace, it will take a lot of time to register all workers. Only those who were registered with the board earlier are entitled to the financial assistance of Rs 5,000. But of the 3,788 applications, the board has been able to issue renewed certificates to just 74 construction workers. Gaur, who is also a member of the advisory committee of the welfare board, added, The government should deploy more people so that the process can be completed at the earliest. We have written to the government in this regard. While 5,39,421 construction workers are registered with the board, as of on September 30, 2018, the Delhi government had given the Rs 5,000 assistance to 39,600 workers till May 12. In May, the Delhi High Court had directed the state government to send out proper communication, in the form of SMSs, to over five lakh construction workers, majority of who are yet to avail the financial aid of Rs 5,000 is given to them by authorities in view of the ongoing lockdown. The court also said that those workers whose registration has lapsed will also be entitled to the ex-gratia, but after they renew their membership. 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 at the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, South Korea, April 27, 2018. Reuters The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatened military action against South Korea as she bashed Seoul on Saturday over declining bilateral relations and its inability to stop activists from floating anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border. Describing South Korea as an ''enemy,'' Kim Yo Jong repeated an earlier threat she had made by saying Seoul will soon witness the collapse of a ''useless'' inter-Korean liaison office in the border town of Kaesong. Kim, who is first vice department director of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee, said she would leave it to North Korea's military leaders to carry out the next step of retaliation against the South. ''By exercising my power authorized by the supreme leader, our party and the state, I gave an instruction to the arms of the department in charge of the affairs with enemy to decisively carry out the next action,'' she said in a statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. ''If I drop a hint of our next plan the (South Korean) authorities are anxious about, the right to taking the next action against the enemy will be entrusted to the General Staff of our army,'' she said. ''Our army, too, will determine something for cooling down our people's resentment and surely carry out it, I believe.'' Kim's harsh rhetoric demonstrates her elevated status in North Korea's leadership. Already seen as the most powerful woman in the country and her brother's closest confidant, state media recently confirmed that she is now in charge of relations with South Korea. The liaison office in Kaesong, which has been shut since January due to coronavirus concerns, was set up as a result of one of the main agreements reached in three summits between Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in 2018. Moon's government had lobbied hard to set up nuclear summits between Kim and President Donald Trump, who have met three times since 2018. At the same time, Moon also worked to improve inter-Korean relations. But North Korea in recent months has suspended virtually all cooperation with the South while expressing frustration over the lack of progress in its nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration. Over the past week, the North declared that it would cut off all government and military communication channels with the South and threatened to abandon key inter-Korean peace agreements reached by their leaders in 2018. While the group has certainly made mistakes in its response to the coronavirus pandemic, those mistakes are a far cry from the dark and deliberate obfuscations that the administration has accused it of. Earlier this week, for example, W.H.O. officials mistakenly asserted that asymptomatic transmission of the virus was very rare. But the group remedied the situation exactly as one would hope: by acknowledging the error quickly and openly, and by correcting it promptly. Some global policy experts say that because the United States joined the W.H.O. by treaty, the president will need congressional approval to leave it. But previous presidents have withdrawn from treaties without lawmakers approval. The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has argued that withholding funds earmarked for the W.H.O. is as illegal as it was, last year, for Mr. Trump to temporarily withhold funds from Ukraine. But most of the $400 million or so that the United States gives each year to the W.H.O. is discretionary and could go to any global health endeavor that the president chooses. As the journal Nature notes, the Trump administration has already proposed a new initiative under the auspices of the State Department, the Presidents Response to Outbreaks, that would presumably serve this purpose. But just because Mr. Trump may have legal standing to take the country out of the W.H.O. doesnt mean he should. Any new program his administration comes up with would be no substitute for the existing global agency. Further siloing public health efforts will only add confusion and complexity to a crisis response thats already desperate for better coordination. There are also some things that the United States cannot do on its own. It was only through the W.H.O., for example, that American scientists were able to visit China to see the countrys coronavirus response firsthand. The United States Agency for International Development has funneled much of its pandemic response funding through the W.H.O. for exactly this reason. The White House seems to understand this: According to ProPublica, even as the administration was freezing W.H.O. funds and contemplating a full withdrawal from the organization, it was still leaning on W.H.O. officials for expert guidance. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was worried enough about the impact of funding freezes that he asked the president to exempt several countries, including Libya, Syria, Sudan and Egypt. State Department officials also warned the president that defunding W.H.O. programs could be disastrous, not only for efforts to contain the coronavirus, but for other longer-standing efforts, including to eradicate polio, in which the U.S. already has invested hundreds of millions of dollars. If those efforts falter now, all of that investment will be lost. Pulling out of the W.H.O. also will severely limit the administrations ability to influence international drug pricing regimes and vaccine distribution efforts, including for the coronavirus. The W.H.O. does have problems that ought to be addressed. The scope of its mission has long since outgrown its budget, which is increasingly made up of donations from member countries that can only be used for specific programs. The organizations split directives it is both an agency of impartial scientific experts and one whose business is inherently political continue to undermine its successes. And it is still, for all it has achieved in the past 70 years, a creaking bureaucracy. But withdrawing from the W.H.O. in the middle of a global pandemic is a terrible solution to those problems. Instead, the United States and other member nations like Brazil, which also recently threatened to leave the organization should try seeing the W.H.O. for what it is: a reflection of the countries that created it and that wrote its bylaws. If they dont like what they see, they should work to improve that reflection. A Fox News host reported 'evidence' of division within the leadership of a Seattle protest camp, without realizing that she was reading a reference to comedy series Monty Python. Martha MacCallum, host of Fox News show The Story, updated her viewers on Friday night on developments in the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) - a six-block area of central Seattle where Black Lives Matter protesters have pushed out police. On Friday night, Fox News showed an image of a Reddit post entitled: 'I didn't vote for Raz' - a reference to Raz Simone, the rapper who is an unofficial leader of the settlement. MacCallum said that the post suggested 'infighting among some of the occupiers and some signs of rebellion against Raz Simone.' She quoted the post as saying: 'I didn't vote for Raz - I thought we had an anonymous collective. 'An anarcho-syndicalist commune at the least, we should take it in turns to act as a sort of executive officer for the week.' But Fox News bosses appeared to miss that the post was almost word-for word quoted from 1975 comedy film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Fox News on Friday night discussed a Reddit post entitled 'I didn't vote for Raz' - suggesting that it was a sign of division within the Seattle protest camp. In fact it is a Monty Python joke WATCH: Our own @shelbytalcott appeared on @marthamaccallum to talk about her experience reporting from Seattle's autonomous zone. pic.twitter.com/Yg9g0a1acT Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 13, 2020 In the film, two peasants, played by Terry Jones and Michael Palin, say they are members of 'an autonomous collective.' 'Were an anarcho-syndicalist commune,' says Palin's character. 'We take it in turns to act as a sort of executive officer for the week. 'But all the decision of that officer have to be ratified at a special biweekly meeting. By a simple majority in the case of purely internal affairs, but by a two-thirds majority in the case of more major issues.' After seemingly missing the blunder, MacCallum cut to a report from inside CHAZ. Social media erupted with amusement at the Fox News segment. 'Did Fox just get punked?' one person tweeted. A second noted that John Cleese, who plays The Black Knight in the much-loved 1975 comedy, would be highly amused by the confusion. The CHAZ was established on June 8, after protesters took over Capitol Hill's East Precinct building, sending members of the Seattle Police Department fleeing. Since then a sort of collective has formed, to the concern of Donald Trump and his allies. Raz Simone, the unofficial leader of the Seattle protest camp, is pictured talking to police chief Carmen Best. The camp, known as CHAZ, has infuriated Donald Trump and his supporters The entrance to the Capital Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) in Seattle The area was claimed by activists on June 9 following a series of stand-offs with police For nearly a week, hundreds of people opposing police brutality and racial injustice have turned a Seattle neighborhood into CHAZ, which has become ground zero for their protests, creating a carnival-like atmosphere with speakers and drum circles near a largely abandoned police station. While protesters say it shows how people can manage without police intervention, its drawn scorn from President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to go in to stop the anarchists he says have taken over the liberal city after officers withdrew to ease tensions. Signs along the sidewalks proclaim You are entering free Capitol Hill and No cop co-op. Throughout the day, speakers use microphones to discuss their demands. Artists have painted a block-long Black Lives Matter mural on the street. Many businesses are still open. The area covers around six blocks of downtown Seattle, surrounding an abandoned precinct While there are makeshift barricades that block the area to vehicles, people walk in and out freely. And some officers have been back during the week to check on the police station. Washingtons governor and Seattles mayor, both Democrats, have rebuked Trump and say local officials are trying to find a peaceful resolution following demonstrations that turned violent last weekend. The occupiers of CHAZ come from a variety of groups and interests, ranging from Black Lives Matter organizers to labor and neighborhood groups. Most want the police precinct to be turned into a community center and much of the departments funding to be redirected to health and social services. What you see out here is people coming together and loving each other, said Mark Henry Jr. of Black Lives Matter. I see people coming from different walks of life ... learning from each other. In a series of tweets, Trump has taunted Governor Jay Inslee and Durkan and said Seattle had been taken over by anarchists. These Liberal Dems dont have a clue. The terrorists burn and pillage our cities, and they think it is just wonderful, even the death. Must end this Seattle takeover now! Trump tweeted Friday. West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday demanded a public apology from chief minister Mamata Banerjee days after a video emerged showing a decomposed corpse being dragged by the neck with tongs by a morgue employee at a crematorium in Kolkata. Horrendous unimaginable horror of dragging human bodies by pair of tongs would haunt us for long. PUBLIC APOLOGY @MamataOfficial by way of atonement is expected. This barbarity is indelible taint on humanity. Disposal of dead body is solemn act- dominated by spirituality, Dhankhar tweeted on Sunday. He had already attacked the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government on Twitter for two days over the video. The video, which was allegedly shot on June 10, surfaced on June 11 and went viral. The morgue employee could be seen putting the body inside a Kolkata civic corporation van. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders alleged that the van carried several decomposed corpses of Covid-19 victims and it was an effort to hide death figures. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and the health department, however, produced records which showed that unclaimed bodies lying at NRS hospital morgue were taken for cremation to the Garia crematoriums since the Dhapa dumping ground, where such unclaimed bodies are cremated round the year, has been reserved for Hindus dying of Covid-19. The state home department on Saturday took to Twitter saying fake news was being spread that the bodies were that of Covid-19 victims. In his tweets on Sunday, Dhankhar made it apparent that he was not ready to accept the states explanation. Calling videos as fake is inexcusable blunder -adding injury to shameless insult. Those orchestrating Remote controlled response @MamataOfficial have no idea of anger of people at enormity of this crime. Before reacting Reflect-if one of the 14 was part of your family! wrote Dhankhar. On Saturday, Kolkata Police tweeted, West Bengal Health Department has informed that dead bodies were not of COVID patients, but were unclaimed/ unidentified bodies from Hospital Morgue. Legal action is being taken against persons spreading #FakeNews. GOWB respects the credo of dignity at death and, while handling the COVID pandemic, it has espoused the principle by laying down transparent procedures regarding disclosure of facts, opportunities given to bereaved relatives for showing last respect to the deceased, disposal of dead bodies etc. The recent misinformation drive to project an isolated incident of a particular agencys handling of some unidentified and decomposed dead bodies lying (post accidents etc) in a morgue has no relationship whatsoever with the current pandemic. This has been communicated in writing and in person by most senior state officials even to Honble Governor, the home department said in a series of tweets on Saturday after state officials met Dhankhar. Since the governor has demanded apology from the chief minister I cannot comment on her behalf. All I can say is the governor is deeply involved in politics, said a senior cabinet minister who requested anonymity. Dhankhar came under fire from TMC leaders for his comments over the past two days. Addressing the governor as Uncle ji TMC member of Parliament Mahua Moitra tweeted, GovernorWB back to firing BJP arrows at state govt which is handling covid, amphan & migrant return smoothly all at once. A (rotten) apple never falls far from the tree. TMCs former Barrackpore Lok Sabha MP Dinesh Trivedi tweeted, @jdhankhar1 the only thing that has been compromised is the integrity of the office of the Governor. You have stayed consistently silent on the achievements of the state while looking for every little opportunity to malign its image. If the events of the last several months have taken a toll on your mental and emotional health, you're certainly not alone. A poll operated by the American Psychiatric Association in March found that 48% of Americans suffer from anxiety over the prospect of contracting coronavirus. The poll also revealed that 36% of Americans believe the COVID-19 crisis has significantly affected their mental state. In April, the Kaiser Family Foundation released findings from a national poll also conducted in March, which found that 72% of Americans have experienced the impact of the pandemic on their lives in some form or another. In this day and age when technology, science, and medicine are more intertwined than ever before, the launch of digital health start-ups across all specialties is on the rise, including in the mental health arena. Hundreds of mental health start-ups have sprung up over recent years, offering a range of services: connecting you to a live therapist, helping you get a better night's sleep, and providing extensive libraries of deep breathing and meditation exercises. Virtual mental healthcare has received heightened attention during the COVID-19 crisis, but will undoubtedly continue to be in high demand as people come to terms with the new normal in the aftermath of the pandemic. Anyone can benefit from knowing about these resources that are available to them, and investors should be aware of these popular startups, as some may move toward conducting initial public offerings (IPOs) in the coming years. Without further ado, here are the top five mental health start-ups to watch in 2020. 1. Talkspace Talkspace is one of the leading online therapy providers in the modern virtual mental health landscape. Founded in 2012, Talkspace matches users with a licensed therapist they can communicate with via video, audio, or text messages. Subscription plans for one-on-one therapy, as well as couples and teens therapy, are available through the Talkspace platform. In March, Talkspace announced it was offering 1,000 months of free therapy to healthcare workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company has since stated that these free therapy hours have been completely booked, but that medical personnel on the front lines can now access the Talkspace Unlimited Messaging Therapy Plan at 50% off. Talkspace offers several different subscription plans, and payments can be made monthly, quarterly, or biannually. For example, if you were to select Talkspace's Unlimited Messaging Therapy Plus option for one-on-one therapy, you'd be billed $260 monthly, $708 quarterly, or $1,248 twice a year. With this particular service, you can connect with your therapist five days a week via video, audio, or text messaging.Talkspace partners with various health insurance carriers, so consult your benefits and coverage if you're interested in these services. To begin, you undergo an assessment with a therapist, which helps Talkspace determine how to best match you with your dedicated, licensed therapist. After the assessment, you pick the plan that works for you and you're assigned to your therapist. Talkspace's messaging platform is open any time of day or night, so you can privately chat with your therapist whenever you need to, and you can expect a response once or twice per day. There is also the option to schedule a video conference if you require additional support, which costs $65 for every half-hour video chat. You can access your Talkspace account online or download the app on Google Play or the App Store. 2. Headspace California-based start-up Headspace was founded in 2010. Originally an events company specializing in mindfulness and meditation, Headspace launched its app in 2012. The app is available for download on Google Play and the App Store, or you can create an account online and log in on your computer. The app offers a wealth of meditation and mindfulness courses, from morning meditations to music and stories for sleep to 15-minute stress release workouts. The Headspace Plus plan is free for the first two weeks if you choose the annual subscription, which is $69.99 per year. You can also choose a monthly subscription plan, which is $12.99 per month, and receive your first week on the plan free. Headspace is offering those who have lost their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic 12 months on the app completely free of charge. The company has also made its app free for healthcare workers through the end of the year. 3. BetterHelp BetterHelp is an online counseling platform and subsidiary of digital health giant Teladoc (NYSE:TDOC), which acquired BetterHelp in 2015. Counseling sessions are available for adults, teens, and couples. BetterHelp offers monthly memberships for sessions costing from $60 to $100 each week. BetterHelp's counselors are licensed and credentialed professionals, and include clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors, and accredited psychologists. Once you sign up for the BetterHelp platform, you will be assigned a counselor based on your particular needs. You can message your counselor at any time using a mobile device. In addition to online messaging, you can communicate with your counselor via live chat, video, or phone, depending on your preference. BetterHelp has an app on Google Play and the App Store. 4. Brightside Brightside is a relative newcomer to the mental health start-up scene. Founded in 2017, Brightside offers services in some states to those 18 and up who are struggling with depression. The company partners with a network of licensed therapists and doctors across the country and has a clinical advisory board of professionals who have graduated from leading universities, including Yale and Stanford. The company offers several monthly subscription plan options: Brightside Medication, Brightside Therapy, and Brightside Medication + Therapy. Medication plans are available in 27 states. Therapy services are available to residents of 11 states. Brightside has stated that it intends to add more states into its network soon, along with video chat options. If you choose the Brightside Medication Plan only, the cost is $95 per month plus $15 per prescription or your pharmacy copay. With this plan you receive a virtual assessment, monthly prescriptions sent to your home for the duration of your care plan, and ongoing access to your doctor, who will oversee your treatment. The combined Brightside Medication + Therapy plan is $240 per month plus $15 per prescription or your pharmacy copay and includes unlimited online messaging with your therapist. If you choose the Brightside Therapy Plan only, the cost is $165 per month for unlimited online chat with your assigned therapist. 5. Calm More than 50 million users around the world have downloaded the Calm app, which is available on Google Play and through the App Store. Founded in 2012 and based in San Francisco, Calif., Calm offers a range of resources through its subscription-based app, including mindfulness audio programs, guided meditations, sleep stories, and relaxing music tracks. The app is available for download at $69.99 per year, with the first week free. You can also select the lifetime subscription option for a one-time purchase of $399.99. Calm has made a variety of free resources available on its website in response to the coronavirus pandemic and is offering one year of Calm Premium for 40% off, which is a service that unlocks the full library. The company has also partnered with Kaiser Permanente, which is currently offering qualifying members free access to Calm's premium content. What should investors think? If you're an investor interested in mental health start-ups, it's possible that one or more of these companies has piqued your interest. I think Talkspace and Headspace are the two most likely to consider an IPO within the next few years. Both companies are in late-stage funding. Talkspace completed a Series D funding round in May of last year for $50 million. Headspace's last funding round was held in February. The Series C round raised $53 million in equity and $40 million in debt financing for Headspace. To date, Talkspace has raised over $106 million in funding, and Headspace more than $168 million. While both companies have considered an IPO, neither has disclosed definitive plans to go public in the near future. That's really not surprising, especially given the volatility of the coronavirus market, which has already caused a number of companies to hold off on IPOs. But these are two companies to watch as the market moves toward recovery. Immigration Officials at the Hamile border in the Upper West Region have arrested 32 Nigeriens who were returning to their home country using an unapproved route to Burkina Faso. According to the Ghana Immigration Service, initial investigations revealed that the migrants aged between 17 and 74. They have been living in Ghana for some time now and planned to sneak into Burkina Faso and then proceed to Niger for farming activities. A statement from the Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Immigration Service in the region, Ibn Yussif Duranah said At about 0530HRS, the vigilant Immigration Officials on duty at Beat Two, a known unapproved route bordering neighbouring Burkina Faso in the Hamile Sector Command, nabbed thirty-two Nigeriens whose modus operandi was to journey into Burkina Faso through unapproved route and possibly proceed to their home country, Niger. Preliminary investigations revealed that they have been residing in Ghana for some time now, but now wished to return home for farming activities. The busted ECOWAS nationals comprised of thirty-one males and a female. Their ages ranged between 17 and 74. They were screened by the health personnel before being sent back to Kumasi and its environs on-board Grandbird Tour Bus with registration number GT 4356-16. Their return trip is keenly monitored, the statement added. Ghanas borders were closed as part of measures put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country. On May 31, 2020, President Akufo-Addo extended the closure of Ghanas borders (land, air, and sea) to human traffic until further notice. In his 10th televised address, President Akufo-Addo said even though the countrys borders were to remain closed, measures have been put in place to bring Ghanaians stranded abroad back into the country. Immigration officials have also said that they would deal with anybody who tries to enter or exit the country illegally. Despite these warnings, there have been attempts by some persons to either enter the country or exit using unapproved routes. In most of the cases, they have been arrested by Immigration officials. 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 Countries struggle to contain new outbreaks as economic desperation leads to protests over hunger and job cuts. Buenos Aires, Argentina Hilda Benavides cooks for 100 people now in Puente Alto, one of the poorest areas around the Chilean capital of Santiago, and among the hardest hit by the novel coronavirus. One day last week, the 50-year-old grandmother spent the morning frying chicken, peeling potatoes, cutting carrots, and making jello for dessert. She spent the afternoon delivering the packaged meals to her neighbours. In the evening, she handed out donated diapers to young families who were out of work. That day, Benavides also found out her 21-year-old daughter, who lives with her, had tested positive for COVID-19. Many of the people who are infected, its because they went out to work, said Benavides, whose small operation is voluntary. They had to work in order to eat, because the financial support that the government is giving is not enough. Scenes like this are playing out in communities across Latin America, which finds itself in the jaws of the pandemic that has claimed more than 400,000 lives around the world. Brazil has reported more than 850,000 cases and 42,000 deaths, second only to the United States. The virus is also spreading aggressively in Chile and Peru, with cases climbing in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama. Wearing a mask to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, Maria Garcia embraces her daughter Sofia, while selling oranges on a street in Lima, Peru [Rodrigo Abd/AP Photo] As countries struggle to contain new outbreaks, the looming threat of winter, and other respiratory illnesses like influenza and pneumonia, will complicate matters further. Economic desperation borne out of lockdowns that have dragged on for months is posing its own menace. Protests have broken out over hunger and job cuts. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed our region to the limit, Dr Carissa Etienne, director of the Pan American Health Organization, said last week. Structural issues The problem is compounded by insufficient testing, or government meddling in statistics, that has cast doubt over official figures. Last week, the Supreme Court of Brazil ordered the government of Jair Bolsonaro to reinstate statistics it had wiped from public view. Right-wing President Bolsonaros response has been roundly denounced as reckless. He has mocked the severity of the virus he called a little flu, and sabotaged local lockdown efforts by discouraging people from complying. As the virus rips through impoverished favelas, communities are left to contain the crisis on their own. The structural problems of the region make it the worst place for the epicentre, said Maria Victoria Murillo, director of the Institute of Latin American Studies at Columbia University, in New York City. Inequality is very high. Urbanisation is very high. That means you have a lot of informal housing, and people who live in crowded conditions with no access to water, which is perfect for contagion and makes it very hard to observe social distancing, or to wash your hands. Some businesses in Guayaquil, Ecuador were allowed to reopen in late May [Santiago Arcos/Reuters] The structural issues extend to the fiscal situation. Many countries were already struggling economically before the pandemic hit. And with half of the regions workforce in the informal sector, reaching them with financial assistance is its own problem. Those just above the poverty line slip under it. Peru, with a population of 31 million, is still under a lockdown imposed in mid-March and has reported more than 200,000 cases and 6,000 deaths. The government was in a stronger economic position than many of its neighbours to provide financial help. But much of the population do not have bank accounts, or live in communities with no banks, so they had to travel distances and expose themselves to the virus to cash a state bonus. Without fridges in their homes, many people had to go into the community more frequently. Its a chain of problems that intensify the possibility of contagion, said Paula Munoz, a political science professor at the Universidad del Pacifico, in Lima. But given the structural issues, Im not sure if there could have been another way. Argentina, with 45 million inhabitants, also imposed a strict lockdown early on, and it now has one of the lowest rates in the region, with just more than 800 deaths. But Argentina was already in a brutal recession when the outbreak struck. The cost of a quarantine that has the economy running on fumes is fraying nerves. I can last one more month. Maybe two. But if were talking four months, its not possible, says Andres Vega, who runs a stationery shop in Buenos Aires. He has not met the criteria for government credits, so he returned the bulk of his merchandise, and shifted to houseware products hoping to boost sales. Now it is baking utensils, frying pans with a Che Guevara motif, and a copy of Salvador Dalis surrealist melting clock that are on display in his storefront. Like a war The economy also weighs on Cynthia Viteri, the mayor of Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador, which has learned painful lessons from its bout with the virus. In April, with the health system collapsed and morgues overflowing, horrifying images of cadavers on the street circled the world. It was like a war, where the dead would fall without hearing a single shot, she told Al Jazeera. Viteri, who herself contracted the virus in the early days of the countrys outbreak, said the municipality stepped in to make up for a failure on the part of the central government, which is responsible for the public health system. The city set up hospitals, mobile clinics, health centres along its border, and went door to door looking for possible coronavirus carriers. Our strategy was to go out and find the sick people in their homes, she said. Viteri says it has been 20 days of zero deaths over the normal amount. What failed here was a terrible health system that isnt even good enough for normal times, let alone a pandemic. And corruption, to the highest degree. Here they would hold dead people hostage, they would ask for money to pick up the bodies, they would overcharge, this is a scandal as big as COVID, said Viteri. She says some 10,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Guayaquil, a city of 2.7 million, not the 2,000 quoted by the government. A local volunteer disinfects a home with a chlorine solution, in Zapotal, Ecuador [Santiago Arcos/Reuters] In the midst of this devastation, Murillo and Munoz believe the pandemic could lead to important changes. Governments that have collected information on the most vulnerable sectors of society have data to devise policies that can help them, says Murillo. This has also opened the conversation about what is the role of the state and to talk about fiscal reform, she added. There are a lot of things that were going to have to rethink, but its a difficult time for that too, because were going to have fewer resources, added Munoz. The recession is going to be very very hard this year and that is going to produce a lot of discontent, said Murillo. So if there isnt an opportunity for political change, my sense is that people are going to start pouring back into the streets pretty soon. Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said India wanted peace and non-violence to guide its relationship with the neighbouring countries and has never attempted to appropriate land belonging to others. Gadkaris comments come amid tensions with China and Nepal over conflicting territorial claims and an assertion to never compromise Indias pride, made by union defence minister Rajnath Singh earlier today. Pakistan is on one side of our country, China on the other side. We want peace & non-violence. We never tried to snatch the land of Bhutan or Bangladesh. We dont want the land of Pakistan or China either. The only thing we want is peace Union minister Nitin Gadkari was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Gadkaris comments come in the backdrop of India expressing unhappiness with Nepals parliament passing a constitutional amendment to include Indian territories of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura in the map of the Himalayan nation. India has described Nepals actions as unilateral and artificial enlargement of claims, which was not based on historical fact or evidence On the other hand, Indian and Chinese troops were engaged in a phased pull out from a military build-up at the Ladakh boundary which has lasted for around 6 weeks and also resulted in violent clashes between the two sides. Earlier today, defence minister Rajnath Singh, while addressing people in Jammu through a video link, also stressed on Indias preference for peacefully resolving the dispute with China through talks even as he asserted that India wont compromise on national pride. Talks are underway with China at the diplomatic and military level. China, too, expressed its wish to resolve this issue via talks. I would like to inform the Opposition that our government wont keep anyone in the dark. I assure you that we wont compromise with national pride in any situation, Singh said. Wont keep anyone in dark: Rajnath Singhs swipe at Opposition over LAC tension The Chinese build-up along the line of actual control (LAC) started in May first week along the Ladakh sector and Sikkim where they engaged Indian troops in a face off. Thereafter the tensions between forces of the two countries escalated further along other areas along the LAC. Situation eased after several rounds of talks between the two sides at diplomatic and military level. Rajnath Singh said that India was no longer a weak country but its strength was not meant to scare anyone but was for its own security. India has become strong in its national security. India is no longer a weak India. Our strength has risen. But this strength is not meant to frighten anyone. If we are increasing our strength we are doing so to secure our country, Singh was quoted as saying. Gadkari and Singhs comments could also be seen in the context of Nepals lower house of parliament approving a new political map laying claim over the strategically important areas of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura along the border with India. In a sharp reaction, New Delhi called it an untenable claim. Nepal okays map tweak, India calls it untenable This artificial enlargement of claims is not based on historical fact or evidence and is not tenable. It is also violative of our current understanding to hold talks on outstanding boundary issues, a spokesperson quoted by PTI said. Cheong Wa Dae / Korea Times file South Korea held an emergency security meeting on Sunday and pressed North Korea to keep reconciliatory deals as Pyongyang continued to up the ante by threatening to sever inter-Korean relations and even use military action. Seoul's top security officials, led by Chung Eui-yong, director of national security at the presidential office, reviewed the current security situation on the Korean Peninsula as well as Seoul's response to the recent harsh rhetoric by Pyongyang, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. The emergency security meeting came as Pyongyang built up tensions in inter-Korean ties with a threat to cut off all communication lines with South Korea last week. Protesting against anti-North Korea leaflets sent by activists and North Korean defectors in the South, Pyongyang threatened to disconnect all telephone lines between the two Koreas last Tuesday. By Express News Service KOCHI: Out of money and stuck in a foreign country for the past two months, Jenneh Paye and her two-and-a-half-year-old-son Jin Paye are waiting for help to travel back to Liberia. Though the surgery was successful, they are now stuck in Lisie Hospital after their flight back home was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.Jenneh and son reached Kerala on March 2. They arrived here for the childs heart surgery after Jin was diagnosed with a hole in the heart within a few months of his birth. Surgery was the only solution. Though Liberia has made progress in its healthcare system, the country still does not have facilities for operating and treating heart diseases in children. Dr Sia Wata Camanor, senior paediatrician of JFK Hospital in Liberia, collaborated with the paediatric cardiology team in Lisie and arranged for the boys treatment. Within a few months, my husband and I managed to collect enough money to travel to India and get Jin operated though it meant working overtime and mortgaging our family house. We accepted the struggle for my sons recovery, said Jenneh. Jin used to get recurrent respiratory infections, she said. The surgery went well and his heart condition was rectified by closing the hole, Lisie hospital authorities said. Though the return flight tickets were booked for April, the pandemic scuppered all her travel plans. They had only planned for a months stay. But they ran out of money after they were forced to stay back for an extended period. For now, the hospital management is taking care of their food and shelter with some help from the Liberian Consulate and a few philanthropists. We hope she gets to go back home soon, said a Lisie Hospital official. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, most parents say they are worried about the pending class 10 and 12 board exams by CBSE and CICSE scheduled from July 1, and demand that they be scrapped and the result be declared by either calculating the average of tests already conducted or based on an internal assessment. Several parents have launched an online campaign hashtagged studentlivesmatter, livesoverexams and cancelboardexams. Four of them have filed a petition in the Supreme Court, urging it to cancel the board exams in the wake of the coronavirus disease, which by Sunday had infected more than 3.20 lakh and killed over 9,000 people across the country. Who will ensure the safety of our children? One asymptomatic child or invigilator can infect all the kids in that classroom. The viral load of being in the same room for 4 hours is very high, Nishant Akshar, a parent, said. Other than logistical nightmare, what if the situation worsens? The kids prepare again and at the last minute the exams get cancelled (again). What will be the psychological impact on our children? Rohini Bhumihar, mother of a class 10 student, said. Seeing that any improvement in the situation was difficult to predict, Punjab, Telangana and Tamil Nadu have cancelled class 10 exams for their students this year. The petition filed in the Supreme Court by the parents of class 12 students has sought a direction to CBSE to declare results on the basis of tests already conducted, and calculate the total on average basis with internal assessment marks of the remaining subjects. Parents have also argued that the CBSE has cancelled the examinations of Class 10 and 12 for its around 250 schools situated abroad and has adopted the criteria of awarding marks on the basis of either practical exams conducted or the internal assessment marks, then why similar approach cannot be followed for students in India. The board exams, which were postponed in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be conducted from July 1 to 15. The competitive exams including medical entrance NEET and engineering entrance exam JEE-Mains have been scheduled on July 26 and July 18-23 respectively. Universities and schools across the country have been shut since March 16, when the Centre announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as part of measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. A 21-day nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, which came into effect the next day. While the government has eased several restrictions, schools and colleges continue to remain closed. According to Home Ministry guidelines, there will be no exam centres in the containment zones. Wearing of face masks by teachers, staff and students will be mandatory. There shall be provisions of thermal screening and sanitizer at the centres and social distancing rules will have to be followed at exam centres. Special buses may be arranged by states and UTs for transportation of students to exam centres, the Home Ministry has said. The CBSE has announced that the exams will be conducted in schools where the students were enrolled and not at external centres. Both the boards have also given students an option to change their exam district or state if they have moved to a different place during the lockdown. - Governor Lonyangapuo said the cattle were taken away in the night of Friday, June 5, from Bukwo district, Uganda - The Kanu county boss confirmed all the 14 livestock had been returned back to the original owners successfully as a sign of peace - Cases of cattle rustling have never ended in the North Rift despite government's plea for residents in the region to end the menace and concentrate on other economic activities West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo has led a security team and residents of his county to return cattle that was stolen from the neighbouring country Uganda. The first-term governor said the cattle were taken away in the night of Friday, June 5, from Bukwo district. READ ALSO: Tweep desperate to get married says guys are scared to talk to her West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo speaking to county residents. Photo: John Lonyangapuo. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Tommorow is unknown: Abenny Jachiga's video on plans to release new hits after COVID-19 pandemic emerges Speaking to members of the press on Saturday, June 13, the Kanu county boss confirmed all the 14 livestock had been returned back to the original owners successfully. "We have come here to take back these cattle that were stolen from Uganda, Bukwo district in the night of Friday, June 5. We have successfully returned all the 14 cattle that were stolen by a few thieves," "We had actually stayed for five years before an event of this nature happened until the onset of the coronavirus pandemic..so we decided to take back the cattle for the sake of peace with our neighbours Uganda," said Lonyangapuo. Some of the cows that were stolen in 2019 by the Pokot and Marakwet communities. Photo: John Lonyangapuo. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Aliyekuwa mchezaji wa Gor Mahia Wesley Onguso ageuka na kuwa mwanabodaboda Cases of cattle rustling have never ended in North Rift despite government's plea for residents in the region to end the menace and concentrate on other economic activities. In June 2019, Lonyangapuo said he had managed to eradicate the "primitive" vice by introducing adult education popularly known as ngumbaro. A teacher at Alale adult education centre in West Pokot county. Photo: The Star. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Emurua Dikir MP Johanna Ng'eno's 24 dairy cows die after consuming artificial minerals "There is no cattle rustling in West Pokot. Our county is the only county where education is compulsory. I have introduced adult education," he said. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. The university student hawking water and sweet potatoes to pay fees and feed the poor | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke By Nam Hyun-woo, Kim Yoo-chul Despite repeated affirmations that SsangYong Motor is a symbol representing the solid partnership between South Korea and India, Mahindra and Mahindra (Mahindra) its largest shareholder does appear to want to unload some of its shares in the ailing South Korean automaker, possibly giving up its controlling stake. Given President Moon Jae-in's focus on India, following a shift in traditional Korean foreign policy toward expanding ties with ASEAN bloc countries, and his counterpart Prime Minister Narendra Modi reciprocity toward Seoul, Mahindra's exit could taint the two leaders' view of and appreciation for each other. Mahindra's repeated threats may have paid off as SsangYong's creditors are seeking a way to make the ailing automaker eligible for support from a state relief fund. The fund was set up to help businesses in backbone industries keep their workers on the payroll amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "The government acknowledges Mahindra's clear intention to move forward with an exit strategy on SsangYong with the Indian firm searching for new investors to hand over its majority stake to," a senior government official told The Korea Times, Sunday. "We may extend the due date of SsangYong's debt repayment after we review the carmaker's detailed large-scale restructuring plans." SsangYong hopes to get the state relief because it has few options but to submit such a request for its survival. Companies in seven key areas automobiles, airlines, maritime, shipping, machinery and power were earlier designated as eligible to receive loans. The government set aside 40 trillion won for the relief fund to help th chosen firms that employ thousands of workers. SsangYong has 254 billion won in liabilities due this year, 90 billion won of which is owed to the Korea Development Bank (KDB) and is payable in July. But as the government mandated aid recipients must maintain jobs, restrict executive compensation and not pay shareholder dividends, even if Ssangyong receives the money, it is still uncertain that it can improve competitiveness and maintain jobs, given its overall weak brand position. Also, direct cash support to other local automakers, which have already been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, could be subject to international trade disputes in terms of fair competition. In 2015, Japan took South Korea to the WTO, claiming 12 trillion won given in financial support to Daewoo Shipbuilding harmed competition between shipbuilders. "SsangYong is problematic, but the government does not want it to file for court receivership given its contribution to the local economy. If the automaker can articulate ideas for future growth and demonstrate detailed financing plans, its creditors may give it one more chance," the official said. SsangYong is arguing that COVID-19 is forcing Mahindra's possible exit from the company, and therefore, there is no problem with it receiving aid. But creditors and the finance ministry view SsangYong as the victim of brutal competition. Over the weekend, Mahindra Managing Director and SsangYong Motor Chairman Pawan Goenka told reporters the automaker needed a new investor and added that the two companies would be working to see if they can secure investment. Mahindra earlier reported a consolidated 19.55 billion rupees ($258 million) net loss so far for this year, compared with a net profit in 2019, after booking a write-down on its investment in SsangYong and other international units. Mahindra, which owns a 74.65 percent stake in SsangYong, rescued the sports-utility vehicle maker from near-insolvency in 2010, but has struggled to revive its fortunes. In May this year, The Korea Times was the first to report that the Indian carmaker was possibly initiating an "exit strategy" from SsangYong, citing industry officials. SsangYong Motor reported 649.2 billion won ($527.8 million) in sales during the first quarter of 2020, down 30.4 percent from last year. During the same period, operating losses widened to 98.6 billion won from 27.8 billion won, year-on-year, with its net loss also rising to 193.5 billion won from 26.1 billion won. In January, Goenka said the company would need 500 billion won over the next three years to normalize operations. At the time, Mahindra said it would inject 230 billion won of this, expressing the hope that the KDB would cover the remainder. However, in April Mahindra said it would invest only 40 billion won and urged SsangYong to "find alternate sources of funding," citing its difficulties in the Indian automobile industry. Hyderabad: PhD scholars from the University of Hyderabad (UoH) were in for a shock when they got turned down in job interviews for the most horrifying of reasons: Their certs were invalid. The interviewers pointed out to them that they do not comply with the UGC regulations they are bound to follow because the administration didnt bother to ensure it. It takes years of work to earn the degree, and in this case, all that for nothing unless the university now retrospectively finds a way to sort out their own lapse of duty. Take the case of G Sreekala, a scholar who finished her research at the Department of Communication of UoH. A 2018 passout, she applied for a job at the University of Himachal Pradesh and submitted her certificates during the interview only to be told they dont comply with UGC regulations. It was in the interview that I came to know my doctoral certificate does not state whether it was issued in compliance with UGC regulations (2009), which are bound to be followed, tells Sreekala. The UGC regulations (2009) stipulate that students require a minimum of 12 credits to get a doctoral degree. Sreekala does have enough credits from her pre-PhD courses, but they werent added to her total marks, as the results papers never made it to the registrars office. The UoH deputy registrar told Sreekala that her doctoral degree/certificate is not valid because her file showed only 8 credits. And he rubbed it in: He said all of this was my fault; Id been ignorant. When the university doesnt make an effort to keep its students in the know regarding the technicalities, should we be guessing it by ourselves? Sreekala sighs. As it turns out, this isnt a stray issue. In fact, as per what the deputy registrar told Sreekala verbally, there are several others who are trapped in similar situations, all of them belonging to the arts and social sciences departments. However, none of them was willing to speak to Deccan Chronicle for fear of repercussions from the UoH admin. Many students do not want to come forward because of the fear that there could be repercussions or in the hope that all of this could be rectified soon, she says. I too could have found an easy way out, but the thing is, unless somebody makes this an issue, it will continue to ruin many scholars careers, says Sreekala. The new rule has made it almost impossible for researchers like her to attend interviews because the UoH administration is not willing to issue the regulations certificate. Bizarrely, the varsity administration maintains that they do not have any documents to prove that Sreekalas batch passed the Advanced Research course, as their respective departments never sent any communication in this regard in 2014. They say the lapse was by the departments; they did not hand over the required paperwork on time. The departments are equally befuddled regarding the paper trail. For what seems to be a lapse either from the university administration, or the Department of Communication, now the students are to suffer for. However, on account of Sreekalas complaints, the department later did send documents for result notification to the Controller of Examiner's office in November last year, but it was rejected for the delay in submission. Subsequently, it was forwarded to vice-chancellor Appa Rao Podile for approval. After it turned out to be an issue faced by many students, a committee has been now formed to look into the matter. As intimated by the university spokesperson Prof. Vinod Pavarala, the committee has submitted its report recommending regularisation of such cases with retrospective effect. Once the VC approves this, the same will be intimated soon to the Departments/Schools and the students concerned. Photo: Getty Gold smuggling is costing the Democratic Republic of Congo 1.5m ($1.9m) in lost taxes according to a United Nations report. Production of artisanal gold in the African nation was 333.4 kilograms last year but the country only exported 39.4 kilograms, worth about 1m, according to Mines Ministry statistics. The huge discrepancy between production and export reflect the "significant smuggled volumes" of gold ending up in Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, the United Arab Emirates and Tanzania said the Group of Experts report. The UN report published on the Security Council website, estimates a minimum of 1,100 kilograms of gold was shipped in 2019 from Congos north eastern Ituri province alone. If exported legally it would have generated 1.5m in taxes. READ MORE: Coronavirus: Games Workshop to refund government payout as sales soar Some of the profits from the hand dug gold continue to fund militia in eastern Congo, the report said. The illegal gold trading evades the normal banking network and instead some refineries act as brokers, using cash payments, said the group. The annual report also highlighted that Congo is one of the regions largest artisanal gold producers, and yet one of its smallest official exporters." A report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development in 2015 estimated between 10 and 15 tons of artisanal gold was produced in Congo each year. At current prices, that amount of gold would be worth up to 666 million, reports Bloomberg. READ MORE: Coronavirus: AstraZeneca signs deal to make vaccine for Europe After nearly 90 days away, Aida L. Diaz was ready to be back inside her church. A longtime parishioner of St. Brigid Roman Catholic Church in Peapack and Gladstone, Diaz said finally attending Mass inside the church on Sunday was a welcome bit of normalcy during the coronavirus pandemic. Were getting there, and this is one of the first steps we have to do this to get back to normal, she said, shortly after attending the churchs first Sunday Mass since March 15. The Diocese of Metuchen, which includes St. Brigids, suspended all celebrations of Mass on March 18, and indoor gatherings of any size were banned by Gov. Phil Murphy shortly after. The limit was raised to allow religious services with capacity limits beginning this weekend. For Diaz, practicing her religion overrode any concerns she had about the coronavirus. It was most important that I was able to go into church and see my priest and him give us the sacrament (of communion), Diaz said, adding that she was happy with the prevention measures taken. Monsignor Edward Puleo as he held mass with people in attendance, and social distancing, at St. Brigid Church in Peapack , N.J. June, 14, 2020 Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for It was not Mass as usual, though. A number of safety measures were put in place, including social distancing, mandatory masks and changes to the format of Mass itself to help curb the spread of the virus. An usher stood outside the door, keeping track of how many worshipers entered the church, while a second usher guided people to marked spots in every other pew. Instead of the typical congregation of about 200, only about 50 were allowed in the church, to comply with the current limits indoor gatherings. Indoor religious gatherings can be 25% of a buildings capacity or 50 people, whichever number is fewer. Another 20 or so worshipers were seated in the parish basement, where they could watch on a projector screen. Custodian Abel Porras said overflow seating was typically utilized by the church. The parishioners all wore masks, and were asked to limit singing. Aa recent Center for Disease Control and Prevention study shows that singing might spread the virus more aggressively than speaking. Surgical masks were available for anyone who forgot theirs, Porras said. Watching mass from the over flow room in the basement as Monsignor Edward Puleo held mass with people in attendance, and social distancing, at St. Brigid Church in Peapack , N.J. June, 14, 2020 Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for Monsignor Edward C. Puleo, who said Mass on Sunday, was met with a round of applause when he made a pre-Mass announcement about the changes to the service itself. The largest change was the format of communion, when wafers and wine that symbolize the body and blood of Jesus Christ are distributed to worshipers. Distribution of wine, which the Church voluntarily suspended in early March, did not resume Sunday, and the sign of peace, when Catholics exchange hugs and handshakes, was exchanged without physical contact. Communion is traditionally given during the celebration of the Eucharist, about two-thirds into Mass. Instead of distributing communion during the mass, a spiritual communion was given during the prayers, and physical communion was distributed at the end of Mass. Parishioners were given the option to receive communion outside the church from a minister, or receive it from Puleo inside the church and leave immediately after. This was the only change that Diaz minded, she said. Traditionally, parishioners sit in quiet prayer after communion, following by additional prayers and a procession out of the church. I couldnt just receive communion and walk out to my car, Diaz said. She chose to say a prayer in her pew after communion, and then left the church. Parish officials say they understand Sunday was just a first step back into normal religious practice. Drive-through communion was held following the indoor Mass, and Porras, the custodian, said he anticipated about 100 cars. We will get more inside when we are allowed, Porras said. Although Catholic services resumed across the state, many Christian churches of other denominations did not hold traditional services on Sunday. Some are continuing to stream their services live online, while others have set resumption dates in the coming weeks. 25 Congregation gathers inside church for mass Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Katie Kausch may be reached at kkausch@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. New Delhi, June 14 : As Union Home Minister Amit Shah called an all-party meeting on Monday morning to "review management of Covid-19 situation" in Delhi, the political signalling was unmistakable. While Shah as the Home Minister stepped in only after the apex court's unambiguous rap, calling the handing of the situation "horrendous, horrific, pathetic", this all-party meeting comes after the one convened by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal. According to sources, the Delhi unit of the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will be represented at the meeting. Senior officials of the Delhi and the central governments will also be present. Politically, it sends out a signal that Shah has taken charge of the situation in the national capital that has come under severe criticism from many quarters. Interestingly, Monday's meeting comes within 24 hours of the Centre attaching six Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officials to the Delhi government to help in Covid-19 management. The officials attached to the Delhi government are S.C.L. Das, S.S. Yadav, and Awanish Kumar and Monica Priyadarshini from Andaman and Nicobar, and Gaurav Singh Rajawat and Vikram Singh Mallik from Arunachal Pradesh. The Union Home Minister has also instructed immediate transfer of Kumar, Priyadarshini, Rajawat and Mallik. Politically, it's a signal to suggest that who is in charge to undo the "horrendous, horrific, pathetic" situation that was allowed to happen under the AAP government. To further muddy it for the AAP, Delhi Congress chief Anil Kumar said, "The question that needs to be asked is why did Arvind Kejriwal not take the initiative like the ones taken by the L-G and the Union Home Minister." Kumar has sought suggestions from Delhiites that he will present to the MHA on Monday. Meanwhile, after Sunday's first meeting, the Centre decided to double the number of tests in the city in the next two days. The exercise will soon start at polling stations in containment zones. "To prevent corona infections in Delhi, testing will be doubled in the next two days. The testing will be increased to three times after six days. Also, after a few days, testing will start at every polling station in the containment zones," Shah tweeted after the meeting. Delhi BJP chief Adesh Kumar Gupta, who will be representing his party at the meeting, "thanked" Shah for stepping in to halt the "deteriorating situation in Delhi". On Sunday evening, Shah called another meeting of all Mayors of Delhi to formulate a municipal-level strategy. As the Covid-19 tally crossed 38,000 in the city, going strictly by the optics, the Delhi Chief Minister seems to have taken a back seat while the Union Home Minister has taken it upon himself to salvage the situation. Lucknow, June 14 : Two persons have been arrested in Gonda district for threatening to blow up UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's residence and 50 other vital installations. The threat was given through a message on WhatsApp at the police helpline 112 on Friday. An FIR was registered at the Gautam Palli police station and security at the Chief Minister's residence was tightened. The arrested youth are brothers, identified at Raja Babu and Mukesh. They were tracked down through electronic surveillance. "They have been arrested and are being interrogated," said a government spokesman. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 21:06:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Video: U.S. President Donald Trump says on June 13, 2020, in his remarks to graduates of the United States Military Academy that his country is "ending the era of endless wars." (Xinhua) "We are ending the era of endless wars... We are not the policemen of the world," says Trump. WASHINGTON, June 14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday in his remarks to graduates of the United States Military Academy that his country is "ending the era of endless wars." "We are ending the era of endless wars. In its place is a renewed, clear-eyed focus on defending America's vital interests," Trump said before more than 1,000 cadets of the academy also known as West Point. He noted that the task of the U.S. military is neither to rebuild foreign nations nor to "solve ancient conflicts in faraway lands that many people have never even heard of." "We are not the policemen of the world," he added. Photo taken on Feb. 9, 2020 shows the Pentagon seen from an airplane over Washington D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Trump's speech came at a moment when his administration is drawing up plans to pull out troops from various places around the globe. A joint statement issued by Washington and Baghdad on Thursday said that the United States would continue reducing its military presence in Iraq over the coming months. Trump reportedly directed the Pentagon to reduce nearly 9,500 U.S. troops from the 34,500 troops that are permanently assigned in Germany, which led to opposition from Republican lawmakers. Last week 22 Republican members of Congress wrote Trump, warning him a significant force drawdown in Europe would serve Russia's interests at the expense of U.S. national security. U.S. soldiers inspect the site of suicide car bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, May 17, 2015. Four people were killed and several others wounded when a suicide car bomb exploded near the airport of the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday, sources and witnesses said. (Xinhua/Ahmad Massoud) There are also reports saying that the Trump administration is looking at a range of options to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan at an early date, with one possible option targeting this November. The peace agreement signed late February between the United States and the Afghan Taliban called for the full withdrawal of the U.S. military from the war-torn country by May 2021 if the Taliban no longer supports terrorist groups. "If conditions will allow, we're prepared to go to zero," Commander of U.S. Central Command Kenneth McKenzie said in a think tank event on Wednesday, but adding "those conditions have not been fully met." Amid the chaos and anarchy across blue-city America that exclusively possessed public attention for the last couple of weeks, it was not hard to miss any other bit of news especially if that news has not appeared or been even briefly mentioned by any major mainstream media outlet. Take for example the news of Hillary Clinton, who lost her appeal in the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on June 2, where she tried to avoid testifying under oath about her emails and the Benghazi case. The hearing in the D.C. Circuit came in the case Judicial Watch v. Clinton, a public records case involving a request for State Department documents and communication about the 2012 terror attack at the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya. U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed in the attack. The case also involves Clinton's use of a private email server as secretary of state. Judicial Watch, a conservative activist watchdog group that files Freedom of Information Act lawsuits to investigate claimed misconduct by government officials, uncovered another 756 pages of emails the FBI was able to retrieve that were part of Hillary Clinton's unsecured server revealing communications between some prominent Washington figures and classified emails sent by former prime minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair. The emails were part of the batch "Clinton tried to delete or destroy," Judicial Watch stated in its press release. It showed that Clinton had asked Blair to continue using her private email after her confirmation and also revealed that Blair was sending classified information on her unsecured server. Clinton had been "extremely careless" in her handling of classified information, as exFBI director James Comey carefully and rather mildly concluded in July 2016, announcing there would be no charges against her. Judicial Watch did not drop the case. On June 2, Clinton's lawyers challenged a March 2 order from U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, who ordered Clinton to testify: P.5: "The Court is not confident that State currently possesses every Clinton email recovered by the FBI; even years after the FBI investigation, the slow trickle of new emails has yet to be explained. For this reason, the Court believes the subpoena would be worthwhile and may even uncover additional previously undisclosed emails. Accordingly, the Court GRANTS this request." P. 10: "The Court GRANTS Judicial Watch's request to depose Secretary Clinton on matters concerning her reasons for using a private server and her understanding of State's records management obligations." P. 1011: "The Court holds that Secretary Clinton and Ms. Mills [Counselor and Chief of Staff to Hillary Clinton during her whole tenure as United States Secretary of State] cannot be questioned about the underlying actions taken after the Benghazi attack, but they may be questioned about their knowledge of the existence of any emails, documents, or text messages related to the Benghazi attack. Such inquiries would go to the adequacy of the search without expanding the parametersAccordingly, the Court GRANTS IN PART AND DENIES IN PART this request." Clinton had argued that she shouldn't be required to testify because she was a former high-level government official and that the FBI already tried to retrieve her emails. Clinton's lawyers even mentioned some "indisputable right" allowing her not to appear in court, according to Judicial Watch. Tom Fitton, Judicial Watch president, said Clinton's lawyers' petition practically states that "she's too important to have to testify to us." "She's desperate to stop this questioning by Judicial Watch because no one has asked her questions like this before[.] ... We know what the issues are, and the court wants specific questions answered, but now she's seeking this extraordinary emergency intervention to stop us." Judicial Watch wants to know about the Benghazi talking points when senior Obama administration officials knowingly misled the country about what had happened by heavily scrubbing the CIA's talking points regarding terror references on the eve of the 2012 presidential election. They would want to ask her why she deleted 33,000 emails from her private server and what information they contained because despite her claims that they were "personal," the FBI recovered more than 17,000 of them that were work-related. Did they contain any classified information? Did they contain human intel? Did she know about the upcoming terrorist attack? What measures did she use to prevent the Benghazi attack? What measures did she use to save the American lives? And many, many more. And now, despite all the effort to avoid testimony, Madam Secretary will have to answer questions from Judicial Watch, as the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals submitted the case, which will now be heard on September 9. Stock up on your popcorn, America. Please follow Veronika Kyrylenko, Ph.D. on Twitter or LinkedIn. Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr. A capacity limit of 22 people has been placed on both main courtrooms in Naas Courthouse. Signs informing all comers of the limits imposed because of the Covid-19 restrictions went up last week within the building. Because of the requirements of social distancing, especially indoors, there has been a steep fall in the number of cases being heard at sittings of the District Court in Naas. An extraordinary number of cases have been adjourned to dates later this year. Because nobody knew how long the restrictions would last at the start of virus crisis, cases were adjourned to dates in June, starting last week. The list of cases scheduled for Wednesday last (June 2) stretched to a probably unprecedented 23 pages. A total of 377 cases were listed. Once again, the majority of these were adjourned and most, a total of 100, will come up for mention again either in late July or early September. People involved in cases have been advised to stay away from court buildings because of virus control measures; but a larger than expected number turned up on Wednesday. Judge Desmond Zaidan again urged the prosecuting gardai and defending solicitors to reach agreement where possible and subject to everybody's legal right to contest even the most minor matter about cases so that the backlog can be dealt with. However, there was criticism over the number of people in the court foyer last week from solicitor Conal Boyce who said to Judge Zaidan if you look outside there, its like Grand Central Station. Sgt Jim Kelly said he also had concerns about the number of people in the foyer that day. Judge Zaidan said it should be clarified how the capacity would be policed. Pakistan is expected to see a million Covid-19 cases by the end of July amid warnings people are ignoring rules on social distancing. The country home to more than 212million people currently has nearly 140,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, which is likely under reported due to testing limitations, and the death toll is approaching 2,700. But experts say cases are expected to double to 300,000 by the end of June, and reach 1.2million a month later. Government restrictions were violated by some people who thronged mosques and markets during Ramadan and ahead of the Eid festival in late May. Pakistan has seen its coronavirus epidemic explode in the last two weeks, with multiple consecutive days of soaring cases and deaths. Hospitals across Pakistan say they are at or near capacity, and some are turning COVID-19 patients away. Pakistan is expected to see a million Covid-19 cases by the end of July amid warnings people are ignoring rules on social distancing. Pictured: Muslims attend a morning prayer session to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, in Karachi, Pakistan, 24 May Experts say cases are expected to double to 300,000 by the end of June, and reach 1.2million a month later. Pictured: Army personnel wearing facemasks patrol in vehicles on a street in Islamabad on June 12, as cases of COVID-19 coronavirus continue to rise Pakistan's planning minister Asad Umar, who is helping coordinate the government's coronavirus response, warned of the sobering figures today. He told reporters in Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan: 'Expert estimates say the number of confirmed cases could go up to 300,000 by the end of June if we keep on flouting SOPs (standard operating procedures) and taking the problem lightly. 'We fear the number of confirmed cases could go up further to 1.2million by end of next month.' Many people in the country are ignoring guidance on social distancing, hygiene and other measures to tackle the disease. Although authorities have ramped up testing, it nonetheless remains limited with some 25,000 people tested per day - just under four tests per 1,000 people. The real number of people infected is likely to be far higher than the 140,000 recorded. The World Health Organization has also warned that if a new intermittent lockdown was not imposed, the country could see cases rise to more than 800,000 in July before beginning to level off. It condemned Pakistan's lifting of lockdown restrictions, which were put in place on April 1, on May 22. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan had opposed a nationwide lockdown since March, arguing the impoverished country could not afford it. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan had opposed a nationwide lockdown since March, arguing the impoverished country could not afford it. Pictured: Labourers sleep in front of a shuttered market in Karachi, June 14 A group of senior doctors in Pakistan wrote to religious leaders and to the PM pleading them to reverse a decision to leave mosques open during the Holy Month of Ramadan from April 23 to May 23. Pictured: Muslims at Eidgah Mosque in Peshawar on May 24 'Some people say "lockdown, lockdown, lockdown!" as if that is a solution,' he said in a televised address to the nation. 'Our situation is different from the US, China [and others], because 25 per cent of our people are in poverty. So if we do a lockdown, the curse of it falls on the poor.' Pakistan's four provinces ordered a patchwork of closures, but even those restrictions have now been lifted. The PM urged citizens to observe social distancing guidelines to control the spread of the virus. However, the lockdown was ended right after the Muslim festival of Eid we saw the cases rising rapidly,' said Baig. 'We saw our first 1,000 cases [in the province] in 50 days, and now we have seen 1,000 cases in just the last three days. A group of senior doctors in Pakistan warned the elderly are more likely to be attending prayers - the most vulnerable group to the coronavirus. Pictured: Muslims offer Eid al-Fitr prayers marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan at a ground in Quetta on May 24 The PM urged citizens to observe social distancing guidelines to control the spread of the virus. Pictured: Muslims celebrating the Eid al-Fitr festival A sudden sharp rise in infections was recorded in Pakistan from late May onwards, with thousands of people being diagnosed per day. Pictured: People wearing face masks exchanging greetings, May 24 FACE MASKS ARE MORE PROTECTIVE THAN HANDWASHING OR SOCIAL DISTANCING, STUDY SUGGESTS Face masks are more protective against Covid-19 than handwashing or social distancing, a study of coronavirus-riddled US warship Theodore Roosevelt suggests. More than 1,000 of the ship's nearly 4,900-member crew tested positive for Covid-19 during an outbreak in March, which saw one person die and the captain fired. The Roosevelt pulled into Guam on March 27, with a rapidly escalating number of sailors testing positive for the virus. It is not clear how the virus initially entered the ship. The aircraft carrier has been studied by US officials to get a better understanding of how the virus spreads. In April, the US Navy and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigated the outbreak involving a sample of 382 service members (27 per cent) on board who were mostly young, healthy adults. Only 55.8 per cent of those who wore a mask became infected compared to 80.8 per cent of those who did not - a difference of 25 per cent. Physical distancing reduced the infection by 15.3 per cent, with 54.7 per cent of those practising it becoming infected compared to 70 per cent of those who did not. Wearing a protective facial covering was also found to be more effective than increased hand-washing. Around 62 per cent of those who reported regularly washing their hands becoming infected compared to around 65 per cent of those who didn't regularly wash their hands - a difference of three per cent. Advertisement A group of senior doctors in Pakistan wrote to religious leaders and to the PM pleading them to reverse a decision to leave mosques open during the Holy Month of Ramadan from April 23 to May 23. They warned the elderly are more likely to be attending prayers - the most vulnerable group to the coronavirus. This could result in an 'explosion of Covid-19', the doctors warned. However, instead of limiting prayers to no more than five people as it had done previously in the pandemic, the government has allowed for mass prayer. Thousands adorned mosques - many without masks or practicing social distancing - during Ramadan and ahead of the Eid festival on May 23. A sudden sharp rise in infections was recorded from late May onwards, with thousands of people being diagnosed per day. Yesterday 6,472 people had a positive test result. Doctors fear the health care system is on the brink of collapse amid sudden increases in Covid-19 patients. The country offers just six hospital beds per 10,000 people, which compares to the UK's 28 beds per 10,000. 'There has not been a single day in the last week where we had a single bed available,' Dr Naveed Ahmed Khan, a surgeon at Peshawar's Hayatabad Medical Complex, one of the city's largest hospitals, told Al Jazeera. 'Only if someone died or was discharged could we replace them with a new patient.' Muhammad Kashif, a doctor at Lady Reading Hospital, said: 'Our hospital's condition is already overburdened and the health system is very weak. 'Right now, you won't find a single ICU bed in all of Peshawar. Our health system, if, God forbid, things remain as they are, it will definitely collapse.' After initially lagging infection rates in Western nations, Pakistan and other South Asian countries are experiencing a surge in cases. Mr Umar said hotpsot areas such as Lahore are now subject to 'smart' lockdowns in which authorities attempt to track coronavirus patients and limit who they come into contact with. 'The government has decided to go for smart lockdowns by tracking hotspots and then sealing them. This will start from Punjab province,' Mr Umar said. Authorities in Islamabad already locked down one neighbourhood after tracking 200 confirmed coronavirus cases in just one day on Friday. A group supporting migrant workers held a virtual rally Sunday that called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and MPs to immediately extend full immigration status for all non-permanent residents. The event, sponsored by the Migrant Rights Network, featured a series of farm workers, caregivers, construction workers and others who expressed the difficulties of living through the COVID-19 pandemic without the government support given to Canadians. We are raising our voice because the COVID-19 virus has laid bare the crisis caused by capitalism, racism, climate change and war, spokeswoman Sarom Rho said during the one-hour event. Rho said the majority of migrants are paid low wages, and face many other challenges. Canadas corporations profit off of the intentional temporariness caused by a two-tiered immigration system, Rho said, adding that the novel coronavirus has hit migrants and the poor the hardest. Without access to emergency income supports, migrants have been working through the crisis without basic labour rights or health and safety protections. We are going hungry, we are homeless, we have lost our lives. Without emergency income supports provided to Canadian workers, she says, migrants are going hungry as they struggle to survive. Rho said migrants are calling on Trudeau to live up to his promise to do better to fight racism. So today we say to him, Prime Minister Trudeau do better by ensuring full immigration status for all. That would provide health services including hospitalization and access to doctors, worker protections against discrimination and abuse along with access to permanent wage increases and paid emergency leave. It wants access to community supports such as food banks, emergency shelters and other services and an immediate moratorium on detentions and deportations. The activist group launched the one-day event by supporting efforts to defund, disarm and dismantle police over racist policies following recent deaths at the hands of police, including George Floyd and several Canadians, such as Rodney Levi, an Indigenous man in New Brunswick. We are in the midst of a massive anti-racist uprising against police and anti-Black police violence, a groundshifting rebellion led by Black women and youth. Read more about: Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 14) Authorities have launched pursuit operations against two unidentified armed men who attacked the Parang town police station in Sulu on Saturday, leaving two police officers dead and two others wounded. A report from the Regional Police Office of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao noted that the incident happened at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. Joint elements from the Sulu Police provincial forces led by Colonel Michael Bayawan arrived on the scene an hour after, but the suspects had managed to flee towards Indanan town. Killed were Patrolman Arjun Putalan and Corporal Mudar Salamat. They were both declared dead upon arrival at the Parang Municipal Hospital. Meanwhile, Executive Master Sergeant Hamid Saribbon and Staff Master Sergeant Harold Nieva, who were wounded in action, were rushed to the same hospital for treatment of their injuries. The identity of the suspects are still being established. By Michelle Nichols NEW YORK, June 11 (Reuters) - Cruise missiles used in several attacks on oil facilities and an international airport in Saudi Arabia last year were of "Iranian origin," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council in a report seen by Reuters on Thursday. Guterres also said several items in U.S. seizures of weapons and related materiel in November 2019 and February 2020 were "of Iranian origin." Some have design characteristics similar to those also produced by a commercial entity in Iran, or bear Farsi markings, Guterres said, and some were delivered to the country between February 2016 and April 2018. He said that "these items may have been transferred in a manner inconsistent" with a 2015 Security Council resolution that enshrines Tehran's deal with world powers to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the U.N. report. Washington is pushing the 15-member council to extend an arms embargo on Iran that is due to expire in October under the nuclear deal. Council veto-powers Russia and China have already signaled their opposition to the move. Guterres reports twice a year to the Security Council on the implementation of an arms embargo on Iran and other restrictions that remained in place after the deal. The U.N. chief said the United Nations examined debris of weapons used in attacks on a Saudi oil facility in Afif in May, on the Abha international airport in June and August and on the Saudi Aramco oil facilities in Khurais and Abqaiq in September. "The Secretariat assesses that the cruise missiles and/or parts thereof used in the four attacks are of Iranian origin," Guterres wrote. Guterres also said that drones used in the May and September attacks were "of Iranian origin." He also said the United Nations had observed that some items in the two U.S. seizures "were identical or similar" to those found in the debris of the cruise missiles and the drones used in the 2019 attacks on Saudi Arabia. Story continues Guterres said that in a May 22 letter, Iran's U.N. envoy said "it has not been the policy of Iran to export weapons in violation of relevant arms embargoes of the Security Council" and that it will "continue to actively cooperate with the United Nations in this regard." The Security Council is due to discuss Guterres' report later this month. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Kelly Craft has said she will circulate a draft resolution to extend the arms embargo on Iran soon. If Washington is unsuccessful, it has threatened to trigger a return of all U.N. sanctions on Iran under the nuclear deal, even though it quit the accord in 2018. Diplomats say Washington would likely face a tough, messy battle. Iran has breached parts of the nuclear deal in response to the U.S. withdrawal and Washington's reimposition of sanctions. "I call upon all Member States to avoid provocative rhetoric and actions that may have a negative impact on regional stability," Guterres wrote in the 14-page report. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Grant McCool) The White House wants to replace the extra $600 in weekly unemployment benefits with a bonus for employees returning to work, a senior economic adviser said Sunday. Larry Kudlow, director of President Donald Trumps National Economic Council, said he would not support continuing the $600 payments past their July 31 expiration date. The president is looking at a reform measure that will still provide some kind of bonus for returning to work, Kudlow said on CNNs State of the Union. But it will not be as large, and it will create an incentive to work. The House Democrats $3 trillion stimulus package would extend the extra unemployment benefits through January 2021 as millions of Americans remain unemployed and businesses only now are reopening their doors. But Kudlow said he agreed with those who argue that the expanded $600 federal payments on top of the regular state payments act as a disincentive to return to work as some employees could make more money by staying home. Were paying people not to work, Kudlow said. Its better than their salaries would get. And that might have worked for the first couple of months. The top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, has proposed a similar bonus plan, extending the federal unemployment benefits for two weeks after a person returned to work. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman said it was too early to talk about cutting unemployment insurance payments. The one time people want to question where we spend the money is when we spend it on the neediest, said Watson Coleman, D-12th Dist. Relief is going to have to last as long as the impact of the pandemic lasts. The national unemployment rate dropped to 13.3% in May from 14.7% in April as states relaxed stay at home orders and allowed businesses to reopen under certain conditions. New Jerseys reopening plan enters its second phase on Monday. We are reopening, and businesses are coming back," Kudlow said on CNN. Therefore, the jobs are coming back. And we dont want to interfere with that process. For the most part, employees must return to work when recalled and lose their unemployment benefits if they refuse to go. Workers who feel unsafe because of the coronavirus and want to remain home and still collect unemployment can appeal to the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development, which said it would handle such requests on a case-by-case basis. Gov. Phil Murphy last week announced the One Jersey Pledge, which set guidelines to protect customers, workers and employers from COVID-19. They include wearing face coverings, washing hands frequently, cleaning high-touch areas frequently, and providing health screenings to employees. Tom Bracken, president and chief executive of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, said the guidance would enhance the safety of business environments and instill confidence in employees returning to work and customers returning to stores. But advocacy groups said the new guidelines didnt go far enough to protect workers or customers, and renewed their call for Murphy to issue an executive order with strict enforcement of safety regulations. The One Jersey Pledge is a completely insufficient measure to protect the health of workers, their families and the public, said Felix Gallardo, a member of Make the Road New Jersey, an immigrant rights group. Pledges only go so far as the commitment to enforce them. Workers like me wont be able to stay healthy on the job unless we can enforce these standards. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams is facing an unprecedented stand-off with Parliament over the appointment of new Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) councillors. According to a report by City Press, Parliaments portfolio committee on communications had provided a ranked list of candidates for the positions, and the National Assembly approved 10 names from this list on the day Ndabeni-Abrahams returned to work. Ndabeni-Abrahams was placed on special leave for two months due to violating lockdown regulations, one month of which was unpaid. This followed the minister coming under fire for visiting a friend for lunch during the first stage of the national lockdown. While the minister was on special leave, Minister in The Presidency Jackson Mthembu acted in her position. According to sources who spoke to City Press, Ndabeni-Abrahams is now required to select six names from the list approved by the National Assembly for appointment to councillor positions at ICASA, and the ranking of this list is seen by her associates as an attempt to force her to align her choice with the views of the parliamentary committee. The law does give the minister some leverage to choose from the total number of suitable candidates recommended by Parliament, and this is what makes the committee uncomfortable, the sources said. The minister said she has full confidence in the rankings given by the committee and will appoint the best candidates for maintaining a successful regulator. Ministers apology Following her infringement of the national lockdown regulations, Ndabeni-Abrahams issued a public apology for her actions. The minister visited a friend for lunch when personal visits were prohibited under the lockdown rules, and a picture was posted to Instagram of Former Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Mduduzi Manana, Ndabeni-Abrahams, and others having a meal at Mananas house. This caused a backlash from South Africans who said the same rules should hold for ministers and ordinary citizens. The President subsequently summoned the minister and expressed his disapproval at her actions, which he said undermined the requirement that all citizens stay at home and save South Africa from the spread of the coronavirus. The President accepted the ministers apology for the violation, but was unmoved by mitigating factors she tendered. President Ramaphosa also directed Ndabeni-Abrahams to issue a public apology to the nation. I regret the incident and I am deeply sorry for my actions. I hope the President and South Africans will find it in their hearts to forgive me, Ndabeni-Abrahams said. The President has put me on a special leave with immediate effect. I undertake to abide by the conditions of the special leave. Sinn Fein MLA Deirdre Hargey has announced she is temporarily stepping aside from her role as Communities Minister for health reasons. In a statement, the South Belfast representative said she has been admitted to hospital and will be undergoing surgery in the coming days, which will require time to recover from. Former Executive minister Caral Ni Chuilin is to fill the position until Ms Hargey's return. Ms Hargey was co-opted to the Assembly to replace Mairtin O Muilleoir in December last year and was installed as Communities Minister following the reformation of the Executive in January. The former Lord Mayor of Belfast said she has informed the First and Deputy First Ministers of the news, as well as Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald. "Due to illness I have been admitted to hospital, and am to undergo surgery in the coming days, which will require time to properly recover," she said. In light of these exceptional personal circumstances I am unable in the short term to discharge my ministerial duties, or participate fully in the Executive Committee. "I have also written to Joint Heads of Government Michelle O'Neill and Arlene Foster to inform them of my decision to stand aside from my ministerial post. "I look forward to being able to resume ministerial responsibilities in a number of weeks following my treatment and recovery." Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill wished her colleague well in her recovery and thanked her for the "excellent work" she has done to date. "I look forward to her returning to that post on her recovery and hope she will be back behind her desk as soon as possible," she added. I am appointing Caral Ni Chuilin as Minister for Communities on a temporary basis until Deirdre Hargey's return. "I wish Caral well and know that she will bring a wealth of experience, determination and dedication to the post." NOT so long ago, Conor Murphy had a reputation for being a safe pair of hands. He was viewed as the best and the brightest of Sinn Fein's ministerial team. Indeed, many observers felt he was wrongly passed over when Martin McGuinness stepped down. Now, he is very much his party's weakest link at Stormont. Tory austerity can be blamed for many things, but lockdown isn't one of them, as Murphy suggested last week. It's far from his first howler. With the PPE and Paul Quinn controversies in March, this is the third time in just five months that he's been at the centre of negative headlines entirely of his own making. In any other party, somebody would have a cautionary word in his ear. But Murphy's South Armagh background makes that highly unlikely. The finance minister made his controversial comments on lockdown to Radio Ulster this week. Anybody can over-speak or clumsily phrase something during a live interview. Except this wasn't a one-off, as Finance Committee members pointed out. Conor Murphy had form on spouting this guff. A fortnight earlier, he had told the Assembly: "We have had nine years of austerity, and this is why we needed a lockdown. It is because we have a health department that is not able to cope with a significant health crisis." Has healthcare here been criminally under-funded? Yes, and it goes back much further than nine years under Johnson, May and Cameron. Margaret Thatcher set out to destroy the NHS. Expand Close Conor Murphy, Michelle O'Neill and Orlaithi Flynn address the media on Stormont estate in Belfast. PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Conor Murphy, Michelle O'Neill and Orlaithi Flynn address the media on Stormont estate in Belfast. A new management class that hadn't existed before was introduced, and Thatcher embarked on a course of privatisation by stealth. Has Tory austerity cost lives? Absolutely. Conor Murphy would be on rock solid territory if he blamed it for our shameful waiting lists - on which people die - and for our abysmal mental health services. But every country in Europe, bar Sweden, went into lockdown. It was introduced in countries which spend a far higher proportion of their GDP on healthcare than us. It wouldn't have mattered if the NHS was funded 100 times more than it is. We went into lockdown because coronavirus is highly infectious and we knew - and still know - so little about how to successfully treat it. Even if our health service was financed to the gills, we would have needed lockdown to keep people from catching Covid-19. Because nobody wants to be lying in an ICU bed, struggling to breathe, no matter how well-staffed or equipped the hospital might be. They want to avoid getting coronavirus in the first place. Conor Murphy later issued a 'clarification' tweet, but he did not retract his bizarre claim linking lockdown to Tory austerity, which is at odds with the scientific community. Former British government adviser, Professor Neil Ferguson (inset, top) of Imperial College London, told MPs last Wednesday that introducing lockdown a week earlier could have halved the UK's death toll. Expand Close Professor Neil Ferguson, of Imperial College London PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Professor Neil Ferguson, of Imperial College London Sinn Fein was spot-on in its early insistence that we shouldn't blindly follow a flawed Westminster strategy that would cost lives. So much of the party's Covid-19 response has been right. But it needs to tell its finance minister to cut the claptrap and follow the science. Health Minister Greg Hunt has asked his department to review the results of an academic study linking the increase in youth suicide with a rise in antidepressants being prescribed to Australian children. The Curtin University study published in the peer-reviewed Frontiers of Psychiatry journal linked rising antidepressant use in children, adolescents and young adults (up 66 per cent) and youth suicide (up 49 per cent) in the decade to 2018, when 458 young Australians took their own lives. The Curtin University study linked antidepressant use in children, adolescents and young adults to youth suicide. Hayley, who asked for her last name not to be published, suffered nausea, headaches and suicidal thoughts when she tried to stop taking the antidepressant Arapax, which she had been prescribed from the age of 15 for obsessive-compulsive disorder. "My mind went to a pretty dark place during the withdrawal process," she told the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. We need to understand black women as the integrating force within the Democratic Party, an institution and a political party that historically was preserved for white men, Ms. Newsome Bass said. The things that black women say become the talking points for politicians, but we dont really have much political leverage beyond people calling for a kind of token representation from us in certain places or playing the role of mascot. Ms. Newsome Bass, 35, was born in Durham, N.C., and raised in Columbia, Md., by black women who took their civic responsibility seriously, she said, recalling going into the voting booth with her mother as a child. Her family, loyal to the Democratic Party, instilled in her early on that voting was her right, as was the right to protest and hold those in power accountable. She also understood that all too often for African-Americans, these rights have been withheld. The history of slavery, imprisonment, gerrymandering and other efforts to disenfranchise black voters, points to a single question, for Ms. Newsome Bass: Why is black citizenship still a question for the United States? She studied art and, in 2011, while she was an artist in residence at Saatchi and Saatchi in New York, she marched with Occupy Wall Street. In the wake of the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012, she went to Florida with a group of youth activists and protested at the State Capitol. In 2013, Ms. Newsome Bass staged a sit-in at the office of Thom Tillis, then a state representative and now a senator, who was supporting a bill that said student IDs werent a valid form of identification for voting. The bill also ended same-day voter registration. For the past three years, Ms. Newsome Bass has been focused on housing rights. The goal of her activism, she said, is to shift power. She has also traveled across the country, speaking about organizing and activism to communities trying to organize themselves. After the 2016 killing of Keith Lamont Scott by the police in Charlotte, and the uprising that followed there, she recognized that the community was good at mobilizing in the short term to respond to things like Mr. Scotts killing, but needed a more sustainable way to have an impact. Through those efforts, she has worked with down-ballot candidates and helped with the election of a record number of black sheriffs in the state. Justice Anita Earls of the Supreme Court of North Carolina has seen Ms. Newsome Basss brand of organizing and activism through her work as a board member of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, an organization the judge founded. Listening to the artist and activist speak, Judge Earls said, you know you are in the presence of someone who powerfully brings their entire heart and soul to the service of freedom and equality. New Delhi, June 14 : Amid a hike in prices of petrol and diesel for the eighth consecutive day, the Congress on Sunday demanded the government bring the fuels under the goods and services tax (GST) and also urged it to pass the benefit of lower crude prices to the people. In a statement, Congress national media in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said: "The Narendra Modi government must reduce the prices of petrol, diesel and liquified petroleum gas (LPG) to August 2004 level." While the current crude oil prices at about $40 is similar to August 2004 level, yet consumers are paying a heavier bill, he said, adding that in August 2004, petrol was Rs 36.81 per litre, diesel Rs 24.16 and LPG Rs 261.60 per cylinder in Delhi but currently petrol is being sold at Rs 75.78 per litre, diesel at Rs 74.03 per litre and LPG at Rs 593 per cylinder. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi-Union Home Minister Amit Shah government must immediately rollback the excise duty hike of Rs 23.78 on petrol and Rs 28.37 on diesel," he demanded. Slamming the government over the hike in fuel prices, Surjewala said: "Today 130 crore Indians are battling the coronavirus pandemic. The poor, migrant workers, shopkeepers, farmers, small and medium businesses and those who have lost their jobs are struggling to survive the economic ruin unleashed by the Modi government. "But instead of reducing their burden, the draconian and anti-people BJP Government is fleecing the people by not just raising fuel rates on daily basis but also refusing to share benefits of lower crude with people," he said. The Congress leader said that the petrol and diesel prices have been hiked by Rs 4.52 per litre and Rs 4.64 per litre respectively during the last eight days despite crude oil prices being benign. He said, it is a matter of record that excise duty on petrol was Rs 9.20 per litre and Rs 3.46 per litre on diesel in May 2014 when Modi government assumed office. "In the last six years, the excise duty on petrol and diesel have been increased on petrol by an additional Rs 23.78 per litre and on diesel by an additional Rs 28.37. This translates into a 258 percent increase in excise on petrol and 820 percent hike in excise duty on diesel," he said. He also said that between financial year 2014-15 to 2019-20, the Modi government has hiked taxes on petrol and diesel 12 times and has collected a whopping Rs 17,80,056 crore in just the last six years. PICTURE: Getty A doctored photo of a student standing with Dr Martin Luther King, and a message refering to a racial slur, was somehow included in a Georgia high schools yearbook, to the confusion and horror of the schools staff. The photo shows a student standing next to a smiling Martin Luther King, Jr, who has been photoshopped in and whose hand rests on the students shoulder. The student is holding a binder with a piece of paper on top that says Official n-word Pass. According to WSB-TV 2 Atlanta, the school principal sent out a letter apologising to parents that the image made it into the yearbook. The principal said the school was committed to determining how the photo made it into the yearbook. This is unacceptable, and we are currently investigating to determine who submitted this photo and how our processes did not address this before it went to print, Kerensa Wing, the schools principal, said in the letter. After making the disturbing discovery, the principal sent a letter to parents and staff addressing how this photo made it into the yearbook. #fox5atl https://t.co/qjMN7BuvOD FOX 5 Atlanta (@FOX5Atlanta) June 11, 2020 According to the school, the photo was submitted to the yearbooks staff in lieu of a traditional school photo, and was apparently not rejected by the editors. As these photos were not available, the yearbook company replaced those pages with senior selfies that had been submitted, Ms Wing said. One of the schools graduating seniors, Aaliyah Williams, said she was excited to pick up her yearbook, but was dismayed when she saw the photo. Im excited for the yearbook. I get to see all the exciting memories and I open the book and I see this. And its like, wow! It hurts me to the core, Ms Williams said. Of everything thats going on right now, that shouldnt be a joke. It shouldnt be a joke right now. Its nothing to play around with. Story continues The photo comes as the nation is embroiled in the third week of George Floyd protests aimed at curbing systemic racism and police brutality. The students mother took to Facebook to voice her displeasure, and her post went viral. Her senior year shes already had enough to deal with. Im offended. Im offended only because who allowed it to get out? Where was your committee? I understand there are students on the committee but there are adults and teachers over the committee, Kavanti White, the students parent, said. When I looked at it, I thought, Oh my God. This is real? This is, like, people take out the time to do this and think its a joke. The school has not yet determined whether the student in the photo submitted the doctored photo or if the photo was later altered without the students knowledge or consent. On Thursday, Ms Wing sent out a second letter, informing parents that the yearbooks were being recalled and reprinted without the image. As a first step in rebuilding that trust, we are going to print new revised yearbooks, replacing this photo. Although we were presented with other options initially, we decided this was the right thing to do. As a result, we are calling for an immediate recall of ALL 2020 yearbooks that have been distributed, Ms Wing said in the letter. We also will be reviewing all of our yearbook processes -- from the submission of photos to final proofing -- to ensure this does not occur again. Read more Tucker Carlson lambasted for claiming BLM is coming for you Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing (Photo: Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI)) SINGAPORE Resisting protectionism is key to surviving in the post-COVID-19 world, including when competing for jobs, said Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said on Sunday (14 June). I know many Singaporeans are concerned with foreign competition, but closing ourselves up is not the answer. We cannot escape competing with the world, and proving our mettle, Chan said in his address on national TV. Singapores openness is an important strength, Chan pointed out, as he elaborated on his theme Making a living in a COVID-19 world. Over the years, many investors have chosen to site and expand their businesses here, in Singapore. They did not make this decision for the short-term, nor did they choose Singapore because we have abundant natural resources, or because we are cheaper. They chose us because of our strengths, which are not easy to replicate elsewhere. We are open, and connected with the world, we are trusted, we are united and stable as a society, and we have a skilled workforce, he said. While many countries worldwide retreated from globalisation and erected more protectionist barriers accelerated by COVID-19 Chan said, We must resist these pressures. A less connected world means a poorer world and fewer opportunities for all. A less connected Singapore means fewer and poorer quality jobs for us. Singapores resilience comes from building networks, he said, and in diversifying its supply sources and markets. We will never be able to have everything we would possibly need, for the next crisis. Indeed, when lockdowns started across the world three months ago, many of our supply chains were disrupted, if not broken. Credit goes to the ingenuity and tenacity of our people for keeping us going. Our public and private sectors swung into action, reached out to their networks, opened new supply lines to bring back essentials like masks, PPE and test reagents from across the world. Singapores brand: Trust Story continues Another intangible strength is trust. Singapore is trusted globally, Chan said. Throughout this crisis, we have also continued to show the world they can trust Singapore. We did not impose export restrictions or nationalise foreign investments. We kept our production lines open for global supply chains, including critical materials for surgical masks. We worked with companies to increase their production, so that we could meet Singapores and the worlds needs, and we facilitated the continued flow of essential goods and people through our ports and airports. All these resulted in Singapores investors standing by it. By staying connected with the world, even as the world threatens to fragment and close off, we can show the way, if we have good ideas. These strengths, coupled with the governments commitment to create jobs 100,000 jobs and training opportunities in the coming year, three times our usual annual number and re-skill and up-skill workers, as well as continued infrastructure development, will ensure Singapore not only grows, but thrives, Chan said. Our promise is this: We will create opportunities for all Singaporeans, no matter how old you are, to improve your lives at every stage of your careers. So long as you are able and willing, we will support you. Every Singaporean, regardless of background, can have the chance to take on the new jobs being created. Listen to the full speech below: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, and Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean had delivered their speeches in the series over the past week. Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat are scheduled to address the nation on Wednesday and Saturday respectively. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore Other Singapore stories: COVID-19: Singapore reports 407 new cases; 9 in community Waterway Point, POSB outlet at Kaki Bukit, Harbourfront Centre visited by COVID-19 cases On The Mic: Data security amid a pandemic Who can we trust? F1 Singapore Grand Prix is off, as COVID-19 restrictions make it 'impossible' Singapore People's Party to field 5 candidates at upcoming general election: report Theres only so long a backslapping governor can survive cooped up in a makeshift mansion studio or a Capitol hearing room bereft of people at daily briefings, midway between election campaigns. Enough! So on Friday afternoon, a rare, quiet news day, the mandate to shelter in place loosening, Gov. Ned Lamont set off for a trek through Hartfords North End with some aides and legislators as tour guides. No proposals to float, no big point to make at all, just to get out and press the flesh. Or rather, connect a few elbows. There on the busy corner of Windsor and Main Streets, Kenston Harry, working on a car at the Action Audio Store they do detailing, window tinting, prep for dealers, DUI breathalyzer installations and the like didnt expect a delegation that included his old friend, Rep. Brandon McGee, D-Harford. You did it yourself, you built this place yourself? That was five years ago? No, about ten. All right, good, so you had good years before the COVID hit. Harry closed for about a month as dealers shut down, and is off by at least 45 percent in sales. he kept his whole staff of seven on the payroll so as not to lose anyone, he later told me. They talk about cars and government assistance. Lamont quips that theres less traffic but more accidents, and it was off to Dunns River Jamaican Restaurant, where Lamont had visited in a campaign event with Chelsea Clinton. Owner Mark Brown talks about the namesake, a waterfall in Jamaica, and of course, they talk about the crisis. Brown, Like Harry, was able to keep his staff on the payroll in part with help from the federal Payroll Protection Program, and hes only off about 40 percent not bad for a restaurant, thanks to takeout through Uber Eats and other services. Main Street in that stretch carries a dominant Jamaican and more broadly, Caribbean flavor. And Lamont did hit at least two eateries besides Dunns, joined by McGee, and Rep. Joshua Hall, Paul Mounds, his chief of staff, who knows the neighborhood well, and later, Mayor Luke Bronin, an ally who ran against him when the Democratic field for governor swelled in 2018. Lamont asks Brown about his background in the business, which included a stint on a cruise ship. Sure as hell am glad you werent working on a cruise ship six months ago, the governor said. I love this place, its good to be back. Despite the offerings, Lamont, in a dress shirt, casual slacks and what appeared to be boating shoes, didnt seek out jerk chicken or fried fish. Instead he downed a slice or two of pizza over on Blue Hills Avenue, a block from the Bloomfield line. As oddly, he didnt talk about Black Lives Matter and George Floyd, not much if at all. This is a part of the state that was hit hard by coronavirus, both in illness and economic hardship. Just how hard, its impossible to know as we emerge. A lot of these folks in this neighborhood have learned how to survive, McGee said, but he added, Theyre pretty much hurting. They need dollars for infrastructure. Franklin Grant, co-owner of Greens Auto Body, took a break from looking over a car with customer Mike Nice to tell the governor he hadnt received any assistance. They took his email to send him an info packet, as PPP money is still available. Later, Alan King, who owns a building on Albany Avenue, where a tenant is behind on the rent, and also runs Jaks Flooring, said he tried to sign up for the PPP, but no luck yet. Ive used up all my line of credit, King tells me. The mood was decidedly light over at the Beauty First Hair Boutique not a salon, a maker of extensions and wigs, many for cancer patients. Owner Destiny Hunter held out a hand. She and Lamont came close to shaking hes not the most disciplined distancer in Connecticut but they pulled back. Its been all right, she tells Lamont, who won the favor of the hair industry, at least among people of color, by reversing an initial ruling banning blow dryers in the June 1 reopening. That was a highwire act for Lamont, as many in salons wanted to delay reopening and others wanted a sooner return. But on Friday, it was all about 2-year-old Jaquel Lindsey Jr., Hunters son. He wielded a squirt gun and no, Hunter told him, you cant get anyone wet. The toddler did stand for a photo with Lamont. This was a crowd of business owners that back the governor. Hes been doing good so far, so Im happy to see him, Hunter said. Afterward I talk with Brown, at Dunns River, who says hed like help in buying health insurance for his 15 employees. Harry, at Action Audio, who received a small forgivable loan through the PPP, told me his main complaint is the city tax on equipment, which he thinks is incorrectly assessed. Hed have wanted to bring that up with the governor assuming the CEO of the state can address city tax issues but said he didnt think of it. It was unexpected for him to drop in. It was that kind of hot afternoon, clearly a welcome respite at the start of a June weekend. dhaar@hearstmediact.com The rate of recovery of patients of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Rajasthan has gone up to 75% as three out of four people have been cured in the state, the health department has said. Rajasthans recovery rate is higher than the national average of 50.59% with 162,378 Covid-19 patients discharged from hospitals across the country, according to data. Officials said the number of active cases continues to be below 3,000 for the 15th consecutive day on Saturday evening as 333 new Covid-19 patients were reported in the state. Also read| Nearly half of Covid-19 patients have recovered across the world: Report Out of the 12,401 infections, there are 2,782 active cases, 9,337 people have recovered and 282 have died in Rajasthan so far. Pali and Bharatpur have been seen a rising number of Covid-19 cases and on Saturday there were 62 and 39 infections in these cities, according to data. The state capital of Jaipur and Jodhpur also reported a high number of Covid-19 cases at 27 and 75 respectively. Also read: India records 11,929 Covid-19 cases, 311 deaths in 24 hours; tally over 3.2 lakh Indias Covid-19 tally reached beyond 3.2 lakh on Sunday after nearly 12,000 new cases and 311 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, according to the Union health ministry. The number of active Covid-19 cases now stands at 149,348 and the death toll is at 9,195 so far, taking Indias tally to 320,922, according to the health ministrys dashboard. The University of California San Francisco touts its plan to build a new 1.5 million-square-foot hospital and research facility at its Parnassus Heights campus as a cure for both the antiquated condition of its current buildings and a severe shortage of beds that is forcing it to turn away about 3,000 patients annually over the past few years. The first phase of the plan, which has already received a $500 million pledge from the Helen Diller Foundation, is intended to ensure that UCSF Medical Center can meet the growing and currently unmet demand for the complex adult care UCSF provides in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond, according to UCSF spokeswoman Jennifer OBrien. The unmet demand is is growing every year, said OBrien. That is the scary part. But for some longtime neighbors, the scary part is that UCSFs bold blueprint for a new hospital seems to be a throwback to the contentious growth battles of the 1970s, when the university was constantly at odd with residents over development. Those fights, which included multiple lawsuits, eventually led to a 1976 agreement in which UC Board of Regents imposed a growth cap at the Parnassus campus. If the university wanted to add square footage in one building, it had to be reduced somewhere else. And for 44 years, UCSF honored that cap, turning its gaze away from its historic Parnassus home, sandwiched between Mount Sutro and Golden Gate Park, to Mission Bay, a former rail yard south of Oracle Park where the university has built a $6 billion health care campus, which includes a new $2 billion childrens hospital. Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle But no longer. With the Mission Bay campus largely built out, UCSF is making a case that the campus it opened 122 years ago no longer meets the needs of a top-10 U.S. hospital. The current hospital doesnt conform to current seismic standards. Its operating rooms are half the size of what codes require. The concrete buildings are ugly. The campus lacks open space, greenery and retail, the school argues. UCSF Vice Chancellor Brian Newman said the goal is not just to create a modern, seismically sound new hospital, but also to integrate the campus into the neighborhood in a way it never has been. Parnassus Avenue would be redesigned as a pedestrian-oriented main street with retail and plazas. There would be more central gathering places for staff, patients and community members. Fourth Avenue, which was cut off when the school of dentistry was built, would be extended through the campus. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2023, and the new hospital is slated to open in 2029. The Parnassus campus is in need of some attention and investment, said Newman. It needs some love. ... It has not received the level of attention and investment Mission Bay has over the last 25 years. Photos by Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle But not all neighbors see it that way. At a recent Planning Commission meeting, resident Richard Drury compared the plan to plunking down a Salesforce Tower in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Resident Jeff Cole said he was very concerned about transit impact and the excessive scale of the project. The N-Judah train is generally at capacity, and traffic on Parnassus is often at a standstill, he said. Add another 10,000 workers and it would be hard to see how ambulances could get in or out of the hospital, he said. Anyone who traveled to Parnassus Avenue before COVID could tell you it was already congested, he said. Dennis Antenore, a neighbor who has sat on UCSFs neighborhood advisory board for 30 years, said that the new proposal has come with a jarring shift in tone. All of a sudden that whole approach has been thrown out and they are acting very arrogantly they are going to do what they are going to do, and the impact on the community doesnt matter, Antenore said. Other critics say the plan would worsen the citys housing shortage by creating thousands of new jobs but not much in the way of housing. While the plan calls for eventually building 762 units, most of that housing would not be developed in the next 10 years. Phase one of the project would include just 142 new units for faculty and students. When the remaining 610 units would be built is unclear. Calvin Welch, who has been active in the neighborhood since the 1970s, said UCSFs plan doesnt commit to the sort of affordable housing, transit improvements, local hire or workforce training the city regularly requires of private developers. As a state agency, UCSF does not require local approvals from the Planning Commission or the Board of Supervisors. They will not address their workforce, Welch said. This is not rocket science. What is the projected workforce for this new hospital? What kind of salaries will this workforce earn? What percentage of workers will be able to afford what kind of housing? How many will be earning median income? How many will be earning below median income? He said any new plan should include concrete commitments for what UCSF is going to do for the city and the neighborhood on a host of issues. It should also include a new space cap, he said. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes UCSF is a growth machine, he said. Space mean grants. Grants mean careers. That is the hidden dynamic at UCSF. In January, Mayor London Breed, along with supervisors Dean Preston and Norman Yee, wrote a letter requesting that UCSF sign a memorandum of understanding laying out the plan and what UCSF will be responsible for in terms of housing, open space, transportation and other improvements. OBrien said UCSF is committed to signing such a memorandum and that it is already in the works. Meanwhile, UCSF doctors say its increasingly difficult to function at Parnassus due to its lack of bed capacity for specialized care, ranging from cardiac surgery to vascular surgery to neurosurgery. Dr. Philip Theodosopoulos, who oversees all brain surgery services for UCSF, said his department performs 2,500 brain operations a year, but many of the 28 operating rooms are not usable. Our technological accoutrements have grown so much that for brain surgery we can only use only about half of the (operating rooms) we currently have, he said. Dr. Jonathan Carter, a surgeon, said his department recently acquired a robot for assistance in minimally invasive surgeries. But the operating room wasnt large enough for the robot. We had to rip out a bunch of cabinets to make space, he said. We dont have the capacity to care for the patients we are being asked to serve, said Carter. We have pushed this little old Moffitt Hospital as far as it would go, he said. We just cant push it any further. J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen An open-access article published in the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR) by radiologists in Singapore recommends a number of applied updates to the workflow of diagnostic ultrasound (US) to prevent nosocomial transmission of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to frontline US service providers, who could inadvertently become vectors for onward transmission. According to first author Apoorva Gogna and colleagues at Singapore General Hospital, "inpatient US services are segregated into the tertiary hospital and a colocated community hospital," adding that rooms with negative pressure ventilation are dedicated for isolation case scans. With all inpatient scans vetted for clinical urgency and COVID-19 status, patients not suspected of having COVID-19 arrive at a specified US imaging center via predefined route. Suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases, as well as intensive care patients or those in reverse isolation due to an immunocompromised state, receive portable bedside US by a sonographer and an attending radiologist. "This is in contrast to our regular inpatient portable US workflow in which a trained sonographer performs the scan alone and uploads the images (usually for several patients consecutively), and the images are then sent to a dedicated radiologist for reporting," explained Gogna et al. Acknowledging that throughput is diminished when an on-duty radiologist and a sonographer work in tandem, Gogna maintains that this sacrifice ensures neither repeat scans nor additional images will be necessary. Before entering the patient's room, US equipment (e.g., battery, probe, gel) is inspected to prevent failure during the examination, then covered with disposable plastic; in the room, the two imaging staff are designated nonpatient contact and direct patient contact. To help balance speed and clinical relevance, abbreviated scan protocols are acceptable, although Gogna points out that scanning time may not be significantly shortened. Sick patients may not be able to fully cooperate with the examination, and greater attention must be paid to safeguard against breaks in staff protection. Meanwhile, outpatient US services at Singapore General Hospital are physically segregated into two locations (general US and subspecialty US), and every outpatient request is vetted and prioritized according to clinical urgency. To prevent cross contamination, inpatients are not allowed to move to the outpatient scan area. Gogna advises simple steps, such as rearranging the seating in outpatient waiting areas, to help US departments reinforce social distancing guidelines. As of June 2020, all patients and visitors to Singapore General Hospital are required to wear face masks, and present policy restricts each patient to one accompanying person. US staff -- mostly segregated by location or by time -- can be assigned to standby teams to cover any personnel shortage. As Gogna et al. note, "segregating manpower into redundant functional teams allows continued provision of essential services in the unfortunate event of intrahospital transmission that could require coworkers to be quarantined." Because staff segregation "does significantly affect department workload," the authors of this AJR article suggest reducing elective case listing. Rebelscum is a news and photo reference site for Star Wars toys and collectibles. We do not sell toys. Please support our site by shopping with one of our sponsors. The continuing ban on sales of liquor in restaurants in the wake of the lockdown has hit revenues of many plush eateries in the city, restaurateurs said on Sunday. Besides, the night curfew starting from 9 pm has impacted their turnover adversely, they said. The Hotels and Restaurants Association of Eastern India (HRAEI) secretary Sudesh Poddar said, Most of the eateries are running at a loss due to the ban on liquor sales at the moment. It will be difficult for restaurateurs to pay salary to their staff and meet air conditioning expenses, while hygiene costs have increased manifold due to the coronavirus outbreak. Nitin Kothari, who owns the famous Peter Cat and Mocambo restaurants in Park Street area, also said the businesses of most eateries here are being affected due to the restriction on liquor sales. According to him, liquor sales account for 70-75 per cent of revenue for most restaurants in the eastern metropolis. Our business has been hit, but not to the extent which others have witnessed. People come to our restaurants to enjoy good food which constitutes roughly 80 per cent of the revenue, he said. However, the West Bengal government has already allowed sales of liquor from standalone shops. Diners are not keen to visit eateries in the evening due to the nigh curfew starting from 9 pm, Kothari said, adding that sales have mostly been hit as only 50 per cent of the tables are allowed for seating as per the government order. Hopefully, the government will relax these restrictions. Else, many restaurants may have to down their shutters, he said. The association has already written to the state government, seeking relaxations in these aspects, Poddar said. Footfalls have not been satisfactory due to the ban on liquor sales, according to a manager of Red Kitchen and Lounge, a restaurant-cum-bar in Dum Dum area. The timing of the night curfew is also causing inconvenience to the diners, he added. To make it easier for frontline workers and supporting staff to report for duty, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray is expected to again raise the states demand that suburban railway services be resumed in Mumbai, during his video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 17. However, according to officials, discussions are going on between railway authorities, state officials and ministry of home affairs ,and local train services for essential workers may begin from Monday. On Wednesday, Thackeray had reiterated the need to resume suburban train services in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. He said frontline workers are finding it difficult to commute and many have not been able to join duty due to the absence of public transport. State health minister Rajesh Tope, during his video conference with Union health minister Harsha Vardhan on Thursday, requested railway services for those involved in essential services. After the conference, Tope said, I have reiterated our demand for suburban railway services for essential and emergency services. I am confident the Union health minister would discuss it with the Prime Minister. Railway officials in Mumbai on Saturday said no directions have come in from the railway ministry. There are messages in circulation about starting of suburban trains... it is informed that so far, we havent received such instructions... We will update you once we receive instructions from competent authority, Shivaji Sutar, chief PRO, CR, tweeted. Officials from the state government said several letters have been sent to the Centre after the demand was raised by the CM during his video conference on May 11. Train services are being demanded only for frontline workers and supporting staff involved in essential services. There has been crowding in buses after we allowed private offices to operate at 10% of their workforce from Monday. This has been causing inconvenience to the people in the essential and emergency services. Many of them travel from far-flung suburbs. They are already in tremendous stress, and resumption of railway services would help to offer some relief, said an official. Nikita Sharma By Aavika and Utsav Chhawchharias love story was born at the BCom Hons classes at Hansraj College in 2008. Then, together they pursued their Masters in Strategic Management from Cass Business School, London. And finally, they decided to marry in 2015. I am happy that we got along. More importantly, we were clear about it and even our families were in agreement, recalls Aavika. Business was what I always wanted to do, says Utsav, who was involved in importing petrochemicals and plastic when they tied the knot. In time, Aavika felt Delhi had a lacuna for a bakery brand that encompassed all baked goods under one roof. As these 29-year-olds are big foodies and dessert is their favourite part of the meal, we looked at the viability, made a plan, and took the plunge, says Utsav. The result: the first Honey and Dough outlet at Defence Colony in 2017. The initial two years thereafter required a lot of groundwork setting up a strong base and roping in key industry people. Now, we have eight stores in Delhi, and a team of 140 people managing HR, operations, and marketing. Everything is streamlined and we are tackling more strategic issues rather than operational issues, adds Utsav. By dividing the responsibilities, both share the load. Aavika heads marketing and product design, while operations, finance, and store management are Utsavs area of expertise. When we launch a new product, both of us are involved in the tasting and feedback. If I have any suggestions about staff or made an observation at the store, I share it with him and he implements it. But we are still in the process of learning, adds Aavika. Just because they can end up talking too much about work, both function from separate offices. We make sure to have a healthy discussion about work and not enter each others space. And its a rule to not talk about work post-dinner, says Aavika. Utsav is still running his import business. I try to push Honey & Dough matters post-lunch as the other business is more hectic in the first half of the day, says Utsav, who likes starting his day early and winding up by 7:30pm. Aavika spends more time with their six-month-old daughter, Simaya, and pre-COVID, did outlet checks thrice a week, and weekly meetings with chefs, managers, and the teams. Visiting new countries and trying out new places in the city is something both love to do together. Choosing to not open their outlets even for home delivery and takeaways after Unlock 1.0, the couple now has more family time on their hands. We do CrossFit workouts together, watch shows on Netflix and having all the more fun with our daughter, says Aavika, who has been reading and cooking more. Utsav is mostly occupied with work, but Simaya has been getting more of his attention now. He made me understand that if we are busy with things that other people can do, then we wont get time to expand and grow. I keep learning a lot from him, signs off Aavika. What you like about Aavika Her nature and work ethics. She is very professional. What you like about Utsav He is very particular, organised and focused with his work. Her quirks Nothing comes to mind. His quirks I find it weird that he wakes up at 4:00am, works from his home office then he goes to the gym and then to work at 8:00am. Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has opened four bridges spanning 2,600 m at the junction of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and Dubai-Al Ain Road of two lanes in each direction to further enhance smooth traffic movement in all directions. It also opened a two-lane 220-m bridge at the junction of Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Road and Dubai-Al Ain Road along with two connecting roads facilitating U-turns for motorists coming from Dubai. These new flyovers were opened by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council, who later reviewed the progress of work on the Dh2-billion ($544 million) Dubai-Al Ain Road Improvement Project. Upon arrival at the intersection of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road and Dubai-Al Ain Road, Sheikh Hamdan was received by Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA. Sheikh Hamdan was later briefed by Al Tayer on the Dubai-Al Ain Project, aimed at improving traffic flow, enhancing the link with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the Emirates Road and the Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street. Aligned with Dubais strategic transport plan, the project underscores Dubais keenness to pursue vital projects supporting the economy. The improvements serve existing and future projects on both sides of the Dubai-Al Ain Road and double the roads capacity from 6,000 to 12,000 vehicles per hour per directionm, said the RTA in its statement. The project will also cut the journey time on Dubai-Al Ain Road, from Bu Kadra junction to Emirates Road junction, from 16 to 8 minutes. Benefitting 1.5 million people, the project will eliminate tailbacks that used to extend 2 km, it added. Al Tayer explained that the total capacity of bridges at the junction of the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and Dubai-Al Ain Road will increase to 36,000 vehicles per hour per direction, which will streamline traffic movement from Al Qusais on the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road in the direction of Al Ain. RTA had previously developed a bridge on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road to enable the widening of Dubai-Al Ain Road from three to six lanes in each direction and constructed service roads on both sides of the Road. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Nova Scotia, Glory Mamngong, a caregiver at the Northwood long-term-care facility, had a choice: to leave her job out of fear for her health and safety, or to stay and work on the front lines in the fight against the virus. Mamngong, an asylum seeker from Cameroon who is currently waiting for her refugee application to be heard, has been working at Northwood since November 2019. While some of her colleagues decided to leave their jobs when the coronavirus crept its way into Northwood the epicentre of the public health crisis in Nova Scotia Mamngong said she put on a brave face and decided she was in for the fight. Im not going anywhere. If theres anywhere that I have to work, its Northwood. I like challenges and I like when Im conquering challenges, she said. As the pandemic continues, advocates are calling on the federal government to give permanent resident status to people like Mamngong, who is one of thousands of asylum seekers and migrant workers in Canada that are working in essential services, such as health care and agriculture. Canadian Council for Refugees executive director Janet Dench said her non-profit organization is urging the federal government to envision a broad plan that will consider giving permanent residency to thousands of people who are here in Canada without permanent status and contributing in so many different ways to keeping us all safe during the pandemic, which has killed more than 8,000 people in Canada to date. Ensuring pathways to permanent residence for refugee claimants and migrant workers, she said, will give people who are anxious to contribute to our society and are risking their lives the ability to do so fully and with protection of their basic rights. According to Dench, the pandemic exposes a reality that has existed for a long time, which is that Canada relies on people who are in vulnerable positions to fill jobs that are undervalued and underpaid, which few Canadians want. Our society depends on a lot of services being performed, but theyre not properly remunerated, so people who have the privilege of being able to pick and choose the jobs they take are not willing to take them on, she said. We need to think what we as a society really value and how were going to treat the people who are performing the essential services on which we rely. Karen Cocq is the campaigns co-ordinator for Migrant Workers Alliance for Change and co-author of Unheeded Warnings: COVID-19 and Migrant Workers in Canada, a report on complaints made by more than a thousand migrant workers who are currently working in Canada during the pandemic. It highlights the deaths of two Mexican migrant farm workers who died of COVID-19 in Ontario. The report provides a snapshot of farms with large COVID-19 outbreaks, highlighting the poor housing and working conditions of migrant workers in Canada, which Cocq said includes really cramped housing with lots of workers sharing bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens and overcrowded workplaces, such as greenhouses, in which workers cannot physically distance. Some 60,000 foreign temporary workers came to Canada last year, 1,500 of them to Nova Scotia. Cocq said MWAC, a national coalition of self-organized groups of migrant workers, is calling on the federal government to give permanent resident status immediately to all migrant workers currently in Canada, those that arrive in the future and others who are without permanent status. Without access to permanent status, workers are simply unable to assert their right to work and raise concerns about their health and safety or working conditions, or housing conditions because they risk termination, loss of income, homelessness, deportation and often blacklisting from returning to Canada to work, she said. Cocq said permanent status would provide workers with more power to be able to protect themselves and with more choice, to be able to ensure that they are living and working in more dignified and decent conditions, without risking their livelihood. Halifax immigration lawyer Lee Cohen said he has four clients who are refugee claimants currently working in health-care positions, including Mamngong. While permanent residency is a start, Cohen said hes been looking at the possibility of the federal government granting such refugee claimants citizenship through a provision to the Canadian Citizenship Act subsection 5(4) of the Act, which states the government may grant citizenship to any person to alleviate cases of statelessness or of special and unusual hardship or to reward services of an exceptional nature to Canada. The role that is being played by so many asylum seekers ... in the battle against the virus, working in seniors homes and nursing homes, theyre absolutely at the front line, in contact with the virus on a daily basis, and a greater contribution to Canada at this particular time is hard to imagine, Cohen said. The Chronicle Herald reached out to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to see if the department has considered giving permanent residency to asylum seekers and migrant workers working in essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic. In an email statement, IRCC press secretary Kevin Lemkay said the federal government is looking at this situation closely and working with our provincial partners, including Quebec, to see how we can recognize those who are working hard on the front lines to keep Canadians safe and healthy. Its important that we do things properly and carefully, and well have more to say in due course, Lemkay added. The Nova Scotia Office of Immigration declined an interview request. Instead, Tracy Barron, a spokesperson for the Nova Scotia Department of Business, said in an email the matter falls under the jurisdiction of the federal government and that the provincial government has not had any discussions on this issue. Mamngong, too, said she wishes for the federal government to consider giving permanent residency to asylum seekers like herself, who are on the front lines of the battle against the virus, and temporary foreign workers, who are key to the countrys food supply. We really need it in order for us to be sure of our stay in Canada and be sure that our health is covered and be sure that we have a home or that we belong, she said. We work not only during the pandemic. Before the pandemic, we were there, and the pandemic came, were still there, and after the pandemic, well be there, so we have the heart to serve. Were not just here to live in Canada and make a life here. Were here to make an impact, or to give to the nation (as well). Read more about: India is not interested in land of Pakistan or China but wanted peace and amity, Union minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari said on Sunday. Addressing virtual 'Jan Samvad' rally of Gujarat BJP from Nagpur in Maharashtra, he said India believed in peace and non-violence and do not want to be strong by becoming an expansionist. "India never tried to grab land of its neighbours like Bhutan and Bangladesh," he added. The Minister of Road Transport & Highways and MSME also said that COVID-19 crisis will not last long, as a vaccine is on its way soon. "India do not want land of either Pakistan or China. All India want is peace, amity, love, and (want) to work together (with neighbouring countries)," Gadkari said. His comments came at a time when India and China are engaged in a stand-off at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. Talking about the completion of one year of the second term of the Modi government, Gadkari said its biggest achievement was to bring peace in the country by dealing with matters of internal and external security. "...Whether it is about almost winning over the Maoist problem or securing the country from Pakistan-sponsored terrorism...There is China on the one side of our border and Pakistan on the other side. We want peace, not violence," he said. During his speech, the Nagpur MP referred to famous novel "Mrityunjaya" by Marathi novelist Shivaji Sawant, saying peace and non-violence can be established by only those who are strong and not weak. "We should not make India strong by becoming expansionist. We want to make India strong for establishing peace. We never tried to grab land of Bhutan. Our country made Sheikh Mujibur Rahman the prime minister of Bangladesh after winning the war (with Pakistan in 1971), and our soldiers returned thereafter. "We took not a single inch of land. We do not want land either of Pakistan or China. All we want is peace, amity, love, and wanted to work together," he said. Gadkari also said the coronavirus crisis will not last long as scientists in India and abroad have been working to develop a vaccine. "This crisis is not going to last long. Effort is on in our country to develop a vaccine for coronavirus. Scientists across the world are working in this direction. As per the information received by me, I can say with confidence that very soon we will find vaccine. Once we develop a vaccine, we won't have to fear the crisis, Gadkari added. As per the Union Health ministry, India saw the highest single-day spike of 11,929 novel coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the number of infections to over 3.20 lakh on Sunday, while the toll crossed the 9,000 mark with 311 more deaths. Submitted by Lisa Dollar As many people focus on continued efforts toward demonstrations, resource sharing on social media and signing petitions to call for justice and racial equality following George Floyd's death, some may have heard about anti-oppression and cultural inclusion training and wonder what they are and where they fall within allyship. "Anti-oppression is really about thinking about the power that exists in the world and how it creates room and benefits certain people at the expense of others and reflecting on that reality," said Carmel Farahbakhsh, a board member of Everyseeker, a community organization in Halifax that fuses art and music programming and anti-oppression education. "So thinking about what privileges do I have, what space do I feel safe in, what space do I feel seen in, what space do I feel valued in and also what does that mean for me? What are the responsibilities that exist in there?" Farahbakhsh, a second generation Iranian-Canadian and a member of Halifax's Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) community, facilitates roughly five anti-oppression workshops each month, mainly for community organizations and post-secondary institutions, which last about two hours at a time. Submitted by Carmel Farahbakhsh 'What we can do within our communities' The goal is to help members of the community gain skills in navigating allyship and complex conversations that can involve race, privilege and power dynamics. The workshops, Farahbakhsh said, provide resources for further education and guide people through important terminology that might be new for them. For instance, emphasizing the difference between equality and equity and why spotting the difference is important. "Equality is the idea that everyone has access to things equally and while I understand that that's an important ideology, it just isn't factual because that's not the reality of the world. We don't all have the same access to things, we have different experiences like race, class, gender identity that affect the way that we have access to certain things," Farahbakhsh said. Story continues What are our responsibilities locally, personally, interpersonally and then how do we apply that? Carmel Farahbakhsh, Everyseeker "Instead of thinking about giving everyone the same equal things what we really want to offer is meeting people's needs where they're at." The workshops also try and get people thinking about what they can do closer to home to tackle things like racism and discrimination. "What we can do within our own communities locally and also what does it look like to be a player in a global movement? What are our responsibilities locally, personally, interpersonally and then how do we apply that?" Expanding training While Farahbakhsh is happy to continue providing anti-oppression workshops, the hope is to one day have the training incorporated in school curriculums, professional settings and government bodies as well. "I really truly feel that the information we gain from anti-oppressive work is information we all need to exist in the world and create a better future for generations to come," Farahbakhsh said. "When we have access to education that challenges us in gentle and loving ways and compassionate ways, then we can hopefully create social systems that are more representative of the change we want to see in the world." Racism does exist and we all have a role to play in taking a stand against it. Lisa Dollar, P.E.I. Association for Newcomers to Canada On P.E.I., Lisa Dollar, who is not a part of the Island's BIPOC community, helps put together cultural inclusion workshops with the P.E.I. Association for Newcomers to Canada for local businesses, post-secondary institutions and community groups. Cultural inclusion training, Dollar said, looks to help people talk about culture more broadly, understand how culture impacts how people behave and improve how people communicate with each other when it comes to cultural differences. "There's many immigrants coming to P.E.I., and this is their new home. They are new Islanders, they're entering workplaces, they are joining as students in schools, they are living in our neighbourhoods and they are a part of this community." Submitted by Montague Regional High School Anti-racism education In addition to cultural inclusion training, for the past 10 years the association has provided free anti-racism pledge cards to businesses, schools and community groups on P.E.I. The idea is that staff, students and community members who participate fill out the cards and place them on a prominent wall, "so that they're reminded that racism does exist and we all have a role to play in taking a stand against it," Dollar said. "If growing up 99 per cent of the people around you are acting, thinking and doing the same things as you, we often think of that as the universal way of doing things. And it's not. "It's not until we're that fish-out-of-water that we see that there's all kinds of ways to do things." Submitted by Lisa Dollar While the association has seen some regular interest in participating in the pledge card initiative over the years, within the last week they've heard from about a dozen businesses and community groups requesting cards, Dollar said. "Some are gas stations, some are restaurants, you know, everyday workplaces that are realizing, 'Yeah, racism exists," she said. The association, Dollar said, has also applied for funding from the federal government to add anti-racism educators to the organization's programming and are waiting on a decision. "This education has been needed for some time on Prince Edward Island," she said. More from CBC P.E.I. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the government won't keep anyone in dark and also informed that talks are underway with China at the military and diplomatic level. He added that even China has expressed wish to resolve the issue via talks. Amid the standoff with China, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that talks are underway with China at the diplomatic and military level. Talks are underway with China at the diplomatic and military level. China too expressed wish to resolve this issue via talks. I would like to inform the Opposition that our government wont keep anyone in the dark. I assure you that we wont compromise with national pride in any situation, Singh said while addressing Jammu Jan Samvad rally via video conferencing. The Chinese military started a build-up along the Line of Actual Control in May first week along the Ladakh sector and Sikkim where they came to the Naku La area and had a face-off with the Indian troops there. The two countries have held military and diplomatic talks to resolve the stand-off in Eastern Ladakh. Meanwhile, the Defence Minister paid tribute to slain Jammu and Kashmir sarpanch Ajay Pandita. I pay my tribute to Sarpanch Ajay Pandita, who died in a cowardly attack and also Mohd Makbul Sherwani of Baramulla, who in 1947 hoisted the Indian flag in Kashmir valley, he said. Also Read: Ashok Chavan admits to issues within Maha Vikas Aghadi, blames bureaucrats for rift Talks underway with China at diplomatic&military level. China too expressed wish to resolve this issue via talks. I'd like to inform Opposition that our govt won't keep anyone in the dark. I assure you that we won't compromise with national pride in any situation:Defence Minister pic.twitter.com/leySAbeJsX ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2020 He said that the development of Jammu and Kashmir is a priority for the Central government. The Defence Minister further said that the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir are giving a befitting reply to Pakistan. While highlighting the abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, the Defence Minister said that the situation has now changed completely and our channels are now showing the temperature of Muzaffarabad-Gilgit. He said even Islamabad was feeling the pressure and trying to create mischief. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App A total of 180 passengers from Dubai returned to India and landed at the Pune airport on Sunday afternoon. All passengers underwent thermal screening conducted by the Pune district health officials at the airport and were later sent to a private hotel to be institutionally quarantined for 14 days. Since no passengers showed any Covid-19 related symptoms, nobody was taken to the hospital from the airport, according to officials. Dubai-based businessman and vice president of the Maharashtrian Business Forum, Rahul Tulpule, made the arrangements for the flight. Tulpules efforts were realised after subsequent talks with the Indian consulate and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Nitin Bhosale, one of the passengers on the flight, said, In Dubai, the lockdown period is during the night, so we all were brought to the Dubai airport on Saturday night by bus at around 10pm. We spent the night at the airport and were very excited to go back to our country. On Sunday morning, we boarded the flight and it took off at 8:45 am. The flight landed Pune airport at 1:30 pm. Bhosale had gone to Dubai for an IT project for his company. When we reached the Pune airport, social distancing was maintained and all the coordination by the airport staff and health officials were excellent. After our medical checks, they had arranged a bus for all of us and brought us to a private hotel for institutional quarantine and later, we will be home quarantine ourselves, he said. KYODO NEWS - Jun 14, 2020 - 20:32 | All, Japan More than 1,000 people turned out at a rally in central Tokyo on Sunday to protest against racial discrimination following the death of a black man in police custody in the United States that has spurred anti-racism protests there and elsewhere. Young Japanese and foreign residents in the country were among those who staged a demonstration march around Yoyogi Park, prompted by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after being pinned down by the neck by a white police officer in Minneapolis while he was being arrested in late May. Braving drizzling rain, participants marched in protest holding signs in English saying "Black Lives Matter," in reference to the human rights movement. Related coverage: NHK apologizes for clip on U.S. BLM protests after racism accusations Hundreds take to Tokyo streets in protest at racial injustice Naomi Osaka condemns racial injustice as other Japanese athletes add voices "I feel that in Japan, this issue is being seen as fire on the other side of the river," said Natsuno Tokumi, a 25-year-old Yokohama resident who has lived in the United States. Tokumi added she attended the rally because she did not want things to end just as a case in which a person who is mistreated is pitied. A 34-year-old African-American man, said, "Racial discrimination in the United States is deep-rooted, so much so there is always a fear of someday being killed by police. I hope the Japanese people too will take interest in the protest movement happening globally." Organizers said Sunday's rally was initiated through social media channels by an African-American man who is a university student in Japan. Protests in the United States have spread to Europe and Japan, with rallies also recently held in another area in central Tokyo and Osaka. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday made an online transfer of Rs 104.82 crore to 10.48 lakh more families of labourers, giving an assistance of Rs 1,000 to each family under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme. The chief minister spoke to some of the beneficiaries in Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Azamgarh, Jhansi, Siddharth Nagar and Gonda at a video conference with them. He said the state labour department was also formulating a scheme for the marriage of labourers daughters. Uttar Pradesh did good work during the Covid-19 crisis and this was an example for others in the country, he added. Everybody joined hands, he said, adding that the state revenue department and the relief commissioners office did a good job too. The state government was setting up a migration commission to provide jobs to migrant workers/labourers, the chief minister reiterated. He said 35 lakh migrant labourers had to return home in adverse circumstances due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The district administration officers should provide a list of the bank account numbers of the migrant labourers after completing skill mapping, he added. Listing welfare measures, he said the state government was providing free of cost treatment to Covid-19 patients and Atal residential schools were being set up in every division to provide education to the children of labourers. Seattles chief of police says she wants her officers to return to the abandoned East Precinct building that was boarded up just before Black Lives Matter protesters began occupying a so-called autonomous zone near downtown. But Police Chief Carmen Bests message appears at odds with Mayor Jenny Durkan, who has supported a more hands-off approach while saying that the protesters are exercising their First Amendment rights. When asked by CNNs Chris Cuomo on Thursday how long she expected protesters to remain in the area before police return to the precinct, Durkan said: I don't know. We could have a summer of love. Meanwhile, members of an armed left-wing group, the Puget Sound John Brown Gun Club, have been spotted in the area after they were hired to provide security for some very prominent black voices who were giving speeches, according to The Daily Beast. Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best talks to media in front of the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct on Thursday Best has been critical of the decision by Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan (above) to order officers to abandon the East Precinct, where protesters have set up their own police-free 'autonomous zone' Protesters remove a man because he was bothering other protesters at the self-proclaimed Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) during a protest against racial inequality and call for defunding of Seattle police on Saturday Protesters have sealed off a six-block area in the Capitol Hill neighborhood that has become known as the CHAZ or Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone after the mayor ordered police to abandon the area after near-daily clashes in the wake of George Floyds death. The clashes between demonstrators and police drew nationwide attention after law enforcement officials made widespread use of controversial crowd control tactics like stun grenades, pepper spray, and tear gas. The massive unrest prompted the citys mayor, Durkan, to order police to abandon the East Precinct building, yielding it to protesters. Despite reports of widespread lawlessness, the area appears to be largely peaceful, as authorities describe a 'block party atmosphere' where people are having cookouts, film screenings, art exhibits, and other cultural activities. Protesters, however, said they plan on maintaining the 'no-police zone' as long as their demands for reform, including the cutting of funding to law enforcement, are not met. Durkans office on Thursday released a statement saying it was the mayors decision to remove barriers around the East Precinct. Over the last week, Mayor Durkan requested that Chief Best have SPD prepare a range of operational plans to respond to the protests on Capitol Hill and the continuing public safety issues, the statement read. On a daily basis, SPD adjusted its tactics trying to reduce conflict points. After events Sunday night, it was clear that the situation needed to be significantly defused and de-escalated. Durkan raised eyebrows on Thursday when she jokingly suggested CHAZ protesters could stage a 'summer of love' The cycle of conflict between demonstrators and officers was harmful to residents, demonstrators, businesses, officers, our city, and the opportunity to make real progress with the community. On Monday, Mayor Durkan concluded the situation could only be deescalated between officers and demonstrators by removing the barriers. After long consultations with Chief Best and SPD, on how to do so in a safe manner, the Mayor directed free access to Pine Street for peaceful demonstrations Monday evening. The mayors office released the statement on Thursday hours after Best posted a video criticizing the decision and implicitly accusing Durkan of caving to severe public pressure. Best went public and distanced herself from the decision. She told her officers that she did not give the order to abandon the precinct. I'm angry about how all this came about, Best said in the video. Best said that SPD had solid information that led them to believe anti-government groups would destroy the precinct. Best told KIRO-TV on Friday that she wanted to see her charges back in the precinct as soon as possible. She said that 911 response times have increased threefold since the precinct was abandoned. Best said the department and city officials are now pondering their next steps. Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan suggests "we could have the summer of love" when asked by @ChrisCuomo how long the "autonomous zone" in her city would continue as such. "The police will be policing in there," she adds. "...We take public safety very seriously." pic.twitter.com/lLpQrApEc4 Cuomo Prime Time (@CuomoPrimeTime) June 12, 2020 'We've certainly been in conversation about what we might do and what the alternatives are,' the police chief said. 'Ideally, we just need to get back into the building. People are looking for a plan, but we want to make sure we modulate anything that were doing. 'We dont want to exacerbate or intensify or incite problems that are going to lead to harm to the officers or the people who are standing by. 'We know that several are armed. We want to make sure that we are being very thoughtful about how we respond.' Durkan, however, was noncommittal when asked about officers returning to the building, though she said police will have a presence in CHAZ to make sure public safety is upheld. The police will be policing there, I want to be very clear on that ... our chief of police was in there assessing today, the mayor said. We take public safety very seriously, we met with businesses and residents today. We dont have to sacrifice public safety for First Amendment rights. Both can exist and well make sure both exist in Seattle. President Trump taunted Washington State Governor Jay Inslee and Durkan about the situation on Twitter and said the city had been taken over by 'anarchists.' 'Take back your city NOW. If you dont do it, I will,' Trump tweeted. The president continued his complaints in a Thursday interview with the Fox News Channel. 'If we have to go in, were going to go in,' Trump said. 'These people are not going to occupy a major portion of a great city.' The president has sparred before with Inslee and Durkan - both liberal Democrats. Inslee previously sought his partys presidential nomination. President Donald Trump has said that his administration is 'not going to let Seattle be occupied by anarchists' after demonstrators took over a six-block section of the city, including a police precinct Artists fill in the letters of a 'Black Lives Matter' mural on E. Pine Street as protesters establish what they call an autonomous zone while protesting against racial inequality and calling for the defunding of Seattle police Protesters listen to a speaker as they sit in front of the Seattle Police Department East Precinct building, which has been boarded up and abandoned Thursday inside what is being called the 'Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone' in Seattle People walk past barricades on a street near Cal Anderson Park, Thursday inside the CHAZ A protester uses a scope on top of a barricade to look for police approaching the newly created CHAZ on Thursday Seattle Police Assistant Chief Deanna Nollette and Assistant Chief Adrian Diaz are blocked by protesters from entering the newly created Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) in Seattle, Washington on Thursday Inslee tweeted Thursday that state officials will not allow threats of military violence from the White House. 'The US military serves to protect Americans, not the fragility of an insecure president,' he tweeted. The zone set up by protesters stretches a portion of Capitol Hill, where dozens of people show up to listen to speakers calling for police reform, racial justice and compensation for Native groups on whose land the city of Seattle was founded. Signs proclaim 'You are entering free Capitol Hill' and 'No cop co-op' along sidewalks where people sell water and other wares. On Thursday, speakers used a microphone to discuss their demands and how to address the police presence after they visited the precinct during the day. Down the street, artists continued painting a block-long Black Lives Matter mural on the street. Several individuals inside the CHAZ have been seen with assault rifles. These armed leftists who are members of the PSJBGC describe themselves as part of an 'anti-fascist, anti-racist, pro-worker community defense organization committed to accountable, community-led defense in the Puget Sound region.' The group is often asked to provide security at rallies and protests staged by left-wing activists. Group members said that their presence in CHAZ is part of a loosely organized effort and not one that is centrally coordinated by PSJBGC leadership. Armed members of the group began showing up to CHAZ after a scary incident last Sunday. Video from the scene captured the moment an armed white man attempted to drive his car through a crowd of protesters before exiting his vehicle and shooting one demonstrator with a Glock hand gun. Daniel Gregory, a 27-year-old black man, was wounded by a gunshot to the arm. The shooter who drove his car into the crowd turned himself in to the police. He was charged with first-degree assault. A volunteer works security at an entrance to the so-called 'Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone' on Wednesday From that moment on, PSJBGC decided that they were going to be present in the area. 'We have to rely on each other to protect each other,' one member told The Daily Beast. Media reports from conservative-leaning news outlets like Fox News have broadcast images of the armed individuals inside the CHAZ. But they are pushing back on suggestions that they are part of an anarchist movement. They say they have no intention of clashing with police. 'It's not like our club is going force-to-force against the police; that's not what we do,' one armed member of the group said. Their goal is to deter far-right armed movements like Proud Boys and the boogaloo bois from showing up. The group also says it is working to ensure that anyone armed inside CHAZ is educated on responsible gun ownership and usage. PSJBGC activists say they have been doing patrols with 'random community members, affinity groups, [and] antifa that arent labeled with a specific group.' One of them told The Daily Beast: 'Thats kind of the world we live in, right? 'We have people who are disciplined with firearms, and people who get into firearms who don't have that discipline, so when we see it, were not policing people; the best we can do is educate people 'Other people are carrying and we want to make sure that people are carrying safely, so were also discussing whether we can do trainings for people here.' Washington State is open-carry, meaning gun owners can legally carry their firearms in public within view of others while going about their business. On May 30, the mayor imposed a ban on weapons in the city. But her office said that authorities within Seattle city limits could choose not to enforce the ban. Several armed individuals have been seen inside the CHAZ. A few belong to a left-wing group known as the Puget Sound John Brown Gun Club 'There have been individuals with weapons - open carrying is legal in Washington State,' the mayor's office said in a statement when asked about armed protesters inside CHAZ. 'While the CHAZ is within the area of the City currently under a weapons ban, the Emergency Order establishing the weapons ban does not mandate enforcement. 'It gives officers the option to take certain actions (i.e., confiscate weapons) if they deem it necessary.' 'The City will continue to assess the area on a regular basis and work with community and other stakeholders on a path forward that allows individuals to demonstrate, businesses to continue their operations, and preserves public safety for local residents,' the spokesperson added. 'Officers in the East Precinct have continued to respond to calls. '[Seattle Police] Chief [Carmen] Best and Command Staff have been on site at the East Precinct including yesterday, and some personnel are now staffing the precinct.' PSJBGC members said claims that the area is lawless and that anarchy reigns are false. Many of those claims are fueled by images shared on social media showing people handing out guns in the CHAZ. But members of the gun club say they are simply exercising Second Amendment rights. 'Sure, there are occasionally people open carrying, and usually theyre people of color, but all that they're doing is exercising the same Second Amendment rights that the three per centers and right wingers never shut up about,' said one PSJBGC member. 'But because theyre afraid of the c-word, "communist", [right wingers] lose their minds over it. 'And unlike whatevers happening in their own personal fantasyland - all this talk of the boogaloo, without the rule of law - the threats of violence against these communities are actually credible.' So far, CHAZ protesters don't seem to mind the presence of the armed members. They hope that the concept of an autonomous, civilian-run, police-free area will replicate in other cities. 'Here's whats happened in the last few days of occupation: a lot less tear gas,' a PSJBGC member told The Daily Beast. 'That precinct has not gone on fire, and there's talk of turning it into a community center if we can get the police to leave. 'If somebody calls the police, they'll just show up 30 mins late and end up swatting the wrong address and shooting someone's dog. 'Those are all things that were missing, and I'm not sure that anybody here has any complaints about that.' China uses mostly its own labour in carrying out the projects. In the construction of Bashar Dam in Pok, the Chinese company will be bringing over 17000 Chinese Labour as if there is a dearth of labour in Pakistan. It will do the same thing in Kyaukpyu Project where the local Labour will not get a chance while goal 3 is meant to ease the impact on the labourers and workers. by Dr. S. Chandrasekharan In one of my earlier papers on Myanmar 6519 of 12 Feb, 2020, I had said that the visit of Xi Jin Ping though declared to be part of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties, the real reason appeared to be to regain the lost momentum of strategic dominance. Chinese Port in Burma In the meetings, President Xi focussed on three main projects under the Belt and Initiative and part of the CMEC (China-Myanmar Economic Corridor). These were the New Yangon Project, the Kyaukpyu Deep Sea Port with the SEZ (the latter only to sweeten the deal and keep the Myanmar side interested) and the China-Myanmar Border Cooperation Zone. China in the mean time had already completed an oil pipeline project from Kunming to Kyaukpyu and also a gas pipe line between the two ports. The Gas pipe line was started in 2013 and the Oil Pipe line started functioning fro April 2017. The projects were rushed through despite local objections. The Gas and Oil pipe lines together with the Kyaukpyu deep sea port are ostensibly meant to develop the south western hinterland of China, but the real reasons were strategic. The Port would help China avoid the vulnerable straits of Malacca. The ongoing spat with United States and the countries in the region looking for strategic alliances like India with Australia, the need for an alternate route for safety and security of supplies to the Chinese hinterland has become critical to China. While the Chinese side initially pushed for a large project with an investment of over 7 Billion Dollars, the Myanmar side in its negotiations reduced the project to 1.3 billion and also increased Myanmars stake in the project to 30 percent. Even this amount is too big a sum for Myanmar and there were always fears that Myanmar by borrowing from Chinese Banks may get into a debt trap as it happened to Sri Lanka vis a vis Hambantota. While the deep Sea Port will only help China and not Myanmar, the deal was sweetened with a parallel project of a special economic Zone for which the stakes for the two sides are yet to be finalised. At that point of time, Myanmar was not aware of the possible spread of the deadly Virus unleashed by China. With the rapid spread of the Virus in other countries and the possibility of its economy being very adversely affected, Myanmar launched an Economy Relief Plan on April 27, 2020. It was an effort to meet the exigencies that surfaced in Myanmar after the Covid-19 (Wuhan Virus) was officially (though delayed) declared by WHO. The Plan consisted of 7 objectives or Goals, 10 Strategies, 30 Action Plans, and 76 Actions. Without going into full details of all actions contemplated we shall restrict ourselves to the seven goals. These included Goal 1: Improve macroeconomic environment through monetary stimulus Goal 2: Ease the impact on the private sector through improvements to investment, trade & banking sectors Goal 3: Easing the impact on laborers and workers Goal 4: Easing the impact on households Goal 5: Promoting innovative products and platforms Goal 6: Health care systems strengthening Goal 7: Increase access to COVID-19 response financing Soon after the Plan was announced and fearing that it may affect the Belt and Road Initiative, the Chinese Ambassador in Myanmar Chen Hai met the Deputy Minister for Planning, Finance, Industry, U Set Aung to discuss how to move forward on the development of Chinas ambitious projects in the context of the Pandemic. In late May, Xi Jinping personally called Myanmar President and specifically expressed the hope that Myanmar would speed up its cooperation on the implementation of the Infra structure Projects. He had the Kyaukpyu Port in mind as it became imperative to speed up the project in view of the deteriorating relations with United States. by that time. The issue that came up recently in Myanmar was whether the three projects which are being enthusiastically pushed forward, would meet any of the seven goals or objectives of the Myanmar on the post pandemic plan. To be more precise would it meet goal number 3 which is meant to ease the impact on labourers and the Workers. The answer would be No A Senior Official of Myanmar said that when it comes to choosing strategic infra structure projects, there must already have been proposals but facing delays -these must be implemented by a reputable company with international experience and the Projects will have to be commercially viable and not a burden on the country. In his view, according to the criteria laid down, the BRI projects of China are not among those to be chosen. The three projects New Yangon City, the Kyaukpyu Deep Sea Port and Industrial Zone and China-Myanmar Economic Cooperation Zone seem to be far from meeting the criteria. The Head of China Desk of the Institute of Strategic Policy (ISP Myanmar) Daw Khin Khin Kyaw Kyee, said that the key BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) including the Kyaukpyu projects are not commercially viable. It may take 10 to 15 years for the projects to become viable. China uses mostly its own labour in carrying out the projects. In the construction of Bashar Dam in Pok, the Chinese company will be bringing over 17000 Chinese Labour as if there is a dearth of labour in Pakistan. It will do the same thing in Kyaukpyu Project where the local Labour will not get a chance while goal 3 is meant to ease the impact on the labourers and workers. Further, the Corridor under the CMEC traverses through highly volatile areas in the northern Shan State that are currently plagued by frequent clashes between the Tatmadaw and the ethnic insurgent outfits. It is also pointed out that out of the six major armed groups active in the China-Myanmar trade route in northern Shan State five have not signed the National Cease fire Agreement. So, what next? China is keen to have a vital strategic outlet to the Indian Ocean . It has to avoid the vulnerable Malacca Straits route that is susceptible to maritime friction with other powers like the US, Australia and even Japan. China will therefore have review its policy towards the ethnic insurgents in the border who are indirectly supported in all respects. In my paper 6497 of 20th September 2019, I had pointed out that China is a part of the problem in solving the armed ethnic conflicts mostly occurring on the China- Myanmar border. Sun Quoxiang the main interlocutor of China between the armed groups on the China border and Myanmar appears to be more interested to keep the pot boiling than looking for a permanent peace in the border. At the moment none of the insurgents including the Arakan Army have targeted the Chinese projects but it may not remain so in the long run. The apprehensions of the Myanmar authorities about the viability of the CMEC corridor that runs through the strife ridden Northern Shan State are genuine and real. In the end, it is likely that China may ultimately bully the Myanmar authorities to give in and go ahead with the strategic project particularly the Kyaukpyu deep Sea Port that gives access to the Indian Ocean. Myanmar could and should make China either agree to go ahead with the Project or continue supporting the armed insurgents in the border. It cannot do both.The choice is with China and not Myanmar. For the West- it is doing everything possible to push Myanmar into the lap of the Chinese. The ARSA is a bunch of terrorists and is not a group of Saints. The Rohingya crisis would not have come to this stage if the ARSA had not begun its thoughtless and brutal attack on the Police Posts. Even now they are active in the refugee camps. For India- there is only one way- Strengthen the Navy. Thats when the FOP went back into action, Lindsey said in the podcast. He said the organization mobilized citizens, who sent close to 14,000 emails on our behalf. That translated into between 300 and 400 phone calls per councilor, Lindsey said. And even some of them had 50 people show up at their house knocking on their door because they didnt have a phone or internet to talk to them, to tell them, Dont vote for this, we stand with our cops, dont do this. The engagement worked, Lindsey said. We flipped our vote, he said. We took it from them being on the record in the newspaper saying, I am voting for this, to the day of the vote they came out and said no. Jeannie Cue and Crista Patrick were the councilors who broke from their public positions to vote no. Both said Friday that their change of minds were a reflection of what their constituents were telling them, not the FOP. Ejaz Kaiser By Express News Service RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh police on Sunday arrested a BJP leader and his accomplice in the strife-torn Dantewada for allegedly supplying a tractor and other goods to the Maoists in south Bastar. Jagat Pujari, BJP vice-president in Dantewada was under surveillance after the district police got inputs about him being involved in arranging goods and other materials for the rebels in Abujhmad. Pujari has been in various contract works in the region for the past ten years and we were getting inputs about various items being supplied by him to the Maoists. Recently he is said to have delivered 100 radio sets, printer, laptops among other items through some mediators. We have put him under observations. To avoid getting noticed by the police, Pujari bought a tractor on the name of some local villager, to a delivered Maoist leader Ajay Alami in the Maoist hotbed of Abujhmad, Abhishek Pallava, Dantewada superintendent of police, told New Indian Express. Father of Pujari was a two-time legislator from 1989-96, the police informed. His brother is a president of Barsur Nagar panchayat. The police found that the seized tractor was procured on forged documents, apparently without original bill. Ramesh Usendi who was conniving with the Pujari was also taken into police custody. After the supply chain of the Maoists got badly disrupted owing to earlier demonetisation, aggressive anti-Maoist operations and now the lockdown, the cadres of the left-wing extremists have begun carrying out agriculture practice in the interior areas with the support of the local villagers, Pallava added. The Dantewada police believe there could be more persons involved in such modus operandi as the urban suppliers for the Maoists. The investigation will unearth others working in collusion with the rebels, the SP stated. The case against Pujari has been registered under various sections of the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act 2005. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 14 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Export of carpets from Turkey to Azerbaijan dropped by 26.1 percent from January through May 2020 compared to the same period of 2019, having made up $2 million, Turkish Trade Ministry told Trend. In May 2020, Turkeys export of carpets to Azerbaijan plunged by 48.6 percent compared to May last year and amounted to $334,000. Export of carpets from Turkey to world markets dropped by 18.3 percent from January through May 2020 compared to the same period of 2019. Turkeys export of carpets to world markets for the reporting period amounted to 1.4 percent of the countrys total export for the same period of this year. "In May 2020, Turkeys export of carpets to world markets amounted to slightly over $117.3 million, which is 50.2 percent less compared to May 2019," the ministry said. Turkeys export of carpets to world markets in May this year amounted to 1.2 percent of the countrys total export. During the last twelve months (from May 2019 through May 2020), Turkey exported carpets worth over $2.3 billion. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 19:13:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ATHENS, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Greece will open this year's summer tourism season on Monday as Europe is reopening its borders with a steadily improving COVID-19 situation, the country's prime minister said Saturday. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made the announcement at a press conference held during his visit to the Aegean island of Santorini. "We are opening up to visitors, but we are doing it with your safety as our utmost priority. We have worked very hard to ensure our guests will be safe and stay healthy," Mitsotakis told international reporters. "If at any stage we are faced with a localized outbreak, we have the medical and civil protection infrastructure in place to tackle it swiftly and effectively," he said. Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias said on Friday that at least 465 hospital beds including 19 intensive care unit beds will be available for coronavirus emergency use on the Greek islands, as a precautionary measure. Tourism is a key economic pillar for Greece. Mitsotakis said this year the country expects only a fraction of the 33 million arrivals recorded in 2019. International flights to the Athens and Thessaloniki airports will resume on Monday. Arrivals from 29 countries with positive epidemiological data, including China, will undergo random coronavirus tests, while testing and at-least-one-day quarantine at a designated hotel are required for other travelers until June 30. On June 5, the European Commission requested member states to have their borders reopened by July 1. According to the latest report issued by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has passed its peak in all European Union (EU) countries except Poland and Sweden, with the current number of confirmed cases down 80 percent from the peak time. Greece has reported a total of 3,112 infections as of Saturday, with 183 deaths. The country's decision to open its tourism was among the latest moves in Europe towards normalization. France said on Saturday it will lift all traffic restrictions at its European internal borders on June 15 following a favorable development of the health situation in the country and Europe. However, caution is still exercised in Europe while easing COVID-19 restrictions. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said in a statement: "This opening will be gradual and will vary according to the health situation in each of the third countries, and in accordance with the arrangements that will have been agreed at European level by then." On Wednesday, Germany said it will, from June 16, allow EU citizens and Swiss nationals to enter unhindered, with a few exceptions. For example, controls for foreigners arriving by plane from Spain will not end until June 21. While gradually returning to normal, European countries are pushing vaccine development in order to overcome the novel coronavirus and its economic fallout at an early date. French Health Minister Olivier Veran announced on Saturday that Europe's Inclusive Vaccines Alliance (IVA) spearheaded by France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands signed an agreement with British drugmaker AstraZeneca to secure a supply to all EU countries of up to 400 million doses of a potential COVID-19 vaccine. He said the first deliveries are expected by the end of this year, and that AstraZeneca plans to produce 2 billion doses to make it available to the world for no profit during the pandemic. He also noted that the alliance will continue cooperation with other pharmaceutical companies to increase the chances of accessing a vaccine "quickly enough and at the best cost." Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill has consecrated the main cathedral dedicated to the armed forces, built to mark Victory Day in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Religious leaders, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, his deputies, guests, and hundreds of uniformed soldiers attended the ceremony on June 14 at the newly constructed Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces, located some 60 kilometers outside of Moscow. The church was originally due to be opened on May 9 as part of a grand celebration to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany. But the opening was postponed due to the deadly coronavirus pandemic. The massive cathedral, one of the largest in the world, sparked controversy earlier this year when leaked photos showed a partially completed mosaic featuring Russian President Vladimir Putin, Defense Minister Shoigu, General Valery Gerasimov, and several other Russian officials. The plan to display the mosaic was later canceled following criticism and after the Kremlin leader reportedly expressed opposition to the idea. "This is an unprecedented event for the soldiers and for all of the the citizens in the whole country," Gerasimov, the current chief of the General Staff of the armed forces, said ahead of the event. The construction of the church cost 6 billion rubles (about $86 million), according to media reports. The church was supposed to be paid for entirely through donations, but according to Russian reports almost 3 billion rubles (about $40 million) came from the Kremlin budget. With reporting by dpa VIKRAMAN MANIRAJ and Shiba Prasad Sahu By Express News Service CHENNAI: Rajeshwari stays with her two children on the first floor of a modest-sized duplex. Thats the only property the 55-year-old single mother owns. The ground floor of the building is split into two, and a total of 10 people were living there. All of them were migrant workers from Assam, working in companies nearby the house in Good Well Street of Mangalapuram, Ambattur Industrial Estate. Cramped into the tiny rooms, they stayed there hoping to make some quick money and return home. Yegala Devi, a septuagenarian, has put up a To Let board in front of her house As for Rajeshwari, the rental income was decent. It provided her family with enough to tide through every month. When the lockdown hit the city, and incomes dried up, the migrant workers fled, in groups. Now, there are only three tenants left in the building. Because of the government instruction, I am not taking any rent from them too, claims Rajeshwari. We are now solely dependant on my widow pension of Rs 1,000. With the virus spreading around like wildfire, I dont think I will get new tenants anytime soon. We have no clue what the future holds for us. While most migrant workers, indeed, left the town because they were thrown out by their house owners for not paying rent, the fact remains that most of these owners are solely dependant on the rent money for existence. With the government asking landlords not to collect rent, people in this segment have been hit hard, as hard as any other economic sector. I have taken education loans for my children. I have to start repaying them once the moratorium period ends. Now, I do not even have enough money to pay my electricity bills, let alone repay loans, laments Rajeshwari. The residential colonies around the Ambattur Industrial Estate now look like little ghost towns. With most tenants gone, house owners here are clueless on how they will recover. Rajeshwaris neighbours Sukumar and Lakshmi too share the same woes. Sukumar was working in an export company. He quit after developing liver complications, says Lakshmi. Now, we are solely dependant on the rental income. That too has stopped. We dont know how we are going to manage our affairs. Sukumar claims every hospital visit for treatment costs him Rs 40,000. We had 12-13 tenants in our eight rooms. Most of them have left already, and the others are also planning to leave. I have already missed a hospital appointment, says Sukumar showing us his swollen leg. The worry in his face is palpable. The small and medium industrial units dotting the estate area brought fine prospects for these owners when the going was good. Vanaja (name changed) refuses to reveal her real identity fearing we are from the Corporation, but when convinced admits she built three line houses with four single rooms in each line banking on the migrant workers in these units. The line houses are neatly concealed behind her own residence, and all the occupants there were from northern or northeastern States. There were 40 persons staying here. All of them have left for home except me, says a native of Bihar staying there, the lone resident now. How the rooms, barely enough to accommodate one person, was shared by 3-4 grown men will remain a mystery to us. Such tiny rooms are present all along industrial areas, from the Ambattur Estate to Pattarawakkam, which is 3-4 km away. Many of them are empty now. Some 25-30 workers from Odisha and West Bengal were staying here, says a man emerging out of one such room in Mariyamman Street here. Facing each other, there are two lines here with five houses/rooms in each of them. All of them but one are empty now. They were all working in the printing presses and small companies nearby. The man says the migrant workers did not rent the room directly. Instead, they were contracted by labour agents to accommodate the workers. The workers did not pay rent. A worker from Odisha, with the empty rooms in the backdrop; The agents did. The rents charged are not high. They vary between Rs 1,000 and Rs 3,000 in small units and between Rs 4,000 and Rs 7,000 in larger houses. Septuagenarian Yegala Devi has already put up a To Let board outside her house in Kanniyamman Koil Street. Of the 15 persons staying here, nine have already left. Most of them were from Tirunelveli and were working for motor vehicle parts companies in Padi, she says. The board has been hanging here for days, but none has approached yet. I dont know how long I will have to wait. HUMBLE ABODES The rents charged from tenants are not high. They vary between Rs 1,000 and Rs 3,000 in small units and between Rs 4,000 and Rs 7,000 in larger house. Line houses are usually the cheapest When over a lakh migrant workers left Chennai by trains and buses and thousands by foot and cycles not everyone comprehended the impact it would have on the local economy. Industry bodies scoffed it off, saying another set would arrive to replace the old hands. Yet, an entire ecosystem that catered to this group of workers is now crumbling, including the housing sector. Vikraman Maniraj and Shiba Prasad Sahu talk to a few owners. By Aislinn Laing SANTIAGO (Reuters) - The armored vehicle rumbles through the near-empty, darkened streets of a scruffy neighborhood in the Chilean capital Santiago, bristling with heavily-armed troops. A youth in a hoodie and critically, without a mask, emerges from a house and, spotting the soldiers, darts down an alleyway. They give chase and quickly apprehend the miscreant who says he was buying milk for his baby and is escorted home with a warning. This is safeguarding the coronavirus lockdowns and curfews Chilean-style, with soldiers and police working in tandem, wielding weaponry but with a carefully gloved fist. Captain Nicolas Zamora told Reuters he and his men are mindful of the growing poverty and hunger also caused by the pandemic, and the risk it could exacerbate simmering tensions that remain from the social protests that exploded in October last year. "You can tell the difference between the ones who just don't care and the ones who are going out because they really need to," he said. "We take it on a case-by-case basis." The army, mandated to safeguard curfews and lockdowns under a state of catastrophe to counter the coronavirus declared by President Sebastian Pinera in March, has drafted in reinforcements from around the country for a fresh crackdown this week in Santiago. Troops and police conduct joint operations on public transport, in shopping precincts and highways around the city amid a surge in case numbers and deaths, which hit 160,846 and 2,870 respectively on Friday, the health ministry said. Chile now has the highest number of cases in Latin America per million people, according to Worldometer https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/?utm_campaign=homeAdUOA?Si data. Hospitals in Santiago report they are nearing maximum capacity and medics say they are having to make tough decisions about who gets beds and ventilators. Since the return to democracy after the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship that ended in 1990, Chile's armed forces have largely confined themselves to training or humanitarian missions, but have now been called onto the streets twice in six months - first under a state of emergency declared by Pinera after intense social protests broke out last October and now under the 90-day state of catastrophe. Story continues Despite a month's lockdown in Santiago and swathes of the country, the authorities acknowledge that the flattening coronavirus curve is peaking once again. Traffic and people movement data has revealed that particularly in Santiago's poorest communities, people are routinely going out. A nurse at a central Santiago hospital, who did not wish to be identified, said fighting COVID-19 was intense and seeing people in the streets made her despair. "Sometimes I come in at around 9:30 p.m., close to the curfew, and there are traffic jams," she said. On Wednesday, interior ministry official Katherine Martorell said security forces were carrying out nearly 40,000 spot-checks daily. In one hour on a central Santiago shopping street they detained 75 people, she said, and had caught people breaking the lockdown up to 16 times. Fines have been bolstered to between two and 50 million pesos ($2,500 to $63,000) for those who test positive with coronavirus and still venture out. "We will not rest for one second from going after those people who do not seem to want to understand that when they refuse to respect the rules, they not only put their lives at risk but the lives of everyone else," Martorell said. On Thursday night, in Quilicura in northern Santiago, a neighborhood known for its predominance of drug gangs, Captain Zamora's men working with police and local council staff carried out mobile patrols and roadblocks. Those caught in their net within an hour were a young woman in skin-tight jeans and her boyfriend, a takeaway food driver, a taxi and youth lurking in a side lane in a clapped out car. Most had the correct paperwork and were sent on their way. Two drunk men stopped at 3 a.m. said they were coming home from a baby shower, and there have been busts of large barbecues, and even a fireworks display for the funeral of a drug lord. Captain Zamora said most people simply push the boundaries, exceeding the limits of their shopping permits or, in the case of older citizens, struggle to download permits from the police website. In recent days though, the message seemed to be getting through. "We are noticing a change compared to last week," he said. "People are showing an encouraging response. It's rare now to get someone who refuses to comply with the rules." (Reporting by Aislinn Laing; Editing by Alistair Bell) The officer became caught on the Malibu and was dragged as the vehicle made a U-turn, authorities said. After completing the turn, the officer was freed and fell to the ground, but he quickly had to roll out of the path of the fleeing Malibu, prosecutors said. One of the accompanying officers fired five shots at the vehicle, striking Mitchell and Ramey, who was in the front passenger seat. Come September, Albert Morris will have been in the floral business 63 years in Huntsville. But nothing in his career quite prepared him for the coronavirus pandemic. As the virus brought most commercial activity to a standstill, it shuttered hospitals to all but the most seriously ill patients, and restricted funerals to close family members. It cancelled weddings, special events, retirement dinners, and other events that usually call for flowers. And it forced Morris to lay off more than a dozen employees. Volume dropped to almost nothing except what I could do, Morris said. Morris experience was much like other industries, but it illustrates the particular challenges felt by florists around Alabama. The life events where people expect flowers - hospitalizations, funerals - were suddenly in the news, but the demand for them was all but extinguished. Cameron Pappas at Nortons Florist in Birmingham said the lockdown, and the reopening that followed, has reminded him of the power of flowers. Weve had a lot of reminders of how important flowers are to everyone, he said. They keep people sane. The pandemic hit America right in a peak season for florists - the rush before Easter, proms and spring events. Pappas said business began to slowdown by about 40 percent one week before his shop closed for two weeks on March 23. The store laid off all of its employees for that period. Cameron Pappas delivered flowers to Birmingham-area restaurants during the coronavirus shutdown. Thousands of floral businesses around America were left with perishable goods that they couldnt sell. Just three days before Nortons closed, it had received a shipment of about $5,000 in flowers. Rather than throw them out, Pappas said, they made bouquets to give away at restaurants and nursing homes that would accept them. In some cases, he hand delivered them. We wanted the flowers to still do their job, to bring joy to bad situations, he said. We wanted them to say that were not going to let this virus take away the heart of our city. Morris, 86, said he was reduced to little better than a one-man operation for about five weeks, with his nephew keeping the books. Most of the business coming in was through funeral homes. Nortons reopened on April 6, in time for Easter, which he said saw decent business. By Mothers Day, 90 percent of the staff was back, and sales began to pick up. As with other businesses, online sales have surged; up 30 percent over the last two months, he said. Mothers Day online orders doubled. But with reopening has come new challenges. In May, the World Health Organization declared South America to be the new epicenter of the pandemic. More than a million cases of coronavirus and 60,000 deaths had been recorded as of last week in Central and South America. That area also happens to be where a large portion of flowers sold in the U.S. are grown. Morris said most of his shipments come by way of Miami from Ecuador, El Salvador and Columbia. But supplies are being slowed by limited travel and the effects of the pandemic. Pappas said 80 percent of the flowers from Nortons come from South America, with some local sources as well. But growers are pulling back on production in South America because of the virus, he said. That has forced some florists to substitute varieties of flowers, based on availability. Its been a big burden for us because theres a lot of uncertainty, he said. But people have been very understanding. 10 Florists decorate Rotary Trail sign Deliveries are still restricted at hospitals, and florists, like other businesses, are dealing with the demands of social distancing and sanitation needs. Employees are wearing masks, and drivers are sanitizing between stops on their routes. Last week, two dozen Birmingham area florists decorated the Rotary Trail sign at First Avenue South and 20th Street South with thousands of flowers. Pappas said it was an important moment for his fellow businesses and the city. At the same time, florists are trying to find new ways of satisfying customer needs while catering to the demands of the moment. One thing I wish we didnt have to do is non-contact delivery, he said. But I dont see that going away anytime soon. Hand delivering flowers is part of the joy, to me. I just hope we can get back to it. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 19:28:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Iran's confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 187,427 on Sunday after an overnight registration of 2,472 new infections, state TV reported. Sima Sadat Lari, the spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said at the daily briefing that out of the new cases in the past 24 hours, 864 have been hospitalized. The pandemic has so far claimed the lives of 8,837 Iranians, up by 107 in the past 24 hours. Besides, 148,674 have recovered and been discharged from hospitals while 2,781 remain in critical condition. According to Lari, 1,244,074 lab tests for COVID-19 have been carried out in Iran as of Sunday. Iran announced its first cases of COVID-19 on Feb. 19. Iran and China have offered mutual help in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. In mid-February, at the early stage of the coronavirus outbreak in China, Iran lit up the Tehran Azadi (Liberty) Tower to show its solidarity with China, and donated 3 million masks to China. In return, China has delivered several shipments of medical supplies to Iran. On Feb. 29, a five-member Chinese medical team visited Iran for a month-long mission to help Iran fight the pandemic. Enditem In shocking news to his fans, actor Sushant Singh Rajput has committed suicide. The actor committed suicide by hanging himself in Bandra, Mumbai. The police has also confirmed that Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput has died of suicide. Notably, former manager of Sushant Singh Rajput, Disha Salian, had also allegedly committed suicide four-five days back. The actor reportedly committed suicide at his residence in Mumbai, and his help informed the police about the suicide. As per initial reports, there were some friends at his Bandra house on Saturday. However, the matter is still being investigated and the exact cause of his suicide is still unknown. Initial reports suggest Rajput was suffering from depression for the past few months, though police has not confirmed it so far. Reports say the actor went to bed really late, and that the house help came to know about the incident in morning. Sushant Singh Rajput was just 34. Rajput made a name for himself on the small screen with TV series Pavitra Rishta. He later went and starred in popular films such as Kai Po Che!, Shuddh Desi Romance, PK, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy, M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, Raabta, Kedarnath, Sonchiriya, Chhichhore and Drive. His last film was Drive opposite Jacqueline Fernandez. Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput death: Shocked fans, heartbroken celebs can't reconcile Shocked beyond words, says actor Riteish Deshmukh. Shocked beyond words !!!! #SushantSinghRajput no more .... deeply saddened!! Riteish Deshmukh (@Riteishd) June 14, 2020 "I met him just before the lockdown. Shocked," says Kunal Kohli. #SushantSinghRajput I cant believe this. I met him just before the lockdown. Shocked. Please tell me this isnt true. kunal kohli (@kunalkohli) June 14, 2020 "Why end such a young and beautiful life that too suicide??!! So so heartbroken," says Aftab Shivdasani. Sushant nooo!! thats the most disturbing news!!! so so so sad.. why? Why end such a young and beautiful life that too suicide??!! So so heartbroken.. #sushantsinghrajput Aftab Shivdasani (@AftabShivdasani) June 14, 2020 Sushant Singh Rajput's last Instagram post. "Blurred past evaporating from teardrops Unending dreams carving an arc of smile And a fleeting life, negotiating between the two..." WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields has resigned after one of her officers shot and killed a black man. But, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms reportedly said Erika will continue with the department in another role. Keisha Lance Bottoms called for the officer who shot the man to be terminated. Protesters in Atlanta took to the streets this weekend demanding action following death of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks. People across the U.S. have already been protesting over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in police custody. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Brooks was shot in the parking lot of a Wendy's restaurant in southeast Atlanta Friday night after he scuffled with officers and ran away with one of their stun guns. On Friday, June 12, 2020, the Atlanta Police Department requested the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to investigate an officer involved shooting. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, preliminary information indicated that at about 10:33 pm on Friday, Atlanta Police Department was dispatched to the Wendy's located at 125 University Ave, Atlanta, GA. Officers were responding to a complaint of a male in a vehicle parked in the drive thru asleep, causing other customers to drive around the vehicle. As per the preliminary information, a field sobriety test was performed on the male subject. After failing the test, the officers attempted to place the male subject into custody. During the arrest, the male subject resisted and a struggle ensued. The officer deployed a Taser. Witnesses report that during the struggle the male subject grabbed and was in possession of the Taser. It has also been reported that the male subject was shot by an officer in the struggle over the Taser. The male subject was transported to a local hospital where he died after surgery. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de At the event, jointly held by the Vietnam Trade Office in India, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), and the HCM City Trade and Investment Promotion Centre, Ambassador Chau said The deal was officially ratified by the Vietnam National Assembly at its ninth session, Chau told the event. He said that the garment-textile industry will be one of the five sectors that have opportunities to increase exports to the EU, while calling on Indian companies to boost investment and establish plants in Vietnam in areas India is strong in such as garment and textiles. Indian ambassador to Vietnam Pranay Verma, for his part, said the two countries embassies will intensify cooperation and information sharing, and set up joint working groups to facilitate the work. According to Verma, the Vietnamese market is potential for Indian businesses which have advantages in garment-textiles, pharmaceuticals, steel, agriculture and information technology. At the event, participants discussed various issues and assessed the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on economies worldwide, including Vietnam and India, and ways of weathering the crisis. New Delhi, June 14 : We can't resist taking World Gi day celebrations into Sunday! If our last set of cocktails impressed you enough, then you'd be more than happy to try out this new list shared by master distiller Desmond Payne from the house of Beefeater, London. Enjoy the flavour of original recipe featuring 6 botanicals drinks with bold juniper, zesty Seville Orange and Lemon Peel: Beefeater Collins INGREDIENTS 60 ml Beefeater London Dry Gin 25 ml Lime Juice 15 ml Sugar syrup Soda to top To Garnish Lemon wedge/ Lemon peel spiral Glass Collins/ Highball METHOD 1. Shake the gin, lime and sugar syrup in a shaker with ice. 2. Strain into the chilled Collins glass filled with ice and a lemon peel spiral. 3. Top with soda and garnish with a lemon wedge Beefeater Mango Cooler INGREDIENTS 60 ml Beefeater London Dry Gin 60 ml Mango Puree 25 ml Lemon juice Top with Soda To Garnish 1 wedge fresh mango/ orange Glass Highball/ Collins METHOD 1. Shake the gin, mango puree and lemon juice in a shaker with ice. 2. Pour into a tall glass filled with ice. 3. Top with soda, stir and garnish with fresh mango. Beefeater Passion-tini INGREDIENTS 45 ml Beefeater London Dry Gin 60 ml Passion-fruit juice or Pulp from 11/2 fresh passion-fruits 5 ml lime juice 5-10 ml Sugar syrup (depending on how sour the passionfruit is) To Garnish Wedge or half a passion fruit (fresh) Glass Martini/ Coupe METHOD 1. Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice. 2. Fine-strain into the chilled martini or coupe glass. 3. Garnish with a passionfruit wedge or half. Beefeater Snapper INGREDIENTS 60 ml Beefeater London Dry Gin 180 ml tomato juice 20 ml lemon juice 5 ml hot sauce/ tabasco/ sriracha 5 ml Worcestershire sauce 1 pinch chili powder 1 pinch cumin powder 1/4 tsp celery salt (or regular salt) 1/4 tsp crushed black pepper 1 pinch garlic powder (optional) Splash of olive brine (optional) 1 pinch horseradish (optional) To Garnish 1 celery stalk 1 dill pickle 2 stuffed green olives 1 wedge lemon 5-10 ice cubes Glass Highball/ Collins METHOD 1. Shake all the ingredients in a shaker. 2. Pour into a tall glass. 3. Garnish with celery, the pickle, green olives and lemon Beefeater Pina Tonic INGREDIENTS 60 ml Beefeater London Dry Gin 30 ml Pineapple Juice 10 ml Lemon juice Top with Tonic water To Garnish 1 wedge fresh pineapple Glass Highball/ Collins METHOD 1. Fill a tall glass with ice. 2. Pour the gin, pineapple juice and lemon juice over the ice and stir briefly. 3. Top with tonic, stir and garnish with fresh pineapple. Beefeater & IT INGREDIENTS 45 ml Beefeater London Dry Gin 30 ml Martini Rosso/ Sweet vermouth 1 dash Orange bitters/ bitters To Garnish Orange peel/ orange half moon Glass Old fashioned/ rocks/ whiskey glass METHOD 1. Stir all the ingredients with ice. 2. Strain into a chilled old fashioned glass filled with ice. 3. Garnish with orange peel or a half moon. (Aditi Roy can be contacted at aditi.r@ians.in) Despite coronavirus travel restrictions, certain U.S. nationals and residents still have options to enter Canada at this time. How to enter Canada from the U.S. during coronavirus How to enter Canada from the U.S. during coronavirus Despite coronavirus travel restrictions, certain U.S. nationals and residents still have options to enter Canada at this time. How to enter Canada from the U.S. during coronavirus Despite coronavirus travel restrictions, certain U.S. nationals and residents still have options to enter Canada at this time. How to enter Canada from the U.S. during coronavirus Despite coronavirus travel restrictions, certain U.S. nationals and residents still have options to enter Canada at this time. Alexandra Miekus Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Travel between Canada and the United States has been restricted since March 21, to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The agreements have since been renewed on a monthly basis. Individuals who are exempt from Canadas coronavirus travel restrictions include temporary foreign workers, immediate family members of Canadians, and certain international students. Those who are travelling to Canada and are exempt still have to demonstrate that the purpose of their trip is for an essential reason and related to critical infrastructure support, trade, work, study or family reunification. Essential travel is defined as travel which is non-optional and non-discretionary. With few exceptions, those who enter Canada from abroad must undergo 14 days of self-isolation. Furthermore, they must demonstrate that they have an adequate quarantine plan. Those who wish to travel to Canada for other non-essential reasons, such as cross-border shopping, to go to their cottage or to visit friends, unfortunately, cannot do so at this time. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs Immediate family members may enter Canada Last Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that immediate family members will be able to enter Canada as of June 8, 2020 so long as they meet certain conditions such as coming to Canada for at least 15 days. Since this exemption was announced, the federal government has issued more guidelines to help immediate family enter Canada. Working in Canada Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Canada has put in place several policies to allow workers and students to come to Canada despite border closures. Most notably, Canada has implemented measures that help employers address labour shortages and facilitate the hiring process of foreign workers. As a result, those who wish to work in Canada may use an accelerated work permit authorization process. Priority processing has also been put in place for some essential occupations. Canadian employers looking to hire foreign workers in the fields of Information Technology and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) can also do so through the Global Talent Stream. This popular stream allows work permits to be processed in as little as two weeks for those individuals who have eligible job offers in Canadas tech industry. Get help with Canadian work permits and TRVs Study options Canada also made a major change to its Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) rules for international students who want to study in Canada starting in the fall. The PGWP enables international students to gain Canadian work experience after completing their educational program at a Canadian designated learning institution (DLI). Normally, online courses do not count toward the study requirement for a PGWP application. However, given coronavirus-related travel interruptions around the world, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has relaxed the rules and is now allowing international students to study online while overseas and still be eligible to apply for the work permit after graduation. IRCC is also exempting overseas biometrics requirements for some foreign workers and has indicated it will aim to process as many study permits as possible in time for the start of the fall 2020 academic semester. Study in Canada in fall 2020 Canada has over 80 economic class immigration pathways With the H1-B visa program in the United States in jeopardy and the tens of thousands of foreign workers who have placed their hopes in this program worried about their future, the prospect of moving from the United States to Canada may become an increasingly appealing option. Unlike the U.S where immigration has been temporarily banned, the Canadian government remains committed to welcoming immigrants and the immigration minister Marco Mendicino has made several remarks that immigration will continue to be key to Canadas economic success and post-coronavirus recovery. Both the federal government and provinces have the authority to operate immigration programs. Collectively, they run over 80 pathways available to skilled workers under Canadas economic class. The most common way to seek permanent residence in Canada is through the Express Entry system. Throughout the pandemic, Canada has continued to hold bi-monthly rounds of invitations through the Express Entry system, with most recent draw having taken place on June 11. The second most common way to obtain permanent residence is through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Most Canadian provinces and territories have their own PNP with each one specifically designed to target immigrants who match specific labour market and economic needs in their respective regions. PNPs have been active over the past few weeks, with invitation rounds taking place in most Canadian provinces. In fact, more than 2,000 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residence have been issued in May and already over 1,000 in June. Why applicants from the U.S. have a competitive advantage Immigration applicants from the U.S. are well-placed to gain Canadian permanent residence due to their English-language fluency, professional work experience, and high levels of education. It is for these reasons that U.S. residents are among the top 3 sources of successful candidates under Express Entry. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs 2020 CIC News All Rights Reserved Uri: The four terrorists who stormed an army base in Uri sector on Sunday killing 18 soldiers belonged to Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and managed to sneak in by cutting the perimeter fencing of the highly-guarded army installation at two places, investigations have shown. In an indication that the terrorists were well-versed of the layout of the army base close to the Line of Control(LoC), the assailants locked the cooking room and store from outside to prevent the soldiers from leaving before setting them afire, sources privy to the probe said today. The investigators are not ruling out "insider help" to the terrorists in view of the precise nature of the actions undertaken by the intruders once inside the army base, the sources said, adding the attackers first cut the perimeter fencing at two places. After locking the cooking room and store, two of the terrorists started moving towards the officers quarters within the base but they were gunned down before they could inflict any further damage, they said. The two Global Positioning System (GPS) sets recovered from the slain militants were damaged during the attack and have been handed over to the NIA, which is probing the case. The four intruders, who had crossed in from Pakistan- occupied Kashmir(Pok) a day earlier, were affiliated to LeT as the terrorist module bore striking resemblance to the group from the same Pakistan-based terror outfit eliminated in Poonch on September 11, the sources said. Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Ranbir Singh had told reporters hours after the attack that as per initial reports the slain terrorists belonged to Jaish-e- Mohammad(JeM), also a Pakistan-based terror outfit. "All four killed were foreign terrorists and had carried with them items which had Pakistani markings. Initial reports indicate that the slain terrorists belong to Jaish-E-Mohammed tanzeem," Lt Gen Singh had said. The terrorists both at Uri and Poonch were carrying small plastic bottles containing a concoction of petroleum jelly and gelatin which was used to set the soldiers' tents on fire, the sources said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Flash Clashes between the Lebanese army and protesters in Lebanese Tripoli's demonstrations on Saturday led to the injury of 20 people including four army members. A security source told Xinhua that clashes erupted when a group of protesters in the northern city of Tripoli intercepted big trucks carrying food items in an attempt to prevent them from going to Syria. The source said that protesters expressed their anger to see food being transported to Syria while the Lebanese are in great need for these products amid current economic crisis and the steep hike in prices. Protesters threw stones at army members who prevented them from stopping trucks by using tear gas to disperse them which led to the violent clashes. Nationwide demonstrations resumed on Friday evening in Lebanon for the second consecutive day in protest against the dire living conditions in the country. A Syrian refugee, who has settled in the UK after losing her leg in a bomb strike, has helped raise more than 70,000 to prevent and treat coronavirus outbreaks in refugee camps. Dema Aktaa, 26, pledged to walk a mile near her home in Flitwick, Bedfordshire, while building up strength on her new prosthetic leg, in order to help raise money for Help Refugees' campaign Around the World in 40 days. She joins hundreds of people who have pledged to travel a chosen distance in a group effort to cover the circumference of the earth at 24,901 miles during lockdown. So far, more than 70,000 has been raised and more than 124,000 miles have been pledged - nearly five times the mammoth distance. Dema Atkaa, 26, lost her leg when a bomb hit her home in Syria (Dema Aktaa)) / (Dema Aktaa) Help Refugees co-founder Josie Naughton told the Standard: "Everyone is currently separate and self-isolated but very much coming together in a group endeavour to achieve something collaborative. "We're humbled every day by the efforts of all our amazing supporters, adding that Dema "has been an inspiration to us all and is incredible not only for what she is doing for others but for her positivity and strength." Dema, who is still waiting for surgery in the UK to treat problems with her leg, said walking on her prosthetic leg can be incredibly painful at times and can cause bruising. But despite this, she surpassed her goal to walk one mile this week by covering a distance hit 2.4km and has raised almost 600. She said: "I'm so happy. Thankfully I did it without any problems and I did more than a mile. Its just a small help but it will mean a lot for someone who needs it, she said. The 26-year-old is also training and raising money separately so that she can start running again, which she misses too much. Before I lost my leg I was running in my city, she said. But now here, I walk and I push myself to go more distances because when you get ready for running, it will be hard with a prosthetic leg. The 26-year-old is also training and raising money separately so that she can start running again (Dema Aktaa) / (Dema Aktaa) Asked why she chose to join the campaign, Dema said her journey and life experiences had motivated her to lend support any way she can. She said: Helping other people means a lot to me. In this life we need each other. I decided to join the campaign for so many reasons. But especially because I am disabled, and I know if someone spoke to me saying: I need a leg, I need arms, I need a wheelchair - my heart will want to do anything to help him or her. Dema grew up in the Syrian village of Salqin near Idlib but in September 2012 - a year into the war - a bomb destroyed her family home and she lost her leg, aged 18. She said: It was sudden. I was walking from the kitchen to the living room and when I took the first step, the bomb hit and straight away I lost my leg. Amid the chaos that ensued, Dema said she could not see her family anywhere and even though she registered that she was seriously injured, she was more worried that something had happened to them. She added: Thank God they were fine but at the time I just kept saying Where is my family?'" Dema had to travel two hour to the city of Idlib to find a hospital that could perform the major operation. She said: The situation there was very bad. In the car on the way to the hospital, I thought I would die - maybe here or maybe in the next street. But she did make it to the hospital, where her leg was amputated above the knee. A month later, she fled as a refugee to Lebanon, where her brother had been working, and lived there for six years, waiting for a prosthetic leg and searching for doctors to help. Syrian refugees in the country face many bureaucratic barriers to get access to care or education. For Dema, a prosthetic leg was too expensive and she could not continue her schooling in Lebanon's private education system, which had been interrupted by the war. However, in 2017, she was given the chance to move to the UK through a UN resettlement programme, saying: I was very, very lucky. In 2017, she moved to the UK through a UN resettlement programme, saying: I was very very lucky. (Dema Aktaa) / (Dema Aktaa) Now, she lives in Flitwick and works in a primary school as a supervisor for four and five-year-olds. They call me the robot-girl because of my prosthetic leg, she laughed. The 26-year-old, who is also now studying interior design and finally got her prosthetic leg, said: My journey was so long. I lost six years in Lebanon but I've started again here in the UK. Dema said the UK is now her home but still misses Syria. My sister is still in Syria and I miss her too much. No one can forget home and I love my home too much so I hope the war will stop soon as possible. On being able to help other refugees in camps across 14 countries with the campaign, she said: It means a lot to me because I was waiting for that small help when I was in Lebanon. I was searching for the doctor and more information to have a prosthetic leg because I needed to walk again. So it means a lot to me to help in any small way. Maybe someone needs a smile, needs love - even just these small things. So why not do it? Meanwhile, Ms Naughton spoke about how the Help Refugees campaign will go towards helping protecting those in camps such as Moria on the Greek island of Lesvos. She said refugees are some of the most vulnerable people on the planet amid the coronavirus pandemic. "How can you self-isolate if you have to queue for hours each day for food? How can you wash your hands regularly if you share a single tap with hundreds/thousands of others? In the face of coronavirus, we have stepped up to offer further support to our partners and those medical groups who are distributing extra soap, sanitiser, and providing medical assistance alongside their usual delivery of essentials such as food and nappies. Ms Naughton also spoke about how refugees and asylum seekers have been disproportionately affected by coronavirus in the UK. "Many are reliant on food banks which they now can't access, or are living in overcrowded accommodation where self-isolation is more difficult," she said. "People are also dealing with trauma and the services which support them have been unable to run as usual." Other than helping raise funds, Ms Naughton called on people to write to their MPs in protests against weakening laws on family reunification and find out what is being done in their local area. "In some places, there are food distributions or other initiatives supporting refugees who have been disproportionately affected by lockdown and coronavirus," she said. Analysis banner Business Insider The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider LaGuardia Airport's Arrivals and Departures Hall is opening to the public on Saturday after four years of construction. The 850,000-square-foot facility is nothing like its predecessor with improvements in every aspect including additional retail, dining, and relaxation opportunities for passengers. Terminal B at LaGuardia now resembles a modern international airport and is on its way to shedding its former reputation among New Yorkers. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The new LaGuardia Airport is (almost) here. New York's smallest area airport behind JFK and Newark has long been the thorn in the side of frequent area travelers having fallen into disrepair over the years but the days of avoiding LaGuardia will soon be over. Governor Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday marked the opening of a new Arrivals and Departures Hall for Terminal B, the largest terminal at LaGuardia with 35 gates, and it looks nothing like the airport New Yorkers love to hate. After four years of construction, LaGuardia's newest terminal building blows its competitors out of the water with a good chunk of the project's $5.1 billion budget spent on this facility alone. After spending only a few minutes in the new building, it was hard to tell I was at an airport in America, let alone New York City, and as a frequent traveler, I couldn't have been happier with the finished product. The new building welcomed passengers starting at 4 a.m. on Saturday, marking a new era for LaGuardia and tri-state aviation that will only get better as the rest of the airport is completed. Business Insider was given a sneak peek at what's in store for those lucky enough to utilize the airport's flagship terminal. Take a look at why you should book your next flight to LaGuardia. Before heading into the new terminal, I had to walk through the old Central Terminal Building, on what would be its last day of operations. Story continues The old Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider As a New Yorker, I've taken a good number of flights in and out of LaGuardia. This terminal, in particular, was never a treat to use due to its low-ceilings, narrow walkways, and overall closed-in feeling. The old Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider The terminal was largely empty due to the pandemic with most of its businesses closed so it wouldn't get to welcome its typical number of passengers on its last day. The old Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Just across the way, its replacement was being built. Welcome to the new LaGuardia. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Starting Saturday at 4 a.m., passengers are dropped off here at the Arrivals and Departures Hall, also known as the headhouse. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider The four-story structure houses ticketing and check-in, baggage claim, and security screening, as well as a majority of the terminal's retail. The departures level is around 70 feet in the air so the New York City skyline is clearly visible when getting dropped off. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider The new LaGuardia is chock full of minor details that subtly improve the passenger experience. The first one most will notice when arriving at the terminal is that the roadway is completely level with the curbside, making it easier for cars to pull up and limited mobility passengers to walk into the terminal. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Even the curbside area is a huge improvement compared to the old terminal. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Also gone are the revolving doors of the old Terminal B as you enter the terminal. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Here's the main check-in area, complete with four piers and plenty of open space between them. Again, it's hard to believe you're at LaGuardia. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider It's a massive terminal, vertically, and this is only the third floor. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Only four airlines will use this terminal when it opens: American, United, Southwest, and Air Canada. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Each pier has a directory to find each airline, as well as the safety reminders due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider There's a big focus on self-serve kiosks and common-use in the terminal. Passengers can go directly to their airline's area when they arrive at the terminal, The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider But every kiosk is interchangeable and can access the system of any airline that uses the terminal. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Got dropped off at Air Canada but flying American? There's no need to walk down to the other side of the terminal unless you need to check a bag or visit an agent. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider And as there's a heavy focus on communal kiosks, there's also a focus on health with over 300 hand sanitizer and wipe stations in the terminal. Most kiosks also have wipes next to them for use before, after, or during the check-in process. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Floor to ceiling windows also let in bounds of natural light. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider And while social distancing may have been difficult in the old terminal, it's no problem here in the 850,000-square-foot headhouse. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Public works art is also a key component to the terminal's design, with multiple features located throughout. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider On the back wall is a tiled mosaic mural by Laura Owens with clouds surrounded by iconic themes from New York City. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider It pays homage to the things that make or have made New York special including The Stonewall Inn, a Pan American Clipper aircraft... The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider A slice of New York pizza... The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider A MetroCard, and a halal/hot dog cart. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Then there's this hanging piece by Sarah Sze, a centerpiece of the terminal visible from the departures level and baggage claim. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider It features hundreds of photos of the sun taken from above New York over the course of a single day. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Then it's on to security, where 16 lanes handle all the traffic for the terminal. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Display screens mark each line with dedicated TSA PreCheck and accessible lanes available. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider There are also reminders to social distance and placards reminding passengers where to stand. Careful consideration was given to this area which features carpeting to soften the noise levels, informational screens for each line, and plants to separate it from check-in. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider The TSA is also employing new Credential Authentication Technology so agents no longer need to check a passenger's boarding pass, just their identification. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider The space ahead of the screening is expansive, stretching nearly the entire length of the terminal. Most of it won't be used normally but it will prevent the line from backing up into the terminal and allow for social distancing, with lines configured so that passengers aren't standing directly next to each other when the line snakes. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider The post-screening area is similarly expansive with cushioned seats available for passengers to assemble themselves after going through the scanners. New scanners will be deployed, with LaGuardia the first in the US to feature them, to speed up screening times. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider After security, it's a quick escalator or elevator ride to the terminal's main lounge. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Passengers are also treated to this huge JCDecaux display with photos from across the city of the Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge, and Statue of Liberty. It will also likely show ads during operation. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider As well as more art along the wall. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Before reaching the main lounge, passengers walk through the first retail space in the airport, just like how international airports have duty-free shops located just after security. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Countless brands are represented including Kate Spade, Lego, and the Strand, with a giant bookshelf offering a new take on the airport bookstore. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Partitions are also set up for the cashiers, along with social distancing reminders throughout. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider LED lights overhead also help set the mood. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Passengers are then let out into the main lounge with chairs, tables, and couches flanked by retail shops and eateries. Layouts like this are rare in US airports and I felt like I was at Heathrow Airport rather than LaGuardia. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider And to that effect, new departure boards will tell passengers when they need to start heading to the gate. If a flight is leaving later, the icon will say "relax." The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Flights are also sorted by their departure time with the average walking time from that specific sign. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider The feeling is like being in a luxury mall than an airport, especially as the centerpiece of this level is a water feature with LED lights creating a multi-color display. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Large plants are also seen throughout the terminal to further give a luxurious atmosphere. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Eateries in the retail space include Wendy's, Dos Toros Taqueria, Junior's Cheesecake, and Dunkin. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider There's ample but spaced seating due to the pandemic, with strategically placed outlets throughout. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider When the old terminal is demolished, patrons here will have unobstructed views of the adjacent tarmac. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider This space was designed to give passengers a reason to want to head to LaGuardia early or even serve as a hangout spot to wait out a weather delay or layover, something the old LaGuardia was awful at doing. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Even the restrooms received an upgrade with the spacious, well-lit, and modern facilities featuring numerous user-friendly amenities, as well as orchids between each sink. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Stalls are designed to give users more space and doors are offset from the center with lips to prevent anybody from peering in. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Water fountain stations in the terminal were closed due to the pandemic but the water bottle stations are still active. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Passengers departing from the Eastern Concourse will then walk down this walkway. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider The retail and dining experience continues to the edges of the headhouse with additional eateries, The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider And bars located along the walk. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider There's everything from high-end restaurants to casual diner-fare. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Then there's the bridge to the concourse, which is built high enough for aircraft to pass under as part of the terminal's new layout designed at preventing aircraft congestion below. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Once on the other side, it's just two more escalator rides or an elevator ride down to the main concourse. Passengers arriving at LaGuardia will travel in the opposite direction towards baggage claim. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider After being welcomed by the new concourse, they'll have a full view of the new headhouse. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider And all the art in the terminal as they make the journey down to baggage claim. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider The path to baggage claim passes through the departure level, though segregated by bollards, and passengers who prefer being picked up on the departures level can easily make their way there from here. LaGuardia Airport New Terminal Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Baggage claim is located on the second floor with LaGuardia employing new robotic technology to speed up the process. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider High-definition display signs show which flights each carousel is serving as well as ground transportation information and reminders about the pandemic. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider There's nine baggage claim carousels in total with a dedicated taxi pick-up zone at the end of the terminal. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider The bottom floor is home to the welcome center and is the pick-up spot for buses and shuttles. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Rideshare pickups are done in the parking garage next door, accessible by this colorful walkway featuring another mural. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Crafted by Sabine Hornig, this mural combines over 1,000 high-resolution photographs of New York City and layers it with quotes from the airport's namesake, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider And these are the two masterminds behind the whole terminal: Stewart Steeves, CEO of LaGuardia Gateway Partners, the company tasked with redeveloping the airport, and George Casey, CEO of Vantage Airport Group, the lead developer of the project and manager of the new terminal. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Welcome to the new LaGuardia Airport, I certainly can't wait to come back. The new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider Read the original article on Business Insider WASHINGTON - Dozens of protesters descended Saturday evening on the District of Columbia home of Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, demanding that she defund the police as they chanted and danced to music at what they called a block party. The protesters, many of them with trans-led LGBTQ advocacy group No Justice No Pride, were met by a line of at least 22 masked police officers outside the mayor's home. But there were no altercations, even as dancers strutted and preened inches from officers' faces and flashed the middle finger at police at the end of performances. Although Bowser garnered national acclaim for painting "Black Lives Matter" on 16th Street near the White House, she has a fraught relationship with local Black Lives Matter leaders, who object to how she has handled police shootings in the nation's capital. A sweeping police overhaul bill passed by the District Council last week has put Bowser and District Police Chief Peter Newsham further at odds with activists. That tension was on full display Saturday. "She fake," No Justice No Pride organizer Pontianna Ivan said of the mayor, just before the crowd broke into chants of, "Where Bowser at?" Bowser was home at the time of the protest and left shortly after demonstrators departed about 8 p.m. A spokesperson for Bowser did not immediately respond to a request for comment. For much of Saturday, the protests against police brutality and racial injustice were smaller but showed no sign of letting up as demonstrations continued for the 16th straight day in District and in communities throughout the Washington region. As the sun set in the District, hundreds of peaceful protesters marched north on 15th Street toward Meridian Hill Park to voice their outrage over the May 25 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. Earlier in the day, families, bikers and dog walkers, many wearing Black Lives Matter T-shirts and "I can't breathe!" face masks, made their way to the blocks near Lafayette Square and the White House that have become the focal point of protesters for the past two weeks. The crowds who squared off against police in violent clashes at the outset of the protests had been replaced with visitors who came to take pictures of signs and murals that blanketed the area, including the yellow, large-block lettering reading "Black Lives Matter" on 16th Street between Lafayette Square and K Street NW. "I guess our time is now," said Barrington Mack, who rode his bike to the newly christened Black Lives Matter Plaza from his home. "All of our concerns have never been voiced like this since the '60s." Mack, 50, wore a black T-shirt emblazoned with the words: "I'm not a gentrifier. I've been here. DC Native." It was his first visit to the plaza since protests began in the District. He said seeing the display was a good start. "For me, it's a very important symbolic gesture," Mack said. "The District is acknowledging what we've been suffering for 400 years. We need discussions to bring unity and healing to our country." "And make sure you get this down," he added, pointing to a reporter's notebook. "Reparations should be the be-all and end-all of those discussions." Additional protest marches and gatherings Saturday were planned across the city and in neighboring suburbs, including Alexandria and Ashburn in Virginia and Gaithersburg, Mount Airy and Edgewater in Maryland. In Richmond, a few thousand people turned out on Monument Avenue for Virginia's 5,000 Man March Against Racism. After two weeks of alternately violent and peaceful nighttime protests in the city, the afternoon event felt like a festival. Amid the avenue's graffiti-covered Confederate monuments, straw sun hats and live gospel music mixed with Black Lives Matter T-shirts and chants of "no justice, no peace." "We should be spreading love - love and peace and kindness - because that's what's going to make the biggest difference," said Mario Powell, 23, handing out free hot dogs and fried fish sandwiches from Godfrey's, a downtown drag club. On the sidewalk, Jeffery Lamont Peters held a poster-size photo of his late nephew, Marcus-David Peters, a teacher fatally shot by Richmond police during a mental breakdown in May 2018. Marcus-David Peters was unarmed, naked and visibly disturbed when he lunged at an officer, according to police, who concluded the officer fired in self-defense. "Don't forget about what happened in your own backyard," Peters called out to the passing marchers. Though protests in Washington were calm Saturday, the fronts of most downtown buildings remain boarded up - a sign that property owners remained wary of tensions flaring again. Most visitors took advantage of the peaceful atmosphere and sparkling June weather to pay homage at the site of earlier, larger protests. Many brought their children with them. Andre McLemore stood Saturday with his two children, admiring the collection of signs remaining on the black fence outside Lafayette Square. McLemore, 49, said he decided to bring the children to the protest for the first time on Saturday because he had been worried in previous days about safety. "It was important for them to see the movement and the outrage, not only from black Americans, but from all the minorities," said McLemore, a federal contractor from Gaithersburg, Md. He said he recently has been having more conversations with his son, Donovan, about how to interact with police as he prepares to start driving. He said he tries to teach his children to love everyone, regardless of their race, but also to realize that not everyone feels the same. Early Saturday afternoon, dozens gathered in front of the White House for an impromptu open-mic session. Stacia Wright, 43, shared with the crowd that her 8-year old son recently told her, "Mommy, I don't want to go outside." She hadn't let him watch the video of Floyd's death but had tried to explain it to him, and to tell him that because of the color of his skin, he might be treated differently than his friends. But she also told him not to be scared. "We have a right to be able to tell our children that it's literally going to be okay," said Wright, of Laurel, Md. "I don't want to lie to my son." Wright, an event manager, said she hadn't brought her son to the protest because she wanted to check it out herself first, to protect him. But after seeing the peaceful families gathered, she said she wanted to bring him next week. The uptick in visitors, young and old, was also proving good for business. More than a dozen vendors set up tables along 16th Street selling T-shirts, masks and posters for those who wanted to proclaim their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Hassan McEachin, 26, had piles of T-shirts and masks for sale on his table at 16th and I. The Olney, Md., resident said he earned $5,000 in sales Friday and sold out of his supply. On Saturday, he brought hundreds of child-size shirts to sell. "A lot of people were asking for shirts for their kids yesterday, so I knew they would do well," McEachin said. Another vendor aimed at an even younger market: He was doing brisk business selling Black Lives Matter onesies for infants. Not all demonstrators in Washington on Saturday were voicing support for police reform and structural change. Two dozen people, most of whom were white, gathered on the Mall in a show of support for law enforcement - the first such event the nation's capital has seen in more than two weeks of protests over the killing of Floyd. The event, called "We Back Blue," aimed to give conservatives a voice in the ongoing national conversation about the role of police, according to a video posted to Facebook by organizer Melissa Robey. The schedule for the event included speeches and a march to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Throughout the day, different groups of racial injustice demonstrators made their way to Lafayette Square and Black Lives Matter Plaza. One group included dozens of lawyers, who marched from the headquarters of the National Bar Association on 12th Street to the White House, many of them wearing "Black Lawyers Matter" T-shirts. "We have been fighting injustice and inequality for 95 years," said Alfreda Robinson, president of the association, which is the nation's largest network of African American attorneys. "This was a moment. We would not have missed this moment." Robin Cooper, 49, packed into a van with a half-dozen friends Saturday morning and drove nearly four hours from her home in Philadelphia to reach the nation's capital in time for a Black Lives Matter rally hosted by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Cooper, who helped organize the rally and is president of Teamsters Local 502 in Philadelphia, said it felt wonderful to march with fellow Teamsters through the streets of Washington to speak out against police treatment of black Americans, which she views as a human rights violation. "Black lives are human lives, black lives are Teamster lives," she said. "I'm a Teamster, and I'm black, and I'm proud." From the South: From Monday to holidaymakers from Germany can go to popular destinations in Europe. The travel warning of the foreign office is likely to be lifted for 27 European countries, at the same time, most countries allow tourists to enter the country. Spain as a holiday destination number one of the German citizens abroad is only from the 1. July to this. However, up to 10.900 people should be allowed to fly for a Test of Monday to Mallorca and the other Balearic Islands. airports, Airlines, and tour operators have with Hygiene and security concepts on the restart is prepared. Lufthansa has reduced its offer of high. Have a great trip shaft, however, is not initially expect to, and also because most of the air travel large organizer start only in the course of the week, or the beginning of July. Detailed notes for each country The Cabinet had decided that the worldwide travel warning for tourists for 31 European countries for the four States, Spain, Sweden, Norway and Finland is not likely to happen but still on Monday. For the 27 other countries there are detailed notes, in which the country-specific risks will be informed. This can also mean that tourist travel is not advised. For example, in the case of the UK, that should be the case, as long as there is still a 14-day mandatory Quarantine for all entering the country is. For more than 160 countries 31 the travel warning, first to the. August be extended. Federal foreign Minister Heiko Maas had, however, made it clear that it could also be the exception to the rule, for examples of popular holiday countries such as Turkey, which has already included the air traffic to Germany again. The country on the Bosporus is the third most popular holiday destination of the Germans abroad, to Spain and Italy. The Turkish government is pushing for a lifting of travel warnings "at the earliest possible date". A travel warning is a ban not a travel. Holidaymakers can be at their own risk, unless the country opened its borders for tourists. Maas had, however, made it clear that there will be no large-scale return action is more like in March. Organizers are tied up with travel warnings, the hands. You need to cancel the already-booked Trips. Updated Date: 14 June 2020, 12:19 By West Kentucky Star Staff Jun. 13, 2020 | 09:55 PM | MCCRACKEN COUNTY The McCracken County PVA office is nearing completion of inspections and reassessments for the 2020 tax year. In this tax year, the PVA office inspected and reassessed properties in the county tax districts of Hendron (03), Melber (10) and Outside Fire (01) as well as the Carson Park and Pines neighborhoods of Paducah. McCracken County PVA Bill Dunn says some property owners might see significant assessment increases. The assessment should be within 5% of the estimated sale price of your property. He said properties that havent changed ownership over the past 15 or more years are likely to see the biggest increases, while properties that have changed hands over the last three to four years are likely to see no assessment change. Dunn said underassessed properties will not result in any back taxes. He said his office continues to find omitted properties for which those property owners will receive tax bills for up to five years. Assessment notices have already been mailed to thousands of property owners and they have conferenced with many appealing their assessment. Anyone who feels their assessment is incorrect has until July 20 to appeal. After that, assessments cannot be changed. Anyone with questions should contact Dunn at 270-444-4712 or email Bill.Dunn@ky.gov . A national reckoning over race and police violence has erupted at BART, where the swift fallout from one board directors comments showed how raw the issue has become and how much it has haunted the Bay Area transit agency. It began during a budget discussion at the transit agencys board meeting Thursday, during which several people called in urging the board to defund its Police Department. Though BART has no such plans, the idea still captivated people, given that its catching on with other departments around the country. One commenter decried BART police as murderers, recalling the 2009 fatal shooting of Oscar Grant on the platform of Fruitvale Station. That rankled Director Debora Allen of Clayton, who called the statements outrageous and false, and accused the callers of being politically motivated. The definition of murder is the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another. Its just simply a false statement, she said. Later in the discussion, Board President Lateefah Simon angrily struck back, characterizing Allens comments as dog whistles, and calling them consistent with the political agenda that uplifts structural racism. In a tweet, board member Janice Li called Allens comments vicious, toxic, and racist. By the end of the day, the directors comments had gone viral on Twitter, triggering a backlash so vehement that Allen deleted her Twitter account by Friday afternoon. An impersonator created a parody account with Allens picture and a similar handle, using it to denigrate Allen and express support for Black Lives Matter. As bystanders continued to weigh in on social media, divisions on the board seemed to harden. Allen defended her comments Saturday, saying its unfair to make sweeping generalizations about an entire department. The death of Oscar Grant was a horrible incident that left a big black mark on BART, and BART has been working for a decade to overcome that, she said. I wont allow these types of stereotypes .... imply(ing) that BART police officers individually are all murderers. Simon was not impressed. Kate Munsch / Special to the Chronicle Ive been dealing with her (Allens) racism for quite some time, she said on Saturday. There are folks who are racist everywhere. But we have a budget to pass. The conflict spoke to a deepening conversation about racial injustice and policing one thats not just focused on whether officers should be charged, but on the language that politicians and media use to talk about these incidents. Video evidence of racism is toppling celebrities and other powerful figures. Newsrooms are debating whether to capitalize the word black, and discarding euphemisms like racially tinged when racist is more appropriate. This shift is important to activists like Cat Brooks, founder of the Anti Police-Terror Project in Oakland. We have to start calling things what they are and stop trying to downplay, she said. For BART, the painful conversations began 11 years ago, when a police officer shot Grant in the back as bystanders watched from a crowded train, filming the incident on cell phones. It was the most seismic moment for police accountability since the 1991 beating of Rodney King. Observers posted the footage of Grants death on YouTube, where it went instantly viral the first in a string of smartphone-recorded police killings that would convulse the nation again and again, leading up to the killing of George Floyd. Grants violent death prompted protests and civil unrest in downtown Oakland, where residents smashed windows and set cars ablaze. But it also led to a series of reforms at BART, including mandatory police body cameras, the creation of a citizen review board to investigate complaints of misconduct, and the hiring of an independent police auditor. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The shooting still shadows BARTs Police Department. Even as it triggered policy changes, it raised questions over whether the transit agencys police officers should carry arms at all. And Grant became an enduring symbol, commemorated in the movie Fruitvale Station, a mural painted on the stations wall and a small strip of road that officials christened Oscar Grant Way. Over the years Grants mother, Wanda Johnson, became a familiar presence at BART board meetings. My son was killed at BART, she said. And Im forever going to be part of BART. Now Playing: Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, local artists and community members paint over boarded-up storefronts in Downtown Oakland. The grassroots project responds to the civil unrest over police violence and systemic racism, sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Video: Caron Creighton The scars run deep, and policing remains a controversial topic at BART as the agency grapples with conflicting public perceptions. Many riders called for more law enforcement after the 2018 stabbing of Nia Wilson, but others saw the police as heavy-handed and racially biased, particularly after a video emerged last year of an officer handcuffing a black man for eating a sandwich. Before the coronavirus hit the Bay Area, BART intended to beef up its police force, hiring 19 officers a year for five years. The board abandoned those plans as it faced losses of hundreds of millions of dollars. It now has 178 sworn officers and a proposed budget for fiscal 2021 of $91.4 million. Simon maintains a regular dialogue with Police Chief Ed Alvarez, who has committed to build trust with the public. Whether the board directors can repair their own differences is another question. This is a board with strong tensions, Director Bevan Dufty acknowledged. Debora Allen she always wants to be a contrarian. But theres a time when it crosses the line. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan Ethiopia wants to fill dams reservoir in coming weeks but Egypt says that could significantly reduce its Nile water. Egypt and Sudan have said that talks about a controversial dam on the Blue Nile River will resume on Monday, amid Egyptian accusations that Ethiopia, the third party to the talks, has tried to scrap previous agreements reached, and that many fundamental issues remain rejected by Ethiopia. The construction of the $4.6bn Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile which is more than 70 percent complete and promises to provide much-needed electricity to Ethiopias 100 million people has been a contentious point among the three main Nile River Basin countries. The three countries have been holding talks for years without reaching a deal. Those talks came to a halt in February when Ethiopia did not attend a final round of talks sponsored by the Trump administration. Ethiopia wants to begin filling the dams reservoir in coming weeks, but Egypt has raised concerns that filling the reservoir behind the dam too quickly could significantly reduce the amount of Nile water available to Egypt. After months of deadlock, Sudanese, Egyptian and Ethiopian water and irrigation ministers resumed talks last week, with observers attending from the US, the European Union and South Africa, which is the current head of the African Union. Sudans irrigation ministry said Saturdays talks focused on technical matters regarding the dams operation and the filling of its massive reservoir during rainy seasons and droughts. It said it would draft a paper, based on Egyptian and Ethiopian notes, to be discussed on Monday. Egypts irrigation ministry said the June 9-13 talks revealed the differences that remain with Ethiopia. These issues included Ethiopias total rejection of addressing technical issues related to mitigation measures for droughts and prolonged droughts and measures to address prolonged dry years, the ministry statement said. Ethiopia also rejected the inclusion of a legally binding dispute resolution mechanism, it said. Egypt reaffirmed that these are essential components in any agreement that relates to an existential matter that affects the lives of over 150 million citizens of Egypt and Sudan, the statement said. Ethiopias water and energy ministry said the talks have achieved progress and will result in finalising the process with a win-win outcome. It said the three countries had reached an understanding on the first stage of filling and the approach to drought management rules. But Mohammed el-Sebaei, a spokesman for Egypts irrigation ministry, said Ethiopia rejected a Sudanese proposal last week that could be a basis for negotiations between the three countries. Instead, Addis Ababa introduced a worrisome proposal that included its vision on the dams operation. He said Ethiopia lacked the political will to compromise and wants Egypt and Sudan to abandon their water rights and to recognise Ethiopias right to use the Blue Nile waters unilaterally and to fill and operate the Renaissance Dam in accordance with its vision. The proposal is not legally and technically sound, he told reporters in Cairo. It is a clear attempt to impose a fait accompli on my downstream country. Egypt and Sudan rejected the Ethiopian proposal, el-Sebaei said. The Ethiopian ministry said el-Sebaeis comments were regrettable. and that if the continuing negotiations failed it would be because of Egypts obstinacy to maintain a colonial-based water allocation agreement that denies Ethiopia and all the upstream countries their natural and legitimate rights. The Blue Nile flows from Ethiopia into Sudan where it joins the White Nile near the capital, Khartoum, to form the Nile River. Eighty-five percent of the Niles waters originate in Ethiopia from the Blue Nile. Egypt last week called for Ethiopia to clearly declare that it had no intention of unilaterally filling the reservoir and that a draft deal that resulted from negotiations observed by the US and the World Bank serve as the starting point of the resumed negotiations. The preliminary agreement had been reached in January after several rounds of talks in Washington, DC. However, only Egypt had initialled the deal, and Ethiopias absence at the final round meant it was not signed by the three. The deadlock over the dam has become increasingly bitter in recent months, with Egypt saying it would use all available means to defend the interests of its people. Ethiopias deputy army chief on Friday said his country would strongly defend itself and will not negotiate on matters of sovereignty. China reported its highest daily rise in new coronavirus cases for two months Sunday as parts of the capital, Beijing, remained under lockdown following an outbreak at a wholesale market. Health officials reported 57 new cases less than 24 hours after one district put itself on a "wartime" footing Saturday following a cluster of around 50 infections at the Xinfadi market. The cluster, the capital's first locally transmitted cases in nearly two months, raised mainland China's total number to 83,132. Almost 4,700 people have died in China, where the pandemic originated in December. Image: Police at Xinfadi market in Beijing (Mark Schiefelbein / AP) Infections in South Korea are also on the rise after lockdowns were eased because of a highly praised testing and tracing campaign. Health officials reported 34 more cases Sunday, adding to a recent upward trend. The country has reported 12,085 cases. Officials said 30 were in the greater Seoul area, where half the country's 51 million people live. The new cases have been linked to nightclub-goers, church services, an e-commerce warehouse and door-to-door sellers. As a result, the government has started to retighten preventive measures, pleading with the public to wear masks and avoid attending public meetings. Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak Elsewhere, the pandemic continues to rage in South America and India. With almost 43,000 deaths, Brazil is second only to the U.S., according to John Hopkins University data. Image: Quarantine worker in Itaewon neighborhood of Seoul (Yonhap / Reuters) In nearby Chile, Health Minister Jaime Manalich resigned Saturday amid controversy over the country's death toll, which has topped 3,100, according to Johns Hopkins University data. India also reported its biggest single-day jump in virus cases Saturday, with 11,458 new infections, taking its total to more than 300,000, according to data from the health ministry. As the total of global cases approached 7.8 million on Sunday, some European Union nations plan to reopen their internal borders Monday after the bloc's executive arm urged a relaxation of restrictions. Story continues Nonessential businesses are set to reopen in the U.K. on Monday provided they are able to meet COVID-19 guidelines. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is eager to restart an economy that has been all but shut down since Britain entered a lockdown in March. Elsewhere, Ireland, Belgium, Denmark and Spain all began relaxing their rules, loosening their limits on public gatherings, while restaurants and bars reopened. States across the U.S. have also been gradually reopening, but after a spike in cases, Utah and Oregon suspended reopening their economies further. Badly hit New York City emerged from its lockdown last week, with thousands of people returning to work. Scott Morrison will fast-track 15 huge infrastructure projects worth $72billion to provide 66,000 jobs after the coronavirus-caused downturn. The Prime Minister, who wants $180billion worth of infrastructure built over the next ten years, will bring the projects forward to boost the economy after the pandemic left 1.3million Australians out of work. In a speech on Monday, Mr Morrison will announce he is prioritising 15 projects for fast-tracked approval across the transport, energy, defence and telecommunications sectors. Scott Morrison will fast-track 15 huge infrastructure projects worth $72billion to provide 66,000 jobs. Pictured: Building work for Sydney's light rail in 2018 This is an artist's impression of what the new Western Sydney metro line will look like when opened in 2026. Mr Morrison has already provided extra funding for the project The projects include the inland railway line from Melbourne to Brisbane, the Marinus Link to take electricity from Tasmania to Victoria, an extension of BHP's copper mine at Olympic Dam in South Australia, emergency town water projects in New South Wales, and road, rail and iron ore projects in Western Australia. Daily Mail Australia understands the government will list all 15 projects in the coming weeks. In total, they are worth $72billion in public and private investment and will support 66,000 direct and indirect jobs. 'As we come out of the COVID crisis, infrastructure can give us the edge that many countries don't have,' the Prime Minister will say at the National Press Club in Canberra. 'This isn't just the roads and rail that get us to work and school. 'It is dams that improve water security and underpin an expansion of high-value agriculture. An aerial view of the Olympic Dam uranium mine, located 560 km north of Adelaide, near the opal mining center of Andamooka Machinery at work to build the Western Sydney Airport Rail Link which is due to open in 2026 'The telecommunications services that keep us connected. 'The poles and wires which are critical to removing bottlenecks in our electricity grid, improving competition and driving down prices. 'Defence assets which keep our nation secure. 'Our investments span everything from major projects that will transform how our industries operate, to the small projects that deliver big benefits to families every day.' Infrastructure can give us the edge that many countries don't have Prime Minister Scott Morrison The government wants the 15 projects to be approved in 21 months rather than the 3.5 years it usually takes for approval. The announcement may alarm some environmental activists who fear strict regulations to protect land and endangered species may be pushed aside. The government is reviewing the 1999 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. The Prime Minister will need the co-operation of state and territory leaders to get the projects under way. 'We need to bring the same common sense and cooperation we showed fighting COVID-19 to unlocking infrastructure investment in the recovery,' he will say. 'Many states have already cut approval times. 'And I've asked them all to lift their ambition further, and work with us through the National Cabinet to make deregulation a focus of Australia's economic recovery.' The Prime Minister (pictured in 2018) wants to bring 15 projects forward to boost the economy The Prime Minister will also announce that he is bringing forward $1.5 billion in funding for smaller infrastructure projects to start straight away. Some $500million of that is for projects to improve road safety such as new bridges, street lighting, tunnels, and heavy vehicle rest areas. Since November the government has brought forward $9.3billion in infrastructure investment. This includes $1.75 billion of additional funding for a new metro line linking the under-construction Western Sydney Airport to the CBD. Initial construction on the $11billion rail line begins this year and the major works will start in 2021. The metro line will run from St Marys train station to the airport's north, via Luddenham and Orchard Hills. What's being built in your state: ScoMo's infrastructure projects Newly identified priority projects: Inland Rail from Melbourne to Brisbane; Marinus Link between Tasmania and Victoria; Olympic Dam extension in South Australia; Emergency town water projects in New South Wales; and Road, rail and iron ore projects in Western Australia. The PM wants to spend $100billion on transport infrastructure over the next 10 years. In November he highlighted the following projects: Due for funding in the next four years: Light rail on the Gold Coast The M1 in Queensland The Tonkin Highway in WA The Princes Highway in NSW The Monash Freeway in Melbourne Six road projects in Adelaide Other projects include: Melbourne Airport rail link Airport in Western Sydney in 2026 Midland Highway upgrade Pacific Highway upgrade North Link WA Advertisement Earlier this month, the federal government announced an extraordinary scheme to stimulate the economy by giving people $25,000 to renovate their homes or build a new house. Australians can get the cash sent directly to their bank accounts under Scott Morrison's new 'HomeBuilder' scheme designed to rescue the country from its first recession in 29 years. The grants are available for renovation works that cost between $150,000 and $750,000 and for new homes valued at less than $750,000. The government has also extended the $150,000 instant asset write off scheme until the end of the year, allowing businesses to keep spending even during the lockdown-caused recession. The policy lets businesses buy equipment worth up to $150,000 and immediately deduct that cost from their profits, meaning they pay less tax. The limit was raised from $30,000 to $150,000 in March as the impact of the lockdown on businesses became clear. It was supposed to revert back to the lower amount on 30 June but will now last until 31 December. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- A cultural revolution is sweeping across Great Britain and the United States. Toppling statues of slave owners, protesters are demanding moral reparations an acknowledgement that slavery and imperialism underpinned the wealth and power of two of the worlds most prominent countries, condemning millions of people with darker skins to generations of poverty and indignity. The iconoclasts have shifted much public opinion in their favor, as can be witnessed in the truly incredible (if also slightly absurd) scene of Democratic lawmakers in Kente stoles kneeling in solidarity with victims of racist violence. A range of individuals and institutions have come out vigorously in favor of racial justice; those found in violation of it are being named and shamed. But a deeper, longer and harder battle is only just beginning over the new national identity the U.S. and U.K. need, especially as they seek to emerge from the ruins of a devastating pandemic. Donald Trump is too obviously the reductio ad absurdum of a besieged white supremacism in an irreversibly diverse society. Simultaneously, the British cult of Winston Churchill has reached a risible culmination in the figure of his flailing understudy: Boris Johnson. Just as the self-evident truths of slave-owners no longer persuade a large number of people in the U.S., a sentimental attachment to empire and to fantasies of resurrecting British glory and power wont survive the ineptitude of a Tory government that seems to know only how to get Brexit done and not even that. As they search for a post-racial, post-imperial identity, the U.S. and Britain would be wise to take lessons from their implacable enemy in two world wars: Germany. For while white supremacists unfurled swastika banners and chanted blood and soil and Jews will not replace us in Charlottesville, Virginia, and British politicians and journalists spread falsehoods about immigrants en route to Brexit, Germany hosted a welcome culture for more than one million refugees what Susan Neiman in her timely book Learning from the Germans calls the largest and broadest social movement in Germany since the war. Story continues Germany's most successful postwar far-right party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), rose to subvert this German consensus. But it has failed repeatedly to broaden its small base and, presently afflicted by a civil war and a muddled coronavirus strategy, is being pushed back to the margins. Moreover, AfDs attempts to deny or minimize the countrys Nazi past have served to consolidate anti-racist sentiment in the country. This broad and consistent recoiling from ethnic-racial supremacists confirms that Germany has achieved a high, if not perfect, degree of immunity to the kind of toxic politics that have ravaged Anglo-America in recent years. This didnt happen overnight. Neiman, a philosopher of Jewish origin who grew up in the segregationist American South and has long lived in Berlin, writes that it took decades of hard work before those who committed what are arguably the greatest crimes in history could acknowledge those crimes, and begin to atone for them. De-Nazification, demanded initially by West Germanys American occupiers, was only partly accomplished. U.S. intelligence operatives found many Nazi criminals useful in the cold war against Soviet communism indeed, the student revolt of the 1960s in Germany was largely provoked by a postwar dispensation in which government officials, industrialists, bankers and professors of the Nazi era managed to retain their influence. Many Germans saw themselves as victims, too. Still, over the decades, a strong culture of remembrance and commemoration flourished both inside and outside classrooms. Big and small monuments to the victims of Nazi crimes went up across the country, ranging from the Holocaust memorial in Berlin to stumbling stones in a local street that record the names and the dates of birth and deportation of the people who once lived there. In 1970, many older Germans recoiled at the sight of German Chancellor Willy Brandt kneeling before the memorial to the Warsaw ghetto in apology to the world for Nazi crimes. But the image was extraordinarily potent. In retrospect, it announced a society and culture that was being steadily renewed by moral introspection and historical inquiry. Contrast this with Anglo-American attitudes for instance, the left-leaning British Prime Minister Gordon Brown declaring on a trip to East Africa in 2005 that the days of Britain having to apologize for its colonial past are over. (Never mind that Britain never apologized). A German-style reckoning with the past couldn't come sooner in Anglo-America. For unrepentant racial supremacism, as represented by the rants of Trump and Foxs Tucker Carlson, can only deepen the political and socio-economic impasse that Britain and the U.S. find themselves in. Those in thrall to racial, national and imperialist myths will no doubt see weakness in any admission of crimes in their societys long past. Yet it seems irrefutable now, as Germany towers, morally as well as politically and economically, over its old Anglo-American rivals, that the willingness to confront shameful history is ultimately a source of great strength. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Pankaj Mishra is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. His books include Age of Anger: A History of the Present, From the Ruins of Empire: The Intellectuals Who Remade Asia, and Temptations of the West: How to Be Modern in India, Pakistan, Tibet and Beyond. 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. Even as the stand-off between the state government and Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, who is also the chancellor of universities in Maharashtra, on the status of examination for final year students continues, colleges are busy promoting and starting admissions for first and second-year students. While the University of Mumbai (MU) has clarified the gradation and promotion process, colleges say its easier said than done. With only a handful of staff manually working on results, and teachers working on the gradation formula in order to release subject-wise scores, most colleges are yet to start the admissions process. We had conducted exams for some subjects before the lockdown was implemented, so while teachers finish assessing these papers, they are also working on the gradation formula. This 50-50% process is tricky and we dont want to make errors, so it is time-consuming, said Parag Ajgaonkar, principal of NM College, Vile Parle. According to a statement released by the varsity on May 23, it has requested all affiliated colleges to promote students from non-traditional courses on a 50-50% formula, through which colleges can base 50% of a students performance in internals and other projects in the current semester and 50% to be based on the students performance in the previous semester. If there are any internal exams yet to be completed, colleges should conduct the same online or on phones. In the case of exams already conducted, colleges will choose the higher score of the student and consider the same for final results, stated the circular. A handful of colleges have already finished the gradation process and are planning to start admissions by mid-June. We are still not sure if we have to wait for the university to give us a go-ahead for admissions or not? Our management has decided to start admissions irrespective of any word from the varsity, said the vice-principal of a suburban college. In some cases, colleges have already finished training students and teachers in online classes, and plan to implement the same at the earliest. Training has been conducted for some time now so our college is ready to conduct classes online. We are hopeful of Class 12 results being released sometime soon so we can conduct admissions to first-year degree college and start classes too, said Ashok Wadia, principal of Jai Hind College, Churchgate. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Yoon Young-kwan (The Jakarta Post) Seoul Mon, June 15 2020 In retrospect, the decision by the Communist Party of China (CPC) to impose a new security law on Hong Kong seems to have been preordained. Historically, rising powers always try to expand their spheres of geopolitical influence once they pass a certain stage of economic development. It was only a matter of time before China would do away with the one country, two systems arrangement and impose its laws and norms on Hong Kong a territory that it considers integral to the motherland. From Chinas perspective, Americas decadence and decline over the last 12 years from the 2008 financial crisis to Donald Trumps presidency have given it an open invitation to accelerate its strategic expansion. Though Chinese President Xi Jinping has long assured the world that the Pacific Ocean is big enough to accommodate both China and the United States, his actual policies have often suggested otherwise. In addition to militarizing the South China Sea, his signature Belt and Road Initiative aims to make China the nodal point for the entire Eurasian landmass. 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 Louise Bryant (pictured) A former Bondi Beach lifesaver has released a sell-out haircare range that protects locks against salt water and chlorine damage. Louise Bryant has long given up patrolling Sydney's most famous beach but it has since become the backdrop and testing ground for her hair products, Blondi Beach. The 44-year-old, who now works as the Managing Editor of Vogue Australia, first launched the homegrown brand in 2018 with the bestselling Hair Rescue Oil ($39). 'Our customers tell us they love the fragrance, but also the multi-use functionality because you can apply it on your hair and your skin,' Louise told FEMAIL. 'It not only works as a deep hair treatment, it can help with lash growth, tames brows and, for the boys, it's great for post-shave rehydration and beard grooming.' 'I feel like I can't live without using this product on my hair at least once a week! I'm obsessed with how it leaves my hair feeling, looking and smelling,' one customer wrote online. 'I use the Hair Rescue Oil to soften my hair and repair my split ends! Highly recommend,' said another. The 44-year-old, who now works as the Managing Editor of Vogue Australia, first launched the homegrown brand in 2018 with the bestselling Hair Rescue Oil (pictured) 'The Deep End Repair Mask has sold out in just three weeks so it's now on pre-order with a new drop arriving soon,' Louise said Earlier this year Blondi Beach started selling the Deep End Hair Repair Mask ($38), the Repair Shampoo and Conditioner ($24 each) and the She Sells Sea Shells Salt Spray ($28) to compliment the popular oil. 'The Deep End Repair Mask has sold out in just three weeks so it's now on pre-order with a new drop arriving soon,' Louise said. Designed to be filled with natural ingredients and vegan-friendly, Louise has ensured each product has six 'super' oils and antioxidants included that she has found to be the most effective for damaged hair. The are jojoba, kakadu plum, prickly pear, lilly pilly, moringa oil and Tahitian monoi. Louise herself struggled with dry and damaged locks as she swims most days in the ocean and she couldn't find a treatment or serum that prevented breakage. Designed to be filled with natural ingredients and vegan-friendly, Louise has ensured each product has six 'super' oils and antioxidants included that she has found to be the most effective for damaged hair A cosmetic chemist works with Louise to ensure the products are effective and are the least harmful to our health 'I stumbled across an online resource all about the cosmetic chemistry and I started to do some research (a lot of research) into ingredients and how hair products are formulated,' she said. 'I noticed there were better alternatives to silicone and harsh sulfates often found in more commonly used products, so I decided to formulate my own products at my apartment in Bondi, using effective vegan-friendly ingredients that I liked.' A cosmetic chemist works with Louise to ensure the products are effective and are the least harmful to our health. And it is quickly growing traction around Bondi and even overseas. 'When I initially started trialling samples with Bondi locals, including our lifesaving and ocean swimming community, they became obsessed with the product benefits especially as it effectively treats all hair types,' she said. 'Although we are still only early days, we've already received orders from all over Australia and overseas, which have come about either via word of mouth or because of our Instagram community.' Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 03:43:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PARIS, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Starting from Monday it would be possible for France to "turn the page on the first act of the crisis" that had forced France into nearly two months of anti-coronavirus lockdown followed by a gradual and cautious deconfinement, President Emmanuel Macron declared on Sunday. With the exception of Mayotte and French Guiana, the entire map of France will go green, including Ile-de-France, the great Paris region, said Macron in a televised address to the nation, a fourth one since the outbreak of the epidemic. "This means a stronger resumption of work and the reopening of restaurants and bars," he said. "In France and overseas, nurseries, schools, colleges will prepare to welcome, from June 22, all students, in a compulsory manner and according to normal attendance rules," Macron noted. The second round of the municipal elections will take place on June 28 "in a very supervised manner," he added. Meanwhile, the president stressed that gatherings must be avoided as much as possible because "they are the main opportunities for the spread of the virus." The president also noted that the health crisis has revealed flaws and weaknesses of France, such as dependence on other continents for certain products, cumbersome organization, social and regional inequalities. "Our strengths will strengthen them, our weaknesses, we will correct them quickly and strongly," he pledged. "I want us to learn all the lessons from what we have experienced." For the "reconstruction...our first priority is to rebuild a strong, ecological, sovereign and united economy," said Macron. He announced that he will address the nation again in July to clarify the "new path" and "launch the first actions." Enditem All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Remember when you could check the time in the middle of the night without grabbing your phone and getting sucked into a vortex of work email and Twitter notifications? Lenovo has a good solution: the companys Smart Clock is now $40 at Best Buy, a $20 savings off its usual sale price and half the $80 price tag it carried at release. Buy Lenovo Smart Clock at Best Buy - $40 We gave the Lenovo Smart Clock a score of 87 for wrapping Google Assistant and smart home controls in a stylish alarm clock. The sunrise alarm brightens the screen gently for thirty minutes before the alarm goes off to stir you awake gently. You can turn off your alarm by sleepily groaning Stop or by hitting the top of the clock. Thats pretty typical of this device; you have the choice of using either voice commands or the 4-inch touchscreen to accomplish most anything you want to do. The Lenovo Smart Clock gives you the right amount of smartness for your bedside table. This device covers your essential bedroom routines, like playing Spotify while youre getting dressed and finding out whats on your agenda for the day. If you want to fall asleep to YouTube or make video calls from bed, you likely already have a device better suited to the task. This is a clock that remembers that its supposed to be a clock. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice. Once the global oil market emerges from the coronavirus crisis, it may be greeted by a surprising change: greater dependence on crude from OPEC. For the time being, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies are relinquishing their share of the market in a bid to prop up crude prices, slashing millions of barrels of output as the pandemic crushes fuel demand. Theyd already spent the past three years forsaking sales volumes to offset the oil glut unleashed by burgeoning US shale production. Before the pandemic, forecasters were projecting that the group would need to cut production further in coming years. Yet the current upheaval could give OPEC another chance. As the oil-price collapse chokes off investment in new supplies around the world, from the mega-projects of Big Oil to drilling by US shale wildcatters, some analysts see the cartel reviving its battered standing. From the point of view of oil-market share, OPEC will be a clear winner in the coming years, said Michele Della Vigna, head of energy industry research at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Under-investment in the rest of the industry ultimately plays to their favor. Its a message that the organization should still treat with caution. Warnings abounded during the last decade that the plunge in investment which followed the 2014 oil-market crash would leave a supply gap for OPEC to fill. But the shortage never materialized as American shale proved surprisingly resilient. Instead, the 60-year-old organization -- led by Saudi Arabia and other Middle East exporters -- found itself in late 2016 forming an alliance with erstwhile rivals, such as Russia, to curtail production. Last week this 23-nation network, known as OPEC+, reaffirmed it will keep output capped all the way through to 2022. The groups monitoring committee meets again on June 18 for another review of the market. Shifting View Its too early to tell whether the latest predictions of a supply gap will prove unfounded, or whether this time really is different. But initial indications do suggest that OPEC could re-emerge from the current round of cutbacks in a stronger position. Before this years price rout, market-watchers projected that demand for the organizations crude would dwindle as its rivals kept on growing. In an annual outlook published in November, OPEC itself predicted that such demand would sink 7% by 2023, squeezed by both the relentless flood of American shale and new offshore supplies from Guyana and Norway. The International Energy Agency forecast that the volume required from OPEC wouldnt rebound to last years levels until 2024. Now the picture appears to be shifting. Goldman Sachs forecasts that this call on OPEC may instead climb roughly 17% between 2019 and 2025, reaching 34 million barrels a day. Rystad Energy A/S, a consultant based in Oslo, and Citigroup Inc. have also turned projections for demand declines into estimates of growth. US Decline Maybe its a reprieve, said Ed Morse, head of commodities research at Citigroup. The big threat from US production growth of 1 million barrels a day per year ad infinitum -- or at least through 2025 -- is no longer present in the way it was. The price crash is upending the Trump administrations ambitions of American energy dominance. US crude production has plunged by 15% in the past two months, to just over 11 million barrels a day, according to government data. With spending in the shale sector slashed in half, according to IEA estimates, worse may be yet to come. For Goldman, an even bigger issue than the shale slowdown is a 60% decline over the past five years in annual investment in long-term projects -- which particularly sustain output from OPECs rivals -- to about $37 billion. This will finally be felt next year, bringing supply growth outside OPEC to a halt, the bank says. This years economic slump is only tightening the squeeze, reducing overall oil and gas investment by almost $250 billion, or about a third, according to the IEA. Oil majors such as BP Plc and Exxon Mobil Corp. have announced billions of dollars of cuts in capital expenditure. Shale Lifeline The risk remains that OPECs current strategy of propping up oil prices with production cuts could throw rivals a lifeline. Brent crude has more than doubled since late April to about $40 a barrel, and there are signs that US shale drillers are seizing on the opportunity. EOG Resources Inc., Americas largest shale-focused producer, and Parsley Energy Inc. are ramping operations back up. Nevertheless, investment delays amid the downturn have paved the way for a supply shortage in future years, said Per Magnus Nysveen, head of analysis at Rystad. In that environment, OPEC nations like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- with much lower production costs and massive hydrocarbon resources -- may be best placed to grab market share. The deferrals in investments in the current downcycle have created the conditions for an under-supplied 2025, Nysveen said. The Middle Eastern OPEC countries will be crucial to bridge the balances. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Moch. Fiqih Prawira Adjie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, June 14, 2020 08:30 587 fc6853813033f564188675f8bde7d275 1 National COVID-19,coronavirus,virus-corona,virus-korona-indonesia,new-normal,wedding-ceremony,marriage,KUA,health-protocol Free The Religious Affairs Ministry has allowed Muslims to hold wedding vow exchange ceremonies a legal requirement to register the marriage outside the local religious affairs offices (KUA) as the government eases COVID-19 restrictions. The ministry had previously allowed such ceremonies to be held only at the KUA offices and with no more than 10 people attending. The ministry issued a circular on marriage service guidelines during the COVID-19 outbreak on Wednesday. According to the circular, the bride and groom are allowed to hold the ceremony at their house, at the mosque or in meeting halls, the ministrys Muslim community guidance director general, Kamaruddin Amin, said in a statement on Friday. Read also: From raincoats to video calls, COVID-19 adds unusual wrinkle to typical Indonesian weddings He added that the number of people attending such ceremonies at a home or at a KUA office would remain limited to 10 people, while ceremonies held in mosques and meeting halls were limited to 20 percent of the rooms capacity, though not exceeding 30 people. "We hope marriage services can still be conducted while preventing or minimizing the risk of COVID-19 transmission," he said, adding that marriage services would be conducted under strict health protocol. Couples could submit their marriage applications online through the website simkah.kemenag.go.id, by phone call, email or in person at the local KUA office in their area. A citizensa group has filed a criminal complaint against former head Tokyo prosecutor Hiromu Kurokawa, who resigned after a weekly magazine reported he had played mahjong for money, which is an illegal act. Moreover, the group pointed out that Kurokawa and his three mahjong companions had violated social distancing requests made by the authorities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Others are also demanding he be prosecuted, including Takeshi Okano, an attorney who runs the YouTube channel Takeshi Bengoshi. In a May 25 video, Okano explains why Kurokawa should be arrested and why he probably wonat be. Okano says police would first need an arrest warrant and that requires the approval of a judge, who is effectively lower in position than a prosecutor, even a former one. The police could do their own investigation, but if they suspect prosecutors wonat indict one of their own, theyall think itas a waste of time. Gambling is technically a victimless crime, so prosecutors usually only proceed with a prosecution based on third-party petitions. Kurokawaas de facto immunity was comically referenced last month when pranksters set up a table on the sidewalk in front of the Public Prosecutoras Office in Tokyo in order to hold the first Kurokawa Cup mahjong tournament. The police, unamused, shut them down. The media has already gotten past the story and doesnat seem interested in pursuing it further, which isnat surprising since Kurokawaas mahjong companions were two reporters and one former reporter. In his May 29 column for the Asahi Shimbun, current affairs aexplainera Akira Ikegami pondered this aspect. As a former NHK reporter who covered the police, Ikegami has complicated feelings about the case. The two reporters worked for the Sankei Shimbun and the ex-reporter still works for the Asahi Shimbun in another capacity. These two newspapers, says Ikegami, are considered adversaries in terms of editorial ideology a Sankei leans to the right, Asahi to the left a but, practically speaking, there is little difference between the two. They were gambling with Kurokawa for reasons that went beyond recreation, hoping to pick up something in passing that would make for an exclusive story, even if the intelligence was most likely obtained improperly. Ikegami seems impressed by their initiative, since he was never able to get as close to his sources when he worked for NHK. He left the police beat after two years without ever having scored an exclusive, a matter of great disappointment to him. Whatas interesting about his analysis is that he implies such methods are the only way to get a scoop, which is arguably what itas all about. Kansas City Police Officer Shoots And Kills Man In Alleged Carjacking As Peaceful Protests Continue For Third Straight Weekend Hundreds of people gathered in Kansas City for multiple events Saturday on the third straight weekend of protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd. At the same time, the Missouri Highway Patrol launched an investigation into the deadly shooting of a man Saturday afternoon by a Kansas City Police officer following an alleged carjacking near 23rd and Topping Avenue. Here's a glimpse at the ongoing movement as seen through the lens of local progressives. Supported by "viewers like you" and some hefty taxpayer subsidy . . . Read more: A Sweden-based, nonproliferation think tank says nuclear powers have continued to modernize their arsenals despite a decrease in the number of nuclear warheads. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in a report released on June 15 that nine nuclear-weapon powers -- the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea -- together possessed an estimated 13,400 nuclear weapons at the start of 2020. The number is down by 465 nuclear weapons in "a marked decrease" from the previous year, when the nine states possessed a combined estimated total of 13,865 nuclear weapons, according to SIPRI. The decrease "was largely due to the dismantlement of retired nuclear weapons by Russia and the U.S. -- which together still possess over 90 percent of global nuclear weapons." U.S. nuclear warheads dropped by 385 and Russia's declined by 125. Those large reductions were offset by slight increases in the nuclear forces of China, Britain, India, and North Korea. The reductions in U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear forces were required by the 2010 Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START) and completed in 2018. In 2019 the forces of both countries remained below the limits specified by the treaty. Extending the New START treaty is the subject of arms negotiations that the top U.S. envoy for arms control said would begin with Russia later this month. The United States has also invited China to take part in the talks. "The deadlock over New START and the collapse of the 1987 SovietU.S. Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (INF Treaty) in 2019 suggest that the era of bilateral nuclear arms-control agreements between Russia and the USA might be coming to an end," said Shannon Kile, director of SIPRIs Nuclear Disarmament, Arms Control, and Nonproliferation Program. The INF Treaty was abandoned last year after the United States officially withdrew from it over accusations of Russian violations. Russia denied the accusations and in turn suspended its participation in the pact. "The loss of key channels of communication between Russia and the USA that were intended to promote transparency and prevent misperceptions about their respective nuclear force postures and capabilities could potentially lead to a new nuclear arms race," Kile added. New START, the last major arms-control treaty between the United States and Russia, is scheduled to expire in February 2021. The accord caps the number of nuclear warheads and so-called delivery systems held by the two countries. While Moscow has pushed for a five-year extension, Washington has balked, saying it wants the deal to be broadened to include China. China, whose nuclear arsenal is a fraction of the size of Moscow's and Washington's, has said it was not interested in participating in such talks. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on June 10 that Beijing hadn't changed its previous stance that it was not going to join the talks, which according to Bloomberg will take place on June 22 in Vienna. SIPRI said in its report that China was in the middle of a significant modernization of its nuclear arsenal. "It is developing a so-called nuclear triad for the first time, made up of new land- and sea-based missiles and nuclear-capable aircraft." SIPRI also said that India and Pakistan were slowly increasing the size and diversity of their nuclear forces, while North Korea continues to prioritize its military nuclear program as a central element of its national security strategy. It noted that North Korea provided no information about its nuclear weapon capabilities, while Israel has a long-standing policy of not commenting on its nuclear arsenal. Bruce Dart, the director of the Tulsa City-County Health Department, wishes President Donald Trump would reconsider his plan to hold a campaign rally in the city on June 20. I wish we could postpone this to a time when the virus isnt as large a concern as it is today, Dart told Tulsa World. Dart said he is particularly concerned for the city because COVID-19 is transmitting very efficiently in the city. I think its an honor for Tulsa to have a sitting president want to come and visit our community, but not during a pandemic, Dart said. Im concerned about our ability to protect anyone who attends a large, indoor event, and Im also concerned about our ability to ensure the president stays safe as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dart is particularly concerned that there has been a sharp increase in cases lately that is not due to increased testing. The seven-day rolling average for COVID-19 cases in Tulsa County has increased from 24.9 on June 7 to 51.4 on Friday. There was a funeral that had a large attendance, and were finding quite a few cases from that, Dart said. But other than that, its broad community spread from being out in the community and not taking those necessary precautions weve been talking about. Dart is hardly the only health expert to express concern about Trumps rally. Dr. Ashish Jha, director of Harvards Global Health Institute, said the rally amounted to an extraordinarily dangerous move not just for the people who will attend but also for the people who may know them and love them and see them afterward. Trumps campaign has included a waiver to the event, requiring attendees to agree they wont hold the president liable if they contract COVID-19. Advertisement Advertisement The warning from Dart and other health experts came as a number of states reported new daily records of cases as well as hospitalizations. Although the numbers in the New York area are improving, other regions are seeing significant increases. In Florida, the number of new cases broke records for three straight days through Saturday, and while the numbers decreased slightly on Sunday, there were still more than 2,000 confirmed cases, amounting to the second-largest single-day total for the state. In Alabama, records were broken for four straight days through Sunday with 1,014 new cases, higher than the 888 which had been set on Saturday. South Carolina also set a new high for COVID-19 cases on Sunday. Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, and Oklahoma also set new records for total cases sometime over the past three days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some dismiss the increase in cases, saying it reflects increased testing. But at the same time, several states are also experiencing record hospitalizations. Texas, for example, broke hospitalization records on Sunday for the sixth day over the last week. Arkansas, North Carolina, and Utah also broke hospitalization records over the weekend. On the good-news front, New York has seen all of its key metrics decline, including new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. But Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned New Yorkers he was ready to roll back reopening in certain areas if local governments do not do enough to enforce social distancing measures. Cuomo said the state received 25,000 complaints about violations, largely in Manhattan and the Hamptons. I am warning today, in a nice way, the consequences of your actions, Cuomo said. I will not turn a blind eye to them. Advertisement Advertisement Beirut, June 14 : At least 20 people were injured in clashes between protesters and the army during anti-government demonstrations in Lebanon, according to a security source. The source told Xinhua news agency that clashes erupted on Saturday when a group of protesters in the northern city of Tripoli intercepted big trucks carrying food items in an attempt to prevent them from going to Syria, reports Xinhua news agency. Protesters were angered to see food being transported to Syria while the people in Lebanon were in great need of these items amid a current economic crisis and the steep hike in prices. The demonstrators hurled stones at army members who prevented them from stopping trucks by using tear gaswhich led to the violent clashes. Nationwide demonstrations resumed on Friday evening in Lebanon for the second consecutive day in protest against the dire living conditions in the country. Prime Minister Hassan Diab on Saturday urged prople to refrain from violence during protests and to give the current cabinet a chance to reveal soon documents and facts showing corruptive practices by officials in the past governments, the local LBCI TV Channel reported. "We will not remain silent or allow previous governments to hold us responsible and accountable for the current economic deterioration," Diab said in a televised speech. "We have enough documents and facts to be revealed soon about their corruptive practices," he added. Diab accused former Prime Minister Saad Hariri of launching a campaign against the current government, causing people to return to the streets. "The current campaign caused a major crisis that pushed people into the street in order to prevent the cabinet from implementing its decisions to expose corruption," Diab said. Last week, Hariri had said that Diab's cabinet, formed by specialists from Free Patriotic Movement, Hezbollah and Amal Movement, failed to address the economic crisis with its policies which weakened the Lebanese pound by more than 70 per cent. Diab responded by saying that the current cabinet was trying to implement reforms to fix the damage caused by previous governments to the state's public finances and people's deposits. The Prime Minister insisted that he wants to make big changes but he is facing political barriers. However, he assured that change is definitely coming. Lebanon has witnessed anti-government protests since October 17, 2019. The protests led to the resignation of Hariri and appointment of Diab to the post. Stock image of crime scene tape (not at scene). Read more One man was shot fatally and another was in critical condition in West Philadelphia, police said. The gunfire rang out Sunday on the 6500 block of Woodland Avenue shortly before 3 p.m. One victim, a male in his 20s, was shot once in the chest. He was taken by police to Penn Presbyterian and died of his injuries shortly before 3:30 p.m. The second victim, a 64-year-old man, was shot once in the back. He was listed in critical but stable condition at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. No arrest had been made and no weapon had been recovered. No other details about the shootings were available. MANISTEE Trinity Lutheran School hosted its 70th annual Roast Pork and Sauerkraut Dinner and Silent Auction on Saturday, and though it may have looked a bit different from the previous 69 due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was still a success. "We're still finalizing numbers, but we have already surpassed what we did last year, which was an incredible surprise," said dinner chairperson Greg Staffeld. "We were expecting maybe 300 or 400 dinners, but we served almost 550. We only served 520 last year, so we're very pleased with the turnout." In order to keep a large group of people gathering in a limited space, Saturday's dinner was takeout or delivery only. The silent auction is being held online and runs through Tuesday. The items were on display in the gymnasium and an auction booklet was handed out with the meals. The items can be viewed at https://www.trinitymanistee.com/silent-auction-items. With the dinner being run differently than in years past, Staffeld said there were a few hiccups in the early going, but the crew of volunteers managed to keep things humming along. "Things went really well. The line went down pretty quickly it was pretty long for a while," he said. "Of course, things not running so smoothly at the beginning was a bit of a challenge, but I think people were patient. For the most part, people understand that this is our first time doing it like this, so there were some bumps in the road that we had to work through." Though the format was a change of pace, the meal was the same pork and sauerkraut dinner people have loved for decades, featuring carrots, a dinner roll, mashed potatoes, a pickle and dessert. The dinner was originally slated to be held in March, but was shut down when Michigan residents were told to shelter at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic. With restrictions being eased on some events, the dinner was able to take place in its modified format. Staffeld was happy with the big turnout, as the funds raised go back into the school to the benefit of the children. "It is the biggest fundraiser of the year for our school. The proceeds from this will go to everything, from technology upgrades for our students we have a one-to-one technology program because of the funds raised through the dinner," he said. "In today's world, that's a very important thing for our students. It goes to things like field trips and student scholarships, and this year we're purchasing new whiteboards for our staff. Up until this year they've still been using chalkboards, which is a fairly outdated way to do things, so the staff is really excited to be getting new whiteboards. "We do really great things for the kids with the money raised through this dinner, so it's really appreciated to have all the people come out and support us." Police officers stand guard outside Hankou Railway Station ahead of the resumption of train services in Wuhan on April 8, 2020. Holding Beijing to account for its coverup of the virus outbreak was one of the topics for discussion at a recent online forum titled China at a Crossroads: Standing Up for Human Rights During the Pandemic. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) The Chinese People Would Want Beijing Held Accountable for Pandemic, Forum Hears The Chinese people could see early on that there was a coverup around the virus outbreak in Wuhan, and would want the Beijing regime held accountable for the virus that went on to spread around the world, says a China analyst based in California. Accountabilitythat voice was first clearly heard from the Chinese people themselves. The Chinese people clearly knew at that time that [the coverup] was the fundamental factor that caused the pandemic to become so large, said Xiao Qiang, a research scientist at the School of Information at the University of California, Berkeley. Xiao, also the founder of China Digital Times, a website that monitors Chinese internet controls, said he and his staff began following Chinese social media closely in early January after news emerged of the virus outbreak and found that many people were expressing anxiety and looking for help, but there was a complete lack of information from Beijing. Despite early evidence of human-to-human transmission when the medical workers became infected, this information did not get to the public for weeks, he said. Xiao made his comments during an online panel discussion held June 9 titled China at a Crossroads: Standing Up for Human Rights During the Pandemic, which included speakers from Canada, the United States, Australia, and Hong Kong. Xiao elaborated on the Chinese Communist Partys complicity in the spread of the virus by covering up information about it after it emerged in Wuhan, including the suppression of information and the arrest and disappearance of doctors, journalists, and dissidents who tried to blow the whistle. He listed the names of several medical workers and others who tried to get the word out about the virus outbreak but were silenced by the regime. The Chinese government censored public information online and censored public health information online. Local authorities delayed and concealed information from the public, he said. He said the World Health Organizations Jan. 14 tweet that that a preliminary investigation conducted by the Chinese authorities had found no clear evidence of human to human transmission of the virus simply compounded the Chinese governments official narrative and misinformation, allowing this lethal outbreak to sweep across the globe. WHO failed in its responsibility to vet the information from the Chinese authority, he said, adding that information related to the outbreak continued to be suppressed inside China during that time. Any information about government credibility, the false numbers, Wuhans real death toll, the origin of the virus, and anything that is different from the governments narrative again and again were suppressed. People who spoke out were arrested or silenced. Xiao Qiang, a research scientist at the School of Information at the University of California, Berkeley and editor-in-chief of China Digital Times speaks at the China at a Crossroads: Standing Up for Human Rights During the Pandemic forum on June 9. (Screenshot/The Epoch Times) Culture of Corruption And Criminality Former Canadian justice minister and attorney general Irwin Cotler said Beijings arrest of whistleblowers and its coverup and misinformation surrounding the pandemic is an example of another assault on the rules-based international order similar to its encroachments in Hong Kong. Beijings proposal to impose national security legislation on Hong Kong in the aftermath of the arrest of 15 pro-democracy activists and [one current and nine former] legislators constitutes yet another frontal assault on the rule of law, the politicization of fundamental freedoms protected under Hong Kongs basic law, and politicized prosecutions under the cover of the pandemic, said Cotler. Cotler, now the chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, which organized the forum in collaboration with its partners, said Hong Kongs media runs the risk of persecution and prosecution under the controversial national security legislation, which constitutes a breach of the Sino-U.K. declaration, an international treaty. He pointed to the culture of corruption and criminality of the Beijing regime and how its handling of the pandemic has not received the notice or outrage that it warrants from the international community. As well as the Chinese Communist Partys assault on democracy in Hong Kong, Cotler noted the incarceration of Uighur Muslims in concentration camps, the suppression of democracy activists in China, the regimes menacing threats toward Taiwan, the repression and displacement of Tibetans, and the persecution campaign against Falun Gong adherents, now ongoing for two decades. (Clockwise from top) Former member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council Emily Lau; president of U.S.-based National Endowment for Democracy Carl Gershman; Canadian author and journalist Terry Glavin, moderator of the forum; Australian Senator Kimberley Kitching; and former justice minister of Canada Irwin Cotler during an online forum on June 9. (Screenshot/The Epoch Times) Aggressive International Activity Carl Gershman, president of the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, D.C., described the pandemic as a catastrophe thats sweeping the world which could have been far less devastating if not for the coverup, citing a study by the University of Southampton. Released on March 11, the study found that if non-pharmaceutical interventionssuch as early detection, isolation of cases, travel restrictions and cordon sanitaire could have been conducted one week, two weeks, or three weeks earlier, cases could have been reduced by 66 percent, 86 percent and 95 percent, respectivelysignificantly limiting the geographical spread of the disease. Had [Beijing] acted just three weeks sooner, the number of COVID cases might have been reduced by 95 percent which would have prevented a pandemic, Gershman said. He also noted the regimes lack of remorse over the pandemic and its consequences. In fact, he said, Beijing has used the pandemic as a coverup to engage in more aggressive international activity, such as interfering in the internal affairs of the Hong Kong. They did this because they thought the United States and others were so preoccupied with this virus that they created that gave them the freedom to behave in this aggressive way, he said. And of course its also been bullying, with its aggressive wolf-warrior diplomats, threatening a boycott of Australian beef and wine after Australia called for an independent international investigation of the origins of the virus. So instead of showing remorse and cooperating, they are behaving in a much, much more bullying and aggressive way than ever before, because they think that the world is incapable of responding to them because of the virus. Gershman described the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as deeply insecure. China, in my viewand Im talking about the regime, not the country, not the people, the CCP, the regime in Beijingthey are deeply insecure, because they have suffered from what Columbia University scholar Andy Nathan has called a birth defect that it cannot cure, which is that their dictatorial system lacks legitimacy. Standing up to Chinese Regime Cotler said the governments of Western democracies have been unduly indulgent, acquiescent, turning a blind eye to the Chinese regimes disregard for human rights and the rule of law, and the time has come for that to end. Frankly, they have been able to not only continue their repression, but to do so with impunity. The time has come for justice and accountability, he said. He noted the recent establishment of an inter-parliamentary alliance on Chinaparliamentarians from nine global parliaments who have come together to mobilize a constituency of conscience for the protection of a rules-based international orderbut said more is needed. Understand that what were dealing with here is a predatory regime that is engaged in both the massive repression of its own citizens and the export of its aggression abroad, he said. And thats why we need a coalition of governments coming togethernot just an alliance of parliamentarians, but an alliance of governments who these parliamentarians representso that we can have, at this point, an alliance of the community of democracies at the governmental level, joined with the parliamentarians and civil society, to hold the Beijing regime to account. Other initiatives and actions Cotler proposed include: As the upper house of Nepals Parliament too is now set to endorse the new map its government-issued showing within its territory nearly 400 sq. km of areas claimed by India, it is now going to be difficult for New Delhi to work with Kathmandu to find a middle ground and settle the territorial dispute. Read: Nepal endorses new map with Indian territory; Delhi fumes The National Assemblythe upper house of Nepalese Parliament on Sunday accepted the proposal to consider the Bill to amend the countrys Constitution to endorse the new map, which included the territory claimed by India Lipulekh Pass, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani. The lower house House of Representatives already passed the Bill on Saturday. Once the National Assembly too passes the Bill early next week and President Bidya Devi Bhandari gives her ascent to it, Nepals boundary with India as shown in the new map will be its official claim-line, which the future governments led by the successors of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli will find it difficult to scale back. Also Read: India reminds Nepal its assistance amid border dispute The conflicting territorial claim is thus going to be an irritant in New Delhis relations with Kathmandu for quite a long time and that is what will give an advantage to China, which has since long been competing with India for geopolitical influence in Nepal. The setback for New Delhi could not have at a worse time. The stand-off along Indias disputed boundary with China in eastern Ladakh is yet to be resolved. China is likely to keep supporting Pakistans attempts to internationalise the dispute with India over Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), just as it tried to do after Prime Minister Narendra Modis government moved to strip the state of its special status and reorganised it into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019. Islamabad in fact already rushed to take advantage of the renewed focus on Indias border stand-off with China, accusing New Delhi of pursuing expansionist aspirations. Also Read: India to tread cautiously over firing by Nepalese police The downslide in its ties with Nepal is also a setback for Indias recent move to reassert its leadership in the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation). Kathmandu had extended its support to New Delhi when the Modi Government had decided to opt-out of the SAARC summit in Islamabad in 2016 to protest a series of terror attacks launched from Pakistan targeting military facilities in India. Oli had also supported Modis move earlier this year to mobilise the SAARC to work out a regional response to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, despite derailing attempts by Imran Khans government in Islamabad. During a phone-all on April 10, Oli had in fact lauded Modi for taking the initiative in coordinating the SAARCs response to the pandemic. A month later, Nepalese Prime Minister, however, decided to ratchet up his countrys territorial dispute with India and take a hard line apparently after being nudged by Chinas envoy to Nepal, Hou Yanqi, who helped save his government and brokered a truce between him and the ruling Nepal Communist Partys other leader, Pushpa Kamal Dahal a.k.a. Prachanda. Nairobi, June 15 : Countries must invest in robust infrastructure and public awareness campaigns to boost donation of safe blood and strengthen the response to COVID-19 pandemic, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Sunday on the occasion of World Blood Donor Day. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said that governments should roll out incentives that promote the donation of safe blood amid shortages of the commodity during COVID-19 pandemic. "In the COVID-19 pandemic, the supply of safe blood is at risk. Regular blood donation drives are being postponed, and stay-at-home orders and fear of infection are preventing donors from accessing services," said Moeti, Xinhua reported. According to Moeti, the disruptions to the global supply chain linked to the disease had already worsened the shortage of equipment required to facilitate blood donation and transfusion. Moeti said that the use of blood plasma from patients who had recovered from COVID-19 to minimize severity of the disease to those infected reaffirmed the need for countries to have an adequate supply of the commodity. She hailed efforts by African countries to ramp up blood donation in order to support the use of plasma in the treatment of COVID-19 amid a spike in the number of cases in the continent. "In Mauritius, 150 people who have recovered from COVID-19 have indicated they are willing to give plasma in line with the national decision to use serum plasma therapy for COVID-19 patients in intensive care," said Moeti. She said the pandemic presents African countries with an opportunity to improve their national blood donation services and ensure they collect, process and store COVID-19 convalescent plasma in a safe manner. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text After Giani Harpreet Singh's statement last week, the Sikhs For Justice had said, "All Indian leaders who are issuing statements against the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) appointed Akal Takht head will be held accountable as unlawful enemy combatants at international forums." The statement comes a week after media reports said that Giani Harpreet Singh had supported the idea and demand of Khalistan for Sikhs. Pro-Khalistan groups backed by Pakistan, like Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) based in the US, have been running a secessionist campaign, called Referendum 2020, seeking to "liberate Punjab from Indian occupation" on July 4. The group is headed by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a law graduate from Punjab University and an attorney at law in the US. The Indian government banned the group last year. On Saturday, however, the religious leader clarified his statement over Khalistan, warning Sikhs of Punjab that Pakistan was misleading the Sikh youth, pushing them towards terrorism and inciting them through social media. Without mentioning names, the Akal Takht chief indirectly hit out at SFJ and its leader, Pannun saying that "many political leaders were making unnecessary statements" about his statement. He said that according to the concept given by Gurbani, Begampura or Halemi Raj (rule of justice based on humility) is the birth right of the Sikh community and at different times, Sikh leaders living in democratic structures have made many statements. Recalling that the founding leaders of Sikhism had at one time justified the demand for special region for Sikhs, the head priest said, "Attacks on major Sikh shrines by the Congress government and the brutal massacre further fueled the concept of Halemi Raj among the Sikhs." He said the then government was against Sikhs for its political interests and it created an atmosphere of hatred and genocide. The chief of the Akal Takht in an indirect reference to the Punjab government said, "On the one hand those who are still spewing venom against Sikhs are followers of the same hate politics and government terrorism." Lashing out at Pakistan's ISI which funds the Khalistan terrorist movement, Giani Harpreet Singh said, "On the other hand, many adverse agencies are making attempts to mislead the Sikh youth by misinterpreting my meaningful statement. Such adverse forces are doing this for their political benefits by pushing Sikhs on the path of terrorism and inciting Sikh youth through social media." He said that Sikhs have always wanted to be treated equally and with justice as they also want to treat others in the same way. The Sikhs, he recalled, have shown this during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The head priest of Sikhs said that it was true that Sikhs could not be defined by the idea of Khalistan alone. "Sikhism is a global idea and this idea should bring peace to the world. In fact, my statement has hurt those who want to define Sikhs with false and hateful idea forcibly attached to the political ideology of Khalistan, using government propaganda machinery and on the other hand, some blood thirsty Sikh youth want to satisfy their bosses (Pakistan) by inciting them on social media." According to Gurmat ideology, he said, the concept of Halemi Raj or Begampura fully express the Sikh sentiments and the India constitution also gives every Sikh the right to carry out this struggle peacefully at a political level within the democratic structure. Giani Harpreet Singh asked Sikhs to create a political movement within the Indian democratic structure so that people from all walks of life in Punjab region can live peacefully and prosperously. Although many non-Sikh political leaders are also opposed to the aggressive policy of the government, so far no concerted efforts have been made by the Central government to heal the wounds of the Sikh by approving their legitimate demands, he said. The Akal Takht asked the Central government to pay attention to the legitimate demands of Sikhs so that Sikhs do not feel alienated. --IANS aat/prs Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 10:40:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, June 14 (Xinhua) -- China's national observatory on Sunday renewed a yellow alert for rainstorms in parts of the country for the next 24 hours. From Sunday morning to Monday morning, heavy rain and rainstorms are expected in the regions of Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Yunnan, Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, Heilongjiang and Tibet, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said. Some of these regions will see up to 70 mm of hourly precipitation as well as the potential for thunderstorms and strong winds, the NMC said, warning that parts of Guangxi, Guangdong and Jiangsu will experience downpours with up to 200 mm of rainfall. China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue. The center advised local governments to remain alert for possible flooding, landslides and mudslides caused by heavy rain and recommended outdoor operations be halted in hazardous areas. Enditem Las Vegas Police Assistant Sheriff Chris Jones stands by a photo of Metro Police officer Shay K. Mikalonis, 29, a four-year veteran of the department, during a media briefing at police headquarters in Las Vegas on June 2, 2020. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP) Officer Shot During Vegas Protest Is Paralyzed From His Neck Down and Unable to Speak: Family The Las Vegas police officer who was shot in the head during a protest on June 1 is paralyzed from his neck down, his family confirmed Saturday. The family of Shay Mikalonis, 29, shared his condition in a tweet, which was later retweeted by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dispatch with the familys permission. The post reads that Mikalonis will be transferred to a renowned spine rehabilitation center. He currently remains at the Las Vegas University Medical Centers trauma. Mikalonis is paralyzed, on a ventilator and unable to communicate with his loved ones, his family said. Though, it appears as the officer can recognize them. We cant thank the staff of caring professionals at UMC enough, the note reads. Truly a miracle! Because of the life-saving work and care he received, Shay has tentatively been accepted to one of the best spine rehabilitation centers in the country, the note continues. Mikalonis was shot in the Las Vegas Strip area in the wake of George Floyds May 25 police custody death in Minneapolis. The bullet, which has since been removed, traveled through his spine before being lodged on the other side of his face, police said. Las Vegas officer Shay Mikalonis, 29 in a file photo. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department) Earlier this week, many people attended Shay Day, a fundraiser set up in the support of the officer and his family. The day-long fundraiser was organized by the Injured Police Officers Fund. Words can not begin to express how grateful we feel, the family said after the event. We as a family want to say thank you Las Vegas for your continuing support of Shay. Captain Carlos Hank, Bureau Commander with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, wrote on Twitter, Bolden is proud to have been able to participate, adding pictures of the event. Thank you to everyone who attended Shay Day in support of Shay & his family. Bolden is proud to have been able to participate. We wont stop believing in Shays recuperation and praying for him and his family. Together we are #VegasStrong!#BAC #LVMPD #Pray4Shay #PrayForShay pic.twitter.com/F2F4UEzfty Bolden Area Command (@LVMPDBAC) June 12, 2020 Just Doing His Job Police were trying to disperse a group of protesters near the Circus Circus casino because of concerns about the CCP virus when a shot rang out and Mikalonis went down on the casino-lined Las Vegas Strip. Police said Mikalonis had been with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for four years. So far, hes had a successful surgery to repair a shattered jaw, a police union leader told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Mikalonis is still in a very critical condition. Earlier this week his family said, Shay is on a ventilator and will be for the foreseeable future or perhaps the rest of his life. Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak said the day after Mikalonis was shot that he is praying for him and all of the communities across Nevada who are experiencing grief and pain. I am committed to doing all I can. I am praying for the LVMPD officer who was senselessly shot last nightthere is no place for this behavior in Nevada, Sisolak said. Violence has no place in our communities and we must all work toward peaceful solutions together. As your Governor, I am committed to listening, heeding calls to action, and healing. Edgar Samaniego, 20, of Las Vegas was identified by video and investigators tracked him down to a motel across the street from where the shooting occurred. He was taken into custody on suspicion of the shooting and has been charged with attempted murder. This booking photo provided by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department shows Edgar Samaniego, 20, of Las Vegas, following his arrest on June 2, 2020, in the shooting of Las Vegas Police Officer Shay Kellin Mikalonis on the Las Vegas Strip. (Clark County Detention Center/Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department via AP) Its not clear if Samaniego was involved in the Floyd protests, which have spread in major cities nationwide after the death of Floyd in police custody. At least 17 people have been killed so far in the proteststhe ages of those who died range from 18 to 77. An attorney who represented Samaniego in a personal injury lawsuit in 2016 declined to comment, saying he was not immediately representing him on the criminal charges. The Associated Press contributed to this report. From NTD News 13.06.2020 LISTEN For a long time, capacity deficiencies and the low level of governance performance in Somalia led to turmoil of "having tribe societies without a central government". This is an important factor that caused slow development in Somalia. Thus, we must rethink the development and governance issues of Somalia, to seek Somalised solutions for Somali issues based on the characteristics of Somalia. Among these, the most important task is to establish efficient government and political parties that are devoted to development and have the ability to promote it. Disputes Related to Somalia's Developmental Approach Even today observers and researchers around the world hold very different views on the political development issue of Somalia. The relevant differences and arguments are concentrated on the following complicated issues. First, what is the most important task or core issue for Somalia's political development? What kind of government system is feasible, effective and can be stably maintained? Second, for Somalia what is the best way to set up and choose standards for political systems and state regimes? Third, should Somalia set up an endogenous localized political systems and structures to form centralized and powerful governments that contribute to promoting economic development, social stability and improved living standards, or transplant the parliamentary systems and election systems that seem to have so-called moral legitimacy under the background of western cultures and according to western political ideology? Fourth, should Somalia establish a powerful government that can centralize national resources, in order to make joint efforts to achieve the state's long-term development goals, or establish a weak government that only pursues its own immediate interests or partial interests, and thus leads to continuous mutually exclusive cut-throat competition? All these issues have not been well understood much less resolved. While behind this confused theory and idea, Somalia's political reality has increasingly presented long- term turbulence and confusion. Somalia's Governance Dilemma lies in the lack of Governance Ability One of the challenges faced Somalia in governance and development is the trend toward the weakening or even the dissolution of national sovereignty. Administrative abilities are insufficient, and state systems and governmental functions are gradually sliding toward degeneration and collapse. How best to reconcile tribal cleavages and the discreteness of tribal societies and promote the construction of unified modern sovereign state through integration, is the biggest political challenge faced by the country that won independence in the mid of 20th century. It is also the fundamental premise for realizing state stability, economic growth and social security. However, this process has been affected by various factors, from the beginning and has thus resulted in slow progress. Nowadays, to some extent is gradually falling into anarchy, with the dissolution of state system and the collapse of governmental functions. Today, the factors that make negative impacts on the unified construction process of Somalia and dissolve the basis of the state have become very complex and varied. Generally speaking, the following have become the most obvious challenges.. The first challenge is the economic globalization and political liberalization process that is dominated by western developed countries. For the country, this process has been dissolving it's sovereignty and eroding the political authority to take action. In general, Somalia have passively got involved into the globalization tide, in an environment where the domestic integration process is far from complete and the construction of a unified state with a clear national identity is far from resolved. As weak country, Somalia often faces pressures of loosing sovereignty and being divided into several parts. The second challenge is that, under situations in which tribal integration and the construction of the state were far from complete, Somalia was forced to transplant or mechanically copy western competitive multi-party systems and electoral politics, which often caused continuous tribal and religious conflict. Again, this eroded Somalia's unity, sovereignty and ability to rule from the interior. The third challenge is the rapid emergence of large numbers of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and the adversarial political appeals put forward by these organizations over the past two decades. These NGOs often are supported and controlled by foreign powers. However, to a certain extent, they have contributed to the dissolution of the country's internal tolerance, coherence, state authority and ability to take action from the interior. In fact, nowadays, without sovereignty and government management, no country could gain the social stability, national security and economic growth that are necessary for social development. In Somalia the government's capacity is severely deficient, The basic political regime has existed in name only, and the functional networks, and management systems with coherent and clear divisions of responsibility and functional connections between the top and bottom political levels are nonexistent. Under a situation of "having tribe societies without a central government," thousands of civilians suffer from feelings of helplessness and get into difficult situations. The dissolution of state unity and the loss of governmental management capacity has resulted in huge disasters. Although Somalia presently have enormous human capital and a large and growing young population, the population bonus is far from being fully utilized, because there is no organized and coherent system to mobilize this large population into the large force needed for the construction of the country. Somalia Should Implement Governance for Development Purposes. Many countries have not always been able to understand the essence of politics from the economic perspective over the past several decades and thus have not transferred the focus of national work to economic construction. Some countries have ignored the fundamental goal of economic development over a long period and became deeply entangled in meaningless political strife. Poverty and backwardness are sources of political unrest, conflict and even terrorism. If a government is not concentrating on economic development, trying to improve livelihoods, and maintaining a stable and effective state system, it will not be able to accomplish meaningful goals, and it will be brought down sooner or later. Over the years, western countries have advanced political reform in Somalia. For today economic construction and social development must be prioritized. Somalia needs to implement political reform. But, the starting point should be ways to enhance Somalia's economic development and improve living standards. Then it will be possible to put in place political reform through the advancement of economic capacity, rather than mechanically copying western political systems. Similarly, today's Somalia need to maintain stability in order to better promote economic development and livelihood improvement. If the eradication of terrorism and stability are achieved at the expense of economic development or do not contribute to the promotion of development, the stability eventually will not be maintained and the elimination of terrorism will prove difficult to achieve as well. The Establishment of Long-term State Development Objectives is Important Another big problem faced by Somalia is how to establish long-term economic stability and development strategies. Somalia should engage the domestic population in determined efforts to solve Somali issues through self-reliance and hard work, rather than relying on foreign assistance to get the problems solved quickly. Meanwhile, Somalia is back warded, but we should not expect to solve all problems in the short-term. Toward this end, the international community should encourage the government and the people to have the faith and determination to work hard and persevere toward the achievement of long-term objectives. National ideas and national identity are the foundation supporting the survival, development and stability of a state. Having a strong national identity means that the people living in a territory have a basic sense of belonging to their country and have recognition and respect for their country's history, heritage, culture and national interests from the bottom of their hearts, and they take a sense of responsibility for the rise and fall of the state. However, the long-term political unrest and ethnic separation experienced in Somalia has often resulted in the lack of a powerful national identity and common core value system. This has made it difficult to construct a sense of national interest to maintain and mobilize the people. Given the weak sense of the national identity, competitive political groups and adversarial ethnic parties have not been able to jointly formulate and persistently pursue national long-term strategies and development objectives. This is a structural and conceptual barrier that the government must overcome. New Delhi: After the Central government's intervention to stop the further rise of coronavirus cases in the national capital, AIIMS in Delhi set up a COVID-19 helpline number which will operate all through the day. Callers can take OPD appointments, they can also talk to volunteers while doctors can talk to Consultants. The step was inititated following directions issued by the Union Home Ministry. The 24x7 COVID-19 helpline number is for both English and Hindi languages: 9115444155. Further, the government has constituted three teams to inspect hospitals in Delhi to guide them on clinical management of COVID-19 cases. These teams will make a rapid assessment of the exising patient capacity, patient care amenities and associated aspects of COVID-19 to enable informed, efficient and timely decisions. Accordingly, teams of experts comprising of doctors from AIIMS, DGHS, MoHFW, GNCT have been constituted. They will be assisted by officers from the Muncipal Councils. The doctors from AIIMS and DGHS are empowered to cooperate with others doctors from their instiitues/organization to assist them in their endeavor. Meanwhile, as many as 2224 coronavirus cases, 56 deaths and 878 cured cases have been reported from Delhi in the last 24 hours. While the total tally of cases in Delhi climbed to 41,182 with 1,327 deaths and 24,032 active cases. The number of empty ventilators in the city is 201. The total number of containment zones in Delhi is now 242 while a total of 67 zones have been de-contained till date. TV actor Jigyasa Singh, who essays the titular role of a trans woman in Shakti Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki, has said people warned her against taking up the project telling her that she would not be shown beautiful on the show. However, looks are not important to her when sending across a social message. Jigyasa replaced Rubina Dilaik recently and now essays the role of her adopted daughter. The show also features Kamya Panjabi and Vivian Dsena. Speaking with Times of India in an interview, Jigyasa said, Many people warned me against taking up the role of a transgender. They told me dont play such characters, you wont be shown beautiful, but somehow I never looked at it that way. I always wanted to play roles which are unique and give some social message to society. I knew about Shakti and about Rubinas character I just said immediately. There was no ifs and buts for me. I just accepted it. Initially, I was a little apprehensive about how I will do it. But then again Rubina had already played this role and people had accepted her in the role. So, I was kind of comfortable accepting the offer. As of now, I havent started playing transgender, I am shown as a normal girl. Even I am waiting how the story will unfold in the coming days. Also read: Axone movie review: Migrant lives matter in moving new film starring Sayani Gupta, out on Netflix Responding to rumours of the show going off air, Jigyasa told the daily, It feels worse when you get to hear that shows are going off-air so you feel sad. In fact, initially, we were also nervous as to what is going to happen. But we knew that Shakti is a big, popular and an old show so it will stay. Somewhere I knew that nothing would happen to our show. We all were constantly in touch with each other. Jigyasa had earlier said she was apprehensive about picking up the part of Heer. I dont want to be artificial about it and say I am not apprehensive about playing a transgender person on screen. I had so many ifs and buts. I wasnt even relating to the character initially. You cant put yourself in a transgender persons shoes because you dont know what they must have gone through. Their struggle with their identity is really difficult to fathom. Its really unfortunate that others mistreat transgender people. Its a sad state of affairs. They go through a lot and deserve equal rights as citizens of this country. We all deserve to be ourselves. At the same time, I also believe that it would be any actors dream to get a role as path-breaking as that of Heer, she had said in an interview in January. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Healthcare Middlemen Causing California Communities of Color to Pay More at the Pharmacy Counter African Americans in California face significant disparities in diagnosis, treatment, and access to health care they need. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated many of those inequalities. Our lawmakers have again expressed their desire to seek solutions to health disparities and rising health costs once the pandemic ceases, but action is needed. As California waits for the number of cases of COVID-19 to stabilize and, ultimately, for the state to lift its emergency orders, we urge policymakers to pursue sustainable solutions that reduce costs and create better long-term health outcomes for vulnerable communities. In communities of color, rising health care costs have increased the likelihood of developing life-threatening diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Treatments for many of these conditions have become unaffordable for Los Angeles families due to health care industry middlemen who manipulate drug pricing to increase their bottom line. Though little known to the general public, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are one of the most powerful players in health care. PBMs are middlemen who negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical manufacturers on behalf of health insurers. These negotiations determine what treatments are available on your insurance plans. The role of the PBM was initially to provide the best pricing and pass the savings onto the consumer. The reality is that PBMs, who operate with little transparency, exploit the current drug rebate system to increase their profit margins on the backs of patients. ADVERTISEMENT A report from the California Department of Managed Health Care found that CA health plans and pharmacy benefit manager profits are the leading cause of insurance premium spikes. More specifically, profits from California health insurance companies rose by 172 percent in just one year while insurance premiums increased by 6.2 percent. All while manufacturers have given more than $1 billion in rebates that PBMs are not passing down to consumers. Without more stringent oversight, patients may continue not to see cost-savings in their pocketbook. One commonsense solution would be regulating the PBM industry to ensure that cost savings realized through drug manufacturer rebates are passed down to consumers. During these unprecedented times when health care concerns are at the forefront, it is important for policymakers to help the most vulnerable afford treatments and clear a pathway to access new and innovative life-saving drugs. This is particularly important with the advent of a new class of drugs called biosimilars. Biosimilars are medicines that have nearly the same quality, safety, and efficacy as a more expensive brand biologic drug. Biosimilars are like generic medicines for the biologics market. But because PBMs determine what treatments are available on a drug formulary, and because they receive rebates based on the cost of the drugs, they would have little incentive to include these types of more affordable treatments. The higher the cost of the drug, the bigger the rebate for the PBM. Our communities have been greatly affected by decades of racial health disparities. The high rate of infections and fatalities for the coronavirus are just the latest example. As our country and our state begin to discuss solutions to address the health inequities among communities of color, we urge them to end loopholes that are allowing PBMs to pocket the cost savings that are rightly due to California consumers. By regulating and requiring PBMs to pass rebates directly to consumers, lawmakers would be able to narrow the healthcare gap and save millions of dollars for families living in Los Angeles. Felicia Jones is Executive Director of Healthy African American Families II located in Los Angeles, CA. Friday, June 5 Ten weeks ago, on March 31, Good Morning Britains editor rang me with the awful news that our colleague Kate Garraways husband Derek Draper had been rushed to hospital with Covid-19 and was fighting for his life. It was at the very peak of the pandemic, when hospitals were being swamped and people were dying in large numbers. So, this was a terrifying moment that brought the virus right to our work door. I phoned Kate immediately and we had a long, heart-rending conversation, one of many weve had since. Its so hard to know what to say in such situations. I knew GMBs Dr Hilary Jones would be giving her all the expert medical advice she needed (as he very kindly does for all of us on the team when we have family health issues), so instead I gave her the only suggestion I could think of that might actually help such a good, experienced journalist to treat what was happening like a massive breaking news story and behave accordingly. Its the mentality Ive always tried to use myself when Ive faced any kind of professional or personal crisis. Kate Garraway with husband Derek Draper on Australias Gold Coast last December Try to keep emotion out of it with the doctors and nurses, I said. I imagine theyre getting overwhelmed by this virus and must have so many emotional relatives who arent allowed to visit the hospital bombarding them all day long. If you stay calm, and focused, and research everything very thoroughly, youll ask better questions and probably get more out of them. I wasnt sure if that advice helped or not until I watched her incredibly moving GMB interview this morning her first with her usual Friday co-host and great friend Ben Shephard. Very early on, she said, I spoke to Piers and he just said, Right, come on Garraway, youre a journalist. This is the story of your life. Your focus now is Derek. Youve got to fight for Derek. Youve got to get all the information you can. And that actually really helped because I thought, Ive got a job, because we were in free-fall. My job is to fight for Derek and keep life safe for Darcey and Billy [their kids]. That forced me into breaking-news mode. When something awful happens and youre on-air, youve got to not think about the emotion of it, youve got to think about doing your job. I rode that for weeks and weeks and weeks, thinking, What do I need to do? What doctor do I need to speak to? What else can we be doing? Sadly, that purposeful, enquiring journalistic attitude has its limitations when you get to the point that Derek has now reached where nobody has any answers. Kate has been told he may never wake up, and all there is left to be done is wait and hope for a miracle. About two weeks ago I probably did crash, Kate admitted, because you cant stay like that forever. The problem is, I have huge hope and massive positivity and Ill never give up on that because Dereks the core of my life, but at the same time I have absolute uncertainty. I knew she was struggling when I saw photos in the papers taken doing the final Thursday night clap for carers last week, and she looked utterly exhausted and was wiping away tears. Its a living hell, to be honest, she replied when I messaged her to check if she was OK. I keep saying I cant bear it, but then somehow do. Its managing feelings and holding in the same moment your greatest hope, greatest fear and total uncertainty about which way its going to go all the time. I dont think Ive ever loved him more or felt more at risk of losing him. But at least I still have hope, which lots of people have had taken away from them. Am going to watch Darkest Hour tonight, cry properly and fight back tomorrow. I was thinking of a suitably Churchillian reply to rally her spirits, but another great leaders words rang louder in my head. Remember the words of Mandela, I replied. It always seems impossible until its done. For all of us who know and care about Kate, this has been a desperately sad time. Shes one of the most decent, loyal, selfless, popular and fun people in the TV industry and everyone connected with GMB absolutely loves her. What makes it so especially tragic is that in Derek, 52, she found her unlikely soulmate. I knew them both separately long before they got together Derek was a Labour Party adviser whom I locked horns with many times in the late 1990s during my editorship of the Daily Mirror and when they told me at a party in 2005 that they were getting married, I joked: If Id known the bar was that low, Id have had a crack myself! It says everything about them that they both laughed hysterically, then put that quote on their wedding menus. But the truth is that she and Derek, although by their own admission very different people, are actually perfectly suited and have a wonderfully strong and happy marriage. The last time I saw them together was at my annual pub Christmas knees-up in December, just after she got back from starring in Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! (Derek was ferociously proud of Kate during that show. She is such an amazing woman, he texted me halfway through, I so, SO want her to be No 1 for once.) They were blissfully happy that night, as could be seen from their kissing and cuddling for the paparazzi outside and were buzzing with excitement about renewing their wedding vows this summer, after Derek proposed to her again when they were reunited in the jungle. Now, agonisingly, Kate doesnt even know if she will ever get Derek home again, let alone to renew those vows. Its unbearably, gut-wrenchingly sad. Rodeo Drive is quiet and empty, with many of the world's biggest fashion brands clearing out their stores after closing under Gov. Gavin Newsom's order in response to the coronavirus, last week, photographed March 22, 2020. (Jay L. Clendenin/Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) The city of Beverly Hills on Saturday issued an order restricting nighttime assemblies after a noisy protest disturbed residents the night before, officials said. The order, which took effect Saturday night and was to remain in place until further notice, states that no more than 10 people are allowed to gather for an assembly in a residential area between the hours of 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. An assembly is defined as a gathering in a public place that consists of 10 or more people who have a common goal. Silent assemblies such as candlelight vigils, as well as those on private property, are exempt, and assemblies in the business district are still permitted. The city proclaimed a local emergency May 30 in the midst of protests decrying the police killing of George Floyd and other Black Americans. Demonstrations reached Beverly Hills, and there were reports of vandalism and property damage by some who authorities said used the protests as cover to commit illegal acts. The order restricting nighttime assemblies cites the events of May 30, as well as an Occupy protest that was held Friday from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. The protest included bullhorns and amplified music and disrupted the tranquility of the residential neighborhood during hours when many people would ordinarily be sleeping, the order states. The city has deemed it necessary to limit the use of residential neighborhoods at night to allow residents to sleep, according to the order. Those who violate the order can face arrest and be charged with a misdemeanor. Despite a turbulent year politically, HK topped the table for the second time running, with the performance of the Hong Kong dollar driving up living costs for expats (especially property prices). It was followed by Ashgabat, capital of Turkmenistan, home to many grandiose marble-clad buildings and a major economic crisis that has hugely driven up the cost of living. Tokyo was the third most expensive to be an expat, down from second last year. International cultural capitals Singapore, New York, Shanghai and Beijing also made the top ten, with the only European entries being the Swiss cities of Zurich, Bern, and Geneva, thanks to the high value of the Swiss franc. Meanwhile, cities where you might think of life as being pretty costly think Los Angeles, London, Dubai, Miami were outranked by Ndjamena (the capital of Chad), Shenzhen in China and Lagos in Nigeria. In these turbulent times, its weirdly comforting to see some regular annual fixtures rolling out as usual like the Mercer Cost of Living Survey, your regular reminder of how crazily pricy it is to eat, drink, shop and sleep in various cities around the world. This years study has just been released, and the number one spot goes to Hong Kong, with Shanghai (at number seven) and Beijing (at number ten) trailing not far behind. The Union home ministry on Sunday ordered the transfer of four IAS officers two from Andaman and Nicobar Islands and two from Arunachal Pradesh to the national capital to help manage the Delhi governments fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. @HMOIndia @AmitShah directed immediate transfer of 4 IAS officers - Awanish Kumar & Monica Priyadarshini from A&N, & Gaurav Singh Rajawat & Vikram Singh Mallik from Arunachal Pradesh to New Delhi to assist #GNCTD for management of #COVID19, the home ministry spokesperson said in a tweet. HM also directed attachment to #GNCTD of two Sr. IAS officers - SCL Das and SS Yadav from Centre, the spokesperson said in another tweet. The orders came after Shahs meeting with Union Health minister Harsh Vardhan, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and officials of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) to take stock of the Covid-19 situation in Delhi that has worsened in recent times. Shah had also announced a slew of measures to contain the pandemic that has surged in the last few weeks to make Delhi to the third worst-affected state in the country after Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Delhis Covid-19 tally now stands at 38,958. New coronavirus infections increased in Nigeria for the fourth consecutive week, indicating the country is yet to reach the peak of its infection curve. According to a PREMIUM TIMES review of data by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Nigeria also recorded 3,449 new COVID-19 cases last week, the highest weekly figure since the country recorded its first case in February. Despite the consistent increase in new infections, however, the country continues to open up its economy and relax movement restrictions initially put in place. Weekly Review The 3,449 cases recorded last week is a 32 per cent increase over the 2,348 cases recorded in the previous week. Last weeks cases also account for about 21 per cent of the total confirmed coronavirus infections in Nigeria (15,682). A total of 1,239 patients also recovered from the disease last week, a 28 per cent increase compared to the 970 recoveries in the previous week. However, 65 new deaths were recorded across the country last week as against the 69 reported in the previous week. Lagos State recorded 1,306 new cases last week, almost a third of the total. The state remains the epicentre of the disease in Nigeria. Lagos was followed by Abuja, which recorded 300 new cases last week. Of the 35 states and the FCT, where at least a case has been detected, only Taraba and Kogi states did not record new infections last week. Nevertheless, only Cross River State is yet to record a single case of the infection. Nigeria so far Currently, there are 10,174 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, while 5,101 patients have recovered and have been discharged. Nigerias Coronavirus case update A breakdown of the total 15,682 confirmed cases shows that Lagos State has so far reported 7, 035 cases, followed by FCT 1, 212, Kano 1, 091, Ogun 553, Edo 544, Oyo 491, Rivers 482, Kaduna 429, Borno 425, Katsina 414, Bauchi 410, Gombe 337, Jigawa 317, Delta 254, Ebonyi 162, Abia 151, Kwara 150, Plateau 149, Nasarawa 141, Imo 135, Sokoto 132, Zamfara 76, Anambra 64, Ondo 63, Yobe 55,Kebbi 54, Enugu 51, Osun 50, Niger 49, Akwa Ibom 48 Adamawa 42,, Benue 34, Bayelsa 32, Ekiti 30, Taraba 18, and Kogi 3. Timeline last week On Sunday, 260 new cases of COVID19 were reported in the country. On Monday, 316 new cases of the virus were reported in the country. That brought the tally of confirmed cases to 12,801 as of 11:55 p.m. on June 8. On Tuesday, 663 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded. A total of 409 new cases of the virus were reported on Wednesday which brought the number of confirmed cases to 13,873. The NCDC figures, as of 11:55 p.m. on June 10, showed that 4,351 patients had been discharged while 382 had died. Nigerias Coronavirus cases last week On Thursday, 681 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the country. On Friday, 627 new cases were reported in Nigeria, hence bringing the tally of confirmed cases to 15,181 as of 11:55 p.m. on June 12. On Saturday, 501 new cases of the pandemic were recorded. Therefore, 15,682 cases have been confirmed, 501 cases have been discharged and 407 deaths have been recorded in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory, so far. Testing Nigeria has so far tested 90,464 samples since February. Of this figure, 15,465 tests were conducted last week. Although last weeks figure is higher than that of the previous week when 14,174 samples were tested, experts have raised concerns that the testing rate is grossly insufficient. Advertisements With the available data, the NCDCs target of testing two million people in three months is impossible as the agency is yet to test a hundred thousand persons seven weeks after. Relaxing lockdown Despite its increasing rate of new infections, Nigeria began relaxing its five weeks lockdown over a couple of weeks ago. Religious centres that were hitherto ordered shut have been reopened while many businesses have also been permitted to commence operations. In his Democracy Day speech, on Friday, President Muhammadu Buhari explained that the approval for the ease of lockdown was to ensure a balance between lives and livelihoods. Nigerias new coronavirus cases increase I receive regular briefing from the PTF on COVID nineteen. I note that the National Response relies on Science, Data and Experience in taking decisions. This informed my approval for the ease of lockdown phase to ensure a balance between lives and livelihoods, the president said. He reposed his confidence in the PTF, stating that the steps being taken by the committee would result in flattening the COVID-19 curve. Mr Buhari also implored all Nigerians to abide by the approved guidelines and protocols so as to curtail the spread of the virus. The Nigerian leader also asked the countrys researchers to join in the search for the cure for the virus which has killed over 400,000 people globally. Already, we have begun to look inward and I charge our inventors, researchers and scientists to come up with solutions to cure COVID-19, he said. D-Link has released a firmware update to address three security flaws impacting the DIR-865L home router model, but left some issue unpatched D-Link has recently released a firmware update to address three out of six security flaws impacting the DIR-865L wireless home router. Below the list of vulnerabilities affecting the D-Link home routers: CVE-2020-13782: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements Used in a Command (Command Injection) critical-severity score 9.8, not fixed CVE-2020-13786: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) high-severity score 8.8, fixed CVE-2020-13785: Inadequate Encryption Strength high-severity score 7.5, fixed CVE-2020-13784: Predictable seed in pseudo-random number generator high-severity score 7.5 not fixed CVE-2020-13783: Cleartext storage of sensitive information high-severity score 7.5, fixed CVE-2020-13787: Cleartext transmission of sensitive information high-severity score 7.5, not fixed The flaws were reported to D-Link by researchers at Palo Alto Networks in February, experts pointed out that the issues could also affect newer models because they share portions of firmware code. Only the command injection vulnerability is rated critical, the remaining ones are high-severity, they can be exploited by attackers to execute arbitrary commands, steal sensitive information, upload malicious payloads, or delete data. According to Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 researcher Gregory Basior an attacker could chain some of the above issues to sniff network traffic and steal session cookies. Different combinations of these vulnerabilities can lead to significant risks. For example, malicious users can sniff network traffic to steal session cookies. reads the analysis published by Palo Alto Networks. With this information, they can access the administrative portal for file sharing, giving them the ability to upload arbitrary malicious files, download sensitive files, or delete essential files. They can also use the cookie to run arbitrary commands to conduct a denial of service attack. D-Links DIR-865L is no longer supported for U.S. consumers, while the vendor sill provides supports for European customers. The vendor released a beta firmware release that fixes only three out of the six flaws, it recommends customers to replace their device with a new model. For US consumers, D-Link recommends this product be retired, and any further use may be a risk to devices connected to it and end-users connected to it states D-Link. Pierluigi Paganini (SecurityAffairs D-Link DIR-865L, hacking) As lockdowns are lifted, procedures are being put in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19 . Along with physical distancing, hand sanitisation and wearing of masks , fever screening is increasingly being set up as a requirement before entry is allowed into hospitals, shops, workplaces and schools. But there are physiological and clinical reasons why fever screening simply won't work. Andrea Fuller and Duncan Mitchell explain why fever screening is unlikely to reduce the spread of the virus. Their arguments are based on an understanding of the physiology of fever, body temperature measurement, and fever prevalence in people who transmit COVID-19. What happens to your body when you have a fever? Fever is a temporary elevation of body core temperature. It is part of a defensive response to infection by a virus. When you develop a fever, you feel cold, heat generation in your body increases (achieved by shivering) and heat loss decreases (achieved by seeking warmth, covering up and reducing the flow of warm blood to the skin). When a fever breaks, either naturally or because you have taken an antipyretic like paracetamol, you feel warm. Your reactions include increasing the flow of warm blood to the skin and sweating, which helps to bring the body's core temperature back to normal. What are the limitations to infrared thermometers or thermal cameras detecting fevers? Detecting fever requires measuring body core temperature. To do that accurately, you need to put a thermometer into the body core. Temperature in the rectum and the mouth get close to body core temperature. Needing to measure body core temperature raises the first problem with fever screening. Thermal cameras and infrared thermometers measure heat radiating from a surface in other words surface temperature. They don't measure body core temperature. Measuring surface temperature has contributed usefully to healthcare and to biology . For example, fever screening has shown whether skin grafts are receiving blood . On the biology front they have shown that toucans dump body heat through their bills . But the forehead skin or inner eye temperatures that infrared thermometers or thermal cameras usually measure in fever screening are not body core temperatures. Human surface temperature is heavily influenced by environmental conditions . In cool environments, surface temperatures can be much lower than body core temperature. And doing exercise , or being exposed to the sun, can raise the temperature on our foreheads above body core temperature. Thermal cameras screen for high skin temperature. They can and do find high face temperatures that have nothing to do with infections. Those false positives waste time and money in unnecessary follow-up. Another problem is that skin temperature does not rise during the developing phase of a fever. It falls, because warm blood is kept away from the skin. So your skin temperature changes in the opposite direction to your body core temperature. Thermal cameras would declare you safe, because your skin temperature is low, but you could be in the most infectious phase of the fever. No surface temperature is a reliable indicator of fever. Could better fever screening detect COVID-19? Even if infrared thermometers could detect fever reliably, they could not detect COVID-19 reliably. Nor could any other thermometer. Patients with COVID-19 are not guaranteed to have a fever. Recent research indicates that many people who test positive for COVID-19, and especially children, never have any detectable sign of illness, including fever. Even people who later do show symptoms will not have a fever during COVID-19's incubation phase , which can last nearly two weeks. During this period, when they are asymptomatic, they can spread the virus . The finding that infected people without symptoms shed virus is the Achilles' heel of controlling the current pandemic . To add to the problem, not all patients with symptoms will have a fever, at least on the basis of once-off measurement. Only 31% of patients presenting at New York State hospitals with COVID-19 had fevers. So, in addition to not measuring body core temperature well, infrared thermometers are being used to find a high temperature that many people exposed to COVID-19 won't have. Has fever screening ever helped to prevent the spread of viruses? Thermal cameras were introduced at airports at the outbreak of the 2002/3 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) pandemic. They were widespread in airports during the 2009 Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic. But for medical and technological reasons they have failed to prevent the import of any virus causing respiratory disease. They have failed even in combination with other interventions like follow-up contact and health declaration questionnaires. For example, 930 people who presented as potentially infected candidates were picked out by thermal screening from over 9 million passengers entering Japan in 2009/2010. But not one case of H1N1 influenza was diagnosed . The data from Ebola shows the same pattern. Not one case of Ebola virus infection was picked up in 166,242 airport passengers screened when entering and leaving Sierra Leone in the 2014/2016 outbreak . In the case of COVID-19, CNN has reported that no cases were detected among the more than 30,000 passengers screened with thermal cameras at US airports by mid-February 2020 . Some scientists have been forthright about the dubious value of fever screening, arguing that border screening for infectious diseases should not be continued . Is there any place for fever screening? Perhaps, there may be benefits. Some people with viral infections who know they are sick attempt to conceal their illness. Travellers wanting to fly home are prone to do so . Others take antipyretic drugs, hoping to avoid triggering thermal cameras. Though there still is no scientific evidence, researchers have suggested that the prospect of being caught by fever screening is a deterrent to such dishonesty. But we do not believe that the potential benefit outweighs the negatives. Apart from fever screening being unreliable, infrared thermometry poses a risk to thermometer operators who are required to come up close to potentially infected persons. Successfully passing a fever screen can create a false sense of security. And the thermal cameras used for mass screening are costly. So are the personnel required for any fever screening. Andrea Fuller receives funding from the South African National Research Foundation. In the past, Duncan Mitchell has received funding from the South African Medical Research Council and the South African National Research Foundation, for biomedical research, and has carried out contract research for Adcock Ingram Pharmaceuticals. By Andrea Fuller, Professor, School of Physiology; Director, Brain Function Research Group, University of the Witwatersrand And Duncan Mitchell, Adjunct Professor in the School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, and Honorary Professorial Research Fellow, University of the Witwatersrand A doctor puts on protective gear before entering a hospital room for COVID-19 patients (Photo: VNA) The National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control said on June 14 morning that no new case was reported from 6pm June 13 to 6am on June 14. Total confirmed cases in the country were at 334, with 194 imported cases which were quarantined immediately after arrival, posing no threat of spreading in the community. The number of recovered patients was 323, or 96.7 percent of total cases, and there has been zero fatality. Among 11 patients under treatment, one has tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, and three others have tested negative for at least twice. More than 10,270 people who had close contact with positive cases or arrived from pandemic-hit areas are under quarantine across the country. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 23:43:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HONG KONG, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government Paul Chan on Sunday appealed to relevant people to put aside conflicts and focus on the region's economic development. In an online article, Chan said Hong Kong's unemployment rate, which hit 5.2 percent in April, will further increase and even likely surpass the worst-case scenario witnessed during the global financial crisis in 2009. The number of the unemployed may reach a record high in 15 years, he added. Under such circumstances, any recurrence of violent acts will deprive the small and medium-sized enterprises of a respite, he said, stressing that for employees, what is the most important now is securing their jobs. He expressed the hope that conflicts can be put aside at the present and people can focus on addressing economic difficulties so as to let residents who have seen their incomes decreasing and firms who have suffered financial hardship have opportunities to survive. Chan said tranches under the new budget, which are worth over 120 billion Hong Kong dollars (15.4 billion U.S. dollars) and two rounds of anti-epidemic funds of more than 160 billion Hong Kong dollars (20.6 billon U.S. dollars) are being handed out to targeted sectors and groups. With the COVID-19 outbreak under control, Hong Kong residents have begun to resume their daily activities, Chan said, adding that from the beginning of July, most eligible Hong Kong permanent residents will receive a cash handout of 10,000 Hong Kong dollars (1,290 U.S. dollars). These measures are expected to stimulate consumer market, he said. Chan said Hong Kong residents could not travel abroad or to the mainland for quite a long time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which however will benefit local consumption, together with the promotions of banks and shopping malls. Enditem kali9/iStockBy MARK OSBORNE and JOSH HOYOS, ABC NEWS (ATLANTA) -- Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields has resigned, according to city Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Shields had served in the position since December 2016. Shields will continue with the department in a role to be determined. "It has become abundantly clear that over the last couple weeks in Atlanta is that while we have a police force full of men and women who work alongside our communities with honor respect and dignity," Bottoms said in a statement. "There has been a disconnect with what our expectations are, and should be as it relates to interactions with our officers and the communities in which they are entrusted to protect. "Chief Erica Shields has been a solid member of APD for over two decades, and has a deep and abiding love for the people of Atlanta," she continued. "And because of her desire that Atlanta be a model of what meaningful reform should look like across this country Chief Shields has offered to immediately step aside as Police Chief so that the city may move forward with urgency and rebuilding the trust so desperately needed throughout our communities." Former Assistant Police Chief Rodney Bryant will serve as interim police chief as the city immediately launches a national search for new leadership to repair trust within the community. The move comes just hours after a man, identified as Rayshard Brooks, was shot and killed by police at a Wendy's drive-thru after police said he pointed a Taser at an officer while running away from law enforcement. "I firmly believe that there is a clear distinction between what you can do and what you should do," Bottoms said in a press conference regarding the officer's actions. "I do not believe this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer." Shields had also called for the officer's immediate termination and said the other officer involved has been placed on administrative duty. Bottoms expressed condolences to the family of Brooks. "There are no words strong enough to express how sincerely sorry I am for your loss," the mayor said. "I do hope that you will find some comfort in the swift actions that have been taken today and the meaningful reforms that our city will implement on behalf of the countless men and women who have lost their lives across this country." Calls for a change at the top of the department grew Saturday in the wake of Brooks' shooting. "The Atlanta Police Department continues to terrorize protestors and murder unarmed Black bodies," the NAACP said in a statement. "Its time for new leadership and a change of policing culture. Stand with us and call for her immediate resignation." The shooting comes less than two weeks after six Atlanta police officers were charged for the forceful arrests of two college students sitting in their car on June 2. The two were shocked with stun guns and physically pulled out of the car though they did not appear to be involved in protests in the area. Among the charges for the officers were aggravated assault, pointing or aiming a gun, simple battery and criminal damage to property. ABC News' J. Gabriel Ware contributed to this report. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. D onald Trump angrily blamed a long, steep, very slippery ramp after he was filmed struggling to walk at the West Point ceremony. The US president lashed out after a clip of him appearing to steady himself went viral. He jolted as he traversed a slope alongside United States Military Academy Lt Gen Darryl Williams at the ceremony for newly qualified cadets on Saturday in New York. Tweeting the video, which has racked up 9.6 million views, journalist Aaron Rupar ramarked: Trump descended a ramp extremely carefully at the end of his West Point speech today. Donald Trump addressed newly qualified cadets at West Point / Getty Images But the president fired back: The ramp that I descended after my West Point Commencement speech was very long & steep, had no handrail and, most importantly, was very slippery. The last thing I was going to do is fall for the Fake News to have fun with. Final ten feet I ran down to level ground. Momentum! Others pointed out that Mr Trump had criticised his predecessor for an unelegant walking style in a tweet dated April 2014. He wrote: The way President Obama runs down the stairs of Air Force 1, hopping & bobbing all the way, is so inelegant and unpresidential. Do not fall! Another Twitter user dug out footage of Barack Obama striding confidently up the same ramp at West Point when president. Mr Trump, who turned 74 on Sunday, was the oldest person ever to win a US election, despite mocking his opponents Hillary Clinton and the Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for showing signs of frailty. Other observers even focused attention on his use of two hands to drink from a bottle of water at the West Point ceremony. The US president saluted at the ceremony in New York / Getty Images Bandy Lee, a Yale psychiatrist and editor of The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, tweeted: This is a persistent neurological sign that, combined with others, would be concerning enough to require a brain scan. The White House has revealed little about Mr Trumps health since he was admitted to Washington medical centre for an unscheduled appointment in November last year. Officials said the president underwent a quick examination and some laboratory tests and Mr Trump insisted he was in very good health. This article, How to be an ally: Here's what white allyship actually looks like, originally appeared on CNET.com. As protesters call for racial justice in the wake of George Floyd's death, some have found themselves trying to better understand the concept of "white allyship." What is an ally? Some people prefer terms like "accomplice" or "co-conspirator," but the basic concept relates to becoming educated about racial issues and supporting anti-racism efforts through action. Broad-strokes advice on allyship often includes things like: Listen more than you speak; don't assume you know everything; don't get defensive when you don't know everything; apologize when you get something wrong; remember that being an ally isn't about you or your feelings; don't expect a gold star for not being racist. And that's just to start. For some, this might be the first time they're starting to dig into what it means to be an ally. But more and more people are likely asking this question after the world has had its eyes on protests in the US and elsewhere calling for justice after a black man in Minnesota named George Floyd was killed by the police. Floyd's death is part of a history of police brutality against black Americans, including Breonna Taylor, whom police shot dead in her home in Louisville, Kentucky in March. The outrage over these deaths represents a tipping point on racial injustice in the US. Bystanders captured the events leading up to Floyd's death on May 25 with their smartphones and widely spread the videos, attracting more mainstream attention than ever. In the US alone, there have been protests in more than 400 cities, big and small. A Monmouth University poll last week found that 76% of Americans (71% of white people) called racism and discrimination "a big problem" in the country. That's a 26 percentage point jump in just five years. More people are taking action to solve this problem. In the White Ally Toolkit Workbook, author, speaker and founder of The Dialog Company, David W. Campt, who facilitates workshops on the topics of "inclusion and equity, cultural competence, and intergroup dialogue," writes that he uses the term "ally" as shorthand for "any white person who thinks racism against [people of color] is a special problem, and who sometimes takes specific actions to combat it." It's not hard to find a variety of resources aimed at helping white people understand how to be better allies. In Campt's explanation of the term, he also acknowledges that the term itself isn't perfect -- and not everyone even agrees with its usage. Emily Joye McGaughy, a facilitator for Allies for Change's Doing Our Own Work: An Anti-Racism Seminar for White People, for example, prefers terms like "comrade" or "co-conspirator" because they carry less of an implication that a white person is fighting someone else's fight on that other person's behalf. In prepandemic times, Allies for Change held the 40-plus-hour seminar in cities and towns across Michigan, as well as out of state in places like Seattle, Chicago and Cleveland. "To end white supremacy is to end it in ourselves," McGaughy said. "I don't think of it as someone's else's fight, I very much think about it as my fight that is not disconnected from the lives of black and indigenous people of color." Indeed, anyone who has been on social media has likely run into plenty of conversation about what exactly constitutes an ally, and about the dangers of using the term as merely something to pin on a lapel. (There's also been talk about, say, posting a black box on social media without taking further action.) The Dismantle Collective, which describes itself as an "all person of color group whose goal is to name, disrupt, and dismantle white supremacy," explains on its resource page for white allies that being an ally is more of a process: "[it] is not an identity, it is an ongoing and lifelong process that involves a lot of work." As Ibram X. Kendi wrote in his 2019 book How to be an Antiracist, neither being a racist nor an anti-racist is a fixed identity: "What we say about race, what we do about race, in each moment determines what -- not who -- we are." Working from within When it comes to talking about allyship, "work" is the operative term. Whether someone is starting to realize just how deep the roots of systemic racism run, or someone has been aware for a while, there's not some final transcendent level to achieve. Robin DiAngelo, author of White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, offers a two-page Antiracist Checklist. The list contains behaviors to adopt: "I readily accept -- with no explanations or 'proof' necessary -- a person of color's position or perception." "I realize 'it's not about me.' I avoid personalizing racial issues as they are raised in conversation." "I can accept leadership from people of color as well as from white people." And others to avoid: "When people of color point out racism as it is happening, I feel personally attacked." "I use meeting time to establish my antiracist credentials (e.g., recounting stories about how I 'marched in the Sixties' or about how many friends of color I have)." "I speak for people of color and attempt to explain their positions." Particularly now, amid worldwide protests and a renewed exploration of racial injustices, there are long material lists covering what to read, watch and listen to for further education on racism and its effects. What underpins a lot of these resource guides is the idea that white people need to take responsibility for this introspective work themselves, and not rely on people of color to educate them. As much as people might think going to a person of color is a sign of goodwill, openness or proof they're "one of the good ones," it's placing the burden on the person they're going to for guidance, experts say. People of color "are increasingly fatigued by educating white people," Campt wrote in the White Ally Toolkit Workbook. "They're already dealing with the additional burden of coping with racism." To start, the folks white people should be talking to about education are other white people, said Leslie Mac, who facilitates workshops on social justice strategies, including ones on white allyship. "We talk about the different facets of white supremacy culture, the ways in which they themselves participate in, support, and tolerate white supremacy culture," Mac said, "it's an 'I, us, we' conversation they need to be having with themselves and the people in their lives." In the Doing Our Own Work workshop, McGaughy said, participants role-play scenarios they're likely to encounter -- like someone saying "all lives matter." Before becoming a facilitator McGaughy herself took the seminar, nearly 11 years ago, thinking at the time that she was a "good white liberal progressive," who came from the east side of Los Angeles and cared about justice. But really, she had no clue how "whiteness has weaponized [her] entire being." "It was the first time that I'd ever been in an all white space where I felt like people were holding each other accountable for racism without the presence of people of color in the room." Getting active All this self-education and introspection is only a start, both McGaughy and Mac said. McGaughy stressed not getting "insulated in white work." "There is no substituting relationships of accountability and support with people of color and supporting movement leaders," she said. In Mac's workshops, participants make actionable plans -- and make sure those plans align with the goals of local organizers and support broader objectives. "They need to be doing the work that they can [and] affect the power structures that they have access to, the ways in which those structures function, and what they can do to disrupt them," she said, noting that past participants have gone on to raise $50,000 for bail funds and gotten their school board to require anti-racist training for PTA members, for example. Action is important. Mac said one of the biggest pitfalls allies run into (along with placing their own feelings at the center of their motivations) is becoming paralyzed for fear of getting something wrong. Experts advise to not get defensive. Instead, listen, admit the mistake, apologize and move on. "This is not a foreign concept to us," Mac said. "The question is what do you do when you mess up, and how do you prepare yourself to respond in ways that aren't additionally harmful, and actually take responsibility for your actions." By Associated Press ATLANTA: An Atlanta police officer was fired following the fatal shooting of a black man and another officer was placed on administrative duty, the police department announced early Sunday. The moves follow the Saturday resignation of Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields, who stepped down as the Friday night killing of Rayshard Brooks, 27, sparked a new wave of protests in Atlanta after turbulent demonstrations following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police had simmered down. The terminated officer was identified as Garrett Rolfe, who was hired in October 2013, and the officer placed on administrative duty is Devin Brosnan, who was hired in September 2018, according to a release from police spokesperson Sgt. John Chafee. The police department also released body camera and dash camera footage from both officers. More than 40 minutes elapses between the time Brosnan first knocks on Brooks' car door while he's in Wendy's drive-thru and when gunshots ring out; Rolfe arrives on scene about 16 minutes in. The shooting is audible in footage from Rolfe's dash camera and both officers' body cameras, but wasn't captured on any of the four recordings provided by police. Both body cameras fall off during the struggle that ensues when Rolfe moves to handcuff Brooks after speaking to him for about 20 minutes, although Brooks is briefly glimpsed being Tased before he's shot. Protesters on Saturday night set fire to the Wendys restaurant where Brooks was fatally shot the night before and blocked traffic on a nearby highway, although the fire was out by 11:30 p.m. Atlanta police said 36 people were arrested at protests as of midnight. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced the police chief's resignation at a Saturday afternoon news conference, and had called for the immediate firing of the officer who opened fire. I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force," Bottoms said. She said it was Shields' own decision to step aside and that she would remain with the city in an undetermined role. Interim Corrections Chief Rodney Bryant will serve as interim police chief. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is probing the shooting, said the deadly confrontation started with a complaint that a man was sleeping in a car blocking the restaurant's drive-thru lane. The GBI said Brooks failed a field sobriety test and then resisted officers' attempts to arrest him. Rolfe is seen on body camera video administering the field sobriety test, followed by a Breathalyzer test with Brooks' permission. He moves to arrest Brooks after the Breathalyzer test; while he doesn't tell Brooks the result, the machine displays a 0.108 in video captured by Rolfe's own body camera. The GBI released security camera video of the shooting Saturday, which does not show Brooks' initial struggle with police. The footage shows a man running from two white police officers as he raises a hand, which is holding an object, toward an officer a few steps behind him. The officer draws his gun and fires as the man keeps running, then falls to the ground in the parking lot. GBI Director Vic Reynolds said Brooks had grabbed a Taser from one officer and appeared to point it at the officer as he fled. The officer fired an estimated three shots. L. Chris Stewart, an attorney for Brooks' family, said the officer who shot him should be charged for an unjustified use of deadly force, which equals murder. You cant have it both ways in law enforcement," Stewart said. You cant say a Taser is a nonlethal weapon ... but when an African American grabs it and runs with it, now its some kind of deadly, lethal weapon that calls for you to unload on somebody. He said Brooks was a father of four and had celebrated a daughter's eighth birthday Friday before he was killed. The shooting came at a time of heightened tension over police brutality and calls for reforms across the U.S. following the May 25 death of Floyd in Minneapolis. Demonstrators, including members of Brooks' family, gathered Saturday outside the restaurant where he was shot. Among those protesting was Crystal Brooks, who said she is Rayshard Brooks' sister-in-law. "He wasnt causing anyone any harm, she said. The police went up to the car and even though the car was parked they pulled him out of the car and started tussling with him. She added: "He did grab the Taser, but he just grabbed the Taser and ran. Shields, Atlanta's police chief for under four years, was initially praised in the days following Floyds death. She said the officers involved should go to prison and told demonstrators she understood their frustrations and fears. She appeared at Bottoms side as the mayor made an impassioned plea for protesters to go home when things turned violent with smashed storefronts and police cruisers set ablaze. Days later, Shields fired two officers and benched three others caught on video in a hostile confrontation with two college students whose car was stuck in traffic caused by protests. The officers fired Tasers at the pair and dragged them from the vehicle. When prosecutors later charged six of the officers involved, however, Shields openly questioned the charges. The shooting of Brooks two weeks later raised further questions about the Atlanta department. New Delhi: In yet another jolt to the Aam Aadmi Party, its MLA Amanatulllah Khan was on Wednesday sent to one day judicial custody, in an alleged sexual harassment case, reports said. The 32-year-old woman has alleged that Khan pressurised her to get into a physical relationship with him, the police said. According to police, the woman claims that she is a relative of Khan. However, Khan has denied the charges, saying it is a false case against him. Khan had gone to Jamia Nagar police station to surrender on Monday but the police had refused to arrest him. "We will not arrest him now. Whatever he is doing is of his own accord. We will go by our investigation," a senior police officer had said. "It is the victory of common people. The police didn't arrest me because of public pressure," Mr Khan had said. On July 28, a court had granted bail to Khan in the same case, directing him not to contact and threaten the complainant directly or indirectly. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Describing South Korea as an enemy, Kim Yo-jong repeated an earlier threat she had made by saying Seoul will soon witness the collapse of a useless inter-Korean liaison office in the border town of Kaesong. Seoul: The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un threatened military action against South Korea as she bashed Seoul on Saturday over declining bilateral relations and its inability to stop activists from floating anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border. Describing South Korea as an enemy, Kim Yo-jong repeated an earlier threat she had made by saying Seoul will soon witness the collapse of a useless inter-Korean liaison office in the border town of Kaesong. Kim Yo-jong, who is the first vice department director of the ruling Workers Partys Central Committee, said she would leave it to North Koreas military leaders to carry out the next step of retaliation against the South. By exercising my power authorised by the supreme leader, our party and the State, I gave an instruction to the arms of the department in charge of the affairs with enemy to decisively carry out the next action, she said in a statement carried by the Norths official Korean Central News Agency. If I drop a hint of our next plan the (South Korean) authorities are anxious about, the right to taking the next action against the enemy will be entrusted to the General Staff of our army, she said. Our army, too, will determine something for cooling down our peoples resentment and surely carry out it, I believe. Her harsh rhetoric demonstrates her elevated status in North Koreas leadership. Already seen as the most powerful woman in the country and her brothers closest confidant, State media recently confirmed that she is now in charge of relations with South Korea. The liaison office in Kaesong, which has been shut since January due to coronavirus concerns, was set up as a result of one of the main agreements reached in three summits between Kim Jong-un and South Korean president Moon Jae-in in 2018. Moons government had lobbied hard to set up nuclear summits between Kim and President Donald Trump, who have met three times since 2018. At the same time, Moon also worked to improve inter-Korean relations. But North Korea in recent months has suspended virtually all cooperation with the South while expressing frustration over the lack of progress in its nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration. Over the past week, the North declared that it would cut off all government and military communication channels with the South and threatened to abandon key inter-Korean peace agreements reached by their leaders in 2018. They include a military agreement in which the Koreas committed to jointly take steps to reduce conventional military threats, such as establishing border buffers and no-fly zones. They also removed some front-line guard posts and jointly surveyed a waterway near their western border in an unrealised plan to allow freer civilian navigation. In an earlier statement last week, Kim Yo-jong said that the North would scrap the military agreement, which is hardly of any value, while calling North Korean defectors who send leaflets from the South human scum and mongrel dogs. Her comments on Saturday came hours after a senior North Korean foreign ministry official said that Seoul should drop nonsensical talk about the Norths denuclearisation, and that his country would continue to expand its military capabilities to counter what it perceives as threats from the United States. In response to North Koreas anger over the leaflets, South Koreas government has said it would press charges against two defector groups that have been carrying out border protests. The South also said it would push new laws to ban activists from flying the leaflets across the border, but theres been criticism over whether Moons government is sacrificing democratic principles to keep alive his ambitions for inter-Korean engagement. For years, activists have floated huge balloons into North Korea carrying leaflets criticising Kim Jong-un over his nuclear ambitions and dismal human rights record. The leafleting has sometimes triggered a furious response from North Korea, which bristles at any attempt to undermine its leadership. While Seoul has sometimes sent police officers to block the activists during sensitive times, it had previously resisted North Koreas calls to fully ban them, saying they were exercising their freedom. Activists have vowed to continue with the balloon launches. But its unlikely that North Koreas belligerence is about just the leaflets, analysts say. The North has a long track record of dialing up pressure on the South when it doesnt get what it wants from the United States. Its threats to abandon inter-Korean agreements came after months of frustration over Seouls refusal to defy US-led sanctions and restart joint economic projects. Some experts say North Korea, which has mobilised people for massive demonstrations condemning defectors, is deliberately censuring the South to rally its public and shift attention away from a bad economy, which likely has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its unclear what kind of military action the North would take against the South, although weapons tests are an easy guess. Kim Dong-yub, an analyst from Seouls Institute for Far Eastern Studies, said North Korea could also be planning something near the countries disputed western maritime border, which has occasionally been the scene of bloody clashes over the years. Nuclear talks faltered at Kim Jong-uns second summit with Trump in Vietnam in last February after the United States rejected North Koreas demands for major sanctions relief in exchange for a partial surrender of its nuclear capabilities. Trump and Kim met for a third time that year in June at the border between North and South Korea and agreed to resume talks. But an October working-level meeting in Sweden broke down over what the North Koreans described as the Americans old stance and attitude. On the two-year anniversary of the first Kim-Trump meeting, North Korean foreign minister Ri Son Gwon said Friday that the North would never again gift Trump with high-profile meetings he could boast as foreign policy achievements unless it gets something substantial in return. A Philadelphia police car (above) was damaged at a gas station near Broad and Clearfield Streets around 11:30 p.m. Saturday after a large crowd gathered and began looting stores. Read more A group of people, several of them with bats, gathered in Marconi Plaza Sunday morning to prevent anyone from taking down the statue of Christopher Columbus following the removal of such monuments in Camden and Wilmington in the wake of continued protest surrounding the death of George Floyd. On Sunday, Mayor Jim Kenney tweeted: We are aware of the groups of armed individuals protecting the Columbus statue in Marconi Plaza. All vigilantism is inappropriate, and these individuals only bring more danger to themselves and the city. Around 100 protesters had congregated at the site on Saturday, two of them with rifles. Some continued standing guard near the statue into Sunday morning as protest over Floyds death at the hands of Minneapolis police last month continued to roil the city and the country. According to the left-wing nonprofit news organization Unicorn Riot, several of the men assaulted one of their reporters on the scene Saturday and slashed his bike tires. "Philadelphia police then threatened our reporter with arrest for inciting a riot, and told the reporter to leave the scene, according to a statement on Unicorn Riots website. On Sunday afternoon, Philadelphia police said they were aware of the incident and were investigating it. Protesters demanding an end to police brutality and racism have defaced or removed Columbus statues in other cities such as Houston and San Francisco. Long celebrated for his trans-Atlantic exploits, Columbus has been the subject of revision by historians who say the Italian explorer enslaved and killed thousands of indigenous people during four trips to Caribbean islands. In other incidents, late Saturday night, a crowd of 300 people smashed the windows of a police cruiser and looted an Exxon gas station in the 3100 block of N. Broad Street, according to Philadelphia police. The crowd was dispersed around midnight. About an hour later, several men threw explosives at two restaurant employees and allegedly attempted to blow up an ATM early Sunday morning at the New Century restaurant in the 2500 block of Germantown Avenue according to 6-ABC. It doesnt appear that any money was taken, and the incident is being investigated by the Philadelphia police, as well as the fire marshals office and the ATF. Staff writer Allison Steele contributed to this account. File image: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on June 14 said the Centre and the Delhi government will fight COVID-19 together in the national capital, which has witnessed a spurt in coronavirus cases. The chief minister said a high-level meeting called by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the COVID-19 situation in Delhi was "extremely productive". "Extremely productive meeting betn Del govt and Central govt. Many key decisions taken. We will fight against corona together,(sic)" Kejriwal tweeted after the meeting. Also read | Delhi to double number of testing in two days, triple in six The meeting, also attended by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and Lt Governor Anil Baijal, comes in the wake of increasing number of coronavirus cases in Delhi, where the tally has reached nearly 39,000 and over 1,200 people have died. Follow our full coverage on COVID-19 here The former American police officer who pinned slain George Floyds neck to the ground, Derek Chauvin, could still receive more than $1.5 million (approximately N581 million) in pension benefits during his retirement years even if he is convicted of murder. Mr Chauvin, 44, sparked a global fury when he appeared in a video, taming Mr Floyd to the ground in a chokehold for nearly nine minutes until he died. Afterwards, the Minneapolis officer was dismissed from the police where he had worked for 19 years and charged with second-degree murder amidst global activism for justice. Three other officers involved with the incident were also fired and face felony charges. But Mr Chauvin could still cash his pension benefits in Minnesota even after he receives his punishment, a CNN finding reveals. Unlike what is obtainable in some other states of the U.S. and other countries, Minnesota does not allow for the forfeiture of pensions for employees convicted of felony crimes related to their work. According to the CNN, the Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association implied that Mr Chauvin would remain eligible to file for his partially taxpayer-funded pension as early as age 50, though it would not specify the specific amount he would receive. The association reportedly said employees terminated voluntarily or for cause are eligible for future benefits unless they choose to forfeit them and receive a refund of all contributions made during their employment. Neither our board nor our staff have the discretion to increase, decrease, deny or revoke benefits, a spokeswoman told CNN. Any changes to current law would need to be done through the legislative process. Mr Chauvin would likely be eligible for benefits around $50,000 a year if he chose to start receiving them at age 55, according to a CNN analysis that took into account the former cops tenure, 2019 payroll data, contract details, pension plan guidance and the Minneapolis Police Department salary schedules. The benefits could exceed $1.5 million over a 30-year period and could be even higher if he received significant amounts of overtime in past years, the analysis indicates. While two of the other officers who face charges Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng were rookies, a third, Tou Thao, could still be eligible to receive benefits, employment records obtained by the network show. A law professor at George Mason University who co-authored 2017 research on the matter, Bruce Johnsen,told the network that pension forfeiture for misconduct is pretty rare. With this terrible tragedy it might be a good time to push in this direction, he added, noting that specific conditions that would allow for forfeiture would need to be carefully defined. The Minneapolis Mayors Office, Police Department and the local police union did not respond to requests for comment from CNN. Neither did Mr Chauvins attorney. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 14 By Fidan Babayeva Trend: The project on strengthening consulting services in the field of agriculture in Azerbaijan, funded by the EU, is designed for 26 months, Melek Chakmak, Head of the FAO Partnership and Liaison Office in Azerbaijan, told Trend. "The goal of this project is supporting the efforts of the government on developing a strategy for an effective and sustainable joint system of agricultural consulting services that will be able to respond better to current and future problems in the agricultural sector and, ultimately, more efficiently provide services in rural areas," Chakmak noted. "Our task is to help the Azerbaijani government and rural service providers modernize operating systems, processes and services that are more focused and relevant to increase farm incomes while protecting and improving the natural environment," she said. Head of the office noted that the project works in three following directions: an enabling environment, institutional development and enhancing the individual potential of consultants, heads of senior advisory services, farmers and other entities of the agricultural innovation system. Chakmak concluded that the FAO also supports Azerbaijan in achieving its priorities under the Sustainable Development Goals. Azerbaijan has been a member of the FAO since 1995. The organizations office in the country has been operating since 2007. --- Follow the author on Twitter: Fidan_Babaeva While much of the world focuses on the coronavirus pandemic, many migrants continue to die on the Mediterranean Sea while trying to reach Italy. In the latest incident, authorities say that the bodies of 46 people have been recovered off the coast of Tunisia. The tragedy happened after their boat capsized near the city of Sfax at the weekend. By Stefan J. Bos Rescue workers, many wearing masks because of the coronavirus pandemic, dealt with another crisis. Officials suggested that that the death toll from a ship packed with African migrants that sank off the Tunisian coast here rose to scores of people. With most bodies from this latest tragedy in the Mediterranean Sea now being recovered, there seemed no hope that any one of the 53 people on board survived. The weekend accident, near the Tunisian city of Sfax, ended the dreams of migrants who wanted to make the crossing to Italy start a new life in Europe. A court order has been issued to investigate who organized the ill-fated journey. Authorities said that among the nearly 50 bodies recovered so far were at least 23 women and two children. Their bodies were brought to the Habib Bourguiba University Hospital in Sfax. The Sfax Heath Director, Ali al-Ayadi, said that "many of the bodies belong to countries from South Africa, and they are sub-Saharan citizens." And, he added, "We hope that the identities of the bodies will be quickly identified. And that their families will bury them as soon as possible." Tunisian media also suggested that a large number may have come from conflict and poverty-stricken Ivory Coast. Separately, police announced that one of those who drowned was identified as a Tunisian male who allegedly piloted the boat. More misery Last year, 86 African migrants drowned after their boat capsized, having set off for Europe from Libya. That was one of the worst such accidents in Tunisia. And this week's incident underscored that many migrants fleeing war, persecution, and poverty continue to drown on the Mediterranean Sea. The International Organization for Migration says that as of last October, roughly 19,000 migrants have drowned or disappeared in the Mediterranean since 2014. Figures seen by Vatican News showed hundreds drowned this year alone. More suffering is expected. The United Nations refugee agency says attempts to reach the Italian coast from Tunisia alone have jumped by 150 percent in the first four months of the year, compared to the same period last year. Tunisia is both a transit country for migrants from elsewhere in Africa and a source of Europe-bound migrants. WOOD RIVER The annual Spring Rendezvous tradition at Camp DuBois depicts the former historic frontier, yet held amid a modern pandemic and its precautions, illustrating similarities between then and now. This weekend re-enactors, depicting the period between 1600 and 1890, are wearing authentic clothing, engaging in period activities and attempting to abide by 21st century social distancing guidelines due to COVID-19. The campsites are farther apart, nobody is sitting on top of each other, you dont see a lot of handshakes, but as far as being afraid of it no, re-enactor Billy Koch said Saturday. Koch, of Conway, Arkansas, who will be here Sunday, as well, has portrayed the mid-1700s French and Indian War period for more than 20 years. During this period, commerce was made up of trappers and traders of fur, meeting up to rendezvous to exchange goods. Koch busily made pocket lanterns Saturday, the old-fashioned way, with a piece of metal, an anvil and a hammer. The pocket lantern is a metal box that swings open and reflects candle light, he explained. It was handy to carry on the trail because you didnt have to worry about any glass breaking. I like re-enacting because I get to learn a little bit more each time I go out and do something. Granite City resident Djuana Tucker has re-enacted the 1750s for 25 years and demonstrated period sewing techniques for a curious young visitor. Kids today need to slow down, pay attention, focus and do something like this, that might take a little longer than five seconds, Tucker said. The things that are worth working for are worth the wait. Social distancing wasnt a problem for Tucker because it fits right in with re-enacting, he noted. Its not difficult at all because its normal life in the 1700s, Tucker said. If someone is uneasy they can keep a distance and we just do what we do. Braiyden Davis, of Alton, already a veteran re-enactor at 11 years old, took a few shots at the Rendezvous range with a kid-size muzzle-loading rifle. That gun gives a little bit of a kick but its fun to shoot, said Davis, who hit an empty soda bottle in spite of, he said, it being his first time firing a historic-style firearm. All of the re-enactors eschewed masks, whether period or otherwise, and went au naturel, as the regions French settlers would have said, with no face covering at all. Participants deliberately tried to stay farther away from their fellow campers, crafters, bread bakers, shooters, archers and traders. We keep ourselves the right distance apart, said re-enactor Gary Hamilton, of Gillespie, whos been at this for 45 years. Ive done it for quite a while, so Ive seen a lot of changes with the events. It gets into your blood, you cant give it up, and its full of really good people. Retired history professor Ray Swenson, from the northern Illinois community of Roscoe, put todays coronavirus pandemic in perspective by comparing it to mid-1700s illness precautions. Social distancing 250 years ago meant just staying away from people who were sick, he said. If you had the pox, you went to Rogers Island (a military hospital in what is now upstate New York) where they had a pox hospital. And you either got well, or you didnt. It was as simple as that and they thought nothing of it. Swenson re-enacts primarily the French and Indian War period. But he also has a good working knowledge of other historical periods, including the most famous pandemic, the Black Death of the mid-1300s that killed one-third of Europes population. They didnt know the Black Death came from fleas, they just knew that people died, Swenson said. But they would say things like, Well, wait a minute, Im not going to throw away that perfectly good shirt. Im going to take it off of that dead guy, take it down to the market and sell it. Thus, the term flea market was started in France in 1347. The Spring Rendezvous is open to any group or individual depicting any time period from 1600 to 1890. The nearly 400-year time frame encourages more people to participate. The event is being held through Sunday at Camp DuBois, a replica of Meriwether Lewis and William Clarks 1803-1804 winter camp, located near the junction of Illinois routes 3 and 143 in Wood River. The Congress on Saturday attacked the government and demanded lower fuel prices, injection of cash into the economy while questioning Indias China policy. If GOI [the government of India] doesnt inject cash to start the economy now: 1. The poor will be decimated. 2. The middle class will become the new poor. 3. Crony capitalists will own the entire country, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet. Gandhi has maintained that the government needs to offer cash transfers for the poor to tide over the Covid-19 crisis. The Congress, which has been critical of the Centres Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus announced last month saying it was not enough, on Saturday pointed out the government has increased central excise duty on petrol and diesel by 258% and 819% since it came to power in May 2014. Former Union minister and Congress leader Kapil Sibal said even as the international crude prices are lowest in 15 years, oil prices are skyrocketing and the common people continue to suffer. He pointed out over the past 11 months, the government has gained Rs 1.6 lakh crore. Together with Rs 39,000 crore in annual revenues gained from the March 14 excise duty hike of Rs 3 per litre each on petrol and diesel, the government stands to gain as much as Rs 2 lakh crore, Sibal said. He said instead of passing the benefit of lower crude prices to the common people, oil prices have been increased for the seventh day on Saturday. Another Congress leader, Ahmed Patel, questioned the governments China policy in the wake of the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. Since 1947, [Narendra] Modiji is the only Prime Minister who made 9 official visits to China...Despite numerous visits by the incumbent PM we have this situation, he said. Boris Johnson has been accused of putting children's basic right to education at risk amid the coronavirus pandemic. Anne Longfield, the Children's Commissioner for England, last night issued a fresh warning that the failure to re-open schools presented a 'very dangerous' threat to a child's guaranteed right to education. With non-essential shops in England due to start opening on Monday, Ms Longfield added ministers appeared to have given up 'quite easily' on schools. 'It has taken 200 years of campaigning to get children into the classroom, ensuring that education was a basic right for all children,' she told the Observer. 'We seem for the first time to be prepared to let that start go into reverse. And I think that is a very, very dangerous place to be. Anne Longfield, the Children's Commissioner for England, issued a fresh warning that the failure to re-open schools presented a 'very dangerous' threat to the right to guaranteed education (Right: Boris Johnson) A child maintains social distancing measures while washing hands ahead of a lesson at Earlham Primary School on June 10 'We heard from the Prime Minister back in April that education was one of the top three priorities for easing lockdown, but it seems to have been given up on quite easily.' With most children not now due to return until September, it will be nearly six months since they have been in a classroom by the time they get back. It comes as Mr Johnson prepared to make a last-gasp attempt to get as many primary children as possible back to school before the summer holidays, amid rising fury at the social and economic cost of the lockdown. Under new plans expected to be unveiled this week, schools will be given the green light to return as many children to classes as safely possible as soon as possible. Last week, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson faced an outcry after admitting that the Government's 'ambition' of returning all primary children to school for a month before the summer could not be met. But with a lack of space to allow students to safely return with classroom limits of 15 pupils and two-metre social distancing rules, it is unclear how many pupils will yet be able to resume their education. Some school leaders have called for the creation of 'Nightingale Schools' to be created in church halls and other buildings, with volunteers drawn from ex-teaching staff helping run lessons. Under new plans expected to be unveiled this week schools will be given the green light to return as many children to classes as safely possible as soon as possible Chief Inspector of schools Amanda Spielman today said that a reduction in the two-metre rule - currently being mooted for shops - would help ease the strain on classrooms It came as an economist warned that the closure had so far cost the economy 22billion in lost productivity, with parents forced to take time off to care for youngsters. A No 10 source said Boris Johnson was 'acutely aware' of the impact the extended closure was having on pupils and was working with Mr Williamson on a major 'catch-up' plan. Primary schools in England - which closed following the coronavirus lockdown in March - are currently open to pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6. However, ministers will this week reaffirm schools can take children from other year groups provided they have the capacity to do so safely. It means limiting class sizes to just 15 while ensuring protective measures are in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Chief Inspector of schools Amanda Spielman today said that a reduction in the two-metre rule - currently being mooted for shops - would help ease the strain on classrooms. She told Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday: 'A reduced distance expectation will filter through into greater capacity in schools.' She added that the priority must be getting children back as soon as possible, saying: 'They are losing so much now, through losing education, losing the wider social interaction, losing the wider development, and of course losing their preparedness for economic opportunities of the future.' With a lack of space to allow students to safely return with classroom limits of 15 pupils and two-metre social distancing rules, it is unclear how many pupils will yet be able to resume their education A child has her temperature checked by a teacher before entering Earlham Primary School The Prime Minister was said to be particularly concerned about the impact on disadvantaged children who lack the same support at home and access to remote learning as others. A No 10 source said: 'The PM is acutely aware that school closures will have a disproportionate impact on all children, and particularly the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children. 'He appreciates the consequences of months out of school, and this package will be focused on providing extended support for children. 'The PM is so grateful for the hard work of teachers, parents and schools to keep educating children throughout this difficult period.' Economist Julian Jessop told the Telegraph today that economic output has taken an 11billion hit from the school closure, with lost earnings for parents accounting for a similar figure. Mr Williamson's Cabinet future is in doubt after growing anger on the Tory backbenches over the failure to open schools before the autumn. The Education Secretary is tipped to be one of the high-profile casualties of Boris Johnson's next reshuffle, following his humiliating U-turn over the target to get all primary school pupils back in the classroom before the summer holidays. International Trade Secretary Liz Truss is also on the Prime Minister's hit-list following rows over the terms of a new trade deal with America. Cabinet rivals have accused her of being prepared to allow cheap, sub-standard products such as chlorinated chicken to flood the UK market and hit the British farming industry. The Education Secretary (pictured) is tipped to be one of the high-profile casualties of Boris Johnson's next reshuffle, following his humiliating U-turn over the target to get all primary school pupils back in the classroom before the summer holidays International Trade Secretary Liz Truss (pictured) is also on the Prime Minister's hit-list following rows over the terms of a new trade deal with America Ms Truss's allies angrily deny the claims. But her career prospects are unlikely to be helped by the fact she is understood to be on the opposite side of the argument from Mr Johnson's fiancee Carrie Symonds an animal welfare campaigner. Mr Williamson infuriated overstretched parents when he said full-time schooling for all pupils would not now resume before September. The former Defence Secretary famous for keeping a pet tarantula in his office when he was Chief Whip has looked a far more subdued figure since taking on the education portfolio. Last night, former Cabinet Ministers were privately scathing about Mr Williamson for giving the impression that Left-wing teaching unions were somehow dictating when schools returned. One said: 'Gavin was a very good Chief Whip but he was far better being in the shadows in that role than on the front line, galvanising the campaign to get the schools back. 'He should have been talking to the academies which are not under council control.' Another ex-Cabinet Minister pointed the blame at Mr Johnson for wanting a 'Cabinet of short poppies where the Ministers just don't challenge the PM'. The expected ministerial changes are being dubbed the 'night of the short knives' because the big four in the Cabinet Chancellor Rishi Sunak (pictured right), Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab (pictured left), Home Secretary Priti Patel and Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove look set to keep their jobs. Allies of Mr Williamson dismissed the attacks as 'nonsense' and pointed to a Number 10 announcement on how he and Mr Johnson were working together to let children catch up on lost lessons during the summer and open all schools in September. There are also new plans to open primary schools to additional year groups from this week. The mooted reshuffle could come sooner than the expected time at the end of July just before summer recess if Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick is forced to resign over the row about his approval for a Tory donor's property scheme. The expected ministerial changes are being dubbed the 'night of the short knives' because the big four in the Cabinet Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, Home Secretary Priti Patel and Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove look set to keep their jobs. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has faced criticism over his record on issues such as testing rates, but his position is said to be safe while the Covid crisis continues. A source said: 'To dump Hancock now would be an admission of failure.' Update: Suspect arrested in Salem homicide where human remains were found under duplex The cause of death for human remains found in Salem on Wednesday is homicide, according to the Oregon State Medical Examiners office. A family living in a northeast Salem duplex reported a foul odor, Wednesday according to the Marion County Sheriffs Office. Deputies were dispatched to the 3600 block of 47th Avenue, where they found the remains beneath the home. The victim, a male of unknown age, is believed by investigators to have been dead for multiple weeks. No further details are being released at this time and the investigation is ongoing. Community members with possible information related to the victim or investigation are asked to contact the Marion County Sheriffs Office. -- K. Rambo krambo@oregonian.com @k_rambo_ Ramu R By "I didnt paint the war, Pablo Picasso said after the liberation of France. But theres no doubt the war was in my pictures. From painting about their worries to showcasing the world at large in these difficult times, artists today are helping to unite the world and provide some sort of escape to many in solitude. Even as public spaces lie ignored and closed to the world, each day more and more artists are coming forward to claim the world digitally. A group of six artists from Kerala brought together a project that features a compilation of 10 works from each. It was recently released on social media platforms. A group exhibition is also on the cards at the Kottayam public library art gallery post-lockdown. Kottayam-based artist TR Udayakumar says that the closure of art galleries since the pandemic hit triggered them to think about going digital. I have completed around 20 paintings during the period, of which some are related to the coronavirus issue, he says. Working preferably with acrylic, Udayakumar also uses water colour at times. From his recent works, he has a special space for one that portrays a mask-clad man sitting in isolation on a wall clock. His works are a reflection of the days where time stands still and all human activity freezes. The 54-year-old says, All our plans were based on the concept of time. That is how we moved forward. Now, we are out of engagements. For Delhi-based artist PG Dinesh, it was the plight of migrant labourers forced to leave for their homes on foot, craving safety and food, which drew him to the canvas in these times. Given that he stays close to the highway and was a regular witness to the haunting images of migrants on foot in the scorching Delhi heat, it was no surprise that he took to sketching about the common mans life in the capital city. Owing to scarcity of materials, Dinesh uses pen and pencil to develop a form of minimal art which he calls Kunjivara. I think this technique also helps to bring out the underlying emotions with intensity. It is simple, hence more enjoyable. There is also an element of drama, he says. One of his artworks shows a man and his pet, their faces aghast, as if letting out a scream, a depiction of helpless humanity. Dinesh is later planning to launch some of the artworks as an ebook for global viewing. Thiruvananthapuram-based sculptor V Satheesan, a former art teacher of Kendriya Vidyalaya, who holds the rare honour of being the only sculptor among six Indian artists whose works were on display at the LInde ArtEpisode I: Home Away From Home at the Foundation Maison de lInde, CIUP, Paris, believes that the lockdown hasnt affected his daily creative routine. Sculpting with bronze and occasionally with beeswax, Satheesan treats art as self-purification. To him the idea of an online exhibition appeared as a rational step forward. It is a positive trend, he says. ATLANTA (AP) An Atlanta police officer was fired following the fatal shooting of a black man and another officer was placed on administrative duty, the police department announced early Sunday. The moves follows the Saturday resignation of Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields, who stepped down as the Friday night killing of Rayshard Brooks, 27, sparked a new wave of protests in Atlanta after turbulent demonstrations following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police had simmered down. The terminated officer was identified as Garrett Rolfe, who was hired in October 2013, and the officer placed on administrative duty is Devin Brosnan, who was hired in September 2018, according to a release from police spokesperson Sgt. John Chafee. The police department also released body camera and dash camera footage from both officers. More than 40 minutes elapses between the time Brosnan first knocks on Brooks' car door while he's in Wendy's drive-thru and when gunshots ring out; Rolfe arrives on scene about 16 minutes in. The shooting is audible in footage from Rolfe's dash camera and both officers' body cameras, but wasn't captured on any of the four recordings provided by police. Both body cameras fall off during the struggle that ensues when Rolfe moves to handcuff Brooks after speaking to him for about 20 minutes, although Brooks is briefly glimpsed being Tased before he's shot. Protesters on Saturday night set fire to the Wendys restaurant where Brooks was fatally shot the night before and blocked traffic on a nearby highway. The fire was out by 11:30 p.m., but video from local news stations showed it again aflame around 4 a.m. Sunday. Atlanta police said 36 people were arrested at protests as of midnight. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced the police chief's resignation at a Saturday afternoon news conference, and had called for the immediate firing of the officer who opened fire. I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force," Bottoms said. She said it was Shields' own decision to step aside and that she would remain with the city in an undetermined role. Interim Corrections Chief Rodney Bryant will serve as interim police chief. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is probing the shooting, said the deadly confrontation started with a complaint that a man was sleeping in a car blocking the restaurant's drive-thru lane. The GBI said Brooks failed a field sobriety test and then resisted officers' attempts to arrest him. Rolfe is seen on body camera video administering the field sobriety test, followed by a Breathalyzer test with Brooks' permission. He moves to arrest Brooks after the Breathalyzer test; while he doesn't tell Brooks the result, the machine displays a 0.108 in video captured by Rolfe's own body camera. The GBI released security camera video of the shooting Saturday, which does not show Brooks' initial struggle with police. The footage shows a man running from two white police officers as he raises a hand, which is holding an object, toward an officer a few steps behind him. The officer draws his gun and fires as the man keeps running, then falls to the ground in the parking lot. GBI Director Vic Reynolds said Brooks had grabbed a Taser from one officer and appeared to point it at the officer as he fled. The officer fired an estimated three shots. L. Chris Stewart, an attorney for Brooks' family, said the officer who shot him should be charged for an unjustified use of deadly force, which equals murder. You cant have it both ways in law enforcement," Stewart said. You cant say a Taser is a nonlethal weapon ... but when an African American grabs it and runs with it, now its some kind of deadly, lethal weapon that calls for you to unload on somebody. He said Brooks was a father of four and had celebrated a daughter's eighth birthday Friday before he was killed. The shooting came at a time of heightened tension over police brutality and calls for reforms across the U.S. following the May 25 death of Floyd in Minneapolis. Demonstrators, including members of Brooks' family, gathered Saturday outside the restaurant where he was shot. Among those protesting was Crystal Brooks, who said she is Rayshard Brooks' sister-in-law. "He wasnt causing anyone any harm, she said. The police went up to the car and even though the car was parked they pulled him out of the car and started tussling with him. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. She added: "He did grab the Taser, but he just grabbed the Taser and ran. Shields, Atlanta's police chief for under four years, was initially praised in the days following Floyds death. She said the officers involved should go to prison and told demonstrators she understood their frustrations and fears. She appeared at Bottoms side as the mayor made an impassioned plea for protesters to go home when things turned violent with smashed storefronts and police cruisers set ablaze. Days later, Shields fired two officers and benched three others caught on video in a hostile confrontation with two college students whose car was stuck in traffic caused by protests. The officers fired Tasers at the pair and dragged them from the vehicle. When prosecutors later charged six of the officers involved, however, Shields openly questioned the charges. The shooting of Brooks two weeks later raised further questions about the Atlanta department. "It is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, Shields said in a statement. Reynolds said his agents will turn over results of their investigation to Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, whose office will decide whether criminal charges are warranted against either officer. Howard said Saturday his office "has already launched an intense, independent investigation of the incident. Brooks died after being taken to an Atlanta hospital. One of the officers was treated and released for unspecified injuries. ___ This story has been corrected to report that the last name of the officer placed on administrative duty is Brosnan, not Bronsan as Atlanta police initially announced. ___ Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. Associated Press writer Pat Eaton-Robb in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report. An increase in COVID-19 cases has followed each two-week phase in Texas reopening plan, and local health officials are watching closely as the rate of tests coming back positive increases statewide, Waco Mayor Kyle Deaver said Wednesday during a weekly press conference. All of these are not surprising. Youve got more people mixing together, Deaver said. But there are things that we need to continue to watch and continue to bear in mind that COVID-19 has not left McLennan County, or the state of Texas, or the United States, or the planet Earth. Three new cases in McLennan County residents were confirmed Wednesday, bringing the number of people with active infections to 19. Three local patients were hospitalized, and two were in critical condition as of Wednesday. Less than 1% of tests given to McLennan County residents have been coming back positive. Statewide, however, the positivity rate has increased to between 6% and 7% after hovering at about 5% for the past few weeks, Deaver said. That tells you that even though the number of tests is going up, the number of positive tests is going up as a percentage at a faster rate, he said. President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Sunrise, Fla., Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019. He is set to resume campaign rallies on June 20, 2020, postponing his initial preferred date after criticism that it fell on the anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre and Juneteenth celebrations of slave emancipation. Read more President Donald Trump pushed back his first campaign rally in months by one day after critics condemned him for scheduling it on Juneteenth, the observance of the end of slavery in the United States, in a city that experienced one of the country's worst episodes of racial violence in U.S. history. In a late-night tweet of Friday, Trump said he is pushing the "Make America Great Again" rally in Tulsa back a day, to June 20, in response to "many of my African American friends and supporters." "We had previously scheduled our #MAGA Rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for June 19th - a big deal," Trump wrote. "Unfortunately, however, this would fall on the Juneteenth Holiday. Many of my African American friends and supporters have reached out to suggest that we consider changing the date out of respect for this Holiday, and in observance of this important occasion and all that it represents." In a television interview recorded Thursday, Trump said the date had not been chosen deliberately but dismissed concerns about the timing. "Think about it as a celebration. My rallies are celebrations," Trump told Fox News. "In the history of politics, I think I can say, there's never been any group or any person that's had rallies like I do . . . The fact I'm having a rally on that day you can really think about that very positively." During the same interview, Trump also asserted that, "I think I've done more for the black community than any other president." "And let's take a pass on Abraham Lincoln, 'cause he did good, though it's always questionable, you know," he added without further explanation. The timing and location of the rally had drawn heavy criticism from African American leaders and Democrats, who said it sent the wrong message, particularly in the wake of weeks of protests sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. Tulsa was the site of a 1921 massacre in which a white mob killed dozens of black people and destroyed black-owned businesses. In a tweet this week, Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., an African American woman considered as a possible running mate for Joe Biden, wrote that "Tulsa was the site of the worst racist violence in American history." "The president's speech there on Juneteenth is a message to every Black American: more of the same," she said. Similarly, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., also a black lawmaker on Biden's list of potential vice presidents, tweeted, "This isn't just a wink to white supremacists-he's throwing them a welcome home party." Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, R, commended Trump's decision to delay the rally. "I am thankful President Trump recognizes the significance of June 19 and has chosen to move his campaign rally out of respect to Oklahomans and the important Juneteenth celebrations," he said in a statement. But Oklahoma state Rep. Ajay Pittman, D, a member of the legislature's Black Caucus, said Trump only changed the date because of the backlash and not "an attempt to respect" the holiday. "In reality, it was due to the outcry of disdain around the nation. His actions confirm that his black and brown supporters were an afterthought due to the color of their skin," she said in statement reported by the Oklahoman. There likely would have been, and may still be, protests of Trump's visit, which Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum, D, seemed to try to temper in a tweet Thursday after the rally was first announced. "In Tulsa, we protect the free and peaceful exchange of ideas. We did it during the last two weeks of protests, and we will do it during the President's visit to Tulsa next week," Bynum wrote. Trump's rallies, which typically draw thousands of supporters, have been on hold since March because of the coronavirus pandemic. In his Friday night tweets, Trump boasted of the number of tickets that have been distributed for the Tulsa event, adding, I look forward to seeing everyone in Oklahoma! Mumbai, June 14 : In a shocking development, well known Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput committed suicide at his Bandra residence here on Sunday morning, a police official said. "He has committed suicide. Mumbai Police is investigating. The police has not found any (suicide) note yet," Mumbai Police Spokesperson and Deputy Commissioner of Police Pranay Ashok said. Clad in a dark t-shirt and grey shorts, Rajput was found hanging by a bedsheet at his home by his domestic help who alerted the police. On learning of the incident, a team of Bandra Police rushed to investigate and details of the suicide are awaited, officials said. After the initial probe at the suicide spot where no suicide note has been recovered, his body was taken in an ambulance for an autopsy, they added. Rajput, 34, hailed from Bihar and was educated in Patna and New Delhi, before shifting to Mumbai. He was known for his portrayals in TV serials like "Pavitra Rishta", films "Kai Po Chhe", "Shuddh Desi Romance", the biopic "M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story", "Kedarnath" and "Chhichore", among several others. Bollywood and social media reacted with shock and disbelief on hearing the news of the death of Rajput, who was also noted for his philanthropic services. Condolences have poured in for the actor from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and other leaders from across the political spectrum Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Eva Pharma will become the first company to sell Gileads COVID-19 drug remdesivir in Egypt Egyptian drugmaker Eva Pharma said it had reached a landmark deal with Gilead Sciences Inc to become a licensed manufacturer of the US company's antiviral treatment remdesivir for COVID-19 in 127 countries. Remdesivir, originally developed to treat Ebola, appears to shorten the recovery time of COVID-19 patients. The experimental drug has recently been authorised for the treatment of certain hospitalised patients in a number of countries including the US, the UK and Japan. The voluntary licensing agreement provides Eva Pharma with Gileads technology as well as manufacturing specifications and methods in order to accelerate the timeline of the production of remdesivir as soon as possible, the company said in a statement sent to Ahram Online on Sunday. Eva Pharma is currently waiting for registration approval by Egypts health authorities, which is expected to be completed this week, after which the medicine will be ready for sale, a source at the company told Ahram Online. The drug, which is administered by intravenous infusion, will only be offered to hospitals and will not be sold at pharmacies. It is not available in a capsule or tablet form. The Egyptian firm is yet to set a price for the drug, but it is expected to cost around EGP 2,000 ($123.6) per vial. One patient may need between five to ten vials, experts say. Remdesivir is estimated to be priced at as much as $5,000 per treatment course in the United States. California-based Gilead said on Friday it was adding four generic drugmakers in Egypt and India to its non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreements to further expand the supply of its investigational antiviral for COVID-19 in 127 countries. Now a total of nine companies: six in India, two in Pakistan and one in Egypt have struck deals with Gilead, its website shows. The countries consist of nearly all low-income and lower-middle-income ones, as well as several that are upper-middle- and high-income, Gilead had said. Sudan, Libya, Morocco, Ghana, India, North Korea and South Africa are among the countries. The licences would be royalty-free until the World Health Organization declares the end of the public health emergency arising out of COVID-19, or until a product other than remdesivir or a vaccine is approved to treat or prevent the disease, the American drugmaker said last month. The experimental antiviral drug is considered a supportive treatment and is mainly used for severe cases, patients with blood oxygen levels of 94% or those who need mechanical ventilators or life support using an ECMO, a machine that oxygenates the red blood cells. Gilead says the safety and efficacy of remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19 are not yet established, though clinical trials demonstrated that the drug improved clinical outcomes. Data from a US clinical trial in late April indicated that patients receiving remdesivir had a 31% faster recovery time than the placebo group. The drug was granted emergency use authorisation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for COVID-19 on 1 May and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said last month it may give an initial green light for sale of remdesivir as a COVID-19 treatment. Gilead had said it aims to have more than one million remdesivir treatment courses manufactured by December. Eva Pharma and Gilead have collaborated before to offer treatments for HIV and hepatitis C patients in Africa. Search Keywords: Short link: Italy's active COVID-19 infections drop below 30,000, as recovery efforts increase People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 13:16, June 13, 2020 ROME, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Italy registered a total of 236,305 coronavirus cases on Friday, as the number of active infections dropped below 30,000 for the first time since March 18, according to the latest official data. More specifically, there were 28,997 positive cases across the country, with a decrease of 1,640 cases compared to Thursday, the Civil Protection Department said in its daily bulletin. Of all those infected, some 227 patients are currently in intensive care, down by nine patients on a daily basis. Another 3,893 are hospitalized with symptoms (down by 238), and 24,877 people -- or 86 percent of all those infected -- are isolated at home without symptoms or with mild symptoms. The total number of people cured since the official outbreak of the pandemic here on Feb. 21 grew to 173,085 after 1,747 new recoveries were registered. Some 56 new fatalities were also registered over the 24 hours, which brought the country's death toll to 34,223. In related news on Friday, prosecutors questioned Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte within an ongoing probe into alleged delays of the central government in setting up red zones around some of northern Lombardy region's hot spots, during the first phase of the coronavirus pandemic. The inquiry was opened by the Bergamo city's prosecution office, after a group of COVID-19 victims' relatives filed public legal complaints with regard to the creation of red zones around two Lombardy's small towns -- Nembro And Alzano -- which, they said, should have been ordered as soon as the outbreak was spotted. Besides the prime minister, prosecutors also questioned Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese and Health Minister Roberto Speranza in the Italian capital on Friday. In an interview with La Stampa newspaper ahead of meeting with prosecutors in the morning, Conte stressed he was not at all worried about the probe. "I acted with conscience and according to science," he said. CALL FOR STATES GENERAL OF ECONOMY Meanwhile, local media unveiled a draft schedule for the beginning of the States-General of Economy, set on Saturday. Conte was expected to deliver a key opening address, followed by governor of the Bank of Italy Ignazio Visco, President of the European Parliament David Sassoli, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and European Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni, Ansa news agency reported. A panel of Italian and foreign economists would then gather in the afternoon on the theme "Policy in the Post-COVID world: challenges and opportunities," according to Ansa. Launched by the government earlier this month, the event will take place at the historic Doria Pamphilj palace in the Italian capital, and was intended to draw economic experts and officials in order to plan Italy's post-COVID recovery. "We will hold the States-General of the Economy ... with the best of our country's forces, we will discuss and gather the most useful ideas, and the most effective advice," Conte had explained during an event on the digital economy on June 4. "We will seek (advice from) the most brilliant minds of the country's productive body...in order to later unveil our Recovery Plan to the public opinion." In a report issued on June 8, the country's National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) forecast the Italian gross domestic product (GDP) would contract by 8.3 percent this year due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a partial recovery of 4.6 percent in 2021. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address During the Angelus in St Peter's Square, Pope Francis underlined the "renewing force" of the Eucharist thanks to presence of Jesus and his being "an effective sign of unity, of communion, of sharing". Anxious and sad over the war in Libya, the Pope appealed to international organisations to restart the peace proces. Concerned about the precarious conditions" that make the refugees in that country "more vulnerable to forms of exploitation and violence, the pontiff goes on to say that "We all bear responsibility in this, no one can feel dispensed from it. Vatican City (AsiaNews) On Sunday when the Church celebrated the Solemnity of Corpus Domini in Italy and other countries (traditionally on the second Thursday after Pentecost celebrates), Pope Francis stressed the mystical and communal effect produced by the shared chalice" and the broken bread ". The pontiff expressed his thoughts before the Angelus in the presence of the faithful gathered in St Peter's square. Earlier in the morning he celebrated the solemn Mass in the basilica. After the Angelus prayer, he made an appeal for the tragic situation in Libya". Speaking about the second readings from todays Mass (1 Cor 10:16-17), the Pope explained that the mystical effect of the Eucharist "relates to the union with Christ, who in the bread and the wine offers Himself for the salvation of all. Jesus is present in the sacrament of the Eucharist to be our nourishment, to be assimilated and to become in us that renewing force that gives energy and the desire to set out again after every pause or fall. But this requires our assent, our willingness to let ourselves be transformed our way of thinking and acting. Otherwise the Eucharistic celebrations in which we participate are reduced to empty and formal rites. The communal effect concerns the mutual communion of those who participate in the Eucharist, to the point of becoming one body together, in the same way that one loaf is broken and distributed. Communion with the body of Christ is an effective sign of unity, of communion, of sharing. One cannot participate in the Eucharist without committing oneself to sincere mutual fraternity. But the Lord knows well that our human strength alone is not enough for this. On the contrary, He knows that there will always be the temptation of rivalry, envy, prejudice, division... among His disciples. For this reason too, He left us the Sacrament of His real, tangible and permanent Presence, so that, remaining united to Him, we may always receive the gift of fraternal love. The union with Christ and communion between those who are nourished by Him, generates and continually renews the Christian community. [. . .] Therefore, it is true that the Church makes the Eucharist, but it is more fundamental that the Eucharist makes the Church, and allows her to be her mission, even before she accomplishes it. Following the Marian prayer, Pope Francis expressed angst and sadness over the tragic situation in Libya, which has been present in my prayer in recent days. In recent years, the country has been embroiled in violence between the internationally-recognised government of Fayez al-Sarraj, and rebel General Khalifa Haftar. The conflict recently escalated following Turkeys intervention to prop up al Sarraj, and Russias support for Haftar, who is also supported by France and the United Arab Emirates. The pontiff urged international bodies and those who have political and military responsibilities to recommence, with conviction and resolve, the search for a path towards an end to the violence, leading to peace, stability and unity in the country. I also pray for the thousands of migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons in Libya. The health situation has aggravated the already precarious conditions in which they find themselves, making them more vulnerable to forms of exploitation and violence. I call on the international community to take their plight to heart, identifying pathways and providing means to provide them with the protection they need, a dignified condition and a future of hope. Francis ended speaking off the cuff: "Brothers and sisters, we all bear responsibility in this; no one can feel dispensed from it. He then invited those present to a minute of silent prayer "for Libya. International students made up more than 10 per cent of the population of 17 Sydney suburbs ranging from Rockdale to Pyrmont last year, but numbers have plummeted by up to one-third since travel restrictions were introduced, a new report has found. Analysis by the Mitchell Institute found Kingsford's international student population of 5510 - a third of the eastern suburb's total - fell by about 30 per cent due to the pandemic, while Waterloo also lost a third of its 6936 international students. The impact was also felt in suburbs further from university campuses, such as Arncliffe, Rockdale, Strathfield and Ashfield, where significant international student populations fell between 15 and 25 per cent due to COVID-19 restrictions. The report, which uses census and Department of Home Affairs data to estimate the numbers, also calculated students' financial contribution by suburb, with international students living in Waterloo spending about $422 million on tuition, accommodation and living expenses last year, and those in Kingsford spending $335 million. Representative image live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Realty firm Mahindra Lifespace Developers is actively looking at acquiring four to seven land parcels this fiscal with sales potential of Rs 2,000 crore as land deals have become more attractive, a top company official said. The company is also in talks with investment firms to set up a dedicated platform for development of mid-income housing projects, said Arvind Subramanian, MD and CEO-designate, Mahindra Lifespaces, which is part of the Mahindra Group. In an interview with PTI, he said the company is evaluating the possibility of integrating the co-living segment in its future projects. Reflecting on the coronavirus pandemic's overall impact on the housing market, Subramanian said demand will get deferred, but supply and project cash flows will be affected because of slow construction activities in view of labour shortages. Housing prices in affordable and mid-incoming segments will not decline, with no room for any reduction, but rates for luxury residential properties may see a correction, he observed. "I am quite bullish on demand. There will be a deferment of demand rather than contraction. With the opening of lockdown, the pent up demand will come to the market," said Subramanian, who will take charge from July. Already, he said, there has been an upsurge in enquiries from potential customers -- both who were looking for properties pre-COVID-19 and new ones. Moreover, there have been requests from existing customers for upgradation to bigger apartments. "Lockdown has precipitated the entire process of search and shortlisting of properties. Generally, people take 12-24 months to decide, but lockdown helped them crystallize their needs," Subramanian said. However, he said the overall sales have reduced and the volume of enquiries has dropped. There would be a shake-out in the residential market but not on the basis of the size of a company, he said, adding that demand would gravitate towards trusted builders who manage their balance sheets better. Talking about the operations of Mahindra Lifespaces, Subramanian said the company has a balanced portfolio, with presence in affordable and mid-income premium housing as well as large industrial cities. He said the company is looking at land deals, both outright purchase and joint development, to strengthen portfolios in three cities where it is focusing -- Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Pune and Bengaluru. The company has a strong balance sheet with cash reserves. It also has a funding platform with HDFC Capital for affordable housing, Subramanian said. "Land acquisitions have become attractive. Landlords have become more flexible now. We are getting quite a lot of proposals. We would like to do 4-7 deals during this fiscal," he said. Asked about investment details, Subramanian declined to give specific numbers, but said "funding is not a constraint at least in our case." "The way we measure is -- how much of development value or sales potential are we creating through these acquisitions? What we would like to do by the end of this year is to have about Rs 2,000 crore worth of inventories we are acquiring in the form of land," he said. Asked whether the company is planning outright purchase of these land parcels, Subramanian said all kinds of negotiations are happening, right from purchase to joint development and management. These inventories would be available for the company to launch and sell over the next three years, he said. "Every year, if we are able to do that, then we will create a good pipeline of projects," he said. He further said the company is in discussions with potential investors to set up a fund for the development of mid-income premium housing projects, but did not provide further details. Mahindra Lifespace already has one such funding platform with HDFC Capital for affordable housing projects. On new launches, Subramanian said the company is ready to launch four-to-five projects this fiscal, but said it will depend on the market situation. He did not give any guidance of sales bookings for 2020-21. The company's sales bookings declined to Rs 818 crore last fiscal from Rs 1,023 crore in 2018-19. For fiscal 2019-20, the company posted a net loss of Rs 193.41 crore as against a net profit of Rs 119.71 crore in the previous financial year. Total income fell marginally to Rs 645.92 crore from Rs 653.87 crore in 2018-19. Mahindra Lifespaces has so far completed projects totalling about 17 million sq ft, with another 6 million sq ft under construction. It operates affordable housing projects under the Mahindra Happinest brand. Integrated cities and clusters are being developed in Chennai and Jaipur as Mahindra World City. With many companies looking at shifting manufacturing base from China, Subramanian said there will be a good opportunity for industrial park developers as well as for the country. The personnel will deploy in June 2020, and observe a 14-day isolation period on arrival in Ukraine. The Canadian Armed Forces is deploying military trainers back to Ukraine as it looks to restart some of the many missions and exercises temporarily suspended or scaled back because of COVID-19. Canada first deployed around 200 troops to Ukraine to train local forces in the basics of soldiering in 2015, but that mission and several others were suspended in early April as COVID-19 forced countries around the world into lockdown, The National Post said. While a skeleton force of about 60 service members has been holding the fort for the past two months, Forces spokeswoman Capt. Leah Campbell said another 90 soldiers will soon join them with an eye to resuming the mission. Read alsoCanada imposes new sanctions on individuals involved in illegitimate elections in Crimea "Following a reassessment of the situation, including an analysis of force health protection measures and the risk posed by COVID-19, the decision was made to deploy another 90 of these members," Campbell said in an email on Sunday, June 14. "These personnel will deploy in June 2020, and observe a 14-day isolation period on arrival in Ukraine. On completion of this isolation period, they will be prepared to resume their mission of supporting the Security Forces of Ukraine." Another 50 troops will remain in Canada for now, she added, "and will deploy to engage in training as soon as conditions permit." The decision to restart the Ukraine mission represents the latest move by the Armed Forces to resume some of the many activities that were suspended because of the pandemic. Chief of defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance has previously suggested that some training will recommence while promotions and summer postings are moving ahead in a limited fashion after months of the military being in lockdown. There was no immediate word, however, on some of the other missions affected by COVID-19. Those include the planned deployment of a warship and aircraft to help enforce sanctions against North Korea, the provision of a transport plane to United Nations peacekeeping operations in Africa and the Canadian military mission in Iraq. The Atlanta Police Department confirmed to Insider that the officer who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks on Friday has been terminated, and a second officer was placed on administrative leave. A police spokesperson identified the officers as Garrett Rolfe and Devin Bronsan. Rolfe opened fire on Brooks after a struggle in which Brooks grabbed a Taser and ran away, turning to point it behind him, surveillance footage showed. On Saturday, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms had called for the officer to be fired, and Police Chief Erika Shields resigned. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. The Atlanta Police Department fired Garrett Rolfe, left, after the fatal police shooting of Rayshard Brooks. The department placed Devin Bronsan, right, on administrative leave. Atlanta Police Department An Atlanta police officer has been fired after fatally shooting Rayshard Brooks outside a Wendy's on Friday, as he ran away while holding a Taser, a police spokesperson told Insider. The spokesperson identified the officer as Garrett Rolfe, who has worked at the Atlanta Police Department since 2013. A second officer involved in the incident was placed on administrative leave and was identified as Devin Bronsan, who was hired in 2018. Related Video: What Stress Does to Your Brain and Body Earlier on Saturday, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms had called for the officer to be fired and said she didn't believe the shooting was justified. Police Chief Erika Shields resigned less than 24 hours after Brooks' death. Rolfe opened fire on Brooks while he was running away and pointing a Taser after a scuffle with Rolfe and Bronsan. Surveillance footage showed police officer fatally shoot 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks outside a Wendy's on June 12, after a struggle over a Taser. YouTube/Atlanta Journal-Constitution The fatal shooting set off a new wave of protests in Atlanta, which had already seen weeks of anti-racism and anti-police brutality protests in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. On Saturday, protesters set fire to the Wendy's where Brooks was shot, and shut down traffic lanes on a nearby highway. Police also responded with force to disperse crowds, using tear gas and a flash bang. The deadly encounter began after police received a complaint that Brooks was asleep in his car at the drive-thru, according to the George Bureau of Investigation. The GBI said officers initially conducted a field sobriety test, and that Brooks resisted arrest after he failed the test. Story continues But lawyers representing Brooks' family said the GBI's account was false. One of the attorneys, L. Chris Stewart, said witnesses had told him that officers had not conducted a field sobriety test instead, they appeared to be having a civil conversation with Brooks before they suddenly tried to arrest him. Stewart also said Brooks had not been blocking the drive-thru line when he was asleep in his car. Stewart said officers should merely have had a conversation with Brooks if they suspected he had been drinking, and avoided escalating the situation. "Why was he even under arrest? You want to know how this could have been avoided?" Stewart said. "Talk to him. 'Hey, buddy, you fell asleep in line, you okay? Why don't you pull your car over there and call an Uber.' And then you walk over and then you leave. Why is that so hard for police officers." Stewart continued: "He wasn't doing anything crazy or violent or harming anyone." Read the original article on Insider Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal Editors note: this article corrects a quote from Roseanne Bensley, assistant director of the Center for Academic Advising and Student Support at New Mexico State University. Edward Jose, freshly minted with a masters degree in health education to go along with his bachelors degrees in biology and psychology, is an aspiring public health professional. But the University of New Mexico alum is living at his parents home and spending his days writing a screenplay. Im trying to work on other hobbies so I can get something productive done, because I dont want to waste my days, he said. Those graduating during the coronavirus pandemic are launching their professional careers at a bad time. Unemployment in New Mexico is 11.4%, and nationwide the rate is 13.3%, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Its unclear when to expect a rebound, and experts suggest it could be years before the labor force fully bounces back. A memo from economists with the state Legislative Finance Committee, prepared last week in advance of a special session that starts Thursday, forecasts that state unemployment may continue to rise through the third quarter of 2020. The memo predicts small employment gains until mid-2021 and then a stronger recovery in 2022. But it cautions that the unemployment levels wont return to pre-recession levels until 2025. The Atlantic magazine reported last month that graduating into a recession can have long-lasting effects on young professionals. The magazine cited an academic paper titled Unlucky Cohorts, which found that those who graduated during a recession faced lower earnings and higher unemployment rates for 10 to 15 years. There are signs that such troubles have already started. The magazine reported that job postings for entry-level jobs have declined 73% on ZipRecruiter in the past three months. Also in the past three months, 22- to 24-year-olds in New Mexico filed unemployment claims at a faster-growing rate than some older demographics, according to state data. People ages 22 to 24 filed 441 unemployment claims the week of March 7 and 9,500 the week of May 23, according to data from New Mexico Workforce Solutions. The claims by 25- to 34-year olds increased from 2,245 to about 28,000 over the same period, according to the data. New Mexicos two largest universities dont have data on how many of their recent graduates have found jobs. But anecdotally, their field of study can be a major factor for job hunting during the pandemic, said Roseanne Bensley, assistant director of the Center for Academic Advising and Student Support at New Mexico State University. Hotel, restaurant and tourism management obviously, they were hit the hardest. We had students that go to Disney; their jobs were rescinded. We have students who go and work for hotels; they are having a harder time, she said. On the flip side, our engineering students are robust. Our education majors are robust. Finance and accounting, they are still doing just fine. Jose received his masters degree from UNM in December. He started off his career by substitute teaching and tutoring part time and continuing research projects with his professors while also casting a wide net for full-time jobs throughout the region. But before he landed a job, the pandemic hit. Since then, its been difficult to find a job opening that he could even apply for. There are fewer job opportunities out there being posted on a daily basis, he said. As much as I look, I cant really find too many opportunities. Those with opportunities are trying to make them last. Julie Campos, who graduated from UNM last month with a degree in physics, has an internship at Sandia National Laboratories that lasts through July. She is networking at the lab to try to find a way to stay on after that. Campos, who intends to go to graduate school and pursue a Ph.D., said she had planned on taking a year off before grad school so she could travel to Europe and do volunteer work. The trip has been canceled, and shes hoping for a volunteer position as a teacher in a low-income community in the fall. I do still hope that volunteer programs open up, she said. Jenna Crabb, the director of Career Services at UNM, said university officials dont know how many of its recent graduates found jobs or internships directly out of school. The school sent out its regular exit survey to graduates asking questions about employment. But Crabb said few students completed the survey this year. She said many recent graduates have participated in virtual workshops the school has offered that are specifically geared to job searching during the pandemic. I think many people who were on the presentations and workshops were wanting to get adjusted and stand out, Crabb said. They are motivated. I need to get a job. I want to get a job. How do I do this?' Jose said he plans to continue to hunt for jobs and remains optimistic. He said he considers himself one of the lucky ones. Ive been very lucky with this, because Im living with my parents right now, he said. I know a lot of people across the world and even in New Mexico who dont have the luxury I do, to live at home and not have to pay rent. Its saved me a lot of money and a lot of stress. Every year on June 14, Army Birthday Day is celebrated in the United States of America with a lot of galore and enthusiasm. This year the Army birthday 2020 will be observed on Sunday. The formulation of the United States Army started ages back on June 14, 1775. Since then the Army Birthday is observed on an International scale and is celebrated with much gusto. Also Read: World Bicycle Day Wishes You Can Share With Your Loved Ones On June 3 On the occasion of Army Birthday 2020, you can wish your loved ones by sharing with them some Army Birthday quotes. By sending these Happy Birthday US Army 2020 quotes, not only will you raise more awareness about the importance and existence of this nationally significant day but also enlighten them with the spirit of togetherness and nationalism. So take a look at this specially curated list of Army birthday quotes you can choose from- USA Army Birthday Quotes "It doesn't take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle".- Norman Schwarzkopf "So far, I've spent my entire adult life fighting."- James Coleman, U.S. Army sergeant "My answer is bring 'em on." - President George W. Bush "It took me another 18 months to convince my wife to let me join the Army National Guard. We had two small children, so it was a very hard decision for her."- Joel Bottem "I'd learned a lot in the Army. I knew that above all things in the world I had to become so big, so strong that people and their hatred could never touch me."-Sammy Davis, Jr. "This is all normal, routine stuff. Dude with the AK that I shot in the street? That's routine. The dudes digging an IED? That's an everyday occurrence." An Army lieutenant "We were at war. I wanted to do my part." Stephen Kraft "I thought to myself, 'Join the army!' It's free. So I figured while I'm here I'll lose a few pounds."-John Candy, from Stripes Also Read: Important Days In June 2020 That You Must Be Aware Of To Improve Your General Knowledge "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."-George Orwell "I just wanted to do something to support those young people."-Matthew Niblack "Discipline is the soul of an army."-George Washington "It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech."- Zell Miller "I'm very happy with how it all played. I was very blessed. That was my idea, to go to enlist, do one tour and fight and get out."- David Kaefring "The sergeant is the Army."- Dwight D. Eisenhower "What can we do to support the troops? Give them a nation that is worthy of protection."-Anonymous "Lead from the front."Audie Murphy Also Read: World Day Against Child Labour 2020: Know Its Meaning, Significance, & Observance "The most striking thing I have seen throughout my almost four years of service are the NCOs who are willing to do anything for their soldiers. ... It's amazing to have and know people who are willing to go out of their way for you." - Stephanie Schneider "Front toward enemy"-Anonymous "9/11 changed the entire direction of my life."- Fred Wellman "I'd do it all again if I had the chance."-Zachariah Chitwood "The military shows you how valuable your life is... Happy Birthday US Army 2020"-Anonymous "Hooah!"Pretty much the entire U.S. Army"-Anonymous "There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure"-Colin Powell Also Read: World Turtle Day Quotes You Can Share With Family And Friends To Spread Awareness Currently, the United States Army is counted amongst the strongest and largest armies in the world. The Army Birthday celebration also marks as an honourary day for the Army soldiers, who are risking their lives for the security and safety of their Country. The United States Army Birthday 2020 is the 245th year celebration. Which is a record in itself, as the US Army is now older than the country. South Korean food and beverage giant SPC Group said Sunday that its bakery-cafe chain Paris Baguette will land in Canada next year. The Canadian operation of Paris Baguette will be set up by the first half of 2021, with stores to be launched in the country's major cities including Toronto and Vancouver, the group said in a statement. Paris Baguette's goal is to establish at least 100 bakery branches in Canada by 2030. SPC has been operating in China, the United States, Vietnam, Singapore, France and Cambodia. SPC Group runs about 400 Paris Baguette stores globally, with stores in heavily populated areas such as Manhattan, San Francisco and Boston. The group completed a factory in the Chinese city of Tianjin in March. Last year, SPC also launched a joint venture in Cambodia. (Yonhap) By Express News Service CHENNAI: A PhD scholar from Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday. Other residents of the Bhadra hostel in the campus where she stays have been asked to stay indoors and her close contacts have been asked to isolate. "The scholar was sick for a few days. We sent her samples a couple of days back. The results came back on Saturday morning and we learned she tested positive," said Jane Prasad, the Registrar of the institution. She said that the student was doing well and the institution is awaiting further instructions from government officials. Prasad said that the corporation and Health Department officials were alerted immediately. "As of now, we have instructed all students from the hostel block to not leave their rooms. Once the government gives us further instructions, we'll know if only those on the same floor should be isolated or everyone from the hostel should be," she said. Currently about 200 students reside on the IIT-M campus. Many of them are students who could not find transport back home on time or are foreign students. Prasad said that while all classes have been cancelled on campus since the lock down, only hostel residents who could not go back home continue to stay. "We are following all government protocols. We have installed soaps in all hand washes. We fine students who do not wear a mask on campus. If any student is sick for at least three days, we have asked them to inform us. That is how we tested this scholar," said Prasad. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 13:58:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MEXICO CITY, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Many Latin American countries are sticking to COVID-19 control measures, as the coronavirus cases are still on the rise in the region, with Brazil's tally topping 850,000. Brazil has so far reported 850,514 COVID-19 cases with 42,720 deaths, the country's health ministry reported on Saturday. Sao Paulo, the epicenter of the virus in Brazil and the country's most populous state, has registered 172,875 cases and 10,581 deaths, followed by Rio de Janeiro with 78,836 cases and 7,592 deaths, and Ceara with 76,429 cases and 4,829 deaths. To track the spread of the pandemic in the country, the ministry on Friday launched a new platform, hosted at "susanalitico.saude.gov.br," which displays the number of recoveries as well as those being monitored, in addition to charts showing the number of daily deaths from the disease and the number of deaths per 100,000 people -- factors that help determine the degree of contagion. Brazil, with the second-highest number of cases in the world after the United States, surpassed Britain to have the second-highest death toll in the world on Friday. Chilean President Sebastian Pinera on Saturday accepted the resignation of Health Minister Jaime Manalich, as the country has registered 167,355 coronavirus cases and 3,101 deaths. Despite criticism of Manalich's handling of the pandemic in the country, the president said that "Jaime Manalich gave all his effort and put off all his legitimate personal interests to concentrate all his time and energy to give the best of himself in the difficult and noble task of protecting our lives and our health." Amid a growing caseload nationwide, other parts of the country joined the capital Santiago and its metropolitan area in lockdown this week, including Valparaiso, Vina del Mar and San Antonio. Lockdown measures will be reviewed on June 16 to determine whether they can be relaxed. Mexico has reported 5,222 new cases and 504 new deaths over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide tally to 139,196 with a total of 16,448 deaths, the health ministry said Friday. The real tally of infected people is substantially higher than the official count, Mexican authorities have said. Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell has said that Mexico is currently in the peak phase of the spread of the virus, and it was necessary to take appropriate precautions. Mexico has the fourth largest caseload in Latin America, following Brazil, Peru and Chile, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. In Ecuador, the death toll from the coronavirus has climbed to 3,768, as 45,082 people have tested positive for the virus, the health ministry said Thursday. In the past 24 hours, 642 new cases were detected and 48 more patients died, according to the ministry's daily update. More than half of cities in the country are now in a post-pandemic period of resuming economic activities under a new normal of maintaining social distancing and wearing face masks. Peru, with the eighth-highest number of cases in the world and the second largest caseload in Latin America after Brazil, has so far reported 208,823 cases with 5,903 deaths, the health ministry said Wednesday. According to Peruvian authorities, 9,916 patients are in hospital, including 1,065 in intensive care units and on ventilators, while 98,031 patients have recovered. Given the current pandemic situation, President Martin Vizcarra has decided to extend nationwide lockdown measures until June 30. Enditem Express News Service By BENGULURU/NEW DELHI : As many as 66 members of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM-B) have signed a solidarity statement demanding the immediate release of pregnant student activist Safoora Zargar and several others, who are currently languishing behind bars, even as the Center for Human Rights at the American Bar Association (ABA) said her detention lacks evidence. The Delhi Police had booked Safoora, a Jamia Millia Islamia student, under the UAPA in a case of communal violence in northeast Delhi over the CAA in February. The student activist, along with others, was also protesting against NRC and NPR. The 66 signatories alleged that while Safoora, other students as well as senior citizens, including professors, continue to suffer in crowded prisons at a time COVID-19 is peaking, the real perpetrators that incited violence in Delhi, including a union minister, have gone scot-free. According to the signatories, the government has refused to heed appeals made by them to release the activists. Given the lack of clear evidence of criminal conduct, her pregnant condition, and the failure of prosecutors to specifically explain how Zargar poses a threat if granted bail, Zargar should be allowed to furnish a bail bond and be in her home with her family until the appropriate time for her legal hearings. The Center urges the Court to uphold Indias moral and legal obligations given the pandemic and order the immediate release of Zargar, the report read. The ABA said her detention does not appear to meet international human rights standards. A LIMERICK student has recounted a shocking incident of racism one of her friends had to endure in hospital. Jennifer Ipkonmowosa, who is studying to be a radiographer, told Limericks Black Lives Matter rally in Arthurs Quay Park over the weekend, that her pal was scalded by someone she was taking care of in a hospital. Its not clear where in the country this facility is, and when, or if the incident took place. Addressing a crowd of more than 250 people, Ms Ipkonmowosa, who was born and raised in Caherdavin, stated: My friend had hot water poured upon her because she was black. She tried to help one of your mothers, one of your dads, one of your grandmums in the hospital. Helping them, giving them food. But hot water was still poured on her. She was told she smelt like n****r. Tell me, what does a n****r smell like? There were angry scenes in Arthurs Quay park as people shared their own experiences of racism and showed their revulsion at the slaying of unarmed black man George Floyd in America. Im tired of my friends being brought down by ignorant racist people. Our skin doesnt mean anything. We have the same internal organs. It doesnt matter if we are white, black, indigo, purple of green. All that matters is who you are, Ms Ipkonmowosa added. Despite the organisers of the Limerick Black Lives Matter protest moving the event online over fears of social distancing, hundreds still turned up Tobi Lawel, from Castletroy, said: People say just because police here arent stepping on peoples necks, racism doesnt exist. Look around you. Would all these people be standing here today if racism didnt exist? This is centuries of oppression. This isnt going away. She urged people, when they see racism to call it out, and not be afraid. Change begins with us. We need to protect each other. This world is big enough to accommodate all of us in all our shapes and forms, she told the crowd. Nhlanhla Banda, who lives in the city centre, says he has experienced racist discrimination since he was young. People think we dont exist in this world. I say we do! My parents have been through a lot. For me, it is time to take a stand. We should be proud of saying we are black. But in the end, we are all human beings, he said. There were regular chants of Black Lives Matter, and No Justice, No Peace throughout the rally, which went on for more than 90 minutes on Saturday afternoon, while many carried placards bearing Mr Floyds name. Two public representatives joined the event: Cllrs John Costelloe and Elisa ODonovan. Cllr Costelloe said: We dont want racism in our city, in our country. Those days are over. I think police forces throughout the world need to not just be looked at, but reformed.Ashleigh Boyd added: People are outraged. We are very angry. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Sausan Atika (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, June 15 2020 For millions of Indonesians, pasar (traditional market) has always been the first stop to buy daily supplies, thanks to affordable prices, a chance for haggling and a wide range of goods. Even when COVID-19 hit the country, jostling crowds at traditional markets remained, raising concern that new clusters may emerge as the country begins to ease the coronavirus curbs. Indonesia has seen several COVID-19 clusters emanate from traditional markets. Among the recent ones are 26 confirmed cases related to Cileungsi Market in Bogor regency, West Java, 20 cases from Klender Market in East Jakarta and another 14 from Serdang Market in Central Jakarta. 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 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 The Salisbury Poisonings Rating: Every night on the news, as reporters investigate a stabbing or a suburban drugs bust, you will hear a bystander say: That sort of thing just doesnt happen around here. Its the universal cry of the baffled neighbour. It could have been a slogan on the T-shirt of every character we met in The Salisbury Poisonings (BBC1) a meticulous dramatisation of the aftermath of 2018s assassination attempt on a former Russian spy in the small Wiltshire city. Police and local authorities were not simply unprepared for it, the attack using a synthetic nerve agent called Novichok was literally unimaginable. We saw it on the faces of doctors at Salisbury hospital, as they encountered police firearms officers in bullet-proof jackets guarding the wards. We heard it in the voices of council staff, trying to get their heads around what was happening. Rafe Spall and Annabel Scholey star as Nick and Sarah Bailey in BBC1's The Salisbury Poisonings a meticulous dramatisation of the aftermath of 2018s assassination attempt on a former Russian spy in the small Wiltshire city Myanna Buring plays Dawn Sturgess, one of the two British nationals who died in the Amesbury poisonings in 2018 from the same Novichock nerve agent as in the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury, 8 miles away, almost four months prior Inadequate gear could be directly responsible for the poisoning of Rafe Spall's DS Nick Bailey, who was infected by a fleck of Novichok probably at the Skripal house The security services have become involved, said an official. Which ones? All of them! He might as well have announced that aliens had landed. That sort of thing just doesnt happen around... no, actually, since Wiltshire is the county of corn circles and UFOs, aliens would be positively commonplace compared to spies with a licence to kill signed by the Kremlin. The closest this opening hour came to comedy was the way local detectives uncovered the background of a man found unconscious and convulsing on a park bench they Googled him and realised they had a notorious ex-Soviet defector on their hands. Director Saul Dibb depicted their stunned sense of disbelief for a purpose. The aftershocks of the attack were all the worse because at first no one knew how to react. Police and local authorities were not simply unprepared for it, the attack using a synthetic nerve agent called Novichok was literally unimaginable. Pictured left-to-right: Anne-Marie Duff, Myanna Buring and Rafe Spall Police searching former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia's house wore hazchem suits borrowed off a mate in the fire brigade best I could do on a Sunday Police who searched the house of the target, former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, lacked proper protective equipment. Instead, one of them brought along hazchem suits borrowed off a mate in the fire brigade best I could do on a Sunday. This inadequate gear could be directly responsible for the poisoning of DS Nick Bailey (played by Rafe Spall), who was infected by a fleck of Novichok probably at the Skripal house we saw him lift his goggles to rub an eye at one point. When the three-part series was written and filmed, of course, there was no inkling that failures of protective equipment would lead to the death of a number of NHS staff during a viral pandemic just two years after Salisbury. Those parallels were all the more grim for not being highlighted. We were woefully under-equipped in 2018 and no better prepared the second time round. Almost a docudrama, this account is based on interviews with many of those who were involved in particular, the police and public health officials but also friends and family of the victims. Theres a danger with relying so heavily on factual accuracy, that the human aspects of the drama are overlooked. That couldnt happen here, thanks to a deliberate decision to cast actors known for their emotional performances. Annabel Scholey is DS Baileys wife, terrified by her husbands collapse and trying to hide her fears from their two small daughters. Anne-Marie Duff plays the Director of Public Health, horribly aware that none of her training covers civic protocol for a chemical attack by a foreign superpower. Most of all, it paints a rounded portrait of Dawn Sturgess the troubled mother-of-three whose life, you might think, could not possibly be affected by international espionage or political grudges. Dawn and her boyfriend, Charlie Rowley, were also exposed to the nerve agent and she died while her partner survived. MyAnna Buring gives a complex portrayal of a woman who was too often dismissed in TV reports as an alcoholic. Police who searched the house of the target, former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, lacked proper protective equipment. Pictured: Sergei and Yulia Skripal We see Dawn as an affectionate mum, clinging to her religious faith and making a determined effort to keep the peace with her own mother. But we also see her being patronised by social workers, who penalise her for being unreliable but offer no support. Dawn is more to be pitied than condemned. Far better to see the effect on her and her family, than to glorify the murderers. In the first episode, the two Russian agents have not featured perhaps they will make an appearance tonight or tomorrow but we can be thankful there was no attempt to turn this crime into a thriller. Writers Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson evoked how everyone involved was floundering in the first hours by using a few throwaway phrases. Pictured: Anne-Marie Duff stars as Tracy Daszkiewicz, the former director of public health and safety for the county of Wiltshire Seeing a uniformed constable trying to clean up the park bench with a dustpan and brush after the Skripals were taken to hospital, a police sergeant said: Let Trumpton give that a thorough hose down. How marvellous to think that some coppers still refer to their chums in the fire brigade as Trumpton nothing to do with the US President but a reference to Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew and the rest in the Sixties childrens puppet show. Not that the line was much to smile about. By cleaning up the scene with a fire hose, emergency workers risked flushing Novichok into the water supply. And as one military scientist explained, the nerve agent can remain lethal for at least 50 years too microscopic to be detected and too virulent to be neutralised. In terms of protecting citizens, this is about as bad as it gets, he said. Such an insipid remark hardly conveys the scale of the disaster threatening an entire town. But then, what words could do it justice? She escaped Los Angeles to Wyoming with her kids Penelope, seven, and sons Mason, 10, and Reign, five. But even while traveling Kourtney Kardashian took time to remind fans to wash their hands as the coronavirus pandemic continues to see rising numbers in the U.S. The Keeping Up With The Kardashian's star shared a series of photos to Instagram on Saturday taken in a bathroom by her youngest Reign. Bathroom chic: Kourtney Kardashian shared a series of photos to Instagram on Saturday taken in a bathroom by her youngest Reign The 41-year-old clearly looked to be in relaxed vacation mode in the photo. She threw up a peace sign with her fingers while puckering her lips into a kissing face. For a simple look, Kourtney wore black pants, a plain white tee with a black backpack strapped on. Her brunette locks were tucked under a blue headscarf and she covered her eyes with black rectangular sunglasses. Don't forget: 'Reminder from Reign to please wash your hands,' the Poosh founder wrote in the caption. The reminder comes as the coronavirus pandemic continues to see rising cases and deaths in the U.S In a three photo slideshow, a sign hanging on the wall in the bathroom read 'please wash your hands.' 'Reminder from Reign to please wash your hands,' the Poosh founder wrote in the caption. The reminder comes as the coronavirus pandemic continues to see rising cases and deaths in the U.S. Earlier in the week she shared photos of beautiful sights in Wyoming. Kourtney's sister Kim and her husband Kanye own a $14 million 6,713-acre ranch in Wyoming and regularly visit the beautiful state when they want to escape Los Angeles. On her Instagram Story, Kourtney took a moment to snap a glamorous selfie in the backseat of her vehicle. She donned a printed headscarf, a plain white tee, and a cozy beige coat. Her famous mug was decked out in plenty of mascara, natural complexion products, and a few swipes of her go-to nude lipstick shade. It's not clear whether Scott came along on this trip, however, sources say that the exes are 'best friends' after their 2015 split. The Keeping Up with the Kardashians stars dated on and off between 2006 and 2015, but despite calling time on their romance, they have remained close for the sake of their three children. The former couple spent time in Utah with their brood to celebrate Scotts 37th birthday last month and sources say the pair had 'so much fun'. An insider explained: 'Kourtney and Scott had so much fun with the kids in Utah, and the kids want them to do family trips all together more often. Waiting for high quality capital flow According to Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) together with EVIPA will help affirm the important geopolitical role and position of Vietnam in Southeast Asia as well as in the Asia Pacific region. At the same time, the two agreements will contribute to enhancing the position of Vietnam in ASEAN as well as in the international arena. The implementation of commitments under EVIPA will be the driving force for Vietnam to continue perfecting its institutional system and policies in order to improve its investment and business environment towards increasing convenience, equality, safety and transparency to investors across all economic sectors. The implementation of the agreement will also create a favourable environment for Vietnam to promote its investment attraction in a number of sectors that the EU has potential and strength such as high-tech manufacturing, clean energy, renewable energy, high-quality services as well as the financial and banking industries. Through their production cooperation with EU-invested enterprises, domestic enterprises will have the opportunity to participate in both the EU and global and value chain in addition to acquiring technology transfer and skills, thereby receiving a spillover effect in technology, productivity and quality in addition to increasing the competitiveness and efficiency of the economy. Notably, in the context of many countries and foreign investors are tending to relocate their investment to reduce dependence on a single market, the EVIPA will contribute to increasing the attractiveness of the investment environment in Vietnam and limiting the decline of FDI capital following the global general trend. Currently, the exact figure on the increase of FDI capital when implementing EVFTA and EVIPA has not been calculated due to many factors. However, all studies show that broad and deep commitments regarding investment in the agreements will help Vietnam continue to renew its economic structure, improve its institution and business environment, and facilitate EU investors. In addition, increasing commitments on investment facilitation and the liberalisation of Vietnam's services for EU service providers are expected to boost FDI inflows from the EU into Vietnam in the future. Under the EVFTA, investment from partners in developed countries is anticipated to rise as Vietnam will promote its market opening for the goods and services of EU businesses. This will create new impetus for FDI inflows to Vietnam. Proactively participating in a big playground According to data from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, EU enterprises have 2,375 valid investment projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of over US$25 billion, accounting for nearly 8% of the total number projects in Vietnam and over 7% of the total registered capital of all countries with the top investors coming from the Netherlands, the UK and France. EU investors have been present in almost all important economic sectors of Vietnam. EU investment projects have a high technology content, a high rate of technology transfer, and advanced management methods, making a significant contribution to Vietnam's economic growth. However, this result remains modest compared to the investment and cooperation potential between Vietnam and EU countries. FDI inflows from EU countries to Vietnam have also grown slowly over the past few years and there has been no mutation, showing the cautions of EU enterprises about Vietnam's investment environment. Therefore, the signing and ratification of the EVFTA and EVIPA have affirmed their great trust in Vietnam's investment environment in the new period and also showed Vietnams commitments to create a full and more effective legal framework for protecting investment activities of EU investors. In particular, the Vietnamese National Assemblys approval of both the EVFTA and EVIPA will contribute to consolidating enterprises' confidence regarding Vietnams determination in continuing to accelerate innovation, integration, and improvements to competitiveness of the investment and business environment. Chairman of the European Business Association in Vietnam (EuroCham), Nicolas Audier affirmed that with the ratification of EVFTA and EVIPA, European businesses look forward to further strengthening trade relations between Vietnam and the EU. This historic agreement will stimulate Vietnam's trade with the large consumer market in Europe now more integrated as well as enhance its role in the international supply chain and attract new sources of investment. Director of the Research Institute for Brand Strategy and Competition, Vo Tri Thanh, said that the world is changing fast and is increasingly unpredictable. Investment flows are shifting and Vietnam will not take advantage of this opportunity without a degree of proactiveness. The Government decided to set up a special working group on FDI attraction, showing the activity of Vietnam in FDI attraction in a new context. With the signing and ratification of EVFTA and EVIPA, Vietnam is not only "making nests to welcome eagles" but is turning to a new status. It is the proactive status to participate in the big playground, seeking to play with the "giants" and improve ourselves to lure investors instead of just waiting for them. DES MOINES Iowas historic 2020 legislative session temporarily knocked off course by a coronavirus pandemic was upended again Saturday night when anti-abortion lawmakers introduced a measure to create a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking an abortion. The amendment came after House Republicans conceded they didnt have the votes to keep their protect life amendment on track for a voter referendum on abortion rights in Iowa. Instead, anti-abortion lawmakers filed an amendment to require a physician to get written certification from the woman as least 24 hours before performing the procedure. It wasnt the prize anti-abortion legislators wanted when the session started, but it would be a step in the right direction, said House Human Resource Committee Chairwoman Shannon Lundgren, R-Peosta. We always look for pathways that we can advance the pro-life movement, she said. Were not were not shy about the fact that were a pro-life caucus. When the Senate added its amendment to House File 594 and sent it back to the House, it was a good time to say, Hey, lets move this forward, and go from there. Democrats were appalled that just hours before they expected to adjourn the session Republican politicians plan to pass more restrictions on a womans right to make her own health decisions, said Rep. Jo Oldson, D-Des Moines. Theyve kept this plan secret for weeks and released it on a Saturday night so they didnt have to hear from Iowans, Oldson said. Its time for Iowa Republican lawmakers to be more transparent and stop the relentless attacks on the rights of Iowa women. As surprised as Democrats said they were by the abortion amendment, end-of-session delays over abortion, taxes and budgets are typical. Budget wrangling Lawmakers spent Saturday fighting over details of a nearly $7.8 billion budget plan, hammering out the few remaining policy priorities and saying their farewells to an unprecedented session that spanned 153 calendar days but just 45 work days in the Senate and 50 in the House due to an 11-week disruption caused by the COVID-19 outbreaks arrival to Iowa in March. The state of Iowa has never seen a legislative session that takes a two-month pause and comes back and still has a productive session, said Senate Majority Leader Jack Whiter, R-Ankeny. He hoped Iowans will say of this year, we had a lot of challenges, but we overcame those and had a really productive session. Felon voting rights One fight that didnt materialized was the restoration of felon voting rights. Lawmakers declined to take up a resolution to let voters decide whether to amend the state constitution to allow felons to vote once they discharge their sentences. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, deferred to Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, on the issue. However, he said his thoughts were with crime victims. Its a very emotional issue and secondly, all indications are the governor is going to sign an executive order, Zaun said. That has been the speculation ever since the Republican governor met with Black Lives Matter late last week. Previously, Reynolds has resisted an executive order, saying restoration should be addressed in the constitution, not left to the whim of the governor. The historic passage of police reforms and retreats on restoring voting rights and restricting abortion were a marked shift from the agenda lawmakers wrote for the session. Reynolds and legislators were focused on a number of shared priorities that included more funds for education, upskilling the workforce, expanding mental health services and providing more funds for outdoor recreation and water quality improvement. They convened the 88th General Assembly in January with a budget surplus and prospects for strong revenue growth, but work was halted as part of Reynolds strategy to slow the coronavirus spread. Majority Republicans pushed through COVID-19 liability protections for businesses, shielded federal coronavirus stimulus funds from state taxation and negotiated a fiscal 2021 budget plan that was status quo for most areas of state government. The interruption caused legislators to abandon some bills being worked on but not close to agreement as they tried to function in the Capitol under new social distancing precautions. Republicans for the most part succeeded in advancing their priorities, and some issues found bipartisan accord. Saturday, the House and Senate reached agreement on creation of a Crime Services Surcharge equal to 10 percent of the fine or forfeiture imposed. Under current law, the criminal penalty surcharge is equal to 35 percent. At the same time, the bill increases the criminal penalty for scheduled violations, misdemeanors and felonies. Lawmakers also approved a bill similar to laws in 33 states to allow the sale of wine growlers containers that can be refilled for the purchasers consumption at a location other than the point of sale and codify the governors emergency proclamation to allow the sale of cocktails to go. Animal abuse As the evening wore on, the Senate voted 44-4 to strengthen the states animal cruelty laws. Zaun lamented that the House had weakened provisions senators had previously passed. However, the revised bill still would protect companion animals and prosecute the people that are abusing companion animals. Countless times, almost on a daily basis, we hear stories in the media of just disgusting abuse of our companion animals that so many times are members of our families, said Zaun, in urging passage of the measure establishing an aggravated misdemeanor for animal torture and providing enhanced current penalties for animal abuse and neglect. Sen. Tony Bisignano, D-Des Moines, said it was a long road to get to Saturday nights vote, saying weve done about everything that we could in negotiating a bill that takes Iowa out of the gutter of I think 49th in the country in national rankings. Its not everything I would want if I wrote it, but its everything we need to move forward. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Saturday asked DGP M. Mahender Reddy and Hyderabad police commissioner Anjani Kumar whether the Covid-19 restrictions were applicable only for Opposition parties. Condemning the state police for placing several Congress leaders under house arrest and taking other leaders into custody across the state, he asked the DGP to clarify why only Opposition leaders were being denied permission to visit irrigation projects on the Godavari river. He was addressing a press conference along with TPCC vice-president Dr Mallu Ravi, former minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir, Sangareddy MLA T. Jayaprakash Jagga Reddy and other leaders, at his residence in Banjara Hills. Accusing the police of acting in a partisan manner, he announced that the Congress would take up the issue with the Governor and the Centre besides approaching the High Court. Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that a few police officials were acting at the behest of the TRS and they had transformed themselves from IPS (Indian Police Service) to KPS (Kalvakuntala Private Sainyam). He alleged while nearly 90-95 per cent officials were working honestly, a few of them had been acting as agents of the TRS and misusing their position to suppress the voice of Congress leaders. The TPCC president strongly condemned Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao for not doing anything to complete the pending projects. He said that even after the completion of six years in power, the TRS government had not completed 33 irrigation projects which were under construction since June 2014, when the state was formed. He said the Congress had launched an agitation on June 2 seeking immediate completion of the pending projects, but the police foiled the plan by placing all senior leaders, including him under house arrest. He said the Congress leaders were not allowed to visit the projects although they followed all the Covid-19 guidelines. The TPCC chief alleged that the TRS government was wasting lakhs of crores of public money in the name of irrigation projects only to get 8 per cent commission and kickbacks. He said that the voice of the Congress was being suppressed so as to prevent it from exposing the huge corruption and irregularities. He said the DGP had not replied to his open letter of Friday, wherein he sought an explanation for the arrest of the Congress leaders. He said Hyderabad police commissioner Anjani Kumar had been contending that the Union home minister had issued a notification restricting all kinds of gatherings, including political meetings. Why was the notification was not applied to the Chief Minister, ministers and other TRS leaders, Uttam Kumar Reddy asked. Shabbir Ali urged Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan to invoke Section 8 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act and summon the DGP and other officials and seek an explanation on the Covid-19 situation. Later in the evening, Uttam Kumar Reddy and other Congress leaders met the Governor and complained against the alleged partisan attitude of the state police. They submitted a memorandum to the Governor explaining the instances wherein police placed the Congress leaders under house arrest. They sought Dr Tamilisais intervention to save democracy in the state. Washington, June 14 : A group of demonstrators marched onto a highway in the US city of Atlanta in protest against the killing of a 27-year-old African-American man. According to footages on local media outlets, the protesters late Saturday night formed a chain on the Interstate 85 and Interstate 75 connector, blocking multiple vehicles, including police cars, reports Xinhua news agency. Rayshard Brooks was shot dead after local police were dispatched to respond to complaints that he was asleep in the drive-thru of a fast-food restaurant. Police said they tried to take Brooks into custody after he failed a sobriety test, which led to a struggle between the victim and officers. Brooks, while allegedly resisting, grabbed an officer's Taser and ran off with it after which he was shot dead. The incident came after the May 25 death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American, in police custody in Minneapolis, which has triggered massive protests in home and abroad. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 14 By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend: Institutional reforms and opening up of various sectors of the economy of Uzbekistan under presidency of Shavkat Mirziyoyev in recent years have been noticed globally, Ambassador of India in Uzbekistan Shri Santosh Jha told Trend. Santosh Jha said that these changes created new boundless opportunities for cooperation in a wide range of areas. He added that India welcomes these positive developments and intends to strengthen bilateral cooperation, including in ways that can be conducive to further growth and prosperity of Uzbekistan. "Both countries have strong interest in intensifying ties in all areas contributing to our respective economic development. Stronger trade and investment cooperation and building of infrastructure will therefore remain a high priority. Both sides are engaged in negotiations for finalizing a Preferential Trade Agreement and a Bilateral Investment Treaty with a view to boost our trade and investment relationship," noted the ambassador. Jha said that India has offered a concessional line of credit to Uzbekistan of $1 billion to support social and economic infrastructure development in Uzbekistan. "So far, the two sides have identified four projects worth $450 million for implementation. These include road projects, urban infrastructure projects and IT and computer education. Promoting connectivity, both terrestrial and air cargo, are an important priority area. India has also proposed implementation of Quick Impact Projects on a grant basis in Uzbekistan to support community development in Uzbekistan which can bring quick and direct benefit to ordinary people in relatively backward areas of the country," stated Jha. The ambassador stressed that India organized the first ever defense-industrial workshop in Tashkent to promote joint ventures and other industrial cooperation in September 2019. "We are also seeking to expand our defense-industrial cooperation. To support these efforts and to enable Uzbekistan to procure defense equipment aimed at modernization of its forces, India has offered a concessional line of credit of $40 million to Uzbekistan. We also are seeking to support training and capacity building efforts of various security agencies in Uzbekistan," said Jha. Furthermore, the ambassador noted that the sides continue to promote close cultural ties between the countries through various programs, including granting educational scholarships and organization of cultural events through Indian Cultural Centers in Uzbekistan. "We also have plans to organize Days of Indian Culture in Uzbekistan and also to organize a Youth Festival, which have been delayed due to the current COVID pandemic and will be held as soon as the situation with the pandemic improves. We hope that these events would further strengthen our strong cultural and historical links, advance cooperation in cultural sphere and promote close people-to-people contacts," he pointed out. --- Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini Accra, June 14, 2020 - MTN Ghana Foundation congratulates voluntary blood donors as the world commemorates World Blood Donor Day on 14th June 2020 under the theme Safe blood saves lives. The slogan for the day is Give blood and make the world a healthier place. Commenting on the celebration, the Corporate Services Executive of MTN Ghana, Samuel Koranteng said, As we celebrate World Blood Donor Day, I would like to salute all individuals who have donated blood to save lives. We say special thanks to those who have participated in MTNs Valentine Days Save a Life initiative. We commend them highly for the commitment to this cause and for their compassion for humanity. MTN Ghana Foundation also commends the work of the National Blood Service, the Ghana Blood Foundation, all Blood banks and all other supporting partners. Mr Koranteng said I also take the opportunity to appeal to all eligible blood donors to donate blood at regular intervals to save lives. In this era of Covid 19, voluntary blood donation is very critical as all planned blood donation campaigns have been disrupted. Blood is an important resource for both planned and emergency medical conditions. It is vital for treating patients who find themselves in emergency health situations such as accidents and childbirth. Despite this urgent need for blood, records indicate the general scarcity of safe of blood in blood banks across Ghana. According to the National Blood Services, there is a national demand for about 280,000 units annually. However, less than 50 per cent is raised each year. It is against this background that MTN Ghana Foundation has over the years organized an annual blood donation campaign dubbed Save a Life to support efforts in restocking blood banks across the country and to help create awareness on the need for safe blood. The MTN Ghana Foundation understands the critical role blood plays and has been at the forefront of blood donation for over a decade. MTN Ghana Foundation initiated the annual blood donation exercise dubbed Save a Life initiative in 2011 to help restock blood levels at the National blood bank. Since the launch of the initiative, the MTN Ghana Foundation along with staff of MTN and their friends and partners have collected over 20,036 units of blood to save lives. This years blood donation exercise had a total of 24 donation/bleeding centers in all 16 regions of Ghana. The Foundation also commenced the construction of a GHS 300,000 blood bank for the maternity wing of the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital. The blood bank is expected to be completed by end of October 2020. In recognition of its efforts, the MTN Ghana Foundation has adjudged the highest corporate blood donor in 2013, second highest corporate donor in 2014 and one of the highest corporate donors in 2015. About the MTN Foundation: The MTN Ghana Foundation was established in November 2007 as the vehicle to select and implement MTNs Corporate Social Investments. MTN Ghana Foundation has three areas of focus -Health, Education and Economic Empowerment. From inception to December 2018, the Foundation had undertaken 147 major projects across the country. Notable health projects include: construction of a Neonatal Care Center for Tamale Teaching Hospital, refurbishment of the 2nd floor maternity block of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, construction of a maternity block for Ejisu Government Hospital, and construction of an Emergency Center for Atua Government Hospital. Education projects undertaken include: construction of a boys dormitory for Akropong School for the Blind, construction of a six-unit classroom block for Kodjonya Millennium School, establishment of 10 MTN ICT Learning Centers in each of Ghanas 10 regions(then) and the institution of an Innovation Hub at KNUST to promote Telecoms Engineering and Research. Key projects undertaken in Economic Empowerment include: the construction of shea butter processing centers, provision of seed capital and skill training for Women of Tizaa Dini Association of Yendi and the Sung Suma Women Association of Wa. Mining engineer Yuot Alaak sits in his Perth CBD office and looks out the window at the beautiful view, of a riverside city he loves yet somehow feels he will never truly fit into. But his memoir, Father of the Lost Boys, newly released by Fremantle Press, starts in quite another place and time: 1980s South Sudan, whose British rulers have abandoned it to the mercy of Northern Arabs who have nothing in common with the souths black Indigenous African tribes. Yuot Alaak. Credit:Claire Miller Faced with the prospect of being forced to convert to Islam and speak Arabic is Yuot Alaaks father, Mecak Alaak, a respected teacher who has always believed the pen mightier than the gun. Such a man is now thought a dangerous man, and the northerners capture him as political prisoner. The ex-girlfriend of the latest Madeline McCann suspect is hiding for her life after speaking to German police. Nakscije Miftari, 25, had an 18-month relationship with Christian Brueckner in 2014 when she was 17-years-old and was the subject of violent abuse from the now-convicted paedophile. Brueckner, 43, is nearly 20 years older than Ms Miftari and is now being held in solitary confinement in a high-security prison in north Germany, with claims emerging he abducted three-year-old Madeline in 2007. The former girlfriend of Madeline McCann suspect Christian Brueckner, Nakscije Miftari (pictured), has gone into hiding due to fears regarding her safety after speaking to German police Ms Miftari (pictured right) was in an 18-month relationship with Brueckner (left) in 2014 when she was 17-years-old. The 25-year-old spoke to German police recently about whether she knew about Madeline's disappearance in 2007. Her brother, Mifail Miftari, told The Sun: 'I spoke to her two days ago. She has spoken to the police and they have told her to keep a low profile. 'She is in fear of her life and has been told not to speak to anyone by the police. 'She wouldn't tell me where she was and I don't want to know. It's for the best. 'I've read she is wanted by Interpol but that is not true. 'Nakscije knows nothing about Madeline's disappearance. She was only a little girl herself at the time, no more than ten-years-old.' Brueckner is the latest suspect in the Madeline McCann case, the three-year-old British toddler who went missing in 2007 whilst on a family holiday in Portugal Mr Brueckner (pictured) has vowed to fight any false allegations made about him regarding Madeline's disappearance. He is currently being held in a high-security prison in north Germany Ms Miftari was beaten by Brueckner during their relationship after she found child pornography on his computer. The serial sex offender has a total 17 convictions and recently applied for early release from prison after reaching the two thirds point of a drug dealing sentence on Sunday. Nakscije's elder sister, Azra Miftari, told the MailOnline this week: 'He hit my sister. It was horrible for her. 'Only my sister Nakscije had anything to do with him. She was his girlfriend. But she was young and naive. We told her he was too older for her but she didn't care. 'I don't know Brueckner. I've never met him but I know that Brueckner hit my sister.' Azra Miftari (pictured), the elder sister of Nakscije, told the MailOnline this week that Brueckner was violent towards her sister during the relationship Brueckner's lawyer Friedrich Fulscher told German broadcaster RTL that the convicted paedophile will fight any false statements made about him regarding the Madeline McCann case. The lawyer also said this week that attempts are being made to protect the 43-year-old in prison from possible attacks from other inmates. Azra Miftari added: 'The police have spoken to Nakscije. The police have spoken to the whole of Miftari family. 'They have told Nakscije not to speak about Brueckner. They have told the whole Miftari family not to speak about Brueckner. 'There are a lot of people asking where Nakscije is and this situation is affecting the whole family.' Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 10:57:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Mercedes Benz (China) Ltd. will recall 4,653 imported vehicles from the Chinese market due to incorrect child-safety lock labels, according to the country's top quality watchdog. The recall, set to begin on June 19, will involve imported G-class sedans manufactured between Feb. 14, 2018 and Sept. 24, 2019, said a statement on the website of the State Administration for Market Regulation. The embossed lock symbol for the child-safety lock on the rear doors of the involved vehicles may indicate the incorrect lock status of the child-safety lock, increasing a child's risk of injury in the event of the door opening unexpectedly. The auto company will install a label on the rear doors with the correct operating directions free of charge to eliminate risks, according to the statement. Enditem The leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party are expected to formally sign off on a draft programme for government between their parties on Sunday night. The parties were on Sunday evening edging towards agreement on forming a coalition government for the next five years, having overcome hurdles in the negotiations that have gone on for almost two months. There are still outstanding issues between the parties that need to be resolved. Fianna Fail has insisted that the pension age should not be increased to 67 until next year while Fine Gael has said taxes should not be increased for workers as the country faces a deep recession. Expand Close (left to right) Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan and Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe arrive at Government Buildings (Niall Carson/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (left to right) Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan and Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe arrive at Government Buildings (Niall Carson/PA) A Green Party source said a ban on fracked gas imports would likely see deputy leader Catherine Martin backing the deal, which could help to persuade two thirds of its party members to approve the agreement. The Green Party has the highest bar as their rules state that two thirds of their 2,700 members must support the deal. Speaking ahead of their meeting, party leaders expressed confidence that they would on Sunday sign off on the draft agreement of a programme for government. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said that if the programme for government was signed off later, it would represent a new departure for Irish society. Expand Close Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin (centre) arrives at Government Buildings (Niall Carson/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin (centre) arrives at Government Buildings (Niall Carson/PA) Speaking on his way into Government Buildings, Mr Martin said that although there are outstanding issues to be resolved, he is hopeful a deal can be signed off on Sunday. He said: I think we can move this forward and it can represent a new departure for Irish society. It will bring transformative change to how we do things and prepare the country well for the next decade and prepare us for the economic situation that Covid-19 has created that will take centre stage. Asked if the deal would be signed off on Sunday evening, he said: That would be our intention, yes. If a programme for government is finally agreed, it will go to our parliamentary party first and then there will be a vote by the membership. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin says there is an expectation that the programme for government agreement will be signed off tonight. I think we can move this forward and it would represent a new departure for Irish society and bring transformative change to how we do things. pic.twitter.com/bsJuRtz8zy Aine McMahon (@AineMcMahon) June 14, 2020 It is expected that Mr Martin would become taoiseach for the first half of the new governments term but he refused to be drawn about it. Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar did not speak to the press on his way into the meeting. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at Government Buildings (Niall Carson/PA) Expand Close Simon Coveney arrives at Government Buildings ( Niall Carson/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Simon Coveney arrives at Government Buildings ( Niall Carson/PA) Deputy Fine Gael leader Simon Coveney said the draft coalition government deal was good for the country. Mr Coveney, leader of the Fine Gael negotiating team, said: We did a lot of good work last night and we effectively have a text for a government with a need for the leaders to finalise a very small number of issues. Negotiating teams have done their job. I think the text that will be going to the leaders today is good for the country and I hope and I am confident that the three leaders will be able to sell it within their parties and to the public. Negotiators from the parties met until the early hours of Sunday morning to agree what would go into the programme for government before it was presented to leaders this afternoon. Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said a coalition government deal needs to be done today. He said: It does have to be done today because we are on a tight timeline. All of our parties have rules involving our members. With the pandemic, we have to send out postal ballots so our members can vote and that takes time. Expand Close Green Party leader Eamon Ryan is questioned as he arrives at Government Buildings (Niall Carson/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Green Party leader Eamon Ryan is questioned as he arrives at Government Buildings (Niall Carson/PA) We are conscious that laws around the Special Criminal Court have to be looked at at the end of June. There is also an economic imperative to try and get the recovery going with a government that has a mandate to do that. Health Minister and Fine Gael TD Simon Harris said the public are eager for a government to be in place soon and he is hoping for a breakthrough. It has been a long few intense weeks of negotiations 127 days since the general election, he told RTEs Week In Politics programme. I think it is reaching a point where we need to get on with it and the public need a government. The programme for government could run to more than 100 pages. If agreed, it will then have to be put to the membership of each of the three parties for consideration. If members pass it, a government could be in place for the end of June or early July. This month, Mr. Wallace published his first book, Countdown 1945, a chronicle of the 116 days in which Harry S. Truman ascended to the presidency and decided to drop atomic bombs on Japan in World War II. One of the things I loved most about coming up with the idea for the book, researching the book, writing the book, and now talking about the book, is it has nothing to do with Donald Trump, Mr. Wallace said, laughing in the home studio complete with Purell and disinfectant wipes he uses for on-camera appearances. Mr. Wallace rummaged the archives at the Truman Library in Missouri, where he was impressed by the presidents agonized decision-making as he weighed the moral costs of a nuclear attack. The book, he said, was a chance to take a key moment in history and really drill down, almost like a novel. The Countdown title was his idea. Frankly, I thought it could be replicable, Mr. Wallace said. If you can do Countdown 1945, we can do Countdown Something Else. He knows history is happening in real time, too, comparing the protests sweeping the nation to the tumult of 1968. We seem almost paralyzed by our polarization today, he said at an online forum last week, though he was quick to add a pox-on-both-houses caveat: It didnt begin with Donald Trump. Its been a steady decline in the 40 years Ive been in Washington. As a teenager Mr. Wallace worked as a gofer for Walter Cronkite at the 1964 Democratic National Convention. He covered student protests for Harvards radio station, filing from a county jail where he had been detained. (This is Chris Wallace in custody, he signed off.) Patna: Election strategist Prashant Kishor on Sunday (June 14) took a jibe at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who launched the poll campaign last week in the state where assembly elections are due for later this year, stating that ruling party Janata Dal (United) has been busy talking about Bihar assembly election at the time of coronavirus pandemic. He also attacked the Chief Minister for not coming out of his official residence in Patna for nearly three months following the COVID-19 outbreak. "Despite the lowest testing rate, 7-9 per cent positive case rate and more than 6,000 cases, elections are the favourite topic in Bihar instead of coronavirus. Nitish Kumar, who hasnt stepped out of his home due to Covid-19 fear, thinks there is no harm in stepping out and vote, Kishor tweeted in Hindi. "Scared of stepping out of his residence during the last three months because of corona, Nitish Kumar nonetheless thinks that common people's lives will not be endangered if they came out of their houses to take part in the electoral process," the poll strategist wrote in another tweet. The remarks of Kishor came close on the heels of Kumar concluding a virtual conference of his party over six days, during which he interacted with the grassroots-level workers via video-conference. Kishor was elevated to the post of national vice-president in the Janata Dal (United) headed by Kumar within weeks of joining the outfit two years ago but expelled from it on disciplinary grounds earlier this year. He had played an instrumental role in the campaign for the Grand Alliance, comprising the JD(U), RJD and the Congress, in the 2015 Assembly polls, when the coalition achieved a stunning victory. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with which the JD(U) has realigned, is already engaged in a vigorous online public outreach programme aimed at the state polls, which was kicked off a week ago by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who addressed people in the state from Delhi in a "virtual rally". Kumar's preference for functioning from within the premises of his residence, the only recent exception being his turning up at the CM secretariat, less than 50 metres away, last week, has come in for repeated criticism from Lalu Prasad's RJD, left sore and out of power following Kumar's abrupt return to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Both Prasad and his heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav have been attacking Kumar, calling him names like coward for his reluctance to step out. Irans Revolutionary Guards on June 13 reportedly said that the country's Naval forces were prepared to target any US vehicle interfering in Iran shipments to Venezuela. Despite US President Donald Trump's criticism, Iran had sent five tankers loaded with gasoline to Venezuela last month. In addendum, Tehran has said that it would continue shipments if Caracas requests more. Amidst all this, Iran's forces have reportedly been ordered to identify and track several US merchant vessels in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, a move to curb rising military threats against Iranian vessels headed for Venezuela. According to an Iranian media outlet, not only has the attack been ordered but also options for reciprocal actions have immediately been identified and are being monitored for possible operations. Read: Iranian Ships Approach Venezuela With No Sign Of US Threat Iran helps Venezuela This comes as Washington has reportedly slammed Tehran of propping up Mexican president Nicolas Maduro. The US is amongst 60 nations that support Juan Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate president. On the other hand, Iran, in May this year, started supplying gasoline to the Latin American country after it reported fueled crunch. Iran's first oil tanker Fortune encountered no immediate signs of US interference as it eased through Caribbean waters toward the Venezuelan coast and Venezuelan officials celebrated the arrival. Read: Iran Constructs Mock-up, US-like Carrier For Drills Iran and Venezuela have always supported each other in times of difficulty, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza tweeted. Today, the first ship with gasoline arrives for our people. In addition, the middle eastern nation also flew shipments of a key chemical needed to help jumpstart a Venezuelan oil refinery and produce gasoline. Although US officials had announced no plans of trying to intercept Irans tankers, the Trump administration has increased pressure on Maduro. The US also recently deployed a force of ships, including Navy destroyers and other combat ships, to patrol the Caribbean on what US officials call a drug interdiction mission. The Maduro government considers it a direct threat. Read: Iran's Javad Zarif Says Trump Has Good Chance Of Being Re-elected In 2020 Read: Iran To Execute Man Convicted Of Spying On Whereabouts Of Qasem Soleimani (Image Credits: AP) Top Russian ministers will visit Turkey on Sunday as opposing policies in Syria and Libya threaten the alliance between the former Cold War foes. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu will lead the delegation, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said. The delegations are expected to have consultations and to discuss coordination on regional issues, according to a statement. The visit follows a June 10 phone call between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that centered on the situation in Libya and a fragile cease-fire in Syrias northwestern province of Idlib, bordering Turkey. Turkey and Russia back opposing sides in the civil wars raging in Syria and Libya. Ankara is providing military and diplomatic support to Libyas United Nations-recognized administration, while Russia backs rival militia commander Khalifa Haftar. In Syria, the Russian-backed government aims to retake Idlib from Islamist militants, while Turkey has vowed to never let that happen. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif will also be in Turkey June 14-15, according to a separate statement. During the visit, all aspects of our bilateral relations will be discussed and views on regional and international issues will be exchanged, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), on Saturday, released new guidelines for the opening of religious centres in the country. The eighth points guideline was released as a result of the ease of the lockdown by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 which has also allowed religious gatherings. NCDC said the new guidelines for places of worship in Nigeria is to ensure safe gatherings and prevent exposure to COVID-19 infection in religious settings. The agency gave eight rules for religious places to observe as they reopen activities to the public. These are as follows: 1. There should be no entry without face masks. All attendees and religious leaders must wear a face mask 2. People who are sick should not go to places of worship. There should be a temperature screening on entry. 3. Hand washing facilities and hand sanitizers should be provided at points of entries and strategic points. 4. Attendance to religious settings should not exceed one third of sitting capacity. 5. Religious centres should be clearly marked such that people sit and maintain two metres distance from each other. 6. There should be no form of direct contact. Practices such as hand shake as peace signs are discouraged. 7. Practice that requires sharing of materials should be limited. For example ablution should be performed at home. 8. Religious centres should be disinfected routinely, before and after service. NCDC said the new guideline is developed following the review of the movement restrictions by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19. The PTF on COVID-19 had on June 2 announced the relaxation of the previous ban on religious gatherings, allowing faith groups to meet while adhering strictly to public health and social distancing. Nigeria had placed a ban on social and religious gatherings to limit the spread of COVID-19. Nigeria since the index case in February has been reporting increasing cases of COVID-19 across the country. As of the time of reporting, at least a case of the virus has been reported in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory. As of Saturday night, Nigeria had recorded 15,682 infections with 407 deaths from the virus. VIDEO SHOWS: FILE FOOTAGE OF CALLUM HUDSON-ODOI, EXTERIORS OF CHELSEA'S STAMFORD BRIDGE SHOWS: STOKE D'ABERNON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - OCTOBER 22, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. CHELSEA WINGER, CALLUM HUDSON-ODOI ARRIVING FOR TRAINING SESSION STOKE D'ABERNON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - NOVEMBER 4, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 2. HUDSON-ODOI ARRIVING FOR TRAINING SESSION LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 3. VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF CHELSEA'S STAMFORD BRIDGE GROUND STORY: Chelsea forward Callum Hudson-Odoi said on Saturday (June 13) police have confirmed they will take no further action over a rape allegation. The 19-year-old was arrested on May 17 following an argument with a woman, the Sun newspaper had reported. Metropolitan Police said in a statement: "A man arrested on Sunday, May 17 following an allegation of rape has been released with no further action." Chelsea have made no comment on the incident. (Production: Tim Hart) Even as COVID-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh have risen above 10,000, spread of the pandemic does not seem to have deterred Jyotiraditya Scindias loyalists from exposing their supporters to the risk of infection ahead of the by-elections due in September. On Friday, cabinet minister Govind Singh Rajput paraded his supporters in Sagar, flagrantly violating social distancing norms. Rajput, who had quit the Congress with Scindia in March, organised a public function where his loyalists from his Surkhi assembly constituency took BJP membership. The supporters, most of them not wearing masks, jostled with one another to flesh v-sign with Rajput who was also without mask. Before Rajput, other Scindia confidantes had staged similar regrettable spectacles with utter disdain for social distancing. Pradyumn Singh had brought his supporters from Gwalior to Bhopal for joining BJP in presence of chief minister Shivraj Singh. Then too, the workers milled around with impunity at the BJP state office. Two weeks, later, the BJP office witnessed repetition of same chaotic scenes when former minister Prabhuram Choudharys followers joined the party. In Indore, yet another Scindia acolyte Tulsi Silawat led his followers in breaking social distancing norms. Tehran, June 14 : Desert locusts have infested the southern and eastern regions of Iran, a spokesman for the Agriculture Ministry's Plant Protection Organization said. "Khorasan Razavi (in the east) has recently joined the provinces invaded by the pest, so the battle is currently taking place in eight Iranian provinces now," Mohammad Reza Mir was quoted as saying on Saturday by Eghtesadonline news website. "Sistan-Baluchestan, Hormozgan, Bushehr, Kerman, South Khorasan, Fars and Khuzestan provinces have already been infected," Mir said, adding that desert locusts have been fought in the areas with over 378,494 hectares in the country so far, reports Xinhua news agency. Sistan-Baluchestan, in the southeast, is the worst-hit province where the pest has been confronted on more than 170,640 hectares, he noted. The official added that no damage has been caused to orchards and farms in the infested provinces so far. Plans are underway to use drones to battle the pest in mountainous and inaccessible areas such as swamps, said Mir, adding that this year chemical pesticides will be used on nearly one million hectares. Mir noted that locust invasions will become more intense in Iran in late July. Last month, the Agriculture Ministry said that the army would help fight locust invasion in the south of the country. Gerold Bodeker, the representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to Iran, said in April that it had boosted its emergency technical cooperation project to help Iran battle swarms of desert locusts. FAO would grant Iran with a total of $500,000 under an "urgent action for capacity building" to control the infestation, Bodeker said. On March 10, Iran announced that huge swarms of desert locusts arrived in the country's southern region. There was a moment in Thursdays Portland City Council meeting that reflected just how confusing and contradictory the recent calls to defund the police are. As commissioners discussed reductions to the Portland Police Bureau budget, Commissioner Chloe Eudaly choked up as she considered how redirecting cannabis tax revenue from police would erode the bureaus traffic enforcement unit. That division has already been decimated, she said, urging colleagues for a directive ordering the bureau to maintain staffing in the unit with general-fund proceeds. It is grossly under-resourced and understaffed, she added. Yet paradoxically, Eudaly complained the proposed budget supported by the other council members failed to cut police funding enough. The $15 million in targeted reductions on top of $12 million of previous cuts were far short of the $50 million that many Portlanders testified should be slashed from the police budget, chided Eudaly. This moment demands bold action," and the council didnt rise to the challenge, she said, referencing Portlanders protests over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and calls to abolish or defund police. Leaders should recognize, however, that bold is not synonymous with haphazard; this singular moment calls not for reactionary offerings, but for strategic actions that can bring about systemic change. The cuts supported by other council members largely targeted three specialty units that had long been associated with disproportionate policing of black Portlanders. It is important as we move forward that we keep our eye on the prize, said Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, who has the decades of work, advocacy and credibility in police reform that no one else on that council can claim. Hardestys plans revamping officer training to include community groups alongside police, changing recruitment practices and creating a powerful independent oversight board are potentially transformative actions that will require financial and emotional investment from the community. They also require that Portlanders dont give up on their police force, which is made up of hundreds of men and women who got into this line of business to serve the public. The need for public safety whether its responding to domestic violence calls, ticketing reckless drivers, collecting evidence or investigating crimes wont go away. Cutting the number of police officers doesnt cut the number of emergency calls for police that pour in to 911. And while community standards should inform decisions about policing tactics, crowd-control methods and bureau priorities, those discussions must be part of a deliberate blueprint, not a figure-it-out-as-you-go approach. Those arguing for diverting police funds to social services are correct in pushing city leaders to examine how they dispatch police. City leaders should always be willing to re-evaluate whether the ways they are investing funds are actually achieving their objectives. And the City Council has already made some changes on those lines, such as the creation of the Portland Street Response program, which pairs a fire department medic with a crisis worker to respond to calls about a homeless person needing assistance. Some of the $15 million in police budget cuts would further support the initiative, as well as community programs and grants, if City Council approves the 2020-2021 budget as expected this week. But blanket calls to defund the police are confusing and not necessarily on point. Many of the protesters supporting defunding still want some police presence. Yet improving policing through greater accountability and oversight will require fixes to the union contract and state law changes that wont be solved by simply reducing the citys appropriation. As challenging as reform is, some bureaus have made significant strides. Former Richmond, California Police Chief Chris Magnus is credited with improving police-community relations in his 10 years at the agency with his push to increase officers engagement with community members even basing performance evaluations in part on outreach, according to The Richmond Confidential news site. Other police-reform experts point to changes made under former Camden, New Jersey Police Chief Scott Thomson, who oversaw the drastic step of dissolving that towns police force, re-interviewing officers and creating a new countywide public safety force that adopted a guardian mindset rather than the warrior mentality of the past, as Thomson said in an NPR interview. Putting the community first is a goal already named by new Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell. There is no lack of racial and racist bias built into institutions across the United States. While the George Floyd killing made plain just how deep and severe the problem is in policing, other institutions need structural and cultural reforms as well. Our educational system has left black and Native students in particular behind, historically devoting little attention to offering the same educational opportunities and support that white children receive. Corporate Americas executive offices remain largely an old-boys club. The demographic makeup of our elected bodies continues to be disproportionately white. But Portlanders should also consider the fact that voters this year could very well elect Portlands first majority-minority Portland City Council. That should serve as an encouraging reminder in this ongoing campaign to reform police that even slow-moving institutions, with the right leaders and energized community support, can make history. - The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter with links to editorials, op-eds and letters to the editor at oregonlive.com/newletters. New Delhi: Over 80,000 villages across the country have achieved the target of constructing 100 per cent toilets while 21 districts have now become open defecation free, the government said. I am happy to share that with the work done by the state government, civic bodies and the Centre, 21 districts have become Open Defecation Free. This is the figure until yesterday, said Union Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. Work of constructing 100 per cent toilet in 80,282 villages has been completed. This has happened in some 287 development blocks, he said, addressing students from seven countries at an event organised by Sulabh School Sanitation Club. Tomar also urged students to ensure 100 per cent sanitation by 2019, a dream programme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said under the Swachch Bharat Mission, the Prime Minister has asked to identify 100 iconic places in the country and have exemplary sanitation levels there. Accordingly, the government has identified such places where sanitation should be ideal. These include Kamakhya temple in Assam, Golden Temple in Amritsar, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai, the shrines of Vaishnov Devi and Tirupati Balaji and Ajmer Sharif in Rajasthan. The pilot project would start at the Kamakhya Dham. I met the Assam Chief Minister (Sarbananda Sonwal) and we discussed a 12-month plan on how to implement it and also what would be done at a gap of every three months, Tomar said. Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of Sulabh Sanitation Movement, said, We often talk about children as agents of change but do not give them the space or the opportunity to get involved in the movement. Noting that young girls around the world face multiple problems due to non-availability of proper sanitation facilities and lack of menstrual hygiene is the main concern for them, Pathak said it has a direct impact on not just their health but also access to education. Failing to address this issue is undermining girls education because, if they lack access to proper sanitary products and private bathroom accommodations, they are more likely to miss school during their periods. Even if they do attend classes when they are menstruating, their ability to participate in class is often severely compromised, he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A clutch of prominent Canadian business leaders, including Indo-Canadian billionaire Prem Watsa, has launched an initiative to counter systemic racism in the corporate world and bring equitable representation to Blacks in boardrooms. The Canadian Council of Business Leaders Against Anti-Black Systemic Racism has started the BlackNorth Initiative that will commence with a virtual summit of Canadian business leaders next month to address the matter. Also read: Black Lives Matter protests - Over 100 arrested in London The Council was founded by Black-Canadian Wes Hall, executive chairman of Toronto-based Kingsdale Advisors. In a statement announcing the initiative, he said, As a first step, the BlackNorth Initiative will ask corporate leaders across Canada to pledge their organizations to policies and specific targets to end systemic anti-Black systemic racism. For companies who consider themselves diverse, hold that statement up against your board and your executive team how many Blacks do you see? Joining him are co-chairs Prem Watsa, chairman of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited; Victor Dodig, president of the bank CIBC; and Rola Dagher, president and CEO of Cisco Systems Canada. In supporting the initiative that comes as a new conversation has started worldwide over racism after the killing by police of African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis last month, Watsa said, The time for passing the buck is over. As business leaders in Canada, we have a responsibility to not only recognize that anti-Black systemic racism exists in this country but also take meaningful steps to end it. Watsa, sometimes described as the Warren Buffet of Canada, is also the founder of the Invest India Conference. The Council has invited leaders of top 250 companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, over 100 of the biggest private businesses in Canada, major banks, insurance companies, international companies that have a significant presence in Canada, and the largest asset managers and institutional investors in the nation, to join the inaugural summit scheduled for July 20. Participants will be asked to sign a CEO Pledge, and outline what their plan will be to remove anti-black bias in their businesses. In its statement, the Council said, Corporate Canada was bold enough to take up the challenge to add gender diversity to Canadian boardrooms and executive suites by declaring policies, setting specific targets, and holding itself accountable and is now well on the way to reforming the system. Now it is time to do the same thing for Blacks. An online petition at Cheong Wa Dae website alleges a serviceman in an Air Force unit in Seoul has received preferential treatment due to his father's influence. Captured from Cheong Wa Dae website By Kim Rahn The Air Force has launched an inspection into allegations that a conscripted serviceman has been enjoying privileges thanks to his wealth and the influence of his father. The investigation followed a petition on Cheong Wa Dae's website Thursday, posted by a man who identified himself as a noncommissioned officer at an air unit in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul. According to the petition, the conscript has received preferential treatment and with ranking officials as enablers. The petitioner said the serviceman is the son of a large conglomerate owner, but a local daily reported later identified him as the son of a vice chairman of the NICE Group, a credit information service provider. The serviceman allegedly has an assistant employed by his family take his dirty laundry for him and bring it back after being washed every Saturday morning. Some noncommissioned officers are forced to do the "delivery" of the laundry between the serviceman and his assistant, according to testimony from the petitioner's colleagues. He is also alleged to have a room of the barracks for his own use usually shared by six to eight people due to a "feud" with other servicemen, and the unit officials allegedly drew up a fake list of servicemen using the room to conceal the non-standard allocation. Some other testimony alleged the serviceman often goes out of the barracks under the excuse of medical treatment at the Armed Forces Capital Hospital, but it seems he actually has dinner with his family while off base. The petitioner also said the process via which the serviceman was assigned to the current post was unusual, raising suspicions that his father may have helped him secure the post in the unit that is located in Seoul. "All I have about the allegations is testimony from other servicemen, so I urge the authorities to conduct an investigation," the petitioner wrote. Upon receiving the petition, the Air Force said Friday its headquarters launched an investigation into the allegations. "We are conducting the investigation to check if the allegations are true," it said in a statement. Christian Brueckner was identified as a prime suspect for the abduction of Madeleine McCann after German police compared details of the sex offender's phone with a sophisticated British call database. In an interview with The Mail on Sunday, German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters revealed how painstaking Anglo-German police work led to the biggest breakthrough in the inquiry since the youngster was kidnapped in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 2007. Officers from the BKA, Germany's federal police, obtained the number for a mobile phone that Brueckner had in 2007, but it was only when they cross-referenced it with data compiled by Scotland Yard from phone masts around Praia da Luz that they could place the 43-year-old near the Ocean Club from where Madeleine was taken. Christian Brueckner was identified as a prime suspect for the abduction of Madeleine McCann after German police compared details of the sex offender's phone with a sophisticated British call database They then discovered his phone received a call in Praia da Luz from someone at 7.32pm. The call lasted until 8.02pm and the person who called Brueckner has not yet been identified. Madeleine vanished between 9.10pm and 10pm that evening. German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters revealed painstaking Anglo-German police work led to the huge breakthrough Mr Wolters said: 'Brueckner's telephone number comes from our investigation, but British police have a data pool from 2007 from Praia da Luz of all mobile numbers [used in that area at the time], so we put our telephone number to the data of the British police and it matched. 'So we think that our suspect was, on the day Madeleine was kidnapped in Praia da Luz, near the apartment.' He declined to provide details of how the BKA had found Brueckner's mobile number in 2007. The prosecutor claimed the BKA has further evidence pointing towards Brueckner's involvement in Madeleine's abduction, but for now were keeping some of it secret from the public and their suspect. 'We have no forensic evidence, but we have no doubt that Madeleine is dead. I think the British authorities need the forensic evidence for her death, but in Germany we don't need forensic evidence. Officers from the BKA, Germany's federal police, obtained the number for a mobile phone that Brueckner had in 2007, but it was only when they cross-referenced it with data compiled by Scotland Yard from phone masts around Praia da Luz that they could place the 43-year-old near the Ocean Club from where Madeleine (pictured) was taken 'It's enough to think there are no other possibilities, so she must be dead.' Brueckner is serving a sentence for drug offences in the northern German city of Kiel, but is now eligible for release after serving two-thirds of the 15-month term. However, Mr Wolters said he thought it unlikely that Brueckner would be allowed to walk free and he would likely be rearrested for the rape of a 72-year-old American woman in Portugal in 2005. He is appealing his conviction and seven-year sentence for the crime. Protesters have burned down a Wendys fast food restaurant and temporarily blocked a major road in Atlanta at the scene where a black man was shot dead by police on Friday night. Rayshard Brooks, 27, had allegedly fallen asleep in his car in the drive-thru lane at the restaurant. Police attempted to arrest Mr Brooks after he failed a sobriety test. A video of part of the incident shows a struggle on the ground between two officers and Mr Brooks, during which he manages to break away with one of the officers Tasers. He is then seen running away from the scene, being pursued by the officers, when three gunshots can be heard. Police said Mr Brooks was taken to a local hospital, where he died after surgery. The restaurant was in flames for more than 45 minutes before fire crews arrived to extinguish the blaze, protected by a line of police officers, video on local television showed. By the time the fire was out the building had been reduced to charred rubble. Other demonstrators marched onto Interstate-75, stopping traffic, before police used a line of squad cars to hold them back. The incident came amid international protests against the polices use of excessive force against people of colour. Less than 24-hours after the incident, Atlantas chief of police resigned. Officer Garrett Rolfe, who was fired from the Atlanta police force following the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks (AP) Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced during a news conference on Saturday that she had accepted the resignation of police chief Erika Shields. I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer, Ms Bottoms said. Garrett Rolfe, the officer who allegedly shot Mr Brooks, has also been sacked, police spokesman Carlos Campos said on Saturday evening. The other officer present at the incident, Devin Brosnan, has been placed on administrative duty. Brooks was the father of a young daughter who was celebrating her birthday on Saturday, his lawyers said. The killing prompted yet more protests in a state that has already seen large demonstrations over the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer last month and that of Georgia resident Ahmaud Arbery by two white men while jogging in February. As well as the first video, which shows the struggle between the officers and Mr Brooks, a second videotape from the restaurants cameras shows Brooks turning as he runs and possibly aiming the taser at the pursuing officers, before one of them fires his gun and Mr Brooks falls to the ground. Mr Brooks ran the length of about six cars when he turned back towards an officer and pointed what he had in his hand at the policeman, Vic Reynolds, director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, told a press conference. At that point, the Atlanta officer reaches down and retrieves his weapon from his holster, discharges it, strikes Mr Brooks there on the parking lot and he goes down, Mr Reynolds said. Lawyers representing the family of Mr Brooks told reporters that Atlanta police had no right to use deadly force even if he had fired the taser, a non-lethal weapon, in their direction. You cant shoot somebody unless they are pointing a gun at you, attorney Chris Stewart said. Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard Jr, said in an emailed statement that his office has already launched an intense, independent investigation of the incident while it awaits the findings of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Ms Bottoms said Ms Shields, a white woman appointed police chief in December 2016, would be replaced by deputy chief Rodney Bryant, a black man who will serve as interim chief. Additional reporting by Reuters. Sarahbeth Maney / Special to The Chronicle Oakland police are searching for dozens of people suspected of starting small fires and vandalizing businesses and police vehicles in the Temescal district late Friday, police said Sunday. Officers responded to the 4000 block of Telegraph Avenue at around 10:30 p.m. and found about 100 people vandalizing property, police said, with some wielding bats and throwing rocks and bottles at police cars. Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates: The MHA said that Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday directed Delhi chief secretary to install CCTV cameras in COVID-19 wards of every COVID-19 hospital in the National Capital, 'so that there is proper monitoring and problems of patients can also be resolved'. Auto refresh feeds Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: The MHA said that Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday directed Delhi chief secretary to install CCTV cameras in COVID-19 wards of every COVID-19 hospital in the National Capital, "so that there is proper monitoring and problems of patients can also be resolved". "He also directed the Delhi chief secretary to establish back-ups for canteens supplying food, in case there is an infection in one canteen, patients can continue to get food without disruption. He also said that psycho-social counselling of doctors and nurses engaged in the treatment of COVID-19 patients should be done. This will ensure that not only are they physically but also psychologically fit to fight the pandemic," the statement added. Karnataka medical education minister Dr K Sudhakar said that that the state government will make a decision on "roping in private hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients". He added that the cost of testing and treatment will be fixed by the government. The Centre said that in the last 24 hours, 7,419 COVID-19 patients have recovered, which takes the total number of recovered patients to 1,69,797 patients so far. While the total number of cases according to the Centre's 8 am update is 3,32,424, the statement added, "The recovery rate rises to 51.08 percent which is indicative of the fact that more than half of positive cases have recovered from the disease." AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Monday attended an all-party meeting on the coronavirus situation in Delhi, which was also attended by Home Minister Amit Shah. After the meeting, Singh said that decision to ''appointment of IAS officers to monitor Central, state and private hospitals'' was also discussed in the all-party meeting. "He confirmed that the Delhi government will start conducting 18,000 COVID-19 tests per day by 20 June," NDTV reported. Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday announced a 'maximized restricted lockdown' from 19 to 30 June in areas of Chennai, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu and Tiruvallur districts which come under Metropolitan Chennai Police limits. The ruling AIADMK on Monday tweeted that the Tamil Nadu government will impose a "full lockdown" in the Chennai, Thiruvallur, Chengalpet, and Kanchipuram districts of the state from 19 June, in view of the rising cases of coronavirus. The move came after health experts recommend the tightening of lockdown restrictions in Chennai earlier on Monday, in a meeting with Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisaamy. The Delhi government issues an order to private and government laboratories, asking them to work with their full capacity and increase their coronavirus testing capacity, ANI reports. According to the order, private labs will have to give results within 48 hours. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal says no plans of another lockdown in the National Capital, reports ANI. Home minister Amit Shah assured at an all-party meet that a new testing policy will be implemented to ensure everyone has the right to testing. A proposal has been made to increase the capacities of hospitals run by the Delhi government and Centre by 1,900 and 2,000 beds respectively. The Delhi government will ramp up coronavirus testing and start conducting 18,000 tests per day by 20 June, home minister Amit Shah decided during a meeting he held with leaders of all the political parties in Delhi. 29 new COVID-19 positive cases reported in CRPF, taking the total number of positive cases to 620, of which 189 are active and 427 have recovered. The toll is now at 4, according to Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). An all-party meeting called by Home Minister Amit Shah begins. Shah had called a meeting of all political parties of Delhi to discuss the COVID-19 situation in the national capital amid a recent spurt in coronavirus cases, an official said. The BJP, Congress, AAP and BSP have been invited for the meeting. A total of 1,15,519 samples have been tested in the last 24 hours, says the Indian Council of Medical Research. So far, India has tested 57,74,133 samples. India's COVID-19 recovery rate on Monday crosses 51 percent, improves to 51.08% as on 15 June, 2020. The COVID-19 tally climbed by over 10,000 and breached the 40,000 mark in just six days in Delhi with an average of over 1,600 new cases on a daily basis, a sharp spike from the 79 days it took to reach the 10,000 mark, according to an analysis. It took eight days for the number of cases to rise from 20,000 to 30,000 in Delhi, while it took 13 days for the tally to progress from 10,000 to 20,000. With 1,07,958 confirmed cases of COVID-19 so far, Maharashtra remains the worst-affected state in the country, followed by Tamil Nadu (44,661) and Delhi (41,182). India reports 11,502 new cases and 325 deaths, according to Union health ministry. The total number of cases has now gone up to 3,32,424, and the toll is at 9,520. India is now the fourth most-affected country in the world. Indian Railway has suspended all train services from Monday at Delhi's important Anand Vihar railway station. The decision comes following a decision by the Centre to provide Delhi government with 500 railway coaches, turned into isolation wards, to augment the shortage of beds in view of the rising number of coronavirus cases in the city, reports Prasad Bharati The peak stage of COVID-19 pandemic in India has been delayed by the eight-week lockdown along with strengthened public health measures and it may now arrive around mid-November during which there could be a paucity of isolation and ICU beds, and ventilators, according to a study. The Western and Central Railways have decided to start local train services in Mumbai for essential services staff identified by the state government from Monday. While the Western Railways will run 60 pairs of trains, the Central Railways will operate 100 pairs. Entry at stations will be given only on the basis of ID cards. The general public will not be allowed to travel on these trains India saw its highest single-day spike of 11,929 novel coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the number of infections to over 3.20 lakh on Sunday, while the toll crossed the 9,000 mark with 311 more deaths, the Union Health Ministry said. This is the third day in a row there were more than 10,000 cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in India, which is the fourth worst-hit nation by the pandemic. With 9,195 fatalities till Sunday, India is the ninth worst-hit nation in terms of COVID-19 deaths in the world. According to the Union health ministry data, the country recorded 311 new deaths in the 24-hour period till Sunday morning while the recovery rate rose to above 50 percent with 1,62,378 patients cured so far, leaving 1,49,348 cases active. A total of 8,049 COVID-19 patients have been cured till Sunday 8 am taking the recovery rate to 50.60 percent, the health ministry said. The Johns Hopkins University, which has been compiling COVID-19 data from all over the world, put India in the ninth position in terms of toll and fourth in terms of the total caseload. State-wise cases and deaths As many as 113 out of the 311 deaths in the past 24 hours were from Maharashtra, followed by 57 in Delhi, 33 in Gujarat and 30 in Tamil Nadu. There were 20 more fatalities in Uttar Pradesh, 12 in West Bengal and 10 in Rajasthan. Haryana and Telangana registered eight more coronavirus deaths each, followed by seven in Madhya Pradesh, three in Bihar. Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Punjab and Uttarakhand reported two deaths each. Of the total 9,195 deaths, Maharashtra tops the tally with 3,830 fatalities, followed 1,448 by Gujarat and 1,271 in Delhi. The toll from the pandemic rose to 463 in West Bengal, 447 in Madhya Pradesh, 397 in Tamil Nadu and 385 in Uttar Pradesh. There have been 282 COVID-19 deaths in Rajasthan and 182 in Telangana. The number of fatalities reached 82 in Andhra Pradesh, 81 in Karnataka, 78 in Haryana and 65 in Punjab. Jammu and Kashmir has reported 55 COVID-19 deaths, followed by 39 in Bihar, 23 in Uttarakhand and 19 in Kerala. Odisha registered 10 deaths so far, followed by eight each in Jharkhand and Assam, and six each in Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh. Five people have succumbed to the contagion in Chandigarh, followed by two in Puducherry, and one each in Meghalaya, Tripura and Ladakh, the ministry said. More than 70 per cent of the deaths have happened due to comorbidities, it added. The maximum number of cases are from Maharashtra with 1,04,568 infections, followed by 42,687 Tamil Nadu, 38,958 in Delhi and 23,038 in Gujarat. The tally rose to 13,118 in Uttar Pradesh, 12,401 in Rajasthan and 10,698 in West Bengal. The number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 10,641 in Madhya Pradesh, 6,824 in Karnataka, 6,749 in Haryana and 6,290 in Bihar. As many as 5,965 people have contracted the deadly disease in Andhra Pradesh, followed by 4,878 in Jammu and Kashmir, 4,737 in Telangana, 3,723 in Odisha and 3,718 in Assam. There are 3,063 cases in Punjab and 2,407 in Kerala, while 1,785 people have been infected in Uttarakhand and 1,711 in Jharkhand. A total of 1,512 people are afflicted with the disease in Chhattisgarh, followed by 1,046 in Tripura, 523 in Goa and 502 in Himachal Pradesh. The number of coronavirus cases rose to 449 in Manipur, 437 in Ladakh and 345 in Chandigarh. Puducherry has registered 176 COVID-19 cases so far, followed by 163 in Nagaland, 107 in Mizoram and 87 in Arunachal Pradesh. Sikkim has 63 COVID-19 cases, while there are 44 infections in Meghalaya and 38 in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Dadar and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu have registered 35 COVID-19 cases so far. The figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research, the ministry said, adding that 7,436 cases were being reassigned to states. Statewise distribution is subject to further verification and reconciliation, it added. Shah calls for meeting of Delhi political parties tomorrow Union Home Minister Amit Shah has called a meeting of all political parties of Delhi on Monday to discuss the COVID-19 situation in the national capital amid a recent spurt in coronavirus cases, an official said. The BJP, Congress, AAP and BSP have been invited for the meeting. The COVID-19 case tally has reached nearly 39,000 and the virus has claimed more than 1,200 lives in the capital. A home ministry official said Shah will discuss measures for management of COVID-19 with the political parties. On Sunday, the home minister held two high-level meetings with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, mayors and commissioners of Delhi's three municipal corporations to strengthen the strategy to fight the pandemic. Announcing a slew of measures to check the spread of the virus after the meeting with Baijal and Kejriwal, the Union home minister announced that COVID-19 testing will be doubled in Delhi in the next two days and subsequently increased by three times. Use of Remdesivir advised on 'limited evidence', says health ministry The Union health ministry issued a clarification that the use of Remdesivir under emergency use may be considered in patients with moderate disease (those on oxygen) but with no specified contraindications. "An updated Clinical Management Protocol for COVID-19 has been released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 13th June, 2020 in which the drug Remdesivir has been included as an investigational therapy only for restricted emergency use purposes along with off label use of Tocilizumab and Convalescent Plasma.The statement said the protocol also clearly mentions that the use of these therapies is based on limited available evidence and limited availability at present," it said. The ministry also said that the emergency use of the drug is subject to conditions like written informed consent of each patient, submission of results of additional clinical trials and active surveillance data of all treated patients, risk management plan along with active post marketing surveillance and reporting of serious adverse events also to be submitted. With inputs from PTI Rayshard Brooks Photo: @KristenClarkeJD/Twitter New York Is Committed to Covering This Essential Moment Weve removed our paywall from this and other stories about police brutality and systemic racism. Consider becoming a subscriber to support our journalists. On Friday, June 12, a 27-year-old Black man named Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by Atlanta police in what Mayor Keisha Bottoms called an unjustified use of deadly force. Brookss death, which comes after weeks of nationwide unrest sparked by the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, quickly led to protests as well as the resignation of Atlanta police chief Erika Shields. Garrett Rolfe, the officer who killed Brooks, has been fired and now faces 11 charges, including felony murder. The other officer on the scene, Devin Brosnan, is facing three charges, including aggravated assault. Below is everything we know about Brookss death and its aftermath in Atlanta. What happened during the incident Shortly after 10:30 p.m. on Friday night, two Atlanta police officers, Devin Brosnan and Garrett Rolfe who are both white responded to a complaint that a man, later identified as 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks, was asleep in his car and obstructing other vehicles in the drive-through lane of a Wendys restaurant on University Avenue in southwest Atlanta. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, which is investigating the shooting, the officers gave Brooks a sobriety test, which he allegedly failed. The GBI says that when the officers then went to arrest Brooks, he resisted and a struggle ensued, prompting one of the officers to deploy their Taser. Brooks was able to obtain the Taser before trying to run away, according to the GBI, and then officers pursued Brooks on foot, and during the chase, Brooks turned and pointed the Taser at the officer. The officer fired his weapon, striking Brooks. Brooks was taken to the hospital, but died following surgery. The New York Times has done an exhaustive analysis of the available footage of the event which includes body-cam footage from the officers, dashcam footage from the officers vehicles, bystander videos, and surveillance-camera footage from the Wendys. According to those videos, Officer Brosnan was the first to respond, arriving at 10:42 p.m., at which point he wakes up Brooks in his car and has him pull into a nearby parking space, at one point almost suggesting that Brooks just take a nap. Per the Times, Officer Brosnan appears to be unsure whether he should let Mr. Brooks sleep in the car or should take further action. At 10:49 p.m., he contacts police dispatch and requests another police officer. Officer Rolfe, a more experienced officer, arrives six minutes later, and after speaking with Brosnan begins to question Brooks, who is calm, friendly, and compliant with the officers. Rolfe administers a field sobriety test on Brooks, who eventually admits he has been drinking, but says he isnt too drunk to drive. Brooks also asks Rolfe if he can just lock up his car and walk to his sisters home, which he says is nearby, and that his daughter is there, and that they had just celebrated her birthday. Rolfe, in what appears to be an attempt to get Brooks to admit he is too drunk to drive, asks him why he wants to go home. I dont want to be in violation of anybody, Brooks responds. When Rolfe asks Brooks if he can give him a breath test, Brooks responds, I dont want to refuse anything, and soon agrees to the test. The two officers and Brooks have been talking for nearly 30 minutes, peacefully, by the point Rolfe gets the result of the breath test and at 11:23 p.m. tells Brooks he has had too much drink to be driving, and goes to handcuff him. Brooks seems compliant at first, then tries to break free of the officers, who then try to tackle him to the ground. A cell-phone video of the incident recorded by a bystander shows Brooks and the two officers scuffling on the ground. Rolfe tells Brooks to stop fighting and warns him that he is going to get Tased. Mr. Rolfe, come on, man. Mr. Rolfe, Brooks says. Officer Brosnan has unholstered his Taser and Brooks gets ahold of it during the scuffle, breaks free, stands up, and punches Rolfe. Brooks does not try to use the Taser. Rolfe fires his Taser at Brooks who then begins to run away with Brosnans Taser still in his hand. Rolfe follows close behind, continuing to try to use his Taser to stun Brooks. #BREAKING NEW VIDEO appears to show the man struggle with police before the shooting. Warning: Graphic #atlantariots #Atlanta pic.twitter.com/F2XOGlJIhV Eric Wasserman "WASS" (@EricWasserman1) June 13, 2020 What happens next was captured in a disturbing video recorded by a Wendys surveillance camera. Brooks can be seen running across the parking lot with Rolfe close behind. While running, Brooks half turns around and points the Taser toward Rolfe and fires it. Rolfe then drops his Taser and unholsters his handgun, firing three times at Brooks as he runs away. Brooks then falls to the ground. All of this happened in the space of about a minute since the officers began trying to arrest Brooks. GBI released video that shows the moment Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by an Atlanta Police officer at a Wendys on University Ave last night. Police say Brooks had taken an officer's taser and pointed it at the officer as he ran. pic.twitter.com/1G8fn03gFV Matt Johnson (@MattWSB) June 13, 2020 The two officers stand over Brooks, who is still moving. It takes two minutes for them to begin to provide medical assistance, after Brosnan has gone back to his vehicle to radio for help. An ambulance arrives six minutes after the shooting, and takes Brooks to the hospital eight minutes later. Rayshard Brooks. A 27 yr old father of 3 girls and 1 stepson. Was celebrating his daughters 8th birthday and was planning to take her skating. His crime? Allegedly sleeping in his car in a Wendys parking lot in Atlanta. Shot 3 times in the back and killed. #RayshardBrooks pic.twitter.com/stKK0h2l2M Kristen Clarke (@KristenClarkeJD) June 14, 2020 Officer Garrett Rolfe has been fired, and now faces murder charges Garrett Rolfe, the Atlanta police officer who shot and killed Brooks, was fired on Saturday night, and the other responding officer, Devin Brosnan, was placed on administrative leave, according to the Atlanta Police Department. Rolfe was a six-year veteran of the force, while Brosnan has been with the department for less than two years. On June 17, Fulton County district attorney Paul Howard announced that Rolfe would face 11 criminal charges, including felony murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Devin Brosnan is facing three charges, including aggravated assault and violation of oath. On June 18, Rolfe turned himself in to the Fulton County jail. In the announcement, Howard also displayed pictures showing Brosnan standing on Brookss shoulders while Brooks was on the ground after being shot. While Brosnan was on Brookss shoulders, Rolfe kicked Brookss body. Howard also announced that Brosnan is cooperating with the district attorneys office, and is willing to testify against Rolfe. BREAKING: Fulton County DA on actions of officers after Rayshard Brooks was shot: "Officer Rolfe actually kicked Mr. Brooks while he laid on the ground, while he was there fighting for his life." A second officer stood on Brooks' shoulders, the DA says. https://t.co/VR0y9oxKzu pic.twitter.com/XPTtOFgVHG ABC News (@ABC) June 17, 2020 Following the announcement of the murder charge on June 17, Atlanta police officers reportedly called out sick en masse, protesting the charges by refusing to do their jobs. BREAKING NEWS: Georgia police sources tell me only two police precincts are staffed in the entire city of Atlanta. Entire zones of officers are walking off the job. Zones 1,3,5 and 6 have left their posts. Zones walking off the job. #BlueLivesMatter toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) June 18, 2020 On Thursday, the Atlanta Police Foundation a non-profit funding high priority projects designed to enhance the City of Atlantas ability to fight and prevent crime announced it would provide a $500 bonus for every APD officer. Rayshard Brookss family: When does this stop? Brooks, 27, lived in Atlanta and leaves behind a wife, three daughters ages 1, 2, and 8 and a 13-year-old stepson. According to a lawyer for the family, L. Chris Stewart, Brooks worked at a Mexican restaurant. Brookss daughter turned 8 on Saturday, Steward said, and on Friday, Brooks had taken her out to eat, to an arcade, and to get her nails done. He was going to take her skating on Saturday. Brookss wife, Tomika Miller, spoke to CBS News on Monday. Right now Im still not processing the fact that my husbands not coming home ever, she said, explaining that she had already cried over what the family of George Floyd has gone through and couldnt believe she was now going through the same thing herself. I never imagined it being at my front door, she explained. I never imagined it being me having to do this and go through this. And I honestly feel I felt the pain, but now I really feel the pain. Miller said she hasnt been able to bring herself to watch the footage of her husband being shot. She also said she wanted Officers Rolfe and Brosnan to be in jail. It was murder. That was not justified, she said. Because he was shot and he wasnt armed. He wasnt dangerous. Brookss niece, Chassidy Evans, appeared with Miller and other members of Brookss family at a press conference on Monday. The day after my uncles murder, his oldest daughter sat (waiting) for her father, in her birthday dress, to come and take her skating, Evans said. Not only are we hurt, we are angry. When does this stop? Were not only pleading for justice. Were pleading for change, she continued. My uncle did not die in vain. His life mattered. Brookss cousin, Tiara Brooks, made a similar point, asking, How many more protests will it take to ensure that the next victim isnt your cousin, your brother, your uncle, your nephew, your friend, or your companion, so that we can finally end the suffering of excessive police force? John Wade, a family friend who spoke with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, described Brooks as an outstanding person. Wade said Brooks was outgoing, easygoing, and rarely in any trouble at all, adding that he was kind and rarely even used cuss words. A former employer of Brookss in Ohio, Ark Restoration & Construction, also posted a tribute to Brooks on Instagram early Sunday: A GoFundMe has been set up to support Brookss family. Mayor Bottoms condemned the shooting and Atlantas police chief resigned On Saturday, Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms condemned the shooting and called for the officer responsible to be fired. While there may be debate as to whether this was an appropriate use of deadly force, I firmly believe that there is a clear distinction between what you can do and what you should do, Bottoms said. I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer. Late Saturday, as protests raged outside the Wendys where Brooks was killed, the APD announced that Rolfe had been fired and Brosnan had been put on administrative leave. Bottoms also announced on Saturday that Atlanta police chief Erika Shields has offered her resignation, which the mayor accepted. Shields, who drew praise two weeks ago for her quick condemnation of the Minneapolis police officers who killed George Floyd and her frank conversations with protesters in Atlanta, said she was stepping down out of a deep and abiding love for this city and this department, and that I have faith in the mayor, and it is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Protests began immediately after Brooks was killed Following the shooting, a crowd quickly assembled at the scene. They condemned the killing of Brooks and shouted at nearby officers; at one point a chant of no justice, no peace broke out. HAPPENING NOW: Dozens of people have gathered at a scene where Atlanta Police along with GBI are investigating an officer involved shooting. @cbs46 pic.twitter.com/OqaZBJY7XQ Aiun Nettles (@godfamilytravel) June 13, 2020 The protest continued on Saturday morning outside the Wendys, and was joined by some members of Brookss family, who emphasized that nothing Brooks did should have resulted in him being killed. John Wade, a leader of the demonstration here at the Wendys on University Avenue, where Rayshard Brooks was killed overnight in an officer-involved shooting: This is the new ground zero. Another man was taken right at this spot.https://t.co/Kv1vwlbkwU pic.twitter.com/l9eT2b7ylT Scott Trubey (@FitzTrubey) June 13, 2020 A peaceful protest continued outside the Wendys throughout the day on Saturday, then swelled on Saturday night, despite police efforts to prevent protesters from making it to the area. Protesters blocked nearby streets and eventually Interstate 85, which was adjacent to the Wendys. There were some confrontations between protesters and police, who used tear gas in an attempt to break up the demonstration. This protest has more than doubled in size in the past 30 minutes, despite police blocking off all interstate exits and side streets leading to Wendy's, the scene of #RayshardBrooks death. @FOX5Atlanta pic.twitter.com/0YSmwTBgBD Alex Whittler (@AlexWhittler) June 13, 2020 Protesters in Atlanta shutdown an interstate after the murder of Rayshard Brooks by police. #RayshardBrooks #AtlantaShooting #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/xoxQpjoVuC Omar Moore (@thepopcornreel) June 14, 2020 Tear gas and a flash bang at protest near Wendys where #RayshardBrooks was shot and killed last night pic.twitter.com/YqG45dRWrp Natasha Chen (@NatashaChenCNN) June 14, 2020 #BREAKING Protesters have shut down I-85 near University ave, the highway that stretches over the Wendy's where #RayshardBrooks was shot and killed @fox5atlanta pic.twitter.com/UxzLzpF5Ym Alex Whittler (@AlexWhittler) June 14, 2020 Later, at around 11 p.m. Saturday, protesters turned their rage on the Wendys itself, smashing the windows before someone set it on fire. The resulting blaze soon engulfed the restaurant and ultimately destroyed it. The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department said it was unable to respond to the fire because of the protest, though law-enforcement officers tried to clear a path for firefighters using tear gas. There goes @Wendys on University Ave. I had to step away for my own safety but here is a look at rioters right before they lit a firework in the Wendy's where #atlantapolice shot and killed #RayshardBrooks @FOX5Atlanta pic.twitter.com/rR0XdDkaBk Alex Whittler (@AlexWhittler) June 14, 2020 I had to get this footage cause the media will make it seem like we burned this shit down #AtlantaProtest pic.twitter.com/mGi8kAYqUw Fola (@ImKingFola) June 14, 2020 #UPDATE Police and fire just arrived at Wendy's which is steadily blazing from the inside @FOX5Atlanta https://t.co/5GyvNd39BR pic.twitter.com/4YS1wSkNbB Alex Whittler (@AlexWhittler) June 14, 2020 By Sunday morning, this is what was left: Protests continued near the Wendys into the early morning hours on Sunday. Protests also took place in other parts of the city overnight, including outside the Atlanta police precinct near Grant Park. Atlanta tonight, just before hundreds of police removed hundreds of protestors gathering without incident in front of APD precinct. pic.twitter.com/6kWbZP8NGY Douglas A. Blackmon (@douglasblackmon) June 14, 2020 There is only the weight of tragedy in Atlanta tonight. Deeply disturbing scenes to see unfolding down the street from the house. Good will come from these weeks of unrest, but we are living in truly dark times. pic.twitter.com/0YBpyKz0UK Douglas A. Blackmon (@douglasblackmon) June 14, 2020 This post has been updated to reflect newly reported information. 14.06.2020 LISTEN The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Juaben constituency in the Ashanti Region has suspended six polling station officials for invoking curses on the leadership of the party. The six polling station officials allegedly took the action to express their displeasure over the disqualification of Francis Owusu, an aspirant who had wanted to contest in the upcoming parliamentary primaries. The suspension will last for 21 days beginning 12th June 2020 to 2nd July 2020. In a letter signed by the constituency Chairman, Alex Kwabena Sarfo Kantanka explained that the action taken by the polling station officials was contrary to article 3 and 4 of the partys constitution. On Friday 5th June 2020, you misconducted yourself by invoking curses against the leadership of the party for disqualifying a parliamentary aspirant which violates the partys constitution, article 3 and 4, it stated. This has been the norm ever since reports emerged of the list of persons disqualified from contesting in the NPP June 20 primaries in constituencies with sitting Members of Parliament. The election was supposed to have come off on April 25, 2020, but was postponed indefinitely due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country and the related restrictive measures announced by the President. Below is the statement from the party: The governing New Patriotic Party last week directed the immediate suspension of all party members who were captured on video performing rituals and cursing party executives in the Offinso South Constituency. The video which has since gone viral shows the disgruntled party members cursing the incumbent Member of Parliament, Abdullah Banda and national executives for disqualifying their preferred candidate who was aspiring to unseat the MP. At a news conference in Accra on June 8, 2020, General Secretary of the NPP, John Boadu said all the persons involved in the act have been sanctioned. citinewsroom By PTI MADRID: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says Spain will open its borders to travelers from Europe's Schengen travel areas except Portugal on June 21, moving up the original date by 10 days. Spain will drop its requirement for people arriving from abroad to stay in quarantine, either at home or in a hotel, for 14 days on arrival, when it reopens on that day. Sanchez said Sunday that Spain and Portugal will keep their border closed to non-essential crossings until July 1. Spain's government had already announced that on June 21 it will end the nation's state of emergency to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. From then on, Spaniards will be able to move freely around the country without restrictions, but face masks will remain obligatory in public transport and crowded spaces. On Monday, Spain's Balearic Islands test their reopening strategy by accepting the first flights from Germany of tourists who will be exempt from a quarantine. The islands plan to welcome up to 10,900 Germans during the trial. Over 27,000 Spaniards have died in the country's pandemic. Hitches in the online systems deployed by tertiary institutions to run examinations in the wake of COVID-19 conditions have forced some major decisions by the schools. The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), for instance, has accepted to rerun the exams for final year students who could not access the online platforms due to challenges with internet service. While some of the students have described the process as friendly and fair, others said unreliable internet services had made the process frustrating. In the midst of the difficulties that some students face, the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has proposed that that instead of exams or quizzes, a student could be given an assignment where he or she can research in a 24-hour time frame to submit to ease the frustration with the internet service. Thankfully, institutions such as the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) adopted that process, NUGS President, Mr Isaac Hyde, told the Daily Graphic. One of the key challenges with this online education is accessibility to the system, and basically that is about the network and sometimes ensuring that students have access to appropriate devices, he added. Indeed, institutions such as the Ashesi University and the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), have conducted the online examinations already, while the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), University of Ghana, Legon and the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) are still running their exams. Experiences The online processes allow students to log into the relevant school system with their ID. The student usually has between an hour and two hours to answer mostly questions that came with answer options, and once the student starts work, he or she is automatically timed. The system goes off automatically when the time is up. If the answers are submitted within the time, the results are made available to the candidate immediately. Some students said although the questions required simple answer options, they required deep thinking to get the answers right. A number of students said it was fair because it did not provide an avenue for cheating. UPSA A level 100 Actuarial Science student at the UPSA, Mr Elikplim Agbanyo, described his first ever online exams experience as shaky. We go onto the virtual platform provided by the school to access questions and submit answers back on the platform within 48 hours, at least with this first course I did not experience any internet disconnection, he said. Even though the schools virtual platform is free and does not require data, my course is more practical and the slides and assignments we were given were ones that required a lot of online research and data bundle which I had to purchase, he said. No room for cheating Some students of GIMPA said contrary to speculation, the process did not give room for cheating. A second year diploma student, Ms Alexina Elaine Adja-Cudjoe, who took part in an Organisational Behaviour course online exam, said: Initially I was scared that the platform was going to be jammed because of the number of students from two classes that had to partake in that exam from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.. You cannot even discuss with a mate even if you are with others because the time runs so fast; it wont allow for that, she said. GIJs slow network Some first year Diploma students at the GIJ expressed concerns over slow network and the time questions had to load once they logged into the schools portal. According to the students, once they logged in they had to spend about 15 to 20 minutes waiting for the next question to load even while the timer read. Mawusi Asare said she experienced network problems anytime she had a paper and was unable to finish all 60 questions with answer options. I have six more papers and so far it has been difficult completing within the time given because of slow network, so I just answer what I can, she said. Background Schools have closed since March 16, 2020 as Ghana recorded some cases of COVID-19, with tertiary institutions resorting to online tuition. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on May 31, 2020 announced the easing of restrictions to allow final year tertiary, senior high and junior high school students to return to school starting from June 15, 2020. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Shirley A. Jackson Jackson, who has a doctorate in sociology, is a professor in the black studies department at Portland State University. She lives in Beaverton. For the past two weeks in Portland and cities across the country, we have seen daily protests, some accompanied by anger and others by the disbelief that we are seeing the killing of yet another black person by the police. There have been many conversations about the police but the racism we see extends beyond the violent treatment of unarmed black people by some members of law enforcement. African Americans have been protesting for a long time, but it has now emerged as a movement that has spread from big cities to small towns across the world. Individual racism lives in the hearts and minds of individuals who believe they have a right to use their whiteness as an opportunity to keep African Americans oppressed. African Americans engaging in everyday activities have their lives placed at risk by individuals who use the threat of calling the police as a weapon. We have seen African Americans watching birds in a park, napping in a dorm, babysitting, selling bottles of water, trying to enter their place of residence or visiting a corner store are unable to engage in such routine activities without a white person calling for the police. Just two years ago in Oregon, Rep. Janelle Bynum had the police called on her as the Democratic legislator went door-to-door talking with constituents in a neighborhood in her Clackamas district. For those who believe that we should all be color-blind, lets get real. We do not live in a color-blind society and never have. As a society, we have segments that have been lulled into complacency by not discussing the existence of race and the impact of racism. When I first moved to the Portland area more than four years ago, I was navigating a racial landscape different from other places I had lived. Even my short stint living in Maine had not prepared me for Portland, a predominantly white, seemingly progressive place where discussions about race are more rhetoric than real. I learned that while there are people interested in hearing my stories of experiencing racism and sexism in my workplace, no one was willing to do anything about it. I had heard about the tendency for people to be Portland nice but it took a while for me to learn that this included discussions of race. I dont mean discussions of unarmed African American men being killed by police, but those involving day-to-day experiences of African Americans. I learned quickly that I could talk about race, but only in the way those listening wanted me to. If I disagreed, I no longer fit into their narrative of how they wanted me to be. I found out the hard way that stereotypes about what I should think, say, and act meant that I needed to conform to local racial norms that were set by non-African Americans. Retelling the history of Oregons racist history is incomplete without acknowledging the current experiences of the states non-white residents. I live and work in spaces where I am the only person who looks like me. In these spaces I am acutely aware of how others see me based on my race and gender and how stereotypes of African American women dominate the minds of those around me. If I have a difference of opinion, I am seen as argumentative or difficult. Instead of being viewed as educated, I am a know-it-all. I do not have the luxury of feeling hurt because I am only perceived as strong. I cannot be upset because I risk being perceived as the angry black woman. I should be more than a stereotype. We all need to take stock of the thoughts and beliefs that lie within us to understand how they impact our actions. Let us not ignore how as a state we are moving towards educating students by requiring an ethnic studies curriculum for grades K-12. For others, exploring works like Harriet Washingtons Medical Apartheid, Eduardo Bonilla-Silvas Racism without Racists and Michelle Alexanders The New Jim Crow are good places to start. Racism built on stereotypes can have very real consequences, some more deadly than others. As we go forward, let us embrace honest conversations leading to meaningful action that creates real and sustained change. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter with links to editorials, op-eds and letters to the editor at oregonlive.com/newletters. PALM SPRINGS, Calif. As the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department launched an investigation into the hanging death of a Black man in Palmdale, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said on Saturday there were no indications of foul play in the hanging death of another Black man in Victorville last month. Palmdale is about 60 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Victorville is about 50 miles east of Palmdale. San Bernardino Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Jodi Miller said deputies responded around 7 a.m. on May 31 to a report of a man who hanged himself near a homeless encampment in Victorville. He was later identified as 38-year-old Malcolm Harsch. "A death investigation is being conducted," Miller wrote in an email to The Desert Sun. "There were no indications at the scene that suggested foul play. The cause and manner of death are pending." Rayshard Brooks death: Atlanta police chief steps down, police clash with protesters In a statement, Harsch's family said they were concerned that the investigation was taking a long time and said they regarded his death as suspicious. "He didn't seem to be depressed to anyone who truly knew him," the family said. "Everyone who knew our brother was shocked to hear that he allegedly hung himself and don't believe it to be true as well as the people who were there when his body was discovered. "The explanation of suicide does not seem plausible," the family added. According to the family, a deputy called to confirm the death and said a USB cord was used in the hanging. The sheriff's department did not provide more details about the incident. In a statement, Harsch's family said his body was found hanging from a tree. "There was blood on his shirt but there didn't appear to be any physical implications at the scene to suggest that there was a struggle or any visible open wounds at that time," the family said. Story continues After Hesperia, Victorville is the last city tourists will see on the LA2Vegas ride, a collection of big box stores, restaurants and a gateway to old Route 66. More than 1,500 people have signed an online petition requesting the sheriff's department and cities of Victorville and San Bernardino to conduct an investigation into his death. "There are many ways to die but considering the current racial tension, a Black man hanging himself from a tree definitely doesn't sit well with us right now," the family said. "We want justice, not comfortable excuses." On the same day Harsch was found, a Victorville rally drew dozens of people protesting George Floyds death and other controversial killings at the hands of police. In Palmdale, authorities are investigating the death of a 24-year-old Robert Fuller, a Black man found hanging from a tree near City Hall, which they originally described as an apparent suicide. That prompted concern and outrage in the community. A passer-by reported seeing Fullers body around 3 a.m. Wednesday. Emergency personnel responded and found that he appeared to have died by suicide, Los Angeles County Sheriffs officials said. Fullers death has generated intense scrutiny, especially after nationwide protests rebuking the police killing of Floyd. On Saturday, hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Palmdale, a city of 150,000, marching from the park where Fullers body was found to the sheriffs station. Many carried signs that said "Justice for Robert Fuller." More than 100,000 people signed an online petition demanding a full investigation into Fullers death. Community members confronted city officials at a contentious news briefing Friday, asking why they were quick to label his death a suicide and demanding an independent autopsy. "I have doubts about what happened," Marisela Barajas, who went to the press conference and joined a crowd gathered at the tree where Fullers body was found, told the Los Angeles Times. "All alone, in front of the City Hall its more like a statement," she said. "Even if it was a suicide, that in itself is kind of a statement." Lt. Kelly Yagerlener of the L.A. County medical examiner-coroners office said a decision on the cause of death is deferred pending an investigation. A full autopsy is planned. A Los Angeles County supervisor, state senator and state assembly member on Saturday called on the state attorney general to investigate the death. Palmdale residents demanded surveillance video around the time and place where Fullers body was found. The city said there were no outdoor cameras, and video recorders on a nearby traffic signal could not have captured what happened. L.A. Sheriffs Capt. Ron Shaffer said homicide detectives were investigating the circumstances leading to Fullers death to determine if foul play was involved. He urged members of the public to contact detectives if they have relevant information, particularly about where Fuller had been and who he had been with in recent weeks. Palmdale officials wrote in a statement that investigators have been in contact with Fullers family. KPCC-FM reported that at the march Saturday, Fullers sister Diamond Alexander insisted her brother was not suicidal. "Robert was a good little brother to us and its like everything they have been telling us has not been right ... and we just want to know the truth," she said. Shane Newell reports for the Palm Springs Desert Sun Contributing: The Victorville Daily Press; the Associated Press This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: California officials probe 2 separate hanging deaths of Black men According to information released by the Italian news agency ANSA on June 8, 2020, Italy approves the sale of two FREMM frigates to the Egyptian navy. In February 2020, it was announced that Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri will sign a deal with Egypt to purchase two European Multi-Purpose Frigate (FREMM) warships. According to information released by the Italian news agency ANSA on June 8, 2020, Italy approves the sale of two FREMM frigates to the Egyptian navy. In February 2020, it was announced that Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri will sign a deal with Egypt to purchase two European Multi-Purpose Frigate (FREMM) warships. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link FREMM class frigate Spartaco Schergat (F538) during sea trials. (Picture source Twiter account AurelioGiansira) According to the report, these frigates may be drawn from the Italian Navys procurement program the vessels Spartaco Schergat and Emilio Bianchi, launched in January 2019 and January 2020, respectively enabling Fincantieri to sell the vessels for an estimated cost of 1.2 billion. The FREMM ("European multi-purpose frigate"; French: Fregate europeenne multi-mission; Italian: Fregata europea multi-missione) is a class of multi-purpose frigates designed by Naval Group and Fincantieri for the navies of France and Italy. The lead ship of the class, Aquitaine, was commissioned in November 2012 by the French Navy. The "Emilio Bianchi" vessel, like the other units, features a high degree of flexibility, capable of operating in all tactical situations. 144 metres long with a beam of 19.7 metres, the ship has a displacement at a full load of approximately 6,700 tonnes. The vessel has a maximum speed of over 27 knots and has a maximum accommodation capacity for a 200-person crew. Spartaco Schergat is a general purpose-configured variant with a full-load displacement of 6,900 tons and 144 meters in length. It carries an OTO Melara gun, a 16-cell vertical launch system launching Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles, an MU90 lightweight torpedo launching system (Torpedo Launching System) and the Teseo MK2/A anti-ship system, based on the Teseo missile. The ship also has a flight deck for embarking two helicopters. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 19:31:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KUWAIT CITY, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait on Sunday reported 454 new cases of COVID-19 and seven more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 35,920 and the death toll to 296, the Health Ministry said in a statement. Currently, 8,865 patients are receiving treatment, including 171 in ICU, according to the statement. The ministry also announced the recovery of 877 more patients, raising the total recoveries in the country to 26,759. On May 31, Kuwait ended the full curfew and imposed a three-week partial curfew for a gradual return to normal life in the country. On June 7, Kuwaiti Minister of State for Services Affairs and Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs Mubarak Al-Harees said that Kuwait plans to resume commercial flights in three stages. On June 10, Kuwait decided to open mosques after nearly three months of closure, as part of government's measures to restore normal life. Kuwait and China have been supporting each other and cooperated closely in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Kuwait donated medical supplies worth 3 million U.S. dollars to China at the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak, while China has been facilitating the procurement of medical supplies by Kuwait. On April 27, a team of Chinese medical experts visited Kuwait to assist the Arab country's anti-coronavirus fight, through sharing with Kuwaiti counterparts their experiences and expertise in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. Enditem Gurugram, June 14 : In a bid to fight the Coronavirus pandemic, the administration in Gurugram has decided to build temporary quarantine centres in the residential societies and upscale condomimums. A decision in this regard was taken on Saturday following a meeting with Hitender Sharma, SDM of Badshahpur range, wherein representatives of 25-30 Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) had participated. "We have asked them to submit lists of common places like community centres, gyms, spa centres or clubs to develop as makeshift quarantine centres," Sharma said. The officials in Gurugram believe that next one month is very crucial as chances of spreading Covid-19 is maximum and at very large scale. Efforts are underway to ensure all preventive measures are followed to avoid a Delhi or Mumbai like situation in the Millennium City. "The basic idea is to isolate as much as suspected or positive patients from common people. Since, quick arrangements of beds are not possible, temporary quarantine centres in residential society will eventually help their own residents," Sharma said. Manish Shandilya, convener of Residents Development Forum, said: The temporary quarantine centres will be governed by respective RWAs and a doctor, a resident of a particular society will be appointed as medical officer of the centre. The district administration has assured us to provide doctors or trained medical staffs in case no doctors reside in any particular complex." Gurugram is currently facing shortage of hospital beds already as over 2,922 Covid positive cases emerged so far. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Bord Bia, the state agency for supporting and promoting Irish food at home and abroad, is planning to develop a consumer study that can help food brands formulate a strategy for recessionary periods. The agency has issued a request for tender to carry out a study, titled Feeling the Pinch, which it last carried out between 2008 and 2013. The previous research helped brands understand their markets and how to position themselves with consumers throughout the difficult trading periods. The work carried out in the earlier study involved tracking consumer behaviour across Ireland and the UK. It also looked at the market context, helping brands to develop a strategic outlook with consideration for how they needed to react. In the request for tender, Bord Bia said it was crucial that "we try to understand the evolving and changing consumer experiences that we are likely to see emerging in the months and years ahead". The new study will look to build a multi-market tracking study that can be built on at least once a year. Markets that will form part of the study include Ireland, the UK, Denmark, France, China and the US. It will look to demonstrate how brands are responding globally to the pandemic in the context of consumer behaviour and highlight what this means, and how it translates, in terms of brand strategy. Grace Binchy, an insight and trends specialist at Bord Bia, said the study would help businesses access critical information around how to respond in their markets. "The study designed in the last recession enabled businesses to understand consumer sentiment and behaviour and by implication helped inform businesses how best to engage with consumers in a relevant way," she said. "It also allowed them to learn 'how to win' as the reports published highlighted what different brands were doing globally to engage with consumers. "It is intended that the Feeling the Pinch report in 2020 will facilitate businesses in the same way. It will provide a consumer and brand roadmap that Irish food and drink businesses can use to navigate through the difficult times ahead." Binchy added that Bord Bia has also designed its Future Proofing Toolkit as part of its Covid-19 response: "[It] is also designed to support food and drink companies and together with Feeling the Pinch should provide useful business planning tools." In the request for tender document, Bord Bia said its Future Proofing Toolkit would help to map out "the big shifts in consumer behaviour across a number of markets". It said this would allow the agency to start "plotting behaviours that are manifesting themselves during the crisis and to start understanding behaviours that are likely to stick and emerge". Bord Bia plans the Feeling the Pinch series to operate in sync with its future-proofing work. Companies interested in working on the series must complete the request for tender by July 3. You are here: U.S. state of Washington Governor Jay Inslee issued a statement on Saturday to alarm the increase of COVID-19 transmission. The Washington State Department of Health on Saturday released the latest statewide situation report, which showed COVID-19 transmission continued to increase in eastern Washington as of the end of May, with a possible uptick in western Washington as well. "The report estimates cases and deaths will soon increase substantially if COVID-19 continues to spread at current levels," Inslee said in the statement. "Washingtonians have done the hard work to flatten the curve on COVID-19... But today's report shows us there is still reason for strong concern in parts of our state," he added. "This is not the time to give up on efforts to protect ourselves, our families and our communities. We are still in the middle of a pandemic that is continuing to infect and kill Washingtonians," Inslee warned. Inslee said that the cases in Benton, Franklin and Yakima counties are of particular concern. He joined the Institute for Disease Modeling Saturday morning as it shared data with leaders in these three counties. "This data will force us to look for some creative solutions and strengthen our strong local - state partnerships to address the disease activity," he said. According to Inslee, residents must increase testing and mask-wearing, and maintain physical distancing to continue tackling the coronavirus. He also stressed the importance of strengthening hospital capacity, as well as target interventions for high-risk populations such as long-term care facilities and indoors, including close proximity workplace operations, such as food processing and agricultural housing. The Cadbury Foundation makes 5,000 donation to Nightingale House Hospice This article is old - Published: Sunday, Jun 14th, 2020 Nightingale House Hospice has been chosen by Chirk-based employees at Mondelez International to receive a donation of 5,000. Providing specialist palliative care services to patients and their families across the town, the charity will be granted the substantial figure from The Cadbury Foundation, as part of its Your Charity Your Choice scheme. Dedicated to supporting those who are living with a diagnosis of a life-limiting illness, the hospice offers services including a 12-bed inpatient ward, a 15-patient daycare unit and an outpatient clinic, as well as occupational therapy, physiotherapy and ambulance service. Nightingale House Hospice also provides a range of bereavement support as a specialist service for children and young adults. The 5,000 donation will contribute to the charitys outreach service, enabling the hospice to provide vital care to the Chirk community. Each year, Mondelez International UK employees are invited to nominate wellbeing-related charities or projects close to their hearts, with the final shortlisted charities voted for by the wider workforce. Callum Williams a technician at the Mondelez International site in Chirk, nominated the charity to receive the 5,000 bursary. Callum said: Nightingale House Hospice deliver incredible and vital work for our community and continuously affect so many individuals lives for the better. The charity is a safe place for so many people of all ages and they provide all kinds of support for our town, so I nominated them to receive the grant so they can continue the amazing work that they do. Christine Dukes, grants and trust fundraiser at Nightingale House Hospice, commented: Were delighted to have received this donation from The Cadbury Foundation. The generous contribution will help us to continue provide specialist palliative care services to the heart of our community. The Cadbury Foundation, which is celebrating its 85th birthday this year, was set up in 1935 in recognition of Richard and George Cadbury and their investment in the welfare of their employees and the local community. Across all Mondelez International UK sites, 90,000 will be pledged for the Your Charity Your Choice campaign. Kelly Farrell, community affairs manager at Mondelez International, said: Were extremely proud to be able to support the charities that are important to our employees through our Your Charity Your Choice scheme. Nightingale House Hospice provide an invaluable service to those in need in Chirk, and were delighted to know that with The Cadbury Foundations help, they can continue delivering vital help to their local community. 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 newsletters. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now. County and state officials who represent Palmdale are calling for the state Attorney General to investigate the death of a young black man who was found hanging from a tree in a public park last Wednesday. The L.A. County Sheriff's Department said 24-year-old Robert Fuller appeared to have died by suicide, but family and friends say his death looks more like a lynching. "I asked California State Attorney General Xavier Becerra to conduct an independent investigation into the death of Mr. Robert Fuller," Supervisor Kathryn Barger said on Saturday. "The attorney general, as the lead attorney and law enforcement official for the state of California, will lend additional expertise and oversight into this important investigation and provide the community with the answers they deserve." Barger added, "It is my hope that our collective efforts will help to support those struggling and grieving surrounding the circumstances of this tragedy." State Senator Scott Wilk and Assemblymember Tom Lackey, both Republicans from the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys, also called for Becerra to investigate the death. 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 Fuller's family has contested the initial finding of a suicide and are calling for an independent investigation and autopsy. Hundreds of people gathered in Palmdale on Saturday to demand answers about Fuller's death, which was discovered Wednesday. "The city of Palmdale is joining the family [of Fuller] and the community's call for justice, and we do support a full investigation into his death," said Palmdale Public Information Officer John Mlynar. "We will settle for nothing less than a thorough accounting of this matter." "The city has already reached out to Mr. Fuller's family, offering help and support, and will do everything possible to assist Mr. Fuller's family during this difficult time as a complete vetting of his death is investigated," Mlynar said. The city joined the Fuller family in the call for an independent investigation and autopsy, he said. Protesters in Palmdale on Saturday call for an investigation. (Josie Huang/LAist) Sheriff's officials said Thursday that the death appeared to be a suicide, but investigators were waiting for full autopsy results and information from the man's relatives before making a final determination, according to Lt. Brandon Dean of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The Los Angeles County coroner's office performed an autopsy Friday, but deferred the cause of death. "When a cause of death is deferred, a deputy medical examiner is requesting additional investigation, including laboratory testing and witness statements, before providing a final determination on the cause and manner of death," an official at the coroner's office said. Sheriff's officials reiterated Saturday that the death appears to be a suicide, but the investigation is ongoing. Meanwhile, an investigation continues into the hanging death of another Black man, this one in Victorville, which is about 50 miles east of Palmdale. Malcolm Harsch, 38, was found at 7 a.m. on May 31, hanging from a tree near a public library in Victorville. The San Bernardino Sheriff's Department has made a preliminary determination that his death was also a suicide and that no foul play was involved, although the case remains under investigation. Like Fuller's family, Harsch's relatives are doubtful he took his own life. "He didn't seem to be depressed to anyone who truly knew him," Harsch's family told reporters. "Everyone who knew our brother was shocked to hear that he allegedly hung himself and don't believe it to be true. The explanation of suicide does not seem plausible." Both deaths come during a national conversation about racism in the United States in the aftermath of George Floyd's death in Minneapolis, and the circumstances evoke the country's sordid history of lynchings. Nearly 5,000 lynchings occurred in the U.S. between 1882 and 1968, according to the NAACP. More than 70% of those lynched were black. A virtual town hall is scheduled from 2-4 p.m. Monday in which residents of Palmdale and Lancaster can discuss Fuller's death and the investigation. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva will co-host the event, along with captains from the two cities' sheriff's stations. WE ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS Tesla Model 3 vehicles produced at its Fremont, Calif. factory will reportedly come standard with a wireless charging pad and USB-C ports, upgrades that were first spotted by Drive Tesla Canada. Electrek also reported on the changes. The upgrades now put U.S.-made Model 3s on par with the same vehicles made at Tesla's factory in China. The wireless phone charger and USB-C ports first appeared in the newer Model Y, which customers began to receive in March. Tesla has since taken steps to bring some of these new Model Y features into the older Model 3. The upgrades initially showed up in vehicles assembled in China. Drive Tesla Canada said the upgrades became standard in Model 3 vehicles assembled after June 4. Tesla still offers a $125 upgrade (seen below) for those who own pre-June 4 2020 Model 3 vehicles. Aftermarket company Jeda Products also sells a Qi wireless phone charger for about $99. tesla wireless charging pad Image Credits: Tesla The upgrades are likely part of Tesla's aim to make its automotive assembly more efficient as well as make its vehicles more attractive to potential customers who have slowed purchases during COVID-19 pandemic. Tesla delivered 88,400 vehicles in the first quarter, beating most analysts expectations despite a 21% decrease from the previous quarter as the COVID-19 pandemic put downward pressure on demand and created logistical challenges. Tesla produced 103,000 electric vehicles in the first quarter, about 2% lower than the previous period. COVID-19 disrupted the supply chain and global sales in China and Europe in the first quarter, which ended March 31. The pandemic spread its economic gloom to the U.S. towards the end of the first quarter, and then dug in its heels in the second period. Tesla typically reports quarter production and delivery figures a few days after the end of the quarter. The second quarter ends June 30. Airlines in Asia are less likely to shed jobs on the same scale as their counterparts in Europe and North America after receiving government support, according to the head of an industry association representing the regions best-known carriers. The prediction comes as Asian carriers opt for furloughs and pay reductions rather than job cuts for now, despite being hit first by the Covid-19 pandemic, while airlines in Europe and North America warn that workforces will shrink by as much as half. We have seen fewer job losses already, said Subhas Menon, the director general of the Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines (AAPA), in an interview with the Post. Especially in the West, airlines have laid off many people compared with Asia, which is not that many. In many cases airlines in Asia have chosen to adopt no pay leave or furloughs until they can get back on their feet. Fresh from unveiling a Hong Kong government-led bailout worth HK$39 billion this week, Cathay Pacific announced a second round of unpaid leave for 33,000 staff, taking this years total to six weeks. The airline said on Friday it would seek the governments help in paying 27,000 staff by joining its wage subsidy scheme, which prevents it from making any redundancies. Hong Kongs flag carrier said it could not rule out job cuts in a restructuring review that would conclude by the last quarter of 2020. The governments cash injection into Cathay gives it two boardroom seats, which have no voting rights but allow it unprecedented access to company information. Malaysia Airlines says it is trying to avoid job cuts by making spending reductions. Photo: Bloomberg Last week Singapore Airlines said it was not considering job cuts. On Thursday, Malaysia Airlines said it was trying to avoid possible job cuts, by pushing through spending reduction, to among things, protect lower paid staff. My belief and the AAPAs belief is that governments will do what is necessary to support this key industry with jobs and livelihoods in mind, Menon said. Story continues The AAPA chief added: Everything points to jobs, wages and individual livelihoods so the governments priorities is to make sure people are not impoverished at the end of the day. The global airline industry is expected to lose US$84.3 billion in 2020 and total revenue is expected to halve to US$419 billion, the International Air Transport Association predicted last week. Asia-Pacific is forecast to make the largest net loss of any region, IATA said. It earlier forecast that millions of jobs in the region that benefit from aviation would be impacted. Air travel has been ravaged by the closure of borders, quarantine measures and the grounding of aircraft. More than 7.6 million people have been infected by Covid-19 and about 425,000 people have died worldwide. Korean Air, Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways and Taiwans China Airlines and Eva Air have all opted for pay cuts and unpaid leave with some carriers supported by financial support from respective governments. In Europe, British Airways, easyJet, Virgin Atlantic, Ryanair, Scandinavian Airlines and Lufthansa are seeking to cut a combined total of 53,650 employees. US carriers plan to axe thousands of jobs after the expiry at the end of September of a US$50 billion support package, including American Air and United eliminating 5,100 and 3,400 jobs in management and administrative roles respectively. Air Canada could cut as many as 22,800 employees or half its workforce. There were likely to be fewer job losses, Menon said, but that depended how long airlines continued to be grounded. The coronavirus pandemic remained in the emergency phase, AAPA said, but was more optimistic on Asia, citing lower cases and death rates tied to more robust containment of the virus and a willingness to restart cross-border travel. Menon said he wanted the region to embrace a green-shoots recovery that would see countries agree bilaterally to reopen borders selectively to restart international travel. Quarantine measures had to be scrapped too, he added. On the one hand, you have the transport and tourism ministries who are quite keen to get the show on the road but on the other hand, the health and security personnel are understandably concerned about imported cases and they are a bit more cautious, noted Menon. What we need is the all-government political impetus to implement this. More from South China Morning Post: This article Asian aviation job cuts less savage than in Europe and North America, regional chief predicts first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, June 14, 2020 13:43 587 fc6853813033f564188675f8bde8e6b3 1 National South-Sulawesi,Gowa,Tablighi-Jamaat,COVID-19,COVID-19-cluster,coronavirus,virus-korona-indonesia Free South Sulawesi Governor Nurdin Abdullah has defended his administrations COVID-19 response in the wake of the recent surge in confirmed cases in the province, saying that the new cases were a result of widespread testing. The high number of positive cases shows that weve been working. Its the result of mass testing, so that we can quickly take action [to assist] residents who have tested positive to break the chain of infection, Nurdin said on Friday, as quoted by tribunnews.com. South Sulawesi has since leapfrogged West Java to become the province with the third-highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country, with 2,707 total cases as of Saturday, behind only East Java and Jakarta. The province has recorded an average daily increase of 138 new cases in the past five days and recorded the second-highest daily increase on Saturday with 125 new cases, behind only East Java, which recorded 176 new cases. The South Sulawesi provincial administration had previously caught flak for allowing over 8,000 members of Tablighi Jamaat, a worldwide Islamic missionary movement, to gather for an international event held in Gowa regency despite calls for physical distancing amid the pandemic. The mass gathering was designated a COVID-19 cluster as many confirmed cases across the country were linked to the event. As of Saturday, South Sulawesi had reported 1,716 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 117 deaths linked to the disease. (rfa) Editor: On May 29 and again on June 4, I heard Mayor Orr and Chief of Police Kozak publicly discuss the Cheyenne city budget cuts to the police force. A great deal of the demands for change in the national conversation around police brutality includes cutting police department budgets by decreasing spending for police militarization. Budget cuts are always tough but if it leads towards a group of people, trained on racism, inclusivity and biases -- who are committed to serving and protecting all of the people in the community -- so be it. My son recently said to me, the police need to think of themselves less as heroes and more as servants. With so many civilians ready to step up and meet the challenge of protecting property and the peace, why do we need a police force? Maybe a better way is to develop and fund community based policies and legislation that increases the overall health and well-being of everyone in our communities. Mayor Orr, you are dealing with a budget deficit and loss of jobs in our city. I appreciate that you acknowledge this; however, what are you doing to bring new businesses into the city? What are you doing to encourage small business growth? What do you imagine for the future health and well-being for our community? Also on June 4, Governor Gordon discussed similar state budget cuts. Governor, I have the same questions for you as I have for Mayor Orr; whats the plan sir, for sustaining our state finances and protecting the commons for our posterity? Finally, for all of you, I have these two questions: Will you take a knee for all of the people who have died as a result of excessive police force? Will you lay down on the ground for eight minutes and 46 seconds to recognize the death of George Floyd? I will. KYLE CAMERON, Cheyenne Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 FBI launches open attack on foreign alternative media outlets challenging US foreign policy Under FBI orders, Facebook and Google removed American Herald Tribune, an alternative site that publishes US and European writers critical of US foreign policy. The bureaus justification for the removal was dubious, and it sets a troubling precedent for other critical outlets. By Gareth Porter une 14, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - The FBI has publicly justified its suppression of dissenting online views about US foreign policy if a media outlet can be somehow linked to one of its adversaries. The Bureaus justification followed a series of instances in which Silicon Valley social media platforms banned accounts following consultations with the FBI. In a particularly notable case in 2018, the FBI encouraged Facebook, Instagram and Google to remove or restrict ads on the American Herald Tribune (AHT), an online journal that published critical opinion articles on US policy toward Iran and the Middle East. The bureau has never offered a clear rationale, however, despite its private discussions with Facebook on the ban. The FBIs first step toward intervening against dissenting views on social media took place in October 2017 with the creation of a Foreign Influence Task Force (FTIF) in the bureaus Counterintelligence Division. Next, the FBI defined any effort by states designated by the Department of Defense as major adversaries (Russia, China, Iran and North Korea) to influence American public opinion as a threat to US national security. In February 2020, the FBI defined that threat in much more specific terms and implied that it would act against any online media outlet that was found to fall within its ambit. At a conference on election security on February 24, David K. Porter, who identified himself as Assistant Section Chief of the Foreign Influence Task Force, defined what the FBI described as malign foreign influence activity as actions by a foreign power to influence U.S. policy, distort political sentiment and public discourse. Porter described information confrontation as a force designed to undermine public confidence in the credibility of free and independent news media. Those who practice this dark craft, he said, seek to push consumers to alternative news sources, where its much easier to introduce false narratives and thus sow doubt and confusion about the true narratives by exploiting the media landscape to introduce conflicting story lines. Information confrontation, however, is simply the literal Russian translation of the term information warfare. Its use by the FTIF appears to be aimed merely at justifying an FBI role in seeking to suppress what it calls alternative news sources under any set of circumstances it can justify. While expressing his intention to target alternative media, Porter simultaneously denied that the FBI was concerned about censoring media. The FITF, he said doesnt go around chasing content. We dont focus on what the actors say. Instead, he insisted that attribution is key, suggesting that the FTIF was only interested in finding hidden foreign government actors at work. Thus the question of attribution has become the FBIs key lever for censoring alternative media that publishes critical content on U.S. foreign policy, or which attacks mainstream and corporate media narratives. If an outlet can be somehow linked to a foreign adversary, removing it from online platforms is fair game for the feds. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter The strange disappearance of American Herald Tribune In 2018, Facebook deleted the Facebook page of the American Herald Tribune (AHT), a website that publishes commentary from an array of notable authors who are harshly critical of U.S. foreign policy. Gmail, which is run by Google, quickly followed suit by removing ads linked to the outlet, while the Facebook-owned Instagram scrubbed AHTs account altogether. Tribune editor Anthony Hall reported at the time that the removals occurred at the end of August 2018, but there was no announcement of the move by Facebook. Nor was it reported by the corporate news media until January 2020, when CNN elicited a confirmation from a Facebook spokesman that it had indeed done so in 2018. Furthermore, the FBI was advising Facebook on both Iranian and Russian sites that were banned during that same period of a few days. As Facebooks chief security officer Alex Stamos noted on July 21, 2018, We have proactively reported our technical findings to US law enforcement, because they have much more information than we do, and may in time be in a position to provide public attribution. On August 2, a few days following the removal of AHT and two weeks after hundreds of Russian and Iranian Pages had been removed by Facebook, FBI Director Christopher Wray told reporters at a White House briefing that FBI officials had met with top social media and technology companies several times during the year, providing actionable intelligence to better enable them to address abuse of their platforms by foreign actors. He remarked that FBI officials had shared specific threat indicators and account information so they can better monitor their own platforms. Cybersecurity firm FireEye, which boasts that it has contracts to support nearly every department in the United States government, and which has been used by Department of Homeland Security as a primary source of threat intelligence, also influenced Facebooks crackdown on the Tribune. CNN cited an unnamed official of FireEye stating that the company had assessed with moderate confidence that the AHTs website was founded in Iran and was part of a larger influence operation. The CNN author was evidently unaware that in U.S. intelligence parlance moderate confidence suggests a near-total absence of genuine conviction. As the 2011 official consumers guide to US intelligence explained, the term moderate confidence generally indicates that either there are still differences of view in the intelligence community on the issue or that the judgment is credible and plausible but not sufficiently corroborated to warrant higher level of confidence. CNN also quoted FireEye official Lee Fosters claim that indicators, both technical and behavioral showed that American Herald Tribune was part of the larger influence operation. The CNN story linked to a study published by FireEye featuring a map showing how Iranian-related media were allegedly linked to one another, primarily by similarities in content. But CNN apparently hadnt bothered to read the study, which did not once mention the American Herald Tribune. Finally, the CNN piece cited a 2018 tweet by Daily Beast contributor Josh Russell which it said provided further evidence supporting American Herald Tribunes alleged links to Iran. In fact, his tweet merely documented the AHTs sharing of an internet hosting service with another pro-Iran site at some point in time. Investigators familiar with the problem know that two websites using the same hosting service, especially over a period of years, is not a reliable indicator of a coherent organizational connection. CNN did find evidence of deception over the registration of the AHT. The outlets editor, Anthony Hall, continues to give the false impression that a large number of journalists and others (including this writer), are contributors, despite the fact that their articles have been republished from other sources without permission. However, AHT has one characteristic that differentiates it from the others that have been kicked off Facebook: The American and European authors who have appeared in its pages are all real and are advancing their own authentic views. Some are sympathetic to the Islamic Republic, but others are simply angry about U.S. policies: Some are Libertarian anti-interventionists; others are supporters of the 9/11 Truth movement or other conspiracy theories. One notable independent contributor to AHT is Philip Giraldi, an 18-year veteran of the CIAs Clandestine Service and and an articulate critic of US wars in the Middle East and of Israeli influence on American policy and politics. From its inception in 2015, the AHT has been edited by Anthony Hall, Professor Emeritus at University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada. In announcing yet another takedown of Iranian Pages in October 2018, Facebooks Gleicher declared that coordinated inauthentic behavior occurs when people or organizations create networks of accounts to mislead others about who they are what theyre doing. That certainly doesnt apply to those who provided the content for the American Herald Tribune. Thus the takedown of the publication by Facebook, with FBI and FireEye encouragement represents a disturbing precedent for future actions against individuals who criticize US foreign policy and outlets that attack corporate media narratives. Shelby Pierson, the CIA official appointed by then director of national intelligence in July 2019 to chair the inter-agency Election Executive and Leadership Board, appeared to hint at differences in the criteria employed by his agency and the FBI on foreign and alternative media. In an interview with former acting CIA Director Michael Morrell in February, Pierson said, [P]articularly on the [foreign] influence side of the house, when youre talking about blended content with First Amendment-protected speechagainst the backdrop of a political paradigm and youre involving yourself in those activities, I think that makes it more complicated (emphasis added). Further emphasizing the uncertainty surrounding the FBIs methods of online media suppression, she added that the position in question doesnt have the same unanimity that we have in the counterterrorism context. Gareth Porter is an independent investigative journalist who has covered national security policy since 2005 and was the recipient of Gellhorn Prize for Journalism in 2012. His most recent book is The CIA Insiders Guide to the Iran Crisis co-authored with John Kiriakou, just published in February.- " Source " Post your comment below The most colourful event of the Irish Cancer Societys fundraising calendar has taken on a new twist this year with the announcement by the Irish Cancer Society of a new Colour Dash Family 5K, sponsored by Aldi Ireland. The charitys flagship active challenge fundraiser was launched by Grainne Gallanagh, the Dancing with the Stars finalist who has been working on the frontline as a nurse. The new event replaces the original 5K Colour Dash series, which has traditionally taken place during the summer months since 2013, in the interests of the health and wellbeing of both organisers and participants during Covid-19. Instead, the Irish Cancer Society is dedicating Sunday, July 5 as a day of fundraising that will see participants across the country run, jog, bike, or even scoot, five kilometres on a route of their choice in their own locality at any time on the day in order to raise much-needed funds for the charity, with Aldi continuing with its support for the fifth year in a row. Families, housemates, individuals and long-time supporters of Colour Dash are being asked to dress up in their brightest outfits and to decorate their bikes, scooters, running gear or even their four-legged friends in keeping with the vibrant nature of this much-loved event. There will even be spot prizes on the day for the most colourful attire! Participants nationwide are encouraged to share images of their completed 5K on social media by tagging the Irish Cancer Society at @irishcancersociety and Aldi at @aldi_ireland, using the #colourdash Registration is open and runs until July 5, during which time families and individuals can sign up at www.cancer.ie/colourdash. Participants are asked to make a donation of 25 per family or 15 per individual taking part in lieu of a registration fee, with the option for participants to further fundraise by gathering donations from family and friends. Every participant will receive an information pack on how to take part, access to an online 5K time tracker, a downloadable medal for kids to colour in and wear once they have completed their 5K, and more. All monies raised will be used to help the Irish Cancer Society meet increased demand for its free services for cancer patients and their families across the country. The Irish Cancer Society continues to provide vital services for cancer patients throughout the current pandemic. Among the services and supports particularly in demand at this time are end-of-life Night Nursing care at home, the Volunteer Driver Service and a dedicated Freephone Support Line on 1800 200 700 for any queries or concerns on cancer. Launching Irish Cancer Societys Colour Dash Family 5K, Dancing With The Stars finalist Grainne Gallanagh, who has returned to the frontline as a nurse said: From being back on the frontline as a nurse, I know that this can be a worrying time for cancer patients and their loved ones. The Colour Dash Family 5K is a really fun way for people to show their support and fundraise for a great cause, even during Covid-19. I would encourage people to get on their runners and get creative and colourful with their outfits to help make Sunday, July 5 a day to remember for both the Irish Cancer Society and the thousands of families it supports each year. This years fundraiser is part of Aldis ongoing work with the Irish Cancer Society. Aldis sponsorship of the event, as well as participation and fundraising from its staff members, all help to raise vital funds for the charity along with other initiatives throughout the year such as the sale of Daffodil Day daffodils and charity cards at Aldis 142 stores. Commenting, John Curtin, Group Buying Director at Aldi Ireland said: Now more than ever, it is important that the Irish Cancer Society has the funds necessary to provide services to those who need it most. Its a charity that the entire Aldi team has shown huge commitment to through all our fundraising initiatives, which to date have raised over 1.4 million. This year our support will be no different despite the change in circumstances. We want to continue to help make a difference to the work of the Irish Cancer Society, and I hope that our customers and communities will join us on July 5 for a day of fun and fundraising. Aldis commitment to the Irish Cancer Society is part of a wider programme of supports to help communities and customers during this time including prioritising frontline workers, implementing elderly and carer hours, prioritising payments for suppliers as the pandemic continues. Commenting, Averil Power, CEO of Irish Cancer Society said: I know friends and supporters will understand why this years Colour Dash run series had to be cancelled, but I am so pleased that we have been able to keep the spirit of the event alive in a different way. Our Family 5K Colour Dash gives everyone the opportunity to participate safely, and on their own terms, while still joining in a national day of fundraising. Each week in Ireland, 750 people are diagnosed with cancer. With the restrictions of Covid-19, we are finding challenges and also opportunities to support cancer patients and their families. Our services rely on the generosity of others, especially the public and our partners. Its so reassuring to know that we have the continued support and sponsorship of Aldi, their staff and customers at this time, and I am confident that together we will deliver a brilliant event for all on July 5. A 42-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man, 48, died from stab injuries. Police have launched a murder investigation after the 48-year-old man was stabbed at a house in Haringey, north London. The man is thought to be known to the victim. Police have launched a murder investigation after a 48-year-old man was stabbed at a house in Haringey, north London They were responding to a call shortly before midnight last night to a property in Waldegrave Road, Wood Green. Officers and London Ambulance Service attended the scene and the man was taken to hospital. He died just before 1am today. The Metropolitan Police said: 'Formal identification awaits. The victim's next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers. Officers and London Ambulance Service attended the scene and the man was taken to hospital A 42-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man died from stab injuries 'A post-mortem examination will be scheduled in due course. 'A crime scene remains in place as enquiries continue. 'Detectives from the Met's Specialist Crime Command are investigating.' The 42-year-old man who has been arrested is in police custody. Near the end of a silent protest against racism that marched through Middletown Borough on Saturday, 62-year-old Doreen Sawyers pointed to a housing development saying to a friend, remember when black people couldnt live there? Sawyers is a lifelong resident of Middletown. As a child growing up in the town, she said she was taught to be passive when there was any potential for racial tensions, which is why she said she has joined walking in marches against racism. "Over there, we werent allowed to be over there, she said. "Over the creek, black people werent allowed over there. We werent allowed down by the river, maybe a few of us, but most of them were men. It wasnt that long ago. I think black history should be taught in all schools so there can be an understanding. The recent death of George Floyd, who died while being restrained by a Minneapolis police officer, evoked a response from Sawyers, she said. Instead of staying silent, she said she wants to use her voice, especially to support young people who are making an effort to bridge cultural differences and perspectives surrounding police brutality. "When I was younger, Id ask my mom why someone else was allowed to have their meal before me when we were here first, she said. My mom would say, just wait, youll get your meal. After Floyds death, Saywers said she became more curious about historical trends between black people and police officers. There was a time when officers back in 1865 wore police badges that read, Collect All Negroes, she continued. "I fact-checked it, she said. "It was real. The Middletown protest was mostly silent. The organizers - Quortnee Noon and Erin MacNamara - said silence can be just as powerful as constant chanting. The only chant embraced by the participants was we will hold you accountable. MacNamara explained that she wanted to help organize the protest because she believes there have been shady dealings happening within the towns police department. Participants walked throughout Middletown and then paused at the police station, where anyone who wanted to speak was afforded the opportunity. Over two dozen people spoke out against police wrongdoings. Several said its time that everyone takes responsibility when they see or hear something thats presumably racist. Tyler Klufkee, 21, rattled off a list of personal experiences hes encountered at work to walking down the street, where a black person or people were mocked for their skin color. Rather than being complacent, he said hes going to speak up to tell whoever uses discriminatory language around him that its not welcomed. Other speakers mirrored his statement saying that the only way the message they are trying to send is going to be heard is if their actions match what they are speaking. They said if they see police brutality, they are no longer going to standby while another person like Floyd could die. More Protesters hold central Pa. towns first march for racial inequality: 'Lets not be silent and blind Protests cost Harrisburg $50,000 in police overtime, thousands more in vehicle damage A heartwarming note has been left underneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge thanking frontline health workers for their efforts. The handwritten letter was penned by a family whose grandfather recently died and found tied to a post on the side of the road on Saturday night with a bouquet of flowers. 'To the first responders and members of the community that came to the assistance of our beloved father and grandfather on Saturday 30th May,' the note reads. 'We are very grateful and touched by your help and efforts. 'It has given us some comfort to know that he wasnt alone and people were there caring for him. 'Thank you so much. You are all heroes to us.' A thankful note dedicated to frontline health workers was found taped to a post with flowers near the Sydney Harbour Bridge The message reads 'we are very grateful and touched by your help and efforts' and 'thank you so much you are all heroes to us' Health care workers have been stretched to their limits in recent weeks under unprecedented circumstances through the coronavirus pandemic. Staff working with COVID-19 patients have taken extreme measures to stop them carrying the disease out of the hospital and potentially infecting others. The retail workers' union said its members had 'borne the brunt of a huge upsurge in customer abuse' during the pandemic. Young Australians are worried the coronavirus pandemic has damaged their future prospects, with one in two saying their mental health has gotten worse since the outbreak started. Headspace is urging people to reach out for help, as their research released Sunday revealed the impacts the virus has had on 15 to 25 year olds. Chief executive Jason Trethowan said the survey raised serious concerns for the future wellbeing of Australia's young. 'This sense of fear and uncertainty has the potential to be quite significant,' Mr Trethowan said. A nurse screens a patient outside a coronavirus clinic in the Barossa Valley, north of Adelaide (pictured). Many nurses have been abused in public amid the pandemic, with some being told not to wear their uniforms outside of work in fear of getting attacked One in five said they needed mental health support but weren't getting it, with 66 per cent saying they hadn't considered getting help. Young women were more likely than young men to say their mental health had suffered due to the virus. Two in five young people said it had damaged their confidence in achieving their future goals. Nearly one in two young people said the pandemic had impacted their relationships with friends, their studies and their mood. The report also revealed young people were struggling with the pandemic more than their parents thought. One in two parents felt their kids had become more isolated. Headspace's clinical practice director Vikki Ryall said young people should be reaching out to their mates or family. 'Initiating open and honest conversations with your loved ones is really important during this time,' she said. moralfibre Team-BHP Support Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: MH-12 Posts: 8,165 Thanked: 12,519 Times View My Garage Mumbai Trans Harbour Link - Connecting Southern Mumbai with Navi Mumbai Therefore when protests are staged to save trees in the city, I cannot help but chuckle at the thought that majority of these protest sites are actually on top of a reclaimed piece of land that once had vast tracts of mangroves Source One of the connections between the islands of Mahim and Bandra were privately funded once upon a time by the philanthropist family of Jeejeebhoys who were a large industrial and trade conglomerate founded by the first baronet Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy. Quoting from Wikipedia: Quote: Lady Jeejeebhoy, wife of the first baronet Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, to donate the entire amount of Rs.1,57,000/- on the condition that the government would not charge a toll for its use or disturb the Koli community who lived around the area. Mumbai owes a lot to the family that more or less built infrastructure for public use that still stands guard to the city in the form of hospitals, schools, colleges, parks, roads, etc. Among the various modern day landmark projects for the city that have sprung up to save the city's traffic explosion are: - The Mumbai metro - The Bandra-Worli Sealink - JJ Flyover - The 77 flyovers built towards the fag end of the last century - And most remarkably the Eastern freeway. Rampant construction and lack of real estate to genuinely accommodate the people that reside here have constantly led the city into it's own quagmire with no signs of breath. In my personal opinion, the only way out is to decongest the city by looking at alternate avenues. Navi Mumbai was conceptualised with the same thought but it ended up being a parallel city that grew in equal multiples alongside mainland Mumbai. As you cross over to Belapur from Kharghar, a lot of government building sprung up with a view to decongest the sarkari offices dotting South Mumbai's prime real estate surrounding the headquarters aka Mantralaya. However, just like the city's vision, these buildings ended up being occupied by newer institutions that took birth in the time period. Perhaps Mumbai would be the only metro city that hasn't managed to move the airport out to a convenient location that would cater to high volume traffic and adopt parallel runways for effective traffic management. The southern most tip of Mumbai stays more or less landlocked. History fans would recollect that Mumbai as a city comprised of seven islands that slowly merged with each other as increased amounts of land reclamation was done during the times of British Raj and partly once we gained independence too. In fact, as we continue to build sea links and subways, the truth remains that majority of our problems continue to be embedded in the history of marshlands being reclaimed for development of the city.Therefore when protests are staged to save trees in the city, I cannot help but chuckle at the thought that majority of these protest sites are actually on top of a reclaimed piece of land that once had vast tracts of mangrovesOne of the connections between the islands of Mahim and Bandra were privately funded once upon a time by the philanthropist family of Jeejeebhoys who were a large industrial and trade conglomerate founded by the first baronet Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy. Quoting from Wikipedia:Mumbai owes a lot to the family that more or less built infrastructure for public use that still stands guard to the city in the form of hospitals, schools, colleges, parks, roads, etc.Among the various modern day landmark projects for the city that have sprung up to save the city's traffic explosion are:- The Mumbai metro- The Bandra-Worli Sealink- JJ Flyover- The 77 flyovers built towards the fag end of the last century- And most remarkably the Eastern freeway.Rampant construction and lack of real estate to genuinely accommodate the people that reside here have constantly led the city into it's own quagmire with no signs of breath. In my personal opinion, the only way out is to decongest the city by looking at alternate avenues.Navi Mumbai was conceptualised with the same thought but it ended up being a parallel city that grew in equal multiples alongside mainland Mumbai. As you cross over to Belapur from Kharghar, a lot of government building sprung up with a view to decongest the sarkari offices dotting South Mumbai's prime real estate surrounding the headquarters aka Mantralaya. However, just like the city's vision, these buildings ended up being occupied by newer institutions that took birth in the time period.Perhaps Mumbai would be the only metro city that hasn't managed to move the airport out to a convenient location that would cater to high volume traffic and adopt parallel runways for effective traffic management. Last edited by moralfibre : 12th June 2020 at 10:57 . STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- With 25,000 complaints of business owners violating New Yorks reopening plans, Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned that enforcement will be taken against those who dont continue to abide by coronavirus (COVID-19) mandates. We are getting reports from all across the state that there are large gatherings, and social distancing is being violated. We have gotten 25,000 complaints -- especially at bars and restaurants -- to the state of businesses that are in violation of the reopening plan, said Cuomo, noting the most complaints have come from Manhattan and the Hamptons. We have never received more complaints in a shorter period of time. ...It shows how smart people are, and how offended they are that they are calling and complaining, he said. ...There needs to be more enforcement by local government. He said there have been many complaints of bars serving alcohol to people who then drink in the streets from plastic cups, which is illegal -- and they do so without masks or social distancing. The Advance has also received complaints from readers that they have witnessed this activity on commercial strips in the borough. With 25,000 complaints of business owners violating New Yorks reopening plans, Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned that enforcement will be taken against those who dont continue to abide by coronavirus (COVID-19) mandates. This is violating the law. I want to make sure everyone knows the consequences here. A bar or restaurant that is violating these rules can lose their liquor license, said Cuomo. He said the State Liquor Authority is inspecting businesses across the state. And there is a task force of state investigators assigned to make sure businesses -- especially bars and restaurants --are not violating reopening guidelines. We are not kidding around with this. You are talking about jeopardizing peoples lives. Its a legal violation, said Cuomo. I called some restaurants myself where I saw pictures [of alleged violations] and I said to them, Youre playing with your license. OPEN CONTAINER LAW Cuomo also warned that New Yorkers can face summons if they violate the open container law. If youre on the sidewalk drinking a beer. Youre violating the open container law, he said. FEAR OF SECOND WAVE Even though Saturday into Sunday was the lowest number of recorded coronavirus deaths at 23 in New York since the beginning of the pandemic, Cuomo said the reopening guidelines have to be followed to avoid a second wave. He said many states -- most with less density than New York -- have had second waves of the virus since opening back up. Those numbers can change in a week. Once you get undisciplined, they can change, and once they change you cant change them back that quickly. ...Utah and Oregon had to reverse their reopening plan. Cuomo said he would reverse opening plans in any area that is not in compliance with the rules. I am warning today in a nice way consequences of your actions. We have 25,000 complaints statewide; I am not going to turn a blind eye, said Cuomo. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER Massmart plans to invest heavily in its ecommerce platform, which has shown rapid growth over the lockdown. This is according to a report in Business Times, which interviewed the new Massmart CEO, Mitchell Slape. Slape told Business Times their ecommerce sales showed triple-digit year-on-year growth over the last few weeks. This is true for Makro, Game, and Builders Warehouse, which have all experienced rapid growth in online sales during the lockdown. He admitted that they can significantly improve on their customer experience and it is something which they are focussed on. While he did not disclose how much the company would invest in its online shopping platforms, he said it is one of the top focus areas for Massmart. New ecommerce platform for Makro and Game Massmart launched a new ecommerce platform for Makro and Game on 4 February 2019 which is built using SAPs Hybris solution. Makro admitted that it has experienced challenges with its release as it did not anticipate the sheer scale of complexity and challenges the re-platforming would bring. These included challenges with the implementation of a new picking and packing solution and obstacles in administering refunds, it said at the time. Makro explained the website is what customers see and interact with, but many other systems are dependent on the new platform rollout with some of the impacts that customers experienced being caused by peripheral systems. As an example, we experienced configuration issues on more4less deals, which led to incorrect pricing being displayed for a period of time, Makro said. Makro said while the move to a new web platform was a necessary part of supporting its growing online business, it has negatively impacted shopping experiences on their site. Online shopping delivery complaints Over the last year, some of the problems have been resolved, but there are still many complaints about delivery and support problems from Makro. The challenges with deliveries seem to have been exacerbated by the rapid increase in online sales over the last few weeks. Hellopeter is littered with complaints from Makro online shopping clients who say they have not received their online shopping deliveries as promised. I ordered a fridge and was told it would be delivered in 14 working days max. Its been over 20 days and no one is picking up from the call centre, complained one client. Waited 17 working days for my delivery even though tracking said it was packed 5 days after ordering it. So why wasnt it send out? asked another. For Makro and Game to compete against Takealot will require improved logistics and customer service things which Takealot excel at. Massmart CEO Slape seems to be well aware of these problems, and if they get it right Makro and Game are well-positioned to become very big ecommerce players in South Africa. Korba: In an appalling incident, a 22-year-old pregnant woman, carrying a dead foetus, died of infection in Chhattisgarhs Korba district allegedly after doctors at various private hospitals denied to attend her as she was unable to pay their fees. As the issue came into light, Korba district Collector P Dayanand constituted three-member team to probe the incident. The woman identified as Saraswati Mahant died on Monday night at a private hospital here at Rajgamar road, the Collector said. A native of Podibahar village under Rampur police station, Gulabdas Mahant had taken his wife Saraswati to Jamunadevi Memorial Maternity private hospital on Monday following she complained of severe pain in her stomach. The woman was told at the hospital during a scan that her eight-month old foetus had died. Doctors at Jamunadevi hospital advised to get the foetus removed and asked for a fees of Rs 10,000. Besides they also asked to arrange blood for my wife, Gulabdas said. Doctors stopped her treatment when I told them that I am arranging money. Even after my request they refused to treat her, he said holding the doctor responsible for the death of his wife. According to Gulabdas, he later took her wife to atleast three private hospitals in the area but nowhere doctors agreed to operate upon the lady. Finally at Srishti Medical Institute hospital, doctors said that they would operate on the woman next day but she died at around 11:30 on Monday night. As the issue was raised by local media, Collector P Dayanand ordered a probe into it. A three-member team headed by Additional Collector Heena Netam has been formed to investigate the incident, the Collector said. Korba Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr P S Sisodia and District Family Welfare and Health Officer Dr B P Kurre are other members of the enquiry squad. Stringent action would be taken against anyone found guilty after the probe,?the Collector added. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Sophie Campbell (The Jakarta Post) The Conversation Sun, June 14, 2020 13:19 587 fc6853813033f564188675f8bde8c937 3 Art & Culture statue,statue-removal,slavery,UK,United-Kingdom Free The throwing of a statue of the slave trader Edward Colston into the river in Bristol, UK, by anti-racist protesters has sparked divergent reactions. Bristol councillor Richard Eddy is publicly outraged by what he sees as frenzied thug violence while the mayor, Marvin Rees, called the statue an affront and said he felt no sense of loss. This division in opinion is reflected across the country. Elsewhere, other controversial statues such as that of Cecil Rhodes, who was involved in Victorian British imperialism in southern Africa are in the spotlight, with thousands of people gathering in Oxford to demand that Oriel College, which Rhodes attended and to which he left a large financial bequest, take it down. The statue of Robert Milligan a West India merchant and slaveholder was removed on June 9 from outside the Museum of London Docklands and the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced a commission into Londons public landmarks. These statues are just the start Britains heritage is steeped in the remnants and history of slavery, but you wouldnt necessarily know as it is rarely highlighted. Recent events may inspire change at other British heritage sites. On the other hand, they may become more hesitant than before. I research if and how heritage sites in the UK discuss the business of slavery, against the long neglect of Britains role in transatlantic slavery and its racial legacy. For many white people this has long been invisible, untaught and unknown. The recent wave of Black Lives Matter protests has reminded the world that people are suffering under anti-black racism. Racism, and structural white privilege, is rooted in historical white supremacy and imperialism. Anti-black racism is rooted in historical justifications for the enslavement of Africans across North, South and Central America and the Caribbean islands. Understanding this past helps deconstruct its racial legacy. Yet for decades Britain has neglected, even celebrated, its own colonial history. Discussion of slavery itself has been subordinated beneath a focus on abolition, and particularly white abolitionists such as William Wilberforce. This occurs in both classrooms where teaching transatlantic slavery is optional and limited and at heritage sites, including statues and plaques, historic houses and museums. Britain and transatlantic slavery It is estimated that approximately 12.5 million enslaved Africans were forcibly trafficked across the Atlantic between the 16th and 19th centuries. More than three million of those men, women and children were carried on British slaving ships. They were delivered to work on brutal plantations, where they cultivated crops such as sugar and cotton. During this period slavery was introduced to the lands that formed the USA, while they were British colonies. Given this background, Colston and Milligan are far from exceptional. Britain had thousands of slave traders and plantation owners. The latter were compensated billions in todays money when slavery was abolished in the British Caribbean in the 1830s. Related British government debt was not paid off until 2015, meaning that UK taxpayers alive today contributed to paying off that legacy. As well as the slave traders and plantation owners, many people worked in industries that serviced the slave trade. These included shipbuilders and ropemakers, insurers and bankers, and manufacturers whose guns were traded for enslaved people or whose tools were taken directly to plantations. Many more consumed products from the plantations, such as sugar or tobacco. Others relied on products cultivated by enslaved laborers for their businesses, such as rum distilleries and cotton mills. Following British abolition, the mills continued to import raw cotton from plantations in the US South, where slavery was not abolished until 1865. History and heritage Despite the fact that much of the UK was built from the profits of the business of slavery, few British heritage sites deeply examine this history. Many do not even acknowledge it. The exceptions to this are the few exhibits and galleries dedicated to transatlantic slavery, which are found particularly in the former slave trading ports, such as at the Museum of London Docklands. The only museum wholly dedicated to the subject is the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool, Britains largest slave trading port. For those who do not live in these cities it may feel like slavery has nothing to do with the UK. With the exception of modest exhibits at cotton mills particularly Cromford Mills in Derbyshire and Quarry Bank Mill outside Manchester that sense is created because slavery is largely absent from rural heritage sites. The money and consumables from slavery spread across the country often leaving no physical trail. But some of that wealth was poured into sites such as Georgian squares and rural estates that remain today. Some of these are now heritage sites that have previously ignored or barely addressed their links to slavery. The National Trust has shown some willingness to do this by engaging with the Colonial Countryside Project, but there is more to do. This is particularly true of houses that were built or later purchased and renovated using funds from slavery. And all of those containing mahogany doors, staircases and furniture, for example, who do not tell their visitors that mahogany was cut by enslaved laborers. Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire is rare in having an installation, in the form of a film made by the local Slave Trade Legacies group, offering some acknowledgement of its link to slavery wealth. In this case, slavery is presented as a layer of history. Such interventions can be effective in reshaping narratives, but they are all too rare. Such an intervention was attempted with Colstons statue. Following campaigns since the 1990s, Bristol council was supposed to be adding a plaque, but the wording could not be agreed. While they stalled, the statue was torn down. As the heritage sector reopens after the lockdown period, one cannot help but wonder how they will respond to the Black Lives Matter marches. Previously, critical and thorough examinations of Britains slavery past have been largely absent or underdeveloped outside of purpose-built slavery museums and exhibits. Hopefully, recent events will encourage them to engage with their own connections to Britains slavery history and the racial legacy that continues to impact the country. This is a moment of potential consciousness and change. The heritage sector can choose to help the public understand what happened in the past and what continues to happen because of it but sites may nervously hide from this. They will most likely do what they believe their visitors want. Their potential visitors are you. --- Sophie Campbell, PhD Researcher, University of Nottingham This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. RIGHTS AND WRONGS Trump wants to send National Guard troops into Seattle, even though hes not allowed to. And the leaders of Seattle dont want them. This once again shows the hypocrisy of Republicans. Republicans are always whining about states rights and government overreach into states rights, but apparently thats only for when Democrats are in charge. Since Trumps been in office, its been nothing but government overreach into states rights. Its hypocrisy at its highest. SHOW SOME RESPECT To Get a Life: How dare you call an 80-year-old miserable and tell him/her to go for a walk. Maybe this person is unable to walk due to their age/health. This is one of the major problems in the world today. Too many have no respect for others, including the elderly. ART OF THE STEAL That Melania Trump is one shrewd cookie. She wouldnt move into the White House until Donald renegotiated their prenup, according to a new book. Gotta use whatever leverage you have while you have it. Some people call her a gold digger. Ill just call you a prospector. THRILL OF A LIFETIME I bet you the cadets at West Point are tickled pink that President Bone Spurs-I-cant-serve-in-Vietnam Trump is going to speak to them at their graduation before theyre commissioned officers in the armed forces. This must really be the cherry on top of their day. BOOMER IN BOOTHWYN THOSE LYING DEMS The two-faced Democrats and Bernie Sanders thought it was all right for protesters to walk close together. No problem. But Trump wants to do a rally and all of a sudden Democrats say its a bad idea because people will be too close together. I hope people can now see what Democrats are capable of lies and deceit and whats good for one party isnt good for the other. Democrats are so power-hungry that they dont care who gets hurt in the process. Theyll push Biden until his health gives out. He knows he cant complete a sentence without mixing up his words now Democrats are saying to keep him in the basement. Maybe they can move the White House to his Delaware basement. CHEERS, CHRISTINE Hey Christine Flowers, a pat on the back. She does a great job for your paper. She calls them as she sees them. Some people dont like it. But a lot of people dont like what other people think. Thank you. ALTERNATIVE FACTS Donald Trump actually said that he has done more for black people in this country than any other president, ever. Does anybody need any more proof than that to know that Donald Trump is completely delusional? I dont think so. But of course his supporters will try to back Trump up on this. Theres absolutely no evidence to prove what Trump said, but they believe everything he says so it doesnt matter if theres any proof. RACE TO THE FINISH If NASCAR fans want an appropriate flag to wave at the races, they should have one with pictures of a jug full of moonshine. After all, that is how NASCAR got started. The first drivers were bootleggers and rum runners. THE SWAMP RAT THANKS FOR NOTHING Amy Klobuchar is not the best choice for vice president. When she was prosecutor in Minneapolis she let the police get away with everything. Since 2013 there were over 2,000 complaints against police and only a few were disciplined. She didnt do her job then and she probably wouldnt do a good job as well as president. She is partially responsible for the trouble happening now. The cop charged with George Floyds murder had many complaints against him. Nothing was done and now we have all these protests. Thank you, Amy. DISGUSTED FRIEND OF FREIND To Chris Freind, I just want to say thank you for speaking your mind and voicing your opinion. People are entitled to their opinions and I appreciate you saying the things that I wish I had the words to say. Keep up the good work. YOU GO MasterChef bid farewell to fan favourite Khanh Ong after he was eliminated from the competition on Sunday. The 27-year-old chef was sent home after failing to impress the judges with his quail dish. Khanh's shock elimination left fans devastated, with many viewers expressing their feelings on Twitter. Time to go! MasterChef bid farewell to fan favourite Khanh Ong (pictured) after he was eliminated from the competition on Sunday 'I'm crying! Thank you Khanh for bringing Vietnamese heritage to this season,' one person tweeted. 'Omg Khanh no. Every time I see your T-shirt it makes me feel less sh*t. You are loved! And thanks for telling me that I am too,' another person wrote. 'Gonna be crying every week now with all the favourites going home,' wrote another, before a fourth said: 'Khanh, you will go far mate! Great farewell speech! You are a star and much loved,' someone else agreed. 'I'm crying!' Khanh's shock elimination left fans devastated, with many viewers expressing their feelings on Twitter One fan believed he left the kitchen already a winner, commenting. 'Khanh is loved, admired and respected by the judges and all the other contestants. Says it all really. A champion bloke and a brilliant chef.' 'Khanh you are loved and MasterChef lost a bit of sunshine and special flavour today. Best of luck,' added another. Disappointed: Judge Melissa Leong said his dish 'lacked finesse and the cooking of the quail was less than perfect' Khanh was eliminated from the competition because his dish 'lacked finesse and the cooking of the quail was less than perfect', judge Melissa Leong explained. Following his elimination, Khanh broke down in tears saying: 'This is a hard day for me. But I feel as though there's a lot of people in the world right now that have gone through so much more than what I'm feeling right now.' 'I just wanna say that you are loved, life gets better. You have your ups and your downs. Kind of ride that, and it's all gonna work out.' MasterChef continues Monday at 7.30pm on Channel Ten Chelsea M. Rochman, an assistant professor of ecology at the University of Toronto who co-authored an accompanying commentary to the new study, said in an interview that the paper was not the first to show microplastics in atmospheric deposition, or even the atmospheric deposition of microplastics to remote places. But she added that the researchers seemed to be the first to ask through their research, the basic science question: Why and how is this happening. Google has said it is exploring why a picture of Winston Churchill went missing from a search list of former UK prime ministers, amid controversy over the legacy of the wartime leader. The company apologised on Sunday morning for the disappearance of the picture from its knowledge graph listing, adding that many photos of Churchill could still be found on its search engine. In a statement made on Twitter, Googles search liaison team said: Were aware an image for Sir Winston Churchill is missing from his Knowledge Graph entry on Google. We apologise for any concern. This was not purposeful and will be resolved. The problem, which was fixed at around midday on Sunday, was allegedly not specific to Churchill, with a similar problems occurring with images of former prime ministers Harold Wilson, Ramsay MacDonald and Stanley Baldwin. The search giant suggested images can disappear temporarily during an update. Conservative MP Simon Clarke was among those who commented on the issue during the ensuing backlash on social media. Mr Clark wrote on Twitter: Mind blowing if this is deliberate policy, @Google. Western Europe would almost certainly be enslaved if it wasnt for the man whose photo is now absent. A debate over the legacy of Churchill and other historical figures has grown in recent weeks after anti-racism protests gathered momentum across the county. Last weekend, a statue of Churchill in London was defaced with the word racist during a protest. Boris Johnson subsequently said that attacking statues amounts to lying about our history and that protests had been hijacked by extremists. Groups of far-right activists, who called themselves statue-defenders, gathered in London on Saturday claiming they wanted to protect the capitals monuments. Protesters however engaged in violent clashes with the police, launching objects such as glass bottles and smoke grenades at officers. More than 100 people were arrested as a result of the skirmishes. The Iranian tanker ship "Fortune" is seen at El Palito refinery dock in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela May 25, 2020. (Miraflores Palace/Handout via REUTERS) Iran Prepared to Retaliate If US Stops Venezuela-Bound Tankers: News Agency DUBAIAn Iranian news agency close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday that Irans naval forces were preparing to target U.S. commercial vessels in the Gulf last month in case U.S. forces interfered with Venezuela-bound Iranian oil tankers. Iran sent a flotilla of five tankers of fuel to gasoline-starved ally Venezuela in May, and Tehran has said it will continue the shipments if Caracas requests more, despite Washingtons criticism of the trade between the two nations, which are both under U.S. sanctions. According to reports received by Noor News, after increasing military threats against Iranian vessels headed for Venezuela, an order was issued to Irans armed forces to identify and track several U.S. merchant vessels in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, Noor News said on its website. Options for reciprocal action were immediately identified and monitored for possible operations, the agency added. Iran complained to the United Nations last month and summoned the Swiss ambassador in Tehran, who represents U.S. interests in the Islamic Republic, over possible measures Washington could take against the Iranian tankers. The United States, which did not hinder Irans tanker cargoes, is considering imposing sanctions on dozens of additional foreign oil tankers for trading with the communist regime, a U.S. official told Reuters earlier this month. Iran seized a British-flagged tanker in the Gulf last year after British forces detained an Iranian tanker off the territory of Gibraltar. Both vessels were released after a months-long standoff. In an alert that appeared aimed squarely at Iran, the U.S. Navy issued a warning last month to mariners in the Gulf to stay 100 meters (yards) away from U.S. warships or risk being interpreted as a threat and subject to lawful defensive measures. Tension between Washington and Tehran has escalated since 2018, when U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from Irans 2015 nuclear deal with six world powers and reimposed crippling sanctions targeting particularly its vital oil industry. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 04:53:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A drive-through testing site is seen in Cairo, Egypt, June 15, 2020. Egypt witnessed on Sunday a new record of 91 single-day fatalities from COVID-19, increasing the death toll in the country to 1,575, said Egyptian Health Ministry. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) CAIRO, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Egypt witnessed on Sunday a new record of 91 single-day fatalities from COVID-19, increasing the death toll in the country to 1,575, said Egyptian Health Ministry. On the same day, Egypt confirmed 1,618 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total cases registered in the country to 44,598, Egyptian Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said in a statement. The statement added that 402 patients have recovered and were discharged from hospitals, raising the total recoveries to 11,931. Megahed underscored Egypt's close cooperation with the World Health Organization regarding the pandemic, the relevant case detection and the necessary medical care. Egypt announced its first confirmed COVID-19 case on Feb. 14 and the first death from the respiratory disease on March 8. Since March 25, the Egyptian government has been imposing a nighttime curfew as a key precautionary measure in combating the highly infectious virus. On Sunday, the government started implementing a shorter eight-hour curfew instead of nine hours, which will continue until the end of the month, amid a "coexistence plan" to maintain anti-coronavirus precautionary measures while resuming economic activities. Later in the day, Egypt's civil aviation minister announced that air traffic in all Egyptian airports will be resumed from July 1 as the country prepares for the return of foreign tourism, after more than three months of international flight suspension over the coronavirus concerns. The most populous Arab country has already started gradual reopening of services and offices, and allowed operation of over 230 hotels for local tourists with 50-percent capacity after they were given official hygiene safety certificates. Egypt and China have been cooperating closely in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, through mutual provision of medical aid and sharing experiences in containing the spread of the deadly respiratory disease. In early February, Egypt was among the first nations to provide aid to China in its fight against the coronavirus outbreak. China, after having largely controlled the pandemic, returned favor by sending three batches of medical aid to Egypt. On April 16, May 10 and May 16, Chinese doctors held video conferences with Egyptian counterparts to share their experiences in prevention and treatment of the virus. Enditem Riot police move demonstrators away from St. John's Church across Lafayette Park from the White House on June 1. (Associated Press) To the editor: I'm an almost 89-year-old U.S. Navy veteran, who at age 20 went through firefighting school in boot camp. ("Some U.S. lawmakers plan to propose a ban on police use of tear gas, which was deployed during peaceful protests," June 10) One exercise had us wear a mask and go through a room filled with tear gas; it was no problem. Then, we had to remove our mask and go back through that same room. It was a horrible experience that I will never forget. My eyes were burning, I was coughing and had difficulty breathing for some time after. And, I was a young strong sailor in excellent physical shape. When I saw those peaceful protesters walking outside the White House on June 1, I noticed they ranged in age from young to old. All I could think of was my experience as a young, healthy sailor, and how terrible that had to be for those innocent people. Plus, at the same time we went through the tear gas in training, we didn't have a helicopter sweeping low above us. Ira Gewant, Manhattan Beach VinFast made its operations in Australia official Located at Melbourne city of Australia, VinFast Australia will study and develop new automobile models and set a solid base for VinFast's overseas expansion plans. Establishing VinFast Australia is an opportunity to approach the international market and connect with the worlds leading suppliers as well as catch up with new technology and trends across the globe. This facilitys key target is to study and develop new models with both petroleum and electric versions. VinFast Australia started operations in early 2020 with the key facility of an automobile technology institute. The institute employs nearly 100 official staff, including experts, technicians, and engineers from the worlds leading car makers General Motors (GM), Toyota, Ford, Jaguar, and Land Rover, among others. The company, in addition to having an eye on Holden, the legendary car brand that is about to close down in Australia, also expressed interest in acquiring the design and engineering facilities of GM Australia, including the Lang Lang testing system which is in the same situation as Holden. Head of the institute is Kevin Yardley, who used to be the senior manager at GM Holden which is the pride of Australia. He also has experience in studying and developing new models in China and India. Melbourne not only has many new vehicle testing centres but also a large wind tunnel ready for aerodynamic testing of car companies, as well as a seaport to act as a gateway to export cars to the globe. Louise O'Brien from Rath recounts what a typical day is like for her on the front line with Covid-19. The face of Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise (MRHP) Physiotherapy Outpatient department has changed significantly in the past two months. Staff within the department have up-skilled in relation to PPE, respiratory care and on-call competencies alongside changing rotas and working hours to prepare to deal with COVID-19. Break times are also staggered to minimise staff group interaction in line with social distancing measures. The structure of treating patients has seen significant changes within the department from our traditional approaches used up to this point. A typical day in physiotherapy outpatients now looks as follows: On arrival to the department our temperature is checked and we then change into our uniform, ready to begin the day. As the majority of face-to-face patient clinics remain suspended, patient contact now occurs in new and innovative ways. Through strong links with our physiotherapy colleagues in the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, weve identified strategies in managing high priority groups. All priority referrals to the service are contacted by phone and a provisional assessment of the patients condition takes place. The majority of cases are now managed remotely over the phone or using online consultations using Teleheath. In clinical situations where face to face contact is essential, patient and staff safety is paramount. Our clerical staff have been excellent in relaying information to ensure patients understanding regarding safety to attend appointments. Extra precautions are currently in place for staff and patients alike. We are using face masks and gloves, minimising time in close contact and ensuring social distance during the consultation and treatment process. Follow up appointments are largely by phone or Telehealth. The presence of Telehealth, or online consultations, has been accelerated within the health service during COVID-19. Our Physiotherapy Department has embraced the use of Telehealth to ensure continuity of service for patients that we are not in a position to see in person. Through links with the School of Physiotherapy at the University of Limerick, final year physiotherapy students are assisting in rolling out Telehealth for patients. Telehealth has allowed patients to access advice, education and exercise programmes to target their personalised rehabilitation. COVID-19 has been a challenge to all healthcare staff including the outpatient physiotherapy team in changing our traditional work practices. We are mindful of monitoring and supporting each others mental and physical wellbeing. We do this by checking in with one another and encouraging exercise at break time, mental health resources and have even managed to include the odd socially distanced Pilates class. We have been inundated with delicious goodies from many local businesses which have lifted our spirits no end. While COVID-19 has had a negative impact on so many people we would like to think that within our Physiotherapy Department we have strived to maintain our usual high standards of care supporting each other and the community albeit in a different manner that we traditionally will have. Our focus now is to planning how outpatient clinics slowly return with the challenge of COVID-19 precautions to help keep our patients safe. According to information released by the U.S. Department of Defense on June 10, 2020, American Company General Dynamics Mission Systems, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is awarded a $104,214,429 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and cost-no-fee contract (N00030-20-C-0003) for fiscal 2020-2023 Columbia (US01) and Dreadnought ballistic missile submarine class development, production and installation requirement. According to information released by the U.S. Department of Defense on June 10, 2020, American Company General Dynamics Mission Systems, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is awarded a $104,214,429 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and cost-no-fee contract (N00030-20-C-0003) for fiscal 2020-2023 Columbia (US01) and Dreadnought ballistic missile submarine class development, production and installation requirement. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link An artist rendering of the future U.S. Navy Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines. (Picture source Wikimedia) Work will be performed in Pittsfield, Massachusetts (90%); the United Kingdom (6%); Quonset Point, Rhode Island (3%); and Groton, Connecticut (1%). Work is expected to be complete by November 2024. The U.S. Department of Defenses 2010 Nuclear Posture Review calls for recapitalization of the nations sea-based deterrent. In order to meet this requirement the U.S. must begin construction of the lead ship of the Columbia Class (formerly Ohio Replacement) program in FY2021. Because these submarines will remain in service until 2080, they must provide cost-effective, state-of-the-art design and technology to ensure survivability. Efforts to reduce the design, construction and life cycle costs are a primary focus of the program. The Columbia (SSBN-826) class program is a program to design and build a class of 12 new ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs Sub Surface Ballistic Nuclear) to replace the Navys current force of 14 agings Ohio-class SSBNs.This generation of submarine is being built by American company General Dynamic subsidiary Electric Boat for the US Navy in collaboration with Newport News Shipbuilding. The first-of-class Columbia was initially expected to be delivered to the U.S. Navy by 2028. The Columbia-class design includes 16 SLBM tubes, as opposed to 24 SLBM (submarine-launched ballistic missile) tubes (of which 20 are now used for SLBMs) on Ohio-class SSBNs. Although the Columbia-class design has fewer SLBM tubes than the Ohio-class design, it is larger than the Ohio-class design in terms of submerged displacement. The electric-drive propulsion system on board the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines will include an electric motor driving the propeller of the boat. The propulsion system will enable the submarine to sail at a speed of more than 20 k and operate at a depth of 800 ft. An artist rendering of Dreadnought ballistic missile submarine class for British Navy. (Picture source Wikimedia) The Dreadnought class is the future replacement for the Vanguard-class of ballistic missile submarines in service with the British Navy. The Vanguard submarines entered service in the United Kingdom in the 1990s with an intended service life of 25 years.[5] Their replacement is necessary if the Royal Navy is to maintain a continuous at-sea deterrent (CASD), the principle of operation behind the Trident system. According to the Naval Technology website, the Dreadnought class submarine will have a length of 153.6 m and displacement of 17,200 t. It will have a crew of 130 sailors. The Dreadnought-class submarine will be installed with eight operational missile tubes for launching Trident II D5 missile that can carry nuclear warheads. Four additional tubes will be configured with ballast. The Trident ballistic missile is a solid-fuel, inertial-guided missile that can carry multiple W76-Mk4/Mk4A or W88-Mk5 re-entry bodies. It has an operational range of 4,000 nm (7,36 0km). The Dreadnought-class submarine will be powered by Rolls-Royce nuclear propulsion system known as Pressurised Water Reactor 3 (PWR3). The MoD considered three PWR options, including PWR2, PWR2b, and PWR3. The PWR3 propulsion system incorporates a new design and leverages technology to deliver benefits such as simplified operations, longer service life, and reduced maintenance costs over the lifecycle. People walk down 16th street after Mayor Muriel Bowser had "Black Lives Matter" painted on the street near the White House on June 5, 2020. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) Secret Service Issues Correction About Using Pepper Spray on Lafayette Square Protesters The U.S. Secret Service issued a correction to a previous statement on June 13, saying that an agency employee had used pepper spray in response to an assaultive individual during efforts to secure Lafayette Park earlier this month. After further review, the U.S. Secret Service has determined that an agency employee used pepper spray on June 1st, during efforts to secure the area near Lafayette Park. The employee utilized oleoresin capsicum spray, or pepper spray, in response to an assaultive individual, the corrected statement reads. The agency had previously denied that its employees had used tear gas or capsicum spray when attempting to disperse the crowd protesting for change about police brutality in the wake of George Floyds death. The U.S. Park Police (USPP) had also pushed back on claims that tear gas was used by its agents. USPP also issued a statement on June 13 about the June 1 operation to secure the area in order to expand the protective perimeter around the White House to install a fence. On the issue of methods used to disperse the crowd, acting Chief Gregory Monahan said that officers employed the use of smoke canisters, stinger balls, and pepper balls to respond to protesters who were more combative. On June 1, USPP officers and other assisting law enforcement partners operating under the command of the USPP did not use tear gas or Skat Shells to close the area at Lafayette Park, Monahan said in the statement. The Trump administration received broad criticism for its handling of protesters near the White House on June 1. The protesters, who were reportedly demonstrating peacefully, were cleared from the area shortly before President Donald Trump and several of his aides made their way across the area to visit the nearby St Johns church. Some media reported that the protesters were forcefully removed using tear gas and rubber bullets in order to make way for Trumps visit to the church, but Attorney General William Barr has repeatedly denied that the two events had any correlation. During an interview with CBSs Face the Nation on June 7, Barr addressed criticism to dispute claims that protesters at the White House were forcefully cleared from the area using tear gas and other means for the purpose of Trumps church visit. Barr said that the decision to clear the park was made before he knew that Trump was going to speak there, and that it was not an operation to respond to that particular crowd. It was an operation to move the perimeter one block, the attorney general said. Barr said the decision was made in response to violent riots in Lafayette Square over the previous few days. On Sunday [May 31], things reached a crescendo. The officers were pummeled with bricks. Crowbars were used to pry up the pavers at the park, and they were hurled at police. There were fires set, in not only St. Johns Church, but a historic building at Lafayette was burned down, he said. He said these incidents prompted the Park Police on May 31 to prepare a plan to clear H Street and put a larger perimeter around the White House so they could build a more permanent fence on Lafayette. He added that he gave the green light to the plan at 2 p.m. the next day. Police have to move protesters, sometimes peaceful demonstrators, for a short distance in order to accomplish public safety. And thats what was done here, Barr said. The decision to clear the square prompted Black Lives Matter D.C. and several protesters to sue the Trump administration (pdf) for allegedly ordering the law enforcement personnel to carry out directives that violated their free speech and other constitutional rights. A number of House lawmakers are also seeking answers regarding the Trump administrations actions on that day. Police in the Southern California city of Palmdale have announced they will investigate the death of a black man found hanging from a tree outside near City Hall, after initially describing the incident as a suicide. A passerby reported seeing 24-year-old Robert Fuller's body around 3 a.m. Wednesday. Emergency personnel responded and found that he appeared to have died by suicide, Los Angeles County Sheriff's officials said. But the swift report of a suicide prompted outrage in the community. Fuller's death has generated intense scrutiny, especially after nationwide protests rebuking the police killing of George Floyd. The case has also brought to light the death of another black man found hanging from a tree on May 31 in Victorville, a desert city about 45 miles east of Palmdale. San Bernardino County authorities there said they were still investigating the cause of death of 38-year-old Malcolm Harsch, whose body was found hanging in a tree near the Victorville City Library. Robert Fuller, 24, was found hanging from a tree outside near City Hall in the Southern California city of Palmdale at 3am Wednesday Malcolm Harsch, 38, was found hanging in a tree near the city library in Victorville, about 45 miles east of Palmdale Protesters gathered around the tree where Fuller's body was found outside Palmdale City Hall On Saturday, hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Palmdale, a city of 150,000, marching from the park where Fullers body was found to the sheriffs station. Many carried signs that said 'Justice for Robert Fuller.' More than 100,000 people signed an online petition demanding a full investigation into Fuller's death. Community members confronted city officials at a contentious news briefing Friday, asking why they were quick to label his death a suicide and demanding an independent autopsy. 'I have doubts about what happened,' Marisela Barajas, who went to the press conference and joined a crowd gathered at the tree where Fuller's body was found, told the Los Angeles Times. 'All alone, in front of the City Hall - it's more like a statement,' she said. 'Even if it was a suicide, that in itself is kind of a statement.' Lt. Kelly Yagerlener of the county medical examiner-coroners office said a decision on the cause of death is deferred pending an investigation. A full autopsy is planned. Residents demanded surveillance video around the time and place where Fuller's body was found. The city said there were no outdoor cameras, and video recorders on a nearby traffic signal could not have captured what happened. A decision on Fuller's cause of death is deferred pending an investigation, officials said Many protesters in Palmdale carried signs that said 'Justice for Robert Fuller' after cops said he killed himself The city said there were no outdoor cameras, and video recorders on a nearby traffic signal could not have captured what happened Sheriff's Capt. Ron Shaffer said homicide detectives were investigating the circumstances leading to Fuller's death to determine if foul play was involved. He urged members of the public to contact detectives if they have relevant information, particularly about where Fuller had been and who he had been with in recent weeks. Palmdale officials wrote in a statement that investigators have been in contact with Fuller's family. A statement posted on the city website said it supports calls for an independent investigation and independent autopsy. KPCC-FM reports that at the march Saturday, Fullers sister Diamond Alexander insisted her brother was not suicidal. 'Robert was a good little brother to us and its like everything they have been telling us has not been right ... and we just want to know the truth,' she said. Fullers sister Diamond Alexander (pictured) insisted her brother was not suicidal. Protesters have demanded surveillance video around the time and place where Fuller's body was found San Bernardino County sheriff's spokeswoman Jodi Miller told Victor Valley News foul play was not suspected in Harsch's death but the man's family said they were concerned it will be ruled a suicide to avoid further attention. In a statement to the publication on Saturday, the family said a few people who were at the scene told them there was blood on his shirt but no indication of a struggle. They said Harsch didn't seem to be depressed and had recent conversations with his children about seeing them soon. 'The explanation of suicide does not seem plausible,' the statement said. 'There are many ways to die but considering the current racial tension, a black man hanging himself from a tree definitely doesnt sit well with us right now. We want justice not comfortable excuses.' Messages seeking comments from Miller and the coroner's office have not been returned. San Bernardino County sheriff's spokeswoman Jodi Miller told Victor Valley News foul play was not suspected in the death of Malcolm Harsch, pictured Flagbearer hopeful of the Peoples National Convention (PNC), Samson Asaki Awingobit, has urged the executive body of the party to unite towards improving the party's fortunes ahead of the 2020 elections. Samson Asaki, who was addressing all 16 regional secretaries of the party in Kumasi, called on the various executives, to rally behind any candidate who emerges winner in the party's upcoming flagbearership election. He stressed on the need for executives to respect existing structures as well as rallying behind the National Executive Body of the Party, to hold a successful Congress in the coming weeks. On his vision for the Party, Samson Asaki touched on his track record as a unifier and an already marketed Candidate. " I'm a household name in the country's politics and national discourse, an already marketed Candidate who will unite the party, and propel it to higher heights" Mr Asaki added. The meeting between Samson Asaki and the party's regionals secretaries in Kumasi, follows a similar one he held with the Regional Chairmen of the Party some weeks ago. The meeting was to afford a listening platform for the regional secretaries to share their challenges in their various regions, for onward resolution. All 16 substantive and some acting regional secretaries were present at the meeting. Source: Samson Asaki Awingobit, Contributo 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 (Reuters) - Authorities in Cape Verde have arrested a businessman close to Venezuela's socialist President Nicolas Maduro, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Saturday, a move Venezuelan authorities called a violation of international law. Alex Saab, a Colombian who also has a Venezuelan passport, had won contracts to obtain supplies for Maduro's government-run food subsidy program. The United States charged him last year with money laundering, and Washington has also sanctioned him for the food deals, which U.S. officials described as a scam designed to enrich Saab and Maduro. Department of Justice spokeswoman Nicole Navas Oxman said in a statement that Saab was arrested pursuant to an Interpol red notice issued with respect to his U.S. indictment. She provided no further details. Maria Dominguez, Saab's U.S.-based attorney, confirmed his arrest in the archipelago nation off the coast of western Africa, but also declined to provide further details. In a statement, Venezuela's foreign ministry said Saab had been acting as an "agent" of the state at the time of his detention, on business to obtain food, medicine and other humanitarian goods to help the South American country fight the coronavirus pandemic. "Venezuela calls on the state of Cabo Verde to set the citizen Alex Saab free," the ministry said in a statement, calling the arrest an "arbitrary detention" in violation of international law and adding Saab should have had diplomatic immunity. U.S. officials said the food program lined the pockets of Maduro, who has overseen a six-year economic collapse of the once-prosperous OPEC nation and stands accused of corruption and human rights violations. Last Tuesday, the Colombian attorney general's office said it had frozen assets belonging to Saab in the country worth some 35 billion Colombian pesos ($9.28 million), adding Saab was under investigation for crimes including money laundering. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; additional reporting by Brad Heath in Washington and Deisy Buitrago in Caracas; editing by Diane Craft and David Gregorio) The presidency has broken its silence on the alleged shooting at the presidential villa involving security officers attached to Ais... The presidency has broken its silence on the alleged shooting at the presidential villa involving security officers attached to Aisha Buhari, the first lady. On Friday, the security officers were reported to have confronted Sabiu Yusuf, personal assistant of the president, on the order of the first lady. The security aides of the first lady were later arrested and detained by the police. The first lady had asked Mohammed Adamu, inspector-general of police (IGP), to release her aides. The presidency initially did not react to the incident which elicited wild rumours and speculations. But in a statement on Sunday, Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, said the president has ordered an investigation into the incident. The Presidency wishes to acknowledge concerns expressed by several members of the public regarding the recent incident among the occupants of the State House which escalation led to the arrest of some staff by the police, he said. This is to assure all and everyone that the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Muhammadu Buhari, is not, and was not at anytime in any form of danger arising, either from deadly infections or the reported incident by security personnel which is currently under investigation. This particular incident happened outside the main residence of the President. Armed guards and other security personnel assigned to the State House receive the necessary training of especially weapons handling and where they come short, their relevant agencies have their rules and regulations to immediately address them. Having authorized the proper investigation to be carried out into this unfortunate incident by the Police, the President has acted in compliance with the rule of law. That a minor occurrence is being used by some critics to justify attacks on the government and the person of President Muhammadu Buhari beggars belief. In this particular instance, the President says the law should be allowed to take its course. Trayvon Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, has reportedly disagreed with defunding police departments, saying the US needs more officers with 'better ethics'. While many are calling for governments nationwide to defund the police following the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd at the hands of cops, Fulton, who recently announced her run for a Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners seat, told The Guardian: 'I think we need more police.' 'We need police with better standards, and police with better ethics and better work habits,' Fulton said. Fulton, whose campaign will focus on public safety and gun violence along with economic opportunity and housing affordability, said that she wants 'residents to feel safe'. Trayvon Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton (left and right, with Trayvon), has reportedly disagreed with defunding police departments, saying the US needs more officers with 'better ethics' 'I want to bridge the gap between the law enforcement and the community,' she added. Fulton's son, Trayvon, was just 17 years old when he was fatally shot by George Zimmerman in 2012. Zimmerman, a community watch volunteer who pleaded self defense, was acquitted of murder and manslaughter charges. Fulton's remarks came just days before Rayshard Brooks was shot dead by police in Atlanta, Georgia. Brooks' death has added fire to flame of Black Lives Matter protests demanding justice for countless black people who have died at the hands of police officers across the United States. Officer Garrett Rolfe was fired from the force after firing the shots that killed Brooks on Friday night Investigators say Brooks, 27, fought with officers and took a police Taser, before fleeing and pointing the stun gun at Rolfe as he ran away. Rolfe had been a member of the department since 2013. While many are calling for governments to defund the police following death of George Floyd at the hands of cops, Fulton, who recently announced her run for a Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners seat, said: 'I think we need more police' 'We need police (pictured in Miami) with better standards, and police with better ethics and better work habits,' Fulton said Officer Devin Bronsan, who was also present but did not fire, has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. Bronsan joined the department in 2018. The shooting led to the resignation of Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields, and the Wendy's where Brooks was shot was engulfed in an arson attack as protests turned tense on Saturday night. Atlanta, like scores of other major American cities, has been roiled by protests following the May 25 death of George Floyd. Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department after one officer, Derek Chauvin, was seen kneeling on his neck for almost nine minutes, cutting off his air supply. Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Three other Minneapolis police officers have also been charged with aiding and abetting. Lone man stands out as guarantor for Vietnams Chinese built expressway A man has fought nonstop to ensure justice for a central Vietnam expressway, even when it means confronting a giant Chinese contractor alone. Pham Tan Luc sits on the floor of his house in Binh Trung Commune of Quang Ngais Binh Son District to rearrange photos and documents related to the construction of Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway, which runs 139 km (86 miles) between Hoa Vang District of Da Nang City and Tu Nghia District of Quang Ngai Province. The files he keeps span five years, traded for sweat and blood. On his journey of construction supervision along the expressway, the 61-year-old has been harassed and attacked so many times he has stated "I'm no longer afraid of death." Pham Tan Luc reviews his documents and photos about the construction of the Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway at his house in Binh Trung Commune of Quang Ngais Binh Son District, May 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong Luc is a son of a war martyr. He lost his father at seven. He was a soldier himself. After discharged from the army, he returned to his hometown, got married, worked as a carpenter and sometimes, contractor at small building projects. Cuong, his wife, is a watermelon trader. Life has never been easy, but unlike many other people in the central region who had left their hometown, where the tough weather affects farming, to work in big cities, Luc insisted on staying. Ten years ago, his family hit a bumpy road as Cuong got cirrhosis. For treatment, she had to go to Hanoi every month and spent VND6 million ($260) per trip. To cover the cost of her treatment, they had sold everything they could, leaving just the house they inherited from Lucs mother. Being a carpenter and impermanent contractor could not ensure him a stable source of income. Via an acquaintance, Luc signed up for a job to guard a fleet of motor vehicles used at a construction site for a Chinese contractor at Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway. Construction started at the expressway in May 2013. The project was divided into 13 packages with a total investment of VND34.5 trillion ($1.4 billion), raised through loans of VND16.79 trillion from Japan International Cooperation Agency and VND12.42 trillion from World Bank, with the rest contributed as counterpart funds by the Vietnamese government. The main investor is Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC). In 2015, work commenced on a VND1.3-trillion section running 10.6 km through Binh Trung Commune overseen by Chinas Jiangsu Provincial Transportation Engineering Group Co., Ltd, or JTEG. JTEG is quite a famous name in the field of infrastructure. As its website states, the group makes seven billion yuan ($979 million) each year operating a series of projects in poor and developing countries, from Central African Republic to Mongolia, Fiji, Cambodia and Bangladesh. For the expressway contract in Binh Trung Commune, JTEG would not have drawn much attention if it had not hired Pham Tan Luc, a random resident living next to the construction site, as one of its guards. Reading about the VND34.5-trillion project that would be carried out over several years, Luc reassured himself it was a decent job because he could work close to his home, and the income of VND5 million ($215) would be enough for him and his wife. But ever since he started work at the project, it has been an unending confrontation between him, a lowbrow man with a compact digital camera as his only weapon, and the two infrastructure giants: JTEG and VEC. Shortly after he took the job, Luc repeatedly returned home with complaints about how the contractor had conducted its business very carelessly. According to what he had observed, the contractor did not employ site clearance but simply leveled everything on the spot, including all types of soil, stone, and even the root of a big three. On one section, 300,000 cubic meters of mud remained in situ during foundation leveling. With his experience in the construction sector, Luc drew up a list of misconduct: the contractor used oversized rocks when building the uneven foundation, with workers simply pushing the stones into the pit. The aggregate base was then built way too thick, which did not meet the required standard. From what he had recorded, Luc decided he had to speak up. "I talked to the interpreter, demanding the contractor correct its mistakes, nothing more, but all I got was silence." More than one year after he took the job, Luc was fired for repeatedly putting his nose into the contractors business. But Luc could not let it go. He was obsessed by what he had witnessed at the construction site. Eventually, he filed a petition listing all the mistakes made by the Chinese contractor, calling for an investigation and replacement of incompetent employees. The petition was filed on June 6, 2016, but Luc did not dare sign his name. His neighbors also refused to give their support. "Of course it is scary. I am nobody and yet I accused the ones behind a billion-dollar project. I was scared of revenge, and I was also worried no one would believe me because I got no evidence." After some point, Luc signed and submitted the petition to the party chief of Quang Ngai Province, the management board of the expressway, and Binh Son District police. He waited, and waited, but got no response. "I need to buy a camera," Luc said, giving VND3 million to an acquaintance. Days later, he owned a compact digital camera that measured half his palm. It took him almost a week to master the gadget. With his camera, Luc got back to business. Tran Van Luc takes photos of the construction site of the Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway in October 2018. Photo by VnExpress/Pham Linh. Knowing all the areas where the contractor had made mistakes, he sneaked into the construction site during the lunch break and took as many photos as he could. "The more I looked for evidence, the more misconduct I uncovered, all threatening the quality of the entire project," he said. Luc could spend all day listing a series of items he called "wrongdoing": the asphalt was not heated to 150 degrees Celsius before use, the iron was left outdoors through the rainy season, rusting and unwashed, and when the foundation was still full of mud, workers commenced to pour in concrete. Several months later, the interpreter of JTEG was assigned to watch out for Luc. Every time he showed up at the site, he would be stopped from entering. But Luc justified his action: "Residents have all the right to inspect the contractor. Except when the projects management board issues a specific statement with reasons stipulating why I could not enter the site." Unable to argue the point, the contractor moderated work during the day and pushed for full capacity at night. "Who could stay up all night to keep an eye on them?" Luc said. Yet after a period of struggling alone, Luc started receiving calls from workers at the project and others in the neighborhood telling him of other illegal aspects he may help to expose. Those calls usually came at night. Luc never missed any. He always got up right away and rushed to the scene. In many cases, he was scared because the spot as mentioned to him was deserted and it was already late at night. But deep inside, Luc had a belief that only when he showed up, the contractor would be alerted and fix its mistake. "If it wasnt for those calls [which came from workers and engineers at the project], I would never have discovered all these faults." As more people learned what he was doing, strangers started stopping by his home, offering him VND6 million each month if he ceased his quest. When he turned them down, they approached his wife, but Cuong said she knew her husband and refused. Yet at the end of the day, Cuong did not want her husband to continue what he was doing. "Please, could you stop hitting a stone with an egg," she begged. But Luc did not listen. Then came the day when stones literally fell onto their house. Every man for himself A night in March 2016, stones as big as a humans fist were thrown into Luc and Cuongs home. Luc was not home. He had taken a new job as a guard for a dam project nearby. There were only Cuong and their grandson. Lying in bed, Cuong heard the sound of stones falling on the tiled roof and hitting the door but did not dare get up. Only when they had all gone did she turn on the light. Pham Tan Luc's wife, Cuong, shows the stones people threw into their house in March 2016 that she has kept until today. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong. After the incident, Luc showed up more at the expressway. He was outraged. He yelled at the workers and had words with those who worked as inspectors. He was not scared for himself anymore but he "could never live in peace" if it was his family who got hurt. Yet there was not much Luc could do instead of continuing to strengthen his supervision and remind workers nonstop that they were "building the expressway for the Vietnamese people, not the Chinese contractor, and that the contractor will return home once their job is done." Day by day, he called the project management board, and the construction supervision engineer, requesting them to strictly follow the design. "If not, I will send my photos to the media," he threatened. More than once, the contractor agreed to redo the section that did not meet the standard as pointed out by Luc. But the stones were just the beginning. An afternoon of a late autumn day in 2016, when Luc was moving from the dam project to the expressway to continue his inspection, a man named Hung from a neighboring commune who worked as a porter at the JTEG site asked him to join his group for some drinks. As they sat down together, Hung asked Luc what he had done so far at the construction site. Luc showed off some photos he had taken and all of a sudden, Hung called Luc names, punched his face and kicked him to the ground. Luc was taken to hospital and received six stitches. The wound next to his eye left a scar. Days later, he received calls from unknown numbers, threatening his life. Luc reported all these incidents to the police. Everything settled down. Gradually, the media learned about his plight. His face appeared frequently on the news, revealing the faults of JTEG. Such fame once again sparked hatred. But Luc could never imagine that one day the one who would assault him would be his cousin. On a summer day in 2018, Luc was lying on his bed watching TV when Nguyen Thai Hung rushed into his house from the expressways construction site. Without a word, Hung thrashed Luc. From the back of the house, Cuong jumped in and used a stick to beat Hung back. As Hung left, Luc called the police before heading to hospital for a week. Hung was summoned by the police but as the two are cousins, their families decided to handle the case in private. Luc found out later that Hung, as a worker on site, had been disciplined for skimming iron building materials. Thinking it was Luc who had reported him, Hung decided to teach Luc a lesson. "Our neighbors said he must have been crazy for putting his nose in other peoples business," Cuong complained. But Luc insisted he "has lived long enough to no longer be afraid of dying." In his 60s, Luc does not have much money. There had been days when he received calls or messages from workers reporting faults at the project but he could not afford to buy gas for his bike. Determined, he went to his neighbors, asking to borrow their motorbikes for a while, lying to them that he needed to pick up his grandson or go to the market on some urgent business. There had also been days when he had to take some money from the workers at the expressway so he could top up his mobile phone and continue calling the project management board and the supervision engineer. But aside from anonymous calls reporting faults and some money for credit, Luc had fought the battle alone. Though he did ask relatives working in state agencies and friends in the police to help him with petition letters, no one wanted to lift a finger. He traveled hundreds of kilometers to the office of the expressway management board in Da Nang City, but they always refused to meet him in person. Luc grew disappointed. He even lost his appetite and some weight. But he refused to give up. "Every time I showed up at the site with my camera, the contractor would have to make workers fix the faults I had pointed out," he said firmly. Responding to his determination, officials from the project management board chose to threaten him, suggesting they could help him repair his house or create jobs for his family members at the new toll stations. But Luc kept inspecting the project and sending out petitions. On November 28, 2017, his petition received 15 signatures, indicating his efforts had finally paid off. Later, people even joined him to inspect the project. Some learned from his guidance to detect areas where the contractors had slacked off. Almost two years since Luc started his lone battle, he finally received calls from neighbors, thanking him for helping ensure the quality of the expressway running through their hometown. What goes around comes around Over the years, contractor JTEG has built a reputation for misconduct. It got contracted to construct the elevated part of a bus rapid transit system running through Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, a project funded by Asian Development Bank in 2017. Yet, the project remains far behind schedule, with only 20 percent of work completed, according to the bank. In 2011, a project to upgrade the Srinagar-Jammu highway, which runs from Srinagar in the Kashmir Valley southward to Jammu city as one of the two road links connecting the valley with the rest of India, was awarded to JTEG. It was pledged to be completed within three years but after almost 10 years with many promises and adjustments to raise investment capital, the project is also far from done and dusted. However, Vietnam Expressway Corporation is ultimately in charge of ensuring the quality of Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway. Lucs strongest evidence for misconduct by the Chinese contractor arrived after heavy rains in late November 2018. By then, the expressway section running from Tam Ky Town through Binh Son District to Quang Ngai Town inside Quang Ngai Province had been completed and opened to traffic for two months. With the rains, the expressway surface started showing cracks and undulation. Luc did not miss such an opportunity. He took all the photos he could and called the reporters he had met before. "The rain will reveal the true quality of the expressway," he told them. For his part, Luc did not forget to file more petitions. Luc attracted more attention than ever, a concerned public suggestion he be rewarded for his efforts. In response, local authorities said they needed more time to verify his petitions. But the public did not need such verification. Ever since the rainy season hit in 2018, the quality of Da Nang-Quang Nam Expressway, including sections not overseen by JTEG, kept revealing faults. Along the section built by JTEG, the cracking and undulated surface could be seen with the naked eyes. In addition, the Chinese contractor has failed to complete its package as scheduled. Until today, it has still not finished work at Dung Quat Roundabout to connect the expressway with Tri Binh Street leading straight to Dung Quat Economic Zone. In June last year, a section of the expressway not built by JTEG suffered subsidence. Three months later, potholes appeared on a section in Da Nang City. The expressway management board blamed it all on the rain. Inspectors from the Ministry of Transport were sent to the scene following a criminal investigation launched into the case, in which officials from the VEC were charged with violating construction regulations that caused serious consequences. In November last year, police detained and probed four VEC officials over the charge. In early May, Le Quang Hao, deputy general director of the firm, was arrested. The news came to Luc when he was working as a guard for a company in Da Nang. He called his wife immediately, reminding her to keep all of his documents on inspecting the project safe, "in case the police need them." Pham Tan Luc stands in front of his house with his grandson as he holds a petition asking the authorities to deal with faults he had found at the Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway section running through his hometown, May 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong. Authorities of Binh Trung Commune have since asked Binh Son District to reward Luc and recognize his contributions. But Luc does not need such recognition. All he cares about is that after all these years, his sweat and tears have not been wasted. He truly believes it was for his presence at the construction site that held the contractor to account. "I had done what my conscience told me and was really happy when authorities eventually acted. The Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway might show even more faults in future each time it rains heavily, serving as a lesson for other expressway projects in Vietnam." These days, Luc sleeps and eats way better. He has gained five kilos to hit 50 kg. But still, he struggles to find inner peace. Now that he has switched to a smartphone, Luc still has his feature phone kept safely along with all photos and documents related to the project. The old phone bears "all the threats and who knows if one day the police might need it," he said. Every now and then, he has to shrug off rumors he had put his nose in VECs business only to later blackmail the company. Titled 'Viral Self-Portraits,' the online exhibition was created at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia's capital, when people were still self-isolating at home Egyptian artist Mahmoud Khaled is participating in the online exhibition 'Viral Self-Portraits,' organised by the Museum of Modern Art in Ljubljana and the Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova, also located in the Slovenian capital. The exhibition kicked off on 15 May and will last until 31 December. Follow this link to view all the works. "We started thinking about the Viral Self-Portraits online exhibition at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when we were still self-isolating at home. We first contacted 23 curators across the globe to invite five artists each to do self-portraits, according to the invitation below. 100 international artists responded," the gallery's website clarifies. The only Egyptian among 100 artists from across the globe, Khaled contributes to the exhibition with a video titled 'A Day with a Self-Isolated Lady from the 80s'. His five-minute video is based on footage from the Egyptian 1987 film The Haunted House. View Mahmoud Khaled's work here. Born in 1982 in Alexandria, Khaled studied fine art at Alexandria University in Egypt and Trondheim University in Norway. Khaled lives and works in Trondheim and Alexandria. His work spans across a number of media: video, photography, sculpture, installation, sound and text; he explores what is real and what is hidden, disguised or staged. Khaled has held numerous exhibitions in Egypt and internationally. He is also participating in the upcoming show "MODERN LOVE or Love in the Age of Cold Intimacies" curated by Katerina Gregos, taking place between 3 October 2020 and 7 March 2021 in Museum fur Neue Kunst Freiburg, Germany and between June and September 2021 in Tallinn Art Hall, Estonia. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture Search Keywords: Short link: According to information released by the U.S. Department of Defense on June 11, 2020, American Company Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $368,194,942 not-to-exceed, undefinitized contract modification (P00036) to previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm-target, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract N00019-17-C-0001. This modification provides for the procurement of five F-35A Lightning II lot 14 aircraft, one F-35B lot 14 combat aircraft and associated red gear for the government of Italy. According to information released by the U.S. Department of Defense on June 11, 2020, American Company Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $368,194,942 not-to-exceed, undefinitized contract modification (P00036) to previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm-target, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract N00019-17-C-0001. This modification provides for the procurement of five F-35A Lightning II lot 14 aircraft, one F-35B lot 14 combat aircraft and associated red gear for the government of Italy. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link The F-35B MM7451 during its test flight in full Marina Militare markings Credit: Franco Gualdoni. (Picture source via Twitter account The Aviationist) Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (35%); Cameri, Italy (28%); El Segundo, California (15%); Warton, United Kingdom (8%); Orlando, Florida (4%); Nashua, New Hampshire (3%); Baltimore, Maryland (3%); San Diego, California (2%); various locations within the continental U.S. (1.3%) and various locations outside the continental U.S. (0.7%). Work is expected to be complete by June 2023. The Italian Air Force has received its first F-35B SVTOL (Short Take-off and Vertical Landing) Stealth fighter aircraft in February 2020, built at the FACO (Final Assembly and Check-Out) facility in Cameri, Italy. The F-35B will be used by the Italian Navy onboard Cavour aircraft carrier and the LHD (Landing Helicopter Dock) Trieste. The Italian armed forces have procured a total of 90 F-35 fighter aircraft including 60 F-35A and 30 F-35B, 15 will go to the Navy and 15 to the Air Force. The new fighter aircraft will replace the aging AV-8B+ Harrier. The F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variant is the worlds first supersonic STOVL stealth aircraft. It is designed to operate from austere bases and a range of air-capable ships near front-line combat zones. It can also take off and land conventionally from longer runways on major bases. The U.S. Marine Corps' F-35B aircraft reached initial operational capability (IOC) on July 31, 2015, and as of January 2017, a squadron of F-35Bs is permanently based at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. The F-35B STOVL operation is made possible through the Rolls-Royce patented shaft-driven LiftFan propulsion system and an engine that can swivel 90 degrees when in short takeoff/vertical landing mode. Because of the LiftFan, the STOVL variant has a smaller internal weapon bay and less internal fuel capacity than the F-35A. It uses the probe-and-drogue method of aerial refueling. Now that the Lehigh Valley is back in the yellow phase, the Greater Valley YMCA has opened its doors to day camp and childcare. But the first week back that started June 8 looked nothing like the childcare programs before the arrival of coronavirus in March. The Y has taken measures to try to keep kids safe and try to curb the spread of the virus. Everyone gets a temperature check before they can come in to one of the seven locations, according to Greater Valley YMCA CEO Dave Fagerstrom. Parents sign in their kids but they stay away from the children. There are no field trips and water fountains are out of service. The Y is very focused on safety, social distancing and hand sanitation. We have done everything possible to keep the kids in our care healthy, Fagerstrom said. The plan was eight weeks in the making. It calls for groups no greater than 25 in the gym or the pool and a full wipedown before a new group of kids enters. Group instruction went from 12 kids to nine. Children are encouraged to wear masks but dont always cooperate, especially the preschoolers, Fagerstrom said. The organization is at about 30% of its typical capacity for day camp, according to Crystal Messer, the organizations vice president of childcare. That could be due in part to concerns over sanitation. A larger issue is likely the high unemployment rate due to coronavirus, which means fewer people need childcare, according to Fagerstrom. Some for-profit childcare centers went out of business, according to state information relayed by Fagerstrom. But the demand for childcare is still down overall, at least for now, he said. Fagerstrom said its realistic to expect YMCA childcare facilities to get to about 75% of their pre-coronavirus capacity by October. For those who rely on the YMCA for childcare, its available. Were excited at the Y to welcome the community back, Fagerstrom said. Were so pleased the parents have the trust in the YMCA to trust us with their children. If you think you cant afford it, the Y offers scholarships through gv-ymca.org. All you need to do is fill out a form. The Greater Valley YMCA handed out $1.4 million in scholarships last year. The YMCA weaves learning activities into its summer camp so kids avoid the summer slide and go back to school in the fall ready to learn. Day camp also helps children return to a sense of normalcy after the months-long stay-at-home order. Theres a lot thats changed in the last three months ... but there are some things that shouldnt change, Fagerstrom said. Kids having fun in the summer shouldnt change. Kids learning in the summer shouldnt change and kids making friends at day camp should not change. Find out more The Greater Valley YMCA offers day camp in Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, Nazareth, Macungie and its Suburban North location. It offers childcare in Allentown, Bethlehem, Forks Township, Nazareth and its Suburban North location. Get information about rates and scholarships at gv-ymca.org. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to Lehighvalleylive.com. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email him. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. Beijing: Beijing has traced dozens of new coronavirus cases to a major wholesale food market after almost two infection-free months, raising concerns about a resurgence of the disease. The capital is taking steps to try to halt the outbreak, including ramping up testing. On Sunday night Beijing ordered all companies to supervise 14-day home quarantine for employees who have visited the Xinfadi market or been in contact with anyone who has done so. Medical workers sort coronavirus test results in Beijing on Sunday. Credit:Getty Images A restaurant chain selling traditional Beijing noodles shut down outlets after two employees tested positive. There had been almost no new coronavirus cases in the city for almost two months until an infection was reported on June 12. Since then, the total number has climbed to 51, including eight reported in the first seven hours of Sunday. David Lammy has criticised Boris Johnson over the number of tweets he wrote about the statue of Winston Churchill, calling the prime ministers social media posts a deflection. Speaking to the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, the shadow justice secretary said the prime minister had failed to treat other issues with the same seriousness. Lammy noted that Johnson had sent out a series of tweets on the subject of statues on Friday after Churchills memorial was daubed with the words was a racist earlier this week. "Boris Johnson sent out eight tweets, I think it was, on Friday on Winston Churchill and statues, Lammy said. The statue of former prime minister Winston Churchill is cleaned in Parliament Square earlier this week. (Getty) "He's never tweeted eight times in a day on coronavirus, he's never tweeted eight times in a day on the Windrush review or what he's going to do about it, or on the review that David Cameron asked me to do on disproportionality in the criminal justice system and what he's going to do about it. "This feels to me like a bit of a deflection. Let's get to the action, let's have some substance, let's do something about these historic injustices that still exist in our country." Lammy also called on the government to "deal with the substance" around racism and not focus on individual ministers' experiences of racism. Lammy (centre) criticised Johnson over the series of tweets. (Getty) "We still only have in this country 1% of police officers that are black, 1% of judges that are black, 51% of (those in) our young offender institutions are from black, Asian, or minority ethnic backgrounds, languishing in those young offenders' prisons. "Those are the serious issues that people want the government to deal with. Not statues, not Priti Patel, deal with the problems." The statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square is a permanent reminder of his achievement in saving this country and the whole of Europe from a fascist and racist tyranny. 1/8 Boris Johnson #StayAlert (@BorisJohnson) June 12, 2020 The prime minister tweeted in defence of Churchill on Friday. (Getty) The prime minister tweeted on Friday that although Churchill held opinions that were "unacceptable to us today" he had still saved Britain from "fascist and racist tyranny". Story continues His defence of the wartime prime minister came after Churchills statue was daubed with the words "was a racist" last weekend by protesters attending a Black Lives Matter march. The statue in London's Parliament Square was then sealed in a protective box ahead of further protests this weekend. In his twitter thread, Johnson said monuments like Churchill's were put up by previous generations as he urged people to "stay away" from demonstrations amid the coronavirus pandemic. "We cannot try to edit or censor our past," he wrote of moves to remove tributes to historical figures. "We cannot pretend to have a different history." Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK Dear couples, More than 40 years since the first In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) baby was born and was looked at as a miracle of science through fertility treatments that has come a long way. It offers the chance and choice to couples, struggling thereby to start a family for bearing biological babies of their own. About 8-10 per cent of couples across the globe experience the struggle of conceiving of their own, putting the figure to a whopping 60-80 million globally. Of these, probably 15-20 million (one-fourth) are in India alone. A closer look at these statistics reveals that the chance for a healthy pregnancy is meager and even less than 20 per cent across families, making assisted reproductive techniques a common intervention as the only recourse. IVF is a blessing in disguise for many couples where a spontaneous pregnancy is not possible. Its method of assisted reproductive technology (ART) used to help couples having the following medical health conditions like Bilateral Blocked fallopian tubes, moderate to severe degree endometriosis, and the male parter with very low sperm counts where natural fertilization process gets hampered. ICSI is a technique utilised to inject a single sperm into a mature egg with a very fine glass needle by means of a micro-manipulator in order to achieve fertilisation, unlike conventional IVF. A single motile, mature, normal looking sperm is selected for injection under a high magnification microscope. ICSI has become a subset of IVF as an alternate medium where the chances of fertilization becomes increasingly high where the sperm is extracted from testis or epididymis in case of zero or extremely poor sperm count of the male partner. The overall estimates reveals that almost 2.5 million cycles of IVF are being performed year on year, resulting over 5,00,000 deliveries spread across on an annual basis. IVF has become a way of life for many these days with knowledge and education level being enhanced. The thrust of having a baby has become more convenient where IVF has come handy to almost every segment of the living class across the country / globe. There has been a significant change in thelast couple of decades ever since I was involved in dealing with fertility issues and IVF treatment. The overall acceptance to IVF treatment has become the go of life where more and more couples opt for a treatment of this nature without any bias or prejudice. IVF is a procedure involving the stimulation of multiple eggs using medications, called gonadotropins, that are similar to natural hormones (FSH) that cause eggs to grow. For IVF / ICSI, women are usually given a hormone injection to produce multiple eggs in any given cycle. The cycle is being monitored by Ultrasound and Hormonal evaluation to asses the maturity of eggs and the female partner undergoes a procedure TVOR to extract the eggs from the ovaries. Once this process is complete, the eggs are fertilized in the laboratory with the husband sperm. Embroys are cultured in the incubators and monitored for assessment of the quality. Depending on the embryo quality, one or two are selected to be transferred into the uterine cavity and surplus embryos are frozen for future consumption. This process has a cumulative success rate of around 45 55%. In vitro fertilization can be a very safe alternative to natural childbearing if used under regulation. Often times, couples with infertility problems turn to this process for help with conceiving. It is used by mixing a womans eggs with a mans sperm outside the body and letting it fertilize, making it an embryo which then gets transferred to Uterus for implantation. If successful, the woman will become pregnant. The history began in Great Britain when the worlds first successful test tube baby was born, Louise Joy Brown. The success of IVF with donor oocytes not only crossed the traditional boundaries of ART, but also unleashed a barrage of unprecedented social, ethical, and legal concerns. In summary, few fields of medicine have enjoyed the popular growth and sustained improvements witnessed by physicians and their patients with infertility. Yours truly, Dr Babita Panda Dr. Panda, MD Gynaecology is the Chief Fertility Consultant & Managing Director, Future Fertility Pvt Limited, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, Former Faculty at CMC Vellore, Tamil Nadu. You can get more information about infertility related issues and IVF by clicking on our site or www.parentsoffertility.com DISCLAIMER : This document is for general reference only and for the viewers in India only. The data is based on blog writers / participants opinions which do not necessarily reflect the views, ideas and policies of Merck and Merck makes no representations of any kind about the accuracy or completeness of the information provided. It may refer to pharmaceutical products, diagnostic techniques, therapeutics or indications not yet registered or approved in a given country and it should be noted that, over time, currency and completeness of the data may change. For updated information, please contact the Company. This data should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition without the professional advice of a Registered Medical Practitioner, and does not replace medical advice or a thorough medical examination. Registered Medical Practitioners should use their independent professional judgement in checking the symptoms, diagnosing & suggesting the appropriate line of treatment for patients. Merck is not in any way influencing, propagating or inducing anyone to buy or use Merck products. Merck accepts no liability for any loss, damage or compensation claims in connection with any act or omission by anyone based on information contained in or derived through use of this document. For more information write to Merck Specialites Private Limited, Godrej One, 8th floor, Pirojshah Nagar, Eastern Express Highway, Vikhroli (E), Mumbai 400079, India Photo of the lightning storm over Waterford on Saturday night, taken from Ursuline Court in the city. Picture: Noel Browne As many as nine cows were killed following a lightning strike while almost 9,000 households were left without power as thunderstorms struck the country over the weekend. Met Eireann has warned people to expect further thunderstorms over the coming days. In Co Clare yesterday afternoon, up to nine cows died following a lightning strike at Dunlicky on the coast road near Kilkee. A motorist said: There was a lot of thunderstorm activity in the area at the time and the sky blackened all of a sudden. The rain was pouring down really heavy for about 20 minutes. Just after we passed Dunlicky Castle we saw the cows in the field. There were a few cars and men in there as well. I think it was nine milking cows we counted. They are all lying dead in the field some with their legs in the air, she said. The thunderstorms brought significant lightning strikes, particularly across Munster and south Leinster, from 4pm on Saturday until the early hours of Sunday morning. ESB Networks said it had a significant number of customers left without power because of the lightning strikes. Due to significant lightning last night [Saturday] we have a number of faults, mainly in the south of the country, a spokesperson said. The ESB said its repair crews were deployed once it was safe to do so and are working to restore supplies to all customers. Faults were reported in Cork city and county, Tipperary, Limerick, Waterford and Wexford. In Cork, a number of shops had to close early on Saturday afternoon after lightning resulted in a loss of power supplies. Across northern Europe, there were an astonishing 300,000 lightning strikes in the space of just 48 hours as thunderstorms rolled over the continent. Met Eireann warned that Ireland was set for further thunderstorms over the coming days as a warm, humid air mass will linger over the country. There will be sunny spells and scattered heavy showers today, with the worst of these in central and northern counties. Top temperatures will rise to 19C to 22C. Tomorrow will see cloudier conditions in the west with sunny spells developing in the eastern half of the country, sparking off some thundery afternoon showers. Top temperatures will range from 15C to 21C, the warmest of these in the east. The families of two black men who were found hanged from trees in Southern California are asking the authorities to further investigate their deaths. The family of Robert L. Fuller, 24, disputed the authorities initial pronouncement that he died by suicide. The family of Malcolm Harsch, 38, is worried his death will also be ruled a suicide. Mr. Harsch was found at 7 a.m. on May 31 near a homeless encampment in Victorville, Calif., where bystanders told the authorities he was living. A woman who identified herself as his girlfriend called 911 to say that others in the encampment had notified her that Mr. Harsch had been found hanging from a tree and cut down, the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroners Department said in a statement. There were no indications of foul play but the investigation was continuing, a spokeswoman for the department said Sunday. New Delhi: TV actress Deepika Singhs mother, who has tested positive for coronavirus, was admitted to the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi on Saturday after she tweeted for help from authorities. In a social media post, Deepika thanked the Delhi government for the prompt response. Thank you to Delhi Govt & health minister for the immediate response to my tweet & video. Finally, my mother got admission to Sir Gangaram Hospital. Hoping for her speedy recovery, she wrote. On Friday, the Diya Aur Baati Hum actress had shared an online plea hoping, which went viral, seeking help for her mother. In the video, a visibly disturbed Deepika spoke about her mothers condition, but despite that, several hospitals in Delhi are refusing to admit her citing lack of bed. "My mom has been diagnosed with COVID-19 positive. My mom and dad are in Delhi. The test has been done in Lady Hardinge hospital and they didn't give reports. They only allowed my father to click its picture. I really hope the concerned personnel are reading this and my mom there receives some relief. We need your help," Deepika wrote on Instagram, also tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the video, Deepika shared she has a joint family of 45 members including her parents in Delhi and believes everyone is at risk at the moment. "This is a request message to the Delhi government and Arvind Kejriwal about my mother, who is 59-year-old and has tested positive for corona. Her test was conducted Lady Hardinge four to five days back but the reports are not being handed to them. My father was told to take the photo of the report and he doesn't have WhatsApp so we can't show it to any hospital," she said. Deepika said she is currently in Mumbai with her son and it is difficult for her to travel to Delhi at this point. A former Australian TV actor turned financial investor has been sentenced to death in China for drug smuggling, almost seven years after he was arrested. Karm Gilespie had not been heard of since December 2013, when he was arrested at a Hong Kong airport with more than 7.5 kgs of methamphetamine in his luggage. That was until June 10 when local media reported Mr Gilespie had been sentenced to death by the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court. Mr Gilespie had a recurring role on popular 1990s drama Blue Heelers before moving into wealth and financial management, which led him to spend an increased amount of time in Asia, away from his hometown of Melbourne. Friends of Mr Gilespie, 56, expressed their shock at the news and told how they had been trying to find out information about his whereabouts since 2013 without luck. Australian man Karm Gilespie has been sentenced to death in China for drug smuggling, almost seven years after he was arrested His friend Roger Hamilton (left) posted a statement on Facebook telling how he had last seen Mr Gilespie (second from left) in 2013 at a financial forum (pictured), before he 'disappeared' American entrepreneur Roger Hamilton posted a statement on Facebook telling how he had last seen Mr Gilespie in 2013 at a financial forum, before he 'disappeared'. 'This is a photo of Karm Gilespie (in the red shirt) graduating from our WD Masters 7 years ago. Soon after, Karm disappeared,' Mr Hamilton wrote. 'He had been an active member of our community, encouraging others to be the best they could be. He was always there for others, which was why it was so strange that he suddenly disappeared. 'He had been an active member of our community, encouraging others to be the best they could be. He was always there for others, which was why it was so strange that he suddenly disappeared. 'Today I heard the news of what had happened to him. He has been in a Chinese jail for 7 years and has now been sentenced to death. 'This is an Australian citizen who has been kept secretly in jail by a foreign government for 7 years before being sentenced to death with no due process.' It is understood Mr GIlespie is married and has several children. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told Daily Mail Australia they were providing consular assistance. 'We are deeply saddened to hear of the verdict made in his case. Australia opposes the death penalty, in all circumstances for all people,' a spokesperson said. The news comes at a time when diplomatic ties between Australia and China are at an almost all time low, after Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured with foreign minister Marise Payne) called for an inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic Mr Gilespie (right) had a recurring role on popular 1990s drama Blue Heelers before moving into wealth and financial management, which led him to spend an increased amount of time in Asia, away from his hometown of Melbourne 'We support the universal abolition of the death penalty and are committed to pursuing this goal through all the avenues available to us.' According to some local media reports Mr Gilespie had left the Hong Kong airport in December 2013, only to be stopped by customs officers outside who allegedly found the methamphetamine in his checked luggage. Local news outlet Ifeng.com reports that he was sentenced to death on June 10, but will now have an opportunity to appeal. 'On the morning of June 10, the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court made a first-instance judgment on the smuggling of drugs by the Australian defendant and sentenced him to death for the crime of drug smuggling,' the Chinese site said. The news comes at a time when diplomatic ties between Australia and China are at an almost all time low, after becoming increasingly strained during the coronavirus pandemic. Chinese President Xi Jinping was angered by the calls for an inquiry into his nation's handling of the virus, which is believed to have originated in Wuhan Australian and New Zealand citizen Peter Gardner (pictured) has also been in a Chinese prison since 2015 on drugs charges Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called for an independent inquiry into the origins of COVID-19, angering his Chinese counterparts. A number of Australians are currently being detained in China, including a fellow convicted drug smuggler Peter Gardiner. Mr Gardiner, a joint Australian and New Zealand citizen, has been behind bars since 2015 after he was caught allegedly trying to smuggle 30kg of methamphetamine into the country. Mr Gardner was stopped at Gangzhou airport in November 2014 and arrested with his then girlfriend Kalynda Davis. Gardner, then 26, is accused of attempting to board a flight to Sydney with two suitcases which were superglued shut and allegedly contained the drugs. Chinese authorities claim it is the largest haul of drugs ever recorded at the airport. Gillespie was allegedly carrying more than 7.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in his checked luggage (file image) The Guangzhou (pictured) Intermediate People's Court handed down the sentence on June 10 Two Canadians were handed death sentences by China in 2019 amid diplomatic tensions between the two countries. Canadian citizen Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was handed death sentence after a retrial in January 2019. Fan Wei was sentenced to death in the Jiangmen Intermediate People's Court in Guangdong province three months later. Canada accused the Chinese government of payback after Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Vancouver on behalf of the United States. The United States had accused him of working to evade sanctions against Iran. He is being detained under house arrest in Canada and fighting extradition to the United States. For many free-spirited Americans, a face mask may feel like an uncomfortable blot on personal expression. But as states slowly begin to ease coronavirus restrictions, some medical experts are trying to put a happier face on those coverings -- touting them as a symbol of kindness and a tool in the effort to slow viral spread. "It is really part of our social contract," said Dr. Lisa Maragakis, senior director of infection prevention at Johns Hopkins University. "It's an act that we're doing to protect other people." Using masks as an everyday accessory has not come quickly or easily for the nation. Almost from day one, masks have been pushing political buttons. MORE: CDC recommends face masks, asks Americans to evaluate risk of summer events Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi sought to lend some old-fashioned machismo to the cloth covering this week. "Real men wear masks," she declared in her weekly news conference on Thursday. But on the other side of Pennsylvania Avenue, President Donald Trump seemed to think there was something un-manly about the masks. Even as his own federal health officials began strongly advising their use, he has resisted appearing in public wearing one. "I didn't want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it," he said recently after appearing at a Detroit auto factory without one before cameras. He reportedly wore one on a private tour of the facility, where masks are required. PHOTO: Donna Harkness wears a mask with 'Trump 2020' printed on it at a demonstration to demand the lifting of restrictions imposed by state and local officials to fight the spread of the coronavirus in Boston, May 30, 2020. (Brian Snyder/Reuters) There have been signs the face coverings could be turning into another reason for skirmish in the nation's ongoing culture war, with conservatives like Louisiana Republican Clay Higgins among a small group from Congress resisting the accessory. Higgins went on CNN recently to declare the masks a form of "dehumanization." "Can you smell through that mask?" he asked. "Then you're not stopping any sort of a virus." But medical experts have been increasingly vocal in their confidence that face coverings do play an important role, along with social distancing and frequent hand-washing, in keeping the coronavirus from surging across communities. Story continues MORE: CDC and WHO offer conflicting advice on masks. An expert tells us why. One new peer-reviewed research paper from the journal of the National Academy of Sciences reported that decisions about mandatory face coverings are central to mitigating the pandemic's impact. With respiratory droplets being "the dominant route" for the spread of COVID-19, the researchers found that using masks "significantly reduces the number of infections." The scientists note that other mitigation measures along, even social distancing, "are insufficient by themselves in protecting the public." Another study, published by The Lancet medical journal earlier this month, also found that masks, in combination with social distancing and hand-washing, could help control the virus's spread. PHOTO: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, arrives for a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, June 4, 2020. (Susan Walsh/AP) Maragakis said she doesn't believe the material used to make the face covering is as important as keeping airborne droplets from spreading. "If you have a cloth mask that you've made, or that was made for you, if you've taken a bandana or something to put over your face, that's going to serve that purpose of catching the respiratory droplets," she said. Even among scientists, though, there is not uniform agreement on benefits of masks and what kinds of masks make a difference. There is a small faction of infectious disease experts who don't believe there's sufficient data to support the mask wearing as a mandatory complement to social distancing. Dr. Amesh Adalja, of the Infectious Disease Society of America, told ABC News he has yet to see "a lot of direct evidence" to support the recommendation -- especially when those coverings are homemade. Adalja cited New Zealand, where viral spread has largely dissipated, as a place where the infection was controlled without widespread use of masks. "I think it's there's a lot of back and forth on this that's going on in a debate in the scientific and medical community," Adalji said. "If you can social distance then technically you don't necessarily need a mask." Whether scientists can prevent masks from becoming prey in the culture wars remains to be seen. Dr. Jay Bhatt, former medical chief at the American Hospital Association and an ABC News contributor, said he is hoping people from all political persuasions will decide that masks make sense in the midst of this crisis. "Wearing masks once you step outside your home is a way to keep you, your family and America safe," Bhatt said. Scientists try to keep coronavirus masks from being swallowed by culture wars originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Ilhan Omar said Sunday that American communities will still be 'safe' even without law enforcement and the dismantlement of police departments, claiming that they would be replaced with something else but she did not specify what that would be. 'I think that's really where the conversation is going wrong, because no one is saying that the community is not going to be kept safe,' Omar told CNN's Jake Tapper on Sunday morning. The progressive Minnesota representative asserted that crimes would still be investigated and there would still be a 'proper response when community members are in danger.' 'What we are saying is, the current infrastructure that exists as policing in our city should not exist anymore,' she asserted. 'And we can't go about creating a different process with the same infrastructure in place. And so dismantling it, and then looking at what funding priorities should look like as we reimagine a new way forward is what needs to happen.' When asked who would replace the police if they are defunded and disbanded, Omar dodged the question and suggested that instead of completely ridding the world of police, the departments would just be rebuilt. She claimed that the city she represents in Congress would now begin engaging in 'a one-year process of what happens as we go through the process of dismantling the department and starting anew.' Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar claimed Americans will still be 'safe' without cops as she failed to provide an alternative for police officers in the face of the defund movement 'No one is saying that the community is not going to be kept safe,' Omar told CNN on Sunday morning. 'What we are saying is, the current infrastructure that exists as policing in our city should not exist anymore' At the end of May, the Minneapolis Third Police Precinct was burned by rioters that broke out after the death of George Floyd in the city The riots and protest were sparked in Minneapolis after a white police officer there killed a black man during an arrest and the demonstrations spread in cities across the country All 13 members of the Minneapolis City Council voted earlier this month to disband the city's police department after a video went viral of white cop, Derek Chauvin, holding his knee on George Floyd's neck during an arrest for more than eight minutes. Floyd could be heard in the bystander video claiming he was in pain and that he could not breathe until he eventually went limp and was taken away in an ambulance. The 46-year-old native Texan died in police custody and Chauvin is being tried for second-degree murder. The incident spared three weeks of nationwide protests and unrest, including riots, looting and arson in hundreds of cities across the country and peaceful protests continue across the country. Many protesters, and far-left Democratic lawmakers, have begun pushing a movement to defund the police claiming that systemic racism is rooted in the establishment and will always disproportionately target black people. 'You can't really reform a department that is rotten to the root,' Omar said of Minneapolis' police department. 'What you can do is rebuild.' Derek Chauvin was fired after video emerged of him kneeling on George Floyd's neck for more than eight minutes until he went limp. Floyd died in police custody on Memorial Day 'And so this is our opportunity, you know, as a city, to come together, have the conversation of what public safety looks like, who enforces the most dangerous crimes that take place in our community,' she said, still not giving a definitive answer on who would replace police. 'This is, again, just the process of going through this together,' she claimed, adding that there needs to be some sort of separation between the crimes that can be responded to by people other than police officers. Some progressive Democrats have claimed that police can be replaced, in some cases, by social workers or mental health professionals. 'It's, again, a reminder that, you know, police officers can't continue to be judge, jury, and executioner,' Omar told CNN. 'We're not only seeing cases where there is, you know, mortal danger to police officers where they might take a shot, but the cases of people who are subdued being killed by police officers, people who are being shot in the back. It's just really quite disheartening to see the continuation of images like this appear.' By PTI LOS ANGELES: As much as 45 per cent of people infected by the novel coronavirus never show symptoms of the disease, according to a review of studies which suggests that the virus may silently damage the bodies of these asymptotic individuals. Scientists, including Eric Topol from the Scripps Research Translational Institute in the US, analysed public datasets on asymptomatic infections of the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. The findings, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, suggested that asymptomatic people may account for approximately 40 to 45 per cent of SARS-CoV-2 infections, playing a significant role in the spread of the disease. Based on the study, the scientists highlighted the need for expansive testing and contact tracing of infected individuals to mitigate the pandemic. "The silent spread of the virus makes it all the more challenging to control," said Topol, founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute and professor of Molecular Medicine at Scripps Research. "Our review really highlights the importance of testing. It's clear that with such a high asymptomatic rate, we need to cast a very wide net, otherwise the virus will continue to evade us," he added. In the study, Topol and his team collected information from testing studies on 16 diverse cohorts from around the world. The scientists noted in a statement that these datasets were gathered via keyword searches of PubMed, bioRxiv and medRxiv, as well as Google searches of relevant news reports. They said the analysis included data on nursing home residents, cruise ship passengers, prison inmates and various other groups. "What virtually all of them had in common was that a very large proportion of infected individuals had no symptoms," said Daniel Oran, another co-author of the study. "Among more than 3,000 prison inmates in four states who tested positive for the coronavirus, the figure was astronomical -- 96 percent asymptomatic," Oran said. According to the review research, asymptomatic individuals are able to transmit the virus for an extended period of time, perhaps longer than 14 days. The scientists noted that the viral loads are very similar in people with or without symptoms, but it remains unclear whether their infectiousness is of the same magnitude. To resolve that issue, they said, large-scale studies that include sufficient numbers of asymptomatic people are needed. The absence of symptoms may not imply an absence of harm, the researchers concluded. Citing an example, they said CT scans conducted on asymptomatic individuals on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, appeared to show significant lung abnormalities, raising the possibility of the virus silently impacting lung function. "Although the latter infected persons reported no symptoms, some actually had subclinical changes in their lungs. When computed tomography scans for 76 of these persons were examined, 54 per cent showed lung opacities," the researchers wrote in the study. The scientists believe that further research is needed to confirm the potential significance of this finding. They said the lack of longitudinal data makes distinguishing between asymptomatic and presymptomatic individuals difficult. An asymptomatic individual, the researchers said, is someone who is infected with SARS-CoV-2, but never develops symptoms of COVID-19, while a presymptomatic person is similarly infected, but will eventually develop symptoms. According to the scientists, longitudinal testing, which refers to repeated testing of individuals over time, would help differentiate between the two. "Our estimate of 40 to 45 percent asymptomatic means that, if you're unlucky enough to get infected, the probability is almost a flip of a coin on whether you're going to have symptoms," Oran said. "So to protect others, we think that wearing a mask makes a lot of sense," he concluded. PTI VIS VIS 06131256 NNNN In 1804, the Corsican upstart Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself as Frances emperor. His mother, born Letizia Ramolino, did not attend the coronation. Informed of her sons self-elevation, she is said to have remarked coolly: Lets hope it lasts. In conversations with conservative friends about the Trump presidency these last three years, I often found myself thinking about Mother Bonaparte. Before Donald Trumps election I made a lot of dire predictions about how his mix of demagogy and incompetence would interact with real world threats: I envisioned economic turmoil, foreign policy crises, sustained domestic unrest. Having lived through the failed end of the last Republican presidency, I assumed Trumps administration would be a second, swifter failure, with dire consequences for both the country and the right. In 2017, 2018, 2019, those predictions didnt come to pass. Trump was bad in many ways, but the consequences werent what I anticipated. The economy surged; the world was relatively stable; the country was mad online but otherwise relatively calm. And as the Democrats shifted leftward and Trump delivered on his promised judicial appointments, many conservatives who had shared my apprehensions would tell me that, simply as a shield against the left, the president was doing enough to merit their support in 2020. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 04:00:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attend a joint press conference in the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on Jan. 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) "We will begin practical steps in establishing the community of Ramat Trump," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells a cabinet meeting as the country prepares to build a new settlement in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights named after U.S. President Donald Trump. JERUSALEM, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Israel started on Sunday preparations for building a new settlement in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights named after U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Cabinet ministers ratified a decision to establish the new settlement, named "Ramat Trump" in Hebrew, meaning "Trump Heights," according to a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office. "Today, we will begin practical steps in establishing the community of Ramat Trump on the Golan Heights," Netanyahu told the cabinet meeting. The new settlement will be located in the Golan, a disputed territory that Israel seized from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and has controlled ever since despite international criticism. Minister of Settlement Affairs Tzipi Hotovely, whose office was tasked with coordinating efforts to establish the new settlement, hailed the move as "great news for the settlement activity in the Golan Heights." "The ministry is starting to work to prepare the ground," she said in a statement, adding the settlement will be populated with an initial group of 300 settlers. The move comes weeks before Netanyahu plans to begin his controversial plan to annex the Jordan Valley, a portion of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Netanyahu set July 1 as the starting date for the beginning of the plan despite international condemnations. Trump recognized in March 2019 Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Engel says Prigozhin continues to use different tools to undermine American interests. Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs Eliot Engel has introduced legislation designed to expand sanctions against Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is Russian President Vladimir Putin's close ally. "Yevgeniy Prigozhin is a Putin puppet with a long history of undermining the security and the interests of the United States on behalf of the Russian government. His Internet Research Agency (IRA) troll farms blatantly interfered in the 2016 and 2018 elections by waging disinformation campaigns against the American people, while his Wagner Group mercenaries have engaged in violent and subversive operations in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere against our allies and partners," he said in a press release posted on the committee's website, according to Voice of America's Ukrainian service. Read alsoU.S. tightens sanctions on Putin ally linked to election tampering media "We must impose additional sanctions against Prigozhin and the tools he continues to use to undermine American interests, and work with our European Union partners to encourage them to take similar steps," said Chairman Engel. Prigozhin rejects the accusations of meddling in U.S. elections. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Justice withdrew one of the charges against Prigozhin's Concord firm regarding interference with the election. The cause behind the withdrawal was the fear that the oligarch was using the U.S. judicial system to collect data. In September 2019, the United States imposed sanctions against Prigozhin for financing the so-called "troll factory" (IRA), which tried to influence the 2018 U.S. election. 21:23 Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death on Sunday has once again put spotlight on the importance of mental health care with celebrities including Anil Kapoor, Karan Johar, Deepika Padukone, Anushka Sharma, Zoya Akhtar, emphasising upon supporting those facing troubled times. Rajput was found hanging at his Bandra home, the police said. He was 34. Soon after the news of the actor's demise started circulating, many from the film fraternity urged people to be more sensitive, empathetic and available to their close ones who might be silently suffering. In an Instagram post, Johar said he "blames" himself for not being in touch with Rajput for the past one year. "I have felt at times like you may have needed people to share your life with but somehow I never followed up on that feeling... Will never make that mistake again. We live in very energetic and noisy but still very isolated times some of us succumb to these silences and go within. We need to not just make relationships but also constantly nurture them," the filmmaker wrote alongside a picture of him with Sushant. He said that the actor's death is "huge wake-up call" for him. "Sushant's unfortunate demise has been a huge wake up call to me to my level of compassion and to my ability to foster and protect my equations. I hope this resonates with all of you as well... will miss your infectious smile and your bear hug," the producer, who backed 2019 film Drive starring Rajput, added. Anil Kapoor said the news of Rajput's demise was "shocking and incredibly heartbreaking" and appealed those who need help to reach out to somebody they trust. "I didn't know him personally, but I've watched his films and it was clear to see how talented he was... The fact is, we never really know what anyone is feeling in the deep recesses of their hearts. "If you feel like you're drowning please please please reach out to someone you trust, whether that is a friend, family member or a professional," the actor tweeted. Anushka Sharma, who worked with Rajput in PK, said it's devastating that the actor couldn't get the help he needed. "Sushant, you were too young and brilliant to have gone so soon. I'm so sad and upset knowing that we lived in an environment that could not help you through any troubles you may have had. May your soul rest in peace," the actor-producer said. In a subsequent tweet, Sharma said it's important to be sensitive towards Rajput's family and friends. "I urge everyone to respect their emotions and let them grieve," she wrote. Deepika Padukone said as someone who has battled with mental illness, she understands the importance of reaching out. "As a person who has had a lived experience with mental illness, I cannot stress enough about the importance of reaching out. Talk. Communicate. Express. Seek help. Remember, you are not alone. We are in this together. And most importantly, there is hope," the actor said in a statement on social media. Akhtar said she hopes people soon realise the importance of mental health and treat those in need with utmost care. "You have gone too soon and all we can do is make sure you haven't gone in vain. May we realise the importance of mental health. May we treat depression and anxiety with the care it needs. May we be there for those around us who could be suffering. May we always remember that you gave us more than you took I wish you eternal peace," the writer-director wrote on Instagram. Rajput's death also stirred up conversation on the pressure that comes with being a celebrity as he joined the long list of actors who gave into depression. -- PTI As airlines are refusing to return the fare amount to customers for cancelled flights in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdown, passenger bodies and experts are asking airline companies to be transparent about rules. Instead of returning the funds, airlines are issuing credit vouchers to passengers to travel on the same sector in the future. Credit shell with previous refunds unresolved is unfortunate. Passengers should be informed transparently in advance that no refund will be provided. Consumers have to deal with high fares and no refunds in the most sensitive times. Charging for date change due to cancellations of flights by airlines adds to the misery, said Kapil Kaul, chief executive officer of South Asia, Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA), a global aviation consultancy. Sudhakara Reddy, president of Air Passengers Association of India (APAI), said that a case was filed because passengers are forced by airlines to fly on the same sector. Air travel is chosen by many in emergency, business or tourism-related travel. Once the purpose of travel no longer exists, why will the passenger want to travel in the same sector again? There are many who are affected as they spent big amount to book air tickets, he said. On Friday, a bench of Supreme Court judges, justices Ashok Bhushan, SK Kaul and MR Shah, on Friday asked the Centre as well as airline companies to discuss the modalities for full refund of tickets for all flights, which were cancelled owing to the lockdown and to work out ways to provide full refund to travellers. The court will hear the matter after three weeks. Meanwhile, the Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP), a city-based consumer rights organisation, sought the intervention of the civil aviation ministry. On June 9, the organisation asked the aviation minister to hold a meeting with all stakeholders to discuss a mutual solution over the refund policy in the interest of the passengers. Honey Sharma, a Mira Road resident, who booked a flight to Delhi in March, said, I booked my air ticket twice and my flights were cancelled on both occasions. Around 13,000 are stuck with the airlines which they are not ready to refund. I cannot afford to book my ticket for the third time and risk more money. Andheri resident Sachin Holmukhe also booked ticket to Himachal Pradesh for May 15 in March for a trek that is held only in summers. His flight was cancelled owing to the lockdown. I do not know if the Himachal government will allow treks anytime soon or if I will be able to travel for it the next year. So I wanted my money back. But with the airline refusing to provide a refund, the least I can expect is for them to give me an open ticket so I can utilise it for some other sector, he said. On June 4, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) issued guidelines to member states, asking airlines to respect passengers right to refund for flights cancelled due to lockdown and said airlines should not deny refund amount. Taking note of difficulties faced by airlines, the guidelines also stated credit vouchers can be issued only if passengers are okay accepting them instead of refund. A retired airline official said, There is no doubt that the airlines are not doing justice by refusing to provide refund. Moreover, the airlines have even declared to charge the passengers with fare difference, if any. Hence, airlines should at least increase the validity of the open ticket [currently air tickets are valid for travel upto a year] and allow passengers to travel other sectors too. Ive never played anyone who is actually still alive before," says Annabel Scholey, when asked about filming The Salisbury Poisoning. And certainly not someone who had just lost everything. Scholey, 36, a star of historical fantasy Britannia and the BBC's divorce drama The Split, knows how important it was to get her portrayal of the real Sally Bailey pitch perfect. The three-part drama takes viewers back to the events of March 2018, when the sleepy town of Salisbury became the centre of an international security scandal. Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia barely survived an attempted murder when the lethal the nerve agent Novichok was used on them. Russia was implicated, Theresa May locked horns with Vladimir Putin and two suspects identified by CCTV footage used a Russian TV interview to insist they were merely visiting to marvel at the wonderful cathedral. Many of us watched, from the outside in, transfixed. Scholey, though, reminds me that the heart of the story lies elsewhere, centred in the local community that was devastated by the descent of bioweapon specialists in hazmat suits, police helicopters and unintended victims. Dawn Sturgess, a mother-of-three, died after she and her partner Charlie Rowley picked up a fake perfume bottle used to transport Novichok; DS Nick Bailey, a police officer (played by Rafe Spall), was also poisoned when he was sent to investigate the Skripals home. Annabel Scholey, photographed by Joseph Sinclair "A lot of people dont even remember that there was a policeman, they just remember the [Skripals] on the bench, says Scholey, who plays Baileys wife, Sarah. To not know their story, a really important story, isnt right - they deserve to have it told. After finishing work that day, Bailey unwittingly contaminated his home. "Everything the kids owned, we lost all that, the cars, we lost everything, he later told the BBC's Panorama (significantly, this dramatic adaptation was written by Panorama investigative journalists Adam Patterson and Declan Lawn, who lent the integrity of their storytelling to director Saul Dibb). Spall and Scholey were invited to their Salisbury home to meet the Baileys for tea and were just open mouthed really at the extent of what theyd gone through, [and that they were] still standing, and clearly a really tightly knit family who adore each other. Bailey has indeed made a remarkable recovery - he even ran the Salisbury marathon last August. We heard a very detailed account of every symptom that he had: how he felt from inside, how his vision failed, says Scholey, who admits she felt at pains not to appear ghoulish when probing for details that would help her with her characterisation. Bailey recalled being suddenly afflicted by visions of an inferno rushing to meet him. "He felt incredibly hot, and he could see flames coming at him, his vision blurred, he sweated buckets, Scholey recounts, clearly still gobsmacked. "And he was just sat there in front of us having his tea while recalling it all, and he just looks like the most in-shape, fit young guy. You cant believe he went through that two years ago. There was some concern the timing of the drama would seem, for want of a better word, triggering, especially at the peak of a global pandemic: the hazmat suits, gloves and masks, the danger of being infected by simply touching the wrong surface. As a result, the run date was moved back from March to now. There was a feeling it wasnt the right moment, says Scholey. But I watched it with that in mind and I feel like actually its quite an important thing to put on now, because its helpful to see ordinary people who are resilient and brave dealing with a national emergency. And they come through. Annabel Scholey, photographed by Joseph Sinclair Did she have safety concerns about walking into an ongoing spy scandal? I definitely asked my husband after I got offered the part: do you think the Russians are going to be watching this?, she laughs. But she emphasises how seriously the cast took their duty of care to the story. Im not convinced the government really reacted in the ideal way. I know it wasnt absolutely proven but they didnt investigate it fully. A person died. It was an attack, a weapons attack on our country and citizens. And I personally feel like they got away with it. Scholey, who is usually based in Peckham, was renovating a new property in Ireland with her family when lockdown began, and has been stuck there ever since. I do worry about work after all this, she says, with filming for the third series of Britannia on hold. But Im a mum, Ive got an eighteen-month-old daughter, and theres been no time to overthink, or over-worry, because shes been demanding all my attention." She says shes had time to watch her "completely blossom into this little girl while weve been here which is amazing, and I would have missed that [if I'd been filming]. Shes talking now, and shes walking. And thats whats important, really. If the story of Salisbury or the pause of the pandemic have a lesson for us, its that those dearest to us are all that truly matter. The Salisbury Poisonings will air on Sunday 14, Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 June on BBC One. Prince Albert is largely remembered as Queen Victorias German husband whose untimely death inspired decades of mourning. New material made public suggests he played a profound role in shaping Victorian Britain and he is the subject of the documentary, Prince Albert: A Victorian Hero Revealed. The film airs at 7 p.m. Sunday, June 14, on New Mexico PBS. Prince Albert, hes an extraordinary man, says Daisy Goodwin, a writer behind Masterpieces TV series, Victoria and is featured in the documentary. I thought of him as a royal Steve Jobs. He had a vision and I found that very compelling. He was a visionary for his time and he was completely faithful to Victoria. Filmmakers had access to more than 20,000 of Prince Alberts private papers and photos currently housed in the Round Tower at Windsor Castle. Professor Saul David examines Alberts significant influence on British culture, governmental policy and even international relations. Goodwin says Prince Albert was initially viewed with suspicion and hostility by the British public and dismissed by Parliament. He faced an uphill battle to be taken seriously and tried hard to carve out a leadership role for himself, Goodwin says. He was the best king we never had. Prince Albert pushed to be recognized so that by the time of his premature death, at only 42, he was widely regarded as a forward-thinking reformer whose innovative ideas transformed the fortunes of the nation and created a legacy that lives on today. Goodwin says Prince Albert spent most of his life trying to improve the working class of Britain. The only way forward in Victorian Britain was to raise the living conditions, Goodwin says. He was very concerned about the widening gap of rich and poor. He believed in education and bringing opportunities to a number of people. One of his great accomplishments was being a driving force behind the Great Exhibition. The international exhibition took place in 1851 and featured culture and history. During its monthslong run, about six million people visited the exhibition. At the time, it amounted to one-third of the entire population of Britain. Famous people of the time attended, including Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Samuel Colt, members of the Orleanist Royal Family and the writers Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll, George Eliot, Alfred Tennyson and William Makepeace Thackeray. Everything that was dreamed of was there, Goodwin says. It was such a visionary thing to do and he helped make it happen. This changed the country. In fact, the event made a surplus, which was then used to found the Victoria and Albert Museum, as well as the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum. The rest of the funds were used to set up an educational trust to provide grants and scholarships for industrial research, which is still happening today. He was very much what you Americans would call a liberal, Goodwin says. He wasnt a socialist. The thing I find incredible about him is the attention to detail. There were several attempts on Victorias life during his marriage. Goodwin says one man tried to hit Queen Victoria with a sword. Because she was out so often, Albert designed a parasol for his wife, Goodwin says. It was built with chain mail, so a sword couldnt penetrate it. It was extraordinary. I thought it was brilliant. Goodwin says Prince Albert was never truly popular, though he was incredibly admired. His reputation is kind of having a revamp, she says. To the British, he was German and had no sense of humor. But what he did for the country, was amazing. He had visions that are still alive to this day. When he died at 42, it crushed Victoria. Goodwin says the series Victoria tells the story of both figures. She says it would be difficult to do a series on just Albert. You cant do Albert without Victoria, Goodwin says. Ive tried to give him as much prominence as he deserves. On TV Prince Albert: A Victorian Hero Revealed will premiere at 7 p.m. Sunday, June 14, on New Mexico PBS. A horrified mum claims her young son found a rusty hand-made knife in a childrens painting set from Kmart. Sally Barnden recently posted an image of the blade and what appears to be a makeshift handle made out of tape on Facebook to warn others, saying the discovery gave her the fright of her life. The Paint Your Own Pet Set, which had been given to her other child as a gift, was sitting on a table when the knife slipped out, she said. Sally Barnden recently posted an image of the blade and what appears to be a makeshift handle made out of tape on Facebook to warn others. Source: Facebook Ms Barnden said the woman who purchased the set had no idea what was inside and called the store. They said "Yeah this happens a bit in our store, but we don't have the staff to be checking every box, Ms Barnden wrote on Facebook Then offered our friend a refund! I am sorry but a refund would not be cutting it, if Henley had cut himself on this very sharp, and very rusty blade! Ms Barndens partner, Renee King, said the couple was not impressed with the stores response. The Paint Your Own Pet Set had been given to her other child as a gift. Source: Facebook "We wanted the store to be aware, but we felt like the store did not care and did not have the resources for it, Ms King told the Gympie Times. It is not that hard to have extra staff on especially if it is a known issue, but we are lucky that he was not hurt. On Facebook, Ms Barnden said more staff should be at the store checking for these things, claiming that the contents of the box wouldve had to have been removed for someone to put the knife in. Surely someone saw something, Ms Barnden said. And if the box was purchased and returned. Shouldn't every return be checked before placing it on the shelf again for sale? Kmart offered a refund for the painting set, however the mothers said this was not enough. Source: AAP Ms Barnden said she was thankful her child was not harmed by the knife, but worried about what could have happened if it had ended up in the hands of another child. I can't even imagine what would have happened with another family, imagine kids discovering this, and thinking it was a toy considering it came from a kids art set, she said. Speaking to the Gympie Times, Ms King admitted she should have checked the box, and warned other parents to look for unwanted items. Story continues Yahoo News Australia has reached out to Kmart for comment. 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. WITH the advent of the global pandemic, coronavirus (Covid-19), many civil society organisations have called for transparency in the use of various donations that the government has been receiving. Of late, allegations of corruption have been swirling around the First Family and senior government officials, suggesting that they were using Covid-19 resources and exploiting the situation for self-enrichment. The Daily News on Sunday Senior Reporter Sindiso Mhlophe on Wednesday sat down with presidential spokesperson George Charamba at his Munhumutapa office in Harare to discuss these and other issues in greater detail. Below are the excerpts of the interview. Q: The first family is allegedly embroiled in a corruption scandal with regards to procurement of Covid-19 items, what is their position with regards to this? A: To begin with, you dont establish culpability on the basis of a picture let alone an invite which is available to the generality of Zimbabweans. There are so many people we invite and we dont invite them on the basis of moral rectitude. You can be a guest of the president today and become a criminal tomorrow. What are the facts? Drax International alongside many other companies was tendered to supply personal protective equipment (PPEs) to Zimbabwe. As it emerges, they won the tender and this is a matter that was between them and the ministry of Health. But you see, unfortunately, when it comes to procurement rules you can then revisit your pricing. The tendering price is not necessarily the supply price. You can argue that there were new developments like the fact that in this case every nation was rushing for PPEs, so, there was a major difference between the quoted and the procurement price. Then the difference caught the attention of the government. This was well before this issue had been publicised. At this point in time something else was happening. There was absolute fear because these were the early days of the coronavirus and we were terribly unprepared in terms of PPEs. That was also the time when doctors were up in arms, threatening industrial action and we knew they were ill-equipped to deal with Covid-19. At this point in time something else was happening. There was absolute fear because these were the early days of the coronavirus and we were terribly unprepared in terms of PPEs. That was also the time when doctors were up in arms, threatening industrial action and we knew they were ill-equipped to deal with Covid-19. Meanwhile, Drax Internationals equipment had already arrived at the airport and had been there for months. The reason why the equipment was held at the airport was that we were haggling over the price. Then out of desperation, we said whilst we negotiate for a downward movement in the pricing, lets accept the consignment and close the gap which is there. That is how the equipment was admitted into our own system minus the payment, because the payment was still being negotiated. We were putting pressure on them and we were saying if you dont reduce your prices, we will not pay you; we are a government. So, what has now happened is that the payment of the money that is being talked about has been divorced from the quantities. If you read the amounts paid out against the quantities received you will realise that the unit price does not get anywhere close to the US$28 that is being quoted for propaganda purposes. Something else also happened and this is the unsaid story. Godwin Matanga, the police commissioner-general, then brought a security report from Interpol which said this company (Drax International) had been blacklisted by Interpol. No one knows that. People are busy focusing on the pricing issue. Cabinet then took a decision that over and above the companys abuse of pricing they are also on the Interpol blacklist, that supply contract must be cancelled. So, this letter that is being quoted in the media is just a matter of delays in the communication process. As far as we are concerned there is no connection between Drax International and the first family. Secondly, this is not a live issue. The government had long dealt with this issue well before it even hit the headlines. What you are looking at is not even smoke, these are dead ambers of a fire that was long put out. The instruction to stop and cancel the supply came from the president; it was not even the Cabinet. It came from the president. In fact the matter was raised from the presidents office. Remember the presidents office is not only reliant on information from line ministers, we have our own sources of information. There is not a single minister who is privy to the security report, the security report is for the presidents eyes only and that is where the Interpol issue was raised and he (the president) took a decision based on that. Q: How is the procurement process being handled given that with the Drax International issue, ministries, the National Pharmaceutical Company of Zimbabwe (Natpharm) and the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Praz) have all been distancing themselves from the procurement question? A: We took a policy decision a long time ago to increasingly move out of middle people and try to arrive at supply agreements with governments. We have done that with India and we are trying to do the same with China. There are two main issues which need to be addressed. A: We took a policy decision a long time ago to increasingly move out of middle people and try to arrive at supply agreements with governments. We have done that with India and we are trying to do the same with China. There are two main issues which need to be addressed. Firstly, there is the whole supply chain of the procurement of drugs where western middlemen have been dominating the supply chain. So, you will never have a Zimbabwe, which will go to the manufacturer, but you will have a Zimbabwe which reaches the manufacturer through a middleman and of course this makes the whole procurement process expensive. Secondly, and this has been a problem which we have had for a very long time, the licensing of drugs is riddled with corruption. We are not talking of corruption on a small scale; its on a massive scale as global powers disapproved some drugs from coming to Zimbabwe. These are drugs which are cheap and coming from non-western manufactures such as the Indians, Chinese and Iranians. Their drugs are blocked at the registration stage. This is a challenge because if a pharmacist dispenses drugs which have not been licensed by the drug council, the punishment is not visited upon the business, but on the dispensing pharmacist in his personal capacity. So, there has been that problem in the same way that there is a problem in registering foreign doctors to practice in the country. Of course, Natpharm has its challenges and the minister of Health, Obadiah Moyo, has been instructed to dig a little deeper in that matter to unearth just how that (Drax International) contract was awarded. Natpharm has historically been a bad entity and I think the cleansing process is not yet completed because so many bad things have happened there. In terms of the tender process, if you are a permanent secretary you may not participate in the tendering process of a parastatal under you because if there are problems people come to report to you. Now, if you are already part and parcel of the tendering process, you cant stand in judgment. So, there has been a lot of leeway that has been given which has historically resulted in challenges. How tenders are handled has also worsened because we have adjusted the Praz role. Praz no longer participates in the procurement process; it now sets the broad policy parameters because its now an authority. Some purchases can actually be done with minimum involvement from Praz because in the past many people were complaining that Praz was slowing down the procurement process, more so due to currency volatility issues. If someone had an allocation by the time Praz finishes the process, the money would only buy a few items. So, the idea was then to release the ministries to speed up procurement decisions while Praz plays an oversight role. Thats why Praz can say we were not intimately involved in the decision. I cannot abide those who are cruel to animals, but the sad fact is that in our digital age, my strong aversion is aroused all too often. I have lost count of the number of people who post on social media platforms such as Twitter so-called kill shots of themselves grinning at the camera (or, even worse, kissing their partner) alongside a beautiful animal they have recently slaughtered. Revelling publicly in the death of a creature in this way is completely alien to me. People may be brutal through ignorance or by taking shortcuts to save money, but South Africas captive-bred lion industry is conscious, intentional cruelty, sometimes carried out with or for pleasure. I cannot think about this without feeling a burning sense of shame. The question is: for how much longer will South Africa allow this industry to prosper? I have lost count of the number of people who post on social media platforms such as Twitter so-called kill shots of themselves grinning at the camera. In 2019, hunters Darren and Carolyn Carter from Canada incurred the wrath of thousands worldwide with this provocative - and disturbing - show of triumph In a major expose in this newspaper last year, I revealed details of an undercover mission, Operation Simba, which I had funded in South Africa in 2018 and 2019, which aimed to shed light on the way this appalling trade is run. I described the hideous phenomenon of canned hunting, whereby lions bred in captivity are drugged and released into a relatively small area and then shot by a tourist who has paid many thousands of pounds for the privilege. It is not so much a chase as an utter farce. The photos of people standing triumphantly over these wretched beasts once they are dead are sickening. I also revealed how once the farm-bred lions have served their purpose, their bones and other body parts are exported for the booming Asian medicine market. At every stage of their lives, these animals are abused and monetised. Even as cubs they are forced to play with tourists, although they should be sleeping for 16 to 20 hours a day in order to grow and thrive. Finally, I reported how an undercover team had managed to save one of the lions, Simba, just as he was about to be shot in a canned hunt. I am now paying for him to live out his days in a secure and peaceful location. Despite my feelings of euphoria at having saved Simba in the nick of time, it seemed clear that more needed to be done. It was obvious that those who profit by abusing lions are able to operate with great ease in South Africa. I decided to assemble my own evidence through a second covert investigation. Our findings could then be presented to the South African authorities so pressure could be brought to bear on the perpetrators. And so Operation Chastise was born. Named after the famous Dambusters mission and involving a crack team of former British Army and security services personnel, it swung into action in April 2019. Despite my feelings of euphoria at having saved Simba in the nick of time, it seemed clear that more needed to be done The risks of this project cannot be overstated. The captive-bred lion industry is guarded jealously by its practitioners many with links to global organised crime while the value of human life in South Africa is far lower than it is in Britain. The bravery and ingenuity displayed by my team was phenomenal. Through the recruitment of an undercover agent, a South African lion dealer, they managed to infiltrate this highly lucrative business. Our double agent, to whom we gave the codename Lister, was able to provide us with video footage of extreme cruelty to lions. In the meantime, my team used their military expertise to fit secret trackers to caches of lion bones being bought and sold so that their whereabouts could be monitored as they were smuggled out of South Africa. They also kept Lister himself under constant surveillance by bugging his cars, his phones and his house. The teams findings make truly horrifying reading for anybody who, like me, abhors any form of cruelty to animals. Those involved in the production and export of lion bones also smuggle rhino horn, elephant ivory and the scales of pangolin, the most trafficked animal in the world [and linked to Covid-19, having been sold in the Wuhan wet market in China where the pandemic started]. To my mind, buying any of these is on a par with buying a Class A drug from a dealer. The team was in place. Gibby, named after the Dambusters leader Guy Gibson, was the boss. Hopgood, again named after another of the raids heroes, was his deputy. Munro, a Kenyan who spoke many of the local languages, was to play an invaluable role, while Ginger, our electronics expert and drone pilot, would be the equivalent of the James Bond character Q, looking after all the covert kit: cameras, audio recording devices, GPS trackers and any other technical wizardry. And then, of course, there was Lister. A typical alpha-male Boer farmer in his late 40s, he has a large frame and rough-hewn features. A former policeman, there is certainly something intimidating about him. Wed learned from contacts that he had already offered his services to another undercover operation, and during an early meeting he insisted to my team that his sole aim for joining the project was to end the cruel practice of killing lions for their bones. As if to prove he was genuine, he offered to show them footage of a lioness which had been shot in a tree. The film, watched by two of the team on Listers phone, made for harrowing viewing. In it, two men drive a pick-up vehicle into a fenced enclosure. While they speak Afrikaans, the camera pans to a lioness which has climbed into a tree and is perching precariously, looking forlorn and distressed. The men speak again before a gunshot is fired from the truck. A branch splinters and the lioness roars in pain. She falls to the ground and tries to position the trees trunk between herself and her pursuers. The men in the vehicle shoot into her again and again. They then drive round to the other side of the tree, where the lioness lies panting in a pathetic state, one shoulder shattered and bullet holes pock-marking her flank. Using pistols now, the men try again. Several shots later, the poor beast, riddled with bullets, finally expires. In this shooting spree, stretched over seven-and-a-half minutes, she is seen being shot ten times while the men chat to each other casually. Lister, who had made the recording himself, explained that their marksmanship had been deliberately poor as they had not wanted to damage the animals skull and thus reduce its value in the bone trade. Hopgood, who has seen two frontline tours of duty in Afghanistan, was visibly shocked. Blood and suffering were not new to him, but this display of deliberate cruelty turned his stomach. We later found out that this horrifying event took place at a tourist facility and wedding venue whose professional hunter owners were the ones who shot the lioness so callously that day. It is appalling to think that these men would tout their property as a wedding venue where they are happy to slowly butcher a defenceless creature. It was obvious that those who profit by abusing lions are able to operate with great ease in South Africa. I decided to assemble my own evidence through a second covert investigation Similarly, it is chilling to think that young children might go to pet lion cubs there. There can be no justification for such barbarous behaviour, but this is the reality of the captive-bred lion trade in South Africa. Although my team had huge reservations about working with Lister, the importance of his role as an undercover agent could not be exaggerated: he was well-connected and involved in the trade of live lions and their bones. Indeed, he had claimed that he was South Africas biggest lion dealer. As long as he was kept on a tight rein, he had the potential to produce important material which could, we hoped, be added to our dossier. At the end of June, he had given Hopgood promising information about some contacts he referred to as serious players in the trade from whom Lister had bought lions and tigers. Lister also said that the man bred ligers a hideous crossbreed of lions and tigers for bones, as well as selling live ligers to Arab clients for many thousands of dollars. The question might well be asked: what were tigers doing in South Africa, thousands of miles from their native Asia? Its not hard to understand why ligers are popular with bone traders. Able to grow to a length of 11ft and a height of 4ft, a three-year-old liger can be the same size as a nine-year-old lion. Its accelerated growth means it produces more bone more quickly. Once slaughtered, it generates greater profits. These enormous freaks of nature are, of course, kept well out of sight of holidaymakers at the safari lodge. This is typical of such enterprises in South Africa. Animals that are going to be seen by visitors are kept in good condition. But those bred for the bone trade have to take their chance. Anything goes. Its not just lions, said Karen Trendler, a former inspector with the NSPCA, South Africas equivalent of the RSPCA. Tigers are bred and slaughtered for bone on these farms, too. Its a very hidden industry, fiercely protected. There are areas where you can farm and slaughter lions and nobody will ever know. On some, the lions and cubs in the front or public area are in beautiful condition, but its what goes on behind the scenes. This is a huge industry with what could be up to 12,000 lions being farmed in captivity. Its worth taking a look at the mission statement of the lodge where the lioness had been shot, which says its animals are treated lovingly like royalty. And yet the evidence provided by Lister proves that, far from being a place where young children and their parents can go and spend time with creatures that are treated like royalty, it supplies big cats to the canned hunting industry and to the illegal lion and tiger bone trade. We later collected video evidence to confirm this. By early August, my team had developed a decent intelligence picture of the captive lion operation. A diagram of Listers known associates was drawn up, providing leads that could be checked on social media platforms. Another name that cropped up frequently was Michael, a mysterious Asian bone-dealer described by Lister as not a person to cross, for whom he was busy collecting lion parts. At an agreed time, these would then be dispatched from Johannesburg International Airport. When pressed for details, however, Lister would not be specific either about where he would take the grim haul prior to the flight, or when the drop-off would take place, maintaining that he was only ever given such information shortly beforehand. He did, however, say that Michael paid corrupt airport staff to wave his contraband boxes through without being searched. If this is even remotely accurate, it is a devastating indictment of South Africas so-called customs patrols at its international airports, which raises major questions about the robustness of the countrys approach to tackling the bone trade. To help us monitor the shipments journey, Lister agreed that trackers that had been hidden in a lion skull by my team would remain in place. By the start of September, the bone shipment destined for Michael remained on Listers property. While my team waited for it to be moved, they explored downtown Johannesburgs traditional medicine market to try to establish whether any lion parts from captive-bred operations ended up there. It was immediately obvious that the market is not policed in any serious way and neither, on the strength of the teams visit, is the law enforced regularly, such is the breadth of dead specimens being traded openly. Leopard and lion skins abounded, as did pangolin skins, big-cat skulls and even rare vulture heads. One of my operatives took pictures with an iPhone while his colleague bought time by handing 50-rand notes (worth just over 2) to any stall-holder who raised questions. Word soon spread that a couple of Europeans were photographing cat skins. After several minutes, a crowd started to follow them around the maze of market stalls. As my operatives moved towards the exit, they saw a huge male lion skin hanging from one of the market roofs supporting pillars. All questions about this skin were batted away by the stall-holder. When one of our team asked the seller if he would stand in front of the skin for a photo, he refused, threatening to put a fatal Zulu curse on him. They soon left, pleased to have obtained solid confirmation of the illegal wildlife trade being conducted openly in a public place in South Africas biggest city without hindrance from the authorities. In the meantime, further checks were run on those believed to be associates of Michael. My team discovered the existence of a network of Russian nationals in South Africa, each with links to South Africans who themselves had connections to various professional hunting outfits that had form for unethical practices. A larger picture was beginning to take shape. As Autumn approached, it was decided that in order to have some control over how and when the various pieces of this complex jigsaw came together, one of the team would have to work alongside Lister. Munro was chosen for this delicate and high-risk task. He could speak several indigenous African languages, including Tswana, which is widely used in North West Province. Back in the summer, Lister had told us about a potential deal in which he was involved. This would involve wild lions in neighbouring Botswana being poisoned so that their cubs could be trafficked into South Africa. The bones are sold into the trade and the cubs are brought into South Africas tourist market to widen the gene pool of the captive population. The entire process gives the lie to those supporters of the farmed lion industry who insist that it is good for conservation, and takes pressure off the wildlife population. In early October, Lister told the team that a poaching trip in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park had been arranged. The men he was going with were serious criminal operators who knew how to kill wild lions specifically for the bone trade. The plan was to poison the animals or shoot them in their stomachs in order to avoid damaging any highly valuable bone tissue. Both methods guarantee they would make as much money as possible after the lions had suffered a slow and painful death. It was a gruesome prospect, but for my team, collecting such evidence would be a coup. On the morning of October 23, Lister crossed the border into Botswana. Along with Munro (disguised as a farm-worker), they headed to the rendezvous with Listers poaching contacts close to the village of Kokotsha. Munro noticed that Lister was very friendly with the poachers, but he was soon outraged to discover that Lister had brought with him some poison to give these two crooks. Munro stepped in before Lister had the opportunity to hand it over to the poachers, warning him that if he went through with his plan, he would be filmed doing so and would then be reported to the authorities. The group set off to find the lions which the poachers had tracked previously. They struck gold. One of the poachers wanted to follow the pride, but Munro called a halt to proceedings, using Listers obvious lack of fitness as an excuse. Crucially, he had confirmed that the poachers were prepared to commit wildlife crime and for the purposes of our investigation that was sufficient. Based on what they witnessed, neither Munro nor Lister had any doubt that the pair were practised players who had killed wild lions before. Operation Chastise continued to gain momentum. On November 3, Lister had another meeting with the team to outline proposals for his next trip to Botswana to link up with the lion poachers again. He also talked about a plan to smuggle several live cheetahs into the country, along with a cache of lion bones. At the beginning of December, however, Lister told the team the Botswana operation would have to wait until January as he had to go to Namibia. This was the last time they had any contact with him. That same day they received a tip that a middle-aged man had walked into Kimberley Police Station in the Northern Cape and told officers about an illegal wildlife trafficking operation that he knew of involving a Botswana national. He gave a number of details and had apparently spoken about the bone sets to which my team had fixed trackers. It was obvious that the walk-in was Lister. He had double-crossed everybody. Without him, Operation Chastise could not function, and the only course of action now was to wind it up. It didnt matter. We had more than enough information to give to the police, allowing them to open their own investigation. All that remained now was to present our findings. But as I reveal in the facing panel, this did not quite go as we had anticipated. Why DO South African police condone the slaughter of their nation's most famous symbol? There was no time to lose. The batteries were running low on the trackers fitted in the contraband caches of bones destined for a big player in the trade and whom we knew only as Michael. A meeting was arranged on December 12 last year between my team and the South African police chief responsible for the wildlife unit at Pretoria. On arrival, Gibby, whod run Operation Chastise on a day-to-day basis, and a colleague were introduced to a hard-looking man with a dark beard and a big frame, along with a fellow officer. Both policemen, the team felt, had a faintly menacing presence about them. Gibby recounted the story of Operation Chastise, and handed over a folder of A4 photographs of lion and tiger bone contraband collected by Lister, the Boer farmer we had paid as part of our undercover investigation to expose the captive-bred lion industry. He also offered to give the police the dossier of evidence, the locations of two separate caches of illegal lion and tiger bones (and possibly rhino horn), plus the address in Johannesburg used by the bone-dealer Michael. African woman crouching on the ground and playing with four-month-old lion cubs Panthera and Leo The main officers response was frosty from the word go. He wanted to know under whose authority Gibby had run the investigation. Gibby explained why he had conducted it alone and that the intention had always been to hand the evidence to the police. But the officer told Gibby that he and his colleague were lucky not to be spending Christmas in a Pretoria jail wearing orange overalls. Having said that he was prepared to take all responsibility for the operation, Gibby, calmly and patiently, suggested it was surely reasonable for everybody to focus on bringing these wildlife criminals to justice. The police chief ended the meeting and passed the photos back to Gibby. He said he was not going to get the Christmas present he wanted: the bone caches would not be seized and, owing to a lack of proper evidence, Michael would not be receiving a visit from the police. He added that tracking people and property was illegal and jeopardised any evidence the team might have secured. Wishing them a merry Christmas at home in the UK, both my men were dismissed. This 90-minute meeting had been a total waste of time. The two police officers had been aggressive instead of actively engaging with the information my team had tried to give them. For reasons which will never be entirely clear, they showed complete disregard for the obvious illegality they were told about. Was it simply that they had no desire to involve themselves in what might have led to a complicated and potentially exhausting case? Only they can know the answer to this question. Others must draw their own conclusions. Why would South African police condone the serial cruelty and slaughter of arguably their countrys most recognisable symbol unless a serious allegation made to me some months earlier by former wildlife inspector Karen Trendler was accurate? She said there are definite incidents of collusion between law enforcement and breeders, adding: The lion-breeding industry is one of the most powerful. They have a huge amount of money. When we say corruption, its not just a theory. Its there. Operation Chastise was over, and our approach to South Africas police had yielded nothing. Tourists love petting tours but the cute animals can be lethal With their huge paws, sweet faces and soft fur, lion cubs are among natures most endearing young creatures. Its no wonder tourists flock to the many parks in South Africa that give the chance to cuddle and stroke these delightful animals. What the innocent visitors do not know, however, is that they are helping to prolong the agony of these cubs and others which, like them, have been bred solely for the purposes of making money. At a safari park outside Johannesburg, visitors can, for about 5, enter a dusty lion cub enclosure for ten minutes. FIlm editor Katherine Chappell, killed by a lioness in South Africa in 2015 During a visit by my team one day last August, three cubs, including two rare white lion cubs, were dozing in the midday sun. Lion cubs need plenty of rest but these ones were not left in peace for long. Their keeper prodded them awake so that they could be stroked, picked up and played with and, of course, pose for that all-important selfie. The animals looked well and were extremely docile so much so that the stories one hears about cubs being sedated to guarantee their good behaviour are eminently believable. The guide told the tourists that the park has a total of about 75 lions. Oddly, only 25 were available to see. When asked about the 50 others, the guide provided no concrete answer, saying something about them being in what he jokingly referred to as the retirement village area. Subsequently, operatives working for me entered that enclosure unobserved. They counted about 15 old-looking lions, some wild dogs and three cheetahs. Pens containing the lions were cramped and the enclosures were covered in a foul carpet of faeces and chicken feathers. The big cats looked hungry, pacing the fences. Their final destination remains unclear. Another entertainment at the park that August day was to go on a lion walk. These have become a very popular way of enhancing tourists interaction with the predators while adding an element of risk. Anybody taking part must sign a release form, acknowledging they accept responsibility for the situation into which they place themselves. This is no surprise considering that several tourists have been mauled to death on safaris in South Africa. During my teams visit, two male lions far larger than the cubs made available for petting and cuddling earlier were driven up to the enclosure on a trailer. When released, they were very curious and energetic, but the guides kept them occupied by throwing chunks of pungent-smelling raw meat in their direction. They were little more than circus animals, trained to obey. Advertisement But alongside the covert operations, I have been working tirelessly to raise the profile of the scandal of the abuse of lions in South Africa with those in authority and public figures. In April 2019, after the findings of Operation Simba had been published in The Mail on Sunday, I wrote to South Africas High Commissioner in London, drawing attention to the 11-page expose, and offering to furnish their office with further evidence of illegality. This was met with silence and, to the best of my knowledge, none of those identified in Operation Simba has been so much as questioned about their actions, let alone arrested. I had hoped that my reasonable approach to the High Commissioner would prompt some kind of acknowledgment and, perhaps, a meeting. I am sorry to report, however, that, to date, I have received no response. Under the circumstances, I find this lack of interest on the part of South Africas authorities utterly perplexing. It is sad that my approach has, for now, been ignored. The offer still stands, of course. I also wrote to the then Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, seeking a meeting to discuss banning the import of captive-bred lion trophies into the UK. This meeting went ahead just a few days later. Afterwards, on May 9, I wrote a follow-up letter to Mr Gove emphasising my horror of lion farming, sham trophy-hunting and the bone trade. I also underlined the fact that the South African state not only allows mass lion breeding but also overlooks those who breach its quotas. As the law stands, 800 lion skeletons are allowed to leave the country every year. In 2018, South Africas then environment minister, Edna Molewa, raised this number to 1,500 skeletons, claiming it was sustainable and supposedly supported by solid scientific evidence. After a public outcry, however, Molewas highly questionable decision was reversed and the limit of 800 skeletons was restored. Yet those who oppose the trade believe that substantially more than 800 lion skeletons leave South Africa each year. Often this is achieved through fraud, simply by under-declaring the number or weight of bones which are shipped. One study by two charities suggests this deception, possibly carried out in conjunction with corrupt officials, is widespread. I pointed out to Mr Gove that Britain could be more determined to end this through our influence and diplomacy, and argued that everything possible should be done to discourage this industry. I suggested that banning the import of lion body parts to the UK would have a significant impact and raised the possibility of tackling the bone trade by implementing something similar to the very effective UK Bribery Act. The idea was to make it illegal for UK firms to be involved in the shipping, trading or the movement of money associated with bones and that their directors would be liable unless they had taken steps to ensure their firms were not involved. I believe this would encourage companies to take measures to protect themselves. It is no exaggeration to say that the abuse of lions in South Africa has become an industry. Thousands are bred on farms every year; they are torn away from their mothers when they are just days old, used as pawns in the tourist sector and then either killed in a hunt or simply slaughtered for their bones and other body parts, which are very valuable in Asias so-called medicine market. In between, they are poorly fed, kept in cramped and unhygienic conditions, beaten if they do not perform for paying customers, and drugged. This sinister system has sprouted up in plain sight in South Africa, inflicting misery on this most noble of beasts on an unimaginable scale. My research suggests it is highly likely that there are now at least 12,000 captive-bred lions in the country, against a wild population of just 3,000. Yet, strikingly, just a small number of people a few hundred profit from this abusive set-up. Thanks to South Africas constitution and laws, they seem able to operate as they wish. Arguably, the authorities have become the enablers of all of this, overseeing lion-hunting regulations and awarding licences for the export of lion bones with what appear to be the lightest of touches, and wilfully ignoring wrongdoing when they learn of it. So what can be done? First, the South African government must ban captive-bred lion farming, which has no conservation value. The case for a uniform nationwide hunting law, as opposed to individual laws that currently exist in each province, should also be made. Wildlife and conservation groups need to co-ordinate their campaigns. Airlines, shipping firms and freight companies must be lobbied until they realise it is morally unacceptable for them to transport the trophies and bones of captive-bred lions. The worlds tourist industry has to do more to educate everybody who visits South Africa that cub-petting and walking with lions experiences are key parts of this cruel business. It should become socially unacceptable for any tourist to indulge in any of these activities. Furthermore, I call on the British Government and every other government that has not already done so to follow the example of Australia, France and the US and introduce new laws that discourage the practice of importing captive-bred trophies. There are many difficult decisions ahead, but it is imperative that everybody, especially tourists, does their bit to ensure that the barbaric and brutal abuse of lions is consigned firmly and permanently to the dustbin of history. In his book, Lord Ashcroft identifies the individuals and lodges/ranches that he says were responsible for breaking the law and/or animal cruelty, but The Mail on Sunday has removed these for legal reasons. Extracted from Unfair Game, by Lord Ashcroft, published by Biteback on Tuesday. To order a copy, visit here or here All royalties from the book are going to wildlife charities in South Africa. Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC is a businessman, philanthropist, author and pollster. For information about his work, including his six books on bravery, visit lordashcroft.com. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook @LordAshcroft, and visit here. Tomorrow, James Glancy interviews the author about his book in the environmental show Planet SOS on Mail Plus. By PTI UTTARAKHAND: Uttarakhand scholars on Sunday cited scriptures and books written before Independence that showed Kalapani as the source of Kali river, a key factor in Indian claim to areas that Nepal has now incorporated in its own map. The lower house of Nepalese parliament on Saturday approved the controversial map, triggering a strong protest from India. The new Nepal map lays claim over Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura which India maintains are on its side of the border. Kali is recognised as the border by both sides, but Nepal has contested that its source is the Kalapani area. Nepalese commentators have argued that the real source of Kali river "also called Mahakali" is the Kuti-Yangti rivulet which originates in Limpiyadhura, a claim that allows Nepal extra territory in the region. V D S Negi, a professor of history at the SS Jeena campus of the Kumaon University in Almora, cited Manas Khanda of the Skanda Purana, which has a reference to Kali river, known as Shyama in ancient times. "Shloka number 2 of chapter 117 of Manas Khanda of Skanda Purana clearly says that the origin of 'Shyama' or Kali river is from 'Lipi Parvat' or Lipulekh hill," Negi said. ALSO READ | It's untenable: India on Nepal's lower house passing bill to redraw political map Manas Khanda of Skanda Purana was compiled in the latter half of the 12th century, centuries before the treaty of Sagauli was signed," he said, referring to the 1816 border agreement between Nepal and British India. British travellers to Tibet before India's independence and Indian scholars writing on Kailash-Mansarovar have also cited Kalapani the origin of river Kali, Negi said. He said Charles A Sheering, a British traveller and administrator who visited Tibet in 1905, also wrote in his book "Western Tibet and the British Borderland" that Kalapani is considered the original source of Kali river. Quoting the book, Negi said over half a dozen small springs combine to form the source of Kali. He also referred to Swami Pranavananda, an explorer-saint whose 1949 book on Kailash-Mansarovar described Kalapani as the traditional source of river Kali. According to the author, the source was earlier known as Kalipani and later began to be called Kalapani by the locals. Ajay Rawat, former head of department of history at Kumaon University, said the tribals of Vyas valley have been trading with Tibet through Lipulekh pass since the 6th century. But there is no evidence to show the Nepalese doing trade through the pass, he argued. "The Kailash-Mansarovar yatra by Indian pilgrims has been going on through the same pass for centuries without any objection from the rulers of Nepal," Rawat said. Rawat also cited an application moved by the landlords in Vyas valley, in the present Dharchula sub-division of Pithoragarh, in the court of the then commissioner of Kumaon soon after the Sagauli treaty was signed. The document said only two villages of Tinkar and Changru had gone to Nepal while six others remained with India after the treaty, according to Rawat. The initiative SOSbusiness.nz, which was created on the eve of New Zealands national COVID-19 lockdown to support small businesses, is on the verge of changing hands. When it does it will have completed the final step in a successful e-commerce venturefrom conception to exitin less than three months. For other New Zealand businesses, it shows how to quickly adopt e-commerce technology. Lessons learned: 5 steps to fast e-commerce adoption Given the New Zealand government has set up a $10 million fund to encourage small businesses into e-commerce, SOSbusiness.nz is a useful case study on how to create a valuable e-commerce site. Here are its five steps to success. [ Keep up on the latest thought leadership, insights, how-to, and analysis on IT through Computerworlds newsletters. ] Use existing tools. SOSbusiness.nz was created by its founder David Downs in an afternoon, originally on the platform Squarespace before moving to Shopify. Downs later found out about the New Zealand-owned e-commerce platform Storbie. The tools exist and they are relatively easy to use for businesses that want to get started and iterate along the way. Downs began with an MVP (minimum viable product) approach that evolved over time. Go out to your network. Downs realised almost straight away that he didnt have all the answers and skills, so he sought out people he knew who could help him. Within just a few days of operation, Downs was fielding questions about security and privacy, such as the potential for fraud (people posing as vendors to get the vouchers) and compliance with anti-money-laundering laws. He called a lawyer friend for advice, then revamped the terms and conditions. He also found volunteers to help him vet each vendor that wanted to participate, which often meant having to validate unusual email addresses. Throughout the entire three months, they didnt find any examples of fraud. Push message through social media and PR. The initiative has been covered in most mainstream media outletsincluding TV and radio. Downs says one of his volunteers was skilled in using social media to get the message out to vendors and customers. This was no doubt complemented by his own skills as a writer and speaker. While Downs has a public profile, what stirred interest is that he told a compelling storywhich is the key to generating media and social media engagement. Adapt to changing circumstances quickly. Unexpectedly the SOSbusiness.nz model changed from selling vouchers to customers to selling vouchers to large companies wanting to reward their staff and supplierscorporate organisations approached Downs wanting to buy vouchers as a way of rewarding staff and suppliers, while at the same time supporting their local communities. The business was nimble enough to pivot to a new revenue stream, while at the same time continuing to serve its primary purpose: helping local stores and cafes. Prepare for a successful exit. A successful exit is part of the small business life cycle. In this case, Downs wants to see SOSbusiness.nz continue as a sustainable initiative, as long as it has value to the people who use it. Exiting the business will also let him focus on his day job as general manager for projects at NZ Trade and Enterprise. The inspiration that led to SOSbusiness.nz, and whats next Downs created the site on the Shopify platform on 23 March, the day Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced New Zealand was going into full lockdown. The premise was that people could buy vouchers to their local cafe or buy services such as from their hairdresser, which could be redeemed post-lockdown. Its success prompted enquiries from Australia, UK and Latvia, with similar sites emerging in those countries, such as savinglocal.com in the UK. David Downs David Downs, founder of SOSbusiness.nz To date, SOSbusiness.nz has sold more than $1.8 million vouchers to 2,500 businesses around New Zealand. Along the way, it has attracted sponsorship from Mercury Energy and Kiwibank to fund its operation, although most of the work is done by about 20 volunteers whose skills range from legal to social media marketing. Downs is now looking to transfer the site to commercial interests in order for it to become sustainable for the long term. He wants the new owners to ensure participating vendorslocal shops and cafeswill continue to participate free of charge. He says transforming SOSbusiness.nz from a voluntary initiative to a commercial business model can potentially be done by charging corporates that bulk-buy vouchers Hed also like to recover costs and reward those volunteers who have helped him with the project. If we end up with any leftover money, were going to throw a huge party for everyone involved, including the vendors [shops and cafes], he says. FILE PHOTO: The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq has agreed with major oil companies operating its giant southern oilfields to cut crude production further in June, Iraqi officials working at the fields told Reuters on Sunday. Baghdad aims to improve its compliance with its output cut targets under a global deal with OPEC and its allies to reduce oil supply. Iraq has agreed with Russias Lukoil to start an additional cut of 50,000 barrels per day (bpd) as of June 13 to lower production from the West Qurna 2 field to around 275,000 bpd. Lukoil cut output by 70,000 bpd in May in response to a request by Iraqs oil ministry, two Iraqi oilfield managers told Reuters on Sunday. Production from West Qurna 2 was around 395,000 bpd in April, the managers said. The Iraqi oil managers, who oversee production operations, said state-run Basra Oil Company had asked BP to cut production from the Rumaila oilfield by around 140,000 bpd of its total production, which stands at between 1.4 million bpd to 1.45 million bpd. Exxon Mobile Corp has agreed also to cut an additional 70,000 bpd from the West Qurna 1 field to reduce production to around 350,000 bpd in June, the two Iraqi managers said. Production was cut by around 50,000 bpd in May and stood at around 420,000 bpd. Lukoil, BP and Exxon were not immediately available for comment. Iraq has told OPEC it would start an urgent plan to cut its oil production gradually to fully comply with its quota, after the group demanded that Baghdad and other laggards adhere to a pact on output curbs. "We will keep lowering production gradually to comply with OPEC quota," said one Iraqi oil official. OPEC, Russia and allies agreed on June 6 to extend record oil production cuts until the end of July, prolonging a deal that has helped crude prices to double in the past two months by withdrawing almost 10% of global supplies from the market. The group, known as OPEC+, also asked countries such as Nigeria and Iraq, which exceeded production quotas in May and June, to compensate with extra cuts in July to September. (Reporting by Aref Mohammed and Ahmed Rasheed; writing by Rania El Gamal; editing by Mark Potter and Jane Merriman) The coronavirus made American meatpacking plants even more dangerous than usual, with outbreaks forcing shutdowns that in turn led to producers euthanizing livestock. Consumers suddenly found themselves in empty meat aisles, searching for protein. Enter tofu. Made from soybeans and little else, the plant-based protein-like the growing field of faux meat-has been in ascendance among Americans. In the U.S., it's historically been a niche product, while popular in much of the rest of the world. Now, more American shoppers are giving it a second look. A prime beneficiary of this pandemic-driven trend is Pulmuone, a South Korea-based food maker boasting a 78% share of U.S. tofu sales, with brands like Nasoya, Wildwood and Azumaya. Jay Toscano, Pulmuone's executive vice president of sales, said three of its U.S. plants are going six days a week. Sales are so good, he said, that Pulmuone has been forced to import tofu from South Korea to meet demand. The Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) reported all plant-based sales during the third week of March, the beginning of most shutdowns in the U.S., were up 90% compared with the previous year, and still 27% higher a month later. Based on Nielsen data for the four-week period ending March 28, tofu sales were up 66.7% over the same period in 2019. Sales were still up by 32.8% in May. Consumed in Asia for more than 1,000 years, the top-selling form of tofu is water-packed. Dasha Shor, global food analyst at Mintel, said it's "a viable alternative for price-sensitive, health-conscious consumers seeking to add more protein to their meals." Tofu "has long been maligned [in the U.S.], and wrongly so," said Michele Simon, executive director of PBFA. "It has a reputation of being a tasteless food that people don't understand." Sales of tofu in the U.S. were $363 million last year. Dr. Michael Greger, who runs the nonprofit nutritionfacts.org, said tofu is preferable to other parts of the meat-alternative sector. "Tofu has 40% fewer calories than popular plant-based burgers," he said. "Consumption of tofu and other soy foods is associated with lower rates of cancer-including the risk of dying from breast cancer-and cardiovascular disease without affecting thyroid hormone levels." Authors of a 2019 analysis of scientific studies said they found potential support for "current recommendations to increase intake of soy for greater longevity." And compared with other meat alternatives, Tofu is arguably a bargain. One pound of Beyond Meat ground "beef" sells for $8.99 versus 14 ounces of tofu (just shy of one pound) retailing for $2.99. Where once tofu only had 5% penetration in grocery stores, Toscano said his retailers are seeing numbers rise dramatically. Kroger, which has almost 2,800 supermarket locations across the U.S., said tofu sales from mid-March to late May were up almost 9%. Wegmans, with 101 stores in seven states, said its sales almost doubled over the same period compared with 2019. Tofu makers House Foods, a Japanese company with two plants in the U.S., and Hodo Foods, which makes all of its tofu in Oakland, California, said they are also seeing significant growth. House Foods said it has seen an 8% rise in sales over previous years, and like Hodo, plans to increase manufacturing capacity over the coming year. Hodo Chief Executive Officer Minh Tsai said tofu makers were caught unprepared by the high demand. Additionally, making tofu for retail compared with food service reduces efficiency, given the smaller packaging required for retail. Coronavirus-era safety requirements have also hindered any ramp-up in production. Even makers of tofu alternatives (there is such a thing) are experiencing growing pains. Christian Stroud, chief operating officer of Foodies Vegan, makes Pumfu, a tofu-like product derived from pumpkin seeds. Stroud said his sales increased by 50%, forcing him to hire an outside sales team to manage calls. "If our sales continue, we will ship over $1 million in Pumfu this year," Stroud said. "Buyers were contacting us because they were having shortages getting tofu," he said. "It was a perfect opportunity to seize the moment because of supply chain problems." AstraZeneca Plc has signed a contract with European governments to supply the region with its potential vaccine against the coronavirus, the British drugmakers latest deal to pledge its drug to help combat the pandemic. The contract is for up to 400 million doses of the vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford, the company said on Saturday, adding that it was looking to expand manufacturing of the vaccine, which it said it would provide for no profit during the pandemic. Deliveries will start by the end of 2020. The deal is the first contract signed by Europes Inclusive Vaccines Alliance (IVA), a group formed by France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands to secure vaccine doses for all member states as soon as possible. This will ensure that hundreds of millions of people in Europe will have access to this vaccine, of course if it works and we will know that by the end of summer, the companys chief executive, Pascal Soriot told journalists. He said he has good hope that it will work, based on initial data. The alliance will work together with the European Commission and other countries in Europe to ensure everybody across Europe is supplied with the vaccine, he said. We have a very self-sufficient supply chain for Europe with manufacturers lined up in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Italy, among others, he said. The vaccines are for all EU member states. The four nations that agreed the deal will pay for the total amount, which has not been disclosed, and the scheme allows other countries to join it under the same conditions, a source from the Italian health ministry said. China, Brazil, Japan and Russia have also expressed interest, he said. The British Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved the start of Phase III trials of the vaccine after studies showed sufficient efficacy and safety, Soriot said. At a meeting of EU Health Ministers on Friday, IVA agreed to merge its activities with those of the EU Commission, Germanys Health Ministry said. The deal is the latest by AstraZeneca to promise to supply its vaccine to governments who have scrambled to agree advance purchases of promising coronavirus immunisation treatments. It has agreed manufacturing deals globally to meet its target of producing 2 billion doses of the vaccine, including with two Bill Gates-backed ventures and a $1.2 billion agreement with the U.S. government. The deal will add a further 100 million doses to the 2 billion already committed by the group, AstraZeneca said. There are no approved vaccines or treatments for COVID-19, the highly contagious respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus. Many countries in the world have already secured vaccines, Europe has not yet. The rapid coordinated action of a group of member states will create added value for all EU citizens in this crisis, Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said. Search Keywords: Short link: FILE PHOTO: A 3D-printed coronavirus model is seen in front of the words coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on display in this illustration By Deborah J. Nelson and Robin Respaut (Reuters) - New research offers reassuring evidence to hundreds of millions of people with high blood pressure that popular anti-hypertension drugs do not put them at greater risk from COVID-19 as some experts had feared. Two blood pressure-lowering drug classes, called ACE inhibitors and ARBs, came under scrutiny after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in April that 72% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients 65 or older had hypertension. ACE inhibitors and ARBs are thought to trigger activity along the same biological pathways used by the COVID-19 novel coronavirus to attack the lungs. Researchers at Oxford University had recommended some patients stop the drugs until the risks were better known, while others argued patients should stay on the medications. An expert at the Johns Hopkins Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness in Baltimore described the debate as one of the most important clinical questions. The new study made publicly available on Friday found no clinically significant increased risk of either a diagnosis or hospitalization of COVID-19 with ACE or ARB use compared with other first-line drug treatments for hypertension. The authors recommended that patients should not discontinue their treatment to avoid the virus, which has infected over 7.5 million people worldwide and killed more than 420,000. (open https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in an external browser) Our findings are quite reassuring, said Marc Suchard, a biostatistician at the University of California, Los Angeles, who co-led the study. Taking an ACE or an ARB is just as safe as other first-list hypertension agents in terms of your risk of contracting COVID-19. The study analyzed the electronic medical records of 1.1 million patients on anti-hypertension drugs from the United States and Spain and has not yet been peer reviewed. It was part of the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics program (OHDSI, pronounced Odyssey) response to COVID-19, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and SIDIAP, a Spanish health research organization. Story continues OHDSI is an open-source collaborative research platform that conducts large-scale studies. The findings join a growing body of evidence showing that the life-saving drugs neither increase nor reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19 or developing a severe case of the virus. Harmony R. Reynolds, a cardiologist at New York University Grossman School of Medicine and the lead author of a study published last month in The New England Journal of Medicine, said she had been besieged by calls from worried patients. With little research to go on, she advised them to stay on the drugs and embarked on a study with colleagues to analyze the medical records of over 12,000 COVID-19 patients at NYUs Langone Health system. They found that those using ACE inhibitors or ARBs were no more likely to test positive than those who were not, nor was their risk of severe illness higher. The same held true for other classes of drugs - beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers and thiazide diuretics. Separate studies of more than 12,000 patients in Spain and more than 30,000 health system beneficiaries in Italy reached similar conclusions. They were published last month in The Lancet and the New England Journal, respectively. Another study in the New England Journal in May reported no increased risk of hospital deaths associated with ACE inhibitors. Both that study and another on hydroxychloroquine were retracted earlier this month after the co-authors said they could no longer vouch for the validity of the data they obtained from Surgisphere, a private medical record firm, however. (Reporting by Deborah Nelson in Maryland and Robin Respaut in San Francisco; Editing by Elyse Tanouye and Sonya Hepinstall) Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 05:27:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close French President Emmanuel Macron is pictured during a televised address to the nation in Paris, France, June 14, 2020. In a televised address to the nation on Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron declared "a first victory" over the coronavirus epidemic, announcing a return to normalcy from Monday across French regions, except for overseas territories. (Xinhua/Gao Jing) PARIS, June 14 (Xinhua) -- In a televised address to the nation on Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron declared "a first victory" over the coronavirus epidemic, announcing a return to normalcy from Monday across French regions, except for overseas territories. "From tomorrow, we will be able to turn the page on the first act of the crisis we have just gone through," Macron said. "The new stage which opens from tomorrow will accelerate the recovery." "So, we will be able to find again the pleasure of being together, to fully resume work, but also to have fun, to cultivate ourselves. We will rediscover our art of living, our pleasure of freedom," he added. ALMOST FULL EXIT FROM LOCKDOWN The remaining restrictions would be lifted in Ile-de-France which have so far lagged behind the rest of the country's easing programme. Bars, cafes and restaurants will be allowed to receive clients. All nurseries, schools and colleges will reopen from June 22 when all students have to attend courses, the president announced. From Monday, European travellers will be able to enter French territory without restriction, while those from countries outside Schengen area will have to wait until July 1. Visits to nursing home will be permitted and the second round of the municipal elections will take place on June 28. Meanwhile, large gatherings will remain "tightly controlled" despite improved epidemic indicators. "We will have to live with (the virus) for a long time yet, respect the rules of physical distance...and follow the evolution of the epidemic to be prepared if it strongly resurges," the president warned. "The fight against the epidemic is therefore not over, but I am happy for this first victory against the virus," he said. As of Saturday, France registered 24 new deaths from COVID-19, bringing the country's toll to 29,398, according to figures released by the National Public Health Agency. The latest single-day deaths were fewer than the 28 fatalities recorded a day before. Saturday also saw 526 new cases of infection, down from Friday's 726, taking the tally to 156,813. Hospital admissions continued to decline for the second month in a row. Some 10,909 people remain hospitalized for coronavirus infection, compared with 11,124 recorded on Friday. Patients who needed to be put on ventilator dropped by 8 to 871. POST-COVID RECONSTRUCTION In his fourth prime-time address since the coronavirus outbreak in early March, Macron acknowledged that the unprecedented health crisis has revealed France's "flaws and weaknesses", such as dependence on other continents for certain products, cumbersome organization, social and regional inequalities. "Our strengths, we will reinforce them, our weaknesses, we will correct them quickly and strongly," he pledged. "I want us to learn all the lessons from what we have experienced." "The moment we are going through...forces us to open a new stage in order to regain full control of our lives, our destiny, in France and in Europe," he said. Laying out the economic and social agenda for the next two years, Macron stressed that the "first priority is to rebuild a strong, ecological, sovereign and united economy." With the aim, he vowed to bolster research and improve the attractiveness of the country's technological, industrial and agricultural sectors, with a major focus on green activities to create the jobs for the future. Furthermore, the head of state pledged "a massive investment in education, training, and jobs for youth," and more "stimulus that will better protect seniors and the poorest." Macron said he will address the nation again in July to "launch the first actions" of the "new path" for the final two years of his mandate. A group of Fine Gael MEPs are calling on the EU's High Representative on Foreign Affairs to investigate if EU arms exports have been used against US civilians. Mairead McGuinness, Sean Kelly, Frances Fitzgerald, Deirdre Clune and Maria Walsh also asked Josep Borrell to condemn the excessive use of force on US citizens. The joint letter comes in response to a wave of Black Lives Matter protest worldwide, sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of US police in Minneapolis last month. In it, the signatories calls on Representative Borrell to suspend any EU arms exports to the US if it were found they were being used against civilians. Many EU member states, currently export weapons or dual-use items to arm countries like Saudi Arabia who are responsible for widespread human rights abuses. Ireland has also exported goods used in conflict to Saudi. The value of Irish exports of military equipment stood at 37.3m in 2018, with almost two-thirds of all military components, software and technology being sold to the US. The European Parliament is set to debate the ongoing situation in the US next week. Agumbe is a unique example of how dangerous animals and people (even more dangerous) can live peacefully together. The key piece is Ajay Giri. I like nothing better than to watch others sweat it out in the field. A couple of years ago I was at the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station, the Croc Banks branchin the Western Ghats. Soon after arrival, I went to Kainalli village on a King Cobra rescue mission with Ajay Giri, one of the doyens among snake handlers. It was the King Cobra breeding season, when these snakes are seriously on the go. And so is Ajays phone: Continuous calls for help from households, farms, shops and other human habitation. Once more, I witnessed Ajays amazingly good snake handling skills, and the tolerance of the local community to the largest venomous snake in the world. Agumbe is a unique example of how dangerous animals and people (even more dangerous) can live peacefully together. The key piece is Ajay, whose work is sponsored by the Deshpande Foundation, Wildlife Conservation Society and others. Its because of people like him that this iconic species has a chance of survival in this habitat tapestry of forest, plantations and fields. A short memory-bite of the experience: 1. Ajays base: The Agumbe Rainforest Research Station run by the Madras Crocodile Bank. 2. The Three Musketeers of Agumbe: King Cobra handlers Ajay, Rom Whitaker, and Kumar 3. Hi buddy, there you are, nice and snug and pretty wound up. 4. Tying ones shoelaces is a good idea. Not cool to trip while catching a King. Quite a crowd watching 5. There we go. Cool and calm. No, not here. Into the bag please. 6. Almost done but need to give the King Cobra conservation rap. and 7. Time for a medical check-up. 8. And some babu workafter all we are in India. 9. The King will travel in the front of the jeep, for greater comfort. I [Zai] hastily offer to get in the back. 10. There you go; your big translocation adventure is over. Now try and keep a healthy distance from the dangerous species, Homo sapiens. Photos 5, 6 and 8 courtesy Marisa Ishimatsu. Author and conservationist Zai Whitaker is managing trustee Madras Crocodile Bank Trust/Centre for Herpetology *** More columns by Zai Whitaker on Firstpost Notes on camping with crocodiles, and watching baby muggers hatch On World Environment Day, looking back at lessons by the greatest teacher of all time Tension built for days between Florida Department of Health supervisors and the department's geographic information systems manager before officials showed her the door, she says, permanently pulling her off the coronavirus dashboard that she operated for weeks. Managers had wanted Rebekah Jones to make certain changes to the public-facing portal, she says. Jones had objected to - and sometimes refused to comply with - what she saw as unethical requests. She says the department offered to let her resign. Jones declined. Weeks after she was fired in mid-May, Jones has now found a way to present the state's coronavirus data exactly the way she wants it: She created a dashboard of her own. "I wanted to build an application that delivered data and helped people get tested and helped them get resources that they need from their community," Jones, 30, said of the site that launched Thursday. "And that's what I ended up building with this new dashboard." White House coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx praised Florida's official coronavirus dashboard in April as a beacon of transparency. But Jones has asserted that the site undercounts the state's infection total and overcounts the number of people tested - with the official numbers bolstering the decision to start loosening restrictions on the economy in early May, when the state had not met federal guidelines for reopening. The competing opinions about how to frame Florida's data underscore the importance of access to accurate information about the virus's spread as the state continues to lift restrictions on public life. Among other data-related controversies, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) came under heavy scrutiny after Jones first alleged publicly that the health department was manipulating statistics to support his desire to reopen. The Florida governor's office did not respond Friday to an email seeking comment on Jones's new dashboard.In a previous statement, a spokeswoman for the governor said Jones "exhibited a repeated course of insubordination during her time with the Department, including her unilateral decisions to modify the Department's COVID-19 dashboard without input or approval from the epidemiological team or her supervisors." Jones's allegations about other managers' requests are serious. She claimed they asked her to delete data showing that some residents tested positive for the coronavirus in January, even though DeSantis assured residents in March that there was no evidence of community spread. Jones also alleged that she was asked to manually change numbers to wrongly make counties appear to have met metrics for reopening. Representatives for the Florida Health Department did not respond Friday to a request for comment on Jones's dashboard but provided a statement Saturday after this article published. A department spokesman said the January dates that Jones referenced are not necessarily when a person tested positive for the virus. Those dates could also represent the first day someone came into contact with an infected person or went to a place where she may have contracted the virus, the statement said. "Epidemiologists collect information that informs the Department of Health of an individual's symptoms, contacts and location of where they may have acquired COVID-19," said the spokesman, Alberto Moscoso. "The first date of entry in answer to any question, COVID-related or not, is designated the event date." Many event dates are months before a person became sick, Moscoso added. Despite the differences between the state's dashboard and Jones's dashboard, Jones's site relies on the health department's data. She said she wrote code that pulls information from various reports on the department's website and presents the data in a way that she believes adds more context. Her dashboard also incorporates data from hospitals and from a volunteer organization that maps coronavirus testing sites. On Jones's dashboard, the number of people tested is significantly lower than the official figure. She said the state's number is actually a tally of the number of samples taken - not the number of people tested. Her dashboard said Florida had tested 895,947 people as of Friday evening, whereas the state dashboard listed the number of people tested as more than 1.3 million. Jones's death toll is slightly higher because she counts nonresidents who died while they were in Florida, while the state does not. States take varied approaches in accounting for nonresidents who die there, as well as for residents who die while out of state. The case count on Jones's dashboard is also higher because it includes people who have tested positive for antibodies, or proteins that indicate that the virus has been in someone's body. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that antibody tests are not foolproof and that a higher percentage of positive results may be incorrect in areas where few people have had the virus. In Jones's eyes, the divergences from the state's data site were necessary. "If you're creating something that simply presents a very narrow view of a situation that's complex and nuanced but affects everybody's lives, then you're not enabling them to take action, to take some semblance of control over what they're going through," she said of the state health department's dashboard. Jones said she plans to keep her dashboard running, from her home in Tallahassee, for as long as it seems to be useful for residents and she can afford to do so. If a vaccine is developed, she said she wants her site to include information about distribution. The project has been neither easy - Jones said she has been working 12-hour days - nor cheap. To launch the site, Jones said she bought a new computer, upgraded her hard drive and licensed the software that she uses to create the maps. A GoFundMe page had raised nearly $27,000 for her as of Friday evening. While Jones said she is open to talking with the health department about selling her dashboard to the state, she insisted that she did not launch the project out of spite or revenge. "It really is because I had to stop feeling sorry for myself and what happened to me, as unfair as it was, and get back to doing what I wanted to do in the first place, which was help people," she said. - - - The Washington Post's Jacqueline Dupree contributed to this report. This Sunday, the 14th of June, is World Blood Donor Day. The day is especially important at this time, given that as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and fear of getting out and going to medical facilities, blood donations are at alarmingly low levels in most countries. Every second in the world, someone will require a donation of blood. Blood donors play a crucial role in all health care systems. While almost half of the population in most countries are eligible to donate blood, typically only a very small percentage of the eligible population do so. Blood donations are required for blood transfusions to treat injuries sustained in accidents and in critical times, such as national disasters. Surgeries, such as orthopedic and heart operations, typically require blood donations. Treatment of diseases, such as cancer, often requires blood donations. Those with inherited blood disorders are another major category. World Blood Donor Day is about more than encouraging blood donations. This day, promulgated by the World Health Organization (WHO), also seeks to improve the blood collection processes and facilities in countries where facilities are lacking, and hygiene and other standards are required to be met to ensure the blood collection and delivery systems are readily accessible, safe, and efficient. Not only are blood donations vital for society and helping others, but they are also important for individual health. Blood donations protect the heart by ensuring your blood is not overly thick and sticky. In doing so, heart attack and stroke risks are reduced. Evidence also exists that reducing iron stores in the body, by giving blood, may also reduce oxidation and therefore help prevent cancer. Giving blood also helps to reduce weight, which has important health benefits. Finally, when you give blood, health authorities will screen your blood for HIV, hepatitis, syphilis, etc., and thus you gain valuable feedback about your state of health. In most health care systems, if you give blood, you are given "credit" should you require a blood donation in the future. Even better than giving blood individually, I would urge departments and organizations to make it a team event. One of my fondest memories was at the University of Canberra, where almost the entire law school faculty and administrators went to give blood together. When we arrived, there was another person in the middle of donating blood. As we lined up to give blood, I proceeded to introduce my colleagues, saying: "I'm Dr. Clark. This is Dr. Burton. This is Dr. Decklin, etc." The donor exclaimed: "Wow, I am so impressed even the doctors are all giving blood!" I didn't have the heart to tell her that we were "Doctors of Law," not medical doctors. It was a fun event, and there was much laughter as we consumed our complimentary snack. To further celebrate the event and spread the word, we had T-shirts especially made. On the back, it read: "You just got blood from a lawyer." On the front, it said: "You've just seen a lawyer for free." I was proud of my colleagues and have been a blood donor for much of my adult life. I am truly saddened by the fact that I no longer qualify to donate blood as a result of medication I now must take. While university students, military personnel, and government employees are typically encouraged to give blood, we now need all eligible citizens to step up and do their part in rebuilding blood supplies so that those who need the gift of life will receive it. Eugene Clark is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/eugeneclark.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- One thing is clear from watching Dave Chappelles new Netflix special: Hes no fan of Staten Island. In addition to calling the borough an awful place, Chappelle said: " F everybody on Staten Island except the Wu-Tang Clan" in the special, dubbed 8:46 that can be viewed on YouTube. In addition to bashing Staten Island, Chappelle addresses rallies and issues surrounding the death of George Floyd, killings of African Americans and police brutality in the 27-minute show. He commended the youth for the demonstrations, and expressed his outrage over Floyds death. STATEN ISLAND BASHING Chappelle said he has a lot of friends who live or have lived on Staten Island. Eric Garner in New York. The first guy that told the police, I cant breathe,' said Chappelle. Eric Garner was selling loose cigarettes in Staten Island when my kid was born, my first son. My wife lived on Staten Island. Its an awful place. She knows it. Everyone whos ever been there knows it. Yuck to Staten Island. ...I have a lot of fans there and friends there but its a very terrible place. F everybody on Staten Island except the Wu-Tang Clan," he added. Eric Garner, 43, was arrested for selling loose cigarettes in Tompkinsville. His final words, I cant breathe, have become a mantra of the Black Lives Matter movement. Garner uttered those words repeatedly while placed in a chokehold by NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo. A Staten Island grand jury declined to indict Pantaleo on criminal charges in 2014, prompting the Department of Justice to launch a civil rights investigation into the incident. After five years, two presidential administrations and four attorneys general, Attorney General William Barr decided not to pursue federal charges against Pantaleo on the eve of the fifth anniversary of his death. FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER COLUMBIA Tourist attractions have been unlocking their gates and hotel occupancy has started to climb as the Palmetto State moves to reboot its visitor economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. A University of South Carolina hospitality researcher suggests that without the distancing hassles of people passing knee-to-knee like in a stadium, the convention industry could be the next poised for a comeback. Compared to sporting venues, convention centers have options when it comes to seating configuration and spacing, said USCs Tom Regan. Combined with new technologies for monitoring guests' health and sterilizing the indoor environment, these gathering spaces have the opportunity to become models for how the industry adapts to COVID-19. Venue managers are just waiting for the go-ahead. Theres a large convention in July that usually brings several thousand firefighters from around the state to South Carolinas Capital City. But not this year. Which is a big loss because it brings a lot of people to the city hotels and restaurants, said Bill Ellen, president of Experience Columbia, which operates the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. While nearly every event booked at the convention center had been cancelled through most of the year, Ellen has hope of return. The building will reopen to the public June 23. In the three days afterward there are two small events booked the first since the novel coronavirus caused shutdowns statewide. Both will have fewer than 100 people in attendance. The annual event and visitor numbers will be nowhere near the record-setting years the center has grown used to, but its a start. There's also a couple of events booked in July and August. Then the calendar slowly starts to grow. By the first of the year, the event load gets close to normal. Of those that were cancelled, about half have been rescheduled for dates later in 2020 or early 2021. In Greenville, the city-owned center has been serving as a COVID-19 testing site. The first outside event, SC Comicon, is schedule for late July, said Brandy Humphrey of the Hughes Agency, which works with the center. Capacity for upcoming public events will vary depending on their set up and is still being determined, she said. The manager of North Charleston's convention center did not respond to requests for comment. The pandemic has ravaged the tourism and event industry in the Palmetto State and the world over. South Carolina virus cases continue to rise. But as Gov. Henry McMaster pushes forward by relaxing restrictions, hotel rooms have filled at a rate of 45 percent at the end of May, compared with 39 percent for the Southeast and 37 percent nationwide a positive sign to industry leaders. Experts say we will recover, said Brad Mayne, president of the International Association of Venue Managers. The question is when: one year, two years, longer? Nationally, Mayne said, venue managers are talking about using new technology, such as temperature scanning kiosks that would measure body temperatures as people move through. His organization also has launched a new biohazard HVAC certification program for airflow. "Safety and cleaning expectations have been raised to a level never seen before in order for meeting planners to be comfortable booking events," Regan said. Add to that the social distancing standards, which take up a tremendous amount of space, and our space shrinks significantly, Ellen said. For example, the largest room, the exhibit hall, can usually hold 1,800 people. Under current standards, Ellen said the most it can have is 276 people. A staff meeting of a dozen people they would normally hold in the conference room has since been moved to one of the ballrooms, a space that usually hosts 150 people. The center is limiting any events to no more than 250 people to start. As precautions, officials are taking employees temperatures and wearing masks, Ellen said. Regan expects that, as has been the case with other businesses, the push to reopen will ultimately be fueled by economics. A chunk of funding for many venues is tied to hospitality taxes, requiring bookings in order to fill the source of that revenue, which are hotel rooms. Construction projects, like Columbia's hope for expansion of its center and Greenville's plan for a new downtown complex, have been put on hold, Regan said. But despite not being eligible for federal coronavirus aid, Mayne said the vast majority of venues, including Columbia's, report they remain financially viable. Thousands of demonstrators marched in cities and towns across Switzerland on Saturday to denounce racism and police brutality in the wake of the death of George Floyd in the United States. Despite rules in place banning gatherings of more than 300 people to prevent the spread of COVID-19, several cities saw huge crowds come out to join a growing global movement denouncing racism and disproportionate police violence against black and brown people. In the biggest demonstration, more than 10,000 people, most of them dressed in black, protested in Switzerland's largest city Zurich, according to police. The protesters marched through the city centre, holding up posters with slogans like "Black Lives Matter", "Racism is a Pandemic Too", and "I Can't Breathe", referring to Floyd's death in Minneapolis on May 25, after a white officer pressed his knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Police said the Zurich demonstration was largely peaceful, but that it had been marred in the late afternoon by a few hundred people headed by known members of the radical leftwing autonomous scene who threw rocks, bottles and other objects at police. One officer was injured and a number of people arrested, Zurich police said. Several thousand people also held an unauthorised but peaceful demonstration in front of the Swiss government and parliament buildings in the capital Bern Saturday, according to Swiss news agency ATS. Local police announced on Twitter that the gathering had dissolved by late afternoon. A range of other towns meanwhile saw smaller demonstrations. There was no demonstration in Geneva, which saw 10,000 people march through the streets earlier in the week against racism, but in neighbouring Lausanne, around 1,000 people had begun gathering in a central square by late afternoon, according to an AFP photographer. That demonstration was authorised by the city, which had erected some blockades around the square to encourage people to pass through a single entrance point to ensure they disinfected their hands and were wearing obligatory masks. Organisers said the demonstration aimed to take a stand against police violence in the US, but also in Switzerland, pointing to three cases in the past four years where black men have died at the hands of police in and near Lausanne. A number of protesters brandished posters with Floyd's name, but also that of Mike Ben Peter, a Nigerian killed in Lausanne in 2018 after being pinned to the ground by police in seemingly similar circumstances. Bournemouth's Arnaut Danjuma has revealed he was mistakenly arrested on suspicion of attempted murder earlier this year, according to The Sun. The winger recalls how he was walking through Bournemouth town centre in order to get some food when police apprehended him. 'Suddenly there was a police car there and two police officers came out of it,' he told The Sun. 'One said "Put your hands on the fence!" Arnaut Danjuma was mistakenly arrested in connection with an attempted murder case The police apprehended the wrong man just days before the coronavirus lockdown began 'I asked, "What did I do?" They said "Put your hands on the fence, shut up!" 'So I put my hands on the fence and asked again, "What did I do?" They said to wait for the other officers to arrive.' The police were looking for a suspect in a stabbing incident on March 16, and mistakenly came after Danjuma just days before the coronavirus lockdown began. The Bournemouth winger signed for the club for 13.7million in 2019 from Club Bruges. He has played nine games for the Cherries so far this season. He believes he is often stopped by police just because he is driving a large car around 'They came and I asked again. It was embarrassing. People were taking pictures and it got me frustrated so I went mad on the cop. 'I told him things I shouldn't have said. But I got frustrated and angry and in the end he said, "You're not the one we're looking for, you can go".' The Sun claims Danjuma was not given an apology, despite police detaining him for the wrong reason. However, the 23-year-old decided not to make a formal complaint. The club asked him if he wanted to make a formal complaint about the incident, but he said he would prefer to keep focusing on his return from injury. Danjuma was born in Nigeria, and was often homeless during his childhood, leading to him entering foster care. A court ruled he could live with his father when he was 11, and he then joined the PSV Eindhoven youth academy. The news comes at a time where Black Lives Matter protests are going on around the world in the wake of George Floyd's death at the hands of police in Minneapolis. He is proud of the Black Lives Matter protests going on in the wake of George Floyd's death 'I've been through racism a lot and have developed a skin against it,' said Danjuma. 'There are loads of things that happen regularly to me. The police will stop me every now and then just because I drive a huge car. 'Then they will just say it's a check-up, but you know it's not a check-up.' The Dutchman is proud of the anti-racism protests going on right now, but has also condemned those looting during the demonstrations. He also says people need more education on history, and that 'if you don't teach [children] values, they will always take a wrong turn.' A Virginia sheriff has apologized to a black pastor who was arrested this month after calling 911 for help when a white family allegedly threatened and assaulted him after trying to dump a refrigerator on his property. Shenandoah County Sheriff Timothy Carter said in a statement Friday that he apologized to Pastor Leon K. McCray Sr. of Woodstock, Va., and that prosecutors dropped a charge against McCray for brandishing a licensed handgun in self-defense. McCray, 61, described the incident in a June 7 sermon at his Lighthouse Church & Marketplace Ministries International in nearby Woodstock. Woodstock is the seat of Shenandoah County, about 100 miles west of Washington in the Shenandoah Valley between the Blue Ridge and Appalachian mountains. McCray said he was visiting an apartment property he owns in Edinburg, population 1,100, when he saw a man and a woman who did not live there dragging a refrigerator to his dumpster. They grew "irate" when confronted, McCray said, and the man left and returned with three others. McCray said the group surrounded, jostled and threatened him, "telling me that my black life and the Black Lives Matter stuff, they don't give a darn about that stuff in this county, and they could care less and 'We would kill you.' " McCray drew a legally concealed handgun, he said, giving him time to call 911. But when sheriff's deputies responded, he said, "I was not given the opportunity to tell what was going on." Instead, he was "handcuffed in front of the mob," the members of which were yelling racial epithets and threatening him, McCray said. An officer whom McCray said he has known for more than 20 years told him he did not agree with the order but had to arrest McCray for brandishing a gun. "All this happened on my property," McCray said. "I said, what about the trespassing and the assault?" McCray said he was driven away while the five stood with deputies "waving at me as I go down the road. You think about how disturbing that is." Two sheriff's office supervisors have been placed on unpaid administrative leave over the incident, which occurred June 1, Carter said. "As I told Mr. McCray, if I were faced with similar circumstances, I would have probably done the same thing," Carter said in a video and written post on Facebook. "I want the people of Shenandoah County to know that I and the sheriff's office staff appreciate and care about the minority communities, and especially our black community, in Shenandoah County." Carter said Donny Salyers, 43; Dennis Salyers, 26; Farrah Salyers, 42; and Christopher Sharp, 57, were arrested and charged with felony abduction and assault by a mob and assault in a hate crime, both misdemeanors. A fifth person, Amanda Salyers, 26, was also charged with misdemeanor assault by a mob and assault in a hate crime, Carter said. All five, of Edinburg, were held without bond, Carter said. Attorneys for three of the Salyerses did not immediately respond to telephone and email messages Sunday afternoon, and an attorney for Farrah Salyers declined to comment. Sharp's appointed attorney, Bradley G. Pollock, said Sharp is a tenant of the Salyerses with his baby and the baby's mother, and Sharp thought they had permission to bring a refrigerator to the dumpster. Sharp said when confronted by McCray, he and Amanda Salyers, who is of no relation, returned the refrigerator to the Salyerses' property two doors down, Pollock said. Sharp said he stayed there and "didn't have anything further to do with anything else," his attorney said. McCray, a retired Alexandria, Va., and Baltimore real estate investor and 24-year Air Force master sergeant with no criminal record who has never been arrested, said deputies rushed to judgment in "disarming a black male brandishing a gun against five white individuals, despite my Second Amendment right to defend myself against five attackers that tried to take my life." He added, "In my mind, it was totally unacceptable; it would not be acceptable if I was white, and I believe all you know it to be true." Carter said Dennis Salyers and Donny Salyers were initially charged with assault and battery, and Amanda Salyers and Christopher Sharp were initially charged with trespassing, before the office obtained warrants for the more severe charges Thursday night. The investigation is ongoing, Carter said. "Mr. McCray met with me on Wednesday, the 3rd of June, and after talking with him about the incident, it was apparent to me that the charge of brandishing was certainly not appropriate," Carter said. "I have apologized to Mr. McCray, and I appreciate his patience as I have worked through these matters," Carter said, adding to the minority community in the county, who make up about 1 in 9 of its 44,000 residents, "I continue to support and recognize the importance of your constitutional rights, especially your Second Amendment right to protect yourself and your family." In an interview Sunday, McCray said he appreciated the sheriff's actions and the county for "starting to move in the right direction," but he noted his charge has not yet been formally dropped. "When someone does wrong, those in leadership positions should right that wrong quickly, just like they would do if it were them," McCray said. "I respect and appreciate that charges have been brought against the mob that assaulted me, as there should have been from the beginning. I just want things to change. They must change, and I won't stop until it changes." Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 10:01:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HANGZHOU, June 14 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a Saturday tank truck blast in east China's Zhejiang Province rose to 18, the local publicity authority said Sunday. By 4:10 a.m., a total of 166 injured people were receiving medical treatment in hospitals, the publicity department of the city of Wenling said. The accident occurred at around 4:46 p.m. Saturday when a gas tank truck exploded near a village in the Wenling section of the Shenyang-Haikou Expressway, the department said. A second blast happened when the blown-up truck fell onto a workshop near the expressway. The explosions caused the collapse of residential houses and factory workshops. Hundreds of firefighters were sent to the scene for rescue work. Rescue and search efforts are underway. Enditem Ministers are preparing to drop the two-metre rule by the end of the month after Rishi Sunak hailed the 'positive impact' it would have on business and jobs. Boris Johnson has launched a 'comprehensive review' of the strict regulation, which critics say is crippling businesses and making it harder for schools to reopen. The rule will be reconsidered by a panel of economists and scientists, with a decision set to come before the expected reopening of pubs and restaurants from July 4. The Government's advice to stay 2m apart is further than the World Health Organisation's recommendation of at least 1m, and some other countries like France and Denmark. The two-metre rules will be reconsidered by a panel of economists and scientists after Rishi Sunak hailed the 'positive impact' dropping it would have on business and jobs. Pictured: A shop window sticker in Liverpool asks customers to follow social distancing guidelines Mr Sunak confirmed yesterday the Government would 'take a fresh look' at the regulation and suggested the decision was for ministers, not scientists, to take. He told Sky News: 'The Prime Minister has put in place a comprehensive review of the two-metre rule. That review will involve the scientists, economists and others so that we can look at it in the round. 'I know that of course it's the difference between three-quarters and maybe a third of pubs opening, for example, so it's important that we look at it.' The Chancellor said any decision on ending the lockdown before a vaccine was ready had an element of 'risk', but pointed out that other countries have lower distance requirements and were still managing to contain the virus. 'Now that we have made good progress in suppressing the virus, we're at a different stage of this epidemic than we were at the beginning and that enables us to take a fresh look at this,' he said. 'I can very much understand the impact, the positive impact it will have on business's ability to reopen and thereby maintain the jobs that they have.' The new distancing review will take advice from experts including the chief medical officer Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance. The panel will also include behavioural scientists and economists. Mr Sunak also suggested that the Government would be prepared to override the views of Sir Patrick and Professor Whitty if they did not agree with a reduction. A 'comprehensive review' of the strict regulation has now been launched by the Prime Minister, with a decision set to come before July 4. Pictured: A Sainsbury's store asks shoppers to keep two metres away from each other He told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that scientists had made clear there is a 'different degree of risk at different levels', and the decision on relaxing the rule was 'ultimately' for ministers to make. He said: 'Much as I would like to see it reduced everyone would like to see that reduced from an economic perspective we can only do that if it's safe and responsible to do so.' Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: 'If other countries are doing it successfully, we need to move now.' Shadow justice secretary David Lammy said Labour would support a relaxation of the 2m rule if the evidence showed it was 'the right time to do it'. Latest coronavirus video news, views and expert advice at mailplus.co.uk/coronavirus By Express News Service KOCHI: For the first time since its inception in 2009, the Aquatic Quarantine Facility (AQF), a premier institution of RGCA-MPEDA, received 3,600 Vannamei (Whiteleg shrimp) broodstock imported by Indias shrimp hatchery operators from Hawaii, USA, providing a firewall against the entry and spread of pathogens in animals through rigorous quarantine measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The import of broodstock, which came as a single consignment from a single source, was facilitated by a chartered flight by six hatchery operators on June 4. The broodstock was quarantined for five days and handed over to hatchery operators with 97.12 per cent of survival on June 8. MPEDA chairman K S Srinivas said all the broodstock were confirmed their SPF (Sun Protection Factor) status by the screening of OIE standards set by the World Organisation for Animal Health and non-OIE- listed pathogens. Although the broodstock arrived at the airport 10 hours later than the scheduled time, the strict bio-security protocol followed in the AQF ensured their successful quarantining and secured the high survival percentage, he said. The brooders were brought through cargo flights instead of passenger flights and the animals were under severe stress due to long travel time. However, the dedicated and positive efforts of AQF team ensured better survival of the brooders during difficult times of quarantine, and such an initiative was highly appreciated by the hatchery operators and farmers, he said. Advertisement Rayshard Brooks, 27, was killed by police in Atlanta after a fight in the parking lot of a Wendy's restaurant Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani argued the police shooting of Rayshard Brooks is different to the circumstances surrounding the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, insisting body cam footage of the incident may justify the use of deadly force. Brooks was shot dead by Officer Garrett Rolfe in an Atlanta Wendys parking lot late Friday night. Investigators say Brooks, 27, fought with Rolfe and another officer, Devin Brosnan, before taking one of their Tasers, fleeing, and pointing the stun gun at Rolfe as he ran away. Rolfe was dismissed from the force Saturday after firing the fatal shots that killed Brooks. Brosnan, who didnt fire, has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. Brooks death occurred amid nationwide protests against police brutality, sparked by the Memorial Day death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The two fatal incidents have drawn comparisons and outrage in equal measure, but Giuliani, President Trumps personal attorney, said he believes there are significant differences between the two men's deaths. Whatever the Atlanta shooting is, it is not the George Floyd case, Giuliani tweeted early Sunday morning. This video appears to present circumstances which may justify this use of force. The only responsible position is to suspend judgment until a full investigation is done, he added. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani argued the police shooting of Rayshard Brooks is different to the circumstances surrounding the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, insisting body cam footage of the incident may justify this use of force Newly released bodycam footage shows a polite interaction with Brooks for 30 minutes before the shooting. Though he appears intoxicated, Brooks cooperates with police until they try to arrest him Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson offered a similar point of view Sunday, telling Fox News Sunday the circumstances in Brooks death are not as 'clear-cut' as Floyd's. I think this is a situation that is not clear-cut, like the callous murder that occurred in Minnesota, and it really requires some heads of people who actually know what should be done under these circumstances to make judgments, Carson told the network. We don't know what was in the mind of the officer when somebody turns around and points a weapon at him. Is he absolutely sure that's a nonlethal weapon? You know, this is not a clear-cut circumstance. Could it have been handled better? Carson asked. Certainly in retrospect, there probably are other ways to do things, but again, we don't know. We, the public, don't know. Republican Sen. Tim Scott also said Sunday the situation was not as clear as the killing of Floyd in Minnesota. That situation is certainly a far less clear one than the ones that we saw with George Floyd and several other ones around the country," the South Carolina Republican said on CBS Face the Nation. Scott, who is currently leading the drafting of the Senate GOPs police reform bill, pointed toward the lingering questions on whether the excessive use of force was necessary. The question is when the suspect turned to fire the Taser, what should the officer have done? Scott said, adding that its critically important to include de-escalation and the need for more training in legislation. That's why the de-escalation aspect of my bill and the House bill is so critically important so that we don't revert back to basic fear plus adrenaline leads us to the genetic code, so to speak, he said. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson offered a similar point of view Sunday, telling Fox saying the circumstances in Brooks death are not clear-cut, unlike Floyds death Officer Garrett Rolfe (left) was fired from the force after firing the shots that killed Brooks on Friday night, while Officer Devin Bronsan (right), who was also present but did not fire, has been placed on administrative leave Attorney L. Chris Stewart, who represents the family of Rayshard Brooks, unequivocally believes, however, that the two officers shouldve been able to control Brooks without shooting him dead. A Taser is not a deadly weapon, it's not like he was running off with a gun, Stewart said. [The officer's] life was not in immediate harm when he fired that shot, it just was not. U.S. Rep. James Enos Clyburn, D-S.C., the House Majority Whip, said he was incensed by the shooting, especially coming after weeks of protests demanding racial justice and an end to police brutality. This did not call for lethal force, and I dont know whats in the culture that would make this guy do that, Clyburn said Sunday on CNN's State of the Union. Its got to be the culture, its got to be the system. The shooting of Brooks led to the resignation of Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields, and the Wendy's where Brooks was shot was engulfed in an arson attack as protests turned tense on Saturday night. Just two weeks earlier, Shields had drawn nationwide praise for how she engaged with demonstrators in the wake of George Floyd's death. Meanwhile, bodycam footage has been released showing Rolfe and Bronsan's full interaction prior to the shooting of Brooks, whom Bronsan found on the scene asleep in the driver's seat of a car blocking the Wendy's drive-thru lane. The interaction starts off cordially, but Brooks seems visibly intoxicated, and is unable to correctly identify the city he is in, saying he is in Forest Park, an Atlanta suburb about 10 miles away from the Wendy's. Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned on Saturday following the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks Police gave Brooks a field sobriety test and breathalyzer after finding him asleep behind the wheel of a car that was stopped in the Wendy's drive-thru lane, blocking other vehicles. The breathalyzer read .108 About 30 minutes into the interaction, Rolfe tells Brooks that he believes he is too drunk to operate a motor vehicle and that he is being placed under arrest. As the officers begin to handcuff him, Brooks struggles, knocking the body camera off As the bodycam footage shows, Brooks cooperates with the officers initially, agreeing to be searched for weapons and to complete a field sobriety test. Brooks then insisted that all he'd had to drink was 'one and a half daiquiris.' The officers then administer a breathalyzer test, as Brooks continues to insist that he is fine to drive home. The breathalyser reading comes back as .108. About 30 minutes into the interaction, Rolfe tells Brooks that he believes he is too drunk to operate a motor vehicle and that he is being placed under arrest. As the officers begin to handcuff him, Brooks begins to struggle, knocking the body camera to the ground. Little else is seen of the interaction, but the officers are heard shouting 'stop fighting, stop fighting,' a Taser is heard being deployed, and three shots are heard seconds later. Video from other angles has already shown that Brooks swung punches at the officers, stole a Taser, and fled, turning to point what appears to be the stolen taser at Rolfe before Rolfe unholsters his gun and shoots Brooks. After nightfall on Saturday, flames broke out at the Wendy's fast food restaurant where the shooting took place. Around 10pm, a fully involved fire was seen inside the Wendy's, and thick smoke billowed through the air, as multiple smaller fires burned in the parking lot outside of the building. A protester watches as the Wendy's burns following a rally protesting the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks The Wendy's where Brooks was shot was burned down during protests over his death in a police shooting A Wendy's burns following a rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks Instagram user @onthewaytothepromise posted a video showing broken windows in the Wendy's as the fire began to spread inside. The building had been surrounded by protesters since Saturday morning. The building was engulfed in flames which shot through the air from the roof, and no emergency responders were on the scene after nearly an hour. Atlanta fire officials said that they were unable to send trucks through the crowds of protesters blocking the roads around the Wendy's, in fear of endangering both the firefighters and the protesters. As the fire grew, fears mounted that it could ignite a neighboring gas station, but by midnight the fire had burned out without spreading further. Demonstrators also shut down all lanes of Interstate 75 near the Wendy's for more than an hour. Police in riot gear were seen advancing on the protesters and making arrests at around 10pm. Traffic was restored on the northbound lanes of the interstate by around 10.30pm. Protesters demonstrate outside a Wendy's restaurant in Atlanta on Saturday where Rayshard Brooks, a black man, was shot and killed by Atlanta police Friday evening following a struggle in the drive-thru line Flames were seen inside and outside the Wendy's at around 10pm on Saturday night after arsonists set it ablaze A person holds a sign as a Wendy's restaurant burns Saturday in Atlanta after demonstrators allegedly set it on fire Fire crews were unable to reach the fire as it burned out of control, after protesters blocked the streets around it Some demonstrators link arms after getting onto Interstate 75 and shutting down the interstate in Atlanta on Saturday Demonstrators also shut down all lanes of Interstate 75 near the Wendy's for more than an hour State troopers were seen advancing on the protesters and making arrests at around 10pm, and traffic was restored Some protesters are arrested after getting onto I-75 and shutting down the interstate in Atlanta on Saturday RIP Rayshard: Cleanup begins outside the Wendy's restaurant which was destroyed after being set on fire after a Friday Atlanta Police Department officer-involved shooting The eatery was set ablaze and has since been covered in graffiti . People are seen taking photos outside of it on Sunday While much of the external walls remain intact, the inside of the restaurant is seen completely destroyed Meanwhile, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has released new surveillance footage of the moment of the fatal shooting, which has drawn massive protests and allegations of racism and police brutality. Atlanta police were called to the restaurant on a complaint that a man was sleeping in a car blocking the drive-thru lane as customers waited in line. Police say he failed a field sobriety test and then began to fight as the officers tried to arrest him. Previously released bystander video showed Brooks grappling with two officers on the pavement, throwing punches, and grabbing one of the officer's Tasers. The other officer fires his Taser at Brooks, which appears to have no effect, and Brooks sprints away. The newly released surveillance video shows Brooks fleeing across the parking lot from officers, and turning and pointing something at the police, which the GBI said was the stolen police Taser. An officer then drops the Taser that he had fired at Brooks, retrieves his service gun from its holster, and fires at Brooks. New surveillance video released by GBI shows Brooks (circled, right) fleeing towards the right hand side of the image as he is pursued by two officers. Both Brooks and the officer immediately behind him are seen holding police Tasers with illumination Brooks (far right) appears to turn and point the stolen Taser, as one officer takes cover by the red car and the second officer pursues from the far left of the image Brooks drops to the ground, out of sight behind the silver sedan, as police open fire on him According to his Facebook page, Brooks was married, attended Forest Park Street High School and, at one point, had an internship with the Atlanta Falcons Police attempt to control protesters outside a Wendy's restaurant Saturday in Atlanta. Georgia authorities said Saturday a man was shot and killed in a late night struggle with Atlanta police outside the fast food restaurant Police attempt to control protesters outside a Wendy's restaurant Saturday in Atlanta Protesters gather Saturday at the Atlanta Wendy's where Rayshard Brooks, a black man, was shot and killed by Atlanta police Friday evening following a struggle in the restaurant's drive-thru line Protesters confront police near Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta Saturday in response to the death of Rayshard Brooks The shooting came at a time of heightened tension over police brutality and calls for reforms across the U.S. following the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Atlanta was among U.S. cities where large crowds of protesters took to the streets. A crowd of demonstrators gathered Saturday outside the Atlanta restaurant where Brooks was shot. Gerald Griggs, an attorney and a vice president of Atlanta's NAACP chapter, estimated there were 150 people protesting at the scene as he walked with them Saturday afternoon. 'The people are upset,' Griggs said. 'They want to know why their dear brother Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed when he was merely asleep on the passenger side and not doing anything.' THIS VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC CONTENT AND EXPLICIT LANGUAGE Cell phone video shows Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old black man, wrestling with two white Atlanta police officers near a Wendy's fast food restaurant in Atlanta late on Friday night Brooks was resisting arrest as officers tried to take him into custody for allegedly failing a field sobriety test Brooks is seen getting away from the grasp of one of the police officers during the attempted arrest on Friday Brooks was seen running off with a Taser he took from one of the officers during the scuffle on Friday night The officer on the far right is seen aiming his Taser and shooting at Brooks, but it appears to have no effect as Brooks gets away Moments later, gunshots are heard. Brooks' body appears to be on the pavement on the far right side of the image above Shields, the ousted police chief, said in a statement: 'For more than two decades, I have served alongside some of the finest men and women in the Atlanta Police Department. Out of a deep and abiding love for this City and this department, I offered to step aside as police chief.' 'APD has my full support, and Mayor Bottoms has my support on the future direction of this department. I have faith in the Mayor, and it is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve,' Shields continued. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced Chief Shield's resignation, saying the city's top cop offered to 'immediately step aside as police chief so that the city may move forward, with urgency, in rebuilding the trust so desperately needed throughout our communities.' Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vic Reynolds said his agents worked through the night interviewing witnesses and reviewing video. He said their findings show that Brooks tried to fight off two officers when they tried to arrest him and at one point managed to take a Taser away from one of them. A security camera recorded Brooks 'running or fleeing from Atlanta police officers,' Reynolds said. 'It appears that he has in his hand a Taser.' Protesters rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta on Saturday Hundreds of protesters gathered in Atlanta on Saturday to protest the police shooting of Rayshard Brooks Protesters march near the Georgia Capitol on Saturday after an overnight Atlanta Police Department officer-involved shooting which left a black man dead at a Wendy's restaurant The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is probing the shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, 27, after a reported struggle with officers ensued during which a Taser was used late Friday During a short foot chase Brooks 'turns around and it appears at that time he points a Taser at an Atlanta officer,' Reynolds said. That's when the officer drew his gun and shot Brooks, he said, estimating the officer fired three times. 'In a circumstance like this where an officer is involved in the use of deadly force, the public has a right to know what happened,' Reynolds said of the decision to quickly release the restaurant surveillance footage. Atlanta Deputy Police Chief Timothy Peek told reporters late Friday that both officers deployed their Tasers in an attempt to subdue the suspect but were unable to 'stop the aggression of the fight.' Reynolds said his agents will turn over results of their investigation to Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, whose office will decide whether criminal charges are warranted against either of the officers. Howard said Saturday his office had already gotten involved. 'My office has already launched an intense, independent investigation of the incident,' Howard said in a statement, saying members of his staff 'were on scene shortly after the shooting, and we have been in investigative sessions ever since to identify all of the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident.' Protesters block University Avenue outside the Wendy's fast food restaurant in Atlanta on Saturday. Hours earlier, a 27-year-old black man was fatally shot by police officers as he was running away Several protesters blocked traffic and sat in the middle of the road during the demonstration against police brutality on Saturday One protester holds a megaphone while chanting slogans near the Wendy's fast food restaurant on University Avenue in Atlanta on Saturday Demonstrators including members of Brooks' family gathered Saturday outside the restaurant where he was shot. Police shut down streets for several blocks around the restaurant as protesters marched peacefully in the streets. There was a short, tense standoff with Georgia state troopers who lined up to block protesters as they tried to march onto a nearby interstate highway. The demonstrators eventually turned away. Among those protesting was Crystal Brooks, who said she is Rayshard Brooks' sister-in-law. 'He wasnt causing anyone any harm,' she said. 'The police went up to the car and even though the car was parked they pulled him out of the car and started tussling with him.' She added: 'He did grab the Taser, but he just grabbed the Taser and ran.' Shields, Atlanta's police chief for less than four years, was initially praised in the days following Floyds death last month. She said the Minnesota officers involved should go to prison and walked into crowds of protesters in downtown Atlanta, telling demonstrators she understood their frustrations and fears. She appeared at Bottoms side as the mayor made an impassioned plea for protesters to go home when things turned violent with smashed storefronts and police cruisers set ablaze. Days later, Shields fired two officers and benched three others caught on video May 30 in a hostile confrontation with two college students whose car was stuck in traffic caused by the protests. The officers shouted at the pair, fired Tasers at them and dragged them from the vehicle. When prosecutors charged six officers with crimes in the incident, however, Shields openly questioned the timing and appropriateness of the charges. Rayshard Brooks' killing sparked renewed anger as demonstrators gathered near the Wendy's fast food restaurant on University Avenue in Atlanta on Saturday Protesters gesture at passersby near the Wendy's fast food restaurant on University Avenue in Atlanta on Saturday A woman holds a sign which reads 'We will not be silent' near the Wendy's fast food restaurant on University Avenue in Atlanta on Saturday Protesters make their voices heard during a demonstration near the Wendy's fast food restaurant on University Avenue in Atlanta on Saturday Protesters with cell phones gathered near the Wendy's fast food restaurant on University Avenue in Atlanta on Saturday A law enforcement official speaks to demonstrators near the Wendy's fast food restaurant on University Avenue in Atlanta on Saturday Tensions were running high as protesters expressed their anger near the Wendy's fast food restaurant on University Avenue in Atlanta on Saturday Demonstrators hold signs and make gestures toward a George state trooper near the Wendy's fast food restaurant on University Avenue in Atlanta on Saturday The shooting of Rayshard Brooks is the 48th police-involved shooting being investigated by state authorities in Georgia this year Protesters chant slogans, hold signs, and walk near the Wendy's fast food restaurant on University Avenue in Atlanta on Saturday Protesters come face to face with law enforcement officials near the Wendy's fast food restaurant on University Avenue in Atlanta on Saturday A group called 'Israel United in Christ' protests as they gather at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta on Saturday Several protesters at the Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta protest the police-involved shooting of Rayshard Brooks on Saturday Members of a group called 'Israel United in Christ' protest and sign during a demonstration at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta on Saturday A man holds up a sign which reads 'Say his name: Rayshard Brooks' in Atlanta on Saturday A woman holds up a sign which reads 'Justice for Rayshard Brooks' during a demonstration in Atlanta on Saturday Protesters in downtown Atlanta holds signs which read 'Black Lives Matter,' 'Abolish police,' and 'Justice for Rayshard Brooks' Protesters angry over the shooting of Rayshard Brooks gather in Atlanta on Saturday to denounce the police Ashley Brooks speaks as protesters gather on University Ave near a Wendy's restaurant on Saturday A woman holds a sign which reads 'We must dismantle white supremacy now' during a demonstration in Atlanta on Saturday Protesters hold signs which read 'Defund the police' as they walk past a mural of George Floyd in Atlanta on Saturday Stacey Abrams, the Georgia Democrat who gained national prominence running for governor in 2018, tweeted Saturday of the shooting that 'sleeping in a drive-thru must not end in death.' 'The killing of #RayshardBrooks in Atlanta last night demands we severely restrict the use of deadly force,' Abrams' tweet said. 'Yes, investigations must be called for - but so too should accountability.' Atlanta, like scores of other major American cities, has been roiled by protests following the May 25 death of George Floyd. Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department after one officer, Derek Chauvin, was seen kneeling on his neck for almost nine minutes, cutting off his air supply. Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Three other Minneapolis police officers have also been charged with aiding and abetting. Atlanta police have come under scrutiny for actions against protesters in recent weeks. Six police officers - all of whom are black except for one - are facing criminal charges after they were seen violently arresting two college students for violating curfew. Six Atlanta police officers face criminal charges after video showed they used Tasers to arrest two college students - Messiah Young (left) and Teniyah Pilgrim (right) - for breaking curfew Body camera footage shows a group of Atlanta police officers confronting 22-year-old Messiah Young and 20-year-old Taniyah Pilgrim in a car in downtown traffic caused by protests sparked by the killing of Floyd. Video shows the officers shouting at the students, firing Tasers at them and dragging them from the car. Throughout the confrontation, the couple can be heard screaming and asking what they did wrong. Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigns following the death of Rayshard Brooks - just two weeks after drawing national praise for how she engaged with protesters after George Floyd's death in Minneapolis Atlantas Chief of Police Erika Shields resigned yesterday evening less than a day after police fatally shot dead 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks outside of a fast food restaurant on Friday night. Atlantas Chief of Police Erika Shields resigned yesterday evening less than a day after police fatally shot dead 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks outside of a fast food restaurant on Friday night During a Saturday press conference, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced that she had accepted Shields resignation, saying that the now former police chief had made the decision out of a desire for the Atlanta Police Department to serve as a model for reform. Chief Shields has offered to immediately step aside as police chief so that the city may move forward with urgency in rebuilding the trust so desperately needed throughout our community, Bottoms said. Shields said in a statement her decision was made out of a deep and abiding love for her city. It is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, she said. Just two weeks ago, Shields was lauded by journalists and commentators for how she engaged with protesters in Atlanta who were demonstrating against the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody in late May. Shields was videos walking among crowds of protesters in the city following Floyds memorial day death, directly addressing their concerns and promising them she would work towards changing how police officers engage with the local community. I hear you. I've heard from so many people who can't sleep. They're terrified, they're crying, they're worried for their children, she said late last month during one exchange with citizens voicing concern about police brutality. She added the officers involved in Floyds death Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J Alexander Kueng - should be charged and appeared at Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms' side as the mayor made an impassioned plea for protesters to go home when riots started over Floyd's killing. Shields also fired two officers who were caught on video on May 30 using stun guns on two African American college students whose car was stuck in traffic caused by the protest. Messiah Young, 22, and 20-year-old Taniyah Pilgrim, were also dragged from their vehicle. Throughout the confrontation the pair can be heard screaming and demanding to know what they did wrong. When prosecutors later charged six of the officers involved, however, Shields openly questioned the charges. Just two weeks ago, Shields was lauded by journalists and commentators for how she engaged with protesters in Atlanta who were demonstrating against the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody in late May Shields was praised by MSNBCs Joy Reid, who remarked what a good police officer, a good human being and a good leader sounds like. Following Shields resignation, Interim Corrections Chief Rodney Bryant will serve as interim police chief until a permanent replacement is found. For more than two decades, I have served alongside some of the finest men and women in the Atlanta Police Department, Shields said in a statement. Out of a deep and abiding love for this City and this department, I offered to step aside as police chief. APD has my full support, and Mayor Bottoms has my support on the future direction of this department. I have faith in the Mayor, and it is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.Shields, who became chief under former Mayor Kasim Reed in December 2016, will not leave the APD entirely but her role has yet to be determined. Time to walk the talk, wait and watch rather than engage in verbal duel with Nepal India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, June 14: The Parliament of Nepal passed the constitutional amendment bill to update its so called map of Nepal. While India has termed this development as untenable, the fact remains that the this development in Nepal remains a mere formality. India has said that this exercise would seal dialogue with Nepal. While Nepal has been accusing India of not offering dialogue, a top official in New Delhi tells OneIndia that an offer for foreign secretary level talks and a video conference between the foreign secretaries was made. This was in fact made even before the amendment bill was tabled in Nepal. However, Prime Minister of Nepal K P Oli seemed disinterested in the offer. The reasoning behind this can be best answered by him, but sources say that he could be either dancing to China's tune or indulging in posturing to suit his own political cause. India says that despite the offer, Oli went ahead with the amendment bill. It is now entirely up to him whether he wants to reciprocate or not, the officer cited above also said. On the contrary, India would not issue any harsh statements. It is more pertinent that we settle the issue rather than engage in a verbal duel with Nepal, officials say. India has reminded Nepal about the friendly relations it shared and has repeatedly stated that on the map, it has made its position clear. India is also closely watching the timing of the developments in Nepal. It comes close on the heels of the standoff with China. We suspect that there could be a Chinese role in this aggression with India, the official cited above said. The approach by India has been more of a calm one. India has subtly reminded Nepal of the humanitarian and development assistance it had provided, including medicines to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. "Our multi-faceted bilateral partnership has expanded and diversified in recent years with increased focus and enhanced humanitarian and development assistance by the Government of India and connectivity projects in Nepal," Anurag Srivastava, MEA spokesperson said. Nepal had alleged that India had encroached upon its territory by deploying soldiers, building a temple and creating an artificial river. Nepal's Prime Minister, K P Oli said that India had built a Kali Temple, created an artificial Kali river and deployed Indian Army personnel in order encroach upon the Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura. He said that these earlier belonged to his country. Oli also criticised, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath for advising Nepal for not committing the mistake of ratcheting up a territorial dispute with India. He said that these remarks were not acceptable to the people of Nepal. Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura were based on historical records and India should return the areas it had encroached upon. While India is watching the developments closely, the government had said that the revised official map was a unilateral act and not based on facts. Anurag Srivastava, spokesperson Ministry of External Affairs had said that what Nepal did was contrary to the bilateral understanding to resolve outstanding boundary issues through diplomatic dialogue. Such artificial enlargement of territorial claims will not be accepted by India, he had also said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, June 14, 2020, 11:36 [IST] Rave five-star reviews that influence the online shopping habits of millions of consumers are scams in half of all cases, warn industry experts. The rip-off ruse involves fraudsters posting fake 'top buy' reviews on the internet to trick people into buying often sub-standard goods and services sometimes even potentially dangerous counterfeits. While major online retailers such as Amazon and eBay are keen to stamp out these fraudsters, it is proving difficult. Firms often write the reviews themselves or bribe others with cash payments for every positive review they post. Glowing reports: A host of firms charge to write up reviews, in some cases about 50 for ten, which will then appear on Google, Facebook or TripAdvisor Pressure to attract customers has led to an increased number of online sellers resorting to these underhand tactics as nine out of ten people admit that a review can influence their buying habits. THE MARKET FOR RAVE REVIEWS Andrew Levi is founder of Capo Commerce, a Texas-based firm, that helps companies boost online 'e-commerce' presence through genuine reviews. He says: 'Positive reviews to a seller are like gold dust and great ones can boost company trade by at least 25 per cent. Buyers place a heavy weight on what is posted by other customers.' Levi adds: 'Companies know that if they can manipulate these comments it will be good for business. As many as 50 per cent of all reviews are now fraudulent. 'It is so bad you now need to treat companies boasting 100 per cent five-star reviews more cautiously than those which are less highly rated. 'If nothing bad is written about a firm it should be treated with suspicion. 'Just ask yourself why do people bother reviewing in the first place? Usually when they have something to complain about.' Phoney reviews are often put up by the business wanting more customers and are posted not just by the boss, but employees, family and friends. There are also market places where companies can buy fake reviews from as little as 1. Social media websites, such as Facebook and Fiverr, provide forums where individuals can provide positive reviews. Websites such as BuyUSAservice and Social Media Badge Verification also advertise 'five star review services' charging in some cases about 50 for ten glowing reports. Also, so-called 'influencers' that pose as journalists will often post positive messages on social media or write gushing blogs in exchange for freebies, discounts and cash. The Competition and Markets Authority has estimated that reviews have a huge influence on an online shopping market worth 23billion a year. FIVE STARS ARE NOT ALWAYS A GOOD SIGN Francesca Dowling is head of compliance for online banking service Amaiz. Her expertise is in uncovering fraud and exposing fake reviews. She says: 'People might believe fake reviewing is a victimless crime but it isn't. This is fraudulent manipulation of facts that does consumer harm.' Dowling adds: 'Five-star ratings should be seen as a red flag. As a consumer I would only focus on the bad reviews, but these are not always genuine either. 'You get nasty people threatening firms with an online slating if they do not get a freebie or discount. Some firms even anonymously post their own negative comments to provide a balance to stop readers becoming too suspicious of just reading glowing reports.' Dowling believes it is the bad reviews where a supplier has then responded with its own comments that are most worthy of consideration. She says: 'It is a positive sign when a company responds to criticism and this is worth far more than fraudulent five stars.' Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to stop fraudsters infiltrating reputable review websites on platforms such as Amazon, eBay, TripAdvisor, Trustpilot and Google. But if they are found out, they are 'blacklisted'. Levi says: 'Once blacklisted it is hard for a firm caught using fake reviews to get its products listed again. I know of outfits charging $5,000 (about 4,000) a time to try to get firms and their products relisted. They do a roaring trade taking on up to 200 clients a month.' Under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, it is an offence to 'engage in a commercial practice which is a misleading action' that leads to a consumer buying something they may otherwise not have purchased. Yet Martyn James, of complaints website Resolver, believes more should be done and a regulator is needed to crack down on the growing scourge of fake reviews. He says: 'Now, it is businesses and online websites that police reviews the industry is crying out for a regulator to take control and help tackle these criminals.' TELL-TALE SIGNS OF A DODGY REVIEW Alarm bells should ring when something on offer only gets five-star reviews or is backed by 100 per cent customer satisfaction ratings. A host of firms charge to write up reviews, in some cases about 50 for ten, which will then appear on Google, Facebook or TripAdvisor The first consideration is looking at the time frame and location of the reviewers' comments. A list of reviews showing several made in a short period of time or from a similar location indicates that fraud may be at work. The overuse of generic terms such as 'great' is another possible giveaway. If you have the same phrases repeated in lots of reviews, treat them with suspicion. No punctuation or the use of just capital letters in a review are also indications of possible fraud as can be posts that read just like an advert. Dowling says: 'Look out for bad spelling. If it looks like a cat has run across the keyboard, a third-party review provider may have been used.' Developing countries such as India, and nations in the Eastern Bloc, including Russia, are often where third-party reviewers are based. As English is not the first language in these countries, it can come across in the spelling used. The goods behind the fake review can be as flaky as the comments. Suspect electronic items, such as copycat phone chargers, are among the most common. These can overheat and can cause fires. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 14:36:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields stepped down on Saturday after an officer fatally shot Rayshard Brooks, an African American, on Friday night in the U.S. city in Georgia State. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced Shields' decision in a press conference, while calling for the "immediate termination" of the officer who shot Brooks. "Chief Shields has offered to immediately step aside as police chief so that the city may move forward with urgency in rebuilding the trust so desperately needed throughout our communities," Bottoms said. Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old African American man, was shot dead after local police were dispatched to respond to complaints that he was asleep in the drive-thru of a fast-food restaurant. Police said they tried to take Brooks into custody after he failed a sobriety test, which led to a struggle between Brooks and the other officers. Police claimed that Brooks, while allegedly resisting, grabbed an officer's Taser and ran off with it. Footage capturing the scene from the restaurant's parking lot showed that Brooks turned around and appeared to point the stun gun at the police officers before being shot. An ambulance transferred Brooks to a local hospital, where he died after undergoing surgery later. Bottoms, the mayor, told reporters at the press conference that she did not "believe that this was a justified use of deadly force." A group of protesters marched onto a highway in Atlanta late Saturday night over the deadly police shooting. According to live images on local media outlets, the protesters held a line on the Interstate 85 and Interstate 75 connector, blocking multiple vehicles, including police cars. The incident came shortly after the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American, in police custody, which has sparked massive protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and across the rest of the nation. Enditem Baptist group representing 1,000 churches sues Ill. over law forcing them to cover abortions Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Baptist church organization of about 1,000 member congregations and two businesses have filed a lawsuit against Illinois over a state law that requires insurance providers to cover abortion procedures. The Illinois Baptist State Association, Southland Smiles, Ltd, and Rock River Cartage, Inc. filed a lawsuit Wednesday in the Circuit Court of the Seventh Judicial Circuit, Sangamon County. At issue is Sec. 356z.4a, which reads, in part, "no individual or group policy of accident and health insurance that provides pregnancy-related benefits may be issued, amended, delivered, or renewed in this State unless the policy provides a covered person with coverage for abortion care." "As a matter of sincerely held religious beliefs, Plaintiffs believe abortion involves the destruction of human life and is gravely wrong and sinful," the lawsuit states. "Plaintiffs believe that they cannot facilitate access to, subsidize, or otherwise materially cooperate with the provision of abortion without violating their conscience and most sacred and solemn obligations to God, betraying their professed religious faith, and disserving the best interests of their fellow human beings." The complaint argues, among other things, that the coverage mandate violated Illinois' Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which states that the government cannot burden an individual's religious liberty, save for a compelling state interest, and in the least restrictive means possible. "The State has no compelling governmental interest to require Plaintiffs to comply with the Reproductive Health Act," the lawsuit adds. "The Reproductive Health Act is not narrowly tailored to achieve any compelling governmental interest in a way that is least restrictive to Plaintiffs' rights." The Baptist association and the businesses are being represented by the Chicago-based law firm, the Thomas More Society, which often takes on religious liberty cases. Society Vice President and Senior Counsel Peter Breen said in a statement that he believed state officials had "sat silent in response to the conscientious objections of people of faith to paying for elective abortions." "Radical partisans have forced employers of faith in Illinois into a terrible choice: either pay for the intentional termination of unborn children, or leave your employees' families and your own without health insurance," Breen said. "The United States Supreme Court has repeatedly condemned this sort of government coercion against people of faith, including in the 2014 Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. decision." Ameri Klafeta, director of the Women's and Reproductive Rights Project at the Illinois chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, denounced the Thomas More Society's lawsuit. "It is beyond cruel to try and reduce access to basic health care in the midst of a pandemic," Klafeta said, referring to abortion, according to The State Journal-Register. "Having lost an argument over the availability of abortion care in the hearts and minds of the American people and the legislature, TMS has run to court in an attempt to impose their religious views on all people in Illinois, including abortion care," she asserted. The San Luis Obispo County Sherrif's office announced authorities fatally shot a 26-year-old man who opened fire on multiple law enforcement officers and killed a homeless man on Wednesday. Mason James Lira, the suspect, began shooting outside the Paso Robles Police Department around 3:45 AM on Wednesday. Nicholas Dreyfus, a California deputy who responded to a call for shots fired, was hit in the head. He was airlifted to the hospital and is in serious but stable condition, CNN reported. The suspect shot a 58-year-old homeless man in close range at the back of the head near an Amtrak station before he evaded capture, ensuing in a two-day chase. According to Sheriff Ian Parkinson, the suspect used military-type tactics and moved with precision. "We feel that this was an ambush that he planned," Parkinson said. "He intended for officers to come out of the police department and to assault them." Also read: U.S. Teenager Killed By Officer with a Shotgun In Latest Display of Mexican Police Brutality Last week, a California man ambushed and killed a Santa Cruz County deputy, critically injured another official, and threw pipe bombs at law enforcement officers, NBC News said. Sergeant Damon Gutzwiller, the victim, and another deputy responded to a call that claimed there were guns and bomb-making materials inside a white van parked near Jamison Creek. When they tracked it to a home in Ben Lemond, Carillo came out, opened fire, and threw improvised explosive devices at the officers. The attack killed Gutzwiller and injured another deputy who was struck by shrapnel. The suspect, who was identified as Steven Carillo, allegedly scrawled the phrases "boog" and "I became unreasonable" on the hood of a vehicle before he was found and arrested by other officers. The word "boog" is associated to a far-right extremist movement that aims to start a second American civil war. The phrase "I became unreasonable" is a reference to a quote written by infamous anti-government extremist Marvin Heemeyer. The fanatic was known for bulldozing 13 buildings in Colorado over zoning disputes on June 4, 2004. Heemeyer killed himself after his rampage, earning himself the nickname Killdozer among online extremist groups. Steven Carillo was an Air Force staff who completed an elite security training, including explosive ordnance awareness. He was also confirmed to be a team leader of the "Phoenix Raven." He was stationed at Travis since 2018 as a member of the 60th Security Forces Squadron, CBS Local reports. The FBI is now investigating whether Carillo has a connection to the slaying of a Federal Security officer named Dave Patrick Underwood who was killed in Oakland on May 29. In an article published by the USA Today, the federal law enforcement officer was shot dead while providing security at a courthouse in Oakland during a protest. Another officer was injured in a drive-by shooting that occurred outside a federal building. Investigators found Carillo owned a white van that resembled what was seen in Underwood's shooting. Carillo's Facebook most featured support for a libertarian presidential candidate and pro-gun movements. His profile has since been removed from the social media platform. Carillo would be charged with first-degree murder. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 20:23:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HANOI, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam reported no new cases of COVID-19 infection on Sunday, with its total confirmed cases remaining at 334 with zero deaths so far, according to its Ministry of Health. A total of 323 patients in the country have recovered from the disease, according to the ministry. Vietnam has recorded no local transmission for 59 straight days while there are nearly 10,300 people being quarantined and monitored in the country, said the health ministry. Enditem This is the time of the year where every day I get a handful of requests to track down the original, authentic versions of some famed Muslim poet, usually Hafez or Rumi. The requests start off the same way: I am getting married next month, and my fiance and I wanted to celebrate our Muslim background, and we have always loved this poem by Hafez. Could you send us the original? Or, My daughter is graduating this month, and I know she loves this quote from Hafez. Can you send me the original so I can recite it to her at the ceremony we are holding for her? It is heartbreaking to have to write back time after time and say the words that bring disappointment: The poems that they have come to love so much and that are ubiquitous on the internet are forgeries. Fake. Made up. No relationship to the original poetry of the beloved and popular Hafez of Shiraz. How did this come to be? How can it be that about 99.9 percent of the quotes and poems attributed to one the most popular and influential of all the Persian poets and Muslim sages ever, one who is seen as a member of the pantheon of universal spirituality on the internet are fake? It turns out that it is a fascinating story of Western exotification and appropriation of Muslim spirituality. Let us take a look at some of these quotes attributed to Hafez: Even after all this time, the sun never says to the earth, you owe me. Look what happens with a love like that! It lights up the whole sky. You like that one from Hafez? Too bad. Fake Hafez. Your heart and my heart Are very very old friends. Like that one from Hafez too? Also Fake Hafez. Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I would like to see you living in better conditions. Beautiful. Again, not Hafez. And the next one you were going to ask about? Also fake. So where do all these fake Hafez quotes come from? An American poet, named Daniel Ladinsky, has been publishing books under the name of the famed Persian poet Hafez for more than 20 years. These books have become bestsellers. You are likely to find them on the shelves of your local bookstore under the Sufism section, alongside books of Rumi, Khalil Gibran, Idries Shah, etc. It hurts me to say this, because I know so many people love these Hafez translations. They are beautiful poetry in English, and do contain some profound wisdom. Yet if you love a tradition, you have to speak the truth: Ladinskys translations have no earthly connection to what the historical Hafez of Shiraz, the 14th-century Persian sage, ever said. He is making it up. Ladinsky himself admitted that they are not translations, or accurate, and in fact denied having any knowledge of Persian in his 1996 best-selling book, I Heard God Laughing. Ladinsky has another bestseller, The Subject Tonight Is Love. Persians take poetry seriously. For many, it is their singular contribution to world civilisation: What the Greeks are to philosophy, Persians are to poetry. And in the great pantheon of Persian poetry where Hafez, Rumi, Saadi, Attar, Nezami, and Ferdowsi might be the immortals, there is perhaps none whose mastery of the Persian language is as refined as that of Hafez. In the introduction to a recent book on Hafez, I said that Rumi (whose poetic output is in the tens of thousands) comes at you like you an ocean, pulling you in until you surrender to his mystical wave and are washed back to the ocean. Hafez, on the other hand, is like a luminous diamond, with each facet being a perfect cut. You cannot add or take away a word from his sonnets. So, pray tell, how is someone who admits that they do not know the language going to be translating the language? Ladinsky is not translating from the Persian original of Hafez. And unlike some versioners (Coleman Barks is by far the most gifted here) who translate Rumi by taking the Victorian literal translations and rendering them into American free verse, Ladinskys relationship with the text of Hafezs poetry is nonexistent. Ladinsky claims that Hafez appeared to him in a dream and handed him the English translations he is publishing: About six months into this work I had an astounding dream in which I saw Hafiz as an Infinite Fountaining Sun (I saw him as God), who sang hundreds of lines of his poetry to me in English, asking me to give that message to my artists and seekers. It is not my place to argue with people and their dreams, but I am fairly certain that this is not how translation works. A great scholar of Persian and Urdu literature, Christopher Shackle, describes Ladinskys output as not so much a paraphrase as a parody of the wondrously wrought style of the greatest master of Persian art-poetry. Another critic, Murat Nemet-Nejat, described Ladinskys poems as what they are: original poems of Ladinsky masquerading as a translation. I want to give credit where credit is due: I do like Ladinskys poetry. And they do contain mystical insights. Some of the statements that Ladinsky attributes to Hafez are, in fact, mystical truths that we hear from many different mystics. And he is indeed a gifted poet. See this line, for example: I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness the astonishing light of your own being. That is good stuff. Powerful. And many mystics, including the 20th-century Sufi master Pir Vilayat, would cast his powerful glance at his students, stating that he would long for them to be able to see themselves and their own worth as he sees them. So yes, Ladinskys poetry is mystical. And it is great poetry. So good that it is listed on Good Reads as the wisdom of Hafez of Shiraz. The problem is, Hafez of Shiraz said nothing like that. Daniel Ladinsky of St Louis did. The poems are indeed beautiful. They are just not Hafez. They are Hafez-ish? Hafez-esque? So many of us wish that Ladinsky had just published his work under his own name, rather than appropriating Hafezs. Ladinskys translations have been passed on by Oprah, the BBC, and others. Government officials have used them on occasions where they have wanted to include Persian speakers and Iranians. It is now part of the spiritual wisdom of the East shared in Western circles. Which is great for Ladinsky, but we are missing the chance to hear from the actual, real Hafez. And that is a shame. So, who was the real Hafez (1315-1390)? He was a Muslim, Persian-speaking sage whose collection of love poetry rivals only Mawlana Rumi in terms of its popularity and influence. Hafezs given name was Muhammad, and he was called Shams al-Din (The Sun of Religion). Hafez was his honorific because he had memorised the whole of the Quran. His poetry collection, the Divan, was referred to as Lesan al-Ghayb (the Tongue of the Unseen Realms). A great scholar of Islam, the late Shahab Ahmed, referred to Hafezs Divan as: the most widely-copied, widely-circulated, widely-read, widely-memorized, widely-recited, widely-invoked, and widely-proverbialized book of poetry in Islamic history. Even accounting for a slight debate, that gives some indication of his immense following. Hafezs poetry is considered the very epitome of Persian in the Ghazal tradition. Hafezs worldview is inseparable from the world of Medieval Islam, the genre of Persian love poetry, and more. And yet he is deliciously impossible to pin down. He is a mystic, though he pokes fun at ostentatious mystics. His own name is he who has committed the Quran to heart, yet he loathes religious hypocrisy. He shows his own piety while his poetry is filled with references to intoxication and wine that may be literal or may be symbolic. The most sublime part of Hafezs poetry is its ambiguity. It is like a Rorschach psychological test in poetry. The mystics see it as a sign of their own yearning, and so do the wine-drinkers, and the anti-religious types. It is perhaps a futile exercise to impose one definitive meaning on Hafez. It would rob him of what makes him Hafez. The tomb of Hafez in Shiraz, a magnificent city in Iran, is a popular pilgrimage site and the honeymoon destination of choice for many Iranian newlyweds. His poetry, alongside that of Rumi and Saadi, are main staples of vocalists in Iran to this day, including beautiful covers by leading maestros like Shahram Nazeri and Mohammadreza Shajarian. Like many other Persian poets and mystics, the influence of Hafez extended far beyond contemporary Iran and can be felt wherever Persianate culture was a presence, including India and Pakistan, Central Asia, Afghanistan, and the Ottoman realms. Persian was the literary language par excellence from Bengal to Bosnia for almost a millennium, a reality that sadly has been buried under more recent nationalistic and linguistic barrages. Part of what is going on here is what we also see, to a lesser extent, with Rumi: the voice and genius of the Persian speaking, Muslim, mystical, sensual sage of Shiraz are usurped and erased, and taken over by a white American with no connection to Hafezs Islam or Persian tradition. This is erasure and spiritual colonialism. Which is a shame, because Hafezs poetry deserves to be read worldwide alongside Shakespeare and Toni Morrison, Tagore and Whitman, Pablo Neruda and the real Rumi, Tao Te Ching and the Gita, Mahmoud Darwish, and the like. In a 2013 interview, Ladinsky said of his poems published under the name of Hafez: Is it Hafez or Danny? I dont know. Does it really matter? I think it matters a great deal. There are larger issues of language, community, and power involved here. It is not simply a matter of a translation dispute, nor of alternate models of translations. This is a matter of power, privilege and erasure. There is limited shelf space in any bookstore. Will we see the real Rumi, the real Hafez, or something appropriating their name? How did publishers publish books under the name of Hafez without having someone, anyone, with a modicum of familiarity check these purported translations against the original to see if there is a relationship? Was there anyone in the room when these decisions were made who was connected in a meaningful way to the communities who have lived through Hafez for centuries? Hafezs poetry has not been sitting idly on a shelf gathering dust. It has been, and continues to be, the lifeline of the poetic and religious imagination of tens of millions of human beings. Hafez has something to say, and to sing, to the whole world, but bypassing these tens of millions who have kept Hafez in their heart as Hafez kept the Quran in his heart is tantamount to erasure and appropriation. We live in an age where the president of the United States ran on an Islamophobic campaign of Islam hates us and establishing a cruel Muslim ban immediately upon taking office. As Edward Said and other theorists have reminded us, the world of culture is inseparable from the world of politics. So there is something sinister about keeping Muslims out of our borders while stealing their crown jewels and appropriating them not by translating them but simply as decor for poetry that bears no relationship to the original. Without equating the two, the dynamic here is reminiscent of white Americas endless fascination with Black culture and music while continuing to perpetuate systems and institutions that leave Black folk unable to breathe. There is one last element: It is indeed an act of violence to take the Islam out of Rumi and Hafez, as Ladinsky has done. It is another thing to take Rumi and Hafez out of Islam. That is a separate matter, and a mandate for Muslims to reimagine a faith that is steeped in the world of poetry, nuance, mercy, love, spirit, and beauty. Far from merely being content to criticise those who appropriate Muslim sages and erase Muslims own presence in their legacy, it is also up to us to reimagine Islam where figures like Rumi and Hafez are central voices. This has been part of what many of feel called to, and are pursuing through initiatives like Illuminated Courses. Oh, and one last thing: It is Haaaaafez, not Hafeeeeez. Please. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Over the past two weeks, thousands of Americans have stood shoulder to shoulder, marching down avenues into crowded public squares, demanding their elected officials do more to protect the lives of black men and women. For those protesting after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, the need to overhaul police departments across the nation outweighs the calls for social distancing to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. Yet the public health crisis remains. As of Thursday, there have been 2 million reported coronavirus cases in the United States and 112,000 people have died. Across the board, communities of color account for a disproportionate number of those affected. With people crowding together at demonstrations against police brutality, experts are concerned there could be a subsequent spike in cases. When it comes to attending a protest, "the risk is clearly nonzero," said Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist at Harvard's Chan School of Public Health. Members of the D.C. National Guard have tested positive for the coronavirus since responding to demonstrations around the city. After the first protests outside the White House, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser urged protesters to self-isolate and get tested if they found themselves in high-risk situations at a demonstration. Bill Miller, an epidemiologist and a physician at Ohio State University, said that people can calculate their risk for exposure by considering four factors: the time spent around other people, the distance you can place between you and others, knowing the people around you and how well they've been following social distancing guidelines, and whether you're gathered outside or inside. Put simply, Miller formed a rhyme: Time, space, people and place. Virtually all the protests have been outside, and research shows it's harder - but not impossible - to catch the virus outdoors, where there's better air circulation and a chance for droplets of the virus to be carried off into the surrounding atmosphere. Still, this is a respiratory virus that spreads when we exhale, cough, sneeze, talk and even sing. There's a case of a choir practice in Washington state where many of those in attendance ended up contracting the virus. And, if singing can spread the virus, experts are concerned shouting and chanting at a protest will have the same effect. "Shouting is clearly very risky," Feigl-Ding said. "Masks help, but, again, it helps when everyone does it, and a lot of protesters don't." Any risks are compounded when police fire pepper spray or tear gas to disperse crowds, causing demonstrators to start coughing. "Protesting has always been violent and risky, even outside of a pandemic," said Jade Pagkas-Bather, an infectious-disease expert and a clinician at the University of Chicago. "When you toss in a pandemic, that obviously makes things more complex." Before you go to a protest or rally, think about how your potential exposure may affect those you live with - especially if you live with older relatives or someone with a compromised immune system, Pagkas-Bather said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintains that older adults and those with serious underlying medical conditions "might be at higher risk for severe illness" from the coronavirus and its disease, covid-19. If you do go to a protest, be sure to wear a mask and have hand sanitizer on you, "because you're going to absolutely need to be prudent about hand-washing," Pagkas-Bather said. She also noted many protesters understand the risks they are undertaking when they demonstrate in crowds. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. "They're saying that racism is the underlying bedrock ... and it's more detrimental than a virus," Pagkas-Bather said. "That's a really powerful stance to take." "These videos that we see are little glimpses into some of the violence that has been perpetuated against people of color, black and brown and indigenous folks, for centuries in this country," Pagkas-Bather said in a phone interview. "It's starting to really resonate with people who might have not considered its effects in such monumental ways." There may be a spike in coronavirus cases in the coming weeks, but that's not to say the protests would be the sole cause. The demonstrations are "one tree in a very big forest," Harvard epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch wrote in an email. States are beginning to reopen their economies. Whether people follow social distance guidelines and wear masks in public during their everyday lives will ultimately "matter much more" for any spike in the number of cases, Lipsitch wrote. City health officials in Boston, Dallas, Denver and elsewhere are offering free coronavirus testing for those who participated in protests. It is possible to get a test too early; in the first 24 to 48 hours, a test won't be able to identify whether you have the virus. If you plan on getting a test, Miller and other experts recommend going the fourth day after you've attended a demonstration or soon thereafter. "You don't want to wait too long, because if you're positive and asymptomatic, you could still potentially be spreading it to other people," Miller said. "You want to find it as early as you can." More than a tenth of the population in Burkina Faso, a drought-stricken West African country plagued by jihadist violence, is at risk of hunger, according to government figures issued on Thursday. A report by the country's council of ministers found that 2,151,970 people will suffer from "severe food insecurity" across the nation this month and next -- roughly half a million more than last year. In addition, "137,175 people in the Sahel, Centre-Nord, Est and Boucle du Mouhoun regions could encounter a food emergency," the report said, singling out arid areas that have also been badly hit by jihadist attacks. The ministers announced a plan for 25 billion CFA francs ($42 million) to help vulnerable populations. They also called for "urgent responses" to support the agricultural and livestock industries, for malnourished children under five to receive assistance and for the supply of drinking water to be bolstered. Chronic malnutrition in Burkina Faso decreased from 35.1 percent in 2009 to 25.4 percent in 2019, while acute malnutrition fell from 11.3 percent to 8.1 percent over the same period, according to a national nutrition survey. But that remains well above the World Health Organization's critical thresholds, the government said. Since 2015, Burkina Faso has battled a jihadist insurgency which has killed nearly 1,000 people and caused around 860,000 to flee their homes. Inter-community and ethnic violence has led to more bloodshed and, along with the increasing jihadist attacks, have stretched already slim resources in the country's Sahel north. The population of the landlocked country was 18.6 million in 2016, according to UN figures, while the World Bank gives an estimate of 19.75 million in 2018. She's been traveling through Wyoming with her children Mason, 10, Penelope, seven, and Reign, five. And Kourtney Kardashian appeared to be having a happy Sunday morning, posing with a baby lamb for her social media followers. The 41-year-old took to Instagram to flash a smile in her laid back country style ensemble. Good morning! Kourtney Kardashian appeared to be having a happy Sunday morning when she took to social media to share a photo of herself cuddling up to a baby lamb while in Wyoming 'mornin,' she captioned the high spirited photo. Kourtney rocked an oversized plaid shirt and a loose fitting pair of jeans for the outdoor photo. Her dark tresses were styled back and she appeared to be wearing a minimal amount of makeup. Country girl: Kourtney rocked an oversized plaid shirt and a loose fitting pair of jeans for the outdoor photo Bathroom chic: Kourtney Kardashian shared a series of photos to Instagram on Saturday taken in a bathroom by her youngest Reign Kourtney's appearance comes after she reminded her followers to wash their hands last week while in Wyoming. The 41-year-old clearly looked to be in relaxed vacation mode in the photo. She threw up a peace sign with her fingers while puckering her lips into a kissing face. For a simple look, Kourtney wore black pants, a plain white tee with a black backpack strapped on. Her brunette locks were tucked under a blue headscarf and she covered her eyes with black rectangular sunglasses. Don't forget: 'Reminder from Reign to please wash your hands,' the Poosh founder wrote in the caption. The reminder comes as the coronavirus pandemic continues to see rising cases and deaths in the U.S In awe: Kourtney took a snap of her youngest child looking at the rugged mountains on Saturday In a three photo slideshow, a sign hanging on the wall in the bathroom read 'please wash your hands.' 'Reminder from Reign to please wash your hands,' the Poosh founder wrote in the caption. The reminder comes as the coronavirus pandemic continues to see rising cases and deaths in the U.S. Earlier in the week she shared photos of beautiful sights in Wyoming. Kourtney's sister Kim and her husband Kanye own a $14 million 6,713-acre ranch in Wyoming and regularly visit the beautiful state when they want to escape Los Angeles. The former couple spent time in Utah with their brood to celebrate Scotts 37th birthday last month and sources say the pair had 'so much fun'. A Us Weekly insider explained: 'Kourtney and Scott had so much fun with the kids in Utah, and the kids want them to do family trips all together more often.' Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 13:17:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, June 13 (Xinhua) -- A group of protesters marched onto a highway in Atlanta, Georgia, late Saturday night over a deadly police shooting of an African American man in the city on Friday. According to live images on local media outlets, the protesters held a line on the Interstate 85 and Interstate 75 connector, blocking multiple vehicles, including police cars. Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old African American man, was shot dead after local police were dispatched to respond to complaints that he was asleep in the drive-thru of a fast-food restaurant. Police said they tried to take Brooks into custody after he failed a sobriety test, which led to a struggle between Brooks and the other officers. Police claimed that Brooks, while allegedly resisting, grabbed an officer's Taser and ran off with it. The incident came shortly after the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American, in police custody, which has sparked massive protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and across the rest of the nation. Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields stepped down later on Saturday. The city's Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced Shields' decision in a press conference, while calling for the "immediate termination" of the officer who shot Brooks. "Chief Shields has offered to immediately step aside as police chief so that the city may move forward with urgency in rebuilding the trust so desperately needed throughout our communities," Bottoms said. Enditem A young female bar-goer has relived the traumatic moment she was viciously glassed during her birthday night out just days after social distancing restrictions on bars and pubs were lifted. Brooke Jeffers, 22, was rushed to hospital on Saturday night after a woman she didn't know threw a glass at her face at the Brass Monkey Hotel about 11pm in Northbridge in Perth's inner-city. Ms Jeffers suffered cuts to her face and nose during the attack - some of which had to be sealed together with glue by doctors. Brooke Jeffers, 22, (left) was the victim of a vicious glassing while on her birthday night out with friends on Saturday Some of the cuts Ms Jeffers suffered during her post-lockdown celebrations had to be sealed together with glue by doctors She said she came dangerously close to receiving much more serious injuries. 'It could have been a lot worse and a lot more serious. The glass could have got in my eyes so I am grateful for that,' she told 7News. Ms Jeffers said the other woman had earlier thrown water at her as a minor dispute at the pub escalated. 'We were only in Brass Monkey for about 10 minutes before it happened - it kind of came out of nowhere and ruined the night,' the young woman said. 'I was full of so much adrenaline I actually didnt feel anything. There was a lot going on and so much blood.' Police are now investigating the incident, with it hoped personal details supplied to the hotel for contact tracing purposes may help track down Ms Jeffers' attacker - who left the scene after the glassing. Ms Jeffers said the out-of-the-blue attack 'ruined the night' and 'came out of nowhere' Pubs in Western Australia were allowed to open their doors again for the first time since COVID-19 restrictions began a week earlier on June 6. Playgrounds, cafes and the famous Rottnest Island tourist attraction also re-opened under phase three of the state government's coronavirus timeline. The state's government has yet to announce though whether it intends to follow federal guidelines to re-open borders in July. Union home minister Amit Shah will meet Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday over the Covid-19 situation Delhi. The meeting will take place at 11 am, a statement from the Home Ministers office said. Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and officials of State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) are going to be present in the meeting. Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Dr Randeep Guleria, and other senior officers will also attend. On Saturday, Delhi added 2,134 new coronavirus disease cases, the second highest number of cases it has added in a 24-hour period (the highest was on Friday, 2,137). The situation in Delhi came up during a review meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi held on Saturday. Shah and Union health minister Harsh Vardhan was present in the meeting. Also read: Delhi govt orders nursing homes to treat Covid-19 patients PM Modi will meet chief ministers of different states on June 16 and 17 to discuss the Covid-19 situation in their respective states. The meeting with Kejriwal will take place on June 17 along with chief ministers of those states that are seeing a sharp rise in the number of cases. With the fresh spike in cases, Delhis tally crossed the 36,000-mark, and the death toll due to the disease climbed to 1,214, authorities said. It was the second consecutive day when the number of reported cases breached the 2,000-mark. On Friday, Delhi had witnessed 2,137 cases,the highest single-day spike in the national capital. Also read: Almost 1 in 3 tested people Covid-19 positive in Delhi this week As many as 57 fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours (between Friday and Saturday). So far as many as 14,945 patients have recovered, been discharged or migrated to another country, while there are 22,742 active cases, a health bulletin from Delhi health department said on Saturday. A study by a team of researchers led by a Texas A&M University professor has found that not wearing a face mask dramatically increases a person's chances of being infected by the COVID-19 virus. Renyi Zhang, Texas A&M Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and the Harold J. Haynes Chair in the College of Geosciences, and colleagues from the University of Texas, the University of California-San Diego and the California Institute of Technology have had their work published in the current issue of PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences). The team examined the chances of COVID-19 infection and how the virus is easily passed from person to person. From trends and mitigation procedures in China, Italy and New York City, the researchers found that using a face mask reduced the number of infections by more than 78,000 in Italy from April 6-May 9 and by over 66,000 in New York City from April 17-May 9. Our results clearly show that airborne transmission via respiratory aerosols represents the dominant route for the spread of COVID-19. By analyzing the pandemic trends without face-covering using the statistical method and by projecting the trend, we calculated that over 66,000 infections were prevented by using a face mask in little over a month in New York City. We conclude that wearing a face mask in public corresponds to the most effective means to prevent inter-human transmission. This inexpensive practice, in conjunction with social distancing and other procedures, is the most likely opportunity to stop the COVID-19 pandemic. Our work also highlights that sound science is essential in decision-making for the current and future public health pandemics." Renyi Zhang, Texas A&M Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and the Harold J. Haynes Chair in the College of Geosciences One of the paper's co-authors, Mario Molina, is a professor at the University of California-San Diego and a co-recipient of the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his role in understanding the threat to the Earth's ozone layer of man-made halocarbon gases. "Our study establishes very clearly that using a face mask is not only useful to prevent infected coughing droplets from reaching uninfected persons, but is also crucial for these uninfected persons to avoid breathing the minute atmospheric particles (aerosols) that infected people emit when talking and that can remain in the atmosphere tens of minutes and can travel tens of feet," Molina said. Zhang said that many people in China have worn face masks for years, mainly because of the bad air quality of the country. "So people there are sort of used to this," he said. "Mandated face-covering helped China in containing the COVID-19 outbreak." Zhang said the results should send a clear message to people worldwide - wearing a face mask is essential in fighting the virus. "Our work suggests that the failure in containing the propagation of COVID-19 pandemic worldwide is largely attributed to the unrecognized importance of airborne virus transmission," he said. "Social-distancing and washing our hands must continue, but that's not sufficient enough protection. Wearing a face mask as well as practicing good hand hygiene and social distancing will greatly reduce the chances of anyone contracting the COVID-19 virus." The study was funded by the Robert A. Welch Foundation. Penn Twp. has become the third municipality to be victimized recently by hackers. In late May someone in Belgium got access to a township credit account to steal more than $200, township treasurer Tina Kelly said on May 27. The latest hack, combined with Duncannons becoming the victim of a ransomware attack in April, convinced the supervisors the township needs enhanced cyber security. Kelly said she found about $212 of fraudulent charges on the Visa account drawn from Orrstown Bank just before Memorial Day. The charges to purchase travelers checks were made in Brussels, Belgium. Kelly spent much of May 25 on the phone with the bank to iron out the fraudulent charges. The bank flagged the charges as possible fraud, keeping them from going through. The bank advised it appears hackers were using computer programs to try random credit numbers until one hit, she said. The bank removed the charges from the township account and authorities were notified of the breach. The account should be made whole in the next couple days, Kelly told the supervisors. Township secretary Helen Klinepeter said the township did not lose any money in the attempted theft. However, Kelly also advised supervisors that recent cyber attacks on local municipalities were cause for concern, and they should consider bulking up security. She knew of at least two municipalities hit by ransomware attacks, including Duncannon Borough. In April, a hacker sent ransomware to Duncannons computers and servers making them useless. The hacker demanded $50,000. The borough paid the ransom because its computers and information could not be recovered by other means. The case is under investigation by law enforcement. Now that two of our neighbor areas have been hit with ransomware, I think (enhanced security) is a good idea, Kelly said. Penn Twp.s current technology services include offsite backup of computer systems and information, she said. But if an attack occurred on a weekend, it might be a day or two before someone could respond. Ransomware would cost more than the enhanced security. Onsite visits from the cyber security specialists cost $125 per hour. The township still would need enhanced security after an attack. Theres also the threat of malware designed to steal information. Either scenario could be far more costly to the township and residents. This causes not just expense, but also a lot of heartburn, supervisors Chairman Jessie Boyer said. The townships IT provider, Mechanicsburg-based 3rd Element Consulting, offers several levels of increased security, including 24-7 monitoring for about $260 per month and a one-time setup fee of $1,200, according to Kelly. The supervisors approved the increased security 2-1. Supervisor Henry Holman III dissented. Other news The supervisors approved a five-year extension of the Lindgren familys conditional use, allowing it to brew beer on its Faculty Road farm for Lindgren Craft Brewery. The company earlier this year finalized the acquisition of a former bank on Market Street in Duncannon and intends to move the brewery there as a permanent location. However, the Lindgrens asked for the extension due to the uncertain economic conditions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Michael Lindgren said last month, when the county was still under a stay-at-home order, that the brewery might not be able to move as fast as it wants on renovating and constructing the brewery at Market Street. Tighter economic times for the public could affect it, too. So they want to be cautious and still have the ability to produce their products. Lindgren has been donating some proceeds from sales to community charities, such as the Perry County Food Bank. Penn Twp. will be paving and repairing four road sections soon, including Kirsten Drive, Creek Road, Skyview Drive and Peewee Lane. The supervisors awarded the contract to Jay Fulkroad & Sons for $118,065. The next lowest bid was Paul Baker at $138,523. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday invited suggestions from the people for his monthly radio address Mann ki Baat which is scheduled to take place on June 28. This months #MannKiBaat will take place on the 28th. Though 2 weeks away, please keep the ideas and inputs coming! Itll enable me to go through maximum number of comments and phone calls, PM Modi said on Twitter. Also read: India records 11,929 Covid-19 cases, 311 deaths in 24 hours; tally over 3.2 lakh Am sure youll have much to say, on fighting COVID-19 and topics in addition to that, he added. This months #MannKiBaat will take place on the 28th. Though 2 weeks away, please keep the ideas and inputs coming! Itll enable me to go through maximum number of comments and phone calls. Am sure youll have much to say, on fighting COVID-19 and topics in addition to that. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 14, 2020 The Prime Minister also gave a number for the people to record their messages, and urged them to post their suggestions on the NaMo app and other forums like MyGov. Your ideas have always been the strength of #MannKiBaat, making it a vibrant platform that showcases the strengths of 130 crore Indians! Record your message: Dial 1800-11-7800 Write on: NaMo App. MyGov Open Forum. https://t.co/UDEIWKoTpX Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 14, 2020 In his last Mann ki Baat address on May 31, PM Modi had exhorted people not to lower their guard against the coronavirus pandemic and adhere to the protocols of social distancing, wearing masks and washing hands. The PMs message came a day after the government announced a phased exit from the lockdown imposed since March 25. Referring to Indias fight against the coronavirus pandemic, the PM said with its diverse challenges and population, the country has been able to contain the spread of infection and the death toll is comparatively lower. Also read| 50,000 cases, over 2,000 deaths: How Covid-19 devastated India in the past week The Prime Minister said though every section of society has been affected by the pandemic, the pain being felt by the poor cannot be measured in words. He appreciated the efforts being made by individuals and organisations in helping those in need and said there is no section in the country that is unaffected by the difficulties caused by the pandemic. PM Modi urged people to explore the benefits of yoga and said several international leaders had shown interest in knowing more about Ayurveda and yoga. Meanwhile, the tally of confirmed Covid-19 cases in India saw the biggest one-day jump of over 11,000 and reached 3,08,993 lakh on Saturday. In terms of overall count of confirmed cases, India is ranked fourth after the US (more than 20 lakh), Brazil (8.3 lakh) and Russia (5.2 lakh). Confederate statues and monuments have come down across the country amid protests after the death of George Floyd. The removal of Confederate names from military bases could be next if a group of lawmakers has its way, and U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., is in that group. Heinrich, a member of the Senate Armed Forces Committee, and 11 of his colleagues sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking him to support the committees proposal to the 2021 defense spending bill that calls for the removal of all names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederacy and anyone who voluntarily served it from bases and other property of the U.S. military. It is long overdue to end the practice of naming the bases where patriotic Americans serve our country after those who betrayed our nation and fought to preserve the institution of slavery, Heinrich posted on social media. Whether Donald Trump chooses to commend those traitors is up to him. Our military members of all backgrounds deserve to be stationed at installations named for heroes they can be proud of. There are 10 military bases named after Confederate generals, including Fort Lee in Virginia, Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Benning in Georgia and Fort Hood in Texas. It is long past time for the United States military to cease honoring, commemorating, or otherwise celebrating those who took up arms against the United States in the Civil War, sacrificing hundreds of thousands of American lives in order to preserve the institution of chattel slavery, the lawmakers wrote to Trump. The president in recent days has voiced support for keeping the names on bases and has opposed the removal of Confederate and other historical monuments. OUTDOORS ACT: Heinrich and Trump are on the same side when it comes to legislation addressing the maintenance backlog at national parks, monuments and wildlife refuges and that would permanently fund the Land, Water Conservation Fund. Theyre for the Great Outdoors Act. But the legislation is facing opposition. And it forced a delay in the vote for the bill. Heinrich said Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and a few others have brought up a number of procedural impediments. He said a vote on the measure will probably come Tuesday or Wednesday. It is expected to pass despite the opposition. Im just pleased that we moved from where we were in 2010 where public lands was a hyper-partisan issue to where we are today, he said. He said the bill has picked up Republican support because of Trumps backing of the legislation. A lot of Western Republicans have figured out this is good policy, Heinrich said. He said access to public lands brings members of both parties together. RURAL HEALTH BILL: U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, D-N.M., last week introduced the Increasing Rural Health Access During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Act. The bill would invest $50 million in rural communities to increase access to telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation would create a grant program that would help communities acquire the technology needed for telemedicine programs. We must continue to work towards innovative solutions to expand access to health care and make sure our rural communities arent left behind, Torres Small said in a news release. Scott Turner: sturner@abqjournal.com Experts in business, education, health and international relations are expected to discuss lessons learned during 100 days of the Covid-19 pandemic and provide recommendations to shape the new norm. The experts, representing 20 countries of Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America will from June 15-19, 2020 at a weeks International Digital Summit, deliberate on the impact of the pandemic particularly 100 days since the first Covid-19 case was reported as it marked a significant global transformation experience globally. The summit is expected to start with discourses on what countries and their economies were experiencing as a result of the global Covid-19 pandemic and the need to protect citizens in the current pandemic and future outbreaks. This was in a statement issued by the Summit Organizing Committee and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra. According to the statement, the pandemic had caused a mix of specific policy and universal actions, some of which had the potential to strain relations with pre-COVID-19 trade partners, desired trade partners, and geographical neighbours. It said the economic crisis following the pandemic had put various problems and issues to the spotlight as progressively experts and businessmen were making statements against sanctions and other political restrictions interrupting free and fair global trade, especially the ones between European countries and Russia and Iran. Expert discussions, the statement noted, will examine the present status of the pandemic and what was impending, the aftermath and how the global economies could plan a path to recovery and a robust new normal. Experts in the fields of management consultancy and change management will walk audience through practical strategies that will make organisations and business operations robust, as well as hyper-vigilant and prepared for future epidemics the statement said. Vaiva Adomaityte, CEO of ADMIS Consultancy and member of the Summit Organizing Committee explained that one hundred days of Covid-19 had highlighted the tremendous importance of business resilience and adaptability to change within the organisational structure. However, she said the uncertainty within businesses was caused by changes in political situations, international trading and regulatory impact highlighting the future opportunities for the worldwide governance model and cooperation between all of the sectors. The week-long digital summit, she intimated is aimed at discussing precisely how the New Norm Model should look like and what lessons 100 days of COVID-19 has thought the world. Michael Schumann, President, Federal Association of Economic Development and Foreign Trade (BWM) in Germany who will touch on the impact of the pandemic on international trade and economy, will also speak introductorily on the Political Implications of COVID-19: Changing the International Relations Landscape on June 17. Member of German Bundestag, Stefan Keuter and Researcher Mirijam Zwingli will discuss preventive and reactive measures taken by the government as will Journalist, Stephan K. Ossenkopp, Prof. Zoran Vitorovich, Yulia Afanaseva and Andrey Gorokhov talk extensively about the new normality in geopolitics and science diplomacy. Laurence Ndong, a female politician and educator from Gabon, Professor Jose Malemulane from Mozambique, and Nathalie Yamb, politician form Ivory Coast will take turns to discuss the revision of the role of France and CFA currency by African countries in their policies. Marco Enriquez-Ominami, Ex-presidential candidate and leader of Grupo de Puebla, Former Executive Secretary of the Continental and Caribbean Organization of Latin American Students, Henrique Domingues, Yamil Quispe, Co-founder of the Pacifica will deliberate on the situation in South America, especially Chile, Brazil and Argentina while, Sergey Brilev, President of the Global Energy Association will speak on the future of sustainable development and emerging trends of the energy sector. It said. Middle East and Arab countries perception will be provided by Dr Fouad AlGhaffari from Yemen, Nabeel Abdalla Al Kaeath form Iraq, Dina Rashad from Egypt and situation in India and BRICS countries will be discussed by Purnima Anand (BRICS International Forum), Amitava Mukherjee, Professor Jagdish Khatri, Shivani Rai, Apoorv Garg and Summi Taneja. Lessons learnt in Italy, Serbia and UK, the statement concluded will be presented by Marco Filipe, Crisis Manager, Marija Janjusevic, Member of the Serbian Parliament, Vaiva Adomaityte and Henry Chuks, Change Experts and Nikolay Kazantzev, IoT expert. 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 Tirupati: The auction of human hair made as offering by devotees in the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara has fetched Rs 17.82 crore in July and August this year. The auction of human hair held in July netted Rs 11.88 crore while in August Rs 5.94 crore, said top officials of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which administers the cash-rich temple thronged by lakhs of devotees. Briefing reporters after a monthly meeting of the TTD Board, its Chairman Chadalavada Krishnamurthy and Executive Officer Dr D Sambasiva Rao said it had been decided to buy 39.32 lakh litres of toned milk this year at a cost of Rs 11.28 crore for free distribution to infants of devotees waiting for darshan in massive queue complexes. The temple management also made a decision to buy 2.25 lakh kgs of cow ghee from Karnal Milk foods Ltd of Haryana at a cost of Rs 376 per kg, aggregating to Rs 8.46 crore for use in the making the much sought after 'Tirupati Laddu' and other prasadams for next six months, they said. TTD Public Relations Officer Dr Talari Ravi later told PTI that the sale of human hair was expected to fetch about Rs 150 crore in 2016-17 as per the projection made in the Rs 2,678 crore budget of TTD for 2016-17 fiscal. Anually, about 10 million devotees, including women and children, get their heads tonsured as fulfilment of vow before entering the more than 2000-year old hill temple, he added. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The man is being held in Essex on suspicion of outraging public decency after presenting himself at a police station, the Met Police said. The incident, which was caught on camera on Saturday as demonstrations took place in Westminster, sparked outrage, with MP Tobias Ellwood describing the incident as "abhorrent". Mr Ellwood, who gave first aid to Pc Palmer as he lay dying after being stabbed to death in the grounds of Parliament by Khalid Masood in 2017, called on the man to come forward and apologise. Home Secretary Priti Patel also hit out at the image, as she likened the protesters behaviour to extreme thuggery . She added: We have seen some shameful scenes today, including the desecration of Pc Keith Palmers memorial in Parliament, in Westminster Square, and quite frankly that is shameful, that is absolutely appalling and shameful. More than 100 arrested as PM brands far-right protests racist thuggery Speaking yesterday in response to an image circulating on social media, Commander Bas Javid said: We are aware of a disgusting and abhorrent image circulating on social media of a man appearing to urinate on a memorial to Pc Palmer. "I feel for Pc Palmers family, friends and colleagues. We have immediately launched an investigation, and will gather all the evidence available to us and take appropriate action. The protests, which involved some far-right groups, led to more than 100 arrests , while six police officers suffered minor injuries. The protest was organised by groups which claimed they wanted to protect statues such as Winston Churchill from vandalism. But the demonstration turned violent after the self-proclaimed statue defenders took over areas near the Houses of Parliament and Trafalgar Square and hurled missiles, smoke grenades, glass bottles and flares at police officers. Many of those present were drinking, and there were a number of clashes with police in riot gear as crowds chanting Tommy Robinson and England while raising their arms surged towards lines of officers. Outbursts of violence continued around the city after the 5pm deadline had passed, with the last few protesters removed from Parliament Square at around 6.45pm. PC Keith Palmer Funeral - In pictures 1 /57 PC Keith Palmer Funeral - In pictures The coffin of Pc Keith Palmer is removed from Westminster's Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in London before it makes its way to Southwark Cathedral Alex Lentati The funeral of Pc Keith Palmer Sky News Pall bearers carry the coffin of PC Keith Palmer into the Southwark Cathedral in London Frank Augstein/AP A police officer reacts outside Southwark Cathedral ahead of the funeral of PC Keith Palmer Hannah McKay/Reuters The funeral cortege of PC Keith Palmer makes its way from The Palace of Westminster to Southwark Cathedral Chris Jackson/Getty Images The coffin of Pc Keith Palmer is removed from Westminster's Chapel of St Mary Undercroft Yui Mok/PA The coffin of Pc Keith Palmer is removed from Westminster's Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in London before it makes its way to Southwark Cathedral Yui Mok/PA A couple hug as a Police officer lowers his head as the hearse carrying the coffin of PC Keith Palmer Daniel Leal-OlivasAFP/Getty Images The coffin of Pc Keith Palmer is removed from Westminster's Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in London before it makes its way to Southwark Cathedral Alex Lentati A man lays a single red rose in front of the police helmet of PC Keith Palmer Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images The coffin of Pc Keith Palmer is removed from Westminster's Chapel of St Mary Undercroft Sky News Police officers march towards Southwark Cathedral in London Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images London Metropolitan Police Officers (MPS) on duty outside Parliament in London Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA The names of fallen officers Pc Keith Palmer and Pc Gareth Browning are added to the National Police Officers Roll of Honour & Remembrance during a Police Roll of Honour Trust ceremony in London Rick Findler/PA Cressida Dick (right) the new Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police arrives on her first day in the job, at Southwark Cathedral ahead of the funeral of PC Keith Palmer Stefan Wermuth/Reuters Police officers arrive in Southwark for the funeral of PC Keith Palmer Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Floral tributes at Parliament Square ahead of the funeral of PC Keith Palmer Chris Jackson/Getty Images Security in Parliament Square before the Funeral of PC Keith Palmer Alex Lentati Security in Parliament Square before the Funeral of PC Keith Palmer Jeremy Selwyn London Metropolitan Police Officers (MPS) prepare to line the route of the funeral procession for PC Keith Palmer to the police funeral service at Southwark Cathedral Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA Flowers at Carriage Gate Parliament Square before the Funeral of PC Keith Palmer Jeremy Selwyn Floral tributes at Parliament Square ahead of the funeral of PC Keith Palmer Chris Jackson/Getty Images Police officers arrive near Southwark Cathedral ahead of the funeral of PC Keith Palmer Stefan Wermuth/Reuters Police officers arrive near Southwark Cathedral ahead of the funeral of PC Keith Palmer Jeremy Selwyn Flowers at Westminster today Jeremy Selwyn Police officers and well-wishers line the route in Southwark as the funeral procession of PC Keith Palmer makes its way to Southwark Cathedral Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Police at a ceremony by the Police Roll of Honour Trust to add the names of fallen officers Pc Keith Palmer and Pc Gareth Browning to the National Police Officers Roll of Honour & Remembrance in London Rick Findler/PA Security in Parliament Sq before the Funeral of PC Keith Palmer Jeremy Selwyn Police officers arrive near Southwark Cathedral ahead of the funeral of PC Keith Palmer Stefan Wermuth/Reuters Flowers at Westminster today Jeremy Selwyn Security and flowers in Parliament Square before the Funeral of PC Palmer Jeremy Selwyn Police officers march towards Southwark Cathedral in London Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images Police officers arrive near Southwark Cathedral ahead of the funeral of PC Keith Palmer Stefan Wermuth/Reuters London Metropolitan Police Officers (MPS) keep watch over the route of the funeral procession for PC Keith Palmer to the police funeral service at Southwark Cathedra Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA Floral tributes at the Palace of Westminster ahead of the funeral of PC Keith Palmer Getty Images Police officers arrive in Southwark for the funeral of PC Keith Palmer Dan Kitwood/Getty Images A police officer rubs his eye outside the Houses of Parliament, London, ahead of the funeral of Pc Keith Palmer Jeremy Selwyn Police officers arrive near Southwark Cathedral ahead of the funeral of PC Keith Palmer Hannah McKay/Reuters A young girl looks at floral tributes at Paliament Square ahead of the funeral of PC Keith Palmer Chris Jackson/Getty Images Police officers march towards Southwark Cathedral in London Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images A couple watch as the coffin of PC Keith Palmer, who was killed in the recent Westminster attack, is transported from the Palace of Westminster Stefan Wermuth/Reuters The coffin of Pc Keith Baker is removed from Westminster's Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in London Jeremy Selwyn Police officers line the route in Southwark as the funeral procession of PC Keith Palmer makes its way to Southwark Cathedral Dan Kitwood/Getty Images By 9pm, more than 100 people were arrested during the protest for offences including breach of the peace, violent disorder, assault on officers, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of class A drugs, and drunk and disorder. Prime Minister Boris Johnson slammed the racist thuggery witnessed at the protests . He wrote on Twitter: Racist thuggery has no place on our streets. Anyone attacking the police will be met with full force of the law. These marches and protests have been subverted by violence and breach current guidelines. Racism has no part in the UK and we must work together to make that a reality. Boris Johnson is to make a last-gasp attempt to get as many primary children as possible back to school before the summer holidays amid rising fury at the social and economic cost of the lockdown. Under new plans expected to be unveiled this week schools will be given the green light to return as many children to classes as safely possible as soon as possible. Last week Education Secretary Gavin Williamson faced an outcry after admitting that the Government's 'ambition' of returning all primary children to school for a month before the summer could not be met. But with a lack of space to allow students to safely return with classroom limits of 15 pupils and two-metre social distancing rules, it is unclear how many pupils will yet be able to resume their education. Some school leaders have called for the creation of 'Nightingale Schools' to be created in church halls and other buildings, with volunteers drawn from ex-teaching staff helping run lessons. It came as an economist warned that the closure had so far cost the economy 22billion in lost productivity, with parents forced to take time off to care for youngsters. A No 10 source said Boris Johnson was 'acutely aware' of the impact the extended closure was having on pupils and was working with Mr Williamson on a major 'catch-up' plan. The details came as the Children's Commissioner for England Anne Longfield issued a fresh warning that the failure to re-open schools risked undermining children's basic right to an education. 'It has taken 200 years of campaigning to get children into the classroom, ensuring that education was a basic right for all children,' she told the Observer. 'We seem for the first time to be prepared to let that start go into reverse. And I think that is a very, very dangerous place to be. 'We heard from the Prime Minister back in April that education was one of the top three priorities for easing lockdown, but it seems to have been given up on quite easily.' Under new plans expected to be unveiled this week schools will be given the green light to return as many children to classes as safely possible as soon as possible But with a lack of space to allow students to safely return with classroom limits of 15 pupils and two-metre social distancing rules, it is unclear how many pupils will yet be able to resume their education Chief Inspector of schools Amanda Spielman today said that a reduction in the two-metre rule - currently being mooted for shops - would help ease the strain on classrooms Currently primary schools in England - which closed following the coronavirus lockdown in March - are opening to pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6. However, ministers will this week reaffirm schools can take children from other year groups provided they have the capacity to do so safely. It means limiting class sizes to just 15 while ensuring protective measures are in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. With most children not now due to return until September, it will have been nearly six months since they have been in a classroom by the time they get back. Chief Inspector of schools Amanda Spielman today said that a reduction in the two-metre rule - currently being mooted for shops - would help ease the strain on classrooms. She told Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday: 'A reduced distance expectation will filter through into greater capacity in schools.' She added that the priority must be getting children back as soon as possible, saying: 'They are losing so much now, through losing education, losing the wider social interaction, losing the wider development, and of course losing their preparedness for economic opportunities of the future.' The Prime Minister was said to be particularly concerned about the impact on disadvantaged children who lack the same support at home and access to remote learning as others. A No 10 source said: 'The PM is acutely aware that school closures will have a disproportionate impact on all children, and particularly the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children. 'He appreciates the consequences of months out of school, and this package will be focused on providing extended support for children. 'The PM is so grateful for the hard work of teachers, parents and schools to keep educating children throughout this difficult period.' Economist Julian Jessop told the Telegraph today that economic output has taken an 11billion hit from the school closure, with lost earnings for parents accounting for a similar figure. Mr Williamson's Cabinet future is in doubt after growing anger on the Tory backbenches over the failure to open schools before the autumn. The Education Secretary is tipped to be one of the high-profile casualties of Boris Johnson's next reshuffle, following his humiliating U-turn over the target to get all primary school pupils back in the classroom before the summer holidays. International Trade Secretary Liz Truss is also on the Prime Minister's hit-list following rows over the terms of a new trade deal with America. The Education Secretary (pictured) is tipped to be one of the high-profile casualties of Boris Johnson's next reshuffle, following his humiliating U-turn over the target to get all primary school pupils back in the classroom before the summer holidays International Trade Secretary Liz Truss (pictured) is also on the Prime Minister's hit-list following rows over the terms of a new trade deal with America Cabinet rivals have accused her of being prepared to allow cheap, sub-standard products such as chlorinated chicken to flood the UK market and hit the British farming industry. Ms Truss's allies angrily deny the claims. But her career prospects are unlikely to be helped by the fact she is understood to be on the opposite side of the argument from Mr Johnson's fiancee Carrie Symonds an animal welfare campaigner. Mr Williamson infuriated overstretched parents when he said full-time schooling for all pupils would not now resume before September. The former Defence Secretary famous for keeping a pet tarantula in his office when he was Chief Whip has looked a far more subdued figure since taking on the education portfolio. Last night, former Cabinet Ministers were privately scathing about Mr Williamson for giving the impression that Left-wing teaching unions were somehow dictating when schools returned. One said: 'Gavin was a very good Chief Whip but he was far better being in the shadows in that role than on the front line, galvanising the campaign to get the schools back. 'He should have been talking to the academies which are not under council control.' Another ex-Cabinet Minister pointed the blame at Mr Johnson for wanting a 'Cabinet of short poppies where the Ministers just don't challenge the PM'. Allies of Mr Williamson dismissed the attacks as 'nonsense' and pointed to a Number 10 announcement on how he and Mr Johnson were working together to let children catch up on lost lessons during the summer and open all schools in September. There are also new plans to open primary schools to additional year groups from this week. The expected ministerial changes are being dubbed the 'night of the short knives' because the big four in the Cabinet Chancellor Rishi Sunak (pictured right), Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab (pictured left), Home Secretary Priti Patel and Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove look set to keep their jobs. The mooted reshuffle could come sooner than the expected time at the end of July just before summer recess if Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick is forced to resign over the row about his approval for a Tory donor's property scheme. The expected ministerial changes are being dubbed the 'night of the short knives' because the big four in the Cabinet Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, Home Secretary Priti Patel and Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove look set to keep their jobs. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has faced criticism over his record on issues such as testing rates, but his position is said to be safe while the Covid crisis continues. A source said: 'To dump Hancock now would be an admission of failure.' The United States decision to punish China for new security legislation that tightens its grip on Hong Kong may result in worsening of Beijings US dollar shortage, say analysts. Recently, US President Donald Trump announced a slew of measures to reflect the increased danger of surveillance and punishment by the Chinese Security Apparatus. This came a day after Chinas parliament passed the proposal to impose a new national security law in Hong Kong. According to a report by South China Morning Post, analysts believe there is potential for increasing restrictions to reduce financial and trade ties with China, gradually choking off the supply of US dollars in China. Michael Every, the Asia-Pacific senior strategist at Rabobank, said if US decided to imposed sanctions on individuals and companies who have violated human rights under the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, a key question would be whether large, globally interconnected Chinese banks conducting business with those individuals would then be subject to the same sanctions. Either China has to ensure that dollars keep flowing or the globalised dollar world excludes China, which is equivalent of putting a bamboo curtain around the country, said Every, a play on the Cold War term the Iron Curtain that described the separation of the free capitalist world and the Communist states of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. The shock wave caused by the coronavirus has created an acute need for US dollars in China to pay for its massive imports and payments on US dollar-denominated debt. Chinas US dollar shortage may still worsen further as the US-China trade war moves ahead, with many analysts expecting China to shift to a near-zero trade balance over the medium term. Also Read: Hundreds of youths protest in Nepal against governments response to COVID-19 US banks accounted for 19 per cent of investment banking fees booked in Hong Kong last year, or about US$309.8 million, according to data provider Refinitiv. Chinese lawmakers put forward a bill during an annual session last month that seeks to criminalise acts of secession, subversion and disrespect of Chinese national emblems, flags and the anthem. The bill has sparked domestic protests and was received with international criticism despite both Beijing and Hong Kongs leadership maintaining that they have the full right to implement the legislation. The legislation has sparked fears that it would undermine the principle of one country, two systems, eventually leading to erosion of Hong Kongs autonomy as stated under the Sino-British joint declaration of 1997. The Sino-British joint declaration on the question of Hong Kong was signed in Beijing on December 19, 1984, by the Prime Ministers of China and Britain, Zhao Ziyang and Margaret Thatcher. The two governments agreed that China would reassume control of Hong Kong from July 1, 1997. The main body of the treaty has eight articles and three annexes and it states that Chinas basic policies regarding Hong Kong will remain unchanged for 50 years, including the promise that the city would retain a high degree of autonomy. The move has also seemed to have affected Chinas ties with the UK. The country has slammed the move. Last month, the US, UK, Canada and Australia expressed deep concern over Chinas decision to impose national security law in Hong Kong, saying the move would undermine the one country, two systems. In a joint statement, the four countries said that direct imposition of national security legislation on Hong Kong by the Beijing authorities, rather than through Hong Kongs own institutions as provided for under Article 23 of the Basic Law, would curtail the Hong Kong peoples liberties, and in doing so, dramatically erode Hong Kongs autonomy and the system that made it so prosperous. For all the latest World News, download NewsX App (Newser) Voting in a drive-through convention in a church parking lot, Virginia's Fifth District Republicans awarded their nomination to Bob Good, a challenger to Rep. Denver Riggleman. Good took 58% of the more than 2,500 votes cast, while Riggleman collected 42%, WRC reports. The incumbent, who's in his first term, was endorsed by President Trump. Riggleman immediately issued accusations of ballot box-stuffing, and his campaign announced it was weighing its options. "That's what losers say," Good answered. Riggleman also was unhappy with the decision to hold the convention instead of a primary, usually an advantage for an incumbent, per the Richmond Times-Dispatch. "This is the most perverse way to choose a candidate," Riggleman said Saturday. story continues below District Democrats are holding a primary June 23, which will decide Good's opponent for the general election. GOP strength in Virginia has been fading; the party now holds four congressional seats in mostly rural districts. Riggleman, who has argued that the party needs to expand its base, faced criticism among Republicans after officiating at the wedding of two men in 2019. Some of Good's supporters said that drove them to oppose Riggleman, who they say has libertarian tendencies. Riggleman is a member of the House Freedom Caucus, per CNN. Good is a former county supervisor and employee of Liberty University, while Riggleman operates a distillery. (Georgia stuck with a primary, but it didn't go well.) Indian PM to discuss COVID-19 restriction ease with state chief ministers Global Times Source:Xinhua Published: 2020/6/13 22:04:34 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with chief ministers of all states via video conference next week amid a spike in COVID-19 cases. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with state Chief Ministers on the 16th and 17th," a brief statement put by Prime Minister's Office on social media on Friday night said. India is currently going through the fifth phase of the lockdown, which will end on June 30. The ongoing lockdown entails much more relaxations than the previous ones. However, the relaxations do not imply to the containment zones, which officials say need to follow strict guidelines issued by authorities. According to officials, Modi is likely to hold a fresh round of consultations with chief ministers to chalk out the strategy to help the country to come out of the coronavirus lockdown. As per the officials, the interaction will be held in two rounds with some on June 16, while with remaining ones on June 17. This will be the sixth meeting of Modi with the chief ministers since the outbreak of COVID-19. The prime minister had earlier interacted with Chief Ministers five times over the COVID-19 situation via video conferencing. The government of India had imposed a nationwide lockdown on March in order to combat the spread of COVID-19 and break the chain of infection. The data released in the morning by India's federal health ministry said the total COVID-19 cases in the country have reached 308,993 including 8,884 deaths. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gunmen attacked convoy which was travelling between the towns of Tessalit and Gao on Saturday. The United Nations peacekeeping force in Mali says two of its soldiers were killed in an attack on their convoy in the countrys north. A logistical convoy of the UN mission travelling between the towns of Tessalit and Gao was attacked on Saturday evening by unidentified armed individuals who killed two of the soldiers, the mission, known as MINUSMA, said in a statement on Sunday. It did not indicate the nationalities of those killed. The convoy had stopped when it was attacked near the village of Tarkint, northeast of Gao. The UN troops retaliated firmly and sent the assailants fleeing, the statement said. The head of the peacekeeping mission, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, condemned the cowardly acts aimed at paralysing the missions operations on the ground. Last month, three UN peacekeepers from Chad were killed in the country when their convoy hit a roadside bomb. The blast in the northern region of Aguelhok left four more soldiers seriously wounded. Established in 2013, the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali has some 13,000 troops, drawn from several nations, deployed across the vast semi-arid country that has been facing a worsening security situation in recent years. What began as a localised revolt in Malis north in 2012 soon spread to the centre of the country and then to neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso. The UN peacekeeping force, a French military intervention, and military campaigns by national armies have failed to stem the violence, which has killed 4,000 people in the three countries last year and displaced hundreds of thousands, according to UN figures. Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced $35 million for Indigenous health projects and said Australia would not be whole until it achieved parity in the Closing the Gap targets. As nationwide protests highlight disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in the justice system, Mr Hunt conceded Australia had not closed the gap in health outcomes, including infant mortality rates. Health Minister Greg Hunt says the goal has to be parity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "We haven't closed the gap yet," he told ABC's Insiders program, acknowledging that while Indigenous infant mortality had dropped, the disparity had remained as non-Indigenous outcomes improved as well. We have had a significant improvement in infant survival rates ... and that should be celebrated but the job is not done, he said. The nation is not whole until we have achieved genuine parity. MILTON L. OLIVE III As a contrast to the Rambo movies, which Norm describes as Hollywood trying to go back and win the Vietnam War, Otis says that he would be the first in line for a movie about a real hero, you know, one of our blood. He suggests Olive, who was killed at 18 in 1965 after falling on a grenade to protect other members of his platoon. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor, and was the first African-American to be given that award for Vietnam. CRISPUS ATTUCKS In a flashback, Norman (Chadwick Boseman), the lone Blood who didnt survive the war, argues for taking the gold bars theyve recovered from a downed C.I.A. aircraft. Norman proposes they take the gold in the name of every brother and sister stolen from Mother Africa to Jamestown, Va. and for every single black boot that never made it home. He notes that African-Americans have died for the United States since Crispus Attucks. Generally regarded as the first fatality in the American Revolution, Attucks was killed when British soldiers fired on colonists in the Boston Massacre of 1770. The historical record is spotty, but in a recent book, the historian Mitch Kachun says it is generally presumed Attucks was a man of mixed race who was probably a slave in Massachusetts until 1750. After liberating himself, he became a sailor and a dockworker. 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. Health insurers are hoping to boost value of private health cover for young people amid concerns the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic will have Australians reconsidering whether policies are affordable. The private health insurance sector has been fighting to assert its relevance even prior to the pandemic with the most recent data from the Australian Prudential and Regulatory Authority showing close to 10,000 fewer Australians had private health insurance by the end of March compared with the previous quarter. The largest fall in policies was among those aged 30-34. Funds are focused on showing younger Australians the broader value of insurance policies as tough economic conditions hit. The boss of health insurer Nib Mark Fitzgibbon has said funds must improve the value of private cover for young people. "The challenge for us as an industry [is] to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps and offer more relevant value for younger people," Mr Fitzgibbon said. By West Kentucky Star Staff Jun. 13, 2020 | 10:17 PM | MCCRACKEN COUNTY On Saturday, deputies with the McCracken County Sheriff's Office performed a traffic stop on a vehicle on Bridge Court after an alleged traffic violation. According to deputies, after stopping the vehicle a woman identified as 30-year-old Stephanie Stavrum left the vehicle and began to run. Deputies chased Stavrum and she was stopped a short time later. Deputies say Stavrum had an outstanding warrant for a parole violation. The driver of the vehicle was identified as 20-year-old Austin Draffen. Draffen reportedly ran into a nearby apartment and was stopped a short time later as he was leaving the apartment. After a search, deputies reportedly found a digital scale, methamphetamine, and a loaded handgun. Deputies say Draffen is a convicted felon, and not legally allowed to own a firearm. They were both arrested and lodged in the McCracken County Jail. Draffen is being charged with second degree fleeing or evading police, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, possession of burglary tools, first degree possession of a controlled substance second offense, disregarding traffic lights, failure to wear seat belts, no operators license, and obstructed vision or windshield. Stavrum is being charged with second degree fleeing or evading, and a parole violation warrant. Two Paducah residents are facing numerous charges after a traffic stop in McCracken County. The United Kingdom on Sunday registered the lowest day-rise in the number of dead from coronavirus 36 since lockdown on March 23, encouraging the Boris Johnson government to reopen non-essential shops with social distancing from Monday. The Department of Health said the cumulative figures of the dead was 41,698 (day rise of 36) and 295,889 cases (day rise of 1,514). The UK remains one of the worst hit countries by the coronavirus pandemic - there were nearly 1,000 day-deaths in April - but recent weeks have shown a decline. The Johnson government has been gradually reopening the economy, partly driven by the need to begin recovery amidst steep decline in GDP (20 per cent down in April). This, however, has prompted concern from public health experts that the threat from the virus remains. The decline in deaths and positive cases has been the sharpest in London, which was a hotbed in March and April. Mayor Sadiq Khan cautioned the people that the lockdown has not been lifted: The virus is still out thereStay at home as much as possible and avoid public transport. Prime Minister Johnson visited the Westfield shopping centre in London on Sunday and said the government is reviewing the two-metre distancing rule, which is central to shops and other establishment reopening as before. According to him, the current infection figures allowed for more margin for manoeuvre in easing the social distancing regulations, but he insisted this he would work very closely with the scientists at all times and the decision would be based on safety, health, and stopping the disease. He said: As we get the numbers down, so it becomes one-in-a-thousand, one-in-sixteen hundred, maybe fewer, your chances of being, two metres one metre or even a foot away from somebody who has the virus are obviously going down statistically, so you start to build some more margin for manoeuvre, and well be looking at that and keeping it under constant review. The people, he added, should be able to shop with confidence when non-essential stores reopen in England on Monday, hoping that there would be a gradual increase in the numbers of people returning to the high street. He said: I am very optimistic about the opening up that is going to happen tomorrow. I think people should shop and shop with confidence, but they should of course observe the rules on social distancing and do it as safely as possible. New Delhi, June 14 : In a significant move, the acting chief of the Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, Giani Harpreet Singh, has said that Sikhs can't be defined by Khalistan alone and warned his community against Pakistan which has been pushing the Sikh youth towards terrorism and against the Indian Constitution. The statement comes a week after media reports said that Giani Harpreet Singh had supported the idea and demand of Khalistan for Sikhs. After Giani Harpreet Singh's statement last week, the Sikhs For Justice had said, "All Indian leaders who are issuing statements against the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) appointed Akal Takht head will be held accountable as unlawful enemy combatants at international forums." Pro-Khalistan groups backed by Pakistan, like Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) based in the US, have been running a secessionist campaign, called Referendum 2020, seeking to "liberate Punjab from Indian occupation" on July 4. The group is headed by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a law graduate from Punjab University and an attorney at law in the US. The Indian government banned the group last year. On Saturday, however, the religious leader clarified his statement over Khalistan, warning Sikhs of Punjab that Pakistan was misleading the Sikh youth, pushing them towards terrorism and inciting them through social media. Without mentioning names, the Akal Takht chief indirectly hit out at SFJ and its leader, Pannun saying that "many political leaders were making unnecessary statements" about his statement. He said that according to the concept given by Gurbani, Begampura or Halemi Raj (rule of justice based on humility) is the birth right of the Sikh community and at different times, Sikh leaders living in democratic structures have made many statements. Recalling that the founding leaders of Sikhism had at one time justified the demand for special region for Sikhs, the head priest said, "Attacks on major Sikh shrines by the Congress government and the brutal massacre further fueled the concept of Halemi Raj among the Sikhs." He said the then government was against Sikhs for its political interests and it created an atmosphere of hatred and genocide. The chief of the Akal Takht in an indirect reference to the Punjab government said, "On the one hand those who are still spewing venom against Sikhs are followers of the same hate politics and government terrorism." Lashing out at Pakistan's ISI which funds the Khalistan terrorist movement, Giani Harpreet Singh said, "On the other hand, many adverse agencies are making attempts to mislead the Sikh youth by misinterpreting my meaningful statement. Such adverse forces are doing this for their political benefits by pushing Sikhs on the path of terrorism and inciting Sikh youth through social media." He said that Sikhs have always wanted to be treated equally and with justice as they also want to treat others in the same way. The Sikhs, he recalled, have shown this during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The head priest of Sikhs said that it was true that Sikhs could not be defined by the idea of Khalistan alone. "Sikhism is a global idea and this idea should bring peace to the world. In fact, my statement has hurt those who want to define Sikhs with false and hateful idea forcibly attached to the political ideology of Khalistan, using government propaganda machinery and on the other hand, some blood thirsty Sikh youth want to satisfy their bosses (Pakistan) by inciting them on social media." According to Gurmat ideology, he said, the concept of Halemi Raj or Begampura fully express the Sikh sentiments and the India constitution also gives every Sikh the right to carry out this struggle peacefully at a political level within the democratic structure. Giani Harpreet Singh asked Sikhs to create a political movement within the Indian democratic structure so that people from all walks of life in Punjab region can live peacefully and prosperously. Although many non-Sikh political leaders are also opposed to the aggressive policy of the government, so far no concerted efforts have been made by the Central government to heal the wounds of the Sikh by approving their legitimate demands, he said. The Akal Takht asked the Central government to pay attention to the legitimate demands of Sikhs so that Sikhs do not feel alienated. Amid the protest wave following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the rallying cry of "defund the police" has gained momentum. President Donald Trump is "appalled" by the movement, according to White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany. To some critics, it sounds radical. But advocates say it is simply about narrowing the role of police and investing in services specifically designed to address issues such as mental health, rehabilitation and homelessness. What would that look like? Possibly like Stockholm's mental health ambulance service? Or Scotland's violence reduction unit? Switzerland's alternative sentencing approach or Finland's housing-first strategy? Much of what U.S. advocates are calling for has been tried in other countries, researchers say, offering models that the United States could consider and potentially adapt. "There's absolutely scope for the U.S. police forces to take a more integrated approach to how they serve their communities," said Megan O'Neill, an expert on community policing at the University of Dundee in Scotland. She said that in most European countries, policing isn't viewed primarily from a top-down, law-enforcement perspective, but rather as part of a bigger solution to social problems. "It's not: There's a problem, send the police. It's: There's a problem, let's work together to find a solution," she said. "Policing is seen as a small part of a bigger set of actors in terms of addressing social issues." But O'Neill said advocates shouldn't underestimate cost. "What's missing from current discussions is we can't just take money from policing and put it somewhere else," she said. "The whole system needs to be very well-resourced; this kind of work is expensive. ... There's an argument that savings will come later, but it will have an upfront cost." "For a U.S. audience, the key message is: Fund public services," said Elizabeth Aston, director of the Scottish Institute for Policing Research. - Sweden: Health teams instead of police Budget cuts to psychiatric services in the United States have resulted in police taking on a greater role in dealing with the mentally ill. An estimated 10 percent of police encounters involve people affected by mental illness. A Washington Post analysis found that 25 percent of those shot and killed by police in the United States in a six-month period in 2015 were in a mental health crisis. Some communities have embraced "crisis intervention teams" made up of police officers who have received extra training to understand and respond to mental health crises. But newer approaches involve sending mental health professionals along with - or instead of - police into situations involving mental health emergencies. In Sweden, mental health professionals have been deployed since 2015 onto the streets of Stockholm without police officers. "If a patient has an emergency psychiatric issue, it should really be dealt with by trained health professionals," said Andreas Carlborg, managing director of the North Stockholm Psychiatry. Stockholm's mental health ambulance - an emergency vehicle with two trained nurses and a driver - seeks to free up police resources, to allow officers to focus on fields they are the experts in, Carlborg said. On a typical shift, the ambulance is dispatched to five or six emergencies. An academic analysis concluded that the project gave patients the impression of creating "a safe environment" and an "open and safe place for dialogue." - Scotland: Violence as public health issue In 2005, Glasgow was dubbed the "murder capital of Europe." Exasperated by the city's high homicide rates and its notorious booze-and-blade culture, police decided to try something new. They set up a violence reduction unit with a philosophy that violent behavior spreads from person to person; to contain it, you need to interrupt transmission and focus on prevention. Doctors, nurses, paramedics and oral surgeons travel to schools around Scotland sharing graphic stories about patching people up after knife fights. Former offenders patrol emergency hospital wards looking for people at a "reachable moment." Inspired by a youth program in Los Angeles, the police also set up cafes called Street and Arrow, which are staffed by former offenders who gain work experience and have access to on-site mentors. Glasgow's homicide rates have dropped dramatically, and although it's unclear how much of that decrease should be attributed to the violence reduction unit, the model has drawn interest from police forces as far away as Canada and New Zealand. - Switzerland: Alternatives to prison With one of the world's highest incarceration rates, the United States has faced frequent criticism from abroad over its approach to justice - and the impact on reoffending rates. Some countries are looking at a different path: keeping many first-time offenders from having to go to jail at all. Switzerland restructured its justice system in 2007, after its authorities found that short prison sentences do little to deter criminals from reoffending and can even have the opposite effect. "Farewell to prison," read a 2007 headline for an article in Switzerland's conservative Neue Zurcher Zeitung discussing the changes. Whereas convicted thieves were far more likely to receive a prison sentence than a fine or community service sentence in the year before the change, the opposite has been true since. Other proposals include permitting daytime work release for prisoners with short sentences, allowing them to keep their jobs. - Finland: Homeless help Finland is the standout example in Europe for its handle on homelessness. As a starting point, it offers homeless people a permanent, stable home. From there, the former homeless are offered access to other support services, such as help with addiction and advice on work placements. Finland is the only country in the European Union where homelessness is on the decline. Since launching its "housing-first" program in 2008, the number of long-term homeless has dropped by more than 42 percent. There is only one 52-bed shelter in all of Helsinki. The approach to homelessness isn't police-led, but it has helped to stop the cycle of people coming out of prison or struggling to get clean and not being able to find a home, advocates say. People in the program also get access to support, which can help reduce reoffending and substance abuse. Juha Kaakinen, one of the architects behind the idea and the head of the Y-Foundation, Finland's largest housing nonprofit, calls housing a "human right." The country's criminal policy goal is often summed up in a slogan: "Good social development policy is the best criminal policy." - England and Wales: Independent oversight England and Wales have 43 police forces, which are overseen by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, an independent body that carries out inspections, writes reports and makes recommendations. Lawrence Sherman, a criminologist from the University of Cambridge, said that this oversight body can, effectively, defund the police by withholding roughly half of the police budget. The threat of that sanction, he said, helps to concentrate minds of local police chiefs. "The question of how you keep a rogue department under control shouldn't have an answer that says, 'Get the right police chief,' " Sherman said. "The answer should be: Have a high-level large population electorate overseeing a regulatory process that is applied impartially, without fear or favor, or local friendships." Contacts of Beijing's new COVID-19 case test negative People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 10:46, June 13, 2020 BEIJING, June 12 (Xinhua) -- The two close contacts of Beijing's newly reported COVID-19 case tested negative in nucleic acid and antibody testing, local health authorities said Friday. The new case was reported in Beijing's Xicheng District on Thursday. The district's health commission said the patient's two family members are currently under medical observation and had shown no signs of discomfort. The patient was identified as a 52-year-old man, who visited a hospital Wednesday afternoon after experiencing an intermittent fever. He later tested positive for COVID-19. The epidemiological investigation has traced 38 close contacts, of whom 23 have been put under concentrated quarantine, and 21 have gone through nucleic acid testing, all with negative results, said Miao Jianhong, deputy head of the district. One of the close contacts is the patient's child. All the 33 classmates and 15 faculty members, who had contact with the child, tested negative in nucleic acid testing, according to Miao. Over 300 residents in the patient's community also tested negative in nucleic acid and antibody testing. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Assam Chief Minster Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday said the government is taking help of experts from Singapore, Australia, America and Canada to control the fire in a gas well in Tinsukia district. The well number five at Baghjan has been spewing gas uncontrollably for the last 19 days and it caught fire on Tuesday afternoon, killing two of Oil India Ltd's firefighters at the site. Though the blaze in the periphery of the well has been extinguished, the company has declared an area up to 1.5 km of radius as "red zone" to avoid any untoward incident. The blaze at the well is so massive that it can be seen from a distance of more than 30 kms with thick black smoke going up several metres endangering the local biodiversity in the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park following the blowout on May 27. Sonowal and Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan visited the site during the day and met leaders of different student organisations at Tinsukia. The CM informed them that the government is taking help of experts from Singapore, Australia, America and Canada to douse the fire and an expert committee is also being formed to study the environmental impact and suggest remedial steps. Talking about the environmental impact as well as the reported tremor felt around the fire site, Sonowal said the government is all set to constitute a committee with experts from IIT Guwahati, Regional Research Centre in Jorhat and Geological Survey of India on the issue. After receiving the feedback from the expert committee, the government will take appropriate time-bound steps, he said. The CM expressed his gratitude to the student leaders for extending all support and cooperation to the government at this critical juncture. Union Minister Pradhan said his ministry is taking all possible measures to control the situation. He said the oil industry is greatly indebted to the people of Assam for the support they extend to the government and industry in this crisis situation. Representatives of All Moran Students Union, All Asom Mottock Yuba Chatra Sanmilan, All Assam Chutia Students Union, All Adivasi Students Association, Gorkha Students Union, All Assam Students Union, AJYCP and others were present during the meeting. Later talking to reporters, Sonowal said that the government will take all steps for all-round development of Baghjan and pragmatic steps will be taken to avert any such incident in the future. Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said he will support whatever steps the Centre will take in the wake of Uri attack and the country should demonstrate unity on the issue of fighting terrorism. It should not be an issue for levelling allegations and counter-allegations...The country should demonstrate unity on the issue of terrorism...I will support whatever steps the Centre will take in the wake of the Uri attack and to root out terrorism, Kumar told reporters at a press conference. An environment against terrorism should be created to isolate the country promoting terrorism and shelters of terrorists should be demolished, he said when asked what action should India take in the wake of the attack on the army base in Uri in which 18 soldiers were killed. The Nitish Kumar cabinet had yesterday announced a financial aid of Rs 11 lakh each to kin of three soldiers from Bihar killed in the terror attack. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A Gambian man has been indicted in Colorado on federal charges that he tortured planners of a failed 2006 presidential coup when he was a member of a special armed unit that reported directly to the dictator of the African nation, prosecutors said Thursday. Michael Sang Correa, 41, was charged under a U.S. law thats been used only twice before allowing non-citizens who are suspected of committing torture in other countries to be prosecuted, U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn of Colorado said. Michael Correa allegedly committed heinous acts of violence against victim after victim in a brutal effort to coerce confessions, said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski. Correa made an initial court appearance on seven criminal charges: one count of conspiracy to commit torture and six counts of inflicting torture on specific individuals. Correa had been living in Denver and working as a day laborer since sometime after 2016, prosecutors said. He has been held in an immigration detention facility outside Denver since last year. He was represented at his initial hearing by an attorney with the federal public defenders office, which does not comment on cases. An email request for comment sent to the Gambian embassy after hours was not immediately returned. Prosecutors allege Correa was a member of an armed unit that physically and mentally tortured people who were suspected of plotting a failed coup against former president Yahya Jammeh. Correa is accused of being part of that conspiracy and torturing six people. Correa and his alleged co-conspirators allegedly beat the detainees using their feet, pipes and wires, sometimes covering their heads with plastic bags, and also administering electric shocks to their bodies, including their genitals. Correas unit, known as the Junglers, was made up of people who had been chosen from the Gambian armed forces, but reported directly to Jammeh and operated outside of the militarys chain of command. Jammeh was a 22-year dictator of The Gambia, a country surrounded by Senegal except for a small Atlantic coastline, and was accused of ordering opponents tortured, jailed and killed. He lost a presidential election and went into exile in Equatorial Guinea in 2017 after initially refusing to step down. Correa came to the United States to serve as a bodyguard for Jammeh in December 2016 but remained in the U.S. after Jammeh was ousted and overstayed his visa, Dunn said. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Paris, France Sun, June 14, 2020 07:04 587 fc6853813033f564188675f8bde7d09a 2 Environment spider,animals,Greta-Thunberg,environment,climate-activists Free Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg can add to her list of personal accolades, including TIME magazine's Person of the Year, a group of spiders named after her. Thunberga gen. nov. is a new genus of huntsman spiders from Madagascar, described by German arachnologist Peter Jager, and named after the wunderkind in honor of her commitment to tackling climate change. "The rising temperatures affect all areas of nature - including the endemic diversity and spider fauna of Madagascar," said Jager, who has participated in several protests inspired by Thunberg's School Strike for Climate. In a study printed in the scientific journal Zootaxa, Jager explained that the new genus differed from other huntsmans in their eye arrangement and unique dotted patterns on their backs. Jager, who has discovered several new spider species in a career spanning 20 years, said he hoped that by naming the creepy crawlies after Thunberg he could draw attention to the issue of biodiversity loss in Madagascar. Read also: Bugging out: UK museum names blind beetle after Greta Thunberg He named a previous discovery of Southeast Asian huntsman spider Heteropoda davidbowie. Unlike most spiders, huntsman don't spin webs and hunt and forage instead for their food. During his latest expedition, Jager also discovered a heretofore unknown species of huntsman on the island. Its name? Thunberga greta. Salma Hayek has joined efforts to try and find a U.S. Army soldier who went missing while on a military base in Texas in April - with the actress claiming the woman had been sexually harassed by a sergeant. Private First Class Vanessa Guillen, 20, was last spotted in the parking lot at Fort Hood where she is stationed. It is almost two months since Guillen has been spotted. Her 'car keys, barracks room key, identification card and wallet' were found in the armory room where she had been working on the day she vanished. Mexican-American film actress Salma Hayek has pledged to post pictures of missing soldier Private First Class Vanessa Guillen, 20, on her Instagram page until she is found Hayek also provided some details as to what might have led to the soldier's disappearance Hayek is pledging to post a picture of the soldier every single day until she is finally found Guillen was reported missing on April 22nd and so far there has been no sighting Hayek, 53, has now decided to help in the search for Guillen by posting messages on her Instagram page which has 15 million followers. Hayek says she intends to post something daily until the soldier is found. 'Bring back Vanessa We won't stop until you come back,' she wrote earlier in the week. Hayek is pledging to 'put Vanessa's photo on my stories everyday until she is found.' She also revealed details as to what may have led to the soldiers disappearance. '[Vanessa's mother] Gloria, claims that she had complained to her about a sergeant sexually harassing her. When her mother advised her to report him, Vanessa said other women had reported him and they were not believed. 'Vanessa and Gloria, I believe you,' the actress declared. So far, her family have held three rallies outside the Fort Hood Army base in order to generate some attention on the case and Hayek's input will also serve to boost the profile. Guillen, who is Hispanic, had been wearing a black T-shirt when she went missing. She is described as 5ft 2in tall, weighing 126lbs with black hair and brown eyes. At first around 500 Army personnel searched the base for her. Billboard were erected nearby Community groups including immigrant rights organization FIEL in Houston and LULAC, a Latino civil rights organization, have also joined with the family in peaceful demonstrations. Politicians are also getting involved in the search for her. 'It's been nearly 50 days since #VanessaGuillen has been seen. My team is committed to the movement to #FindVanessa,' wrote State Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Texas, on a Facebook post. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, tweeted that her 'office is working directly with the family to #FindVanessa.' Vanessa Guillen's mother and sister hold photos and signs at vigils for their loved one Communities across Texas, including Houston, have been rallying to show support for the family Other people concerned her welfare have continued to come together to support the family Hayek hopes her support will increase the visibility on this case with her 15-million people followers on Instagram and posted this image of the solider earlier in the week Hayek noted that Guillen's mother claimed she had complained to her about a sergeant sexually harassing her but when other women had reported the abuse, they were not believed The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command told the family that they launched an 'extensive' search in April. 'The search continues both on and off Fort Hood by multiple military and civilian law enforcement agencies,' a statement by military officials notes. But the family are still unhappy at how things have been progressing and the information they are receiving. 'This happened inside a federal building and we're still not getting answers,' said Mayra Guillen, Vanessa's older sister, at a press conference on Wednesday. Initially, 500 soldiers helped to search the base on foot looking through training areas, barracks and outdoor areas right across the facility. The searches are still taking place but with far smaller groups now, according to the Army. Guillen's family say that are not completely convinced that searches are really still taking place and would like an outside agency such as the FBI to take over the investigation. Staff at the base claim searches are still being carried out for Guuillen but with fewer staff Fort Hood officials and Special Agents from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command are asking for the public's assistance in locating Pfc. Vanessa Guillen, 20 Their lives have gone in drastically different directions since then. Amy Cooper was fired from her high-level finance job, temporarily surrendered her dog and has been vilified as the embodiment of racism and white privilege. Christian Cooper has appeared on The View and has become such a celebrated figure that a congressional candidate in the Bronx publicized Mr. Coopers endorsement. His experience has also been highlighted by prominent Black politicians, from former President Barack Obama to the citys public advocate, Jumaane Williams, during the protests over Mr. Floyds death. Mr. Cooper said the encounter touched a nerve and evoked a long history of racism. Its not about her, he said in an interview. What she did was tap into a deep vein of racial bias, Mr. Cooper added. And it is that deep vein of racial bias that keeps cropping up that led to much more serious events and much more serious repercussions than my little dust-up with Amy Cooper the murder of George Floyd, the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, and before that Amadou Diallo and Patrick Dorismond and Eric Garner and Tamir Rice. Before that day, Mr. Cooper and Ms. Cooper were both successful professionals with prestigious degrees and a love of animals, which drew them to that haven in the city, Central Park. But a deeper look at their lives shows that their encounter was to some extent a telling reflection of their personalities. Mr. Cooper warmly embraces serious nerdiness, memorizing bird song and learning bits of the Klingon language from Star Trek. But he also has an activists bent, bristling at societys injustices. He once set up his own nonprofit group to help elect Democrats, and he used his love of comic books to break barriers by creating one of the first gay Star Trek characters. The fatal shooting of a black man by a white police officer in Atlanta has poured more fuel on the raging US debate over racism, prompting another round of street protests and the resignation of the southern city's police chief. The death of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks was ruled a homicide by the county medical examiner's office on Sunday, a day after the Wendy's restaurant where he died was set on fire and hundreds of people marched to denounce the killing. His deadly encounter with police on Friday drew expressions of outrage, shock and dismay in a country deeply shaken by civil unrest since the May 25 police killing in Minneapolis, Minnesota of George Floyd, an unarmed black man. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced at a news conference Saturday that Police Chief Erika Shields had decided to step down. "I do not believe this was a justified use of deadly force," Bottoms said. The officer who shot Brooks -- identified as Garrett Rolfe -- has been dismissed. Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said his office would decide whether to lay criminal charges against Rolfe by mid-week, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. James Clyburn, an African-American member of Congress from South Carolina, said he was incensed by the killing. "This did not call for lethal force. And I don't know what's in the culture that would make this guy do that. It has got to be the culture. It's got to be the system," he said, speaking on CNN's "State of the Union." Clyburn is among the lawmakers debating how to reform a judicial system seen by critics as stacked against poor and minority citizens and which has proved stubbornly resistant to change. Some activists on the left have taken up "defund the police" as a rallying cry, one that US President Donald Trump has jumped on to use as a cudgel against his Democratic rival for the White House, Joe Biden. Biden, for his part, has tried to distance the party from the defund movement, instead advocating increased funding for community policing. Ilhan Omar, a Somali-American congresswoman from Minnesota, called his proposal "ludicrous" and instead supported dismantling troubled police forces in places like Minneapolis, her hometown, and rebuilding them from the ground up. "Nobody is going to defund the police," said Clyburn, the third-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives. "The fact of the matter is, the police have a role to play," he said. "What we have got to do is make sure that their role is one that meets the times." - A struggle turns deadly - Friday's incident began when police responded to a complaint that Brooks was asleep in his car, blocking the drive-in lane at the Wendy's. Brooks allegedly failed a sobriety test administered by police, and when the officers tried to arrest him, a struggle broke out. Video of the incident circulating on social media showed two white police officers wrestling Brooks to the ground in the parking lot. One of them attempts to use a Taser on Brooks, who managed to grab the stun gun and run away, the video images show. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which probes police-involved killings, also released restaurant surveillance video that showed Brooks turn and appear to fire the Taser at the officers. An officer reached for his service weapon, and as Brooks turned back "the weapon goes off," GBI director Vic Reynolds told reporters. Brooks was taken to the hospital but died after surgery, the GBI said, adding that one officer was injured. A lawyer acting for the dead man's family said disproportionate force was used in the confrontation. "In Georgia, a Taser is not a deadly weapon -- that's the law," L. Chris Stewart told reporters. "Support came, in I think two minutes. He would have been boxed in and trapped. Why did you have to kill him?" "(The officer) had other options than shooting a man in the back." Brooks had four children, Stewart added, and had celebrated the birthday of his eight-year-old daughter earlier on Friday. His death is the 48th shooting involving an officer that the GBI has been asked to investigate this year, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Fifteen of those incidents were fatal. The death of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks was ruled a homicide by the county medical examiner's office on Sunday, a day after the Wendy's restaurant where he died was set on fire and hundreds of people marched to denounce the killing This undated handout photo obtained June 14, 2020 from the Atlanta Police Department shows Erika Shields, who resigned as the city's police chief after a white officer shot and killed a black man This undated handout photo obtained June 14, 2020, from the Atlanta (Georgia) Police Department shows an image from a video camera of a struggle a day earlier between police officers and suspect Rayshard Brooks (L) A woman walks past a makeshift memorial to George Floyd near the site where he died in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota This undated handout photo obtained June 14, 2020, courtesy of the Atlanta Police Department, shows Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe New Delhi: Actor Sushant Singh Rajput committed suicide at his home in Mumbai on Sunday. He was found hanging at his residence in Bandra. He was 34. A team of Mumbai Police later reached his residence to investigate the matter. He was said to be under stress and depression for the last few months. Mumbai: An ambulance and police personnel at actor Sushant Singh Rajput's Bandra residence. Some people have also gathered outside the residence. https://t.co/x9yMb5qwuC pic.twitter.com/oo50RLmIl8 ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2020 Sushant had moved to his home in Bandra six months ago. He was paying Rs 4.55 lakh as rent per month for the apartment. Shortly after his death, the actor's official team issued a statement urging fans to remember him for his life and work, and appealing everyone to respect his "privacy at this moment of grief". "It pains us to share that Sushant Singh Rajput is no longer with us. We request his fans to keep him in their thoughts and celebrate his life and his work like they have done so far. We request the media to help us maintain privacy at this moment of grief," his team said in a statement. Sushant started his career with television. He became a household name after starring in Ekta Kapoor's hit show 'Pavitra Rishta'. After the show, he debuted in Bollywood in 2013 with 'Kai Po Che!' and later followed it up with films like 'PK', 'MS Dhoni: The Untold Story', 'Kedarnath', 'Sonchiriya' and 'Chhichhore' among others. He was next to be seen in 'Dil Bechara'. Just a few days ago, the actor had mourned the death of his former manager Disha Salian. She had reportedly committed suicide by jumping off the 14th floor of a building in Mumbai's Malad. "It's such devastating news. My deepest condolences to Disha's family and friends. May your soul rest in peace," Sushant wrote on his Instagram stories. Sushant was born on January 21, 1986, in Patna, Bihar. His family moved to New Delhi in 2000. His mother died in 2002. He pursued engineering and meanwhile, also joined Shiamak Davar's dance academy after which he started attending Barry John's drama school. In 2005, he also performed at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Australia. Sushant eventually dropped out of college to pursue his acting career. Sushant dated his 'Pavitra Rishta' co-star Ankita Lokhande for six years before parting ways sometime in 2016. Even as the national Capital resumed the immunisation programme for newborns and infants on May 6 after a hiatus due to the nationwide lockdown from March 25, several factors such as a lack of awareness, limited staff and a majority of Accredited Social Health Activists (Asha)who are primarily responsible for mobilising parents to take their children for vaccinationengaged in Covid-19-related work continue to impact the process. A month on, several families from marginalised sections have been left out of the immunisation coverage, posing a potential risk to the childrens health. Several women had to give birth at home because they werent able to access maternity services during the lockdown. Due to this, newborns missed the dose of vaccination (BCG) given at medical facilities. The dose is crucial for newborns to develop immunity against infections and preventable diseases. Pankaj Gupta, 28, said his wife had to deliver their child at home because the nearest hospital refused to admit her, saying that they did not have beds. The local dispensary is closed. She is our first child and has turned a month old. We do not know where to take her after birth for follow-ups. People from an NGO had come to the area and told us that we could go to other dispensaries, but there are long queues at the centres. I dont know how soon we will be able to get her the necessary vaccines, Gupta, a resident of Sangam Vihar, H-block, who works as a salesman, said. According to Matri Sudha, an NGO working in the maternity and child health sector, a sample study of 50 lactating women who gave birth around the lockdown in South, Southeast and Northeast districts, showed that a majority of them were struggling to get their children vaccinated. Several dispensaries are closed because the doctors and the ANMs (auxiliary nurse midwife) are on Covid-duty. The health centres that are open have limited staff and long queues, as people are pouring in for all kinds of ailments and medicines. Several people leave empty-handed, daunted by the long wait in the heat, Ravi Shankar Rai, project coordinator, Matri Sudha, said. He added that according to several ANM and Asha workers, vaccine supply has been halted at some dispensaries, therefore, they cannot do anything to ensure timely vaccination. The Asha workers also said that they have shifted their focus from vaccination to protection from Covid-19, as the latter is a priority, the survey said. A survey conducted by the Centre for Holistic Development, another NGO, found that at least eight newborns at Sarai Kale Khans slum clusters have been completely left out of the immunisation coverage. Among them is the two-month-old daughter of Shahjuddin, a labourer. She has not been vaccinated since birth. Before he could arrange for an ambulance to take his wife to the nearest hospital, she gave birth to the baby at their shanty. I dont know where to take the baby for vaccination. Also, I am scared of exposing her to infection. Before the lockdown, some women workers would come down to take stock of new mothers and infants. They havent come since, he said. The immunisation programme, which had halted due to the lockdown enforced in March to contain the spread of Covid-19, resumed at the citys vaccination centres in May twice a weekWednesday and Friday. The Delhi government had urged parents to reach out to these centres. However, many said that they were either not aware of the scheme resuming or facing difficulties at the vaccination centres. Under the governments immunisation programme, infants, children and pregnant women are vaccinated free of cost. The vaccines include BCG, rotavirus, polio, HIV, pentavalent, measles and rubella virus to be given at the ages of 2, 4, 6,9 and 18 months. The immunisation work is primarily carried out by Asha workers and community health workers. Kavita Yadav, state coordinator for Asha workers, All India United Traders Union Centre, said that a majority of health workers are not able to carry out door-to-door follow-ups on account of their increased responsibilities toward pandemic control measures. From door-to-door surveys and putting up home quarantine posters to keeping tabs on people in home isolation and supplying medicines at the doorsteps of patients, Asha workers are engaged in a lot of Covid-management duties. They cant visit new mothers door-to-door and vaccinate the children. Some of them are still visiting children in their designated localities despite the risk of contracting the infection, she said. Sushma, an Asha worker in Dharampura, said that she is worried about the children who havent been vaccinated in the last three months. We dont have the time to visit all families so we send them text messages about the date and venue of vaccination. But some parents work as daily labourers or domestic help and dont have the time to bring in their children. In such cases, we ideally visit the homes and vaccinate these children. Its not happening now because were busy with Covid-related work, she said. Another worker in Geeta Colony said that their dispensary is under construction and it is difficult for people to stand in queues for hours with their children. Nobody is allowed inside the dispensaries now and people have to stand outside to wait for their turn. Since we have only two days designated for vaccination, there is always a long queue. Many people leave without getting their children vaccinated after standing in the heat for hours, she said, adding even as there are proper measures in place at the dispensaries, people fear for the safety of their children. Anju Aledia, the mother of a three-month-old girl, said that she has not visited any dispensary or private clinic yet to get her daughter immunised. I feel its a risk to take children to clinics amid this outbreak. There should be separate facilities designated for children at this time, she said. However, the Delhi government has refuted these statements. A senior official of Delhis health department, on condition of anonymity, said the department has asked dispensaries to vaccinate children whenever they come in. When the Asha and ANM workers go to the field, they are given a list of children who need vaccination. They motivate their parents to go to a nearby dispensary and get the vaccines. As of now, these services are affected only within the containment areas, as the healthcare worker cannot enter them. Initially, the dispensaries would designate two days a week for immunisation but now we have asked them to vaccinate children whenever they come, regardless of the day, so we can vaccinate as many of them as possible. Also, we have received no reports of an increase in home deliveries. In case it happens, the vaccines are available at the dispensaries; the parents can come and get them, the official said. Dr Rahul Nagpal, head of paediatrics, Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj, said that mass vaccination has been majorly impacted because of the focus on Covid-19. Primary vaccination schedule (before 9 months of age) must not be delayed at all, as it is crucial for a childs health. Delayed primary vaccination exposes children to the risk of preventable diseases. We have already had a few cases of measles recently due to the delay in primary doses. For those depending on public health services for vaccination, it must be ensured that children are not left out, as the effects might appear in the next few months, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON By Brenda Goh SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Three U.S. lawmakers asked Zoom Video Communications Inc to clarify its data-collection practices and relationship with the Chinese government after the firm said it had suspended user accounts to meet demands from Beijing. The California-based firm has come under heavy scrutiny after three U.S. and Hong Kong-based activists said their accounts had been suspended and meetings disrupted after they tried to hold events related to the anniversary of China's Tiananmen Square crackdown. Zoom said on Friday it was notified of the events and asked to take action by the Chinese government in May and early June. It said it suspended one account in Hong and two in the United States but has now reinstated these accounts and will not allow further requests from China to affect users outside the country. "We did not provide any user information or meeting content to the Chinese government," Zoom said in a statement. "We do not have a backdoor that allows someone to enter a meeting without being visible." The online meeting platform, which has surged in popularity as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced millions around the world indoors, has seen its downloads soar in China. The service is not blocked in China, unlike many Western platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, which abandoned efforts to crack China's market years ago due to government demands to censor and monitor content. Twitter on Thursday said it had removed accounts tied to a Beijing-backed influence operation. Representatives Greg Walden, the top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the ranking member of a consumer subcommittee, sent a letter to Zoom CEO Eric Yuan on Thursday asking him to clarify the company's data practices, whether any was shared with Beijing and whether it encrypted users' communications. Republican Senator Josh Hawley also wrote to Yuan asking him to "pick a side" between the United States and China. Story continues The three politicians have previously expressed concerns about TikTok's owner, Chinese firm ByteDance, which is being scrutinized by U.S. regulators over the personal data the short video app handles. "We appreciate the outreach we have received from various elected officials and look forward to engaging with them," a Zoom spokesman said. China's internet watchdog, the Cyberspace Administration of China, did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment from Reuters. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters on Friday that she was not aware of the details. SEPARATE CHINA FROM THE WORLD Wang Dan, a U.S.-based dissident and exiled student leader of the crushed 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, had his Zoom account suspended. He said he was shocked to hear Zoom acknowledge it had interrupted meetings he was participating in. His June 3 event with about 200 participants was deactivated midstream, he said. "Zoom complied with China's request, preventing us from going about our lives smoothly," Wang said in an email to Reuters. "It cannot get away with just a statement. We shall continue to use legal means and public opinion to ask Zoom to take responsibility for its mistake." The company said it is now developing technology to enable it to remove or block participants based on geography, allowing it to comply with requests from local authorities. It said it would publish an updated global policy on June 30. U.S.-based Humanitarian China founder Zhou Fengsuo said he welcomed Zoom's acknowledgement of the suspensions but told Reuters it was unacceptable for the company "to separate China users from the rest of the world." The company's China links have been called into question before. Toronto-based internet watchdog Citizen Lab said in April it had found evidence some calls made in North America, as well as the encryption keys used to secure those calls, were routed through China. Zoom said it had mistakenly allowed Chinese data centres to accept calls. Zoom says it has many research and development personnel in China. Its founder Yuan grew up and attended university in China before migrating to the United States in the mid 1990s. He is now an American citizen. Bill Bishop, editor of the China-focused Sinocism news letter, wrote on Friday that "Zoom should no longer get the benefit of the doubt over its China-related issues and given how many people, organizations, government bodies and political campaigns now rely on its services the company must err on the side of transparency. (Reporting by Ayanti Bera in Bengaluru and Brenda Goh in Shanghai; Additional reporting by Lun Tian Yew, Huizhong Wu and Gabriel Crossley in Beijing; Editing by Devika Syamnath, Lincoln Feast, William Mallard and Raju Gopalakrishnan) S pain will reopen its borders, including for visitors from the UK, from June 21. The country, which is also welcoming travellers from Europe's passport-free Schengen travel area, will also drop its requirement for people arriving from abroad to stay in quarantine, either at home or in a hotel, for 14 days on arrival, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said. In an exception, the border between Spain and Portugal will remain closed to non-essential crossings until July 1. Spain's government had already announced that on June 21 it would end the nation's state of emergency to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. From then on, Spaniards will be able to move freely around the country without restrictions, but face masks will remain mandatory on public transport and in crowded spaces. On Monday, Spain's Balearic Islands will test their reopening strategy by accepting the first flights from Germany of tourists who will be exempt from a quarantine. The islands plan to welcome up to 10,900 Germans during the trial. Spanish PM announced the reopening of borders on Sunday / REUTERS More than 27,000 Spaniards have died in the country's pandemic. Earlier, China reported its highest daily total of new coronavirus cases in two months, while infections in South Korea also rose, showing how the disease can come back as restrictions on business and travel are lifted. Meanwhile, Egypt reported its biggest daily increase on Saturday and infections were rising in some US states as President Donald Trump pushed for businesses to reopen despite warnings by public health experts. China had 57 new confirmed cases in the 24 hours to midnight on Saturday, the National Health Commission reported. That was the highest since mid-April and included 36 in the capital, Beijing, a city of 20 million people. Europe's museums and galleries reopen after lockdown - in pictures 1 /24 Europe's museums and galleries reopen after lockdown - in pictures People walk behind a poster showing the safety distance for visiting the Gemaeldegalerie 'Alte Meister' (Old Masters Picture Gallery) in Dresden, central Germany, Wednesday, May 6, 2020 AP Visitors wearing protective face masks look at the paintings, on first day of reopening at Leopold Museum, during the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Vienna, Austria REUTERS A staff member checks the body temperature of a visitor at the entrance of the Jacquemart-Andre Museum on the first day of the reopening in Paris on May 26, 2020 AFP via Getty Images Two women wearing the face masks visit the Jacquemart-Andre Museum on the first day of the reopening in Paris on May 26, 2020 AFP via Getty Images Visitors wearing protective face masks look at the The Sistine Madonna, a painting by Raphael, at the Old Masters Gallery at the Zwinger palace complex on the first day the palace reopened to the public during the coronavirus crisis on May 05, 2020 in Dresden, Germany Getty Images People wear protective face masks as they watch the exhibition "Genealogies of the art, or art history as visual art" at the Picasso Museum open to the public, as some Spanish provinces are allowed to ease lockdown restrictions during phase one, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Malaga, Spain, May 26, 2020 REUTERS People wear protective face masks as they watch the exhibition "Genealogies of the art, or art history as visual art" at the Picasso Museum open to the public, as some Spanish provinces are allowed to ease lockdown restrictions during phase one, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Malaga, Spain, May 26, 2020 REUTERS A traffic light system allows visitors to tour the Rosenborg Castle museum while observing social distancing, in Copenhagen, Denmark, Tuesday May 26, 2020 AP A traffic light system allows visitors to tour the Rosenborg Castle museum while observing social distancing, in Copenhagen, Denmark, Tuesday May 26, 2020 Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Ima A man wearing protective mask visit the Museum of Illusion on May 13, 2020 in Paris, as France eased lockdown measures taken to curb the spread of the of the COVID-19 pandemic. AFP via Getty Images A woman walks through the outdoor exhibition area after the reopening of the exhibition 'Karl Lagerfeld Photography. The retrospective.' in the Moritzburg Art Museum in Halle, Germany, Friday, May 22, 2020 AP A woman walks through the outdoor exhibition area after the reopening of the exhibition 'Karl Lagerfeld Photography. The retrospective.' in the Moritzburg Art Museum in Halle, Germany, Friday, May 22, 2020 AP After over two months of closure, the ARoS Aarhus Art Museum opens its doors to the public, after the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions eased, in Aarhus, Denmark May 22, 2020 via REUTERS A museum attendant wearing a face mask and shield stands in a room at the Galleria Borghese museum in Rome on May 19, 2020 AFP via Getty Images Visitors wearing a face mask view "David", a 1623-1624 marble sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini at the Galleria Borghese museum in Rome on May 19, 2020 AFP via Getty Images A visitor wearing a protective face mask stands next to a painting by US painter Edward Hopper entitled "Cape Cod Sunset" after the reopening of the exhibitions Edward Hopper and Silent Vision Images of Calm and Quiet at the Beyeler Foundation in Riehen near Basel, on May 15, 2020 AFP via Getty Images Visitors wear face masks, to prevent the spread of coronavirus, as they look at The Death of Marat painting by Jacques-Louis David at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels, Tuesday, May 19, 2020 AP A visitor wearing a protective face mask watches a dancer perform the installation piece "Our Labyrinth" at the Lee Mingwei exhibition at the Gropius Bau museum on the first day the museum reopened since March during the coronavirus crisis on May 11 in Berlin, Germany Getty Images Beijing's cases were all linked to its biggest wholesale food market, which was shut down on Saturday, the official China News Service reported, citing the city's disease control agency. It said 27 worked there and nine had direct or indirect exposure to it. The Xinfadi market was closed after 50 people tested positive for the virus in the Chinese capital's first confirmed cases for 50 days. The world is seeing more than 100,000 newly confirmed cases every day, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. China, where the pandemic began in December, and other countries that suffered early on including South Korea, Italy and Spain have seen numbers of new infections decline. Brazil, India, the United States and other countries are seeing large increases. China responded to the outbreak with the world's most intensive anti-disease controls, isolating cities with some 60 million people and shutting down much of its economy in steps that later were imitated by some other governments. People sunbathe at the Bogatell beach in Barcecola (AFP) / AFP via Getty Images The ruling Communist party eased most limits on business and travel after declaring victory over the disease in March. Some curbs still are in place, including a ban on most foreign travellers arriving in the country. On Saturday, authorities in Beijing locked down 11 residential communities near the Xinfadi market. White fencing sealed off a road leading to apartment buildings and drivers were required to show identification to enter the area. South Korea's government reported 34 more coronavirus cases, adding to an upward trend in infections. The Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said 30 of the new cases were in the greater Seoul area, where half of the country's 51 million people live. New cases have been linked to nightlife establishments, church services, a large-scale e-commerce warehouse and door-to-door sellers. The Egyptian Health Ministry announced 1,677 new confirmed cases. Egypt is the Arab world's most populous country and has its highest coronavirus death toll. The country has reported 1,484 deaths and 42,980 confirmed cases. A RCD Mallorca flag waves outside the stadium prior to the Liga match between RCD Mallorca and FC Barcelona / Getty Images In the US, the number of new cases in the south-western state of Arizona has risen to more than 1,000 per day from fewer than 400 when the state's shutdown was lifted in mid-May, according to analysis by the Associated Press. Governor Doug Ducey has not ordered Arizona residents to wear masks in public despite warnings by health experts outside the government. Elsewhere, bar owners in New Orleans were preparing to reopen. San Francisco restaurants resumed outdoor seating on Friday and the California government allowed hotels, zoos, museums and aquariums to reopen. The states of Utah and Oregon suspended further reopening of their economies due to a spike in cases. The latest Chinese cases raised the mainland's total to 83,132, with 4,634 deaths, according to the Health Commission. South Korea has reported 12,085 cases and 277 deaths. Also on Sunday, China's air regulator announced that China Southern Airlines was required to suspend flights between Dhaka, Bangladesh, and the southern city of Guangzhou for four weeks after 17 passengers on Thursday's flight tested positive for the virus. Beijing allows each airline to make one flight per week on each route. Under rules announced on June 4, a route will be suspended for one week if five passengers on a flight test positive and four weeks if the number rises to 10. HURON COUNTY The American Electric Power Foundation has donated $10,000 to the Huron County Community Foundation to assist the nonprofits coronavirus response. The donation is one of six $10,000 grants distributed to nonprofits in communities where American Electric Powers renewables division owns wind energy projects. They own the Apple Blossom Wind Farm outside of Pigeon, which produces 100 megawatts of power. The donation will help the Huron County Community Foundation fund its Emergency Assistance Grant Round, which allocates money among local organizations who are seeing more people utilize their services, expanded their hours, or offering new services to meet community needs during the pandemic. Giving back to the communities where we live and work is a fundamental part of AEPs culture and mission, said Greg Hall, the president of AEP Renewables in a press release. Now more than ever, were proud to support local non-profit organizations who are helping those struggling during this difficult and stressful time. We started the grant cycle (in March) to provide emergency dollars to organizations impacted by COVID-19, said Mackenzie Price Sundblad, the executive director for the Foundation. Other companies and organizations that have made donations for this grant funding include Meijer, the United Way, Consumers Energy, DTE Energy, Thumb Bank, and Northstar Bank. Individual donations were also accepted. Sundblad said they were able to pool over $25,000 in donations to give to local organizations. These include: $750 to the Kinde Food Pantry $1,200 to the Elkton Lions club in supporting pop-up pantry efforts at Laker Schools $750 to the Harbor Beach Food Pantry $1,500 to Central Huron Ambulance for purchasing personal protective equipment and hand sanitizer for emergency medical technicians $2,000 to Harbor Beach Community Hospital for purchasing iPads to support telehealth for physicians, nurse practitioners, and social workers $2,000 to McLaren Thumb Region for purchasing iPads to increase patient/family communication during restrictions of visitors in hospitals $2,000 to Scheurer Healthcare in purchasing a hands-free digital temperature check station $3,000 to Thumb Breadbasket to support pop-up pantry efforts $2,000 to the Caseville Food Pantry $750 to Oral Health Solutions NPO to provide emergency mobile dental care $2,000 to Thumb Industries for purchasing laptops so they could begin providing virtual services to their clients $750 to the Harbor Beach/Port Hope Ministerial Association to support benevolence requests from the community $1,500 to Bad Axe Middle School for providing school supplies for students use at their homes $1,000 to Fiddlers Green Foundation to provide financial support to help with housing for veterans $1,000 to Huron County Homeless Solutions for providing financial support to assist with housing while state spending was frozen $900 to St. Huberts Shared Blessings Food Pantry $1,300 to Verona Mills Schools for purchasing technology for educational purposes $600 to USA Schools for purchasing books for elementary students to take home to encourage summer reading Sundblad said they are still accepting applications for organizations to receive funding, which can be found on huroncountycommunityfoundation.org. Donations can also be made either through the website under the Ways to Give section or by sending a check to the Huron County Community Foundation at P.O. Box 56, Bad Axe MI, 48413. Pushpesh Pant By The BJPs election machinery has swung into motion and we can now be assured that coverage of virtual rallies conducted by the commander of this campaign will, at last, provide us some respite from the morbid statistics of the dreaded pandemic. By now it is also clear that those who rule us have finally decided that saving the economy is a greater priority than saving livesat least the lives of the abjectly poor. One is left aghast when some economists argue ruthlessly that unless the paralysed economy revives, the poorest of poor will die of starvation before the virus claims them. Its not very long ago that we were being reassured with the slogan that Jaan hai to jahan hai (Life before all else is a loose translation). The prime minister had confidently shared the governments plans to simultaneously protect lives and livelihoods. It seems that those plans were hastily put together and have already started unravelling. Apologists too clever by half are pointing fingers beyond our shores. If the mighty USA with an economy more than 10 times ours is constrained to end lockdown and open up industrial and commercial activity, do we have an option? Sad to say, our elected representatives seem to believe that they are the best we deserve and that all of us suffer from incurable amnesia. No one in his right senses belies that Indiapast, present or even in distant future, can be likened to the US of A. Nor would it be wise to prescribe solutions that countries in Europe or our strategic partners like Australia and Japan have adopted to cope with this crisis. As the partisan election campaigners recite the litany of dazzling accomplishments or glaring failures, the life and death issues that confront Indians will be drowned in the din. Electoral politics seems to be more important than any other national concern. Everyone is bewildered by statements like the ones made by the Delhi CM. Even by his contortionist self-contradictory standards, he has outdone himself. Delhis hospitals are only for residents of Delhi. What next? Delhi police will be responsible only for the protection of life, limb and property of residents of Delhi. Others who enter the Capital do so at their own peril? And, schools and colleges? Coronavirus has exposed the deep and painful fault lines in our federal system. This is the place to engage in a fruitless debate about misuse of the provisions regarding imposition of Presidents Rule in a state that has incurred the central governments ire but at least this much needs to be emphatically reminded that not all constitutional lines are obliterated even in times of war and catastrophic calamities. Human rights arent extinguished and in the name of Disaster Management trespasses into states domain cant enjoy immunity. At the same time the states cant be allowed to appropriate for themselves what they are not entitled to in the constitutional scheme. Arbitrarily sealing the interstate borders throwing life totally off gear by Haryana and Delhi governments accompanied by flip-flops has blown the concept of the NCR to smithereens. The most unfortunate effect of the pandemic has been on democratic processes. Of course, we dont have elections to Rajya Sabha or state legislatures in mind. The space for questioning or criticising the governments steps to save lives and revive economy has shrunk drastically. Learned Solicitor Generals statement in the Supreme Court leave no one in any doubt that he lives in another realm of reality. Those who dare to speak up are slapped with charges of sedition, rioting, criminal defamation and more. Bail is routinely and repeatedly denied even to accused who are aged and infirm. Thank god, so far no one in this land has suggested that we require a US like solution to restore law and order a la Donald Trump. Vicious dogs, abominable weapons, Rapid Action Forces in full military gear to quell internal terror. What we share with the US at this moment is a House Divided against Itself. First Aid is not likely to heal deep wounds. No surgeon however skilled can amputate a cancerous limb and give a new life to his patient on prosthetics. Nuking the malignant cells can prove even more hazardous. Lockdown is ending. We shall all learn to live with the virus. No one is going to provide succour. We are being told to exercise self-control, become self-reliant in every conceivable way. Ask no questions, respect those who enforce order even if sometimes patently violating what we think is the law. Most of us will resign to their fate, some will keep hoping for divine intervention. A microscopic minority may not go gently into that night. This is the new normal. Life after the big C. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Home Regional News East Two militants were killed in an encounter in a remote village of Kulgam district Srinagar: Militancy-infested south Kashmir witnesses a series of clashes between holed up militants and security forces on Saturday, leaving, at least, two suspected militants dead. While two militants were killed in an encounter in a remote village of Kulgam district, the fate of those trapped in three other areas after the joint teams of the Army, J&K polices counterinsurgency Special Operations Group (SOG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) laid siege to these to conduct searches is not known. The officials said that the SOG together with the Armys 19 Rashtriya Rifles and 18th Battalion of the CRPF launched a cordon and search operation in Kulgams Nipora Zadoora village at dawn following specific input about the presence of militants. During the search operation, the terrorists were given opportunity to surrender. They, however, responded by opening fire and hurling grenades upon the joint search party, which was retaliated, leading to an encounter in which both of them were killed, a police spokesman here said. Simultaneously or soon after the clash in Kulgam, the security forces engaged militants also at Maldera in neighbouring Shopian, Lallan in Anantnag and Tral in Pulwama districts. A report from Shopian said that after a brief exchange of fire with security forces, the militants moved into a cluster of residential houses at Maldera, prompting the authorities to rush in reinforcements to flush them out dead or alive. Defence spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said that two militants were killed in the joint operation launched at Lallan early Saturday. The operation is in progress, he said. However, neither the J&K police nor any other source confirmed it. The police sources said that militants who had been trapped in a village of Tral during a search operation earlier may have escaped. Agra, June 14 : Three young villagers of Saura village in Saiyyan block of Agra district died early Sunday, of toxic gases while cleaning a well. Bholi (22), Pappu (22) and Lakhan (17) entered the unused village well to clean it up before rains. But the trapped poisonous gas inside the well didn't give them time to flee for safety, police said. When the villagers got to know of the tragedy, they informed the police and the fire brigade which pulled out the dead bodies. For almost four hours the villagers blocked the Agra-Gwalior national highway to protest against the deaths. The police had to use mild force to clear the road. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, expressing his deepest condolences, has announced ex gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh to each family as compensation. --IANS Tuesday will mark two years since Jermain Charlo was last seen alive, an anniversary Valenda Morigeau hoped wouldn't come twice. "When June hits, June just sucks," Morigeau, Charlo's aunt who has been a main point of contact in her missing persons case, said last week. Each lead has found a dead end. Each search has unearthed so little. The case remains very much active, said lead investigator, Missoula Police detective Guy Baker. Law enforcement doesn't know if she's dead or alive, but remain open to both options. Late last year, some suspicious social media accounts took Baker's investigation around the country. Last week, he and a forensic anthropologist went up to the Flathead Indian Reservation to check some bones found by a horse rider. The anthropologist could tell on sight they weren't human. "Those have come in numerous times," Baker said. "Each time I get hopeful that this is going to be the piece that helps me put the puzzle together. I feel bad for the family. I feel bad it's been over two years and I haven't been able to provide them with answers, not only to bring them closure but also the overall goal of bringing someone to justice and holding them accountable." Baker said this week he has a handful of new leads to run down. Meanwhile, this year has been especially hard for the family's search efforts. The winter ran long and, like anything else, the COVID-19 pandemic has hampered the ability of large groups to get together and cover a large swath of land. June 16 is the two-year mark since Charlo was last seen at 1 a.m. by Missoula Housing Authority security cameras walking down the downtown alley behind the Badlander bar east toward Higgins Avenue. Charlo's family on Tuesday will host a march that will begin at Sacajawea Park on Orange Street, head north to the Badlander bar and then back to the park to bring awareness to the case. For Morigeau, the march will represent more than a grim anniversary; it's actually much more hopeful than that. "It's empowerment," she said. "People need to know that our people are going missing. It's not just Jermain that's gone missing. It's bringing awareness to a bigger problem than just our family missing." While the United States reckons with the biggest moment for racial justice in a generation following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women movement is well out of its infancy. Reservation communities have become proficient at blanketing information across social media, particularly Facebook, when one of their own goes missing. The Montana Legislature passed a number of new efforts last year to address the problem. But the statewide missing persons task force established in the new legislation has already seen its own issues; two tribal leaders, representing the Fort Peck and Fort Belknap reservations, resigned from the task force in protest of the state attorney general's support of a proposed oil pipeline from Canada last October. The Montana Missing Persons Clearinghouse, listed on the Montana Department of Justice website, on Friday listed 60 "school-age" children currently missing. Twenty-three, or 38% of them are Native American, which make up only 6.5% of the state population, according to 2019 statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau. Morigeau wants to play a bigger role in the MMIW movement, but said some days she has to step away to care for her own mental health. "It's not fair when I get depressed because it's not fair to my kids," she said. Morigeau's depression is sometimes matched with anger. She acknowledges Baker's constant work and communication has been everything she could ask for, but said the stereotypes that have been held over Natives highlights the systemic problems with a lack of urgency around missing persons cases. "They think, 'Young, Native American woman going out drinking, oh, she's out having fun, she doesn't want to go home to her responsibilities,' and that's not the case," Morigeau said. "You go to a bar and you see people of all ethnicities. It doesn't matter. Because they have this stereotype of Native Americans and we live on reservations and some reservations are super poor, and that's all they know. It's just multi-generational grief. "Bottom line, if somebody goes missing, you just forget what you thought about them, and you go looking for them." Charlo's case was initially handled by a different detective before it was given to Baker two weeks later. Baker, who said he has put in 1,200 hours on this case and seen 2,500-plus hours put in by assisting agencies, has complicated feelings about Charlo's case being associated with the MMIW movement. "Relating Jermain to the MMIW issue is entirely appropriate, that's what she is," he said this week. "However, I guess it's disheartening when she's used as an example for the belief that police don't do enough for MMIW victims, because we've spent a ton of time on this case, and two years later, it's never been inactivated." As a national conversation begins about substantial police reform in the wake of Floyd's death, Baker said he does not see anything specific in Jermain's case that deserves a tweak in policy. The Flathead Indian Reservation is in a unique situation because of its use of Public Law 280, which means it has its own law enforcement agencies, rather than depending on the oversight of federal agencies, which can complicate jurisdictional lines. That means Missoula police, Missoula County Sheriff's Office, the tribal police, Ronan police, Lake County sheriff and any other involved law enforcement agencies can sit down in a room and control how an investigation goes, or how future investigations will proceed. Baker defended the initial steps taken in Charlo's case, but said an earlier look at his biggest clue that Charlo was a victim of a crime her sudden drop off from posting on social media could have made a difference. The initial steps such as checking the hospitals and jails were taken, he said. "Theyre adults and maybe they want to be by themselves," he said. "After a few days go by though, it's important to check their social media platforms because if their pattern of life, especially some younger person who's on social media, younger platforms numerous times per day and that has stopped, that's important because that's a change in behavior. Maybe they don't have access to whats normal for them or they're no longer around." The theories of Charlo's disappearance include sex trafficking, which could have taken her anywhere in the world, and a lot of travel could have happened in those initial two weeks. Morigeau said she has continued to fight off the idea that Charlo is dead and in a faraway place, but her dreams have told her otherwise. Jermain actually came to me in a dream and told me that shes in Evaro. My grandpa told me that shes with us. And I said, 'I don't believe you, she has to tell me that herself.' And she said 'Yea, I'm with grandma and grandpa.' And they raised her. And 'I said, well if youre with grandma and grandpa, wheres your body, Jermain?' And she said Evaro." "Its a big pill to swallow. And I dont even hurt for myself, I hurt for her whole family. Morigeau wouldnt wish this unrelenting grief on anyone. Its different every day, she said. Some days she is on the right track for positive thinking. But other days the enormous space absent of any evidence, like a balloon inflating each day Jermain isnt found, is filled by Morigeaus imagination with worst-case scenarios. You run through the most horrific scenarios. And it sucks because your mind plays with you. Even after week one. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 4 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. MUMBAI: Mutual fund schemes, which had segregated their Vodafone Idea Ltd exposure in side pockets, have received interest payments from the telecom firm on 12 June. While the side pockets of Franklin Templeton India schemes have received 102.71 crore as interest, UTI Mutual Fund and Nippon India Mutual Fund have also cumulatively received 13.5 crore and 9.3 crore respectively, said spokesperson of these fund houses. Nippon India in the statement also said that the part payment will be credited in investors accounts in three days and they remain confident of receiving full payment. The payout shall be processed by extinguishing proportionate units in the plans of the segregated portfolio of respective schemes. After the payment, the number of units outstanding in the investor account (under the segregated portfolio of the scheme) would fall to the extent of payout. UTI and Nippon India Mutual Fund side pocketed their respective exposures to Vodafone Idea on 17 February. This was after downgrade by Care Ratings to BB- (which is below investment grade) from BBB-. A downgrade of debt below the investment grade allows mutual funds to side pocket their exposure. Franklin had side pocketed exposure to Vodafone in 6 debt schemes on 24 January following downgrade by CRISIL. These 6 debt schemes are currently under winding up process following a decision by the fund house on 23 April. The interest payment by Vodafone Idea to Franklin schemes segregated portfolio does not affect the refund process of these schemes. The refund process of the six debt schemes, which were wound down by Franklin Templeton citing illiquidity, with assets under management (AUM) of 25,856 crore has been stayed by a Gujarat High Court order on 8 June. "For units held in physical/statement of account mode, the partial payment of the outstanding unitholding as on 12 June, 2020, will be extinguished and will be distributed to unitholders by 17 June, 2020. For units held in demat mode, the partial payment of outstanding unitholding as on 19 June 2020 (i.e. the record date) will be extinguished and will be distributed immediately after the record date," said Franklin Templeton in a press statement. This comes as a shot in the arm for debt mutual funds, particularly the ones that had taken credit risks as many issuers struggled to make payments and pre-payments due to the coronavirus-induced slowdown. Vodafone Idea has been impacted due to adverse rulings of the Supreme Court, which has mounted an adjusted gross revenue (AGR) liability of about 50,000 crores on the telco. The interest payment by Vodafone Idea is particularly significant as, the Supreme Court, on 11 June, had asked telecom operators to file affidavits on the roadmap and guarantee for payment of AGR- related dues to the department of telecommunications (DoT). According to solicitor general Tushar Mehta, the government has extensively examined the impact on the economy if the telcos repay the entire dues at one go and rather they should do it in 20 years. The apex court, however, disagreed and said the 20-year payment plan was unsustainable. 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 All major markets in the city on Sunday said they have decided to stay open despite the rising cases of Covid-19 in the city, and scant business. The respective market associations said the decision came in light of the measures taken by the Centre and Delhi government to tackle the coronavirus crisis in the city. With the number of Covid-19 cases rising in the city, speculation was rife that the government could impose restrictions again in some form, forcing Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain on Friday to allay such concerns. No, the lockdown will not be extended any further in Delhi, Jain had said. All major retail markets including Connaught Place, Khan Market, South Extension, Greater Kailash, Lajpat Nagar and Karol Bagh among others, have decided to remain open. Brajesh Goyal, convener of the Aam Aadmi Partys (AAP) trade and industry wing said his outfit had scheduled a video meeting of representatives of over 170 trader associations on Sunday. At least 157 associations said that though business is slow, they will keep markets open. All markets will scale up the precautionary measures to maintain distancing measures. There are only a few markets that may open on select days of the week, said Goyal. The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), a national group representing several retailers, said that after a video conference with over 270 trade leaders, it was decided all markets would stay open for the time being. In a survey CAIT conducted among traders and retailers, 88% said they preferred to shut their shops. After the aggressive steps announced jointly by the Centre and the Delhi government to deal with the situation at present, we decided to keep markets open. Trader associations will be free to take a decision on what suits them, depending on local factors, said Praveen Khandelwal, general secretary, CAIT. Sanjeev Mehra, president of Khan Market Traders Association said business has picked up slightly over the past week. Closing is not a solution. We have to keep at it while taking all precautions. However, it may help if the government reviews curfew timings, as most customers drop in during evening because of the heat. We have to close early, as with limited public transport, the staff starts leaving, said Mehra. As part of the Union home ministrys Unlock 1.0 guidelines, a curfew is to be observed between 9pm and 5am. All shops are required to maintain social distancing, failing which they may face penalties. While the main Sarojini Nagar market will remain open, traders association of the mini-market, which had on June 11 decided to stay shut, from June 15-30, said it will take a call on Wednesday. While there are nearly no customers and few staffers are available to take care of the goods, we will hold another consultation and decide whether to stay open or not, said Ashok Randhawa, president, Sarojini Nagar Mini Market Traders Association. Wholesale markets mostly located in densely populated Old Delhi areas such as Chandni Chowk, Chawri Bazar, Bhagirath Palace and Kashmere Gate have decided to stay open partially. Jagdish Mittal, president of Delhi Electrical Insulators Dealers Association at Bhagirath Palace said it was difficult to maintain social distancing and had hence decided shops will open on alternate days. The Nai Sarak Book Sellers Association on Sunday issued a circular that urged shop owners to come to their outlets only if required. We have requested traders to avoid opening shops till June-end at the earliest, said Surender Kumar Gupta, a member of the association. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed shock over the death of Ibidunni Ighodalo, wife of Pastor Ituah Ighodalo of Trinity House in ... President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed shock over the death of Ibidunni Ighodalo, wife of Pastor Ituah Ighodalo of Trinity House in Lagos. In a statement by special adviser, Femi Adesina, Buhari said he shares the pain and sorrow of the Ighodalo family over Ibiduns sudden death. Buhari prayed for Gods comfort for the entire family, friends and members of Trinity House. President Buhari recalled that Pastor Ighodalo is one person who faithfully prays for the country, and the government. He also noted that Ituah Ighodalo sent him a personal letter of condolence when his former Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari passed away in April. Please accept my condolence. May God give you the fortitude to bear the loss and strengthen you at this trying time, President Buhari said. Ibidunni Ighodalo died today in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. It was suspected she died of cardiac arrest. Muzaffarnagar: A Saharanpur court near here has freed 57 overseas Tablighi Jamaat members after setting off their month-long sentences against the imprisonment already undergone by them during trial. The 57 Tablight Jammat members, who were ordered to be released, include 21 from Kyrgyzstan, five from Thailand, four from Indonesia, two from Malaysia and one each from Syria and France besides some other countries. Saharanpur Chief Judicial Magistrate Anil Kumar sentenced all 57 Tablighis to a month in jail on Saturday after convicting them under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code for disobeying public servants orders issued under section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. CJM Kumar, however, set aside the prosecution charges under stricter IPC sections 269 and 271 for committing negligent acts likely to spread infections of dangerous disease and violating quarantine rules respectively. The court also acquitted them of violating section 14 of the Foreigners Act for allegedly overstaying in the country beyond the permission granted to them, saying this charge has not been made out against the accused. The court convicted the accused of the two penal offences after they pleaded guilty for them but claimed trial on others, claiming innocence. The court convicted and freed them after setting off their sentences in a trial held through video conferencing. After the court's ruling, all 57 Tablighi Jammat members were released and have been kept in a resort in Saharnapur, said officials. They all have evinced keen interest in going back to their respective countries, the officials added. In fact, two diplomats from Kyrgyzstan embassy in India had earlier also visited their 21 nationals and had met them in jail on May 31, they added. The diplomats had also told Indian authorities that they would send their citizens back to Kyrgyzstan as soon as judicial process is over here. New Delhi, June 14 : The Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi on Sunday withdrew its earlier decision to declare small and medium nursing homes as "Covid nursing homes". According to a new order issued on Sunday (June 14), the previous decision has now been "withdrawn with immediate effect". The government on Saturday had declared that small and medium multi-speciality nursing homes in the national capital which have 10 to 49 beds will be declared as "Covid nursing homes". "With the Delhi government's decision, over 5,000 beds will be available for coronavirus patients. In the next few days, our officials will talk to owners of each nursing home to solve their problems," the Delhi CM had had tweeted. However, the sudden U-turn seems to have happened after the Delhi Medical Association wrote to Kejriwal, objecting to the move. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) But the flag for which I stand, the flag for which I place my hand over my heart, the flag for which I wore a uniform and swore an oath to defend as a Marine from 1958-61, is the very symbol for other peoples right to protest. If they kneel to express dissatisfaction with our countrys failure to live up to our promise, I stand for that flag. If they wish to wear it upside down to express their view that the nation is in distress, that is the flag I stand for. And yes, though it offends me greatly, if they burn it, I will grit my teeth and declare that my beloved flag stands for that too. T his is the moment an injured man was carried to safety by a Black Lives Matter supporter in London after a day of clashes between police and rival groups. Counter-protestors, some with links to the far-right, descended upon the capital on Saturday, claiming they wanted to protect statues after demonstrators had previously toppled monuments during BLM protests. But the demonstrations quickly turned violent as the self-proclaimed statue defenders took over areas near the Houses of Parliament and Trafalgar Square and hurled missiles , smoke grenades, glass bottles and flares at police officers. Amid the violence, which spilled across the river to South Bank, a photographer captured the moment that one man, who the crowd believed were part of the anti-racism counter-demonstration, was helped by a BLM supporter. A group of men help an injured man away after he was attacked on Saturday / Getty Images In the image, a white man is seen clutching his head as a black man carries him over his shoulders, flanked by police in riot gear. Reuters journalists at the scene said the man had been hurt on the steps leading to the Royal Festival Hall in central London and badly beaten before other protesters stepped in to protect him. They added that the crowd had identified him as a far-right supporter, although that has not been confirmed. A man rubs his head and a Black Lives Matter protester offers him help / Getty Images A London man named Patrick Hutchinson later said on social media that he was the person who helped the injured man. Along with the hashtag Black Lives Matter, he said: "It's not black versus white, it is everyone versus the racists. We had each other's back and protected those who needed us." Friends and followers praised Mr Hutchinson's actions, with one saying: "Saw this photo and felt so much pride and power and humanity through what you guys did." Another said: "This is what I want to see. A truly incredible man. Nothing but respect." The man was injured during the protests / REUTERS Other Twitter praised the image, which Piers Morgan hailed as a "beautiful moment". One user said: "Easily my favourite photo of the day. A BLM protestor carries a far-right counter-protestor to safety as fighting breaks out in Waterloo, London. "Tell me again how both sides are the same. Theyre not, they never have been + they never will be. This image will become iconic." Another added: "This is my favourite picture of today. A BLM Protestor carrying an opposition protestor to safety. This is the UK I know. This is us." Mr Morgan added: "Amid all the ugliness, a beautiful moment of humanity." Anti-racist protesters around the world have rallied for days against racism and police abuses since the death of African American George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody on May 25. Before thousands of protesters gathered on Hollywood Blvd. for a march against racial injustice and in support of Trans rights, Black LGBTQ+ activists painted a 600-foot street mural declaring All Black Lives Matter in front of the Chinese Theatre. The mural was painted on Saturday protest as part of the protest organized by the Black Advisory Board, a coalition of Black LGBTQ+ organizations. On the events website, the board posted a statement announcing a protest in direct response to racial injustice, systemic racism, and all forms of oppression. They also noted that the famed 1969 Stonewall Riots, considered to be the start of the modern LGBTQ+ movement, was started by two trans women, Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, the former of whom was Black. We must acknowledge and recognize the many tireless years of service and action by Black LGBTQ+ people, the statement read. The LGBTQ+ community must extend its support to unite against oppression, police brutality, racism, transphobia, and the many other disparities disproportionately impacting the Black community. Also Read: Fox News Mocked After Mistaking Monty Python Joke for Seattle Protest Infighting (Video) While the march was organized in remembrance of all Black Americans killed by police, including recent victims like Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the Black Advisory Board dedicated the protest in particular to Tony McDade, a Black trans man who was killed by police in Tallahassee on May 27. Police misgendered McDade in reports that claimed he was armed with a gun and a bloody knife, which has been disputed by witnesses who say that McDade was not armed and that police yelled slurs at him. We are here to amplify Black Queer voices and come together in solidarity, the Black Advisory Board wrote. All Black Lives Matter supports Black Lives Matter in its current global demands: 1) Prosecute killer cops. 2) Defund the police and reinvest in the community. The All Black Lives Matter protest is one of several racial justice marches held throughout Los Angeles as the United States enters its fourth week of protests. On Saturday, a protest organized by doctors and healthcare workers gathered outside Mens Central Jail in Los Angeles to protest inequality in both Americas healthcare and criminal justice system. Protests were also organized for Sunday in Newport Beach, Long Beach and Inglewood. Story continues See an aerial view below: Aerial view of Hollywood Boulevard shows the words "ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER" painted in an array of colors near the famous TCL Chinese and Dolby theaters amid ongoing protests. https://t.co/99O8A4pg2X pic.twitter.com/BXtvKOYjv1 ABC News (@ABC) June 14, 2020 And see images taken on the ground from the march below all photographs by Tommy Oliver for TheWrap: Tommy Oliver LA Pride March 1 Tommy Oliver Tommy Oliver LA Pride March 7 Tommy Oliver Tommy Oliver LA Pride March 7 Tommy Oliver Tommy Oliver LA Pride March 7 Tommy Oliver Tommy Oliver LA Pride March 7 Tommy Oliver Tommy Oliver LA Pride March 7 Tommy Oliver Tommy Oliver LA Pride March 7 Tommy Oliver Read original story Black LGBTQ+ Activists Paint All Black Lives Matter on Hollywood Blvd. At TheWrap The Permanent Representatives Office of Ukraine at the UN/Facebook Over June 14, Donbas militants violated the ceasefire seven times and attacked the positions of the armed forces of Ukraine, using prohibited weapons. This was reported by the press service of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense. Ukrainian military personnel performing tasks in the Donetsk sector, near the village of Luhanske, was attacked three times with 120-caliber mortars, weapons of infantry fighting vehicles, grenade launchers of various systems and heavy machine guns. The enemy also fired at our defenders near Orikhove, using grenade launchers of various systems, large-caliber machine guns, and small arms. In the Luhansk sector, militants used hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers for the defenders of Avdiivka. Related: Ukraine's new status in NATO marks approach to standards of Alliance, - Deputy Prime Minister Invited by the Ukrainian side to the Trilateral Contact Group representatives of occupied Donbas will participate in the meetings on an ongoing basis as the advisors of the Ukrainian delegation, as the Presidents Office reported. For the first time in the composition of the Ukrainian delegation in the work of the political group and directly in the Trilateral Contact Group, the representatives of particular areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine participated actively to hold the consultations provided by Minsk agreements. The Ukrainian side informed the partakers of the consultations that the advisors of the Ukrainian delegation the representatives of occupied Donbas will participate in the work of groups of the Trilateral Contact Group and in Trilateral Contact Group format on an ongoing basis, the message reads. Coronavirus outbreaks at food processors and agricultural sites have infected more than 600 workers and close contacts in Oregon and Southwest Washington since mid-April, with recent outbreaks at companies in Vancouver and Newport infecting well over 100 people apiece. Such mass workplace outbreaks have contributed to a recent spike in Oregons COVID-19 cases. And that rise in infections was among several markers that prompted Gov. Kate Brown to pause the states reopening plans Thursday night, threatening the pace of Oregons economic recovery from the pandemic. State health authorities didnt issue a playbook on how to respond to outbreaks at food processing sites until early June, more than three months after Oregon detected its first coronavirus cases. They didnt send operational guidance to all employers until the beginning of June, either. Even now, worker advocates say they doubt the states rules are stringent enough to prompt food processors to take more aggressive measures to protect their employees and halt workplace outbreaks. I dont believe enough is being done to protect these workers and its not just a local problem, its a national problem, said Michael Beranbaum, secretary-treasurer of the Teamsters Local Union No. 670, which represents employees at two Oregon food processors that experienced outbreaks. Pacific Seafood shut down operations at its five Newport locations on June 7 after 124 coronavirus cases were linked to its shrimp processing facility. That number has since risen to 132. Its Oregons second-largest workplace outbreak, trailing only the big outbreak at the Oregon State Penitentiary, and threatens to create a public health and economic crisis in the small coastal town. Fourteen of 24 active workplace outbreaks in Oregon are at agricultural or food processing facilities, according to data released by the state this past week. It has been evident from the beginning of the pandemic that the food processing industry is especially vulnerable to coronavirus outbreaks among workers. The work is typically done indoors, often in close quarters, in cool conditions that favor the virus. These workers are working close together, often on a processing line and often these shifts are long, 10 to 12 hours, said Dede Montgomery, a certified industrial hygienist who works with Oregon Health & Science Universitys Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences. You dont have a lot of spaces that arent being utilized during that time. While we do have rules on the books about the physical distancing, its very difficult to do that when you have to completely change up your operation. Additionally, the industrys low-wage workers -- many of them immigrants and migrants -- may not have the clout to demand better working conditions. REPORTING OUTBREAKS The meatpacking industry in other states experienced a succession of large outbreaks early in the pandemic. And this past week, the watchdog Environmental Working Group found that almost 1,200 food processing workers outside the meatpacking industry have been infected nationally since the middle of March. The true number is almost certainly higher, given the large number of cases in Oregon alone. Initially, Oregon health officials had a policy of keeping workplace outbreaks secret. They reversed that practice at the end of May, under media pressure, following a second large outbreak at Townsend Farms in Fairview that produced a big spike in Multnomah Countys daily count of coronavirus infections. The disclosures have revealed growing outbreaks at certain food processors, including Bobs Red Mill in Milwaukie, where confirmed cases jumped to 40 this week. Oregon officials say they have reacted to the states recent spate of outbreaks by developing a response plan, providing employers with a toolkit of best safety practices and putting a greater emphasis on inspecting and enforcing regulations at these facilities. The Oregon Department of Agriculture, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Oregon OSHA) and the Oregon Health Authority finalized a playbook on June 3 that lays out guidelines for how the agencies will respond when one or more positive coronavirus cases are reported at a food processing facility. The agencies developed the playbook in conjunction with a six-page toolkit for employers that offers guidance on developing safety measures and creating contingency plans in the case of an outbreak. This is just a way of making sure everyone reads the same text and understands exactly what needs to be done, said Emilio DeBess, an epidemiologist at the Oregon Health Authority. But we have been working with some of these facilities for a while, which is how the playbook actually came about, through learning from these facilities what needed to be done and how to minimize the likelihood of infection. While the state has been engaging with food processors since March and the Oregon Health Authority has listed general guidance for agricultural employers on its website since May 1, Lauren Henderson, assistant director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture, said the toolkit wasnt finalized and sent to employers until June 5. The toolkit and the playbook by themselves are not going to ensure that we dont have any more positive cases and thats because COVID is a hard thing, Henderson said. What it does do is it provides resources for the employers to be proactive and to look at their facilities and how they operate. If there is an outbreak, it ensures that there is a state and local response to that and that the facilities get the resources they need sooner rather than later. Nikki Fisher, a spokeswoman for the governors office, said the state has also been working with employers whose workplaces are more prone to COVID-19 outbreaks to significantly expand testing. The state helped Townsend Farms test 350 seasonal workers shortly after they arrived in late May. Fifty-six of the workers tested positive, marking the third-largest active workplace outbreak in the state. Some portion of the recent growth in cases counts is due to increased testing, Fisher said. PROACTIVE STEPS But worker advocates still worry that the state remains too focused on reacting to outbreaks at food processing facilities, rather than ensuring employers are implementing the necessary measures to prevent workers from being exposed. Oregon OSHA Administrator Michael Wood said the agency is in the process of moving forward with an emphasis program for the food processing industry, something that worker advocates pushed for during a call with the agency on May 29. Wood said his agency generally inspects only 2.5% of the workplaces under its jurisdiction within a typical year, but said that the emphasis program would allow the agency to put more resources toward proactively inspecting food processing facilities, even before they receive complaints. It is unclear how quickly the inspections will begin or what percentage of workplaces will be inspected. Kate Suisman, an attorney and the campaigns coordinator at the Northwest Workers Justice Project, which is working with workers in the food processing industry, said the emphasis program is a step in the right direction. But in a letter to Oregon lawmakers last month, the Northwest Workers Justice Project and other worker advocates called on the state to create enforceable statewide COVID-19 workplace standards and to substantially fine violators. Suisman said right now its unclear what guidance from the Oregon Health Authority would be enforceable from a legal perspective. OSHA COMPLAINTS Oregon OSHA has fielded more than 5,000 complaints about employers allegedly violating coronavirus safety standards since the beginning of the outbreak. More than 200 have come from workers in the agriculture and food processing industries, but advocates say theyve heard from other workers who havent come forward with concerns because they fear retaliation and worry about losing their paychecks if an outbreak occurs at their workplace. Workers tell us that they have had to work next to people who have had symptoms but they have felt compelled to continue working, wrote Nargess Shadbeh, the director of Oregon Law Centers Farmworker Program, in an email. Workers have complained about the lack of social distancing not only on the lines/belts where they work but also where they clock in and out. Others have had problems obtaining face coverings. Some businesses have made improvements but others have not. Wood said Oregon OSHA has responded to every complaint relating to a food processing facility by engaging with the companies involved. But the agency has handed out just one fine for workplace violations related to COVID-19 at food processing facilities, citing and fining Albany fruit and vegetable processor National Frozen Foods $2,000 in May for failing to adhere to physical distancing on their processing line. Wood said that other fines for violations at food processing facilities are forthcoming. But it is unlikely that those fines will be significantly different than the one given to National Frozen Foods. Its been our experience and its certainly true with regard to that case that large employers arent primarily motivated by the size of the penalty, Wood said. Their primary motivation is by the fact of the penalty and both the perceived impact of that, as well as frankly media coverage. Suisman disagreed and said the agency needs to send a message to employers who fail to adhere to regulations by handing down more meaningful fines. I dont quite know why they dont like to give out meaningful fines, Suisman said. But I absolutely think that a couple big fines would send a message. Michael Dale, executive director at the Northwest Workers Justice Project, said that there have been significant improvements at many workplaces since the start of the pandemic. But making changes in many cases requires employers to significantly alter their operations, and workers are continuing to report issues in their workplaces. Really what people should be doing is going through their whole operation, in consultation with workers, to talk about how we can make this more safe, Dale said. Realizing the issue here isnt how profitable we can make this business, but can we get through this season preserving the industry and its vital workers? -- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com | @jamiebgoldberg Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. A CNN poll released last week was so dire for President Trump that his campaign took the bizarre and unprecedented step of demanding a retraction and an apology as if to suggest that 55% of the registered voters surveyed had made a mistake. The poll, finding him trailing former Vice President Joe Biden by 14 points, was the worst of a bad recent bunch for Trump, but it reflected a general political deterioration that worries not only the White House but the campaign to preserve the Republicans stronghold in the Senate. Elected officials facing such a likelihood of losing the electorate will inevitably be tempted to manipulate it, and our time and place unfortunately provide ready means of doing so. The latest case in point is last weeks primary in Georgia, which unfolded less than two years after a gubernatorial election so tainted by suppressive shenanigans that the loser, Democrat Stacey Abrams, refused to concede the race and took up a voting rights crusade. Thanks to a combination of coronavirus-induced polling place closures, buggy new voting machines and endemic hostility to well-run elections, the state produced another spectacle unworthy of any ostensible democracy. Voters in one precinct were forced to wait in line for more than five hours to cast their ballots after midnight. The meltdown has sparked multiple investigations and much back-and-forth over whether the barriers to voting were by accident or design. But even top Republican officials acknowledged the preponderance of problems in heavily African American and Democratic parts of greater Atlanta. That could prove more consequential and useful to the GOP in November, when both of the states Republican senators face competitive races and, thanks to his own flagging support and Georgias changing population, so might Trump. If this is a preview of November, one local official told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, then were in trouble. Georgia isnt the only potential battleground causing consternation. Some Nevadans also had to stand in line for hours, some of it in the unforgiving desert sun, to cast a ballot last week. The week before, Pennsylvanias governor and courts signed an emergency order extending the deadline for mailed ballots to arrive in several county election offices, lest tens of thousands of voters be disenfranchised. And in April, Wisconsin Republicans forced traditional in-person voting to proceed in the throes of the pandemic, even though election worker absences required Milwaukee to close 175 of its 180 polling places. In contrast to Wisconsin, Georgia, Pennsylvania and other states substantially eased and encouraged more voting by mail, the safest and best established means of voting without risking further spread of the coronavirus. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered that absentee ballots be sent to every registered voter in the state, provoking paroxysms of rage and misinformation from Trump and other Republicans while laying bare their preoccupation with discouraging turnout by any available means. But even genuine efforts to facilitate participation in the pandemic can and have gone awry, especially in states with more limited experience in voting by mail. Officials must not only broaden access to remote voting but also maintain sufficient opportunities to vote in person for those who prefer it or have no other choice. Election officials also have to develop the capacity and will to process unprecedented numbers of mailed ballots, which takes not just staff but time. That means the era of the quickly called election should be over. California elections often take days or weeks to call because of the volume of mail-in ballots accepted and processed as long as they are postmarked on time. The system has tremendous benefits for participation and little cost to anyone who isnt either anchoring television coverage or trying to make voting harder than it ought to be. 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. Opels Corsa-e model is available to order now in SC and Elite trims and priced from 27,338 and 30,800 inclusive of SEAI grant and VRT relief. This all-electric Corsa-e complements the existing petrol and diesel versions launched earlier this year. James Brooks, Managing Director at Leeson Motors, Opel Importer in Ireland, said: Were celebrating the arrival of the all-new Corsa-e, as our first full-electric car in Ireland. It takes its place beside our new Grandland X plug-in hybrid, now also available. These new models fulfil our strategy of offering customers the option to choose their preferred model, then the powertrain that best suits them and their lifestyle - petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid or 100pc electric - without compromising on space, technology, looks or driving sensations. Opel looks forward to the arrival of a host of new all-electric models throughout 2020 and beyond. With a 50-kWh battery, the Corsa-e offers a range of up to 337km (WLTP) and can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 8.1 seconds so offers a sporty drive. Torque is up to 260 Nm. Opel say that the electric drive unit (no gearbox), with the regenerative braking system, lets drivers fully focus on enjoying the ride. A drive mode feature offers the choice between an economical drive for maximum range, a sporty mode for performance and a normal mode for a balance of range and power. The interior and boot space are the same as the petrol and diesel versions as the batteries are under the floor. A full battery charge takes 7.5 hours from a Wall Box (Fast AC 32A/7kWh) or 80pc charge takes just 30 minutes at a dedicated public terminal (Rapid DC 100kWh). The battery is guaranteed for 8 years or 160,000 km, for up to 70pc retention, certifiable by the Opel Dealer Network. Customers are also covered with roadside assistance of 8 years/160,000km. Standard features include a 7-inch colour touchscreen, DAB radio, Apple Car Play / Android Auto, USB connections, lane departure warning with lane assist, automatic emergency city braking, hill assist, cruise control with speed limiter, LED headlights, 16-inch alloys, high beam assist and Isofix child seat fixings on outer rear seats. Added equipment over its petrol and diesel siblings include navigation, auto wipers/headlights, anti-dazzle rear view mirror, rear parking sensors, electric parking brake, electronic climate control and keyless start. Easy-to-understand vehicle data is shown on the 7-inch digital instrument cluster keeping the driver informed on battery status and energy usage. The top Corsa-e Elite trim adds a 10-inch colour touchscreen, half leather effect seat trims, 17-inch alloys, a panoramic rear view camera, front and rear parking sensors, folding/heated door mirrors, intelligent speed adaption, keyless entry and start, side blind spot alert. Standard on this Elite trim is Opels IntelliLux matrix LED headlights that give highbeam visibility with up to 30pc improved performance versus standard LED headlamps. The Corsa-e and Grandland X plug-in hybrid will be joined by a new Vivaro-e later this year, followed by all-electric Combo and Zafira Life models. A pioneer in electric propulsion for more than five decades, all Opel passenger cars and light commercial vehicles will be electrified by 2024. After months of quarantining and isolating and Zooming, many people are ready to socialize - even from afar - with other humans. Warmer weather has brought a trickle of impromptu socially distant gatherings, whether driveway drinks or alley happy hours. Apartment dwellers have sought out park benches to meet for coffee. Faced with job losses, loneliness and the collective anxiety of a world turned upside down, many of us are getting desperate for some meaningful interaction with friends. But is it possible to party in a pandemic? First, we should share the current official guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: They recommend people "avoid gatherings of any size outside your household, such as [in] a friend's house, parks, restaurants, shops, or any other place." Still, many people are already seeking out company in their backyards and neighborhoods, and some experts say it can be done - with plenty of caveats, of course. "It's important in pandemic times to not think about 'safe' and 'unsafe' - it's all about levels of risk," says Donald Shaffner, professor of food microbiology at Rutgers University. "Anything you do poses a risk, whether it's grocery shopping or going for a walk." But he says the safest course - not socializing at all - comes with mental health and other risks of its own. "Maybe we've reached the limit of what we can do with virtual happy hours," he says. "So we have to think about reasonable things to do." We're not talking about having eight people in your dining room for a three-course meal. Sitting (six feet or more apart) in the backyard having an iced tea or a glass of wine with a friend is a better idea. It might have to be BYOB and BYO food, as well as BYO everything else. And yes, you'll have to decide whether wearing a mask between bites makes you feel safer. Rachel Averitt, whose Vermont company Rely on Rach does culinary and wedding consultation, says although Vermonters got the go ahead for social gatherings of up to 25 on June 1, people are still being very cautious. She has a friend who was invited to a small dinner (two or three people, she thought) and was assured that the gathering would be safe. "She got there, and it was 12 people, and she felt very awkward. When people started going inside, she left early." As a host, you should communicate ground rules for guests in a way that seemed incomprehensible in the Before Times. Get ready to feel bossy. But go easy on yourself. No one expects elegance right now. "The rules of regular entertaining are suspended," says textile and dinnerware designer Michael Devine, who lives in Orange, Va. "Usually, the host provides everything, and you are putting your best foot forward and making people feel welcome. You still make them feel welcome, but they bring their own drinks, food and dishes." It can still be meaningful - and even fun. "You feel honored when you go to someone's house now," says Lisa Milbank, president of Caspari, a high-end paper products company. "It's a special treat that someone has taken the time to figure out how to do it and that they are careful, but they really want to see you." If you decide you want to gather, knowing the risks, here's what the pros say about how to do it as safely (and graciously) as you can. --- The guest list Starting small, with one or two people, keeping it short, and staying outdoors is the most sensible way to begin. The risk of transmitting the virus is far lower outside, public health experts say, and the more people you encounter, the more risk. Know the size limits set by your state or locality. In Washington and many other areas, gatherings of more than 10 people are banned. Officials in Alameda County in California this week relaxed rules to allow outdoor gatherings of "social bubbles" - groups of up to 12 people from different households who follow the same rules. The number of guests should also depend on how much space you have. Monica Theis, a senior lecturer in the department of food science at the University of Wisconsin, notes that you need to keep social distancing even as people move around. "What's the setup - can you really keep all guests six feet apart at all times?" If your guests are drinking, Theis says, it might be harder to keep buffers in place. "People loosen up and they might not be able to tell six feet from four feet," she says. Think about your guests: If they are older or immunocompromised, they might be more at risk. And consider the risk other guests bring. "Are we going to invite people who have recently been to the Lake of the Ozarks?" Shaffner asks. "Somebody who has to travel for work, or because of the nature of their job comes into contact with a lot of people, like people who work for Uber and grocery stores? That's a slippery slope and gets into issues of class that we've never had to deal with before." It's harder for children to maintain social distancing, so consider making your gatherings adults-only. Dogs can also be a problem: Health experts have suggested they, too, should socially distance from non-household members. If you're a guest, don't bring a plus-one who wasn't invited - and stay home if you're feeling sick. --- Invitations A phone call might be better than a text or email invite. That way, you can explain what you have in mind and hear what your friends are or are not comfortable with. "From an etiquette standpoint, we are in uncharted territory," says Mindy Lockard, founder of a Portland etiquette and leadership firm that bears her name. "But this goes back to the traditional mind-set of a host or hostess: You always put the needs and comfort of your guest first." Theis says it's best to be as straightforward with guests as possible about your expectations. But don't take it personally if a friend isn't ready to get together. Everyone's comfort and risk tolerance should be respected. Also - make invitations "come as you are" (no judgments on bad hair) and, if you don't want guests coming indoors, "weather permitting." --- Food and how to serve it Besides social distancing, the most important thing is to eliminate common touch points. Bryan Rafanelli, founder of Rafanelli Events, who staged events for the Obamas at the White House, says box lunches and dinners are the way to go. "You can't just do a big buffet anymore." "I think the tray dinner is back," says Devine, who has plotted out six-foot circles on his brick terrace for guests. "You set everything up on a tray and then your guest has their own things and you don't have to touch the tableware again." Takeout is perfectly acceptable. You and your friend can order and pay separately and eat together yet distant. Averitt made a birthday dinner for four women and three kids, most of whom were co-quarantining. Moms brought hand sanitizer and their kids' food. There were three tables, well spaced. Averitt wore a mask and washed her hands frequently while preparing burgers and homemade buns and salad. She put everything in deli containers with lids and used tongs for moving the food. She realized a large birthday cake with candles was out, so she made individual ramekins of chocolate cake, and the celebrant got one candle that she blew out discreetly, away from other guests. "You don't want to lose the beauty and aesthetic feel of a gathering," says Averitt. Lockard carefully planned a surprise birthday party for her 17-year-old daughter where friends came over in designated time slots and she served wrapped Popsicles and ice cream sandwiches on a tray. Rafanelli recently went to a client's home for lunch for three and was impressed at her careful preparation. The menu was three salads. There were nine small serving bowls on the table, so each guest had their own three salads to choose from to fill their plates with their own three separate serving spoons. "It's not just about how pretty a party is any more," he says. "It's using common sense and reminding each other of how to take care of each other." If you don't want to use disposable dishes and utensils, Shaffner says, you could put out a bin for people to leave their dirty dishes in. The host can later pick it up and load the contents into the dishwasher - washing his or her hands afterward, of course. --- The bathroom Ditch cloth towels in favor of disposable ones. Also put out wipes (if you have them), lots of soap and hand sanitizer. Nest, maker of high-end candles, is creating anti-bacterial hand sanitizer that this fall will come in a beautiful bottle with an artsy scent. If possible, you could set up a hand-washing station in your yard. Not everyone is comfortable offering bathroom privileges. One block of neighbors in Alexandria has set up a regular Saturday night gathering in alternating backyards. You bring your own food and drink, and if you have go to the bathroom, you simply go back to your own house. If you don't want guests in your house, simply tell them it's a two-hour drinks party and there's no using the bathroom. If you are letting them inside, be explicit about the WC "rules." Those might be more restrictive than usual, given the potential risks. In addition to potentially being transmitted on shared surfaces, Shaffner notes that the covid-19 virus has been known to shed in feces. "There is a theoretical risk that if an asymptomatic person uses the toilet, it could aerosolize," he says. "Maybe the solution is that you give people instructions: leave the lid down before you flush, wash your hands. If I was going to manage risk, that's how I would do it." And don't be embarrassed; your friends will understand. Instead of whispering the instructions to each guest or blurting them out when everyone arrives, put a small note on the bathroom door with the pandemic rules, and urge everyone to wipe down the doorknob on their way out. Even modest gatherings in the covid era will take lots of planning and effort, but seeing friends can ease anxiety in these very stressful days. "This is not forever. It's just for now," Lockard says. "There will be a time that we will be able to gather in groups again. Good manners is how we handle other people in difficult and good times. We just need to maintain our graciousness and sensitivity." Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 13) Dr. Tony Leachon, Special Adviser to the National Task Force on COVID-19, expressed disappointment at the Department of Health on Saturday, as it continues to present delayed data on the country's cases. "Forgive me, I think the lead agency has lost focus in everything. Risk communication, priorities, data management and execution of all plans," he tweeted. Leachon said he was "deeply bothered" by the agency's latest case report that said 504 people have been recently infected with COVID-19 while 22 have died. He added further that the task force needs "real time" information on the situation in order to come up with sound decisions. "[A]ll of the efforts are wasted if the data churned out each day are not real time, credible and granular," he later told CNN Philippines in a text message. "Lives are at stake." The DOH in recent weeks has been reporting COVID-19 infections that include part of its validation backlog, classified as "late cases." Prior to Leachons Saturday tweet, the agency had said that delayed reporting on some cases was due to a number of issues in gathering data, such as insufficient staff, duplicated names and encoding errors. The department had assured that it had since taken steps in addressing these flaws, such as digitizing its data monitoring system. However, testing laboratories would still have to submit their daily accomplishment reports on time in order for the agency to clear its backlog and release only real-time data, the DOH earlier mentioned. The Inter-agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging infectious Diseases is set to send its policy recommendation to the President recommendation to the President before he addresses the public on Monday. Metro Manila and other high-risk areas are currently under general community quarantine with limited business operations, while the rest of the country is under more relaxed restrictions. CNN Philippines has reached out to the DOH for comment on Dr. Leachons tweets. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 18:24:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Medical staff nurse a COVID-19 patient before transfer at the Leishenshan hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Gao Xiang) South Sudanese officials have applauded China's domestic and global efforts in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. JUBA, June 14 (Xinhua) -- South Sudanese officials have applauded China's domestic and global efforts in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. John Andruga Duku, South Sudan's Ambassador to China, said Chinese authorities and people acted swiftly to contain the outbreak at home and also supported global efforts to curb the spread of the virus. Duku said Beijing was able to contain the spread of the Coronavirus because of hard work and unity from the top leadership of the country to the grassroots level. "China has succeeded in reversing the tragedy of COVID-19 because of the collective discipline of the whole country from the top leadership to the grassroots," Andruga told a local radio station in Juba. "Everybody adheres to the government and that is why today China is among the countries who have turned the corner and reversed the spread of the virus," he added. Thomas Tongun, a medical expert based in South Sudan's capital Juba also applauded China's efforts in containing the COVID-19. Tongun said countries with weak health systems like South Sudan can share China's experience and replicate them in their own local context. "China has managed to control the spread of the virus and with that experience, I think our people and government here can learn from it," Tongun said. "When we put it into practice, we can reduce whatever is happening in our country here," he added. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus in the East African country, the Chinese government, the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation have dispatched four batches of anti-Coronavirus medical supplies to help South Sudan fight the pandemic. The most recent donation delivered by the Chinese government on Thursday included protective suits, face masks, surgical masks, protective goggles, gloves and packets of diagnostic kits. Medical supplies donated by the Chinese government to South Sudan are seen upon arrival at Juba international Airport in Juba, South Sudan, on June 11, 2020. (Chinese Embassy in South Sudan/Handout via Xinhua) Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan Hua Ning pledged China's continued support towards global efforts to eradicate the novel Coronavirus. "We have been working very hard in the past months and China is very successful in containing the virus," Hua said. In conquering COVID-19, "you need determination, you need coordination, you need sacrifice, and you need self-discipline," Hua added. The Chinese envoy urged South Sudanese to help their government in fighting the pandemic by respecting measures aimed at curbing further transmission. "The individuals' role is also very essential in fighting the virus," the Chinese envoy said. "They know that their personal sacrifice will contribute to successful victory against the pandemic," he said, adding that "when people get united and follow government guidelines, this will help in the fight against the virus." South Sudan confirmed its first COVID-19 case on April 5 and the number of cases continues to rise. The Ministry of Health of South Sudan reported late on Friday 14 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the country's cumulative tally to 1,684, with 25 deaths and 49 recoveries. SEATTLEAndrea Munoz Vargas says her immigration status is the last thing on her mind during 12-hour night shifts in a Wenatchee hospitals intensive care unit, where she works as a nurse caring for coronavirus patients. I just need to stay focused. COVID-19 is so new that doctors need every piece of information they can get as they figure out whats working and whats not. So Munoz Vargas watches her patients carefully for any changes that could indicate their organs are failing. Or maybe that theyre improving enough to get off a ventilator. She said her observations are crucial not only to helping her current patients but to building up a knowledge base for a possible second wave. Lately, though, shes begun to wonder how long she can continue working as a nurse something that also might be of interest to the U.S. Supreme Court during the pandemic. This month, the court is expected to rule on whether President Donald Trumps attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was legal. An Obama-era program, DACA gives quasi-legal status and work permits to undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. The Mexican-born Munoz Vargas, who has been living in the U.S. since she was four, is a DACA recipient. If the program ends, the 28-year-old said: The only thing I can think of is maybe going to Mexico and practising as a nurse. If she stayed in the U.S., what options would she have? Possibly a fruit-packing shed, she said. Roughly 16,000 DACA recipients in Washington 650,000 in the U.S., as of December will be affected by the long-awaited decision. While polls show broad support for DACA recipients, the politics are polarized, as with everything related to immigration. And now the pandemic brings even more intensity to the debate and a new wrinkle for the court to consider. Healthcare providers on the frontlines of our nations fight against COVID-19 rely significantly upon DACA recipients to perform essential work, reads an April supplemental plaintiffs brief, atypically accepted by the court though oral arguments had happened months before. Activists critical of DACA remain unmoved by recipients role in the pandemic. There are no precise figures on how many work in health care. The Center for American Progress, a liberal research organization that analyzed American Community Survey data between 2016 and 2018, estimates there are 29,000 nationwide. As detailed by the plaintiffs brief to the Supreme Court, they include nurses, dentists, pharmacists, physician assistants, home health aides, technicians and almost 200 medical students and doctors. At Confluence Healths Central Washington campus in Wenatchee, Munoz Vargas works alongside another nurse who is a DACA recipient, Jessica Esparza. Jessica and Andrea are vital team members helping to run ventilators keeping those most affected by COVID-19 alive, said hospital spokesman Andrew Canning. As the coronavirus claims a disproportionately large number of Latinos, Munoz Vargas says she and Esparza are often the only staffers on their shifts who can speak Spanish with patients and their families. DACA recipients also perform other types of work classified as essential during the pandemic. One is a salesperson for a vendor at an Eastern Washington Costco, another a fast-food cashier in the Seattle suburbs using her wages to earn a teaching degree. Yet another is a Kennewick pest control technician driving out the bugs that the homebound are noticing as they clean out their garages, bedrooms and basements. To be sure, DACA recipients hold all kinds of jobs, not just ones keeping the world going during the current crisis. How much the pandemic, and whos doing what during it, will weigh on justices minds is anybodys guess. Many of plaintiffs arguments rest on something called the Administrative Procedure Act, which compels the government to consider all the consequences of rescinding an existing policy. One thing the government didnt take into account, DACAs defenders say, is that the programs young workers would be needed in the event of a pandemic a scenario envisioned in a prescient amicus brief filed by the Association of American Medical Colleges in October. The Trump administration has not responded to that issue, letting its broader arguments rest: that it had to act because the DACA program violates immigration law, and that in any case the court shouldnt review an action that falls within the scope of executive authority. The courts finding, after three years with the program in limbo, will be momentous. But it is unlikely to be the last word. If the court rules Trump moved to end the program improperly, he could try again with a more thorough process. And if the court vindicates Trump, it remains to be seen how he will move ahead, including whether he will try to deport those suddenly recast into a netherworld. Congress could step in, as many have been urging, launching more expansive arguments that would surely touch on the pandemic. Theres a moral dimension, said Luis Cortes Romero, a Kent lawyer who is one of dozens representing plaintiffs in the Supreme Court case. Ending DACA would be turning your back on people who really saved this country when it needed it the most. The 31-year-old is himself both a DACA recipient and an essential worker, continuing to meet with clients and attend court hearings at the Northwest detention centre in Tacoma. Activists in favour of sharp curbs on immigration, in contrast, see the pandemic as irrelevant. The number of DACA recipients in health care is a tiny share of the workforce in the field, said Roy Beck, president of NumbersUSA. They are not indispensable, he added, because there are a gigantic number of health-care workers who have been laid off. Im not saying that they arent doing heroic things, he continued. But there are Americans who will do these heroic things. Ira Mehlman, a Seattle-based spokesperson for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said immigrants of all kinds dont need special consideration for risks they take on during the pandemic. Bottom line: They are being rewarded for their labour by means of a paycheck. Urania Mendoza Martinez was in her early 20s, working in the orchards of Eastern Washington, when DACA came around in 2012. It changed my life. A Mexican native who had come to the U.S. when she was 13, she went back to school for a certified nursing assistant degree and got a job at an adult family home, where she is now a manager. Then, she returned to school again for a medical assistant degree. It offers more options and generally more money but she has stayed put, much to the confusion of some people she knows who tell her they dont know how she can do such dirty work. Dont tell me about my job. I love it, she said, recalling those exchanges. The adult family home cares for six residents ages 60 to 85, some with debilitating conditions. To see them smile because of something you did ... its something nobody can imagine, she said. Residents are shut in now with no visitors, like most older people who are especially vulnerable to COVID-19. Mendoza Martinez said she and other staff try to make the time pass by reading to them and helping them do crossword puzzles. Mendoza Martinez and the homes owner take turns shopping for residents medications, groceries and, for a recent 82nd birthday celebration, special snacks. They wear masks and gloves but Mendoza Martinez said she knows such outings involve possible exposure to the coronavirus. She hopes that will count for something as the fate of DACA recipients is decided. Were doing this because its our job and because we care about America, she said. She has two kids born in the U.S., four and 14, and her older one has been asking what will happen if their mom can no longer live here. Mendoza Martinez said she worries, too, because the part of Mexico she is from is very dangerous, but they would go as a family and face it together. DACA also altered the course of nurse Munoz Vargass life. The child of agricultural workers, she was in her senior year of high school, about to apply to four-year colleges with a 3.7 grade point average, when a mentor sat her down to explain that her undocumented status would be a stumbling block. She could still apply and was ultimately accepted to five state schools, including her top pick, the University of Washington but limited financial aid made it an unworkable prospect. She said she was rather aimlessly attending community college when DACA began. She dived into a nursing program and got an associate degree last year. She is now studying for a bachelor of science in nursing while working nights at Confluence. She and co-worker Esparza didnt realize both were DACA recipients until they connected on Facebook. Both started as nurses in the ICU just as COVID-19 hit, adding whole other physical and emotional dimensions to the work: donning and doffing personal protective equipment, turning patients onto their stomachs so they can breathe better, caring for them for weeks on end without seeing their faces. Esparza, 26, who came to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 11, said it would be heartbreaking for her to be told she couldnt work as a nurse. Her two-year work permit is up at the end of the year and shes renewing early, figuring like others that the permit will run its course no matter how the Supreme Court rules. Munoz Vargas said that if she had to, she could work in a packing shed. A lot of our people work there, some without valid work permits. Its not like I consider it degrading work. Shes done it before, during high school summers, for 12 hours a day. At least, I saw a finish line, she said of her 16-year-old self. As her unending future, that would be another thing entirely. Read more about: North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (L) signs the guest book next to his sister Kim Yo Jong (R) during the Inter-Korean summit with South Korea's President Moon Jae-in at the Peace House building on the southern side of the truce village of Panmunjom on April 27, 2018. (Korea Summit Press Pool/AFP via Getty Images) South Korea Holds Emergency Meeting After Kim Jong Uns Sisters Threats The sister of North Korean despot Kim Jong Un threatened military action against South Korea over the weekend, prompting South Koreas Ministry of Defense to take action. Kim Yo Jong warned that by exercising my power authorized by the supreme leader, our party and the state, I gave an instruction to the arms of the department in charge of the affairs with the enemy to decisively carry out the next action, according North Korean state-run media. Our army, too, will determine something for cooling down our peoples resentment and surely carry it out, I believe, she added. The comments prompted South Koreas national security director, Chung Eui-yong, to hold a meeting with ministers and generals on Sunday. The countrys Unification Ministry said Pyongyang should honor past agreements. The South and the North should try to honor all inter-Korean agreements reached, the ministry said in a statement obtained by Reuters. The government is taking the current situation seriously. The Ministry of Defense said it is taking the current situation gravely and watching any moves made by North Koreas military, according to the Yonhap News Agency. It has maintained a readiness in preparation against all situations. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (C) visits a fertilizer factory in Sunchon, South Pyongan province, near Pyongyang, North Korea, on May 1, 2020. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) Relations between North and South Korea have deteriorated over the past several months. Last week, the isolated, communist country said it would cut off all communication channels with South Korea. Some experts said North Korea might be laying the groundwork for a serious provocation. If North Korea hopes a new inter-Korean crisis can bring about a rapid and significant change in Seouls approachin a way that could lead to large-scale economic aid to Pyongyang, for exampleit may feel a major escalation of tensions is the only way, wrote Chad OCarroll, CEO of Korea Risk Group, on Twitter. Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un attends a wreath-laying ceremony at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam, on March 2, 2019. (Jorge Silva/Pool Photo via AP, File) About 10 years ago, North Korea fired a torpedo that sank a South Korean warship off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula, killing 46 sailors. Pyongyang weeks later then shelled a border island, killing more. Over the years, North Korea has fired missiles into the Pacific Ocean, drawing international condemnation. Earlier this year, there were rumors and speculation about Kim Jong Uns health after he didnt appear in public for weeks. Unconfirmed reports said he underwent a heart operation, while some Asian news outlets reported that he was dead or brain dead. He later appeared in public at a fertilizer factory and showed no outward signs of health difficulties. Mr Banducci said his focus was community trust and customer satisfaction CEO Brad Banducci said it was a bid to help remote indigenous communities The CEO of Woolworths has revealed he directed produce from its suppliers to other stores in a bid to help remote indigenous communities amid COVID-19 panic buying. As coronavirus infection rates started to ramp up in Australia in March, thousands of nervous customers cleared supermarket shelves of essential goods, with some embroiled in ugly fights to snag toilet paper and hand sanitiser. All supermarket retailers were forced to bring in buying restrictions in a desperate bid to keep stock levels afloat. But in an unprecedented move to help vulnerable Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory, Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci diverted suppliers to independent wholesaler Metcash. In an unprecedented move to help vulnerable Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory, Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci (pictured) diverted suppliers to independent wholesaler Metcash Thousands of nervous customers cleared supermarket shelves of necessities such as toilet paper, canned goods and hand sanitiser 'It was never about our sales, it was about Australia,' Banducci told the Brisbane Times. Mr Banducci didn't want any products to go to waste, despite there being no Woolworths stores in the remote NT region. As panic buying intensified across the country, Mr Banducci received an unexpected phone call from Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. 'He phoned me and asked, 'what's going on with toilet paper sales?'' It's not very often the Treasurer phones you in the first instance, and it's certainly not very often he asks you about toilet paper,' he said. Mr Banducci also revealed that Coles chief executive Steven Cain came up with the idea of the Supermarket Taskforce between the competitors as well as discount chain Aldi. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton headed the taskforce, which allowed the supermarket rivals to collaborate legally. Soon, Mr Cain and Mr Banducci called each other every night for three weeks to share their plans about issues like in-store cleaning and social distancing. Aldi top boss Tom Daunt and Scott Marshall, Metcash's chief executive of supermarkets, were also taking part in regular phone calls. Three weeks into March, when panic buying was at its worst, Woolworths, Coles, Aldi and Metcash all took out full-page ads in the country's biggest newspapers, calling for calm among shoppers. Despite the obvious peak in sales, Mr Cain and Mr Banducci said their primary focus was community trust and customer satisfaction. Despite the obvious peak in sales, Mr Cain and Mr Banducci said their primary focus was community trust and customer satisfaction 'My metric of success during the course of the crisis was not sales or profit, it was actually doing the right thing, emerging with our reputation enhanced, not tarnished,' Mr Banducci said. Kimberly-Clark - who makes 20 per cent of Australia's toilet paper - was forced to ramp up their manufacturing at the request of retailers trying to keep up with demand. Doug Cunningham, local managing director, then cut out non-essential products, changed packet sizes and increased its production to maximum capacity. 'We did that within hours, which is actually unprecedented in our business. Normally it would take a week or so, but we just did it straight away,' Cunningham said. CLAIM: A Facebook post claims Indians are throwing away their gods to follow Christ because the deities cannot save them from Covid-19. VERDICT: The video is dated and has nothing to do with Covid-19. It shows a ritual that is undertaken yearly by Hindus in India. Full text A section of the Christian community on Facebook is jubilating following a claim on the page Christian Vibes Gh. that Indians are discarding their gods to become Christians. Indians are throwing their gods to their river because they cannot save them from #COVID!( they are now ready to accept the salvation of JESUS CHRIST as Lord and Saviour. Praise be to God, the Facebook post reads. With 4.7K shares on the social media platform, the majority of the 896 comments on the post shows Christians praising Jesus for the conversion. A user even provided a list of some of the gods claimed to have been thrown into the river as Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, Lord Shiva the destroyer, avatars, Lakshmi and many others. Verification The video in question is, first of all, not related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2015, this same video was posted on Facebook evidence that it is not a recent video. Indias first case of the coronavirus was reported by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 30th January 2020, not in 2015 when the video was posted on Facebook. The post at the time spoke about a yearly celebration all over India where Lord Ganesh idols are immersed in water after the festival. Another post on Facebook, shared in September 2015 with the same video, suggests that the incident seen in the video took place at River Krishna. Dont share, Like. It is located on the River Krishna in the Telangana state off NH 44 Mehboobnagar district Dubawa found leads in the comments section about the possibility of the video being from a Hindu festival in India. Our search for Hindu festivals that involve the immersion of idols showed the truth about the periodic immersion of icons of the gods in water. A YouTube video posted on September 29th, 2015 supports this claim. According to the text attached to the video, the video showed how civic authorities wrongfully immersed Lord Ganpati idols in a river in Mumbai. A wrong way of Ganapati Visarjan. We found that Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chaturthi is a yearly 10-day festival celebrated in India, usually by Hindus in the months of August or September. On the last day of the festival, the immersion of religious icons takes place. According to the history of the festival, immersing idols into the river enables the god to return to its parents Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. A report by reuters.com in 2007 reveals that the immersion of idols into water is a long-standing tradition. Therefore, it is not at all related to the coronavirus pandemic. The report suggests rivers have been choked as a result of this tradition of immersing idols in water bodies, leading to environmental issues. Either way, it is clear that the video has nothing to do with Indians converting to Christianity and discarding their gods because of COVID-19. Conclusion Indians are not becoming Christians because they believe that their gods cannot save them from the COVID-19 pandemic. The immersion of the statues is part of a festival celebration done by Hindus as a ritual of renewal. ADDRESS TO THE NATION BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC, NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO, ON UPDATES TO GHANAS ENHANCED RESPONSE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, ON SUNDAY, 14TH JUNE, 2020. Fellow Ghanaians, good evening. Exactly two weeks ago, I came again into your homes to outline a roadmap for easing the restrictions put in place to help contain the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic in our country. I indicated that it would be a phased approach, involving a selected list of public gatherings, based on their risk profile, socio-economic impact, and, most importantly, our capacity to enforce and to respond, in the event of a flair up in our number of infections. Since then, we have had some of our religious institutions opening their doors to worshippers, whilst respecting the limits on numbers, and maintaining the strict protocols announced; others have decided to remain closed until further notice. Private burials are taking place, market places, public transport, including domestic air transport, restaurants, hotels, individual and non-contact sports, and our constitutional and statutory bodies are conducting their activities in accordance with social distancing and the relevant hygiene protocols. From tomorrow, Monday, 15th June, the last batch of institutions in this phased approach, our educational institutions, will begin to re-open, with final year students in our tertiary colleges and universities returning to school to prepare for and take their exit examinations. As has been stated, final year senior high school (SHS 3) students, together with SHS 2 Gold Track students, will resume on 22nd June; and final year junior high school (JHS 3) students, the week after, on 29th June. The decision to include our schools in phase one of the easing of restrictions was taken advisedly. Some argue that we are putting the lives of our students, teachers and non-teaching staff in danger by this re-opening, citing the examples of other countries, who have done so and recorded spikes in their infection case counts. I have stated, on several occasions, that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to the resolution of this pandemic. We have our own unique situation in the country, and we have always taken that it into account in dealing with this disease, much as we are prepared to learn from the examples of others. Fellow Ghanaians, over the last three (3) months, every aspect of our national life has been affected by this virus. We have had to take deliberate steps to ensure that our society, in the face of the pandemic, is able to function, and continues to strive to deliver the results of progress, prosperity and development, for which we all yearn. Saving lives, jobs and livelihoods, revitalising our economy, and safeguarding the future of our country have been at the heart of this endeavour. We cannot say that, because of the pandemic, we are no longer interested in issues of social justice, such as education and health. Education, indeed, is the key to the future of our country. The quality of education that our educational institutions produce, ultimately, will determine the success or otherwise of our nation. We, therefore, have to find a way of guaranteeing the prospects of the generation of young people who are the objects of education today, and who represent our future. We have to do everything within our power to protect their potential, and, thereby, help preserve our future. We cannot afford to let the pandemic undermine our chances for survival and progress. We have to confront our present and future with confidence, knowing fully well that we must remain, at all times, vigilant and careful. So, from tomorrow, operating with half the class size, final year students will begin a six-week period of learning to finish their respective programmes. Subsequently, for a period of four weeks, they will sit for their exit examinations. It must be put on record that some final year University students will not be returning to school, as some of them, through virtual means, have already sat their exit examinations. Prior to their return to school, Government, through the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service, has ensured that all tertiary institutions, public and private, have been disinfected. Universities, with their own hospitals and clinics, have been equipped with the necessary personal protective equipment, and have isolation centres to deal with any positive cases. All other institutions, without their own clinics and hospitals, have been mapped to health facilities. There will be no mass gatherings and no sporting activities. Religious activities, under the new protocols, will be permitted. Social distancing and the wearing of face masks must become the norm on campus. To aid in this effort, a total of six hundred thousand (600,000) face masks has been distributed to the tertiary institutions. This is to enable every student, teaching and non-teaching staff to have three (3) reusable face masks. In addition to this, one thousand seven hundred (1,700) Veronica buckets, two hundred thousand (200,000) litres of hand sanitisers, three thousand, four hundred (3,400) litres of liquid soap, and nine hundred (900) thermometer guns have been distributed, with the transportation and delivery of these items being overseen by the special logistics team of the Government Committee, chaired by the sagacious, experienced politician, the Senior Minister, Hon. Yaw Osafo Maafo, that is supervising the re-opening of the schools. I met with the Vice Chancellors of the universities, both public and private, last Tuesday, who pledged that they would co-operate to ensure that this exercise is effectively undertaken, and I thank them very much for their co-operation. Our intention is to secure the lives of the nearly two hundred thousand (200,000) students, lecturers and non-teaching staff, who will be returning to campus from tomorrow, and I appeal to them also to do their bit to help us succeed. I urge them to adhere to enhanced personal hygiene and social distancing protocols, wash their hands with soap under running water, refrain from shaking hands, and wear their masks to, in and from the lecture halls, and on the campus, generally. Fellow Ghanaians, I have to address a matter which has to do with our case count, especially in recent weeks, and which has given cause for anxiety. The increase in numbers indicates that the virus has spread and continues to spread. We have to bear in mind, at all times, that the more people we test for the virus, the more people we are likely to discover as positive, and, thus, have the opportunity to isolate and treat them. If we do not test people for the virus, we will not find the persons who are positive, let alone isolate them from the population and treat them, and prevent them from spreading the virus. For example, the total number of tests that we have conducted in Ghana, with a population of thirty-one million, two hundred and fifty-four thousand three hundred and thirty-one (254,331), is one of the highest on the African continent. Furthermore, many countries in the world, including several of the developed economies, are not implementing a policy of enhanced contact tracing, and this makes our data qualitatively different and more effective in the fight against COVID-19. Indeed, the success of our tracing, testing and treating will lead, in the end, to a reduction in the number of cases. That is what we are working for. Understandably, much focus has been placed on the rise in the total number of confirmed cases. As at midnight of 13th June, the total number of positives, cumulatively, stands at eleven thousand, nine hundred and sixty-four (11,964), out of the two hundred and fifty-four thousand three hundred and thirty-one (254,331), tests conducted. We have a total of four thousand, two hundred and fifty-eight (4,258) patients who have fully recovered, have been discharged, and are now free of the virus. So, our scrutiny, in effect, must be on the number of active cases, i.e. people who remain on our books as still positive. Hence, as things stand now, the total number of people with the virus, that is active cases from our tests, is seven thousand, six hundred and fifty-two (7,652). Our positivity rate, i.e. the ratio of positive cases to total tests conducted, stands at 4.7%. In our hospitals and isolation centres, we currently have thirteen (13) persons severely ill, six (6) persons critically ill, with three (3) persons on ventilators. Mercifully for us, by the grace of God, the number of COVID-19 related deaths, sad though each death is, continues to remain very low, one of the lowest in Africa and the world. With fifty-four (54) deaths currently reported by the Ghana Health Service thus far in Ghana, the ratio of deaths to positive cases stands at 0.4%, compared to the global average of 5.5%, and the African average of 2.6%. The number of severe and critically ill also continues to be low. I am relating all these figures not to engender any false, feel-good factor, but as statements of fact that must provide the context for us, when we examine our figures. If, indeed, we are to be guided by the data, then we must look at the data in all its ramifications, not just one particular aspect of them. That is the proper way to do justice to the data. I am, thus, in no way suggesting that we should let our guard down, and throw out of the window the efforts we have made in bringing us this far, where we have become a reference point for many in the handling of this pandemic. On the contrary, as we begin to ease the restrictions, we must be even more disciplined in our adherence to the personal hygiene and social distancing measures we have become accustomed to, we must keep fit, and we must continue to eat our local foods to boost our immune systems. This is how we can prevent our healthcare services and our heroic healthcare workers from being overwhelmed, due to an increase in demand for hospital care. Nevertheless, I implore you to pay attention to your health, when you begin to experience symptoms such as fever, persistent cough, bodily pains, loss of taste and smell, and difficulty in breathing, seek immediate medical attention at the nearest health facility. I remain concerned about the stigma associated with this disease. Stories of persons who have recovered from this disease, and being shunned by their own relatives and communities, are a source of considerable worry to me, because they undermine our efforts to fight it. There is nothing shameful about testing positive. We do not have to lose our sense of community because of this pandemic. Government, through the Ghana Health Service, continues to monitor, on a daily basis, the spread of the virus, and has benchmarks of health outcomes, which define the mitigation measures that must be pursued to curb the spread of the disease, and enable us to reassess the easing of restrictions. It is important for me to remind residents of the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions, where the great majority of cases have been recorded, and in the Western and Central Regions, where we are seeing an increase in infection cases, to continue to adhere strictly to the social distancing and enhanced hygiene protocols announced. With the doctors and scientists telling us that the virus is transmitted from human contact, through talking, singing, coughing and sneezing, which results in sending droplets of the virus from one person to another, residents of these four regions, and, indeed, all Ghanaians, must remember that the wearing of masks is now mandatory. Leaving our homes without a face mask or face covering on is an offence. The Police have been instructed to enforce this directive, which is the subject of an Executive Instrument. Let me repeat: our survival is in our own hands. If we are lax and inattentive, we will continue to have serious challenges with the virus. If we are mindful and self-disciplined, we have it in us to defeat this pandemic, and help return our lives to normalcy. I appeal to each and every one of you for your help in this regard. That is the surest way to realising our collective vision of building a new Ghanaian civilization where the rule of law is not a slogan, but a directive principle of state development; where we deliver social and economic transformation that has a meaningful impact on the lives of all our people; where a strong and vibrant economy creates jobs for the masses of our young people, and, in the process, creates a society of opportunities and aspirations for all; where we are no longer pawns nor victims of the world order; and where the vision of our founding fathers of a free, progressive and prosperous Ghana is attained. Let us, together, rise to the occasion, and fulfill our common destiny. We can do it! In conclusion, permit me to pay brief tribute to the memory of an old and valiant colleague in the struggle of the New Patriotic Party and in the work of the Akufo-Addo government, the Mayor of Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, the Chief Executive of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, Hon. K.K Sam, Egya Sam to me and many, whose efforts in enforcing social distancing protocols at the Sekondi and Takoradi markets were, recently, highly commended by me, and who sadly passed away on Friday, as a result of a COVID-related death. May his soul rest in perfect peace in the bosom of the Almighty until the Last Day of the Resurrection, when we shall all meet again. Let us also wish our hardworking Minister for Health, Hon. Kwaku Agyeman Manu, MP for Dormaa Central, a speedy recovery from the virus, which he contracted in the line of duty, and is a stable condition. May God bless us all, and our homeland Ghana, and make her great and strong. I thank you for your attention. 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 Riot police fired tear gas and charged at pockets of violent protesters at an anti-racism rally in central Paris on Saturday, as a wave of anger continued to sweep the world following the death of African American George Floyd. The protesters gathered in Place de la Republique, chanting "No justice, no peace" beneath the statue of Marianne, who personifies the French Republic. One banner held by the crowd read: "I hope I dont get killed for being black today". Police refused organisers permission to march to the Opera House. The first clashes erupted after three hours of peaceful gathering. Some protesters hurled bottles, paving stones and bicycle wheels at police lines and one Orange outlet was vandalised. Organisers urged protesters with children to leave. The outrage generated by Floyd's death in Minneapolis last month has resonated in France, in particular in deprived city suburbs where rights groups say that accusations of brutal treatment by French police of residents of often immigrant background remain largely unaddressed. Assa Traore, sister of 24-year-old Adama Traore, who died near Paris in 2016 after police detained him, addressed Saturday's protest. "The death of George Floyd has a strong echo in the death in France of my little brother," she said. "What's happening in the United States is happening in France. Our brothers are dying." Traore's family say he was asphyxiated when three officers held him down with the weight of their bodies. Authorities say the cause of his death is unclear. Earlier this week, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner acknowledged there were "proven suspicions of racism" within French law enforcement agencies. His remarks drew condemnation from police unions, which said officers were being scapegoated for deep-rooted social ills. Police have held their own protests in cities across France this week. Ahead of the protest, in the ethnically diverse Paris suburb of Belleville, one man of Algerian descent said he had been the victim of police violence but he doubted institutional racism ran through the force. "I've been insulted, hit even. But the police aren't all the same," he told Reuters TV, identifying himself as Karim. "Unfortunately, this minority is hurting the police." Far-right activists unfurled a banner with the words "anti-white racism" from the rooftop of a building overlooking the protest. Residents emerged onto their balconies and ripped it up using with knives and scissors, to cheers from below. In Marseille, where another protest against racism and police violence took place in the afternoon, police also fired teargas at dawn as the event was ending, BFM television reported. Footage showed protesters burning bins and throwing stones towards anti riot police. Protests took place in other countries on Saturday, including in several Australian cities, Taipei, Zurich and London. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that expressways, including Purvanchal, Ganga, Gorakhpur link and Bundelkhand, will prove to be milestones in state's infrastructure and help in speeding up economic growth. These expressways will help fast pace economic development which the state had long desired. In the last three years, the administration has performed proactively to create a favourable environment for investment and many effective steps have also been taken in this regard, the chief minister said at a function. It was organised at his official residence for handing over a loan cheque of Rs 750 crore by Punjab National Bank for the Gorakhpur link expressway. Speaking on this occasion, he said that today the world is competing over investments and connectivity, and security have an important place in this competition. He said that PNB has played a strong role as the lead bank in Purvanchal Expressway. Today, it is also connecting with Gorakhpur link expressway. The chief minister said that there are immense possibilities in Gorakhpur. "Gorakhpur is the most important centre of health education, trade and employment. Better connectivity is needed to bring prosperity to the lives of such a large population." He also said that development of industrial corridor on both sides of Gorakhpur link expressway is also being proactively looked at. The Gorakhpur Industrial Development Authority has taken steps in land acquisition and other related processes. AIIMS will be opened in Gorakhpur next year and the fertilizer factory, which was shut 30 years ago will also be started, he added. The chief minister said that two important cities of Purvanchal, Varanasi and Gorakhpur will be connected with Purvanchal expressway. Earlier Purvanchal was far behind in the race of development. The Purvanchal Expressway could now become the backbone of development and there is no doubt among the citizens, he added. Also Read: Coronavirus update: Loss of smell and taste added as likely symptoms for COVID-19 Also Read: Jio Platforms to raise Rs 4,547 crore from TPG; ninth investment in past seven weeks New Delhi, June 14 : Do you want the same WhatsApp account in all the devices that you own? This could soon be possible in a limited sense as the messaging platform appears to be trying a feature that would allow its over two billion users to access the same account simultaneously in as many as four devices. According to a recent tweet by WABetaInfo, a fan website that tracks WhatsApp beta, the feature is currently under development. "Yes, it's the ability to use your WhatsApp account from 4 devices at the same time. Under development, but it's great!," said the tweet. A screenshot shared along with the tweet suggests that Wi-Fi connectivity will sync data across multiple devices. Currently one can simultaneously access one WhatsApp account both from a PC -- through WhatsApp Web - and a smartphone. The update, however, left many questions, like whether it will work across platforms, unanswered. "Would this make switching between iOS and Android easier? right now it is extremely difficult to get conversations move between platforms," asked one user. "Is it platform compatible? Meaning can i connect same number from an iphone and android?," asked another user. The same WABetaInfo website also shared that WhatsApp is testing a feature that will allow users to search messages by date. "WhatsApp is testing a Search by date feature! The feature is under development and it will be available in future," it tweeted. 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The International Trade Secretary, who has been accused of risking the future of our farmers by allowing lower-quality so-called 'Frankenfood' into the UK such as chlorinated chicken and hormone-treated beef was presented with the foodstuffs by Liberal Democrat leadership contender Layla Moran. Ms Moran, who says that she opposes the idea of letting America 'rewrite Britain's rulebook', suggested Ms Truss could start her 'Trumpian feast' with a platter of meat injected with antibiotics, followed by a main course of either hormone-filled beef or chlorine-washed chicken, genetically modified potatoes and a Yorkshire pudding made with milk full of bovine hormones. Liz Truss has been challenged to eat a 'set menu' of cheap American food which her Cabinet critics fear will flood Britain under the terms of a US trade deal she is trying to strike Ms Truss could then finish with a genetically modified fruit platter and coffee made with milk polluted with pesticides, she added. The light-hearted offer by Ms Moran belies an increasingly bitter Cabinet battle over the trade deal, with Ms Truss ranged against what her allies call the 'protectionists', such as Environment Secretary George Eustice. The Mail on Sunday, which launched its Save Our Family Farms campaign three weeks ago, reported last week that Boris Johnson had sided with Mr Eustice by ruling that US foods must be subject to high import tariffs, which would price them out of the UK market. Ms Truss, a staunch free-marketeer, argued that the duties should be reduced to nothing within a decade. US negotiators have made clear that opening the door to American agricultural exports is their primary demand in the talks. The International Trade Secretary, who has been accused of risking the future of our farmers by allowing lower-quality so-called 'Frankenfood' into the UK such as chlorinated chicken and hormone-treated beef was presented with the foodstuffs by Liberal Democrat leadership contender Layla Moran Ms Moran, who says that she opposes the idea of letting America 'rewrite Britain's rulebook', suggested Ms Truss could start her 'Trumpian feast' with a platter of meat injected with antibiotics, followed by a main course of either hormone-filled beef or chlorine-washed chicken, genetically modified potatoes and a Yorkshire pudding made with milk full of bovine hormones Ms Moran said last night: 'It's no surprise that people are concerned about US foods entering our supermarkets. 'We're used to world-leading British standards, and I take pride in eating high-quality food grown by our farmers. The Government must at the very least prove this food is safe before forcing it on the public and selling British farmers down the river. 'I am challenging Liz Truss and her Cabinet colleagues to eat a post-Brexit banquet of sub-standard US foods, a Trumpian feast ranging from chlorinated chicken to hormone-treated beef.' It is understood that Ms Truss believes the claims are 'ludicrous scaremongering' on the grounds that she had never argued for lower import standards and the Government had committed to transferring all existing EU food safety provisions on to the UK statute book. Nearly one million people support the Mail on Sunday's campaign to keep controversial US food products off our supermarket shelves NFU President Minette Batters: 'I'm absolutely overwhelmed by the response' Mail on Sunday campaign given new impetus to plea by National Farmers' Union Campaign demands all imported food matches high production standards UK farmers You can sign the petition by clicking here By Michael Powell for The Mail on Sunday Almost one million people have now signed a petition calling on the Government to protect British food standards from inferior foreign imports such as chlorine-washed chicken. The Mail on Sunday's campaign to keep controversial US food products off our supermarket shelves has given fresh impetus to the plea by the National Farmers' Union. Minette Batters, president of the NFU, said: 'I'm absolutely overwhelmed by the response. It shows the strength of feeling that people have about what is going in to their fridges and ovens. Almost one million people have now signed a petition calling on the Government to protect British food standards from inferior foreign imports such as chlorine-washed chicken. Pictured: Undercover footage from a US chicken factory 'As well as the petition, we are aware of 80,000 emails which have been sent to MPs. It shows it is not just farmers who are worried about this trade deal, it's people from all walks of life who care about their food, protecting the countryside and standing up for rural Britain.' The petition demands that the Government 'ensure that all food eaten in the UK whether in our homes, schools, hospitals, restaurants or from shops is produced in a way that matches the high standards of production expected of UK farmers'. Meanwhile, the boss of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued a thinly veiled warning to Ministers pushing for a US trade deal that she will not allow political pressure to reduce UK standards. The Mail on Sunday's campaign to keep controversial US food products off our supermarket shelves has given fresh impetus to the plea by the National Farmers' Union In a letter to MPs, Heather Hancock said the independent regulator will be 'putting the interests of the consumer first' amid a Cabinet row over whether to allow chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-fed beef to be imported from the US. Ms Hancock, who has headed the FSA since 2016, wrote: 'As a non-ministerial government department and independent public body, the decisions we make on behalf of consumers are and will continue to be based purely on the latest science and evidence, and not on wider political or other pressures.' She added: 'We have developed a new UK process for authorising regulated products, such as additives for food and feed and novel foods. It is this risk analysis that would be applied to any consideration of the rules around chemical washes of meat, for example.' However, Ms Hancock also wrote that the FSA's post-Brexit decision-making process will consider animal welfare concerns. You can find the petition by clicking here. OTTAWA - The Canadian Armed Forces is deploying military trainers back to Ukraine as it looks to restart some of the many missions and exercises temporarily suspended or scaled back because of COVID-19. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 14/6/2020 (586 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A Canadian flag patch sits is shown on the shoulder of a member of the Canadian Armed Forces in Trenton, Ont., on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014. The Canadian Armed Forces is deploying military trainers back to Ukraine as it looks to restart some of the many missions and exercises temporarily suspended or scaled back because of COVID-19. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg OTTAWA - The Canadian Armed Forces is deploying military trainers back to Ukraine as it looks to restart some of the many missions and exercises temporarily suspended or scaled back because of COVID-19. Canada first deployed around 200 troops to Ukraine to train local forces in the basics of soldiering in 2015, but that mission and several others were suspended in early April as COVID-19 forced countries around the world into lockdown. While a skeleton force of about 60 service members has been holding the fort for the past two months, Forces spokeswoman Capt. Leah Campbell said another 90 soldiers will soon join them with an eye to resuming the mission. "Following a reassessment of the situation, including an analysis of force health protection measures and the risk posed by COVID-19, the decision was made to deploy another 90 of these members," Campbell said in an email on Sunday. "These personnel will deploy in June 2020, and observe a 14-day isolation period on arrival in Ukraine. On completion of this isolation period, they will be prepared to resume their mission of supporting the Security Forces of Ukraine." Another 50 troops will remain in Canada for now, she added, "and will deploy to engage in training as soon as conditions permit." The decision to restart the Ukraine mission represents the latest move by the Armed Forces to resume some of the many activities that were suspended because of the pandemic. Chief of defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance has previously suggested that some training will recommence while promotions and summer postings are moving ahead in a limited fashion after months of the military being in lockdown. There was no immediate word, however, on some of the other missions affected by COVID-19. Those include the planned deployment of a warship and aircraft to help enforce sanctions against North Korea, the provision of a transport plane to United Nations' peacekeeping operations in Africa and the Canadian military mission in Iraq. The military previously had several hundreds soldiers in Iraq, with half assigned to a NATO training mission in the south and the rest comprised of special forces helping Iraqi counterparts hunt down Islamic State militants in the north of the country. Yet following a missile attack by Iran in January and then COVID-19, nearly all operations have been suspended and the number of troops in Iraq has been dramatically reduced. Canada currently has fewer than 100 soldiers in the country. Discussions over the future of the international community's presence in Iraq are underway between Baghdad and Washington while there are reports of an uptick in the number of attacks perpetrated by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2020. New Delhi, Jun 13 (UNI) Lieutenant Governor Delhi Anil Baijal will be chairing a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority on Tuesday, June 16 to discuss the important aspects of the COVID 19 situation management in the national capital. The meeting will emphasise on preparedness of all the state's medical infrastructure, facilities and other arrangements in view of managing the escalating COVID spread as cases were on a sharp rise day by day in the city. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Revenue Minister, Chief Secretary, Joint Secretary of the Disaster Manegement MHA, General Officer Commanding Delhi Area, Delhi Police Commissioner and other top officials will also be present in the meeting. What is the biggest challenge/opportunity in the next two to five years: Changes in media consumption, which is both a challenge and an opportunity. Consumers have access to content in ways that didnt exist five years ago and even more options will become available over the next five years. The challenge will be to monitor these additional access points and identifying the why behind the buy. The opportunities are huge for our clients in the form of data collection, hyper-targeting, cross-device placements for reach and duplication, and, most importantly, learning for future campaigns. First job after college: The Martin Agency If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently: I wouldnt change much, but I do wish I had become a student of digital media earlier, as I mentioned. My previous positions focused almost exclusively on traditional media and account management, and only in the past three years did I start my digital journey ... and what a ride it has been. I continue to enjoy my time with traditional media but am excited that after so many years in media that I still have the opportunity to learn something new. No risk of getting bored in this industry. Spellman's Marina owner Tim Doberstein drives a Warrior V208 mated with a 300 G2 Evinrude engine June 3 on the Fox River in Oshkosh, Wis. BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products), the Canadian manufacturer of Evinrude outboard engines, announced it will no longer make Evinrudes, leaving dealerships in a tough spot and marking the end of an iconic Wisconsin brand. The sinking of Evinrude, an icon in the outboard engine business born in Wisconsin more than a century ago, has left dealerships and boaters saddened, upset and perplexed. In late May, BRP, the Canadian manufacturer of Evinrude outboards, said it was walking away from the brand that was once a fierce competitor with Fond du Lac-based Mercury Marine, eliminating nearly 400 jobs at its factory in Sturtevant. Our outboard engines business has been greatly impacted by Covid-19, obliging us to discontinue production of our outboard motors immediately. This business segment had already been facing some challenges, and the impact from the current context has forced our hand, BRP President and CEO Jose Boisjoli said in a statement. Evinrude dealers said they were stunned by the announcement that came as the U.S. boating season was getting underway. BRP launched three Evinrude engines in 2019. Cheap cars: Looking to buy a car? Hertz is selling thousands of used cars in its fleet in bankruptcy at bargain prices Thats why this took us by surprise, said Joseph Pekora who owns one of the largest Evinrude dealerships on the East Coast. We were very, very shocked. Theyve kept us completely in the dark, said Pekora with Barnacle Bill's in Delmont, New Jersey. BRP signed a deal with Mercury Marine to buy engines for its boat brands, Alumacraft and Manitou. That turned heads in the industry, where for decades, Evinrude and Mercury fought for customer loyalty. It was like Packers and Bears, said Charles Plueddeman, a writer for Boating Magazine who lives in Oshkosh. Retail sales for outboards, all brands considered, increased for the eighth straight year in 2019, according to Boating Industry magazine. Unit sales reached a 13-year high. BRP defended its decision to discontinue Evinrude outboards in a marketplace dominated by Mercury Marine and another competitor, Yamaha. We wont comment or speculate on what our dealers had to say about this decision, and we stand by our belief in the technology we produced. However, over the last few years, despite its innovative technology, our outboard engine lineup has been losing shares in a market that was already difficult, BRP said in response to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel questions. Story continues As the current situation forced us to reduce our investment plan and review downward our growth expectation for the business, the path to profitability improvement for outboard engines was too long and it became apparent that we had to take the difficult decision to discontinue our outboard engine production, the company said. Some Evinrude dealers said they were disappointed after having defended the brand for decades, even remaining loyal during the bankruptcy of its previous owner, Outboard Marine Corp., which employed thousands in Milwaukee. I am beyond disappointed, said David Zammitt who owns one of the oldest Evinrude dealerships in the nation, Lockemans Hardware and Boats, founded in Detroit in 1918. I lived through the OMC bankruptcy, all of the downturns, the upturns and everything else in the marine industry, Zammitt said. Now for BRP to jump right in bed with Mercury to supply motors for their boats is just unbelievable to me. Evinrude took its loyalists by surprise. Zammitt said he learned of BRPs decision through social media. I never saw it coming, he said. Tim Doberstein, who owns Spellman's Marina in Oshkosh, said he, too, got the news secondhand. "They wouldn't even tell me at Alumacraft or Evinrude. I had a customer call me," he said. BRP, which manufactures Ski-Doo snowmobiles, Sea-Doo personal watercraft and Can-Am all-terrain vehicles, said because its a publicly traded company, it couldnt give advance notice to the Evinrude dealers. We have mandatory protocols to follow when we do this type of announcement. We informed our employees and made a public statement, which we are obliged to do first, the company told the Journal Sentinel. BRP filed a notice with Wisconsins Department of Workforce Development, saying it was eliminating 387 jobs in Sturtevant over the next four months. These decisions will impact 650 employees globally, BRP said. The company said its not selling the Sturtevant plant, which is the world headquarters for the Evinrude brand founded in Milwaukee in 1907. The plant will be reused for marine products, including BRPs Project Ghost and Project M aimed at developing types of boats and motors. The company hasnt released details, but industry experts expect a line of recreational boats, including pontoons, with engines placed under the deck rather than hung off the transom. Maybe the Evinrude name comes back then. We just dont know yet, Plueddeman said. What led to the brands demise? A couple of things, according to industry insiders, including Evinrude falling behind in the horsepower race for bigger, more powerful engines. The company kept its two-stroke engine design that requires consumers to add oil to gasoline, something the rest of the industry walked away from years ago. Still, the latest E-TEC Evinrude engines are loaded with advanced technologies. In 2019, Popular Mechanics magazine called one of them "the most efficient boat engine weve ever seen. Evinrude inspired loyalty in Oshkosh, Wis. Dealerships say consumers want four-stroke outboards, which Mercury and Yamaha sell, that dont require the mixing of oil and gasoline. You can talk to someone until youre blue in the face, but they want four-strokes, Pekora said. On Okauchee Lake in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, theres a plaque to honor Ole Evinrude whose invention brought outboards to the masses, much like Henry Ford did with automobiles. Legend has it that Evinrude came up with the idea after rowing across the lake to get ice cream for his fiancee, Bess. By the time he returned, the ice cream had melted. After they were married, Bess placed an ad in the Chicago Tribune offering Evinrude boat motors for sale. Throw away the oars. Buy an Evinrude row boat motor, it said. When orders for a dozen or so motors came in, she told Ole that he better get to work on them, and the world's first outboard motor company was born. The death of the brand, at least in its current form, saddens some boaters who have been loyal to it for many years and enjoyed the rivalry with Mercury Marine. "It really does stink to see this happen. Competition is a good thing in the industry," said Danny Woodke, a fishing guide from Gillett whose boat is powered by an Evinrude. Last week, he received a fishing tournament jersey in the mail. Boldly printed on it was his sponsor's name: EVINRUDE. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Evinrude outboard motors' demise shocked, saddened, boaters, dealers A group of men stand beside the boarded up statue of Sir Robert Peel in Tamworth on Saturday. (PA) Authorities in Staffordshire have been forced to board up a statue of former prime minister Sir Robert Peel over fears he could be mistaken for a slave trade advocate. Council leaders in Tamworth fear that protesters could deface the monument believing it to be Sir Roberts father, also named Robert Peel, who opposed the Foreign Slave Trade Abolition Bill. The statue, which stands outside Tamworth town hall, was erected in memory of Sir Robert who fought for much of his political career for the abolition of slavery. It comes after statues across UK were vandalised earlier this week during Black Lives Matter protests. Tamworths Robert Peel statue being covered to protect it from agitators who cant get their history right. The Council is doing this because of the threat to the statue and man of whom we are all proud. These threats help no one, but distract from a message of peaceful protest. pic.twitter.com/CmWYQbaINh Christopher Pincher (@ChrisPincher) June 12, 2020 Tamworth council leader Daniel Cook told BBC News :"Given the current national focus on memorials, including statues of Robert Peel, we feel it necessary to take extra precautions to protect Tamworth's 167-year-old Peel monument for the time being and fence it off. "The Tamworth MP and former prime minister Robert Peel depicted in the Tamworth statue was anti-slavery and supported its abolition, and it is widely felt he has been confused with his father, who opposed the Foreign Slave Trade Abolition Bill." Sir Robert Peel served as prime minister from 1834 to 1835 and again from 1841 to 1846 and was instrumental in bringing debates about slavery into the Commons. His statue has sat outside Tamworth town hall since his death in 1850 and was funded by local people in gratitude for his efforts in Westminster to help them. Story continues Tamworths MP Christopher Pincher said threats against the statue helped no-one, but said protests should go ahead so long as they are conducted peacefully. Robert Peel statue being covered to protect it from agitators who cant get their history right, Pincher said. The Council is doing this because of the threat to the statue and man of whom we are all proud. These threats help no one, but distract from a message of peaceful protest. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK Assurances action will be taken against operator of Wrexham waste plant if investigation finds permit breach This article is old - Published: Sunday, Jun 14th, 2020 Assurances have been given that action will be taken against the operator of a Wrexham waste plant if an investigation rules it has breached its permit. Clwyd South MS Ken Skates and Johnstown councillor David Bithell held talks with senior Natural Resources Wales officers on Friday after a recent fire at Hafod Quarry sparked renewed calls for its closure by local residents. Mr Skates, the local Member of the Senedd, and Cllr Bithell lead member for environment at Wrexham Council had both called for the a full investigation to take place and for the site not to resume operations until it had concluded. They subsequently demanded an urgent talks after the regulator said that was not possible. After the meeting, Mr Skates said: As well as the fire service investigation, we were told there is an ongoing NRW investigation which is looking into Enoverts adherence to their permit and whether conditions have been breached. I look forward to the results being made public as soon as possible. Cllr Bithell said: We were assured that there will be a thorough investigation and appropriate action will be taken if there are found to have been breaches. We made our position quite clear in that we want to see tightened monitoring and we want to see action. He added: Ken and I will maintain a regular dialogue with NRW and we will continue to push for residents to be listened to. Mr Skates previously said the fire on May 27 was the last straw for local residents and called for the meeting with NRW, adding: The Environment Minister is unable to issue direct orders as to how the site is run, so I want local voices to be heard by those who can and I will be making sure NRW understands the full scale of residents objections to this sites continued operation. The site is permitted to receive a range of non-hazardous biodegradable wastes such as residual waste from waste transfer stations, building and demolition wastes, mineral wastes such as excavation material from development sites and household waste. Based on 2019 input, most of the waste (27%) comes from Wrexham (not council waste), with 21% from Merseyside; 16% from Cheshire and 12% from Shropshire. Peaceful Conclusion After Saturday Ruckus Early morning robbery turns into a stand-off with the suspect KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Just before 4 a.m. Saturday morning police were called to the area of Madison and Woodswether Road to investigate an armed robbery. When officers arrived in the area, they located an adult male who told them that he and his girlfriend were held against their will inside a building near Madison [...] Late Night Gunfire Cont'd KCPD investigates shooting Friday evening on city's east side Kansas City police are investigating a shooting Friday evening on the city's east side.Police said officers were called at 5:35 p.m. to the 4100 block of East Linwood Boulevard and found a man who had been shot.Authorities said the victim was taken to a hospital in critical condition.No arrests were announced. Kansas City Servers Finally Earn Payback Brookside restaurant pays $42K in back wages after federal investigation KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Brookside restaurant was forced to pay more than $42,000 in back wages to employees after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department's Wage and Hour Division announced Friday that Plate Restaurant owed 31 employees a total of $42,534 after being unable to make payroll, which is a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Golden Ghetto Charges Stranger Danger Former Olathe teacher charged with stalking young victim in Johnson County OLATHE, Kan. - A former Olathe elementary school teacher is charged with stalking a young victim in Johnson County. James Loganbill, 58, faces one count of first-degree reckless stalking in Johnson County court. Court documents list the victim as being between the ages of 10 and 11 years old. Kansas City Tragic Hobo Slice Of Life Report Homeless woman charged in death of homeless man in Northeast Kansas City KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) - A 48-year-old homeless woman has been charged in connection with the stabbing death of Howard West who was found on a sidewalk in Northeast Kansas City. Ilene M Davis faces second degree murder and armed criminal action charges. Teen Killing Postscript Charges filed in May 3 shooting death of 18-year-old woman KANSAS CITY, Mo. - An 18-year-old Kansas City man has been charged in connection with a fatal shooting that took place on May 3 near 80th Street and Michigan Avenue. Mauricia Strother, 18, was shot and killed around 5 a.m. that day. Eye-Opening Mugshot Amid Terrifying Northland Close Quarters Murder Case Man charged with murdering roommate, dumping body in Platte County PLATTE COUNTY, Mo. - A Kansas City man is facing murder charges after he allegedly killed his roommate and dumped the body in Platte County. William Bell, 25, is charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse in Platte County court. Police Search For Sloppy Dude Excelsior Springs police seek kidnapping, carjacking suspect Excelsior Springs police are asking for the public's help to identify the suspect in a carjacking and kidnapping, which occurred around 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday. The suspect also was involved in a wreck while driving a stolen motorcycle in the area of Missouri 10 and Old Orchard Avenue. Police Reform In Kansas Wichita police to ban kneeling on necks of cuffed subjects WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Wichita police plan to ban officers from kneeling on the necks of people in handcuffs. The Wichita Eagle reports that several other proposed policy changes that protesters have called for are included in a document that police provided Thursday to the Citizen's Review Board. Doggie Done Wrong After local family's dog shot and killed by police officer, case heads to county prosecutor SPRING HILL, Kan. - The deadly shooting of a family's pet is now in the hands of the county prosecutor. But the pet's owners say getting justice has been a struggle since the neighbor accused of pulling the trigger is a police officer. "I heard a bang," Brittany Knudsen recalled about the day in late [...] KCK Redemption Story Innocent man moves on with life but questions lack of accountability in his wrongful conviction KANSAS CITY, KS (KCTV) -- Lamonte McIntyre will soon open a barbershop in KCK called "Off the Top." It's been a dream of his since he was a prison barber, serving time for a double murder he did not commit. McIntyre was freed more than two years ago. Faith Community Fights Crime And Troubling 2020 Faith leaders guide congregations during difficult times KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City area faith leaders are guiding their congregations through a year that has brought a number of challenges, such as COVID-19, high unemployment and civil unrest. "Chaotic. Different. Learning on the fly," that's how Rabbi Doug Alpert described the first few months of 2020. Amid protests and political crackdowns targeting police, there's also an EPIC LOCAL CRIME WAVE confronting authorities.After the jump we share links to local, mughshots and report of violence across the metro . . .Developing . . . Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 22:04:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Workers examine the photovoltaic power generation facilities at a modern fishery farm in Fengnan District of Tangshan, north China's Hebei Province, June 14, 2020. The modern fishery farm is designed to raise fish and at the same time, to generate electricity after photovoltaic panels were installed on its surface. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) Turkish Military Conducts Large-Scale Air, Naval Drills in Mediterranean Sputnik News 00:46 GMT 13.06.2020 ANKARA (Sputnik) - The Turkish navy and air forces have conducted large-scale military exercises in the international waters of the Mediterranean Sea, the country's Defence Ministry said on Friday. "In an effort to practice and improve the uninterrupted conduct of long-distance operational tasks directed by operations centers in Turkey, Turkish Naval and Air Forces conducted High Seas Exercises on 11 June 2020. The exercise was jointly planned and successfully concluded", the statement read. The ministry added that drills extended almost 2,000 kilometres (1,242 miles) away from Turkish territorial waters under the operational command of Combined Air Operations Centre. "The participating assets included 17 aircraft under the operational command of Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) of Combatant Air Forces Command based in Eskisehir and 8 frigates and corvettes under the operational control of Naval Forces Command and tactical command of the Northern Task Group Command", the statement said. According to the Ministry, participating naval units had been deployed to various parts of the Mediterranean Sea before the exercise. The 8-hour drills included in-flight refueling and practicing command and control procedures. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pandemics and the Environment: China's COVID-19 Interventions Reduced Nitrogen Dioxide Levels A new Special Collection of Science Advances papers will delve into how pandemics such as COVID-19 affect - and are affected by - global environmental conditions, underscoring the interconnectedness of global processes. "Economic lockdowns this year, designed to slow the spread of COVID-19, have been like pressing the pause button on environmental degradation and the resulting reductions in air and water pollution are dramatic," writes Kip Hodges and Jeremy Jackson in an Editorial that introduces the Special Collection. "Such trends remind us of how much our actions drive environmental quality and just how badly we have behaved as stewards of our planet." They emphasize that heavy investment in green energy, broader research perspectives, and widespread commitment to policy decisions that support the findings of scientific research will be crucial to achieving a more sustainable Earth. In the first research paper of this Special Collection, an analysis of the environmental impact of China's COVID-19 policy interventions relied on satellite measurements to identify an average 48% drop in nitrogen dioxide densities over China from 20 days before to 20 days after the Lunar New Year on January 25, 2020. While this greenhouse gas - an indicator of fossil fuel consumption - typically decreases during the holiday, when traffic slows and most Chinese factories close, Fei Liu and colleagues observed that the reduction was about 21% greater than in 2015 through 2019. Fei Liu and colleagues conclude that this enhanced nitrogen dioxide reduction correlated to government announcements of the first reported COVID-19 case in each province and to the initiation of lockdowns, which further subdued both travel and business activity. The researchers monitored shifts in atmospheric nitrogen oxide (which can reflect changes in fossil fuel combustion in a matter of hours) over China using the Dutch-Finnish Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on board a NASA satellite launched in 2004, and the instrument's successor, the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI), which offers measurements with higher spatial resolution from its perch aboard an ESA satellite launched in 2017. Their findings suggest that the tropospheric vertical column density of nitrogen oxide dropped once after the government publicly reported the first COVID-19 case in each province, then dropped again after lockdowns were implemented. "While temporary, these substantial reductions in air pollution may have positive health impact for lives in otherwise heavily polluted areas," the authors write. "This unusual period offers a rare counterfactual of a potential society which uses substantially less fossil fuels and has lower mobility." 14.06.2020 LISTEN The Head Pastor for Calvary Temple Assemblies of God church at Bantama in the Kumasi Metropolis Rev Dominic Owusu has called on Ghanaians to repent and seek God's face in the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic According to him the time for the entire country to turn from their wrongdoings and seek the true word of God is long overdue and has urged the public to change their bad was before is too late. Delivering a sermon during the first church service after the easing of coronavirus measures, Rev Dominic Owusu called on Ghanaians to run to God in prayer and plead for mercy for the country. Preaching on the Theme "Ebenezer Thus how Far the Lord Brought Us" the renowned pastor said God will not forsake the country, but the citizens needed to do the right thing in the process of God's deliverance. Ghana on March 25, 2020, observes a national day of fasting and prayers to seek the face of God in the fight against the novel Coronavirus pandemic. In a televised broadcast to the nation, the President indicated that whilst we continue to adhere to these measures, and ramp up our efforts to defeat this virus, I urge all of us, also, to seek the face of the Almighty. So, on Wednesday, 25th March 2020, I appeal to all Ghanaians, Christians, and Muslims, to observe a national day of fasting and prayer. Let us pray to God to protect our nation and save us from this pandemic. Meanwhile, Rev Dominic has warned that the country will only be healed if all will lead a Godly life and shun attitudes that go contrary to the teachings of the holy bible. Egypts Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat has discussed with the German Ambassador to Egypt Cyrill Nunn the implementation of the third phase of the loan exchange program that is expected to be implemented during 2020. The first phase of the program is worth 70 million, the second is worth 80 million, while the third phase was hampered amid the COVID-19 crisis. During the meeting, Nunn said that Egypt has had good experience in terms of the pre-emptive procedures it has adopted in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts, in addition to its ongoing procedures in order to reconstruct for the post COVID-19 phase. Egypts cooperation portfolio with Germany stands at 1.7 billion over 48 projects in hydropower, water and sanitation, infrastructure, public services, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Minister Al-Mashat said that the cooperation with Germany has the best form of development cooperation among other Egypts development partnerships in terms of alignment with Egypts government priorities. She added that the Egyptian-German cooperation strategy focuses various sectors including irrigation, water resources, sanitation, solid wastes, renewable energy, power efficiency and sustainable development. The two parties also discussed cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic under the platform that the international cooperation ministry has launched with development partners to consider the responses to the crisis, the minister said. Al-Mashat also noted during the meeting that the fiscal and monetary policies the Egyptian government has adopted under the economic reform programme have helped the government counter negative social and economic impacts caused by the pandemic. Nunn also praised the strategy that has been set by the Egyptian international cooperation ministry for partnership with the global finance institutions (P&P&P) that sheds light on development partnerships, their impacts on citizens and its role in achieving sustainable development goals. Egypt exports to Germany recorded $618.69 million during 2019, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. Egypts trade exchange with countries across the world recorded $23 billion during the first quarter of the current FY2019/2020, including $15.9 billion in imports and $7.12 billion in exports, according to the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE). In this regard, Egypts trade exchange with Germany reached $1.02 billion, of which $766.7 million in imports, and $262.6 million in exports, according to CBE data. Search Keywords: Short link: The latest coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Sunday. Web links to longer stories if available. This file is no longer updating, click here for Mondays rolling file. 5:00 p.m.: Ontarios regional health units are reporting their lowest single-day jump in new COVID-19 cases in 80 days and the fewest new fatal cases in a day since March 29, according to the Stars latest count. As of 5 p.m. Sunday, the health units had reported a total of 34,020 confirmed and probable cases, including 2,571 deaths, up a total of just 179 new cases since Saturday evening the first day with fewer than 200 since March 26, back in the early days of rapid case growth before the COVID-19 epidemic first peaked in the province. The rate of new infections has fallen sharply this week. Since last Sunday, Ontario has seen an average of 246 cases reported each day, the lowest for any seven-day period since March. As has been the case this month, the majority of new infections came in the GTA. The regions five health units saw a total of 142 new cases in 24 hours; the rest of Ontario reported 37. But the slowdown is also being felt in the Toronto-area. On Sunday, Toronto Public Health once again reported fewer than 100 new cases, for the third straight day below that mark after more than three weeks above. Meanwhile, the eight new fatal cases reported since Saturday evening was tied for the lowest total since March 29 (the health units have reported just eight deaths two other times since that date). The rate of deaths has down considerably from the peak rate of as many as 90 deaths in a day, seen in early May. Earlier Sunday, the province reported that 438 patients are now hospitalized with COVID-19, including 103 in intensive care, of whom 77 are on a ventilator numbers that have fallen sharply since early May. The province says its data is accurate to 4 p.m. the previous day. The province also cautions its latest count of total deaths 2,519 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. 4:01 p.m.: The latest numbers of confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases in Canada. There are 98,733 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada including 8,146 deaths, 60,241 resolved: Quebec: 53,952 confirmed (including 5,222 deaths, 21,742 resolved) Ontario: 32,189 confirmed (including 2,519 deaths, 26,961 resolved) Alberta: 7,383 confirmed (including 150 deaths, 6,830 resolved) British Columbia: 2,709 confirmed (including 168 deaths, 2,354 resolved) Nova Scotia: 1,061 confirmed (including 62 deaths, 996 resolved) Saskatchewan: 665 confirmed (including 13 deaths, 628 resolved) Manitoba: 290 confirmed (including 7 deaths, 289 resolved), 11 presumptive Newfoundland and Labrador: 261 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 256 resolved) New Brunswick: 157 confirmed (including 2 deaths, 129 resolved) Prince Edward Island: 27 confirmed (including 27 resolved) Repatriated Canadians: 13 confirmed (including 13 resolved) Yukon: 11 confirmed (including 11 resolved) Northwest Territories: 5 confirmed (including 5 resolved) Nunavut: No confirmed cases 1:07 p.m.: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson launched a review of social-distancing rules as he tries to encourage consumers to go out and shop with confidence when non-essential stores reopen in England on Monday. Johnson suggested coronavirus regulations requiring people to stay two meters apart in public spaces could be relaxed as infection rates fall. His signal will be welcomed by Conservative Party colleagues and retail and hospitality industry leaders, who fear keeping the two-metre distancing rule will make businesses unviable. People should shop, and shop with confidence, Johnson said on a trip to Westfield mall in east London on Sunday. But they should of course observe the rules on social distancing and do it as safely as possible. The prime ministers comments expose the competing priorities his government is juggling. With one of the worst COVID-19 death tolls of any country in the world, the U.K. is now at risk of one of the developed worlds heaviest economic hits, according to the OECD, but at the same time Johnson needs to avoid the risk of the virus spreading out of control again. 12:33 p.m.: Quebec health officials have added 27 COVID-19 related deaths today, bringing the provincial total to 5,222 since the beginning of the pandemic. Authorities reported a seventh straight day of fewer than 200 new cases, reporting 128 on Sunday for a total of 53,952 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Active cases have declined by 360 to 26,988. Quebec begins training on Monday for the 10,000 people it hopes to have working as orderlies in the province's long-term care homes by Sept. 15. Restaurants in most of Quebec will be permitted to reopen on Monday and indoor gatherings of up to 10 people from three families with social distancing between family units will be permitted. 10:40 a.m.: Ontario reported 197 new cases of COVID-19 and 12 new deaths on Sunday, bringing the provinces totals to 32,189 and 2,519, respectively. Recoveries were up 423 so the net result is a decline of 238 active cases to 2,709. Ontarios daily numbers reported on Saturday were 266 new cases the highest number in a week on Saturday, nine deaths and 351 new recoveries. 10:22 a.m.: Europe is taking a big step toward a new normality as many countries open borders to fellow Europeans after three months of coronavirus lockdowns but even though Europeans love their summer vacations, its not clear how many are ready to travel again. Tourists from North America, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East will just have to wait for now but the European Union home affairs commissioner, Ylva Johansson, told member nations last week that they should open up as soon as possible to each others populations, and suggested Monday was a good date. Many countries are doing just that, allowing travel from the EU, Britain and the rest of Europes usually passport-free Schengen travel area, which includes non-EU countries like Switzerland. Hard-hit Spain, which on Sunday moved forward its opening to European travellers by 10 days to June 21, is allowing thousands of Germans to fly to its Balearic Islands for a trial run starting Monday waiving its 14-day quarantine for the group. Austria is opening up Tuesday to European neighbours except Spain, Portugal, Sweden and Britain and keeping a travel warning for Italys worst-hit region of Lombardy. France is asking people from Britain to self-quarantine for two weeks. 8:39 a.m.: Hugs from Mickey Mouse are out at Walt Disney World. So is bunching up at Six Flags to snag a front-seat roller coaster ride. But the season wont be completely lost for thrill-seekers. Carefree days of sharing cotton candy on crowded American midways will give way this year to temperature scans at the gates, mandatory masks at many parks, hand-sanitizing stations at ride entrances and constant reminders to stay six feet apart. While a handful of small U.S. amusement parks have been open since Memorial Day weekend, most are looking to restart their seasons either later this month or by mid-July. Universal Orlando became the first of Floridas major theme park resorts to reopen in early June. Disneys nearby parks will wait until next month, but there wont be any parades, firework shows or character greetings. Disneyland in California said this past week it will welcome back visitors on July 17 if it gets government approval. Theme parks in many states have been among the last businesses allowed to reopen because of worries over crowds. Ohios two biggest amusement parks filed a lawsuit last week challenging the governments authority to shut them down. Read full story here. 8:07 a.m.: China on Sunday reported its biggest one-day jump in coronavirus cases in two months after closing the biggest wholesale food market in Beijing and locking down nearby residential communities. The 57 new confirmed infections included 36 in Beijing. The Xinfadi market on Beijings southeastern side was closed Saturday and neighbouring residential compounds locked down after more than 50 people in the capital tested positive for the coronavirus. They were the first confirmed cases in 50 days in the city of 20 million people. China, where the pandemic began in December, had relaxed most of its anti-virus controls after the ruling Communist Party declared victory over the disease in March. 7:00 a.m.: This is usually one of Ziggy Eichenbaums biggest-earning weekends of the year, when his pub is packed with tourists and partiers marking the Montreal Grand Prix. But instead of hosting a giant street festival, bars like Eichenbaums remain in limbo in the absence of clear directives on when they can open following the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, some are mulling defying the government as a protest tactic. The province has announced that restaurants outside the Montreal area can open on June 15, with those in the metropolis following a week later on June 22. But even that delayed opening does not apply to bars like Ziggys Pub, because it doesnt have a food preparation permit from the Quebec government. Were not a club, were not a disco where people stand up and drink, Eichenbaum said. The only difference between his bar and those that can open is, they have a kitchen and I dont, he said in a phone interview. In the face of what they see as unequal treatment, some of the bars are taking a defiant stand. Eichenbaum and Steve Siozios, who owns Stogies Cigar Lounge and London Pub, are two of those who say they plan to open their doors on July 1, even if they face penalties. 6:26 a.m.: Bangladesh reported 3,141 new cases and 32 more deaths from the coronavirus on Sunday, raising its total caseload to 87,520, including 1,171 fatalities. Nasima Sultana, additional director general of the Health Directorate, said a junior minister from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas Cabinet and a former health minister and close aide to Hasina both died of the virus on Saturday in Dhaka, the capital. Bangladeshs main state-run hospitals are overwhelmed, with many critical COVID-19 patients being deprived of intensive care beds and ventilators. Saturday, 10:05 p.m.: Coronavirus cases are growing faster than ever in Mexico, Chile and Argentina, while Peru posted its deadliest day yet and a new study showed the illness may be far more widespread in Brazil than official data suggest. Brazilian states on Friday reported 909 new deaths, bringing the nations total death count to 41,828, and overtaking the U.K. for the second highest number of COVID-19 fatalities. Infections rose by 25,982, pushing the toll to 828,810. Brazil now trails only the U.S. on both counts. A study showed the illness may be far more widespread in Latin Americas largest economy than official data suggest. Researchers at the University of Pelotas in southern Brazil estimate there are six unreported cases for every one confirmed diagnosis across 120 cities studied. In Rio de Janeiro alone, where 40,000 cases are included in the federal governments official tally, up to half a million people may have been exposed to the coronavirus since the pandemic began, they said. The number of people with antibodies is in the millions not thousands, the authors, led by university dean and co-ordinator of the study Pedro Hallal, said in a statement on Thursday. Read more of Saturdays coverage. Read more about: ATLANTA - One minute, Rayshard Brooks was chatting co-operatively with Atlanta police, saying he'd had a couple of drinks to celebrate his daughter's birthday and agreeing to a breath test. The next, they were wrestling on the ground and grappling over a Taser before Brooks took the weapon and ran. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 13/6/2020 (587 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. "RIP Rayshard" is spray painted on a sign as as flames engulf a Wendy's restaurant during protests Saturday, June 13, 2020, in Atlanta. The restaurant was where Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by police Friday evening following a struggle in the restaurant's drive-thru line. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) ATLANTA - One minute, Rayshard Brooks was chatting co-operatively with Atlanta police, saying he'd had a couple of drinks to celebrate his daughter's birthday and agreeing to a breath test. The next, they were wrestling on the ground and grappling over a Taser before Brooks took the weapon and ran. Seconds later, three gunshots sounded and Brooks fell mortally wounded. Atlanta police video released Sunday showing a seemingly routine sobriety check outside a Wendy's restaurant that quickly spun out of control, ending in gunfire. The killing of the 27-year-old black man in an encounter with two white officers late Friday rekindled fiery protests in Atlanta and prompted the police chief's resignation. A man holds up a sign amid smoke of a fire during a protest Saturday, June 13, 2020, near the Atlanta Wendy's where Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by police Friday evening following a struggle in the restaurant's drive-thru line in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Police said Sunday the department terminated Officer Garrett Rolfe, who fired the fatal shots, and officer Devin Brosnan was placed on administrative duty. Rolfe had worked for the department since October 2013, and Brosnan since September 2018. Meanwhile, authorities announced a $10,000 reward for information finding those responsible for setting fire to the Wendy's restaurant at the shooting scene. Flames gutted the restaurant late Saturday after demonstrations grew turbulent. The protests prompted 36 arrests. More than 100 people, some sporting umbrellas and rain gear after on-and-off rain, protested peacefully at the site Sunday evening. Police blocked some side streets, slowing traffic in the area as people held up signs. The two officers body cameras and the dash-mounted cameras in their patrol cars showed they spent more than 40 minutes peacefully questioning Brooks. The fighting erupted when they tried to handcuff Brooks. A person is detained during protests Saturday, June 13, 2020, near the Atlanta Wendy's where Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by police Friday evening following a struggle in the restaurant's drive-thru line in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Andy Harvey, chief of police of Ennis, Texas, who has written books and developed training on community policing, said such moments can turn in a split second. The moment you put your hands on someone is when someone will decide whether to comply or resist," Harvey said. "Thats what happened in Atlanta. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation will present the findings of its investigation to prosecutors. Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said in a statement Sunday he hopes to reach a decision by midweek on whether to bring charges against the officers. The officers were called late Friday over complaints of a car blocking the restaurant's drive-thru lane. Brosnan arrived first and found Brooks alone in the car, apparently asleep. Brooks agreed to move the car, showed his license, and Rolfe arrived minutes later to conduct a sobriety check. This undated photo provided by the Atlanta Police Department shows Officer Devin Bronsan. Bronsan was placed on administrative duty and another officer was fired following the fatal shooting of a black man, the police department announced early Sunday, June 14, 2020. (Atlanta Police Department via AP) I know youre just doing your job, Brooks says on video after consenting to a breath test. He mentions celebrating his daughter's birthday and says: I just had a few drinks, that's all." Rolfe doesn't tell Brooks the results though his body camera recorded a digital readout of 0.108 higher than the 0.08-gram blood alcohol content considered too intoxicated to drive in Georgia. All right, I think youve had too much to drink to be driving," Rolfe tells Brooks. Put your hands behind your back. The video shows each officer take hold of one of Brooks' wrists as Rolfe tries to handcuff him. Brooks tries to run and the officers take him to the ground. This screen grab taken from dashboard camera video provided by the Atlanta Police Department shows Rayshard Brooks, center, struggling with Officers Garrett Rolfe, left, and Devin Brosnan in the parking lot of a Wendy's restaurant, early Saturday, June 13, 2020, in Atlanta. Rolfe has been fired following the fatal shooting of Brooks and Brosnan has been placed on administrative duty. (Atlanta Police Department via AP) Stop fighting! one officers yells. One of the dash cameras recorded the brawl. As Brooks fights to stand, Brosnan presses a Taser to his leg and threatens to stun him. Brooks grabs the Taser and pulls it away. He struggles to his feet, the Taser in his hand, and starts running. Rolfe fires his Taser and a yelp can be heard above the weapon's electric crackle. Rolfe runs after Brooks, and seconds later three gunshots sound. Both officers' body cameras were knocked to the ground in the struggle, and none of the four police cameras captured the shooting. Footage released from a Wendy's security camera showed Brooks turn and point an object in his hand at one of the officers, who was steps behind him. The officer draws his gun and fires. Protestors and traffic along University Ave has steadily increased throughout the day Sunday, June 14, 2020 where Brooks, a 27-year-old black man, was shot and killed by Atlanta police Friday evening during a struggle in a Wendy's drive-thru line. (Steve Schaefer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) As I pursued him, he turned and started firing the Taser at me, Rolfe told a supervisor after the shooting in a videotaped conversation. ...He definitely did shoot it at me at least once. GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles said Sunday she could not confirm whether Brooks fired the Taser. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said Saturday she doesn't believe the shooting was justified. Police Chief Erika Shields, who joined the department as a beat officer in 1995, resigned. Brooks' death inflamed raw emotions in Atlanta and across the U.S. following the May 25 police custody killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Some public officials questioned whether shooting of Brooks was as clearly an abuse as Floyd's death after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee to his neck. 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 question is when the suspect turned to fire the Taser, what should the officer have done? U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, said on CBS' Face The Nation. Scott, the Senate's only black Republican, said Brooks's death is certainly a far less clear one than the ones that we saw with George Floyd and several other ones. Stacey Abrams, the former Democratic lawmaker who gained national prominence while running for governor in 2018, said there's a legitimacy to this outrage over Brooks' death. L. Chris Stewart, a Brooks family attorney, said the officer who shot him should be charged for an unjustified use of deadly force, which equals murder. Stewart said that Brooks, a father of four, on Friday had celebrated the eighth birthday of one of his daughters. ___ Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. Associated Press writers Mallika Sen in New York, Regina Garcia Cano in Washington, D.C., and Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this report. Saudi-Led Coalition Claims to Have Downed Missile Fired at Saudi Arabian City of Najran Sputnik News 13:05 GMT 13.06.2020(updated 13:36 GMT 13.06.2020) The air defences of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said that they had shot down a ballistic missile flying towards the Saudi Arabian border city of Najran. The coalition said that the missile was launched from the Yemeni city of Saada, and several people were slightly injured by the wreckage of the missile when it was destroyed, according to a statement issued via the Saudi Arabian state news agency. Earlier, the Saudi-led coalition has carried out about 30 air raids on Yemen's four western provinces, according to the Houthi rebel group. The province of Saada was subjected to six airstrikes by the alliance's air force, according to the movement. At least two air raids targeted al-Jawf province. Both Saada and al-Jawf border Saudi Arabia. Yemen has been mired in a conflict between the UN-backed government and the Houthi Shia rebels since 2015. The parties signed a ceasefire agreement in late 2018, which collapsed shortly thereafter. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address STAMFORD Saying they were trying to raise awareness of second amendment rights, seven men, some carrying guns, walked through downtown Stamford Saturday afternoon to show that doing so is legal in the state. Many people dont know that Connecticut is an open carry state, said South Windsor resident Michael Picard, 31, who organized the event. Residents can carry a gun in the state with a permit, which they must carry with them. Guns are not allowed in some areas including state parks. City resident Julio C. Sanchez, 46, said he often carries his pistol for all to see. I believe we have the right to open carry. We have our freedoms. We should be able to walk around if we want to, Sanchez said. Just because you see someone with a firearm doesnt mean we are going to do something bad. The group walked from the Government Center over to the police department and down Bedford Street between 1 and 2:30 p.m. No one called 911 dispatch to report armed pedestrians, police said. Capt. Diedrich Hohn, who shadowed the group as it made its way through the busy downtown said they all acted within their legal rights as gun owners. Steve Shafer, 29, of New Britain, was carrying a potato cannon made from white PVC pipe. Shafer explained that he used to have a license to carry but it was taken away after someone stole his gun out of his car. We are standing up for our civil rights and liberties, he said, adding he believes he should be able to carry any weapon, including grenades or a machine gun. Because it is my property, thats why and I should be able to walk around with what I want, he said. Picard is suing Stamford, claiming he didnt deserve to be arrested in 2018 for carrying a sign in front of police headquarters with a curse word on it. You are your own best defense, he said Saturday. When a crime happens police often show up after the crime occurs. In that moment when you need to defend yourself, the cops arent necessarily going to be there. jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com Popular television and Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput who starred in Kai Po Che!, Shuddh Desi Romance, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, Chhichhore was found dead in his Bandra residence in Mumbai. He was 34. The news of Singh's death shocked the industry and fans alike. His passing away has not only opened the gates of conversation around mental health, anxiety, and depression - something that is still considered a stigma in our society, but also how media should cover suicide more sensitively. As soon as the news of his death reached media, the headlines screamed of insensitivity. On social media, questions were raised as to why a successful, celebrated young actor would end his life. Well-meaning people on social media too missed the whole point on mental health. And then there came the debate on what is the correct way to report an incident of suicide. For starters, we should never use the word 'commit'. Why? There are many reasons. "You dont commit a heart attack. Instead, you might hear someone say they died from a heart attack. Dying by suicide is the same. ... When attaching the word committed, it further discriminates against those who lost their battle against a disease," Dan Reidenberg, executive director of Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, told HuffPost in this article. Its died by suicide and not committed suicide. The media needs to practice sensitivity in reporting. Ruchita (@roocheetah) June 14, 2020 Even many journalists, news media , mostly in india , they even don't know how to report suicide cases ! It's not crime that everyone using word " Commit". There are guidelines to report such sensitive cases . Those who r vulnerable may get affected negatively. #SushantSingh https://t.co/cehgjE7yCY pic.twitter.com/8nVUAdkBme Dr Rebellious,MD,DM (AIIMS Delhi) (@DrRebellious) June 14, 2020 'Commit' connotes crime. Suicide is not a crime. That's why died by suicide/killed self is better. Telling people how it happened is triggering. We also shouldn't be telling others how to. So. Ragamalika (@rgmlk) June 14, 2020 Yet, the sensational headlines used by the media houses across India stated the actor had, in fact, "committed suicide". The two words may seem benign at first but can have broader implications, intentional or otherwise. The HuffPost report further stated that using sensitive vernacular could prove vital in eliminating stigma and stereotypes attached to mental illness and disorders -- helping persons suffering from mental illness, anxiety, and depression reach out and seek help. Your words matter "Perhaps more than anyone, media professionals recognize the importance of language in conveying nuanced meanings. Language which conveys that suicide is a significant public health problem will serve to educate the community. Such language should not sensationalize suicide," media guidelines laid down by WHO and International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) on how news organisations should report on suicides stated. READ: Sushant Singh Rajput's Suicide Makes Hush-Hush Conversation on Depression Loud on Social Media While news on suicide should ideally be found in inside pages of a newspaper or second or third break of television news, the WHO-IASP guidelines also advised against the practice of using "committed suicide" in headlines or the stories. "The phrase "committed suicide" should not be used because it implies criminality, thereby contributing to the stigma experienced by those who have lost a loved one to suicide and discouraging suicidal individuals from seeking help. Rather, one should refer to "completed suicide". Suicide remains a criminal offence in some countries around the world." Be sensitive "To "commit" sounds like it was something deliberately done wrong. Most people who die by suicide are overrun by a mental illness that suicidal thoughts is a symptom of," The Mighty chimed. "They do not willfully choose to take their life. People who die by suicide are not committing a crime, they are usually reaching the worst of their illness, their lives are consumed by the disorder and the symptom of despair." Here are some pointers stated by WHO that will help you and your peers cover suicide more sensitively: > Avoid explicit description of the method used in a completed or attempted suicide > Avoid providing detailed information about the site of a completed or attempted suicide > Take particular care in reporting celebrity suicides > Recognize that media professionals themselves may be affected by stories about suicide Note: This news piece may be triggering. If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata). The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is calling on police forces in the United States to stop assaulting journalists in the country to cover the recent protests. The call comes after CBC journalist Susan Ormistons report that U.S. police shot at her with rubber bullets and Radio-Canada journalist Philippe LeBlancs report that police slashed his tires. Some officers are purposely injuring reporters. Its positively nightmarish; they are out of control, CAJ president Karyn Pugliese said. Were not armed and were not dangerous, unless you believe the truth is dangerous. So, Im begging police, please stop. Ormiston and LeBlanc are not the only Canadian reporters who have had problematic interactions with police while covering the protests. Barbara Davidson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist, said she was pushed from behind by police after identifying herself as a journalist. I was hit so hard that I went flying before crashing to the ground and hitting the back of my head on a fire hydrant. Protesters picked me up, preventing me from being crushed, Davidson tweeted. Many reporters have been injured and arrested while covering the protests. Linda Tirado, a freelance journalist who has written for the Guardian, was blinded in one eye after being struck with what she believes was a rubber bullet. Additionally, CNN journalist Omar Jimenez was arbitrarily detained live on air by the Minneapolis police force. Australias Foreign Minister Marise Payne said she had directed her countrys ambassador to the U.S. to investigate an incident where a reporter and a cameraman were punched and bashed with a riot shield. This occurred during U.S. President Donald Trumps controversial move to use law enforcement officers to clear peaceful protests around the White House. Protests have sprung up around the U.S. and the world following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes. The officer has been charged with second-degree murder and three other officers have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder. Solidarity protests have taken place in many Canadian cities, including Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Lethbridge, Red Deer and Fort McMurray. 14.06.2020 LISTEN Putting your destiny into the hands of a drug company is much like seeking reassurances from an opportunistic pimp. The returns are bound to mixed, dressed up in deceptive language. The promises, however, are always remarkable. The back-breaking pace in finding a vaccine for COVID-19 is something that is bringing out the pimps of industry, notably those in Big Pharma. One such candidate is the British-based AstraZeneca, which has busied itself with striking vaccine-agreements with alliances and countries across the globe. Last month, a bombastic press release from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it was responding to President Donald Trumps call made under Operation Warp Speed to produce at least 300 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine AZD1222 in collaboration with the company to be delivered as early as October 2020. AZD1222 is a COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by the University of Oxford but licensed to the company. The agreement between AstraZeneca and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) will accelerate the development and manufacturing of the companys investigational vaccine to begin Phase 3 clinical studies this summer with approximately 30,000 volunteers in the United States. There is much in the way of offsetting costs: BARDA promises up to $1.2 billion in support. The pharma giant is spreading itself ambitiously. While the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi, and the US biotech company Moderna, have also dedicated themselves to the quest of developing a coronavirus vaccine, they seem dwarfed by the entrepreneurial gravitas of AstraZeneca. There are agreements, for instance, with the Norway-based Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and Gavi, the international vaccine alliance. Similar understandings have been reached with the United Kingdom and the Serum Institute of India, the latter promising up to 1 billion doses. On Saturday, a deal between four EU countries (Germany, France, Italy and The Netherlands) and the Anglo-Swedish giant was announced capitalising on momentum gathered from the US deal. The agreement between Europes Inclusive Vaccines Alliance and AstraZeneca, should it be successful, will also make any resulting vaccine available to any EU country willing to participate. The companys CEO Pascal Soriot could be forgiven for feeling a little cocky. This agreement will ensure that hundreds of millions of Europeans have access to the Oxford Universitys vaccine following its approval. The concern here is how uncritically willing government officials are willing to get into the king sized bed that is Big Pharma. Behind every drugs company celebration is a scandal and behind that scandal an entire platoon of lawyers, publicists and regulators. To that end, the field of AstraZenecas improprieties, actual and alleged, is vast. Its operations, at times, have resembled those of the most daring privateers and cutthroat mercantilists. In 2016, AstraZeneca agreed to pay $5.5 million in a settlement over charges they had violated the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Improper payments had been made to health care providers based in Russia and China between 2005 and 2010. Such conduct interested the US Securities and Exchanges commission, which instituted cease-and-desist proceedings which had the effect of inducing an offer of settlement. In the words of the order, AZN failed to devise and maintain a sufficient system of internal accounting controls relating to the interactions of its China and Russia subsidiaries with government officials, the vast majority of whom were health care providers (HCPs), at state-owned and state-controlled entities in China an Russia. The company also has a few stand outs on the product side of things, a salient warning to governments the world over that doing deals with such an entity is potentially harmful and inherently corrupting. Seroquel, AstraZenecas second best-selling pharmaceutical, was promoted by the company to physicians and psychiatrists between 2001 and 2006 for mental disorders not covered by US Food and Drug Administration approval. (The approval range spanned the treatment of schizophrenia, short term treatment for certain manic episodes linked to bipolar disorder, and then, in 2006, bipolar depression.) A whistleblower lawsuit subsequently alleged that the company had marked Seroquel to cover everything from dementia to anger management, post-traumatic stress disorder and sleeplessness. Doctors were also paid to give advice to the company on how best to market the drug for unapproved uses. Resorting to a technique it has come to master over the years, AstraZeneca refused to admit liability for such a marketing strategy while still paying $520 million in the civil suit. Such short and sharp practice has extended to manipulating the clinical record, something that should make any investors into a COVID-19 vaccine vary. The company has been known to fudge the results of clinical trials, stressing supposedly positive findings while diligently hiding nastier ones. The notorious CAFE (Comparison of Atypicals in First Episode) study on comparing the effectiveness of three atypical antipsychotic drugs Seroquel, Zyprexa and Risperdal was accused by Cardiff Universitys David Healy, a senior psychiatrist, of being a non-study of the worst kind, designed as an entirely marketing-driven exercise rather than having any scientific value. The criteria of effectiveness for instance, whether the drugs were taken to the end of the study suggested that the designers from the AstraZeneca were only interested in one thing: that candidates using them stuck with the programme. This said nothing about effectiveness as such, a point made even more glaring by the studys omission of older antipsychotics. The speed of this entire exercise is also a danger. Speed can be fatal in scientific endeavours, be it in terms of the outcome, or in terms of the mission. This is also being prompted by what can politely be described as a paradox. The leader of the Oxford University group and Soriot have one big lament: that declining transmission rates in countries with experimental vaccines may doom the effectiveness of any potential product to combat COVID-19. Adrian Hill, director of the Jenner Institute at Oxford, put it rather curiously to the Sunday Telegraph: his team was facing the prospect that the virus might actually disappear. Good for some; not for others. Now the problem we will have, I think, claimed Soriot, is we are running against time a little bit, because we see already the disease in Europe is declining. All that cash promised and expended; all those potential profits that just might go begging. Coronavirus may yet prove to have a few more tricks to bedevil those on the vaccine trail, but the problem of Big Pharmas corruption of public institutions remains a stubborn warning. So far, it is not being heeded. Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne. Email: [email protected] Washington, June 14 : US President Donald Trump said in his remarks to graduates of the US Military Academy that the country was "ending the era of endless wars". "We are ending the era of endless wars. In its place is a renewed, clear-eyed focus on defending America's vital interests," Trump told the more than 1,000 cadets of the academy also known as West Point on Saturday. He noted that the task of the US military is neither to rebuild foreign nations nor to "solve ancient conflicts in faraway lands that many people have never even heard of". "We are not the policemen of the world," he added. Admissions to the military academy are extremely tough. Besides fulfilling educational and physical requirements, a candidate will have to be nominated by a member of Congress, the vice president or the president to be admitted to West Point. Trump's speech came at a time when his administration is drawing up plans to pull out troops from various places around the globe. A joint statement issued by Washington and Baghdad on Thursday said that the US would continue reducing its military presence in Iraq over the coming months. Trump reportedly directed the Pentagon to reduce nearly 9,500 US troops from the 34,500 troops that are permanently assigned in Germany, which led to opposition from Republican lawmakers. Last week 22 Republican members of Congress wrote to Trump, warning him of a significant force drawdown in Europe would serve Russia's interests at the expense of US national security. There are also reports saying that the Trump administration is looking at a range of options to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan at an early date, with one possible option targeting this November. The peace agreement signed late February between the US and the Taliban called for the full withdrawal of the US military from Afghanistan by May 2021 if the Taliban no longer supports terrorist groups. A group of whitetail deer graze in the woods in a file photo. (Keith Srakocic/AP Photo) Deer Runs Into Black Lives Matter Protest, Woman Injured At least three people were hurt, one seriously, while marching in a Black Lives Matter protest when a deer ran into a crowd of demonstrators in New Jersey, officials said. The South Brunswick Police Department wrote on Twitter that the incident happened during Fridays March for Justice near the South Brunswick High School. As they marched on County Route 522, a deer ran from the property and into the protesters. A 69-year-old woman suffered a serious head injury, officials said. Officers working the event immediately provided medical aid until EMS arrived, the office said. 1/2 The South Brunswick March for Justice drew hundreds of people to the rally and march. During the march 3 people were injured when a deer ran from the high school property into the marchers. Officers working the event immediately provided medical aid until EMS arrived. pic.twitter.com/ljfmiuh5Cq So Brunswick PD (@SoBrunswickPD) June 13, 2020 On Sunday, the department said the womans condition improved. We continue to pray for her complete recovery, according to a tweet. A 69 year old woman received a serious head injury and was take to an area hospital. She was in intensive care late Friday night.Two others were treated on scene. So Brunswick PD (@SoBrunswickPD) June 13, 2020 Two people were also treated for heat-related issues at the march and rally, officials told FOX5. Around 1,000 people attended the demonstration, which was triggered by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis police custody last month. (Refiles to insert dropped "s" in Hassan, paragraph 1) June 13 (Reuters) - Iran will reimpose restrictions to stem a surge in coronavirus cases if health regulations are not observed, President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday. After gradually relaxing its lockdown since mid-April, Iran has seen a sharp rise of new daily infections in recent weeks. While compliance with health protocols was as high as 80% percent a month ago, it is now down to 20%, Rouhani said in a televised speech. He blamed the surge on travellers spreading the coronavirus to previously low risk provinces. With 2,410 new cases on Saturday, the total has reached 184,955. With the death of 71 people in the past 24 hours, total fatalities stand at 8,730, the health ministry said. Rouhani expressed concern about mass prayers at the recently opened Imam Reza shrine, Irans largest Shia Muslim religious complex in the northeast of the country. "If there is no cooperation, we will have to reimpose the restrictions," Rouhani said, adding that adherence to the health protocols were needed "in order to keep businesses open". Tehran faced stiff resistance from hard line clerics before it succeeded in closing holy shrines in mid-March. The closure sparked demonstrations with angry crowds storming the shrines of Imam Reza in Mashhad and Fatemeh Massoumeh in Qom. Shia pilgrims from all over the world visit the shrines, which may have contributed to the initial spread of the virus. (Editing by Alexander Smith) (Sharecast News) - Senior scientists have reported flaws in an influential World Health Organization-commissioned study into the risks of coronavirus infection and say it should not be used as evidence for relaxing the UK's 2-metre physical distancing rule. Critics of the distancing advice, which states that people should keep at least 2 metres apart, believe it is too cautious. They seized on the research commissioned by the WHO, which suggested a reduction from 2 metres to 1 would raise infection risk only marginally, from 1.3% to 2.6%. - Guardian A consortium of British businesses led by manufacturing giant Rolls-Royce has submitted proposals to Ministers to accelerate the building of a new fleet of mini nuclear reactors in the North of England. The plans, circulated in Whitehall 'in the last few weeks', could see construction of high-tech factories to build the small reactors begin by next year. The consortium - which includes UK construction and engineering firms Laing O'Rourke, Atkins and BAM Nuttall - would use British intellectual property to build the reactors. It would work with partners from the US, Canada and France. - Mail on Sunday Retailers have intensified pressure on ministers to relax the two-metre social distancing rule, with a warning from Britain's leading business lobby that it threatens to push some businesses "over the edge of a cliff". The intervention by John Allan, the outgoing CBI president, who is also the chairman of Tesco, comes as non-essential stores prepare to open their doors for the first time in three months tomorrow, in the middle of an economic collapse. - Sunday Telegraph An American private equity giant considered a 1.3bn swoop for a British company that supplies pharmacists with difficult-to-source drugs. Advent International, which took over the FTSE 250 defence group Cobham in a contentious deal in January, ran the rule over Clinigen a few weeks ago, sources said. - Sunday Times The boss of Britain's biggest business group has waded into the row over Huawei's role in the nation's 5G network, warning moves to restrict the Chinese firm's involvement could 'damage' economic recovery. CBI director general Carolyn Fairbairn said the nation's future economic revival is already being labelled a 'digital first' recovery, with many employees working from home and firms seeking innovative ways to adapt and boost productivity. - Mail on Sunday Investors that lent Virgin Atlantic 220m based on its Heathrow landing slots are in talks amid fears that their money could be wiped out. The long-haul airline, which is pleading with the government for a bailout, raised the cash in 2015 from giants including Pension Insurance Corporation, Hastings Funds Management, Standard Life Investments and Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management - firms that typically invest in safe assets with steady returns. - Sunday Times Capita, one of the major providers of outsourced services to the UK government, plans to cut at least 200 jobs amid financial difficulties exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. The company has started a consultation process with a number of employees about planned redundancies. The job cuts are focused on Capita's central support teams in London. - Guardian A pro-China group is asking FTSE 100 companies to lobby ministers about the risks of Britain's deteriorating relationship with Beijing. The China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), whose members include HSBC, BP, Standard Chartered and Glaxo Smith Kline, has approached several blue-chip companies with Chinese exposure about support for the lobbying campaign. The charm offensive is led by Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, the CBBC's chairman and head of public affairs at HSBC, Europe's biggest bank. - Sunday Times The cinema chain Cineworld is bracing for a court battle with its latest takeover target after pulling out of the deal and triggering a row over the terms. Cineworld claims Cineplex, the dominant cinema chain in Canada, has suffered a "material adverse effect" under the terms of the deal, which included a ceiling of $725m (578m) on its debts. Cineplex in turn accuses Cineworld of unlawfully abandoning the $1.7bn debt-fuelled merger because of the lockdown pressure on its finances. - Daily Telegraph Fast-fashion powerhouse Boohoo is set for a showdown with shareholders this week over a 1m payout to chief executive John Lyttle. Influential advisory group ISS has recommended that Boohoo's shareholders vote against its pay policy, citing a lack of explanation either for Lyttle's payout or for salary increases handed to the other senior executives, which ranged from 18% to 30%. - Sunday Times Sunday Times The Bank of England is expected to unleash a further 150bn of stimulus in its latest attempt to cushion the economic damage from Covid-19 - as fresh evidence emerges of the rise in unemployment caused by the lockdown. After an unprecedented 20.4% contraction in GDP in April, economists expect the Bank to add more firepower to its quantitative easing (QE) programme. It comes as global investors have been rattled about the fallout from the pandemic, with US markets suffering their biggest fall since March on Thursday. - Hyundai Motor Company is to donate medical equipment and personal protection items worth $$2.4 million to countries across the Middle East and Africa in an effort to help tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. With thousands of people being affected across the world, Hyundai has stepped up its efforts by purchasing over 603,000 items that will benefit the front-line medical workers and the public across 37 countries. The contribution includes the distribution of 445,500 face masks, 100,000 industrial mask, 25,000 hand sanitisers, 32,500 protective suits and 43 ambulances across 37 countries in the Middle East Africa. All the equipment will be distributed by the respective government and non-government organisations. The contributions are part of Hyundais commitment to supporting the communities. The company has continued to work closely with the governments and partners to combat the COVID-19 and bolster the global efforts to curb the spread. In recent weeks, Hyundai has helped those in need around the world through donations and contributing medical equipment and personal protection items. Bang Sun Jeong, Vice President, Head of Hyundai Motor Company Middle East & Africa HQs, said: We have seen in the last few weeks the impact the COVID-19 has had across the world which has affected hundreds of thousands of people. Caring for humanity has always been at the heart of Hyundais vision and having assisted those in need in countries around the world, we are proud to expand our support to countries across the Middle East and Africa region that have been hardest hit by the pandemic. The contributions of hand sanitisers, face masks, protective equipment and ambulances are another step forward of making a positive difference and we believe if we work together, we can overcome anything. We hope this pandemic can soon come to an end and we can help people get back to their daily lives. Helping deliver emergency supplies to medical facilities in China, launching the Hyundai Solidarity Transport program to offer transportation for the elderly and healthcare professionals in Brazil and providing a fleet of its vehicles to volunteers and self-isolating customers in the UK are some of the initiatives that are helping make a difference. -- Tradearabia News Service Two rockets hit US-occupied Taji base in Iraq Iran Press TV Saturday, 13 June 2020 9:12 PM The rockets were launched north of Baghdad and did not cause any damage to the Taji base, the Iraqi security forces said in a statement. A US-led coalition official confirmed the projectiles fell outside the coalition's segment of the base. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. Since October, at least 30 attacks have targeted American troops or diplomats, severely straining ties between Baghdad and Washington. In March, two Americans and one British soldier were killed following a barrage of rockets on Taji base. Anti-US sentiment has been running high in Iraq following Washington's January 3 assassination of top Iranian anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and senior Hashd al-Sha'abi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, in addition to several other comrades, outside the Baghdad airport. Iraqi resistance groups have vowed to avenge the assassinations, but denied any role in such rocket attacks. Two days after the assassinations, the Iraqi parliament voted for a resolution that called for an end to the presence of all foreign forces, including the Americans. Washington, however, has threatened sanctions should US troops be expelled from Iraq instead of ending the occupation of the Arab country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki may well be on his way to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP as he met with the governor of Rivers State and top PDP chieftain, Nyesom Wike on Sunday afternoon. It will be recalled that Obaseki was disqualified from contesting the APC primaries over discrepancies in his HSC and NYSC certificates. Reacting to the development, Obaseki stated that he will not be contesting the partys decision thus fueling rumours of his possible defection to PDP, the largest Opposition party in Edo state. POLITICS NIGERIA has photos from Obasekis meeting with Wike. See below; Off-Duty Florida Wildlife Officer Julian Keen Found Fatally Shot An off-duty Florida wildlife officer was found shot and killed on Sunday morning, officials said. It is with heavy hearts that we confirm the tragic death of Officer Julian Keen. Our thoughts are with his friends and family during this difficult time, said the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) on Twitter. The Hendry County Sheriffs Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Keen, 30, was found dead in a rural part of the county, according to News4Jax. Three suspects are in custody. Law enforcement agencies didnt provide other details. It is with heavy hearts that we confirm the tragic death of Officer Julian Keen. Our thoughts are with his friends and family during this difficult time. #Officer #Florida #LawEnforcement pic.twitter.com/SJdgwqcQ5S MyFWC (@MyFWC) June 14, 2020 Keen was reportedly shot while trying to stop a hit-and-run driver. The Florida Highway Patrol Command Officers Association stated, He was a genuine officer who would literally give his shirt off his back to ANYONE who needed it. Please pray for his family and law enforcement everywhere as we face these troubling times. The Sumter County Sheriffs Office also offered their condolences to Keen. We wish to offer our condolences to FWC, the family and friends of FWC Officer Julian Keen who lost his life last night. You have our deepest sympathies, prayers for you all, the post said. Hendry County Sheriff Steven Whidden also told news outlets: We will do everything we can to bring about justice to those guilty in his shooting death. We all knew Officer Keen, and he wasnt only our brother but a role model for the community. He will be missed, the sheriff said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 00:09:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOGADISHU, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Somali national forces on Saturday killed 13 al-Shabab militants in an offensive in the southern region of Lower Juba, a military officer confirmed on Sunday. Ali Mohamed, commander of Somali Nation Army (SNA)'s 43 Unit told journalists that the army conducted an offensive following a tip-off from the public. "The operation was conducted in Afmadow town and there was a confrontation between the army and the militants and our forces overpowered the extremists, killing 13 of them including three senior leaders," Mohamed said. He added that the army also recovered weapons from the militants during the confrontation. Locals told Xinhua there was an intense clash in Banka Jira village. "The army attacked al-Shabab militants in the village, we could hear the sound of heavy weapons," Hindi Aden, a resident said. On June 7, the Somali army killed 37 al-Shabab militants in another offensive on the outskirts of Hudur town in the country's southern region of Bakol. Enditem David Eason and Jenelle Evans renewed marital bliss was short-lived. Evans moved back to North Carolina before the Coronavirus lockdown, and things appeared to be going well, but fans noticed serious drama brewing, once again, two weeks ago. First, Evans and Eason traded insults on Facebook; then, fans noticed Evans was on social media without her wedding ring. The problems didnt stop there, though. David Eason was arrested on June 12, and the charges are pretty serious. David Eason has been arrested Eason has had an eventful week. The father of three was picked up by police on Thursday evening for failing to appear in court. The failure to appear arrest stemmed from an old misdemeanor charge, according to The Ashley Reality Roundup Group. He was released on bond the same evening. Jenelle Evans and David Eason | Bruce Glikas/Getty Images RELATED: Investigation Discovery Names David Eason a Bad Dad, and Jenelle Evans is Mad! Twenty-four hours later, police were once again getting acquainted with Eason. At roughly 8:30 pm on June 12, police booked Eason for assault with a deadly weapon. An additional charge for issuing threats was later added. The charges reportedly stem from an argument between Eason and an unnamed man who was helping Evans move her belongings out of the couples home. Eason reportedly hit his victim with a gun, causing injury to his head and neck. The argument is said to have started when Eason couldnt find his car keys. David Eason is no stranger to the police While Easons latest arrest is a pretty serious one, he is no stranger to the police. Eason, who once took to Facebook to insist that Evans was the real problem in his life, was arrested multiple times before he met Evans and several times during their marriage, too. According to Starcasm, Eason was arrested four times in 2012. Then 23, Eason spent time in jail for breaking and entering. He was also arrested for possession charges, driving under the influence and reckless driving. In 2013 and 2014, he was booked for driving while impaired. Eason also failed to appear at a court date in 2014, leading to another arrest. #teenmomog #breakingnews I just want to let the public, tabloids, and my fans know that IM OK, IM SAFE AND SO ARE THE Posted by Jenelle Evans on Saturday, June 13, 2020 RELATED: Teen Mom 2: David Eason Insists Everyone Has Got It All Wrong The trouble didnt end when he met Evans, either. Over 12 months in 2019, 25 calls were placed to 911 from the couples home or about the residence. The FBI visited Eason after he shared his weapons stockpile with the public, and he was arrested after he uploaded a video of himself illegally towing a vehicle. Eason also found himself in trouble for failing to pay his child support, and for shooting and killing the family dog. Could David Eason face jail time? Whether or not Eason will face jail time is entirely dependent on how the charges are classified. While some assault charges may be classified as a misdemeanor, it appears as though Easons charge is being classified as a felony. RELATED: Teen Mom 2: Jenelle Evans Reveals The Reason She Reunited with David Eason and What They are Doing to Work on Their Relationship According to Browning & Long, a Class E felony assault charge carries a prison term of between 15 and 31 months. A Class C felony could land Eason in jail for up to six years. His first appearance in court will take place on July 6, according to Us Weekly, although it could take several months for a final verdict to be reached. At the moment, though, Eason is a free man. Photograph: Kevin Hagen/AP The ultimate power of the labor movement lies in solidarity. Together, working people are strong. So what can the movement do in this moment of national struggle against racism and police violence? The obvious answer is to deny the power of solidarity to police unions, which function as barriers to the very reforms that Americans are now fighting for. The time has come to put police unions on a raft and set them adrift. Perhaps they can reapply for solidarity if they ever stop abusing the rest of us. Related: The pandemic has exposed an ugly truth about American life: racism kills | Robert Fullilove Earlier this week, my union, the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), formally called upon the AFL-CIO Americas largest union coalition, representing 55 unions, including us to expel police unions from its ranks. (I am one of the 21 elected WGAE council members who unanimously voted to approve this resolution, but I speak here only for myself.) We do not dispute the right of anyone to have a union, but police unions are incompatible with the AFL-CIOs mission to vanquish oppression. For centuries, the police have in fact been the tool of oppression wielded to crush working people. A common thread that runs from striking union members getting their heads bashed in to the tragedy of George Floyd is the presence of aggressive and unaccountable police. It is worth noting that the AFL-CIOs own constitution says that affiliated unions can be kicked out if their activities are consistently directed toward the achievement of the program or purposes of authoritarianism, totalitarianism, terrorism and other forces that suppress individual liberties and freedom of association and oppose the basic principles of free and democratic trade unionism. When I read those words, I conjure up the image of the combative riot police who unjustly arrested multiple journalists and WGAE members who were peacefully covering the recent protests against police violence. Story continues For centuries, the police have in fact been the tool of oppression wielded to crush working people Unfortunately, getting police unions out of the broader labor movement will not be easy. The AFL-CIO immediately rejected the WGAEs resolution with little discussion. Why? It is not as simple as the fear of losing members the International Union of Police Associations has 100,000 members, a drop in the bucket of the AFL-CIOs 12.5 million union members. Rather, the union establishment fears for its own existence. To understand this, you have to keep in mind the fact that business interests have been waging a very successful campaign to destroy all unions for decades now. Union membership among private sector workers has plummeted to less than 7%; among public sector workers, however, more than 33% are in unions. Government workers are by far the strongest sector of organized labor. And big unions are determined not to allow any sort of attack on public sector union membership even if those unions are police unions, who are protecting cops who beat and kill the rest of us. Lee Saunders is the head of AFSCME, the most powerful public sector union in the AFL-CIO, which represents 1.4 million state and local government workers, including some cops. In an op-ed this week, he wrote: Just as it was wrong when racists went out of their way to exclude black people from unions, it is wrong to deny this freedom to police officers today. Fine. But we dont need them inside of our labor movement, poisoning it for everyone else. (There is a related strain of argument that says that if we push police out of the labor movement, well lose the ability to influence them for the better. This is laughably disconnected from reality. How has that worked out for us so far? Perhaps if we wait another hundred years, well see some progress?) It is sad to see the union establishment ruled more by fear of losing what they have than by a vision for a better future Union leaders think that the American public is too stupid to understand the difference between regular labor unions and police unions. I disagree. Here is the difference: labor unions empower working people. Police unions disempower working people, by making it impossible to reform and hold accountable police forces that systematically abuse, imprison and terrify working people. Likewise, the motivation of the rightwing assault on unions in general is to disempower working people. The motivation for the current campaign to take police unions out of the labor movement is to empower working people by ensuring that the AFL-CIO is not forced to represent a slice of the workforce that is structurally opposed to its broader mission of freedom and equality for the sort of people most likely to be harassed by the police. This seems simple enough. It is sad to see the union establishment ruled more by fear of losing what they have than by a vision for a better future. Millions of Americans have taken to the streets to cry out for justice. Not only is it the responsibility of the labor movement to stand next to them it is the responsibility of the labor movement to be them. Union membership has been declining for decades, as inequality rises. This is not a coincidence. A revival of working-class power is vital to fixing many of the underlying issues that have broken our nation. (For example, unions are the only thing that has ever helped close the wage gap between black and white workers.) The energy that has flowed into the protests must also flow into the labor movement. In order for that to happen, unions and the AFL-CIO need to welcome everyone in. That cant happen when the cops are guarding the door. Time to make a choice. People over police. Update (6/16): This story has been updated with additional comment from Rome police. Rome, N.Y. A man who police say broke in to a Rome residence early Sunday morning was chased out of the house by a neighbor who fired a shotgun at him. Rome police said a masked man entered 608 Croton St. around 1:38 a.m. removing a window air conditioner and entering through an upstairs bedroom. A man, a woman and a 3-year-old child were inside the bedroom at the time. Police said the man hit the woman several times in the head with a handgun and began searching the residence. At one point, a neighbor heard the commotion, grabbed a shotgun and entered the residence. The neighbor chased the man through the residence and fired a shot, police said. The man was not struck, police said, and he fled the residence from a second-story window. The neighbor also left the residence and spotted the man fleeing to a dark SUV police said it was possibly a gray Dodge SUV waiting behind the residence on Ashland Avenue. At some point, the man turned toward the neighbor," police said. The neighbor again fired his shotgun at the man. The man was not struck, but police believe the vehicle may have sustained damage. The man then fled from the scene in the vehicle. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Rome Police Department at (315) 339-7716. Police said a 12-gauge shotgun was recovered from the scene. Police said the investigation is ongoing and that its too early to say if the shots fired were lawful. Ministers rather than the Governments scientific advisers will take the final decision on whether to ease the two-metre social distancing rule, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said. Mr Sunak confirmed that Boris Johnson has ordered a comprehensive review of the rule in England as the Government continues its lifting of the coronavirus lockdown restrictions. He said that it would look at the issue in the round, drawing on advice from economists as well as scientific and medical experts. The move comes as non-essential shops in England prepare to open their doors to customers on Monday for the first time since the lockdown was imposed in March. Ministers are under intense pressure from Conservative MPs who see the easing of the two-metre rule as crucial to the further reopening of the economy. During a round of broadcast interviews, Mr Sunak acknowledged it would have a significant impact on whether the hospitality sector can reopen, which the Government has slated for early July. The Prime Minister has put in place a comprehensive review of the two-metre rule. That review will involve the scientists, the economists and others so that we can look at it in the round, he told Sky Newss Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme. You are right to highlight the impact it has on business it is the difference between maybe three-quarters and a third of pubs opening, for example, so it is important the we look at it. Obviously many other countries around the world use a different rule. We have seen a couple of countries recently Norway and Denmark have moved from two metres to something less as well. It is important that we look at it comprehensively, in the round, and that is what we will do urgently. Scientists advising the Government, including chief medical officer for England Professor Chris Whitty, have previously signalled their reluctance to see any easing while the Covid-19 epidemic continues. Story continues Mr Sunak, however, made clear that it was for elected politicians to make the final decisions. Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance (the Governments chief scientific adviser) throughout all of this have provided advice to ministers, he told BBC1s The Andrew Marr Show. Ultimately it is for ministers. We are the people who are elected to make decisions in this country. People should hold us responsible and accountable for making those decisions. (PA Graphics) I think that people are comforted and have confidence in those decisions if they know that we are taking advice from our scientists. Mr Sunak acknowledged many people would be anxious at the prospect of going out shopping again after almost three months in lockdown but he said measures had been put in place to ensure public safety. People will see from tomorrow it is a slightly different experience. But it is a safe environment and we should all be able to go out knowing that we should be able to shop in confidence, he told Sophy Ridge on Sunday. I know shops up and down the country are ready to welcome us all back and get our high streets springing back to life. Boris Johnson has ordered a comprehensive review of the two-metre rule (Dominic Lipinski/PA) The move comes amid fears of a new wave of job losses as the Government starts to wind down the furlough scheme which has seen the state pay the wages of more than eight million workers. Mr Sunak acknowledged further redundancies were inevitable and said that it underlined the importance of getting the economy going again. Primarily we need to reopen our economy safely and slowly. That is the most important thing to try and safeguard as many of those jobs as possible, he told The Andrew Marr Show. There is going to be hardship ahead. People are going to lose their jobs. Meanwhile, ministers have faced fresh criticism over their failure to get more schools in England to reopen, with most pupils set to stay home until September. Non-essential shops in England are preparing to re-open on Monday (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The Childrens Commissioner for England Anne Longfield said they risked undermining childrens basic right to an education. It has taken 200 years of campaigning to get children into the classroom, ensuring that education was a basic right for all children, she told the Observer. We seem for the first time to be prepared to let that start go into reverse. And I think that is a very, very dangerous place to be. Mr Sunak said that every day children were away from school was a tragedy but insisted the Government had adopted a reasonable and measured approach. Ministers will this week mount a fresh push to get more primary school children back into the classroom ahead of the summer break. Ministers want to get more primary schoolchildren back in the classroom before the summer break (Jacob King/PA) Currently, primary schools in England which closed following the coronavirus lockdown in March are opening to pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6. However, ministers will this week reaffirm schools can take children from other year groups provided they have the capacity to do so safely. It means limiting class sizes to just 15 while ensuring protective measures are in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. A No 10 source said Mr Johnson was acutely aware of the impact the extended closure was having on pupils and was working with Education Secretary Gavin Williamson on a major catch-up plan. SEATTLE Tracy Stewart stands on a street corner in the newly claimed Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone and shakes her head. Young white people wander what's become known as CHAZ, White Claw seltzers in hand as a tuba player lofts a jaunty tune into the evening air. A woman draws chalk art on the street as dozens of others wait patiently in line to buy hot dogs, ignoring the free food piled across the street at the "No Cop Co-Op" tent. A red-haired woman roller-skates in turquoise boots, and couples wander the six-block area with $16 craft Negronis. A Pilates instructor poses for photos at the "Free Cap Hill" sign and a group of people sit on couches at the "Conversation Cafe" near a Post-It covered Dream Board. Somebodys dead. Why do Black bodies have to be in the street for people to have to show up?" says Stewart, a Black mental health therapist. "These people, Im not even sure they know why theyre here. In a few short days, Seattle protesters who violently clashed with riot police over the death of George Floyd have had their rough edges dulled by tens of thousands of tourists and sightseers. Once criticized by President Donald Trump and Fox News commentators as a haven for anarchists and the far-left antifa movement, CHAZ has morphed into what looks and feels like a mini-Burning Man festival, complete with its own corps of volunteer street cleaners and medics, as well as dreadlocked white girls blowing soap bubbles and taking selfies in front of paintings of men and women killed by Seattle police. A young man stands atop a backstop in the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone in Seattle during protests following the death of George Floyd. The autonomous zones evolution from a somber protest site to street festival highlights the problem Seattles Black residents say they face: The citys overwhelmingly white population loves to protest but might not be taking the Black Lives Matter movement as seriously as they should. King County, home to Seattle, has about 2.2 million residents and is about 65% white. Only about 6% of residents are Black, and the Seattle Police Department has a long history of using excessive force against the area's minority population. In 2012, President Barack Obama's Justice Department implemented strict oversight of Seattle police, leading to a 60% drop in the use of serious force against the community over the next eight years as taxpayers poured an extra $100 million into the department. Story continues In early May, city officials asked a federal judge to remove the decree, arguing Seattle police were no longer the racist, violent department they once were. Eighteen days later on Memorial Day, Floyd, 46, a Black man in Minneapolis, was pinned to the ground by officers after being accused of passing a fake $20 bill at a grocery store. In a video of the encounter, Floyd gasped for breath as officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes while three other officers looked on. Two man take a picture in front of the Free Cap Hill sign in Seattle during a temporary occupation of what has become known as the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. Floyd's death sparked a wave of protests internationally, and Seattle's veteran protesters swung into action in a massive demonstration May 30. There were incidents of looting and violence, and a police officer was caught on video restraining a man by kneeling on his neck. The protests grew more confrontational, and police used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the massive crowds protesting police brutality. Then on June 8, police withdrew from the East Precinct station, ceding control over what's now known as CHAZ. Rioters broke at least one window of the police station, defaced the signs outside with profanity, hung a large banner across the front, and at least partially tore down a chain-link fence surrounding the station, and with spray paint renamed it the "Seattle People Department." Most businesses in the area have are closed, although a liquor store, ramen restaurant and taco joint are still doing brisk business. Police officers have showed no sign of trying to reassert control in the area, and a steady flow of city officials, including the fire chief and mayor, have visited to discuss trash, sanitation and emergency response concerns. In an interview with TV station King5 on Friday, Police Chief Carmen Best, who is Black, declined to give a time frame for reasserting control, although she noted losing access to the precinct station has dramatically increased response times of officers responding to 911 calls in the area. A person walks past a mural honoring George Floyd in the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone in Seattle. Friday afternoon, poet Roberto Carlos Ascalon visited CHAZ with his family and friends, towing children ages 3, 4 and 5 in a small wagon. He and his wife live in a nearby neighborhood, and they wanted the children to witness history unfolding. Ascalon, 46, says the national response to the coronavirus pandemic which includes $600 payments to the unemployed, billions of dollars in business grants to restaurants and shops and widespread mask-wearing and social distancing demonstrates that society can transform itself when and if it decides to. If we have a chance to abolish systemic racism and white supremacy, shouldnt we do everything we can to take that chance?" says Ascalon, a first-generation Filipino American. "We are changing the entire system of the world on a dime. We can actually do this. A woman climbs down from a building in the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone in Seattle during protests. Stewart shakes her head as she thinks about the problems and solutions. A big part of the problem, she says, is that white people who love to protest fail to follow through by holding city officials accountable for new police contracts or spending priorities. She wants to know: Where were these people when the chief pushed back against union contract changes? Where were these people when the city declared the police department "fixed" early last month? "White people need to stay in when it gets uncomfortable and stop treating this like it is a party," she says. "The marching and the protesting, all of that is important. But the work is every day holding the mayor and the City Council and the Legislature and all the way up to the president accountable. A big feature of the Seattle protests is the lack of specific leadership and who gets to negotiate change with the political establishment. There's no equivalent, at least not yet, to a Martin Luther King Jr., Congressman John Lewis, Jesse Jackson or Patrisse Cullors, the co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement who has organized protests after the death of Floyd and other Black men, women and children in recent years. Ben Crump, the civil rights attorney for Floyd's family, hasn't put in an appearance in Seattle. The local chapter of Black Lives Matter has helped organize protest marches, but the CHAZ doesn't have anyone in charge. People take pictures of the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct building, which was renamed the Seattle People Department, during protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Participants posted signs calling for changes ranging from maintaining the police consent decree to reducing police funding to putting more counselors and nurses in schools and requiring police officers to ensure their badge numbers are readable. Other protesters demand financial changes to prohibit the super-wealthy, such as Seattle-based Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, from getting richer without investing in their communities and to call for more financial and communityassistance for the city's large population of people experiencing homelessness. We are not here to become a bunch of armed mercenaries. We just want equal rights, says Matthew Bootleg Bill Born, 40, who is white. This is so into the unknown. We can only ask for so much and try to leverage that. Were trying to leverage space at the table. Were tired of being victimized by police officers in riot gear. Were not at war. If the CHAZ lacks a leader, it most definitely has two visible faces: community journalists and activists TraeAnna Holiday, 38, and Omari Salisbury, 44, who have been conducting live Facebook and YouTube broadcasts daily from next door to the abandoned police station, based out of a loft borrowed from a Microsoft techie. Holiday and Salisbury, who are both Black, work for a marketing firm, Converge, using its resources to raise questions and highlight issues they've pushed for years. Walking around CHAZ, Salisbury is greeted like a celebrity: People stop him for selfies, they boast how often they watch his videos or ask for advice on how to get started in citizen journalism. They offer free coffee, doughnuts, handshakes and hugs, which he sometimes forgets to decline amid the pandemic. He has been on the front lines of the protests for days, capturing videos that he says show police lied about who started confrontations, in particular when an officer grabbed an umbrella protesters were using to shield themselves and pepper-sprayed the crowd. Like many Black residents in Seattle, Salisbury has a deep-seated fear that these new white allies will once again quickly lose interest. "This is a time for tough questions," he says. "A lot of the things the community has been saying, especially the Black community, they've been saying for a long time. There's hardly anything out there that's new. These aren't new things." Friday evening, Salisbury interviewed Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, asking her what assurances she could give the Black community that things will actually change this time. Three members of the nine-member Seattle City Council called on Durkan to resign over how the city has mismanaged the protest response. None of the council members is Black. "We have let people down. And we quit too early. We got comfortable with the changes we made, and we thought it was done," Durkan told Salisbury. "And it's not done. Words, in many ways, don't matter. It's going to be action. So people gotta see what I'm going to do and how I'm willing to listen and then do what the community needs and wants." What the community wants is change, many Black protesters say. Change from the status quo. Change from institutional racism and biased policing and violence that targets minority faces. Change so white allies will do more to support people of color. A crowd of people visits the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone in Seattle, Washington, during protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Some Black protesters expressed gratitude that white allies showed up. Weve gotta have hope that its going to change. Otherwise were going to die," says Lawanna Wright, 44, as she watched some of the estimated 60,000 people march through Seattle Friday afternoon in a silent protest organized by Black Lives Matter. "Its great to see the variety of people. Theres not a lot of Black faces out here. And that gives me hope were not out here fighting this battle alone. But many are worried they will soon be left alone to take on the city's racist structures. Like many of the city's Black residents, Wright, a substance abuse counselor, notes that Seattle's white residents are really good at protesting but not so good at bringing about systemic change. There were the World Trade Organization protests in 1999 opposing globalization and the Occupy Seattle protests in 2011, both of which did little to halt the increasing corporate control over daily life in the city. Although the city has a reputation as a liberal bastion, Durkan is a former federal prosecutor criticized for overzealous "sweeps" of homeless encampments. During the 2017 mayoral election, only 42% of registered voters participated. Wright's colleague Candis Dover, 55, says the true test will be time, calling this moment "the Kumbaya phase." Her father, born in 1918 in Georgia, quit school in the third grade to pick cotton as a sharecropper because that was his only option. They freed the slaves but didnt give them a pot to piss in," she says. "We have to keep this momentum and keep moving. We cant let up. We just cant do this by ourselves. We have police in the schools but no nurses. We have police in the schools but no mental health counselors." Watching the silent protest flood into Jefferson Park, protester Mackenzie Thornquist, 28, a flight attendant, says she's confident her generation is ready to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Black community. "My parents and their parents, some stood up for what was right but not enough of them," says Thornquist, who is white. "The younger generation is ready to stand up. A lot of people have been too neutral. Back at the CHAZ, Holiday, the community activist and citizen journalist, lets a note of frustration creep into her voice as she thinks about the way the media has covered the protests, riots and takeover of the area. Conservative media has focused on the presence of armed men in the area, none of whom was breaking the law, or concocted fake images such as Fox News, which apologized after publishing a doctored photo that appeared to show an armed man in front of a looted store. Trump demanded in a statement on Twitter Friday that city officials end the takeover: "The terrorists burn and pillage our cities, and they think it is just wonderful, even the death." Seattle Mayor says, about the anarchists takeover of her city, it is a Summer of Love. These Liberal Dems dont have a clue. The terrorists burn and pillage our cities, and they think it is just wonderful, even the death. Must end this Seattle takeover now! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 12, 2020 Holiday says all she sees around her is love, kindness and community, from the free food to the colorful artwork and the volunteer medics helping everyone stay safe. What startles politicians, she says, is that Americans truly want to see change, and they're increasingly demanding it. The apathy in this nation has been so real. Seeing people stand up and say, 'We cant see this happen anymore' has literally shocked the world. Its making every leader think about their position," she says. I have two sons. Two Black boys. What I want is real change. Not minor. Not incremental. But something that makes the world shift. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Inside Seattle autonomous zone, Black protesters seek lasting change German detectives now believe the prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann wrote letters which mention her, as Portuguese police continue to probe whether her body was dumped in a well after she went missing. Detectives probing into the life of Christian Breuckner are hunting for the supposed letters and have asked ex-girlfriends for notes the convicted sex offender may have sent them in the past. It comes as MailOnline can reveal that Portuguese police have already looked at the possibility Madeleine McCann's body may have been dumped in wells near suspect Christian Brueckner's old home, it has been claimed. Weekly Portuguese newspaper SOL did not claim full searches of the wells had been carried out. Detectives probing into the life of Christian Breuckner (pictured with a former girlfriend) are hunting for the supposed letters and have asked ex-girlfriends for notes the convicted sex offender may have sent them in the past Madeleine McCann (pictured left) went missing from the apartment where her parents were staying in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2007. Christian Brueckner (right) is the prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann But it said the PJ had already undertaken some work aimed at establishing whether the missing youngster's body might be in one of them on the basis that she is dead as the German authorities insist. The paper reported yesterday/on Saturday: 'In the spirit of cooperation with their German counterparts, the PJ have been undertaking tasks which include work on wells near a house Christian Brueckner lived in in the south of Portugal. 'The aim is to ascertain whether there exists any possibility the British girl's body could have been left there.' It went on to claim: 'As far as the Portuguese investigators are concerned, everything the German authorities have got so far continues to be insufficient to be able to exclude other lines of inquiry or other suspects. 'Within the PJ it's felt that the evidence that exists at the moment is insufficient to be able to bring a formal accusation.' German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters has already admitted they do not have enough evidence at the moment to put Brueckner on trial, and want information from people on the places he has lived so they can search for Madeleine. He said earlier this week: 'We expect that she is dead, but we don't have enough evidence that we can get a warrant for our suspect in Germany for the murder of Madeleine McCann. Detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann released pictures of a farmhouse where Brueckner stayed while in Praia da Luz The farmhouse and the land around it is said to contain a number of abandoned wells, which police have investigated as part of their probe into Madeleine McCann's disappearance 'At the moment, we also don't have enough proof for a trial at court, but we have some evidence that the suspect has done the deed. 'That's why we need more information from people, especially places he has lived, so we can target these places especially and search there for Madeleine.' SOL did not make it clear which house it was referring to when it said wells near Brueckner's old property had been investigated. But it is believed to have been referring to a rented ramshackle cottage just under two miles from the Praia da Luz apartment where Maddie went missing in May 2007, where the German is believed to have lived from the mid nineties to around 2005. The property has a well right beside it, and others dotted around the countryside nearby. Neighbours said earlier this week they were only aware of searches in the wider area six years ago led by Met Police which turned up nothing new. Amid the ongoing dispute with China in eastern Ladakh over the Chinese military buildup, the Border Roads Organisation is looking to complete the work on the 255 km-long strategic Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) road including eight bridges and its blacktopping at some of the stretches by the end of this year. IMAGE: Col Chewang Rinchen Bridge built between Durbuk and Daulat Beg Oldie in Eastern Ladakh. Photograph: ANI Photo The use of the strategic road by the Indian security forces from Leh has helped in reducing the travel time between Leh and DBO to six hours. "We are planning that the work on the entire stretch should be complete by the end of this year which includes eight bridges of different sizes and blacktopping of the road at some of the stretches," government sources said. The sources said the labour workforce has started the movement towards the high altitude locations in Ladakh from Jharkhand after proper checks and screening by the local authorities for COVID-19. The workforce in Jharkhand is considered to be the most suited for working in this hilly terrain as they adapt to the conditions there very well, they said. The working window in the Eastern Ladakh sector is very narrow with only four to five months available due to the extreme cold conditions there. The road has been in the making for over two decades now and a special focus was laid on it after the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014. Northern Army Commanders, the Border Roads Organisation project chief engineers and commanders of the 81 Brigade looking after DBO have been working in close coordination in the last many years to ensure that the project was completed in time and the manner in which it remains an all-weather road. The bridge connecting the Patrolling Point 14 in Galwan area with the territory across the Shyok river is also linked to the strategic road. India and China are engaged in a standoff at multiple points along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh where the Chinese People's Liberation Army has amassed over 10,000 troops with its heavy artillery and armoured regiments on its side of the LAC. India has also now matched the deployment done by the Chinese and after the talks between the two sides at the multiple levels, they have even disengaged and gone back from their positions by a couple of kilometres. A former NYPD spokesman has made an emotional social media post saying the department is responsible for the death of Eric Garner. Garner died in 2014 on Staten Island, after famously shouting 'I can't breath' as a police officer put him in a chokehold while cops attempted to arrest him for selling loose cigarettes. 'We killed Eric Garner,' Michael DeBonis, 40, posted last week on Instagram from an account that has since been deleted. DeBonis is an ex-detective who worked for the deputy commissioner for public information. 'In writing this post I'm fully aware that some of my cop friends may call me a traitor, a hypocrite or even un follow me,' DeBonis wrote, according to the New York Post. 'We killed Eric Garner,' Michael DeBonis, 40, (center) an ex-detective who worked for the deputy commissioner for public information, posted last week on Instagram DeBonis Instagram post In writing this post I'm fully aware that some of my cop friends may call me a traitor, a hypocrite or even un follow me. I'm ok with that because if you don't agree with what I'm about to say then we definitely don't see eye to eye when it comes to policing.... We killed Eric Garner.......His arrest was legal, the initial forced [sic] used to stop him from resisting was fine, but in the end WE PUNISHED HIM FOR RESISTING ARREST WE WATCHED HIM DIE WE DIDN'T EVEN SIT HIM UP AND RENDER HIM BASIC AID.....In the end he DIED for selling untaxed cigarettes....It was a horrible injustice that is forever a part of our history. I'm a hypocrite for saying this now, because I didn't say it publicly then, but WE ALL need to hold ourselves accountable....I'm a hypocrite for saying this now, because I didn't say it publicly then, but WE ALL need to hold ourselves accountable Advertisement 'I'm ok with that because if you don't agree with what I'm about to say then we definitely don't see eye to eye when it comes to policing,' he continued. DeBonis said Garner's arrest 'was legal, the initial forced [sic] used to stop him from resisting was fine, but in the end WE PUNISHED HIM FOR RESISTING ARREST WE WATCHED HIM DIE WE DIDN'T EVEN SIT HIM UP AND RENDER HIM BASIC AID.' He added: 'It was a horrible injustice that is forever a part of our history. I'm a hypocrite for saying this now, because I didn't say it publicly then, but WE ALL need to hold ourselves accountable.' He continued, 'the Police are NOT the enemy One bad cop doesn't define who we are or what we have done for this city WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HELP THESE COMMUNITIES?' The post was liked by at least 59 people before DeBonis took down his Instagram account. The Post reported that DeBonis declined to discuss his post further when reached by a reporter. 'It has consumed my life the last few weeks and quite frankly I'm done. Actions speak louder than words anyway,' he said in a text to a Post reporter. Garner's death was thrust back into the news with the death of George Floyd on Memorial Day in Minneapolis. Like Garner, Floyd exclaimed 'I can't breath' as he was being placed under arrest, and soon died. Garner's (above) death was thrust back into the news with the death of George Floyd on Memorial Day in Minneapolis A grand jury declined to indict Daniel Pantaleo (above), the officer who put Garner in a headlock and wrestled him to the ground In Floyd's case, the officer seen on video putting a knee on Floyd's neck for more than eight minutes, Derek Chauvin, was fired from the force and has been charged with second-degree murder. In Garner's case, a grand jury declined to indict Daniel Pantaleo, the officer who put Garner in a headlock and wrestled him to the ground. However, Pantaleo was fired from the NYPD last year, after an internal investigation and disciplinary review found his actions reckless. CHISINAU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th June, 2020) Moldovan President Igor Dodon said on Sunday that a group of 75 members of the Moldovan National Army headed to Moscow to participate in the Victory Parade on June 24, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the victory in World War II. "The ceremony of sending an honor guard group to Moscow took place at the Chisinau International Airport. A total of 75 soldiers of the elite unit of the National Army of the Republic of Moldova will take part in the military parade to be held on Red Square on June 24 in honor of the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany," Dodon wrote on Facebook. According to Dodon, Moldova's participation in the Victory Day Parade is not only a duty of solidarity with countries sharing a common history but also a manifestation of a "direct link between generations, preservation of the memory of our ancestors' heroism." The military parade in Russia was originally scheduled to take place on May 9 but had to be delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) recently organised a joint webinar with the Abu Dhabi Exports Office (Adex) of Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, titled Financial Services and Solutions for the Development of the UAE export companies. The event comes as part of the bilateral MoU which aims to enhance joint co-operation and join efforts to help national companies from the SCCI members to expand its export operations and access new markets, through the utilization of financing services and guarantees offered by Adex. The webinar was attended by Mohammad Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, SCCI Director General, and Saeed Al Dhaheri, Acting Director-General of Adex, and Abdul Aziz Shattaf, SCCI Assistant General Director, Members Services Sector and Director of Sharjah Exports Development Center, besides officials from a host of UAE companies and factories operating in Sharjah. The webinar touched on introducing the services and activities of Adex and how to make use of the financing services and guarantees to develop the exports of the UAE companies and help them compete in global markets, said the statement from SCCI. It also highlighted the Dh550 million allocated by Adex in 2020 to help finance the export contracts of the UAE companies and how to make use of the financial solutions and services provided by Adex as an effective strategic tool that enables the UAE companies to develop and expand their businesses and overcome obstacles and challenges facing them in providing cash liquidity. Commending Adexs role in supporting and empowering the UAE companies and helping them overcome Covid-19 repercussions towards further business growth and sustainability in the long term, Al Awadi said the webinar was a step forward towards more programmes and initiatives. This would help the national companies strengthen their competitiveness in the international markets and increase their exports to support the sustainable economic growth and diversify sources of income, as a national necessity that develops more innovative and proactive solutions to consolidate the successful economic policies in the UAE, he stated. The SCCI strives to provide all the support to the local private sector through innovative programmes and initiatives to help them achieve the best positive returns and access to innovative business models that improve their services and activities, he added. On the effective co-operation between Adex and SCCI, Al Dhaheri said this webinar was part of the national campaign objectives to help business owners and UAE companies leverage Adexs financial solutions and services to develop the UAE exports in the global markets and to expedite the national economic recovery in view of the global challenges of COVID-19 pandemic. Al Dhaheri then shed light on the SCCIs strategic role in developing business and industrial sectors in the country, something that supports the UAEs strategies to enhance economic diversification and increase national exports. In his comments, Shattaf said: "Since the outbreak of Covid-19 and its implications for the global economy, the Sharjah Exports Development Center has developed a full-fledged strategy that provides solutions to challenges faced by Center members." "This includes the launch of numerous programs, webinars, and workshops, according to the directives of the SCCI, and as part of our endeavors to actively participate in enhancing the businesses of national companies and institutions in Sharjah. It is also part of the efforts made to find new markets so that they can dig into new areas of commercial and investment cooperation," he noted. "This would help strengthen and expand the exports of our national companies into new areas around the globe," he added-TradeArabia News Service Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visits the town of Fira, following the easing of measures against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), on the island of Santorini, Greece, June 13, 2020. Reuters From the emblematic island of Santorini, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Saturday that Greece is "ready to welcome tourists" in complete safety after the coronavirus lockdown, whose impact on tourism will be "significant". "Greek tourism is back," said Mitsotakis, two days before the reopening of the tourist season. The return of tourists to Greece from around 30 countries by air, sea and land, begins on Monday. "Everything is ready in terms of making sure that we ensure the proper social distancing guidelines, said Mitsotakis, adding that safety and health is "our number 1 priority". "We want visitors to feel safe. I am not interested in making Greece the number one destination in Europe. "I am interested in making Greece the safest destination in Europe." Greece has been relatively unscathed by the virus with just 183 deaths. After stopping at Fira hospital, where he again spoke of the "success" of his government "in overcoming the first wave of the pandemic", the prime minister visited the archaeological site of Akrotiri by greeting "the incredibly diverse cultural heritage" of Greece. But in a country where tourism is crucial to the economy, accounting for almost 25 percent of GDP, Mitsotakis admitted that the impact of confinement on the tourism sector would be "significant". Only "a fraction" of the 33 million tourists who visited Greece last year would turn up this summer, he cautioned. "The honest answer is I don't know what the real impact on the GDP will be," Mitsotakis told a press conference. "We'll try to save whatever we can to make sure our sector stays alive... and can survive what will obviously be a very difficult summer. "A lot will depend on how comfortable people feel." Only the airports of Athens and Thessaloniki will be reopened to flights from around 30 countries on Monday, while regional airports, including that of Santorini, are due to reopen on July 1. Before this date, any passenger who tests positive for COVID-19 must submit to a 14-day isolation period in a hotel at the expense of the Greek state. The government hopes to lift "all restrictions" in July and wants to "extend the tourist season" when the Greek weather permits "living outside" which is less conducive to the transmission of the virus. Asked about possible new outbreaks of coronavirus in Greece, he said there was no "risk-free approach". "We are dealing with a dangerous virus," he said. "It's still here, it hasn't disappeared. "We are taking an extremely calculated risk," he added, stressing that a new total containment was not "tenable" or "an option". "We are doing the best that we possibly can." (AFP) Mrs Kate Quartey-Papafio, the Chief Executive Officer, Reroy Cables has called for a framework to enable the electrical industry have a hub of excellence for cable manufacturing in the country. The hub according to her would serve the entire West African market and as well take commanding height in the African economies. Mrs Quartey- Papafio, also called on government to pay more attention to local policies that would help grow the industries for them to become globally competitive. She said this at the inauguration of the company's state-of-the-art plant in Tema to help improve its production capacity to meet the growing market demands. She said members in the Electrical and Electronic Sector of the Association of Ghana Industry were currently working extensively to help consolidate the gains they had achieved before and post COVID-19. The Chief Executive Officer said more areas in the country needed to be connected to the National Grid to enable them take maximum advantage of the new digital migration that needed more stable power to run businesses activities effectively. She disclosed that organisations like the Ghana Energy Sector Manufacturers Association had expressed willingness to collaborate with government through its agencies in the sector to help them procure more locally produced cables to serve the remote communities. Mrs Quartey- Papafio stated that with global digitization movement, there was the need for a maximum support from the state with the right policies to help the Electrical and Electronic Sector migrate smoothly unto the technology space. This, she explained would help them promote the buy Ghana build Ghana industries agenda, through the creation or more market for the local industries. Mrs Quartey- Papafio, who is the first Female Cable Manufacturer in the ECOWAS sub-region, urged women to venture into the business of power, since there were few in the sector to advance the frontier of holistic development. Ghana Standard Authority certified the company as the locally manufactured cable industry. The Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana in 2014 awarded Reroy Cables as the best manufacturing company in Electricals and Electronics sub-sector of the economy. 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 Karnataka's Corona express has slowly picked speed and is expected to breach the 7,000 mark by Sunday. The state recorded 308 fresh cases taking the total tally to 6,824. Udupi crossed 1,000 mark and other 2 districts are close by. Udupi with 14 fresh cases has 1,005 positive cases. Kalburgi which recorded 67 fresh cases has 883 cases and Yadagiri which recorded 52 fresh cases has 787 cases. Of the total 308 cases, 25 are international travellers and 208 cases are interstate returnees, a major of them are again from Maharashtra. Bengaluru continues to add more deaths in the state. On Saturday it recorded 2 deaths, taking the total deaths from the city to 29. What is shocking to the health department is the death of a 23 year old male patient as all these days the deaths there were no deaths reported in the 20-30 year age group. Also sources from the BBMP maintained that the city has witnessed few more deaths on Saturday which include a couple from BTM Layout but has not been added to the BBMP Covid 19 war room bulletin. It is expected to be added to the list by Sunday. City witnessed 2 deaths on June 11 which got doubled on June 12 and stood at 4. On June 13, officially the list mentioned 2 deaths, but sources claim the total deaths on Saturday were 7. Dharwad too recorded a death and the total death tally in the state now stands at 81. The number of containment zones in the city stood at 116. Over all Karnataka has 2,995 active cases. Srinagar: Defying the separatists call of agitation, around 500 Kashmiri youths today turned up for an Army recruitment rally in south Kashmirs Anantnag district, one of the worst-hit places in the ongoing unrest in the Valley. Over 500 youths took part in todays recruitment rally which took place at Anantnag High Grounds, an Army official said. He said the recruitment rallies in south Kashmir would continue till September 25. The official said more than 12,000 youths across Kashmir have applied online under the recruitment process. The number of applicants could have been more had there been no problems in the internet connectivity in the Valley, he said. The Armys recruitment drive would move north from September 29, when such a rally would be held in Bandipora district. Anantnag is one of the worst-hit districts in the current unrest in the Valley. Violence broke out in the state in the aftermath of killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces on July 8. While mobile internet was snapped across Kashmir on July 9, authorities have cut wire-line internet in the Valley on a few occasions. As many as 81 people, including two cops, have lost their lives in over two-month-long violence in the Valley. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. CALGARYThe union representing Canada Safeway workers in Alberta says it is consulting with its members about a possible strike vote. The contract between Sobeys, which owns the grocery store chain, and its 8,000 workers at 75 Safeway stores in the province expired in 2017. A union official says little progress has been made in talks despite the addition of a government-appointed mediator in February. Michael Hughes, a spokesman for the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 401, says the stalemate is hard to take, since the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a financial boom for grocery stores where workers have been designated as essential. The grocery industry has been doing very, very well through the crisis. Their employees have been expected to come to work ... and were hearing poverty at the table, Hughes said. One week theyre heroes; the next week theyre zeroes. The parent company of Sobeys, Empire Company Ltd., is headquartered in Stellarton, N.S., and bought more than 200 Safeway stores in Western Canada in 2013. The company also has more than 50 non-unionized Sobeys stores in Alberta. Hughes said Sobeys sent out a newsletter to shareholders saying it had recorded a 37 per cent jump in same-store sales in the first four weeks of the pandemic lockdown. Yet, he said, Sobeys is asking for concessions from workers and is converting some stores to the FreshCo brand, which he called a discount retailer with a discount contract. The union has set up a page on its website entitled Preparing for a Strike at Safeway in Alberta and is doing an online survey of its members about a possible strike vote. Theres a feeling of real mistrust, he said. Were at the bargaining table trying to get a deal and were still looking at these concessions. People are furious. Were in mediation right now and ... we may be in a situation in the next few weeks to have to take a strike vote. Sobeys declined an interview but issued an email statement. We are committed to our teams in Alberta and are focused on achieving a fair agreement through the collective bargaining process an agreement that will allow us to build a strong future in Alberta, wrote spokeswoman Zakiah Lalani. Our goal is to reach an agreement that allows us to invest in the future of Safeway and introduce our discount grocery brand, FreshCo, to Albertans. Read more about: The extraordinary events surrounding JK Rowling in the last few days are difficult to follow but they have highlighted an issue largely ignored by the general public: the controversy surrounding gender politics. Now Rowling, well known for her left-leaning politics and philanthropy, has been vilified as "a transphobic bigot", perhaps more people might be motivated to grapple with the politics of gender identity? In many ways, it all began with Pippa Bunce, who expresses a female gender identity for half the week and then expresses a male gender identity for the other half of the week. "Put simply, I like to dress up as both gender forms and I embrace both parts of myself equally." In 2018 Pippa Bunce was listed as one of Britain's top 100 women in business and Maya Forstater, a tax expert who worked at a think tank, discussed this issue on Twitter. "I have no problem with men wearing dresses, but we don't need to confuse acting in a stereotypically feminine manner with being a woman!" Forstater's tweets were reported by some of her colleagues for "non-inclusive language" and subsequently her contract was not renewed. She took a case to an employment tribunal saying that "no one has the right to compel others to make statements that they do not believe". The judge disagreed and Forstater lost the case. In response to this, Rowling decided to enter the debate and tweeted on December 19, 2019: "Dress however you please. Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult who'll have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill." Rowling declaring openly that she was not a believer in gender identity theory unleashed the wrath of a vitriolic mob. Gender identity theory maintains that a person is the gender they declare they are and it is not for anyone else to have a view on this. In a tolerant society, this seems a reasonable concept and many people agree with it. The problem is that some people - including some trans people - argue that children (anyone under the age of 18) are too young to decide their gender and they should not be able to make decisions that can involve irreversible medical procedures. Some also claim that gender identity theory allows dangerous men to freely self-declare their identity in places such as prisons and refuges. Perhaps the biggest problem with gender identity theory is that it does not seem to tolerate people who don't accept it. In response to her tweet, Rowling was declared a Terf- a trans-exclusionary radical feminist. She was also called a "hateful, spiteful, ignorant hag" and "a transphobic whore who needed to be punched", among the thousands of angry tweets in which violence, rape and misogyny were notable themes. There were many public burnings of her books. Then, last month, Rowling published a free book, The Ickabog, for children, during the pandemic. She invited children to send in their drawings and spent some weeks commenting on Twitter about them. In the midst of this, she accidentally copied and pasted a quotation into a tweet about a nine-year-old child's drawing. Many of us know the horror of sending a message to the public rather than to a private person. For Rowling, with 14.5m followers, the horror must have been intense. "I love this truly fabulous Ickabog, with its bat ears, mismatched eyes, and terrifying bloodstained teeth! In court, Wolf claimed the Facebook post in which he'd said he wanted to 'f**k up some Terfs' was just 'bravado'. #TheIckabog." The court case to which Rowling inadvertently referred dated back to April 2018, when 26-year-old trans woman Tara Wolf was convicted of assaulting Maria MacLachlan, a feminist in her 60s, at Speakers' Corner in London. It emerged during the case that when Wolf heard about a proposed meeting to discuss gender identity, she had posted: "Any idea where this is happening? I want to f*** some Terfs up, they are no better than fash [fascists]." Rowling deleted the tweet and apologised: "I'm going to say this once and I'm going to say it calmly and politely. I certainly didn't mean to paste a quotation from a message about the assault of Maria MacLaughlin [sic] into a tweet to a child... However, I am not ashamed of reading about the assault. You should know by now that accusations of thought crime leave me cold. Take your censorship and authoritarianism elsewhere. They don't work on me." Twitter almost combusted and she was vilified and accused of "literally killing trans people". A week later Rowling decided to confront the issue head-on with a series of tweets. In the first, she responded to an article that used the phrase "people who menstruate": "I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?" She then went on to tweet: "If sex isn't real, there's no same-sex attraction. If sex isn't real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn't hate to speak the truth. "I respect trans persons' right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them... At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it's hateful to say so." The insults and outrage seemed to reach a pinnacle and the general public, who have been mostly unengaged about this complex issue until now, began to scratch their heads and wonder whether it was true that the author of the Harry Potter books was a transphobic bigot. Daniel Radcliffe, the actor who played Harry Potter, responded with an open letter disavowing Rowling's views: "Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people." Rowling, who had previously been known as a defender of minorities, a billionaire who pays her taxes and had founded Lumos, a charity for children, responded with a 3,670-word essay that explained her reasoning. She pointed out that she has been reading about gender issues for some years and described her concern for the 4,400pc increase among girls attending gender clinics. She wondered whether, had she been born 30 years later, she would have tried to transition. "The allure of escaping womanhood would have been huge. I struggled with severe OCD as a teenager. If I'd found community and sympathy online that I couldn't find in my immediate environment, I believe I could have been persuaded to turn myself into the son my father had openly said he'd have preferred." Rowling also pointed to the over-representation of autistic girls among the teenagers who are seeking to transition, and the increasing numbers of people now de-transitioning. In the essay, Rowling revealed that she is a survivor of domestic abuse and sexual assault (Two days later, The Sun decided to capitalise on this revelation by tracking down her ex-husband and leading with the headline "I slapped JK and I'm not sorry"). Rowling explained in her essay that she had never spoken about it previously out of respect for her daughter. She concluded: "So I want trans women to be safe. At the same time, I do not want to make natal girls and women less safe." Emma Watson, who played Hermione in the Harry Potter films, didn't seem to have been moved by Rowling's essay and subsequently tweeted her support for the trans community: "I want my trans followers to know that I see you, respect you and love you for who you are." Rowling must feel exhausted and beaten by this topic, having excavated very private details from her life in an attempt to appeal to a sense of humanity from her detractors. Equally, thousands of people report feeling devastated by her words. History has taught us that if there is any hope for resolution we will need, as a society, to engage with difficult issues with thoughtfulness and honesty. Rowling has been brave to speak her mind and this has highlighted the problem with cancel culture and online mobbings. Is there any hope that we can soon begin to discuss complex issues without descending into a brawl? WeWork office space in Shinnonhyeon, Seoul / Courtesy of WeWork Korea By Nam Hyun-woo WeWork Korea General Manager Chun Chung-joo WeWork Korea is scaling down its workforce drastically by placing employees on indefinite leave and launching early retirement programs as part of the headquarters' urgent plan to cut fixed costs after a botched initial public offering (IPO). On Sunday, sources told The Korea Times that the co-working space operator has put its employees on "administrative leave," which discharges them from their positions and bans access to company facilities, this month, after more than 60 employees left the company as part of two early retirement programs from November 2019 and last month. According to WeWork Korea's internal document, a copy of which was obtained by the publication, WeWork Korea have placed a number of employees on an indefinite "paid administrative leave," which prohibits their visiting of company facilities and contact with personnel. During the period, those on the enforced leave are also mandated to return all property relating to WeWork Korea's operation, such as laptops, mobile phones and even access keys. According to the sources, at least eight employees have been placed on leave as of this month, and they hadn't been told any specifics of the decision, such as whether it is a disciplinary action or not. "WeWork Korea has launched early retirement programs twice since last year and more than 60 have signed into the program," one of the sources said. "As the notice came after the retirement programs, employees were viewing and interpreting this as pressure compelling employees to (voluntarily) quit the company." According to this source, approximately 50 employees have left the company in the first round of the retirement program in November, and 10 more followed in the second round. This accounts for 40 percent of the company's total number of employees of 150 in 2018 the latest figure available. Another source said this is part of WeWork Korea's plan to reorganize or restructure its workforce, which will be focused on downsizing of teams and number of personnel. "The company told employees that it has to downsize its workforce in order to improve profitability, but there were no further explanations," another source said on condition of anonymity. This second source said the company's human resources (HR) team directly mentioned the word "layoff" multiple times to the employees and urged them to sign the retirement programs and take the available benefits, saying "it will be better than a layoff." "Multiple employees said the HR team urged staff to do so off-the-record, such as in face-to-face talks or unrecorded video conferences, thus exercising a stringent pressure for employees to accept those programs," the second source said. WeWork Korea is subject to Korea's Labor Standards Act, and those employees are "regular workers," meaning their retirement age is guaranteed unless there are serious difficulties in running the company or disciplinary purposes for layoff. Lawyers said, the situation at WeWork Korea will not likely constitute an unfair effort or an abuse of power to fire employees, unless there is real evidence showing the company has compelled employees to sign early retirement programs. "Even though there is no specific reason, the employer can relieve employees from positions without notifying them about the reason," a Seoul-based lawyer said asking not to be named. "Though this may be seen as a company's indirect pressure against employees to leave the company, it is difficult to clarify whether the administrative leave could result in an actual layoff at the current stage." WeWork Korea spokesperson declined to comment on anything regarding the administrative leave and the retirement program. SoftBank Group founder and CEO Masayoshi Son, left, and Alibaba founder and former Chairman Jack Ma attend the Tokyo Forum 2019 in Dec. 6, 2019. REUTERS-Yonhap CLOVIS An attempt by the Clovis Police Department to serve a warrant Thursday afternoon resulted in an officer firing a shot at a suspects vehicle, records show. The Clovis Police Department sent out a release Thursday evening indicating officers were attempting to locate Jesus Anaya, 26, on an outstanding warrant. According to the release: * Once Anaya was located in the drivers seat of a white pickup truck along the street, officers instructed him to exit the vehicle. * Anaya was not compliant with officers, placed the truck in reverse and rammed a police vehicle before speeding away. In the course of the incident, an officer discharged his duty weapon. Court records indicate Anaya had an outstanding warrant for possession of a controlled substance, and an additional warrant was filed Thursday for aggravated fleeing a law enforcement vehicle and criminal damage to property over $1,000. According to the Thursday criminal complaint: * An off-duty officer visited the department to drop off equipment, and told on-duty officers he saw Anaya across the street and believed there were active warrants for his arrest. * Lt. James Gurule made first contact with Anaya, approaching the drivers side window and asking for identification. Gurule told the investigating officer he recognized Anaya from prior incidents. * Following three orders that were disregarded, Anayas truck went into reverse and backed into the front bumper of Gurules duty vehicle. Gurule struck the side windows with his flashlight, and fired a single shot with his duty pistol once the vehicle was ahead of him. Gurule said he fired at the rear drivers side tire in an attempt to disable the vehicle. * The truck was located in Farwell about an hour later, with a single bullet strike to the rear drivers side rim. Anybody with information is asked to contact the Clovis Police Department at 575-769-1921 or Crime Stoppers at 575-763-7000. 2020 Eastern New Mexico News, Clovis, N.M. Visit Eastern New Mexico News, Clovis, N.M. at www.easternnewmexiconews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. As statues of Confederate Civil War veterans get torn down by protesters or removed by official acts throughout the country, famed heavy metal provocateurs GWAR have decided to add a little fun to the ongoing protests by supporting a campaign to replace the statue of Robert E. Lee in Richmond, VA with one of their late frontman, Oderus Urungus. For the uninitiated, GWAR has spent over 30 years dedicating itself to bad taste. Debuting in 1988, the band quickly became known for its over-the-top backstory as a band of aliens from Antarctica who travel the world in cartoonish outfits to throw concerts where they spray fake blood and other bodily fluids out into the crowd. Their shows are also known for ritual disembowelments of caricatures of famous figures, including every U.S. president from Reagan to Trump. Also Read: Black NASCAR Driver Bubba Wallace on Confederate Flag Ban: 'There's No Good That Comes With That Flag' (Video) In real life, GWAR began in Richmond as an idea by musician Dave Brockie, who would take to the stage as intergalactic slaughterer Oderus Urungus while wearing a giant codpiece he called the Cuttlefish of Cthulhu. Over the years, Oderus became a popular figure among metal fans, appearing occasionally on Fox News Red Eye and even appearing in the horror sitcom Holliston. When Brockie died of a heroin overdose in 2014, thousands of fans gathered in Virginia for a Viking funeral which ended with the Oderus stage costume being lit on a funeral pyre. So when GWAR discovered that their fans wanted to turn one of the nations most well-known Confederate statues into a tribute to Oderus, they jumped in. The band released a video of their drummer, JiZMak Da Gusha, arriving in Richmond to admire the graffiti that has covered the Robert E. Lee statue during the past three weeks of Black Lives Matter protests. He urged bystanders to sign a Change.org petition to replace Lee with a monument to Oderus in the state capital, which has received over 42,000 signatures as of writing. Story continues Robert E. Lee is a failed war general that supported a racist cause, the petition states. For too long, the city of Richmond has been displaying statues of him and other loser civil war veterans. Also Read: Taylor Swift Condemns Monuments of 'Racist Historical Figures' in Tennessee: 'Villains Don't Deserve Statues' We the scumdogs of the universe call on the city of Richmond to erect a statue of great local leader Oderus Urungus in its place. While Oderus comes from the planet Scumdogia, he called Richmond his home, working with the local art community and employing local artists and ladies of the night. The petition also encourages GWAR fans to donate to the Richmond COVID-19 Arts and Culture Relief Fund, which has been providing financial relief to musicians and other artists who have had their income cut off due to closures from the COVID-19 pandemic. As for the statue, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has ordered for the statue to be removed, but a lawsuit filed this past week by one of the descendants who signed over the land for the statue in 1890 has put a temporary hold on those plans. Meanwhile, the statue has become a gathering for residents to hold cookouts and public events, with LGBTQ+ activists projecting the pride flag on the statue this past weekend. One organizer told Vanity Fair that the protests are bringing out the most diverse group of Richmonders we have ever seen. Now, those organizers can add aliens from Scumdogia to that diverse coalition. Read original story Metal Band GWAR Wants to Replace Robert E Lee Statue With Late Frontman Oderus Urungus At TheWrap Investing in Chinese companies has never been easy for U.S. investors. Over the last couple of years, this exercise has become even more complicated as a result of trade tensions between the U.S. and China. Things were taking a positive turn last December when the two nations signed a preliminary trade deal to reach some middle ground. In the last few weeks, however, the tensions have once again resurfaced due to geopolitical uncertainties. To add salt to the wound, Luckin Coffee (NASDAQ:LK), the Chinese coffee giant that was expected to make it big in the coming years, revealed in April that one of their executives reported fabricated sales numbers. This malpractice has led many investors to question the numbers reported by all Chinese companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges. The Senate passed a bill on May 20 that could lead to the delisting of Chinese companies if they do not meet certain accounting criteria. This bill attempts to address the inability of the Public Accounting Oversight Board to go through the audit paperwork of foreign entities, especially ones domiciled in China. Amid this backdrop, Morningstar reported that investors have pulled more than $2 billion from exchange-traded funds that invest in Chinese stocks since March. This is a testament to the negative sentiment among American investors. The attractive growth profile of the country, however, should not be ignored altogether. Careful scanning of the market and macro-level developments reveals one fund that could weather the storm well and deliver attractive returns to investors: the iShares China Large-Cap ETF (FXI). The structure of the fund makes it a good play In case the U.S. decides to kick Chinese companies out of its markets, most of these billion-dollar giants will likely choose Hong Kong as a viable alternative to raising capital. A change in listing regulations last year enabled a company to list dual-class shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and to use the exchange for secondary issues. Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) was one of the first companies to take advantage of this positive development. The Chinese e-commerce giant raised $13.4 billion last November by offering new shares in Hong Kong. Tencent Holdings Limited (TCEHY), another Chinese tech giant, went down the same path as well, and these two companies have set a new trend that could result in Hong Kong emerging as a top destination for East Asian countries looking to raise capital in international markets. The escalating trade tensions and the new bill passed by the Senate will help this trend gain momentum as well. Story continues The iShares China fund exclusively invests in large-cap stocks that trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. This makes the fund less susceptible to regulatory changes in the United States, even though trade tensions would still have an impact on the corporate profits of these companies and, therefore, the market value. However, investors could avoid a catastrophe by distancing themselves from the regulatory risk by choosing to invest in Hong Kong-listed Chinese stocks, and this fund is the ideal vehicle to serve this purpose. The top 10 holdings of the fund include some of the largest Chinese companies that have shaped the economic growth of the country: Source: BlackRock The fund only invests in the 50 largest Chinese companies listed in Hong Kong, which reduces the risk of an investor betting on a small company that is yet to prove its resilience. An investment in the fund offers a cost-effective and efficient way to gain exposure to many companies. The below illustration plots the top sectors represented by this fund. Source: BlackRock At the closing market price of $40.34 on June 12, the iShares China Large-Cap fund offers a dividend yield of 2.96% as well, which is very attractive in this low-interest-rate environment. The case for investing in China China suffered its first economic contraction in 28 years in the first quarter of this year as the GDP shrank 6.8% as a result of the nationwide lockdown. The country, which plays a major role in the global supply chain, had to keep its manufacturing plants closed for the better part of the first four months this year. Even though this is not encouraging, the scale of the lockdown enabled China to become the first country to end its lockdown in April, and there are promising signs of a spectacular recovery. For instance, infrastructure investments in the country recovered in April after falling sharply through March, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. Retail sales gained momentum as well. Source: National Bureau of Statistics/Caixin Economists surveyed by Bloomberg estimate quarterly GDP growth will recover by the end of this year and converge with the historical trend. Source: Bloomberg According to these experts contacted by Bloomberg, the worst seems to be over for the second-largest economy in the world. This makes sense as the country was among the first few nations to lift mobility restrictions and order the resumption of business activities. In the next couple of decades, China is likely to emerge as a global superpower, according to Ray Dalio (Trades, Portfolio), which paints a very optimistic outlook for the performance of publicly listed Chinese companies. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, China will become the largest economy in the world by 2050, which is a confirmation of the guru's beliefs. Going by these facts, ignoring the investment opportunities in Chinese stocks does not seem a prudent decision. VanEck's head of ETF products, Ed Lopez, told Barron's, "They (China) are a massive economy; they're influencing so much what's happening in the world. It's a market you just can't ignore." To mitigate the regulatory risk of betting on the success of these companies, an investor may want to choose the iShares China Large-Cap ETF as an investment vehicle to gain exposure to this booming economy. Takeaway China is set to resume its growth story as the country slowly comes out of a lockdown that saw the majority of its manufacturing plants come to a standstill. Even though attractive investment opportunities are present, U.S. investors have pulled funds out of Chinese stocks in light of the escalating trade tensions between the two nations and the recently approved bill by the Senate. The iShares China Large-Cap ETF can help investors mitigate the regulatory risk and participate in the growth story of China that will likely see the country become the largest economy in the world in a couple of decades. Disclosure: I do not own any shares mentioned in this article. Read more here: Not a Premium Member of GuruFocus? Sign up for a free 7-day trial here. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. "The rule of law prevails in Turkey and the Turkish judiciary is independent... We ask the US authorities to respect the principle of judicial independence and stay away from any actions that may influence the judiciary," Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hami Aksoy said in a written statement on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported. Ankara, June 13 (IANS) Turkish Foreign Ministry called on the United States to respect its judicial independence after Washington criticized a court ruling of a Turkish US consulate employee over terror-related charges. The spokesperson blamed the US for becoming a "safe harbour" for members of Gulen movement, which the Turkish government accuses of orchestrating a failed coup attempt in 2016. He recalled that the US ignored Turkey's demand for the extradition of the Gulen movement members. "It is worrisome that our ally, who sees itself as the advocate of democracy, freedom and the rule of law, ignores these basic principles when it comes to Turkey and terrorist organisations," Aksoy said. Metin Topuz, an employee of the US consulate in Istanbul, was sentenced to eight years and nine months in prison on Thursday over charges of aiding the followers of Fethullah Gulen, the US-based preacher who is accused in Turkey of being the mastermind of the 2016 coup attempt. The US Embassy in Ankara on Thursday tweeted that they are "deeply disappointed" at the decision. "We have seen no credible evidence to support this conviction and hope it will be swiftly overturned," said the statement. "For nearly three decades, Topuz performed outstanding work appreciated and lauded by officials and citizens of both countries. Under our direction, he promoted law enforcement cooperation between Turkey and the US, contributing to the safety of people in both nations," the statement said. --IANS rt/ Kanu Sarda By NEW DELHI: The rape law that was amended in 2013 to make it more stringent has resulted in lower conviction in sexual harassment cases, a study has found. According to the study published by the Indian Law Review Journal, researchers examined 1,635 rape judgments from trial courts of Delhi pronounced between 2013 and 2018. Of these, 726 cases were adjudicated under the old law, of which 16.11% resulted in conviction. Under the amended law 909 cases were adjudicated but only 5.72% of them resulted in conviction. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act was passed in March 2013 following a nation-wide outrage over the Nirbhaya gangrape. Preeti P. Dash, who conducted the study during her LLM at Harvard Law School, said: In the years following the gangrape in December 2012, we see increasingly punitive activity in the legal space, where the state has repeatedly sought to increase the quantum of punishment for sexual violence. Dash said the public also tends to believe that such measures will help prevent crimes against women. However, research indicates that this is not the case. In fact, such punitive moves have unintended harmful consequences, such as a reduced rate of conviction. The study said removing judicial discretion for punishment for rape combined in a grim fashion with the patriarchal nature of courts and legal structures result in a reduced rate of conviction in cases of rape. Many judges, it said, felt the cases not serious rapes. In a system where the reporting of peno-vaginal penetrative rapes is low and where the police often refuse to register rape cases, it is unlikely that cases of non-peno vaginal rapes would be treated with the same urgency and importance as peno-vaginal rape, the study said. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren reached out to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday for bringing back the bodies of two migrant workers from the state, who died during the lockdown in Mauritania and Malaysia. Rameshwar Mahato, who hailed from the Madhuban police station area in Giridih district, died in Malayasia in early April, while Mahadev Soren of Bishnugarh in Hazaribag district passed away in Mauritania. Mahato (32), who has a seven-year-old son and a nine-year-old daughter, went to Malaysia in August 2018. He worked in a private company responsible for maintaining electric transmission lines. "I spoke to my husband on April 2. He asked about our well-being and we spoke for some time. But the next day, he did not talk much and hung up," said Mahato's wife Poonam Devi. On April 4, she said a person called her brother, saying Mahato was unwell and vomiting. "In the video call, I could see him but he was unable to speak. I advised him to take medicines," she said. "On April 6, my brother received a call and the caller informed him that my husband had died. I have a son and a daughter, how will we survive? Please do something," Poonam Devi broke down on the phone while talking to PTI. Mahadev Soren died in May, officials in Hazaribagh said, adding that they were finding out more details about his death. The chief minister has urged the external affairs minister to help bring back the bodies of Mahato from Malaysia and Mahadev Soren from Mauritania, an official statement said. Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu has confirmed to the Sunday Times that the government is not considering reinstating the alcohol ban. This is despite a number of premiers and local government figures calling for the alcohol ban to be revisited due to its adverse impact on the health system. Gauteng premier David Makhura recently said that his provincial government would make a decision in the coming days as to whether it will call for the reinstatement of an alcohol ban in the province. Makhura argued that the reintroduction of the sale of alcohol under South Africas level 3 lockdown has led to a direct increase in trauma-related cases. Speaking to the Sunday Times, Mthembu said that the decision to allow the sale of alcohol would not be reconsidered. The decision of cabinet stands, Mthembu said. It is not a thing up for reviewal; we have not discussed the reviewal of those measures. Not at all. Hospitals under strain One of the biggest impacts of the sale of liquor cited by those who wish for the ban to be reinstated is its effect on South African hospitals. Following the lifting of the alcohol ban as level 3 lockdown regulations came into effect from 1 June, the countrys hospitals have seen a sharp spike in alcohol-related trauma cases. Trauma admissions had decreased by 70% at Western Cape and Gauteng hospitals during level 4 lockdown, but the lifting of the alcohol ban is seeing this improvement reversed significantly. The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) predicted that about 5,000 patients will visit hospitals each week with injuries that are related to the consumption of alcohol. Liquor stores have also seen significant demand across the country on the first day of level 3 lockdown, many physical liquor stores had large queues forming outside. Online sales were also affected, with local retailers stating that demand on 1 June rivalled that of Black Friday. Regulations invalid South Africas lockdown regulations have come under attack recently, with a ruling by the Gauteng High Court declaring the COVID-19 alert level 4 and level 3 regulations unconstitutional and invalid. The court gave Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma fourteen business days to review and republish a new set of regulations. Judge Norman Davis said that this must be done with due consideration to the limitation each regulation has on the rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights contained in the Constitution. The South African government subsequently announced it would appeal the ruling, and it simultaneously extended the National State of Disaster until 15 July 2020. After obtaining legal advice and listening to numerous comments made by members of the legal fraternity in reaction to this judgement, we are of the view that another court might come to another conclusion on the matter, Mthembu said. The government said it will ask that its appeal is heard on an urgent basis so that the country can gain certainty on the regulations. Now read: Ramaphosa kicks Protection of State Information Bill back to Parliament In this May 3, 2020 photo, security forces guard the shore area and a boat in which authorities claim a group of armed men landed - AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File Members of Colombias opposition are warning that the deployment of US troops in the country is illegal, and that it could hamper the countrys fragile peace process and spark an international conflict. This could turn into a war that has nothing to do with us, Senator Armando Benedetti told reporters. The countrys minister of defence insists the American soldiers are only present in a support capacity and says the deployment does not need congressional approval. Regardless of whether its illegal or not, its a blow to the peace process, said Senator Ivan Cepeda. It will fuel violence in areas that are already volatile. US forces will support the Colombian military in counter narcotics operations in rural regions, where the Colombian government is struggling to establish a state presence, including along the Venezuelan border, a stronghold of the Marxist guerrillas, the National Liberation Army (ELN). ELN commanders told The Telegraph that Donald Trump, the US president, is playing a dangerous game. Israel Ramirez Pineda, a senior ELN commander, otherwise known as Pablo Beltran, claimed Mr Trumps actions could lead to war or allow an unplanned confrontation to spiral out of control. It could be a prelude to World War Three, he said. The US is committed to overthrowing the Venezuelan regime and now its going to do it with the help of the Colombian government. The ELN's stronghold is along the Colombian-Venezuelan border - RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP/Getty Images Peace campaigner Leon Valencia also believes the deployment of US troops is a smokescreen for intervention. Look at where some of the troops will be based, he said. In strategic positions along the border. Thats no coincidence. In April, the US deployed naval warships to the Caribbean, specifically to target narcotraffickers, who work out of Venezuela. Then last month, Venezuela arrested two former members of American special forces after a botched attempt to remove Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, from power. Story continues Diplomatic tensions increased further recently with the arrival of five Iranian oil tankers in Venezuela carrying more than a million barrels of fuel, in violation of US sanctions. Its a direct challenge to the US in its own backyard, said Mr Beltran. Venezuela has become a theatre of war, which pits the worlds greatest enemies against each other. The ELN are operational across large parts of Colombia as well as inside parts of Venezuela, a key ally. They have always denied their involvement in organised crime. Maduro supporters attend a rally against Donald Trump (file photo) - REUTERS/Carlos Jasso This wont be the first time we have seen Americans in the battlefield, said Mr Beltran. We wont look to escalate conflict, but if they come looking for us armed, of course we will respond. Both the American and Colombian governments deny the troop deployment is about regime change and say the focus is the war on drugs. Mr Trump has not been shy about airing his discontent at Colombias strategies against drug trafficking, telling journalists in March last year that his Colombian counterpart, Ivan Duque, had done nothing for us. The US and Colombia have largely measured the success of their anti-drug trafficking operations on the eradication of coca, the raw ingredient for cocaine, and according to their own statistics, they are struggling. Cocaine production is at record highs. Last year Colombia saw the cultivation of coca leaves rise to 212,000 hectares (523,863 acres), from 208,000 hectares in 2018. At the same time cocaine production capacity rose to 951 tonnes in 2019, from 879 tonnes the previous year, according to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. These increases come despite a crop substitution programme for coca farmers introduced as part of the 2016 peace accords, intended to reduce the cultivation of coca. Peace advocates are concerned that the involvement of US forces will bring more hard line approaches. Mr Trump has consistently called on Colombia to reintroduce the aerial spraying of herbicide, which has been suspended since 2015 because of concerns about the impact of glyphosate on health and the wider environment. Such a move would not just breach the peace process, it would destroy it, said Senator Cepeda. In the past few days, there have been numerous complaints about private hospitals arbitrary overbilling for COVID-19 treatment. Image for representation/Twitter More recently, a Twitter user shared a price board for COVID-19-related treatment in Delhi's Max Hospitals, and the charges are astoundingly high. Max Hospitals I want to curb your absurd pricing and shameless foraging for money. I can supply you latex PPEs at Rs. 600 pp, Nitril gloves at Rs. 275 pc, N95 at Rs. 375 PC, surgical masks at Rs. 2 pp, sanitizers at Rs. 20 pb. Stop your loot. #maxhospital #maxhealthcare #delhi pic.twitter.com/vjUJPiV8Oj Gautam Kapoor (@gautamkapoor54) June 12, 2020 The user named Gautam Kapoor wrote, "Max Hospitals I want to curb your absurd pricing and shameless foraging for money. I can supply you latex PPEs at Rs. 600 pp, Nitril gloves at Rs. 275 pc, N95 at Rs. 375 PC, surgical masks at Rs. 2 pp, sanitizers at Rs. 20 pb. Stop your loot. #maxhospital #maxhealthcare #delhi." According to the details shared on Twitter, the per-day charges of COVID management at Max Healthcare range from Rs 25,000 for an economy room, to a whopping Rs 72,500 for an ICU with a ventilator. Charges for PPE range from Rs 3,900 to Rs 7,900. COVID testing is priced at Rs 4,500. The charges quite obviously left people fuming. Here's how people reacted: #1 #2 At the time when every Indian should come together and contribute to beat this pandemic, it is highly shameful that hospitals are trying to mint the situation. Don't you have any duty towards your nation.#maxhospital #shameonMaxhospital https://t.co/yCxac1HL1A Shokeen AR (@ARShokeen) June 13, 2020 #3 #4 All of it is just the loot,all the private hospitals like appollo also doing the same job of looting and people are saying doctors are God. Pet scan they have mentioned for 27k but i got it done for 10k outside. sunny (@sunny63930048) June 13, 2020 #5 It is not a hospital it's a hotel. This is a earning season for them. To me there is no difference between a blood sucking vampire and 5 stars hospital.#Shame I Have Spoken (@SadSadGuru) June 13, 2020 One user wrote, '@PMOIndia intervene in this matter. I don't understand how a pandemic treatment can be charged. People in India live with diseases majorly cos of high medical costs. Think of the consequences if people don't come for treatments. #maxhospital #CoronaPandemic #CoronaExposedLooters.' Another wrote, 'Government should take serious action on private hospitals... They are killing middle-class people.. #ShameOnMaxHospital #ShameOnPrivateHospitals #ShameOnPrivateHospitals #ShameOnPrivateHospitals'. Following the outrage on Twitter, Max Hospital issued a clarification on their official Twitter account. 'A picture related to the pricing of COVID treatment at Max Patparganj (stated in some tweets as Max Gurgaon) is being circulated on social media. However, it did not carry all the facts such as inclusions of routine tests, routine medicines, doctor and nurse charges etc,' reads the tweet. A picture related to the pricing of COVID treatment at Max Patparganj (stated in some tweets as Max Gurgaon) is being circulated on social media. However, it did not carry all the facts such as inclusions of routine tests, routine medicines, doctor and nurse charges etc. pic.twitter.com/ndjBxjFhw0 Max Healthcare (@MaxHealthcare) June 12, 2020 According to an IndiaToday report, some hospitals were charging Rs 1 lakh for N95 masks and PPE kits; the report claims that a family in Mumbai was shocked to see the bill handed over to them by a private hospital was of Rs 2.8 lakh and PPE and masks cost Rs 1.4 lakh. Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu are among the few states that recently capped the rates for COVID and non-COVID treatment in the state to address the issue of over-billing by healthcare providers. As per TOI, Delhi is the only exception with no regulation, despite numerous complaints. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal In late May, after George Floyd took his last breath as a Minneapolis police officer pinned him to the ground with his knee on his neck, millions were spurred to march in protest. Floyds death and the shocking video that captured it have reignited talk of police reform across the country. Congress has proposed legislation aimed at curbing excessive use of force and racial discrimination by police and making it easier to identify, track and prosecute misconduct. In New Mexico alone, at least three men have been killed by police using forceful restraint over the past year and a half. In February 2019, Vicente Villela died in the custody of the Metropolitan Detention Center after as many as 11 correctional officers held him in a prone restraint and another knelt on his back. In June 2019, Rodney Lynch died after a Gallup Police Department public service officer applied pressure to his neck while trying to restrain him. And in February, Antonio Valenzuela was killed in Las Cruces when a police officer used a vascular neck restraint on him. All three incidents were caught on camera. But the aftermaths vary widely. Professor Keith Taylor with the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York said such incidents differ from police shootings, because in most cases death is an unintended consequence. Without knowing anything about the specific factors of each case, I think it would be fair to say that was not the intention of the individual involved to actually kill the individual in their custody, Taylor said. That being said, obviously the force that was used was too much, or perhaps not appropriately applied, and ended up resulting in the individuals death. Thats the thing that has to be avoided. However, he said, it is impossible to know how often such cases occur. Taylor, a former officer with the New York Police Department, said although the Department of Justice has tasked the FBI with publishing data annually on excessive use of force from police departments, municipalities are not required to report their statistics, meaning instances are severely undercounted. In New Mexico, as demonstrators call for reform in cities large and small, local officials are starting to take notice and revisit their own cases. The state Attorney Generals Office is now reviewing the deaths of Villela and Lynch for possible charges and pushing lawmakers to create uniform policies on use of force. The officer involved in Valenzuelas death has been relieved of his duties and is charged with involuntary manslaughter. Both 2nd Judicial District Attorney Raul Torrez, and AG Hector Balderas say they are urging changes to the process surrounding review and prosecution of cases of excessive use of force. Torrez said he wants the New Mexico Legislature to fund an independent investigations bureau within the District Attorneys Office so he wont have to rely on unpredictable funding to contract with special prosecutors. Balderas said last week that he is asking the Legislature to mandate a process statewide to ensure uniform, timely and transparent review by prosecutors and require law enforcement officers to wear body cameras. Vicente Villela, 37 On Feb. 2, 2019, Vicente Villela, struggled for air, saying I cant breathe and Hes going to kill me while as many as 11 correctional officers held him down in a cell at the county jail. Villela, a father of two with a third on the way, was arrested earlier that day by the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office after a woman reported he broke into her home, stole her keys and crashed her car in the backyard. Deputies found him lying on his back next to the car. When Villela was taken to jail, staff said, he was disoriented, hallucinating and appeared to be under the influence of methamphetamine. When correctional officers tried to move him to a cell, he resisted and began to struggle. From there the entire encounter was recorded by a handheld camera. The video shows several officers wearing tactical gear pinning Villela down in a prone position as he yells for help. According to a lawsuit filed in the case, Lt. Keith Brandon ordered another officer, Jonathan Sandoval, to Get on top of him. Sit on him! and Sandoval complied, pushing his knee and all of his weight into Villelas back. Jail policies warn of the danger of asphyxia during prone restraints and say the minimum number of staff should hold an inmate like this for the least amount of time necessary. After several minutes, Villela died. An autopsy report lists his cause of death as mechanical asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint. It was determined to be a homicide. The incident didnt come to light until more than three months later, when Villelas family began publicly demanding answers. Matthew Vance, the attorney representing Villelas family, said that when he first saw the video of Floyds death in Minneapolis, he was struck immediately by the similarities. When the news story broke, I couldnt help but think of Vicente and what happened to him, Vance said. Its almost that surreal feeling all over again of seeing the video and watching someone die and how terrible that is. Vance has filed a federal lawsuit alleging deprivation of civil rights and wrongful death against Bernalillo County commissioners and correctional officers Keith Brandon, Johnathon Sandoval, David Hunter, Seth Romero, Jesse Thompson, Levi Caizza, Shawn Addy, Centurion Detention Health Services and two unnamed medical staff. Attorneys for the correctional officers did not respond to requests for comment. Vance said the suit has been held up by procedural delays. In the meantime, he said, the family continues to hope for justice. It doesnt appear as though the officers involved have faced many consequences. Tia Bland, a Bernalillo County spokeswoman, said that both Lt. Brandon and correctional officer Sandoval are still with MDC, as are all but two of the others who were directly involved. Bland said two of the remaining officers have been reassigned so they wont have contact with inmates, but she would not identify them, saying its a safety risk for them and families. Internal Investigation was initiated prior to the new chief coming on board, Bland wrote in an email. MDC Chief Greg Richardson is reviewing the investigation and has additional questions and concerns that need to be addressed prior to making a determination regarding discipline. The case still hasnt been reviewed by prosecutors for possible criminal charges. It was referred to the District Attorneys Office more than a year ago, but last week on the same day the Journal asked about the status of the case DA Torrez sent a letter to Attorney General Balderas asking whether his office could take the case instead due to a conflict of interest and high number of other cases already assigned to special prosecutors. Balderas spokesman, Matt Baca, confirmed they have the case now. It is very concerning that this case has been left to sit for a year, so we are reviewing both the case and the cause of the delay, Baca said in an email. Rodney Lynch, 41 On June 28, 2019, Rodney Lynch died in front of the local detox center as two public service officers with the Gallup Police Department restrained him in a prone position. One applied pressure to Lynchs neck while his body weight was on top of him. After a minute and 20 seconds, Lynch became unconscious. He was taken to a hospital, where he died. Lynch, a husband and father of four daughters, worked for the Navajo Nation as a weights and measure inspector and loved to travel and be outdoors and play card games and video games with his family. On that day in June, public service officers were called to the JCPenney store at the mall because he was intoxicated and disorderly, according to a spokesman with the New Mexico State Police. The officers took him to the Nanizhoozhi Center Inc. detox center, and he struck one of the officers and again became combative, according to police. Then, according to an autopsy report from the Office of the Medical Investigator, Lynch was restrained by two officers in the prone position; one officer appeared to have applied pressure to the decedents neck with his forearm and placed his body weight on the decedent. A second officer restrained the decedents legs. After approximately one minute and twenty seconds of being restrained, the decedent became unconscious. Lynchs cause of death was complications of physical restraint. The manner of death is homicide. The incident was captured on video at the detox center, according to Capt. Erin Toadlena-Pablo, a spokeswoman with the Gallup Police Department. She said that officers and public service officers who dont carry firearms and are a step down from officers are all equipped with audio recorders and that their vehicles have dashboard cameras. Toadlena-Pablo said public service officer Justin Olvera, who had been with the department since November 2015, was immediately put on administrative leave. She said he was fired in November 2019 after an internal affairs investigation. Olvera could not be reached for comment. Toadlena-Pablo said that after Lynchs death, the Gallup Police Department made several policy changes, including requiring a public service officer to call a uniformed officer if a person being taken to the detox center is disorderly, aggressive or potentially violent. The department also increased the training public service officers must undergo on use of force. But Bill Keeler, an attorney representing Lynchs family, was unconvinced. He said hes getting ready to file a lawsuit. The Attorney Generals Office announced last week that it will begin looking into Lynchs death, saying it is doing so at the request of his family. Keeler said he was frustrated by the time it took for the case to get to the AG after the 11th Judicial District Attorneys Office determined it had a conflict of interest. He said he ended up handing over the files himself in early March, and then the COVID-19 pandemic delayed proceedings further. District Attorney Paula Pakkala said the delays were a result of a mix-up in communication getting evidence to the Attorney Generals prosecutors after her office determined it could not take the case due to its close ties with the Gallup Police Department. I can confirm that we are investigating the case and why these cases are languishing in local prosecutors offices for months or years before the DA decides they have a conflict, Baca, the AGs spokesman, wrote in an email. Antonio Valenzuela, 40 In contrast to the other two cases, the most recent death has already resulted in an officer receiving a letter of intent to terminate employment and facing charges. Police say on Feb. 29, 2020 officer Christopher Smelser attempted to use a vascular neck restraint on Antonio Valenzuela after he fled from a traffic stop and ended up fracturing the cartilage in Valenzuelas neck. The Office of the Medical Investigator determined that Valenzuelas cause of death was asphyxial injuries due to physical restraint and that the manner was homicide. Smelser, who has been with the Las Cruces Police Department since March 2016, was put on administrative leave right after the incident and was handed a letter of intent to terminate following the receipt of the autopsy report, according to a department spokesman. He has also been charged with involuntary manslaughter. According to the police, Smelser had pulled over a car, and Valenzuela, a passenger, ran. When Smelser caught up with him, an altercation ensued. In lapel camera video obtained by the Las Cruces Sun-News, Smelser can be heard saying, Im going to f*** choke you out, bro as Valenzuela struggles to get free. After about two minutes, Valenzuela became unconscious. He died at the scene. Smelser was charged on June 5. He was released on his own recognizance. His attorney, Amy Orlando, said in a statement that the circumstances in her clients case are very different from those surrounding the death of Floyd in Minneapolis. She said the vascular neck restraint Smelser used was sanctioned by the Police Department. He received training on the maneuver during his academy and received mandatory refresher training and utilized the maneuver in accordance with the policies of the Las Cruces Police Department, Orlando wrote in a statement. Officer Smelser regrets the outcome of the incident however, Mr. Valenzuela had a felony warrant, ran from the police, was under the influence of drugs, had drugs on his person, had a weapon, actively resisted, was reaching for another officers taser, and violently fought the officers. Dan Trujillo, a spokesman for the Las Cruces Police Department, said that immediately after Valenzuelas death, the department prohibited the use of vascular neck restraints. Sam Bregman, an attorney representing the family, said he is glad there is a spotlight on use of force right now but he sees Smelsers involuntary manslaughter charge and the maximum penalty up to 18 months in prison as too little. Valenzuela had four adult children, Bregman said. His lifes work was a mechanic. He was adored by his family, and it was a tragic loss. He said that he has been talking with the Las Cruces Police Department about changes to policies and that if they are not implemented, he will file a lawsuit. Lets not forget this police officer murdered Antonio, Bregman said. And it took them three months to fire him and they have charged him with a slap on the wrist. There is still so much change that needs to happen. And I wouldnt even say this is a step in the right direction, because you cant watch that video and not be horrified. Doctors at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital have informed the family of the Late Anthony K. K. Sam, former Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Chief Executive, that he died of pneumonia. "Before our father was moved from the Effia Nkwanta Hospital on Sunday to Accra, the doctors told us he had pneumonia," Mr Kweku Sagoe, Son of the former MCE, told the Ghana News Agency on Saturday. Mr Sagoe was reacting to speculations that his father might have died from COVID-19, after his driver was alleged to have contracted the disease without any proper isolation. "Our father had already tested negative for Covid-19 on two occasions and the third was done when he was taken to Accra on Sunday. We are yet to be given the results of that test". The Late Anthony K.K. Sam, born on October 17, 1957, died on Friday, June 12, at the University of Ghana Medical Centre. GNA Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 14:25:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, June 14 (Xinhua) -- China's civil aviation regulator said Sunday that China Southern Airlines' flight from Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, to Guangzhou would be suspended after 17 passengers had tested positive for COVID-19 on a June 11 flight. The suspension of flight CZ392, with a duration of four weeks starting June 22, was the first of its kind ever imposed following the introduction of a reward and suspension mechanism by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on June 4. According to the CAAC policy, if all inbound passengers of an airline test negative for novel coronavirus for three weeks in a row, the operating airline will be allowed to increase its number of flights to two per week. If the number of passengers testing positive reaches five, the airline's flights will be suspended for a week. The suspension will last four weeks if the number of passengers testing positive reaches 10. Enditem When Gong Rong Nan first arrived in Ho Chi Minh City three years ago, he did not know much about this country. Now he feels fortunate to live here thanks to his passion for photography. The 61-year-old Taiwanese has worked as the director of the Economic Division at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Ho Chi Minh City since 2017. During the past three years, Gong managed to visit most of the southern parts of Vietnam both officially and privately because of his hobby of photography. I would use most of my free time to travel around the country, Gong told Tuoi Tre News. He is an active member of a Vietnamese forum on travel and photography. Vietnam is a very versatile and beautiful country, so I take many photos while learning to know your culture, he said. The first photos Gong took of Vietnam were the ones depicting Ho Chi Minh City at night. I did a lot of photos capturing Ho Chi Minh City at night when I first arrived because back then I did not know where to go, he recalled. Ho Chi Minh City by night. Photo: Gong Rong Nan Before I came to Vietnam, I did not know much about this country," Gong admitted. "But I now feel really fortunate that I can be stationed here to work and enjoy this beautiful country at the same time. I find that Vietnam is truly a place of natural beauty, from the low-lying Mekong Delta in the south to the mountainous Central Highlands and the staggering layers of terraced rice fields in the north. I especially love the northern part of the landscape. The terraced fields during the watering season in May as well as the harvest time in late autumn are astounding! Terraced fields in the northern mountainous region of Vietnam through the lens of Gong Rong Nan Gong has also found similarities between Vietnam and his homeland. Vietnamese people are very similar to my own, both honoring their ancestors, loving their families, being very friendly to others, and having a variety of very tasty cuisines, he said. Thats why I've gained too much weight since my stay here in Vietnam. The sexagenarian thinks he is a little old for traveling; however, he insisted that to travel [one needs] only the will to explore new places. Terraced fields in the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang through the lens of Gong Rong Nan Fishermen in Hue, a city in central Vietnam, through the lens of Gong Rong Nan Can Gio Beach in a photo taken by Gong Rong Nan Terraced fields in the northern mountainous region of Vietnam through the lens of Gong Rong Nan A photo taken at a brickyard by Gong Rong Nan Ho Chi Minh City at night. Photo: Gong Rong Nan Gong Rong Nan is seen in a photo taken during his trip to Paradise Cave in the north-central province of Quang Binh. Photo: Supplied Gong Rong Nan is seen in a photo he provided Tuoi Tre News. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! BRADY ANDERSON, Chariho, Wrestling, Sophomore; Anderson finished first in the 152-pound weight class at the Griswold Midseason Invitational tournament. Anderson went 3-0 in the tournament, pinning all of his opponents in the first period. Anderson is 10-4. LYDIA LASKEY, Stonington, Gymnastics, Senior; Laskey finished first in all four events in meets against NFA and Westerly. Laskey had an all-around score of 33.75 against NFA and 34.60 against Westerly. RILEY PELOQUIN, Westerly, Girls Basketball, Sophomore; Peloquin scored 22 points and had 19 rebounds in two games. Peloquin is averaging 7.6 points and 7.5 rebounds a game for the Bulldogs. DEONDRE BRANSFORD, Wheeler, Boys Basketball, Sophomore; Bransford scored 25 points and had 28 rebounds in a pair of Wheeler victories. Bransford is averaging 10.6 points and 12.1 rebounds per contest for the Lions. Vote View Results Huawei's chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou smiles as she leaves her home to attend a court hearing in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, May 27, 2020. Reuters A COUPLE who run a business selling plastic-free homeware say they enjoyed a record month for sales to the public during the coronavirus lockdown. Gareth and Nicola Dean launched Non Plastic Beach, which is based at the Church Farm business park off Reading Road, Woodcote, in 2018. It sells toiletries and kitchen goods including toothbrushes and toothpaste, soaps, cleaning products and food wrapping. The couple were aiming to increase trade with the retail sector this year but had to quickly change tack when the Government ordered non-essential shops to close on March 23. Instead they redesigned and expanded their online shop, adding several new products to their range. As a result, online sales in April were slightly higher than last year while Mays figure was about double. This was despite sales to other retailers dropping by 88 per cent. This success has enabled the couple to take their operations manager Louise Taylor off furlough and start rebuilding the business-to-business side. The Deans say their venture was rapidly growing before the crisis hit and it should still be a success with increasing demand for environmentally friendly goods. The business supports various causes to improve marine life and habitats. Mr and Mrs Dean, who live in South Stoke with their children, Isla, two, and seven-month-old Jamie, have always cared for the environment as they are keen divers and noticed plastic pollution in the seas wherever they went. They tried to reduce their own plastic consumption following a trip to Mauritius two years ago but didnt like many of the alternatives. Mr Dean, 38, who grew up in Kent and previously worked in PR for the electric car sector, said: Youd order something and it would come in a plastic packet or in bubble wrap, which defeats the purpose, and we thought we could do better. Whenever we would dive, wed get well away from the beaches and thered still be a plastic bag wrapped around a bit of coral or a flip-flop resting there. Its sad to realise that were even trashing the parts of the world where most of us dont go. The issue has become more mainstream, especially after being highlighted on Blue Planet II last year, but were not preaching that people should get rid of everything at once. Were making it easier to make gradual changes. The couple, who were married in 2013, began with a small product line then took on more over time. They were initially based at home and moved to Church Farm as the business grew. Earlier this year, clothing store Urban Outfitters agreed to sell their goods in selected branches and others were set to follow, including the National Trust of Scotland, until the lockdown. When this was imposed, the Deans discovered they didnt qualify for Government relief as they are a new business so only have a brief tax history. However, they were able to secure one of Chancellor Rishi Sunaks interest-free bounce back loans. Now they are resuming talks with potential sellers and expect to pick up where they left off. They are also exporting goods to Europe. Mr Dean said: Retailers had approached us previously asking to sell our stuff but this year we decided we would actively seek them out. The lockdown was a real what do we do now? moment and it was a real panic when we found we couldnt get a relief grant. However, we were lucky to have a business that we could keep going online, which we appreciate wasnt an option for everyone. The public were sitting tight in the early days but were fairly quick to pick up as they were looking for soaps that wouldnt damage their hands with all the extra washing. We had to adapt pretty quickly and it was hard work but it has actually been a good opportunity and we expect our online shop to remain permanently strong as the trade side also grows. It was hard to balance this with childcare and we missed out on a lot of sleep as we had to take it in turns when Jamie wasnt sleeping at night but we managed it. Mr Dean and his wife, 39, an accountant and professional trainer who grew up in Scotland, believe protecting the environment will continue to grow in importance. He said: People definitely care about it much more and companies have demonstrated a range of responses from very good to rather cynical. Some products still use or create new plastic so we have to beware of greenwashing, where they look friendlier than they actually are, but theres demand for something better. It was seen as a fringe issue 20 or 30 years ago, so its very positive that the average person is increasingly aware and wanting to reduce their impact. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-10 00:28:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MAPUTO, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Mozambican health authorities said Tuesday that the cumulative number of people tested positive for the coronavirus rose to 453 in the country, with 20 new cases confirmed in the past 24 hours. "There are five more fully recovered patients in the country reported in the last 24 hours. Thus, the number of recovered people rose from 131 to 136," said Rosa Marlene, National Director of Public Health at a daily press conference, adding that four are Mozambicans and one is of Indian nationality. A total of 15,190 samples have been tested so far in the country. Of the 453 cases, 411 are of local transmission and 42 are imported. Enditem Bir-Lahlou, 14 June 2020 (SPS) - President of the Republic, Secretary-General of the Polisario Front, Mr. Brahim Ghali, congratulated his Russian counterpart, Mr. Vladimir Putin, on the occasion of his country's National Day I am pleased to present to you on my own behalf and on behalf of the Sahrawi people, the warmest and sincerest congratulations to you and to the Russian people in general, wishing you good health and success and to the great Russian people more peace, progress, and prosperity," said the President of the Republic. The President of the Republic expressed his gratitude and deep appreciation for the principled and advanced Russian position at the level of the United Nations and the Security Council, praising Russia's role in emphasizing the need to adhere to international legitimacy in the search for a just and lasting solution, consistent with the Charter of the United Nations, enabling the people of Western Sahara to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and independence. He expressed his sincere desire for the Government of the Sahrawi Republic and the leadership of the Polisario Front to strengthen the relations of friendship and cooperation with the Government and people of the Russian Federation. (SPS) 062/SPS/T New research offers reassuring evidence to hundreds of millions of people with high blood pressure that popular anti-hypertension drugs do not put them at greater risk from Covid-19 as some experts had feared. Two blood pressure-lowering drug classes, called ACE inhibitors and ARBs, came under scrutiny after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in April that 72% of hospitalised Covid-19 patients 65 or older had hypertension. ACE inhibitors and ARBs are thought to trigger activity along the same biological pathways used by the Covid-19 novel coronavirus to attack the lungs. Researchers at Oxford University had recommended some patients stop the drugs until the risks were better known, while others argued patients should stay on the medications. An expert at the Johns Hopkins Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness in Baltimore described the debate as one of the most important clinical questions. The new study made publicly available on Friday found no clinically significant increased risk of either a diagnosis or hospitalisation of Covid-19 with ACE or ARB use compared with other first-line drug treatments for hypertension. The authors recommended that patients should not discontinue their treatment to avoid the virus, which has infected over 7.5 million people worldwide and killed more than 420,000. Our findings are quite reassuring, said Marc Suchard, a biostatistician at the University of California, Los Angeles, who co-led the study. Taking an ACE or an ARB is just as safe as other first-list hypertension agents in terms of your risk of contracting Covid-19. The study analysed the electronic medical records of 1.1 million patients on anti-hypertension drugs from the United States and Spain and has not yet been peer reviewed. It was part of the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics program (OHDSI, pronounced Odyssey) response to Covid-19, in collaboration with the US Department of Veterans Affairs, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and SIDIAP, a Spanish health research organization. Story continues OHDSI is an open-source collaborative research platform that conducts large-scale studies. The findings join a growing body of evidence showing that the life-saving drugs neither increase nor reduce the risk of contracting Covid-19 or developing a severe case of the virus. Harmony R Reynolds, a cardiologist at New York University Grossman School of Medicine and the lead author of a study published last month in The New England Journal of Medicine, said she had been besieged by calls from worried patients. With little research to go on, she advised them to stay on the drugs and embarked on a study with colleagues to analyse the medical records of over 12,000 Covid-19 patients at NYUs Langone Health system. They found that those using ACE inhibitors or ARBs were no more likely to test positive than those who were not, nor was their risk of severe illness higher. The same held true for other classes of drugs - beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers and thiazide diuretics. Separate studies of more than 12,000 patients in Spain and more than 30,000 health system beneficiaries in Italy reached similar conclusions. They were published last month in The Lancet and the New England Journal, respectively. Another study in the New England Journal in May reported no increased risk of hospital deaths associated with ACE inhibitors. Both that study and another on hydroxychloroquine were retracted earlier this month after the co-authors said they could no longer vouch for the validity of the data they obtained from Surgisphere, a private medical record firm, however. Atlanta Chief of Police Erika Shields during the Security Press Conference during Super Bowl LIII week on January 30, 2019 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta GA. Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields stepped down on Saturday afternoon, less than 24 hours after the fatal police shooting of a Black man outside a Wendy's. The shooting occurred after police were called to a Wendy's drive-thru, where 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks had fallen asleep and blocked the lane. Videos showed a struggle between Brooks and police officers after a field sobriety test, and Brooks could be seen grabbing one of the Tasers, then attempting to run away and pointing it back at the the officers before he was shot. The shooting came amid weeks of anti-racism and anti-police brutality protests in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Atlanta's police chief resigned Saturday, less than 24 hours after a Black man was killed by an Atlanta officer following a struggle over a Taser. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced during a news conference that she had accepted the resignation of Police Chief Erika Shields. Police were called to the restaurant on a complaint that a man was sleeping in a car blocking the drive-thru lane as customers waited in line, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said. The agency identified the man who was fatally shot as 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks. The shooting was captured on video by security cameras and witnesses' cellphones. Footage showed Brooks struggling with police officers over a Taser, then pointing the Taser at the officers while running away. That's when one officer drew his gun and opened fire. At a press conference Saturday evening, an attorney for Brooks' family, L. Chris Stewart, denied the GBI's claim that the officers had conducted a field sobriety test before attempting to arrest Brooks. Stewart also said he had not been blocking the drive-thru line. Stewart said officers should merely have had a conversation with Brooks if they suspected he had been drinking, and avoided escalating the situation. Story continues "Why was he even under arrest? You want to know how this could have been avoided?" Stewart said. "Talk to him. 'Hey, buddy, you fell asleep in line, you okay? Why don't you pull your car over there and call an Uber.' And then you walk over and then you leave. Why is that so hard for police officers." Stewart continued: "He wasn't doing anything crazy or violent or harming anyone." The shooting came amid weeks of anti-racism protests and civil unrest in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. Shields made headlines amid the protests after she was seen in videos speaking directly with activists and telling protesters she understood their concerns and wanted to listen. "You have a right to be upset to be scared, and to want to yell," Shields said. Shields also fired two officers over using excessive force to arrest two college students leaving a protest. Videos showed six officers pulling the students out of their car and tasing them. All six officers face criminal charges, but Shields suggested the charges went too far and were politically motivated. "The officers were fired because I felt that is what had to occur," she said. "This does not mean for a moment that I will sit quietly by and watch our employees get swept up in the tsunami of political jockeying during an election year." Read the original article on Insider A group of four teenagers who allegedly mugged a senior policeman have been granted bail. The four boys aged between 16 and 17 faced court on Sunday charged with setting upon the officer after he responded to reports a large group of teenagers were allegedly causing a disturbance at the Warriewood McDonald's on Sydney's northern beaches on Friday night. Police allege the officer was attempting to move on five teenagers at about 11pm when he was knocked to the ground and had his mobile phone and badge stolen. The four youths were granted bail at Parramatta Children's Court despite a judge saying the case against them contained 'very serious allegations'. Video footage of the alleged melee was shared to social media and showed the group of youths in a struggle with the officer 'If further allegations like this are put against you, you need to understand you can remain in custody,' magistrate Jacqueline Trad said. 'It is very distressing to see when you read these in relation to a young person, who has only briefly dealt with police.' Three of the four members of the group were undergoing or due to start apprenticeships as a mechanic, a plumber and a carpenter - while the other was still at school, according to The Daily Telegraph. A voice can be heard in social media footage of the alleged attack appearing to shout at the policeman repeatedly 'what's your badge number' and 'he hasn't done anything wrong!' The officer was admitted to hospital and underwent tests on Saturday morning. The four teenagers were bailed to appear at Surry Hills Childrens Court on June 24, but have been put under a curfew and have been banned from contacting each other. The group were charged after allegedly fleeing on foot with police, including the dog unit, launching a search in the area. A judge said the case against the four teenagers - who were all granted bail following the alleged altercation at a Warriewood McDonald's - contained 'very serious allegations' One of the teenagers is accused of grabbing the police officer's badge during the alleged altercation on Friday Two 16-year-old boys and a 17-year-old boy were later charged with a range of offences including affray and resisting or hindering a police officer. Police later arrested a 16-year-old boy at a Narrabeen home on Saturday night and he was charged with assaulting a police officer in the execution of duty, affray, and resist or hinder police officer in the execution of duty. He was refused bail to appear at a children's court later on Sunday. New Delhi: The markets in Delhi will remain open for the time being announces CAIT on Sunday (June 14, 2020) after a meeting of around 275 local business leaders from Delhi via video conferencing. In a statement, CAIT expressed satisfaction on the steps announced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah after the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and after a meeting with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. However, if the situation turns worrisome due to coronavirus, then alternate options like opening of shops with odd-even arrangements or opening four days a week and keeping shops closed for the remainder three days or opening shops on alternate days, it can be decided by local merchant organisations. National General Secretary of CAIT, Praveen Khandelwal said that the steps taken by Home Minister Amit Shah to control the rising coronavirus cases in Delhi and improve the pathetic condition of medical institutions, Delhi traders are very hopeful that the situation in Delhi will improve soon. Khandelwal said the announcement by Amit Shah assuring that a closer watch was being kept on the contact transition, and that raising the number of coronavirus tests would definitely prove beneficial. "The expansion of hospital and medical facilities under the joint supervision of the government will accelerate the facilities for COVID-19 patients," he said. Further some markets in the national capital have already decided to close completely till June 30. Iran Prosecutor Wanted For Corruption And Rights Violations Arrested By Interpol Radio Farda, Maryam Sinaiee June 13, 2020 Iran's Judiciary Spokesman on Saturday confirmed that the Interpol has detained Gholamreza Mansouri in Romania. He is accused of human rights violations by rights defenders, but he is also one of the defendants in a recent sensational corruption case in Iran who fled to Europe. Judiciary spokesman Gholam-Hossein Esmaili said Mansouri's extradition is not possible now due to coronavirus restrictions but he will be returned to Iran and put on trial for corruption. He also told a local news network that Iran requested the arrest through the Interpol. In a video published on social media on Friday, a man who introduced himself as Mansouri's nephew, Saeed Mansouri, said his uncle went to Romania on June 10 where he presented himself to the Iranian embassy in Bucharest. According to the nephew, Mansouri was taken to hospital by embassy staff in the embassy car after feeling badly ill. However, he was arrested at the hospital by the Romanian police and "unfortunately" they handed him over to the Interpol, he said. If this version of events is true, it is possible that the embassy tipped off the police about Mansouri's whereabouts. Earlier this week many Iranian activists claimed that he was in Germany. The German Foreign Ministry said it had not issued a visa for Mansouri and was not informed of his whereabouts. Mansouri could have traveled to Germany on a Schengen visa. Today the Judiciary spokesman, however, said Mansouri was arrested in Romania. Iranian journalists and human rights activists want Mansouri to be put on trial in Germany or another European country for his grave human rights violations including the arrest and torture of journalists. In a tweet on June 11, the Secretary-General of Reporters without Borders urged German authorities not to let him escape justice. Reporters without Borders (RSF) has supported the call of Iranian activists and filed a complaint with Germany's Federal Public Prosecutor against Mansouri for the arrest and torture of at least 20 journalists in 2013. The office of the German Federal Public Prosecutor on Friday confirmed that it had received RSF's complaint but did not provide any further details. Romanian authorities have not commented on the issue yet. In response to RFE/RL's inquiry on Saturday, two officials of the Romanian Justice Ministry said they had no information about Mansouri's presence in Romania. The officials who spoke off the record said they needed some time to prepare an official response. Mansouri is a highly influential prosecutor and judge notoriously famous for prosecuting journalists and putting them behind bars. In one instance in 2013 he ordered the simultaneous arrest of 20 journalists in one day. Mansouri's name came up as one of the recipients of bribes in the first trial session of Akbar Tabari, a former Judiciary deputy. The former judge allegedly received 500,000 euro in bribes from Tabari. In a video published on social media on June 9, the Mansouri claimed that he was abroad for treatment of a serious medical condition and could not return due to the restrictions introduced after the breakout of coronavirus. He did not reveal where he was but said he would go to an Iranian embassy to arrange for his return to defend himself against the corruption charges. Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iran-prosecutor- wanted-for-corruption-and-rights-violations- arrested-by-interpol/30668621.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 North Korean Leader's Sister Threatens Military Action Against South Korea By William Gallo June 13, 2020 The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has issued an ominous military threat toward South Korea, vowing unspecified retaliation over South Korean activists who have floated anti-Pyongyang leaflets into the North. In a cryptic statement late Saturday, Kim Yo Jong vowed her country would "soon take a next action" against South Korea a move she suggested would be carried out by the country's military. "By exercising my power authorized by the Supreme Leader, our Party and the state, I gave an instruction to the arms of the department in charge of the affairs with enemy to decisively carry out the next action," Kim said in the state-run Korean Central News Agency. Threat on military pact It was the most direct threat yet during North Korea's recent effort to unilaterally raise tensions with the South. Last week, Pyongyang said it would cut off all official communications channels with Seoul and threatened to scrap an inter-Korean military agreement meant to reduce tensions. Some analysts say North Korea appears to be laying the groundwork for a significant provocation, possibly in an attempt to gain economic or other concessions from South Korea. "If North Korea hopes a new inter-Korean crisis can bring about a rapid and significant change in Seoul's approach in a way that could lead to large-scale economic aid to Pyongyang, for example it may feel a major escalation of tensions is the only way," tweeted Chad O'Carroll, CEO of Korea Risk Group, which produces the influential NK News website. North Korea has a long history of deadly military provocations against the South. In March 2010, a North Korean torpedo sank a South Korean warship off Korea's west coast, killing 46 sailors. A few months later, the North shelled the border island of Yeonpyeong, killing several more people. The latest escalation in inter-Korean tensions coincides with rumors about the health of Kim Jong Un. Kim, a prolific cigarette smoker who has gained a massive amount of weight in recent years, has made very few public appearances in 2020. Earlier this year, unconfirmed media reports suggested Kim had undergone a heart operation. Some newspapers inaccurately reported that he had died. He later appeared in public with no obvious signs of new health problems. Amid the rumors, Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong, has taken on a bigger leadership role, frequently appearing in state media and issuing directives, especially related to inter-Korean relations. This month, Kim has taken aim at North Korean defectors in the South, who for years have floated anti-regime leaflets across the border. South Korea's left-leaning government, which desperately wants to improve ties with the North, has tried to placate Pyongyang's concerns by vowing to legislate a formal ban on such launches and cracking down on groups sending the leaflets. Seoul also is attempting to move ahead with inter-Korean economic and other projects, which have been held back by international sanctions on North Korea's nuclear program. But despite those steps, North Korea has continued to generate the sense of a crisis with Seoul, even allowing rallies in Pyongyang to protest the leaflet launches. "Getting stronger day by day are the unanimous voices of all our people demanding for surely settling accounts with the riff-raff who dared hurt the absolute prestige of our Supreme Leader representing our country," Kim said in her statement Saturday. "I feel it is high time to surely break with the south Korean authorities," she said. "We will soon take a next action." "Rubbish must be thrown into dustbin," she added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese protesters set fire to roadways and clashed with security forces in a second night of unrest on Friday, according to witnesses and Lebanese media. Protests erupted on Thursday in several Lebanese cities after a crash in the pound currency, which has lost about 70% of its value since October, when Lebanon was plunged into a financial crisis that has brought mounting hardship. The pound appeared to halt its slide on Friday after a government announcement that the central bank would inject dollars into the market on Monday. Protesters, however, returned later on Friday for a second night, throwing fireworks and stones at security forces in central Beirut and the northern city of Tripoli, prompting them to spray tear gas and rubber bullets to push them back. The unrest comes as Beirut holds talks with the International Monetary Fund for a reform programme it hopes will secure billions of dollars in financing and put its economy back on track. The crisis, rooted in decades of corruption and waste, has brought soaring food prices, unemployment and capital controls that have severed Lebanese from their hard currency savings. (Reporting by Issam Abdallah; Writing by Eric Knecht; Editing by Daniel Wallis) Election strategist Prashant Kishor has attacked the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar, saying while the entire country is discussing the coronavirus crisis, the only topic of discussion in Bihar is the assembly election. The state elections are due in Bihar later this year. Despite the lowest testing rate, 7-9 per cent positive case rate and more than 6,000 cases, elections are the favourite topic in Bihar instead of coronavirus. Nitish Kumar, who hasnt stepped out of his home due to Covid-19 fear, thinks there is no harm in stepping out and vote, he tweeted in Hindi on Sunday. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been using the virtual outreach programme of his party the Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) for the build-up to the forthcoming election, when he would seek his seventh term since 2005. Though comfortably placed in the company of BJP due to Bihars poll arithmetic, Kumar has been out early to extol the virtues of his governance and social reforms initiatives, including prohibition and campaign against child marriage, to counter any hint of anti-incumbency factor and revive the memories of pre-2005 RJD regime of pati-patni by presenting a statistical comparison on key parametres. In a series of virtual meetings, the Bihar chief minister booth-level workers and leaders to work on 90:10 formula, spending 90% time on acquainting people with the strides the state has taken since 2005 and just 10% on responding to Oppositions meaningless clamour. Last two assembly poll victories were due to peoples stamp of approval on Bihar governments development work and the third one will also be no different, he said, while interacting with workers of Samastipur, Begusaraai, Khagaria, Bhagalpur, Banka, Munger, Lakhisarai, Sheikhpura and Jamui. Kumar has also asked the workers of his Janata Dal (United) to ramp up social media presence with a special focus on first-time voters. Creating WhatsApp groups and Facebook pages, which could serve as an interface between the party and the masses, figured among the commandments received by JD(U) foot soldiers from Kumar during the six-day virtual sammelan (conference) that ended on Friday. Kishor has been constantly targeting Kumar over various issues, particularly those related to the Covid-19 situation in the state. Last week, he asked the chief minister to announce in public if the state government has received Rs 1.25 lakh crore aid from the Centre. He was expelled from the JD(U) by Nitish Kumar in January this year. tansan1998 wrote: Hey! I applied in March, and I'm hoping that we'll get an interview invite towards April end itself! Best of luck tansan1998 and everyone else applying! For anyone looking for more information look below: Columbia Business School Deferred Enrollment Program The Columbia Business School Deferred Enrollment Program offers undergraduate students the opportunity to gain a few years of work experience with a guarantee of admission to Columbia's highly selective MBA program, and the flexibility to begin the full-time program 2-5 years after college graduation. The program accepts applications from students of all academic and personal backgrounds. Students who are graduating during the current academic year from a bachelor's degree program and students completing a graduate degree program (candidates must have started the graduate degree program directly after completing their undergraduate degree) are eligible to apply. Students enrolled in Ph.D. programs, law school, or medical school are not eligible. There is no application fee and applications are usually due in June._________________ New York State officials in California and Washington are reviewing Amazon's business practices to determine whether the company is violating any laws with respect to the independent merchants that sell goods on its site, according to published reports. The Wall Street Journal reported that California is examining the retail giant's business practices, focusing partly on how Amazon treats independent sellers on its platform. Also, The New York Times reported that state investigators in Washington are reviewing Amazon's handling of third-party sellers on its site. Amazon and the state attorneys general in California and Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The state inquiries come amid heightened government scrutiny into big technology companies and their impact on competition and consumers. The U.S. Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission are pursuing antitrust probes into Amazon, Google, Facebook and Apple. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. In May, the House Judiciary Committee asked Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to testify about the firm's competition practices. California has been asking Amazon about the company's private label products and whether it uses the data from third-party sellers to inform which products it sells, according to the Times report, which noted that the inquiries in California and Washington do not appear to be in advanced stages. EDITOR'S NOTE: As the nation continues to express outrage over the manner of death of a black man under police custody in Minneapolis, the News Advocate is taking a look at policies, methods and training used in law enforcement in Manistee County. Part one of this three-part series focuses on the use of force training and policies in place in the county. MANISTEE Early this month, Manistee Countys sheriff joined the Michigan Sheriffs' Association in condemning the actions that resulted in the death of George Floyd who died while in custody when the arresting officer knelt on Floyds neck. Ken Falk, Manistee County sheriff, said We don't train that way. The video is just horrible, Falk said. "Eight minutes on a guy's back ... shouldn't be tolerated. The state sheriffs associations board of directors also released a statement declaring Floyd's death to be the result of bad policing. But how do police in Manistee County train and what do policies on the use of force look like? Falk previously told the News Advocate that officers receive regular training on the proper use of force. We wanted to reiterate to the citizens that we train yearly on the use of force and it's just a shame that this happened, he had said. According to the Manistee County Sheriff's Office policy on use of force that was shared by Falk, The Manistee County Sheriff's Office recognizes and respects the value of all human life and dignity without prejudice to anyone. Vesting deputies with the authority to use reasonable force and to protect the public welfare requires monitoring, evaluation and a careful balancing of all interests. Last week, deputy David Bottrell of the Manistee County Sheriffs Office, led the offices annual use of force training and re-certification process. Bottrell said the training is a combination of practical and slideshow information, with both a practical and written exam that every deputy needs to pass each year. He said the use of force training covers topics like the usage of pressure points, proper handcuffing and escorting positions. The office's handcuffing and restraints policy shared by Falk shows points such as taking the condition of the person into account. Some of the conditions listed are the behavior of the person, if a person is pregnant, the crime allegedly committed before the arrest, a person's age or a person's disability. "Restraint devices shall not be used to punish, to display authority or as a show of force," reads part of the policy on handcuffing and restraints. One of the keys to the use of force is what Bottrell referred to as a use of force control continuum. Based on the level of resistance that an officer receives from a subject or suspect, that determines what kind of technique we use to control the situation, he said. We take one level at a time depending on the amount of resistance that the subject is showing in the situation." According to the offices use of force policy, Deputies shall use only that amount of force that reasonably appears necessary given the facts and circumstances perceived by the deputy at the time of the event to accomplish a legitimate law enforcement purpose. Bottrell gave an example of the first level of resistance that if a person appears angry, clenching their fists and jaw, the officers response is to use verbal commands to try to diffuse the situation. But he said with instances such as a person who is resisting an arrest, officers are trained to control the person physically. If theyre trying to resist arrest, were going to do a take-down move to make sure they dont get away because theyre obviously under arrest for drunk driving or assault or something like that, he said. He said the training and testing is the same each year with the exception of updated techniques and processes as new research emerges that shows better methods that police should use. If they have to use that in the field and it goes to court, it shows that theyve been trained in it by a certified instructor, Bottrell said. Every move we use is backed up by research: tactical, legal and medical research thats done on every move. He said it is not a case of just taking somebody and body slamming them to the ground. Bottrell gave an example of a move called a straight-arm bar take-down. The research behind it is its designed to where its not going to break somebodys bone or crack their head open or something like that. Its supposed to be a safe take-down move that results at most in maybe a bruise or something like that, he explained. (Everythings) designed not to injure somebody but its more for compliance. He said after compliance, the officer de-escalates the situation. He added that Manistee County Sheriffs Office deputies are doing their job based on calls to situations with the goal of responding and ensuring the safety of all involved. So, a lot of these deputies, were going to situations where theres knives involved, were being told that somebodys being held at knife point or somebody just got beat up and we dont know what were going to deal with in a situation where we have to use one of these moves, Bottrell said. According to the offices use of force policy, any use of force by a member of the office is required to be documented promptly, completely and accurately in an appropriate report, depending on the nature of the incident. The deputy should articulate the factors perceived and why he/she believed the use of force was reasonable under the circumstances. The use of force policy also stipulates that supervisors are required to be notified if use of force caused a visible injury, if a person indicated an intent to pursue litigation or if there was any application of the Conducted Energy Weapon (CEW) or control device among other instances. The policy also states that a member of the command staff shall review each use of force by any personnel to ensure compliance with this policy and to address any training issues. Then, the undersheriff is expected to annually prepare an analysis report on use of force incidents and submit the report to the sheriff. Reports do not contain the names of deputies, suspects or case numbers and according to the policy, should include: The identification of any trends in the use of force by members; Training needs recommendations; Equipment needs recommendations; and Policy revision recommendations. Falk said the Manistee County Sheriffs Office has a complaint form that can either be filled out at the office or the office can mail it to anyone who has a complaint. He added that the Manistee County website will also feature a complaint form once the new website is operational. According to the Manistee City Police Department's website, the department also takes complaints and those can be done in person, by phone, fax, email, mail or through a third party. Det. Sgt. Josh Glass of the Manistee City Police Department, said the department also has annual training on the use of force and techniques as well as training on how to deal with a person who is in an emotional or mental health crisis. Glass said officers also continue to receive training on de-escalation and fair and impartial policing. He added that part of the department's pre-employment process includes a psychological evaluation. He said officers who are employed with the department also have counseling services, help for coping with stress and other services available. See also: Falk, sheriff's association condemns actions leading to Floyd's death BRUNSWICK U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is moving her New York residence out of the Capital Region. Gillibrand's home in Rensselaer County is now on the market. The senator hopes to move to the North Country, her office says. The asking price for the home in Brunswick is $420,000, according to the listing. The 3,436-square-foot home sits on a 2.65-acre lot that backs up to undeveloped land off Brunswick Road. Gillibrand and her husband, Jonathan, bought the house in 2011 for $335,000, according to Rensselaer County tax records. The five-bedroom, three-bathroom modern one-story home boasts vast windows, high ceilings and "panoramic views of rolling hills," according to the listing. The home was built in 1952. The senator leaving Rensselaer County ends a political era for her, after she announced her run for president in January 2019 at the Country View Diner on Route 7 just north of her residence. Her presidential campaign headquarters were also in Troy. Gillibrand, one of many people who announced their intention to run in the Democratic primary for president, dropped out of the race in August 2019. When asked at her initial presidential announcement (she would later have another "formal" announcement in New York City) why she was siting her campaign headquarters in Troy, Gillibrand said, "Because Troy's awesome come to Troy; it's going to be fun." Her campaign leased a second-floor suite of 5,000 square feet in the former Frear's Department Store building at 2 Third St. "And I wanted it to be here because it's where I'm from. This is who I am. ... This is where I grew up. And my family's here." Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. But while Gillibrand, who grew up in the City of Albany and graduated from Emma Williard School in Troy, owned the Brunswick home - her base for years has been Washington, D.C., where her youngest son, Henry, attends school. Her teenage son, Theo, attends boarding school. Gillibrand moved to Brunswick after she and her husband sold their Greenport, Columbia County house in 2010 that overlooked the Hudson River; that property sold for $1.3 million to the managing editor of Time magazine. Jennifer Whalen, Gillibrand's longtime friend and fellow Emma Willard graduate, is the realtor on the Brunswick listing. Michael.Williams@timesunion.com Medical workers sort nucleic acid test results for the citizens at a hospital in Beijing on June 14, 2020. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images) Beijing City Announces Dozens More CCP Virus Cases, Wartime Preparations to Contain Spread Chinese authorities announced 51 new domestic CCP virus infections in Beijing in the past four days, causing officials to scramble to contain its spread. The city, which has kept a tight lid on information since the virus began spreading earlier this year, will now test ten of thousands of close contacts after its latest outbreak. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) boss of Beijing city, Cai Qi, announced on June 13 that the capital has already entered an abnormal period following the uptick in virus cases. It should be noted that local governments in China have been documented to underreport infections. Meanwhile, Chu Junwei, acting director of the Fengtai district government in Beijing, announced that the district would launch wartime mechanisms and set up a command center to contain the virus. Also on June 13, four neighborhoods across Beijing were designated as medium-risk regions for virus spread. Diagnosed Patients Pang Xinghuo, vice director of the Beijing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said at a daily press conference on June 14 that eight people in the city were diagnosed with the virus from midnight to 7 a.m. Pang said all eight cases are related to the Xinfadi Food Market, a wholesale market located in Fengtai district that sells vegetables, fruits, meats, seafood, and grains. Ms. Li, a Beijing resident who lives close to the market, said her friends and relatives messaged her about more than 20 locations in the area that are considered high risk for virus infection. I think the outbreak must be out of control now, she said in a phone interview. Hours earlier, the Beijing Municipal Health Commission announced on its website that there were 36 newly diagnosed virus patients on June 13. Combined with officially announced cases on June 11 and 12, 51 people were diagnosed with the virus, all of them who either worked or shopped at the Xinfadi market, according to authorities. The virus has also spread to another region of China. Liaoning Province, to the north of Beijing, reported two diagnosed patients on June 13. They had traveled from Beijing to ShenyangLiaonings capitalon June 11 for a business trip. They are colleagues of two staffers at the China Meat Research Center who were previously diagnosed on June 12. Quarantine On the evening of June 14, Beijing city ordered all people who had visited the Xinfadi market since May 30 to report themselves to local authorities. They and their family members must take nucleic acid tests and be isolated at home for 14 days. Earlier in the day, several locals shared videos on social media and said all individuals who worked at the Xinfadi market were forced to be isolated at hotel-modified quarantine centers for 14 days. Twenty thousand to thirty thousand people are being taken away by buses. They will be isolated at hotels, a person said as he took a video of a large crowd in Beijing. On the Chinese social media platform Weibo, many netizens expressed concerns about the quarantine expenses, which they must pay for themselves. They said expenses would total 8,000 yuan ($1,130) to pay for accommodation, meals, and testing kits. Some Chinese netizens also posted that their mobile-app-generated health codes were green while they were in Beijing, but turned red after they left the city by train. A red code means the user must be isolated for 14 days at a quarantine center upon arrival at their destination. Lockdown The city hasnt yet issued a lockdown, but on June 13, the China National Grand Theater, Beijing Lama Temple, Tianqiao Art Center, and several other tourist sites were closed. The Epoch Times called the intercity bus station, train ticket office, and flight ticket office in Beijing on June 14. The Xinfadi Bus Station was closed, but other services were still operating normally. But a train ticket seller warned: Now you can buy the train ticket, but we cant be sure you can board a train tomorrow. [The authorities] may stop train operations, he said. Also on June 14, several cities in Shanxi, Liaoning, and Heilongjiang provinces announced an alert for local residents to avoid visiting Beijing. They also required that all travelers arriving from Beijing must be quarantined for 14 days. Haiti - 25th anniversary PNH : Speech of the Commander-in-Chief, Rameau Normil As part of the celebration of 25 years of existence (June 1995 - June 2020), of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) around the theme "Unite, harmonize to better secure", Rameau Normil the Director General ai and Commander-in-Chief of the National Police of the PNH, paid tribute to the police oficers in a speech that invites reflection, which we invite you to share. Download the unequal speech (PDF) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/normil-25-pnh.pdf See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31013-haiti-pnh-25th-anniversary-speech-by-president-jovenel-moise.html HL/ HaitiLibre The Coast Guard and several first response agencies are searching for a boater who went missing near Kemah Saturday evening. Around 5 p.m., the Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston was notified by a 911 dispatcher that a boater was ejected from an 18-foot boat in the Houston Ship Channel without a life jacket. Investigators said the driver of the boats seat broke, causing him to sharply turn the wheel. The other three boaters were not ejected. Want to manufacture BrahMos so that no country has audacity to cast evil eye on us: Rajnath Singh PoK will wish to be part of India; will lead to fulfilment of Parliament's resolution: Rajnath Singh India pti-PTI New Delhi, Jun 14: The Modi government will change the face of Jammu and Kashmir with its development works so much that people from Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir will demand to be part of India, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday. Addressing a virtual Jan Samvad rally for Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said when people of PoK will want to be freed of Pakistan's occupation and be part of India, then this will lead to the fulfilment of Parliament's resolution that the region is an integral part of the country. "Our government has been successful in sending the message that Jammu and Kashmir's development is its priority. Our effort in the next five years will be to change its face so much that people of PoK will feel envious. They will wish that if they were part of India, then their fate too would have changed," he said. "Let's wait for what happens in future. There will be demand from PoK to be freed of Pakistan's occupation and to live with India. When this happens, then Parliament's resolution will also be fulfilled," the minister said. While piloting in Parliament a resolution for annulling Article 370 and a bill to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir into union territories last year, Home Minister Amit Shah had reiterated that PoK and Aksai Chin, which is under China's occupation, are integral part of India. Parliament has also earlier passed resolution that Pok is part of India. With Indian channels now including Muzaffarabad and Gilgit, which are under Pakistan's occupation, in their weather report, this has changed "temperature" in the neighbouring country which, Singh said, is now creating more mischief, a reference to terrorism in the Valley. Indian security forces have been giving befitting reply, he asserted. The defence minister described Article 370, which had given the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir special status, as a "stain" which has been removed due to the courage of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Earlier, Pakistan's and terrorist organisation ISIS' flags would be seen in protests in Kashmir, now Indian tricolour is visible there, he said. Singh said India's global standing has increased so much that earlier most countries supported Pakistan on the issue of Article 370, while now not only other countries but even many Muslim nations have backed India. He named Malaysia and Turkey as among the few Muslim nations which have not supported India over its move to nullify Article 370. He cited a number of development works undertaken in Jammu and Kashmir, including establishment of central universities and AIIMS, and said the central government has spent over Rs 2 lakh crore there in 2014-19. Earlier, money meant for the region's development would often be lost to corruption, and separatists and some other politicians would at times speak in favour of Pakistan, he said. "Their back has been broken," he said, referring to the revocation of Article 370. The BJP under Modi has proved that it does what it says by fulfilling its nearly 70 year-old promises with "a snap of the fingers" the moment it gets opportunity, he said. At times even our workers felt that our party would not be able to scrap Article 370 and 35A, but this has been done now, ending discrimination against people and integrating the region fully with India, he said. Referring to the series of virtual rallies being organised by the BJP to address people in different parts of the country by using broadcast and internet platforms, the former BJP president said Indian politics has moved into "digital world". The country has seen all round development under Modi, with its economy rising and global prestige enhanced, he said, presenting a report card of the government's works as it recently marked the first anniversary of its second term. With critics questioning the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of lockdown, Singh said its efforts have drawn praise from organisations like the WHO. It cannot be imagined as to what our condition would be if the lockdown was not enforced, he said. Advertisement Britain's coronavirus death toll inched up by just 36 today - the lowest since before full lockdown in promising signs the outbreak is improving. Department of Health bosses announced a further 36 fatalities in people with a positive Covid-19 test result across all settings, taking the Government total to 41,698. Today's figure is an astonishing 53 per cent drop on last Sunday's 77, the previous lowest day. There has not been a zero fatality since March 4. The daily death count is always lower on a weekend due to a lag in reporting. It spikes again mid-week and is only a representation of deaths in people who have had a positive test result for Covid-19. Separate data collected by national statistical bodies shows the Covid-19 death toll is more likely to be 51,000 after taking those who died with suspected Covid-19 into consideration. It comes amid a drive for the country to return to normality, despite concerns among scientists that an easing of lockdown will lead to increasing infection rates in the coming weeks. Tomorrow retail shops in England will be able to open for the first time in 13 weeks - and Boris Johnson has said people should be able to 'shop with confidence'. The Prime Minister said falling numbers of diagnosed coronavirus cases has given the Government 'more margin for manoeuvre' in easing the two-metre social-distancing rule, which is being reviewed. In other coronavirus developments today: HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE REALLY DIED? Department of Health: 41,662 Department of Health bosses yesterday revealed the death toll had jumped to 41,662 across all settings, including care homes. The daily data does not represent how many Covid-19 patients died within the last 24 hours it is only how many fatalities have been reported and registered with the authorities. It also only takes into account patients who tested positive for the virus, as opposed to deaths suspected to be down to the coronavirus. Today's official daily count has not been revealed. A preliminary count is calculated by adding up all of the updates provided by each of the home nations suggests it is around 31, taking the total to 41,693. Individual health bodies: 32,387 The Department of Health has a different time cut-off for reporting deaths, meaning daily updates from Scotland as well as Northern Ireland are always out of sync. Wales is not affected, however. NHS England today revealed it has registered 27,954 hospital deaths across the country. But the figure only applies to hospitals meaning fatalities in care homes are excluded from this count. Scotland has recorded 2,448 coronavirus deaths among patients who have tested positive for the virus, followed by 1,444 in Wales and 541 in Northern Ireland. These tolls include fatalities in all settings. National statistical bodies: 51,175 Data compiled by the statistical bodies of each of the home nations show 51,175 people died of either confirmed or suspected Covid-19 across the UK by the end of May. The real number of victims will be even higher because the tally only takes into account deaths that occurred up until June 7 in Scotland and May 29 in the rest of Britain, meaning it is up to 10 days out of date. The Office for National Statistics yesterday confirmed that 46,421 people in England and Wales died with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 by May 29. The number of coronavirus deaths was 754 by the same day in Northern Ireland, according to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). National Records Scotland which collects statistics north of the border said 4,000 people had died across the country by June 7. Their tallies are always 10 days behind the Department of Health (DH) because they wait until as many fatalities as possible for each date have been counted, to avoid having to revise their statistics. Excess deaths: 63,708 The total number of excess deaths has almost reached 64,000. Excess deaths are considered to be an accurate measure of the number of people killed by the pandemic because they include a broader spectrum of victims. As well as including people who may have died with Covid-19 without ever being tested, the data also shows how many more people died because their medical treatment was postponed, for example, or who didn't or couldn't get to hospital when they were seriously ill. Data from England and Wales shows there has been an extra 57,961 deaths since the outbreak took hold, as well as 4,808 in Scotland and 939 in Northern Ireland. Advertisement Britons today took the opportunity to travel to some of Britain's beauty spots to enjoy the warmer weather as the mercury rose to 73F (23C) in the capital; Labour's shadow justice secretary David Lammy accused the Government of 'burying' recommendations that came from a report looking at the disproportionate toll Covid-19 has had on people from BAME backgrounds; Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said ministers will make the final decision on whether to relax the two-metre social distancing rule; It's feared the move will lead to the top scientists advising the Government - Professor Chris Whitty, the popular Chief Medical Officer, and Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance - to resign because they believe the current guidance on safe distancing should stay; The editor of The Lancet blasted the government for allowing thousands of coronavirus deaths as a result of 'appalling misjudgements'. NHS England today recorded 27 deaths in hospitals over 17 trusts compared to 828 deaths over 164 trusts on April 8 - when the most hospital deaths were recorded in a single day. Wales registered three victims in all settings, followed by one in Scotland. Northern Ireland reported zero after two weeks of continuously low figures. Although today's coronavirus death toll is marked improvement in the course of the pandemic, The Lancet's editor has blasted the Government for allowing thousands of needless coronavirus deaths. Dr Richard Horton, who has been editor-in-chief of the prestigious Lancet for 25 years, said people have died as a result of 'appalling misjudgements'. He said the Government was 'glaringly unprepared' for a pandemic - which has so far seen at least 51,000 Covid-19 fatalities in the UK, according to national statistic bodies - and ignored warnings from the World Health Organization. His book, The Covid-19 Catastrophe: What's Gone Wrong and How to Stop It Happening Again, describes the management of the crisis as the greatest science policy failure of a generation. According to The Observer, Dr Horton describes the UK's response to the emergence of the Covid-19 virus as 'slow, complacent and flat-footed', a reaction that show the government was 'glaringly unprepared' for the pandemic. He attacked Public Health England (PHE) for not taking proper note of the World Health Organization's public health emergency warning about the disease. And he ridicules the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) for becoming 'the public relations wing of a government that had failed its people'. Dr Horton is suggesting Sage is not independent, after the Government faced weeks of criticism over a perceived lack of transparency around members of Sage and what was discussed at their meetings. His comments come after several other experts - including Professor Neil Ferguson, whose scientific work triggered the lockdown, and Sir David King, who was the government's chief scientist from 2000-2007 - said Briton's death toll could have been as low as 10,000 if lockdown had been triggered just one week earlier. Today's figure of 31 is a drop in ocean compared to the thousands of people who were dying per day at the height of the pandemic in April, three weeks after infections soar in the middle of March. Labour's shadow justice secretary David Lammy accused the Government of having 'buried' recommendations for people of black, Asian or minority ethnic background (BAME), who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. A report by Public Health England looking at why people from BAME backgrounds are more likely to die from Covid-19 than white people came out in May. A leaked draft - due to be published next week - cited racism as a possible factor in why people of such backgrounds are at increased risk of both catching the virus and dying from it. Speaking to the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Lammy said: 'It's horrifying that at the moment across this country it's hard to be black or Asian and not know someone, or someone who knows someone, who has died. 'I've lost an uncle. I've lost a classmate who died at 45 due to this terrible virus. 'The point is it's a scandal if one week Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock say "Black Lives Matter" and then we find out today that they buried part of the review that had the recommendations in it to do something about it.' He added: 'Get on it with it because people are dying every day and you said "Black Lives Matter". It's no wonder why people are upset.' It comes amid ongoing Black Lives Matter protests across the UK, which yesterday saw clashes with far-right activists. Meanwhile other Britons hit beauty spots and high streets as temperatures soared to 70F on the second day families were allowed to meet again. Britons enjoy takeaway beer as they stroll through Battersea Park in London amid warmer temperatures this afternoon Londoners photographed enjoying the sunshine at Battersea Park this morning, with warm weather increasing the number of people out and about MINISTERS WILL DECIDE ON WHETHER TO REDUCE THE TWO-METRE RULE - BUT COULD IT COST THEM THE CHIEF SCIENTISTS? Senior ministers fear the top scientists advising the Government could quit over plans to ease the two-metre rule. Professor Chris Whitty, the popular Chief Medical Officer, and Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance have made it clear they believe the current guidance on safe distancing should stay. But Boris Johnson will tomorrow pave the way for it to be relaxed amid fears it could spark millions of job losses, with hospitality particularly badly hit. And Chancellor Rishi Sunak said ministers are 'urgently' looking at whether it can be relaxed to boost shops and allow more pubs and restaurants to reopen. He said it would be a decision for ministers rather than scientists as to when the change comes. The Sunday Times claims Downing Street is concerned at the scale of opposition among scientists, who far it could lead to a second spike in coronavirus infections. 'The worry is that Whitty and Vallance could resign,' a source told the newspaper. 'It is getting to the stage where they are threatening to minute their opposition to moving from two metres. Those minutes get formally released.' The insistence of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (Sage) on maintaining the two-metre rule has caused an intense political backlash, with Tory MPs and the Treasury joining forces to express concern about the economic damage it is wreaking. Figures released last week showed the economy suffered a 20 per cent drop in GDP in April, the largest ever monthly collapse. Chancellor Rishi Sunak told the party's backbench 1922 Committee last week that three-quarters of pubs could open if the distance was cut to one metre, and cited the fact that 24 countries had introduced the flexibility to reduce it. Mr Johnson's new review will take advice from a range of experts, including the Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance but also behavioural scientists and economists. It will operate in addition to a rolling review of the guidance being carried out by Sage. Prof Whitty has public spoken of the importance of the two-metre rule. He has said social distancing - as well as hand washing, 'good cough etiquette', the use of face coverings - will be in place 'for as long as this epidemic continues'. Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, has said there was 'relatively little room for manoeuvre' in easing the lockdown measures. A source told the Sunday Times that they were worried the scientists would 'minute' their opposition to any change, meaning it would be published in records of Sage meetings. Advertisement These people are taking advantage of Boris Johnson's new 'support bubbles' rules, which allows people from two households to interact with each other at less than two metres apart. With 'support bubbles' in force, people are itching to socialise after being confined to their homes since the 'stay at home' order was given on March 23 - 13 weeks ago. TomTom data showed roads around Liverpool were 75 per cent of pre-lockdown levels at 1pm today. In London, traffic surged to 50 per cent of figures recorded a year earlier - as congestion in Brighton rose to 70 per cent of data recorded at the same time in 2019. Non-essential shops will be able to reopen for business tomorrow after weeks of closure amid the coronavirus pandemic. Rishi Sunak today revealed ministers are 'urgently' looking at whether the two metre social distancing rules can be relaxed to boost shops and allow more pubs and restaurants to reopen. During a round of broadcast interviews, Mr Sunak acknowledged it would have a significant impact on whether the hospitality sector can reopen, which the Government has slated for early July. In a clear sign he would like the rule eased, the Chancellor admitted he could see the 'positive impact' of reducing it to 1.5metres or one metre, citing other nations which have already made such a change. Mr Sunak confirmed that Boris Johnson has ordered a 'comprehensive review' of the rule in England as the Government continues its lifting of the coronavirus lockdown restrictions. The Prime Minister has said today the falling numbers of coronavirus cases has given the Government 'more margin for manoeuvre' in easing the two-metre social-distancing rule due to falling numbers of infections. Speaking during a visit to the Westfield shopping centre in east London to highlight the re-openings of shops, he said: 'As we get the numbers down, so it becomes one in a thousand, one in 1600, maybe fewer, your chances of being, two metres, one metre or even a foot away from somebody who has the virus are obviously going down statistically, so you start to build some more margin for manoeuvre and we'll be looking at that.' A 'comprehensive review' would look at the issue 'in the round', drawing on advice from economists as well as scientific and medical experts, Mr Sunak told Sky News's Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme. Professor Chris Whitty, the popular Chief Medical Officer, and Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance have made it clear they believe the current guidance on safe distancing should stay. But ministers - rather than the Government's scientific advisers - will take the final decision on whether to ease the two-metre social distancing rule, Mr Sunak has said. 'Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance (the Government's chief scientific adviser) throughout all of this have provided advice to ministers,' he told BBC1's The Andrew Marr Show. 'Ultimately it is for ministers. We are the people who are elected to make decisions in this country. People should hold us responsible and accountable for making those decisions. 'I think that people are comforted and have confidence in those decisions if they know that we are taking advice from our scientists.' The Sunday Times claims Downing Street is concerned at the scale of opposition among scientists, who far it could lead to a second spike in coronavirus infections. FACE MASKS ARE MORE PROTECTIVE THAN HANDWASHING OR SOCIAL DISTANCING, STUDY SUGGESTS Face masks are more protective against Covid-19 than handwashing or social distancing, a study of coronavirus-riddled US warship Theodore Roosevelt suggests. More than 1,000 of the ship's nearly 4,900-member crew tested positive for Covid-19 during an outbreak in March, which saw one person die and the captain fired. The Roosevelt pulled into Guam on March 27, with a rapidly escalating number of sailors testing positive for the virus. It is not clear how the virus initially entered the ship. Ten weeks later the ship has returned to sea and is conducting military operations in the Pacific region. The aircraft carrier has been studied by US officials to get a better understanding of how the virus spreads. In April, the US Navy and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigated the outbreak involving a sample of 382 service members (27 per cent) on board who were mostly young, healthy adults. Only 55.8 per cent of those who wore a mask became infected compared to 80.8 per cent of those who did not - a difference of 25 per cent. Physical distancing reduced the infection by 15.3 per cent, with 54.7 per cent of those practising it becoming infected compared to 70 per cent of those who did not. Wearing a protective facial covering was also found to be more effective than increased hand-washing. Around 62 per cent of those who reported regularly washing their hands becoming infected compared to around 65 per cent of those who didn't regularly wash their hands - a difference of three per cent. The authors of the study stated: 'This report improves the understanding of COVID-19 in the U.S. military and among young adults in congregate settings and reinforces the importance of preventive measures to lower risk for infection in similar environments.' It comes after months of fierce debate over whether to recommend the public to wear face masks amid a shortage of surgical face masks for health workers. Now, it is mandatory to wear a face mask on public transport in Britain. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, who made the announcement on June 4, said: 'With more people using transport the evidence suggests wearing face coverings offers some - albeit limited - protection against the spread for the virus.' The UK Government is not convinced they are helpful in other scenarios and believe they may do more harm than good by giving people the false confidence to take unnecessary risks. Advertisement 'The worry is that Whitty and Vallance could resign,' a source told the newspaper. 'It is getting to the stage where they are threatening to minute their opposition to moving from two metres. Those minutes get formally released.' Ministers are under intense pressure from Conservative MPs who see the easing of the two-metre rule as crucial to the further reopening of the economy. Scottish Secretary Alister Jack became the first Cabinet minister - on June 12 - to publicly call for the distance to be reduced to one metre 'as soon as possible', saying the move was vital to 'open up the economy'. And Tory MP Damian Green, who was Theresa May's de facto deputy, said: 'The latest infection rates are encouraging, and the economic figures are frightening, so I think it's time to set a date for a move to one metre.' Only 0.1 per cent of the population now thought to be affected, Government data revealed on Friday. There are now around 5,500 people becoming newly infected each day - a drop from 8,000 the week before. The move comes amid fears of a new wave of job losses as the Government starts to wind down the furlough scheme which has seen the state pay the wages of more than eight million workers. Mr Sunak acknowledged further redundancies were inevitable and said that it underlined the importance of getting the economy going again. 'Primarily we need to reopen our economy safely and slowly. That is the most important thing to try and safeguard as many of those jobs as possible,' he told The Andrew Marr Show. 'There is going to be hardship ahead. People are going to lose their jobs.' Meanwhile, ministers have faced fresh criticism over their failure to get more schools in England to reopen, with most pupils set to stay home until September. The Children's Commissioner for England Anne Longfield said they risked undermining children's basic right to an education. 'It has taken 200 years of campaigning to get children into the classroom, ensuring that education was a basic right for all children,' she told the Observer. 'We seem for the first time to be prepared to let that start go into reverse. And I think that is a very, very dangerous place to be.' Ministers will this week mount a fresh push to get more primary school children back into the classroom ahead of the summer break. Currently, primary schools in England - which closed following the coronavirus lockdown in March - are opening to pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6. However, ministers will this week reaffirm schools can take children from other year groups provided they have the capacity to do so safely. It means limiting class sizes to just 15 while ensuring protective measures are in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. A No 10 source said Mr Johnson was 'acutely aware' of the impact the extended closure was having on pupils and was working with Education Secretary Gavin Williamson on a major 'catch-up' plan. New Delhi: Amid the ongoing dispute with China in eastern Ladakh over the Chinese military buildup, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is looking to complete the work on the 255 Km-long strategic Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) road including eight bridges and its blacktopping at some of the stretches by the end of this year. The use of the strategic road by the Indian security forces from Leh has helped in reducing the travel time between Leh and DBO to six hours. Earlier, the travel time between the two locations was significantly higher. "We are planning that the work on the entire stretch should be complete by the end of this year which includes eight bridges of different sizes and blacktopping of the road at some of the stretches," government sources said. The sources said the labour workforce has started the movement towards the high altitude locations in Ladakh from Jharkhand after proper checks and screening by the local authorities for COVID-19. The workforce in Jharkhand is considered to be the most suited for working in this hilly terrain as they adapt to the conditions there very well, they said. The working window in the Eastern Ladakh sector is very narrow with only four to five months available due to the extreme cold conditions there. The road has been in the making for over two decades now and a special focus was laid on it after the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014. Northern Army Commanders, the Border Roads Organisation project chief engineers and commanders of the 81 Brigade looking after DBO have been working in close coordination in the last many years to ensure that the project was completed in time and the manner in which it remains an all-weather road. The bridge connecting the Patrolling Point 14 in Galwan area with the territory across the Shyok river is also linked to the strategic road. India and China are engaged in a standoff at multiple points along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh where the Chinese People's Liberation Army has amassed over 10,000 troops with its heavy artillery and armoured regiments on its side of the LAC. India has also now matched the deployment done by the Chinese and after the talks between the two sides at the multiple levels, they have even disengaged and gone back from their positions by a couple of kilometres. Europe is taking a big step toward a new normality as many countries open borders to fellow Europeans after three months of coronavirus lockdowns but even though Europeans love their summer vacations, its not clear how many are ready to travel again. Tourists from the U.S., Asia, Latin America and the Middle East will just have to wait for now. Europe is expected to start opening up to some visitors from elsewhere next month, but details remain unclear. The European Union home affairs commissioner, Ylva Johansson, told member nations last week that they should open up as soon as possible and suggested Monday was a good date. Many countries are doing just that, allowing travel from the EU, Britain and the rest of Europes usually passport-free Schengen travel area, which includes non-EU countries like Switzerland. Europes reopening wont be a repeat of the chaotic free-for-all in March when panicked, uncoordinated border closures caused traffic jams that stretched for miles. Still, its a complicated, shifting patchwork of different rules. And although tourist regions are desperately counting on them, a lot of Europeans may decide to stay close to home this summer. Thats something tourism-dependent Mediterranean countries such as Greece are keen to avoid. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis acknowledged Saturday that a lot will depend on whether people feel comfortable to travel and whether we can project Greece as a safe destination. Greece has emphasized its handling of its outbreak, which saw only 183 deaths. Overall, Europe has seen more than 182,000 virus-linked deaths this year, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University that also shows Europe has had 2.04 million of the worlds 7.8 million infections. Hard-hit Spain, which on Sunday moved forward its opening to European travelers by 10 days to June 21, is allowing thousands of Germans to fly to its Balearic Islands for a trial run starting Monday waiving its 14-day quarantine for the group. This pilot program will help us learn a lot for what lies ahead in the coming months, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said. We want our country, which is already known as a world-class tourist destination, to be recognized as also a secure destination. Border checks in some places have already wound down. Italy opened its borders on June 3 and towns on the German-Polish border celebrated early Saturday as Poland opened the gates. At midnight, the mayors of Goerlitz, Germany and Zgorzelec, Poland cut through chains on a makeshift fence that had divided the towns. Germany, like France and others, is lifting remaining border checks on Monday and scrapping a requirement that arrivals must prove they have a good reason to enter. It also is easing a worldwide warning against nonessential travel to exempt European countries except, probably, Finland, Norway and Spain, where travel restrictions remain, and Sweden, where the level of new coronavirus infections is deemed too high. Many German regions have reimposed a quarantine requirement for arrivals from Sweden, whose virus strategy avoided a lockdown but produced a relatively high death rate. Czech authorities will require arrivals from Sweden to show a negative COVID-19 test or to self-quarantine along with travelers from Portugal and Polands Silesia region. Austria is opening up Tuesday to European neighbors except Spain, Portugal, Sweden and Britain and keeping a travel warning for Italys worst-hit region of Lombardy. France is asking people from Britain to self-quarantine for two weeks. Britain recently introduced a 14-day quarantine requirement for most arrivals, to the horror of its tourism and aviation industries, which say the move will hit visits to Britain hard this summer. Denmark is opening up only for tourists from Germany, Norway and Iceland and only if they can prove that theyre staying for at least six nights. Norway also is keeping shut its long border with Sweden. I realize this is a big disappointment. But the restrictions are based on objective criteria that are the same for everyone, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said. If we open too quickly, the infection can get out of control. With flights only gradually picking up, nervousness about new outbreaks abroad, uncertainty about social distancing at tourist venues and many people facing unemployment or pay cuts, this may be a good summer for domestic tourism. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz are both planning to vacation in their homelands this year. The recommendation is still, if you want to be really safe, a vacation in Austria, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg told ORF television, recalling the scramble in March to bring home thousands of tourists as borders slammed shut. In Austria, you know that you dont have to cross a border if you want to get home, and you know the infrastructure and the health system well. The German government, which helped fly 240,000 people home as the pandemic grew exponentially, also has no desire to repeat that experience. My appeal to all those who travel: Enjoy your summer vacation but enjoy it with caution and responsibility, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said. In the summer holidays, we want to make it as difficult as possible for the virus to spread again in Europe. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON MOSCOW (AP) Ukrainian authorities said Saturday they intercepted an attempt to offer a $6 million bribe in return for the dropping of a criminal investigation into the head of a natural gas company where the son of former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden once held a board seat. At a news conference, during which officials displayed large bags of seized U.S. currency, Ukraines anti-corruption prosecutor Nazar Kholodnitsky said neither of the Bidens is connected to the bribe attempt. Kholodnitsky and the head of the national anti-corruption bureau, Artem Sytnik, said the bribe was intended to encourage their offices to close an investigation of Mykola Zlochevsky, the head of the Burisma natural gas company and a former minister of ecology. Zlochevsky is suspected of using his ministerial position for personal enrichment. In a statement, Burisma said the company has nothing to do with a bribe attempt. Burisma, one of Ukraine's largest private gas producers, has been at the center of politically tinged allegations in the United States, where Joe Biden is the main challenger to President Donald Trump in this year's election. Biden's son, Hunter, joined the Burisma board in 2014, when his father was still vice president and the main figure in U.S. relations with Ukraine; he left the position in 2018. Last year, Trump pressured new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate the Bidens in a phone call that triggered his impeachment. Former Ukrainian prosecutor-general Viktor Shokin has alleged he was pushed out by Joe Biden's delaying of a $1 billion loan to the country, to prevent him from investigating Hunter Biden's role at Burisma. But Joe Biden says he pushed for Shokin's dismissal to encourage Ukraine's anti-corruption efforts. Three people, including a high-ranking tax service official, have been detained in connection with the attempted bribe, officials said Saturday. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated publicly last week that it was a mistake to walk with President Trump across Lafayette Square in Washington on June 1. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has also sought to reinterpret his appearance with Trump. Too little and way too late. I am a former Marine officer who served from 1969 to 1973 with a tour of duty in Vietnam. My regimental commander there was P.X. Kelley, who in 1983 became commandant of the Marine Corps. When I returned from overseas, I was assigned to Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. Among our duties were participating in military ceremonies and funerals and providing security at Camp David. When President Lyndon B. Johnson died and lay in state, my men and I, along with members of other services, stood watch in the Capitol Rotunda in dress blues. I took over my unit at the barracks from Pete Pace, who was named chairman of the Joint Chiefs in 2005. My company commander there, Jim Jones, was appointed Marine commandant in 1999 and later became the supreme allied commander of NATO. I served with and under some extraordinary military leaders. Where have they all gone? I was appalled by the June 1 images of Esper and Milley as they accompanied their commander in chief for a photo op at St. Johns Church, a short distance from the White House. Their trip was short in distance but long on aggression. It required combative action against protesters by police, guardsmen and other unidentified federal officers. The latter reminded me of the Russian little green men fighting by proxy in the Ukraine. Is this what our own country has come to? Why were Esper and Milley (dressed in combat fatigues) involved in this foray? To prove their loyalty to the president? To proclaim their own political beliefs? It certainly wasnt to demonstrate their loyalty to the Constitution of the United States. Our active-duty armed forces are prohibited, except in extraordinary circumstances, from involvement in domestic disputes of any type. This was reiterated early and often during my brief military career. Esper and Milley conveyed the opposite impression and in that moment undermined the Constitution and our belief in the apolitical nature of the U.S. military. Esper has since tried to reframe his role in the events at St. Johns Church, and Milley has apologized for his participation. But few of us are persuaded by or even see such postmortems. Through their presence, in the context of that artificially created scene, our system of government was shaken by the men who administer it. How close have we come to despotism, where dominating the battle space becomes acceptable in our own land? Our military is subject to civilian authority, as it must be in a democracy. The president is the commander in chief. But our military leaders must have the courage and integrity to say no when an order, or even a request, from that civilian authority violates the Constitution or undermines ones oath to uphold it. Even the perception of such a violation, as the images of Esper and Milley at St. Johns Church conveyed on June 1, can have dangerous consequences. Marine Corps culture stresses many important principles, among them integrity and loyalty. Integrity is the most foundational, for without it, all forms of leadership eventually fail. Loyalty, however, is the most problematic, because our loyalty can be abused by dishonest leaders who demand it from us. I was heartened by comments from retired Marine Gens. Jim Mattis and John Kelly condemning the events in Lafayette Square. But former military leaders can only scold a rogue president, not thwart one. We should all keep this in mind when we vote in November. I participated in a leadership conference last year with cadets at West Point. I hope the lessons of the past two weeks are part of the future curriculum. They are too important not to be. Sandy Alderson is the former general manager of the Oakland As and New York Mets. He said the Government was 'glaringly unprepared' for a pandemic The Lancet's editor has blasted the Government for allowing thousands of needless coronavirus deaths and attacked Sage scientists for being the 'PR wing'. Dr Richard Horton, who has been editor-in-chief of the prestigious Lancet for 25 years, said people have died as a result of 'appalling misjudgements'. He said the Government was 'glaringly unprepared' for a pandemic - which has so far killed at least 51,000 people in the UK - and ignored warnings from the World Health Organization. Dr Horton recently became involved with a furious row with Downing Street, accusing officials of 'deliberately rewriting history in its ongoing COVID-19 disinformation campaign'. The medical journal has also become embroiled in a political point-scoring row after publishing an 'anti-Trump' study that had repercussions globally. Covid-19 treatment trials of the drug hydroxychloroquine, championed by Donald Trump, were halted because the study said it increased the risk of death. But the 'scandalous' study has now been retracted due to failings in its methods, throwing the Lancet's editorial standards into question. The Lancet's editor has blasted the Government for allowing thousands of needless coronavirus deaths and attacks Sage scientists for being the 'PR wing' Dr Horton recently became involved with a furious row with Downing Street, accusing officials of 'deliberately rewriting history in its ongoing COVID-19 disinformation campaign'. He furiously rejected claims that he played down the threat of the virus, and instead said he had sounded the alarm on multiple occasions Dr Horton has publicly criticised the UK Government over its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic for weeks. His book, The Covid-19 Catastrophe: What's Gone Wrong and How to Stop It Happening Again, describes the management of the crisis as the greatest science policy failure of a generation. The Department of Health's official death toll for Covid-19 stands at 41,622. But data collated by the Office for National Statistics says the death toll has passed 51,000. According to The Observer, Dr Horton describes the UK's response to the emergence of the Covid-19 virus as 'slow, complacent and flat-footed', a reaction that show the government was 'glaringly unprepared' for the pandemic. He attacks Public Health England (PHE) for not taking proper note of the World Health Organization's public health emergency warning about the disease. And he ridicules the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) for becoming 'the public relations wing of a government that had failed its people'. Dr Horton is suggesting Sage is not independent, after the Government faced weeks of criticism over a perceived lack of transparency around members of Sage and what was discussed at their meetings. A list of Sage members was published online after concerns grew that political leniency would be dictating coronavirus policy, rather than scientific evidence. DR HORTON'S CLASH WITH DOWNING STREET: A TIMELINE January 24: Dr Horton tweeted: 'A call for caution please. Media are escalating anxiety by talking of a "killer virus" + "growing fears". In truth, from what we currently know, 2019-nCoV has moderate transmissibility and relatively low pathogenicity. THere is no reason to fester panic with exaggerated language.' January 24-27: Dr Horton published a series of five academic papers a few days before the first case of Covid-19 was diagnosed in the UK that first described the novel coronavirus in detail. On January 25, Dr Horton 'drew attention to the issue of ICU capacity and asked why there was no discussion of this urgent clinical challenge'. And on January 26, he tweeted that 'the needle is moving towards the affirmative' to declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. April 19: A newspaper article in The Sunday Times accused Boris Johnson of 'sleepwalking into disaster' in the early stages of the pandemic. Its long list of allegations included that the Government had brushed aside the threat of the virus despite an alarming study published in Dr Horton's The Lancet on January 24. The Chinese study 'assessed the lethal potential of the virus, for the first time suggesting it was comparable to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, which killed up to 50million people'. In response, Downing Street said: 'The editor of the Lancet, on exactly the same day 23 January - called for caution and accused the media of 'escalating anxiety by talking of a "killer virus" and "growing fears".' April 20: Dr Horton has stepped in to point out that, on numerous occasions, he pointed to evidence a pandemic was imminent - one which would cripple the UK. In his view, No 10 are trying to 'rewrite history' in their rebuttal of the Sunday Times article while defending the actions they took. Advertisement 'Individually, they're great people, but the system was a catastrophic failure,' he said. Dr Horton said leaders will need to acknowledge their mistakes in order to save their reputation, suggesting this starts with the chief scientific officer (CHA), Sir Patrick Vallance, and the chief medical officer (CMO), Professor Chris Whitty. He said they should admit it was 'very clear that the signals were missed from January'. It comes amid fears the CHA and CMO are prepared to quit over disagreements with Government policies on the two-metre social distancing rules. Scientists are thought to largely oppose reducing the distance in fear of a second spike in cases - but today Chancellor Rishi Sunak said it will be up to ministers to decide. Echoing the thoughts of dozens of other experts, Dr Horton questioned why it took so long to go into lockdown considering the warnings from across the world. On numerous occasions, he pointed to evidence a pandemic was imminent - one which would cripple the UK. Dr Horton published a series of five academic papers in January, a few days before the first case of Covid-19 was diagnosed in the UK, that first described the novel coronavirus in detail. 'All of the things that have happened in the last three months, they're all in those five papers,' he claimed. These included a study of a family in China who were infected with the virus, indicating it can spread between humans, and the first breakdown of characteristics of people sick with the disease COVID-19. On January 25, Dr Horton 'drew attention to the issue of ICU capacity and asked why there was no discussion of this urgent clinical challenge'. And on January 26, he tweeted that 'the needle is moving towards the affirmative' to declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. A newspaper article in the Sunday Times on April 19 accused the Government of brushing aside the threat of the virus despite an alarming study published in Dr Horton's The Lancet on January 24. The same day, Health Secretary Matt Hancock 'breezily told reporters the risk to the UK public was 'low'.' In response, Downing Street said there was no scientific consensus at the time that the coronavirus would cause a pandemic. It also said Dr Horton himself called for 'caution' and accused the media of 'escalating anxiety by talking of a 'killer virus' and 'growing fears'. But Dr Horton profusely denied Downing Street's claim that there was a lack of scientific consensus. In his view, No10 is trying to 'rewrite history' in their rebuttal of the Sunday Times article. Dr Horton published a series of five academic papers in January, a few days before the first case of Covid-19 was diagnosed in the UK, that first described the novel coronavirus in detail He admitted: 'My Jan 24 tweet called for caution in UK media reporting' - in which he said there was 'no reason to foster panic' about the virus. 'It was followed by a series of tweets drawing attention to the dangers of this new disease.' The Lancet's monthly release usually covers topics such as diabetes and HIV, but has recently been pushing out research on Covid-19. Recently it had to retract a medical study which warned against using a drug championed by Donald Trump. The study, published on May 22, claimed hydroxychloroquine raised the risk of death from the coronavirus by up to 45 per cent. And Covid-19 patients taking the drug were up to five times more likely to develop a life-threatening arrhythmia - a known complication. The shock findings halted global trials of the promising drug hydroxychloroquine, once seen as a leading contender for a cure for Covid-19. But after admitting there were 'serious questions' that need to be answered about the data, the Lancet retracted the study on June 4. The research was blighted by criticism of sloppy data by the small private company which conducted the analysis - Surgisphere. The paper's lead author Dr Mandeep Mehra of Harvard Medical School said in a recent interview the study was sparked by 'amazement' at how governments were touting the drug. He told FranceSoir: 'We were amazed at the widespread use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine around the world and in particular the way government agencies were pushing for it without much evidence.' Little is known of Dr Mehra's political alliances, but he has 'liked' tweets blaming 'political leaders' for pushing hydroxychloroquine. Therefore, the paper's claim that hydroxychloroquine increases the risk of death in Covid-19 sparked concern the findings were used to undermine the US president. Trump himself had been taking the drug and hailed it a 'game-changer' in the war on coronavirus. Dr Carlos Chaccour, an infectious disease expert at the Barcelona Institute of Global Science, believes the paper muddied the scientific discourse and has been used by rivals to score political points. 'There was huge political polarisation about hydroxychloroquine, politics became mixed in with policy,' he told the Guardian. 'So there's people defending hydroxychloroquine because they like Donald Trump, and people opposing it because they don't like Donald Trump.' As for the trials that were stopped in response to the findings, scientists said the retraction was too late and that the 'harm was already done', as the race for a cure to halt the virus that has ravaged the world continues. All the military installations in the Ashanti Region are being disinfected and fumigated to get rid of possible viruses in order to protect personnel and their families. The exercise has become possible following collaboration between the Ministry of Defence and Zoomlion Ghana Ltd, a top waste management company. Top military officers and Zoomlion officials were present at the official launch of the programme on Wednesday. And as part of the effort to stem the spread of COVID-19, social distancing was observed at the event. Brigadier General Joseph Aphour, the GOC Central Command, saluted the government and Zoomlion Ghana for having the vision to introduce such a positive intervention. Describing the exercise as appropriate, he said, There is the need to prioritize the lives of the military personnel at this particular moment of COVID-19 to ensure safety. Speaking during a colourful ceremony at the 4 Infantry Battalion Headquarters in Kumasi, Brigadier General Aphour also said all garrisons and installations would be covered. He admonished military personnel to continue to strictly abide by all the health protocols, which have been given by health experts, to stay safe from the Covid-19 outbreak. On behalf of the military in the region, Brigadier General Aphour gave an assurance that his personnel would offer the needed assistance and support to make the exercise successful. All the garrisons, installations and over 3,000 military structures in the region, including offices, blocks and compounds, are being disinfected and fumigated. Philip Yeboah Asante, General Manager, Zoomlion Ashanti West, announced that his outfit embarks on a professional job in order to get rid of viruses. According to him, Zoomlion Ghana is carrying out the exercises across all the military bases in the country; he, therefore, called for support from all and sundry. Besides, Mr. Asante announced that some academic facilities would also benefit from the exercise, saying it forms part of the companys resolve to protect human lives. 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 Jenelle Evans' husband David Eason has been arrested and charged with 'communicating threats' and 'assault with a deadly weapon' following a scuffle with two of his wife's male friends. Eason, 31, was taken to Columbus County Detention Center in Whiteville, North Carolina on Friday evening, where he was later released on an 'unsecured bond' and given a July 6 court date, as reported by In Touch. In a statement shared to Celebernation, Jenelle, 28, admitted to being shaken up over the altercation and revealed plans to 'move on' from her husband. Arrested: Jenelle Evans' husband David Eason has been arrested and charged with 'communicating threats' and 'assault with a deadly weapon' following a scuffle with two of his wife's male friends; Eason and Evans pictured in 2016 'I'm shaking and saddened by this, its time for me to move on from this relationship and find happiness for my kids and myself elsewhere.' She continued: 'Im upset how everything ended up and wish the situation was taken in a more serious manner, I didnt agree with the unsecured bond.' Jenelle also addressed the incident via Facebook on Saturday. 'I just want to let the public, tabloids, and my fans know that IM OK, IM SAFE AND SO ARE THE KIDS,' wrote Evans. 'Im going to take a few days out to myself to gather my thoughts and focus on whats going on so I wont be on social media much. Statement: 'I just want to let the public, tabloids, and my fans know that IM OK, IM SAFE AND SO ARE THE KIDS,' wrote Evans in a Facebook post addressing the incident on Saturday Break: 'I love you all for the support that you all have shown me and Ill be stronger and better than ever soon,' concluded the 28-year-old Teen Mom 2 alum 'I love you all for the support that you all have shown me and Ill be stronger and better than ever soon,' concluded the Teen Mom 2 alum. According to Celebernation, the event that led to Eason's shocking arrest occurred at the couple's home in North Carolina at an undisclosed date. Jenelle had allegedly arrived to the home in the company of two male friends as she attempted to 'collect some of her belongings.' The outlet alleged that David had gotten into a 'heated argument with one of the men over his truck keys' being misplaced, which eventually led to him striking one of the men with a pistol. Eventually, David learned that 'neither Jenelle nor any of the men were in possession of the keys' and after some searching he was able to locate them, himself. Moving on: In a statement shared to Celebernation, Jenelle admitted to being shaken up over the altercation and plans to 'move on' from her relationship with David; Eason and Evans pictured in 2019 After the incident, Jenelle and the two men filed a police report. Jenelle - who married David in 2017 - also 'plans to file a restraining order on Monday.' The now estranged couple endured a brief split in 2019 after Eason callously killed their family dog following an alleged biting incident. But Jenelle and David decided to give their rocky relationship a second chance and got back together in March of this year. The pair share three-year-old daughter Ensley, but each have children from prior relationships. Jenelle has two sons, 10-year-old son Jace, who she shares with ex boyfriend Andrew Lewis and five-year-old Kaiser, who she shares with ex Nathan Griffin. As for David, he has a 12-year-old daughter named Maryssa. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 04:36:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LOS ANGELES, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Authorities are investigating two separate hanging deaths of African American men in Southern California as "Black Lives Matter" protests continue to spread across the United States. City and county officials have called for an independent investigation into the death of Robert Fuller, 24, who was found hanging from a tree early Wednesday near the city hall of Palmdale, Los Angeles County, the Los Angeles Times reported on Sunday. Protesters marched from the site of Fuller's death to the Sheriff's Department station to demand an investigation. The Los Angeles County medical examiner-coroner's office initially called the death a suicide. Fuller's family and civic leaders quickly pushed back, insisting that it be investigated as a homicide and demanding an independent probe and autopsy. Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger also requested that California Attorney General Xavier Becerra conduct an independent investigation into Fuller's death, according to the Los Angeles Times. Fuller is the second African American man whose body was found hanging in a tree in Southern California in less than two weeks. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said the investigation into the death of Malcolm Harsch, 38, is ongoing, reported the newspaper. Harsch's body was found on May 31 near the Victorville City Library. The County Sheriff's Department said Saturday that foul play was not suspected in the death of Harsch. But in a statement to a Southern California news outlet, the Victor Valley News, Harsch's family said they find it hard to accept his death was a suicide, noting that Harsch had recent conversations with his children about seeing them soon and that he did not seem to be depressed to anyone who knew him. "Two Black men were found hanging from trees in California in the last 2 weeks... Authorities are calling them suicides. What Black man do you know who hangs himself from a tree? These are lynchings. Not 'modern day lynchings,' old school ones," tweeted Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles on Sunday. Enditem New Delhi, June 14 : A Muslim group has moved the Supreme Court challenging a plea filed by a Hindu body, opposing the constitutional validity of Section 4 of The Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which provides for maintaining the "religious character" of holy structures as it existed on August 15, 1947. The petition, filed by Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind, has urged the apex court not to issue notice in the matter. "It is submitted that even issuance of notice in the present matter will create fear in the minds of the Muslim community with regard to their places of worship, especially in the aftermath of the Ayodhya Dispute and will destroy the secular fabric of the nation," said the plea, citing that it is an attempt to open litigation route on disputed religious structures other than the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya. The plea said: "Section 4 of the Places of Worship Act, prevents members of the Hindu Community from reclaiming those places of worship, which according to the Petitioners were Hindu places of worship but were allegedly, converted by Muslim invaders... it is apparent that the present petition seeks to indirectly target places of worship which are presently of Muslim character." The petitioner contended that the top court itself noted that the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 protects and secures the fundamental values of the Constitution. And, the top court has also concluded that the Act imposes an obligation towards enforcing the commitment to secularism under the Constitution. "It was further observed that it was a legislative instrument designed to protect the secular features of the Indian polity, which is one of the basic features of the Constitution. The Places of Worship Act is intrinsically related to the obligations of a secular state. It reflects the commitment of India to the equality of all religions," added the plea. The Muslim body has also urged the apex court to allow it to implead as a party in the matter. The PIL filed by 'Vishwa Bhadra Pujari Purohit Mahasangh' sought directions from the apex court to declare Section 4 of the 1991 Act as ultra vires and unconstitutional. The petitioners' contentions gains significance in the case of Kashi and Mathura where two disputed mosques stand. The law does not allow the conversion of a temple into a mosque and vice versa. Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill said Monday and Thursday would be significant days for announcements (Handout/PA) No new deaths with coronavirus in Northern Ireland were reported on Sunday. No new coronavirus-related deaths were recorded in Northern Ireland for four days in a row earlier this week while two deaths were reported on Saturday. The total stands at 541. There were new seven new confirmed cases of the virus reported on Sunday, bringing the total to 4,848 since the pandemic began. Earlier, Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill said Executive announcements on Monday and Thursday on the easing of lockdown restrictions will be welcomed by the hospitality industry. Ms ONeill suggested that Monday and Thursday will be significant days in terms of announcements. We want to keep moving forward we want to keep giving people that wee bit more to try to get back to some semblance of normality, so the hospitality sector is one, but theres other sectors out there that are now asking for an indicative date and I think its important that we give them all indicative dates, she told BBC Politics. She said despite this, there is a need for caution and to avoid a second wave if we can. I want the hospitality to open up, but imagine if we were to open up now and have to shut everything down in four or six weeks? Im working our way through our plan gradually and incrementally. Were certainly in a good place, making positive steps forward, but we need to do it gradually. Childcare must be a core part of our recovery. I have engaged with Ministers responsible for childcare. And I have also met with childcare providers. I have asked the Ministers for Health and Education to bring forward a childcare plan. Childcare providers must have guidance. pic.twitter.com/qm8Ea3WvBK Michelle ONeill (@moneillsf) June 14, 2020 Since Saturday, people living alone have been able to reunite with their families after three months of coronavirus lockdown in Northern Ireland while the number who can meet outside while practising social distancing to limit the risk of transmission was increased from six to 10. Ms ONeill said she does not feel any pressure whatsoever to follow the Republic of Ireland and how it has eased its own lockdown measures. Looking ahead, she said childcare and the reopening of schools will be the key issues. More people are returning to work but they need childcare you cant tell them to go back to work without saying what childcare will look like. We have asked the health and education ministers to bring forward the childcare recovery plan, she said. For me, there is two key issues in the week ahead what does school look like in September and what does childcare look like for our families? I have spent time last week speaking to many providers who are really unsure about what it is they need to open up. Parents have spoken to me about their worries regarding returning to work and childcare. Seattle, June 14 : An elderly man who battled coronavirus for 62 days at a hospital in the US has been handed over a staggering 181-page bill of $1.1 million (nearly Rs 8 crore). Michael Flor, 70, who became the longest-hospitalised Covid-19 patient at Swedish Medical Center in Issaquah, a city in King County, Washington state, and survived, knew the bill would be a hefty one but looking at 181-page long bill left him in shock. He came so close to death in the spring that a nurse held a phone to his ear while his wife and kids said their final goodbyes, reports The Seattle Times. Recovering at his home in West Seattle, Flor said his heart almost failed for the second time when he saw the hospital bill. His ICU room was billed at $9,736 per day and the total cost came to $408,912 only for his stay in the ICU. "He also was on a mechanical ventilator for 29 days, with the use of the machine billed at $2,835 per day, for a total of $82,215. About a quarter of the bill is drug costs," the report mentioned. For two days when his heart, kidneys and lungs were all failing, the bill was nearly $100,000 as doctors "were throwing everything at me they could think of," Flor was quoted as saying. In all, there are nearly 3,000 itemised hospital charges, about 50 per day. Good news is that since Flor had insurance including Medicare, he won't have to pay the vast majority of it, the report added. "I feel guilty about surviving. There's a sense of 'why me?' Why did I deserve all this? Looking at the incredible cost of it all definitely adds to that survivor's guilt," Flor said. According to the latest reports, the COVID-19 cases in the US have surged past 21 lakh. So far, 1,16,831 people have died due to the novel coronavirus in the country. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Charles Haughey and Neil Blaney at the Four Courts in Dublin during the Arms Trial in October 1970. Photo: Tom Burke This new book Just over a year ago, I wrote an article in this paper on a lecture I had attended in Athlone by Dr Michael Heney, which was about the book he was writing on the Arms Crisis. Twelve months later, the book has been printed: The Arms Crisis of 1970: The Plot that Never Was. Heney conducted six years of research from 2010 to 2016 on the 2001 State Papers. He has concentrated on the Arms Trial, and on the many myths and misconceptions which have arisen from those events. Readers may well say: what is the point of dwelling on "old, unhappy, far-off things, and battles long ago" (William Wordsworth, The Solitary Reaper). Well, reading this book will certainly show you how productive and fruitful it is to look into those long-ago battles. After all, that is what history is all about. The dramatis personae of the 1970 crisis will stir many memories: Jack Lynch, Charles Haughey, Neil Blaney, Captain James Kelly, Colonel Michael Heffernan, James Gibbons were all household names. I was not in active politics at the time, but I knew many of the players - if not in person, certainly by repute. I entered local politics in 1974, and national politics eight years later. But I can still remember my huge interest in the Arms Crisis, the subsequent court cases, and all of the attendant writings and gossip. This book is 400 pages long, and I can strongly recommend it to anyone who is interested in politics at any level. It is packed with astonishing detail and absorbing observations, interpreted anew through study of the State Papers of 2001. Heney was an investigative journalist with RTE, and has written for The Irish Times and many other papers. He earned his PhD in 2018, following six years of work under Diarmaid Ferriter in UCD. The book will surely change many people's long-held beliefs about the events of 1970. The author presents all the material he has unearthed and ties it in with the so-called findings and beliefs of the time. It will leave you gasping with interest as you turn the pages. Certainly, the book shows clearly that Jack Lynch was not the innocent victim in 1970, and debunks many of the myths which surround the main players in the whole drama. It all goes back to the autumn of 1969, when there was huge unrest in the North. Oppressed Catholic families had been burnt out of their homes in Belfast and thousands of refugees had streamed across the border. There were widespread concerns in Dublin that further pogroms against nationalists might be imminent. There was widespread fear that we would be drawn into a bloody conflict. That is the background against which events played out. Charles Haughey was Minister for Finance, Neil Blaney was Minister for Agriculture, James Gibbons was Minister for Defence, and Jack Lynch was Taoiseach. Video of the Day All this was brought to a head on May 5, 1970, when the leader of the opposition, Liam Cosgrove, arrived by appointment at the Taoiseach's office in Government Buildings with startling information. From then on, events escalated; there were Dail debates and there were the Arms Trials, the first of which fell through, and the second, under Judge Seamus Henchy, which brought forth the verdict that all of the accused were innocent. In between, of course, were all of the huge details of State Papers and cabinet decisions (formal and informal). Heney's study of the papers of 2001 brings out clearly all of the contradictions inherent in Gibbons's evidence. Caught in the skein of evidence, reputations were shredded, and earlier blameworthy actions totally discredited. This is a brilliant book. I ended up with two copies. I have two sons, one in Dublin and one in Athlone, and both of them, having read a review of the book, decided independently that they would buy it for me. And so, An Post came one day with two copies. It was in the middle of the lockdown, and I could not move from the house but I filled my time reading, pondering and reflecting, and deciding that this should be the book of 2020. It deserves to be on the bestseller lists for weeks. My mind has been wholly engaged, and I have read and re-read so many sections of it. Read it, reflect on it, and think again what should have been, what could have been, had all this evidence come out sooner. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Mary O'Rourke is an author and a former government minister The Arms Crisis of 1970: The Plot that Never Was, by Dr Michael Heney, Head of Zeus, 16.49 New Delhi: Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund on Sunday said it has received an interest payment of about Rs 103 crore from Vodafone Idea Ltd, which will be distributed among investors in proportion to their holdings in the plans of the segregated portfolios. There are six schemes Franklin India Ultra Short Bond Fund, Franklin India Low Duration, Franklin India Short Term Income Plan, Franklin India Credit Risk Fund, Franklin India Dynamic Accrual Fund, and Franklin India Income Opportunities Fund which had made investments in Vodafone Idea. Franklin Templeton MF side-pocketed its exposure in the telecom player and from January 24, various securities issued by Vodafone Idea in the schemes were segregated from the total portfolio. Creation of segregated portfolios is a mechanism to separate distressed, illiquid and hard-to-value assets from other more liquid assets in a portfolio. "Interest payment of Rs 102.71 crore was received from Vodafone Idea Ltd on June 12, 2020," the fund house said in a statement. This amount shall be distributed to investors in proportion to their holdings in the plans of the segregated portfolio, it added. "The payout shall be processed by extinguishing proportionate units in the plans of the segregated portfolio of respective schemes. After the payment, the number of units outstanding in the investor account under said segregated portfolio of the scheme would fall to the extent of payout and statutory levy (if applicable)," the fund house said. For units held in physical or statement of account mode, the partial payment of the outstanding unit holding as on June 12 will be extinguished and will be distributed to unit holders by June 17. In January, Franklin Templeton, which had an exposure of over Rs 2,000 crore to Vodafone Idea in six of its schemes, had marked down its investment in the securities issued by the telecom player to zero. The fund house had markdown the schemes after the Supreme Court rejected the telecom player's review plea related to over Rs 40,000 crore in adjusted gross revenue (AGR)-related dues to the government. SPRINGFIELD Gov. JB Pritzker said Wednesday, June 10, that Illinois is on pace to enter the next phase of reopening after COVID-19-related shutdowns later this month, and added he doesnt expect a second surge of the virus in the fall as long as safety guidelines are followed. If you go to the (Illinois Department of Public Health) website you'll see that every one of the metrics, every one of the metrics by which the epidemiologists say we should be measuring our progress is going in the right direction, the governor said. Every one of them, and it's because of what everybody has done across the state. Speaking at an appearance in Moline, he said that while his was not an epidemiological opinion, he said we shouldnt have a second spike as long as face covering, social distancing and other rules are followed. Now we know what the mitigations are that we can put in place, he said. We know how to manage through, making sure that our health care system doesn't get overwhelmed. But I pray, and I think we should all pray, that the fall doesn't bring the kind of spike that some people expect. But we are much better prepared for that now than we were a few months ago when this first hit. By Jung Min-ho The U.S. Embassy in Seoul has unfurled a "Black Lives Matter" banner in support of the fight against racial discrimination and police brutality in the United States. "The U.S. Embassy stands in solidarity with fellow Americans grieving and peacefully protesting to demand positive change," the embassy said on Facebook Saturday. "Our #BlackLivesMatter banner shows our support for the fight against racial injustice and police brutality as we strive to be a more inclusive & just society." The move comes a week after U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris sniped at looters taking advantage of largely peaceful protests as a cover for their crimes. The protests erupted across the country after the alleged murder of George Floyd, 46, who died on the Memorial Day (May 25) after a white police officer in Minneapolis pinned him face down to the ground. Harris quoted former President John F. Kennedy: "If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. The U.S.A. is a free and diverse nation ... from that diversity we gain our strength. "When Dr. Benjamin Mays delivered Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's eulogy in 1968, he said Dr. King's 'unfinished work on Earth must truly be our own.' Recent weeks remind us that MLK's work remains unfinished. Friends, I believe that work falls on each of us today." This is not the first time the ambassador has publicly expressed support for a social cause. Last year, the embassy displayed a large rainbow flag on the mission building in support of "LGBTQ Pride Month," despite a U.S. State Department order not to hoist the symbolic flag. Earlier this month, the embassy did so again to support "fundamental freedoms and human rights for all." The enigmatic Robert California (James Spader) breezed onto the set of The Office for a one-season character arc. Although his presence didnt detract from Michael Scotts (Steve Carell) absence, he did leave a few unanswered questions. Fans have a theory as to what happened to the overly-confident fill-in. Robert Californias stint on The Office shook things up Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute, James Spader as Robert California, Brian Baumgartner as Kevin Malone | Chris Haston/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank RELATED: The Office: The Real Reason The Blacklist Star James Spader Left Robert California Behind In season 8 of The Office, James Spader burst onto the scene with a fresh take on management through his alter-ego, Robert California. To kick things off, Robert passed up the branch job in exchange for Sabre CEO Jo Bennetts (Kathy Bates) position. Once Robert put Andy Bernard (Ed Holmes) in charge of the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch, Robert utilized his time organizing the employees into a winners and losers list. This is the epitome of Roberts pervasive ways which terrified and intrigued some, compared to that of previously aloof Michael Scott (Carell). Throughout 25 episodes, Spaders performances cemented themselves into The Office history. Showrunners said in multiple interviews that Spaders placement was only meant to be a one-off. I never really considered whether I would do more [episodes], Spader told Digital Spy. Then, suddenly [the producers] called me back again and said, Wed really like your character to come back in some capacity.' Robert California left his position after CEO, David Wallace (Andy Buckley), announced Robert would transition into a new role, working with a charity that helped college-aged gymnasts in developing countries on their paths to college. The venture would take three years, which marked Spaders completion as a guest star on the sitcom. Heres what fans say about Robert Californias true identity RELATED: The Office: How Steve Carell Rescued a Horse During Jim and Pams Wedding Some fans of The Office think Robert California is actually an alias of Raymond Red Reddington on NBCs The Blacklist. Before brushing it off, there are a few points that might validate the theory. Robert California used multiple names such as Bob Kazamakis and The Lizard King. That lends itself to the theory based on the fact that Red an FBI Most Wanted criminal poses as different people as needed. Multiple Reddit threads point to Robert as the beginning of Red, and the sentiment continues on Twitter. I just imagine that Reddington is actually Robert California after he leaves Dunder Mifflin as Bob Kazamakis This makes The Blacklist 100x better, one fan tweeted. OK but Robert California left Dunder Mifflin and become Raymond Reddington in Blacklist and thats the truth, another added. Robert California was the best alias Raymond Reddington had, this viewer said. And finally, another fan gave a thorough explanation of the connection. A regular reminder regarding a peculiar time at the DM Scranton branch: Robert California was absolutely a cover for Raymond Reddington while he was building a sector of his international crime empire within the lucrative and corrupt paper distribution industry to protect Liz, the fan tweeted. How likely is the theory? RELATED: The Blacklist: Why Netflix Paid a Record-Breaking Amount to Air the Series If thats not enough evidence connecting the two roles of Spader, theres more. Spaders first appearence in The Office is titled The List, much like how he keeps track of dubious criminals via The Blacklist. Another point, as made by a super fan, connects the two worlds with a backstory and all. Hes a criminal who has been travelling around the world stealing, killing, kidnapping and all other criminal activities. Until one day, he walks into the FBI building and gives himself over. He has a blacklist with names of other criminals he wants to get rid of. With the help of the FBI hes able to prevent those criminals from committing more crimes. But why did he walk in the FBI building? Why did he give himself over? Was it because his company got bought out by a dude name David Wallace? Is it because his wife divorced him? Maybe Robert California used his Sabre and Dunder Mifflin adventure to cover up his criminal history and launder his money. But when everything failed and he didnt have a job anymore, he changes his name to Bob Kazamakis and says that hes going to do charity work in Brazil. Via Amino Apps Theres no concrete evidence that this is true. Considering The Office and The Blacklist are both NBC shows and both welcomed Spader. Its not beyond the realm of possibility. In Reds world, anything is possible. New protests have broken out in the US city of Atlanta following the police killing of another Black man on Friday. Demonstrators are angry after Rayshard Brooks was shot by officers after a struggle at a fast-food restaurant, and died later in hospital. Police said Brooks, who had fallen asleep in his car in the drive-through, had failed a sobriety test and resisted arrest. The officers tried using a police taser on him, but a fight broke out. Video footage, which was posted on social media, shows Brooks on the ground outside his car, struggling with two police officers. The shooting later occurs out of frame. Al Jazeeras Andy Gallacher reports from Miami, Florida. Venezuelas opposition leader and acting President Juan Guaido, on June 13, said that the opposition would not recognize the "false" electoral body named by the countrys supreme court. This comes as his allies are reportedly planning to extend the current body. According to experts, an extension past the January 2021 deadline would allow Guaido to remain in the role even if the opposition calls to boycott the parliamentary elections. We do not recognise any false national electoral council, Guaido told reporters during a virtual press conference. Juan Guaido, who declared himself the acting president of the country in January 2019, is recognised as the legitimate president by thousands of Venezuelans as well as the US ad other western powers. On the other hand, Nicholas Maduro, who was sworn in for the second term in 2019, continues to claim to be the constitutional president of the South American nation. Read: Venezuela's Supreme Court Appoints Elections Comission Read: Iran Prepared To Attack If US Ships Interfered With Venezuela-bound Tankers Call for participation According to the countrys constitution, the power to elect national electoral council remains with Congress, however, the Supreme court, which is viewed to be allied to Maduro, has named its own board after the legislature failed to do so. Meanwhile, Maduro has said that a new electoral board was necessary to elect a new National assembly after five totally lost years under opposition-held legislatures. I make a call for participation and permanent dialogue, Maduro said in a state television address. On the other hand, opposition leaders have slammed the move saying that it was the ruling partys attempt to rig the election due this year. Oil-exporting Venezuela was once among Latin America's wealthiest nations. But it has spiralled into an economic crisis, which critics blame on more than two decades of socialist rule launched by the late Hugo Chavez. Maduro was his hand-picked successor and has carried out the same polities, international media reported. Read: Venezuela: Supreme Court Says National Assembly Failed To Name Rectors As Crisis Escalates Read: Venezuela's Opposition Sharply Rejects New Elections Board (Image credits: AP) RICHMOND, Va. Thousands of protesters marched Saturday through the streets of what was once the capital of the Confederacy in the "5000 Man March Against Racism" that started and ended at the monument of Gen. Robert E. Lee. The three-mile route passed several Confederate monuments as protesters chanted in support of Black Lives Matter and held signs denouncing police brutality and systemic racism. The march, which started four years ago as the 1000 Man March, grew considerably this year as several thousand people decried racism, discrimination and hate. Similar protests were held in other U.S. cities Saturday as demonstrations prompted by the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died May 25 under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, continued for a third straight weekend. In Richmond, marchers returned to the Lee statue, where Tavares Floyd, a cousin of George Floyd, addressed the crowd. George carried the weight of a nation that is guided by white supremacy, Floyd said. A weight of police brutality that has permeated the Black community for far too long. And I weep because George was a man that should have been right here today. But instead his life didn't matter. Image: Robert E. Lee statue (Ryan M. Kelly / AFP - Getty Images) Organizers intentionally held the event at the Lee statue, which Gov. Ralph Northam has promised to remove. Earlier in the week, a judge granted a temporary injunction to halt the removal for 10 days in a lawsuit challenging the governors authority to take it down. The suit was filed by the descendant of a family that deeded the land the monument sits on. We picked the Robert E. Lee monument with the idea that this would be the last big gathering here, said organizer Triston Harris. What it means to us is, as we see the statue and we see the graffiti, see all of the Black Lives Matter support thats now upon the statue, it's extremely ... I want to say, well ... thrilling, to see some of the ideas and see some of the creativity that has been placed upon the statute. Story continues In some places, protesters have begun taking down statues themselves. Just days ago, they removed one of Confederate President Jefferson Davis a few blocks from the Lee statue on Monument Avenue, and in Portsmouth, Virginia, a man suffered life-threatening injuries when part of a Confederate soldier statue fell on him as they tried to topple it. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, who attended the march, and other local leaders have acknowledged the statues symbolize hate and racism, but they urged activists to stop taking matters into their own hands for public safety. Instead, they said, let the monuments be removed professionally. A new Virginia state law gives localities the ability to remove, relocate or contextualize war memorials starting July 1. Local governments were previously prohibited from taking such action. Statues of Confederate leaders throughout the country are continuing to be vandalized and removed. To date, nearly 1,800 Confederate symbols still stand across the U.S., including more than 700 monuments in parks, schools and Washington, D.C. In the last few weeks, Confederate statues have also been removed in Kentucky, Alabama, Florida and Tennessee. Public opinion about the fate of the monuments is also shifting, according to new polling that shows 44 percent of voters say statues of Confederate leaders should remain standing, down from 52 percent in 2017, and 32 percent say the statues should be removed, compared with 26 percent in 2017. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Choi Ji-won (The Korea Herald/Asia News Network) Sun, June 14, 2020 17:04 586 fc6853813033f564188675f8bde95e00 2 Entertainment kim-soo-hyun,Netflix,Its-Okay-to-Not-Be-Okay,television,series,South-Korea Free Kim Soo-hyun is returning to the small screen for the first time in five years with tvNs new romantic comedy series Its Okay to Not Be Okay set to start airing next week. The upcoming weekend series is the first television role for the 31-year-old since he was discharged from the military last July. His most recent TV credits include The Producers in 2015 and My Love From the Star in 2013. Ive been waiting for so long, Im really nervous but also excited to come back, Kim said Wednesday during a promotional media event. The event was livestreamed due to concerns over COVID-19. In the series about people living with mental illness, Kim plays Gang-tae, who works as a caretaker in the psychiatric ward of a hospital. Gang-tae, who also cares for his autistic brother at home, is reluctant to pursue any romantic relationships. Actress Seo Ye-ji plays Mun-young, a bestselling childrens book author who has a personality disorder. While Mun-young is apparently unable to love anyone, Gang-tae seems to be able to melt her cold heart as the two become a source of healing for each other. (Mun-young) pursues a unique style. Its not to show off herself but its like a defense mechanism. Shes telling people to not to approach her or talk to her, Seo said. Actor Oh Jeong-sae, who recently won best supporting actor on television at the Baeksang Arts Awards for his role in the KBS drama When the Camellia Blooms, stars as Gang-taes older brother Sang-tae. Rookie actress Park Gyu-young stars as a nurse who falls for Gang-tae. Read also: Hwang Jeong-um, Yook Sung-jae offer mysterious counseling at 'Mystic Pop-Up Bar' I think the title says it all. I feel everyone, including myself, in this world is a little bit mad in some ways and I wanted to take the chance to think about whether this is actually bad or not, the series director, Park Sin-woo, said. Park previously produced the 2018 series Encounter, featuring Song Hye-kyo and Park Bo-gum, and SBS Dont Dare to Dream, starring Gong Hyo-jin and Cho Jung-seok. Quoting screenwriter Jo Yong, Park said the drama was an apology to people with disabilities. We often judge other people and hurt them, and the writer says she wrote the script based on her own experiences, wanting to face those people properly, the director said. I hope that, after watching the 16 episodes, people will want to befriend disabled people rather than trying to help them, Oh said. I wanted to show how Gang-tae is healed of his inner wounds, Kim said. There are many different stories and forms of love in the drama, and I hope the viewers can also heal their own wounds following them, Kim said. Topics : This article appeared on The Korea Herald newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post The remembrance event was attended by senior officials, relatives and friends of the killed Ukrainian soldiers. An annual event was held on June 14 at Ukraine's Defense Ministry to commemorate nine crew members and 40 Ukrainian paratroopers killed in the downing of an Il-76 aircraft by Russia-led forces over Luhansk six years ago. The Bell of Remembrance tolled 60 times for the Il-76 victims and all those killed in the Donbas war with Russia on June 14 in different years, the press service of Ukraine's Defense Ministry said on June 14. The remembrance event was attended by senior officials, including Defense Minister Andriy Taran, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Ruslan Khomchak, officers and employees of Defense Ministry departments, the General Staff, the National Guard of Ukraine, Special Operations Forces, members of the Kyiv garrison, relatives and friends of the killed Ukrainian soldiers. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is now self-isolating over his wife's confirmed coronavirus case, wrote on Facebook on that day: "We are honoring the memory of the soldiers who died in the downed IL-76 aircraft, and all the defenders of Ukraine who on that day gave their lives for our independence. We have no right to forget them. Heroes never die!" As UNIAN reported, the Il-76 military transport aircraft was shot down by Russia-led forces near the city of Luhansk in the early hours of June 14, 2014, when it was landing. At the moment, paratroopers of Ukraine's 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade were in the airport of Luhansk, being surrounded by enemy troops. The Il-76 was supposed to deliver ammunition, equipment, and personnel. On board the aircraft there were nine crew members and 40 paratroopers. They all died. According to investigators, the aircraft was shot down by Russia-controlled terrorists Andrei Patrushev and Alexander Gureev on the orders of Igor Plotnitsky, ex-leader of the so-called "Luhansk People's Republic" ("LPR") terrorist organization. All three are accused of committing an act of terror under Part 3 of Article 258 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Read alsoUkraine names Russians who downed Il76 with 40 paratroopers near Luhansk in 2014 UNIAN memo. The Hall of Remembrance is housed by the Defense Ministry to commemorate the military personnel who have died in the Donbas war. Both employees of the ministry and the General Staff, as well as ordinary citizens are allowed to visit the Hall. Near the Hall, there is a ceremonial platform with the Bell of Remembrance and the Stele that has fragments of shells. In the Hall, there are memorial books with the names of the victims listed per each calendar day throughout the year each spread means one day and it mentions all the dead on that particular day for all years. The daily memorial service is performed every morning by the tolling of the bell, the number the bell tolls indicates the number of those who died on that day. The University of Georgia presidents office has directed the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences dean to conduct a full review of a research program that uses unpaid inmate labor for farm work in south Georgia, UGA spokesperson Rebecca Beeler said in an email Friday. This review comes after students raised concerns about the program on social media in the last week as calls for criminal justice reform, police reform and racial justice have persisted across the country and in Athens. A work detail of nine inmates from Rogers State Prison is assigned to the Vidalia Onion Research Center, Lori Benoit said in an email. Benoit, the Georgia Department of Corrections public affairs manager, confirmed the inmates are not paid for their work. The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution allows slavery or involuntary servitude as punishment for a person convicted of a crime. Laura Perry Johnson, CAES associate dean for extension, said in an email Friday that the farm provides vocational training and workforce preparation experience. The inmates work with three full-time center employees to evaluate onion varieties, conduct research trials and develop best management practices for growing certain commodities, Johnson said in the email. In the email, Johnson said the CAES is currently evaluating the merits of this program. It is unclear what the CAES review entails. Georgia banned its convict leasing system to private institutions in 1908, according to the New Georgia Encyclopedia. But state, local and county governments may still use inmate labor under state law. The research center was established in 1999 to research Vidalia onions, according to the centers website. Researchers have since developed a new pumpkin variety and conducted fertility studies and variety trials on other crops there. Johnson said that the inmate work program is voluntary, and the relationship between the research center and the Georgia Department of Corrections goes back approximately 20 years. In the email, Benoit said UGA has no other agreements with the Georgia Department of Corrections to use inmate work details. Student concerns Sydney Phillips, a rising junior political science and public relations double major, said UGAs use of unpaid inmate labor is unethical. She said the university should work with its black students and the black community in Athens. They have to realize that issues like this are why we believe that they dont care about us, Phillips said. If they actually took the time to talk to black students and black activists in the community, they would realize that this whole entire system is disgusting. A U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics report said at the end of 2018, 59.9% of the population under the Georgia state correctional authorities jurisdiction was black, while 35.65% was white. Georgias overall population was 52.2% white and 31.2% black or African American in 2018, according to U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey estimates. Phillips said she wishes UGA would realize its behaviors and practices hurt the black community and black students. UGA is participating in a system that is inherently racist, Phillips said. Theyre profiting off the bodies of black people and participating willingly in a system that incarcerates disproportionately black and brown people. A 2009 UGA news release said the inmate labor was worth $120,000 annually, and a big savings for the facility. The news release called the work essential and labor-intensive. Johnson did not answer a question asking how much UGA would pay a group of paid employees for the same labor that the unpaid inmates perform at the center. Phillips said she first learned about UGAs use of inmate labor from a friend, Josh Howe. Howe, a rising junior finance major from Augusta, said he learned about the program while on the Great Commitments Student Tour of Georgia. The tour takes students on a trip to UGA facilities, state landmarks and other places during spring break. Cecilia Vu, who also took the trip this spring, said she learned about the inmate labor during a presentation on the facilitys practices and research. The speaker dodged her question asking if UGA paid the inmates a good wage. She said he was casual when he mentioned the use of inmate labor. He didnt seem shocked about it. He just said it, as-is and seemed a bit nonchalant, said Vu, a rising senior international affairs major from Norcross. History of inmate labor at UGA The university has a history of using unpaid convict labor for construction projects. A September 1928 Atlanta Constitution article said Clarke County was turning over its entire force of convicts for labor to build Sanford Stadium. Photographs show inmates, mostly black men, clearing the ground for the foundation of the stadium in 1928, according to a fall 2019 exhibit on convict leasing at the UGA Special Collections Library. A 1913 annual report from the Georgia State College of Agriculture, now the CAES, said six of seven miles of roadway built through campus were constructed by state convicts in cooperation with Clarke County. The UGA and Athens communities have criticized the university administration, especially President Jere Morehead, in the past for its response to addressing institutionalized racism and racist incidents on campus. How does it look for UGA to say they stand in solidarity with the Black community at this time, but theyve been profiting off of our community especially through use of inmate labor? Ebony Upshaw said in a text message. Upshaw, who also took the trip to the research center, said UGA should find another way to complete the work on the farm. She said the use of unpaid inmate labor, even if its voluntary, is not OK. Think about how inmates are locked up inside and this is their only way to get outside, but then youre using it, and its a way to make them work too, said Upshaw, a rising senior criminal justice and biology double major from Lithonia. Upshaw said in the text message UGA should stop its use of inmate labor completely and pay people with good wages to harvest on the farm. Vu said she understands that the inmates receive work training through the program, but she thinks they should receive at least minimum wage and have workers rights. [The speaker] said that a lot of the inmates were happy working at the farm and that they get their own plots of land to plant whatever fruits, vegetables, like flowers, they wanted to, which is really reminiscent of sharecropping and slavery, Vu said. Check back at redandblack.com and follow @redandblack on Twitter for updates on this story. UN Chief: 'Deeply Shocked' by Mass Graves in Libya By VOA News June 13, 2020 A spokesman for U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres says the secretary is "deeply shocked by the discovery of multiple mass graves in recent days, the majority of them in Tarhouna" in Libya. Tarhouna was a stronghold of renegade General Khalifa Haftar and his forces, but it recently was recaptured. Guterres spokesman Stephane Dujarric says the U.N. chief has called for "a thorough and transparent investigation, and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice." Guterres also has offered U.N. assistance, Dujarric says, "to secure the mass graves, identify the victims, establish causes of death and return the bodies to next of kin." Philippe Nassif, Amnesty International's director for the Middle East and North Africa, told the Associated Press that he wanted his agency or the U.N. "to go in and collect evidence of potential war crimes and other atrocities so eventually a process takes place where justice can be served." Tarhouna is 65 kilometers southeast of Libya's capital, Tripoli. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A white Atlanta police officer was fired after fatally shooting Rayshard Brooks, 27, an African American father, following a seconds-long chase in a Wendys parking late Friday night, prompting the police chief's quick resignation. The context, from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "The shooting further inflamed tensions over police use of force and racial injustice." The death was the 48th officer-involved shooting the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been asked to investigate this year, per the AJC. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms called for the officer's immediate firing: "I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force." 19 hours after the shooting, Police Chief Erika Shields resigned. after the shooting, Police Chief Erika Shields resigned. The firing was announced early today. The Wendy's turned into an inferno last night, live on cable news. The restaurant, surrounded by an estimated 1,000 protesters, caught fire after protesters broke windows and threw fireworks inside, the AJC reports. surrounded by an estimated 1,000 protesters, caught fire after protesters broke windows and threw fireworks inside, the AJC reports. As CNN showed chopper views from local stations, Wolf Blitzer pointed out that no firefighters were in sight. Roads were closed because of demonstrations, and fire officials said the crowd posed a danger. Bodycam video shows Rayshard Brooks speaking with Officer Garrett Rolfe, who was fired after the shooting, in the Wendy's parking lot late Friday. Photo: Atlanta P.D. via AP What happened ... Police went to Wendys at about 10:30 p.m. Friday, after a complaint about a man sleeping in a car blocking the drive-thru, the AJC reports: Police said Rayshard Brooks failed a field sobriety test. A struggle broke out as officers tried to arrest him. failed a field sobriety test. A struggle broke out as officers tried to arrest him. Police tried to tase the man, who grabbed the stun gun and ran. Officers chased him. the man, who grabbed the stun gun and ran. Officers chased him. On surveillance video posted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the man turns back to the officer, and may have fired the taser. L. Chris Stewart, attorney for the family of Rayshard Brooks, told CNN: "Why not talk to him as a human being and say: 'Hey, buddy, maybe you had too much to drink. Leave your car here. Take Uber'? Instead, they got physical." What they're saying ... Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union": "You've got to restructure our judicial system. Restructure our health care system. Restructure our educational system." Stacey Abrams told George Stephanopoulos on ABC's "This Week": "A man was murdered because he was asleep in a drive-thru." YouTube of the surveillance video. (Chase begins 28:32.) How it's playing: YEREVAN. Members of the opposition Adeqvat union of Armenia are in front of the US embassy. Artur Danielyan, the head of this union, announced live on Facebook why they had gathered near the embassy. "We came to the US embassy because the embassies and the representatives of the European Union have been creating those myths for years: Human rights, democracy, freedom of speech. In fact, it was a priority only when its about the people who are not part of their agency network, whereas people who are part of their agency network can violate everything. As a sign of our solidarity, let's also be silent with the US government. Everyone has come here to be silent. He noted that they will deliver their "thank you letter" to the embassy. "Because we believe that foreign embassies should not get involved in Armenia's internal affairs, which is what the United States is doing now." Kaki Bukit Recreation Centre (Photo: Google Streetview) SINGAPORE Two more places have been added to the list of public venues visited by confirmed community cases during their infectious period. In a media release on Sunday (14 June), the Ministry of Health added the NTUC FairPrice branch at 20 Lengkok Bahru as a new venue on the list. It also included the POSB branch at Kaki Bukit Recreation Centre, visited in this instance from noon to 1.30pm on 2 June, which it previously announced was also visited on 8 June. Public places visited by cases, published on 14 June. (Table: Ministry of Health) The MOH said that as a precautionary measure, persons who had been at these locations during the specified timings should monitor their health closely for 14 days from their date of visit. They should see a doctor promptly if they develop symptoms of acute respiratory infection (such as cough, sore throat and runny nose), as well as fever and loss of taste or smell, and inform the doctor of their exposure history. It added that there is no need to avoid places where confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been. The National Environment Agency will engage the management of affected premises to provide guidance on cleaning and disinfection. First published on 25 May, the list which excludes residences, workplaces, healthcare facilities and public transport will be updated on a rolling 14-day basis or one incubation period. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore Other Singapore stories: COVID-19: Singapore reports 407 new cases; one imported There is no longer a cap on funeral attendance as long as the four square metre rule is applied while the 50-person limit at cafes, restaurants, and churches will be scrapped in a further easing of NSWs Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus commonly known as coronavirus restrictions. The new rule, announced by the New South Wales government on June 14, will apply to funerals immediately and will be in place for indoor venues including pubs and workspaces from July 1. It will allow for more people to attend indoor venues, but they must be seated and the size of the space will be crucial, with one person allowed for every four square metres. Outdoor cultural and sporting venues with a capacity of up to 40,000 will from July 1 also be allowed to seat 25 percent of their normal capacity. The events must be ticketed and seated. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian noted while new case numbers have been low recently, there have been a few potential community transmission infections as the virus is still incredibly contagious and deadly. We know that just a few cases in the community, just a few cases which go unchecked can cause a spike, can cause a breakout and can cause grief for people, she told reporters in Sydney on June 14. What were simply doing now is finding the medium where we can have coexistence with the virus in a safe way. Berejiklian noted the easing of restrictions means weddings can be as large as the venue can hold with the four square metre rule in place but dancefloors are off-limits. Unfortunately those larger events where a lot of people have been in close proximity for a long period of time is where the virus has the greatest capacity to spread, she said. The relaxation of restrictions is in line with the national cabinets decision on June 12 to tweak the third stage of easing CCP virus social distancing orders. It comes as NSW recorded nine new CCP virus cases from 13,591 tests in the 24 hours to 8 p.m. on June 13. Eight of the cases are among returned travellers in hotel quarantine and one is a teacher at Laguna Street Public School in southern Sydney. All students at the primary school have been deemed close contacts and have been told to self-isolate. The school will stop on-site learning until June 24. NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant on June 14 said authorities are investigating the source of the teachers infection and urged people in the Sutherland local government area, in particular, to come forward for testing. We are trying to unearth any undiagnosed transmission in the community, she told reporters. Chant noted the case is not linked to Black Lives Matter rallies in Sydney but warned mass gatherings do pose a risk. NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro described the latest easing of restrictions as Christmas in July which will help reboot the states battered economy. Health Minister Brad Hazzard noted the past five months have been difficult for everyone but the sacrifices made have allowed the states health system to increase its capacity to deal with the virus. NSW is effectively an oasis in a COVID-crisis world, he told reporters. But we do have some transmission. The evidence is still clear that the virus is amongst us. The Australian Funeral Directors Association welcomed NSWs easing of restrictions after what has been an extremely distressing time for families over the past few months. There have now been 3,128 cases of coronavirus in NSW, with 47 people being treated as of Sunday. No cases are in intensive care. An American traveller has shared the reasons Australia is better than the United States - including chicken salt, superannuation, cleaner public transport and less judgemental people. Backpacker Tristan Kuhn has been travelling around Australia, visiting Melbourne, Tasmania, Adelaide and Cairns, since moving from Texas in October 2019. Last week, the 22-year-old shared 10 things he hated about Australia on YouTube, including 'aggressive' flies, slow WiFi, bicycle helmet laws, and expensive soft drinks - and has since shared the things he loves. Backpacker Tristan Kuhn has been travelling around Australia, visiting Melbourne, Tasmania, Adelaide and Cairns, since moving from Texas in October 2019 CLEANER PUBLIC TRANSPORT Tristan was surprised to learn that Australian public transport is extremely efficient at getting you across the country quickly and comfortably. 'In Australia you can pretty much get wherever you want in any city, any suburb, between any cities just through their public transport,' he said. 'Additionally their public transport is fast, it's clean, it's nice, it's a pleasant experience and I can't say the same with American public transport.' He said those that live in larger cities like New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles might not have the same bus and train inequities, but overall the smaller cities struggle. 'I really enjoy having the freedom to go pretty much wherever I want in Australia without having to own a car,' he said. Although he did say the transport was restrictive if you want to travel 'into the bush' or the outback and a traveller would be best hiring a car. Tristan was surprised to learn that Australian public transport is extremely efficient at getting you across the country quickly and comfortably PARKS HAVE FREE BARBECUES Most of the nature reserves in Australia have free BBQ's available to make sausages, steak or eggs on a picnic. 'You go to pretty much any public park here and there will be free grills and I'm not talking about those like crappy metal boxes that you can put charcoal in, these are like good electric grills that are cleaned and maintained,' Tristan said. 'You can go there and light them up like a full-on barbecue, like cook burgers, cook steaks, you don't need to bring your own charcoal... it is such a nice experience.' Most of the nature reserves in Australia have free BBQ's available to make sausages, steak or eggs on a picnic CHICKEN SALT Tristan noted that he never knew chicken salt 'existed' until he visited Australia, and he is obsessed with using it. 'Pretty much if you order french fries or chips as they call them here at most restaurants they are going to put chicken salt on them,' he said. 'This is different to regular salt... it is so freaking good like it is the best invention since sliced bread. It's like salt but has some flavouring to it and it fits so well on chips.' Chicken salt was actually developed to flavour roast chickens in South Australia and marketed with a range of herbs and spices. Tristan noted that he never knew chicken salt 'existed' until he visited Australia, and he is obsessed with using it THE LEGAL DRINKING AGE IS 18 In Australia the legal age to drink alcohol is 18 but it's 21 when you live in or visit America. 'To me that seems much more reasonable, I mean most people argue like oh you can enlist in the military you can do this you can do that but you can't drink and yes that's all true,' Tristan said. 'But also why is it that in American culture it's like kind of socially acceptable to drink once you're 18, like once you go to college people expect that you drink? 'I just find it weird that the mindset of America is like "oh it's okay to drink whenever you're 18" and yet the law says 21.' He described America as 'backward' in its thinking about when young people should be allowed to drink alcohol. In Australia the legal age to drink alcohol is 18 but it's 21 when you live in or visit America USE OF THE METRIC SYSTEM Tristan argued that the metric system - which includes metres, kilometres and degrees Celsius - is easier to use than the imperial system in America. 'We use Fahrenheit and miles in American but pretty much every country has recognised the metric system as being better and converted to that system,' he said. He finds it extremely confusing to measure things and interpret temperatures in countries outside of the United States for this reason. SUPERANNUATION The American backpacker explained that nine per cent of an Australian person's wages are put into a superannuation fund by their employer for retirement, on top of their hourly wage. 'This is smart for a couple of reasons but mainly it guarantees everyone some kind of retirement fund,' Tristan said. 'You could blow every single pin you've ever earned and you would still have money to retire in... and I think we should adopt this in America.' The American backpacker explained that nine per cent of an Australian person's wages are put into a superannuation fund by their employer for retirement, on top of their hourly wage LESS JUDGEMENTAL He described Australia as 'way more international' and accepting of other people's lifestyles, more so than in the US. If you want to do something 'alternative' or that doesn't fit in with the status quo that will be largely accepted. 'I just feel like you can be yourself here more without having judgment... I think we're kind of bad at that in America and there's a lot of like expectations of like how you should live.' New Delhi: It was in 2009 when TV czarina Ekta Kapoor gave late actor Sushant Singh Rajput his major break with her show Pavitra Rishta. In no time, Sushant, who played Manav Deshmukh, a humble car mechanic in the show, started ruling everyones hearts. He was paired opposite Ankita Lokhande and together, they created magic on television. Their on-screen pair was a hit and the show, a blockbuster, that too on the prime time slot. Sushant, who committed suicide on Sunday (June 14), will always be remembered as an actor par excellence. It was Pavitra Rishta which made him a household name and an overnight star. Fans cheered for him, cried with him and loved him endlessly. And, when Sushant and Ankita announced that they are dating IRL, the happiness of many people knew no bounds. Sushant and Ankita were together for six long years before parting ways in 2016. Sushant left Pavitra Rishta in 2011 to join Bollywood and he was received on the big screen with much more love from his loyal fans. He debuted with Abhishek Kapoors Kai Po Che! (2013). Since then, there was no looking back for the actor. In his short career, he starred in films such as Shuddh Desi Romance, PK, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, Raabta, Kedarnath, Sonchiriya, Chhichhore and Drive. Despite being a successful Bollywood actor, people never forgot his role as Manav in Pavitra Rishta. Earlier in June, when the show clocked 11 years, Ekta took to social media to celebrate the milestone and wrote that the channel didnt want her to cast Sushant in the lead but she convinced them that he would win a million hearts. Sushant had replied to her by saying, And Im forever grateful to you, maam. Sushants upcoming film is Dil Bechara. We live in a world where our ability to trust our government and our neighbor is degraded daily; in such an environment, the ability to protect your family, your property and yourself is critical. Our Founding Fathers recognized that truth in 1791 when they enshrined the right to possess firearms in the Constitution. We need representatives who will not be afraid to uphold that legacy, which is why I support Steve Daines. Senator Daines is a man who recognizes the importance of firearms to our culture and our well being. He is an avid hunter and outdoorsman, with just as much experience with the wildlife of our state as the next Montanan. More importantly, he has worked in Congress to protect our right to access the tools necessary for defense against violent criminals and encroaching governments alike. In 2015, he joined a number of his Senate colleagues in protesting proposed State Department changes to the International Traffic in Arms Regulation, an already arbitrary piece of regulation, which would have limited Americans ability to assemble existing, legal firearms. More recently, Senator Daines introduced the Firearm Owners Protection Act, enabling individuals to more easily exchange firearms across state boundaries and overall protecting law-abiding citizens from unwarranted prosecution. The preservation of our Second Amendment is critical to ensuring the safety of citizens and the health of our Republic. I will be supporting Senator Daines this fall to ensure Montana has a voice defending our rights. Elmo Osprander, Corvallis Love 6 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 France will reopen for business on Monday after President Emmanuel Macron announced a 'first victory' against coronavirus. In an upbeat live TV address on Sunday night, the head of state said virtually all lockdown restrictions for bars, restaurants and cafes would end at the start of this coming week. Schools, colleges and nurseries will then be back with all their pupils in a week's time. It comes as the country's death toll for Monday to Saturday fell to 243, down from 353 the previous week. In an upbeat live TV address on Sunday night, Emmanuel Macron, pictured, said virtually all lockdown restrictions for bars, restaurants and cafes would end at the start of this coming week Only two overseas territories will have to continue to adhere to strict lockdown measures imposed back in March to fight Covid-19. 'From tomorrow, we will be able to turn the page on the first act, in a way, of the crisis we just went through,' said Mr Macron. 'As of tomorrow, all French territory with the exception of Mayotte and Guyana where the virus is still actively circulating all the territory will therefore pass into what is now agreed to be called the green zone.' This will include the full reopening of cafes and restaurants in the Paris area, said Mr Macron. While social distancing will be expected, along with masks on public transport, Mr Macron said: 'From tomorrow, it will again be possible to travel between European countries. 'And from July 1, we will be able to go to states outside Europe where the epidemic has been brought under control.' An employee sews face protective masks in Chanteclair Hosiery, a French knitwear clothing manufacturer in Saint Pouange, east of Paris. Masks will still be mandatory on public transport, despite the easing of other restrictions A couple walks on the boardwalk along the beach huts on a pebble beach yesterday, after France reopened its beaches to the public Referring to the education system, Mr Macron said: 'Creches, schools and colleges will open in France from 22 June, on a compulsory basis and according to the rules of normal attendance. 'We must continue to avoid gatherings as much as possible because we know that they are the main opportunities for the spread of the virus they will therefore remain closely supervised.' Even the second round of municipal elections will take place on June 28, said Mr Macron. One month after France ended its strict eight-week lockdown, there has been no rise in coronavirus cases as life returns towards normality. Some 29,319 people have died of Covid-19 in France in hospitals and care homes since the pandemic began, but only 243 have come in the last week. Of this total, more than a third of deaths occurred in care homes, but the government has stopped updating the figures because of the difficulty of accurately establishing a cause of death. Almost 72,000 people diagnosed with Covid-19 have recovered and been discharged from hospital. The President's address on Sunday evening was watched with intent by families across the nation Mr Macron said: 'So we will be able to rediscover the pleasure of being together, to get back to work fully but also to have fun, to cultivate ourselves. 'We are going to rediscover part of our art of living, our taste for freedom. In short, we are going to find France whole again. 'This does not mean that the virus is gone and that we can completely lower our guard. 'The fight against the epidemic is not over, but I am happy with you to take this first victory against the virus.' Referring to the date he first announced a coronavirus lockdown, Mr Macron said: 'On March 16, we made the humanist choice to put health above the economy by asking you to stay at home. 'You then displayed an admirable sense of responsibility. And thanks to the exceptional commitment of our caregivers and all the teams, all the patients who needed it were able to be taken care of in hospital or in clincs. 'Thanks to all of you who have continued to work, despite the anguish, to provide essential services to the nation, we have been able to feed ourselves and continue to live.' If you need a new laptop or tablet, you're in luck. Every once in awhile, we like to compile all the best deals we're seeing in one place, so you can upgrade your tech while still saving a boatload of money. Whether you're a Microsoft fan, a Lenovo believer, an HP devotee, or completely brand agnostic, you should find something here to whet your tech whistle, regardless of what you seek. And of course, practically everything is a decent chunk of change off its regular price. Jump in the water's fine! Microsoft PC Mag loves the Surface 2, calling this flagship laptop "a sleek ultraportable with a top-notch build, a stellar screen, and a very long-lasting battery." Whether you go with one with an ultra-fast Intel Core i5 processor or an equally ultra-fast, slightly more powerful Core i7, you've got a machine more than capable of multitasking with the best of 'em. Each with 8GB RAM, a 256GB SSD hard drive, a wide 13.5" LED touch display and about 15 hours of battery life, all three models also come with the Windows 10 OS and more than enough horses to do all the app work, web surfing and video watching you've got. If you want a laptop that can whip off its keyboard and work as a tablet for a while, there's always the Surface Pro and right now, Microsoft has four different models to choose from, ranging from 126 GB of storage space up to an extra spacious 1TB. With much-improved battery life, a Windows 10 Pro OS, and that 2-in-1 functionality, the Surface Pro might be the versatility MVP of the Microsoft line. Lenovo Sometimes, only the power of a true desktop computer can muscle its way through everything on your agenda, so check out these three models of Lenovo's popular ThinkCentre M920s. Whether you go with a recent overstock or a factory refurbished and fully certified return, the ThinkCentre is built for tough environments, durable, and even extreme conditions. So if you need a system that can take some pounding in addition to seamless performance, Lenovo should get at least a look. HP If you're looking for a first computer for the kids, a dedicated system to run household smart tech or just a backup laptop, these HP Chromebooks are perfect for handling all the web basics at a fraction of the usual price for a laptop. You probably won't be blown away by the speed or extras here, but if you need a meat-and-potatoes system to do some reliable computing groundwork, these factory refurbished models should be right in your wheelhouse. BOOX After all that hardcore computing, you can settle in and read a good e-book with the Poke2. And with 32 adjustable front light levels to reach the optimal color temperature where your eyes feel most comfortable, you'll avoid the eye strain, blurred vision, and headaches that can come with e-readers. Not to mention the E-ink screen that's as readable in direct sunlight as an actual printed page. Prices are subject to change. Do you have your stay-at-home essentials? Here are some you may have missed. One of the reasons cited for the disqualification of Godwin Obaseki from APCs June 22 governorship primary in Edo State was that the Un... One of the reasons cited for the disqualification of Godwin Obaseki from APCs June 22 governorship primary in Edo State was that the University of Ibadan awarded him two certificates with separate dates. However, the University of Ibadan debunked the claim on Sunday. APC Screening Appeal Committee led by Abubakar Fari, on Saturday, had corroborated the report of the screening committee by stating that It is inconceivable that the same University will award two certificates with separate dates for the same graduate. Presenting its report to the National Working Committee headed by National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, Fari added that We also find it difficult to vouch for the authenticity of his National Youth Service Corps certificate, there is no indication as to where he served. We find that he should be disqualified. Oshiomhole in his response, however, commended the chairman and members of the appeal committee for doing a meticulous job. He said It appears you were extremely meticulous to details and you justified ours not in terms of your findings but in terms of what you were able to amplify. That you have an eye for very important details. We are happy you were able to finish this work timeously. This is the final appeal level, what is left now is the NWC will meet and take a decision one way or the other. However, UI Registrar, Olubunmi Faluyi, on Sunday restated that Obaseki remains an alumnus of the institution. Faluyi said the institutions stand remained as contained in an earlier statement that Obaseki gained admission to the University in 1976 and graduated in 1979 with a Second Class Honours, Lower Division. Records of his Admission and Graduation are intact in the archives of the University. In the same vein, the varsitys Director of Public Communications, Olatunji Oladejo, said the claim by the APC was not true. We stand by our statement on Obaseki. How can you issue two certificates to a candidate? That is not true. It is not possible. He graduated in 1979 from the university. We issued only one certificate to him, not two, Oladejo told The Punch. Making a fashion statement can also mean making a political statement. Like how wearing a Che Guevara t-shirt you bought for a few thousand dong on a family holiday to Vietnam announces to the world that you dont really understand communism, or wearing EarPods lets people know youre a talker walker. But theres one fashion item that, in Australian eyes, instantly screams finance bro. And thats the gilet. Gilets, puffer vests, jerkins, body warmers Whatever you want to call them, theyre known in the popular consciousness as an essential part of the Young Liberal uniform, alongside RM Williams boots and a shit-eating grin. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Betoota Advocate (@betootaadvocate) on Jun 10, 2020 at 11:34pm PDT But we here at DMARGE think its an entirely undeserved reputation. Just because Conor McGregors a bit of a dick doesnt make the Rolexes he wears any less cool. In the same way, gilets are an incredibly versatile and functional piece thats worth adding to your wardrobe regardless of their political cache. Im a great proponent of the gilet, influential Sydney-based stylist Jeff Lack told DMARGE exclusively. Theyre incredibly versatile and can be worn a variety of ways With a shirt and tie, with your favourite denim jeans, even to and from the gym. Having the freedom of having your arms free is the ultimate blokey style statement, too. Its the urban equivalent of cutting the sleeves off a flannie so you can chop wood easier. Gilets are super practical, functional and stylish if worn properly, Lack says. Ive even lost a few on domestic flights because they make great lower back support! he joked. Maybe part of the reason theyve got such a wanker reputation is because theyre so popular in Europe an essential part of Italian or French chic. In a classically Australian tall poppy syndrome sort of way, gilets are scorned as being high-falutin. The other issue with gilets is that many men who wear them dont wear them properly, like the archetypal breed of Wall Street bro so thoroughly catalogued on Instagram. It can end up looking like dad garb like a dad cheering on his daughter at netball, Lack relates. You need to be careful when styling a gilet that you keep things restrained. Pair a gilet with a decent merino knit and classic white sneakers for a sports luxe look. Also important: avoid wearing them with just a short-sleeve t-shirt, or calling them puffer vests. And dont dress like Kanye. View this post on Instagram A post shared by UpscaleHype (@upscalehype) on Nov 23, 2019 at 4:24pm PST RELATED: Kanye West Leaves The Internet Reeling With Luxury Fisherman Flex I hate that term! Calling them puffer vests is probably why they have such an image problem, Lack postulates. Theres plenty of good gilets to be found at all price points too, like a classic Moncler Logo Patch number for $1,100 or UNIQLOs Ultra Light Down Vest for $80. As winter fades into spring, a gilet is a practical fashion accessory that when worn correctly looks classy yet approachable. Theres never been a better time to resuscitate the humble gilets battered public image and reincorporate them back into your rotation. Check out MR PORTERs extensive collection if you need some inspiration. Read Next Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 04:52:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KIGALI, June 14 (Xinhua) -- The Rwandan Ministry of Health is set to expand testing for COVID-19 in Kigali and other areas, with the aim of finding out the level of transmission of the virus days after the government eased restrictions on movement within the country, an official said on Sunday. Rwanda on June 3 further eased coronavirus lockdown, allowing movement to and from the capital to resume, as well as commercial motorcycles to carry passengers. "From Monday June 15 the ministry of health will launch expanded research with mass testing of coronavirus in Kigali and other districts aimed to find out whether easing of restrictions on movement of passenger motorcycles could have posed a particular problem," Sabin Nsanzimana, director general of Rwanda Biomedical Center, said on Rwanda Television news program. "The tests will give us a clear picture of the virus spread among the population in Kigali and other areas," he said. The ministry has increased testing capacity from about 1,000 to more than 2,000 per day, he said. The Ministry of Health on Sunday reported 41 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily increase since the outbreak of the virus in March in the country, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 582 with 332 recoveries and two deaths. Nsanzimana noted that the increase in the number of confirmed cases showed that patients were being identified fast for treatment. He warned the public against complacence, saying the coronavirus disease is still real in the country. He urged the public to adhere to health measures including wearing of face masks, social distancing and regular washing of hands, noting that almost 50 percent of coronavirus patients are asymptomatic. The latest cases in Kigali were linked to people who had come in contact with patients in Rusizi and Kirehe districts, he said. Enditem Andrew Harnik New York desperately needs federal help. Our economy has been devastated by the pandemic. The House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation to provide that help. Rep. Elise Stefanik voted no. As a union lawyer, I spent much of my career representing teachers, corrections officers and other public workers, many of whom live and work in the North Country. They provide services we need now more than ever. Without an infusion of federal dollars, untold numbers of these essential workers will be laid off. This will decimate our schools and make our prisons more dangerous. It will also significantly damage the private sector economy, especially in areas like the North Country, where public employment and public employees spending is a major driver of local economies. Another murder of an African-American man courtesy of a police officer reignited protests on Saturday night in Atlanta. A fast food chain was set ablaze, protesters obstructed a major interstate, and authorities responded with tear gas. A policeman was terminated and Atlanta's police chief tendered his resignation after a black man was shot dead, reported by The Wall Street Journal. Twenty-seven-year-old Rayshard Brooks of Atlanta was gunned outside a Wendy's chain Friday night and eventually died. Mayor Keisha Bottoms called out the killing as unjustified use of fatal force, according to Intelligencer. Brooks's murder followed weeks worth of unrest across the country ignited by the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police. The police officer who shot dead Brooks was identified on Sunday as Garrett Rolfe by Sgt. John Chafee, a spokesperson for the Atlanta Police Department. NBC News reported that Rolfe that the other police officer who was imposed an administrative leave was Devin Brosnan for his involvement in the Brooks' death, stated Carlos Campos, the department spokesperson. This declaration arrived as protests in Atlanta became more massive Saturday night. The aforementioned Wendy's restaurant was burned for over one hour before firefighters extinguished it. Brooks reportedly failed after being issued a field sobriety test officers. The police attempted to arrest him and a struggle transpired as Brooks resisted. The dire list of black citizens who have been victims of police brutality added another name. Also Read: George Floyd Death a Hoax? Racist Memes Spreading Online Suggests His Death is a Ploy Against Trump Forbes pointed out that the most recent incident alludes to a tragic realization: America is not learning. Information regarding the incident was confirmed by the Georgia Department of Investigation and the Atlanta Police Department. Upon Brooks' death, Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields declared that she was renouncing her position in a statement, "I have faith in the Mayor, and it is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve." Police said that Bronsan started working with the department in September 2018 and was imposed administrative duty, while Rolfe was hired in October 2013, said a release from police spokesman Sergeant John Chafee. Also, the police department released the dash camera and body camera footage from the said officers. The fire at the Wendy's chain was fully extinguished by 11:30 PM. George Floyd died after resisting while a Minneapolis police officer forced his knee on his neck for almost 9 minutes. This prompted Atlanta protests and are still ongoing. At 10:30 PM on Friday night, the 2 Atlanta police officers took necessary action to a complaint that Brooks was falling asleep in his car and was blocking other vehicles in the parking lot the Wendy's food chain on University Avenue located in southwest Atlanta. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI), upon being arrested, Brooks "resisted and a struggle ensued," which led to one of the policemen deploying a taser. Related Article: George Floyd Controversial Comments Result to Suspension of Candace Owens GoFundMe Account @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Illustrative photo. (Source: VNA) The 29-year-old man, residing in Binh Tan district, Ho Chi Minh City, returned to Vietnam from China on May 31 via Mong Cai international border gate in Quang Ninh province. He was immediately quarantined. His first test on May 31 was negative for SARS-CoV-2 but he then tested positive June 11. He is being treated at National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanois Dong Anh district. Of the 334 cases confirmed so far in the country, 194 were imported and quarantined upon arrival, posing no risks to the community. A total of 323 patients or 96.7 percent of all cases have recovered and there have been zero fatalities. Of the 11 active patients, one has tested negative for the coronavirus once and three others at least twice. Some 6,475 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or came from pandemic-hit areas are currently under quarantine across the country. Karan Johar has been heavily trolled on social media for hypocrisy and nepotism Top Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput allegedly hanged himself to death at his home in Mumbais upscale Bandra area on Sunday morning. The police said the reason behind the 34-year-old actors death is yet to be ascertained, and no suicide note was found. The police is questioning his close friends, some of whom were allegedly there at his house as the actor took the extreme step. The police is also studying his phone records to find out who he was in touch with moments before ending his life. Officials said the incident came to light after some friends of the actor and his house help found him hanging by the ceiling on Sunday. The police was informed and he was rushed to R.N. Cooper Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. Rajputs family was informed, and his sister and relatives are on the way to Mumbai. The suicide is being probed from all angles. No suicide note was found, but his friends and neighbours are being questioned to find the reason behind the actors extreme step, said a police officer. The entire film industry is in a state of shock. Karan Johar, the producer of Rajputs Netflix movie Drive, said he was heartbroken. I have such strong memories of the times we have shared I cant believe this Rest in peace my friend..., he said. Karan Johar was also trolled badly on social media for terming Sushant suicide a wake up call for him after he (KJO) blamed himself for not reaching out to him even after knowing his condition. Fans pulled him up for being a hypocrite and for his usual affinity for nepotism. Here's a look at Karan Johar's instagram post Here's a look at some of the tweets doing the rounds on Twitter Not only karan johar ...bollywood is full of selfish people See pics#SushanthSinghRajput pic.twitter.com/DnDDr16bMf N (@neerajv70874746) June 14, 2020 Also vicious gossiping and bullying and expecting everyone to kowtow to them. Not a fan of Kangana at all but on Karan Johar she was very, very accurate. https://t.co/h5AvmlGc9a Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) June 14, 2020 This is the reality of Karan Johar. I dare you guys to boycott all his movies. pic.twitter.com/aCZCMwAO2a Harish (@Harish52492759) June 14, 2020 And now karan johar is feeling bad for not helping Sush...Bloody hypocrites. pic.twitter.com/pC4Vug18Ic Sam (@SamikshyaArya13) June 14, 2020 #SushantSinghRajput This is not a suicide but a murder brought on him by the cunning bitches who can't see an outsider, with an independent voice, to thrive. He's been harassed for long time by Movie Mafia, Karan Johar categorically tried to insult him in the last season of KWK. Vagabond (@ExMachina1196) June 14, 2020 Sushant was questioned after his former manager, 28-year-old Disha Salian, ended her life by jumping from a highrise building on June 9. She had flung herself to death from the 14th floor of her Malad residence. The police is probing if the two suicides are linked. The police said family members have claimed the actor had showed no signs of depression. The late actor was a mechanical engineer from Delhi and had also won the Physics Olympiad. Born in Patna, he completed his higher education in Delhi. His sister is based in Chandigarh. After several weeks of protests across the country in the wake of the death of George Floyd, local religious leaders joined again together for conversations around social justice and equality. Local leaders, most of them representing houses of worship, from both Montgomery County and Harris County, met last week on a Zoom call to pray, share words of wisdom and kindness, and remind listeners that the fight for equality is not going to be a quick one. This is not the first time that a gathering of faith leaders from The Woodlands and surrounding areas have come together. Following the mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, last year, several local houses of worship came together to pray. I believe this kind of blessed gatherings are very important to build bridges and have (a) better understanding, said Imam Rihabi Mohamed, faith leader of The Woodlands Islamic Center, who opened the gathering with a prayer. I really believe that working together with faith leaders will help our societies a lot, he said. Our community members look at us for reminder(s) as we are role models for them. Our responsibility is to always remind them of hope, compassion and forgiveness, the heavenly instructions which help us all. Rihabi has been using his sermons to his congregation as an opportunity to speak out against racism and tribalism. In my speeches and Friday sermons I repeat the most important thing in Islam: faith is peace with our Creator and peace with our fellow human beings, he said in an email. I believe that the pure instructions of God came to eradicate the idea of tribalism and lawlessness. Islam came to abolish the idea of superior race, gender, lineage, colors and social status. Rabbi Edwin Goldberg of Congregation Beth Shalom of The Woodlands chose to attend one of the marches that took place recently. But, like Rihabi, he has been using his sermons to speak to his congregation about racism and encouraging them to take action where they can, while still being mindful of the pandemic. Soon, he plans to pick a book about racism by an author of color and invite his congregation to read and discuss it together. Ideally, he would like to start making more connections with black communities in the area and inviting Black speakers to speak with the synagogue. But he wants to stress to his congregation that this issue wont be going away anytime soon and they should be prepared to keep taking actions and invest in the long-term. This is not about the urgency of this moment, its about a long-term corrosive thing that our congregation cares about, not because its good or bad for the Jews, but because its the right thing to do, Goldberg said. Its the right thing to try and make this country a place of justice. In Jewish tradition, Goldberg said, when comforting someone who is mourning a death, you dont say anything to them, you wait for them to speak first. Then, you continue to offer support long after the initial loss. This is how he hopes his congregation will move forward with this conversation. Faith leaders are community leaders, and moving forward Goldberg sees the role of faith leaders as helping their communities address these issues through structural change. I do think these are structural problems and they cant be solved by someone resigning or a statement of Well do better, its really the kind of oversight that a community needs, and I think places of faith should be involved, he said. As faith organizations continue to address the issues of racial inequality, many on the June 9 call will be working together. For Rajee Hari, director of communications at the Hindu Temple of The Woodlands, coming together was a way to derive strength from the different faiths. Our faiths may be different, but we are united by the care and love we share for each other, Hari said in an email to the Courier. The Hindu Temple of The Woodlands is focused on peace, harmony, and the well-being of the entire community. We emphasize on inclusiveness in all our events and festivals. Right now, the temple is closed because of COVID-19, but Hari said the temple will continue to pray for the communitys benefit and will be engaging with community leaders on these issues. For Craig Sorensen, Stake President Representing for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in The Woodlands, the decision to get involved was not his alone, though he embraced it. Two years ago, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and leaders of the NAACP, came together to work together to improve self-reliance and upward mobility for inner-city and minority families, according to a joint release from the groups. Now, the church, along with the NAACP, is responding to this moment by encouraging members to reach out and build connections. We believe that as we interact, as we serve, and we serve with, members of the community, and members that come from a different background or race, or even a different part of the world, that were able to learn about each other, Sorensen said. That were able to learn and serve others in a process that helps us see that were more alike than we are different. Sorensen said the church is encouraging everyone, members and non-members alike, to come together in service by finding a way to give back locally through the Just Serve app, which collects volunteer opportunities in the area. But beyond helping locally, the call from leaders of the church and the NAACP encouraged members to call on those in power to review laws, processes, and organizational attitudes that support racism and root them out. Conceptually, we also believe it is important for us all to be involved in our opportunity to vote, Sorensen said. Whether its at the national level or state level, or at the city and here in The Woodlands level, to be politically active, to be engaged in those things that will bring good to the community. Each community is moving forward in the conversation around racial justice in a different way, but all said that they plan to continue communicating with each other to find ways to work together, for the long-term. jamie.swinnerton@chron.com Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici pressed for clearer coronavirus screening guidelines Saturday in response to a report by The Oregonian/OregonLive about a Latino couple twice rejected for testing. In a letter to the Oregon Health Authority, Bonamici said she was alarmed to read that Michael Lopez could not secure testing for him and his wife, Milady, because they did not have symptoms. The denials came despite testing guidance issued by the state this month saying that people of color without symptoms could be tested. But some health care providers said the states guidance was contradictory and needed clarification. Expanded testing is an important step in slowing the spread among this community, but it is clear that barriers still exist to getting resources and support to the Latinx population, Bonamici wrote to Patrick Allen, the health authority director. Hispanics have been disproportionately hit with coronavirus in Oregon, accounting for 35% of identified infections despite making up just 13% of the population. Bonamici called that disparity glaring and concerning. Michael Lopez said he attempted to secure testing for him and his wife after learning the state had revised its testing guidelines to include people of color who did not have symptoms. The couple hoped to be tested before traveling to California, where they planned to see Michael Lopezs father, who is 60, and mother, who has an autoimmune disease. But Michael Lopez, who lives with his wife in Washington County, said he was denied testing by Kaiser Permanente and Oregon Health & Science University. At this point, I think its very, very dismal that well be able to get tested, he said earlier this week. Allen, the state health director, told The Oregonian/OregonLive in response to Lopezs situation that people of color without symptoms who seek testing should be able to receive it. As of Saturday evening, the Oregon Health Authority had not updated its online testing guidance to clarify eligibility. Bonamici, the Democrat who represents Washington County in Congress, asked the health authority to explain what steps it has taken to inform health care providers and people of color about the states guidance for testing people without symptoms. Bonamici also asked what the agency is doing to address racial and ethnic disparities in coronavirus infections. The health authority did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday evening. -- Brad Schmidt; bschmidt@oregonian.com; 503-294-7628; @_brad_schmidt Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. We see opportunities with select consumer staples, large IT players, the strongest banks, life insurance companies, and a few names in the pharma sector including the MNCs and gold loan companies, Sameer Kaul, MD & CEO, TrustPlutus Wealth Managers (India), said in an interview with Moneycontrols Kshitij Anand. edited excerpts: Q) Indian market hasnt looked back after hitting a low in March. Do you think the majority of the market has hit a bottom along with Nifty50? What is leading the optimism? A) It is difficult to call a bottom especially since the pandemic is prevalent and the number of cases is still rising in India. The bounce reflects enthusiasm for the fact that we are unlocking the shutdown and that may help economic activity to restart. We are a long way from being out of the woods as of now. Q) Was this the shortest bear market of all time? A) As stated earlier, too early to call the end of the bear market. It is pertinent to note that a dozen stocks are driving Nifty performance and they are not fully representative of the Indian economy. The financials that make up 40 percent of the index are in moratorium mode and we will only see true portfolio performance perhaps in the October through December quarter. Also, the sub juice matter of interest reversal/waiver during the moratorium period may keep valuations in check. Q) Which stocks and sectors are likely to benefit the most as and when lockdown opens? A) The market is sentiment driven in the short-term and earnings/fundamental driven in the long run. We have to keep in mind that the Indian economy was slowing down getting into the pandemic and the pandemic has made the situation worse as compared with other economies. Our preference while being sector agnostic continues to focus on unlevered companies with a strong balance sheet where we see a large addressable opportunity. We see opportunities with select consumer staples, large IT players, the strongest banks, life insurance companies, and a few names in the pharma sector including the MNCs and gold loan companies. Q) What is your call on financials, metals, auto, and realty sector? Each one of them going through their own sector-specific troubles - how should investors play them? A) We do not believe that there is a single playbook and one needs to evaluate sector and stock-specific strategies. As far as financials are concerned, the best-capitalised banks and NBFC with strong parentage and good liability franchises are preferred plays. We also like gold loan companies and life insurance as an opportunity in India. Auto was slowing down pre-COVID and we need to wait for demand to come back given the discretionary nature of the product. Our preference here is again names like Bajaj Auto that have strong balance sheets and export business to support the domestic volumes. We feel that the share price of Maruti needs to reflect the reality that a company that has an installed capacity of 2 million vehicles per annum has only sold 16,000 vehicles in the first two months of this financial year. We would recommend buying the stock at lower price points. As far as real estate is concerned, the lack of meaningful response from the administration is perplexing given the multiplier effect that the sector has on cement, steel, paint, and other sectors. We remain on the sidelines as far as this sector is concerned given issues with leverage, policy uncertainty and lack of meaningful pick-up in demand Q) Monsoon got off to a stormy start dow do you see it panning out? Stocks & sectors that will benefit the most? A) Right from consumer staples to two-wheelers to tractors to Agri commodity-focused companies -- companies depend on a healthy monsoon from a rural demand standpoint. As per estimates, the monsoon is likely to be normal and we should look at companies like Mahindra and Mahindra in addition to our focus list Q) FIIs are slowly making their way back into the Indian markets. After a strong May, it looks like FIIs will close the month in net inflows. What does it suggest about the future trend about the market? A) FIIs had sold off in March and it is early to determine whether the trend is changing. The country does need FII flows to support local risk capital. FIIs will come to India since India continues to show possibilities of growth given low penetration levels. To be honest, money has come in the past few years without any meaningful earnings growth - so if we can get back to the 2002-2007 era where Indian companies can grow earnings, we can expect a windfall from an FII and FDI standpoint. Q) The foremost emotion of investors right now is to preserve capital especially at a time when the demand has contracted, and salaried class is under the stress of job losses. What should be the strategy of investors? A) In good times as well as bad items, the friend of the investor is asset allocation. Have a balanced portfolio between debt and equity, keep enough cash in the bank for four to six months of expense, ensure that the underlying investments are liquid and only invest in instruments that you understand. Q) Life after 10,000 on Nifty will change do you think that increased optimism and liquidity will also lead to a sharp rise in the small & midcaps? A) A rising tide lifts many boats. First, we have to see how sustainable is this change in sentiment from an India perspective? We continue to show low rates of growth, large potential unemployment, disruption due to COVID-19, and challenges with the banking sector in terms of risk-off sentiment. We dont think that one should speak in general about the mid and smallcap. A company with an addressable opportunity can grow into a good business as long as it conducts itself with the highest standards of governance, has good quality management, and is able to generate growth without taking any leverage. Investors should look out for such opportunities irrespective of the market cap of the company. : 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. Indias legal framework on personal data protection should ensure that the purpose for which data is collected is clearly explained and it should lay down a clear methodology for procuring data, retired Supreme Court justice BN Srikrishna said on Sunday. When data is collected without the consent of the individual, like in the current circumstances where a lot of data is being collected in connection with the Covid-19 pandemic, the law should ensure data anonymisation, he added Under what circumstances can data be taken away without consent of the principal? Take for instance, the situation of Covid. Data is necessary for statistical probability. If someone wants to do research on impact of Covid, they will need a lot of data on it. This is where the aspect of data anonymisation comes in, where only numbers and no personal information can be utilized, Srikrishna pointed out. He was speaking at a Webinar organized by law firm Shyam Padman Associates on the topic The Challenges in Personal Data Protection in the absence of (a) Data Protection Law in India. Srikrishna, who headed the committee which, in 2018, proposed the draft of the Personal Data Protection Bill said that the line between right to privacy of an individual and the right of the state to access data is a fine one and the data protection law should guarantee that data collected is only to the extent to which it is required. The legislative enactment must categorically explain the purpose for the collection of data. There should be a rational connection (between the data collected and the purpose for which it is acquired). There should be no absurdity in the connection. There is also the need for proportionality. The law should not go beyond what is absolutely required, he explained. The state, he said, can take away rights of an individual, only if it can ensure that it is for the greater good of the public. For instance, in the case of Aarogya Setu, the state, in a positive move, did not make it mandatory, Srikrishna said, referring to Indias contact tracing app. The central government came out with a draft Personal Data Protection (PDP) Bill in December 2019. The bill regulates personal data of individuals and governs the processing of such data by both government and companies incorporated in India. Justice Srikrishna said the bill falls short on certain aspects including absence of data localization which enables transfer of data outside India . Can the State can access data of a person who is a suspect. The answer in the legislation is yes. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the PDP of 2019 has watered down this provision which allows the state to unilaterally infringe the fundamental right (of privacy) in the name of sovereignty and security, he said while expressing hope that the Supreme Court will look into such aspects if the data protection law is challenged. The Supreme Courts seminal 2017 judgment in the case of Justice KS Puttaswamy v. Union of India in which the court had held right to privacy as a facet of the fundamental right to life was instrumental in initiating debate on the absence of data protection laws in India. The SC asked, Where is the law on Data Protection? And everyone started looking at each other, with no clue about this. It is then the committee on the formulation of a Personal Data Protection Bill was founded, Srikrishna said. Courtesy photo Recently, it has been brought to my and my peers attention that a group of protesters from Dallas are on their way to Midland to protest what they perceive as police injustice in the case of Tye Anders. First, I would like to note that my fellow organizers -- the protesters who have come out to demonstrate against racial injustice -- and I are not officially affiliated with Black Lives Matter. We simply represent a larger movement over a broad spectrum of racial and systematic injustices that have plagued this nation for many generations. Secondly, we understand why protesters from other areas of Texas and the country may take interest in our city due to the Anders case. But I would like to say with confidence, we have this handled. Since our first protest, I and many others have been in close and personal contact with members of Midlands government on how we, as a community, may prevent and solve instances of racial injustice. I strongly advice those who have protested with us before to take extreme caution in any situation they may choose to participate in. If you do not believe that these demonstrators have Midlands best interest at heart, please, stay away. Lastly, I would like to thank the government officials of Midland for listening to us, taking us seriously, understanding our fight and genuinely working with us to help find solutions. NEW YORK, June 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Muslim World League Secretary General Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, addressing the opening plenary of the 2020 American Jewish Committee (AJC) Global Forum, along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, reaffirmed his commitment to preserving Holocaust memory and advancing Muslim-Jewish cooperation. "I commend you for your tireless work and dedication in an effort to rebuild positive Muslim-Jewish relations," said Al-Issa, whose global organization is headquartered in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. "It is a testament to the strong ideals of the American Jewish Committee that you speak out as strongly against those who wish to sow division and proliferate Islamophobia as you do against those who promote antisemitism." In April 2019, Al-Issa and AJC CEO David Harris signed an historic memorandum of understanding to further Muslim-Jewish understanding and cooperate against racism and extremism in all its forms. A key element of the MOU was a joint visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau, which took place on January 23, and was followed by a day in Warsaw, including a visit to a synagogue and an interfaith Shabbat dinner. Al-Issa led a delegation of 62 prominent Islamic scholars from 28 countries. It was the most senior Islamic leadership delegation ever to visit Auschwitz or any Nazi German death camp. "On that memorable day, I stood alongside my Muslim and Jewish brothers, united in resolve and said: Never again," said Al-Issa. "The horrors of the Holocaust must never be repeated or forgotten." He described what the Muslim and Jewish delegations viewed together at Auschwitz. "We saw the children's shoes, human hair, suitcases, and other personal belongings of those lost. We saw the prison-like barracks, where men, women and children were forced to live. We saw the remnants of the gas chambers, where poor souls were undressed and killed. We saw the medical facilities, where Nazi doctors performed unholy experiments," he said. "The undeniable evidence of the atrocities committed against innocent men women, and children shook us all," he said. "I personally wept at the mere thought of such horrific crimes," said Al-Issa. "More than 1 million men, women, and children lost their lives at Auschwitz, and this is something we cannot let ourselves forget." Striking a positive note, Al-Issa observed that the Nazis "drastically underestimated the fortitude and undying will of their enemy, those brave souls who many of us count as family, friends and loved ones. The Nazis also failed to understand that even in the dimmest of lights, there remained a flicker of hope." The lessons of the Holocaust are universal, he said, and should be applied to confronting extremists who have violently attacked and continue to threaten Christians, Jews, Muslims, and others. "Just as the forces of good stood shoulder to shoulder against evil on battlefields across Europe so many years ago, we now must unite against those who promote hatred and intolerance today." Toward that end, Al-Issa expressed optimism that "we are slowly winning the war," even as "hatred seems to proliferate with greater ease than ever before via social media." Muslims, Jews, and people of other faiths "are advocating common values and educating their diverse communities on such commonalities. Together, we are fighting to create a better, more equal world in which there is no place for antisemitism, Islamophobia, or any other form of prejudice." AJC CEO David Harris commented: "It is a great honor for American Jewish Committee to host our cherished friend and partner, Dr. Al-Issa, today. He is one of the world's most prominent and respected Muslim leaders, and his organization has a profound worldwide impact. At AJC, which has had a long and proud record as an interreligious trailblazer, we have said repeatedly that we're determined to help write a promising 21st century chapter in Muslim-Jewish relations. Dr. Al-Issa's powerful speech today offers us another good reason for optimism and inspiration." The full text of Dr. Al-Issa's speech, in English, is available at ajc.org. SOURCE American Jewish Committee Related Links http://www.ajc.org BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jun. 14 Trend: The National Air Carrier of Azerbaijan (AZAL) will perform special flights on June 17 and 18 in the Baku-Istanbul-Baku direction, Trend reports citing Press Service of Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC. 150 passengers are to be accepted for flight in each direction. Sale of tickets for Baku-Istanbul-Baku flights will be opened on June 15 on the website of the airline (www.azal.az). Tickets for the Baku-Istanbul flight can be purchased both by citizens of Azerbaijan and Turkey (or persons holding a residence permit in this country). Only citizens of Azerbaijan will be allowed on the Istanbul-Baku flight. In order to obtain the rules and the corresponding permission to enter Turkey, citizens of Azerbaijan traveling to Istanbul must contact the Turkish Embassy in our country. According to the new rules, only passengers who have been tested for coronavirus (COVID-19) in special laboratories accredited by the Management Union of Medical Territorial Units (TABIB) and received negative test results will be allowed to board the flight. In this case, citizens of Azerbaijan arriving by the Istanbul-Baku flight are exempted from quarantine. However, if COVID-19 symptoms are found, the passengers of this flight may be sent for the second medical examination. Baku-Istanbul flights will be served via Terminal 1. When departing from Istanbul, at the airport check-in counter, you will need to provide a certificate with negative results for COVID-19 testing issued by the Istanbul clinics - Memorial Saglk Grubu, received no later than 48 hours before the flight departure. Note that this clinic is recommended for COVID testing by the Ministry of Health of Turkey. We remind you again that only Azerbaijani citizens will be allowed to register for the Istanbul-Baku flight. As previously reported, on flights operated during the COVID-19 pandemic, special rules will apply both at the airport of departure and arrival, as well as on board the aircraft. "Azerbaijan Airlines" prepared a video instruction available at: https://youtu.be/-s-0s4o1L2M AZAL calls upon passengers to treat the requirements and recommendations of the Operational Headquarters and the World Health Organization aimed at combatting COVID-19 with utmost importance. In turn, the employees of the airline and the airport will do everything in their power to ensure that the flight is as comfortable and safe as possible and call upon passengers to travel by air only if absolutely necessary. Gunmen have killed two UN peacekeepers in a region of northwestern Mali wracked by jihadist violence, the UN said Sunday. A UN convoy travelling between the towns of Tessalit and Gao was attacked Saturday evening by armed individuals who killed two of the soldiers, MINUSMA, the UN mission, said in a statement. According to a statement released by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the two peacekeepers were Egyptian nationals. The convoy had stopped when it was attacked near the village of Tarkint, northeast of Gao, the largest town in northern Mali. The UN troops retaliated firmly and sent the assailants fleeing, the statement said. The head of the peacekeeping mission, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, condemned the cowardly acts aimed at paralysing the missions operations on the ground. We will have to work together to identify and apprehend those responsible for these terrorist acts so that they can be held accountable for their crimes before the courts, the statement quoted him as saying. Guterres, in his statement, said the attacks might constitute war crimes. Such cowardly acts will not deter the United Nations from its resolve to continue supporting the people and government of Mali in their pursuit of peace and stability, said the statement. The MINUSMA has some 13,000 troops drawn from several nations deployed across the vast semi-arid country. Mali is struggling to contain an Islamist insurgency that erupted in 2012 and which has claimed thousands of military and civilian lives since. Despite the presence of thousands of French and UN troops, the conflict has engulfed the centre of the country and spread to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger to the west. Muyu Lyu, an international student from China, says he has hardly left his apartment in Halifax since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic after hearing a racist remark directed at him on a city bus in late February. At the time, he was on his way to his internship in downtown Halifax when someone told him hes Asian, so he might have coronavirus and should get off the bus, he said. A visit to a grocery story last week was his first in the last two and a half months. Before then, he said he was relying on grocery deliveries to his apartment, out of fear that other racist comments might come his way. First, I dont want to go out in public because its not healthy, and second, I just feel its not safe, especially at night, Lyu said. He said he knows other Asians in Nova Scotia who have faced stigma during the pandemic, including a few of his friends who were asked by a taxi driver about COVID-19 and their health. With a $28,000 grant from the Nova Scotia COVID-19 Health Research Coalition, Robert Huish, an associate professor of international development studies at Dalhousie University, is leading a research study examining the consequences and outcomes of such cultural stigma from COVID-19 ordinances in Nova Scotia, New Zealand and Australia. Stigma is an issue that is in part and parcel with quarantines, epidemics and pandemics dating back to biblical times. This is a centuries-old issue of how communities, groups, people who have recovered from illnesses, have been heavily stigmatized by society, by their communities, and by official institutions as a result of the pandemic, Huish said. He said there is a real concern about how stigma is generated, created and reinforced during the pandemic and the harm that it causes. Huish noted people who appear to be of Asian descent in particular have faced stigma and some have even experienced violence in this process all over the world, including in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. The study, he said, will try to get a better understanding of what these experiences are like and relate it to how theyve transpired during the quarantine, shelter in place and social-distancing measures that weve all been experiencing. Huish said the research sample will be broad, as the researchers are seeking input from anyone whos felt that they have become isolated, marginalized or are feeling experiences of stigma during the pandemic. This includes people of Asian descent, people who have recovered from COVID-19, senior citizens, as well as essential and front-line workers. The goal of the study is to understand who is going to be a victim of stigma in the event of a possible second wave of COVID-19 or another pandemic, how government policies can further prevent it, and what sort of public knowledge people need in order to address health concerns, but also to take care of each other and build understanding, according to Huish. Its something that many jurisdictions are very aware of, that stigma exists as a problem, but theres not much discussion about how to prepare for it if not prevent it going forward, and thats where we want to contribute to that conversation, he said. The study is slated to begin in late July or early August. Huish said a website is currently in the works, which will allow people to voluntarily participate in a survey about experiencing stigma during the pandemic in Nova Scotia. From the survey participants, Huish said the researchers will select certain people to carry out interviews over telephone or video-conferencing software in the fall. By January, Huish said the researchers hope to produce some outputs in the forms of academic papers, policy briefs and public presentations. He added the reason they are approaching the study with researchers in New Zealand and Australia is to compare how the different jurisdictions have approached these issues and I think through that comparison, were going to have a really rich discussion. While Lyu said he has felt stigma during the pandemic, especially toward people of Asian descent, it has started to die down as more information about COVID-19 and its spread has become available, he is happy to hear about studies like the one Huish is undertaking. I just look forward that one day all humans can stop judging one another by the colour (of their skin), he said. I think the research is great, but I hope there are more things like that, because thats something that will really take us forward. Read more about: Symphony President Alan Valentine said patrons donated $300,000 worth of tickets since the pandemic hit. But officials anticipate an $8 million loss from the shutdown, leaving the organization several million dollars short for the year. The Tennessean Mumbai, June 14 : Bollywood continued expressing grief and disbelief over the demise of Sushant Singh Rajput, all of Sunday. The actor was found hanging in his residence by his maid on Sunday morning. Among those who took to social media later on Sunday to express condolences was Salman Khan. "U will be missed ... #RIPSushant," wrote the superstar in a short message conveying his grief. Sushant's co-stars and director from his debut film "Kai Po Che" (2013) also took to social media to express grief. "This is so unfair. Gone too soon. I'll always cherish our conversations on acting and cinema. You'll be missed bhai. May God give strength to his family and loved ones. Rest in Peace brother," wrote Rajkummar Rao. Amit Sadh, who also starred in the film, tweeted: "I am sorry... I did not come to your rescue... Will regret all my life for not reaching out! Right now very sad but will cherish the time we shared filming Kai po che...Rest in peace bhai." "Kai Po Che" director Abhishek Kapoor wrote: "I am shocked and deeply saddened by the loss of my friend. We made two very special films together. He was a generous and fabulous actor, who worked very hard to breathe life into his characters. I pray for his family, shoes loss is unmeasurable. He was a huge science buff and what consumed by what lay beyond in the universe. I'm going to miss you brother. Stay interstellar." Neeraj Pandey, who directed Sushant in the blockbuster "MS Dhoni: The Untold Story", recalled an incident while expressing his sorrow. "One day Sushant dropped in at the office and as I opened my arms for our customary hug, he surprised me by bending and touching my feet. 'Ab ye kya nautanki hai?' 'Sir dil kiya aur aaj se jab bhi miloonga, yahi hoga.' 'Khush raho.' And since then he kept dropping in and every time he used to reach out, I used to stop him and say, 'khush raho.' Obviously, it didn't work. RIP Sushant. You are a favourite. Will always be. And let me try once again. Jahan bhi ho... khush raho," wrote Neeraj Pandey. Vaani Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra, Sushant's co-stars in the 2013 release, "Shudh Desi Romance" also took to social media to share their emotions. "Sush I will miss you buds," wrote Parineeti. "It's heartbreaking. Lots of love.. RIP Young actress Sara Ali Khan did not have words to express her grief. She just posted emojis of love, broken heart and tears. Bollywood couple Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ai Khan shared their condolences on Sushant's death on the actress's Instagram account. "This is such terrible news. Praying you find peace Sushant. Strength to his family. Saif and Kareena," they wrote. Among industry colleagues who expressed condolences was Sonu Sood. "Today we lost a friend, a colleague & this loss is irreparable. I request my friends from the media not to sensationalise this, I request everyone not to share images. A boy who came to this city with dreams in his eyes and achieved so much has left us forever. Let him go in peace," he wrote. Meanwhile, for all those who have reacted with disbelief over the news, filmmaker Anubhav Sinha had an angry retort: "Shut up that you can't believe it." Earlier in the day, as reported by IANS, several of Sushant's Bollywood colleagues expressed grief. They include Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithtik Roshan, Shahid Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Saif Ali Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Anushka Sharma, Swara Bhasker and Riteish Deshmukh, besides Sushant's co-stars including Disha Patani, Jacqueline Fernandez, and Kiara Advani. Filmmakers including Anurag Kashyap, Karan Johar, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Ekta Kapoor also expressed condolences over his shocking death. Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery OTTAWAErin OToole, running for the leadership of the federal Conservative party promising to stand up for Canadian workers, used American ones on his campaign. A U.S. call centre was hired in May by a Canadian vendor the OToole campaign uses to contact party members, his campaign confirmed. There was one small project where they needed overflow capacity in a short amount of time, and because of a lack of availability of Canadian conservative political call centres (as other campaigns had hired them) the project was sent to an American call centre that could handle the work needed, OToole campaign spokesperson Melanie Paradis said in an email. Having said that, most of the calls from our campaign to members have been conducted by Canadians. Paradis said Canadian firms are currently able to fully handle the OToole campaigns requirements. All of the professional Canadian conservative voter-contact firms that can handle the high volume needed are contracted by the MacKay campaign, putting them in conflict, she said. OToole and Peter MacKay are locked in a fierce battle for top spot in the leadership contest and each side has been slinging mud at the other for weeks. The MacKay campaign responded swiftly when asked whether it had employed any American labour. Our campaign employs Canadians. Every person we are paying to provide a service to the campaign is Canadian. We do not use foreign phone banks to contact voters, spokesman Chisholm Pothier said in an email. The campaign team for Leslyn Lewis, a third candidate in the race, said they are using a small Canadian company for the limited telemarketing theyre doing. The campaign team for Derek Sloan the fourth candidate said it has never used American labour. Election finance records show that in the 2017 leadership race, one of the best-known conservative firms Responsive Marketing Group did work for a number of campaigns simultaneously: those of Michael Chong, Kevin OLeary and Erin OToole. Another firm, Elect Right, worked for both Tony Clement and Maxime Bernier. RMG and Elect Right are doing work for the MacKay campaign this time, his team confirmed. Its not unprecedented for American firms to be used in Canadian campaign work. In the 2011 federal election, several Conservative MPs hired the American firm Front Porch to make calls for their campaigns. Jim Ross, who is listed online as a consultant to Front Porch, is on the OToole campaign team. He did not respond to a message seeking comment. Indeed, no political campaign could function these days without using some U.S.-based services, including Facebook and Twitter. MacKay is using NationBuilder, a well-known American firm that provides platforms for political campaigns to build websites, as well as databases to hold onto voter identification. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh used the company to win his leadership race in 2017 and environmental activists used it to organize during the 2019 federal election campaign. The OToole campaign said it is using a Canadian firm for similar work. Read more about: Police Chief Sonia Quinones, pictured, was criticized by the SWAT team in a resignation letter for kneeling with protesters A south Florida police department's entire SWAT team resigned Friday, citing the chief of police's decision to take a knee with protesters calling for an investigation into a 2014 raid in which a black man was fatally shot. The ten-person team handed over an angry letter of resignation to the Hallandale Beach police chief in which they took aim at Vice Mayor Sabrina Javellana for comparing them to the Minneapolis Police Department that killed George Floyd. The letter also cited safety concerns over a lack of equipment and claimed that the 'disdain' of local officials meant the safety of police dogs was taken more seriously than the unit's safety. The eight officers and two sergeants resigned from the team but not from the Hallandale Beach Police Department. Among them was the newly elected president of the International Union of Police Associations. Police Chief Sonia Quinones received a memo from the SWAT team Friday morning, City Manager Greg Chavarria said in a statement. The officers said they were 'minimally equipped' and had been 'disrespected' by city officials who refused to address equipment and training concerns. The SWAT team were 'outraged' by this scene in which their command and local elected officials decided to kneel with protesters during a Hallandale Beach demonstration The letter of resignation cited 'disdain' the unit felt from local officials 'The risk of carrying out our duties in this capacity is no longer acceptable to us and our families,' the officers wrote in the memo, dated Tuesday. 'The anguish and stress of knowing that what we may be lawfully called upon to do in today's political climate combined with the team's current situation and several recent local events, leave us in a position that is untenable. 'The team is minimally equipped, under trained and oftentimes restrained by the politicization of our tactics to the extent of placing the safety of dogs over the safety of the team members,' it added. The SWAT team officers were particularly vexed by the recent actions of Chief of Police Quinones who they claimed had supported Vice Mayor Sabrina Javellana in kneeling with protesters. Quinones and Javellana were among several other local officials and activists to take a knee as demonstrators called for the case of Howard Bowe to be reopened. 'This lack of support by members of the Command Staff is crippling to the agency and its rank and file,' the memo said. Bowe, a 34-year-old black man, was killed in 2014 by Hallandale Beach's SWAT team as it carried out a search warrant and raided his home at 6am. According to the Sun Sentinel, the officers were serving a search warrant as part of a narcotics investigation, but instead killed the father of three and his 13-year-old dog named Tank. 'The Vice Mayor Sabrina Javellana has made openly ignorant and inaccurate statements attacking the lawful actions of the city's officers and SWAT team,' the letter said. Vice Mayor Sabrina Javellana, pictured In the aftermath of the shooting, police confiscated about 18.5 grams of crack cocaine from Bowe's home, according to a police report. The officers wrote that investigators never found that any misconduct had been committed by the officers involved in Bowe's death. The case of wrongful death filed by Bowe's family later resulted in a $425,000 settlement with the city. The SWAT unit's letter also targeted Vice Mayor Javellana who they claimed was among members of the city commission who had 'openly disrespected officers individually'. 'The Vice Mayor Sabrina Javellana has made openly ignorant and inaccurate statements attacking the lawful actions of the city's officers and SWAT team both from the dais and form her social media accounts,' the unit said. 'She has actively protested against us. 'She has shown that she takes pleasure in besmirching the hard work and dedication of the members of this professional agency, having the gall to compare us to the Minneapolis Police Department,' it added. Yet, Javellana has stood by her decision to kneel. 'I have been vocal about the wrongful death of Howard Bowe since even before I was in elected office,' she said Friday night. 'We have our own George Floyds and Breonna Taylors in our own city that we must address before we can heal and reform.' On Friday, Chavarria's statement said the officers' memo incorrectly said that Chief of Police Quinones was supporting Javellana by taking a knee. 'They specifically mention their displeasure with the Chief joining members of our community in taking a knee against racism, hatred, and intolerance earlier this week,' Chavarria told CBS 12 News. 'They have incorrectly stated the gesture was in support of an elected official. This is simply not true.' A recent protest in Hallandale Beach in which police knelt with protesters was condemned by the SWAT team who resigned Friday citing concerns for their safety The police chief has now called a meeting for Monday afternoon with the resigning SWAT team members, Chavarria's statement added. The city manager's statement assured the public that Hallandale Beach would still have SWAT coverage through regional mutual aid arrangements. 'The City of Hallandale Beach continues to have special weapons and tactics coverage through regional mutual aid, which the City has used for SWAT operations in the past,' he said. 'While the voluntary resignation of our officers from this assignment is unfortunate, our residents should be assured it has not had any impact on our commitment to protecting their safety.' The city's Mayor Joy Cooper added she would also be following up on the resignations to ensure that the public is protected. 'I will be following up with our chief of police, following up with our unions and, most importantly, ensuring that our accredited department has the resources and the training that they need to protect and serve our public,' Mayor Cooper told the Sun Sentinel. She also addressed the calls for the reopening of Bowe's cases and claimed that changes had already been made to the force in the wake of his 2014 death to improve police accountability. 'We addressed the use of force,' she said. 'We implemented body cameras. We instituted de-escalation training. We instituted also diversity training. And we became accredited.' 'I think it's disingenuous not to make sure the public knows those facts.' The protests in the Hallandale Beach have occurred as demonstrations continue to take place across the country against police brutality and the death of George Floyd. Floyd, a handcuffed black man, died in Minneapolis after an officer pressed his knee into Floyd's neck for several minutes, ignoring Floyd's cries that he couldn't breathe Hallandale Beach is an oceanside community of about 38,000 people roughly 20 miles north of Miami. As headline after headline spread Friday about a new biography on First Lady Melania Trump, the White House responded with a brief, disdainful dismissal. "Yet another book about Mrs. Trump with false information and sources," said Stephanie Grisham, the first lady's spokeswoman and chief of staff. "This book belongs in the fiction genre." Grisham was referring to The Art of Her Deal, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter Mary Jordan and, according to the publisher, based on more than 100 interviews. Details of the book were first reported by the Post on Friday morning, particularly what Jordan describes as the first lady's successful efforts to renegotiate her prenuptial agreement with President Donald Trump in the wake of his 2016 election win. The original agreement, according to Jordan, was not very good and the first lady's focus was on "taking care of Barron," the young son she shares with the president. Mrs. Trump, 50, "wanted proof in writing that when it came to financial opportunities and inheritance, Barron would be treated as more of an equal to Trumps oldest three children," Jordan writes, according to the Post. The first lady and Barron's pending move to the White House from New York City, to join President Trump, was used as leverage. The Art of Her Deal digs into Mrs. Trump's earlier life as well, according to the Post, and Jordan writes skeptically of some parts of the first lady's background including her assertions about her education and how she first met the 73-year-old president. The book publisher promises yet other new details, according to a press release: "While her public image is of an aloof woman floating above the political gamesmanship ... behind the scenes Melania Trump is not only part of President Trump's inner circle, but for some key decisions she has been his single most influential adviser." Story continues From left: Barron Trump with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump in January RELATED: Melania Trump Urges Students to Take Care of Themselves amid Coronavirus Pandemic MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty First Lady Melania Trump In one scene recounted early in the book, according to the publisher, Mrs. Trump says that she wanted to put out a statement following the leaked Access Hollywood tape that caught her husband bragging about touching women's genitals. "I am not going to sit here and pretend that I don't have an opinion," she said. "I have an opinion and people need to know my opinion." Some of the reporting in Jordan's book echoes a biography last year of the first lady by CNN White House reporter Kate Bennett. Bennett had cooperation from Mrs. Trump's office, though they were displeased by the end result. Then, as now, her spokeswoman bit back. Mrs. Trump is surprised at Kate Bennetts reporting, Grisham told PEOPLE in a statement at the time about Free, Melania. Our office worked with Kate in good faith on her book, and thought she would do an honest job. Sadly, it includes many false details and opinions, showing Ms. Bennett spoke to many anonymous people who dont know the First Lady, Grisham said. It continues to be disappointing when people, especially journalists, write books with false information just to profit off the First Family. The Art of Her Deal will be released on Tuesday. The weapon used to murder Lyra McKee was stolen to order for dissident republicans during a gun shop raid in Co Fermanagh. The robbery netted the gang five of the distinctive Hammerli .22 target pistols, one of which ended up in the hands of the New IRA in Derry and was used to kill the journalist during a riot last year. Police acting on intelligence recovered the gun hidden alongside a bomb in the Ballymagroarty area of the city last weekend. Security sources have linked it directly to a 2008 hold-up in the village of Garrison by three masked men armed with a shotgun. Other firearms taken included a Glock 9mm pistol, a Sig Sauer 9mm, a Walther. 22 handgun and a quantity of ammunition. The Hammerli used to kill Lyra is believed to have been used in shootings by at least one other dissident group before being handed over to the New IRA. Desperate for weaponry, the terror gang is also known to have paid burglars to break into houses where guns are legally kept. A 2017 raid on a property in the village of Manorcunningham near the Derry/Donegal border which netted two firearms was also the work of the New IRA. So too were a spate of gun thefts across the north-west in 2014 that resulted in the PSNI making an appeal to owners to ensure weapons were stored safely. Another source of weaponry for the New IRA is a criminal gang in Belfast with which it exchanged grenades stolen from an Irish army barracks in Donegal for a .38 revolver, Browning 9mm and Uzi sub-machine gun. The grenades ended up in the hands of dissident gang ONH (Oglaigh na hEireann), which used them in several attacks on police in the greater Belfast area. Police launched a detailed examination of the area where the gun used to murder Lyra was found after the arrests of several dissident republicans. These included Barry Millar (35), who has a conviction for taking part in an illegal parade in support of the New IRA, and Jude McCrory, the chairman of the Derry branch of Saoradh, which is the republican gang's political wing. Expand Close Jude MaCrory / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jude MaCrory A search warrant for the 23-year-old's home said "there are reasonable grounds to believe that certain items" were hidden on the premises. According to legal papers, this included "items or documents pertaining to a proscribed organisation, mobile phones, media storage device and computers". McCrory was freed without charge after questioning, later taking to social media to criticise his detention and claiming that the only items taken by police were a birthday card, book and an Easter Rising banner. He wrote: "The warrant to search my home address was signed and dated on March 13. If the PSNI/British Army were so concerned about the preservation of any evidence in connection with any so-called investigation, why wait three months?" McCrory was previously arrested in connection with a 2019 New IRA car bomb attack on Bishop Street courthouse in Derry before being freed without charge. The gang's leaders in the city have spent the past week trying to play down the significance of the Lyra gun and bomb find, but despite the best efforts of Thomas Mellon, the New IRA boss in the city, the discovery has badly damaged morale. Expand Close Thomas Ashe Mellon / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Thomas Ashe Mellon Rank and file members of the organisation, many of whom are aged under 30, are openly talking about how it has been compromised by informants. Last autumn police acting on intelligence foiled two bomb bids in the north-west in the space of 48 hours. A primed New IRA mortar was discovered aimed at Strabane PSNI station a day before a booby-trap device was located in the Creggan estate in Derry. "It's been a bad week for Tommy Mellon. This latest arms find has hit his men hard," a republican source told Sunday Life. "They are aware that someone or some people within their inner circle is talking to the cops. "Even the young ones are openly saying it - something they would never dared to have done before. "The ballistics on the gun used to kill Lyra McKee could also be very embarrassing for Tommy because they bought it from criminals. "This shows the hypocrisy of the New IRA, which makes a big deal about threatening criminals yet, behind the scenes, it is doing deals with them." Sources say the decision by the New IRA to hang onto the gun used to murder Lyra is proof the gang has few weapons. "If they had a decent amount of guns, that particular one would have been thrown in the River Foyle because the killing was so high-profile," said a Derry republican. "The fact the New IRA chose to hang onto it shows just how badly armed it is. "The general consensus is that they have a handful of guns, enough to extort money from criminals but not enough to mount any successful military campaign against the State." Lyra was gunned down while observing a riot in the Creggan estate in April 2019. Her radicalised killer, who was aged just 18 at the time, recently became a father for the first time and is living openly in Derry, revelling in his notoriety. Dissident republican Paul McIntyre (52) has been charged with the murder on the basis of joint enterprise, in that he allegedly handed the gun to her killer - a claim he denies. Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy, who is leading the investigation, said he knows the gunman's identity and believes he may have left DNA evidence on the inside of the weapon. Expand Close DS Jason Murphy / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp DS Jason Murphy He added: "The gun jammed as the gunman fired and I know from the video footage that the gunman tried several times to eject the jammed rounds. "For that reason, I have asked scientists to extend their forensic examination beyond the outside of the gun and forensically examine the inside mechanisms of it to establish whether the gunman, in his haste to clear the blockage, may have left forensic traces inside the gun. Expand Close Police have confirmed this was the gun used to kill journalist Lyra McKee during a riot in Londonderry / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police have confirmed this was the gun used to kill journalist Lyra McKee during a riot in Londonderry "I know who was involved (and) I know who the gunman is. "I have asked the scientists to find me the evidence that will enable me to complete the jigsaw of the events of April 18 that I have been building for Lyra's family since the night she was murdered." Expand Close The order of service from journalist Lyra McKees funeral (Liam McBurney/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The order of service from journalist Lyra McKees funeral (Liam McBurney/PA) Reacting to the discovery of the weapon, Lyra's sister Nichola Corner told UTV: "It's a shock to see what was used to take her out of this world, to end her life, to steal her from all of us". In a BBC interview, the murdered writer's partner Sara Canning said: "It's strange to think something so small caused so much damage and took so much away." New Delhi: As tensions mount at the Indo-Nepal border, reports suggest that China and Pakistan have been instigating Nepal to take action against India. In a shocking revealtion by Zee News, the Chinese Ambassador in Nepal Hou Yanqi played a big role in inciting Nepal against India. Incidentally, Hou Yanqi was stationed in Pakistan before she was made the ambassador to Nepal. Reportedly, Phanindra Nepal, leader of Unified Nepal National Front has been meeting with officials of the Pakistan and Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu for the last few months. China is looking to create trouble for India by provoking its neighbors. Both China and Pakistan are planning to open another front by provoking Nepal against India. Recently, Nepal released a controversial new map in which it shows Lipulekh, Kalapani, Limpiyadhura parts of Uttarakhand as part of its territory thus irking India. It is believed that Nepal has done so at the behest of China. Meanwhile, on Saturday (June 13) the lower house of Nepali parliament passed the Constitutional Amendment Bill accepting the new map issued by the Nepali government. It is now awaiting passage at the upper house of the Nepali Parliament. The Indian government has said that the actions by the Nepali govt "do not reflect any seriousness" on part of Kathmandu to resolve the issue through dialogue but are "myopic and self-serving to further a limited political agenda." Sources said that India responded positively to the Nepalese side and conveyed its willingness to hold talks in a "conducive environment and at a mutually convenient date" and reaffirmed commitment for the talk when "Nepal objected to the inauguration of Kailash Mansarovar road by government of India." The map row broke after India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a road till Lipulekh which Nepal claims is its own territory. On June 12, one Indian national was killed and two others were injured due to indiscriminate firing by the Nepal police at the India-Nepal border. The incident happened when Nepalese Armed Police Force (NAPF) opened fire during an altercation killing one Bikesh Kumar Rai and injuring 3 others Indian nationals. One Indian was also taken into custody by the Nepali forces. Atlanta Officer Fired After Shooting of Brooks ATLANTAAn Atlanta police officer was fired following the fatal shooting of a man and another officer was placed on administrative duty, the police department announced early Sunday. The moves follow the Saturday resignation of Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields, who stepped down as the Friday night killing of Rayshard Brooks, 27, sparked a new wave of protests in Atlanta after turbulent demonstrations that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis had simmered down. The terminated officer was identified as Garrett Rolfe, who was hired in October 2013, and the officer placed on administrative duty is Devin Brosnan, who was hired in September 2018, according to a release from police spokesperson Sgt. John Chafee. Officer Devin Brosnan in a file photo. (Atlanta Police Department via AP) The police department also released body camera and dash camera footage from both officers. Protesters on Saturday night set fire to the Wendys restaurant where Brooks was fatally shot the night before and blocked traffic on a nearby highway, although the fire was out by 11:30 p.m. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced the police chiefs resignation at a Saturday afternoon news conference, and called for the immediate firing of the officer who opened fire at Brooks. I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer, Bottoms said. She said it was Shields own decision to step aside as police chief and that she would remain with the city in an undetermined role. Interim Corrections Chief Rodney Bryant would serve as interim police chief until a permanent replacement is found. Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields attends a press conference in Atlanta, Ga., on Jan. 4, 2018. (David Goldman/AP Photo) The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the shooting, said the deadly confrontation started with officers responding to a complaint that a man was sleeping in a car blocking the restaurants drive-thru lane. The GBI said Brooks failed a field sobriety test and then resisted officers attempts to arrest him. The GBI released security camera video of the shooting Saturday. The footage shows a man running from two white police officers as he raises a hand, which is holding some type of object, toward an officer a few steps behind him. The officer draws his gun and fires as the man keeps running, then falls to the ground in the parking lot. GBI Director Vic Reynolds said Brooks had grabbed a Taser from one of the officers and appeared to point it at the officer as he fled, prompting the officer to reach for his gun and fire an estimated three shots. The security camera video recorded Brooks running or fleeing from Atlanta police officers, Reynolds said. It appears that he has in his hand a Taser. The footage does not show Brooks initial struggle with police. L. Chris Stewart, an attorney for Brooks family, said the officer who shot him should be charged for an unjustified use of deadly force, which equals murder. You cant have it both ways in law enforcement, Stewart said. You cant say a Taser is a nonlethal weapon but when an African American grabs it and runs with it, now its some kind of deadly, lethal weapon that calls for you to unload on somebody. He said Brooks was a father of four and had celebrated a daughters eighth birthday Friday before he was killed. According to newly released body camera video footage posted by CBS46 Atlanta, the officer who shot Brooks can be heard saying to another officer, He definitely did shoot it at me at least once. The shooting came at a time of heightened tension over the May 25 death of Floyd in Minneapolis and calls for police reform. Atlanta was among U.S. cities where large crowds of protesters took to the streets. Demonstrators, including members of Brooks family, gathered Saturday outside the restaurant where he was shot. Shields, Atlantas police chief for less than four years, was initially praised in the days following Floyds death last month. She said the Minnesota officers involved should go to prison and walked into crowds of protesters in downtown Atlanta, telling demonstrators she understood their frustrations and fears. She appeared at Bottoms side as the mayor made an impassioned plea for protesters to go home when things turned violent with smashed storefronts and police cruisers set ablaze. Days later, Shields fired two officers and benched three others caught on video May 30 in a hostile confrontation with two college students whose car was stuck in traffic caused by the protests. The officers fired Tasers at the pair and dragged them from the vehicle. When prosecutors later charged six of the officers involved, however, Shields openly questioned the charges. In a statement, Shields said she chose to resign out of a deep and abiding love for this city and this department. It is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, Shields said. Reynolds said his agents will turn over results of their investigation to Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, whose office will decide whether criminal charges are warranted against either officer. Howard said Saturday his office has already launched an intense, independent investigation of the incident without waiting for the GBIs results. Brooks died after being taken to an Atlanta hospital. One of the officers was treated and released for unspecified injuries. The Epoch Times contributed to this report. Time Out Group plc (LON:TMO) shareholders (or potential shareholders) will be happy to see that the Non-Executive Chairman, Peter Adam Dubens, recently bought a whopping UK803k worth of stock, at a price of UK0.35. That purchase boosted their holding by 87%, which makes us wonder if the move was inspired by quietly confident deeply-felt optimism. View our latest analysis for Time Out Group The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Time Out Group In fact, the recent purchase by Peter Adam Dubens was the biggest purchase of Time Out Group shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at around the current price of UK0.39. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. We do always like to see insider buying, but it is worth noting if those purchases were made at well below today's share price, as the discount to value may have narrowed with the rising price. The good news for Time Out Group share holders is that an insider was buying at near the current price. The only individual insider to buy over the last year was Peter Adam Dubens. 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! AIM:TMO Recent Insider Trading June 14th 2020 There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. Insider Ownership Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Our data indicates that Time Out Group insiders own about UK6.6m worth of shares (which is 6.0% of the company). We do generally prefer see higher levels of insider ownership. Story continues So What Do The Time Out Group Insider Transactions Indicate? It is good to see the recent insider purchase. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. But we don't feel the same about the fact the company is making losses. We would certainly prefer see higher levels of insider ownership but analysis of the insider transactions suggests that Time Out Group insiders are expecting a bright future. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Time Out Group. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Time Out Group (of which 2 are a bit concerning!) 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. Love or hate this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email 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. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. It is truly time for America's military veterans, numbering approximately 19 million men and women, to stand up and publicly, earnestly support the nation's law enforcement officers. Described herein is a proposed strategy for a new organization or program and project called Veterans Alliance for Law and Order (VALOR) to accomplish this important objective not only with words, but also with deeds. The strategy envisions the participation of not only veterans' organizations such as the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Concerned Veterans for America, but also hundreds of veterans' service organizations and various veterans' associations scattered throughout the nation.. Veterans took an oath, a lifelong oath, to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Currently, there are several leftist, radical domestic enemies of the Constitution and the nation operating in full force in several major U.S. cities. The actions of the group called Antifa perhaps best exemplify these domestic enemies. Antifa's actions include orchestrated attacks on hundreds of the nation's police officers and police equipment (including overtaking police stations) and the looting and burning of untold numbers of stores and business establishments. Several police officers have been killed and several hundred injured as a result of Antifa's actions. It is quite clear that Antifa desires anarchy in America. As of the writing of this article, few major conservative organizations have offered, other than words, any tangible support for the nation's police and sheriff's departments. For the most part, veterans' organizations have publicly said little in support of police officers, sheriff's deputies, and the need for law and order. For sure, some or many departments need better and more in-depth training to help officers overcome any racist attitudes they may consciously or sub-consciously possess, but police and sheriffs need to be fully and tangibly supported in their mission to maintain law and order. Many police and sheriff's departments are likely to experience major budget cuts and defunding in some manner as a result of vocal demands for this to happen. Compounding cuts in funding are the rising significant problems with officer retention and recruitment experienced by many departments. Given all the above, a new veterans' organization (or project) is proposed that is specifically geared to tangibly supporting police and sheriff's departments. This organization would be jointly sponsored and operated by many of the veterans' organizations listed above, along with other non-veteran organizations and individuals who wish to participate. The name of the new organization would be Veterans Alliance for Law and Order (VALOR). The primary mission of VALOR would be to support police and sheriff's departments with additional funding for safety and other equipment and specialized training that will help to protect the lives of police officers and sheriff's deputies as well as enable them to be more efficient in the performance of their duties. The additional funding would come from fundraising efforts primarily performed by members of America's veterans' organizations, other veterans, and concerned citizens living in the over 3,000 counties throughout the nation. Following is a proposed logo for VALOR: As background, VALOR was initially formed by the author and four other veterans during 2017 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity having the same primary mission as described above. However, due to a lack of major donors at that time, it was decided to disband the organization. Today, the domestic situation in America is vastly different: police and sheriffs are under attack by radical leftist groups (and an often complicit news media) calling for major cuts in police budgets and even complete dissolution of law enforcement departments. A veterans' organization like VALOR is truly needed to unite the large majority of the nation's veterans and other elements of American society in honoring and tangibly standing up for law and order throughout the nation. During 2017, the need for a veterans' organization like VALOR became evident after interviewing several police and sheriff's departments in four states (Georgia, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Colorado). The below statement by the executive director of the Georgia Sheriff's Association is representative of the bona fide need for VALOR: In many counties, sheriffs are unable to provide these dedicated men and women (deputy sheriffs) adequate weaponry, ammunition, basic safety equipment, cameras and other necessities due to the lack of funding. The importance of VALOR's mission to raise funds in support of the essential equipment and supply needs of our deputy sheriffs and other law enforcement officers cannot be overstated and is truly appreciated. It is not at all surprising to the sheriffs that a group of honored military veterans, who have served and protected our country, continue to serve and stand for law and order in such a significant manner. In conclusion, it truly is time for America's veterans to stand up and lead an effort to honor and support the nation's law enforcement officers and departments, not only with words, but also with deeds. It remains to be seen which veterans' organization is willing and recognizes the need to step up, assume a leadership role, and coordinate with other veterans' organizations to make VALOR a reality. Paul S. Gardiner is a retired Army lieutenant colonel, Vietnam veteran, and member of the American Legion. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Alabama, and United States Army War College. He is an avid lover of America, residing in Hoschton, Georgia. MBABANE Police officers are supposed to uphold the law and stick to the rules but they have been caught doing exactly the opposite. With the country having been on partial lockdown since March 27, which comes with stringent movement of people, to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, some police officers have been found to have violated rules put in place to ensure such. In the process, the officers contracted the coronavirus. The Times SUNDAY has seen internal communication from National Commissioner of Police William Tsintsibala Dlamini expressing disappointment at what had happened. The police officers who contracted the virus were found to have gone against an order that they should stay within their camps and not visit home after they had their leave and days off suspended. internal memo The order or command was communicated to all police officers through an internal memo dated March 25, 2020 with the code NATCOM/99/16/V/8. This headquarters has learnt with dismay that some officers have tested positive to the COVID-19 epidemic. Despite this official command, further investigations, known as contact-tracing as done by Ministry of Health indicates that the positive cases were officers infected while in their homes yet they are expected to be at their respective camps in compliance to the above quoted signal, reads the commissioners communication dated April 30, 2020 under the code NATCOM/99/16/V/10. Through the communication, the NATCOM reminded officers not detailed to the partial lockdown operations to be on full standby at their respective police camps. The police chief said this would be in compliance with governments call that there should be no unnecessary movements a measure designed to curb the spread of the virus. In the event an officer is having pressing business to attend at home, such officer shall first obtain permission from the national commissioner through their respective regional commissioners, further stated the NATCOM. He continued: Through this medium, may we once again remind all officers to strictly adhere to the safety precautions and all preventative measures as pronounced in the Ministry of Health and World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines. All officers were told to comply with the mandatory requirement that everyone in the kingdom should always wear a face mask. This is also applicable to officers on duty whether in uniform or plain clothes, added the NATCOM. leave and days off were suspended Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, the Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, said the leave and days off were suspended so that operations of the police service could not be compromised. Defending the officers decision to go visit home, she said: Furthermore, the communique which suspended all days off and leaves had a provision that officers with pressing business to attend at home cold obtain permission from the national commissioner trough regional commissioners. Vilakati said due to accommodation challenges facing government departments, a number of police officers, through an existing arrangement, reside in their homesteads and commute to work on a daily basis. On the other hand, the NATCOM also sent an internal communication to all police officers informing them how they are to attend funeral services of their colleagues. According to the communication, only 11 officers are supposed to be at the funeral of a colleague who has passed on. social distance The countrys COVID-19 regulations prohibit a gathering of more than 20 people and this includes funerals and memorial services. On April 9, 2020, the NATCOM wrote the following communication: In light of the measures to counter COVID-19, in particular the maximum number of people per gathering (20) and social distance, it became necessary that the national commissioner put in place an interim arrangement regarding the number of officers to attend the funerals as above stated. From now on until further notice, the complement of police officers attending funerals will be as follows: - four officers forming the Firing party; four officers forming the pall bearers; the police chaplain; the national commissioners representative; the police bugler. This is essence means that in any funeral involving a police officer there shall be only eleven officers in official attendance. Regional commissioners were commanded to ensure that this order is complied with. However, this was not observed during the burial of 11 officers who passed on when they were involved in a freak traffic accident on April 30, 2020. The officers died when the kombi they were travelling in collided with a truck between New Village and Ngwane Park along Mhlaleni-Nhlangano Yithabantu Highway. The driver of the truck also died in the accident while four other officers who were on board the kombi survived. When Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, the Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, was asked on the failure to observer their own internal COVID-19 rules, she chose to refer to the regulations which she said applied equally across all spectrum of society without discriminating. However, it should be acknowledged that some situations are by nature unprecedented and peculiar. The public is urged to continue reporting those who do not comply with the COVID-19 regulations through the 112 toll-free line or the police emergency hotline at 999, Vilakati said. Avoiding answering directly on the precedent that has been set by the failure to adhere to their own rules, she said according to the COVID-19 Regulations, the stipulated limit in the number of people attending a funeral remained at 20 and until these regulations are modified compliance in this regard is not optional. mental health advice Meanwhile, the NATCOM also issued advice on mental health to officers during the coronavirus outbreak as he said the disease may be stressful for people. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Coping with stress will make you, the people you care about and your community stronger, he said. He then listed a number of stress signs during infectious disease outbreaks and ways for the officers to cope with the situation. The coping mechanisms include staying physically healthy; limiting the consumption of news; trying something new; staying connected; and not being afraid to get help. He even stated in the mechanism of staying connected that the restriction of movement order does not mean total isolation. Modern technology keeps us connected even when we are physically apart. Call family and friends, Dlamini said. He added: We might be in a situation of heightened tension where many of us have not faced. It is ok if you are more affected emotionally by this than others. It is real concern and you do not have this alone, talk with people you trust. Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) has been named an Innovator in Islamic Finance for 2020 by Global Finance magazine, marking the fourth consecutive year that ADIBs innovations have been commended by the publications judging panel. Three of ADIBs digital banking services contributed to the award: Smart Banking, ADIBs intuitive mobile app; Express Finance, a service providing customers with access to personal finance in less than 30 minutes; and Moneysmart.ae, the online community that connects users to share financial knowledge and experiences. Serhat Yildrim, Chief Digital Officer at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, said: The Innovator in Islamic Finance award comes in recognition of our efforts to further enhance our digital capabilities to ensure customers enjoy a seamless, safe and straightforward banking experience. This is underpinned by the significant growth we have seen across our digital banking platforms. In the first quarter of 2020, we saw a 17 per cent increase in average daily downloads of our app and a 20 per cent increase in daily transaction. The growth is not just limited to our retail customers and weve seen over 30 per cent growth on the corporate side. In recent years, ADIB has invested heavily in innovative banking solutions as part of a digital transformation strategy. The ADIB mobile app currently records over 2 million mobile transactions every month as customers conduct a wide range of banking activities, such as applying for cards and financing or paying bills, all from the comfort and convenience of their own home. ADIB has recently launched ADIB Direct, a new digital banking platform for businesses that integrates a suite of banking solutions into a single, streamlined interface. The platform includes ADIB Office Banking, which provides a number of remote access solutions, such as cheque printing, cheque scanning, alongside other services, enabling customers to enjoy fast and secured 24/7 banking experience remotely. ADIB has received numerous awards for its digital and trade financing offerings in recent months including Best Islamic Financier at the International Trade Finance Awards 2019 and Best Islamic Digital Bank by Global Finance. The bank was also named Worlds Best Islamic Bank by the FTs The Banker Magazine. - TradeArabia News Service A long-ignored white blood cell may be central to the immune system overreaction that is the most common cause of death for COVID-19 patients -- and University of Michigan researchers found that rod-shaped particles can take them out of circulation. The No. 1 cause of death for COVID-19 patients echoes the way the 1918 influenza pandemic killed: their lungs fill with fluid and they essentially drown. This is called acute respiratory distress syndrome. But a new way of drawing immune cells out of the lungs might be able to prevent this outcome. This research is among the essential projects at U-M that have continued through the pandemic uninterrupted. ARDS is a manifestation of a condition known as cytokine storm, in which the immune system overreacts and begins attacking the person's own organs. In ARDS, out-of-control white blood cells break down lung tissue and cause fluid to build up. Helping to lead the charge is a type of white blood cell called the neutrophil, which makes up 60% to 70% of intruder-eating "phagocyte" cells in humans. "They're like the Coast Guard -- their main job is to make sure your boundaries aren't breached," said Lola Eniola-Adefeso, University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor and a professor of chemical engineering, who led the research. Neutrophils aren't specialized, which enables them to respond to many threats, she explained. But sometimes, that lack of specialization means they don't know when to quit. "As long as there's cues, neutrophils keep acting. In some instances, the feedback loop is broken, and that turns what is meant to be a good response into a bad response," Eniola-Adefeso said. advertisement One of their actions is to emit signaling molecules called cytokines that tell cells to break down barriers and let blood and fluid into a problem site. When that response turns bad, the neutrophils need to be stopped so that other cells can step in and repair the damage. Previously, Eniola-Adefeso's group showed that plastic microparticles injected into the blood of mice could distract neutrophils, diverting them away from areas of severe inflammation in their lungs. The neutrophils would grab the particle and head to the liver to dispose of it. Microplastics used in this way eased ARDS in mice. But any type of phagocyte might take up a sphere, which means a sphere-based therapy is likely to affect other parts of the immune response. However, it was already known that other phagocytes aren't fond of rod-shaped particles. Eniola-Adefeso said they "get lazy" with the long wrapping process around a rod. "We asked, do neutrophils also have a disdain for eating rods?" she said. "We found the complete opposite. They actually have a preference for eating rods." And that preference is useful for targeting neutrophils and leaving other white blood cells to do their jobs. They found that when they offered rods to different phagocytes, 80% of the neutrophils ate them, whereas only 5% to 10% of other phagocytes did. The comparisons included macrophages, another cell that eats intruders, and dendritic cells, which capture intruders and then show the other immune cells what to look for. The team is currently exploring whether neutrophil-distracting particles can be made from medications rather than plastic. Eniola-Adefeso is now working with the U-M Office of Technology Transfer to advance her delivery system toward clinical trials, in hopes that it may prove useful in the fight against COVID-19. U-M has applied for patent protection and has launched a start-up company, Asalyxa. Eniola-Adefeso is also a professor of biomedical engineering and professor of macromolecular science and engineering. The research is funded by the Falk Medical Research Trust, the National Institutes of Health and the University of Michigan. The Delhi government has withdrawn its order to convert private nursing homes in capital with 10 to 49 beds into Covid nursing homes within a day of its release. The move announced on Sunday morning was supposed to add 5,000 beds to Delhis total capacity for treatment of coronavirus patients. The decision was widely seen as part of frantic efforts by the Delhi government to ensure the availability of close to 80,000 beds dedicated to Covid-19 patients treatment by the end of July, when the total number of cases are expected to rise to 5.5 lakh by one estimate, overwhelming the citys health infrastructure if advance preparations are not made. In order to avoid intermingling of Covid and non-Covid patients in small & medium multi-specialty nursing homes (10 bedded to 49 bedded) and also to augment the bed capacity for Covid-19 patients, all nursing homes in NCT of Delhi having bed strength of 10 beds or more upto 49 beds are declared as Covid nursing homes, the order said this morning. It had, however, left standalone facilities like eye centres, dialysis centres, maternity homes from its purview. The Delhi governments move this morning was also seen in the context of criticism that the citys health infrastructure was cracking under pressure and over the highlighted cases of undignified handling of bodies, which even invited the Supreme Courts ire. Another government estimate based on projections using mathematical models has predicted coronavirus cases in the capitals rise to 100,000 cases by June end, which would necessitate the availability of at least 15,000 hospital beds for treatment of moderate and severe cases. In another important and related development, the Union ministry of health directed hospitals in the city to tweak the protocol and immediately hand over the bodies of suspected Covid-19 fatalities to their relatives without waiting for lab confirmation of their Covid status. In compliance with orders of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Health Ministry directs that bodies of suspected Covid-19 cases in Delhi be handed over to relatives immediately without waiting for lab confirmation, the order said. Several hospitals had blamed the need to keep bodies till confirmation of their lab reports as one major reason for the difficulty in managing the bodies which were allegedly found piling up in some hospitals as per media reports cited in the court. The ministry has also set up three teams of four doctors each from AIIMS Delhi, directorate general of health services, Union health ministry and Delhi government to inspect major dedicated Covid-19 facilities proposed in Delhi and make recommendations for improvement. Union home minister Amit Shah had also announced a comprehensive health survey of every person in Delhi containment zones to check the spread of coronavirus apart from the ambitious plan to treble testing within six days. Shah also said that a committee would be set up to allocate 60 per cent beds in private hospitals at a lower rate for coronavirus patients. Press Release June 14, 2020 Lacson Ready to Join Street Protests if Anti-Terrorism Measure Abused More at: https://pinglacson.net/2020/06/14/lacson-ready-to-join-street-protests-if-anti-terrorism-measure-abused/ Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson on Sunday vowed to closely monitor and call out potential abuses in the implementation of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, should it become law. Lacson said he will not allow anyone to pervert the legislative intent of the measure that he had painstakingly sponsored on the Senate floor. "The Anti-Terrorism Bill is the wrong tree to bark at. I vow to join those who are concerned, genuinely or otherwise, about the proposed law's implementation to be as vigilant in monitoring each and every wrongful implementation by our security forces, even to the point of joining them in street protests, just like what I did before during the time of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo," he said. Lacson maintained the bill contains more than enough safeguards against abuse, such as 10-year jail terms and perpetual disqualification from public service for law enforcers who arrest suspected terrorists but fail to immediately inform the nearest judge and the Commission on Human Rights of this. He said he would be the first to probe such abuses, which go against the legislative intent of the measure that he sponsored in the Senate. "I assure them that I will be the first to stand on the Senate floor and call out those responsible for abuse at the top of my voice in privilege speeches and Senate inquiries, if and when it comes to that, as I have done so before and during this current administration," he said. "Regarding the abuses, we've seen them, we've investigated them. The cops responsible for the murder of Kian de los Santos were convicted, largely because of our Senate inquiries. We need a tough anti-terror law but with tougher safeguards to fight and defeat both," he added. H isam Choucair lost six close family members in the Grenfell Tower blaze - his mother, sister, brother-in-law and three nieces. His youngest niece, Zainab, was just three years old when she died on June 14, 2017. The child was one of 72 people to perish in the Notting Hill tower block in the early hours of that morning as flammable cladding casing the building saw the fire burn and smoke rise over west London. His mother Sirria lived in Flat 191 on the 22nd floor, his sister Nadia and brother in law Bassem in flat 193 with their young girls Mierna, Fatima and Zainab. Today Hisam, a 43-year-old Transport for London worker, will make his way as close to the tower as he can, lay down flowers and say a prayer for them. He said he will tell his family that he will continue to fight for justice in their names. On Sunday Britons are being urged to 'Go Green for Grenfell' from their homes to mark the anniversary / REUTERS "The intention is to go down to the tower to access the inner cordon, and to lay down some flowers and just say a prayer," Hisam explained. "We [a group of next of kin] will go to pay respects and to show that we will not be silenced. "And [that we will] continue our long fight for justice and for things to change, and to address issues which have contributed to the atrocity and the inferno, and to make sure it doesn't happen again." After a pause, he added: "We do what we can - we are just normal people... We have been scarred for life." Hisam is among relatives of victims who believe that racism played a roll in the tragedy. They are now calling for the official Grenfell Inquiry to examine whether the diversity of the building's tenants was a factor in how their calls were treated on the night, and how their survivors and relatives have been handled by authorities in the past three years. Thousands of people around the world have turned out in recent weeks to protest against racism and police brutality after the death of George Floyd. Mr Floyd, a black man from Minneapolis, died on May 25 after a white officer held him down by pressing a knee into his neck for nearly nine minutes. The incident was caught on video, and millions around the world have watched Mr Floyd say "I can't breathe" on screen. Hisam "took the knee" - an act which has become a symbol of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement - outside Grenfell Tower earlier this week. "In my opinion it is paramount that racism is looked at as part of the Inquiry," he explained. "When I did that the other day, it wasn't just about what happened in America. This [racism], is something that we wanted to address from the beginning of the inquiry. On June 14 2017 72 people lost their lives in Grenfell Tower / REUTERS When I took the knee I did it in respect of George Floyd's family because I feel his pain, because I've shared his pain. "When my sister rang the London Fire Brigade control room, she told them 'we can't breathe'. The LFB control room failed to act on the seriousness of her comments "You only have to look at Grenfell. The majority of the people were from ethnic backgrounds. Their lives mattered. Its horrible to say, but if the building had been in Knightsbridge, and the majority of people had been from a white background, the response might have been different. Hisam believes the inquiry should set an example and tackle the issue head on. He added: "The inquiry are saying 'if something like this is to be looked at, it shouldn't be done as part of the inquiry', but no... The inquiry should be setting an example for truth and for justice for people." Hisam, along with other relatives of those who died in the tower, is also continuing to ask questions over why disabled people - like his own mother - were placed in a high rise block by authorities, and why the building was not better kept. Hisam Choucair, who lost six members of his family in a single day, shared a picture of their coffins in a Queen's Park mosque with the Standard (Hisam Choucair) Before hanging up the phone, the Londoner said he would send pictures of his family, and of their coffins inside Al-Khoei mosque in Queen's Park in 2017. He explained he does not mind sharing all the details, however painful, because he wants to continue to speaking out on their behalf. "Half my family was wiped out in a day," he said. "There's nothing I can do to bring them back, but there is something I can do to challenge the injustice of how they went." The disaster is the subject of a criminal investigation and ongoing public inquiry, which has been beset by delays. Thousands of people with connections to Grenfell have been interviewed or given statements, including survivors, emergency workers, developers and council chiefs. This week Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council Leader, Elizabeth Campbell, said its resumption would be a welcome step towards truth, and to justice. She wrote in a public letter: No matter your point of view, your role, or which organisation you represent now or previously, Grenfell is a tragedy that should not have happened. It is a tragedy that can never happen again. The 2nd Anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire - In pictures 1 /55 The 2nd Anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire - In pictures Family and friends of the 72 people who lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower block during a wreath laying ceremony outside the building PA Family and friends of the 72 people who lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower block fire gather outside the west London building PA Mayor of London Sadiq Kahn lays a wreath outside Grenfell Tower PA Survivors march through the streets of London in memory of the victims of the Grenfell Fire REUTERS Balloons are released in memory of those who died in the tragic Grenfell Tower fire Getty Images Women look at a hoarding covered in messages of condolence REUTERS People gather before a vigil during commemorations to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire REUTERS A woman carries a sign before a vigil for victims REUTERS Mayor of London Sadiq Kahn arrives outside Grenfell Tower to meet survivors PA Members of the public at a service of remembrance AFP/Getty Images People gather as doves are released outside St Helens church, London, following a service to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire PA People mourn at the Grenfell tower to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire AP Members of the public release balloons at a service of remembrance for the Grenfell tower fire, at St Helen's Church in west London AFP/Getty Images A hoarding covered in messages of condolence is seen at the base of Grenfell tower two years after the fire Reuters Family and friends of the victims of those who died in the tragic Grenfell Tower fire attend a memorial service at St. Helens Church in North Kensington Getty Images Mayor of London Sadiq Khan (left) and Housing Secretary James Brokenshire (right) attend a service of remembrance at St Helens church, London, to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire PA A vicar passes out candles at a memorial service for those who those who died in the tragic Grenfell Tower fire at St. Helens Church in North Kensington Getty Images Clarrie Mendy-Solomon, who lost two family members in the disaster reacts as she attends a memorial service marking the second anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire at St. Helen's Church Reuters Women looks at a hoarding covered in messages of condolence at the base of Grenfell tower two years after the fire Reuters Doves are released after a service of remembrance for the Grenfell tower fire, at St Helen's Church AFP/Getty Images Participants attend a march marking the second anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire Reuters People look at a hoarding covered in messages of condolence at the base of Grenfell tower two years after the fire Reuters White doves are released during a memorial service marking the second anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire at St. Helen's Churc Reuters AFP/Getty Images People gather as balloons are released outside St Helens church, London, following a service to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire PA People gather outside St Helens church, London, following a service to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire PA A service of remembrance takes place at St Helens church, London, to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire PA Members of the public arrive for a service of remembrance for the Grenfell tower fire at St Helen's church in west London AFP/Getty Images A service of remembrance takes place at St Helens church, London, to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire People gather outside St Helens church, London, following a service to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire PA Members of the public arrive for a service of remembrance for the Grenfell tower fire at St Helen's church in west London AFP/Getty Images Members of the congregation during a service of remembrance at St Helens church, London, to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire PA A service of remembrance takes place at St Helens church, London, to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire Mayor of London Sadiq Khan speaks at a service of remembrance at St Helens church, London, to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire PA Housing Secretary James Brokenshire (left)attends a service of remembrance at St Helens church, London, to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire PA A service of remembrance takes place at St Helens church, London, to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire PA Mayor of London Sadiq Khan speaks at a service of remembrance at St Helens church, London, to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire PA Tributes in memory of the Grenfell Tower tragedy Getty Images Grenfell Tower is seen near Latimer Road, Kensington Getty Images Tributes in memory of the Grenfell Tower tragedy are seen in the streets Getty Images A service of remembrance takes place at St Helens church, London, to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire Alex Lentati Mayor of London Sadiq Khan attends a service of remembrance at St Helens church, London, to mark the two-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire Alex Lentati A vigil is held close to the Grenfell Tower to mark the second anniversary of the tragedy Nigel Howard People obersve a memorial during a vigil to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell tower fire Getty Images A woman wipes her eye during a vigil to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell tower fire Getty Images Downing Street glows green to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire EPA Second Anniversary vigil held close to Grenfell Tower Nigel Howard People release balloons in front of Grenfell Tower during a vigil to mark the second anniversary of the fir Getty Images Downing Street is lit up green to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell tower fire Getty Images Kensington Palace is lit up green to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell tower fire Getty Images Kensington Palace is lit up green to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell tower fire Getty Images A a message demanding change projected onto a building in Newcastle PA A man stands next to a memorial for Grenfell Tower at last night's vigill Getty Images Second Anniversary vigil held close to Grenfell Tower. Nigel Howard Grenfell Tower is seen illuminated in green to mark the second anniversary of the fire Getty Images A representative for the victims' next of kin told the Standard: "There is a reason that we have a problem with institutional racism - because we don't want to get into conversations about race. "Right now, what you can't ignore is that the overwhelming majority of people who died in the tower were ethnic minorities, so the question is why do those people end up in the front line of vulnerability? The issues around housing, race in housing provision and safety, duty of care, services - all of those are part of the Grenfell story, part of why they weren't listened to, even on the night. So it has to be part of the terms of reference of the inquiry." In a statement, Ms Campbell said the council was doing all it could to help the public inquiry and that it welcomed the "intense scrutiny." We will continue doing all we can to assist and help the public inquiry, as demonstrated in phase one, and we understand that the actions and decisions of those serving the Council prior to 14 June 2017 will be under intense scrutiny," she said. We welcome this, and we hope those giving evidence over the coming months and years accept it. Artwork by children affected by Grenfell Tower fire 1 /4 Artwork by children affected by Grenfell Tower fire The children were asked to paint what carnival meant to them following the tragedy Children's artwork due to feature in Notting Hill carnival The artwork is created by children affected by the Grenfell Tower fire Artwork by Fiona Hawthorne Fiona Hawthorne Our first thoughts and our last thoughts will always be with those who lost their lives, their families, their friends. We will help to ensure lessons are learned and they can be applied by every council, every authority, every building owner, every private landlord, and every single person that has responsibility for housing in this country. As the annual vigil at the base of the block carcass cannot take place due to Covid-19 restrictions, survivors and relatives have created online events - including online multi-faith services - to come together and mark the anniversary this Sunday. A 'Go Green for Grenfell initiative has seen green butterflies have appear on walls, lampposts and letterboxes around west London over the past week, and after dark on Sunday many windows across the UK will be streaming a bright green light from their phones or television screens as a mark of solidarity with both survivors and the bereaved. The bells of St Pauls and Southwark cathedrals will toll 72 times in honour of the 72 victims. Baghdad, June 15 : The total number of COVID-19 infections in Iraq climbed on Sunday to 20,209, after the health ministry reported 1,259 new cases since Saturday. The new cases were 587 in the capital Baghdad, 122 in Dhi Qar, 81 in Najaf, 79 in Maysan, 69 in Kirkuk, 51 in Basra and Sulaimaniyah each, 39 in Wasit, 38 in Karbala, 36 in Erbil, 32 in Diyala, 29 in Anbar, 12 in Salahudin, 10 in in Babil, nine in Duhok and Diwaniyah each, four in Nineveh and one in Muthanna, the ministry said in a statement, Xinhua reported. Meanwhile, 58 more died from the coronavirus during the day, with 29 in Baghdad's hospitals, bringing the death toll to 607, while a total of 8,121 patients have recovered, according to the statement. The new cases were recorded after 9,920 testing kits were used across the country during the day. A total of 369,870 tests have been conducted since the outbreak of the disease. A day earlier, the Iraqi authorities decided to partially lift the nationwide curfew from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting Sunday. Other restrictions adopted in the country include demanding wearing masks, preventing religious and social gatherings, imposing fines and severe penalties on violators of the health instructions. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Artifacts were found inside of the base of the Jefferson Davis statue during its removal Saturday. (Reuters) Artifacts Found in Jefferson Davis Statue Being Removed in Kentucky Capitol Officials uncovered artifacts inside the base of a statue of Jefferson Davis, the former president of the Confederate States of America, in Frankfort, Kentucky. They found a bottle of Glenmore Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey as well as a copy of the State Journal newspaper on the day the statue was erected on Oct. 20, 1936. The bottle was empty. Photographer Matt Stone of the Kentucky Courier-Journal also confirmed the bottle was found with a note. According to WDRB, the items were handed over to Gov. Andy Beshear after they were found. On June 12, a Kentucky panel voted to remove the statue of Davis, who led the Confederacy during the Civil War between 1861 and 1865, from the state Capitol Rotunda. After calling for its removal and urging the Historic Properties Advisory Commission to act, today I pressed the button to bring it down. Now, every child who walks into their Capitol feels welcome. Today we took a step forward for the betterment of every single Kentuckian. ^AB pic.twitter.com/Aqar1iXgur Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) June 13, 2020 After calling for its removal and urging the Historic Properties Advisory Commission to act, today I pressed the button to bring it down, Beshear wrote on Twitter. Now, every child who walks into their Capitol feels welcome. Today we took a step forward for the betterment of every single Kentuckian. A statue of Jefferson Davis, second from left, president of the Confederate States from 18611865, is on display in Statuary Hall on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 24, 2015. (Susan Walsh/AP Photo) The statue will be placed in storage before being relocated at a state park that commemorates Davis in Fairview, Kentucky, where he was born. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 22:14:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ABUJA, June 14 (Xinhua) -- About 82 bodies had been recovered so far from four attacks in three different locations by suspected Boko Haram militants in a state in Nigeria's northeast region, local sources said. Corpses of Boko Haram militants, civilians, and some soldiers were recovered since Saturday in the latest bloody attacks in three locations of the northeastern state of Borno, local media reported on Sunday. However, the Nigerian army said in a statement on Sunday that only 20 Boko Haram militants were killed by troops while repelling an attack in Monguno, one of the locations of the four attacks this weekend. The army said that the militants had "attempted to breach the town" but troops inflicted heavy casualties on them. Some of the militants were captured and their equipment, including four gun trucks, was destroyed. The media and other local sources, including humanitarian workers, confirmed some 20 soldiers were killed while repelling the attack in Monguno. In Gubio and Nganzai, two other locations that came under intense attacks by the Boko Haram militants, a total of 42 civilians were killed on the same day, according to a top military officer. A village head said the militants held sway for several hours shooting everyone at sight, including women and children, while burning down houses in Nganzai. "We held a mass burial for our beloved ones killed today (Sunday). This is sad. In Gubio, another mass burial was held today also for people killed by these mindless killers. We really need security help," said the village chief who spoke in a local Nigerian language. On June 9, at least 81 residents were killed by Boko Haram militants in another village in Gubio, according to local officials. Since 2009, Boko Haram has been trying to establish an Islamist state in northeastern Nigeria, extending its attacks to countries in the Lake Chad Basin. The group has posed enormous security, humanitarian and governance challenges in the Lake Chad Basin, including Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Benin, and Niger, according to the United Nations. Enditem Capard House in Laois near seldom featured on the trail of the travel writer or gazetteer, only briefly attracting attention during its elaborate construction in the late 1790s. In many respects, Capard remained unknown to the outside world and lay in the shadow of the other great houses of Laois. However, Capard was central to the social, economic and political life of Rosenallis and the wider community over several hundred years. Below: Capard House around 1910 Since 2015 Capard has undergone one of the largest restoration projects of an Irish country house to date. This book charts the history of Capard House and estate from the arrival of the Pigott family in Ireland in the 1560s to its present-day restoration. Lavishly illustrated throughout, the story of Capard challenges many of the stereotypical interpretations of the Irish country house. The story of Capard House, whose history stretches back to the 1620s when the Pigotts were first granted land outside Rosenallis is one of survival and renewal. Following periods of decline, members of the Pigott family renewed the fortunes of the house and estate. The present house at Capard dates to the 1790s when John Pigott commenced one of the largest building projects in the country. Employing over 200 local people in the process the building of Capard was interrupted by the onset of the 1798 rebellion and for some years the house lay unfinished. The Battle of Capard Exactly 98 years ago next month, in July 1922, Capard House was rattled by the sound of incessant gunfire as the house played host to one of the opening salvos of the Irish Civil War. In the Rosenallis area the approaching Irish Civil War in 1922 brought about considerable unrest, particularly in relation to the division of land. When the Civil War hostilities commenced in late June, the Anti-Treaty IRA quickly moved and seized Capard House. The objective of the Anti-Treaty IRA was to hold a defensive line stretching from Dublin to Limerick as they prepared for the Free State, or National army, to advance. The Slieve Bloom Mountains, and by extension Capard, provided a significant defensive position to do so. Under the direction of Lar Brady, Officer Commanding of the Laois (Leix) IRA, in early July more than sixty Anti-Treatyites were billeted in the house.Tensions ran high as the Free State army in Maryborough waited on their chance to attack. However, with the Civil War only a matter of days old they were reluctant to do so. An indication of the Anti-Treatyites optimism in holding Capard can be seen by the fact that they allowed Edward Kenny and his family to remain in residence, ultimately ensuring the safety and survival of the contents of the house. In order to secure their position Brady ordered that four large trees were to be felled on the avenues, but in doing so caused large breaches in the demesne wall. On the morning of 12 July the Free State army in Maryborough were given orders to attack. Shortly after 5am the Anti-Treaty sentry at the gate lodge, Nicholas Gorman was taken by surprise as the Free State army advanced on Capard. Only for the actions of Gorman most of the Laois Anti-Treaty IRA would have been easily captured. Initially appearing to surrender, Gorman raced towards the house closing the front door and alerting those inside of what was happening. Two Lancia armoured cars proceeded up the main avenue firing relentlessly on the house. Simultaneously, an attack was made from the rear of the house from the Ballyhuppahaune direction. Parking in front of the house the armoured cars continued to fire, peppering the building with bullets. Michael Sheehy, an Anti-Treaty soldier, later recalled that the plaster fell around them as the bullets hit the wall in the room where he was sleeping. The Anti-Treaty forces inside were completely overwhelmed only occasionally returning gunfire. Under intense fire, Paddy Bray was selected to fire at the armoured car, but made little impact. Throughout the morning rifle and grenade fire battered the house. Huddling for safety Edward Kenny and his family made their way to the silver safe where they remained during the bombardment. Such was the barrage, one shell was said to have left a crater in the roof. Lasting over four hours, nearly every pane of glass in the house was shattered and bullets peppered the facade. A number of Free State officers were injured in the stand-off including Patrick Mulcahy, a brother of the Minister for Defence, Richard Mulcahy, was shot through the hip, and Sergeant Houlihan who was shot in the foot. Having expended their ammunition, and with no sign of breaking through the Anti-Treaty defences, the Free State army retreated for Maryborough. Although surviving the onslaught, the attack on Capard was a blow to the Anti-Treaty IRA as they lost their stranglehold on the area and for months after Free State troops openly patrolled the mountain and the Rosenallis area in general. Below: Edward Kenny Senior who was present at Capard during the attack. With Capard virtually crumbling around them, several Anti-Treatyites decided to make their escape from the house including Denis Dwyer. As he made his way out the back door and towards the farmyard Dwyer was shot by Free State forces; bullets which he was carrying in his pocket exploded upon impact, killing him instantly. According to his death certificate he died of shock and haemorrhage and that death was instantaneous. Given the intense gunfire which had lasted for over four hours, it was remarkable that there was not further loss of life. It was later claimed that a freshly dug grave in the mountains suggesting that there had been other fatalities at Capard, but it seems unlikely that the Anti-Treaty IRA in these initial stages of the war would have denied fatalities, instead using it for propaganda purposes. As the gunfire subsided and the smoke cleared, members of the local community timidly approached Capard to survey the wreckage. Emerging from a large silver safe in the house Edward Kenny went out into the yard where he found Dwyers body fifty metres from the back door; the spot marked today by a small iron cross and memorial stone. A man named McEvoy agreed to bring Dwyers corpse on a horse and cart to auld John Moloney and according to local lore they doctored him up before they brought him home. Worried that the body would be captured by the Free State military, thus denying the opportunity of a burial, it was hastily brought across the mountain and conveyed under escort to his home at Shanrath, Wolfhill, near the village of Ballylinan, almost thirty miles away. On Friday morning 14 July, after requiem mass at Wolfhill celebrated by Rev W. Wilson, Dwyer was buried in the adjoining cemetery. Three volleys were fired over the grave which was quickly filled in. To his parents and friends, Dwyer had sacrificed his life while fighting for the Republic at Capard. Writing to his parents, Lar Brady noted that poor Denis died bravely and courageously and his death will be an inspiration to his comrades. Others offered their sympathy assuring his parents that his name is now added to the long roll of new martyrs. Later that day William Bailey, the land agent who administered the estate for the de Jenner Pigott family went to Capard to inspect the building where he was assured by senior officers that nothing had been stolen. In particular, and as reported by national newspapers, the so-called Articles of Limerick which had hung in Capard since the 1690s were untouched. However, Bailey was aghast to find that the house had been almost gutted by machine gun and rifle fire. In his official report for compensation Bailey outlined the nature of the damage, noting that no room had escaped and that over 220 panes of glass were broken. The roof of the house was considerably damaged by hand grenades and the interior and exterior walls damaged. In every room broken stucco and cornices dating from the 1790s were damaged. The glass dome over the staircase was shattered, while the library, had been simply riddled with bullets. A number of household items were completely destroyed including a maple wardrobe, a mahogany chest of drawers, a mahogany dressing table, four mattresses and two portraits of members of the Pigott family. Bailey also noted that the stonework on the front of the mansion was irreparably damaged. 300 compensation was sought and in addition, 50 for the repair of the demesne wall where the felling of trees had caused extensive damage. In total, the claim for compensation amounted to almost 1,100. However, as the repair work commenced, it was decided not to fully restore much of John Pigotts early-nineteenth-century design. In an effort to speed up the proceedings and to save money, William Bailey looked for an architects certificate to be issued meaning that no qualified person from the Office of Public Works visited Capard to oversee the restoration. Instead, the project was overseen by local builders, Joseph Nolan, a slater and plasterer, while the interior repairs were carried out by the Lynch brothers from nearby Mountmellick. By this stage temporary work to secure the building had been carried out but the house had suffered further damage after heavy rainfall. In particular, the wallpaper in the bedrooms was damaged. As late as 1926 Bailey was still awaiting compensation in order to pay the builders for the work they had carried out. The work was obviously completed when Capard was leased for two years to a Mr and Mrs Johnstone in 1926. The Battle of Capard was long remembered and came to define the military careers of a number of participants. While some chose not to speak about their involvement in the Civil War, others recalled with some degree of pride the fact that they had been active in the defence of Capard. For almost thirty years after the Battle of Capard the death of Denis Dwyer was commemorated annually in Woflhill and in 1932 a Celtic Cross was erected over his grave where the veteran IRA leader Tom Brady spoke. For many years members of Dwyers family made the pilgrimage to Capard while also attending the Easter Commemoration in Mountmellick. To the rear of Capard House a simple metal cross and stone today marks the spot where Denis Dwyer fell. The cross has been faithfully attended to over the years by the staff and owners of Capard. Today, the scars of the Battle of Capard remain. Visible on the facade of the house are 189 bullet holes, which act as a lasting reminder of that July morning in 1922. While the Battle, or skirmish, has been largely lost in the historiography of the Irish Civil War, its importance to the story of Capard is underlined by the fact that successive owners have not repaired the facade despite several renovations to the house in the intervening period. Below: Mary Pigott, daughter of John Pigott who built Capard in the 1790s The book Capard House has won the Nilsson Local Heritage Writing Award 2020 at Listowel Writers Week. Read here. About the author Ciaran Reilly is a historian of 19th and 20th century Irish history based at Maynooth University. His books include The Irish Land Agent, 1830-60: the case of Kings County (2014); Strokestown and the Great Irish Famine (2014); John Plunket Joly and the Great Famine in Kings County (2012) and Edenderry, county Offaly and the Downshire estate, 1790-1800 (2007), all published by Four Courts Press. The book is available through the Irish Georgian Society https://shop.igs.ie/products/ capard-an-irish- country-house-estate and the Offaly History Centre, Tullamore athttps://www.offalyhistory.com/shop/books/capard-an-irish-country-house-and-estate Police guard a Beijing market linked to a new coronavirus cluster. (Photo: AFP/Greg Baker) It is the highest number of new cases reported in China since Apr 13, according to data released by the national health authority on Sunday. There are fears of a resurgence in local transmissions in China, where the outbreak curve has been months ahead of the rest of the world, and comes as many European nations are further lifting lockdowns. After the disease emerged late last year in central China, authorities there largely eliminated transmission within their borders through hyper-strict lockdowns later emulated across the globe. But on Thursday, Beijing announced its first infection in two months and then said 50 more cases had been linked to the large Xinfadi meat and vegetable market in the city's southwestern Fengtai district. More cases connected with the market emerged on Saturday after wider testing. The market was closed and AFP reporters saw hundreds of police officers - many wearing masks and gloves - and dozens of paramilitary police deployed there on Saturday. The new cluster of domestic infections has prompted fresh lockdowns with people ordered to stay home in 11 residential estates near to the market. Worries have also grown about the safety of the food supply chain, with some other markets in the city also closed. "Everyone's very stressed," an elderly driver told AFP outside a fenced-off neighbourhood in southwest Beijing. "There are cases living in there. It's real." Nineteen of the new confirmed cases were imported cases involving travellers from overseas, with 17 of them arriving in Guangdong. China also reported nine asymptomatic cases, one new suspected case and no new deaths from COVID-19 for June 13. The total number of COVID-19 cases in mainland China now stands at 83,132, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,634. China does not count asymptomatic patients, who are infected with the virus but do not display symptoms, as confirmed cases. MORE THAN 427,000 DEAD Worldwide, the pandemic has killed more than 427,000 and infected more than 7.7 million, while wreaking widespread economic devastation. The number of global infections has doubled in slightly over a month - with one million cases recorded in the last nine days - and the virus is spreading most rapidly in Latin America. Mexico and Chile on Friday recorded their worst days yet during the pandemic, while Chilean health minister Jaime Manalich resigned on Saturday amid a furore over the true disease toll there. Brazil has recorded 41,828 deaths, surpassing Britain's toll. The WHO said this week the pandemic is accelerating in Africa. Botswana's capital Gaborone was locked down Saturday after new cases were detected. In the US, which has seen the most COVID-19 deaths with over 115,000, more than a dozen states - including populous Texas and Florida - reported their highest-ever daily case totals in recent days. Beijing's largest vegetables supplying base shut down as novel coronavirus detected among some merchants Global Times Source:Global Times Published: 2020/6/13 10:58:03 Beijing's largest wholesale vegetable market Xinfadi market was shut down Saturday to curb the further spread of the COVID-19 after the novel coronavirus was detected among a few business owners and their equipment. To ensure food safety, the Xinfadi market was temporarily suspended, and all merchants and employees in the market -- more than 10,000 people will be tested for the virus. The Xinfadi market, which provides 90 percent of Beijing's vegetables and fruits, will be the top priority in tracing the source of the epidemic, and a working group will be dispatched to strengthen epidemic prevention and control, Beijing's anti-epidemic leading group said at a late-night meeting on Friday. The move comes after two confirmed cases were reported in the capital on Friday, both people had been to Xinfadi market in Beijing's Fengtai district. The novel coronavirus was detected on a chopping board used by a seller of imported salmon at Xinfadi market. The seller's salmon was from the Fengtai district's Jingshen seafood market, according to Zhang Yuxi, head of the Beijing Xinfadi Market. The official report did not say how many people in the market or if other areas in the huge market had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The detection of novel coronavirus on chopping board of salmon sparked public concern over the safety of seafood, triggering some supermarkets including Chaoshifa market, Carrefour and Wumart in the city to remove salmon. The Chaoshifa market said it had stopped selling salmon. Chaoshifa market is a state-owned enterprise in Haidian district, with 52 branches in the city, 80 percent of the stores sell salmon imported from Norway, according to Beijing Youth Daily. With the closure of the entire Xinfadi market, the supply of meat and vegetables will be most affected, market officials said. The Chaoshifa market has coordinated with their upstream suppliers to ensure the normal supply of rice, noodles, grains, oil and meat. The officials said it can make up for a delay in supplies at any time if there is any sign of panic buying of goods. As of Saturday morning, six wholesale food markets in Beijing had been shut. These include Xinfadi market and the Jingshen seafood market in Fengtai, the Wanxing market in Huairou district, the Dongsiqu market in Pinggu district and a market in Chaoyang district. The Xinfadi market will carry out comprehensive disinfection. In order to ensure market supply, special trading areas for vegetables and fruits were set up nearby, where closed-loop management has been enforced. Zhang said the reopening of the markets will depend on the results of nucleic acid tests being conducted among merchants in the market. Top officials from Fengtai district were warned of the outbreak on Friday by Beijing Party Chief Cai Qi and Beijing mayor Chen Jining. The Fengtai district government was urged to dispatch a working group to the Xinfadi market and prevent the virus from spreading further. Beijing reported two new COVID-19 cases on Friday, a day after the city reported its first domestically transmitted case in eight weeks. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address (Natural News) The Second Amendment, Americas natural immune system against tyranny and terrorism, is now activated. The rise of Black Lives Matter terrorism and their seizing of downtown Seattle through the use of violence, demands a law-and-order response. But the feckless Mayor of Seattle kowtows to the terrorists, and the Governor of Washington is a Soros-controlled left-wing puppet who relishes in the idea of America being destroyed. The police have surrendered the territory, and the National Guard has been literally disarmed and ordered to stand down, even as left-wing rioters set fire to buildings and hurl chunks of concrete as deadly weapons, now injuring hundreds of law enforcement officers nationwide. When the mayors and governors wont do their jobs, and the police are ordered to stand down, and the National Guard is disarmed in order to appease a group of Black Lives Matter / Antifa terrorists who are burning Americas cities, the U.S. Constitution allows for one final defense against tyranny, violence and terrorism: The Second Amendment. The Second Amendment is now activated in America All law-abiding Americans who own firearms now have the constitutional right to deploy those firearms in defense of their cities, their lives and their nation. This is America. We dont negotiate with terrorists or tyrants. We defeat them, and the Constitution has already granted us all the means by which violent anti-American uprisings can be halted to restore order and defend the innocent. A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. That means the Second Amendment is now calling for an organized militia response to the terrorist uprisings. Its time for America to defeat the terrorists, arrest the mayors and governors who have engaged in treason against America, take back Americas cities and restore law and order. In our view, the mayors and governors who are surrendering to left-wing terrorist organizations should themselves be arrested and charged with sedition or conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism against the United States of America. Patriot groups to descend on Seattle this July 4th to retake CHAZ and free the prisoners inside As reported by Big League Politics: A group of self-styled Bikers for Trump is pledging to retake Seattles Capital Hill Autonomous Zone for the United States, planning on dismantling the anarchist commune on the Fourth of July. Seattle city authorities have steadfastly refused to enforce the territorial integrity of the United States and their city, instead opting to allow ANTIFA-linked militants to stake out a secessionist project openly advertising rebellion from the United States. The American motorcyclists intend to step in and fill the void left vacant by the citys authorities, laying out their plans for the operation in a Facebook event. On July 4th, Independence Day,a coalition of patriot groups and all who want to join are going to retake the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone for America. antifa members are illegally occupying public property and terrorizing small businesses in the neighborhood. American patriots have agreed to come together again, remove the barricades illegally obstructing traffic, and free the people in the zone. The group claims it will be unarmed. That seems unwise, given that the Black Lives Matter terrorists are armed and have already displayed a willingness to threaten people with violence. The goal of the patriot group seems simple: We are not going to hurt anybody, break the law etc. We are simply going to tear down the illegal barriers on public property, clean up the mess these communist kids made, and return the police station over to Seattle Police Department control. BLP adds: Preliminary reports suggest that members of the Mongols MC and Hells Angels are already preparing to participate in the operation, which is slated to coincide with Independence Day on the Fourth of July. When do you have the right to shoot terrorists? The laws vary by state, but the basic right to self-defense is recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court For this section of this article, we encourage you to check local laws before deciding your course of action. We do not condone the use of violence, except in cases where the deliberate use of measured and lawful violence halts aggressors who are determined to carry out far worse acts of violence against innocent people. Black Lives Matter and Antifa routinely invoke violence against innocent people to achieve their goals of political terror in America. See this list of U.S. corporations that have declared their support for left-wing terrorism in America. The list includes Apple, Netflix, Google, Disney and Microsoft, among others. Any left-wing terrorist who attempts to throw a chunk of concrete at a police officer or member of the National Guard is engaged in a felony assault and, under nearly all laws in the United States, can be shot on sight by an armed citizen acting in the interests of protecting innocent life. We arent sure if a jury in Seattle would find an armed citizen innocent even if they saved many lives, so if you choose to shoot terrorists in Seattle, do so at your own risk and recognize that nearly the entire population of Seattle is living under Black Lives Matter occupation, so jury intimidation would be a significant factor working against you. (Because any jury that found you innocent would be hunted down and threatened by BLM / Antifa terrorists.) Any terrorist attempting to set fire to a building should be shot on sight, we argue. Arson is a violent crime that kills innocent people, including babies and children. If you are committing arson, you probably deserve to be shot. Any terrorist setting fire to police cars is also engaged in arson that may harm or kill innocent bystanders. When cars are on fire, they often explode. The tires explode, too, sending shrapnel in all directions, potentially harming or killing innocent people. Any terrorist committing arson against vehicles should be also probably be shot on sight, not due to the property damage but due to their initiation of events which could harm or kill others. Any person carrying chunks of concrete in backpacks or delivering bricks on pallets should be arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder, as well as sedition. Although you should check your local laws, under existing law in most U.S. states as well as a multitude of U.S. Supreme Court decisions, any violent, armed mob that is advancing toward your position with the intent to injure or kill innocent people may be fired upon in self-defense. This is true in stand your ground states even when you have a means of escape but choose to stand your ground. Subject to interpretation by courts and the local DA, its also true even if individual members of the mob have not yet committed acts of violence against you but show clear signs that they intend to do so. Their participation in the violent mob is often deemed sufficient to invoke your right to self-defense, under the laws of many (but not all) U.S. states. In other words, in most U.S. states, you do not have to wait to be attacked in order to assert your right to self-defense. Check your local laws to be certain. We believe it is time for U.S. citizens to assert their right of self-defense against the violent left-wing terrorist mobs. Those mobs are committed to carrying out killings, executions, arson, property destruction, beatings, kidnappings and worse. They are currently holding hundreds of residents as prisoners in CHAZ, downtown Seattle. Every member of Black Lives Matter or Antifa is a terrorist, and when terrorists are actively engaged in acts that pose imminent risk of harm or death to innocent people, they may be shot on sight under most U.S. jurisdictions. And they probably should be. If you dont draw a line in the sand and halt the aggression of left-wing lunatics, their demands and insane acts will only grow more bold and dangerous to society. If you dont stop them from seizing downtown Seattle, they will soon seize the state capitol building and start making demands as if they control the entire state. It is time for America to upgrade the Rules of Engagement against left-wing terrorists In summary, given that police are being ordered to stand down while mayors and governors allow actual left-wing terrorist groups to destroy property, threaten lives, imprison citizens and commit acts of violence against innocents, it is now up to the people of America to assert their own right to self-defense in place of the police who are failing to do their jobs (often because they are ordered to stand down and evacuate). There is no option remaining. We cannot live in a lawless society run by lunatic left-wing mobs that seize cities and declare themselves to be immune to all existing laws. Thats anarchy, and freedom is not possible under anarchy. If we do not defend the rule of law, then America collapses into anarchy (which is what the Democrats want, of course). If the police will not protect law and order, citizens must step up and get the job done themselves. If that means shooting terrorists who are threatening innocent people with acts of imminent violence, then so be it. America has taken enough abuse, destruction and chaos from the lawless, lunatic Left, and its time for America to stand her ground and defend the rule of law. Lock and load, America. Arm up in self-defense. Obey the law and do not kneel to terrorists. The Second Amendment has been activated, and the future of your nation is now up to you, since political leaders have already surrendered America to left-wing terrorists who despise this nation and have been brainwashed by the fake news media, the universities and social media to seethe with HATRED and bigotry. You are dealing with a zombie mob of emotionally-charged lunatics who cannot be reasoned with and who refuse to abide by any laws whatsoever, even while they carry out acts of extreme violence against their targeted political enemies. Are we really going to put up with this in America? Maybe its time to turn the tables on the terrorists and restore law and order across our land. Oh, and as a final note, word is that the DOJ is coming for Antifa leaders across America soon. And if the DOJ doesnt take them out, sooner or later the citizens will. If you are a terrorist operating in America, your days are probably numbered. Prime Minister Sanchez informed regional presidents on Sunday that Spain will lift European Union border restrictions from 21 June, which is when the state of alarm will end. The requirement for foreign travellers arriving in Spain to quarantine for fourteen days will also be lifted from this date. During what was the last of the weekly videoconferences of regional presidents that have been held while the state of alarm has been in force, Sanchez explained that the decision to move the date forward from 1 July was due to the "favourable evolution" of the pandemic. Portugal has requested that it be excluded from this earlier reopening and has asked for 1 July to still apply. Otherwise, Spain's borders will be open to other Schengen countries. A worldwide pandemic that decimated communities and crippled the economy, a collapse in oil prices that threatens the budget, and widespread protests demanding racial justice and police reform when the Legislature meets this week we will face no shortage of big questions and oversized challenges. The delegation of state senators and representatives Albuquerque voters are sending to represent them is up to the task. We are united in our focus and ready to stand up for critical, job-creating investments in infrastructure, quality of life and health. Were proud to fight for Albuquerque, because we know that when Albuquerque does well, we lift up all of New Mexico. So many of the Legislatures investments in our city support the economic health and general well-being of all New Mexicans. Thats true whether we are expanding travel infrastructure much of the state depends on, supporting the colleges and universities we send many of our children to, or funding high-quality medical care for people from all over the state to use especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, although conventional wisdom may say otherwise, and despite being the largest population center in the state and one of the largest generators of state tax revenue, Albuquerque sees a disproportionately small share of state capital investment dollars. Albuquerque generated 43% of the states gross domestic product in 2018, but got just 15% of state local capital investment dollars in the last budget. For New Mexicos long-term stability and growth, that has to change. Protecting investment in Albuquerque is especially important when oil prices have dropped as low as into the negative range, an unprecedented shock to the state budget. Economic diversity is more critical than ever, and that diversity comes from Albuquerque. The citys booming film economy, which in just over a year saw billions of dollars of investment from both Netflix and NBCUniversal, is adding steady jobs and filming in locations all over the state, creating economic activity that extends far beyond the city limit signs. Health care, which added 3,500 jobs last year, is largely centered in Albuquerque. Thats where you find the states largest hospitals, health care education facilities, and health care company headquarters. During the coronavirus pandemic and long before, Albuquerque was the states destination for critical care, trauma and serious illness. Through state and local LEDA funds, Albuquerque has also become a hub for manufacturing, with companies like Jabil, EAGL and Kairos Power expanding or setting up high-tech manufacturing centers. The Legislature continues to enact policy that prioritizes renewable energy, and the citys Solar Direct partnership with PNM to build a massive new solar field, combined with market changes that make renewable energy more affordable and transmittable than ever, mean Albuquerque is poised to lead New Mexicos growth in the renewable energy field. And although tourism is struggling now, in better times it is a billion-dollar industry that flows through Albuquerques International Sunport. Every year, tens of millions of visitors first stops and first impressions of the Land of Enchantment happen in the Duke City, creating more than 100,000 jobs in the process. It is too easy to fall into old arguments that divide New Mexico into rural and urban areas and try to pit us against one another but those divisions are not as meaningful as you think. Albuquerques legislative delegation brings to the table a mix of youth and age, experience and diversity. We come from both urban and rural backgrounds and successfully work together around distinctive issues and opportunities in both urban areas like Downtown and semi-rural areas like the South Valley. We represent the balance of New Mexicos values: firmly rooted in our states proud traditions with an eye toward a secure future for our state so we can pass our way of life to the next generation. And we know that as goes Albuquerque, so goes New Mexico. With the Legislature facing unprecedented challenges and preparing for a generational shift in leadership resulting from this years primary elections, Albuquerques legislators are poised to step up in a way that benefits all of New Mexico, not just their individual districts. The new State Award for Young Creators will be awarded to someone aged under 18 Egypt's cabinet has approved a new state award for young creators and intellectuals, as well as a bill modifying an intellectual property law which also addresses the younger generation of innovators. Since 1958, Egypt's creators, intellectuals and innovators with a significant portfolio of achievements have been eligible for four state prizes: the Encouragement Award, the Appreciation Award, the Excellence Award, and the Nile Award, with the latter being the highest. The new State Award for Young Creators will extend the state's recognition to the youngest generation of innovators, and will be awarded to those under 18. The changes to the law on intellectual property will allow those who are less than 21 years old to register their intellectual contributions for EGP 100, a reduction from previous fees of EGP 1000. In an official press release, Culture Minister Ines Abdel Dayem thanked Justice Minister Omar Marwan for supporting the two laws "which reflect the states commitment to supporting the youth and encouraging them to present various works in the fields of culture and arts." This step is an important achievement during El-Sisi's presidency, supporting the citizens' right to arts and culture, protecting their creative right and encouraging them as creators," she added. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture Search Keywords: Short link: Joe Exotic's husband Dillon Passage has revealed that the Tiger King is struggling and 'in danger' in prison. The 57-year-old former zoo owner is currently serving a 22-year sentence after being found guilty of a murder-for-hire plot against his exotic animal rival Carole Baskin. Speaking to Australia's The Sunday Project this weekend, Dillon, 22, claimed Joe has been in solitary confinement for four months, and he has not been able to see his husband since he was imprisoned. Difficult: Joe Exotic's third husband Dillon Passage (left) has revealed that the Tiger King (right) is struggling and 'in danger' in prison Dillon told the program: 'He's still locked up in solitary confinement. He can't have face-to-face visits. We only get to chat when he's talking to his lawyers. '[He's been in solitary confinement] four months, yeah. It's cruel and unusual punishment to the max for sure.' He added: 'I've only been able to speak to him maybe six times since the show. It's pretty ridiculous. 'The only time I can chat with him is with the lawyers on call. He's not doing good. He can't necessarily grasp and stay updated with what's happening out here'. Candid: Speaking to Australia's The Sunday Project this weekend, Dillon, 22, claimed Joe has been in solitary confinement for four months, and he has not been able to see his husband since he was imprisoned Dillon told the program: 'He's still locked up in solitary confinement. He can't have face-to-face visits. We only get to chat when he's talking to his lawyers. [He's been in solitary confinement] four months, yeah. It's cruel and unusual punishment to the max for sure.' Dillon also addressed Joe's recent claim that he 'will be dead in two to three months' if he isn't able to leave prison. 'It tears me up, because you know, Joe needs to have his transfusions or he won't make it. It's an autoimmune disease. It started with the ulcers on his face. 'Once that starts, it's down hill from there. His life is in danger. It's very detrimental,' Dillon said. Last week, Joe claimed in an impassioned letter he 'will be dead in two to three months' if he doesn't get help from President Donald Trump, and compared his incarceration to 'being on death row'. Sick: Dillon also addressed Joe's recent claim that he 'will be dead in two to three months'. 'It tears me up, because Joe needs to have his transfusions or he won't make it. His life is in danger. It's very detrimental,' Dillon said The Tiger King star also said his 'soul is dead' as he explained that he has been unable to remain hopeful while incarcerated '24/7' without access to a phone, email, or commissary, according to the letter obtained by TMZ. Asking for a 'miracle' from the President by being released, he wrote that although he requires blood infusions 'every four weeks' for common variable immune deficiency (CVID) he has 'not had one since end of January'. In his letter to 'supporters, fans, loves ones', he said: 'I'm losing weight, sores won't heal, I'll be dead in 2-3 months, it's like I have been sent to death row, they stopped all of my medication expect one, this place is hell on earth [sic].' Struggling: Last week, Joe claimed in an impassioned letter he 'will be dead in two to three months' if he doesn't get help from President Donald Trump. He said: 'I'm losing weight, sores won't heal, I'll be dead in 2-3 months, it's like I have been sent to death row' Joe went on to ask those who have seen his husband Dillon enjoying himself to not send pictures of what he is doing, as he hadn't received a letter or a phone call from him since being imprisoned. He wrote: 'I don't even know if I'm married anymore, seems everyone is so busy making money and being famous. 'I don't get even a letter from Dillon, everyone sends pictures of him having fun and all but as a person screaming for help I am asking you to stop.' Fun times? Joe went on to ask those who have seen his husband Dillon enjoying himself to not send pictures of what he is doing, as he hadn't received a letter or a phone call from him since being imprisoned Joe wrote: 'I don't even know if I'm married anymore... I don't get even a letter from Dillon, everyone sends pictures of him having fun and all but as a person screaming for help I am asking you to stop.' Dillon is pictured with Too Hot to Handle's Harry Jowsey Dillon responded to the letter, insisting that he hadn't abandoned Joe in an Instagram post last Monday. The Tiger King fixture pushed back on a letter from Joe claiming he hadn't heard from his husband and had only heard from others about his partying while he has been rotting in jail. Dillon claimed that his Instagram gave a misleading portrait of his life, because his fans couldn't see him 'at home, missing my husband and my friend'. 'My heart is breaking after reading Joe's letter,' Dillon began his post. 'He is living in hell right now and I'm outraged by the way he is being treated. I can't even begin to imagine how that is breaking his spirit. I love Joe and I'm standing by him. Response: Dillon responded to the letter, insisting that he hadn't abandoned Joe in an Instagram post last Monday. Dillon claimed he had been steadily writing to Joe and suggested the prison might have been holding back their correspondence - which the facility has denied Love: 'My heart is breaking after reading Joe's letter,' Dillon began his post. 'He is living in hell right now and I'm outraged by the way he is being treated. I can't even begin to imagine how that is breaking his spirit. I love Joe and I'm standing by him' 'The photos that I post on here are a highlight reel of my life' he continued. 'What you don't see are the hours that I'm alone at home, missing my husband and my friend.' Dillon claimed he had been steadily writing to Joe and suggested the prison might have been holding back their correspondence - which the facility has denied. Dillon and Joe were married in December 2017, with the duo together when Joe was arrested in 2018. True love: 'The photos that I post on here are a highlight reel of my life' Dillon continued. 'What you don't see are the hours that I'm alone at home, missing my husband and my friend' Last Thursday, Joe was removed from precautionary coronavirus isolation and transferred to a prison medical center. The former zookeeper then received care at the Federal Bureau of Prisons-operated Federal Medical Center Forth Worth in Texas, according to inmate records obtained by the New York Post. According to Dillon, Joe was being held in isolation at the Grady County Jail in Chickasha, Oklahoma due to his previous jail having had COVID-19 cases. Locked down: Last Thursday, Joe was removed from precautionary coronavirus isolation and transferred to a prison medical center. He then received care at the Federal Bureau of Prisons-operated Federal Medical Center Forth Worth in Texas Murder plot: Joe, real name Joseph Maldonado-Passage, is currently serving a 22 year jail sentence after being convicted of two counts of murder-for-hire. He was found guilty of plotting to kill his rival, animal rights activist Carole Baskin, 58 (pictured) Joe, real name Joseph Maldonado-Passage, is currently serving a 22 year jail sentence after being convicted of two counts of murder-for-hire. He was found guilty of plotting to kill his rival, animal rights activist Carole Baskin, 58. The 'Tiger King' was convinced she wanted to destroy his zoo, Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma. Joe was also found guilty of 17 counts of animal abuse. The Formula 1 organization announced last week that part of the Asian races will certainly not be held this year and the other Asian and American races are also a question mark. That is why alternatives are being looked at within Europe and one of them is the circuit of Portimao in Portugal. Several European circuits that were not originally on the calendar seem to want to take their chance this year due to the cancellation of other Grands Prix. Mugello, Imola and Hockenheim had already registered at an early stage. The latter has been cancelled in the meantime, but in Portugal they are still in talks with Liberty Media. Portimao wants it very much The Algarve International Circuit near Portimao was also there to make itself available at an early stage and it is reported that negotiations with Formula 1 are currently at an advanced stage. Spokesmen of the circuit are now letting Motorsport Week know that this is indeed the case. "We can confirm that there are ongoing talks with Formula 1 to organise a Grand Prix on our circuit this year. We are very driven to make that happen and we believe that both our circuit and our country is the perfect location for an F1 race". Read more Verstappen vents frustration over racesim after failure in 24 hours of Le Mans They not only praise the qualities of the circuit, the nice weather and the nice hotels, but also the fact that the Algarve has almost no COVID-19 cases anymore. It seems to be the intention that Portugal will be considered as a possible replacement for the time being in case the Russian Grand Prix cannot take place. The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress has upheld the disqualification of Governor Godwin Obaseki as a candidate for the partys governorship election ticket. Mr Obaseki was disqualified on Friday by the partys screening committee over alleged discrepancies in his personal and academic records. His main challenger, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, was cleared. The NWC, the partys highest-decision making organ, affirmed the decision on Saturday. Mr Obaseki has said he will not appeal the decision. On Saturday, the partys national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, said in Abuja that Mr Obaseki had abused his powers as governor of Edo State, Channels TV reported. He said Mr Obaseki orchestrated the inauguration of only nine out of 24 members of the State House of Assembly, and frustrated moves to resolve the crisis. Our democracy is founded on a tripod of executive, legislature and the judiciary, he was quoted as saying. When a Governor decides to muzzle the legislature, then democracy is dead. Part of the duties and responsibilities of the National Working Committee includes organising primary elections for the nomination of its presidential candidate, governorship candidate, and candidate for election into the national and state assemblies. So the responsibility to carry out this exercise is fully vested in the National Working Committee. And we have exercised these responsibilities to the best of our ability, Mr Oshiomhole said. Mr Obasekis disqualification was earlier Saturday upheld by the partys appeal committee. The committee, at a press briefing, said it agreed with the screening committees position that it could not vouch for the authenticity of the NYSC Certificate presented by Governor Obaseki, Channels reported. Melanie Chisholm has said that the Spice Girls reunion helped her embrace her past as Sporty Spice and inspired her empowering new album. Earlier this week, the 46-year-old released her latest single, Blame It On Me, from her forthcoming solo album. It will be her first since the girl band minus Victoria Beckham got back together for a string of tour dates across the UK and Ireland in 2019. Expand Close Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton, Melanie Brown and Geri Horner during the Spice Girls reunion (Andrew Timms/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton, Melanie Brown and Geri Horner during the Spice Girls reunion (Andrew Timms/PA) Speaking on Channel 4s Sunday Brunch, she said last year felt like a real celebration. Chisholm added that the experience had actually been quite inspiring for this album because she had felt her own personality being reflected while on stage. Because I was nervous about becoming Sporty Spice again, but I realised quickly I dont become her, I am her. Its a huge part of who I am. Thats when I just started to embrace everything about myself. This album is really empowering and I have the Spice Girls to thank for feeling that way about myself and everything we have achieved. Expand Close Melanie Chisholm (Ian West/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Melanie Chisholm (Ian West/PA) Video of the Day Chisholm has a daughter called Scarlett, born in 2009, with her former partner, property developer Thomas Starr. She said she had struggled to keep the youngster motivated during lockdown, but that she has now returned to school. My daughter went back to school a couple of weeks ago, she said. Shes 11 so she is in Year 6, and that was big relief, obviously, because at home is so busy, because I continue to work. But also it was hard to keep her motivated to do her work, even to go out and do exercise. I have seen such a change. Literally within one or two days back at school she is much more herself, which is a big relief. Melanie Chisholms new album is out later this year. As a starting point, it offers homeless people a permanent, stable home. From there, the former homeless are offered access to other support services, such as help with addiction and advice on work placements. Finland is the only country in the European Union where homelessness is on the decline. Since launching its housing-first program in 2008, the number of long-term homeless has dropped by more than 42 percent. There is only one 52-bed shelter in all of Helsinki. Although Melania Trump had a difficult time transitioning into her new role as America's First Lady, she was determined to not let stepdaughter Ivanka Trump get in her way, according to a new book. Many will remember Ivanka's unwavering presence at her father Donald Trump's side throughout his presidential campaign and after. In a new biography about Mrs. Trump, The Art of Her Deal, Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter Mary Jordan details the first lady's rivalry with her stepdaughter, who supposedly made a grab for power after her father's election. (Excerpts from the book, set to be released on Tuesday, have been published by The Washington Post.) According to Jordan, who based her book off more than 100 interviews, Trump's victory in the 2016 election came as a surprise to him, so much so that he had made plans to go golfing in Scotland "immediately after the election so he didnt have to watch Hillary Clinton bask in her success." RELATED: Melania Trump Renegotiated Her Prenup After Donald Trump's Presidential Win, New Book Claims When the election results came in and Trump was declared president, he and his wife had to quickly adjust to their new roles. The mother of one, 50, chose to do so while remaining at their luxury Trump Tower penthouse in New York City with their son, Barron. The move was used as leverage to renegotiate her prenuptial agreement with her husband, according to Jordan. In her early absence at the White House, Ivanka, 38, was appointed as an adviser in her father's administration, working out of the West Wing. During that time, "staff positions and budgets that would have been available to support the first ladys office" were "diverted to support those in the West Wing, including Ivanka." Trump's eldest daughter reportedly even tried to get her presidential father to rename the First Ladys Office the First Family Office. Jordan also claims Mrs. Trump "did not allow that to happen," writing that the first lady set up "firm boundaries" with her stepdaughter, who had allegedly made herself too comfortable at the White House. Story continues "[Ivanka] treated the private residence as if it were her own home," Jordan writes. "Melania did not like it. When she and Barron finally moved in, she put an end to the 'revolving door.' " In addition, Jordan declares Mrs. Trump as her husband's "single most influential adviser" at the White House. RELATED: New Book Says It Reveals the Real Melania Trump as White House Bites Back After Cooperating with Reporter Melania is very behind-the-scenes but unbelievably influential. She is not one to go in and say, Hire this person, fire this person. But she lets the president know what she thinks, and he takes her views very seriously," Sean Spicer, the presidents first communications director, told Jordan. Some insiders also told the author that Mrs. Trump's input has become "something of a loyalty test" for Trump, who will ask his advisers: "This is what Melania thinks. What do you think?" As news of Jordan's book was made public last week, the first lady's spokeswoman and chief of staff, Stephanie Grisham, dismissed the work as "fiction." "Yet another book about Mrs. Trump with false information and sources," Grisham told PEOPLE in a statement. "This book belongs in the fiction genre." The Art of Her Deal, which also digs into Mrs. Trump's earlier life, education and how she first met her future husband, is set to be released on Tuesday. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK Ambulances outside the Dartmouth General Hospital in Dartmouth, N.S., Canada, in a file photo. (The Canadian Press/Andrew Vaughan) Woman Attacked and Killed by Dog During Walk in Rural Canada A Canadian woman was attacked and killed by her dog while she was walking in rural Nova Scotia, officials said. The woman, a resident of Middle Musquodoboit, has not been identified. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police identified the dog as a pit bull. The police immediately put out an alert for a tan [and] brown Pitbull on the loose, adding that people need to stay indoors and not approach the dog. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police later said that the dog was found dead around an hour after the fatal attack, according to a bulletin. The pit bull was located and police has confirmed it is deceased. The circumstances surrounding the initial call and the dogs death are under investigation, it said. In a later alert, the agency wrote that police were notified that the dog was struck by a passing motorist near Hwy. 224 and it was confirmed deceased. Our thoughts are with the victims family during this difficult time, it said. Neighbors told The Chronicle Herald that they were stunned to hear that the dog killed its owner as they assumed it would have been a second pit bull that they assumed was more dangerous. When I found out it was that dog I was shocked, I couldnt believe it, a neighbor said, according to the paper. Honestly the other dog was always a constant worry for myself when Id leave the house to go to work, he said, adding that he was worried the dog would be attacking the animals or attacking my wife when she was out working. The neighbor added that the two dogs were the focal point of the deceased womans life. I think she really tried to help the problem dog become a better dog, the neighbor said. Jocelyn Parker told CTV News that she was driving her own dog to a doggy day care location last week. She saw a dog and a girl on the side of the road. The girl, who was a teenager, flagged Parker down. She said, Come quick, come quick, Parker told CTV News. She said, Theres a lady laying in the ditch, theres a body. The pit bull then ran from the scene down a dirt road, Parker said, adding that she called 911, according to the CBC. At that point, we hadnt put together that the dog was perhaps behind the incident, Parker told CTV News. He was not aggressive to us. In this May 22, 2018 file photo Democratic candidate for Georgia Gov. Stacey Abrams waves in Atlanta. John Bazemore | AP In some ways, Stacey Abrams is an outlier among the names being floated as potential vice presidential running mates for presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden. For instance, she moonlights as a romance-suspense novelist. And when it comes to politics her experience level is limited compared to other potential picks. Abrams served in the Georgia House of Representatives, but has not led a state, like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, or served in Congress, like Sen. Kamala Harris. Abrams tried to move up the political ladder in 2018 when she ran for governor of Georgia, but lost to then-Secretary of State Brian Kemp, a Republican, in a high-profile race that vaulted her into the national spotlight. For all the attention she has received, though, she remains a bit of a long shot to join Biden. On Wednesday's "Late Show with Stephen Colbert," Abrams said she had yet to hear from the Biden camp as potential running mates undergo vetting. Yet she has continued to make her case to join the ticket. "I know that when I'm asked the questions 'Are you qualified? Can you do this?' that I'm not just answering for myself," she said earlier this week. "I'm being asked this question because I don't look like what people usually look like when they are considered for these jobs." In some ways, Abrams, 46, makes sense for the role, according to multiple experts who are closely watching the horse-race. The woman that Biden, 77, ends up choosing could impact voter enthusiasm among different groups in November. Getting out the vote One of Abrams' selling points, according to Nadia Brown, associate professor of political science and African American Studies at Purdue University, is her record on voting rights, particularly her work to increase voter turnout among black people. "Her appeal for black women and black voters is that she has done a tremendous amount of grassroots mobilization and has galvanized a crowd of supporters that would ordinarily sit outside of American politics," Brown said. "So she shows that she can draw people into the process and hopefully expand the electorate in 2020." Abrams' gubernatorial candidacy drew out record numbers of black, Latino and Asian voters, she said following her loss. Top tier celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Will Ferrell supported her campaign. "We tripled Latino turnout, we tripled Asian Pacific Islander turnout, we increased youth participation rates by 139%, we increased black turnout by 40%," Abrams said in an interview with The Nation last year. "To put that in context: in 2014, a total of 1.1 million Democrats voted. In 2018, 1.2 million black people voted for me." And yet, Abrams suffered a narrow loss to now-Gov. Kemp, who at the time was also the state official overseeing election rules. She blames the loss on his efforts to suppress black turnout. On the campaign trail, Kemp repeatedly denied allegations of voter suppression. But the House Oversight and Reform Committee announced in March 2019 that it was investigating the claims. After his victory, Kemp suggested to news outlets that the investigation was a distraction. "They need to quit playing politics up there," Kemp said at a news conference. Oversight Committee Chairwoman Rep. Carolyn Maloney released a memo in February confirming that "officials in multiple states," including Georgia, "took steps to suppress the vote." The statement noted that the Senate has blocked efforts on legislation to combat the alleged abuses. Just days after her loss, Abrams founded Fair Action Fight, an organization meant to address and eliminate voter suppression. During Georgia's primary on Tuesday, voters in areas with a strong minority populations encountered multiple problems voting, including long lines, delayed start times at polling locations and technical issues with new voting machines, as activists again accused Republican state officials of trying to suppress the vote. "If anything, this moment speaks to why the Democrats need her on the presidential ticket," said Niambi Carter, assistant professor of political science at Howard University. "Voter suppression is one reason why Democrats continue to lose elections and Abrams, with good reason, is one of the key figures in the fight for voting rights." Biden's likelihood of winning Georgia would go up if he selects Abrams to be his running mate, said Charles Bullock, political science professor at the University of Georgia. Abrams, a native of Mississippi, could help Biden win what Bullock calls "the Southern path" of Georgia, North Carolina and Florida. President Donald Trump won all of those states in 2016, but some of them are in play this cycle. Trump and Biden are essentially tied in North Carolina, according to RealClearPolitics, while Biden leads in Florida by about 3 points. Data from Georgia has been scant, but Real Clear Politics polling averages have Trump up on Biden in the state. They also show, however, that the president's approval rating in the state is underwater. Abrams could also help Biden among white women who voted for Trump in 2016, Brown said. "I think George Floyd's murder on the viral video is likely going to push white women to say that there should be a black woman vice president even at the expense of someone like [Sen. Amy] Klobuchar," Brown said. The Minnesota senator, who ran for president and is white, was reportedly under consideration to be Biden's running mate. Read more: How Joe Biden's leading VP contenders stack up in the wake of protests over George Floyd's death Floyd, an unarmed black man, was killed by law enforcement on Memorial Day in Minneapolis. Research shows that white women respond emotionally to "humanitarian causes" like the Black Lives Matter movement, Purdue's Brown said, and are likelier to support a black woman candidate in this moment because of it. She'll say yes Other black women mentioned as candidates include Harris and Florida Rep. Val Demings. But Abrams stands out because "she doesn't have to explain why she was never a prosecutor who arguably put away too many African Americans," Bullock said. Abrams isn't coy. She has been vocal about wanting the job, calling herself "an excellent running mate." "The question I get is: Would I be willing to help? My answer is absolutely yes, and it's going to be my commitment regardless of the decision of the Biden campaign that I'm going to do everything in my power to make certain he's the next President of the United States," Abrams said in an interview with Time last month. Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate and state Rep. Stacey Abrams speaks at Brown Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church as Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden, right, looks on, Sunday, March 1, 2020, in Selma, Ala. Curtis Compton | Atlanta Journal-Constitution | AP CNBC has reached out to Abrams' voting rights group, Fair Fight Action, for comment but did not immediately hear back. Strong voting rights record aside, Abrams has minimal experience churning out wide-ranging economic and trade initiatives. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, also believed to be on the short list, has significant authority on these issues. But in a presidential election, voters have historically been driven to the polls by the candidate at the top of the ticket, not their running mate, according to William Hatcher, associate professor of political science at Augusta University. He added that most of the research was done before the Trump era, so it's possible that the selection matters more now. Economic mobility plan ...a profound book of spiritual teaching through which the author shares biblical studies that teach readers about the nature of God, the love of Jesus, and the amazing guidance of the Holy Spirit. Carolyn Perrys book, Milk For Baby Christians: Starting Out In Your Walk With God($14.99, paperback, 9781631295744; $7.99, e-book, 9781631295751), is available for purchase. Milk For Baby Christians: Starting Out In Your Walk With God is a profound book of spiritual teaching through which the author shares biblical studies that teach readers about the nature of God, the love of Jesus, and the amazing guidance of the Holy Spirit. With scriptural insight and foundational inspiration straight from the Bible, this book is full of faith-building ways to grow in one's relationship with God. The author has a wonderful way of meeting readers where they are at, whether they are new to the faith or are just seeking a deeper understanding of God. Carolyn Perry is a registered nurse and has worked in pediatrics, rehabilitation, and geriatric nursing. She is not a theologian or a preacher, and she hasnt been to seminary. According to her, she is nobody special, but has simply developed a strong desire to explain to new Christians how to walk in victory and to answer some questions that she had but no one really answered when she first started her walk with God. She conducts Bible Study for incarcerated women at the Dallas County jail. Xulon Press, a division of Salem Media Group, is the worlds largest Christian self-publisher, with more than 12,000 titles published to date. Milk For Baby Christians: Starting Out In Your Walk With God is available online through xulonpress.com/bookstore, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com. Hundreds of homes and businesses are without power this morning following lightening storms overnight. The ESB says properties in Waterford, Wexford and Kerry are worst affected. In strong condemnation of Chinas contentious new national security law for Hong Kong, Tibetan activists in exile in India have said that the Communist Party of China is using the Covid-19 pandemic to tighten its grip over the former British colony. Last month, Chinas parliament passed the national security legislation that it said sought to quell secession and terrorism in Hong Kong amid massive anti-government protests in the city. Rinzin Choedon, National Director, Students of Free Tibet India a network of Tibetan activists around the world feels that the policies being imposed by the Communist Party of China in Hong Kong bear resemblance to what the Chinese government has been doing in other regions like Tibet. Tibet has been under Chinese occupation for over 60 years and whats happening now in Hong Kong has already happened in Tibet. We definitely understand the magnitude of the current situation in Hong Kong and stand in solidarity with the protesters, Choedon said. She believes that China is using the coronavirus pandemic to crack down on protesters in the Asian financial hub. In Tibet, China has been crushing the voices of all those who have been fighting for democracy and even environment protection. Now, China is playing the pandemic card to tighten its grip over Hong Kong and accelerate oppression in Tibet and East Turkestan, Choedon added. The day people of China revolt against the narrative that the Chinese Communist Party is infallible, the state will be destroyed According to a Reuters report, Hong Kong police on Tuesday arrested 53 people as pro-democracy protests intensified in the city. Protests began in June last year when a government bill was introduced that would make it possible for individuals to be extradited and tried in mainland China. The bill was later withdrawn by Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam after weeks of clashes between police and protesters, but unrest has continued over Chinas alleged attempts to subvert freedoms guaranteed to Hong Kong for 50 years at the time of its handover. Expansionist Agenda Choedon claimed that the Covid-19 pandemic posed a great threat to the Communist regime and said that not just Hong Kong, but the current border situation with India is also a manoeuvre by China. Whenever theres a problem inside China, it tries to divert the attention of their general public to national security issues by poking neighbouring countries, Choedon added. Tibetan activist Tenzin Tselha views the recent moves of China as part of the Xi Jinping-led governments expansionist agenda. China is pushing its expansionist movement be it Hong Kong, Taiwan, One Belt One Road Road, South China Sea, or incursions in India. They are trying to create an empire that expands into almost everywhere, she said. The West has been going on about the human rights issues for the last 40 years and yet it has retained its trade relations with China She fears that there may be an increased crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, much like the one witnessed in Tibet where activists were imprisoned for decades. "Theres a deep sadness that this is happening again and theres a sense of fear about what will happen to all those activists in Hong Kong, Tselha said. Against this backdrop, she said that she and other activists are trying to collaborate with movements in Hong Kong, Taiwan and other areas to build solidarities. Support from International Community After Covid-19 Activists like Gonpo Dhundup, the president of the Tibetan Youth Congress feel that international support for their resistance struggle has grown since the coronavirus pandemic. In a key development, US lawmaker Scott Perry on May 29, introduced a bill recognising Tibet as an independent country. Earlier, Perry had also tabled a bill for Hong Kong backing the peoples fight for democracy. We can take the example of US Congressman Scott Perry who has openly supported the independence of Tibet in his bill. Theres a small mistake wherein he mentioned only the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), which is half of the actual Tibet. We have urged him to include the whole of Tibet, Dhundup said. But he welcomed the bill and hailed it as a historic gesture by the international community. Tenzin Tsundue, a poet, writer, and Tibetan activist argues that the pressure is no longer on Hong Kong or Tibet but on China. The day people of China revolt against the narrative that the Chinese Communist Party is infallible and China is a monolithic, the state will be destroyed. The pressure is on Xi Jinping as he is not only fighting the international community who are hostile to China, but his own people who are questioning his decisions, his dictatorial rule, he said. Jigme Yeshi, assistant professor of political science at Calcutta University, also believes that CCPs handling of the pandemic may even prove to be a tipping point and would give a push to movements in Tibet and Hong Kong. The West has been going on about the human rights issues for the last 40 years and yet it has retained its trade relations with China. But the mismanagement of the viral outbreak and the threat of concentration of power with Xi Jinping will lead to more support for the struggle of Hong Kongers and Tibetans, Yeshi said. He, however, issued a note of caution and said that given Hong Kongs status as a financial hub, the Wests reaction may be stronger as compared to other territories like Taiwan and Xinjiang. Haiti - News : Zapping... Regularization of Haitian students in DR "My colleague from MHAVE, Louis Gonzague Day and I had an excellent videoconference meeting with Haitian students in the Dominican Republic on the process of regularizing their status. As President Jovenel Moise wants, we are working with our Dominican neighbors to soften the conditions for obtaining visas for students and to regularize the stay of those who are already taking courses in Dominican universities," informed Chancellor Claude Joseph. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30974-haiti-flash-important-clarifications-from-the-embassy-of-haiti-for-haitian-students-in-dr.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30958-haiti-embassy-urgent-notice-to-haitian-students-in-the-dominican-republic.html Haitian writer Jean of America honored... Congratulations to the Haitian writer, poet and playwright Jean d'Amerique honored on the occasion of the Lyon Days of Theater Authors 2020, for his work "Cathedral of the pigs" (Jean Jacques Lerrant Prize). This text and four others will be published. In addition, they will be entrusted to professional companies who will offer put in voice during the Lyon days on October 1, 2 or 3... depending on the health constraints of the moment. Survey on the situation of young people during the pandemic Comrades-Youth, the Haitian Youth Observatory invites you to take part in a survey by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on the situation of young people during the Covid-19 pandemic. Click on this link to participate: https://bit.ly/2yAjqa1 . For more information on this survey visit: https://bit.ly/2ZzWJxU 25th PNH : INFP words On this 25th anniversary of the creation of the Haitian National Police (PNH), I wish the police and the staff of the institution a happy birthday. I want to take advantage of this date to salute the expertise and the spirit of discipline of each police officer who daily dedicates himself body and soul to the protection of lives and property. Police work is priceless, but the people are grateful to you. Happy 25th to our young police! Dikel Delvariste Director General of the National Institute for Vocational Training (INFP). See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31024-haiti-25th-anniversary-pnh-speech-of-the-commander-in-chief-rameau-normil.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31013-haiti-pnh-25th-anniversary-speech-by-president-jovenel-moise.html Integration of people with albinism As part of International Albinism Awareness Day (June 13), the Office of the Secretary of State for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities encourages all initiatives for the protection and integration of people with albinism in Haiti. Reopening of Chancerelles Hospital "The community, the health personnel, the authorities of the Ministry of Public Health have played an important role in the reopening of the Chancerelles hospital and allowing the populations of the neighboring areas to have access to health care," declared the Dr. Chantal Sauveur Jr. Datus stressing "For more than a week the Chancerelles Hospital has received from the health authorities a lot of important equipment in order to deal with many emergencies marked by a difficult health context linked to Covid-19." HL/ HaitiLibre Lucifer, a Ghanaian spiritualist who is also sometimes referred to as the Quotation Master, has divulged that any man who bleaches his skin has nothing good to offer in life. In a studio interview with Rev. Nyansa Boakwa on Nsem Pii, aired on Happy98.9fm, he advised that women should stay away from such men because the only money that they have is what they use in buying their bleaching creams. Those blinks blinks boys have nothing. The last money in their pockets is what they use to buy bleaching creams. These young boys just want to get rich fast so you see them staking lotto. Lotto can never make you successful, Kweku Lucifer counseled. The spiritualist went on to urge that the youth should wisen up because no one has ever been successful enough to buy cars and build a house, all from the lottery. If I get two-sure, Ill probably give it to about 2-3people I know but I wont come on radio and tell you to bring GHC100 for lottery numbers to win you GHC1000. If it was real, why wont I stake it myself for 1billion?, he quizzed, entreating the youth to use their brains. 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 view of the Unknown Soldier monument in Rome, Italy, on June 9, 2020. (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP) Europe Reopens Many Borders but Not to Americans, Asians BERLINEurope is taking a big step toward a new normality as many countries open borders to fellow Europeans after three months of CCP virus lockdownsbut even though Europeans love their summer vacations, its not clear how many are ready to travel again. Tourists from the United States, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East will just have to wait for now. Europe is expected to start opening up to some visitors from elsewhere next month, but details remain unclear. The European Union home affairs commissioner, Ylva Johansson, told member nations last week that they should open up as soon as possible and suggested Monday was a good date. Many countries are doing just that, allowing travel from the EU, Britain, and the rest of Europes usually passport-free Schengen travel area, which includes non-EU countries like Switzerland. Europes reopening wont be a repeat of the chaotic free-for-all in March when panicked, uncoordinated border closures caused traffic jams that stretched for miles. Still, its a complicated, shifting patchwork of different rules. And although tourist regions are desperately counting on them, a lot of Europeans may decide to stay close to home this summer. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announces the opening of the tourist season during a news conference on the island of Santorini, Greece, on June 13, 2020. (Dimitris Papamitsos/Greek Prime Ministers Office via AP) Thats something tourism-dependent Mediterranean countries such as Greece are keen to avoid. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis acknowledged Saturday that a lot will depend on whether people feel comfortable to travel and whether we can project Greece as a safe destination. Greece has emphasized its handling of its outbreak, which saw only 183 deaths. Overall, Europe has seen more than 182,000 virus-linked deaths this year, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University that also shows Europe has had 2.04 million of the worlds 7.8 million infections. People visit the beach in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, on May 25, 2020. (Isaac Buj/Europa Press via AP) Hard-hit Spain, which on Sunday moved forward its opening to European travelers by 10 days to June 21, is allowing thousands of Germans to fly to its Balearic Islands for a trial run starting Mondaywaiving its 14-day quarantine for the group. This pilot program will help us learn a lot for what lies ahead in the coming months, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said. We want our country, which is already known as a world-class tourist destination, to be recognized as also a secure destination. Border checks in some places have already wound down. Italy opened its borders on June 3 and towns on the German-Polish border celebrated early Saturday as Poland opened the gates. At midnight, the mayors of Goerlitz, Germany, and Zgorzelec, Poland, cut through chains on a makeshift fence that had divided the towns. Germany, like France and others, is lifting remaining border checks on Monday and scrapping a requirement that arrivals must prove they have a good reason to enter. It also is easing a worldwide warning against nonessential travel to exempt European countriesexcept, probably, Finland, Norway, and Spain, where travel restrictions remain, and Sweden, where the level of new CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus infections is deemed too high. Many German regions have reimposed a quarantine requirement for arrivals from Sweden, whose virus strategy avoided a lockdown but produced a relatively high death rate. Czech authorities will require arrivals from Sweden to show a negative COVID-19 test or to self-quarantinealong with travelers from Portugal and Polands Silesia region. A sign with the opening hours of the border checkpoint between Harrislee in Germany and Padborg in Denmark is displayed in front the border crossing in Harrislee, Germany, June 13, 2020. (Frank Molter/dpa via AP) Austria is opening up Tuesday to European neighbors except Spain, Portugal, Sweden, and Britainand keeping a travel warning for Italys worst-hit region of Lombardy. France is asking people from Britain to self-quarantine for two weeks. Britain recently introduced a 14-day quarantine requirement for most arrivals, to the horror of its tourism and aviation industries, which say the move will hit visits to Britain hard this summer. Denmark is opening up only for tourists from Germany, Norway, and Icelandand only if they can prove that theyre staying for at least six nights. Norway also is keeping shut its long border with Sweden. I realize this is a big disappointment. But the restrictions are based on objective criteria that are the same for everyone, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said. If we open too quickly, the infection can get out of control. With flights only gradually picking up, nervousness about new outbreaks abroad, uncertainty about social distancing at tourist venues, and many people facing unemployment or pay cuts, this may be a good summer for domestic tourism. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz are both planning to vacation in their homelands this year. The recommendation is still, if you want to be really safe, a vacation in Austria, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg told ORF television, recalling the scramble in March to bring home thousands of tourists as borders slammed shut. In Austria, you know that you dont have to cross a border if you want to get home, and you know the infrastructure and the health system well. The German government, which helped fly 240,000 people home as the pandemic grew exponentially, also has no desire to repeat that experience. My appeal to all those who travel: Enjoy your summer vacationbut enjoy it with caution and responsibility, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said. In the summer holidays, we want to make it as difficult as possible for the virus to spread again in Europe. By Geir Moulson Epoch Times staff contributed to this report The CCP has so brilliantly compromised most levers of power across the world, by using a mixture of bribery, blackmail and life threats, that it would make a blockbuster fictional crime story pale in comparison. by Gurvinder Singh On 26 Dec 1991, the empire called Soviet Union dissolved into 15 Republics. The CIA along with all the innumerable 'experts' in 'Think Tanks, Media, US State Department The Pentagon were all caught by surprise This was at a time when experts saw the Soviet Union as an extremely powerful one and none of them even had an inkling as to the likely collapse of the USSR. Life in China under CCP I mention the Soviet Union collapse, so readers can get a perspective on the reliability of so called experts on China. Nothing, about China is, as it seems. The opacity of the [Communist Party of China and its adroitness in concealing information to mislead the world and its own people is legendary. With the narrative brought to us by 'experts' confined to their narrow disciplines and specialties makes understanding China indeed very challenging. One should not be taken in by propaganda and biased media reports, but study and verify the underlying facts, if one really wants to know the truth. Hate blinds us to virtue and love blinds us to flaws. China too has its haters and lovers. Lovers because many politicians, financiers, media, universities and government servants are busy in bed with. They toe and follow the CCP line of propaganda and strategy all the time. The CCP has so brilliantly compromised most levers of power across the world, by using a mixture of bribery, blackmail and life threats, that it would make a blockbuster fictional crime story pale in comparison. Now as dark clouds gather on the horizon, many of these powerful but compromised entities, lobbies and interest groups are busy convincing their constituencies, governments and the public of the need to be respectful, to cooperate, in fact submit to China. Not because this is right, because they want to protect themselves and their interests. The article in this website [China, a country on steroids](https://www.guruwonder.in/post/china-a-country-on-steroids) explains the gigantic quantum and sources of finance that fuelled China's rapid growth. In an upcoming multi part series I will cover, * What are the other key parameters that have driven China's remarkable perceived rise. * Chinese fault lines, and the convergence of very powerful hostile forces against China. * Share with readers information and analysis covering economics, finance, politics, technology, governance demographics, and military factors concerning China, indicating the ominous trends the fragility and the hollowness of China's power. The imminent collapse of the China's regime will cause great disturbance to the world, but will create great opportunities to build a better world. Those countries and organisations who prepare themselves for this tectonic shift will benefit the most. It is relevant to remember that- Even a Sun expands and burns brightest, just before it collapses. Interesting Links * [China's 'Three Warfares' in perspective](https://warontherocks.com/2018/01/chinas-three-warfares-perspective/) - War on the rocks. * [The end of the Chinese miracle](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t487ILVf87k) - Financial Times Features. * [Steve Bannon's Warning On China Trade War (w/ Kyle Bass) ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH5QzuzD01A) - Real Vision Finance * [Collapse of China Explained By Chinese American Lawyer - Gordon Chang](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYjeO_n9vQw&t=868s) * [China, a country on steroids](https://www.guruwonder.in/post/china-a-country-on-steroids) - Guru Wonder Gurvinder Singh is a widely travelled and experienced former industrialist who devotes his life to awaken himself and by association others to make the world a better place. He can be contacted by email Guruwonder@gmail.com and web site www.guruwonder.in VICTORIABritish Columbias Opposition leader says fighting the pandemic produced a unified health front among traditional adversaries, but with the province facing its darkest economic crisis in decades, political battle lines must go beyond working together to flatten the COVID-19 curve. B.C. Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson said just because his party backs the provincial health officers pandemic restrictions doesnt mean the Opposition will co-operate with the NDP when the legislature resumes sitting on June 22. Were all waiting to see what the NDP come up with and it better be good because we have an economy that is flat on its back right now, Wilkinson said in an interview. We have to all wonder about the NDPs assumptions of revenue given that we know the economy has slowed dramatically on the greatest recession in B.C. history and that more than half a million people have either left the workforce or are unemployed. But Wilkinsons plans to hold the government to account could be met with indifference as political debate remains completely focused on the fight against COVID-19, say political experts. In a once-in-a-century crisis of this nature, politics as normal is suspended in the name of public health, said Prof. David Black, a political communications expert at Victorias Royal Roads University. Pollster Shachi Kurl of the non-profit Angus Reid Institute said recent data shows incumbent governments across Canada are receiving solid approval ratings for their approaches to the pandemic, including B.C.s Premier John Horgan. This is a difficult time for any opposition leader, Kurl said. Horgan recently thanked the Liberals and Greens for their co-operation on the pandemic response, but he also said he expects partisanship to return. Although Id like it to continue on as long as possible, Ill understand if a partisan rock or two are thrown in the weeks ahead, he added. Wilkinson said the support for health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has been necessary, but the Liberals want the economy to recover quickly. They are pressing the minority government to cut the seven per cent provincial sales tax to zero for three months to spur consumer confidence and business investment, Wilkinson said. The government must also target the decimated tourism and small business sectors with tax cuts and investments, he said. When the federal Canada Emergency Response Benefit runs out, we will have a society in deep distress, Wilkinson said. Were looking for bold economic decisions and actions from the NDP. Black said he expects the Liberals to propose tax reductions and red-tape cuts, but the pandemic is an opportunity for the party to look ahead to the October 2021 election. The question I would put to Andrew Wilkinson is, How do you position yourself in that debate about a post-pandemic B.C.? said Black. Who are we on the other side of this? Kurl said the Angus Reid polling data released June 8 found provincial governments in New Brunswick, B.C., and Newfoundland and Labrador received the highest number of residents approving their responses to the COVID-19 outbreak. As long as the personal proximity and concern, both on the health front and the economic front related to COVID-19, continue, it will be difficult for any opposition leader, regardless of what province or where on the ideological spectrum, to pick up a lot of traction, Kurl said. Wilkinson said B.C. needs an Opposition totally focused on the provinces economic recovery and not one worrying about the next election. Now its time for the NDP to show what they can do to get B.C. back to work and the expectations are high, and we will be holding them to account, he said. NDP house leader Mike Farnworth said in an interview that co-operation from the Liberals will not prevent Wilkinson and his colleagues from being vocal critics in the legislature. I fully expect that there will be vigorous debate, pertinent debate on the legislation that well be bringing forward, he said. Read more about: The job cuts are in response to the economic downturn wrought by coronavirus. Photo: Getty Capita (CPI.L) plans to cut at least 200 jobs and has begun a consultation process with some employees, The Guardian reported. Job cuts by the company, a major provider of outsourced services to the UK government with 61,000 employees, will be focused on its central support teams in London, the report said. A Capita spokesman told Yahoo Finance: As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, we are taking further, decisive cost-cutting action to preserve cash and protect our financial position. This will regrettably result in the loss of a number of jobs within our head office. Those who work for clients are safe for now but further job cuts are possible as the firm struggles to remain within conditions set by its lenders, the report said, adding that the company has taken a severe financial hit. However, a spokesman told Yahoo Finance that the company has plenty of headroom and that while it has been hurt financially, that the impact has not been severe. READ MORE: Scotland to launch working group to save jobs at Rolls-Royce plant Capita is working on several projects for the UK government in its COVID response, including helping the NHS vet staff returning to the frontline. It earned a major chunk of its 2019 revenue by running army recruitment, collecting the BBC licence fee and enforcing Londons congestion zone. In March, Capita warned investors that the pandemic would have a net negative effect on the business. The UK economy is set to be the hardest hit among the worlds developed countries due to the pandemic, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said last week. Britains economy was likely to slump by 11.5% in 2020 but could contract by 14% if there is a second wave of COVID-19 later this year, it said. Meanwhile leading economists have warned ministers that they predict really high unemployment for the foreseeable future. Torsten Bell, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, told ministers at the governments Treasury Committee that households should prepare for a big labour market shock despite measures to protect jobs. Indian and Chinese foreign ministry officials discussed the flaring of tensions on their disputed Himalayan border, where thousands of soldiers from the two countries have been facing off just a few hundred metres from each other for a month, an Indian official said. The video conference came a day before generals in the Ladakh region are scheduled to meet at a border post to intensify efforts for a pullback to their pre-May positions in the region. The army officers have held a series of meetings in the past four weeks to break the impasse. An External Affairs Ministry statement in New Delhi said both sides agreed that they should handle their differences through peaceful discussion bearing in mind the importance of respecting each others sensitivities, concerns and aspirations and not allow them to become disputes. Indian officials say Chinese soldiers entered the Indian-controlled territory of Ladakh in early May at three different points, erecting tents and guard posts. An Indian Army lorry crosses Chang la pass near Pangong Lake in Ladakh (Manish Swarup/AP) They said the Chinese soldiers ignored repeated verbal warnings to leave, triggering shouting matches, stone-throwing and fistfights. China has sought to downplay the confrontation while providing little information. Indian media reports say that the two armies have moved artillery guns in the region. China has objected to India building a road through a valley connecting the region to an airstrip, possibly sparking its move to assert control over territory along the border that is not clearly defined in places. India and China fought a border war in 1962 and have been trying since the early 1990s to settle their dispute without success. In all, China claims some 35,000 square miles of territory in Indias northeast, including the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh with its traditionally Buddhist population. India says China occupies 15,000 square miles of its territory in the Aksai Chin Plateau in the western Himalayas, including part of the Ladakh region. For weeks, Connecticut voters have waited to learn whether they will have to choose between safeguarding their health or exercising their right to vote in the November general election. Even in these worst of times, this is a choice no voter should face. Because the state constitution tightly prescribes the conditions for absentee voting, and state statute is even more restrictive, no-excuse absentee ballot voting is not available in Connecticut as it is in many other states, both red and blue. So, we were encouraged that on June 9 the Democratic leadership of the Connecticut General Assembly appealed to Gov. Ned Lamont to call a special session in order to pass the statutory changes needed to make absentee ballots available to every eligible voter, just for the 2020 general election. Gov. Lamont responded that he intends to call a special session very soon to resolve the issue of absentee ballots in the November general election (as well as to take action on police accountability in response to the massive outcry to the police murder of George Floyd). However, the governors letter comes with a significant caveat: He wont call lawmakers back to Hartford until and unless a legislative package, preferably bipartisan, is agreed to that will pass both the House and Senate. This is an invitation for inaction, and given the legislatures obvious reluctance to call itself into session, not a reassuring sign. Because nothing less than our right to vote is at stake, legislative leaders must set a date certain to meet, not later than mid-July. The legislative fix needed to expand absentee ballot access to all voters during the pandemic has been discussed widely; there should be no difficulty agreeing on language. More importantly, the legislature has the power to call itself into a special session upon the request of a majority of legislators in both chambers; it does not need the governor to order it to convene. Time is of the essence. The Secretary of the States office confirmed that the legislature must meet in June, or at the latest July, to provide enough time to put the Secretarys comprehensive 2020 election plan in place to address the unprecedented issues created by the pandemic. While Democratic legislative leaders, and Gov. Lamont, are on record saying they want to take action, it is discouraging that Republican leaders are throwing up roadblocks turning the concerns of voters into a partisan issue. Achieving a bipartisan solution, as requested by the governor, is questionable given past Republican opposition to election reform, including blocking last years House Joint Resolution 161 asking voters if the state constitution should be amended to allow early voting. The position of Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano is indefensible. In response to Gov. Lamonts executive order expanding access to absentee ballots to all eligible voters for the August presidential primary, he wrote that the governor has used his authority to eviscerate the state constitution, and that the order begs for legal challenges. Sen. Fasano acknowledged that he does not favor expanding access to all voters, writing only that he can understand the need for vulnerable populations and those with preexisting conditions to vote by absentee ballot. He concluded by saying we can be innovative in how we help people access their right to vote but proposed no solutions. The most pernicious aspect of the Connecticut GOP opposition to expanding absentee ballot access is their accusation about voter fraud. House Minority Leader Themis Klarides told PBS Newshour that voter fraud has been a huge issue in Connecticut. When asked to provide specific instances, Rep. Klarides responded, I dont have them on me. The reason Rep. Klarides couldnt support her claim of massive voter fraud is because it doesnt exist. Numerous studies have concluded that voter fraud is virtually non-existent, for both in-person and mail-in voting. News21, an initiative supported by the Carnegie and Knight foundations, documented just 196 cases of alleged election fraud in Connecticut over the years 2000 to 2012, during which time approximately 12 million votes were cast. Alleged incidents specific to absentee ballots totaled 89. Of those, 70 were found to have merit. At 0.0006 percent of votes cast, the rate of documented absentee ballot fraud is infinitesimal and indefensible as a reason to restrict access. Despite the paucity of election fraud, incidents of illegal absentee ballot misconduct by political operatives in Connecticut occur, including in Bridgeport. Illegal and unethical conduct must not be tolerated, whether by voters or third parties. We call on the Legislature and the Secretary of the State to appoint monitors in any jurisdiction where credible cases of misconduct have been reported across election cycles. Ensuring every eligible voter can exercise their constitutional right to vote should not be a partisan issue. Voting by mail is supported by 70 percent of Americans. Favorability among Republican voters jumps from 49 percent nationally to 68 percent in states where large numbers vote by mail. We call on Republican legislative leaders to join their Democratic counterparts in support of expanding absentee ballot access for the Nov. 3 general election to all voters who fear putting their health at risk, or someone elses, due to COVID-19. All six legislative leaders must set a date no later than July 15 to vote on the legislative fix to allow the Secretary of the State, registrars and town clerks to get on with the work of ensuring a smooth, secure and safe general election. Our democracy depends on it. Gail Berritt is a member of the group ReSisters; Jonathan Perloe, Voter Choice Connecticut; and Alisa Trachtenberg, Indivisible CT4. They are joined by these organizations representing thousands of voters throughout Connecticut: Action Together Connecticut; Bridgeport Generation Now; CT Citizens Action Group; Common Cause in Connecticut; CONECT; CT League of Conservation Voters; CT River Huddle, Glastonbury; CT Shoreline Indivisible; DefenDemocracy of CT; Democratic Women In Action; Every Vote Counts, Wesleyan Chapter; Every Vote Counts, Yale Chapter; Indivisible Stamford; Indivisible Greenwich; Indivisible CT4; Make Voting Easy; Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, CT Chapter; NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut; National Organization for Women, CT Chapter; Newtown Action Alliance; Orange Indivisible; PerSisters; Prevail Blue; ReSisters; Take Action CT; The Bridgeport Everyday Project; The ENOUGH Campaign; Universal Health Care Foundation of CT; Voter Choice Connecticut; Women United; Womens March CT; and Women on Watch. Steven Williams, 25, was charged with four murders, weapons offenses, conspiracy and tampering with evidence on Friday A Philadelphia hit man who allegedly collected thousands of dollars for targeted kills was charged Friday with four separate murders dating back to September 2018. Steven Williams, 25, has been described as a 'contract killer' who carried out a 'streak of wanton, violent crimes' in Philadelphia over the course of nine months. According to KYW News radio, police believe the alleged hit man could be responsible for many more deaths. They are also still hunting for the link between the murdered men. Williams was already being held at SCI Mahanoy in Frackville for unrelated crimes that took place in Montgomery County but was brought back to Philadelphia Wednesday to face the new charges. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Williams initially denied any knowledge of the crimes but has now said he knows of them. He reportedly claims, however, that he is being made the 'fall guy' by others. He was charged with the four murders as well as weapons offenses, conspiracy and tampering with evidence on Friday. Police claims Steven Williams, 25, was a contracted killer who earned thousands for his hits Williams was already being held in SCI Mahanoy in Frackville, pictured, for unrelated crimes but was brought back to Philadelphia Wednesday to face the new murder charges Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, pictured, said Friday that Williams was guilty of a 'streak of wanton, violent crimes against our communities over the past two-plus years' 'Following a complex investigation by Philadelphia Homicide detectives, my office is today able to begin prosecution of Steven Williams, who collected thousands of dollars as a contract killer,' said Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. 'His streak of wanton, violent crimes against our communities over the past two-plus years ends today. 'I would like to thank the Philadelphia Police Department for their investigation and my office's Homicide Unit for moving forward with this case. 'Despite the closure of most court functions, we will proceed as quickly as possible to bring him to justice, and to support those who have been mourning his victims for years,' Krasner added. The first murder Williams has been charged with took place on September 8, 2018, in the 1900 block of Hartel Avenue. Police responded to a call of a shooting to find 35-year-old William Crawford shot multiple times. It is believed to have happened early morning as Crawford was getting out of his white Dodge Journey to visit his sister in Rhawnhurst. Police say he was approached by Williams who was wearing jeans and a black hooded sweatshirt with a white design on the back. The second alleged murder didn't take place until February 10, 2019, on West Oak Lane. The victim, Jermaine Simmons, 39, was shot multiple times while sitting in a car in front of his home at about 5pm. He was taken top Einstein Medical Center where he later died. Steven Williams, 25, pictured, has been described as a 'contract killer' who carried out a 'streak of wanton, violent crimes' in Philadelphia over the course of nine months Alleged hit man Steven Williams was charged with four murders in Philadelphia on Friday The third victim was shot and killed while sitting on the porch of a home on March 25, 2019, at around 4pm in the 100 block of Meehan Street in the East Mount Airy. The 31-year-old man was later identified as Richard Isaac. He was shot multiple times in the head and chest. The fourth and final victim identified by police was shot and killed while sitting in his son's car near Girard College on May 4, 2019. KYW News radio reports that a car pulled up next to Leslie Caroll, 46, and a passenger inside shot at him. Police found Carroll suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the upper torso. He was transported to Temple University Hospital where he later died. Police have released no further information on the potential motives behind the crimes. The father of first alleged victim William Crawford has said he felt a 'sigh of relief' to know Williams had been charged. 'One thing that helps a little bit more is that he was charged with three other murders. So, my premise has always been to help other families as well as my family,' Stanley Crawford told the Philadelphia Inquirer. Williams is being held without bail and is being represented by the Defender Association of Philadelphia. He will have a preliminary hearing on July 1. An ambitious campaign has been launched to retrieve a ships anchor from wreckage under the sea, to create a monument symbolising the Windrush generation. The anchor is part of the Empire Windrush ship, which carried one of the first large groups of West Indian immigrants from Jamaica to the UK after the Second World War. Windrush campaigner Patrick Vernon, one of the organisers of the GoFundMe campaign, said: I believe this monument featuring the anchor of the Empire Windrush could be a source of inspiration for generations of black, brown and white people in Britain seeking to understand racism, white privilege, and trying to establish a society where citizenship and belonging is for all. The ship was captured in a famous image after it docked at the Port of Tilbury in Essex on June 22 1948, showing some of the hundreds of people on board waving and smiling around the stern anchor, marking the beginning of multicultural Britain as we know it today. The ship sank in the Mediterranean Sea in March 1954 after a fire on board killed four men, but the remaining 1,500 passengers were saved. The Empire Windrush (PA) The campaign, which was launched on Saturday, has set a target of 500,000 to retrieve the anchor from the wreckage, which lies 9,186ft (2,800m) below the sea off the coast of Algeria. Mr Vernon, who successfully campaigned for June 22 to be officially celebrated as Windrush Day, said: It will symbolise migration, racial equality and the shared history of belonging and citizenship. Like the Statue of Liberty it can become a beacon of hope. We should commit to realising this dream within three years, given that June 2023 will be the 75th anniversary of the first arrival of the Windrush generation. People take a knee during a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Windrush Square in Brixton, south London (Yui Mok/PA) The majority of the funds will be used to hire specialist offshore search and recovery vessels, with the operation to take place in 2021 at the earliest. The monument will be placed in a prominent location chosen by the public after extensive consultation, organisers have said. Story continues From the late 1940s to the early 1960s, thousands of men, women and children left the Caribbean for Britain, after the 1948 British Nationality Act granted citizenship and settlement in the UK to all members of the British Empire, to help rebuild the countrys economy after the war. But in recent years, ministers and the Home Office have come under fire over revelations on how members of the Windrush generation and their children have been wrongly detained and deported and others denied access to healthcare, work, housing benefits and pensions. The campaign follows calls for statues and monuments linked to slavery and Britains racist past to be reviewed, after the statue of slave trader Edward Colston was pulled down and dumped into Bristol Harbour by anti-racism campaigners at a Black Lives Matter protest a week ago. To donate to the campaign, visit: https://gf.me/u/x8tw35 FoodCloud, a Dublin-based social enterprise, doubled the amount of food it distributes in April and May of this year. In May, 181.76 tonnes of food was sent out from its warehouses, which was up by 95 tonnes on the same period last year. "In comparison to pre-Covid levels we have actually more than doubled the amount of food that we've been redistributing in April and May," said chief executive Iseult Ward. "For an organisation that in January was predicting maybe a 20pc increase throughout the year, this has been very significant." FoodCloud distriubutes surplus foods from business to charities, The donations received in April and May were distributed to more than 175 charities. Among those who benefited were families whose children normally get free school meals, the elderly, people with underlying health conditions and those who need to self-isolate. "This is an unprecedented demand for food in Ireland. FoodCloud is in operation since 2013 and we've never seen as high demand in terms of services," said Ward. "We don't anticipate that this demand is going to go away because the economic outlook isn't good at the moment. "People who were already vulnerable or in any way at risk, it's these kind of situations such as Covid which can actually push them over the edge." In March, FoodCloud appealed for additional donations, which "led to quite a dramatic increase in the amount of food we were getting". "BWG (the retail and wholesale group) have been providing us with support with things like interhub transport, from Dublin to Cork on a weekly basis," said Ward. "BWG/DHL provided contingency storage, as with the increase we wouldn't have the storage space ourselves for that volume of food. "So we really relied on a lot of partners to jump in and help us in a very short time frame." FoodCloud is now employing eight additional warehouse operatives at hubs in Dublin, Cork and Galway. It is working on doubling its national transport capacity with four new vans. FoodCloud's existing network of charities have, on average, increased demand for food by 50pc and it has also established 32 new strategic partnerships nationally to support the Government-led Community Call initiative. However, FoodCloud is starting to see a dip in donation offers. "Due to the ongoing and growing demand, FoodCloud urgently needs more companies to come on board and donate surplus food," said Ward. A mother has made a batch of bakery-standard lemon meringue pies in a $29 pie maker in just 30 minutes. Australian mum-of-two Amanda Ray shared photos of her pies in a cookery group on Facebook, telling members how she used the Kmart gadget and three simple recipes to make the pastry, filling and meringue topping from scratch. She said it was her first time using the machine and was 'so happy' when the pies 'worked out perfectly'. Ms Ray made her own shortcrust pastry using a simple three-ingredient recipe from Sydney chef Donna Hay, which requires 300 grams of plain flour, 145 grams of butter and three tablespoons of water. Scroll down for video Ms Ray's homemade lemon meringue pies which she baked in the $29 Kmart pie maker She said it was her first time using the machine and was 'so happy' when the pies 'worked out perfectly' The flour and butter should be blitzed in a food processor for 60 seconds until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, then mixed with cold water which loosens it out into a smooth dough, which should be cooked for about 10 minutes. The trick to making perfectly soft and flaky shortcrust pastry is to work quickly and lightly. The more you handle the dough, the denser and tougher it will be. Flour contains gluten which develops as you touch it, causing the pastry to stiffen. Chefs advise gently kneading dough for a few seconds, then wrapping it in plastic and refrigerating for half an hour before rolling it out. Ms Ray's shortcrust pastry waiting to be cooked in the pie maker, which she made from flour, butter and water For the filling, Ms Ray followed an easy recipe for lemon curd from food blogger Lindsey Johnson, which takes just 15 minutes to make. It requires one cup of sugar and lemon juice, four large eggs, four egg yolks - separated from the whites - two teaspoons of lemon zest and a cup of butter. The sugar, lemon zest, egg yolks and whole eggs should be whisked together until light in colour, then mixed with the lemon juice over a medium-high heat, taking care not to bring the mixture to the boil. Despite its basic ingredients, lemon curd is notoriously difficult to perfect because if it boils or even slightly overheats, the eggs will curdle. This problem is especially common in curds that use whole eggs as well as egg yolks. Because the eggs whites cook at a lower temperature, they're more prone to coagulation - meaning they form into cooked chunks. While curdled eggs don't ruin the flavour, they create an unappetising lumpy texture that requires careful straining and is often impossible to remove. The cooked shells filled with homemade lemon curd, made from one cup of sugar and lemon juice, four large eggs, four egg yolks - separated from the whites - two teaspoons of lemon zest and a cup of butter 15-minute lemon curd recipe Ingredients 1 cup of lemon juice 1 cups of sugar 4 large eggs 4 large egg yolks 2 tsp grated lemon zest Pinch of salt 1 cup cold unsalted butter Method 1. Mix sugar and lemon zest in a bowl, using your fingers to rub the mixture together to release the oil in the skin. 2. Whisk in the egg yolks, whole eggs and salt. Keep whisking until thick and light in colour, then add lemon juice. 3. Cook over a medium-high heat, taking care not to bring it to the boil. 4. Once thickened, remove from heat and strain through a mesh sieve into a clean bowl. 5. Whisk in cold butter, a few pieces at a time, waiting until each piece has melted until adding more. 6. Use as desired. Store in an airtight jar for roughly 10 days. Source: Lindsey Johnson via Cafe Johnsonia Advertisement To finish the pies, Ms Ray made the meringue by whisking the four egg whites leftover from the lemon curd with a cup of caster sugar and a drop of vanilla extract. Once mixed, meringue should be pure white and stiff to touch. She topped each pie with a dollop of meringue and toasted them under the grill for two minutes to cook, creating a crisp texture and sweet, caramelised flavour. Ms Ray's meringue, made from four egg whites, caster sugar and vanilla extract Home cooks applauded Ms Ray for taking the time to make each element of her pies instead of using store bought filling and ready-to-roll pastry. 'Well done Amanda. It's such a great feeling when you make your own ingredients from scratch,' said one woman. 'These are fabulous - wonderful baking,' said another. Others said the pies looked 'delicious' and had inspired them to buy a pie maker from Kmart to make their own. Bengaluru, June 14 : There is no question of re-imposing a lockdown, a Karnataka minister said on Sunday, seeking to dispel speculation over this issue. "The question of re-imposing lockdown does not arise," said Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar told media persons as he toured Kalaburagi and Bidar districts to visit medical colleges, meet people and officials to discuss the Covid scenario. Amid rising infections, there was speculation that the lockdown may be clamped down again as Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to talk to Chief Ministers on June 16 and 17. As part of World Blood Donors Day, Sudhakar also donated blood at Kalaburagi. The following individuals were either recently charged in Walworth County Circuit Court or recently made their initial court appearance. Kehlen Donahue, 18, Lake Geneva, faces a felony charge of attempting to flee or elude an officer after a May 29 incident in the town of Geneva. If convicted, he faces up to 3 and 1/2 years in prison and $10,000 in fines. Timothy G. Falconbury, 33, Delavan, faces a felony charge of possession of a narcotic drug and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia both as a repeat offender. If convicted of all counts, he faces up to 9 and 1/2 years in prison and $10,500 in fines. Tood L. Guthrie, 54, East Troy, faces a felony charge of fourth-offense drunken driving after his Dec. 22 arrest in the town of East Troy. If convicted, he faces up to six years and $10,000 in fines. Miguel J. Hansen, 38, Elkhorn, faces a felony charge of fourth-offense drunken driving after his May 31 arrest in the city of Delavan. If convicted, he faces up to six years and $10,000 in fines. William T. Hunt, 54, Williams Bay, faces a felony charge of strangulation and misdemeanor charges of battery and disorderly conduct. If convicted of all counts, he faces up to seven years imprisonment and $21,000. Jeremy D. Johnson, 20, Burlington, faces a felony charge of bail jumping and a misdemeanor charge of battery. If convicted of both counts, Johnson faces up to six years and nine months in prison and $20,000 in fines. Storm J. Riley, 18, Lake Geneva, faces two felony charges of bail jumping and misdemeanor charges of bail jumping, resisting an officer and disorderly conduct. If convicted of the felonies, he faces up to 12 years in prison and $20,000 in fines. Derrick J. Sandfort, 24, Glendale, faces a felony charge of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence as a fourth offense. If convicted, he faces up to six years imprisonment and $10,000 in fines. Micah X. Smith, 24, Delavan, faces two felony counts of possession of a firearm by a felon and two misdemeanor counts of carrying a concealed weapon as a repeater. If convicted of all counts, he faces up to 32 years imprisonment and $70,000 in fines. Terry Winans, 63, Delavan, faces felony charges of making a threat to a law enforcement and discharging bodily fluids at a public safety worker. He also faces misdemeanor charges of bail jumping and disorderly conduct. If convicted of all counts, Winans faces up to 10 and 1/2 years imprisonment and $31,000 in fines. New Delhi, June 14 : Over a course of about one month, US drug-maker Gilead Sciences has signed non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreements with at least six Indian pharmaceutical companies to boost the supply of remdesivir, the experimental antiviral drug that has shown promise in Covid-19 treatment. These companies are -- Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd., Zydus Cadila Healthcare Ltd., Biocon company Syngene, Hetero Labs Ltd.; Jubilant Lifesciences; and Cipla Ltd. In addition, Gilead said it had signed a similar agreement with US-based Mylan which has a strong India presence and Egypt-based Eva Pharma and Pakistan-based Ferozsons Laboratories. The agreements allow these companies to manufacture remdesivir for distribution in 127 countries. The regulatory approval status of remdesivir varies by country. The Union Health Ministry in India on Saturday recommended use of remdesivir in Covid-19 patients in moderate stage. Under the licensing agreements, the companies have a right to receive a technology transfer of the Gilead manufacturing process for remdesivir to enable them to scale up production more quickly. The licensees also set their own prices for the generic product they produce. The licenses are royalty-free until the World Health Organization declares the end of the Public Health Emergency of International Concern regarding COVID-19, or until a pharmaceutical product other than remdesivir or a vaccine is approved to treat or prevent COVID-19, whichever is earlier, Gilead said. New Delhi: The all powerful GST Council, which will decide on tax rates, exempted goods and threshold, will meet for the first time on Thursday as it races against time to iron out issues between Centre and states for rolling out the new indirect tax regime from April 1, 2017. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister and has Minister of State in charge of revenue and state finance ministers as members. The two-day meet of the GST Council beginning tomorrow is likely to take up the discussion on issues of dual control and threshold with states demanding that they be given the legal and administrative power for imposing tax on entities with turnover of up to Rs 1.5 crore. In their last meeting with Jaitley on July 26, states had made it clear that small businesses with turnover of Rs 1.5 crore and below should be taxed only in the hands of state. In the GST structure, while the states have proposed that taxpayers with annual turnover of over Rs 1.5 crore should be taxed by the Centre, which will later disburse to states their share. Those entities with turnover below Rs 1.5 crore would pay their taxes to states, which would subsequently pass on to the Centre its share. Further, the Centre has proposed that small traders having annual turnover of up to Rs 20-25 lakh can be exempted from GST, but states have demanded that the limit be kept at Rs 10 lakh. The same limit should be Rs 5 lakh for special category and NE states. Currently, the threshold for Value-Added Tax (VAT) is Rs 10 lakh in most states. Tomorrow's meeting, according to sources, is also likely to select a Vice Chairman for the Council who would be one of the state finance ministers. GST, which is considered as the biggest tax reform since Independence, will subsume excise and service tax, and various other local levies including VAT and octroi. The GST Council is likely to work out a consensus on all the key issues, including GST rate, within two months so that those can be incorporated in the CGST and IGST laws. The government is planning to introduce GST legislations -- Central GST (CGST) and Integrated GST (IGST) -- in winter session of Parliament in November. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. By Express News Service CHENNAI: Three judges of subordinate courts in Chennai tested positive for COVID-19. The judges were presiding over small causes courts located within the Madras High Court campus. Sources said all three judges are undergoing treatment in private hospitals. Few staff members of the courts in the same building were also said to have tested positive for the virus. But it could not be ascertained how many of the staff have tested positive for the virus. Earlier this month, four judges of the High Courts, few members of the Central Administrative Tribunal and staff in Egmore court campus tested positive. The incident has given rise to concerns among the court staff and they have urged that the entire court campus be sanitised. The subordinate courts were functioning with limited staff since the first week of May due to the pandemic. The hearings were conducted only for urgent cases and that too via video conferencing. The judges mostly work from their chambers. Atlanta Atlanta police chief Erika Shields has resigned after a video of another fatal police shooting went viral Friday night, prompting more protests against racism and police violence in a city beleaguered by weeks of demonstrations and clashes. The Atlanta Police Department was dispatched to a Wendy's Friday night on a complaint about a man parked and asleep in the drive-through, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Atlanta police performed a sobriety test on the man, later identified as Rayshard Brooks, 27, who is black. When Brooks failed the test, officers attempted to put him in custody. The response escalated when Brooks grabbed and was in possession of an officer's stun gun, according to the GBI. A cellphone video posted to Twitter purportedly showed Brooks's struggle with two police officers in the parking lot. On Saturday afternoon, the GBI released a Wendy's surveillance video that showed Brooks fleeing the police and then being shot by an officer. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms called for the immediate termination of the police officer and said she did not "believe that this was a justified use of deadly force." Since news of Brooks' death circulated late Friday night, activists, including the Georgia NAACP, had called for Shields to depart her post. "What has become abundantly clear over the last couple of weeks in Atlanta is that while we have a police force full of men and women who work alongside our communities with honor, respect and dignity, there has been a disconnect with what our expectations are and should be, as it relates to interactions with our officers and the communities in which they are entrusted to protect," Bottoms said at a Saturday evening news conference. In the Wendy's surveillance video, Brooks enters the frame at 10:22 p.m. and is shown running away from one of the officers, who is running behind him. After running the equivalent of six or seven parking spots, Brooks turns back toward the officer and appears to point the stun gun at him, at which point the officer draws a weapon from his holster and fires at Brooks. Brooks falls to the ground as other cars in the lot pull aside, and both officers stand over him. An ambulance later arrives and takes Brooks away. The video does not appear to show Brooks's initial struggle with officers. GBI director Vic Reynolds said he was releasing the footage in an effort to be transparent. Reynolds also said agents have been directed to expedite the investigation. "We want everyone to see what we have seen in this case," Reynolds said. After the shooting, Brooks was taken to a hospital, where he died after surgery. Protestors in Atlanta gathered again on Saturday following weeks of nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes. Worldwide, Floyd's death has become the latest rallying cry against systemic racism in American policing. For more than a week, protests have swelled across the country in large cities and small towns, bringing the Black Lives Matter movement further into the mainstream. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Brooks's death marks the 48th officer-involved shooting the GBI has been asked to investigate in 2020. Earlier this month, a judge in Glynn County, Ga., ruled that three white men accused in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old black jogger, in February will stand trial for murder. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. William "Roddie" Bryan, who captured Arbery's death on a cellphone, told investigators that Travis McMichael uttered the words "f---ing n-----" before police arrived, according to testimony by a GBI agent. Once the GBI completes its independent investigation, the case will be turned over to the Fulton County District Attorney's Office for review. On Saturday, the Fulton County DA's office said it had already launched "an intense, independent investigation of the incident" and that officials were also on the scene after the shooting. According to local outlet 11 Alive News, the two officers involved in the shooting have been removed from duty pending the outcome of the investigation. Stacey Abrams, who ran for governor of Georgia in 2018 and has risen in prominence within Democratic politics, tweeted that Brooks's killing "demands we severely restrict the use of deadly force." "Yes, investigations must be called for but so too should accountability," Abrams wrote. "Sleeping in a drive-thru must not end in death." On Saturday, the Georgia NAACP called for the release of body camera footage and all surveillance video from surrounding buildings. "This is not the first time a black man has been killed for sleeping," the Rev. James Woodall, state president of the Georgia NAACP, said on a call with reporters. "While Atlanta is often called 'the Black Mecca,' the Atlanta Police Department has a continued history of antagonizing our communities." Woodall said the Georgia NAACP has hired a private investigator and that a news conference would take place Tuesday. The months-long search for Joshua "JJ" Vallow and Tylee Ryan, two Idaho children last seen in 2019, officially ended Saturday after authorities confirmed the human remains found earlier this week belonged to the children. "It is with heavy hearts that we now confirm that those remains have now been officially identified as those of JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan," Rexburg police said in a statement Saturday. MORE: Family believes human remains found on Chad Daybell's property are missing Idaho kids JJ and Tylee were last seen in September and were reported missing by extended family members to police in November. Their mother, Lori Vallow, and her husband, Chad Daybell, have been charged in the case. Vallow, 46, was arrested in February and is facing two felony counts of desertion and nonsupport of dependent children and one misdemeanor count each of resisting and obstructing an officer, solicitation of a crime and contempt. PHOTO: Authorities investigating a home in Salem, Idaho, June 9, 2020, where they uncovered human remains at the home of Chad Daybell as they investigated the disappearance of his new wife's two children. (Nate Eaton/EastIdahoNews.com via AP) Daybell, 51, was taken into custody Tuesday on two felony counts of destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence after the remains were found on his property. Each is being held on a $1 million bond. The case received national attention as it's been shrouded in mystery, and after rumors of a cult and other deaths in the family surfaced. The mysteriousness around the children's deaths still remains. Authorities did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment as to how the children died or if charges for Vallow or Daybell will upgraded. MORE: Inside the mysterious case of 3 deaths, 2 missing children and a terrified husband Vallow was lambasted by police throughout the search for the children, including in the early days when police said she "completely refused" to help. PHOTO: Lori Vallow finds out her bond has been denied by Judge Michelle Mallard during her second bond hearing at the Madison County Magistrate Court in Rexburg, Idaho, May 1, 2020. (John Roark/The Idaho Post-Register via AP, FILE) "It is astonishing that rather than work with law enforcement to help us locate her own children, Lori Vallow has chosen instead to leave the state with her new husband," police said, referring to Vallow's sudden move to Hawaii with Daybell. Story continues She also was condemned by officials while in Hawaii, when she failed to produce her children after she was ordered to do so by an Idaho court. She spent about a month in Hawaii with Daybell before she was arrested by police there on a warrant issued by authorities from Madison County, Idaho. Vallow was extradited to Idaho. Vallow, through a statement from her attorney, has maintained her innocence and pleaded not guilty to the charges. Daybell has not yet entered a plea. PHOTO: Chad Daybell in a booking photo after being arrested on June 9, 2020, on suspicion of concealing or destroying evidence after local and federal investigators searched his property in Rexburg, Idaho. (Rexburg Police Dept.) Concerns about Vallow began well before the children went missing. Charles Vallow, the adopted father of JJ, filed for divorce from Lori Vallow in February 2019, court records from Maricopa County Superior Court in Arizona show. His attorney in the proceedings, Steven Ellsworth, said Charles Vallow expressed "genuine fear for his life and under our advice obtained an Order of Protection against Lori Vallow," according to a statement Ellsworth sent ABC News. His "fear for his life" appeared to stem from statements that Lori Vallow made after meeting Daybell. She had at one point claimed she was "a god assigned to carry out the work of the 144,000 at Christ's second coming in July 2020" and didn't want anything to do with her family "because she had a more important mission to carry out," according to court documents obtained by ABC News. Daybell is the author of several religion-themed fiction books and spoke at some Preparing a People events. Preparing a People issued a lengthy statement in December on its website, which appears to have since been deleted, explaining that the multimedia company has been providing services to a variety of clients over the past seven years. "It is not a 'group' and is not a 'Cult' or something people join, but has educational lecture events that can be attended or watched on video," the statement reads. "We also do not share any of Chad Daybell's or Lori Vallow's beliefs if they are contrary to Christian principles of honesty, integrity and truth." Beyond rumors of a cult, the case made headlines because of numerous family deaths. Charles Vallow was shot and killed by Lori Vallow's brother, Alex Cox, in her Chandler, Arizona, home on July 11, 2019, police said. Cox was never charged, and the case was being looked at as self-defense. Cox ended up being found unresponsive about six months after that shooting, on Dec. 11, 2019. He was found in his Gilbert, Arizona, home and later pronounced dead. An autopsy was performed and it was discovered that Cox died of natural cases. In between Vallow and Cox's death, Chad Daybell's wife, Tammy Daybell, also died under circumstances that are now believed to be suspicious. Her autopsy results have not yet been released. After the remains were discovered this week, the grandparents of JJ and eldest son of Lori Vallow issued a joint statement. They confirmed the remains were those of the children before authorities publicly said so. "We are filled with unfathomable sadness that these two bright stars were stolen from us, and only hope that they died without pain or suffering," the family said. "We have only just been told of the loss of our loved ones and need time to process." Human remains found on Chad Daybell's property were of missing Idaho kids: Police originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Medha Dutta Yadav By Many avid travellers across cities were left in the lurch when their annual holiday plans were rudely interrupted by the nearly three-month travel ban. Now as the aviation industry mulls opening up international travel by as early as month-end, there is some hope yet. But the big question is: Where is it safe to travel? While some countries have come up with exclusive travel bubbles and corona corridors to allow access to tourists, others are vying for the travellers attention with attractive deals and freebies. Last week, Norway and Denmark announced they would allow travel between the two countries, and the three Baltic statesLithuania, Latvia and Estoniahave also allowed the same between themselves. A South Pacific bubble is also on the cards with Fiji leading the race. The island nation has announced it is completely coronavirus-free. Other Pacific nations such as Vanuatu, Tonga, Samoa, the Cook Islands and New Caledonia are also inching towards a full revival. However, what is winning the day for many holiday planners is the freebies on offer . Japan, Italy and the UK are offering money to tourists to travel domestically. Whether it applies to international travellers still remains to be seen though. Some private hospitality players in Las Vegas and Cancun, Mexicoknown for their beautiful beachesare offering partially paid-for stays, besides free car hires. In Sicily, the regional government has mounted a $90-million campaign that would cover subsidised travel, accommodation, as well as free entry to tourist sites. Five safest places in Europe that one can travel to as their borders open on July 1 Georgia No quarantine Being one of the worlds least-affected countries by coronavirus, wins it major brownie points. The Georgian capital of Tbilisi is an ideal destination for culture, gastronomy, diversity and architecture. Besides boutique hotels and guesthouses, the city also has a large array of tourist apartments that can offer more personalised safety. Austria Health certificate needed Loved by history buffs, Austria has up to 10 times fewer infected people. The most favoured travel destinationViennaboasts the best quality of life in Europe. Perfect for nature lovers, its Christmas markets are ranked among the best in Europe. Croatia No quarantine Croatia has up to 20 times fewer infected people per million. Boasting a large selection of private villas, tourist apartments and small family hotels, this Southeast European country is popular with fans of gastronomy, culture, nature and water sports. Also, the fact that it is not over-crowded is a winner. Portugal No quarantine The Southwestern European country has been relatively spared with regions such as Algarve, Lagos and the Alentejo almost corona-free. From beaches framed by golden cliffs and warm waters, to traditional architecture, the country is an exquisite getaway. Again private accommodations make it more appealing to tourists. Greece Partial quarantine One of the safest European nations, Greece has up to 50 times fewer people infected than in other European countries. Except for the tourists from some pre-designated countries, others would have to either go through the Covid-19 testor quarantine. Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has urged the National Assembly (NASS) to produce legislation that would prescribe death sentence or life imprisonment for unlawful possession of arms in the country. Mr Tambuwal made this call in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Malam Muhammad Bello. The statement said Mr Tambuwal was talking to students and youth in an interactive session on security matters in Sokoto State on Saturday. The governor said there are more small and light weapons in the hands of non-actors across the country than there are in the hands of security operatives. He expressed dissatisfaction over the proliferation of small and light weapons in the country. I am therefore appealing to NASS and the Presidency to come up with a legislation that will proscribe disarmament in the country. Those in possession of unlicenced arms should go and register them and if the arms cannot be licensed, they should be surrendered to government and the government will pay them, he said. He, however, said they should be given a grace period, after the grace period, those who did not comply, if caught, should be given a maximum punishment. He said like a death sentence or life imprisonment should be prescribed for unlawful possession of arms. This is the only way we can have peace in this country, he said. READ ALSO: He also suggested robust recruitment and equipping of security agencies, especially, the police, in order to ensure the protection of the citizens. He urged stakeholders to improve remuneration and life insurance policy for security operatives in the country. Mr Tambuwal commended the federal government for establishing the Police Trust Fund, which would go a long way in addressing their challenges. On the activities of bandits in some parts of Sokoto, the governor said arrangements are in top gear to establish a state vigilante group which could be deployed to troubled areas. He explained that the group would operate within the ambit of the law and in conjunction with the security agencies, so that they will not take laws into their hands. He recalled that the recent reprisal attacks in which the bandits killed dozens was triggered by the activities of vigilante in some of the areas attacked. The governor noted that ignorance and climate change are among the causes of insecurity in the state. He said some of the bandits lacked even basic knowledge of Islam, thus, ignorant of what the religion says on the killing of innocent souls. He tasked the dominant religious groups in the state to take their preachings to villages and other remote areas where it was needed the most, noting that education is vital to peace and development. (NAN) BMN/NCI/MST Carey Baptist Grammar School principal Jonathan Walter managed Melbourne's first school closure for a COVID-19 case. Finding out a member of your school community has tested positive for coronavirus is a life-changing moment for a principal. Suddenly a lot of things need to happen in quick succession: the Health Department needs to know so it can make the call on closing the school; staff, students and families must all be told; contact tracing, testing and deep cleaning will come next, all while teachers begin to shift classes online. Carey Baptist Grammar School was the first Melbourne school to be hit with confirmed COVID-19 cases when two teachers tested positive in early March. The Kew campus' prolonged closure as dozens of students and teachers were tested then ran into the state government's move to remote learning across all schools. New Delhi, June 14 : In a claim that will give reason for hope to many Indians, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Sunday that the coronavirus crisis won't last long and a vaccine for the same is on the horizon. He also asked people to shed negativity and embrace positive vibes while speaking to BJP cadres in Gujarat through a virtual rally called Jan Samvad. However, he didn't leave the opportunity to train his guns on the Congress party and its alleged failure to remove poverty. "The corona crisis will not last long. The work for a corona vaccine in the country is taking place at a very fast pace. Our scientists as well as scientists of the world are working, day and night," claimed Gadkari. He also urged everyone to shed negativity and embrace positivity and hope in this testing time. "We will face the corona crisis with confidence, self-confidence and positivity," he asserted. However, Gadkari soon focussed on targeting the Congress. "Congress has given the slogan of 'Garibi Hatao' (poverty removal) for 70 years. But the poverty of the poor, farmers and labourers of the country has not gone. Rather, the poverty of Congress party workers, leaders and 'chamchas' has definitely ended," alleged the senior BJP leader as he addressed party cadres and BJP's Gujarat leadership alike. Harping on the hawkish policy of the Modi government, Gadkari boasted, "Today, terrorists know what will happen if they do something in India. It is such a country, where a strong and capable government that can crush terrorism." He said that the Modi government has taken internal security seriously. However, he alleged that since Pakistan knows it cannot defeat India in a face-off, it continues to bleed India by sending terrorists into the Kashmir valley. Accusing the Congress of being sympathetic towards terrorists, Gadkari said "When I was the national president of the BJP, a martyr's father once asked me 'why do Congress leaders go to the homes of terrorists to pay tributes but they did not even once come to my martyr son's home?' I had no answer to his question." Stressing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for 'self-reliant India', Gadkari said, "The country's infrastructure, water, power, transport, communication, industry are all changing. New employment is being created in the country. We have to increase the country's exports and reduce imports. We have to make the country self-sufficient, this is the message of the Prime Minister." This week in Christian history: Protestant preacher found guilty of heresy; GK Chesterton dies, Pius IX becomes pope Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Christianity is a faith with a long and detailed history, with numerous events of lasting significance occurring throughout the ages. Each week brings the anniversaries of great milestones, horrid tragedies, amazing triumphs, telling tribulations, inspirational progress, and everything in between. Here are just a few things that happened this week, June 14-20, in Church history. They include the death of G.K. Chesterton, Pope Pius IX becoming head of the Roman Catholic Church, and a female English Protestant preacher being found guilty of heresy. 1 2 3 4 Next Kaileigh Schmidt, 21, of Hattiesburg, was booked into the Jones County Adult Detention Center at noon Wednesday and charged with two counts of obscene communication A Mississippi woman who was jailed after she accused her parents of being racist on Facebook leading to them receiving 'thousands' of death threats has been freed from custody after 24 hours, her attorney said. Kaileigh Schmidt, 21, of Hattiesburg, was booked into the Jones County Adult Detention Center at noon Wednesday and charged with two counts of obscene communication. Schmidt posted a series of screenshots to Facebook on June 5 allegedly showing her father and stepmother using racial slurs. She also sent the messages to Antifas and Black Lives Matters social pages, along with her parents' address, phone numbers and pictures of them. In one of the messages, said to be authored by her father, he wrote that her mother was crying because Schmidt was partying with n*****s. If you want us to keep helping I cant see that s*** no more. Im blown away n*****s. Schmidt responded by texting Dont call them that. It doesnt matter of they are black or white they are all down to earth people and Ive been friends with them ever since Ive been in Hattiesburg. They were there for me when yal werent. She was arrested Wednesday and released the following day after a judge in the Jones County Justice Court dropped all charges, her attorney Carlos Moore said The 21-year-old also replied to comments her father texted to her about the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. She told her father officer Derek Chauvin was NOT doing his job. What he did was MURDER. She continued to write that her father was f****d in the head, if he believed the officer was doing the right thing. Schmidt added she was taking a stand with the black community and said she was unfazed by her parents threats to no longer speak to her and block her on social media. Yal may be blood but they are family to me, Schmidt wrote of her friends on the receiving end of her fathers ire. And Im fine with getting my own insurance And if you keep being ugly and spreading racist s - - t Ill blast yal on Facebook insta etc and let the world give yal a taste of how it feels If yal are Christians like yal claim yal will love everyone equally but yal dont yal are hypocrites. The argument continues with her writing, I know all lives matter the difference is that we as white people where (sic) NEVER oppressed. Her father responded, And not a single person alive has been oppressed that was wayyyyyyy before all of our time u goofball. Schmidt said by sharing the messages she had hoped for her parents to go viral, but quickly the post was shared thousands of times and her father and stepmother quickly started receiving death threats. The fallout started after Schmidts parents took her car away from her, police said. Schmidt posted a series of screenshots to Facebook on June 5 allegedly showing her father and stepmother using racial slurs Schmidt has since taken to Facebook once more, insisting what her parents did was very wrong, but she does not condone violence towards them either. Family or not violence doesn't help anything. Change doesn't happen with violence. So please anyone thats making threats towards them need to stop. We cant fight and win with violence. My parents are RACIST and Im tired of it, Schmidt wrote in her post. I tagged the piece of s***s so yal can blast them too! They arent my family anymore! Schmidt also claimed her stepmother beat her for their falling out, while her dad stood and watched calling her a n***** loving whore. She also post pictures of what she claimed were bruises caused by the alleged beating. Threats to kill family members and burn down their home quickly flooded in, in the posts wake. Specific threats were also leveled against Schmidts younger siblings, including one person saying they would rape her and make her family watch. The Jones County Sheriffs Department had to conduct extra patrols around their home in Petal in light of the threats. Members of different churches, preachers, people of all different races have been trying to bring peace, but now theyre getting death threats, too, investigator Reuben Bishop told the Laurel Leader Call at the time. It got out of hand real quick. She spent a night in jail for simply exercising her First Amendment right on Facebook, her attorney Carlos Moore said. Schmidt was arrested Wednesday and released the following day after a judge in the Jones County Justice Court dropped all charges, her attorney Carlos Moore said. She spent a night in jail for simply exercising her First Amendment right on Facebook, Moore said. Now, we are prepared to fight for her in the civil arena because someone maliciously prosecuted her and she was falsely arrested and she was falsely imprisoned and we want to get justice for her. Schmidt has since taken to Facebook once more, insisting what her parents did was very wrong, but she does not condone violence towards them either. Family or not violence doesn't help anything. Change doesn't happen with violence. So please anyone thats making threats towards them need to stop. We cant fight and win with violence. She also posted a message about starting a GoFundMe like yal are wanting, as much as I need a new car and everything and as much help as I need Id hate to take money from anyone, definitely people I dont even know but are being kind out of your own hearts! Thank you all so much for showing me your love and support! Law enforcement are continuing to watch over her parents home. I hope maybe this shows people to think about what they post, Bishop said to the Leader Call. This turned into a big mess real quick. Dozens of people tested positive for the coronavirus in Beijing as parts of the city were locked down Saturday after the emergence of a new cluster linked to a wholesale food market. People were ordered to stay home at 11 residential estates in south Beijing's Fengtai district and the nearby Xinfadi market was closed as authorities raced to contain the outbreak that has fuelled fears of a resurgence in local transmission. Most of the six new domestic infections reported Saturday were linked to the meat and vegetable market, health officials said, which provides much of the capital's food supply. Official news agency Xinhua reported at least one of the cases was "severe". But another 45 asymptomatic cases -- which China counts separately -- were detected after mass testing of nearly 2,000 workers at the market on Friday, city health official Pang Xinghuo later told reporters. Another worker tested positive at a farmers' market in the city's northwestern district of Haidian -- a close contact of one of the confirmed cases linked to Xinfadi. Beijing's first COVID-19 case in two months, announced Thursday, had visited Xinfadi market and had no recent travel history outside the city. China's domestic outbreak had been brought largely under control through strict lockdowns that were imposed after the disease was first detected late last year. These measures had mostly been lifted as the infection rate dropped, and the majority of recent cases were citizens living abroad who were tested as they returned home during the pandemic. Among the six new domestic cases announced Saturday were three Xinfadi market workers, one market visitor and two employees at the China Meat Research Centre, seven kilometres (four miles) away. One of the employees had visited the market last week. Authorities closed the market, along with another seafood market visited by one of the patients, for disinfection and sample collection on Friday. AFP reporters saw hundreds of police officers, many wearing masks and gloves, and dozens of paramilitary police deployed at the two markets, with no one allowed to leave Xinfadi. An ambulance was seen driving in on Saturday afternoon. - 'It's real' - Officials in Fengtai -- which has more than two million residents -- announced Saturday that the district has established a "wartime mechanism" to deal with the fresh wave. Police cars were patrolling the streets outside blocked-off neighbourhoods and AFP saw one bus carrying workers in hazmat suits. "Everyone's very stressed right now," an elderly driver told AFP outside a fenced-off neighbourhood, refusing to give his name because of the heavy police presence. "There are cases living in there, it's real." With many shops in the affected areas closed, residents worried how they would stock up on essentials. "What do you want us to eat and drink?" a woman surnamed Wang said. "I hope we can get sufficient supplies as soon as possible". Nine nearby schools and kindergartens have been closed. On Friday, Beijing delayed the return of students to primary schools across the city, and suspended all sporting events and group dining. Cross-provincial tour groups have also been stopped. - Mass testing - The chairman of the Xinfadi market told state-run Beijing News that the virus was detected on chopping boards used to handle imported salmon, stoking fears over the hygiene of the city's food supply. Beijing's market supervision authorities ordered a city-wide food safety inspection focusing on fresh and frozen meat, poultry and fish in supermarkets, warehouses and catering services. In central Chaoyang district, officials said they would carry out screenings at all wet markets. Major supermarket chains including Carrefour removed all stocks of salmon overnight in the capital, but said supplies of other products would not be affected, Beijing Daily reported Saturday. Community volunteers -- who became a common sight during the outbreak -- were knocking on residents doors to ask if they had recently visited Xinfadi market. Beijing authorities also announced a mass COVID-19 testing campaign of anyone who has had "close contact" with Xinfadi since May 30, after they tested more than 5,000 environmental samples from farmers' markets and large supermarkets across the city on Friday. Of those, all 40 positive samples came from Xinfadi market. Around 10,000 people working at the Xinfadi market will be tested, the market chairman told local media. Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, on Saturday (June 13) issued fresh threat to South Korea saying that Pyongyang will will take "action" against the South and order its military to take action. "I feel it is high time to surely break with the south Korean authorities. We will soon take a next action," said Jong in a statement carried by the KCNA news agency. It may be recalled that North has been issuing threats to South for the last few days over activists sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets over the border. "By exercising my power authorized by the Supreme Leader, our Party and the state, I gave an instruction to the arms of the department in charge of the affairs with enemy to decisively carry out the next action," said Jong, who is a key advisor to North Korean leader Kim. She added that "the right to taking the next action against the enemy will be entrusted to the General Staff of our army." Kim's sister, however, refused to divulge the military action which North could take against South but appeared to threaten the destruction of the Joint Liaison Office, in the North Korean border city of Kaesong. "Before long, a tragic scene of the useless north-south joint liaison office completely collapsed would be seen," her statement on KCNA said. Notaly, Jong had earlier slammed Seoul for failing to stop activists from flying balloons carrying anti-regime leaflets across the border. KCNA has described leaflet scattering as "an act of a preemptive attack that precedes a war". "It is necessary to make them keenly feel what they have done," said Kim Yo Jong, referring to South's failure to block the leaflet campaign of the activists. North Korea had also attacked the South for making "nonsensical talking" about the denuclearisation process and trying to "meddle" in the US-North talks. SPRINGFIELD The Italian-American Veterans Memorial Monument, which includes a statue of Christopher Columbus, was vandalized overnight prompting Mayor Domenic J. Sarno to denounce the action. The monument, located in the middle of a traffic island at the intersection of Main and Locust streets, bears the names of about 80 Italian-Americans war veterans. A statue of Christopher Columbus stands on top of a block in the middle of the monument. It was dedicated in 1963 by the Joseph C. Ciccarelli Post 59 and other Italian-American organizations in the city, the plaque on the monument says. Sometime Saturday night or early Sunday morning the monument was vandalized. The damage was reported to police on Sunday morning and detectives responded and are investigating, said Ryan Walsh, police spokesman. The vandalism had been cleaned by Sunday afternoon. Photos posted by residents on Facebook and show red spraypaint covering the lower part of the statue and the base, including the two sides where names of veterans are etched. A large red X also was painted over a headstone in front of the monument dated 1986 that reads, The City of Springfield is proud and honored to rededicate the statue of Christopher Columbus. A true symbol of the pride and dedication of Springfield Italian-Americans past and present during this 350th anniversary of our great city. William Baker, communications director for Sarno, confirmed there were no identifiable words painted on the monument. This memorial stands in honor of Italian-Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our country so that all Americans might enjoy the freedoms that we have had. This memorial also stands for the many contributions that Italian-Americans have made to our country and city, said Sarno, whose parents were Italian immigrants. This unfortunate incident is not unlike the vandalism that occurred to our Black Vietnam Veteran Memorial Monument in our Mason Square honoring Black Americans who also made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. At that time, I denounced those actions and ordered restoration of that monument immediately. I will do the same here," Sarno said. In 2017 vandals crushed red berries from a nearby tree and wrote offensive words across the Black Vietnam Veterans Monument at Springfields Mason Square. At the time State Rep. Bud L. Williams also denounced the vandalism calling it a hate crime. Across the country demonstrators protesting racial injustice and the death of George Floyd, a black man in Minneapolis who died after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes, have targeted statues of confederate heroes and of Christopher Columbus. Protesters have damaged or pulled down multiple statues of Christopher Columbus in a matter of days. Last week the head of a marble statue of Columbus was removed in Boston and demonstrators also toppled statues in St. Paul, Minnesota and Richmond, Virginia. It is unknown if the vandalism is related to demonstrations held in Springfield, Holyoke and other communities in Western Massachusetts. The boss of British Airways today launches an impassioned defence of his plans to axe 12,000 jobs and cut the salaries of pilots, cabin crew and other staff. Writing in The Mail on Sunday, Alex Cruz hits back at the stinging criticisms he has faced from MPs and trade union officials over the past seven days. He accused unions of 'scaremongering' and described criticisms levelled by MPs as 'partial and parochial'. In a tailspin: BA boss Alex Cruz has hit back at the stinging criticisms he has faced from MPs and trade union officials over the past seven days The MoS can reveal that Tory MP and Transport Select Committee chairman Huw Merriman is lobbying the Treasury to ban companies such as BA from announcing redundancies while their staff are on furlough and the taxpayer is funding their wages. Merriman said he will this week ask for a meeting with Rishi Sunak to ask the Chancellor to close the 'loophole' in the Government's job retention scheme and force BA to wait until later in the year before proceeding with any redundancy plans. Meanwhile, unions have accused Cruz of exploiting the Covid-19 crisis to enact a 'fire and rehire' strategy. They claim that BA is exaggerating its cash crisis and using the pandemic as cover to bring back the bulk of employees on reduced terms and conditions. In an escalation of the increasingly acrimonious row, Cruz rejects all the allegations, explaining that BA will 'emerge from the Covid-19 crisis a much smaller airline' laden with 'hundreds of millions of pounds of new debt' which will 'swallow' its revenues. He writes: 'To suggest we are focused on anything but our immediate survival in the short term, plus a sustainable and competitive re-emergence for the longer term, is not true. 'Like other companies facing job losses, I do not want to deprive my people of their livelihoods. 'It is painful to contemplate the scale of the change we need to make because I know we have the best people in the business. I will do everything in my power to ensure that British Airways can survive and sustain the maximum number of jobs in line with the new reality of a changed airline industry and a severely weakened global economy.' Cruz also hits out at the Government's 'irrational' 14-day quarantine for passengers arriving in the UK from other countries, which he says has dealt a 'hammer blow' to BA's plans to get flying again in July. BA's parent company IAG is suing the Government over the laws, which were introduced last Monday. The row with unions shows no prospect of ending, despite the minimum consultation period for redundancies ending tomorrow. The dispute has become focused on whether BA was correct to issue a so-called Section 188 notice, which begins formal redundancy proceedings. The GMB union claims BA 'reneged' on an agreement in April not to issue the notice, which details all the legal information required for formal consultations with employees and unions. GMB and Unite are refusing to engage in consultation talks and insist that BA withdraws the notice. Balpa, which represents BA's 4,300 pilots, last night threatened to pull out of talks, describing Cruz's approach to redundancies as 'tantamount to putting a gun to people's heads'. In response, Cruz says: 'We will not step back from our legal obligations on consulting our employees.' It continues to amaze me that there has been no real response to increasing COVID-19 infections. South Carolina, unfortunately, shares company with about 20 other states. Gov. Henry McMaster calls some behaviors stupid, yet he refuses to mandate mask-wearing. That was front-page news Thursday, continued on page A4 . Immediately above the articles continuation is a picture of Nancy Mace, maskless and high-fiving someone in a crowded bar. What is it about mask wearing and social distancing that individuals lacking in responsibility dont get? DEBORAH STANITSKI Bishop Gadsden Way Charleston Nurdle dangers Im sure that I am not the only reader who was appalled to read that another company that exports plastic pellets, also known as nurdles, will be coming to the Lowcountry. These plastic pellets are known ocean polluters near the Gulf Coast refineries that produce them. While the worst pollution is nearest the production sites, there are numerous incidents of spillage during transportation. According to a June 2 article in The Post and Courier, the pellets will be transported to a warehouse in North Charleston, then bagged and transferred by truck to State Ports Authority terminals to be loaded onto ships. Each of these movements of the pellets is an opportunity for a major spill. NANCY WORLEY Parkdale Drive Charleston North Bridge path A bike and walk path over the North Bridge is needed, but how and at what cost? The best suggestion I have seen is to widen the center median by a foot and make it a walk/bike lane from Poston Road to Azalea Drive. Crosswalks should be added on both ends. Its not a perfect solution, but its one that might work. Another related issue is walkers and bikers traveling at night or in bad visibility wearing dark clothing. This makes them hard to see. On a recent morning that was dark and rainy, an appalling number of cars were being driven without headlights. RICHARD JACKSON Thornlee Drive North Charleston Libertarian Party On May 23-24, the Libertarian Party nominated, by online convention, candidates for president and vice president of the United States. And both nominees are from South Carolina. Jo Jorgensen is a senior lecturer at Clemson University. She ran for vice president with Harry Browne in 1996 and is a longtime Libertarian. Jeremy (Spike) Cohen is a former business owner and co-owner of the web-based Muddied Waters Media. Both of these candidates represent another way not offered by the two major parties. They offer a way to bring home soldiers who are deployed in foreign nations, to stop meddling in the war-causing affairs of other countries and to reduce government meddling in our daily lives. Republicans and Democrats have demonstrated that the limits of the Constitution mean nothing to them. Endless wars, spending to ensure their reelections and finding new ways to intrude on our personal lives are the fruits of their labors. Lets have this election be honest. Democrats and the Republicans are not the only game in town. But when the media ignore all but Democrats and the Republicans, better alternatives are forgotten. Look up the Libertarian Party, Jo Jorgensen and Spike Cohen. We are better than the two parties that have gotten us into this mess. GLORIA B. JENKINS Stonewood Drive Charleston Keep schools safe Im sure we all agree that schools need to reopen in August. School districts across the state certainly have their work cut out for them to make sure everyone involved in the educational process is kept safe. But the school districts can only do what is under their control. Gov. Henry McMaster has decided that wearing masks is optional. Unfortunately, most people are not wearing them and we have already seen a spike in daily COVID-19 cases. If this continues, returning to school could present problems for all involved. It is time for our governor to look at the big picture and make the wearing of masks mandatory. RAY DIMEO Galberry Street Charleston Downside to posts The June 4 Post and Courier editorial, Yes, you can get fired for that social media post. And maybe you should be, really struck a chord with me in articulating the repercussions of free speech. Freedom of speech isnt just about the ability to speak but also about the impact of what we say. Taking responsibility for speech is also taking responsibility for the impact of what you say. Were all responsible for our own voices, no matter the side we choose. As a business owner, I have to be mindful of what I share on social media on both work and personal accounts. As much I may want to share more, I have to think about the impact of that. Most people want to keep some aspects of their lives private, but social media is just that social. When you post, even if your accounts are private, you cant control what others do with information you share, just as when you share opinions with others offline. The difference is the lasting impact and permanency of what we post online. As a mom of two children, I want them to know how important their freedom of speech is and that the words they choose and how they choose to say them matters. What we say and do reflects on us as individuals. Employers, consumers and voters see you, and they have the right to make employment, buying and voting decisions based on what you share. So share wisely. SUSAN LaMOTTE Pearl Street Mount Pleasant Bengaluru, June 14 : Karnataka's Health Department has shut down four city clinics for not reporting Influenza Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) cases, which are Covid symptoms, an official said on Sunday. "We have shut four Bengaluru clinics for not reporting ILI and SARI cases," a health official told IANS. The clinics are Namma Clinic at Sahakaranagar, Panchamukhi Specialty Clinic at Peenya 2nd Stage, Mathru Chaya Clinic at Sudhama Nagar in Bommanahalli and Nayak Hospital in Gayathri Nagar. "We gave notice to 17 clinics for not reporting ILI and SARI medical conditions in patients. Out of the 17, 13 reverted that they did not do and will start reporting," said the official. However, the four named clinics did not revert leading to their shutdown. According to the official, the clinics failed to adhere to the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1987, Disaster Management Act, 2005 and others. All medical facilities and hospitals should report all patients with ILI and SARI symptoms as many Covid positive cases have them as underlying conditions. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 14, 2020 / Cheapquotesautoinsurance.com (https://cheapquotesautoinsurance.com/) is a top auto insurance brokerage website, providing car insurance quotes online from trustworthy agencies all over the United States. This website offers car insurance info about different coverage types and money-saving tips. For many drivers, car insurance may seem an unnecessary, expensive burden, rather than a useful service. To top it off, some companies are known for "price optimization", an unfair marketing strategy that relies on drivers not periodically checking the prices. 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CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing Company Person for contact Name: Gurgu C Phone Number: (818) 359-3898 Email: cgurgu@internetmarketingcompany.biz Website: http://cheapquotesautoinsurance.com/ SOURCE: Internet Marketing Company View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/593848/Get-Cheap-Car-Insurance-This-June--Best-Tips-To-Lower-Car-Insurance-Rates "New cases reported from Saturday 5 p.m. to Sunday 5 p.m., 176," said a health official. Bengaluru, June 14 (IANS) Domestic returnees and rising infections in contacts of earlier Covid cases in Karnataka made the state's tally touch the 7,000 mark with 176 new cases, an official said on Sunday. Like everyday, domestic returnees are the highest number of cases, 88, while 61 contacts of earlier cases also turned positive. Among the domestic returnees, 82 or 93 per cent of the cases had travel history to Maharashtra. There were also six cases with international travel history to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and the Philippines. Meanwhile, contacts of earlier cases turning positive are showing an upward trend with 61 such cases reported on Sunday. Cases spiked in Bengaluru Urban, Yadgir, Udupi, Bidar, Kalaburagi, Dharwad, Ballari, Kolar, Uttara Kannada, Mandya and Daskhina Kannada. Among the new cases, Bengaluru Urban contributed 42, followed by Yadgir (22), Udupi (21), Bidar (20), Kalaburagi (13), Dharwad (10), Ballari (8), Kolar (7), Uttara Kannada (6), Mandya and Dakshina Kannada (5 each), Bagalkote (4), Ramanagara (3), Raichur and Shivamogga (2 each) and Belagavi, Hassan, Vijayapura, Bengaluru Rural and Haveri (1 each). Twelve patients are suffering from influenza like illness (ILI) and five from severe acute respiratory infection (SARI). Meanwhile, five people succumbed to the virus, three from Bengaluru Urban, one from Dakshina Kannada and another from Bidar. Among the new cases, 106 are males and 70 females, including 13 children below the age of 10 years. Of the total cases, 2,956 patients have been discharged, 86 have died while 16 are admitted in the ICU. In the last 24 hours, 312 patients were cured and discharged. On Sunday, the health department tested 7,451 samples out of which 6,835 turned negative. In total, 4.43 lakh samples have been tested, of which 4.27 lakh have returned negative. Currently, Yadgir is leading the state's Covid-19 burden with 536 active cases, followed by Kalaburagi (459), Bengaluru Urban (330) Udupi (312) and Raichur (292) among others. Bengaluru Urban has accounted for 32 deaths, followed by Kalaburagi (10), Dakshina Kannada (7) and Bidar, Vijayapura, and Davangere (6 each) among others. --IANS sth/skp/ - Volkswagen Ghana has successfully assembled domestically made Tiguan cars at North Industrial Area in Accra - VW Tiguan (Highline Plus) is the first model the automobile company has worked on in the country - First photos of the home-made assembled cars have popped up online Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana Volkswagen Ghana has successfully assembled Ghanas first-ever domestically made VW Tiguan (Highline Plus) cars at the North Industrial Area in Accra. The VW Tiguan is the first model the automobile company has worked on in the country. VW Tiguan has advanced features like panoramic view, digital dashboard, sensors with a 2.0 engine. Earlier in 2020, some photos were sighted by YEN.com.gh online when Ghanas Trade Ministry, Alan Kyeremanten, visited to tour the assembling plant of VW. READ ALSO: We fought over money - Shatta Wale finally speaks about cause of breakup with Bulldog (video) The assembling of Ghanas first domestic cars is in line with President Nana Akufo-Addo's statement during his recent address to the nation that VW was due to start production by the end of April 2020. The establishment of these assembling facility by VW is expected to provide some jobs for Ghanaians, particularly mechanical and electrical engineers. View first stunning photos of the luxury VW Tiguan. Previously, YEN.com.gh had reported that two car manufacturing companies, Toyota and VW, were likely to start assembling cars in Ghana in 2020. This was revealed by President Akufo-Addo during his presentation of the 2020 edition of the State of the Nation Address. He added that Sinotruck, which is also interested in doing business in Ghana, would also begin the same process this year. Business Insider reports that Toyota would start working in Tema in the last quarter of the year 2020. Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh had reported how the Chair and MD of VW, Thomas Schafer, revealed that the group had registered a company in Ghana and will finalise all the details for a joint venture with Universal Motors. This follows VWSA signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ghanaian government in September 2018 to establish a vehicle assembly facility in the country and assess the feasibility of introducing a modern mobility concept. Ghana's is the fourth assembly plant VWSA has established in Africa. Ghanaian female accounting graduate and mushroom farmer recounts her experience | #Yencomgh Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh We do not need to defund the police, and were never going to do that in South Carolina. And making such a radical demand is the best way anyone has come up with to fritter away any chance of translating the broad public outrage over the gruesome police killing of George Floyd into long-needed reforms to policing. Because sensible people sensibly believe it means dismantle the police department, and they freak out. As they should. Because thats just crazy. But we do need reforms, because we have too many cops who are not fit to be cops, who cant handle the adrenaline rush and consider disrespect a capital offense. We have too many cops who are bullies and brutes and, yes, racists, who abuse their authority and kill innocent people and in the process endanger the lives of all the good cops who go to work every day with the goal of protecting all of us. Editorial: Let police bias audit set stage for broader N. Chas. review North Charlestons police department is not the same agency that employed a uniformed officer who shot and killed Walter Scott as he ran from Now, those good cops are not blameless. For too long, the law enforcement community has closed ranks whenever an officer crossed the line, even if that officer used excessive force on an unarmed, unthreatening, even restrained victim. Such officers often werent prosecuted. Many werent even fired. Some werent even disciplined. And that refusal to prosecute or even discipline, year after year after year, is what transformed an unspeakably heinous killing in another state into the most sustained protest Im aware of in our state since ... ever. If you listen carefully to why Minneapolis City Council members have pledged to defund the police, its clear they see replacing their police force with something with a different name as the only way to get around a police union thats been the biggest impediment to reform. Thats a goal youd think most of us to the right of left-wing crazy and to the left of right-wing crazy would applaud. If only theyd explain that and stop using that crazy slogan. Fortunately, unions dont have the legal power to block reforms in South Carolina. But the union mindset in police agencies sure does, so we have to change that. That has to start with police chiefs and sheriffs willing to fire cops who cross the line as soon as they cross it, rather than waiting to see whether theyre indicted. Or convicted. It has to involve city leaders willing to insist that police chiefs do that, and voters willing to vote sheriffs out of office if they dont. And solicitors who will bring charges against bad cops rather than making excuses. Were moving in a good direction in many communities, but were not there yet. We can push things along with a collection of legislative reforms that my colleagues and I have been advocating for years, based on specific problems weve seen in South Carolina: Editorial: SC needs to stop putting cops on the street before they're trained South Carolina has always been careless some would say cavalier about who it allows to strap on a badge and gun and make arrests. We need police training that focuses more on helping police de-escalate potentially violent encounters. And we need better training overall, even if it takes longer and costs more. Im not sure we ever did an adequate job training cops, but in order to cut the time would-be police have to wait for training, the states Criminal Justice Academy recently started relying heavily on video rather than in-person training. Which works about as well as the online education we gave S.C. students this spring instead of a real education. Editorial: Good plan to probe police shootings, but we need statewide law One of the many destabilizing forces in our nation is the distrust and fear many people feel toward police. We need to stop letting untrained officers act like trained officers before they finish their training. If agencies must hire them early, they should only be allowed to work on a team with another officer. We need state limits on the use of force. Im not sure precisely what should be banned, but an easy and obvious place to start is to outlaw shooting a fleeing suspect unless its clear that someones life is in immediate danger. And no, an officer shouldnt be able to deliberately position himself in front of a moving car and claim his life was in danger in order to justify killing the driver. We need to require outside investigations of all officer-involved deaths to ensure theyre handled more like other investigations. For instance, police in such cases should not be able to review videotape evidence or talk with other officers before being questioned. We need a more open process for internal investigations of excessive-force complaints. Both types of investigations need significant input from people who arent police officers. We need more police body cams, used more regularly and routinely available for public review. State law says police have to wear body cameras once the Legislature pays for body cameras. It hasnt done so, and many officers dont wear cameras. When they do, they turn them off too often. And when they turn them on, we dont get to see the video, unless the police want us to see it. The Legislature needs to provide the money for body cams for all police. Turning off the camera, except under extremely limited and strictly defined circumstances, should result in severe discipline even in some cases prosecution. And the videos should be made public, just like video from vehicle-mounted cameras, except when police can convince a judge that doing so would clearly impede an investigation. Theres nothing in this list thats anti-cop. But its a framework that could allow our state to address real problems, while the rest of the nation argues over self-defeating slogans. Forty-eight days. Its a short time in which to make a big impact, but Paul Barabani is a man on a mission. A mission to change the narrative about the Soldiers Home in Holyoke where he once served as superintendent. The past three months of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic have flown by, marked each day, it seemed, by obituaries of veterans who died at the state-run nursing home and long-term care facility that sits atop Cherry Street hill in Holyoke, looking down on Interstate 91. The virus ravaged the home, claiming the lives of more than 75 men and women, some of whom Barabani knew as friends as well as residents of the home. All the while, Barabani stayed the course, keeping a low profile, recognizing he was no longer the person in charge and not wanting to insert himself into the story. The Army National Guard veteran served as superintendent from 2011 through December 2015, when he resigned, citing the states failure to fund and staff the Soldiers Home properly. Then, as now, state veterans services secretary Francisco A. Urena and other state officials challenged that view. Barabani watched from the sidelines with care and sympathy for the veterans, their families and, especially, he says, the staff who were affected by the virus. He kept to himself amid the creation of now five separate investigations into the homes operations and virus response because I had no first-hand knowledge of the situation. He listened as Urena and others criticized and then suspended his successor, Bennett W. Walsh, on March 30 on claims he had failed to advise them about the growing outbreak of the virus and the toll it was taking on residents and staff. (Walsh has denied those claims, and an attorney for him has provided emails and text messages detailing his communications during the month of March.) Barabani was silent until this week when, on Tuesday afternoon, he linked in online to listen to the meeting of the Soldiers Home trustees. I would have continued to keep a low profile, had it not been what I heard at that meeting, Barabani said. It motivated me to break my silence. I believe I have the knowledge they need. What he heard that most concerned him was the chairman of the board, former Holyoke City Councilor Kevin Jourdain, cite a news report by a Boston TV station in asking about the status of a 2012, nearly $120 million plan to renovate and expand the home. And, then, there was a suggestion made by a state staff member for the Executive Office of Health & Human Services to conduct a new study of the needs of the Holyoke home. I was amazed. I couldnt believe their source of information was a news article, Barabani says. As the meeting proceeded, Barabani says he became more and more convinced he needed to step into the fray and offer whatever assistance he can to ensure a Soldiers Home for Western Massachusetts is preserved and improved to meet the 21st century needs of those it serves. I got up this morning and said I want to be an agent for change and assist the board (of trustees) in doing this, he shared on Friday. He drafted and sent a letter to Jourdain in which he said he did not want to have an adversarial relationship with the board. I believe that we have a common goal: that of preserving the Soldiers Home in Holyoke for future generations of veterans to receive the care they have earned and providing an environment in which the staff can efficiently provide the loving care they are known for, he stated in the letter. He also outlined to Jourdain the need for action by July 31, including recalculation of the projects costs, submission of revised figures and verification the state will provide the needed matching funds (35% of the costs), so the project can be considered for federal VA funding in fiscal 2021. I know of no significant change in the building that would impact the ability to go forward with the 2012 plan, Barabani said. Barabani is not alone in the mission hes undertaking. Hes backed by many more like-minded men and women from all across Western Massachusetts and beyond who are expected to announce this coming week their united efforts to garner the support of the entire state Legislature, local, state and federal leaders and the community at large. They are veterans and children of veterans. They are municipal veterans agents and members of veterans organizations. The COVID-19 outbreak has been the deepest wound and the saddest of chapters in the history of the Soldiers Home that opened in 1952, and Barabani says he hopes it can become but a footnote to a legacy of outstanding care for the veterans who use the home. In the wake of Tuesdays trustees meeting, Barabani reached out to the contact at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs with whom he first worked on the project, and learned the Soldiers Home proposal remains on an active list for 65% reimbursement funding. To conduct a new study, Barabani contends is just adding unnecessary time to what is an immediate need to move the home forward. Any time I hear study coming out of a bureaucrats mouth, its just a matter of delay, he said. The 2012 plan called for the construction of a five-story addition that would provide a 120-bed, all private room facility, while the current structure would be renovated to provide one- and two-person rooms, all based on a federal Department of Veterans Affairs approved concept. The project would see the home transformed into a 258-bed facility, according to Barabani. As the losses of the homes residents mounted and the infection wreaked havoc with the staff over the past months, Barabani said he felt a little remorse, knowing that that facility contributed to the spread of the virus and had I been able to convince state and get their support eight years ago, it might have slowed the spread. Now, he says, I want to be part of the solution, to atone for the failure of state government to do the right thing in 2013 and take advantage of this opportunity to make things right right for the families of the veterans who died, right for the incredibly dedicated staff who had to work in those conditions and right for future generations of veterans who will need that home. Barabani says hell leave the determination of what went awry at the home to the state and federal investigators who are probing the virus outbreak at the Soldiers Home. My focus for right now and the next 48 days to get the state to do what they should have done, he said. Right now, a community of veterans and families members are ready to advocate for the home, he explained. An announcement later this coming week will share a website thats being developed to provide information to the public and share drawings and details of what a future Soldiers Home might look like. We will try to motivate individuals throughout the state to support a Soldiers Home for the future in Western Massachusetts. If we are successful in achieving our goal in getting that plan approved, thats the best monument to memorialize those people who died during this time of the coronavirus, he said. We have a path we can follow to accomplish this. The question is can the Legislature and the trustees have the will to make this happen? Express News Service By BHOPAL: State BJP vice president and former MLA Sudarshan Gupta and his supporters have been booked by police in Indore for throwing to winds social distancing norms while organizing Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomars birthday celebrations on Friday. A case under Section 188 of IPC was registered against Gupta (the ex MLA from Indore I seat) and his aides for violation of prohibitory orders imposed under Section 144 of CrPc. Gupta and his supporters had organized birthday celebrations of union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar in Indores Malharganj area on Friday. During the celebrations food grain packets were distributed among large crowd without following the social distancing norms. Taking cognisance of the violation of prohibiitory orders, a case was registered by local police at Malharganj police station, the DIG-Indore HN Chari Mishra confirmed to The New Indian Express on Saturday. Earlier, on Friday around 25-30 opposition Congress workers were arrested for holding protest in Indore sans permission. Flash It is high time to break with the South Korean authorities and retaliate with possible military force against the South, a senior official of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said on Saturday. In a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, Kim Yo Jong, first vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and younger sister of DPRK leader Kim Jong Un, said she had given instructions for decisive action to be taken. The DPRK has repeatedly lashed out at South Korea since last week in protest against anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets sent by defectors and activists across the border. Pyongyang has also closed its joint liaison office and cut off all communication lines with the South. "If I drop a hint of our next plan the South Korean authorities are anxious about, the right to taking the next action against the enemy will be entrusted to the General Staff of our army," she said, adding that the army "will determine something for cooling down our people's resentment and surely carry out it." Kim also said she fully supported the statement issued Friday by Jang Kum Chol, director of the United Front Department of the Central Committee of the WPK, who said Pyongyang has lost all confidence in the South Korean government and warned of "regretful and painful" times ahead. Kim pointed out that "the judgment that we should force the betrayers and human scum to pay the dearest price for their crimes and the retaliatory action plans we have made on this basis have become a firm public opinion at home." Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has paid a heartfelt tribute to actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead at his Bandra residence in Mumbai on Sunday. He was 34. Sushant was a big fan of Shah Rukh and was often compared with the superstar, as both of them made a successful transition from TV to cinema and also for the fact that both found their way in the industry without any Godfathers. Sharing an old picture with Sushant, Shah Rukh tweeted, "He loved me so much...I will miss him so much. His energy, enthusiasm and his full happy smile. May Allah bless his soul and my condolences to his near and dear ones. This is extremely sad....and so shocking!!" He loved me so much...I will miss him so much. His energy, enthusiasm and his full happy smile. May Allah bless his soul and my condolences to his near and dear ones. This is extremely sad....and so shocking!! pic.twitter.com/skIhYEQxeO Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) June 14, 2020 In a 2013 interview with Hindustan Times, Sushant had said that he became an actor because of Shah Rukh. "When I was in school and even when studying engineering, I used to watch his films. Shah Rukhs name was and is synonymous with romance. Whenever we spoke to girls, we used to talk like him. When I was in the eighth standard, I would dance to Suraj hua madham. I have to achieve many things before I become even the S of SRK," he had said. This news piece may be triggering. If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata). - The shoes were recovered from Keroka based Comffy Hotel by Special Crimes unit detectives on Sunday - They are part of over KSh 20 million shoes stolen from Nairobi based Bata shops by use of fake vouchers - Earlier, detectives recovered Bata shoes worth over KSh 7 million the suspects had stocked in their shop in Keroka - Cases of consters using technology to defraud individuals and even organisations are becoming rampant in the country Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), have recovered another consignment of stolen Bata shoes from a Nyamira based eatery. The detectives from the Special Crimes Unit acting on intelligence descended on the Comffy Hotel in Keroka where they seized the footwear worth KSh 9.8 million. READ ALSO: Kerosene price reduces by KSh 17.31 as petrol increases by KSh 5.77 The shoes were recovered at Comffy Hotel in Keroka, Nyamira county. Photo: DCI. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Kisumu man who overcame abject poverty to become dentist builds elderly mom new house The shoes, according to the DCI, were stolen from several Nairobi Bata shops by fraudsters who presented fake e-gift vouchers to stores and managed to walk away with shoes worth over KSh 20 million. "Another over KSh 9.8 million worth of Bata shoes defrauded in the fake egift vouchers within Nairobi have been recovered by detectives at Comffy Hotel in Keroka, Nyamira County. Further investigations ongoing with DCI Special Crime Unit leading the recovery mission," DCI said in a brief statement on Sunday, June 14. READ ALSO: 70% of Kenyans don't want schools reopened in September - Study In a separate story, TUKO.co.ke reported that the first batch of the shoes worth over KSh 7 million was recovered at a shop in Keroka on Sunday, June 7. The recovery also led to the arrest of two suspects believed to be part of the con racket and are helping detectives in investigations. READ ALSO: Coronavirus update: COVID-19 cases hit 3,594 as 137 test positive READ ALSO: Jamaa aingia stesheni ya polisi akiwa uchi kwa kufumaniwa na mke wa afisa wa KDF This came to the fore even as the country continued to experience a surge in technology-related fraud and cyberbullying. In a separate story, TUKO.co.ke reported the DCI had warned Kenyans of increasing cases where children were being lured into promiscuity by people they meet with via social media. Detectives said such cases started rising immediately learners started taking online classes through various social media platforms like Zoom and Facebook. The cons, who include hackers, are also targeting people working from home and maybe accessing the internet using platforms with poor data security. 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. Kamotho's mother disowns Tabitha, tells her to set her son free | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke Two private security guards, in their 20s, died allegedly after being beaten up with sticks by a group of men in outer Delhis Narela, police said on Sunday. It was not immediately known what led to the assault of Amit (22) and Sunil (24), both residents of Gautam Colony in Narela. According to the police, the two guards were on night duty on Saturday when they were beaten up with sticks inside a building on the premises of a private company. On hearing their cries, other guards reached the spot, but the assailants managed to flee towards the adjoining forest area. Amit and Sunil were rushed to MV Hospital and subsequently referred to BSA Hospital where they died, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer-North) Gaurav Sharma said. The duo suffered fractures in limbs and did not have any visible injury in head and other vital parts of the body, the police said, adding that it indicated the assailants might not have intended to kill them. A case has been registered and an investigation is underway to ascertain the motive behind the killing. The police are probing if other workers deployed on the premises were behind the killing or outsiders were involved. The police said suspects were being rounded up. Mumbai, June 14 : Kickstarting the 'Magnetic Maharashtra' initiative, Maharashtra is slated to sign 12 major MoUs with global companies for investments in the state on Monday, an official said here on Sunday. The MoUs shall be signed with companies from USA, China, South Korea and Singapore in the presence of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Industries Minister Subhash Desai besides a bilateral investment discussion, via video-conferencing, in the evening. There has been interest from other countries like Russia, Japan, Germany and others in various sectors like engineering, automobiles, food processing, ESDM, IT, ITES, and others. The development comes a month after Desai had announced these plans as global investment sentiments have plummeted in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, presenting the state with a unique opportunity to attract FDI from global companies looking to diversify their supply chains across South East Asia. During the different phases of the lockdown, the state has already reopened over 60,000 industries methodically with over 1.5 million employees returning to work. The state will also unveil its 'Magnetic Maharashtra 2.0' roadmap featuring pathbreaking initiatives like Plug & Play infrastructure, a land bank of over 40,000 acres, flexible rentals/pricing structures, automatic permissions with 48 hours, specialised labour protection guidance, and the entire ecosystem for investments in the post-pandemic era. The Maharashtra side will include Minister of State Aditi Tatkare, the new Sherpa for FDI Bhushan Gagrani, Industries Principal Secretary Venugopal Redy and state Industrial Development Corporation CEO, P. Anbalagan. By PTI KOLKATA: The authorities of the IIT Kharagpur has asked around 2,400 students and researchers who are still stuck in their hostels were asked to leave for home by June 20. Registrar B N Singh told PTI on Sunday that the institute wants the students back in the campus by September when the new semester will begin. "Of the total 12,500 hostel boarders, 5,400 were there when the lockdown began in end-March. Another 3,000 were transported home last month and around 2,400 are presently staying in the campus," Singh said. They will leave by June 20, he said. "Instead of staying in the campus with no classes being held in classrooms, they can spend quality time with family and resume classes from September," Singh explained. "Since the academic session 2019-20 has been closed and all academic activities will be completed within June 15 and the normal academic activities may only start from September, we request the students (UG, PG, research scholars) and project staff who are staying in the hostels/ halls to proceed for their home now. "The institute will close mess facilities in all hostels/halls with effect from June 20," according to a notice issued by the registrar. For any pending project work, the researchers can always do it from home on mail as the faculty is always responsive to their needs, Singh said. He said the hostel service staff needed a break as they had been working at a stretch for months. The US Navy is getting back on its feet and three US Navy carriers are in the Indo Pacific, and a sign to Beijing the US Navy is ready to support America's interests in the region. Since the start of the coronavirus, this is the first massing of three aircraft carrier and their carrier strike groups that demonstrate to China. The US Navy has bounced back in the South China Sea in times that are critical for the US Navy to show China how much power it can muster, said a report by the Associated Press. Before this operation, China sent the Liaoning and Shandong for exercises. As China puts a stranglehold on Hong Kong's autonomy, its response to the coronavirus outbreak like bullying and creating footholds in the SCS has Washington worried. As unprecedented response amidst a tension, along with its three aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, fighters, and support craft are in the Indo-Pacific for spring patrols to combat militarization of the region. Bonnies Glaser said that the Chinese have mentioned that the US was unprepared for COVID-19, but the current US Navy effort should tell Beijing to think otherwise. Another is the Chinese will say it is a provocation, and US support for its Asian allies is what causes instability not China's actions, says Business Standard. While blame for the lop-sided response for COVID-19 in the US was placed on Trump, China was called for its later warning. Another is the move by the US administration to ban students with People's Liberation Army links from entering, which includes the Three US Navy aircraft carriers deployed. US Naval power and the Indo-Pacific has three patrolling carrier strike groups Indo-Pacific has three carrier strike groups with only enough carriers that are in repair, visiting, training or are dispatched on different missions all over the globe. Also read: US Navy Deploys Reagan, Nimitz Carrier Strike Group for Operations The growing Chinese threat in the South China Sea is the top concern of U.S. national defence strategy for now. In the Pentagon, officials have arrayed resources and military assets to oppose the growing military and economic influence of China. According to Rear Adm. Stephen Koehler, director of operations at Indo-Pacific Command, he said to show the Chinese what they are up against is part of their contest to the projection. The US Navy must be visible to let Beijing know that they are there to win. Koehler added to the interview with The Associated Press in Hawaii, that China is digging in the South China Sea by adding missile emplacements and electronic countermeasures to these islands. But the US Navy has been conducting FONOPS, with increased operations with its allies, but China remains unperturbed, in Los Angeles Times. He added that China has aircraft at Fiery Cross Reef at the Spratly's and flying them. Carrier Strike Groups in Operations Three carrier strike groups are in operation in the Indo-Pacific, one of them is the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Philippine Sea close to Guam. USS Nimitz is in the Pacific of the US West Coast, and finally, the USS Ronald Reagan left its Japanese port in the Philippine Sea near Japan as one of the biggest deployments, confirmed by Time. After several ships got docked, the US Navy had made steps to follow preventing viral breakouts, and keep them working despite the ongoing pandemic, Rear Adm. Jim Kirk said there were no COVID-19 cases since then. Koehler said the three US Navy aircraft carriers and their carrier strike groups will not always be in the Indo-Pacific. Related article: Guided-Missile Destroyer USS Russell Crosses Taiwan Strait After Chinese Aircraft Carrier Went for Sea Trials @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Police stand guard at the statue of Captain Cook in Hyde Park - AFP Australian police said they arrested two women after a statute of British explorer James Cook, captain of the first Western ship to reach the east coast of Australia, was defaced early on Sunday in Sydney. New South Wales police were alerted to graffiti on Cook's statue in Hyde Park in the central district of Australia's largest city just after 4 am (2000 GMT on Saturday) before the two women in their late 20s were arrested. The women were found with a bag containing a number of spray-paint cans, the police said in a statement. They were refused bail and will be charged with the destroying and damaging property, it said. Anti-racism protesters, who have taken to the streets following the death of African American George Floyd in police custody, are demanding that the legacies of some of the architects of Europe's empire building be revisited and their statues be torn down. From Cecil Rhodes in England to Christopher Columbus in the United States and King Leopold II in Belgium, statues of empire builders have been under attack in recent weeks around the world, sometimes from the descendants of those they once colonised. Cook's statute was promptly cleaned by Sydney council workers on Sunday morning, a police spokeswoman said. Police in the neighbouring state of Victoria are also investigating the weekend defacing of the statues of two former Australian prime ministers at a Ballarat park. Courtesy photo It is my pleasure to announce that Robert Granfeldt will be joining us on Monday as the general manager of the Midland Reporter-Telegram and the Panhandle properties. After many years in the distribution and digital side of media, Robert has been publisher of three community newspapers, most recently as the regional publisher for Gatehouse West Texas (Lubbock and Amarillo). Before that, he focused his career on specialty magazine publishing as the general manager of 360 West Magazine in Tarrant County (Fort Worth). T he Duchess of Sussex has hailed the women behind a community kitchen close to Grenfell Tower as such an inspiration and said she is so proud of their work, on the third anniversary of the tragedy . In a touching message on Sunday, Meghan told volunteers at the Hubb Community Kitchen that they are the example of love in action. The kitchen, long-supported by the Sussexes, was set up by survivors at Al Manaar mosque in the aftermath of the fire to provide refuge and hot meals for bereaved families in west London and is still going today. A total of 72 people lost their lives when flames tore through the 24-storey flat block in the early hours of June 14, 2017, fuelled by flammable cladding that lined Grenfell. The duchess has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for the kitchen / Getty Images Meghan has made a series of visits to Hubb since the fire, and held a Zoom call with the women involved in April to discuss their plans to cook between 250 and 300 meals a day, three days a week, for vulnerable locals during lockdown. I think back to when I met all of you and how you had all come together in the wake of what you experienced in your community, the duchess told them in an audio message on the third anniversary of the fire. Meghan has backed the Hubb Community Kitchen since its early days / Getty Images And now what you have done is such an inspiration, you continue to give back, you continue to to put love in action. And thats really what Hubb is all about... we know it means love but you are the example of love in action, and that is your purpose." She continued: Im so proud of you, so is Harry, and we are sending so much love to you from across the pond and thinking of you today, as Im sure its a difficult day, but also one where you can look at how much youve accomplished in the past three years, and how you continue to give back and be an example for all of those around you." Meghan held a conference call with the Hubb Community Kitchen women in April The duchess also teamed up with the Hubb Community Kitchen to create her Together cookbook, which by last summer had raised more than 550,000 for the charity after selling 130,000 copies. The book, featuring 50 recipes from the women and foreword from Meghan, aimed to raise 250,000 but accounts from The Royal Foundation showed the target was smashed. In a day of tributes for the Grenfell victims, a virtual vigil will be hosted by the Bishop of Kensington tonight due to the ongoing ban on mass gatherings. Survivors and families of the victims have pleaded with the public not to forget about the inferno, which started in a fourth-floor flat and spread through combustible cladding that wrapped the tower to become the worst domestic blaze since World War Two. Tributes will take place online this year due to the pandemic / REUTERS Nicholas Burton, 52, was rescued from this 19th-floor flat on the night of the inferno, along with his wife, Pily, who died of a stroke seven months after the fire. It is important the fire and those who lost their lives are never forgotten. Every day is a Grenfell day to me. There is not a day that goes by when I dont think about that night, he told the Standard. The bells of London churches will chime 72 times at 6pm today and residents in homes across the UK have been asked to shine green lights from 10.30pm to show solidarity with the victims and the families they left behind. Boris Johnson said earlier that the country is still coming to terms with the tragedy. Residents across the UK are asked to shine a green light tonight / PA We can all remember where we were three years ago today when we saw this tragedy unfolding on our screens and across the London skyline, he said on the third anniversary. He added: "As a nation, we are still dealing with the consequences of what happened and working to make sure it never happens again. "While those affected by Grenfell are not able to gather in person, all of us in this country are with you in spirit." The public inquiry into the disaster, which was halted in March due to the pandemic and has been beset by delays, is due to resume on July 6. The latest instalment in the James Bond franchise, No Time to Die, has had its release date brought forward. The long-awaited movie was originally scheduled for release in April, but the date was changed in light of the coronavirus pandemic, with a new date of November 25 being set back in March. But now, the official Twitter account for the project has confirmed that its release date has been moved once again. The latest instalment in the James Bond franchise, No Time To Die, has had its release date brought forward The tweet read: 'The return of old friends in NO TIME TO DIE. In cinemas 12th November UK, 20th November US!' The upcoming movie will mark Daniel Craig's last-ever outing as the iconic character., which the actor insisted he was 'fine' about. He said: 'I'm really... I'm OK. I don't think I would have been if I'd done the last film and that had been it. But this, I'm like... Let's go. Let's get on with it. I'm fine.' The actor also insisted he isn't too worried about his post-Bond career. The long-awaited movie was originally scheduled for release in April, but the date was changed in light of the coronavirus pandemic, with a new date of November 25 being set back in March But now, the official Twitter account for the project has confirmed that its release date has been moved once again He said: 'I'm pretty sure I can play just about anything. Yeah. I'm pretty sure I can, or at least I can make a f**king good fist of it.' Daniel was more involved in the writing of the new movie than he has been in the past, including having Phoebe Waller-Bridge brought on board to tweak the script. Producers are also reportedly planning a spin-off based on the spy's recently-discovered daughter, penned by the Killing Eve' scribe Phoebe. Sources claimed bosses have approached her to pen a franchise documenting how the offspring of 007 becomes an agent herself. It comes following reports that Bond is set to to have daughter in the long-awaited film No Time To Die. The tweet read: 'The return of old friends in NO TIME TO DIE. In cinemas 12th November UK, 20th November US!' Plans: James Bond bosses are reportedly planning a spin-off based on the spy's recently-discovered daughter (Daniel Craig pictured in 2012's Skyfall) A source told The Sunday Mirror: 'Bond bosses are very excited about 007 having a daughter and creating a new franchise around her. 'It is likely to feature Bond conflicted over having to train her up as an assassin combined with Waller-Bridge's trademark black humour, shown in Killing Eve. 'She may just offer ideas and co-produce as roles are yet to be decided, but bosses are keen to give her a big part in the film's production.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for Universal Pictures and Phoebe Waller-Bridge for comment. New series? Sources claimed bosses have approached Killing Eve's Phoebe Waller-Bridge to pen a franchise documenting how the offspring of 007 becomes an agent herself Following the reports that James Bond will have a five-year-old daughter in the sequel No Time To Die, former star Britt Eklan admitted she doesn't believe 007 should be a dad. The actress, 77, appeared in The Man With The Golden Gun opposite Roger Moore's iteration of the iconic spy in 1974, and said she didn't agree with the decision as 'everyone wants to be' him. Britt explained: 'Well, I think that Bond should probably be a little more untouchable. He's a fantasy, Bond. Everyone wants to be Bond.' Unhappy: Former star Britt Ekland admitted on Tuesday she doesn't believe 007 should be a dad When asked if it ruined the fantasy, she added: 'I think so, I personally think so. Barbara [Broccoli, longtime producer of the Bond franchise] and Michael [G. Wilson, who is also a producer at EON Productions] know better than me. 'It would be wonderful if they turned back in time to the traditional, older bachelor.' Bond will reportedly be a doting dad to Mathilde, his daughter with love interest Dr Madeleine Swann, played by French actress Lea Seydoux. Thoughts: Of why she didn't like the new plot, Britt said: 'I think that Bond should probably be a little more untouchable. He's a fantasy. Everyone wants to be Bond' (pictured, Daniel Craig) Candid: When asked if it ruined the fantasy, she added: 'I think so, I personally think so. Barbara [Broccoli, longtime producer of Bond films] and Michael [G. Wilson] know better than me' Last week The Mail on Sunday confirmed rumours that the notorious womaniser spy is father to a five-year-old daughter in the forthcoming film No Time To Die. The rumours emerged last week when call sheets the daily schedules that tell actors where they are needed for filming for the 150 million film, the 25th in the 'official' Bond series, went up for sale on online auction site eBay. The schedule describes a scene shot in southern Italy last September, which featured Dr Swann alongside Lashana Lynch's Nomi who this newspaper previously revealed will be the first black female 00 agent and a child called Mathilde, played by five-year-old Lisa-Dorah Sonne. Starring role: The actress appeared in The Man With The Golden Gun opposite Roger Moore's iteration of the iconic spy in 1974 (pictured) Parents: Bond will be a doting dad to Mathilde, his daughter with love interest Dr Madeleine Swann, played by French actress Lea Seydoux (pictured) 'Scene #235', as the schedule calls it, details where 'Nomi pilots Madeleine and Mathilde to safety with the island in the background'. Paparazzi photographs taken during filming show a young girl wearing blue dungarees with the actors and crew on the set, but it is not known if she is Mathilde. A film insider last night said: 'Yes, it's true. Bond is a dad. Daniel wanted to make this Bond film the most surprising and entertaining yet. 'Daniel is older and his Bond is maturing and looking at life through the prism of fatherhood. But there's a lot more to it than that.' Making a change: A film insider said: 'Yes, it's true. Bond is a dad. Daniel wanted to make this Bond film the most surprising and entertaining yet Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge was brought in to rewrite the script after original director Danny Boyle was replaced by Cary Joji Fukunaga. The film is now packed with 'woke' references and the insider said making Bond a dad had 'opened up a whole avenue of powerful moments and jokes', adding: 'It's the one thing fans would never expect. 'Bond has always managed to charm his way into the hearts and beds of hundreds of beautiful women, seemingly without any consequences. 'Making him a father opens up a whole new world in terms of drama and story development.' New role: Allegra Shettini, who 'stood in' for Lisa-Dorah Sonne during a sequence on the new Bond film is pictured Romance: No Time To Die is set five years after the last Bond film, Spectre, which saw the secret agent fall in love with Dr Swann, a French psychologist (pictured) In the new film, which was due to open in April but was pushed back to November because of the coronavirus pandemic, Bond is shown enjoying retirement in Jamaica, having hung up his Walther PPK pistol in favour of a quiet life. No Time To Die is set five years after the last Bond film, Spectre, which saw the secret agent fall in love with Dr Swann, a French psychologist. Spectre ends with Bond driving off with her into the sunset in his old Aston Martin DB5. The insider said: 'Without giving too much away, the new film is filled with twists. 'Bond appears to be happy in his new domestic life but then, of course, he gets dragged back in to save the world.' No Time To Die opens with new Bond villain, Safin, played by Oscar-winner Rami Malek, chasing a girl across an ice-covered lake in Norway. Plot: No Time To Die opens with new Bond villain, Safin, played by Rami Malek (pictured), chasing a girl across an ice-covered lake in Norway who is believed to be Dr Swann The scene is a 'flashback' of a young Madeleine Swann fleeing for her life. 'Daniel wants to tie up lots of loose ends in his final film. 'Everything is interwoven,' the insider said. 'Bond finding out he is a father is integral to the plot.' Pictures have emerged of an Italian child, Allegra Shettini, who 'stood in' for Lisa-Dorah Sonne during a sequence. She told a TV interviewer: 'I just had to sit on a rock and play with a stick.' The new movie involves Bond saving the world from a biological pandemic. 'It's not quite Covid-19, but it's similar', said the insider. 'It's very timely.' Solving 'Ancient Conflicts in Faraway Lands' Not in US Military's Job Description, Trump Says Sputnik News 19:02 GMT 13.06.2020 A US soldier should defend the United States "strongly" against foreign enemies, Trump declared. US President Donald Trump has announced that the age of "endless wars" is coming to an end as he addressed the graduating cadets of the US Military Academy at West Point. As Trump told the graduating class, their job will be defend "America's vital interests", and that rather than rebuilding foreign nations, a US serviceman should "defend, and defend strongly, our nation from foreign enemies." "We are ending the era of endless wars," Trump said, arguing that it's not the job of US forces "to solve ancient conflicts in faraway lands that many people have not even heard of". The US president delivered this announcement as he faces criticism over his plans to pull out some 9,500 US troops from Germany and to relocate them to Poland and elsewhere, Reuters points out. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address June 14, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - Sometimes it seems life cant get any worse in this country. Already in terror of a pandemic, Americans have lately been bombarded with images of grotesque state-sponsored violence, from the murder of George Floyd to countless scenes of police clubbing and brutalizing protesters. Our president, Donald Trump, is a clown who makes a great reality-show villain but is uniquely toolless as the leader of a superpower nation. Watching him try to think through two society-imperiling crises is like waiting for a gerbil to solve Fermats theorem. Calls to dominate marchers and ad-libbed speculations about Floyds great day looking down from heaven at Trumps crisis management and new unemployment numbers (only 21 million out of work!) were pure gasoline at a tinderbox moment. The man seems determined to talk us into civil war. But police violence, and Trumps daily assaults on the presidential competence standard, are only part of the disaster. On the other side of the political aisle, among self-described liberals, were watching an intellectual revolution. It feels liberating to say after years of tiptoeing around the fact, but the American left has lost its mind. Its become a cowardly mob of upper-class social media addicts, Twitter Robespierres who move from discipline to discipline torching reputations and jobs with breathtaking casualness. The leaders of this new movement are replacing traditional liberal beliefs about tolerance, free inquiry, and even racial harmony with ideas so toxic and unattractive that they eschew debate, moving straight to shaming, threats, and intimidation. They are counting on the guilt-ridden, self-flagellating nature of traditional American progressives, who will not stand up for themselves, and will walk to the Razor voluntarily. Theyve conned organization after organization into empowering panels to search out thoughtcrime, and its established now that anything can be an offense, from a UCLA professor placed under investigation for reading Martin Luther Kings Letter from a Birmingham Jail out loud to a data scientist fired* from a research firm for get this retweeting an academic study suggesting nonviolent protests may be more politically effective than violent ones! Now, this madness is coming for journalism. Beginning on Friday, June 5th, a series of controversies rocked the media. By my count, at least eight news organizations dealt with internal uprisings (it was likely more). Most involved groups of reporters and staffers demanding the firing or reprimand of colleagues whod made politically problematic editorial or social media decisions. The New York Times, the Intercept, Vox, the Philadelphia Inquirier, Variety, and others saw challenges to management. Probably the most disturbing story involved Intercept writer Lee Fang, one of a fast-shrinking number of young reporters actually skilled in investigative journalism. Fangs work in the area of campaign finance especially has led to concrete impact, including a record fine to a conservative Super PAC: few young reporters have done more to combat corruption. Yet Fang found himself denounced online as a racist, then hauled before H.R. His crime? During protests, he tweeted this interview with an African-American man named Maximum Fr, who described having two cousins murdered in the East Oakland neighborhood where he grew up. Saying his aunt is still not over those killings, Max asked: I always question, why does a Black life matter only when a white man takes it?... Like, if a white man takes my life tonight, its going to be national news, but if a Black man takes my life, it might not even be spoken of Its stuff just like that that I just want in the mix. Shortly after, a co-worker of Fangs, Akela Lacy, wrote, Tired of being made to deal continually with my co-worker @lhfang continuing to push black on black crime narratives after being repeatedly asked not to. This isnt about me and him, its about institutional racism and using free speech to couch anti-blackness. I am so fucking tired. She followed with, Stop being racist Lee. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter The tweet received tens of thousands of likes and responses along the lines of, Lee Fang has been like this for years, but the current moment only makes his anti-Blackness more glaring, and Lee Fang spouting racist bullshit it must be a day ending in day. A significant number of Fangs co-workers, nearly all white, as well as reporters from other major news organizations like the New York Times and MSNBC and political activists (one former Elizabeth Warren staffer tweeted, Get him!), issued likes and messages of support for the notion that Fang was a racist. Though he had support within the organization, no one among his co-workers was willing to say anything in his defense publicly. Like many reporters, Fang has always viewed it as part of his job to ask questions in all directions. Hes written critically of political figures on the center-left, the left, and obviously on the right, and his reporting has inspired serious threats in the past. None of those past experiences were as terrifying as this blitz by would-be colleagues, which he described as jarring, deeply isolating, and unique in my professional experience. To save his career, Fang had to craft a public apology for insensitivity to the lived experience of others. According to one friend of his, its been communicated to Fang that his continued employment at The Intercept is contingent upon avoiding comments that may upset colleagues. Lacy to her credit publicly thanked Fang for his statement and expressed willingness to have a conversation; unfortunately, the throng of Intercept co-workers who piled on her initial accusation did not join her in this. I first met Lee Fang in 2014 and have never known him to be anything but kind, gracious, and easygoing. He also appears earnestly committed to making the world a better place through his work. Its stunning that so many colleagues are comfortable using a word as extreme and villainous as racist to describe him. Though he describes his upbringing as solidly middle-class, Fang grew up in up in a diverse community in Prince George's County, Maryland, and attended public schools where he was frequently among the few non-African Americans in his class. As a teenager, he was witness to the murder of a young man outside his home by police who were never prosecuted, and also volunteered at a shelter for trafficked women, two of whom were murdered. If theres an edge to Fang at all, it seems geared toward people in our business who grew up in affluent circumstances and might intellectualize topics that have personal meaning for him. In the tweets that got him in trouble with Lacy and other co-workers, he questioned the logic of protesters attacking immigrant-owned businesses with no connection to police brutality at all. He also offered his opinion on Martin Luther Kings attitude toward violent protest (Fangs take was that King did not support it; Lacy responded, you know they killed him too right). These are issues around which there is still considerable disagreement among self-described liberals, even among self-described leftists. Fang also commented, presciently as it turns out, that many reporters were terrified of openly challenging the lefty conventional wisdom around riots. Lacy says she never intended for Fang to be fired, canceled, or deplatformed, but appeared irritated by questions on the subject, which she says suggest, there is more concern about naming racism than letting it persist. Max himself was stunned to find out that his comments on all this had created a Twitter firestorm. I couldnt believe they were coming for the mans job over something I said, he recounts. It was not Lees opinion. It was my opinion. By phone, Max spoke of a responsibility he feels Black people have to speak out against all forms of violence, precisely because we experience it the most. He described being affected by the Floyd story, but also by the story of retired African-American police captain David Dorn, shot to death in recent protests in St. Louis. He also mentioned Tony Timpa, a white man whose 2016 asphyxiation by police was only uncovered last year. In body-camera footage, police are heard joking after Timpa passed out and stopped moving, I dont want to go to school! Five more minutes, Mom! If it happens to anyone, it has to be called out, Max says. Max described discussions in which it was argued to him that bringing up these other incidents now is not helpful to the causes being articulated at the protests. He understands that point of view. He just disagrees. They say, there has to be the right time and a place to talk about that, he says. But my point is, when? I want to speak out now. He pauses. Weve taken the narrative, and instead of being inclusive with it, weve become exclusive with it. Why? There were other incidents. The editors of Bon Apetit and Refinery29 both resigned amid accusations of toxic workplace culture. The editor of Variety, Claudia Eller, was placed on leave after calling a South Asian freelance writer bitter in a Twitter exchange about minority hiring at her company. The self-abasing apology (I have tried to diversify our newsroom over the past seven years, but I HAVE NOT DONE ENOUGH) was insufficient. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Inquirers editor, Stan Wischowski, was forced out after approving a headline, Buildings matter, too. In the most discussed incident, Times editorial page editor James Bennet was ousted for green-lighting an anti-protest editorial by Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Cotton entitled, Send in the troops. Im no fan of Cotton, but as was the case with Michael Moores documentary and many other controversial speech episodes, its not clear that many of the people angriest about the piece in question even read it. In classic Times fashion, the paper has already scrubbed a mistake they made misreporting what their own editorial said, in an article about Bennets ouster. Heres how the piece by Marc Tracy read originally (emphasis mine): James Bennet, the editorial page editor of The New York Times, has resigned after a controversy over an Op-Ed by a senator calling for military force against protesters in American cities. Heres how the piece reads now: James Bennet resigned on Sunday from his job as the editorial page editor of The New York Times, days after the newspapers opinion section, which he oversaw, published a much-criticized Op-Ed by a United States senator calling for a military response to civic unrest in American cities. Cotton did not call for military force against protesters in American cities. He spoke of a show of force, to rectify a situation a significant portion of the country saw as spiraling out of control. Its an important distinction. Cotton was presenting one side of the most important question on the most important issue of a critically important day in American history. As Cotton points out in the piece, he was advancing a view arguably held by a majority of the country. A Morning Consult poll showed 58% of Americans either strongly or somewhat supported the idea of calling in the U.S. military to supplement city police forces. That survey included 40% of self-described liberals and 37% of African-Americans. To declare a point of view held by that many people not only not worthy of discussion, but so toxic that publication of it without even necessarily agreeing requires dismissal, is a dramatic reversal for a newspaper that long cast itself as the national paper of record. Incidentally, that same poll cited by Cotton showed that 73% of Americans described protecting property as very important, while an additional 16% considered it somewhat important. This means the Philadelphia Inquirer editor was fired for running a headline Buildings matter, too that the poll said expressed a view held by 89% of the population, including 64% of African-Americans. (Would I have run the Inquirer headline? No. In the context of the moment, the use of the word matter especially sounds like the paper is equating Black lives and buildings, an odious and indefensible comparison. But why not just make this case in a rebuttal editorial? Make it a teaching moment? How can any editor operate knowing that airing opinions shared by a majority of readers might cost his or her job?) The main thing accomplished by removing those types of editorials from newspapers apart from scaring the hell out of editors is to shield readers from knowledge of what a major segment of American society is thinking. It also guarantees that opinion writers and editors alike will shape views to avoid upsetting colleagues, which means that instead of hearing what our differences are and how we might address those issues, newspaper readers will instead be presented with page after page of people professing to agree with one another. Thats not agitation, thats misinformation. The instinct to shield audiences from views or facts deemed politically uncomfortable has been in evidence since Trump became a national phenomenon. We saw it when reporters told audiences Hillary Clintons small crowds were a wholly intentional campaign decision. I listened to colleagues that summer of 2016 talk about ignoring poll results, or anecdotes about Hillarys troubled campaign, on the grounds that doing otherwise might help Trump (or, worse, be perceived that way). Even if you embrace a wholly politically utilitarian vision of the news media I dont, but lets say non-reporting of that enthusiasm story, or ignoring adverse poll results, didnt help Hillarys campaign. Id argue it more likely accomplished the opposite, contributing to voter apathy by conveying the false impression that her victory was secure. After the 2016 election, we began to see staff uprisings. In one case, publishers at the Nation faced a revolt from the Editor on down after articles by Aaron Mate and Patrick Lawrence questioning the evidentiary basis for Russiagate claims was run. Subsequent events, including the recent declassification of congressional testimony, revealed that Mate especially was right to point out that officials had no evidence for a Trump-Russia collusion case. Its precisely because such unpopular views often turn out to be valid that we stress publishing and debating them in the press. In a related incident, the New Yorker ran an article about Glenn Greenwalds Russiagate skepticism that quoted that same Nation editor, Joan Walsh, who had edited Greenwald at Salon. She suggested to the New Yorker that Greenwalds reservations were rooted in disdain for the Democratic Party, in part because of its closeness to Wall Street, but also because of the ascendance of women and people of color. The message was clear: even if you win a Pulitzer Prize, you can be accused of racism for deviating from approved narratives, even on questions that have nothing to do with race (the New Yorker piece also implied Greenwalds intransigence on Russia was pathological and grounded in trauma from childhood). In the case of Cotton, Times staffers protested on the grounds that Running this puts Black @NYTimes staff in danger. Bennets editorial decision was not merely ill-considered, but literally life-threatening (note pundits in the space of a few weeks have told us that protesting during lockdowns and not protesting during lockdowns are both literally lethal). The Times first attempted to rectify the situation by apologizing, adding a long Editors note to Cottons piece that read, as so many recent apologies have, like a note written by a hostage. Editors begged forgiveness for not being more involved, for not thinking to urge Cotton to sound less like Cotton (Editors should have offered suggestions), and for allowing rhetoric that was needlessly harsh and falls short of the thoughtful approach that advances useful debate. That last line is sadly funny, in the context of an episode in which reporters were seeking to pre-empt a debate rather than have one at all; of course, no one got the joke, since a primary characteristic of the current political climate is a total absence of a sense of humor in any direction. As many guessed, the apology was not enough, and Bennet was whacked a day later in a terse announcement. His replacement, Kathleen Kingsbury, issued a staff directive essentially telling employees they now had a veto over anything that made them uncomfortable: Anyone who sees any piece of Opinion journalism, headlines, social posts, photosyou name itthat gives you the slightest pause, please call or text me immediately. All these episodes sent a signal to everyone in a business already shedding jobs at an extraordinary rate that failure to toe certain editorial lines can and will result in the loss of your job. Perhaps additionally, you could face a public shaming campaign in which you will be denounced as a racist and rendered unemployable. These tensions led to amazing contradictions in coverage. For all the extraordinary/inexplicable scenes of police viciousness in recent weeks and there was a ton of it, ranging from police slashing tires in Minneapolis, to Buffalo officers knocking over an elderly man, to Philadelphia police attacking protesters there were also 12 deaths in the first nine days of protests, only one at the hands of a police officer (involving a man who may or may not have been aiming a gun at police). Looting in some communities has been so bad that people have been left without banks to cash checks, or pharmacies to fill prescriptions; business owners have been wiped out (My life is gone, commented one Philly store owner); a car dealership in San Leandro, California saw 74 cars stolen in a single night. It isnt the whole story, but its demonstrably true that violence, arson, and rioting are occurring. However, because it is politically untenable to discuss this in ways that do not suggest support, reporters have been twisting themselves into knots. We are seeing headlines previously imaginable only in The Onion, e.g., 27 police officers injured during largely peaceful anti-racism protests in London. Even people who try to keep up with protest goals find themselves denounced the moment they fail to submit to some new tenet of ever-evolving doctrine, via a surprisingly consistent stream of retorts: fuck you, shut up, send money, do better, check yourself, Im tired and racist. Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey, who argued for police reform and attempted to show solidarity with protesters in his city, was shouted down after he refused to commit to defunding the police. Protesters shouted Get the fuck out! at him, then chanted Shame! and threw refuse, Game of Thrones-style, as he skulked out of the gathering. Freys shame was refusing to endorse a position polls show 65% of Americans oppose, including 62% of Democrats, with just 15% of all people, and only 33% of African-Americans, in support. Each passing day sees more scenes that recall something closer to cult religion than politics. White protesters in Floyds Houston hometown kneeling and praying to black residents for forgiveness for years and years of racism are one thing, but what are we to make of white police in Cary, North Carolina, kneeling and washing the feet of Black pastors? What about Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer kneeling while dressed in African kente cloth scarves? There is symbolism here that goes beyond frustration with police or even with racism: these are orgiastic, quasi-religious, and most of all, deeply weird scenes, and the press is too paralyzed to wonder at it. In a business where the first job requirement was once the willingness to ask tough questions, weve become afraid to ask obvious ones. On CNN, Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender was asked a hypothetical question about a future without police: What if in the middle of the night, my home is broken into? Who do I call? When Bender, who is white, answered, I know that comes from a place of privilege, questions popped to mind. Does privilege mean one should let someone break into ones home, or that one shouldnt ask that hypothetical question? (I was genuinely confused). In any other situation, a media person pounces on a provocative response to dig out its meaning, but an increasingly long list of words and topics are deemed too dangerous to discuss. The media in the last four years has devolved into a succession of moral manias. We are told the Most Important Thing Ever is happening for days or weeks at a time, until subjects are abruptly dropped and forgotten, but the tone of warlike emergency remains: from James Comeys firing, to the deification of Robert Mueller, to the Brett Kavanaugh nomination, to the democracy-imperiling threat to intelligence whistleblowers, all those interminable months of Ukrainegate hearings (while Covid-19 advanced), to fury at the death wish of lockdown violators, to the sudden reversal on that same issue, etc. Its been learned in these episodes we may freely misreport reality, so long as the political goal is righteous. It was okay to publish the now-discredited Steele dossier, because Trump is scum. MSNBC could put Michael Avenatti on live TV to air a gang rape allegation without vetting, because who cared about Brett Kavanaugh except press airing of that wild story ended up being a crucial factor in convincing key swing voter Maine Senator Susan Collins the anti-Kavanaugh campaign was a political hit job (the allegation illustrated, why the presumption of innocence is so important, she said). Reporters who were anxious to prevent Kavanaughs appointment, in other words, ended up helping it happen through overzealousness. There were no press calls for self-audits after those episodes, just as there wont be a few weeks from now if Covid-19 cases spike, or a few months from now if Donald Trump wins re-election successfully painting the Democrats as supporters of violent protest who want to abolish police. No: press activism is limited to denouncing and shaming colleagues for insufficient fealty to the cheap knockoff of bullying campus Marxism that passes for leftist thought these days. The traditional view of the press was never based on some contrived, mathematical notion of balance, i.e. five paragraphs of Republicans for every five paragraphs of Democrats. The ideal instead was that we showed you everything we could see, good and bad, ugly and not, trusting that a better-informed public would make better decisions. This vision of media stressed accuracy, truth, and trust in the readers judgment as the routes to positive social change. For all our infamous failings, journalists once had some toughness to them. We were supposed to be willing to go to jail for sources we might not even like, and fly off to war zones or disaster areas without question when editors asked. It was also once considered a virtue to flout the disapproval of colleagues to fight for stories we believed in (Watergate, for instance). Today no one with a salary will stand up for colleagues like Lee Fang. Our brave truth-tellers make great shows of shaking fists at our parody president, but not one of them will talk honestly about the fear running through their own newsrooms. People depend on us to tell them what we see, not what we think. What good are we if were afraid to do it? Im aware of this tweet suggesting the reasons for Shors firing are unknown. I stand by the characterization made in the piece. - " Source " - Post your comment below Joe Biden ratcheted up some of his criticism of Donald Trump on Friday, saying that his handling of the coronavirus was almost criminal, that he has bungled the economic fallout, and that he has exacerbated racial tensions in the country. During an hour-long town hall with the labour union AFSCME, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee warned that the US will likely see a resurgence of the coronavirus and that Mr Trump is not doing enough to prepare. This is almost criminal, the way he's handled this, Mr Biden said of Mr Trump's leadership on the coronavirus. There's going to be some form of second wave, I hate to tell you this, he added later. Mr Biden said Mr Trump's approach has led to more Americans deaths and a slower economic recovery. Donald Trump has bungled everything, he said. He's bungled us into the worst job crisis in over a century. Mr Biden also attacked the president for his focus on reopening. You have Trump saying, 'Open up, open up, open up.' Why do you want to open up? Mr Biden said. He does not care about the public health. He wants to open up because he wants to say the economy's growing and the stock market's going up. Mr Trump's campaign defended him from the criticism, saying: Biden has been lobbing ineffective partisan bombs from his basement, trying to undermine confidence in the federal response, and has sought relevance where there is none. Voters know that president Trump built the American economy to unprecedented heights before it was artificially interrupted and he will do it again, said Tim Murtaugh, communications director for the Trump campaign. As the record 2.5 million jobs created in May prove, the Great American Comeback is already underway. On Friday, Mr Biden also criticised Senate Republicans, saying they need to pass the Heroes Act, which would provide another round of federal funding. They're so damn stupid, he said. Mr Biden, a longtime senator known for strong bipartisan relationships, does not typically go after Republican congress members in such stark terms. Later on Friday, Mr Biden said in a statement that he supports renaming military installations named after Confederate leaders and that he would do so within three years of taking office. Mr Trump this week said the names of military bases should stay as they are. Mr Biden also criticised Mr Trump for holding a rally next week and requiring attendees to sign a waiver that they will not sue if they are later diagnosed with coronavirus. The rally was initially scheduled to take place on Juneteenth, a day that celebrates the end of slavery, before being pushed back to the following day. Did you hear what he just did? He's having a rally on Juneteenth, Mr Biden said. All the people coming have to sign a piece of paper saying if they get Covid in this, they will not sue the campaign. I mean, c'mon man. Referencing the waiver again later in the remarks, Mr Biden said it showed that Mr Trump knows that the virus is returning. He knows it's a problem. But he's not doing a damn thing about it, Mr Biden said. Mr Biden this week outlined an eight-part plan to reopen the economy while responding to the coronavirus. In it, he proposed more widespread testing funded by the federal government. He also wants the government to build a new health-care workforce, hiring 100,000 new workers to perform contact tracing. Their jobs would later shift towards other health-care problems. That's the only way short of a vaccine we're going to get this under control, he said. We have to make sure when someone catches the virus you're able to test and trace where it came from to be able to quarantine so it doesn't spread. While answering questions, Mr Biden also raised the racial unrest in the past few weeks, after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis after a police officer put his knee on his neck for nearly 9 minutes. Look, I'm a white guy, Mr Biden said. I've been involved in the civil rights movement. I think I understand, but I can't possibly understand what it's like to be a black man, walking down the street wondering whether or not I'm just going to be, you know - it's one thing to talk about everyone being created equal in America. Well guess what? The question is whether everybody can be treated equally. Mr Biden cited housing disparities along racial lines. A home in a white neighbourhood like his, he said, is valued 23 per cent higher than an identical home in a predominantly black neighbourhood. How the hell do you build equity in your home and pass on equity to your family? he asked. That's how most Americans gain equity. The Washington Post KAMPALA President Museveni has appointed Lt. Gen Nakibus Lakara, the current AMISOM Deputy Force Commander in Charge of Operations as General Manager of Uganda Air Cargo Corporation (UACC) after he fired Eng. Frank Kyankya. Army sources have confirmed Lt Gen Lakaras appointment. Defence spokesperson Brigadier Richard Karemire told local media that a new team of senior army officials has been put in place to run the institution. Karemire also revealed that in the interim, Col Emanuel Kwihangana from Airforce is running the institution pending the return of Gen Lakara from Somalia. He didnt speak of when Gen. Lakara is expected to return from Somalia. The new shakeup at UACC also saw Lt Gen James Mugira, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of National Enterprise Corporation, the business arm of the armed forces, appointed to the Board. UACC established in the 1994 to Provide and operate safe, efficient, adequate, economical and properly coordinated air transport services within and outside the country, for cargo, passenger, chartered passenger flights, air mail services and flight training. In 1990s while at the rank of brigadier, Gen Lakara served as the commanding officer of the UPDF 2nd Division based in Mbarara and UPDF chief of staff but was relieved of his post and court marshalled on account of ghost soldiers in the army. Following the dismissal of some of the charges, and acquittal on others, he remained undeployed from 2003 until 2011 when he was admitted to the National Defence College, Kenya for a senior staff strategic course. In April 2015, he was promoted to major general and posted to Somalia with AMISOM. In February 2019, he was promoted from the rank of Major General to that of Lieutenant General, in an exercise that witnessed the promotion of over 2,000 UPDF men and women. He is being praised to taming Alshabab dominance in Somalia. President Yoweri Museveni last week vowed to crack a whip on all government officials. He has since cleaned NIRA, URA and KCCA among other looming changes. Related The federal government has rolled out fresh tracks through which it will support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria. This is part of the governments plan to remedy the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. This was contained in the post-COVID-19 Economic Sustainability Plan prepared by the Economic Sustainability Committee (ESC) constituted on March 30 by President Muhammadu Buhari. The first on the list is the Guaranteed Off-take Scheme for MSMEs which is to safeguard 300,000 existing jobs in 100,000 MSMEs (impacting 1,000,000 individuals) and sustain local production. The scheme will function by the government making arrangements to purchase specific priority products made by MSMEs. To ensure value for money the process for such supplies will be a bidding process. The scheme will ensure that small businesses do not fail and thus ensure that the jobs in the MSME sector are not lost to the global and national slowdown in economic activity, the committee, headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said. Payroll support to designated sectors There will also be a conditional grant to support vulnerable SMEs in designated vulnerable sectors in meeting their payroll obligations and safeguard jobs from the shock of COVID-19. The scheme will seek to support 50,000 SMEs employing a minimum of 10 employees and a maximum of 50 employees each. Designated vulnerable sectors include hotels, creative industries, road transport, tourism, private educational institutions, etc. Interest-free credit to artisans Also, there will be a provision of interest-free credit to be disbursed through micro-finance and fin-tech credit providers. This is to support daily-paid and self-employed workers and artisans. READ ALSO: Support will also be provided to operators in the transport sector in the form of direct grants to transport workers and businesses. BOI supports There is also a track led by the Bank of Industry (BOI). It will provide support to key sectors impacted by the pandemic such as healthcare; agro-processing; creative industry; oil & gas; and women-owned businesses. According to the plan, preliminary engagements have been undertaken with the private sector to identify interventions required. These include credit facilities that support their working capital and expansion of existing production facilities Credit remediation support e.g. tenor extension, loan restructuring, moratoriums, etc. Support for working capital facilities and term loans to finance expansion requests. Given its structure, BOI as a fund manager is able to provide tailored lending solutions across the value chains of these affected sectors i.e. to micro, small and medium enterprises as well as large corporates, the committee said. It said the last track is a practical and immediate response to micro and small businesses to support resilience and ensure continued local production and cushion the effects of the pandemic. It said the measures introduced will reduce product registration and renewal tariffs with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). The federal government had earlier announced that new MSMEs will register their products at an 80% discount, over the next six months. The Sissala West District has recorded its first confirmed case of COVID-19, Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, the Upper West Regional Minister, has said. The Minister disclosed this at Kowie in the Sissala East Municipality during a visit to observe how the Regional Marketing Group and its partners were distributing fertilizer to farmers in the area under the programme; "Feeding Ghana after COVID-19." "The affected person is a female who travelled in from Accra to Gwollu for a funeral and tested positive for COVID-19 after her sample was taken for testing," he said. Dr Bin Salih has, therefore, directed that she should be sent to the Regional Isolation Centre in Wa for proper management. He said all 22 persons who previously tested positive for Covid-19 in the Region had recovered and reintegrated into the community. He appealed to all to continue to observe the Ghana Health Service and the World Health Organisation (WHO) safety protocols on the disease. Dr Bin Salih announced that the National Identification Authority had started distributing cards and encouraged applicants to go for their cards whilst those yet to register must take advantage of the mop-up exercise expected to commence soon. He reminded all to prepare to participate in the compilation of the new voters register to get their cards for the 2020 general election. He urged farmers to be mindful of the COVID-19 whiles cultivating their fields by observing all the safety protocols. GNA The Upper West Regional Minister Hon. Dr. Hafiz Bn Salih has said the government is committed to ensuring an environment free from diseases such as COVID19 for all persons including students and teachers when they are in school soon. He said this was the major reason why government-contracted Zoomlion Ghana Limited to carry out disinfection exercises in all educational institutions to help reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The Regional Minister said this when he launched the Mass Disinfection of military garrisons, churches, mosques, and schools programme in Wa. He urged all stakeholders to cooperate with Zoomlion for a successful exercise. Dr. Sally expressed satisfaction in the work that Zoomlion is offering to Ghanaians. The Regional Director of Education of the Upper West Region, Mr. Godfred Dongyeru expressed the readiness of the Ghana Education Service to collaborate with Zoomlion to disinfect all tertiary, second circle, and basic schools across the Region. He said the need for this exercise in the schools cannot be overemphasized. He said 804 basic, 46 secondary, and vocational schools 5 tertiary institutions are to be disinfected to pave way for the resumption of schools as proclaimed by the president in his last address to the nation. General manager of Zoomlion Ghana Limited of the Upper West Region, Mr. Emmanuel Volsuuri expressed the preparedness of his company to handle all disinfection and fumigation active in the region and entire Ghana. He urged other corporate institutions such as the banks, shop operators, and filling stations among others to contact the regional offices of Zoomlion for services at a reduced cost. Mr. Volsuuri said the company has the capacity in terms of human and material resources to execute all such exercises as was done in similar ventures within the region. A protester's flag carries the message "Black Trans Lives Matter" in a demonstration Sunday in Hollywood organized by Black LGBTQ+ leaders. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) Thousands of "All Black Lives Matter" demonstrators converged on Hollywood Boulevard in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre on Sunday, denouncing racial injustice and supporting LGBTQ rights, before marching on to West Hollywood as protests continued nationwide. The march was organized by the Black Advisory Board, made up of Black LGBTQ+ leaders and organizations. On the events website , the board posted a statement announcing a protest in direct response to racial injustice, systemic racism, and all forms of oppression. Some activists gathered around President Trumps star on the Walk of Fame and demanded his removal from office because of his divisive rhetoric and insensitivity to racial justice issues. Chantelle Hershberger, an organizer with RefuseFascism.org in Los Angeles, connected the swell of concern about police tactics and racism with the presidents rhetoric in office. Trump is not separated from whats happening right now. There is a whole connection with this normalization of police brutality, she said, recalling a speech the president once made in which he jokingly encouraged rough treatment of people arrested by police. Its unbelievable that hes in power. We cant live another day in this nightmare. Some protesters gathered around the presidents star, which has been defaced in the past, and a handful of young men stopped to bang their skateboards on his name. By 11 a.m., a large and peaceful crowd of protesters that appeared to number in the thousands had swelled along a stretch of Hollywood Boulevard, between North Highland and La Brea avenues, that was painted with the words All Black Lives Matter in rainbow colors, representing the diversity of the LGBTQ community. A portrait of George Floyd, killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, flashed on a screen outside the legendary Chinese Theatre as protesters chanted, No justice, no peace! Greg Austin, 31, said Sunday's massive turnout, where activists carried rainbow-infused All Black Lives Matter signs and marched together, was evidence of a desire for change thats been building for years amid high-profile police shootings across the country. He said the national outcry over Floyds death signaled that momentum was building toward police reform. Story continues "All Black Lives Matter" is painted on Hollywood Boulevard in front of TCL Chinese Theatre, historically known as Grauman's, in Hollywood on Saturday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) Were not saying that every cop is bad. We just wish they would follow a different method, said Austin, who is gay and Black. This is an eye-opener for everyone. Im hoping that this will show that the police need better training for their officers. Hollywood Boulevard was closed to traffic, and there was little police presence. Before the march to West Hollywood began, the crowd gathered around a few flatbed trucks parked in the middle of the street to listen to speakers in support of gay and transgender people of color and to cheer the All Black Lives Matter theme of the event. Some speakers focused their attention on local elected officials, particularly Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey, whos locked in a competitive reelection contest against former San Francisco Dist. Atty. George Gascon. Danny Gresham, an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, shouted encouragement over a loudspeaker for people to protest the incumbent prosecutor, whose record on police use-of-force cases has become an issue in the campaign. Gresham complained about the tactics shown by law enforcement during recent protests, calling it the militarization of law enforcement. This is what our hard-earned tax money is going to. Do we want that? Gresham shouted, and the crowd shouted back, No! We want reinvesting and rebuilding in our communities, Gresham said. We shouldnt be having to fight for housing. We shouldnt be having to fight for heathcare. We shouldnt have to be demanding to defund the police. Chants rang out among the crowd: Prosecute killer cops! Black lives matter! Signs displayed the diversity of the crowd: Jews for Black Lives. LatinX for Black Lives. On the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a white woman with a rainbow flag draped over her shoulders blew bubbles as she passed David Hasselhoffs star, and a Black man passed with a cardboard sign that said, Black Trans Lives Matter. Most participants, by far, wore face masks because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Walking down Sunset Boulevard, Ammie Robinson, 37, of Huntington Park, said that as a Black and queer person and as a woman, she had a triple whammy when it came to fighting for her rights. She marched with her girlfriend, Kimiko McCarthy, 31, who also is Black. They both wore black face masks with the words "Black Lives Matter." Robinson says that, even within the LGBTQ community, it is mostly white voices that are heard and that discrimination exists. Sometimes, theres not space for Black people, she said. Youre fighting for space in your own community. McCarthy carried a cardboard sign that read, Hey WeHo Black Queers Exist!!! #MakeSpace. She says that, although it is a celebrated LGBTQ haven, West Hollywood which is mostly white is not always welcoming. McCarthy said LA Pride also was not welcoming. She said she'd just spoken with a friend, another Black queer woman, who did not attend the march because she didnt feel welcome in what she thought was a white space. I respect that, McCarthy said. I told her Id let her know how it goes. I heard about this weeks ago, and of course I wanted to be here to represent both sides of who I am. McCarthy said before attending she'd given it some thought and decided that it was powerful and important to be seen. She was inspired by the massive, diverse crowd. Among the signs people carried: Racism aint a good look, honey. Racists, sashay away! And one sign read: Less Karens, more caring. The smell of sage lingered in the air along much of the route, and every street was lined with people handing out water and snacks for marchers on a bright, warm summer day. The crowd was huge, diverse and young. Jolie Ruffin, 24, of Leimert Park, wore a blue surgical mask and carried a sign that read: To be a Black queer woman in Amerikkka is a triple threat ... and NOT in a good way. This was her first-ever protest. Im a Black bisexual woman in America, she said. Its intimidating to men especially. ... Im hurt that Black people want to live their lives, and their lives are taken from them. Eyvonne Leach, 40, of Inglewood, wore a black face mask and a feathery pair of rainbow-colored wings as she stood near Hollywood Boulevard. I am a Black woman," she said. "I am a lesbian woman. Were tired of all the hate and all the killing. Leach said that because everyone was forced to stay home and put their lives on pause because of the novel coronavirus, more were aware of the death of George Floyd. People had to pay attention to the racism that the country has always struggled with. I believe this is the universe working, she said. People are tired. If we werent forced to stay in the house, we wouldnt have seen what happened. ... It would have been another killing, another Black killing. As a Black lesbian, Leach said shed had to fight doubly hard against discrimination. But she feels like being Black comes first. You have to put your Blackness first," she said. "My lesbianism, that comes later. Being Black and a woman in America, it is really tough. Amris Mendoza, 25, flew in from Dallas for Sunday's event, her first protest march. She was with Laken Blanco near the Laugh Factory when the 32-year-old asked Mendoza to be her girlfriend. Blanco recently moved to Hollywood from Dallas. Mendoza, overwhelmed with emotion, said yes. I just love her so much, she said. The women, who are Latina, said it was inspiring to see Sunday's diverse crowd, a mix of races and religions, coming together in support of Black lives. They were especially moved, they said, since their roots were in deep-red Texas. Its historical, Mendoza said of the march. Everybody is here to support diversity, Blanca added. It doesnt matter what race we are. We can all come together. I want you to tell me where to go and what to answer -- that's #fyiSI. The southwest monsoon continued its advance and covered the whole of Maharashtra and parts of Chhattisgarh and Gujarat on Sunday while many parts of northern India experienced hot and humid weather. The mercury hovered close to 40 degrees Celsius in the national capital while the humidity levels oscillated between 40 and 82 per cent. Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative figures for Delhi, recorded a maximum of 40.8 degrees Celsius, which was a notch above the normal. The weather stations at Palam and Pusa recorded their maximum temperature at 41.4 and 42.2 degrees Celsius respectively. The city may witness overcast conditions on Monday with the maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to settle at 41 and 28 degrees Celsius. Day temperature at most places in Punjab and Haryana continued to hover close to the normal limits with Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recording a high of 38.8 degrees Celsius. In Haryana, Ambala and Hisar recorded a high of 40 degrees Celsius and 41 degrees Celsius respectively, while day temperature in Karnal was 37.8 degrees Celsius and 39.8 degrees Celsius in Narnaul. In Punjab, Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala recorded their respective highs at 40.4 degrees Celsius, 40.9 degrees Celsius and 40.3 degrees Celsius respectively. Heatwave conditions prevailed in parts of Rajasthan despite heavy to moderate rains in eastern and western parts of the state till Sunday morning. Fifty-eight mm rain was recorded in Kotputli followed by 50 mm in Kolayat of Bikaner, 47 mm in Salumbar in Udaipur, 45 mm in Kotkasim of Alwar, 38 mm in Nithua in Dungarpur, 37mm in Sarada of Udaipur, 36.8 mm in Alwar and 35 mm each in Ganepura and in Sabla of Dungarpur. Sriganganagar was the hottest place in the state with 44.9 degrees Celsius. Jaisalmer recorded a maximum temperature of 43.8 degrees Celsius followed by Bikaner 43.7 degrees Celsius, Barmer 42.7 degrees Celsius, Jodhpur 41.7 degrees Celsius, Churu 41.3 degrees Celsius, Jaipur 40.1 degrees Celsius, Kota 39.6 degrees Celsius and Ajmer 39.5 degrees Celsius. The weather department has forecast thunderstorm in Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Alwar, Ajmer, Banswara, Bundi, Baran, Chittorgarh, Dungarpur, Jhalawar, Jaipur, Kota, Tonk, Rajsamand Pratapgarh, Udaipur, til Monday. The India Meteorological Department said the progress of the monsoon has so far been normal and on the expected lines. Four days after hitting coastal Maharashtra, the southwest monsoon made steady progress and has now covered the entire state. Heavy showers led to water-logging at the Nashik Road police station on Saturday. In Beed district, which faced acute water shortage in last few years, received good showers in the past one week, filling up some of the dry river beds. Monsoon has also become active over most parts of Chhattisgarh where several districts are likely to receive heavy rainfall in the next two days. While the monsoon generally reaches Ambikapur in north Chhattisgarh by the third week of June, this time it arrived a week earlier, a weather department official said. Many parts of the state, including capital city Raipur received copious amount of showers in the last two days that led to pleasant weather conditions. The southwest monsoon has become active in almost all parts of the state except a few districts like Koriya and Bilaspur, he said. Moderate to heavy rainfall coupled with thunderstorm is likely at one or two places in Surguja, Jashpur, Balrampur, Koriya, Surajpur, Bilasupr, Raigarh, Bastar, Dantewada and Narayanpur districts. On Sunday, Raipur recorded a maximum temperature of 32.4 degree Celsius, Bilaspur 31.4 degree Celsius, Ambikapur 34.5 degree Celsius and Jagdalpur 30.9 degree Celsius. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is also likely in some southern parts of Gujarat in the next five days. Parts of Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Valsad, and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli received heavy rainfall since Saturday. Rains also lashed many places in northern and a few areas of southern parts of the state. Thundershower and rain were observed in most places of coastal Karnataka, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and some northeastern states. OREGON, Ohio A 30-year-old man was shot twice Saturday night by police officers responding to a domestic situation at an apartment complex in a Toledo suburb, according to multiple reports. The incident happened just before 10 p.m. Saturday, the Toledo Blade reports. Oregon, Ohio police were called to the area for a separate incident that turned out to be a false call. Minutes later, officers were dispatched to a domestic violence incident taking place in a car in a nearby parking lot, according to WTOL. The man identified as Victor Dale by the Oregon police Chief Mike Navarre struck an officer with his vehicle shortly before the shooting, the Blade says. Dale was hit twice by police gunfire, suffering wounds to his neck and shoulder. Dale remains in the hospital in stable, but serious condition, ABC 13 reports. Victor Dale is black, and the two officers who fired their weapons are white, Navarre told the Blade. The two officers who shot at Dale fired 21 rounds, Navarre told WTOL. The officer who was hit by Dales car was treated for mild injuries. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is assisting in the officer-involved shooting investigation, reports say. Oregon police officers wear body cameras, and all cruisers have dash cameras, Navarre said. The officers who fired shots are both on administrative leave while the investigation continues, according to ABC 13. More crime news: Man found shot to death near University of Akron campus Woman, baby shot in possible road rage incident on Clevelands East Side Mother injured in Cleveland apartment fire that left seven hurt dies, officials say - A Benue state politician identified as Daniel Ukpera is currently in the news for his bizarre donation - According to a post shared on Facebook, he reportedly donated a bulk of nylon ropes to goat rearers in some communities in Makurdi, Nigeria - Ukpera explained that this was to prevent free movement and grazing of goats in line with the state's Anti-Open Grazing And Ranches Establishment Law, 2017 Currently trending on social media is a Benue state politician, Daniel Ukpera who recently donated a bulk of nylon ropes to the goat-rearing people in some communities in Makurdi LGAs. The former contender for Guma constituency seat in the state's House of Assembly 2019, explained that this was to prevent free movement and grazing of goats in line with the state Anti-Open Grazing And Ranches Establishment Law, 2017. READ ALSO: My makeki and mathweetie: Mother-in-Law actor Mustafa pens sweet birthday message to beautiful wife Ukpera donated ropes to goat herders. Photo: Princess Akporaro Enaroseha Eribo Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Aliyekuwa mchezaji wa Gor Mahia Wesley Onguso ageuka na kuwa mwanabodaboda Making the donation at Imande Akpu and Tse-Chagu communities, Ukpera said the government has enacted the law to prohibit free Grazing of livestock. The politician further said he wanted the community members to lead by example so their neighbours could emulate them. Initially, people were irked by the move and quickly assumed that was the only donation he made to alleviate people's struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic. READ ALSO: Don't disturb the dead: US government to stop company from retrieving Titanic's radio People initially criticised his charitable act. Photo: Princess Akporaro Enaroseha Eribo Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Mcheza soka marehemu afunga bao la mwisho akiwa ndani ya jeneza The explanation however made greater sense and some guys sided with Ukpera's move terming it as a noble one. They thought he was looking out for the best interest of herders and only wanted to teach them how to abide by the law. The recipients are termed as the highest goat owners in the area and the group can sometimes lack material to restrain their animals. READ ALSO: Narok prisoners thank God for delivering them in heartfelt gospel song He wanted members of the community to serve as an example to their neighbours. Photo: Princess Akporaro Enaroseha Eribo Source: Facebook "The first beneficiaries of this round of distribution was informed by the fact that they are the highest goat owners in that part of the local government," he said. Ukpera had earlier held a sensitisation campaign to teach people the need of keeping their goats in check. After that, he took down the names of people who needed ropes then later provided them. John Tyeku, an elder who responded on behalf of the beneficiaries, appreciated Ukpera for his efforts and described it as a welcomed development. 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. The university student hawking water and sweet potatoes to pay fees and feed the poor | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke San Francisco: Even as Facebook grappled this month with an internal revolt and a cascade of criticism over its refusal to take action on President Donald Trump's inflammatory posts, the social network was actively making other bets behind the scenes. Late one Tuesday, as attention was focused on how Facebook might handle Trump, the Silicon Valley company said in a brief blog post that it had invested in Gojek, a "super app" in Southeast Asia. The deal, which gave Facebook a bigger foothold in the rapidly growing region, followed a $US5.7 billion ($8.3 billion) investment it recently pumped into Reliance Jio, a telecom giant in India. Technology giants are aggressively spending during the pandemic. Credit:Bloomberg The moves were part of a spending spree by the social network, which also shelled out $US400 million last month to buy an animated GIF company and which is spending millions of dollars to build a 37,000 kilometre undersea fibre-optic cable encircling Africa. On Thursday, Facebook confirmed that it was also developing a venture capital fund to invest in promising startups. Other technology giants are engaging in similar behaviour. Apple has bought at least four companies this year and released a new iPhone. Microsoft has purchased three cloud computing businesses. Amazon is in talks to acquire an autonomous vehicle startup, has leased more airplanes for delivery and has hired an additional 175,000 people since March. Google has unveiled new messaging and video features. By West Kentucky Star Staff Jun. 13, 2020 | 11:17 PM | MCCRACKEN COUNTY Troopers were called after a group of juveniles had reportedly stolen keys from a guard inside the facility. They said the juveniles gained access to a group of cells and were destroying property. After failed negotiations between staff and the juveniles, troopers arrived and restored order without the use of physical force. Troopers said the juveniles re-entered their cells and the keys were retrieved by Detention Center staff. No injuries were reported. Kentucky State Police Troopers were called to restore order at the McCracken County Juvenile Detention Center on Saturday. The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services promised to respond to questions sent to them about the video recording of the Pakistani prisoners interview inside Harare Remand Prison and why they were still detaining Shah, but failed to do so despite weeks of follow-ups. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 02:00:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Egypt will resume air traffic at all airports from July 1 amid preparations to resume foreign tourism in three provinces with the least COVID-19 infections, the civil aviation minister said Sunday. "Flights will be resumed gradually with some states," said Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Manar in a joint press conference with the ministers of tourism and information. Egypt has suspended international flights since March 19 as a precautionary measure to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. "All planes have been comprehensively sterilized and only dry meals and canned beverages will be offered," Manar said, adding the distribution of any publications will be banned on board. Meanwhile, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled al-Anany said foreign tourism will be resumed in the three coastal provinces with the least COVID-19 infections, namely South Sinai, the Red Sea and Matrouh. South Sinai and the Red Sea have the popular resort cities of Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada, which are among the most attractive tourist destinations worldwide. All precautionary measures for the resumption of international flights and tourism are coordinated with the health ministry, the ministers noted. Egypt is currently adopting a coexistence plan to maintain anti-coronavirus precautionary measures while resuming services, businesses and economic activities. The most populous Arab country has already started gradual reopening of services and offices, and recently allowed operation of over 230 hotels for local tourists with 50-percent capacity after they were given hygiene safety certificates. Egypt has so far registered 42,980 COVID-19 cases, including 1,484 deaths and 11,529 recoveries. Enditem Press Release June 14, 2020 Reskilling and Upskilling Critical Under the New Normal -- Angara With businesses struggling to keep their heads above water due to the COVID-19 pandemic and with more people losing their jobs as a result, Senator Sonny Angara said today that the reskilling and upskilling of workers is now more important than ever. "Unemployment hit a high of 17.7 percent in April this year. That's over 7.3 million Filipinos who need jobs. During this pandemic, many businesses have to cut costs or start exploring new ways of making money. We cannot operate on a business as usual basis anymore," Angara said. "This is why we have been pushing for the upskilling of our workforce towards competencies that are required by employers and a lot of these are digital. These are the two terms that many of us will hear a lot these days," he added. For many establishments, Angara said reskilling would be the quickest and most cost efficient way to get their employees back to work. There are jobs that probably will no longer be required and new ones that will open up once the economy is back on track. For the most part, Angara said reskilling the workforce will be fairly easy and inexpensive. "There will be adjustments in salaries for sure, but what is important to many people at this time is to have a continuous and stable source of income," Angara said. There will also be a significant segment of the workforce that will require upskilling, especially now that everything is shifting towards online and digital. Even before the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, Angara has been advocating for digital transformation in the Philippines as a way to prepare the government, businesses and labor in coping with the rapidly changing world. Angara has filed two bills: Senate Bill 1469 or the National Digital Careers Act and Senate Bill 1470 or the National Digital Transformation Act. "Unlike traditional jobs, many of which are now deemed non-essential, digital careers will always be around and we should take advantage of this. We will work with the Department of Education and TESDA to provide the necessary digital skills training so our Kababayans will be able to avail of these employment opportunities," Angara said. Some of the common digital careers that are sought after are: web development and design; online teaching and tutoring; content creation; digital marketing; mobile app development; search engine optimization; web research, business intelligence and data analytics; transcription and data entry; customer service and technical support; human resource management and systems; and medical coding, billing and other health IT services. "Our education system is undergoing a major overhaul due to the new normal and tech will play a major role here. We should start incorporating digital skills in the curriculum of our students as early as primary school so that they will have access to more opportunities by the time they graduate or even if they fail to complete their education for whatever reason," Angara said. Sheikh Al-Maktoum of Dubai's multi-million pound race horses have become part of the venomous divorce battle with his estranged Jordanian wife Princess Haya. The sheikh, 70, is one of the world's most successful owners and breeders and keeps thoroughbreds at his Godolphin stables near Newmarket. But some of them were owned by his former wife, Princess Haya Bint Hussein, 46, a professional rider who represented Jordan in showjumping at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Her Royal Highness fled Dubai with the couple's children Princess Jalila, then 11, and son Prince Zayed, seven, to the UK in April last year over claims she feared for her life. Sheikh Al-Maktoum of Dubai's multi-million pound race horses have become part of his venomous divorce battle with estranged Jordanian wife Princess Haya (they are pictured together) The billionaire ruler of Dubai sent British lawyers to the Royal Courts of Justice in London to demand the 'summary return' of his children. He later abandoned his demand for their return and they were made wards of the court. Both the sheikh and his wife were friends of the Queen and often appeared with her at Royal Ascot and other meetings. Racing records show that the ownership of at least six horses has been transferred back and forth between the princess and the sheikh since her arrival in London. The ownership of one thoroughbred - Terebellum - is disputed. Last week at Newmarket the horse appeared in the royal blue silks of Godolphin (pictured) rather than Haya's usual green and black silks Four-year-old Beatboxer - who is due to race this week at Royal Ascot - appears to have been owned by Haya until Thursday, when listings changed to show the sheikh as the owner, according to The Times. The ownership of another thoroughbred - Terebellum - is also disputed. Last week at Newmarket the horse appeared in the royal blue silks of Godolphin rather than Haya's usual green and black silks. Haya owned 16 horses last year and three are now listed under Godolphin. Three more were returned to her ownership after a brief transfer to the stable last summer and another three have been sold, according to Racing Post. The sheikh's friendship with the Queen has been built on their shared love of horses, breeding and racing. The British Horseracing Authority declined to comment on ownership issues of the horses. Haya is thought to be living in an 85m house in Kensington, west London, bought in 2017. It comes after the billionaire ruler of Dubai lost a battle to build a lodge for family members at his Scottish estate following a backlash from locals. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum wanted to expand his Inverinate Estate in the Highlands by erecting a six bedroom building designed to accommodate his relatives. The proposal led to 31 objections being made to Highland Council by residents who said it was too close to a neighbouring bungalow and would spoil the natural beauty of the area at Loch Duich. Thanks to the Internet there are so many things you can do now in the comfort of your home. Not only can you earn a living from your living room, but you can even earn a degree or take short courses to augment your resume and learn some new skills all without leaving your house. For those of you who have a knack for telling stories and have a way with words here are a few online journalism courses and certificates you can take to help you get started on your journalism career. Most of these will hone your writing and communication skills that will help get your foot in the door, others are structured journalism degrees from established universities that will lay down the foundation as it teaches you the rudiments of the practice. Here are ten journalism courses you can take online that are worth your time and money. 10. The School Of The New York Times (Virtual Storytelling) The New York Times has made a name for itself as a premium source of information from seasoned journalists who ask hard-hitting questions about the days most pressing issues. After years of being in the frontlines, they have decided to help mold the next generation of journalists through The School of The New York Times. The program includes online classes for professionals who want to hone their craft, with lessons taught by New York Times journalists and other seasoned professionals. Courses are self-paced which means you can decide when you want to start and finish. Certificates are relatively affordable too compared to others with the certificate in VR (virtual reality) storytelling you can enroll in for USD 645. 9. University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies (Multimedia Journalism) The course, offered under U of Ts school of continuing studies department, will teach you how to write for the web and use social media to promote your content online. Instructors are industry leaders and other seasoned practitioners who will help you use tools that will allow you to adapt to the digital world. The course costs around CAD 769 and can be taken on its own or as part of the Multimedia Journalism certificate. The latter requires students to complete 3-4 other related courses in the program to earn a U of T Certificate. 8. Master Class in Journalism By Bob Woodward Bob Woodward is one of this generations most respected investigative journalists. Hes an award-winning wordsmith who earned his stripes after working as a reporter for the Washington Post for many decades. Two Pulitzer Prizes and over a dozen best-selling books later Bob is sharing his decades-worth of knowledge about the craft in his compelling Master Class on Investigative Journalism. The course will take you hunting for a story using in-depth reporting and old-school journalistic digging for clues. Its a fun and exciting course taught by one of the most renowned professional journalists in the world. 7. London School of Journalism (Distance Learning Courses) The London School of Journalism is a world-renowned institution that has been training students for over 100 years. Their course list includes over a dozen classes for every type of journalistic writing youd like to study. The freelance and feature writing course for instance will teach you about modern freelance writing as a paid profession, Internet Journalism on the other hand offers in-depth training for those who want to focus on content writing for the web. Students need to download the course workbooks, and then answer the quizzes after. The tutor will then check the work, provide feedback, and answer any of your questions about the course. 6. Poynter News University (Online Journalism Courses) The Poynter Institute has been one of the premier institutions that have been upholding journalistic standards for decades. Through their news university, they offer more than a hundred online courses and seminars for aspiring journalists as well as experienced ones who want to polish their skills. Some would require you to pay around USD300 to USD 600 while others are offered for free. They offer many interesting classes, webinars, and certificate courses that will not only help you write but communicate in other ways too. 5. Alison Online Diploma In Journalism Alison is a free learning platform that offers free classes and training online for people who want to polish their skills. The journalism modules are designed for newbies who may not have previous journalism education but would like to get started on a journalism career. Courses are relatively short and all are offered online so you can do this on the side after work on weekends. They are not as extensive compared to those offered by established universities but the good thing about it is theyre free. 4. Michigan State (Online Journalism Certificate) This program offered through Coursera is the best for those who just want to brush up on the basics and not delve too deep into the rudiments of journalism. The course is offered fully online and will allow you to learn at your own pace. The entire program could be finished in 27 hours and will earn you a certificate you can share on your online profiles. The course includes discussions on responsible journalism and ethics as well as becoming a professional freelance journalist. 3. The University of Illinois (Visualization for Data Journalism) Theres been a demand for journalists who can understand and present big data in ways that are easy for other people to understand. The course will give you the skills you need to be able to tell stories using important data. Here you will learn to communicate big data using graphs like those used in The New York Times and Vox. It only takes around 16 hours to complete the program but youd need to know basic phyton before you can enroll. 2. The University of Nebraska (Online Masters in Journalism) If you are dead serious about getting solid journalism education but are limited by your location you can also consider taking online graduate degrees from established universities. The University of Nebraska offers students the chance to earn a Masters in Journalism through a program thats delivered fully online. Its a little bit more pricey compared to other certificates and courses but they have one of the most affordable tuition for a Master's degree in the States. It will give you a solid foundation through courses on media law, media history, and advanced reporting. It offers a non-thesis option so you can finish the degree faster. 1. NYU Online Masters in Journalism The prestigious NYU and its equally renowned Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute launched an online masters degree program in journalism in 2019. The curriculum is designed to help students navigate virtual newsrooms and understand the nature of digital media. Since the entire program is offered online, students will work within their locale and act as correspondents in their home town. Classes are composed of live virtual meetings that are structured like those youd see in newsrooms. Here students will learn the rudiments of journalism and learn standards of the practice. It doesnt come cheap though, but the program is designed to be flexible to allow students to work full-time while studying. India has seen the coronavirus disease spread rapidly. In the past week, the country has daily seen 10,000 cases of Covid-19 on an average which has taken the overall tally to over three lakh. India had crossed the one-lakh mark on May 19. According to Union health ministry, Indias Covid-19 tally breached the three-lakh mark with a record single-day spike of 11,458 infections on Saturday, while the death toll rose to 8,884 with 386 new fatalities. Coronavirus deaths in India crossed 9,000 on Saturday, with the country adding the last 1,000 deaths in three days. Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi account for roughly two-thirds of all deaths in India. On Saturday, the countrys death toll touched 9,196, having crossed 8,000 on June 10 and 7,000 on June 3. With 3,21,405 cases, Indias case fatality rate is 2.9 per cent, compared to the worlds 5.5 per cent. India on Friday overtook the United Kingdom to climb the fourth spot in the list of nations worst hit by the coronavirus pandemic, a week after surpassing the tallies of Italy and Spain. Only the US, Brazil and Russia have more number of Covid-19 cases than India now. Apart from this, the past week also saw the government easing restrictions as part of the nationwide lockdown to open shopping malls, restaurants, religious places and other things. The decision came into effect on June 8. It has been taken to kickstart the economy which has been stalled and battered by the lockdown. This was the first of the three-phased unlocking planned by the government. A decision on reopening educational institutions and other places will be taken in July. There are a few cities where the disease saw a huge spike in the last 10 days, so much so that the Centre has stepped in. These 15 cities, including Guguram, Faridabad, Vadodara, Solapur and Guwahati, have seen the Covid-19 cases rise by 40 to 45 per cent in the last 10 days. Delhi has been recording its highest single-day numbers for the last few days. On Saturday, the national capital recorded 2,134 cases and 57 deaths. Almost one in three persons tested for the coronavirus disease in Delhi this week had the infection, according to government data. Delhis positivity rate has been rising rapidly, from an average of 23 per cent in the week ending on June 7, and, before that, an average of 14 per cent the previous week. The situation in Gurugram is also worsening. Delhis neighbour has seen 1,839 Covid-19 cases in the last 10 days - the rate of infection here is 63 per cent. On June 2, the number of patients in Gurugram was 1,000, and now the number has crossed 3,000-mark. Maharashtra has seen the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the country, The state has 32 per cent of Indias Covid-19 patients. Out of the total cases in Maharashtra, 54.73 per cent are from Mumbai. On Saturday, Mumbai saw 1,380 new infections and 69 more deaths taking the tally of the cases to 56,831 and deaths to 2,113. The city accounted for 63.73 per cent of the states new cases on May 14, 56.47 per cent on May 28 and 49.06 per cent on June 4. This percentage stands at 39.10 per cent now. On June 7, Maharashtra recorded 3,007 coronavirus cases that pushed its tally to 85,975 - more than that of China. Nagpur is another city in Maharashtra where the caseload is very high. The citys tally saw 100 cases in about eight days, but the rate increased from the last week of May. Nagpur recorded more than 100 Covid-19 cases in the last two days which took the citys tally to over 1,900. In Guwahati, the number of cases has seen a spike of 50 per cent in then last 10 days. On June 5, Assam had 1,000 cases which have now risen to 3,693. Another hotspot in the country is Jaipur. The capital of Rajasthan has seen 100 daily cases in the last week of May. In the last 10 days, more than 500 people have been infected by the coronavirus disease in the city. At least 30 people have died during this period. Vadodara, in Covid-19 hotspot Gujarat, has seen the number of cases rise by 40 to 45 per cent in the last 10 days. So far, the umber of cases has reached 1,471. Indore and Bhopal are the other cities where the spread of the coronavirus disease has been rapid. While Indore saw 147 cases in the last four days, Bhopal has recorded 163. Labour has demanded an investigation into Downing Streets links to a lobbyist involved in a controversial 1billion property development. Boris Johnson has defended Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick after he approved the planning application from a Tory donor. The Prime Minister himself has denied impropriety after it was revealed that the lobbyist Richard Patient had attended his leadership victory party. Labour demanded an investigation into Downing Street's links to a lobbyist in a controversial 1billion property development in London, believed to be approved by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick (pictured) Prime Minister Boris Johnson (pictured) has defended Mr Jenrick's involvement in the development Asked about the allegations yesterday, Mr Johnson said: I can assure you I had absolutely nothing to do with that. I meet people the whole time. Asked if Mr Jenrick had done the right thing, he added: As far as I know of course he did. It came after it emerged that Mr Jenrick was also linked to Mr Patient. He will face a series of questions today about the role of the so-called Tory fixer in the scandal. Mr Jenrick has been under pressure after approving a planning application by billionaire Tory donor Richard Desmond for 1,500 luxury flats in London. He overruled official objections and personally approved the plans the day before Mr Desmond would have been liable for a new tax, which would have cost him 30million to 50million. Mr Jenrick later withdrew his decision after being accused of bias in the High Court over the Westferry Printworks development in Londons Docklands. Billionaire Richard Desmond (pictured left) had his planning permission for 1,500 luxury flats in London approved by Mr Jenrick, in a deal where he may have avoided a tax bill up to 50million The property development involved is the Westferry Printworks development in the London Docklands (pictured) Yesterday, the row reached No 10 after it was revealed that Mr Patient was photographed at Mr Johnsons Tory leadership victory party last summer. Mr Patient has boasted of his ability to access and influence Downing Street figures, according to the Mail on Sunday. He has also boasted of his connections to Mr Johnsons senior adviser Sir Eddie Lister, describing him as a great friend. Labour plans to question the Housing Secretary on his links to the lobbyist, whose firm Thorncliffe Communications, declares the Westferry development as a paid-for client. Mr Patient was photographed twice last year with Mr Johnson, once during his leadership campaign and again on the night he won the Tory leadership race. Mr Johnson told MPs last week that he had never spoken to anyone about planning permission for the Docklands development. Lobbyist Richard Patient (pictured left), who is linked with the development, was photographed with the PM on the night of Boris Johnson (right)'s leadership Tory leadership win Mr Patients firms website describes Mr Jenrick as a friend of Thorncliffe. In January, two weeks after Mr Jenrick approved the development, Mr Patient posted a picture of him on his personal Facebook page with the caption: Robert Jenrick is a great guy. Mr Jenrick has denied any friendship with Mr Patient, his firm or any knowledge of their links to Westferry at the time. He has admitted being lobbied by Mr Desmond over the deal at a Conservative Party fundraiser last year. Thorncliffe Communications was hired by Mr Desmond in 2016 and has listed Westferry Developments as clients on the statutory register of consultant lobbyists since July 2019. Lobbying firms only need report to the statutory register if they make communications orally or in writing to ministers or senior civil servants about key decisions on behalf of a client. Mr Patient said that he had only registered Westferry as a paid client because he had discussed working with them, and insisted that he had not lobbied ministers over the project. Last night, Labour wrote to the Cabinet Secretary to call for an investigation into the role of Mr Johnson and senior No 10 advisers in the scandal. Steve Reed, shadow communities and local government secretary, said: The latest revelations expose the murky relationship between No 10, senior government ministers and lobbyists for billionaire property developers - they warrant urgent investigation by the Cabinet Secretary into any wrongdoing. Ministers must not put the planning process up for sale to their wealthy friends. Mr Jenrick must publish all correspondence about this case to allow full public scrutiny of what hes been up to. A spokesman for Mr Jenrick said: [He] has no relationship whatsoever... with Thorncliffe. A Tory spokesman said: There is no question of any individual influencing party or government policy by virtue of any donations they may give to the party or their attendance at party events. The mindset created during the years of British slavery in the West Indies, when black people were unfairly described as inferior to white people, still, I believe, sadly persists in many today. For example, last year, after arriving at an important organisation in Edinburgh to give a lecture, I was stopped by the door attendant who asked what time I was due to deliver my speech. I told him it was 2pm. His response? You cannot be lecturing at 2pm because Professor Sir Geoff Palmer is lecturing at 2pm. I came to the United Kingdom from Jamaica when I was nearly 15 a member of the Windrush Generation. One afternoon two years later, a group of young white boys surrounded me on a London street and asked me to tell them the time. Pictured: Professor Emeritus Sir Geoff Palmer, formerly of the School of Life Sciences at Edinburgh's Heriot Watt University I didnt have a watch but I knew what they expected. I looked up at the sun and said: 4.30. They were astonished and one boy said: Hell, how do you do that? Tell us! assuming I only knew the time by looking at the suns height in the sky. They didnt realise I could see a clock behind them. Modern seeds of racism were planted by philosophers such as David Hume and Immanuel Kant in the 18th Century and used by politicians and plantation-owners to enslave black people and make money over a period of 200 years from crops such as sugar cane, tobacco and coffee. The average life expectancy of a working slave was less than ten years. Their labour was invaluable. Indeed, about 46,000 British slave-owners were given financial compensation for losing their 800,000 slaves in the British West Indies when slaves were emancipated in 1833. In total, they got the equivalent of 23 billion in todays money because slaves, after all, were considered their property. Sir John Gladstone, father of Prime Minister William Gladstone, received the equivalent of 83 million for the 2,058 slaves over whom he claimed ownership. Racism is one consequence of slavery. The descendants of people who were treated as barely human for so long are today still regarded by too many with suspicion and prejudice. In 2018/2019, there were 103,378 hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales of which about three-quarters were racially motivated. Visual records of the slave trade are reflected in our grand buildings, schools and statues. Last weeks removal of statues of slavers Edward Colston, in Bristol, and Robert Milligan, in East London, has led to demands that others are pulled down. Slavers were evil people, it is true, but they were a part of the histories of both black and white people. This history cannot be changed and it most certainly cannot be changed through violence and destruction. Racism, which is a consequence of this history, can, and must, be challenged and extinguished, though. There is a statue of Henry Dundas (1st Viscount Melville) in Edinburgh. The citys council has produced a new narrative for the accompanying plaque which describes him being instrumental in deferring the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade, causing more than 500,000 black people to be transported into slavery. I support and contributed to this decision. It is the correct way forward. There is a statue of Henry Dundas (1st Viscount Melville) (pictured) in Edinburgh. The citys council has produced a new narrative for the accompanying plaque which describes him being instrumental in deferring the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade, causing more than 500,000 black people to be transported into slavery We must also ensure that the facts about slavery are taught properly in schools so that children realise that we are one humanity, nothing less. The history of slavery is our collective history, but the guilt that people might feel must not alter or moderate our understanding of the past. To remove the evidence is to remove the deed. Statues and their locations reflect our history. These days, great consideration is given to the erection of statues such as the one of Mary Seacole, a distinguished black nurse, born during slavery in Jamaica in 1805. The idea came from a group of women who moved to Britain from the Caribbean in 1940 to support the fight against fascism. My friend and colleague Lord Soley and I worked to get it erected and today it stands proudly in front of St Thomas Hospital opposite the Houses of Parliament the first statue to a named black woman in the UK. We faced opposition, including from people who took an overtly racist view. It should be just a small head and shoulders in somewhere like Brixton, said one. Who is this Lord Soley? asked another. I presume hes black. (Hes white.) At one point during our campaign, Lord Soley invited some of our critics to meet him in the House of Lords Royal Gallery where there is a big painting of Admiral Nelson dying on HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. His guests considered Nelson to be a real hero. But Lord Soley showed them a black man on the ship pointing at the sailor who shot Nelson. The painting also depicts Muslim men tending the wounded on deck. So, in truth, the picture is a powerful symbol of Britains mixed heritage one we can be proud of, but not to the extent that we hide from the horrors of the slave trade or of the damage racism does, whether now or in the past. Far-sighted and noble British people led a successful campaign to end the slave trade. Over a period of 40 years, the Royal Navy was used to intercept and free thousands of slaves. We should be proud of the many sailors who lost their lives in that example of humanitarian intervention. But we must also be clear that the transatlantic slave trade was an evil that cannot be forgotten, or airbrushed out of history. Being aware that it happened means using statues and other monuments to slave traders to explain and illustrate our past. That is why I oppose pulling them down and why I support the move to put explanatory plaques next to them. There is no reason why the role these people played cannot be put in a wider context including an explanation of the ideas that were current at the time they lived. As someone who hopes for lasting change, here and in America, there is an equally important reason to reject the emotional spasm of pulling down statues. For there is a danger that destroying a statue makes a temporary gesture which is then forgotten. The risk is that the anger is temporarily purged but the racism continues. I believe we need another campaign today like the one fought to end the slave trade. One that ends institutional racism in particular so that all ethnic minorities get a fair chance in life. I would like to see a new official body established with real power to look at the ways institutional racism is practised in public and private organisations. Most importantly, people need to understand how insidious racism can be, and we should all start by reminding ourselves that none of us are free of all taints of prejudice of one type or another. Challenging such prejudice is important and sobering, if we are honest about it. lThis article was written jointly with Lord Soley, former chairman of the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal. Weve all been knocked off balance by the upheaval in the world but the need to keep our young people on track remains critical. We had planned for this to be the final installment of this initiative, but its too important to let it go. In 2019, about 47,000 youth ages 16 to 24 15% of youth in the city were neither in school nor working, according to Thrive Chicago, a nonprofit that seeks to align the efforts of youth service providers. That number is certain to rise this year, once the effects of the pandemic and the civil unrest are measured. He said that witnesses told his team that they did not see the police conduct a field sobriety test on Mr. Brooks. He said they did see him talking with officers in a civil manner while standing outside of his car. Mr. Stewart repeatedly said that a Taser was not considered a deadly weapon, and that there was no reason to shoot Mr. Brooks because he had one in his hands. He also said that the police could have easily cornered Mr. Brooks and arrested him, instead of chasing him and shooting him. His life was not in immediate harm when he fired that shot, Mr. Stewart said of the officer. He said the officers put on plastic gloves and picked up their shell casings before rendering first aid to Mr. Brooks. He said they waited more than two minutes before checking for a pulse. Throughout the news conference, Mr. Stewart struck a weary tone, saying he was sick of seeing the same kinds of cases over and over again. The one thing that nobody can disagree with is that it shouldnt have happened, but it did, he said. Because the value of African-American males lives in the inner city or wherever doesnt mean too much to officers these days. And its sad. The issue of nuclear waste disposal in Belgium is far from being resolved. ONDRAF, the National Agency for Radioactive Waste and enriched Fissile Material, has yet to identify an adequate location for waste disposal. This leaves the Luxembourgish government unsatisfied, since currently areas close to the border are being considered for long-term stocking. Luxembourgish residents and NGOs were thus asked to take a position on the issue over the past weeks, and address their concerns to the Belgian authorities. ONDRAF is currently awaiting public opinion from the Belgian population, and stated that no locations were being considered before the consulting process had ended. The entire procedure will most likely span over several years, with an estimate of 13,000 square meters being needed for the adequate disposal of nuclear waste. The current location of choice is Dessel, since no other alternative had presented itself. Greenpeace has criticised the means of communication between Belgian and Luxembourgish authorities, noting that the Grand Duchy had not been informed properly about the issue. Misty Leigh McElroy MIDLAND Danos Executive Reed Pere, a 15-year industry veteran, has been named vice president of Permian operations. In this new role he is responsible for overseeing all Danos service lines and operations in the Permian Basin. The Permian continues to be a place of great potential for Danos future, and we are excited to have an executive-level team member overseeing our growing operations in the area, said owner Paul Danos. Reeds leadership skills, industry credibility and deep understanding of our business make him well-suited for this new position. Protests against anti-Black racism and police brutality continued for a third straight weekend, with multiple demonstrations in the GTA on Saturday afternoon. At Christie Pits Park, the Toronto chapter of Remember the 400 organized a rally and subsequent march to Queens Park. The organization, with roots in Virginia, was established to mark 400 years since slaves arrived in North America. Jacob Malcolm of Remember the 400 told the Star that the group was seeking reparations for the Black community. Wherever weve been dispersed, weve helped those nations grow immensely and we have not been compensated yet to this day, Malcolm said. The group also hopes to designate August as Freedom Month. In August 1619, the first slave ship arrived in Virginia. In August 1833, the British government ruled slavery illegal, enforced in all British colonies by August of 1834. We find that (there is) a certain pattern with August as it relates to our people and our freedom, Malcolm said. So we feel like we want to recognize August as our freedom month globally, not just here in Canada or in the U.S.A. For four minutes, an estimated 1,000 demonstrators took a knee. The deaths of George Floyd, after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes, and Regis Korchinski-Paquet, who fell to her death from a High Park apartment balcony with police on the scene, have fuelled widespread protests. Earlier Saturday, the leaders of 15 Black-focused organizations in the GTA gathered at Old City Hall, demanding action from every level of government to end anti-Black racism in Canadas institutions. Sixteen speakers were scheduled, including Scarborough-Guildwood MPP Mitzie Hunter; Nadine Spencer, president of the Black Business and Professional Association; and Yvette Blackburn, Canadian Representative of the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council. The intent wasnt for a large protest or rally, Blackburn told the Star, but to speak directly to basically media and to inform people on the recommendations from the various reports that weve had over the decades. With about 250 people on hand, the groups pressed for levels of government to address the findings and recommendations of reports such as the 2018 Independent Street Checks review by Court of Appeal Justice Michael Tulloch. It found that carding disproportionately affects racialized communities and should be banned, and made several recommendations aimed at standardizing police interactions Ontario-wide. Its to let people know that through all the rallies and protests that are happening, theyre not in vain. We actually have reports that could easily be implemented. Theres nothing new on the table right now, she said. Its a matter of taking (the reports) off the shelf putting them into place and funding them appropriately. About 400 people marched at Bramptons Chinguacousy Park in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. Sore Sanni told the Star she organized the march to speak out on concerns in Peel Region. All we ask is that they stop raising police budgets and instead release the budget to the public for transparency and reallocate funds back into the community. It makes no sense that our taxes go towards salaries of people that kill and murder us, she said. Sanni added that she thought the day was very successful in portraying our requests, as we had multiple city officials there to listen to us and let us know that our efforts arent going unnoticed. Having attended a previous rally in Toronto, Sanni couldnt find anything similar in Brampton, so she decided to start one herself. The amount of support I received is incredible. I put together a small team of individuals who helped me throughout all of this. In Markham, hundreds gathered at Markville Mall for a peaceful march to Toogood Pond in Unionville. Mayor Frank Scarpitti and some members of the York Regional Police were on hand to show support. In Hamilton, two protests one beginning at Dundurn Park, the other at Gore Park convened at city hall, creating a sea of 600-plus fists and signs raised in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Jesse Kelly, one of the many leading chants, said he was incredibly proud to see so many people turn up. Unity is power, diversity is strength, said Kelly, grandson of the late Ellison Kelly, a Tiger-Cats Hall of Famer and former teacher in the Hamilton school system. White or Black, gay or straight, here we stand with our fists up, united. Saturdays rallies marked the fourth and fifth in Hamilton in recent weeks. Thousands of Hamiltonians also marched in support of Black organizations on Friday afternoon. With files from the Hamilton Spectator and Markham Economist & Sun Jenna Moon is a breaking news reporter for the Star and is based in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @_jennamoon Read more about: The French government has confirmed it will begin lifting border restrictions for travellers arriving from the EU, UK and Schengen zones on Monday 15 June, in line with European Commission recommendations. France will also gradually open its Schengen external borders from 1 July. France's Interior Minister Christophe Castaner and foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian confirmed that France would lift all border restrictions with other Schengen countries from midnight on 15 June. This week the European Commission published a recommendation that all EU and Schengen Zone countries should lift internal border controls (for travel from within the European bloc) from 15 June, although the final decision lies with individual countries. All travellers arriving from the EU, UK and Schengen zones will no longer need an international travel permit and do not need to prove that their travel is essential. Border restrictions lifted The Schengen borderless area covers most of the European Union as well as Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein. Unlike some European countries, France never completely closed its borders, but all types of travel have been heavily restricted since April. Among those allowed in were French citizens, people who had their permanent homes in France, cross-border workers, delivery drivers and vital medical personnel. With those restrictions lifted, the only restriction that now remains in place for some European travellers is a quarantine recommendation. Quarantine in the UK and Spain The UK and Spain have imposed 14-day quarantines on international arrivals, and France has announced that it will also quarantine arrivals from those countries "on the principle of reciprocity". However the French quarantine is voluntary and there will be no enforcement or fine handed out, people will be "invited" to observe a 14-day period of self-isolation. Spain's quarantine will stop on 1 July while the UK, which only introduced its measures on 8 June, has said it will review them every three weeks. Story continues Schengen external borders France will gradually reopen its borders to countries outside the Schengen zone from 1 July, Castaner and Le Drian added in their joint statement on Friday. "This opening will be gradual and will vary according to the health situation in each of the third countries, and in accordance with the arrangements that will have been agreed at European level by then," the ministers said. The borders were shut in mid-March to stop the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the European Union recommended on Thursday that the bloc reopen to some countries in the Balkans from 1 July. For travellers from outside the EU, UK or the Schengen Zone, restrictions remain in place until further notice. (with wires) The coronavirus pandemic hasnt just attacked our health, but our livelihoods, too. Millions of British people have been furloughed, while many more have lost their jobs entirely as businesses have succumbed to the impact of the lockdown. However, some have managed to weather the storm. These savvy eBay business owners share their inspirational stories as to how they became their own bosses, and how theyve been able to stay in the green during these bleak times Head Over Heels Charlotte and Lydia are twin sisters who went into business together six years ago Twin sisters Lydia and Charlotte are the brains behind Head Over Heels, a Bedfordshire-based company that specialises in making and selling unique hair accessories for all occasions, from fancy dress to weddings, schoolwear and beyond. The idea was originally born in 2012 out of a desire to make more time for their respective families. Starting small, the twins slowly created a range of their own hair accessories and in 2014, they set up a store on eBay, which Lydia says was the natural choice as a platform to host their business. We both used to sell personal items on eBay, so we were quick to realise that it was the perfect platform to showcase our products. It paid off because as soon as they signed up, their hairbands started selling faster than ever, and the girls upgraded to a business account. Its a story that many of us dream of; being able to not only work for ourselves, but make a living out of something you enjoy while making time for family as well. Charlotte and Lydia love having a career that combines creativity with the freedom to be with their families However, as coronavirus took hold of the UK, businesses large and small were hit hard but how has Head Over Heels managed? Lydia explains: When the lockdown was first announced, our sales came to a complete standstill, and we were forced to think quickly about whether we should temporarily pause our business or see if we could turn things around. We decided on the latter. The twins had to think on their feet about what they could create not only to keep Head Over Heels in the green, but to help people, too. Naturally, their first thoughts turned to the NHS. We created a range of rainbow hair accessories in an attempt to bring some colour and fun into peoples lives, and 20 per cent of the eBay sales from this range are automatically donated to NHS Charities Together, says Lydia. But we also started working closely with one of our regular suppliers to create some elasticated headbands with buttons. Head Over Heels' ear-savers make wearing face coverings more comfortable, as you can loop the straps over the buttons instead of your ears and they're machine washable These machine-washable headbands, or ear-savers, have been specially designed to be worn with face coverings, and the buttons can be used to hook straps over to avoid hurting your ears, which can happen if youre a doctor or nurse wearing a mask for long periods of time. Thanks to their adaptability, Lydia and Charlotte expect to see a 20 per cent increase in their annual turnover on eBay compared to last year an incredible achievement considering the current climate. We wouldnt be where we are today if it wasnt for eBay, admits Lydia. Its such a great platform for small businesses and is visible to millions of people worldwide. She continues: Running a business during a crisis has taught us a lot, such as how important a good working relationship is and maintaining a good work-life balance. But eBay has also been amazing, because they are always there for support when you need advice. And, since the lockdown started, theyve introduced helpful incentives such as 100 free listings. Head Over Heels create colourful hair bands for school, such as the blue and yellow headbands, as well as pretty accessories and fascinators for weddings Whether youre just starting out or trying to see out this uncertain period, its good to know that people are there to support you, which eBay is doing for thousands of its online sellers right now. No one could have prepared themselves for the impact the coronavirus has had. But it is so heartwarming to see that some people are finding some positives during these trying times and its all been achieved with eBay. The game of staying in business Toy Barnhaus Mark and Steve made the decision to run their business on eBay during lockdown and it's been a huge success Mark Buschhaus and Steven Barnes are the founders of Toy Barnhaus, a small chain of toy stores in the South East of England. They had never operated their business online before the lockdown, and have expanded to eight high street stores since they launched in 2009. Steve and I used to be managers at Woolworths back in the day, and we felt there was a gap in the toy market after it went into administration, so we used our redundancy payments to launch Toy Barnhaus, shares Mark. We now have 80 members of staff, many of whom are ex-Woolies colleagues, so were all linked through a shared history. Mark had always been wary of expanding the business online because he felt it was this same move that began the demise of former high-street favourite, Woolworths. But he found he was increasingly being quizzed about it, and selling online through sites like eBay was on his mind as news of the virus began to spread. As coronavirus set in, we put some serious thought into the viability of trading online, and in February, we decided to go through eBay, Mark explains. I had experience with the site anyway, and we wanted to start somewhere that wouldnt require much expertise; eBay is perfect for this as it does a lot of the hard work for you, and puts your business in front of millions of potential buyers. eBay has enabled Mark and Steve to keep supplying the loyal customers while finding new ones too On March 17, 2020, Mark and Steve officially set up the Toy Barnhaus eBay account, and sold their first seven products on March 23: the same day the government announced the lockdown. Mark says: We shut down our shops that same day as well as we were concerned about the safety of our staff and customers. It was a well-timed move, because Mark and Steve had experienced a significant drop in footfall to the stores, and they knew they had to adapt quickly if they were going to survive. The big thing for business is cash flow, Mark explains. Weve been a really successful company and had built a reserve of money, but that wouldnt last forever so it was really exciting to not only start this new venture, but see that it was working so quickly. With their stores closed for now and all their staff on furlough, eBay has become the main source of revenue for Toy Barnhaus, and Mark and Steve have seen sales go through the roof. In fact, within just three months, the eBay store has made the same amount of money as three of their bricks and mortar stores would usually bring in during the same time frame. Were now averaging about 300 parcels a day, and eBay have been in touch to find out how we have managed to become so successful so quickly, exclaims Mark. eBay customers are extraordinarily discerning, and the fact that we were already an established high street shop puts a lot of peoples minds at ease. We also know the importance of looking after our customers, and thats reflected in the swathes of positive feedbacks weve had. Mark and Steve hope to keep the eBay store going alongside the high street shops once lockdown eases Its not just great customer service and reputation that has seen Toy Barnhaus through this difficult period, though. Mark and Steve have been very clever in the products they offer online, taking into consideration retail trends, weather and simply whats feasible given their own experience and limitations. Mark says: One thing weve learnt with online business is not to overpromise. Its just Steve and I making this work at the moment and were at capacity, so we have to be realistic about what we can manage to keep customers happy. Just before the lockdown came in, we heard that puzzle sales were on the up, so we committed to a huge order of these, he continues. Combined with how easy and light they are to deliver, they have been a huge success. We also have a weather satellite and we could see that we were going to have a period of hot weather, so we invested in paddling pools and started offering two-day delivery, and people have gone mad for them! Picking up on what people need during this time has been crucial to Mark and Steves success, and its meant that these internet novices have been able to keep their company thriving during a period when many others have struggled. In fact, its been such a success that the pair have dedicated a warehouse to their online store so they can continue to grow it as life returns to normal. Our high street stores averaged a 7 million turn over before the lockdown. Obviously thatll be affected this year, but signing up to eBay has really helped us out and it could mean great things for our future as a business. Lionstrike Dipesh has kept the money coming in during lockdown thanks to Lionstrike Have you always dreamed of heading up your own business, or longed for a way to make some extra money on the side of your 9-to-5? 50-year-old Dipesh Morjaria achieved this dream for himself when he created Lionstrike, a side hustle inspired by his sons. It started off as a side hustle, but now his entrepreneurship has meant he has a source of income while his main career is on hold. He reveals how he achieved it with the help of eBay and shares his tips for creating a lucrative online enterprise of your own. Wanting to make football easier for little ones, Dipesh saw a need for lightweight footballs and set to work making a business out of them In 2012, when his youngest boy found traditional footballs too heavy to kick, Dipesh went to the internet in search of a lighter alternative but found none. So, he decided to do something adventurous; seeing a gap in the market, he decided to manufacture some lighter footballs himself. He says, I felt it would be an interesting activity for me to do and it would allow me to test develop a product which would be a new venture for me. And with that, his side hustle Lionstrike was born on eBay. Since then, Dipeshs lightweight footballs have been a hit with families and football coaches everywhere, from England, Germany and even Japan, seeing an annual turnover of 150,000 a nice sum to accompany the salary from his main job as a digital media consultant. During the national lockdown, its proved a lifeline as, like many of us, his usual work has dried up completely. The coronavirus has been a bit of a silver lining for me, really, reveals Dipesh. Since lockdown kicked in, my business has gone up 20 per cent. Ive been lucky; my sales have been going really well because everyone wants a football to entertain the little ones during lockdown. Dipesh's side hustle earned him an eBay for Innovation award in 2017 One day, Dipesh hopes to make Lionstrike his full time career, and even set up his own football academy using his products. But to reach this point, hes had to face some big challenges and learn a few lessons. Here, he shares his top tips for setting up a successful eBay side hustle: 1. 'Look through your numbers on a regular basis. I used to leave my accounts for three months at a time and before I knew it, things werent adding up and I needed to know immediately that there was a problem. 2. 'Vet your manufacturers really well, because your reputation rests on it and if you get it wrong, it costs so much money to destroy bad products and refund your customers.' 3. 'Excel at customer service. If youre not a big company with a huge budget to brand yourself, then youve got to rely on what youre good at to build your reputation. I hang my hat on really good products and excellent service; those are the things I have to get right, otherwise people wont come back. Now I have a really loyal audience.' 4. 'If you have an idea, Id say simply try it out. Its the same with any small business; try and test daily, fail, learn and get feedback. eBay makes all of this really easy without much commitment. You can promote in different territories and test out different audiences. Its exactly where I started and I received the feedback I needed to develop in the right direction.' Joe Barrera, Ph.D, is the former director of the Ethnic Studies Program at UCCS and a combat veteran of the Vietnam War. He teaches American Literature, U.S. Southwest Studies, and U.S. Military History. As New Jersey reopens, many consumers are hoping they can still rent a home at the Shore. Pent up demand from the coronavirus shutdown means you might have trouble making the reservations you want. That, in turn, might lead you to jump on a deal, even if it sounds too good to be true. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, summer house rental scams were all too common. We spoke with Adam Levin, a former director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs and founder of CyberScout, an identity theft protection and cybersecurity firm, about some tips so consumers wont fall for a summer rental scam. Q. What changes with the coronavirus pandemic? A. Due to Covid-19, people are looking to maintain social distance and avoid crowded hotels and swimming pools. This is going to increase the demand for private short-term rental properties, which will also increase the odds of being scammed, especially when it comes to overbooking the same property. Know the cleaning policy. Rental services like Airbnb have created new cleaning guidelines for hosts. To avoid being scammed out of money after your stay, discuss if there will be an additional cost for cleaning services before securing a rental. Q. Will the pandemic make people quicker to jump on a too good to be true deal? A. People are eager to get away after sheltering-in-place which some people consider being under house arrest for so long due to the pandemic. This is a vulnerability that scammers will take advantage of. They also know that millions of Americans have seen their salaries cut, are on furlough or are out of work and even those who can afford to do something are looking for bargain deals on vacation rentals. Look out for super cheap rates for premium vacation properties. Below-market rent can be a sign of a scam. These people will post an extremely inviting offer online and then tell everyone who responds, You better move quickly. Lots of people are interested and some are offering more than I asked for. In an effort to help you lock the deal, they ask for personal identifying information and a credit or debit card number. You bite. They then vanish with your information and use it to their benefit. You dont have to be a detective to do a little background research on a reservation service youre about to use especially before you provide payment information. Q. Weve heard about rental scams in which someone purports to be a landlord but has no interest in the house they say they can rent. What research should a renter do? A. Ask specific questions about the property that a landlord should know the answer to. Some home-rental websites have their own vetting processes and offer guarantees that will protect you in case of fraud. Check before you click. If possible, drive by or visit the rental property before signing any contracts. Check for reviews online. Look to see if previous renters are sharing consistent experiences (good or bad) in their reviews and be alert for fake ones. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage Confirm the address is real. Doing a quick Google search can provide you with public information about the property and its owner. Google Maps can provide a satellite image of the property. If youre looking for properties using sites like Airbnb or VRBO, do not go off the site to conduct business. Dont wire money unless you have confirmed (the items above) have precise wiring instructions which you confirm at the time of wiring. Dont pay with a prepaid or gift card for a vacation rental. Once the scammer collects the money, it is almost impossible to get it back. If youre working with a real estate agent, ask for their license number and request references (and make sure to check both of these). Q. What other related scams are we seeing? A. Because you dont want to be the unwitting star of your own reality show, check the inside of your rental property for hidden cameras. Turn off all the lights in each room and shine a flashlight. Your phone's will do. Look for light glinting off a camera lens. If you discover any, cover them with a Post-It or piece of tape. Also, avoid talking about personal or financial information you never know who may be listening. Q. Whats the fake menu scam? A. You arrive at your rental house, youre famished and you find take-out menus that were either slipped under your door, or strategically placed in the house by an accomplice. Unfortunately, the number on that menu is fake it belongs to a scam artist who is all too eager to take your order while stealing your credit card information. An hour passes, your hunger is off the charts and your patience as well as your available credit has been drained. You were dinner. Q. What about using WiFi in a rental house? Dont automatically trust the rentals WiFi and make sure the WiFi is password protected before using. Never visit your email or financial services accounts on public computers or free WiFi systems. Both could be swarming with identity thieves armed with malware thatll steal your passwords and hijack your email and financial information or lock-up your device unless you are willing to pay ransom in bitcoin. Q. What else should our readers know? Use a credit card instead of a debit card. A debit card is the gateway to your bank account. While the protections on many debit cards are good, many are not as good as those on credit cards. Use credit cards when traveling instead because with a credit card its their money, with a debit card, its your money. Never provide payment information to anyone without making sure youre on the right site, and whoever youre working with is in a position to provide what theyve offered to you, whether thats an equipment rental, an excursion or anything else vacation related. Q. Any final tips? A. If youre not going away this summer, you might be looking for a summer job. There are scammers targeting high school and college-age students looking for summer employment opportunities. Never provide sensitive information on job websites or to anyone claiming to offer summer employment without doing some research. You can figure this out by doing an online search or making a few phone calls. Use your head when providing personally identifiable information to an employer. When kids are offered a job, they provide their information for tax purposes, including their Social Security number, and then never hear back. The reason: The only job was a robbery. Their identity is stolen, and because young adults often lack credit monitoring experience, it takes a long time for them to realize their creditworthiness has been botched by this fake opportunity. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Every name on the BrandBucket marketplace is exclusively listed with BrandBucket. That means that all of our sellers are very responsive, making for quick domain transfers. A dedicated BrandBucket agent will manage your domain transfer from beginning to end, ensuring a secure and easy transaction. They will manage the receipt of the domain into one of BrandBuckets secure registrar accounts and then complete the transfer to you. 1. Verification and registrar choice After we receive the payment and verify it, we will reach out via email to confirm which registrar you want the domain transferred to. We also provide a link to our tracking system, where you can communicate with us, check on the status of your transfer, view your invoice, and download your logo files. In most cases, if a domain is moved between accounts at a single registrar, the transfer is quick and usually completes within 48 hours. If a domain changes registrars (in other words, you would like to move it away from where it is currently registered), the transfer is slower. The total transfer time can then be anywhere from 48 hours to 7 days. BrandBucket has vetted and supports the following registrars: GoDaddy Namesilo Uniregistry NameCheap Google Domains Network Solutions Name.com Dynadot Amazon Route 53 123 Reg Gandi 2. We request the name from the seller. Once we know where you would like the domain transferred, BrandBucket will request the domain from the seller. All of our sellers are very responsive, making for a quick process. 3. Transfer the name into your account As soon as we receive the name from the seller, we start the transfer into your account and guide you through the whole process. 4. Verify with the buyer that the transfer is complete Once we confirm that you have received the name, we consider the escrow process to be complete. Only then do we release payment to the domain seller. A desperate search is on for a teenage girl missing for more than a week in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. Emma Gawthorpe, 16, from Katoomba, was last seen at Wentworth Falls railway station on Saturday morning, June 6, about 11am. The young Parramatta Eels fan is known to frequent Lithgow and Katoomba. Emma Gawthorpe, 16, has been missing for more than a week, last seen on Saturday morning at Wentworth Falls train station. If you've seen her call police on 1800 333 000 Wentworth Falls train station where missing girl Emma Gawthorpe was last seen on Saturday morning at 11am on June 6. Police hold great fears for her safety Police described the teen as being of caucasian appearance, about 170cm tall, with a thin build. She has long brown hair, green eyes and a nose piercing on her left nostril. NSW Police said they are concerned for her welfare and have appealed to anyone with information on her whereabouts to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Information will be treated in the strictest confidence, police said. Press Release June 14, 2020 Statement of Senator Joel Villanueva, chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resource Development, on the plight of OFWs: The plight of our OFWs and the government's response is among the topics that will be discussed in the upcoming hearing of the Senate Committee on Labor. Given the global trend of unemployment, which is being felt by majority of our OFWs, our government must further intensify and expand the implementation of reintegration programs for their smooth transition back to the country. Skills training provided by TESDA, among other interventions, must be readily provided for our OFWs who look to upskill and retool to become more employable or to seek a new venture through entrepreneurship. Aside from TESDA, we likewise call the attention of the Department of Labor and Employment to strengthen its coordination with different industries to determine the prevailing labor demand, so our government can help match their demand for employment. Matching the needs of the labor market is an effective way to reduce the unemployment in the country. The way we have been treating our workers, especially our OFWs returning home falls short of how we are profuse in heralding them as our "bagong bayani." We don't leave our heroes begging on the streets and making them wait until they drop dead of hunger or depression. These deaths are avoidable if only our government extended more compassion on the plight of our OFWs and acted with dispatch and sense of urgency. We implore our agencies to empathize with our OFWs. Let us not dismiss those taking their chance by camping out at bus stations and airport terminals because they long to be with their families, especially in these troubled times. Kalingahin natin sila, at huwag ipagwalang-bahala. Tayo na lang po sa gobyerno ang pag-asa ng ating mga kababayang nagigipit sa panahon ngayon. Bawat minutong antala, lumalala ang sitwasyon nila. Huwag po natin sana silang ipagtulakan sa kawalan ng pag-asa. Afghanistans interior ministry accuses the Taliban of carrying out 222 attacks against security forces in past week. The Taliban has killed or wounded more than 400 Afghan security personnel over the past week, the interior ministry said, accusing the group of increasing attacks in the run-up to expected peace talks. Violence dropped across much of Afghanistan since the Taliban announced a three-day ceasefire on May 24 to mark the Muslim Eid al-Fitr celebration, but officials have accused the group of stepping up attacks in recent days. In the past one week, the Taliban carried out 222 attacks against the Afghan security forces, resulting in the death and injury of 422 personnel, interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said at a news conference on Sunday. He also accused the Taliban of targeting religious scholars in a bid to put psychological pressure on the Afghan government. Bomb attacks on Kabul mosques that killed two prayer leaders this month were the work of the Taliban, Arian claimed. This has been the goal of the Taliban to target religious scholars, especially in the past two weeks, he said, accusing the armed fighters of being an umbrella group for other terrorist networks. Four people, including a prayer leader, were killed when a blast ripped through a mosque in Kabul during weekly Friday prayers. No group claimed responsibility for the attack which came just over a week after an ISIL (or ISIS) attack at a mosque on the edge of Kabuls heavily fortified Green Zone killed a prominent prayer leader. The Taliban condemned both attacks. After initially reporting a drop in overall violence following the ceasefire, National Security Council spokesman Javid Faisal on Sunday said the Taliban have not reduced, but rather increased their attacks across the country. The council on Saturday also charged that the group had killed 89 civilians and wounded 150 in the last two weeks. The accusations come after the government and Taliban signalled that they were getting closer to launching much-delayed peace talks. President Ashraf Ghani has promised to complete a Taliban prisoner release that is a key condition to beginning the negotiations with the group aimed at ending nearly two decades of war. D ramatic scenes broke out in Atlanta last night, with protesters burning down a restaurant, after a man was shot dead by police while trying to escape arrest. Rayshard Brooks, 27, was shot dead on Friday night after police were called to the restaurant Wendy's over reports that he had fallen asleep in the drive-through line. The incident, which was captured on camera, sparked street protests in the area on Saturday, with demonstrators setting fire to the restaurant and blocking traffic on a nearby highway. Images showed the restaurant in flames for more than 45 minutes before fire crews extinguished the blaze around 11.30pm. Police chief Erika Shields quit her job over the killing, while the officer who allegedly fired the gun, named as Garrett Rolfe, was sacked over the incident. Another officer involved in the incident, named as Devin Bronsan, was put on administrative leave. Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields has resigned after a man was fatally shot / AP The protests follow more than two weeks of demonstrations in major cities across the US sparked by the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old man who died on May 25 in Minneapolis while in police custody. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, announcing the police chiefs resignation, said: "I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force." The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the shooting, said the deadly confrontation started with officers responding to a complaint that a man was sleeping in a car blocking the restaurants drive-thru lane. A memorial with roses and a sign is displayed near a sidewalk where Rayshard Brooks was fatally shot by police / AP The GBI said Mr Brooks failed a sobriety test and then resisted officers attempts to arrest him. Video shot by a bystander captures Mr Brooks struggling with two officers on the ground outside the eatery before breaking free and running across the parking lot with what appears to be a police Taser in his hand. A second videotape from the restaurants cameras shows Mr Brooks turning as he runs and possibly aiming the Taser at the pursuing officers before one of them fires his gun and Mr Brooks falls to the ground. Mr Brooks ran the length of about six cars when he turned back towards an officer and pointed what he had in his hand at the policeman, said Vic Reynolds, director of the GBI during a press conference. Protesters block University Avenue near the Atlanta Wendy's where Rayshard Brooks was shot / AP At that point, the Atlanta officer reaches down and retrieves his weapon from his holster, discharges it, strikes Mr. Brooks there on the parking lot and he goes down, he adds. Mr Brooks was the father of a young daughter who was celebrating her birthday on Saturday, his lawyers said. A Wendy's is set on fire after the death of Rayshard Brooks (REUTERS) / Reuters They added that Atlanta police had no right to use deadly force even if he had fired the Taser, a non-lethal weapon, in their direction. You cant shoot somebody unless they are pointing a gun at you, attorney Chris Stewart said. Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, Jr., said in an emailed statement that his office has already launched an intense, independent investigation of the incident while it awaits the findings of the GBI. Mayor Bottoms said former chief Shields, who was appointed head in December 2016, would be replaced by deputy chief Rodney Bryant, who will serve as interim chief. US police officers at the center of demonstrations that have roiled the country are caught between their commitment to the job and recognition that reforms are needed to address institutional racism within their ranks. From California to Massachusetts, several officers interviewed by AFP said they were horrified by the killing of George Floyd while in police custody -- a tragedy that sparked nationwide protests against police brutality and racism. But those interviewed also hit back at accusations that the actions of the officers involved in Floyd's death reflected the values of law enforcement officers across the country. "I am not Derek Chauvin... He killed someone. We didn't. We are restrained," Michael O'Meara, head of New York state's Police Benevolent Association, angrily said this week at a press conference. Chauvin is the officer who pressed his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes. "Everybody's trying to shame us into being embarrassed about our profession," O'Meara added. "Stop treating us like animals and dogs and start treating us with some respect." Shaun Willoughby, president of the Albuquerque Police Officers' Association in New Mexico, said Chauvin had clearly committed a criminal act that all police officers were ashamed of and it was unfair to paint everyone in uniform with the same brush. "I feel discriminated against, so do my officers," he told AFP. "We're just out here trying to do the best job that we can to protect our community and provide for our families, and now because I wear a badge I'm a problem of systemic racism in the country. "Law enforcement all over the country gets left holding the bag for the actions of a criminal in Minneapolis," he added. Experts however say that Floyd's death was not an isolated incident but added to long-running anger and distrust of police officers among America's black communities. - 'Happening far too often' - "There is a long American history of harm and violence imposed on black Americans under color of law that policing as an institution has to acknowledge," said Louisa Aviles, director of group violence intervention at the National Network for Safe Communities. Franklin Zimring, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley and author of "When Police Kill," noted that officers in the US on average kill three people a day. "At least half of those killings are not necessary to preserve the police officers' lives or anybody else's," he said. African Americans represent the majority of those killed with studies showing that one in every 1,000 black men in the US will die at the hands of police. "It's happening far too often, scenes where black people and people of color in general are dying at the hands of law enforcement, usually for really minor offenses," said Ben Kelso, president of the San Diego chapter of the National Black Police Association. "We spend a lot of hours on what they call 'perishable skills,' which is driving and shooting and arresting people and things like that," he added. "But we don't spend as much time on just learning to talk to people. Because when it's all said and done, the biggest weapon police officers have every day is their mouth." A growing list of police departments across the United States have already imposed a ban on neck restraints similar to the one that killed Floyd and reinforced disciplinary measures. Steps are also being taken at the federal level to carry out reforms. O'Meara, whose union represents some 40,000 police officers, said it was essential that law enforcement be included in the conversation as stakeholders. "This perception that we are racist dogs, that's not what we are," he told AFP. "That's not what the overwhelming vast majority of police officers are." Branville Bard Jr, chief of police in Cambridge, Massachusetts, said as a black man he has often fallen victim to racism and was in favor of tougher sanctions against bad officers. "I can't tell you how many times I'm pulled over," he said. "And I identify myself... and it never escalates. But I'm always in fear that it could because I carry a gun and black skin at the same time." But some in law enforcement say they are being used as scapegoats for larger problems in society and reject growing calls to defund the police. "It's ironic and it's hurtful because we're out every day trying to serve and protect the public and there are millions of interactions every day with police and the public that are positive," said a 34-year-old New York officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity since he was not authorized to make public comments. "We try to be everything to everyone and we're stretched too thin and that's when mistakes are made." New York Police Benevolent Association President Mike O'Meara and representatives from other NYPD and law enforcement unions hold a news confenece at the Icahn Stadium parking lot on June 9 Protesters hold signs during a rally on May 31 in Miami in response to the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died while in police custody in Minneapolis San Diego Police officer Ben Kelso, 53, speaks with a local resident at the city's Paradise Valley Park on June 12 NYPD police officers watch demonstrators in Times Square on June 1 during a Black Lives Matter protest The election will not be free and fair. We have been warned in advance. The pandemic will be turned into a bridge for the SLPP to reach its hearts desire of a massive electoral win. by Tisaranee Gunasekara From now until the elections, we will not know when, and where, and how the fireball will fall on us, and what the nature of that fireball will be. Arundathi Roy (Election Season in a Dangerous Democracy The New York Review of Books 3.9.2018) The Eastern province is the most ethno-religiously pluralist slice of Sri Lanka. It is home to more Tamils and Muslims than Sinhalese; its predominant language is not Sinhala but Tamil; and it has more kovils, mosques and churches than temples. Homogenising the East has been and remains a dream of extremists of all stripes, from Sinhala-Buddhists supremacists through the LTTE to Wahabi fundamentalists. For anyone who wants to trade in ethno-religious strife, theres no place richer with possibility than the East. Graphic Courtesy: LMD Now the East is in the political crosshairs again. Making good a promise he made to his Buddhist Advisory Council, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has set up a task force for Archaeological Heritage Management in the Eastern Province. Theres no argument that the islands rich archaeological heritage needs to be protected and preserved. But why restrict that necessary endeavour to the East? Is the countrys archaeological heritage limited only to the East? Or is it just in the East this heritage is perceived to be in danger? Weaponising archaeology is a favourite tactic of extremists. The urge to use a ruin from the past to turn the future into a ruin is probably hardwired into the extremist brain. When a papyrus fragment said to be 2,700 years old was found in Judean desert in 2016, Israels Binyamin Netanyahu rushed to use it to further his occupationist agenda. What the BJP and Narendra Modi owe to the Ayodhya controversy is no secret. When the previous Rajapaksa administration held an Independence Day celebration in Trincomalee, then President Mahinda Rajapkasa used his speech to give a distorted version of the history of this ancient city, painting it in exclusively Sinhala-Buddhist hues. This is a Sinhala Buddhist country; we created its history, culture and civilisation, claimed the BBS at a 2012 meeting in Matara (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EleUZQw71k). This majoritarian supremacist view (which denies and seeks to erase Lankas diverse history) seems to be the founding and guiding principle of the new task force. In composition its entirely mono-ethnic. The inclusion of the doyen of Sinhala-Buddhist archaeology and founder-chairman of the JHU, Ellawala Medananda Thero is another warning sign. (This monk informed the BBC in 2007 that Christian fundamentalist doctors are planning to infect leading monks by using HIV-infected blood. His approach to archaeology is almost akin. According to PK Balachandran, the monk claims that before Koneswarm was a kovil, it was a Buddhist temple). Another member, Panamure Thilakawansha Thero, is reportedly involved in the dispute over the Kanniya hot water springs. With such a membership, the task force cannot but promote a Sinhala-Buddhist agenda in the countrys most ethno-religiously pluralist province, pitting Sinhalese against Tamils and Muslims. It is like setting up a bonfire in a munitions factory. Mahinda Rajapaksa removed all fetters on majoritarian supremacism. Gotabaya Rajapaksa has gone one step further, putting it on steroids. In the run up to the 2019 presidential election, a story spread over the internet claiming that Muslim extremists have razed statues of the Buddhas eighty great disciples built by the Rajapaksa administration in 2013. If the UNP wins the election, the same fate will befall the Samadhi statue, the Tholuwila statue, and Gal Viharaya, the story warned. In truth, the construction of the statues commenced in 2017, and ones lying on the ground are there because they had not been raised. This tale is a warning of how the worthy task of protecting our archaeological heritage can be turned into an anti-minority feeding frenzy. Given the mono-ethnic nature of the new task force, the question cannot but arise will it use Sinhala-Buddhist heritage to displace living Tamils and Muslims? Setting mini-fires in the East might help the SLPP to widen the margin of its electoral victory; it might help burnish Gotabaya Rajapaksas image as the countrys new Sinhala Buddhist maha raju (high king). But weaponising the past as way of dominating the present often ends up killing the future. It is easy to set off ethno-religious fires but nearly impossible to manage them. The East can be a showcase of Sri Lankas rich demographic diversity, or it can be the countrys Achilles Heel. The LTTE might not have died an ignominious death, had Vellupillai Pirapaharan not mishandled the East. Are his conquerors reading to follow him down the same destructive and self-destructive path? A Company of Virtuous Esquires Soon after Mahinda Rajapaksa won his second presidential term, the state-owned ITN held a musical show titled Jaya Jayawe, one long panegyric to King Mihindu and Chief General Gotabaya who defeated the demons threatening the motherland. Today, the roles are in a state of flux. Chief General Gotabaya is president and King Mihindu is his prime minister. One kingdom, two kings is nothing but a recipe for chronic strife and instability. The jostling between the two brothers - and their acolytes for primacy is likely to remain a defining factor in Lankan politics in the foreseeable future. The brothers have common and contending goals. Both want to stymie all opposition and win a two-thirds majority at the parliamentary election. Once/if they move past that goal, contention rather than cooperation might become their dominant mode of engagement. The setting up of a presidential task force to build a Secure Country, Disciplined, Virtuous and Lawful society makes sense when seen in this context. The new task force is likely to function as a weapon of Rajapaksa power and Gotabaya power. Comprising of retired and serving generals, admirals, air marshals and police chiefs (all of them honoured with a suffix esquire, in contravention of the standard use of this word today), the task force is likely to protect Rajapaksa rule and, within it, Gotabaya dominance. As with the task force on the archaeological heritage of the East, this task force too is headed by retired general Kamal Gunaratne. If Gotabaya Rajapaksa is the new Sinhala-Buddhist high king, Kamal Gunaratne is his chief general (maha senevi). That the retired lieutenant-colonel has such trust and dependence on the retired general is understandable, given their obvious political and moral-ethical affinity. Gotabaya Rajapaksa once shared with BBCs Stephen Sackur expressed a desire to hang war-winning army commander Sarath Fonseka for being a traitor. Speaking at a Viyath Maga seminar in October 2017, Mr. Gunaratne branded as traitors anyone supporting a new constitution; they deserve death and must be denied normal funeral rites, as the JVP notoriously did during the Second Insurgency, he claimed. With such men in charge, the kind of security, discipline, virtue, and legality Sri Lanka will experience is not hard to imagine. Kavinda Isuru was remanded on April 25th 2020 and was dead by May 3rd. The authorities claim that he fell off a rope while trying to escape and died from the ensuing injuries. His parents have lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission alleging that he was beaten to death. Both his legs and one arm were broken, apart from other injuries including to the head, the complaint states (https://theleader.lk/news/3170-young-detainee-broke-his-throat-in-mahara-prison). In Dharga Town, the police allegedly assaulted an autistic boy for breaking the curfew. According to Thariq Ahmeds father, when he reached the scene of the incident, he found his 14-year-old-son with his hands tied behind his back. When the boy was taken to hospital, the JMO reportedly scolded the father and the child, accusing them of belonging to the nation (jathiya) who kill cows and spread corona. The four policemen on duty were suspended. Initial reports claimed that the suspension was due to their possible involvement in an assault on an autistic boy. A few hours later the story was upended; the policemen were suspended because they did not take the curfew-breaking child into custody but let him go. Not abuse of power but kindness of heart, not brutality but lenience was their crime. In Elpitiya, the police was searching for a man suspected of purchasing a stock of stolen cinnamon. The man was not at home, so the police took away his 14 year-old-son instead, leaving a toddler all alone in the house. The police say they asked the minor to accompany them to assist in locating the father. Can the police ask a minor to accompany them, in the absence of any adult? Werent the guardians of law breaking the law? Is it ethical to get a child to turn in his father? Are these not forewarnings of the sort of security, discipline, virtue and legality awaiting us in a Gotabaya country? Gotabaya Rajapaksa pardoned a former military sergeant convicted of murdering eight civilian Tamils including a five year old boy. When the freed killer emerged from the prison, Kamal Gunaratna was at hand to meet and greet him. A good part of the world was appalled when they heard George Floyd begging for a chance to breathe, minutes, seconds before he died. What the last words, the last thoughts of that five-year-old child must have been we can only imagine. We can also imagine what virtue means in a land where such a murderer walks free, thanks to a presidential pardon. What virtue means, what discipline means, what security and legality means. When Gotabaya Rajapaksa studied American history in order to become an American citizen, he may - or may not - have come into contact with Senator Joseph McCarthy. Like that modern day Torquemada, the Rajapaksas too see enemies everywhere, and believe in keeping the country on a permanent war-footing. The tasks allocated to the Company of Esquires include dealing with anti-social activities and illegal activities of social groups, harmful to the free and peaceful existence of society at present in some places of the country. The wording is so amorphous, it probably can be interpreted in any which way necessary, including killing democratic dissent and snuffing peaceful dissenters. Electoral highway robbery The election will not be free and fair. We have been warned in advance. The pandemic will be turned into a bridge for the SLPP to reach its hearts desire of a massive electoral win. The police launched a brutal assault on a Black Lives Matter demonstration by the Frontline Socialist Party. The police acted brain-dead when confronted with massive crowds at Arumugam Thondaman and Marshall Perera funerals. In the difference between the two antithetical official responses the current nature of electoral playing field is clearly visible. It is so uneven as to be more vertical than horizontal. The SLPP will be allowed to act above the law, including social distancing regulations imposed by health authorities. The opposition will be persecuted for failing to keep even the most minute or impractical of health regulations. The Rajapaksas can win a simple majority in a free and fair election, especially since the UNP and the SBJ are intent on self and mutual mutilation. But both Rajapaksa siblings want a two-thirds majority, albeit for contentious purposes. Their opponents will be persecuted for violating health regulations, for committing anti-social activities, for endangering the nation. The election commission might lodge protests, but the police are likely to turn a deaf ear. Any election official trying to uphold the law might end up like the principal of the Lumbini Royal College of Kandy who had to be hospitalised after being assaulted by the SLPP chairman of the Harispattuwa PS. A complaint was made, but 24 hours later the police was yet to even question the suspect. When Attorney at law Swasthika Arulingam went to ask why the organisers of the BLM protest was arrested, the police promptly took her into custody. This is the second instance of a lawyer being arrested for what he or she did in line of professional responsibilities. Hejaz Hisbullah was the first. Many more lawyers may join the list in the coming weeks and months, rendering it increasingly difficult for anyone facing Rajapaksa ire to get legal representation. A deluge of minority phobia will be used to fill the gaps left by persecution and suppression. We might hear of resurgent Tigers, of Islamic Jihadists, even Christian/Catholic fundamentalists, all of them helping the opposition to prevent the true protectors of the country from safeguarding its true owners. The International (sic) has brought various ideas into our society... complained Gotabaya Rajapaksa, when he was the defence secretary, in an interview with the ITN on 24th February, 2010 Human Rights, Media Freedom, various ideas such as these are given to us by The International (sic) to control our society. As President, he is now trying to put his ideas into practice. There is no such thing as a little bit of tyranny any more than there can be a little bit of a pandemic. Both are elemental forces which are hard to contain once they are unleashed. A truth we will know fully, starting August 6th, if the Rajapaksas get the two-thirds of their dreams. They're currently isolating together in New York amid the global coronavirus pandemic. And Brooklyn Beckham and his girlfriend Nicola Peltz proved they're still going strong as they shared a sweet kiss in an Instagram post shared to the model's account on Sunday. The couple, aged 21 and 25 respectively, marked Pride Month by wearing his mother Victoria's charity T-shirt to mark Pride Month. Smitten: Brooklyn Beckham and his girlfriend Nicola Peltz proved they're still going strong as they shared a sweet kiss in an Instagram post shared to the model's account on Sunday Twinning in their tops, the celebrity offspring and the actress appeared loved-up as they enjoyed a smooch in a field. Transformers: Age of Extinction star Nicola highlighted the importance of the annual celebrity, captioning the posts: 'LISTENWITHOUT PREJUDICE. '@victoriabeckham pride shirt this year is a reminder to always be kind and listen to each other. 'It features the name of @georgemoffical iconic 1990 album and 25% of all sales of the shirt will go to @aktcharity and its work to combat LGBTQ+ youth homelessness in the UK LOVE IS LOVE.' (sic) Powerful message: The couple, aged 21 and 25 respectively, marked Pride Month by wearing his mother Victoria's charity T-shirt to mark Pride Month Controversy: Fashion designer Victoria, 46, has received criticism from her LGBTQ+ fans over the price of the T-shirt as well as the percentage she was planning to donate to charity Fashion designer Victoria, 46, has received criticism from her LGBTQ+ fans over the price of the T-shirt as well as the percentage she was planning to donate to charity. When advertising the item earlier this week on her Instagram page, Victoria revealed 25 per cent of sales would aim to combat LGBTQ+ youth homelessness in the UK. One wrote: '95 your having a laugh! I'll just donate 20 and write it on an old t-shirt,' while another added: '95 though!' Irate: Despite her good intentions, many fans were unhappy, claiming that she should be donating 100% of the t-shirt's profits to charity given its already-high price tag A third posted: 'Are you really charging 95 for a t-shirt and only donated 25% scandalous Mrs Beckham.' 'For a 95 t-shirt I'd expect more than 25% to go to charity, one fan wrote with another adding: 'This is lovely and a great message also good % goes to charity BUT 95 for a tee still too much for me.' MailOnline contacted representatives for Victoria Beckham for comment at the time. Harpreet Bajwa By PUNJAB: It was nine years ago that Lupinder Kumars wife was diagnosed with ITP immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), a disorder that can lead to easy or excessive bruising and bleeding. The repeated trips to hospital and all the troubles that the medical condition brought made the couple change the way they lived. Kumar, currently working as sub-divisional soil conversation officer at Jalandhar, took to helping others in whatever way he could, hoping that the blessings he earns will help his family sail through every crisis. And this is how the script of life exactly played out for 46-year-old Kumar. There are at least two dozen poor patients whose lives were saved by his intervention as he arranged money for their surgeries. Of the 20 surgeries that he sponsored, nine were of children between two and six years of age who had congenital heart disease. These surgeries were done in Delhi, with each operation costing Rs 2-3 lakh which I arranged through Rotary Club. For the other surgeries of gall bladder and kidney stones, hernia etc., a few doctors voluntary helped me as the patients, mostly daily wagers, couldnt afford the cost, Kumar says. The blessing of the poor patients did bring about a positive change in the life of Kumar and his wife Daljit Kaur, a school teacher. My wife was hospitalised six times as her platelets used to fall to as low as 3,000 at times. But she kept fighting and now she is fine. This made us realise that your good deeds bring you peoples good wishes, said the SDO. Kumar subsequently broadened the horizon of his social service. He started giving free career counselling to poor students which helped 24 youngsters get government jobs. He has been distributing books and bags to the needy. Tajinder Singh Saini, principal of Government Senior Secondary School at Birbansian Jajjar Dhinsa in Jalandhar, said From installing an RO to construction of mid-day meal shed, he has done a lot of work in my school. Kumar motivated his batchmates to contribute money for a corpus fund of Rs 10 lakh and from the annual interest, Rs 60,000 per year is given as grant to deserving students. According to legend, the pirate Captain Kidd buried some of his treasure right on Long Island. But the search for hidden wealth stretches far and wide -- all to way out West. Our Cover Story is reported by Barry Petersen: "Ever since I was a little kid," said Dal Neitzel, "I always wanted to go out and find treasure." It is so much more than just a stroll in the Montana woods for Neitzel. "I read all those pirate magazines and comic books. And now I'm getting an opportunity to go out and look for one for real." treasure-hunt-map-of-states-244.jpg Somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, in an area stretching across four states, lies a hidden treasure. CBS News Like thousands of others in the Rocky Mountains this summer, he's here on a hunt for a treasure chest fit for a pirate -- filled with gold, precious metals, and ancient artifacts. Its exact dollar value is not known. Some say a million, some say millions. "I've been looking now for about five years," said Neitzel. And is he getting discouraged by now? "No, there's nothing to get discouraged about!" he laughed. This isn't some long-lost treasure. This is hidden treasure, placed somewhere in the Rockies by an eccentric millionaire five years ago. It's there for the taking if you can figure out the clues. "I believe that his secret place is a place where there is some kind of running water," said Neitzel. On this day the clues have taken him to a lake near Yellowstone National Park. The last clue is about a blaze -- maybe that's something on a rock -- and maybe Dal is just steps away from life-changing wealth. Or, maybe not. Nietzel had a long career as a professional treasure hunter, salvaging sunken ships, but this is his toughest quest yet. This trip was his 64th attempt. "There's no guarantee it's going to be found even in our lifetime," said Petersen. "That's right. But it doesn't stop me from looking for it. 'Cause it's fun to look for it. And there's always the chance. There's always the chance." Story continues Which no one knows better than the man who hid it: 84-year-old Forrest Fenn, who made a career out of collecting treasures of his own, such as the pipe of Sitting Bull, the Indian chief who bested George Custer and his men at Little Big Horn. "He had several pipes," said Fenn. "But this is the one that evidently he liked the best because most of the pictures are him holding this pipe." Fenn grew up in Texas and as a youth he explored the American West. He learned a lot about life's value as a fighter pilot in Vietnam, where he was shot down twice. He eventually moved to Santa Fe and made his millions as a successful art and antique dealer. The idea of a treasure hunt started after he survived a bout with cancer: "I said, 'I've had so much fun collecting all of these things. Why not let somebody else have the same opportunity that I've had?'" He drove out across the Rockies and left the chest. "There's 265 gold coins, eagles and American double eagles," he said of the chest's contents. "And there's hundreds and hundreds of gold nuggets. You're gonna be amazed at what you find. "And when I walked back to my car, I talked to myself out loud -- there was nobody around anyplace - and I said, 'Forrest Fenn, did you really do that?' And I started laughing." Fenn then wrote a poem with nine clues placing the treasure somewhere in the Rockies in one of four states -- Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, or New Mexico. Clues to a hidden treasure Petersen asked Fenn, "Do you wanna add anything to the hints?" "The treasure is not hidden in a mine. A lotta these old mines are dangerous. I mean, they have snakes in 'em, they have black widow spiders!" "Well, that's a good hint and a good piece of advice." "Did I give you a hint? Really? You're not being fair to me, Barry!" "Well, I don't think that narrows it down a lot, I gotta tell you." Lust and loot, it turned out, launched a lot of lookers. Fenn says he stopping keeping track of emails at 65,000. Add to that countless more online with their own plans to find the treasure: But, is it REALLY out there? "The only way that I could prove to you that the treasure is hidden is to take you there," Fenn said. And he won't. "There's an old saying: 'Two people can keep a secret if one of them is dead.' So if I take you out there, I wouldn't wanna be your insurance agent!" he laughed. To avoid that deadly fate, we opted to just ask someone who knows a lot about secrets: his friend, Valerie Plame. A former CIA agent, her cover was compromised in 2003 by a White House official. Scandal ensued, and Plame and her husband eventually moved to Santa Fe, where she met Fenn. She says Fenn hasn't told anybody his secret. "Apparently not even his wife," she laughed. "That is something!" "Do you believe him?" asked Petersen. "Do you think that treasure's out there?" "Oh, absolutely," said Plame. "I think that this is something that Forrest has done to completely amuse himself." Writer Michael McGarrity agrees. He's another longtime friend, and is one of many people we spoke with who saw the treasure before Fenn hid it. "Forrest, whether he admits it or not, loves attention, but he denies it," McGarrity said. Plame agreed: "He has this 'Aw, shucks' personality, but he's as sharp as can be." "So, we don't take the 'Aw, shucks' at face value?" "No, no," said McGarrity. "So, his ego is involved. Who he is and where he comes from is involved. His whole life has been one big adventure after another." Adventures that he loved, and hiding the treasure was a way to pass that love on. Petersen asked, "In your mind, who would be the best person or family to find this treasure?" "A family that is joined together and gone out lookin' for the treasure four or five or ten or 50 times," he replied. "Take a tent and sleeping bags and your fishing pole and go out looking. That was my primary motive." And that is exactly the motive driving the Dunstan family of city slickers slip-sliding through the southern Colorado backwoods. "This is crazy," said one teenager, peering into a gorge. "This is terrifying!" Last month they left their home in Orange County, California, on their own search for Fenn's treasure. What was the lure? "The adventure of it," said Marlene Dunstan. "The fun of it. The riddles, solving puzzles." Marlene and Mark, along with Ashley and Amber, Audrey and Aislyn are far from their comfort zones. "There might be bears!" laughed Marlene. "There might be wildlife. We might get lost. So it's super fun. I feel like I really bonded with my older daughters doing it." "If only you could see the expressions on their faces," laughed Petersen. "Yeah, well, you know, they're teenagers," she said. As Mark traversed through cascading waters, Marlene said, "Daddy looks like Indiana Jones! Careful, Mark!" The Dunstan family trip ended with photos and memories, but alas, no treasure. As for the man who launched a thousand dreams, on a hunt yet to end, Forrest Fenn has no regrets for what is out there, somewhere, for any of us to find. "I would do it again in an instant," Fenn said. For more info: "The Thrill of the Chase: A Memoir" by Forrest Fenn (Amazon)"Too Far to Walk" by Forrest Fenn (Amazon)dalneitzel.com Some American companies respond to racial inequality in wake of George Floyd's killing Sneak peek: Defending DJ Kids create artwork on boarded up businesses in Michigan Capping private hospital and ambulance charges and reducing cost of COVID-19 test will be discussed in a meeting of the DDMA to be attended by Lt Governor Anil Baijal and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on June 16, amid complaints of exorbitant cost of treatment and testing. The meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) will also have on its agenda ways to empower resident welfare associations, exploring possibility of using large blocks of vacant flats as makeshift COVID hospitals, drive through labs, telemedicine facility by panel of expert doctors, according to a government notice. The authorities will also discuss preparing large makeshift hospitals for contactless treatment of COVID-19 patients in Delhi on the pattern of NSCI Dome (Worli) in Mumbai. Besides the LG and the Chief Minister, the revenue minister, chief secretary, General Officer Commanding (HQ) Delhi Area, Delhi Police Commissioner and other top bureaucrats will attend the meeting. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Saturday hinted at the possibility of capping prices charged by private hospitals. All the hospitals have been asked to share the rates that they are charging for Covid treatment. We will decide on what to do after observing every hospital''s details, he told mediapersons. The opposition BJP and the Congress have requested the Lt Governor to put a cap on hospital fees for COVID patients. Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor in a letter to Baijal on Saturday said that it was shocking to learn that medical bills of Covid patients with history of some other diseases is usually not less than Rs 7 lakh and runs up to Rs 15 lakh, and demanded price capping. Delhi Congress vice president Abhishek Dutt said that exorbitant treatment cost cause unnecessary stress to the families battling the COVID-19 infection. New Delhi, Jun 13 (UNI) After Nepalese Parliament passed the amendment to include the new political map featuring areas of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura in the Constitution of Nepal, India on Saturday said that the artificial enlargement of claims is not tenable and also violative of current understanding to hold talks on outstanding boundary issues. In response to media queries on the passing of Constitutional Amendment Bill revising the Coat of Arms of Nepal by the House of Representatives, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, "We have noted that the House of Representatives of Nepal has passed a constitution amendment bill for changing the map of Nepal to include parts of Indian territory. We have already made our position clear on this matter. This artificial enlargement of claims is not based on historical fact or evidence and is not tenable, he said. It is also violative of our current understanding to hold talks on outstanding boundary issues, the spokesperson added. Nepal passed it with a majority of 258 votes out of 275, while no member voted against the bill. A two-third majority of the 275-member Lower House was required to pass the bill. Major Opposition parties including Nepali Congress, Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal and Rastriya Prajatantra Party voted in favour of the government bill to amend Schedule 3 of the Constitution to update the national emblem by incorporating the new controversial map. On June 9, the Nepalese Parliament unanimously endorsed a proposal to consider the constitution amendment bill to pave way for endorsing the new map. UNI ASH SHK1954 Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 00:21:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GABORONE, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Botswana's health minister had bemoaned the shortage of blood in the country's lifeblood banks. Lemogang Kwape, the Minister of Health and Wellness, on Sunday commemorating World Blood Donor Day said the country is experiencing inadequate supply of safe blood. "Botswana's blood bank recorded 855 collections against a target of 2,679 in May 2020, as compared to 2,039 in May 2019," said Kwape. He highlighted that the country's annual blood collection target is 45,000 units, adding the authorities' aim to attain the target by 2023. "Our combined efforts will surely take us there. Let us remember that a reduction of blood and blood products is a major healthcare services risk," said Kwape, urging the nation to participate in blood donation. Kwape said there should be a movement towards 100 percent voluntary blood donation, through government and non-government agencies, policymakers, health workers and everyone. "In our endeavor to maximize blood collection, compliance to quality standards remains our priority," said Kwape, highlighting that the adherence includes measures preventing the spread of COVID-19. Enditem 'We keep saying that we have a very close historical, cultural, linguistic and religious affinity with Nepal. Then why be so insensitive that we cannot find time to talk to them for more than 5-6 months' IMAGE: A view of the lower house of the Federal Parliament of Nepal. Nepals lower house on Saturday, June 13, 2020, cleared a constitutional amendment bill to reflect its new map in the national emblem. Photograph: PTI Photo The domestic political rumblings in Nepal, its growing aspirations and assertiveness driven by China's strong economic backing and India's "complacency" in engaging with it made the landlocked nation take the unprecedented step of escalating its decades-old border row with India to a new high, strategic affairs experts said on Sunday. The communist government of Nepal on Saturday managed to get a unanimous approval of the lower house of the country's parliament to a new map depicting disputed areas of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as Nepalese territories, prompting India to say that such "artificial enlargement" of territorial claim is untenable. The vote, notwithstanding the all-encompassing cultural, political and trade ties of seven decades between the two countries, is seen as a reflection of Nepal's readiness to take on the regional giant, India, and signals that it no longer cares about the old framework of relationship. Rakesh Sood, who was Indian Ambassador to Nepal from 2008 to 2011, said both sides have allowed the relationship to come to a "very very dangerous point" and that India should have found time to engage with Kathmandu as it pressed for talks on the issue since November. "I think we have displayed a lack of sensitivity, and now the Nepalese have dug themselves deeper into the hole from which they will find it difficult to come out," he said. Nepal shares a border of over 1,850 km with five Indian states -- Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. In sync with the unique ties of friendship, the two countries have a long tradition of free movement of people across the border. According to official data, nearly eight million Nepalese citizens live and work in India. The two countries also have solid defence and trade ties. India is the largest trading partner of Nepal, and the total bilateral trade in 2018-19 was Rs 57,858 crore. Currently, about 32,000 Gorkha soldiers from Nepal are serving in the Indian Army. Ambassador Ranjit Rae, who served as Indian envoy to Nepal between 2013 and early 2017, said Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli decided to go ahead with the new map just to consolidate his position and overcome rumblings in domestic politics. "This sort of playing up anti-India sentiment had helped him in winning the elections and he thought it will again help him now as he is under lot of domestic pressure," he said. "I think it is related to Oli's insecurity domestically as his position in Nepal is quite weak. There have been a lot of demonstrations in Nepal for the government's failure in the economic front, on managing COVID-19. There have been rumours within Nepali Communist Party that there may be a change in leadership. I think this has been a lifeline for Oli," he said. India's relations with Nepal came under severe strain following the 2015 economic blockade. Since then, China has been pumping in huge amount of financial resources in Nepal, helping the landlocked country in laying new roads including connecting it to Chinese cities for transportation of petroleum and other essential products, ostensibly to help Kathmandu cut dependence on New Delhi. China is also planning to lay an ambitious railway network connecting Kathmandu and Shigatse in Tibet where it would join an existing railway line to Lhasa. China has also offered Nepal four ports for shipment of goods to the landlocked country which previously had to rely heavily on routes through India. Prof S D Muni, a noted strategic affairs expert, said China has been a factor in the whole issue as Nepal was more encouraged to raise the issues with India realising that Beijing has been supporting it. However, he said the bigger message from Nepal was that the Nepalese are asserting themselves and the old framework of special relations is gone completely. "They do not care about it. You will have to deal with Nepal differently, with little more sensitivity and with little more tact and understanding. "It is a new Nepal. Over 65 per cent of Nepalese are very young people. They do not care about the past. They have their aspirations. Unless India is relevant to their aspirations, they would not care," he said. By going for a constitutional amendment for the new map, Ambassador Sood argued, Nepal is converting what was a difference in terms of territorial perceptions into a dispute and making its position non-negotiable over it. "We have a territorial dispute with China; our militaries are right now talking about 'disengagement'. We have a territorial dispute with Pakistan; our militaries are eyeball-to eyeball and there is firing across the Line of Control," Sood said. "Is that how we want to visualise our border with Nepal by making it a dispute when we have shared an open border with free movement of people since the British days and which has continued after 1947 as well," he asked. The former diplomat said the only option before the two countries was to have talks. Sood said he did not believe Kathmandu has taken up the issue at Beijing's behest though he agreed that Chinese influence in the Himalayan nation has grown in recent years. Sood, who served in the Indian missions in Brussels, Dakar, Geneva, Islamabad and Washington, expressed dismay over India not responding to Nepal's call for talks on the sticky issue, saying New Delhi should have found time to engage with the neighbouring nation. "Everyday we keep reading that our prime minister has had virtual meetings with 50 of his counterparts, our external affairs minister has had virtual meetings with 70 of his counterparts; surely it should have been possible to have a meeting with the Nepalese officials at some level or the other - foreign minister, foreign secretary or at the level of the prime minister," he said. Muni, who was India's Ambassador to Lao PDR, appeared to agree with Sood. "There are a lot of areas where India has shown complacency and over-confidence in dealing with smaller neighbours. Nepal is no exception to that." He also said that China has been factor as Nepal was more encouraged to raise the issues with India since Beijing has been supporting it. Rae said Nepal's decision to go for the constitutional amendment will make the issue more complicated to resolve. "I think it is going to complicate the relation rather than improve them. It will make the issue more intractable. I agree that since November they have been saying that they wanted to talk but for one reason or the other talks were not immediately possible," he said. "But we did say that we will talk after the coronavirus crisis is over. So there was no pressing urgency for Nepal to go ahead with the constitutional amendment. After all the issue has been pending since 1997; so another few months would not have made such a big difference," said Rae. Muni, a professor emeritus in Jawaharlal Nehru University, also said India's Neighbourhood First policy derailed as its implementation was allowed to "go berserk". Sood, too, wondered why India should tell Nepal that it will talk on the matter only after the coronavirus crisis is over. "I can understand that India too has made mistakes. I do think we should have found time to engage with Nepal," he said. "We keep saying that we have a very close historical, cultural, linguistic and religious affinity with Nepal. Then why be so insensitive that we cannot find time to talk to them for more than 5-6 months. They raised the issue in the month of November and that time there was no COVID crisis," he said. Google Pay Android Vladimka production/Shutterstock Google is working on a major update to Google Pay that would allow merchants to sell goods and services within the app, according to a new report. The planned overhaul would turn the app into a one-stop shop in the US, replicating popular features found in Google Pay in other countries. But it's not the only plan for mobile payments that Google has up its sleeve. Do you work at Google? You can contact this reporter securely using encrypted messaging app Signal (+1 628-228-1836) or encrypted email (hslangley@protonmail.com). Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Google is planning to turn its Google Pay app in the US into a one-stop shopping platform, according to a new report from The Information. The company plans to overhaul its payment platform to let both online and brick-and-mortar merchants place branded buttons inside the app. These buttons would mean users would be able to pay for goods and services without having to leave Google's app, creating a direct link between the buyer and seller inside one portal, the report claims. Google employees have reportedly been working to persuade merchants including grocery stores, gas stations, and restaurant chains to sign up for the plan, but the timeline of the possible rollout is not clear. The change would bring the US version of the app more in line with Google Pay in other countries such as India, where users can already order food and hail rides without leaving the app. "We're always trying to understand and learn from changing consumer behaviors worldwide so we can build more helpful features," a Google spokesperson told Business Insider. "Our learnings from Google Pay in India will enable us to make digital money experiences simple, helpful and accessible and create new economic opportunities for both users and our partners around the world," the spokesperson added. Google is also said to be looking closely at China's mobile payment market, where WeChat Pay and Alipay lead as the most popular offerings. Story continues Growth in mobile payments from Google and other tech companies in the US could be spurred by the pandemic, which has caused a surge in contactless payments. However, merchant buttons might not be the only major play in mobile payments that Google is planning. The company is also said to be looking into a smart debit card that could be co-branded with bank partners and would link to an app. Read the original article on Business Insider Teagasc is a major partner in a new 80 million programme to improve the management of agricultural soils across Europe, called the European Joint Programme on Agricultural Soil Management, or EJP SOIL in short. The European Commission and research organisations in 24 European countries have come together to fund the new five year initiative, with support from relevant ministries including the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). The overall objective is to provide sustainable agricultural soil management solutions that contribute to key societal challenges including climate change and future food supply. EJP SOIL will develop knowledge, tools and an integrated research community to foster climate-smart sustainable agricultural soil management, and enhance the contribution of agricultural soils to key societal challenges, including climate change adaptation and mitigation, sustainable agricultural production, ecosystem services provision and restoration and prevention of land and soil degradation. The implementation of climate smart sustainable soil management differs from region to region, between agricultural practices and obviously between different soil types. As one of its first activities, EJP SOIL will involve European and national stakeholders in identifying knowledge gaps and differences in existing regional and national activities. Stocktaking will establish the baseline of available knowledge and tools in partner countries and help to identify research priorities. This will enable the construction of a roadmap that will function as a strategic research agenda that allows for strategic decision making in science, policy and implementation issues across Europe. EJP SOIL will seek to raise general public awareness and improve understanding of agricultural soil management. Farmers, landowners, land managers and industry will get access to context-specific guidelines for sustainable soil management practices, technology and tools for carbon level accounting. As part of the roadmap development, stocktaking will look at current models for accounting for soil quality and soil carbon in partner countries. Among other outcomes, this will lead to possibilities for the implementation of agricultural soil management options accounting for the potential effect on soil organic carbon stocks and GreenHouse Gas (GHG) emissions. Welcoming the initiative, Teagasc Director of Research, Professor Frank OMara said that, Soils are right at the intersection of food production and climate change. Carbon sequestration has been highlighted in the Green Deal as an opportunity for farmers, but we need solid information on the rates of sequestration in our soils and how we can manage soils to increase that sequestration. We have an active research programme in Teagasc on soil quality and management. For example, recent research by Teagasc researcher Lilian OSullivan modelled the carbon stocks in our mineral soils, and the estimate is that they contain 1,800 M tonnes of CO2 equivalent to 1 metre, or over 30 years worth of total GHG emissions from Ireland at current rates. This is a huge store of carbon which must in the first instance be protected, and we look forward with European colleagues to researching how we can increase soil carbon sequestration and thus contribute to climate change mitigation by bringing our farms towards carbon neutrality. Like the other 25 research institutes who are partners in EJP SOIL, Teagasc will participate in the transnational research projects, training of PhDs, educational training, dissemination and communication which will be funded by the programme. But Teagasc is also a significant partner in the management of EJP Soil, and is responsible for packaging the information for policy makers across the EU. Dr. David Wall, a soil scientist from Teagasc Environment Research centre, Johnstown Castle, is the overall lead for this activity in EJP SOIL and commented that it is critical that the new knowledge that will be generated is effectively communicated to all interested parties, including policy makers, so that the right choices can be made regarding the role of soils in food production and climate change. We have very effective linkages between scientists and policy makers here in Ireland and we will bring that expertise to this pan European project. EJP SOIL is jointly coordinated by INRAE from France and Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands. The programme has a term of 5 years. Total funding amounts to 80 million, of which 40 million will be from the European Union and 40 million from the Programme partners, including Teagasc. "Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are." Meghan Markle has probably reflected on this famous proverb as she asseses her friendship with BFF Jessica Mulroney after the latter got involved in a racism war with a Black American social media influencer. According to sources, the Duchess of Sussex is "absolutely mortified" with the issue Jessica got into, but most notably because the TV personality dragged her in such mess. Meghan's close friend recently told the Daily Mail that the former actress decided to distance herself from Mulroney after her messy racist feud with influencer Sasha Exeter. "Meghan is absolutely mortified that she's been dragged into this complete mess," the source revealed. "She said Jessica is in no way a racist, but the way she handled the situation was tone-deaf and heartbreaking." The insider said that the 38-year-old Duchess believes that "friends reflect friends," whicj is why she decided not to be associated with Mulroney anymore, or at least in the public eye. "She has to do what she has to do in order to preserve her dignity and her own reputation," the source explained. Being friends with the TV presenter, who is now under fire because of her racist moves, brought intense embarrassment to Meghan Markle. After all, she dedicated her time to the royal family to spread awareness about racial equality. The source added that it would not be a surprise if Meghan decides to end her friendship with Mulroney after this scandal. They said that the Duchess would also be hands-off in cleaning up her BFF's mess, let alone salvage her career. "It's not like Meghan can just call up ABC and defend Jessica,' the source added. The Jessica Mulroney Scandal It all started when black Canadian influencer Sasha Exeter posted a content on her Instagram account. The said post aims to give a "generic call to action" for white influencers to use their platform to magnify the "Black lives Matter" movement efforts. However, the 40-year-old Canadian stylist took offense on the social media post and responded with Exeter's personal attacks. While it is not clear how Mulroney responded, their feud escalated quickly after Exeter revealed that Mulroney threatened to call the companies that the influencer has worked with. After the influencer exposed her private Instagram war with Mulroney, the fashion stylist came forward and commented on Exter's Instagram post to apologize. "I am unequivocally sorry for not doing that with you, and for any hurt, I caused," a part of Mulroney's lengthy apology read. However, things backfired after Exeter revealed that the TV host once again sent her a private message after posting the apology. Apparently, she threatened her of a libel suit. "Liable suit. Good luck," Mulroney's message read, misspelling the complaint she intended to make. Because of this whole Instagram drama, CTV and a partner clothing company fired Mulroney. On Friday, Good Morning America also confirmed that Mulroney would no longer appear on their show. A crucial meeting to discuss the Covid-19 situation in Delhi begun on Sunday morning. The meeting has been called by Home Minister Amit Shah, and is being attended by Union health minister Harsh Vardhan, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Officials of State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) are also present in the meeting. On Saturday, Delhi added 2,134 new coronavirus disease cases, the second highest number of cases it has added in a 24-hour period (the highest was on Friday, 2,137). The meeting comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a review meeting in which he discussed the situation in Delhi. Shah and Union health minister Harsh Vardhan was present in the meeting. PM Modi will meet chief ministers of different states on June 16 and 17 to discuss the Covid-19 situation in their respective states. The meeting with Kejriwal will take place on June 17 along with chief ministers of those states that are seeing a sharp rise in the number of cases. With the fresh spike in cases, Delhis tally crossed the 36,000-mark, and the death toll due to the disease climbed to 1,214, authorities said. It was the second consecutive day when the number of reported cases breached the 2,000-mark. On Friday, Delhi had witnessed 2,137 cases,the highest single-day spike in the national capital. As many as 57 fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours (between Friday and Saturday). So far as many as 14,945 patients have recovered, been discharged or migrated to another country, while there are 22,742 active cases, a health bulletin from Delhi health department said on Saturday. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal Information regarding coronavirus in New Mexico can be dizzying. New Mexico made national news last week as one of 14 states with their highest seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases. The same day, state officials announced the lowest increase since April: just 47 cases. The latest data from Johns Hopkins University shows that the highly contagious virus has been detected in just 3.4% of all people tested in New Mexico. But state highway message boards are warning New Mexicans the risk remains high. New Mexicos per capita COVID-19 death rate is second-highest in an eight-state Southwestern region. But eliminate the hot spots such as the outbreak in the northwestern part of the state, mostly in Native American communities, and people who have died in long-term care facilities and the number of deaths would be cut by more than half. The sometimes confusing information comes at a time when New Mexicans are starting to emerge from weeks of government-imposed restrictions. With new freedom to dine out, go to state parks, get a haircut or manicure and shop for nonessentials, the question remains: Whats the risk of getting the virus, especially if you have no connection to any of the hot spots? There are no good answers. Its all relative, said Dr. David Scrase, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams top medical adviser on the coronavirus. You dont want to take any unnecessary risks. At the same time, I would ask the question, is this something I can live without for 18 months (until a vaccine is developed)? The hope is that with New Mexicos high level of testing for the virus more than twice that of most neighboring states officials can get a better handle on the prevalence of the disease. If you took out the hot spots, wed be looking really good, Scrase said. And random tests of essential workers, such as those who work in grocery stores, have been pretty low for COVID-19, he said. Its been a really big deal, and a lot of people have died from it, but its a very, very low prevalence, that we know of. Yet last week, after the state permitted new partial openings of certain nonessential businesses and parks, the COVIDexitstrategy.org website to help states reopen safely reported a 24% increase in New Mexicos positive cases over a 14-day period. On May 27, the state moved into the green category on the exit strategy website, signifying trending better. Now New Mexico is in the bright red, for trending poorly, Scrase said in a public update Thursday. Scrase said most of the dramatic jump in the average number of daily cases is driven by the outbreak at the Otero County prison facilities in Chaparral. But he said the uptick could also be partly due to the partial reopening of the state, which has led to increased human interactions. We need to put the foot on the brake and encourage all of you to stay at home, he said. Dont expand activities. Risk reduction Public health experts typically focus on how to reduce risk, such as wearing a mask or face covering, avoiding crowds and keeping 6 feet away from others. I still like to think of it that were all equally susceptible to getting the virus and those of us with more risk factors (such as being over 60 or having chronic health conditions) have a much higher chance of having a bad time with the virus, said Scrase, a physician who also is state human services secretary. Health Secretary Kathy Kunkel has said the increased testing by the state, which now includes people with no symptoms who are workers or who have come into close contact with those with the virus, is focusing on certain higher-risk groups, such as child care workers, prison inmates and those who work in grocery stores. We want to find out where it is and where it isnt, she said recently. Nationwide, New Mexico ranks third-highest for the number of COVID-19 tests administered per capita, with New York second-highest and Rhode Island first, according to Johns Hopkins. Kunkel said the Department of Health has a rapid response team for cases of the coronavirus in the workplace. Since May 11, the team has responded to 119 positive cases in 27 industries in the state, including grocery stores, dental offices, nursing homes and child care facilities. When we learn in the morning theres been a positive, we will contact the business to let them know, she said. The team then helps the business with testing of employees, she said, and assists in closing the affected area. Leaving the bubble Leslie Alderman, a psychotherapist practicing in New York City, told the Journal last week that her clients have had evolving reactions to leaving the bubble of quarantine. At first they asked, When is this going to be over? she said. Then, as states around the country started to lift their restrictions, her clients started to get a little panicky, because the reality of going to work or going to meet friends for dinner was just a minefield of decisions and potentially frightening scenarios. Are the elevators safe? Bathrooms? Are babysitters safe? Wed gotten used to a very close set of rules, almost like being let out of prison, and youre, like, yikes, Alderman said. She said the public has more personal responsibility now and not very clear guidelines from state and local public officials. Meanwhile, the information that were getting about this novel coronavirus seems to change every week. Do wear masks. Dont wear masks. Its a little dizzying and hard to keep up with. And some of the things we had to learn and had been told at the very beginning of the pandemic were changing too. So its like, hmmm, who do I trust? Scrase said he thought it was unfortunate that an official with the World Health Organization suggested last week that the transmission of COVID-19 by people with asymptomatic cases is very rare. WHO officials later clarified that statement, saying scientists have not determined how frequently it is spread by asymptomatic cases. In New Mexico, according to the state DOH, about 24% of people who test positive for the virus do not have symptoms. And, Kunkel has attributed the spread of the virus among assisted living and nursing home patients as having come from staffers who showed no symptoms. A Health Department spokesman said last week that 893 positive tests have come from such long-term care facilities. Scrase said in a pandemic, and with a new virus, there is a rush to get information out to doctors and the public. Were going through a rocky period with the medical literature, too, he said. We dont tolerate uncertainty well. Risks unknown So how risky is it to resume some of your outings if you dont live in a hot spot or are connected with anyone who is? Theres no data to predict that, Scrase said. If past testing is considered, the number of COVID-19 tests conducted in New Mexico divided by the positives has been close to 4.5%, he said. In San Juan and McKinley counties, about 14.5% of tests have been positive, he said. For the rest of the state, it was more like 3%, Scrase added. The U.S. seven-day rolling average of positive tests as of Friday was 4.5%, according to Johns Hopkins. The percentage of positive tests is typically considered to assess whether a state is testing enough, Scrase said, and he said the governor believes more is needed here. In her COVID-19 update last week, Lujan Grisham addressed the issue of New Mexicos fluctuating case counts. She cautioned New Mexicans that data has to be collected and assessed over a much longer period of time to understand what it really means. Having lower cases today feels good, but it is not an indication that we are free of COVID, she said. Dubai Economy and Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD) have joined hands to provide exclusive banking services for DED Trader licence holders. The initiative enables startups in Dubai to leverage online and social media for business growth. With the DED Trader smart banking solutions, DED Trader licence holders can open a CBD account with zero balance and minimal paperwork, secure preferential rates on local and international transfers and get a free cheque book, reported state-run news agency Wam. Business owners will also have the opportunity to earn up to 100% of their trade licence fees back based on the average daily balance maintained in their accounts. In addition, they can get a CBD credit card and convert their licence fee into 0% easy payment plan payable over a period of 6 or 12 months. "The collaboration with CBD reflects Dubai Economys focus on promoting e-commerce and the competitiveness of Dubais economy, as well as our commitment to realising the vision of the government to drive digital transformation and build awareness about the e-platforms that facilitate commercial activities. We are keen on promoting public-private partnerships, especially in the finance sector, to enable startups to conduct business seamlessly," said Omar Khalifa, Deputy CEO of the Business Registration and Licencing (BRL) sector, Dubai Economy. "The BRL sector provides support to DED Trader licence holders through our partnerships with the government and private sectors. We offer facilities to enhance their business growth as well as open new channels through greater cooperation with sales outlets. This is in line with the UAE governments decision to support startups and accelerate their pace of growth in alignment with the global trends to ensure their success and growth," said Omar AlMeheiri, Director of Follow-up and Development in the Business Registration & Licensing sector in DED. Dr Bernd van Linder, Chief Executive Officer of Commercial Bank of Dubai, said: "We are delighted to provide DED Trader licence holders with exclusive banking services ranging from special and free banking benefits to redeeming up to 100% of their trade licence fee. This comes as part of our strategic partnership with Dubai Economy to enhance the overall business environment of Dubai and support entrepreneurs by providing them with the relevant products and services to set up and promote their businesses." Amit Malhotra, GM- Personal Banking Group added: "Our partnership with Dubai Economy is a good example of the public and private sectors working together to support start-ups in Dubai, help manage their finances and benefit from the best banking solutions through a seamless and smooth user experience. CBD is committed to supporting the UAE economy and we will use our extensive banking experience to drive the growth of the business sector." The DED Trader aims to licence startups and business activities that operate online or on social networking sites. The licence, which is issued electronically, guides traders towards the right path to enter the business world. Body-cam footage shows officers attempting to handcuff Brooks, leading to a scuffle that led to Brooks being shot. The killing of Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old Black man, late on Friday outside a fast food restaurant in the US city of Atlanta has triggered protests and forced the citys police chief to resign. Police were called to the Wendys restaurant after a complaint that Brooks had fallen asleep in his car while waiting in line outside the restaurant, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), which has opened an inquiry into the shooting, said on Saturday. More: The GBI said Brooks failed a sobriety test and police attempted to take him into custody. A struggle between Brooks and the officers over a police taser followed. The GBI initially reported that the father of four, who had celebrated the birthday of his eight-year-old daughter earlier on Friday, was shot during the struggle. It later said that a review of CCTV footage showed that Brooks obtained one of the officers tasers and began to flee from the scene. Officers pursued Brooks on foot and during the chase, Brooks turned and pointed the taser at the officer. The officer fired his weapon, striking Brooks. The investigators said they were also checking video shot by witnesses. Unverified video of the incident shared on social media showed shots fired after Brooks ran away from the scene of the struggle. Brooks was transported to a local hospital where he died after surgery, the GBI said. One officer was treated for an injury sustained during the incident. Body-camera footage released Atlantas police department on Sunday released body-camera footage of the moments leading up to the fatal shooting. The body-camera footage from officers Garrett Rolfe and Devin Brosnan shows both officers approaching Brooks in his car, which had been parked in the Wendys drive-through lane, and asking him to move his car. The officers then question Brooks, before performing a series of inebriation tests, including a breathalyser test. Following the tests, the officers attempted to handcuff Brooks, leading to a scuffle which led to Brooks being hit with a taser, and then shot. Hours after the shooting, Erika Shields, the citys police chief, resigned, Atlantas Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced on Saturday. On Saturday, protesters shut down a major highway, the Interstate 75 in Atlanta. The Wendys restaurant outside of which Brooks was shot dead was also burned down by angry protesters. Officer Rolfe has been fired and Officer Bronsan placed on administrative duty. Disagreements and fights usually reveal the true picture hiding behind the facade of order and harmony. And this is exactly what is happening in Rajasthan right now. Elections are due for two Rajya Sabha seats from the state, and given the comfortable majority the Congress enjoys there, it should be a cakewalk for the ruling party. But all doesnt seem to be well going by what the Congress leadership in the state says. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot accused the BJP of attempting to topple his government, following which he whisked away Congress MLAs to a plush five-star hotel in Jaipur. He also roped in central leaders like KC Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala to make it a national issue, accusing the BJP of being more concerned with toppling governments and not with the havoc wreaked by the Covid-19 pandemic. While this confrontation builds up, there is another just lurking around the corner between the CM Gehlot and deputy CM Sachin Pilot. While the rivalry between the two isnt new, its now a do-or-die battle for both it seems, and as always the central leadership doesnt want to get dragged in. Several recent developments point to the brewing fight. First, Ramesh Meena, an MLA believed to be close to Sachin Pilot, distanced himself from the resort politics of his party. Then, MLA Bharat Singh Kundanpur, seen as a Gehlot critic, wrote a letter to state in-charge Avinash Pandey, questioning the need to move MLAs to a resort. Its sure that we will win both the seats. But the effort being spent on these elections could be used for the Lok Sabha instead. But nothing will change and soon all will be forgotten. Most of the MLAs dont even know the two candidates for the Rajya Sabha, Kundanpur reportedly wrote. The Congress has picked Rahul Gandhis close aide and organisation in-charge KC Venugopal and Neeraj Dangi as candidates for the Rajya Sabha election. The questions being raised on the need for resort politics now indicate that the going isnt as tough for the Congress as it is being made out to be. To make matters worse, BJP state president Satish Poonia has alleged that the poaching bogey was raised to settle scores between Gehlot and Pilot. He accused the CM and deputy CM of inventing a crisis to win brownie points with the central leadership. But letters of resentment as the one written by Kundanpur doesnt make the Congress look good in Rajasthan. They also underscore the basic malaise within the Congress in state after state where infighting has often cost them dear electorally. The main reason why Gehlot and not Pilot was made CM in 2018 was that the party felt the former could ensure good performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. But the Congress faced disappointment and drubbing with zero seats in the states. This led to both camps trading blame. This time, if the Congress manages to win both Rajya Sabha seats, both sides will claim victory. Gehlot and his supporters will claim that they saved the government and won the battle against the BJP. Pilot, whose job as PCC chief is to ensure no defection, and his camp will also claim that the resort politics was a needless controversy and there was no need for panic. Chances are that the unease between the two isnt going to end soon. And as long as it continues, it will give the BJP a reason to smile. (Natural News) The Democratic Republic of Congo has reported a fresh Ebola outbreak this week. The new cluster has sparked fear among public health experts, as the African country is still contending with the worlds largest measles epidemic, as well as the coronavirus. On Monday, June 1st the Ministry of Public Health reported six cases and four fatalities in the western city of Mbandaka; they then confirmed two more cases two days later. A report by UNICEF, which has an office in the area, also reported that Monday that a fifth person died from the virus. The situation also complicates both local and international efforts to stem an Ebola epidemic on the eastern side of the country, an area considered to be among the most volatile regions on the continent. Less than two months ago, the epidemic which had lasted nearly two years and caused over 2,275 deaths was on its final stages. However, a new case set back the governments plan to declare an official end to the epidemic. Its also unclear how the virus appeared in Mbandaka, a city of 1.2 million people about 750 miles west from the countrys eastern edge, especially since Congo has enforced travel restrictions to head off the spread of the coronavirus. Experts are looking at the possibility of a new instance of animal-to-human transmission, especially since the city had previously been the center of an outbreak in 2018. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a person can get infected with Ebola by coming into contact with an infected animal, including fruit bats or monkeys. It can also spread through the handling of wild animal meat infected with Ebola. This is a reminder that COVID-19 is not the only health threat people face, added Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO). One health crisis after another Aside from the new Ebola outbreak, health authorities in Congo are also battling to contain the coronavirus, which is also concentrated in the countrys western region. Congo, one of the worlds poorest countries, has 3,644 confirmed cases and 78 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Its actual caseload and death toll is predicted to be much higher, however, given that testing has been limited. The outbreak in Mbandaka has health experts worried, especially since the city is a hub for travel to the capital city of Kinshasa and neighboring countries. The capital city, which has around 12 million residents, is the current epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the country. In addition, Mbandaka borders the Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic two war-torn countries with even weaker health systems than that of Congo. In addition, the country is also in the midst of the worlds largest measles epidemic, which has infected 369,520 people and caused 6,779 deaths since 2019. In response to the new outbreak, Dr. Matshidiso Rebecca Moeti, the WHOs regional director for Africa, posted on Twitter that the global health agency will work together with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Congos health ministry to deal with it. With each experience, we respond faster ?and? more effectively, said Moeti. The new #Ebola outbreak in Mbandaka #DRC represents a challenge, but it's one we are ready to tackle. @WHO has worked w/ @MinSanteRDC, @AfricaCDC & partners over the years to strengthen capacity to respond to outbreaks. With each experience we respond faster & more effectively. pic.twitter.com/SKc6GnI4q4 Dr Matshidiso Moeti (@MoetiTshidi) June 1, 2020 The latest in a string of outbreaks Ebola, which is short for Ebola virus disease, is a deadly disease that causes fever, bleeding, weakness and abdominal pain. While the average mortality rate of Ebola is around 50 percent, some outbreaks have had case fatality rates of up to 90 percent. The disease gets its name from the Ebola River, where it was first identified. Congo has experienced many outbreaks of Ebola in recent years, and most have been resolved quickly. (Related: The incubation period lie about Ebola, and why America is vulnerable to an Ebola outbreak from infected migrants.) To date, the largest known Ebola outbreak occurred in 2014, which killed over 11,000 people and affected Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in western Africa. Pandemic.news has more on the ongoing Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. Sources include: WSJ.com NYTimes.com 1 Africa.CGTN.com NYTimes.com 2 CDC.gov Coronavirus.JHU.edu Twitter.com WHO.int The erstwhile John Mahama administration was able to reduce teacher absenteeism from 27 per cent to seven per cent by the time it was exiting office in 2016, former Education Minister Prof Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang has said. Speaking to Kwabena Bobie Ansah on The Citizen Show on Saturday, 13 June 2020, the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, said the Mahama administration confronted teacher absenteeism head-on when it came to light that it was one of the major factors that mitigated against strong academic performance of pupils and students. She said even though Ghanaian children are smart, a few hurdles frustrated their progress, thus, the decision by the Mahama administration to tackles those issues. Im telling you Ghanaian children are brilliant. And Im also telling you that Ghanaian parents dont care what they put into their childrens education whether they are rich or poor, Prof Opoku Agyemang told Bobie Ansah, adding: Some parents even go to the extent of selling their personal effects just to take care of their children in school. She noted that: If you are able to identify all the peculiar problems confronting education in various communities and settings and fix them, the childrens performance will improve. We found, for example, that teacher absenteeism was as high as 27 per cent. That study was done by UNICEF. The Mahama administration came to meet it. I panicked when I saw the 27 per cent because I was coming from the university and, so, I wondered how I wouldve coped with 27 per cent of my lecturers absenting themselves, she said. We got so many respondents through that particular research about why the teachers werent going to school. One thing that stood out was the issue of supervision. It was weak. There were schools that the heads told us that no supervisor had ever been there, she recalled. By the time we were leaving office, we were able to bring teacher absenteeism down from 27 per cent to seven per cent by 2016. Source: Classsfmonline.com She has been dating Paul Bernon over one year. And Bethenny Frankel proved she and her man were stronger than ever, spotted ringing in the beginning of summer, on Saturday. The 49-year-old took to social media to flash her incredibly ripped and toned physique during a boat day. Boat day: Bethenny Frankel was spotted flashing her washboard abs during a boat day with her boyfriend, Paul Bernon 'Ok, summer - here we come,' she captioned, adding a bikini, sun and wave emoji. Bethenny stunned in a coral colored triangular top and accessorised with a white round hat. She added a pair of shades and appeared in high spirits while lying on her boyfriend. Bikini lover: The former Real Housewives of New York star is regularly seen stripping down to her swimwear to flash her toned physique Going strong: Bethenny has been dating Paul for over one year now Paul kept casual in a white polo shirt and appeared to be quite sunkissed during the boat day in the sun. The former Real Housewives of New York star is regularly seen stripping down to her swimwear to flash her toned physique. Bethenny's well deserved boat day comes after she announced her charitable organisation, B Strong, would be donating to black owned businesses. BLM: Bethenny's well deserved boat day comes after she announced her charitable organisation, B Strong, would be donating to black owned businesses '#Bstrong will donate cash cards to black-owned businesses who have suffered,' she began on Twitter. 'Our goal is to start w a small number of 100 businesses. My goal was 20k #coronakits & we did $18m, so let's dream big.' Bethenny started the disaster relief organization in 2017 after Hurricane Harvey. She has gone on to raise money for various natural disasters, including; the 2018 California Fires, 2019 Amazon Fires and 2019/20 Australian Bushfires. South Australia has been chosen for the nations only space flight mission control, creating Australias first space hub. The Mission Control Centre will allow researchers and astronautical companies to control missions and communicate with astronauts at the International Space Station from Adelaides CBD. Local company Saber Astronautics will receive $6 (US$4.1) million from the Federal Government and $2.5 million from the State Government to establish the facility. The national Mission Control Centre will be established by @SaberAstro. Co-located with the Australian Space Discovery Centre and the #AustralianSpaceAgency within @LotFourteen. Part of the Adelaide City Deal @sagovau @infra_regional https://t.co/ddObexhvOS pic.twitter.com/33ByvWxH6n Australian Space Agency (@AusSpaceAgency) June 13, 2020 The centre will be constructed within the Australian Space Agencys headquarters in Adelaides innovation precinct Lot Fourteen, planned to open in early 2021. Federal Industry, Science and Technology Minister Karen Andrews said the Mission Control Centre would help grow Australias space sector and will promote high-tech jobs within SA. People may question why focus on space when things are so tough here on Earth, but this is about investing in our future and developing an emerging industry which can grow our economy and create new jobs, Andrews said in a media release. Space is also an incredible tool which can help other Australian industries to grow from making our farmers more productive to giving our advanced manufacturers new supply chains to become a part of, It will launch alongside the Space Discovery Centre, an international educational facility aimed at promoting the next generation of the nations space industry. Head of the Australian Space Agency Doctor Megan Clark AC said the centre would become a focal point for Australias national space activities. The centre will be available for use by start-ups and small-to-medium enterprises, as well as research and educational institutions to control space assets, she said. The Federal Government is investing $700 million into the space sector, planning to triple its size to $12 billion and add an extra 20,000 jobs by 2030. Chennai, June 14 : Tamil Nadu Police has recovered about 100 bottles of liquor from the car of actor Ramya Krishnan, who had starred in movies like Bahubali, Padaiappa and others. According to the police, the actor was travelling in the car at the time on the East Coast Road (ECR) where they were carrying out vehicle checks on Thursday. The police found about 100 liquor bottles in the car boot and when queried Ramya Krishnan said she was unaware about the bottles. Later the police confiscated the bottles and arrested the driver Selvakumar who said the liquor was bought at the Tamil Nadu government run liquor shop. The government has not allowed the opening of the Tasmac shops in Chennai. Another driver came and drove the actor back to Chennai. Whipsnade Zoo has thanked the public for its amazing support under lockdown as the centre prepares to welcome visitors back. To celebrate its re-opening, the Bedfordshire zoo posed with its sea lions, who have been entertaining the public on Facebook Live after the branch was closed on March 21 to due coronavirus restrictions. Keeper Alex Pinnell said: The sea lions have played a huge part in keeping our members and supporters close to us while weve been closed, and were all so excited to finally see them all in person. The support has been amazing and there was a huge demand for tickets when they first went on sale. Expand Close (ZSL Whipsnade Zoo) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (ZSL Whipsnade Zoo) Zoos and safari parks across the UK are getting ready to welcome visitors back, after they were given the green light to open their doors from Monday in the latest lockdown easing. Indoor exhibitions, such as reptile houses, will still be closed, cafes will be takeaway only, and social distancing and hygiene measures will be in place for the reduced number of visitors allowed. Ms Pinnell said: Its been a worrying time for us all but weve all come together and worked so hard to adapt the zoo experience. (Were) making sure everything is safe for our visitors so they can enjoy a wonderful day out with our animals. New Delhi: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday raised the Kashmir issue at the 71st UN General Assembly and said that peace between India and Pakistan can only be achieved if the Kashmir issue is solved. In his 20 minute address, Sharif said that Pakistan fully supports Kashmiris right to self-determination. 'Read full text of PM Sharif's speech here Every year, the General Assembly unanimously adopts the resolution, which reaffirms the right of all peoples to self-determination and calls on the states concerned to immediately end their occupation and all acts of repression. Mr President, On behalf of the Kashmiri people; on behalf of the mothers, wives, sisters, and fathers of the innocent Kashmiri children, women and men who have been killed, blinded and injured; on behalf of the Pakistani nation, I demand an independent inquiry into the extra-judicial killings, and a UN fact finding mission to investigate brutalities perpetrated by the Indian occupying forces, so that those guilty of these atrocities are punished. We demand the immediate release of all Kashmiri political prisoners; an end to the curfew; freedom for the Kashmiris to demonstrate peacefully; urgent medical help for the injured; abrogation of Indias draconian laws; and removal of the foreign travel ban on Kashmiri leaders. Mr. President, The Security Council has called for the exercise of the right to self- determination by the people of Jammu and Kashmir through a free and fair plebiscite held under UN auspices. The people of Kashmir have waited 70 years for implementation of this promise. The Security Council must honour its commitments by implementing its own decisions. This General Assembly must demand that India deliver on the commitments its leaders solemnly made on many occasions. To this end, steps should be taken by the United Nations to de-militarize Jammu and Kashmir and undertake consultations with India, Pakistan and the true representatives of the Kashmiri people to implement the resolutions of the Security Council. In this context, we welcome the offer of good offices by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. We will also open consultations with members of the Security Council to explore the modalities for implementation of the Security Council resolutions on Kashmir. Mr President, The international community ignores the danger of rising tensions in South Asia, at its own peril. For its part, Pakistan is committed to the establishment of strategic stability in the region. It neither wants, nor is it engaged in an arms race with India. But we cannot ignore our neighbors unprecedented arms build up and will take whatever measures are necessary to maintain credible deterrence. We have consistently urged the conclusion of bilateral arms control and disarmament measures between Pakistan and India to prevent conflict and avoid wasteful military expenditures. We are open to discussing all measures of restraint and responsibility with India, in any forum or format and without any conditions. We are ready for talks to agree on a bilateral nuclear test ban treaty. Today, from this rostrum, I would also like to reiterate our offer to India to enter into a serious and sustained dialogue for the peaceful resolution of all outstanding disputes, especially Jammu and Kashmir. Mr President, As a responsible nuclear weapon state, Pakistan will continue to cooperate with all international efforts that seek to promote fair and equitable solutions to disarmament and non-proliferation challenges. We have introduced state of the art measures to strengthen the safety and security of our nuclear materials and facilities. We have adopted a comprehensive export control regime that is fully consistent with international standards. Judged on the basis of objective criteria, and without discrimination, Pakistan is fully eligible for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group. Mr President, In our turbulent and interdependent world, the United Nations remains an indispensable Organization to restore order and ensure global peace, stability and prosperity. Its principles remain the crucial pillars of international legality, the guide for the conduct of Member States and the guarantor of the legitimate rights of all nations and peoples. The UN must regain its credibility as the central instrument for the promotion of peace, prosperity and liberty. To that end, it should become more representative, transparent and accountable. A comprehensive and democratic reform of the Security Council, which Pakistan supports, should enhance its relevance and representation. Creating new centers of privilege will do the opposite. Mr President, Pakistan's unwavering commitment to the UN is well established. We have played a pioneering and consistent role in UN Peacekeeping. Despite our own security requirements, we will remain one of worlds largest troop contributing countries and maintain our record of success in multiple UN peacekeeping operations. Mr President, Pakistan has a vital stake in ending conflicts, fostering peace, fighting terrorism, strengthening democracy, promoting human rights, generating global growth and overcoming the challenges of environmental degradation. We can achieve these goals, and create a new and peaceful world order, only through the United Nations and by strict adherence to the principles of its Charter. I thank you, Mr President. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Manju Latha Kalanidhi By Maths genius. Faster than a calculator. Mathematician Shakuntala Devis true successor. Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash Jonnalagadda is celebrated as all these and more. Bhanu, as he is fondly called, is the founder of Exploring Infinitiesa company that teaches and trains students in speed mental arithmetic. He follows a simple motto: Contextualise Maths for kids. To overcome the recent academic hurdle of shut schools, the initiative has started recording Maths curriculum lecture series in Telugu and Hindi, besides English, as part of Project Lockdown. These, along with daily exercises, are being circulated across hundreds of government schoolchildren, who dont have access to high bandwidth, through WhatsApp discussion groups. The mission is to make them learn and get excited about arithmetic, says this 20-year-old final year BSc Mathematics student of St Stephens College, Delhi, who processes numbers 10 times faster than the average human. Exploring Infinities has also started a two-week digital course for students across India in cognitive ability enhancement through arithmetic games and exercises. We identify student clusters through on-ground NGOs such as Youth For Seva and United Way Hyderabad. We create clusters and make a schedule and forward one video every week. Each group has a leader and they go through the lecture, he says. The Maths whiz who started his free classes with 80 students now has over 1,00,000 students. Currently he focuses on students of Class X and XI. In an effort to reach out to his target group, Bhanu has been conducting the classes by collaborating with multiple online platforms and has also initiated a team of trainers who are creating apt syllabus content. These sessions will make up for the loss due to schools being shut down. By the time their academic year commences, students would have a strong Maths base, he says. Bhanu uses social media channels such as Instagram, Helo, Sharechat and TikTok Live to reach out to students. Three out of four students in India are Maths-phobic. My mission is to make children across the country overcome this phobia. We are trying to find multiple channels of content distribution. If students are on TikTok, then I shall go to TikTok. The idea is to reach out to as many students as possible and teach them mathematics, make them quicker at arithmetic and keep them engaged with brain-training games so that they use this time at home productively, he says. This Telugu boy, who holds four world records which were once held by Maths maestros such as Scott Flansburg and Shakuntala Devi, shares a personal win. A Spanish pop song led me to break the mental speed barrier and calculate at 11 numbers per second. Its four-beat tune was similar to how I paced myself while calculating. Through Exploring Infinities, Bhanu has worked with over 25 government schools in Telangana under the project name Project Infinity: Arithmetic Literacy in Govt Schools. He is in plans to extend the initiative to 150 schools by year-end. Arithmetic literacy and cognitive ability are important to the development of a child. Being someone whos been an active part of the education ecosystem, I believe that educators like me should contribute towards online resources in order to keep learning uninterrupted, he says. A popular radio DJ has been suspended after defending himself during an on-air debate about the Black Lives Matter movement. Talk-show host Stuart Peters denied he had benefited from white privilege when challenged by a black listener on his late-night programme. The presenter was taken off the air the following day. Last night he told The Mail on Sunday the decision amounted to an Orwellian attempt at mind and speech control. Talk-show host Stuart Peters (pictured) denied he had benefited from white privilege when challenged by a black listener on his late-night programme Mr Peters, 65, who has worked for Manx Radio on the Isle of Man for 20 years, had previously condemned the awful and despicable murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month. He had also voiced his support for the Black Lives Matter protests. But on June 3, the DJ was attacked on air by 28-year-old Jordan Maguire because he had written an earlier blog post stating that all lives matter. According to Mr Maguire, this was derogatory. For all lives to matter we have to raise the people of all creeds, colours, religions to the level that white peoples privilege allows them to be, the caller told the show. Mr Peters retorted: Ive had no more privilege in my life than you have. Im a white man, youre a black man, you say. Last night Mr Peters said: How anyone can take real offence at anything I said that night, or the way I said it, is beyond comprehension, and that so many most of whom probably havent even heard the show want to see me lose my career because they imagine some slight is scary. In the show, Mr Peters had questioned why the BLM movement triggered protests outside America, including at Tynwald, the Isle of Mans parliament. He told listeners: I can understand very clearly why people in America are protesting about it. I can understand why Black Lives Matter an American organisation is protesting about it. But what I cant understand is why people around the rest of the world are protesting, and specifically in the Isle of Man. Mr Peters, 65, who has worked for Manx Radio on the Isle of Man for 20 years, had previously condemned the awful and despicable murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month. He had also voiced his support for the Black Lives Matter protests. Pictured: Black Lives Matter protest in London A campaign has now been launched to reinstate the DJ. The Free Speech Union has rallied to his defence, warning the row is an attempt to shame individuals for not subscribing to the latest woke orthodoxies. The organisations director, Toby Young, added: The suspension of Stu Peters by Manx Radio just because he challenged the concept of white privilege is a clear breach of his right to free speech. Manx Radios managing director Chris Sully confirmed the matter was under investigation but said he was unable to comment further. Wilson said he believes schools could use approaches like peaceful mediation between rivals in schools to calm gang tensions. Theres a lot of preventative things that go into addressing the gang violence, Wilson said. I always say that more police has never really resulted in a reduction of crime or fighting. It has resulted in more arrests. I think people conflate arrests with, Oh, theyre fighting crime. It doesnt get at the root issue. By Frank Pingue (Reuters) - Jordan Spieth was far from perfect in the third round at Colonial on Saturday but the three-times major champion said it was a measure of his recent progress that he was still in the hunt for his first title in three years. The Dallas native, whose last victory came at the 2017 British Open, mixed four birdies with two bogeys for a two-under-par 68 at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, leaving him in a five-way share for second place. "Today was a day where I look at the last couple years and potentially say that would have been a two- or three-over and taken me all the way out of the tournament and I like the progression I've been able to make," said Spieth, who is a shot behind leader Xander Schauffele. "I feel comfortable going into tomorrow that I can shoot a good score." Spieth hit just seven of 14 fairways and 10 of 18 greens in regulation during the third round at Colonial Country Club but salvaged his day with some solid putting, not missing anything within 10 feet. If Spieth triumphs on Sunday, he would join Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas as the only players in the last 60 years to win 12 times on the PGA Tour before turning 27. Spieth has grown accustomed to partisan support at Colonial but will have to chase his spot in the record books in near silence as the course is closed to spectators to stem the spread of COVID-19. "That will be a bit odd," said Spieth. "As the week has gone on it's felt weirder in my opinion. ... You know, I like to feed off the crowds." (Editing by Peter Rutherford) Hosting a game show was never on Adam Scotts bucket list. It wasnt even on his radar until the folks behind Dont called and explained how the new ABC series was going to be different. Its a game show thats sort of making fun of game shows, he says from his home during a Zoom interview. When producers said actor Ryan Reynolds was involved and he was going to serve as this sort of overlord voice, it sounded really fun. Once on board, Scott realized the job was much more work than he thought. Its like youre the cruise director and you have to keep all the balls up in the air. Early into production (Dont was taped before the coronavirus pandemic), the Parks and Recreation star found himself pulling for the contestants. Youre watching these families win significant amounts of money and you can tell its going to make a huge difference in their lives, he says. I was so rooting for them and it was something I was not expecting ... that I would get emotional about it. Because Dont involves elaborate stunts, theres often a lot of set-up time, which means Scott is responsible for keeping the contestants loose. You have to remind them to talk through everything theyre feeling and thinking. Off camera, Id try to make them feel as comfortable as possible. The job is deceptively simple. Whenever he sensed he wasnt juggling all of the balls, Scott recalled those hosts he loved as a teenager. I grew up idolizing David Letterman ... and still do. When this came around, thats who I immediately thought of. If I were to reach for something, if I were to steal from anyone, thats where I would go. Ken Ober, from MTVs Remote Control, was another influence. So, in between fits of panic, if you see any influence from those two, I wouldnt be surprised. Just after Dont wrapped and before COVID-19 shut down businesses, Scott was prepping for a new series that was going to shoot in New York for six months. Since then, he says, Ive been waiting until we get back to that. We made a Parks and Rec reunion special, so I got to act a little bit there. Luckily, the quarantine has given the writers time to map the entire season out. Ive been reading and watching a lot of movies, which has always been a great way for me to learn. Doing the interview in a closet he shares with his wife (its the only place in the house where there wouldnt be dogs and children running back and forth), he says time away from performing has given him reason to revisit all aspects of life. Growing up in California, the 47-year-old remembers obsessing over television when he was a child. We didnt have a television, so when we finally got it, Id turn it on at 7 p.m. and watch it straight through to signoff. I was a pretty patient kid just as long as I got my TV fix. Roles started coming when he was 21 parts on Boy Meets World and ER before he landed in several series and films and then Party Down and Parks and Rec. While game shows were never in the mix, Scott says he wouldnt mind being on Jeopardy! or Survivor. The latter, he says, is one of his favorite shows. Ive fantasized my strategy over and over again over the years. One thing the show has proved is anyone can handle it if they focus in. And Dont? Scott realizes he isnt up to some of its demands. Where theres something spinning around and making them dizzy and they have to shoot baskets or dance or stuff like that, I would just vomit, he says. I had to look away when they were going around and around. Dont airs on ABC. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Staying in? We've got you covered Get the recommendations on what's streaming now, games you'll love, TV news and more with our weekly Home Entertainment 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 state budget Illinois lawmakers passed during a truncated pandemic special session is now law. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the budget that begins July 1. The spending plan relies on billions of dollars in federal aid that havent materialized, keeps spending level from the current year despite revenue losses and cost increases from the COVID-19 pandemic and gives Medicaid access to seniors who are undocumented residents. In a statement, the governor also urged the federal government to pass a funding plan to give state and local governments billions of dollars in an effort to cover parts of the states $42.9 billion spending plan. Pritzker also signed a measure to allow the state to borrow up to $5 billion from a new Federal Reserve loan program. The budget implementation bill he signed gives rate increases to some social service employees and opens up Medicaid for undocumented senior residents, a cost estimated to be $1.8 million, or 0.0042 percent of the states total budget. This budget buys the state time to get to a better tomorrow, one in which medical science helps us push back against this disease and Washington steps up to help jump-start the economic recovery of Illinois and every other state in the country, Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, said. Ted Dabrowski, president of financial watchdog Wirepoints.com, said the budget was irresponsible. Republicans opposed the measure in the Illinois House with many saying it was not balanced because it relies on federal aid that has not been approved. There was also criticism the budget doesnt face the fiscal realities of lost revenue. If Congress fails to enact funding for states and local governments in the near term and additional revenue from Public Act 101-8 doesnt pass, the governor and his administration will work with the newly created Legislative Budget Oversight Commission and the Illinois General Assembly to identify solutions for addressing any financial gaps, the governors office said. The budget spends $8.9 billion on K-12 education and $1.9 billion on higher education. Social services get $7 billion. Criminal justice and public safety get nearly $2 billion while Medicaid gets $8 billion. There are also millions of dollars in the budget for increased election-related funding. For COVID-19 relief, the budget funds $3.5 billion in federal aid. More than $630 million is for small business child care center assistance, nearly $460 million for household and community support programs, $830 million for health care providers for pandemic related stability funds, and $250 million for local governments with COVID-19 costs. Illinois five state employee retirement funds will get more than $8.6 billion from the general revenue fund. Thats about 20% of the states general revenue spending. Advertisement Demonstrators who vandalise war memorials could be jailed for up to 10 years under proposed plans as MPs look to make it easier to prosecute demonstrators who desecrate sacred monuments. The plans being considered by ministers come as at-risk landmarks - including the Cenotaph and statues of Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela - were covered up ahead of predicted clashes between Black Lives Matter protesters and far-right demonstrators looking to protect them this weekend. Justice Secretary Robert Buckland, Home Secretary Priti Patel and Attorney General Suella Braverman are believed to be discussing the proposals after last week's unrest left some of the country's statues and monuments targeted by vandals. The monument to Britain's greatest war-time leader was covered in graffiti last weekend that said Churchill 'was a racist' while a protester attempted to set a union flag on fire on the Cenotaph. Mr Johnson blasted the 'absurd and shameful' attacks on the statue of Churchill and said the UK 'cannot lie about its history' as Sadiq Khan was accused of 'surrendering' the capital's streets 'to the mob' after he ordered the boarding up of the monument to Britain's greatest prime minister and the nearby Cenotaph. Anti-racism protesters tore down a statue of slave trader Edward Colston and rolled him into a harbour on Sunday. And yesterday, when demonstrators descended on the capital to 'protect' the statues, one was caught on camera urinating next to a memorial to PC Keith Palmer, the policeman murdered buy an Islamic terrorist during an attack on Parliament. A 28-year-old man from Essex was arrested over the desecration yesterday. Labour's shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said the party would support a change in the law to make damaging war memorials a specific offence. Speaking to Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday show, he said he would work cross-party to support such efforts in Parliament. An anti-racist rally and a pro-statue counter-protest descended into chaos yesterday. Pictured: One demonstrator kicks another at a protest at the Cenotaph Yesterday, when demonstrators descended on the capital to 'protect' the statues, one was caught on camera urinating next to a memorial to PC Keith Palmer, the policeman murdered buy an Islamic terrorist during an attack on Parliament Demonstrators who vandalise war memorials could be jailed for up to ten years under proposed plans as MPs look to make it easier to prosecute demonstrators who desecrate sacred monuments. Pictured: Demonstrations at the boarded-up Churchill monument yesterday Mounted police were seen in an altercation with protesters who threw bottles and cans at them next to the boarded up statue of Nelson Mandela in London yesterday Elsewhere in the country tens of thousands gathered at anti-racism protests that passed off largely peacefully although clashes also erupted in Bristol (pictured) and Newcastle The Nelson Mandela statue before and after it was covered up by large boards to protect it from graffiti during clashes this week The monument to Britain's greatest war-time leader Winston Churchill was covered in graffiti last weekend (left) that said Churchill 'was a racist' while a protester attempted to set a union flag on fire on the Cenotaph. It has since been boarded up Meanwhile, his shadow cabinet colleague, David Lammy, said he believed the row over statues was being used by the Prime Minister as a 'deflection' from taking action to tackle racism in the UK. Speaking to the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, the shadow justice secretary said: 'Boris Johnson sent out eight tweets, I think it was, on Friday on Winston Churchill and statues. 'He's never tweeted eight times in a day on coronavirus, he's never tweeted eight times in a day on the Windrush review or what he's going to do about it, or on the review that David Cameron asked me to do on disproportionality in the criminal justice system and what he's going to do about it. The plans under discussion could also protect the effigies of some of the country's most contentious figures, The Sunday Telegraph reports. The Desecration of War Memorials Bill - which makes it illegal to damage any physical tribute to those who died in the war - was this week backed by 125 Tory MPs. Backbenchers Jonathan Gullis and James Sunderland are set to present the bill to the Commons on June 23. Yesterday's demonstrations saw clashes between far-right thugs, Black Lives Matter supporters and riot police in Trafalgar Square and at Waterloo station as approximately 1,300 troublemakers remained in central London after a 5pm curfew set by police. The anti-racist rally and a pro-statue counter-protest descended into hooliganism driven by a hard core of violent activists on both sides yesterday. Pictured: Clashes in Trafalgar Square today A man was beaten to a bloody pulp in Trafalgar Square yesterday as the Black Lives Matter protests turned violent shortly before the 5pm curfew kicked in A group of men carry an injured man away after he was allegedly attacked by some of the crowd of protesters in Southbank near Waterloo station A man, whose face was covered in blood, was seen lying on the floor near Waterloo Station in London as the protests turned violent Boris Johnson spoke out against what he described as the 'racist thuggery' seen during demonstrations yesterday after facing criticism for his response to the unrest this week Police fought to maintain control in Trafalgar Square yesterday amid both Black Lives Matter and pro-statue protests in London today A man identified as a far-right protester was carried to safety as animosity was briefly set aside on a day of clashes in London between rival groups and police last night Police chiefs imposed the 5pm curfew on all demonstrations in a bid to quell the unrest seen throughout yesterday. Pictured: A man is carried to safety by protesters Clashes between far-right thugs, Black Lives Matter supporters and riot police erupted in Trafalgar Square and at Waterloo station yesterday as approximately 1,300 troublemakers remained in central London after a 5pm curfew set by police. Pictured: A man is helped by police near Waterloo Station Police formed a barricade as demonstrators faced off with officers at Trafalgar Square yesterday. The tourist attraction has become a flash point for violence between a small minority of protesters A rowdy group of far-right protesters were seen yelling and shouting in Trafalgar Square as the anti-racist rally and a pro-statue counter-protests continued yesterday Police officers clashed with demonstrators in central London as large groups fled Trafalgar Square and headed to Hyde Park yesterday A man was arrested by police officers outside Waterloo Station yesterday as clashes between far-right thugs, Black Lives Matter supporters and riot police erupted Police chiefs imposed the 5pm curfew on all demonstrations in a bid to quell the unrest seen throughout the day as the anti-racist rally and a pro-statue counter-protest descended into hooliganism driven by a hard core of violent activists on both sides. Videos from the protest showed hooligans who had joined the pro-statue demonstration attacking police, before clashes broke out between BLM activists and the far-right faction in Trafalgar Square. After the groups were driven out of Trafalgar Square at 5pm, the clashes spilled over to Waterloo station where a group of BLM activists were filmed beating a lone white man accused of being a member of a far right group. Swathes of counter-protesters hurled abuse at Black Lives Matters demonstrators during clashes in Trafalgar Square yesterday A man was arrested by police near Waterloo Bridge during clashes between far-right thugs, Black Lives Matter supporters and riot police yesterday Boris Johnson spoke out against what he described as the 'racist thuggery' seen during demonstrations yesterday after facing criticism for his response to the unrest this week. The Prime Minister, who previously urged protesters to avoid the demonstrations all together - wrote on Twitter: 'Racist thuggery has no place on our streets. Anyone attacking the police will be met with full force of the law. 'These marches and protests have been subverted by violence and breach current guidelines. Racism has no part in the UK and we must work together to make that a reality.' Elsewhere in the country tens of thousands gathered at anti-racism protests that passed off largely peacefully although clashes also erupted in Bristol and Newcastle. Met Police tonight confirmed that more than 100 people were arrested during yesterday's protest for offences including breach of the peace, violent disorder, assault on officers, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of class A drugs, and drunk and disorder. Priti Patel has condemned the 'unacceptable thuggery' and said the perpetrators would face the 'full force of the law'. The Home Secretary tweeted a video of the affray and wrote: 'Throughly (sic) unacceptable thuggery. Any perpetrators of violence or vandalism should expect to face the full force of the law. 'Violence towards our police officers will not be tolerated. Coronavirus remains a threat to us all. Go home to stop the spread of this virus and save lives.' A protester was seen attempting to burn a flag at the cenotaph in Whitehall, London Ms Patel also slammed a picture of a yob seen urinating next to a memorial created in honour of PC Keith Palmer who was killed in the Westminster terror attack. Armed only with a baton and pepper spray, PC Keith Palmer was stabbed to death by terrorist Khalid Masood on March 22, 2017. He was awarded a posthumous George Medal for his bravery in confronting the killer. Among those shaming the man is MP Tobias Ellwood, who gave first aid to the police officer as he lay dying outside Westminster. He took to Twitter to share his disgust at the shocking photograph, describing his actions as 'abhorrent'. In a media clip, Ms Patel said yesterday: 'We are in an unprecedented public health emergency, and I have said every single day, as have the police around the country and in London, that these protests, these gatherings, are illegal and we have been discouraging them. 'Secondly, we have seen a small minority behave in extreme thuggery and violent behaviour today. 'That is simply unacceptable and the individuals that are basically putting the safety of our police officers and the safety of the public at risk will expect to face the full force of the law. 'We have seen some shameful scenes today including the desecration of PC Keith Palmer's memorial in Parliament, in Westminster square, and quite frankly that is shameful, that is absolutely appalling and shameful. 'And I think, you know, my final remark very much is is that we live in a tolerant country but racism, any form of intolerance and violence is simply not acceptable.' Ms Patel added: 'My message to people today, and my message to anybody that wants to protest, is simply please do not.' Two men have been sent for trial accused of a raft of shoplifting offences in the run-up to last Christmas. Between them, 36-year-old Joseph McCabe and Brian Paul Ward (29) are accused of having stolen, or tried to have stolen, 464 worth of turkeys. As well as turkeys McCabe and Ward are also alleged to have swiped Christmas decorations and razors. Appearing at Craigavon Magistrates Court via videolink from prison, McCabe and Ward confirmed they were aware of the charges against them. In total McCabe, whose address was given as c/o Maghaberry and Ward, from South Street in Portadown, are jointly accused in four counts of theft relating to 231 of Christmas decorations from The Range, four turkeys from Iceland and a lamb from Tesco. While McCabe faces three further allegations of stealing turkeys from Iceland and attempting to steal razors from Iceland, Ward faces a further eight counts of theft and two of attempted theft. Those charges relate to a total of seven turkeys, 140 of Yankee candles, groceries, 181 of Christmas decorations, aftershave worth 92 and razors. All offences are alleged to have been committed on various dates between October 30 and December 16 last year. None of the facts surrounding the charges were opened in court on Friday but during a short preliminary enquiry, a prosecuting lawyer submitted that the "legal papers and statements form the basis of a case to answer." Remanding McCabe and Ward back into custody, District Judge Amanda Brady returned the case to Craigavon Crown Court and ordered the alleged thieves to appear for arraignment on a date to be fixed. A shadow minister criticised fellow Labour MPs today over a 'facile' racism row with Priti Patel. David Lammy criticised a group led by Vauxhall MP Florence Eshalomi for accusing the Home Secretary of 'gaslighting' them over her own experience of racism. Their accusation in a letter came after Ms Patel clashed in the Commons with a group of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) Labour MPs who accused her of using her Indian heritage to cast doubt on black communities' experience of racism. The letter voiced 'dismay at the way you used your heritage and experiences of racism to gaslight the very real racism faced by Black people and communities across the UK'. But in an interview for the BBC's Andrew Marr Show today Mr Lammy suggested they needed to focus on the 'substance' of racism in Britain instead. He said: 'Well, I was in Commons at the time and I thought Florence... gave a very, very emotional question where she evoked her three year old son and wanting to see injustice solved. 'And Priti Patel's response was insensitive. But I have to say I'm not into a facile debate about who's experienced more racism. That's not the point.' David Lammy criticised the Vauxhall MP and others in his party for accusing the Home Secretary of 'gaslighting' them over her own experience of racism Ms Eshalomi, 39, (left) revealed today that she was descended from slaves in Brazil. She was one of 31 Labour MPs who later wrote to the Home Secretary (right) for the way she spoke about her own background as the daughter of Gujarati refugees from Uganda during the debate on Black Lives Matter. Ms Eshalomi, 39, who was elected in her central London seat in December in place of Kate Hoey, revealed today that she was descended from slaves in Brazil. She told the Times her great-grandfather, Cyprian Miguel Da-Silva, was a slave in Bahia in Brazil before returning Africa and settling in Nigeria in the late 19th century. It was her angry intervention in the Commons that sparked Ms Patel's remarks, and she told the newspaper: 'Maybe I need to learn as an MP not to wear my heart on my sleeve but . . . I don't want us all to be talking about this when my three-year-old son is a teenager and is being subjected to stop and searches by the police.' She was one of 31 Labour MPs who later wrote to the Home Secretary for the way she spoke about her own background as the daughter of Gujarati refugees from Uganda during the debate on Black Lives Matter. In response to a letter the Cabinet minister said she would 'not be silenced'. Mr Lammy called on the Government to 'deal with the substance' around racism and not focus on individual ministers' experiences of racism. He told Marr: 'Priti and I are in a similar age group so I can well understand when she says that she was called a Paki - which was a horrible term, which was very commonplace - how that would have felt at the time. But, as I say, let's deal with the substance. 'We still only have in this country 1 per cent of police officers that are black, 1 per cent of judges that are black, 51 per cent of (those in) our young offender institutions are from black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds, languishing in those young offenders' prisons. 'Those are the serious issues that people want the Government to deal with. Not statues, not Priti Patel - deal with the problems.' Mr Lammy also attacked demonstrators who attacked a statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Parliament Square. He rejected calls for the representation of the wartime leader to be taken down because of some of his extreme views, but said there should be a dabate about some of his views about minorities. 'His statue should never have been attacked, and the idiots that did it deflect from the central message of Black Lives Matter,' Mr Lammy said. 'But is anyone seriously calling for Winston Churchill's statue to come down? I mean, I hope not. 'I mean, clearly Winston Churchill stood in parliament prior to the war he was one of the only MPs speaking out against appeasement. He then, after Chamberlain resigned, became leader and led a coalition government that defeated fascism. 'And for all of those reasons he's hugely respected. So I wouldn't support the statue coming down. 'But I recognise, of course there's a debate about what did in Bengal with the famine, what he did in the Tonypandy riots. 'And I did a documentary for Channel 4 just a few months ago where I looked at his attitude to Africans that had contributed to the First World War, and he was found wanting. 'Many great figures in history are also flawed and we ought to be able to have that debate as well. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 13:32:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Lock-up shares worth about 74.84 billion yuan (about 10.56 billion U.S. dollars) will become eligible for trade on China's bourses in the coming week. The volume is 97.36 percent higher week on week, according to data from financial information provider Wind. Over 38.8 million shares from Jiangsu-based Maxscend Microelectronics Co., Ltd. worth 24.4 billion yuan will be freed up for trading. Under China's stock market rules, major shareholders must wait for one to two years before they are permitted to sell their shares. Chinese stocks closed mixed on Friday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index down 0.04 percent, at 2,919.74 points. The Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.07 percent higher at 11,251.71 points. Enditem We are fast approaching a state of inversion; the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest period of human history; the stage of rule by brute force... Any democratic government - except of course for those of a despotic nature - owes its citizens certain obligations and responsibilities. The mere fact that the people surrender their liberties or rights to civil authority means that the government has a constitutional obligation, as well as moral mandate to take care of its citizens. Among the most important duties of any government, are: maintenance of law and order, protection of lives and property of its citizens, the promotion of democracy and social justice; provision of social welfare and services, protection and promotion of human rights and economic development. Though such responsibilities may not be known by a section of society, no government has a right to renege on such crucial duties and responsibilities. Governments, according to my two cents worth of opinion, generate or rather, collect revenue in order to fulfill their constitutional and other obligations, through various sources, for example, taxes, as well as services offered to its citizens through different ministries, etcetera. responsibilities Two of the key, basic responsibilities of governments are to provide a sound healthcare infrastructure and education, which is designed to improve the standard of living of its citizens. The advent of the coronavirus has certainly tested (and continues to do so) the political will of many governments, globally, in fulfilling their duties and responsibilities to their citizens. Some have fared fairly well, while others, including our very own government, more often than not, dismally continue to fail their people. I and many other commentators have voiced our different opinions over these concerns, a plethora of times before, but in vain. Take the issue of the confusion surrounding schools opening, for instance. Media accounts reporting on the controversy surrounding the issue of learners safety from the COVID-19 threat are quite perplexing. One of the key stakeholders in the schools opening programme - the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), is reported to have announced its withdrawal from the ongoing back-to-school programme. I said it in last weeks column that there appears to be no love lost between the two key stakeholders in the back-to-school controversy - government and SNAT. Seemingly, kute lefuna kugoba luphondvo.... This was in reaction to governments announcement that schools would open on July 1 and 15, in a staggered manner. According to media reports, SNATs withdrawal comes after government allegedly sidelined them after going behind their backs and excluding them from the training of all education stakeholders... If such is true, then we are certainly headed for perilous times. Asekubanjiswane ye nabakitsi! The long and short of it is - that is, allegedly - according to SNAT, the body language reveals that government does not want to take responsibility for the COVID-19 issues.... surprise On the other hand, government has sprung a surprise, maintaining that individual schools and parents must provide personal protective equipment (PPE) for the learners, support staff and teachers. How now, kuhulumende? Kantsi what are the duties of government? It gets worrying and uglier to learn, according to media reports, that seemingly, government has no new budget for the reopening of schools. It is alleged that head teachers claim that government has requested them to use money allocated for free primary education (FPE). They have also been allegedly requested to make use of money given to them to cater for orphaned and vulnerable children (OVCs). Ingakanini yona lemali? Well, if this is not hitting way below the belt, then I am short of words to put it in any other way! Go back and re-read my above two-cents worth of opinion on any governments duties... From the looks of things, specifically on governments COVID-19 rules for schools, and perusing through the compliance checklist put forward by government in light of allegations that there is no budget for the reopening of schools, it does not require one to be a nuclear physicist to discern that if government forces its way, then head teachers are in for a torrid time as well as a tall order. The required essentials, as stipulated in the rules on the compliance checklist, will certainly not come cheap. For as long as memory serves most of us, government had been perennially inefficient in timeously providing monies for free primary education (FPE), as well as those for orphaned and vulnerable children. Throw in the dragging of feet by government in supplying food to schools....you have an inyakanyaka. The meagre resources and budget schools have will certainly fall short - way short - from providing adequate protective measures required by the compliance checklist. Schools run a shoestring budget - that cannot be disputed. Expecting head teachers to use such monies to comply with governments COVID-19 rules for the opening of schools is really unfair on them. Some have allegedly decried the fact that they have used such monies on other things during the first two months of the first term. They allegedly claim they utilised the monies to purchase such essentials as books, pay support staff and the general running of the schools. On the flip side, parents of school children have tabled their own demands concerning schools opening. COVID-19 is certainly proving to be a virus of demands. Parents are adamant that, the safety and health of our children is in our hands as parents, they say. I am a parent too and all sane-thinking parents cannot dice with the lives of their children. children Children are an asset which requires optimum nurturing and their safety in light of the deadly effects of the coronavirus, is paramount. As parents, we just cannot allow government to pass the buck to teachers who have insufficient funds to provide crucial, safety measures for our precious children. Expecting schools to provide costly items like sanitisers, face masks, sufficient cleaning material, water tanks to keep schools clean, is just as good as signing the death warrant for our children. One parent who was interviewed made a very salient and pertinent observation that, as much as children are missing out on learning, that cannot be measured against their health. The way forward? But before I join in the fray with my laymans opinion? One question I would love whoever cares to give me an ear is: what exactly is governments motive behind shifting all responsibilities of the COVID-19 safety measures suddenly to teachers? Does it lack trust in its decision making? Suppose teachers are finally forced to succumb to governments pressure and all hell breaks loose afterwards, would not the blame be put squarely on head teachers? And, oooh! What happened to the...donations? My take? Government must own up and spare the nation mind games or dereliction of her social welfare responsibilities. She must and has to fund the compliance checklist - period. We pay taxes, dont we? It is her responsibility to cater for the healthcare needs of the nation. That is non-negotiable. We do not want to agree with Albert Camus when he is quoted as having said, By definition, a government has no conscience. Sometimes it has a policy, but nothing more... Fiction 1. Writers & Lovers by Lily King is published in hardback by Picador. Available May 28 Lily King perfectly captures the ennui of life as you age out of your twenties, into those slightly more grown-up years especially when the direction youre going in isnt what youd imagined for yourself. In Writers & Lovers Casey is waitressing while trying to outrun huge debts and finish her novel, but shes also wading through grief over her mothers sudden death, and the anguish of a broken love affair. Then she finds herself torn between two men, Silas, young and inconsistent, and Oscar, older, who comes with two kids. King is unfailingly astute, be it on the casual pain people can obliviously inflict upon you, to the flickering memory of a family members transgression, or the salvation enthusiastic, supportive friends can provide. And the prose is visceral, reading it you can feel the anxiety Casey feels buzzing in her limbs, the fury she has for incompetent chefs, and the onslaught of tears she tries to out-pedal on her bike. Witty and affecting, Writers & Lovers explores where grit can get you, even when everything appears to be falling apart. 9/10 (Review by Ella Walker) 2. Camino Winds by John Grisham is published in hardback by Hodder & Stoughton. Available May 28 After a hurricane devastates Floridas Camino Island, bookstore owner Bruce Cable finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation. Soon a mysterious drug, a billion-dollar care company and multiple contract killers appear from the shadows in a fast-paced and thoroughly enjoyable read. Camino Winds is the second instalment in this series, and it is good to be back on the island. Luckily its different enough from its predecessor to feel fresh and new, while Cable is a likeable protagonist that has been more fully developed this time around. The novel has enough plot twists to keep you engaged without it feeling exhausting. Another compelling read from Grisham, and will satisfy old fans and please new readers alike. 8/10 (Review by Megan Baynes) 3. Latitudes Of Longing by Shubhangi Swarup is published in hardback by riverrun. Available now So far in 2020, its been hard to forget that humanity has yet to escape the rhythms of the natural world. In that sense, Shubhangi Swarups debut novel, Latitudes Of Longing, very much fits the zeitgeist, though that alone is a poor summary. It is a thoughtful, even philosophical, book and the result of years of immersive research in the locations described, from the islands of the Indian Ocean to the high Himalayas. The tectonic changes of the landscape are as much a part of the drama as the triumphs and disasters of the human characters. Their stories unfold movingly in four sections, each with only a loose connection to the last and each set in a different corner of the Indian subcontinent. The ecological and geological richness of their surroundings enhances, rather than overwhelms, the emotional intensity of the characters. A unique and rewarding read. 8/10 (Review by Joshua Pugh Ginn) Non-fiction 4. Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman is published in hardback by Bloomsbury. Available now Rutger Bregmans Utopia For Realists, proposed a universal basic income. So its fair to say the Dutch historian is not afraid of ruffling a few intellectual feathers. In Humankind, he sets out to disprove the idea that humans are naturally bad. He identifies an epidemic of cynicism infecting figures in every generation, from Hobbes to Dawkins, who would have us believe we are inherently selfish. He uncovers a real-life Lord of the Flies scenario in 1960s Tonga, finding no tribalism, no murder, but a group of boys who survive through cooperation. It seems Rousseau was right: were naturally good but corrupted by society. Want compelling evidence most soldiers dont actually fire their guns at the enemy? He has it. Proof the most famous psychological experiments showing our capacity for evil are unreliable? Ditto. The reader emerges from this book with a new respect for humanity and a practical sense of how to make the most of our natural talents. 9/10 (Review by Rachel Farrow) Childrens book of the week 5. Storm by Nicola Skinner is published in hardback by HarperCollins Childrens Books. Available now Storm is a highly original and humorous novel by the author of the acclaimed Bloom. Frances Frida Ripley (or Frankie for short) experiences a short life, an untimely death, and something very extraordinary in between. After being born in a storm to woefully unprepared parents, she grows into a fiery child with a permanent temper who then loses her life in a freak natural disaster that wipes out her whole town. Waking up over 100 years later as a poltergeist, she finds plenty more things to be angry about, including tourists invading her personal space. She is befriended by a boy called Scanlon, who has the ability to see ghosts, but there are those who want to trap ghosts and exploit them. Scanlon must pick a side, and Frankie must find a way to harness the storm inside her This is a funny, surprising and gripping read that mums and dads will enjoy as much as you. 9/10 Wendys burns following a rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta, Ga., on June 13, 2020. (Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters) $10,000 Reward Offered for Identity of Person Who Allegedly Burned Down Wendys Police in Atlanta are searching for a person who they believe is responsible for allegedly setting a fire that burned down a Wendys during a violent demonstration on Saturday night. Crime Stoppers of Atlanta announced it is offering a $10,000 reward for information that will lead to arrests, adding that authorities are looking for information on anyone else suspected in the arson. The Wendys location was located off University Avenue, where 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by an officer on Friday. Officials are investigating his death. Meanwhile, officials posted a photo of a woman wearing a black mask, hat, and a coat who was attempting to hide her identity after the Wendys arson. Videos of people setting fire to the fast-food restaurant have appeared on social media. WSB-TV reported on Saturday that protesters broke the windows of the establishment and appeared to set it on fire. Atlanta police said Sunday the department fired one officer and placed another on administrative duty for the fatal shooting of a black man who resisted arrest after failing a field sobriety test. The incident also caused the Atlanta police chief to resign. I know youre just doing your job, Brooks tells one of the officers about 40 minutes into the encounter when he agrees to a breath test. After he takes the test, an officer tries to handcuff Brooks and he attempts to fleeresulting in a struggle that ended with his death late Friday. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said Brooks wrestled a taser from one of the officers and ran. The GBI released security camera footage from the restaurant that showed a running Brooks turn and point an object in his hand toward an officer a few steps behind him. The video shows the officer draw his gun and fire as Brooks continues to run, then falls to the ground in the parking lot. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms said she accepted the resignation of police chief Erika Shields. I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer, Bottoms said. Brookss death followed weeks of protests in major cities across the United States that were triggered by the death of George Floyd, who died in Minneapolis police custody on May 25. A video showed an officer kneeling on his neck for several minutes while he was detained. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Robinson was not an activist, but she had a habit of calling out injustice, her family said. If she felt that she was being mistreated or given lesser service, she would say so. DELTA, B.C. - A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has cancelled a pivotal meeting on Monday for a hospice society in Delta, B.C., that does not allow medical assistance in dying. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 14/6/2020 (586 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Harold and Veronica Savage Centre for Supportive Care is pictured in Delta, B.C, Thursday, May 28, 2020. A B.C. Supreme Court judge has cancelled a pivotal meeting on Monday for a hospice society in Delta, B.C., that won't allow medical assistance in dying. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward DELTA, B.C. - A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has cancelled a pivotal meeting on Monday for a hospice society in Delta, B.C., that does not allow medical assistance in dying. One of three former board members of the Irene Thomas Hospice who petitioned the court to stop the meeting says the judge gave them a "complete victory." Chris Pettypiece said Sunday the judge also ruled that the current board acted in bad faith to manipulate a vote by rejecting applications for those who wanted to be members of the Delta Hospice Society. Pettypiece said Justice Shelley Fitzpatrick ordered on Friday that the current board provide a list of rejected memberships and ruled it must accept memberships for those who were turned away. "We're delighted with the outcome," Pettypiece said. "I think while it's a complete victory in the context of our petition, it's the start of a longer journey, or it's the next important step and milestone in a longer journey." Hospice society president Angelina Ireland didn't return requests for comment, although her affidavit to the court in response to the petition said the society's leadership has worked towards changing its constitution to reflect its Christian character. Ireland's affidavit said the fact that there is a dispute between two groups is not enough for the court to interfere. She said the society's bylaws provide full discretion to its board members to approve or reject membership applications. "Nowhere in the bylaw is it set-out that the directors must accept all applicants or that the role of the board concerning membership is purely administrative," her affidavit said. B.C.'s Health Ministry announced last year that it was withdrawing $1.5 million in annual funding, covering about 94 per cent of the cost to run the facility, because the society won't comply with provincial policies on medical assistance in dying. Pettypiece, who sat on the society's board from 2011 to 2019, said the dispute goes back to 2016 when the federal government introduced the law for medically assisted death. Those opposed became dominate on the board and ousted anyone who didn't align with their ideals, he said. "There was a stacking of membership that caused a balance of opinion in the membership that isn't representative of the community. "I think what we're seeing today is an informed community who now sees what's happened and is rejecting that and pushing back and taking back ownership of what they believe is a community asset and resource." Delta Mayor George Harvie, MP Carla Qualtrough and local members of the legislature Ian Paton and Ravi Kahol sent a joint letter to Health Minister Adrian Dix earlier this month requesting a meeting to discuss concerns about the hospice. Delta's elected officials were united in voicing concerns about the society's changes to its constitution, while seemingly thwarting the efforts of citizens to have a say in the direction of the society, said a joint statement the politicians at the beginning of June. Ireland said in an earlier interview that politicians who disagree with the Christian basis of the society's stance against medically assisted death should build another facility to provide the service. Pettypiece said the court's decision means now is the time for those in the community to get involved, become members and attend the next general meeting. "This is about an attempt to take away choice from people and I think that's wrong. I don't deny people's rights to believe in whatever they want to, but I think the problems here, the matter of social justice, is the attempt to prevent others from accessing services that they should be able to." He said he thinks trying to control that through language about the rights of a society is disingenuous. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2020. Most Reverend Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, SVD, Catholic Bishop of the Ho Diocese has said all Roman Catholic Churches in the Diocese would remain closed for public worship. Our inability to open our churches for public worship also means that we cannot hold funeral Masses and the celebration of the sacraments in our churches. In effect, we shall not have funeral Masses, but only burials, which means committals in the cemetery." This is in a statement signed by Bishop Fianu to all priests, religious and lay faithful in the Diocese on the Churchs stance regarding the opening of churches for public worship after an emergency meeting of all Parish Priests, Priests-in-Charge and Parish Pastoral Committee (PPC) Chairpersons. The meeting was to discuss the preparedness of all parishes in response to the easing of restrictions on public gathering announced by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on May 31. We had presentations on the relevant section of the address of the President, the guidelines announced by the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs and the guidelines of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference. There was also a presentation on the fumigation and disinfection of churches by an officer from Zoomlion, the statement said. Bishop Fianu said, After an elaborate discussion of all the requisite logistics needed to guarantee the safe opening and operation for public worship, we all agreed that we were not yet ready to open our churches for the celebration of Mass. I have therefore decided that we would continue the status quo, that is, the celebration of Mass online and via radio until further notice. We are working on the possibility of also televising our Masses in the diocese. The Bishop called on parishes and churches to use the time to prepare the requisite logistics for an eventual opening for public worship and added that in an event where a church or parish felt it could provide the requisite logistics needed to guarantee the safe reopening and operation should follow the necessary protocol and obtain permission. He encouraged all faithful to stand firm in the faith and organize the reading of the Word of God and family prayers in their homes. 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 Photo credit: Rawpixel From Prevention One morning in 2013, Amanda* texted her fellow servers at a seafood restaurant in New Orleans to see if someone would pick up her double-shift that day. Amanda, then 23 years old, had vomited several times throughout the night. As the nausea and sharp stomach pain continued to impede her ability to stand up straight, her coworkers declined to help. The restaurant didnt offer paid sick days, and if Amanda called-off work without finding someone to fill in, she needed to provide a doctors note stating that she was too ill to be at the restaurant. Failure to do this meant termination. But, she didnt have health insurance, and the loss of tip money, plus the cost of a doctors visit, would have taken a big chunk out of her monthly budget. This marked the first time Amanda had been sick without her mother, who had died in a car accident two years earlier. She didnt know if she had food poisoning, the flu, or something worse, and she was scared. Amanda's roommate at the time had taken her in after her mother died. Though only three years older, the roommate filled a parental void because she was the service manager who had trained Amanda. Her roommate held Amanda's hair every time she crouched in front of the toilet that night. As they kneeled on the cold linoleum floor, Amanda swore she hadnt been drinking. I dont know whats wrong with me, Amanda said, her head hovering above the rim. In the back of both of their minds, they worried about bills. If Amanda couldnt work, we didnt know how we were going to make it through the month, her roommate recalls to me. Desperate to remain in bed and not wait on customers, Amanda called her manager. She hoped he would hear the pain in her voice, wave restaurant policy this one time, and allow her to stay home without a doctors note. But Amanda and her roommate knew that would take a miracle. They described the then-manager as pushy, mean, and not compassionate toward sick employees. Amanda relayed her symptoms to him, but she said he didnt care. Story continues He told me that if I didnt come in, hed consider it a no-call-no-show and fire me, she says. Before the seafood restaurant, Amanda had waited tables at a nearby bistro for four years. Her roommate described Amanda as a charismatic server, who was fun to work with and good at up-selling menu items to customers. A current co-worker said she learned what it means to be a hard worker from watching Amanda in action. Amanda went into work that day knowing she might infect hundreds of people with what she hadif what she had was contagious; she didnt know and was growing more scared with each surge of pain. Despite looking pale and sweaty when she arrived at the restaurant, Amanda said she received two tables at the beginning of the eight-hour shift. However, her stomach pain was so piercing that she felt like she might collapse. She sat down at a round table in a side room before her guests had received their salads. She kept the side room doors narrowly open so she could watch her section as she rested, hoping the pain would subside. Soon, the manager entered. He was short, tan, muscular and always wore a tight dress shirt. He had a reputation for punishing sick employees by cutting their shift total or assigning them sections that werent as lucrative as others. Photo credit: monkeybusinessimages - Getty Images Amanda rested her head on her arms, folded over the tabletop. Looking up at the manager, she begged him to let her rest for an hour. She feared his vindictiveness, but she was in too much pain to work, and she couldnt afford to go to the hospital. She felt trapped and confused. She needed compassion. She missed her mom. And he acted as if I was lying, Amanda says now. The manager transferred her tables to another server and told Amanda to leave. He was like: If youre so sick, go straight to the emergency room, and if you dont come back with a [doctors] note, then dont come back because you wont have a job. At the hospital, Amanda was diagnosed with having two kidney stones and three cysts on her ovaries. She was given a prescription for Percocet for her pain, Allopurinol for the kidney stones, and a note for her manager. She returned to work the next day. She struggled to pay bills, but she said she got lucky considering the diagnosis. Her pain was controllable, she passed the kidney stones, and the cysts disappeared without an expensive surgery. Stories like this are happening hundreds of times a day across the United States, says Todd Manuel, owner of Majestic Kitchen in Ridgeland, MS. Saru Jayaraman, director of UC Berkeleys Food Labor Research Center, agrees. This story is the norm, not the exception, she says. A side-effect of this environment: Restaurant workers who are forced to work sick have to go to great lengths to hide their symptoms. Ive done shots of DayQuil with other servers before shifts, explains a Pennsylvania server, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Others interviewed explained how they hide cough drops in their apron pockets, drink hot tea with lemon and honey every time they stop by the service station, and run into the bathroom to blow their nose in private. The goal, they said, is to wash your hands every few minutes given the amount of food, plates, glasses and pieces of silverware one comes in contact with during a shift. But sometimes the most dangerous part occurs while communicating. You have any idea how hard it is to hold back a cough when youre talking to a table of customers with an itchy throat? Amanda says. Line cooks work sick more often than servers because customers cant see them, according to Brandon Blietz, an executive steward who oversees operations at five locations for a major chain in the Midwest. Blietz, 45, has worked as a line cook, dining room manager, production manager and a general manager during his 30 years in the industry, and he said toxic masculinity among kitchen staff plays a huge role with the problem. Ive seen line cooks who look miserable, three different shades of green, he says. Early in my career, I would see cooks with a trash can close by because they had to pay their bills. Theyd vomit in the trash can and say, No, no, no. Im OK! Im OK! It was a machismo thing. Going out to a restaurant is an intimate experience, but the proximity of restaurant employees to customers and their food puts people at risk if members of the staff are sick. Amy Edwards, M.D., associate medical director of pediatric infection control at Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital in Cleveland, said the danger-level depends on the illness. Some viruses require very close contact, others can be spread by droplet, making the chances of spreading different in different situations, she says. For people in food service, the risk of transmission is high. When line cooks who are sick prepare food, they can pass along a virus through the fecal-oral-route, according to Gail Shust, M.D., pediatric infectious disease specialist at NYU Langones Hassenfeld Childrens Hospital. If a sick food preparer uses the bathroom, and they don't wash their hands perfectly, norovirus can infect food, it can infect surfaces, and then it can contaminate food and water sources, Dr. Shust says. 70% of foodborne norovirus outbreaks were caused by infected restaurant employees who touch or serve food, according to a 2014 CDC report. Amanda's story and the nine other current or former restaurant employees interviewed for this story illustrate that the industrys approach to sick employees was broken before the pandemic. A 2014 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that 70% of foodborne norovirus outbreaks were caused by infected restaurant employees who touch or serve food. In 2015, a survey by the Center for Research and Public Policyrevealed that 51% of food workers said they always or frequently work sick, while another 38% said they sometimes work when theyre ailing. The survey also indicated that 45% of the workers perform under these conditions because they cant afford to miss work. I worked as a server and bartender, full and part-time, in Pittsburgh for almost a decade, and not only was I forced to work sick at times, but most of my coworkers were too. The fact that COVID-19 has put 8 million restaurant employees out of work is bad enough. But what will be even worse is if this time goes unused. The industry has to change, but the question is: How? Manuel, 39, has worked in the restaurant industry for 23 years. He managed a chain restaurant in Mississippi before becoming the independent operator of Majestic Kitchen, and he thinks there are only two possible solutions to improve how the industry treats sick employees: A single-payer healthcare system or unions, he says. A single-payer healthcare system can come in different forms, but in America its commonly referred to as Medicare for All, and it has the support of 55% of American voters. However, its not popular among Republican lawmakers, which means it might be a while before it becomes a reality. I think its insane that were not moving toward a single-payer system, Manuel says. He explained that universal healthcare would make it much easier for restaurant employees to get a doctors note when theyre sick. He said it also would help alleviate the industrys problems surrounding mental health and addiction. But, if a single-payer system doesnt happen soon, Manuel said he hopes employees unionize. Theres no other way because its so cheap to replace them, he adds. The push for restaurant employees to unionize began in 2012, when the Fight for $15 movement was launched. With support from organizations like the Service Employees International Union and Fast Food Justice, the movement has seen some success. Many who want to unionize have sought to eliminate the tipped minimum wage of $2.13 an hour, and seven states have raised it, while 10 more have introduced bills to do the same. Offering paid sick leave has been suggested as one solution to prevent stories like Amanda's from occurring. Prior to the pandemic, 12 states and Washington D.C. offered paid sick time to restaurant workers, and in March, Darden, the worlds largest full-service restaurant corporation began offering it to its employees. But servers often dont use the benefit because they earn more money from tips than they do the tipped minimum wage alone. Paid sick leave benefits are critical, but not enough, explains Jayaraman, president of One Fair Wage, a nonprofit advocating for raising the subminimum wage for restaurant employees. Unless we can do botha full minimum wage, with tips on top, and paid sick leavewe are not now, nor in the future, going to prevent restaurant workers from working when sick. And clearly that's going to be more of an issue coming out of this. As restaurants begin to reopen this spring, Jayaraman said that its imperative for employees to stand up for themselves. But when its so easy to be replaced, how do workers advocate for themselves? Know your rights, says Alanna Fino, who has worked in the restaurant industry in Buffalo for more than 25 years. Fino explained that, until unions become the norm, coworkers must show solidarity. Ive spoken up when someone was being mistreated, she says. Ive also quit very loudly when working in toxic environments. That helps too. The managers are stuck in the middle. Everyone interviewed expressed respect and admiration for the good managers under whom theyve worked. But Blietz said the industry has a problem with bad managers who werent trained properly and lack empathy. Blietz said that he never forced anyone to work sick as a manager because he had hated how he was treated early in his career. But Manuel admitted to enforcing the same rules Amanda had to follow. Photo credit: chinaface - Getty Images It's hard to tell someone something you know is unethical or you don't want them to do, he says. But it's like, my general manager is saying I got to do this, and if I don't do this, then I don't have a job, and my job is more important. Restaurant managers are trapped by the same rules. Blietz said that its usually harder for a manager to find someone to cover for them when theyre sick than it is for a server or line cook. Manuel agreed, explaining that if a manager calls in sick, it can cost them their job, possibly even end their career. We're talking about self-survival, Manuel says of his time as a chain restaurant manager. If I have to eat by coming to work sick, then I do. And if I have to tell someone they're fired because they don't come to work sick, then I do it because I still have to eat. At Majestic Kitchen, Manuel offers his managers health insurance, and he allows the rest of his staff to call-off sick. When he opened the restaurant two years ago, he made these policy choices based on what he had experienced in his career. But now, with budget concerns and thin profit margins, he recognizes how challenging it is from an owners point of view. I cant raise my prices 20% and provide everyone health care if customers quit coming, he says. Because no other restaurants are doing it, and then I dont have a business. *Name has been changed. Support from readers like you helps us do our best work. Go here to subscribe to Prevention and get 12 FREE gifts. And sign up for our FREE newsletter here for daily health, nutrition, and fitness advice. You Might Also Like Election strategist Prashant Kishor appeared to be lending his voice to the opposition in Bihar on Sunday, when he attacked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for allegedly not coming out of his official residence for nearly three months following the COVID-19 outbreak. Kishor, who was elevated to the post of national vice-president in the Janata Dal (United) headed by Kumar within weeks of joining the outfit two years ago but expelled from it on disciplinary grounds earlier this year, came out with a stinging tweet criticising the ruling NDA for gearing up for the Assembly polls at a time when the outbreak has entered a critical stage in Bihar. "Scared of stepping out of his residence during the last three months because of corona, Nitish Kumar nonetheless thinks that common people's lives will not be endangered if they came out of their houses to take part in the electoral process," Kishor said in a tweet in Hindi. He also lamented that the Assembly polls were dominating the discourse in Bihar, instead of the coronavirus, "though the state has reported more than 6,000 cases, despite the testing ratio being the lowest in the country, and almost seven to nine per cent of the samples tested are reported positive". The remarks of Kishor came close on the heels of Kumar concluding a virtual conference of his party over six days, during which he interacted with the grassroots-level workers via video-conference. The poll strategist had played an instrumental role in the campaign for the Grand Alliance, comprising the JD(U), RJD and the Congress, in the 2015 Assembly polls, when the coalition achieved a stunning victory. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with which the JD(U) has realigned, is already engaged in a vigorous online public outreach programme aimed at the state polls, which was kicked off a week ago by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who addressed people in the state from Delhi in a "virtual rally". Kumar's preference for functioning from within the premises of his residence, the only recent exception being his turning up at the CM secretariat, less than 50 metres away, last week, has come in for repeated criticism from Lalu Prasad's RJD -- left sore and out of power following Kumar's abrupt return to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Both Prasad and his heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav have been attacking Kumar, calling him names like "darpok" (coward) for his reluctance to step out. Yadav, who returned to the city on Saturday after meeting his jailed father in Ranchi, told reporters with a theatrical flourish: "All opposition parties should troop to the chief minister's residence to look for the missing chief minister. The people of Bihar have been looking around for him." Kishor, known to have excellent relations with Prasad, has not associated himself with any party in Bihar after his ties with the JD(U) got severed. However, the founder of IPAC, who has among his clients prominent non-NDA players across the country, including Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), has indicated that he would be involved in Bihar politics in his own way by floating a political platform -- Baat Bihar Ki. The platform will seek to galvanise the state's youngsters, who are said to be not satisfied with the modest progress made during the decade and a half when Kumar was at the helm. Although parties opposed to the ruling NDA in Bihar are numerous, not many of them seem to be inclined to find a common cause with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which has earned the reputation of a domineering coalition partner. Moreover, recent moves of the party such as staging protests against Shah's "virtual rally" by beating utensils, without taking into confidence other parties, seem to have estranged the non-NDA parties further. The Harris County District Attorneys Office is investigating the 2004 arrest of George Floyd by disgraced former Houston police officer Gerald Goines in a probe that could lead to additional convictions being vacated. Floyd, who died last month as a Minneapolis police officer pinned him to the ground with a knee to the neck, was arrested in 2004 by Goines after Floyd bought a small amount of crack cocaine from him. Floyd pleaded guilty and received a 10-month state jail sentence, according to court records. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said Saturday that Goines arrest of Floyd revealed an offense report that is incomplete and suspect, and instructed prosecutors to verify the facts of the report. If this review reveals misconduct we will presume that all of Goines convictions between 2019 to 2004 to be tainted, Ogg said in a statement. Goines has since been at the center of a huge scandal after leading a case that led to the deaths of two people in a botched raid. The Harris County District Attorneys Office is re-investigating his cases, sending notices to thousands of defendants convicted based on Goines casework over the years, including Floyd. Nicole DeBorde, Goines attorney, said Goines stands behind George Floyd and all that his tragic murder represents, and accused Ogg of perpetuating systemic racism by tainting Goines reputation through the media. The idea that somehow, without a shred of new information, that there is anything with concern with a case that is over a decade and a half old is just an opportunistic distraction on Oggs part, DeBorde said. Dane Schiller, a spokesman for the DAs office, previously said that officials have not determined whether Floyd was arrested on false grounds. Our civil rights division is looking at that arrest as part of their ongoing investigation, Schiller said. The Floyd arrest is the latest addition to Oggs expansive probe of more than 160 Goines cases. On Wednesday, Ogg announced another 91 cases that prosecutors believe should be dismissed because of the role Goines played in the convictions. Prosecutors made a similar request to judges in February, citing about 70 cases between 2008 and 2019 in which defendants were convicted solely on Goines casework. Goines first came under scrutiny after the Jan. 28, 2019 raid that claimed the lives of Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas and wounded four officers. Goines was charged with murder and violating the rights of the slain couple. Goines maintains his innocence. Goines is also charged with civil rights violations in federal court. St. John-Barned Smith contributed to this report. nick.powell@chron.com A man in his 50s has died in hospital after he was injured in a shooting in Roydon, near Harlow, on Saturday, Essex Police said today. Two women in their 20s were also taken to hospital with single gunshot wounds following the 'drive by' attack outside a lockdown party. Essex Police say the women's injuries are not considered to be life-threatening. A man has died and two women have suffered gunshot wounds after attackers opened fire on people attending a party in Essex early Saturday morning (pictured, police at the scene) Essex Police said the male victim, who is in his 50s and from nearby Grays, has now died after he was rushed to hospital with critical injuries (pictured, police cordon) Officers were called shortly before 5am following reports that a number of people had arrived in a car and fired at a group (pictured, large police cordon) Officers were called shortly before 5am following reports that a number of people had arrived in a car and fired 'several gunshots' at a group. The people in the car managed to get away from the scene, driving in the direction of Harlow. A statement from Essex Police said: 'Detectives have now launched a murder investigation after a man has died following a shooting in Roydon, yesterday morning, Saturday June 13. 'The man, who was aged in his 50s, was taken to hospital following reports that he had been shot multiple times outside an address on Water Lane, by a group of people in a car. 'Despite efforts of medical staff, he sadly died in hospital this afternoon, Sunday June 14.' Oct. 8, 1945-June 4, 2020 Margaret Ann Stigers, age 74, of Butte, Montana, passed away on June 4, 2020. Margaret was born to Ray Wyman Comfort and Elsie Lee (Watson) Comfort on October 8, 1945, in Bentonville, Arkansas, the eighth of eight siblings. She graduated from Bentonville High School in 1963. She then attended the University of Arkansas, where she earned a B.A. in Elementary Education, and met Charles A. Stigers. Charles and Margaret married on August 10, 1965. Margaret taught in the Bentonville school system until Charles career moved them first to Kansas, and then to Montana, eventually settling in Butte. While living in Butte, Margaret pursued many interests. She owned and operated The Learning Center, a teachers supply store from 1984-1993. She volunteered with many different organizations, including the PTA, her church, singing in various community choirs, the Butte Symphony, and the New Hope Clinic. She will be sorely missed by many friends and colleagues of these organizations. Margaret passed away peacefully after a long struggle with various medical conditions. Her husband and children, Chris Stigers and Kimberly (Stigers) Lavoie, were at her side. She is survived by her husband and children; her daughter-in-law, Valeta (Bell) Stigers; her son-in-law, Robert Lavoie; and five grandchildren, Abigail Stigers, Lillian Stigers, Jeanette Lavoie, C.J. Lavoie, and Lisette Lavoie. A memorial service will be held at her home church, Floral Park Baptist Church, in Butte, Montana, at a date to be determined. The family requests in lieu of flowers that donations be made to the following organizations: The PKD Foundation (PKDcure.org), The New Hope Clinic (newhopebutte.com), or Gideons International (gideons.org). Please visit www.buttefuneralhome.com to offer her family a condolence or to share a memory of Margaret. Axelson Funeral and Cremation Services has been privileged to care for Margaret and her family. MasterChef Australia's Poh Ling Yeow was stuck in Melbourne last month because of of state border closures. But it appears, the 47-year-old celebrity chef has finally returned home to Adelaide and is back to doing what she loves. On Sunday, Poh was spotted cooking up a storm with her husband Jono Bennett at their food stall The Jamface Cakequarium at Adelaide Showground Farmers' Market. Back to work! MasterChef's Poh Ling Yeow kept warm in a jumper and beanie as she tended her food stall at Adelaide Showground Farmers' Market on Sunday Stylish: Poh looked stylish in black pants, a striped shirt under a grey jumper, and matching coloured beanie The chef was busy making delicious treats including tarts and cakes as the shoppers lined up. Poh looked stylish in black pants, a striped shirt under a grey jumper, and matching coloured beanie. She also kept warm in a black pair of boots and wore a denim apron while Jono wore a black jumper and pants. Busy: She was spotted cooking up a storm with her husband Jono Bennett (pictured) at their food stall The Jamface Cakequarium at the markets Fashionista: Poh also kept warm in a black pair of boots and wore a denim apron while Jono wore a black jumper and and pants Poh met Jono in 2009 on the first season of MasterChef. She was a contestant while he was working behind the scenes as a runner. They started dating after the show's finale, and married five years later in 2014. Last month, Poh told Daily Mail Australia she had not been able to fly back home to Adelaide during breaks from filming MasterChef in Melbourne because of the state border closures amid the coronavirus pandemic. Delicious! The celebrity chef was busy making delicious treats including tarts, and cakes as the shoppers lined up Back home: Last month, Poh told Daily Mail Australia she had not been able to fly back home to Adelaide during breaks from filming MasterChef in Melbourne because of the state border closures Setback: She was also set to open a cafe at Adelaide Airport by the end of the year, but these plans have been delayed as a result of the global health crisis She was also set to open a cafe at Adelaide Airport by the end of the year, but these plans have been delayed as a result of the global health crisis. The MasterChef star has had a rather complicated love life over the past two decades, involving two marriages and 'a love triangle' with her best friend. She married her first husband, Matt Phipps, in 1990 when they were both practising Mormons. When they agreed to divorce after nine years together, Matt moved on with Poh's best friend of 20 years, Sarah Rich, who he later married. Busy: People queued at outside Poh's stall, where she also had a sign advertising her famous 'Jamface Toasties' Twist: Poh currently runs a business cafe, Jamface, with her husband, ex-husband and his wife In an extraordinary twist, the two couples then went into business together and opened their cafe, Jamface. Poh has made no secret of the unusual arrangement, saying in multiple interviews that the four of them are adults who manage to make things work. 'He's my ex-husband. She's my best friend. And when we broke up, they got together and it's all dandy. It's actually really good!' she told Mamamia in 2017. Past: Poh married her first husband, Matt Phipps, in 1990 when they were both practising Mormons Pastor Tunde Bakare, founder of the Latter Rain Assembly, now known as the Citadel Global Community Church, says the church will not be opened until the coast is clear. The cleric said this while speaking at the second edition of the virtual 3Gz Guys, Girls and God session of the CGCC Legacy Youth Fellowship, adding that government cannot shut the church, it can only shut a building, stating that the church is marching on. According to the pastor, he was in a virtual meeting with Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos and his team, where it was predicted that August would likely record lots of coronavirus cases in Lagos and Nigeria. Advertisement Pastor Bakare noted that the church is not about tithe and offerings but about edifying the people and fixing the challenges of the world. He stressed that he is in no hurry to reopen a building when services can be done virtually and more people can be reached with the word of truth. He cited Genesis Chapter 8, saying Noah was on lockdown for 150 days, after which he sent out a raven to check if the water on the earth had receded. Bakare added that Noah was not trying to prove his anointing by coming out to swim in the flood before the water had dried up, stating that Noah waited another 40 days after the 150 days before setting out. Read Also: Open Your Church Halls For Govt To Use As Isolation Centers: Tunde Bakare Tells Pastors The cleric stated also that those who want to be the raven sent out to check the water can go out and check, but he is not ready to put the life of his people at risk to prove anything. Bakare also cited an example of a choir in the United States which gathered for rehearsals and recorded transmission of the novel coronavirus disease among over 40 of its members and recorded some deaths after that meeting. On when the church will reopen, he said with the projections by the government on when the disease would subside, he was looking at September or the end of the year. We are not opening till the coast is clear, he said. Shrines will reopen in state capital Bhopal from Monday onwards outside containment zones but with prohibition on traditional rituals, as per the district administrations order. Devotees will not be allowed to touch the idols and holy books. Distribution of prasad and charanamrit, and sprinkling of holy water will be prohibited. There will be no permission for offering flowers, coconuts, incense sticks etc and also ringing of bells will remain prohibited, said the district administrations official release. The district administration and police officials had a meeting with religious leaders on Saturday to discuss with them the dos and donts on opening of the shrines. The administration has made it clear that there will be no function organised and no crowds and also there will be no choir singing and recital of Guruvani. Wudu will be performed at home only before visiting a mosque. All the guidelines will be properly displayed at the shrines and devotees will have to wear face masks besides maintaining social and physical distance. All the shrines will be closed for the day at 9 pm, as per the release. The management of shrines will make arrangements for thermal screening and sanitisers. No one having symptoms of cold, cough and fever will be allowed to enter the shrines. There will be sanitisation of the premises regularly. SHOPS AND MARKETS According to another order of district collector Tarun Kumar Pithode, all the shops and markets will run for five days in a week outside containment zones while there will be closure of the same for two days. Essential services will be available on all days of the week. Advertisement Rayshard Brooks, 27, was killed by police in Atlanta after a fight in the parking lot of a Wendy's restaurant The Atlanta police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks after a confrontation in a Wendy's parking lot have been identified and bodycam footage has been released, after the incident sent shock waves through the city and prompted tense protests that led to the restaurant being destroyed by arson. Officer Garrett Rolfe was fired from the force after firing the shots that killed Brooks on Friday night. Investigators say Brooks, 27, fought with officers and took one of their Tasers before fleeing and pointing the stun gun at Rolfe as he ran away. Rolfe had been a member of the department since 2013. Officer Devin Bronsan, who was also present but did not fire, has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. Bronsan joined the department in 2018. The shooting led to the resignation of Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields, and the Wendy's where Brooks was shot was engulfed in an arson attack as protests turned tense on Saturday night. Just two weeks earlier, Shields had drawn nationwide praise for how she engaged with demonstrators in the wake of George Floyd's death. Meanwhile, bodycam footage has been released showing Rolfe and Bronsan's full interaction prior to the shooting of Brooks, whom Bronsan found on the scene asleep in the driver's seat of a car blocking the Wendy's drive-thru lane. The interaction starts off cordially, but Brooks seems visibly intoxicated, and is unable to correctly identify the city he is in, saying he is in Forest Park, an Atlanta suburb about 10 miles away from the Wendy's. Officer Garrett Rolfe (left) was fired from the force after firing the shots that killed Brooks on Friday night, while Officer Devin Bronsan (right), who was also present but did not fire, has been placed on administrative leave Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned on Saturday following the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks Newly released bodycam footage shows a polite interaction with Brooks for 30 minutes before the shooting. Though he appears intoxicated, Brooks cooperates with police until they try to arrest him Police gave Brooks a field sobriety test and breathalyzer after finding him asleep behind the wheel of a car that is stopped in the Wendy's drive-thru lane, blocking other vehicles. The breathalyzer read .108 About 30 minutes into the interaction, Rolfe tells Brooks that he believes he is too drunk to operate a motor vehicle and that he is being placed under arrest. As the officers begin to handcuff him, Brooks struggles, knocking the bodycamera off As the bodycam footage shows, Brooks cooperates with the officers initially, agreeing to be searched for weapons and to complete a field sobriety test. Brooks then insisted that all he'd had to drink was 'one and a half daiquiris.' The officers then administer a breathalyzer test, as Brooks continues to insist that he is fine to drive home. The breathalyser reading comes back as .108. About 30 minutes into the interaction, Rolfe tells Brooks that he believes he is too drunk to operate a motor vehicle and that he is being placed under arrest. As the officers begin to handcuff him, Brooks begins to struggle, knocking the bodycamera to the ground. Little else is seen of the interaction, but the officers are heard shouting 'stop fighting, stop fighting,' a taser is heard being deployed, and three shots are heard seconds later. Video from other angles has already shown that Brooks swung punches at the officers, stole a taser, and fled, turning to point what appears to be the stolen taser at Rolfe before Rolfe unholsters his gun and shoots Brooks. After nightfall on Saturday, flames broke out at the Wendy's fast food restaurant where the shooting took place. Around 10pm, a fully involved fire was seen inside the Wendy's, and thick smoke billowed through the air, as multiple smaller fires burned in the parking lot outside of the building. A protester watches as the Wendy's burns following a rally protesting the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks The Wendy's where Brooks was shot was burned down during protests over his death in a police shooting A Wendy's burns following a rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks Instagram user @onthewaytothepromise posted a video showing broken windows in the Wendy's as the fire began to spread inside. The building had been surrounded by protesters since Saturday morning. The building was engulfed in flames which shot through the air from the roof, and no emergency responders were on the scene after nearly an hour. Atlanta fire officials said that they were unable to send trucks through the crowds of protesters blocking the roads around the Wendy's, in fear of endangering both the firefighters and the protesters. As the fire grew, fears mounted that it could ignite a neighboring gas station, but by midnight the fire had burned out without spreading further. Demonstrators also shut down all lanes of Interstate 75 near the Wendy's for more than an hour. Police in riot gear were seen advancing on the protesters and making arrests at around 10pm. Traffic was restored on the northbound lanes of the interstate by around 10.30pm. Protesters demonstrate outside a Wendy's restaurant in Atlanta on Saturday where Rayshard Brooks, a black man, was shot and killed by Atlanta police Friday evening following a struggle in the drive-thru line Flames were seen inside and outside the Wendy's at around 10pm on Saturday night after arsonists set it ablaze A person holds a sign as a Wendy's restaurant burns Saturday in Atlanta after demonstrators allegedly set it on fire Fire crews were unable to reach the fire as it burned out of control, after protesters blocked the streets around it Some demonstrators link arms after getting onto I75 and shutting down the interstate in Atlanta on Saturday Demonstrators also shut down all lanes of Interstate 75 near the Wendy's for more than an hour State troopers were seen advancing on the protesters and making arrests at around 10pm, and traffic was restored Some protestors are arrested after getting onto I75 and shutting down the interstate in Atlanta on Saturday RIP Rayshard: Clean up begins outside the Wendy's restaurant which was destroyed after being set fire at the scene of a 12 June Atlanta Police Department officer-involved shooting The eatery was set ablaze and has since been covered in graffiti . People are seen taking photos outside of it on Sunday While much of the external walls remain intact, the inside of the restaurant is seen completely destroyed Meanwhile, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has released new surveillance footage of the moment of the fatal shooting, which has drawn massive protests and allegations of racism and police brutality. Atlanta police were called to the restaurant on a complaint that a man was sleeping in a car blocking the drive-thru lane as customers waited in line. Police say he failed a field sobriety test and then began to fight as the officers tried to arrest him. Previously released bystander video showed Brooks grappling with two officers on the pavement, throwing punches, and grabbing one of the officer's tasers. The other officer fires his taser at Brooks, which appears to have no effect, and Brooks sprints away. The newly released surveillance video shows Brooks fleeing across the parking lot from officers, and turning and pointing something at the police, which the GBI said was the stolen police taser. An officer then drops the taser that he had fired at Brooks, retrieves his service gun from its holster, and fires at Brooks. New surveillance video released by GBI shows Brooks (circled, right) fleeing towards the right hand side of the image as he is pursued by two officers. Both Brooks and the officer immediately behind him are seen holding police tasers with illumination Brooks (far right) appears to turn and point the stolen taser, as one officer takes cover by the red car and the second officer pursues from the far left of the image Brooks drops the the ground, out of sight behind the silver sedan, as police open fire on him Previously released bystander video shows Brooks in a scuffle as officers tried to take him into custody in a parking lot of a Wendy's on University Avenue at around 10:30pm on Friday. Brooks is seen in the video getting away from the grasp of two police officers and running away from them in the parking lot. He managed to take a Taser from one of the officers before trying to run away. One of the officers is seen getting up and giving chase with what appears to be a Taser. Moments later, gunshots are heard, though Brooks or the officers are not seen at that point in the bystander video. According to his Facebook page, Brooks was married, attended Forest Park Street High School and, at one point, had an internship with the Atlanta Falcons Police attempt to control protesters outside a Wendy's restaurant Saturday in Atlanta. Georgia authorities said Saturday a man was shot and killed in a late night struggle with Atlanta police outside a fast food restaurant Police attempt to control protesters outside a Wendy's restaurant Saturday in Atlanta Protesters gather Saturday at the Atlanta Wendy's where Rayshard Brooks, a black man, was shot and killed by Atlanta police Friday evening following a struggle in the restaurant's drive-thru line Protesters confront police near Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta Saturday in response to the death of Rayshard Brooks The shooting came at a time of heightened tension over police brutality and calls for reforms across the U.S. following the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Atlanta was among U.S. cities where large crowds of protesters took to the streets. A crowd of demonstrators gathered Saturday outside the Atlanta restaurant where Brooks was shot. Gerald Griggs, an attorney and a vice president of Atlanta's NAACP chapter, estimated there were 150 people protesting at the scene as he walked with them Saturday afternoon. 'The people are upset,' Griggs said. 'They want to know why their dear brother Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed when he was merely asleep on the passenger side and not doing anything.' THIS VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC CONTENT AND EXPLICIT LANGUAGE Cell phone video shows Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old black man, wrestling with two white Atlanta police officers near a Wendy's fast food restaurant in Atlanta late on Friday night Brooks was resisting arrest as officers tried to take him into custody for allegedly failing a field sobriety test Brooks is seen getting away from the grasp of one of the police officers during the attempted arrest on Friday Brooks was seen running off with a Taser he took from one of the officers during the scuffle on Friday night The officer on the far right is seen aiming his Taser and shooting at Brooks, but it appears to have no effect as Brooks gets away Moments later, gunshots are heard. Brooks' body appears to be on the pavement on the far right side of the image above Shields, the ousted police chief, said in a statement: 'For more than two decades, I have served alongside some of the finest men and women in the Atlanta Police Department. Out of a deep and abiding love for this City and this department, I offered to step aside as police chief.' 'APD has my full support, and Mayor Bottoms has my support on the future direction of this department. I have faith in the Mayor, and it is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve,' Shields continued. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced Chief Shield's resignation, saying the city's top cop offered to 'immediately step aside as police chief so that the city may move forward, with urgency, in rebuilding the trust so desperately needed throughout our communities.' Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vic Reynolds said his agents worked through the night interviewing witnesses and reviewing video. He said their findings show that Brooks tried to fight off two officers when they tried to arrest him and at one point managed to take a Taser away from one of them. A security camera recorded Brooks 'running or fleeing from Atlanta police officers,' Reynolds said. 'It appears that he has in his hand a Taser.' Protesters rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta on Saturday Hundreds of protesters gathered in Atlanta on Saturday to protest the police shooting of Rayshard Brooks Protesters march near the Georgia Capitol on Saturday after an overnight Atlanta Police Department officer-involved shooting which left a black man dead at a Wendy's restaurant The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is probing the shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, 27, after a reported struggle with officers ensued during which a Taser was used late Friday During a short foot chase Brooks 'turns around and it appears at that time he points a Taser at an Atlanta officer,' Reynolds said. That's when the officer drew his gun and shot Brooks, he said, estimating the officer fired three times. 'In a circumstance like this where an officer is involved in the use of deadly force, the public has a right to know what happened,' Reynolds said of the decision to quickly release the restaurant surveillance footage. Atlanta Deputy Police Chief Timothy Peek told reporters late Friday that both officers deployed their Tasers in an attempt to subdue the suspect but were unable to 'stop the aggression of the fight.' Reynolds said his agents will turn over results of their investigation to Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, whose office will decide whether criminal charges are warranted against either of the officers. Howard said Saturday his office had already gotten involved. 'My office has already launched an intense, independent investigation of the incident,' Howard said in a statement, saying members of his staff 'were on scene shortly after the shooting, and we have been in investigative sessions ever since to identify all of the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident.' Protesters block University Avenue outside the Wendy's fast food restaurant in Atlanta on Saturday. Hours earlier, a 27-year-old black man was fatally shot by police officers as he was running away Several protesters blocked traffic and sat in the middle of the road during the demonstration against police brutality on Saturday One protester holds a megaphone while chanting slogans near the Wendy's fast food restaurant on University Avenue in Atlanta on Saturday Demonstrators including members of Brooks' family gathered Saturday outside the restaurant where he was shot. Police shut down streets for several blocks around the restaurant as protesters marched peacefully in the streets. There was a short, tense standoff with Georgia state troopers who lined up to block protesters as they tried to march onto a nearby interstate highway. The demonstrators eventually turned away. Among those protesting was Crystal Brooks, who said she is Rayshard Brooks' sister-in-law. 'He wasnt causing anyone any harm,' she said. 'The police went up to the car and even though the car was parked they pulled him out of the car and started tussling with him.' She added: 'He did grab the Taser, but he just grabbed the Taser and ran.' Shields, Atlanta's police chief for less than four years, was initially praised in the days following Floyds death last month. She said the Minnesota officers involved should go to prison and walked into crowds of protesters in downtown Atlanta, telling demonstrators she understood their frustrations and fears. She appeared at Bottoms side as the mayor made an impassioned plea for protesters to go home when things turned violent with smashed storefronts and police cruisers set ablaze. Days later, Shields fired two officers and benched three others caught on video May 30 in a hostile confrontation with two college students whose car was stuck in traffic caused by the protests. The officers shouted at the pair, fired Tasers at them and dragged them from the vehicle. When prosecutors charged six officers with crimes in the incident, however, Shields openly questioned the timing and appropriateness of the charges. Rayshard Brooks' killing sparked renewed anger as demonstrators gathered near the Wendy's fast food restaurant on University Avenue in Atlanta on Saturday Protesters gesture at passersby near the Wendy's fast food restaurant on University Avenue in Atlanta on Saturday A woman holds a sign which reads 'We will not be silent' near the Wendy's fast food restaurant on University Avenue in Atlanta on Saturday Protesters make their voices heard during a demonstration near the Wendy's fast food restaurant on University Avenue in Atlanta on Saturday Protesters with cell phones gathered near the Wendy's fast food restaurant on University Avenue in Atlanta on Saturday A law enforcement official speaks to demonstrators near the Wendy's fast food restaurant on University Avenue in Atlanta on Saturday Tensions were running high as protesters expressed their anger near the Wendy's fast food restaurant on University Avenue in Atlanta on Saturday Demonstrators hold signs and make gestures toward a George state trooper near the Wendy's fast food restaurant on University Avenue in Atlanta on Saturday The shooting of Rayshard Brooks is the 48th police-involved shooting being investigated by state authorities in Georgia this year Protesters chant slogans, hold signs, and walk near the Wendy's fast food restaurant on University Avenue in Atlanta on Saturday Protesters come face to face with law enforcement officials near the Wendy's fast food restaurant on University Avenue in Atlanta on Saturday A group called 'Israel United in Christ' protests as they gather at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta on Saturday Several protesters at the Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta protest the police-involved shooting of Rayshard Brooks on Saturday Members of a group called 'Israel United in Christ' protest and sign during a demonstration at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta on Saturday A man holds up a sign which reads 'Say his name: Rayshard Brooks' in Atlanta on Saturday A woman holds up a sign which reads 'Justice for Rayshard Brooks' during a demonstration in Atlanta on Saturday Protesters in downtown Atlanta holds signs which read 'Black Lives Matter,' 'Abolish police,' and 'Justice for Rayshard Brooks' Protesters angry over the shooting of Rayshard Brooks gather in Atlanta on Saturday to denounce the police Ashley Brooks speaks as protesters gather on University Ave near a Wendy's restaurant on Saturday A woman holds a sign which reads 'We must dismantle white supremacy now' during a demonstration in Atlanta on Saturday Protesters hold signs which read 'Defund the police' as they walk past a mural of George Floyd in Atlanta on Saturday Stacey Abrams, the Georgia Democrat who gained national prominence running for governor in 2018, tweeted Saturday of the shooting that 'sleeping in a drive-thru must not end in death.' 'The killing of #RayshardBrooks in Atlanta last night demands we severely restrict the use of deadly force,' Abrams' tweet said. 'Yes, investigations must be called for - but so too should accountability.' The officers involved in the shooting was not identified. Once its investigation is complete, the case will be turned over to the Fulton County District Attorney's Office for review. Atlanta, like scores of other major American cities, has been roiled by protests following the May 25 death of George Floyd. Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department after one officer, Derek Chauvin, was seen kneeling on his neck for almost nine minutes, cutting off his air supply. Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Three other Minneapolis police officers have also been charged with aiding and abetting. Atlanta police have come under scrutiny for actions against protesters in recent weeks. Six police officers - all of whom are black except for one - are facing criminal charges after they were seen violently arresting two college students for violating curfew. Six Atlanta police officers face criminal charges after video showed they used Tasers to arrest two college students - Messiah Young (left) and Teniyah Pilgrim (right) - for breaking curfew Body camera footage shows a group of Atlanta police officers confronting 22-year-old Messiah Young and 20-year-old Taniyah Pilgrim in a car in downtown traffic caused by protests sparked by the killing of Floyd. Video shows the officers shouting at the students, firing Tasers at them and dragging them from the car. Throughout the confrontation, the couple can be heard screaming and asking what they did wrong. Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigns following the death of Rayshard Brooks - just two weeks after drawing national praise for how she engaged with protesters after George Floyd's death in Minneapolis Atlantas Chief of Police Erika Shields resigned yesterday evening less than a day after police fatally shot dead 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks outside of a fast food restaurant on Friday night. Atlantas Chief of Police Erika Shields resigned yesterday evening less than a day after police fatally shot dead 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks outside of a fast food restaurant on Friday night During a Saturday press conference, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced that she had accepted Shields resignation, saying that the now former police chief had made the decision out of a desire for the Atlanta Police Department to serve as a model for reform. Chief Shields has offered to immediately step aside as police chief so that the city may move forward with urgency in rebuilding the trust so desperately needed throughout our community, Bottoms said. Shields said in a statement her decision was made out of a deep and abiding love for her city. It is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, she said. Just two weeks ago, Shields was lauded by journalists and commentators for how she engaged with protesters in Atlanta who were demonstrating against the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody in late May. Shields was videos walking among crowds of protesters in the city following Floyds memorial day death, directly addressing their concerns and promising them she would work towards changing how police officers engage with the local community. I hear you. I've heard from so many people who can't sleep. They're terrified, they're crying, they're worried for their children, she said late last month during one exchange with citizens voicing concern about police brutality. She added the officers involved in Floyds death Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J Alexander Kueng - should be charged and appeared at Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms' side as the mayor made an impassioned plea for protesters to go home when riots started over Floyd's killing. Shields also fired two officers who were caught on video on May 30 using stun guns on two African American college students whose car was stuck in traffic caused by the protest. Messiah Young, 22, and 20-year-old Taniyah Pilgrim, were also dragged from their vehicle. Throughout the confrontation the pair can be heard screaming and demanding to know what they did wrong. When prosecutors later charged six of the officers involved, however, Shields openly questioned the charges. Just two weeks ago, Shields was lauded by journalists and commentators for how she engaged with protesters in Atlanta who were demonstrating against the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody in late May Shields was praised by MSNBCs Joy Reid, who remarked what a good police officer, a good human being and a good leader sounds like. Following Shields resignation, Interim Corrections Chief Rodney Bryant will serve as interim police chief until a permanent replacement is found. For more than two decades, I have served alongside some of the finest men and women in the Atlanta Police Department, Shields said in a statement. Out of a deep and abiding love for this City and this department, I offered to step aside as police chief. APD has my full support, and Mayor Bottoms has my support on the future direction of this department. I have faith in the Mayor, and it is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Shields, who became chief under former Mayor Kasim Reed in December 2016, will not leave the APD entirely but her role has yet to be determined. The Trump White House says the president will not sign a bill requiring new names for the 10 active Confederate bases, but because the amendment is now part of the NDAA the main military policy bill it will be more difficult to remove. Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford said he has not taken a position on the issue but that it should be considered. Meanwhile ... : The ruckus over Confederate names obscured the committee passage of the $740 billion NDAA, one of the most important bills Congress must consider on an annual basis. The bill establishes spending and policy priorities for the Defense Department, and this year includes tens of millions of dollars for Oklahomas military installations and funding for research at the states major universities. One item it does not include is F-35 fighter jets for Tulsas Air National Guard, something Inhofe and area leaders have been working toward for years. Net gain: Second District Congressman Markwayne Mullin advocated for help bringing broadband communications to rural Oklahoma, including his constituents. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. A Black Lives Matter supporter carrying an alleged far-right demonstrator to safety amid violence in London has said he "didnt even think twice about doing it". The photo of Patrick Hutchinson lifting the injured white man away from a melee on Saturday has been shared widely online, with Labour MP Florence Eshalomi calling the image a "powerful symbol" amid a weekend of division and confrontation between right-wing protesters and anti-racism activists in the capital. Mr Hutchinson told ITV News: "I didnt even think twice about doing it, it was just an instinct. I didnt see colour I just saw a human being on the floor possibly coming to his end. A grandfather and personal trainer, Mr Hutchinson said he attended the event with his friends, a group of security and martial arts experts, to protect anti-racist activists on a march through the capital. It came as groups of football hooligans and far-right supporters took to the streets in response to recent Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Injured protester carried to safety during violent clashes in London Show all 5 1 /5 Injured protester carried to safety during violent clashes in London Injured protester carried to safety during violent clashes in London A protester carries an injured counter-protester to safety near Waterloo station in central London during a rally against Black Lives Matter REUTERS / DYLAN MARTINEZ Injured protester carried to safety during violent clashes in London A protester identified to the Reuters news agency as a Black Lives Matter demonstrator carries an injured counter-protester from a melee near Waterloo railway station in central London REUTERS / DYLAN MARTINEZ Injured protester carried to safety during violent clashes in London A protester identified to the Reuters news agency as a Black Lives Matter demonstrator carries an injured counter-protester from a melee near Waterloo railway station in central London REUTERS / DYLAN MARTINEZ Injured protester carried to safety during violent clashes in London A protester identified to the Reuters news agency as a Black Lives Matter demonstrator carries an injured counter-protester from a melee near Waterloo railway station in central London REUTERS / DYLAN MARTINEZ Injured protester carried to safety during violent clashes in London An injured counter-protester is carried to safety from a melee near Waterloo railway station in central London REUTERS / DYLAN MARTINEZ In a separate interview with Channel 4 News, Mr Hutchinson said: "If the other three police officers who were standing around when George Floyd was murdered had thought about intervening like what we did, George Floyd would be alive today." He added: I just want equality - equality for all of us. At the moment the scales are unfairly balanced and i just want things to be fair - for my children and my grandchildren." Mr Hutchinson's intervention came on the way home following the protest, when he saw far-right protestors who earlier had been concentrated in London's Parliament Square clashing with a group of young black men. As Mr Hutchinson carried the injured man away, his friends worked to hold back the crowd. His friend Jamaine Facey, a personal trainer who was among the group, said: "For me I wasn't protecting him - I was protecting our kids. I was protecting their future because I knew the judge would not have seen what happened before. I was saving our kids future". Police made more than 100 arrests across the course of the day, as 27 people including six officers were injured during clashes. The COVID-19 pandemic is a massive problem -- one that investors need to factor into their decision-making process. But some stocks are a lot higher-risk than others. In particular, businesses that are dependent on tourism and out-of-state traffic are seeing a bigger impact on their sales and bottom lines. In April, retail sales in the U.S. were down 16.4% (seasonally adjusted) from the previous month, the largest drop since the Commerce Department began tracking the data back in the 90s. Tourist-dependent companies like pot stock Planet 13 Holdings (OTC:PLNH.F), which is based in Las Vegas, are more vulnerable to the effects of travel restrictions and consumer wariness to leave their homes and could be in for an especially challenging year. Visitor traffic to Las Vegas was down significantly in April The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority releases monthly data on people visiting the city. As expected, tourism took a big hit in April, with visitor volume down a whopping 97%. During the month, there were 106,900 visitors to the city compared to 3.5 million a year ago. Occupancy rates of less than 2% show there's minimal traffic going through Las Vegas these days. Can Planet 13 survive? What makes Planet 13's flagship SuperStore location in Las Vegas popular is that it's more than just a dispensary. The location features a cafe, restaurant, a customer-facing production facility, and there's even event space. It was built to be a tourist attraction for everyone, not just cannabis customers. If volumes are down, then those sales numbers are likely taking a big hit. The company announced on March 19 that it would be shutting down some of its operations due to the pandemic, but it did offer online ordering and delivery services. As Nevada's begun reopening, the SuperStore now allows limited in-store sales and curbside pickup. The Nevada-based business released its first-quarter results on June 1 and there wasn't cause for concern just yet. Its sales of $16.8 million were up 21.4% from the prior-year period and it even reported a pre-tax profit of $305,000, up from $142,000 a year ago. Visitor volume in Las Vegas was down by 59% in March, so COVID-19 would've already impacted Planet 13's Q1 results, which were up until March 31. But there's no doubt that the second quarter, which will include April through the end of June, will be much worse. Gov. Steve Sisolak shut down Las Vegas on March 18 and ordered nonessential businesses in the state to close two days later. Pot shops in Nevada were deemed essential and were allowed to continue operating, initially via home delivery and curbside delivery was permitted on May 1. Nevada's had more than 10,000 cases of COVID-19 thus far and 462 deaths as of June 12. The outbreak in the state's been fairly controlled compared to hot spots like New York, where the state has had more than 400,000 cases of COVID-19. Whether it can get through this pandemic will depend on Planet 13's ability to effectively manage its cash and how successful the city of Las Vegas is in reopening and preventing a significant outbreak of COVID-19. During the first quarter, Planet 13 generated positive cash flow of $2.4 million from its operating activities, which was more than enough to cover its plant and property purchases of $2.1 million during the period. If the company can continue to stay cash-flow positive and not chip away at its cash balance of $13.9 million, it should be in good shape to get through the pandemic. But that's a big if, as it'll depend on how much traffic is down in future periods. Planet 13's co-CEO Larry Scheffler isn't too concerned. In the earnings results, he said, "While Q2 has been a challenging period for all Nevada businesses, Planet 13 pivoted quickly to a delivery-based model, which has significantly lessened the impact of lower tourist traffic, while broadening the SuperStore's long-term customer base." There is reason for some optimism now that the city has reopened -- perhaps June won't be a bad month for the city. Sisolak announced on May 27 that casinos would be able to reopen effective June 4. But if there's a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, all that progress could be for naught. Should investors buy Planet 13 stock? If not for COVID-19, Planet 13 would be a great stock to own. Unfortunately, in a new reality of social distancing and where fewer people are traveling, it's become a lot tougher to gauge just how strong Planet 13's business will be in the coming months and even years. At a minimum, investors should wait until Q2 results are out to see just how well Planet 13 is able to manage the current situation. While management's still optimistic about where the company is today, investors will want to analyze its sales and cash burn before making any investment decision on the pot stock. New York, US (PANA) - The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has expressed deep shock at the discovery of mass graves in Libya over recent days, in territory that was recently in the hands of the so-called opposition Libyan National Army (LNA) led by General Khalifa Haftar Now Ukraine will be able to carry out joint military exercises with member countries of the alliance and delegate its representatives to NATO special agencies Newly-appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna 112 Agency Ukraines joining NATO Enhanced Opportunities Program indicates that the country is approaching alliance standards. The corresponding statement was made by Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Olga Stefanyshyna, as reported by RBC. "The decision to grant Ukraine a new status indicates that Kyiv has done enough in the framework of annual programs and has come close to NATO standards in such a way as to be able to exchange operational information previously closed to us," said Stefanyshyna. According to her, Ukrainians can be delegated to special NATO bodies as liaison officers for interaction and information exchange. Stefanyshyna noted that now Ukraine would be able to carry out joint military exercises with member countries of the alliance since its military charters and documents comply with NATO. Related: Ukraine becomes NATO Enhanced Opportunities Partner: What does it mean? On June 12, Ukraine received the status of a member of the NATO Enhanced Opportunities Program. This program aims to support and deepen cooperation between allies and partners, which have made significant contributions to NATO-led operations and missions. As an Enhanced Opportunities Partner, Ukraine will have expanded access to interaction programs, as well as a wider exchange of information. However, the new status does not affect the decision on the country's membership in the Alliance. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 14) The United States is willing to share a vaccine and treatment against COVID-19 with its allies, once the developed products are available. US Defense Secretary Mark Esper made the comment during a conference call with Philippine counterpart Delfin Lorenzana on June 12, the Defense Department revealed in its statement on Sunday. Secretary Esper mentioned that developments on vaccines and therapeutics in the US are making very good progress, and expressed their willingness to share them with US allies and partners once available, the department said of the call, where the two nations tackled developments on bilateral defense relations. During the conversation, Esper also expressed appreciation for the agencys support in the Philippines decision to suspend the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement. Lorenzana earlier told CNN Philippines that the need for cooperation especially during the time of health crisis prompted the government to temporarily halt the move on the two-decade military deal. For his part, the Philippines Defense chief also thanked the US government for the medical assistance and donations amid the pandemic. As of May, the US has provided over $15 million worth of health and humanitarian assistance to aid the Philippines' response against COVID-19, its embassy in Manila said. Aside from the US, China has also assured the Philippines that it would be prioritized once the East Asian giant develops a vaccine for the mysterious disease. To date, the Philippines has logged over 25,000 cases of COVID-19. Police officers are almost eight times more likely to fire their Tasers in some parts of the country than in others. Analysis of official figures conducted by The Mail on Sunday reveals huge discrepancies in the use of the electric-shock stun guns across England and Wales. Officers in Humberside and Durham are the most trigger-happy, discharging their Tasers at more than twice the rate of those in London, despite being far more rural regions. Officers in Hampshire are the most restrained. Our research comes amid growing calls for more scrutiny on how the weapons are used before they are introduced more widely. Conservative MP Tim Loughton, a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee, called for 'stronger national guidance if we have big differentials in use between forces'. He said: 'It's time to take stock of how Tasers can be used proportionately and appropriately and with consistency. 'We're entitled to know whether you are as likely or as unlikely to be Tasered in Durham as you are in Southampton for an equivalent public order issue.' Tasers, which deliver a high-voltage electric shock to temporarily incapacitate a person, were drawn a record 23,451 times last year, though in four out of five cases they were not fired. Around one in four officers 35,000 out of 124,000 are understood to now carry the weapons. But with each force making its own decisions on their deployment, our analysis shows stark discrepancies in their use. According to the latest figures, covering the 12 months from April 2018, officers in Durham and Humberside fired Tasers at a rate of almost once for every 20 serving officers. That compares to once for every 50 officers in London and once for every 165 in Hampshire. Police in Avon and Somerset which plans to increase the number of Taser-trained officers by more than 45 per cent to 650 had the third highest rate, firing on 108 occasions, once for every 25 officers. Our research comes amid growing calls for more scrutiny on how the weapons are used before they are introduced more widely (file photo) Last year, Durham and Northamptonshire forces announced that all front-line officers could have a Taser, sparking criticism from some chief constables and campaigners. The Police Federation of England and Wales, which represents officers, is keen for more of them to carry Tasers. But watchdogs at the Independent Office for Police Conduct are currently investigating at least five incidents of Tasers being discharged, including one being fired at NHS worker Desmond Ziggy Mombeyarara, 34, in front of his son at a petrol station in Greater Manchester last month. In 2018-19, the Manchester force fired Tasers 242 times more than twice the number for West Midlands Police, a similar-sized force. However, statistics also showed that guns were involved in 603 operations in the West Midlands, compared with 101 in Manchester. Activists at the StopWatch campaign group claim Tasers are being overused by police, and not just deployed in the event of an imminent threat as guidelines dictate. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Lucy D'Orsi, of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said: 'The deployment of a Taser will differ from force to force due to many factors. There is a national training course and approved professional practice. Statistics regarding its use have remained consistent for the past 13 years. 'The mere presence of a Taser is enough to bring 85 per cent of violent or potentially violent incidents to a swift and safe conclusion without the need to fire the device.' Articles Sorry, there are no recent results for popular articles. The Narcotic Control Commission (NCC), has asked the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), to produce all exhibits intercepted at Kpoglo Border in the Volta Region last Friday during a joint operation by security operatives. According to the Commission, the law mandated that impounded vehicles and their content must be retrieved and transferred to the NCC within 36 hours. The Acting Director General of the NCC, Mr Francis Torkornoo who disclosed this to the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday said the substance suspected to be illicit drugs was being transited into the country by a drug syndicate when it was impounded. He said after impounding the truck and its content, the Customs Division contrary to the law kept it in their custody for almost a week. However, he said the Commission needed the exhibits suspected to be narcotic substance including the missing 100.1 grams whitish substance suspected to be cocaine for testing and to enable investigations to commence. As of date the Custom Division of the GRA has failed to hand over the exhibits to the NCC for further investigations, he added. Mr Torkornoo mentioned that the items comprised six parcels labelled fatal (767.3g), 45 whites pebbles(3,097.1g), 40 blisters 10 tabs, 225 tramadol tablet (353.5g), three cans labelled praise palm cream weighing 2,265.7g,eight parcel wrapped in brown cello tape weighing 7.743.1g, four parcel wrapped in black polytene weighing 5,079.2g,fifity-one parcels wrapped in transparent polythene weighing 5,0459.2 . He said in addition was an amount US$200,000.00, drivers licence, complimentary cards, and cheque books. Mr Torkornoo said the Commission had written officially to the division to demand for the exhibits, adding they will pursue the matter in court if the division failed to hand over the exhibits to them. I have personally sent messages and calls to their boss demanding for the exhibits for further investigations but to no avail, he added. Mr Torkornoo said on June 7, 2020 about 7am, all the agencies were invited by the Customs Division to verify the exhibits in the custody, before it was escorted to the headquarters of the division. However, the verification exercise revealed that a parcel 100.10g parcel of the seized items was missing. The Director General also explained that the security operation which led to the arrest was based on intelligence of an NCC officer and not a sole effort of the Customs Division. When contacted on the issue, Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) in charge of Communications at the GRA, Mr Yankey Johnson Menlah said on June 8, the Division presented the exhibits (suspected narcotics) without the vehicle to the NCC in Accra but they refused to accept it because the vehicle and other exhibits were not included. He said the NCC as a procedure should have written officially to the Commissioner of GRA to request for the vehicle. The Chief Revenue Officer stated that all the money seized have been paid to the Bank of Ghana. He said a committee had also been set in Accra to investigate the missing whitish substance suspected to be cocaine. Source: The Ghanaian Times Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video While Britains restaurants, bars and coffee shops remain closed and their staff furloughed, cafe culture is returning to mainland Europe. In France, where people are told to keep one metre apart, President Emmanuel Macron has hailed the return to happy days as eating and drinking outlets opened partially in Paris and fully in the rest of the country. Some 300,000 cafes, bars and restaurants have reopened. Drinking or dining inside is still prohibited in the French capital, but outdoor terraces have spilled on to pavements to accommodate friends and relatives desperate to meet up for a cafe creme or glass of kir royale. Pictured: Customers flock to a traditional Parisian cafe to meet their friends even though they are not allowed inside In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel has extended the countrys 1.5 metre distancing rule until June 29 but shops of all sizes have been allowed to open. In Italy, where more than 34,000 people have died of Covid-19, bars and restaurants reopened on May 18, albeit with reduced numbers of diners, tables further apart and plastic shields to separate customers. Like in Germany, Australia, Belgium, Greece and the Netherlands, the social distance rule in Italy is 1.5 metres. By contrast, Britains pubs, bars and restaurants can open no earlier than July 4 and only then if Covid-19 safety guidelines are met. Pictured: The John Snow pub stands temporarily closed Cafes and restaurants also reopened on May 18 in Denmark, one of the first European countries to announce a lockdown. By contrast, Britains pubs, bars and restaurants can open no earlier than July 4 and only then if Covid-19 safety guidelines are met. Some coffee shops have partially reopened for takeaway service but the two-metre rule means very few customers are allowed inside at any one time, causing long queues. Similarly, huge queues formed when McDonalds last month reopened 33 of its drive-through sites. Donald Trump has claimed that it would be a bad thing for the United States if he did not get re-elected in the upcoming presidential elections due in November 2020. The US President was trying to dismiss fears that he might not leave office willingly if he lost the election in November. Read: US Cadets Graduate Amid Anti-Trump Protest Donald Trump vs Joe Biden As per reports, Donald Trump said that "certainly, if I don't win, I don't win," and then added that he would just go on to do other things. In the coming November elections, Donald Trump is most likely going to face the Democratic Party's presumptive candidate and former Vice-President Joe Biden. This year Donald Trump has faced multiple disasters, the coronavirus pandemic that has taken more than 100,000 lives in the US, a recession caused by subsequent lockdown that has costed 40 million American jobs and most recent mass protest following the death of George Floyd that has reignited the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States are a few to name. Read: Trump Describes Coronavirus As 'invincible Enemy', Says America Will Defeat It Trump to accept Republican Nomination US President Donald Trump will be formally accepting the Republican nomination for the 2020 Presidential Election at Jacksonville, Florida instead of in Charlotte, North Carolina. According to reports, the acceptance speech venue was shifted because Gov Roy Cooper was asking for a convention/gathering of smaller size due to fears of COVID-19. As per reports, Trumps acceptance speech is expected to draw 50,000 people and Florida Gov Ron DeSantis and Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry have enthusiastically shown support for hosting the acceptance speech in Jacksonville. Jacksonville Mayor Curry has stated that a $100 million event like Trumps acceptance of the Republican presidential nominee is very important for the city and will also signify to the world that Jacksonville is ready to host world-class events. Read: 100 US-made Ventilators To Arrive In India On Monday As Promised By President Trump Trump to resume campaign US President Donald Trump has announced that he will resume his election rallies from Oklahoma, followed by a series of others in the states of Texas, Florida, Arizona, and North Carolina. Trump will start off his campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 19, marking his first rally in three months since the coronavirus lockdown. Read: US: Trump Says He Will Leave Office Peacefully If He Loses Election In November Startups are relying on the government's JobKeeper program to keep paying staff and are scrambling to prepare for the end of the $70 billion program. Startups accessing the scheme include shiftworker platform Deputy which raised $111 million in 2018 and was tipped as Australia's next tech unicorn. Alex McAuley, head of lobby group StartupAus, estimated a majority of Australian startups have accessed JobKeeper which he said had been a "shot in the arm" for the sector. Ashik Ahmed, co-founder of Deputy, has accessed the JobKeeper scheme. Credit:Louie Douvis "I haven't seen lots of redundancies yet with the mix of JobKeeper and asking people to stand down until the economy returns to normal has probably provided a way to keep people in jobs," he said. Pereprava.com.ua scored 42 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 21 Aug 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. The total number of people who shared the pereprava homepage on Delicious. The total number of people who shared the pereprava homepage on StumbleUpon. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the pereprava homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if pereprava has a Facebook fan page). This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the pereprava homepage on Twitter + the total number of pereprava followers (if pereprava has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the pereprava homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. Basic Information PAGE TITLE DESCRIPTION KEYWORDS OTHER KEYWORDS The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The title found in the head section of the homepage. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. 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. Domain and Server DOCTYPE XHTML 1.0 Strict CHARSET AND LANGUAGE Russian WINDOWS-1251Russian DETECTED LANGUAGE Russian Russian SERVER Apache/2.2.3 (CentOS) (PHP/5.1.6) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux Type of server and offered services. Character set and language of the site. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Operative System running on the server. The language of pereprava.com.ua as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world. Referring domains for pereprava.com.ua 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 total number of people who like website Facebook page. The URL of the found Facebook page. 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 description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. The type of Facebook page. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND Among the most powerful images from protests across the United States, after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, were photos of young people in casual clothes standing eye-to-eye with riot-geared officers. The mismatch was so vast it was reasonable to wonder if the officers themselves felt a bit ridiculous kitted out for combat against unarmed youth in civvies. Among the many reforms to policing that lie ahead, most pressingly in the United States but also in Canada, should be a reduction in the costs and stockpiling of riot gear, and a rethink of how its deployed. Turning officers into walls of dehumanized Darth Vaders, their faces and bodies obscured under helmets, gas masks and body armour, creates a portrait of menace and seems to set loose its own dynamic of self-fulfilling consequences. The preemptive appearance of forces in riot gear leads demonstrators to infer threat and occasionally seems to license, as events in America caught on video suggest, the worst elements of so-called toxic masculinity. Studies say, moreover, that dressing up police in military-style gear influences crowd psychology on both sides of the barricades, and not for the better. Psychologists call the process deindividualization, through which people in crowds lose a sense of personal identity. A disproportionate show of police power casts even peaceful protesters as threats on a par with malevolent agitators. In doing so, it presents police as a common enemy and can trigger a mob mentality that draws into conflict those who came to an event with no such intention. Not only do protestors see riot-geared police as a dehumanized common enemy, police themselves when suited up with faces and bodies obscured can lose connection with their own values and with awareness of the consequences of their actions, say the experts. In recent events in the U.S., authorities appeared unaware of much research on crowd psychology. In January, authors of the report Policing Protests: Lessons From the Occupy Movement, Ferguson and Beyond said: Police efforts to control protest events and secure the compliance of protesters can actually trigger a defiant or rebellious response in which protesters engage in even greater law-breaking than if the police had not intervened at all. Criminologists Edward R. Maguire and Megan Oakley of Arizona State University wrote that if the goal is genuinely to keep the peace and prevent conflict, dressing officers in riot gear and shutting down dialogue between protesters and police is likely to fail. Unless there are compelling reasons to deploy police in riot gear, officers should be wearing soft uniforms and engaging in dialogue. The authors cited a 2009 British report, Adapting to Protest, that urged smarter policing in place of so-called tough policing. Police strategy and tactics should not be oriented exclusively to controlling crowds through threat or the use of force, it said, but should actually facilitate the expression of legitimate protest. Initially, police should practice low-visibility monitoring, information-gathering and focus on de-escalation, it said. Police on the ground should engage with crowd members to gather information about their intentions, demeanour, concerns and sensibilities. The American report agreed. Police should rely more on soft approaches from the outset and only hardening their approach (such as deploying officers in riot gear or using chemical agents against the crowd) if circumstances require. Theres no arguing that police need and deserve appropriate protection when assigned to challenging details. The question is whether an overly aggressive demeanour in such situations is more likely to instigate violence than reduce tension. There are better ways to safeguard people and property while also protecting democratic rights, however messy than with a police presence resembling an invading military force of robots. These solutions demand intelligence and legwork, patience and relationship skills, and a deeper understanding of procedural justice and the legitimacy of protest. They also require a lot less hardware and fireworks. Every year a large number of minor girls are being abducted in Pakistan and are being forcibly converted and married off, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan's (HRCP's) own report. According to the report which highlighted the blatant human rights violations in Pakistan, at least 1,000 non-Muslim girls have forcibly converted to Islam in the country, predominantly from Sindh, which is home to about eight million Hindus. Even as Pakistan claims to have passed a legislation against child marriage in 2019, there are no holds barred when it comes to forcible conversions and marriage of underage girls which continue to take place in a region like Sindh which has the Child Marriages Restraint Act in place since 2013. Not to mention that Pakistan is also a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which talks about the importance of freedom of religion clearly stating that no one shall be subjected to coercion to change their religion. Read: Western Media Exposes Pakistan; Outs Recruitment Of Only 'Christians' As Sewage Cleaners Even the voices of minorities who are protesting against these large-scale persecutions and conversions are being actively muzzled by the Pakistan state. In March 2019, nearly 2,000 Hindus staged a sit-in to protest after instances of the two girls who were forcibly converted to Islam to get married came to light. This massive protest failed to move the Islamabad High Court, which ruled that the girls had "willingly" converted and married the men. While the Sindh government which faces the highest number of persecution and conversion cases attempted to outlaw forced conversions and marriages twice, religious parties objected to the idea of an "age limit" for conversions. After parties threatened to besiege the assembly, the bill was held back by the Governor who refused to sign it and bring it into force. Numerous Indian political leaders have been a the forefront of exposing Pakistan when such cases come to light. Back in its 2019 Annual Report, US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) USCIRF had noted that Hindus, Christians and other minority religions in Pakistan "face continued threats to their security and are subjected to various forms of harassment and social exclusion." Read: SAD MLA Manjinder Sirsa Calls For UN Action Against Pak Over Forced Religious Conversion Read: Manjinder Sirsa Urges India To Pressurise Pak To Act Over Atrocities Against Minorities (With ANI Inputs) An injured man lays on the ground next to police officers, near the Waterloo station during a Black Lives Matter protest following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, in London, Britain. (Image: Reuters) 14.06.2020 LISTEN The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) says it will assess the governing New Patriotic Partys 2016 manifesto at its weekly forum on Monday, June 15, 2020. According to the party, the forum will be on the theme: NPP 2016 Manifesto in Perspective: Claims, Deception and Reality. The purpose of this program is to conduct a comprehensive and objective assessment of the status of the numerous lofty promises President Akufo-Addo and the NPP made to Ghanaians in the run-up to the 2016 general elections and the boastful claims of the New Patriotic Party on the implementation of same, the NDC noted in a statement. The party in the statement said the event will take place at Alisa Hotel, North Ridge, Accra, at 1 pm. Below is the full statement: NDC TO ASSESS NPP'S 2016 MANIFESTO AT THE THIRD (3RD) EDITION OF THE PARTY'S WEEKLY PRESS BRIEFING. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) will on Monday, June 15, 2020, hold a forum on the theme: NPP 2016 Manifesto in Perspective: Claims, Deception and Reality. The purpose of this program is to conduct a comprehensive and objective assessment of the status of the numerous lofty promises President Akufo-Addo and the NPP made to Ghanaians in the run up to the 2016 general elections and the boastful claims of the New Patriotic Party on the implementation of same. The presentation, which will take place during the third (3rd) edition of the NDC's Weekly Press Briefing, will take place at Alisa Hotel, North Ridge, Accra, at 1pm, and shall be broadcast live on a number of digital platforms, and media networks across the country. The general public is invited to follow the live broadcast of this all-important event on GhOne TV, JoyNews TV, TV XYZ, Metro TV, Power FM, Class FM, Ahotor FM, Asempa FM or any of the media networks and digital platforms the communication bureau of the party will be advertising before the event. SIGNED Sammy Gyamfi National Communications Officer Saturday, June 13, 2020 citinewsroom Commissioner's office of Chinese foreign ministry in HKSAR blasts Britain for interfering with HK affairs People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 10:43, June 13, 2020 HONG KONG, June 12 (Xinhua) -- The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese foreign ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Friday strongly condemned and opposed Britain's interference in China's internal affairs including Hong Kong affairs. Hong Kong is part of China and has returned to China for nearly 23 years, said a spokesperson of the commissioner's office, adding that nonetheless, Britain continues to issue so-called "six-monthly reports on Hong Kong", ignoring the fact and smacking of colonial nostalgia. The spokesperson condemned and firmly opposed such reports, which have interfered with Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs as a whole, and violated non-interference and other principles of international law and basic norms governing international relations. The spokesperson pointed out that citing the Sino-British Joint Declaration to justify unwarranted remarks about Hong Kong affairs is a distortion of the fact. In the Declaration's eight paragraphs and three annexes, there is no single word or clause that grants Britain any responsibility for Hong Kong after Hong Kong's return to the motherland, said the spokesperson. Since July 1, 1997, all rights and obligations concerning Britain in the Declaration have been fulfilled, and Britain has no sovereignty, jurisdiction or the right of supervision over Hong Kong, said the spokesperson. The spokesperson pointed out that no foreign country, including Britain, shall meddle with Hong Kong affairs, which are purely China's internal affairs, under the pretext of the Joint Declaration. The spokesperson said that since the unrest following the proposed amendment bill last year, hostile forces in and out of Hong Kong have kept committing violence and openly advocated "Hong Kong independence" and "self-determination". "They have severely undermined the stability, prosperity and security of Hong Kong, threatened the red line of 'one country, two systems", jeopardized national security, and pushed Hong Kong to the brink." Unfortunately, said the spokesperson, Britain's latest report has confounded right with wrong. The report whitewashed the rioters who have applied the "burn with us" mentality in defiance of humanity, condoned separatists, and smeared the restrained Hong Kong police and the central and the HKSAR governments, and thus exposed double standards and a motive to mess up Hong Kong and China at large. It runs counter to the dominant will of Hong Kong people for restoring order and stability, to Britain's commitment to respecting China's sovereignty and "one country, two systems", and to the interests of international stakeholders. The spokesperson said the allegation in the report that the national security legislation for the HKSAR would undermine "one country, two systems", the high degree of autonomy of Hong Kong and its people's freedoms and rights is groundless panic-mongering. It is widely recognized that matters concerning national security fall within the purview of the central authorities, and legislating on national security by the central authorities are a common practice internationally, including in Britain, said the spokesperson. Nearly 23 years after Hong Kong's return, legislation required by Article 23 is yet to materialize due to obstruction by forces sowing trouble in Hong Kong and China at large, leaving Hong Kong an unguarded region in national security, rare in the world said the spokesperson, adding that therefore, it is imperative, legitimate and urgent for the central authorities to establish and improve a legal system and enforcement mechanisms at the state level for the HKSAR to safeguard national security. The spokesperson pointed out that political, business, legal and other professional communities in Hong Kong have expressed support for the legislation, and nearly 3 million Hong Kong residents signed a petition endorsing it in eight days. "All these fully show that the legislation is in line with people's will and the trend of the times." Some people in Britain, however, said the spokesperson, are attempting to obstruct the legislation. The spokesperson emphasized that the Chinese government is rock-firm in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, in implementing "one country, two systems", and in opposing any external interference in Hong Kong affairs. "We urge the UK (Britain) to step back from the brink, abide by international law and basic norms governing international relations, and stop impeding China's just effort to legislation on national security," said the spokesperson. Any interference that may undermine China's sovereignty and security and Hong Kong's prosperity and stability will be hit back by the 1.4 billion Chinese people, including Hong Kong compatriots, the spokesperson warned. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The police chief in the US city of Atlanta resigned after an officer fatally shot a black man during an arrest, the mayor said Saturday, with the new killing injecting fresh anger into protests against racism and police brutality. Images on local media showed hundreds of protesters in the streets on Saturday and flames engulfing a Wendy's restaurant where 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks was killed. The officer who shot Brooks was dismissed Saturday and identified by Atlanta police as Garrett Rolfe. The second officer was placed on administrative duty, according to ABC News. In televised comments made earlier in the day, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said that Shields, with more than two decades of experience in the force, "has offered to immediately step aside as police chief." Demonstrators were out on the streets before night fell Saturday, with one group blocking a highway near the Wendy's restaurant and facing off with police. Dozens of protesters were arrested, CNN quoted the Atlanta police as saying. The unrest comes as the US faces a historic reckoning on systemic racism, with mass civil unrest ignited by the May 25 killing of another African-American man, George Floyd, while in police custody. Floyd died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Protests which spread first around the country then the globe, have forced a conversation on the legacies of slavery, colonialism and white violence against people of color, as well as the militarization of police in America. Georgia has been hit hard by these protests. A black man, Ahmaud Arbery, was killed in the state's southwest by one of three white men who chased him down in pickup trucks while he was out jogging in February. - 'Why kill him?' - Wendy's employees called police on Friday night to complain that Brooks was asleep in his car and blocking other customers on the premises, an official report said. He failed a sobriety test and resisted when police tried to arrest him, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said. Surveillance video showed "that during a physical struggle with officers, Brooks obtained one of the officer's Tasers and began to flee from the scene," the report continued. "Officers pursued Brooks on foot and during the chase, Brooks turned and pointed the Taser at the officer. The officer fired his weapon, striking Brooks," it said. Brooks was taken to hospital but died after surgery, it said, adding that one officer was injured. An attorney acting for the dead man's family said disproportionate force was used in the confrontation. "In Georgia a Taser is not a deadly weapon -- that's the law," L. Chris Stewart told reporters. "Support came, in I think two minutes. He would have been boxed in and trapped. Why did you have to kill him?" "(The officer) had other options than shooting a man in the back." Brooks has four children, Stewart added, and had celebrated the birthday of his eight-year-old girl earlier on Friday. His death is the 48th shooting involving an officer that the GBI has been asked to investigate this year, according to local newspaper the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Fifteen of those incidents were fatal. "I watched this on the internet, from the whole George Floyd situation to coming together like we're doing," said Brooks' cousin, Decatur Redd, clearly shaken. "The most hurtful thing for me is to watch the video, wake up and watch the video," he added. "And I got two little boys, they see the same video." A Pakistani artist puts the final touches on a mural of George Floyd, the African American whose killing by a white police officer has ignited protests against racism around the world Protests like this one from June 9 have roiled Atlanta since the death of George Floyd The satellite city continued to witness a spike in the number of cases, as 169 cases were reported on Sunday, taking the total number of cases in Navi Mumbai to 3,903. The death toll surged to 118, after four new deaths were reported. The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) informed that 54 patients were also discharged on Sunday, taking the total number of recovered patients to 2,240 (57% recovery rate). Until now, 14,991 people were tested in the city for Covid-19. Among the 169 new cases, the highest (46) were reported from Airoli, followed by 25 from Turbhe and 23 in Kopar Khairane, and include four teenagers, an NMMC official said. Meanwhile, the Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) reported the second highest spike in Covid-19 cases on Sunday, after 44 new cases were reported, taking the total count to 972 cases. Three deaths were also reported, even as 35 patients were discharged. Of the total positive cases reported from PCMCs jurisdiction, 170 are from Kalamboli, 339 from Kamothe, 215 from Kharghar, 140 from New Panvel, 88 from Panvel and 20 from Taloja. Kamothe also has the highest number of total deaths (14). Television Grantchester: The British mystery series returns for Season 4, with Tom Brittney now in the role of the local vicar, and Robson Green as D.I. Geordie Keating. (9 p.m. Sunday, PBS) Beecham House: A six-part drama from Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham), set in 1800, and exploring what happens when a former soldier (played by Tom Bateman) buys a mansion in Delhi. (10 p.m. Sunday, PBS) One Day at a Time: With productions shut down because of the coronavirus, the comedy returns with an animated episode, in which the family tries to cope with the topic of politics when conservative relatives come to visit. (9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Pop; stream on fuboTV) Streaming Marcella: Anna Friel stars as a London detective grappling with personal issues as the series returns for Season 3. (Available to stream beginning Sunday, Netflix) Mr. Iglesias: The comedy returns for a second season. (Available to stream beginning Wednesday, Netflix) The Order: The supernatural series returns for Season 2. (Available to stream beginning Thursday, Netflix) Already streaming Artemis Fowl: With movie theaters closed because of the coronavirus, Disney is moving its sci-fi movie to the Disney Plus streaming service. Kenneth Branagh directs the story, inspired by a YA novel, of a 12-year-old who needs to save his father from kidnappers. (Available to stream beginning Friday, Disney Plus) Crossing Swords: Medieval adventure is the theme in a stop-motion animated series from the executive producers of Robot Chicken. (Available to stream beginning Friday, Hulu) Dating Around: More singles go on dates in New Orleans, in a second season of the dating show. (Available to stream beginning Friday, Netflix) F is for Family: Comedian Bill Burrs animated series about domestic life in the non-politically correct 1970s returns for Season 4. (Available to stream beginning Friday, Netflix) Jo Koy: In His Elements: The comedian stars in a special that celebrates his Filipino-American heritage. (Available to stream beginning Friday, Netflix) -- Kristi Turnquist kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-15 00:11:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, June 14 (Xinhua) -- The total number of COVID-19 infections in Iraq climbed on Sunday to 20,209, after the health ministry reported 1,259 new cases during the past 24 hours. The new cases were 587 in the capital Baghdad, 122 in Dhi Qar, 81 in Najaf, 79 in Maysan, 69 in Kirkuk, 51 in Basra and Sulaimaniyah each, 39 in Wasit, 38 in Karbala, 36 in Erbil, 32 in Diyala, 29 in Anbar, 12 in Salahudin, 10 in in Babil, nine in Duhok and Diwaniyah each, four in Nineveh and one in Muthanna, the ministry said in a statement. Meanwhile, 58 more died from the coronavirus during the day, with 29 in Baghdad's hospitals, bringing the death toll to 607, while a total of 8,121 patients have recovered, according to the statement. The new cases were recorded after 9,920 testing kits were used across the country during the day. A total of 369,870 tests have been conducted since the outbreak of the disease. A day earlier, the Iraqi authorities decided to partially lift the nationwide curfew from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting Sunday. Other restrictions adopted in the country include demanding wearing masks, preventing religious and social gatherings, imposing fines and severe penalties on violators of the health instructions. China has been helping Iraq fight the COVID-19 pandemic. From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad. Since March 7, China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq. Enditem Two-time Emmy-winning choreographer Derek Hough flaunted his fit 5ft10in physique while jogging around Los Angeles on Sunday. The 35-year-old dancer sported little more than a pair of black shorts and a grey $26 RVCA 'VA All the Way III' trucker hat for his daily dose of vitamin D. Derek did not protect himself with a cloth mask, which LA Mayor Eric Garcetti made mandatory for all outdoor activity on May 13. Exercising: Two-time Emmy-winning choreographer Derek Hough flaunted his fit 5ft10in physique during a mask-free jog around Los Angeles on Sunday Glistening: The 35-year-old dancer sported little more than a pair of black shorts and a grey $26 RVCA 'VA All the Way III' trucker hat for his daily dose of vitamin D Garcetti extended the stay-at home order indefinitely due to the 72K confirmed coronavirus cases in LA County, which has led to 2,894 deaths as of Sunday - according to Johns Hopkins University. Later that same day, Hough shared some drone footage from his previous jog with girlfriend Hayley Erbert. But it didn't take long before the GoPro influencer and his dog left the Kansas-born 25-year-old in the dust during the video. 'Haven't been able to get rid of this one for the past 3 months,' Derek - who boasts 7.9M social media followers - gushed on Instagram Friday. 'Exercise Nature = Clarity. Humility': Later that same day, Derek shared some drone footage from his previous jog with girlfriend Hayley Erbert GoPro influencer: But it didn't take long before Hough and his dog left the Kansas-born 25-year-old in the dust during the video 'I wouldn't have it any other way!' June marks the Disney Family Singalong couple's fifth anniversary of dating, and they originally met in 2014 after Hayley joined Derek and his younger sister Julianne's Move Live On Tour 'And I wouldn't have it any other way!' Back on May 17, Erbert called Hough 'my love, my best friend, my rock, my everything' and said she 'loves' him and celebrates him 'every single day.' June marks the Disney Family Singalong couple's fifth anniversary of dating, and they originally met in 2014 after Hayley joined Derek and his younger sister Julianne's Move Live On Tour. The six-time Mirror Ball Trophy winner previously romanced India de Beaufort, Shannon Elizabeth, Cheryl Cole, Lauren Conrad, and Julianne's bridesmaid Nina Dobrev for six weeks in 2013. Airing Tuesdays on NBC! The six-time Mirror Ball Trophy winner currently judges the fourth season of dance competition World of Dance alongside Jennifer Lopez (M) and Ne-Yo (L) Vegas baby! Derek is also scheduled to kick off his previously postponed Las Vegas residency No Limit at the Flamingo Showroom on August 25 through November 7 The former pageant princess previously served back-up dancer duties for Derek's World of Dance colleague JLo, Paula Abdul, Wiz Khalifa, Fall Out Boy, and Carrie Underwood. Derek currently judges the fourth season of dance competition World of Dance - airing Tuesdays on NBC - alongside Jennifer Lopez and Ne-Yo. Hough is also scheduled to kick off his previously postponed Las Vegas residency No Limit at the Flamingo Showroom on August 25 through November 7. Even as the state education department had earlier announced that academic year 2020-21 would begin from June 15 (Monday), confusion prevails over the reopening of schools, as with the state government did not issue any circular or a directive pertaining to the matter. Till the time of going to press, the state education department did not release any official communication to schools on the commencement of classes be it online or offline. While state education minister Varsha Gaikwad did not respond to HTs calls and messages, a senior official from the department said the standard operating procedures (SOPs) submitted to the state contain details of reopening, which they would be made public after governments approval. Meanwhile, teachers can go to school and work on creating e-content for online classes, said the official. We have absolutely no clarity on what the government wants us to do. As circular is issued in the matter, we asked teachers to try and come once a week on a rotational basis and do some work related to the creation of learning content in the school. But we cant pressurise teachers to come, especially considering the lack of transport options available to them, said Prashant Redij, spokesperson of the Mumbai Principals Association. While some schools are planning to start a few online classes from Monday, they framed their own schedules in the absence of instructions. We are currently planning to teach for two hours a day until the government gives us clear instructions, said the principal of a suburban school. On May 31, education department officials said that though schools in the state would not start anytime soon, the new academic year would begin on June 15. This meant that online learning would begin in places where students have access to technology and in other parts of the state, modes such as TV, Radio and physical delivery of learning material shall be explored to continue learning. On June 12, the education department recommended schools to follow the SOPs on school reopening and conducting online classes. As per the SOPs, students of Class 3 - Class 5 can only be asked to attend online classes for upto an hour a day, while those from Class 6 - Class 8 can be asked to attend upto two hours a day. Students of Class 9 Class 12 can be asked to attend online teaching sessions for a maximum of three hours a day. The SOPs stated that in July, areas which did not report a single Covid-19 case can start reopening schools. The Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has not tested positive for Covid-19, a close aide has said. Media reportage over the weekend suggested that the minister had tested positive for the virus and has been receiving treatment at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), close to a week now. The story also suggested that the Ministry who doubles as the Dormaa Central MP was in a stable condition. But the source said the information in the media was not entirely true. The source indicated that Mr. Agyeman- Manu indeed took a few days off from work for other medical reasons and not because he had tested positive for Covid-19. Accorinding to the source, the minister went to the UGMC for his routine medical checks and he was admitted by the doctors for a few days. He did a Covid-19 test as he usually does but the results came back negative, the source said. The source further added he has been discharged and is now home. The Health Minister would have been Ghana's first high profile government official to have confirmed positive for the Covid-19. He is known for urging the public to be cautious of the virus. In March, the UK's Health Minister also tested for Covid-19 . Ghana had recorded over 11,400 coronavirus infections with 51 deaths. Daily Guide Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-14 12:30:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LONDON, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Over 100 people were arrested during Saturday's far-right protests in central London, which turned violent later and left six police officers with minor injuries, Scotland Yard said. A crowd of people, mainly white men, converged on Parliament Square, before moving to Trafalgar Square and other areas in central London on Saturday to "guard" statues as part of counter-protests against anti-racism demonstrations. Around 200 protesters later broke the police curfew by remaining in the area past 17:00 p.m. local time (1600 GMT), most of whom congregated around the statue of Winston Churchill. Among those gathered was Paul Golding, leader of the far-right group Britain First, who had called on supporters to descend on the British capital while claiming authorities had "allowed vandalism against national monuments." The protests then turned violent, with demonstrators pelting bottles and at least one smoke bomb at police officers on foot and on horseback. Chants of "England" rang out around the Whitehall road as many of those present were drinking. Six police officers and at least 13 other members of the public were injured during the protests, and six of them were taken to hospital, the ambulance service said. As of 21:00 p.m. local time, at least 100 were arrested for offenses including violent disorder, assaulting police officers, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of class A drugs, being drunk and disorderly and breach of the peace, Scotland Yard said. "Millions of Londoners will have been disgusted by the shameful scenes of violence, desecration and racism displayed by the right-wing extremists who gathered in our city today," London Mayor Sadiq Khan wrote on Twitter following the protests. "In the face of attacks and abuse, our police did a fantastic job to control the situation. Thank you," he wrote. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also condemned the violence on Twitter, posting, "Racist thuggery has no place on our streets. Anyone attacking the police will be met with full force of the law." "These marches and protests have been subverted by violence and breach current guidelines. Racism has no part in the UK and we must work together to make that a reality," he wrote. "Any perpetrators of violence or vandalism should expect to face the full force of the law," Home Secretary Priti Patel wrote on Twitter, calling the violence "unacceptable thuggery." "Violence towards our police officers will not be tolerated. Coronavirus remains a threat to us all. Go home to stop the spread of this virus & save lives," she wrote. Meanwhile, Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds joined the condemnation, saying the protesters seemed "intent on causing violence and division." The latest far-right protests took place after a series of anti-racism demonstrations across the country, sparked by the death of African American man George Floyd on May 25 in the U.S. city of Minneapolis. Floyd, 46, died after a white U.S. police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes until he stopped breathing. In a video footage, Floyd was heard saying "I can't breathe" while three other police officers stood by. Last weekend, anti-racism protesters in London defaced the statue of Churchill in Parliament Square in central London, and toppled a statue of 17th-century slave trader Edward Colston in the southern British city of Bristol. They had also arranged further protests this weekend, prompting statues to be boxed up. In response, Mayor Khan said Friday that key statues and monuments in London, including the Cenotaph in Whitehall, statues of Churchill and Nelson Mandela, are to be covered and protected. Anthony Glees, former director of the University of Buckingham's Center for Security and Intelligence Studies, told Xinhua in a recent interview that he was not surprised the anger over Floyd's killing spread across the Atlantic to Britain. "My sense is black people in Britain share the anxieties and resentments felt by American black people, and associate with them very strongly," Glees said. "The murder of George Floyd has visibly awakened many people," Brussels Times newspaper quoted Ange Kazi, spokesperson of the Belgian Network for Black Lives Matter, which called for the protest, as saying. "Many people are fed up with police violence, which systematically affects Blacks," she said. Enditem BOSTON (AP) Dozens of scientists doing research funded by Mark Zuckerberg say Facebook should not be letting President Donald Trump use the social media platform to spread both misinformation and incendiary statements. The researchers, including 60 professors at leading U.S. research institutions, wrote the Facebook CEO on Saturday asking Zuckerberg to consider stricter policies on misinformation and incendiary language that harms people," especially during the current turmoil over racial injustice. The letter calls the spread of deliberate misinformation and divisive language contrary to the researchers goals of using technology to prevent and eradicate disease, improve childhood education and reform the criminal justice system. Their mission "is antithetical to some of the stances that Facebook has been taking, so were encouraging them to be more on the side of truth and on the right side of history as weve said in the letter, said Debora Marks of Harvard Medical School, one of three professors who organized it. The others are Martin Kampmann of the University of California-San Francisco and Jason Shepherd of the University of Utah. All have grants from a Chan Zuckerberg Initiative program working to prevent, cure and treat neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. They said the letter had more than 160 signatories. Shepherd said about 10% are employees of foundations run by Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan. The letter objects specifically to Zuckerbergs decision not to at least flag as a violation of Facebooks community standards Trump's post that stated when the looting starts, the shooting starts in response to unrest in Minneapolis over the videotaped killing of George Floyd, a black man, by a white police officer. The letters authors called the post a clear statement of inciting violence. Twitter had both flagged and demoted a Trump tweet using the same language. Story continues In a statement, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative noted that the philanthropic organization is separate from Facebook and said we are grateful for our staff, partners and grantees and respect their right to voice their opinions, including on Facebook policies. Some Facebook employees have publicly objected to Zuckerbergs refusal to take down or label misleading or incendiary posts by Trump and other politicians. But Zuckerberg who controls a majority of voting shares in the company has so far refused. On Friday, Zuckerberg said in a post that he would review potential options for handling violating or partially-violating content aside from the binary leave-it-up or take-it-down decisions I know many of you think we should have labeled the Presidents posts in some way last week, he wrote. "Our current policy is that if content is actually inciting violence, then the right mitigation is to take that content down not let people continue seeing it behind a flag. There is no exception to this policy for politicians or newsworthiness.